SCENES ON SCREEN
The latest releases coming to cinemas and home media
Scenes on the big screen
Short Com has announced its lineup for this year’s short film and animation festival, with screenings happening at The Garden Cinema, Covent Garden, London, on the 2nd and 3rd of September, followed by screenings on the 16th of September at the Glad Cafe in Glasgow, The Glasgow Film Theatre on the 17th, the Everyman in Edinburgh on the 20th and The Cameo, Edinburgh on the 22nd and 23rd.
This year, there’s an international slant to the programme, with shorts from worldwide directors, production teams and writers. The Algonquin Bridge, directed by Txesco Montalt, with production and writing duties by Benjamin Hackman, comes from Canada and is an animated short about a man contemplating why we rush so much. Another Canadian animation comes from writer and director Martha Grant, whose Laundromat short sees two stylish llamas give the audience a musical run through the steps of doing laundry.
Scandinavia will get a good showcase with the Finnish short Lollipop, directed by Sameli Muurimäki, with production and writing handled by Janne Lähteenmäki and Susanna Karttunen respectively. In it, a famous rapper questions his career when he meets an obsessed fangirl. Coming from Sweden is Victor Nyåker’s Circle of Trust, in which a man and woman in their forties try and build a safe space at a gym. Nyåker co-wrote the short with stars Hanna Holmqvist and Peter Lorentzon.
Two projects from Switzerland will play at the festival. The animated short Pipes is written and directed by Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier and Sujanth Ravichandran, following a plumber who takes on a job at a bizarre establishment. There’s also Third Wheel, directed by Kevin Haefelin, produced by Satochi Nagashima and written by Hikari Onodera. In it, a ghost tries to make peace with his wife.
MAD, from the Russian Federation, is written and directed by Guram Narmaniia and sees the Ministry of Apology Delivery (MAD) attempt to get a sincere apology from a comedian. The animated short Sierra, is written and directed by Sander Joon, from Estonia. In it, a father and son go to extreme and surreal lengths to win a folk race.
Claudio’s Song is a joint production from the United Kingdom and Ukraine, directed by Andreas Nilsson and written by David Kolbusz. It follows a young man who faces the wrath of a family of criminals.
The rest of Europe is also represented, with Science Around Us coming from the Netherlands. Directed by Arif Abdillah, who also wrote it alongside Tommaso Genovesi, it follows a young man dealer with an ill father stuck in Indonesia and the cleanup of a wild party back home. Alex Ray’s short animation Phonorama, from Spain, sees a man in a wheelchair try and enjoy an afternoon reading, against all odds.
Sorry I am Late, I was Masturbating comes from German writer/director Alena Shevchenko and follows an anxious young woman desperately trying to calm down before a date, while from Italy, writer/director Leo Černic presents the animation Pentola, in which a repressed husband searches for the hero inside himself.
Two animated shorts come from France this year. Firstly, Human Resources, from Trinidad Plass Caussade, Titouan Tillier and Issac Wenzek, sees a shy man take himself to the recycling unit at Human Resources. While Boom, from Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier, Laurie Pereira de Figueiredo, Yannick Jacquin, Charles Di Cicco and Julien Deparis, sees a couple of birds trying to protect their eggs from a volcanic explosion.
From further field, there’s a broad selection of films from Australia. Voice Activated is written and directed by Steve Anthopoulos and sees a stuttering young man trying to work with a voice-activated car. Room for One More is directed by Jesse Vogelaar and written by Mario Hannah, in which a man is crushed by a collapsing house and must choose how to spend his last moments.
Exhaust comes from Lucy Velik and Jesse Velik and follows Ben, an awkward young man trying to become a getaway driver. There’s also an entry from Japan. Pisko the Crab Child is in Love is written and directed by Makoto Nagahisa, which sees the child of inter-species parents struggle with love.
From the United States, Run Amok is written and directed by Nitzan Mager, and sees a young girl attempt to hold a musical enactment of a school shooting on the 10th anniversary. Tij D'oyen brings Lollygag, in which a woman relives a macabre memory from the time of her parent’s divorce, while Michael Langan’s Cactus Touch explores the spiritual journey of a single finger.
Everything I Learned When My House Burned Down is written by Jacy Catlin and Joe Pickett, with Pickett also handling directing duties. It follows comedian Catlin, who returns to his burnt-down home for one final comedy show. Director Margaret Miller writes alongside Jess Roberts for Poof, which sees a multi-level marketing scheme threatened by a small dog.
From writer/director Daniel Sinclair, The Breakthrough sees a couple reach a breakthrough when their marital problems come to a head. Trundle and the Lost Borscht of Atlantis comes from director Laura Lee, with writing duties handled by Zachary Smolar, is a fantasy short about a delicious goblin-like creature kept in the basement of a deli.
Matt Kazman writes and directs Donkey, where a struggling actor must face his family at his lowest point. In Bathroom Time, director Sara June, who writes alongside Graham Riley, puts four office workers on the hunt for privacy in a workplace that counts every second of bathroom time. Writer/director Diana Ali Chire brings This Bitter Earth, where an angel must try and convince a guardian angel to give up earthly delights and return to his duties.
Death and Ramen, written and directed by Tiger Ji, sees a ramen chef spend his last night hanging out with the Grim Reaper, while Gold and Mud, by Conor Dooley, sees a woman’s life presented in a series of tiny moments. Generational differences are highlighted in Milana Shifrin’s Pickled Herring when a woman is cared for by her father after an embarrassing accident.
Sucks to be the Moon is an animated project from directors Tyler March and Eric Papwerth, with Rob Tanchum joining them for writing duties, in which the moon travels the universe to find a planet that cares about them. In Guilty Pleasures, from director George Oliver and writer Mattan Hamou, a couple decide to spice things up but discover that they are both hiding some embarrassing kinks.
Director Jerah Milligan writes and stars alongside James III and Jonathan Braylock in Mahogany Drive, which sees three black friends finding out a horrifying truth about their Airbnb. In John F. Beach’s They Grow Up So Fast, a one-night stand has disturbing consequences for Brian, and in The Family Circus from Andrew Fitzgerald, a Vietnamese-American family tries to cover up a drunk driving accident.
All Choked Up, from Allison Volk, sees a woman struggle with whether to save her husband when he starts choking on a sandwich. Finally, from the US, in The Warmest Colour is Blue, from Kevin Rolston, sees a missing television take a woman and detective on a surprising journey.
From Ireland, director Sam McGrath and writer Freddie O’Donoghue present Sucking Diesel, following the fallout of a bungled petrol station robbery. Niamh McKeown’s Ginny Reaper kicks off the United Kingdom entries, in which Ginny, a grim reaper goes on holiday for the first time in a hundred years.
The writing and directing team Not A Robot (Stevie Martin and Lola-Rose Maxwell) brings Distracted by Food, in which a company VP gets distracted by food before a very important meeting. James Button brings Robutler, in which a council worker Cwnt Jones purchases a personalised AI assistant, while in The Snip, by writer/director Ben S. Hyland, sees a man’s masculinity threatened by a simple procedure.
Working from a script by Harry Kershaw and Chris Leask, director Sam Baron presents Office Royale, in which staff members battle for a promotion. It’s Dog to Make a Sandwich if You’re Houseplant comes from director Olivia Waring, sharing writing duties with Rosy Levine and Olivia Poulet, in which a middle-aged man deals with the disappearance of his neighbour’s dog, his wife and his child.
Nick Flügge writes and directs Helen of Troy’s, in which a young woman dreams of escape from the fish ‘n’ chip shop she works at, while Sam Bailey presents Crack An Egg, where a jittery groom goes through an unusual ritual to calm his nerves. Nikola McMurtrie writes and directs A Day in the Life of Someone Who is Being Haunted, following a young woman followed by a ghost.
Not Surgery Hours comes from Tia Salisbury, writing alongside Georgina Strawson and Oli Kendall, about a doctor who is pestered by a patient while she trains for a marathon. Meeting Mr Samual comes from Rob Legatt, in which a man suffers a near-death experience and finds himself in a vast space. Sighscapes, from Duncan Cowles, is an expression of fatigue about the endless sea of content.
Sean Lyon’s Smoking Dolphins is based on a script by James Powdrill, with very little in the way of plot synopsis, while Choked Up by Jill Worsley sees an important live interview derailed by a tickly cough. Finally, Superhose comes from director Tom Levinge and writer Freddie Sandilands, in which a man tries to become an Airbnb Superhost.
To celebrate the 2023 edition, Short Com has made The Diamond available online. The Diamond won last year’s Funniest Film Award and is directed by Vedran Rupic. It has been called one of the most original comedy short films ever made.
Central City Media has announced the UK cinema release of Where the Wind Blows, directed by Philip Yung and starring Aaron Kwok and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in their first on-screen pairing.
Loosely based on the rise and fall of Hong Kong’s Four Great Sergeants in the 1960s, it centres on the friendship and rivalry of two detectives who forge alliances with organised crime. Where the Wind Blows releases on the 29th of September.
Terror Vision Records and Video has announced its 10th Savannah Film Festival, previously known as the Graveface Fright Fest. This year is a two-day event, taking place at the Ben Tucker Theater, Georgia, on the 6th and 7th of October.
The event will be hosted by Aurora Gorealis and the announced films so far are Halloween 4, American Nightmare, Slumber Party Massacre 2, What Happens Next Will Scare You, Nightmare on Elm Street 4 (with a screening of the Freddy’s Nightmares pilot episode screened prior), Slashers, Hollow Gate and Graveyard Shift. More films are due to be announced.
There will be special guest appearances from Debbie Rochon, Chris LaMartina, Andrew Divoff and more, as well as vendors, raffles and a fake trailer competition.
Tickets are priced at $45 for access to both days, with VIP options to get screenprinted posters, t-shirts and tote bags.
Mayhem Film Festival, which takes place at Broadway, Nottingham, from the 12th to the 15th of October, has announced three new films to the lineup. Bertrand Mandico’s Conann will have its UK premiere, after debuting at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.
Turning the myth of Conan the Barbarian on its head, it follows the underworld woman/dog Rainer as she recounts the six lives of Conann.
Joe Lynch brings Suitable Flesh to the festival, starring Heather Graham as a psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with a young patient. It also stars horror icon Barbara Crampton and is said to be a Lovecraftian, psychosexual tale.
Finally, Ariel Vida’s Trim Season follows a group of young people trying to make some quick money at a marijuana farm when they discover that the owner of the house is hiding some dark secrets.
Early bird tickets are available until the 31st of August at the discounted rate of £75, with passes from the 1st of September from £85.
Scenes on the small screen
Available to rent or buy digitally from today, the documentary Jurassic Punk is a behind-the-scenes account of Steve Williams, who was the computer animator who brought Jurassic Park to life.
Directed by Scott Leberecht, it follows the impact that Williams had on the film industry, and the events that led up to the moment when the world saw the T-rex on screen for the first time.
Cult Epics has announced that its IndieGoGo campaign to develop a hardcover book about the career of Tinto Brass, as well as 4K restorations of the director’s films All Ladies Do It and Frivolous Lola has entered the InDemand stage and that this will be the last week for pledges.
101 Films has announced the digital release of Dark Asset, a new sci-fi, action thriller from writer/director Michael Winnock, starring Byron Mann, Robert Patrick and Helena Mattsson.
Releasing on the 18th of September, it follows a mysterious man who tries to seduce a woman in a bar with a tale of spies, implanted microchips and a dangerous scientist. But is it more than a mere fiction?
The BFI has announced a new Blu-ray release of Ken Russell’s 1987 film Gothic, which tells the story of one night on Lake Geneva where Mary Shelley devised the idea for Frankenstein.
Releasing on the 18th of September, it is packaged with an audio commentary from Matthew Melia and Lisi Russell, the 2002 SOV film The Fall of the Louse of Usher from Russell, an interview with screenwriter Stephen Volk, interviews with the cast and crew and an illustrated booklet with new writing on the film.
Making its UHD debut, Studiocanal has announced a special edition release of Renny Harlin’s Cutthroat Island, starring Geena Davis and Matthew Modine. Set for release on the 18th of September, in DVD, Blu-ray and UHD formats, the film includes a series of featurettes, audio commentary with the director, a short film from Matthew Modine and interviews with the cast.
Studiocanal has announced a 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital release of the World War II action thriller U-571, directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Matthew McConaughy, Harvey Keitel, Bill Paxton and Jon Bon Jovi.
It follows a group of US soldiers sent on a mission to sneak aboard a disabled German U-boat and steal an encryption device. The release contains behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as interviews with the cast and an audio commentary from the director.
Icon Film Channel will premiere the true crime documentary, The Rev, on the 2nd of October, with the film being available digitally on all other major platforms from the 8th of January 2024.
It follows the investigation into Reverend Emyr Owen, in a Welsh seaside village, during which police found pornographic magazines and books on black magic, cannabilism and surgery, as well as photos that showed that Owen had abused corpses.
On the 16th of October, Studiocanal will release Delicatessen on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, this satire takes place in a dystopian future where meat is a rare commodity and grain is the main currency.
The film is packaged with an audio commentary with Jeunet, as well as interviews with the directors. Also included is a making-of featurette.
Eureka Entertainment has announced its November lineup, with a huge selection of films. Releasing on the 13th is a standard edition, 4K version of Robert Wiene’s Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari, using the FWMS 2014 remaster and featuring Cornelius Schwer’s score from the same year.
Extras include two audio commentaries, an interview with historian and critic Kim Newman, a video essay from David Cairns, a documentary on the impact of the film, a featurette on the restoration process and a booklet containing vintage writing on the film.
Also releasing on the 13th is Wong Jing’s adaption of Jin Yong’s Royal Tramp series. The two wuxia-comedies star Stephen Chow as a cowardly bard who finds himself inducted into a sect of revolutionaries.
Both films have been restored to 4K and are packaged with new artwork by Darren Wheeling, with audio commentaries from Frank Djeng, Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, an interview with veteran actress Helene Law Lan, archival interviews with Wong Jing and a collectors’ booklet.
A week later, Eureka will present a three-film collection from the early career of Jet Li. It brings together The Enforcer, with Li as an undercover policeman, Dr Wai in “The Scripture with No Words”, in which he stars as a pulp fiction author living vicariously through his characters, and Hitman, where Li is a young assassin.
Each film has been restored to 1080p and is packaged with a host of extras. Sam Gibey provides the artwork, and there is a collectors’ booklet with new writing from Simon Abrams and David Desser.
Finally, the company will release two box sets bringing together eight films from Joeseph Kuo. Deadly Masters collates The 7 Grandmasters, The 36 Deadly Styles, The World of Drunken Master, and The Old Master, all restored to 1080p, with newly recorded audio commentaries.
Fearless Shaolin features 1080p restoration of Shaolin Kung Fu, The Shaolin Kids, 18 Bronzemen, and Return of the 18 Bronzemen, again packaged with audio commentaries.
Janus Contemporaries has announced three new Blu-ray and DVD releases, set to hit shelves on the 21st of November. First up is Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland, which follows a Danish priest as he makes his way across Iceland’s southeast coast with the intention of establishing a church.
It stars Elliott Crosset Hove and Ingvar Sigurðsson, and is packaged with a new interview with the director, as well as his 2013 short film A Painter.
From directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne comes Tori and Lokita, a story of two immigrants to Belgium who develop a siblinglike bond as they struggle for survival until a series of events start to spiral out of control.
The film won the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and is presented here with a newly filmed interview with the directors.
Finally from Janus is The Eight Mountains, an adaption of Paolo Cognetti’s novel by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch. It follows two men who first meet as children in the Italian Alps before reconnecting years later after a family bereavement.
It’s presented with a new interview with the directors, as well as a documentary about the making of the film, featuring members of the cast and crew.
Arrow Films has announced its November lineup, with two special editions releasing on the 27th. First up is Tremors 2: Aftershocks, restored to 4K from the original negative with the approval from director S. S. Wilson.
Taking place six years after the original film, it follows Earl Bassett as he encounters the Graboids once again while working with a Mexican oil company.
Available in 4K UHD and Blu-ray, with a limited edition variant available exclusively through the Arrow store, extras include new audio commentaries, an interview with special effects designer Peter Chesney, on-set featurettes and a booklet with new writing by John Melville, Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz.
Also releasing on the 27th is Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe, collecting together a series of films from Brazilian writer, actor and director José Mojica Marins. Included in the boxset are At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul, This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse, The Strange World of Coffin Joe, The Awakening of the Beast, The End of Man, When the Gods Fall Asleep, The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures, Hellish Flesh, Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind and Embodiment of Evil.
Each film has been remastered in 4K and is presented alongside a host of extras. The package also includes Coffin Joe: Against the World!, an illustrated collectors’ book with new writing from Tim Lucas, Carlos Primati, Jerome Reuter, Amy Voorhees Searles, Kyle Anderson, and Paula Sacramento, as well as a double-sided poster and artwork by Butcher Billy.
Netflix has released a teaser trailer for Zack Synder’s upcoming two-part movie Rebel Moon, with the first part (subtitled A Child of Fire) premiering on the platform on the 22nd of December, followed by The Scargiver on the 19th of April 2024.
It has a mammoth cast, including Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounson, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam and Anthony Hopkins. It follows a mysterious stranger on a peaceful colony, who assembles a small band of warriors to take on a tyrannical ruling force.