The 27th Urbanworld® Film Festival announced the 2023 award winners with awards for Best Narrative Feature (U.S.) going to Frybread Face and Me directed by Billy Luther, Best Narrative Feature (World) went to Sira directed by Apolline Traoré and Best Documentary Feature went to Brief Tender Light directed by Arthur Musah.
The 2023 Naples International Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners with the jury prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $2,500) going to Vivian Kerr’s Scrap, and the jury prize for Best Documentary Feature (and $2,500) was given to Miranda Yousef’s Art For Everybody.
The 11th edition of Calgary Underground Film Festival’s CUFF.Docs Documentary Film Festival returns to Globe Cinema from November 22-26, 2023 showcasing 15 features, and 10 shorts over five days.
Christopher Nolan will be honored with the first-ever Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser, Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire® which will take place on January 18, 2024. Kicking off the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the evening will also honor Celine Song and Maite Alberdi — both of whom premiered films Past Lives and The Eternal Memory, respectively, at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival — will each receive the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura.
Netflix debuted the official trailer for Stamped From the Beginning, an ambitious documentary by Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams bringing Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s best-selling book Stamped From the Beginning to life, using vivid animations and leading female scholars to explore the history of anti-Black racist ideas.
Sean “Diddy” Combs released his official trailer for “Off the Grid” described as an R&B love story co-starring Ugandan actress and supermodel Eva Apio. This is the acting debut for the London based actress and supermodel, who was handpicked by Combs throughout a 3-month casting process over hundreds of other auditioning leading ladies. “Working with Eva was an incredible experience; her talent and energy brought my vision to life,” said Diddy.
The 67th BFI London Film Festival wrapped on Sunday October 15th with the World Premiere of Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya’s The Kitchen.
The San Pedro International Film Festival (SPIFF) returns next month for screenings, panels, and events, November 2-5. Highlights include a special presentation of Nick Broomfield’s documentary The Stones and Brian Jones, and a focus on Croatian films, including Dubravka Tulic’s Academy Awards Best Foreign Film submission Traces (Tragovi). Special appearances include veteran producer Carol Baum, who will do a book signing following an Closing Night screening of the Robert DeNiro/Ed Harris starrer Jacknife (1989), and a book reading and signing of Evelyn McDonnell’s The World According to Joan Didion.
Oscilloscope debuted the official trailer for This Much We Know, a free-wielding documentary about a suicide in Las Vegas and the dumping of nuclear excess in a mountain.
The 2023 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) announced its 2023 Awards winners with Jury Awards for Best Feature going to Monster directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, and Best Feature Documentary to The Michoacán File directed by Bernardo Arsuaga. Monster also won Jury Awards for Best Screenplay for Yûji Sakamoto and Best Actor for Eita Nagayama.
Breaking Glass Pictures will release Pig Killer, described as “a spine-chilling and thought-provoking true crime drama” film based on the horrifying true story of Canadian serial killer Robert ‘Willy’ Pickton, the infamous Pig Farmer Killer or the Butcher. Starring in the film are Jake Busey and Bai Ling
Andrew Bowser’s Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls won the prestigious prize of Best Horror/Comedy film at the 2023 HorrorFest International Film Festival. Joe Reilly’s horror comedy Charlie the Cancelled Skeleton took Best Gross Out and the Audience Choice Award, and Eric Woods’ Utah-produced The Cave took the award for the Scariest Film.