Two more world premiere feature films – Judas and the Black Messiah directed by Shaka King and Captains of Zaatari directed by Ali El Arabi, have been added to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival lineup. The 2021 Festival will be held virtually via a feature-rich, Sundance-built online platform and in person on Satellite Screens across the country (on a condition that it’s safe) from January 28 to February 3, 2021.
The arrival of the birth mother of their child came as a shock to a young adoptive family in director Naomi Kawase’s emotive drama True Mothers, Japan’s Oscar entry for best international film. The film starring Hiromi Nagasaku, Arata Iura, Aju Makita, Reo Sato, Hiroko Nakajima,Tetsu Hirahara, Ren Komai and Taketo Tanaka premieres via virtual cinema on January 29, 2021.
Clapboard Jungle, a film by Justin McConnell, featuring Guillermo Del Toro, Paul Schrader, Tom Savini, Richard Stanley, and George A. Romero will be available on digital January 19 in the U.S (via Gravitas Ventures/Kamikaze Dogfight) and Canada (Indiecan Entertainment).
Rose Glass’ dramatic horror Saint Maud leads the nominations for the 41st annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards with 8 nominations, including Film, Director, Screenwriter, Actress (Morfydd Clark) and Supporting Actress (Jennifer Ehle). In addition, the film is nominated for British/Irish Film of the Year, and Clark is nominated for British/Irish Actress, a body-of-work award that includes her appearance in Eternal Beauty.
After its premiere at Fantasia, Mauro Iván Ojeda’s spine-chilling thriller The Funeral Home will be coming to virtual theaters on January 29 and digital on February 2.
The documentary More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story directed by Kevin Derek is set for release on February 5, 2021. The documentary features Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Martin Kove, Henry Winkler, James Hong, Sean Kanan, Marion Ross, Esai Morales, Tommy Chong, Don Most, Anson Williams and more. Watch trailer below.
Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland snagged the top awards for Best Feature along and Gotham Audience Award at the 30th annual Gotham Awards held on Monday night. Ramona Diaz’s A Thousand Cuts and Garrett Bradley’s Time tied for Best Documentary; and Fernanda Valadez’s Identifying Features won for Best International Feature.
The Music City Film Critics’ Association comprised of more than 30 professional film critics working in or near Nashville, Tennessee announced the winners of the MCFCA 2020 Film Awards. Promising Young Woman was the big winner taking two of the top four awards, including Best Picture.
The new trailer was released for the documentary Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words, directed written and produced by Freida Lee Mock set to premiere in virtual cinema on February 12th and on VOD on March 9th. Featured in the documentary are Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Goodwin Liu, Delegate Jennfier Carroll Foy, Lilly Ledbetter, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik, M.E. Freeman, and Kathleen Peratis
The National Society Of Film Critics (NSFC) announced their 2020 winners, naming Nomadland the Best Picture of 2020, along with Best Director for Chloé Zhao, Best Actress for Frances McDormand and Best Cinematography for Joshua James Richards.
The North Dakota Film Society Awards celebrate the best achievements in cinema of 2020. David Fincher’s “Mank” received 8 nominations, the most of any film. but failed to earn one of the five Best Picture slots, which went to Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow”, Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”, Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”, Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland”, and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman”.
The gripping Mexican border thriller, Identifying Features from debut filmmaker Fernanda Valadez will open January 22 on Kino Marquee and virtual cinemas nationwide including in New York at Film at Lincoln Center along with BAM; and in Los Angeles at Laemmle.