I was delighted to see more than one quality full-length film not only include LGBTQ, but also women of color prominently featured. …
SXSW 2021: Kid Candidate, Oxy Kingpins, WeWork, United States vs. Reality Winner
Whenever I’m feeling indecisive at a film festival, I tend to default to documentaries. The highs may not be as high as with a surprisingly revelatory narrative feature, but the lows are rarely as low as a complete indie disaster. Reviews from four pretty-good documentary premieres from this year’s SXSW fit the bill with stories of would be public servants and scam artists.
SXSW 2021: Select Short Films
I think I’m the only staffer at The Sunbreak that relishes the quick thrill of short films whether animated, dramatic, documentary, or horror. I had a limited time to spread that relish this time around so I chose to focus in on the animated shorts. Below are some of my favorites.
SXSW 2021: Language Lessons, Recovery
Two comedies that embrace the aesthetics of the pandemic era premiered — and succeeded — at this year’s SXSW.
SJFF reviews: Soros, Golden Voices, and Kiss Me Kosher
Chris and Morgen revisit a few more films from this year’s Seattle Jewish Film Festival that deserved a little discussion.
SXSW 2021: Alien on Stage
When a group of Dorset bus drivers made the very unconventional decision to abandon their holiday season pantomime in favor of a homegrown theatrical adaptation of Alien, Ridley Scott’s revered science fiction horror film, the response from local audiences was predictably muted. Luckily, the show found a life beyond their town and has been committed to film in this delightful documentary.
SXSW 2021: Not Going Quietly
When he received a surprise ALS diagnosis in in his early thirties, advocacy lawyer Ady Barkan pledged to spend the limited time he had left to live with his young family in Santa Barbara. A weekend in DC lobbying to save the Affordable Care Act, a chance meeting with a young activist in the airport, and a viral conversation with Arizona senator Jeff Flake aboard a cross-country flight changed all of that.
SXSW 2021: Potato Dreams of America
The Seattle film community got to show up “in Austin” in a big way for this year’s virtual SXSW, in the form of Wes Hurley’s autobiographical comedic feature.
SXSW 2021: Disintegration Loops
David Wexler’s music doc about William Basinski is either too short or too long to find its voice, but it subject matter is interesting nonetheless.
Reflection as Settle Jewish Film Fest comes to a close
Tonight, Seattle’s Jewish Film Festival begins tonight with a total of nineteen feature films from throughout the world through March 18. It’s the twenty-sixth festival, and it’ll be entirely virtual.