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The immersive documentary short film Red Sands made its World Premiere at the SXSW Film & Television Festival 2025. This film is the directorial debut of filmmaker Romina Cenisio, “whose work examines the preservation of complex identities and subjects on the fringe of existence,” as described in the press information. The filmmaker is the daughter… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: Red Sands – Beyond the El Paso City Limits

I’ll be honest: Mermaid was my least favorite film of SXSW 2025. Despite its intriguing premise, it left me cringing more than laughing, and I had to force myself to sit through it. Directed by Tyler Cornack, the film follows Doug (played by Johnny Pemberton), an awkward, down-and-out drug addict in Florida who’s lost his… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: MERMAID – A Misguided Fantasy That Missed the Mark

I walked into Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship at its U.S. premiere at SXSW 2025, not quite knowing what to expect. The premise—a suburban dad desperate for a new friend whose enthusiasm spirals into chaos—seemed ripe for uncomfortable laughs and maybe even some quietly incisive social commentary. To its credit, the film delivers flashes of both. But… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: FRIENDSHIP – When Weird Goes Off the Rails

I went into this SXSW 2025 documentary more curious than skeptical. After all, it’s not every day you get a film that promises revelations from over thirty senior U.S. government, military, and intelligence officials about a secret 80-year cover-up involving non-human intelligent life. The idea of a global race to reverse-engineer alien technology sounds like… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: AGE OF DISCLOSURE

There’s something intoxicating about On Swift Horses, a film that practically hums with longing from its opening frames. I saw it at SXSW 2025, where it screened in the Festival Favorites section, and from the moment the lights dimmed, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a gentle ride. The film opens not with… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: ON SWIFT HORSES

I walked into Slanted with curiosity and an open mind, genuinely intrigued by what I thought might be a bold, satirical take on race, identity, and belonging in the age of cosmetic extremes. The premise—a Chinese-American teenager electing to undergo an experimental ethnic modification surgery to fit in—promised something provocative, maybe even daringly surreal. Unfortunately,… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: SLANTED

I watched the documentary Flight 149: Hostage of War, directed by Jenny Ash, during its screening at SXSW 2025, and I walked away both stunned and deeply moved. Going in, I was only vaguely aware of the events surrounding British Airways Flight 149. I certainly didn’t expect to be as affected as I was. The… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: FLIGHT 149: HOSTAGE OF WAR

Watching Selena y Los Dinos, directed by Isabel Castro, at SXSW 2025 was a memorable experience. The documentary offers an intimate and thoughtful look into Selena Quintanilla’s life and legacy. With never-before-seen archival footage, personal photographs, and candid interviews, the film traces her evolution from performing at local events in Corpus Christi to becoming the… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: SELENA Y LOS DINOS

As it was challenging to get into the big headliners of this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival, I focused on some of the more low-key films the fest had to offer. One delightful surprise is a film that shows how fandom can sometimes be a positive thing for musical artists coping with their own… Continue reading SXSW 2025 Movie Review: THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND Is A Lovable Slice Of Comedic Indie Cinema