Good Deed Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to Hangdog, a comedy movie starring Desmin Borges and Kelly O’Sullivan.
Director Matt Cascella’s feature is scheduled for release via digital platforms on Oct. 25, which will be preceded by advance theatrical screenings in select cities. Rounding out the cast are Barbara Rosenblat, Steve Coulter, Catherine Curtin and rescue dog-turned-performer Mr. Tibbs.
Set in Portland, Maine, Hangdog centers on Walt (Borges), who deals with anxiety while attempting to retrieve his stolen dog before his girlfriend, Wendy (O’Sullivan), returns from a business trip.
The film earned audience awards at the Woods Hole and New Hampshire Film Festivals. It has also screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival, the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival.
Cascella helmed the film from a script by Jen Cordery. Cascella, Borges, Alyssa Roehrenbeck and Patrick White serve as producers.
“Matt and Jen have crafted...
Director Matt Cascella’s feature is scheduled for release via digital platforms on Oct. 25, which will be preceded by advance theatrical screenings in select cities. Rounding out the cast are Barbara Rosenblat, Steve Coulter, Catherine Curtin and rescue dog-turned-performer Mr. Tibbs.
Set in Portland, Maine, Hangdog centers on Walt (Borges), who deals with anxiety while attempting to retrieve his stolen dog before his girlfriend, Wendy (O’Sullivan), returns from a business trip.
The film earned audience awards at the Woods Hole and New Hampshire Film Festivals. It has also screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival, the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival.
Cascella helmed the film from a script by Jen Cordery. Cascella, Borges, Alyssa Roehrenbeck and Patrick White serve as producers.
“Matt and Jen have crafted...
- 9/13/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Beast (Bertrand Bonello)
Where to begin with Bertrand Bonello’s wonderful The Beast? It’s been so gratifying to see the initial reaction to the French filmmaker’s tenth feature, after several decades of increasingly remarkable work––the majority of it dark, beautiful, and sleazy. In fact, for what a discomforting and despairing experience much of The Beast is, when I’ve thought back its moments of real, uncomplicated cinematic pleasure, its verve and sense of joyousness, are what mark my memories. It’s romantic, without a capital-r. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Challengers (Luca Guadagnino)
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers opens in an intentionally disorienting manner: We are in New Rochelle, New York for a tennis challenger.
The Beast (Bertrand Bonello)
Where to begin with Bertrand Bonello’s wonderful The Beast? It’s been so gratifying to see the initial reaction to the French filmmaker’s tenth feature, after several decades of increasingly remarkable work––the majority of it dark, beautiful, and sleazy. In fact, for what a discomforting and despairing experience much of The Beast is, when I’ve thought back its moments of real, uncomplicated cinematic pleasure, its verve and sense of joyousness, are what mark my memories. It’s romantic, without a capital-r. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Challengers (Luca Guadagnino)
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers opens in an intentionally disorienting manner: We are in New Rochelle, New York for a tennis challenger.
- 8/2/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight is an emotional drama centered around a grieving family, particularly the father who is coping with the tragedy. The family of three, Dan (Keith Kupferer), Sharon (Tara Mallen), and Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), is played by the real-life couple and their daughter, respectively. The description does not quite prepare you for what you are about to witness. Ghostlight is a sweet, subtle reminder of how often humans, in their worst of times, can find comfort in the arts and community. The film does not reveal until the end what was troubling Dan and his family, and the incident does not come off as the big revelation that it might sound like because throughout the film the family chooses not to talk about it. And it was only during a court hearing that they recalled the incident. Overall, Ghostlight is an emotional watch, emphasizing...
- 7/31/2024
- by Srijoni Rudra
- DMT
The AMC Networks August 2024 schedule has been announced. It includes new episodes of Snowpiercer Season 4 and Orphan Black: Echoes, both available on AMC and AMC+.
Sundance Now offers an impressive lineup of thrillers including the provocative new tennis drama Fifteen-Love, starring Aidan Turner (Poldark), a new season of hit Nordic noir Wisting, and the new two-part special Kennedy, Sinatra, and the Mafia. Meanwhile, Acorn TV offers new installments of fan-favorite international series Signora Volpe and Under the Vines.
Other highlights include new episodes of BBC America’s landmark nature series Planet Earth: Mammals, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and the highly-anticipated second season of Allblk’s breakout drama Kold x Windy, among other new series, films, and specials across its suite of targeted streaming services.
Film highlights this month include the sequel to IFC Films’ 2020 hit thriller Force of Nature: The Dry 2, starring Eric Bana (Dirty John) and Anna Torv (Fringe); Ghostlight,...
Sundance Now offers an impressive lineup of thrillers including the provocative new tennis drama Fifteen-Love, starring Aidan Turner (Poldark), a new season of hit Nordic noir Wisting, and the new two-part special Kennedy, Sinatra, and the Mafia. Meanwhile, Acorn TV offers new installments of fan-favorite international series Signora Volpe and Under the Vines.
Other highlights include new episodes of BBC America’s landmark nature series Planet Earth: Mammals, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and the highly-anticipated second season of Allblk’s breakout drama Kold x Windy, among other new series, films, and specials across its suite of targeted streaming services.
Film highlights this month include the sequel to IFC Films’ 2020 hit thriller Force of Nature: The Dry 2, starring Eric Bana (Dirty John) and Anna Torv (Fringe); Ghostlight,...
- 7/18/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Exclusive: Mimi Rogers (Bosch: Legacy) and Cemre Paksoy (As the Crow Flies) are attached to star in Night Nurse, an erotic thriller from writer-director Georgia Bernstein, which will mark her feature debut.
The film takes place behind the gates of a remote retirement community, where a starry-eyed nurse is beguiled by a string of perverse scam calls. When she discovers her patient is the seductive con man behind these schemes, her innocent flirtation blooms into a lust for deception.
Eddie Linker (Ghostlight), Alex Phillips and Lucy Rogers are set to produce, with production to kick off in October.
“Night Nurse inhabits the central fantasy that allures the victim to their scammer,” said Bernstein in a statement on the project. “Unrealized desires drive my characters to trust the untrustworthy and to risk everything.”
Said Rogers, “I was intrigued by the provocative,...
The film takes place behind the gates of a remote retirement community, where a starry-eyed nurse is beguiled by a string of perverse scam calls. When she discovers her patient is the seductive con man behind these schemes, her innocent flirtation blooms into a lust for deception.
Eddie Linker (Ghostlight), Alex Phillips and Lucy Rogers are set to produce, with production to kick off in October.
“Night Nurse inhabits the central fantasy that allures the victim to their scammer,” said Bernstein in a statement on the project. “Unrealized desires drive my characters to trust the untrustworthy and to risk everything.”
Said Rogers, “I was intrigued by the provocative,...
- 7/16/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today, I am chatting with actress Dolly De Leon, veteran stage and screen actress from the Philippines whose star is on the rise in Hollywood.
She received her long-overdue international breakout role in Ruben Östlund’s 2022 critically-acclaimed feature Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters by Neon.
De Leon was awarded the Best Supporting Actor prize by the LA Film Critics Association and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role—the first Filipino to be nominated in an acting category at either association.
More recently, De Leon starred in the Filipino box office sensation A Very Good Girl co-starring Kathryn Bernardo, the drama...
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today, I am chatting with actress Dolly De Leon, veteran stage and screen actress from the Philippines whose star is on the rise in Hollywood.
She received her long-overdue international breakout role in Ruben Östlund’s 2022 critically-acclaimed feature Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters by Neon.
De Leon was awarded the Best Supporting Actor prize by the LA Film Critics Association and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role—the first Filipino to be nominated in an acting category at either association.
More recently, De Leon starred in the Filipino box office sensation A Very Good Girl co-starring Kathryn Bernardo, the drama...
- 7/6/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
As festivals have increasingly endeavored to showcase more diverse talent, benchmarks of inclusivity occasionally run the risk of feeling like a dutiful checklist.
The Bentonville Film Festival, though, has celebrated — and elevated — underrepresented voices since its inception. Returning for its 10th edition from June 10-16, the northwest Arkansas festival has always taken as its mission statement the centering of work from not only LGBTQ+ and Bipoc creators but also other historically marginalized groups.
That focus shouldn’t be surprising, given that the festival’s roots stretch back to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a nonprofit research organization the actor founded after noticing the disparity in female characters while watching TV series and movies with her daughter.
While co-founder Davis remains Bentonville Film Festival’s chair, president Wendy Guerrero and artistic director Drea Clark, with a combined 19 years of experience with the festival, provide stability and steerage.
“The...
The Bentonville Film Festival, though, has celebrated — and elevated — underrepresented voices since its inception. Returning for its 10th edition from June 10-16, the northwest Arkansas festival has always taken as its mission statement the centering of work from not only LGBTQ+ and Bipoc creators but also other historically marginalized groups.
That focus shouldn’t be surprising, given that the festival’s roots stretch back to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a nonprofit research organization the actor founded after noticing the disparity in female characters while watching TV series and movies with her daughter.
While co-founder Davis remains Bentonville Film Festival’s chair, president Wendy Guerrero and artistic director Drea Clark, with a combined 19 years of experience with the festival, provide stability and steerage.
“The...
- 6/25/2024
- by Brent Simon
- Variety Film + TV
The indie box office roared to life this weekend as Thelma from Magnolia Pictures saw a hefty $2.2 million on 1,280 screens and Searchlight Pictures’ Kinds of Kindness booked a stellar $75k per screen average at five theaters in LA and NY — the year’s highest per screen average and best overall limited opening.
Thelma is Magnolia’s widest release and the question of whether a broad audience would turn out for a film with a 93-year-old star is a resounding yes. It’s poignant, funny and June Squibb is so good, but this wasn’t by any means a slam dunk. Magnolia felt it was intergenerational and the audience would be as well. Squibb plays a feisty grandma, Parker Posey her uptight daughter, and Fred Hechinger the affectionate slacker grandson.
The distributor said a number of top runs are at Alamo Drafthouse theaters, indicating a younger crowd. But the matinees, which skew older,...
Thelma is Magnolia’s widest release and the question of whether a broad audience would turn out for a film with a 93-year-old star is a resounding yes. It’s poignant, funny and June Squibb is so good, but this wasn’t by any means a slam dunk. Magnolia felt it was intergenerational and the audience would be as well. Squibb plays a feisty grandma, Parker Posey her uptight daughter, and Fred Hechinger the affectionate slacker grandson.
The distributor said a number of top runs are at Alamo Drafthouse theaters, indicating a younger crowd. But the matinees, which skew older,...
- 6/23/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Ghostlight,” a co-directorial collaboration between Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan of 2019’s “Saint Frances,” from a Kelly O’Sullivan script. Currently in theaters since June 14th.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first in a low-rent production of a Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.
”Ghostlight” is in theaters Now, since June 14th. Featuring Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon, Dexter Zollicofer and H.B. Ward. Written by Kelly O’Sullivan. Directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan. Rated “R”
Click...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first in a low-rent production of a Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.
”Ghostlight” is in theaters Now, since June 14th. Featuring Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon, Dexter Zollicofer and H.B. Ward. Written by Kelly O’Sullivan. Directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan. Rated “R”
Click...
- 6/17/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
It was an Inside Out specialty weekend, fairly quiet and with a stream of indies films and more wide releases. The schedule is starting to recover from a strike-induced slump that, however, provided oxygen to some indies.
Small films have been competing for screens with majors at arthouses from Alamo Drafthouse to Landmark since theaters reopened post-Covid and the more of them there are, the harder it is. It’s nice to see major back and the broader box office on a solid footing. But it would also be nice to see more indie breakouts like Civil War, Late Night With The Devil, Immaculate, Wicked Little Letters, One Life or Love Lies Bleeding.
“June is crowded” with indies now, says one distributor. And theaters “don’t have space to support indies in a meaningful way.”
Others are heartened by recent wide-release blowouts. “It’s still a tough market. But I...
Small films have been competing for screens with majors at arthouses from Alamo Drafthouse to Landmark since theaters reopened post-Covid and the more of them there are, the harder it is. It’s nice to see major back and the broader box office on a solid footing. But it would also be nice to see more indie breakouts like Civil War, Late Night With The Devil, Immaculate, Wicked Little Letters, One Life or Love Lies Bleeding.
“June is crowded” with indies now, says one distributor. And theaters “don’t have space to support indies in a meaningful way.”
Others are heartened by recent wide-release blowouts. “It’s still a tough market. But I...
- 6/16/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
At last. A weekend to sincerely cheer.
“Inside Out 2” (Disney) would have been terrific at a $100 million opening weekend, but it soared to an estimated $155 million. Meantime, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony), would have been thought successful with a 50 percent drop in its second weekend. Instead, it is off 42 percent with $33 million after an opening weekend of $56.5 million.
In what was set up to be a do-or-die critical two-weekend period, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony) and “Inside Out 2” (Disney) exceeded expectations — and more importantly, at the same time. It’s hard to overestimate how much dread there was ahead of these two releases. Had either or both fell short of reasonable expectations, as did to many recent high-end releases before them, the despair would have reached new lows.
Instead, not only did both franchise titles come through, they also exceeded best hopes. That happened last nearly a year ago,...
“Inside Out 2” (Disney) would have been terrific at a $100 million opening weekend, but it soared to an estimated $155 million. Meantime, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony), would have been thought successful with a 50 percent drop in its second weekend. Instead, it is off 42 percent with $33 million after an opening weekend of $56.5 million.
In what was set up to be a do-or-die critical two-weekend period, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony) and “Inside Out 2” (Disney) exceeded expectations — and more importantly, at the same time. It’s hard to overestimate how much dread there was ahead of these two releases. Had either or both fell short of reasonable expectations, as did to many recent high-end releases before them, the despair would have reached new lows.
Instead, not only did both franchise titles come through, they also exceeded best hopes. That happened last nearly a year ago,...
- 6/16/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
On Sunday June 16 2024, CBS broadcasts Made in Hollywood!
Inside Out 2; The Boys: Season 4; Ghostlight Season 19 Episode 39 Episode Summary
In this episode of “Made in Hollywood,” viewers are in for a treat with a lineup of exciting segments. The episode features exclusive insights into “Inside Out 2,” the highly anticipated sequel to the beloved animated film. Amy Poehler returns to voice one of the iconic characters alongside a stellar cast, promising a deeper dive into the emotional world within us all. Fans can expect behind-the-scenes interviews and a sneak peek into the creative process behind this imaginative sequel.
Next up, the spotlight shifts to “The Boys: Season 4,” the hit series known for its dark humor and satirical take on superheroes. Maya Hawke and Chace Crawford join the discussion, shedding light on what fans can expect from the latest season. With Chris Pratt making a special appearance, the episode delves into...
Inside Out 2; The Boys: Season 4; Ghostlight Season 19 Episode 39 Episode Summary
In this episode of “Made in Hollywood,” viewers are in for a treat with a lineup of exciting segments. The episode features exclusive insights into “Inside Out 2,” the highly anticipated sequel to the beloved animated film. Amy Poehler returns to voice one of the iconic characters alongside a stellar cast, promising a deeper dive into the emotional world within us all. Fans can expect behind-the-scenes interviews and a sneak peek into the creative process behind this imaginative sequel.
Next up, the spotlight shifts to “The Boys: Season 4,” the hit series known for its dark humor and satirical take on superheroes. Maya Hawke and Chace Crawford join the discussion, shedding light on what fans can expect from the latest season. With Chris Pratt making a special appearance, the episode delves into...
- 6/16/2024
- by US Posts
- TV Regular
In the acclaimed Sundance drama Ghostlight, the heart and soul of the film is the performances. However, what is intriguing about the film is that the main family is played by a family of real-life actors: Keith Kupferer, Tara Mallen, and their daughter Katherine Mallen Kupferer.
We at FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with the Kupferers about their roles in Ghostlight and what it was like to work together as a family.
Ghostlight Interview
FandomWire: One of the interesting things about your performances in Ghostlight is that you are a family of actors playing a family. Did you find this exciting? Intimidating? Helpful?
Tara Mallen: Was it intimidating?
Katherine Mallen Kupferer: No. I think it was probably more helpful than anything else. Because we already had this built-in chemistry that we didn’t have to work on or try to create since we are a real family. A lot...
We at FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with the Kupferers about their roles in Ghostlight and what it was like to work together as a family.
Ghostlight Interview
FandomWire: One of the interesting things about your performances in Ghostlight is that you are a family of actors playing a family. Did you find this exciting? Intimidating? Helpful?
Tara Mallen: Was it intimidating?
Katherine Mallen Kupferer: No. I think it was probably more helpful than anything else. Because we already had this built-in chemistry that we didn’t have to work on or try to create since we are a real family. A lot...
- 6/15/2024
- by Sean Boelman
- FandomWire
Filmmakers Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan made a big splash with their feature debut Saint Frances, which won the Audience Award at SXSW in 2019 before going on to win the John Cassavetes award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Their latest feature, Ghostlight, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it was one of the most acclaimed films of the fest.
We at FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with Thompson and O’Sullivan about Ghostlight, along with their exciting budding careers.
Ghostlight Interview
FandomWire: I think although there are certainly some similarities between your films, they’re all very different in style, tone, and theme. How do you see your approach as filmmakers evolving from your first film to Ghostlight?
Alex Thompson: I’ve always appreciated the storytellers who don’t preempt judgment on their characters and on the scenario, sort of let them be. And I think making...
We at FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with Thompson and O’Sullivan about Ghostlight, along with their exciting budding careers.
Ghostlight Interview
FandomWire: I think although there are certainly some similarities between your films, they’re all very different in style, tone, and theme. How do you see your approach as filmmakers evolving from your first film to Ghostlight?
Alex Thompson: I’ve always appreciated the storytellers who don’t preempt judgment on their characters and on the scenario, sort of let them be. And I think making...
- 6/15/2024
- by Sean Boelman
- FandomWire
Filipina actress Dolly De Leon burst onto the international scene in 2022 when she appeared in the Palme d’Or-winning, Best Picture-nominated satire Triangle of Sadness. Although her career on stage and screen has spanned several decades, the lauded turn has earned De Leon an incredible amount of work in both independent and mainstream projects.
FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with De Leon about her latest role in the indie drama Ghostlight.
Ghostlight Interview
FandomWire: Ever since your incredible turn in Triangle of Sadness, you’ve been in massive demand. I’ve already seen you in two films this year, and there’s a third on the way. Do you find it exciting to have this much work coming in? Tiring?
Dolly De Leon: Both. I can’t complain. I mean, if I’m tired, that’s part of it. It’s better to be tired working than to be tired not doing anything.
FandomWire got the opportunity to speak with De Leon about her latest role in the indie drama Ghostlight.
Ghostlight Interview
FandomWire: Ever since your incredible turn in Triangle of Sadness, you’ve been in massive demand. I’ve already seen you in two films this year, and there’s a third on the way. Do you find it exciting to have this much work coming in? Tiring?
Dolly De Leon: Both. I can’t complain. I mean, if I’m tired, that’s part of it. It’s better to be tired working than to be tired not doing anything.
- 6/15/2024
- by Sean Boelman
- FandomWire
There’s been much speculation about distributors being wary about taking films critical of Donald Trump for fear he will sue – most recently Ali Abassi’s biopic The Apprentice, which premiered at Cannes to great reviews. The former president hates the movie and backer Dan Snyder has disavowed it. But if you love the guy, there’s new a place to go.
This weekend sees the first film from conservative production and distribution outfit Global Ascension Studios, which is releasing documentary Relentless Patriot on about 700 screens. Directed by Christopher Martini, it follows Staten Island’s Scott LoBaido, an aggressively pro-Trump artist and activist who paints flags and courts controversy with in-your-face street performances. In a recent gambit outside the lower Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump was on trial, he released 100 penis-shaped mylar balloons decorated with the faces of Trump adversaries.
It’s catnip to the red state faction.
Global Ascension...
This weekend sees the first film from conservative production and distribution outfit Global Ascension Studios, which is releasing documentary Relentless Patriot on about 700 screens. Directed by Christopher Martini, it follows Staten Island’s Scott LoBaido, an aggressively pro-Trump artist and activist who paints flags and courts controversy with in-your-face street performances. In a recent gambit outside the lower Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump was on trial, he released 100 penis-shaped mylar balloons decorated with the faces of Trump adversaries.
It’s catnip to the red state faction.
Global Ascension...
- 6/14/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Dolly De Leon in Ghostlight Photo: Courtesy of Luke Dyra Fresh off her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle Of Sadness, Dolly De Leon is leading her own troupe of actors in Ghostlight. The new movie from co-directors Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson (Saint Frances) was acquired by...
- 6/14/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr
- avclub.com
Dolly De Leon in GhostlightPhoto: Courtesy of Luke Dyra
Fresh off her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle Of Sadness, Dolly De Leon is leading her own troupe of actors in Ghostlight. The new movie from co-directors Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson (Saint Frances) was acquired by IFC Films...
Fresh off her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle Of Sadness, Dolly De Leon is leading her own troupe of actors in Ghostlight. The new movie from co-directors Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson (Saint Frances) was acquired by IFC Films...
- 6/14/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr
- avclub.com
Back in January, Sundance 2024 couldn’t have started on a stronger note for those of us who have kicked it off with Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s Ghostlight, a gentle tearjerker and a surprisingly tender comedy, marking the duo’s follow-up to their 2019 feature, Saint Frances. A film on the healing properties of a community of artists and a love letter to the joys of scrappy artmaking, Ghostlight set the right tone from the start for the indie festival with a story about grief, familial bonds and the therapeutic beauty of the artistic process. Written by O’Sullivan and co-directed by […]
The post “…Just Being Aware of How Much Grief There Is In Our Collective Experience All the Time”: Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan on Ghostlight first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “…Just Being Aware of How Much Grief There Is In Our Collective Experience All the Time”: Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan on Ghostlight first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/14/2024
- by Tomris Laffly
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Back in January, Sundance 2024 couldn’t have started on a stronger note for those of us who have kicked it off with Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s Ghostlight, a gentle tearjerker and a surprisingly tender comedy, marking the duo’s follow-up to their 2019 feature, Saint Frances. A film on the healing properties of a community of artists and a love letter to the joys of scrappy artmaking, Ghostlight set the right tone from the start for the indie festival with a story about grief, familial bonds and the therapeutic beauty of the artistic process. Written by O’Sullivan and co-directed by […]
The post “…Just Being Aware of How Much Grief There Is In Our Collective Experience All the Time”: Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan on Ghostlight first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “…Just Being Aware of How Much Grief There Is In Our Collective Experience All the Time”: Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan on Ghostlight first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/14/2024
- by Tomris Laffly
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Ghostlight Image: IFC Films Hollywood studios have, over the last quarter-century, uncannily missed no opportunity to undercut the value proposition of their product. But under-discussed among the myriad reasons for cinema’s increasingly slack grasp on our collective culture is a very simple and straightforward one: Much of the most...
- 6/13/2024
- by Brent Simon
- avclub.com
GhostlightImage: IFC Films
Hollywood studios have, over the last quarter-century, uncannily missed no opportunity to undercut the value proposition of their product. But under-discussed among the myriad reasons for cinema’s increasingly slack grasp on our collective culture is a very simple and straightforward one: Much of the most popular...
Hollywood studios have, over the last quarter-century, uncannily missed no opportunity to undercut the value proposition of their product. But under-discussed among the myriad reasons for cinema’s increasingly slack grasp on our collective culture is a very simple and straightforward one: Much of the most popular...
- 6/13/2024
- by Brent Simon
- avclub.com
Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson imbue the paradoxes of performing arts so deeply into their film Ghostlight that it even extends to the title. In a poetic sense, the light stand that illuminates an unpopulated theater isn’t for human eyes. It’s to appease or rebuff spirits, depending on who’s asked. But in a practical sense, the ghost light exists to help the living—mostly to avoid a fate like falling into the orchestra pit and joining the dead.
Life subsumes legend for O’Sullivan and Thompson in a worthy follow-up to their previous collaboration on the small-scale humanist triumph, 2020’s Saint Frances. Their ambition broadens significantly in Ghostlight, though their firm footing in sincerity and simplicity isn’t diminished in the slightest. The creative and life partners deliver a moving apologia for the value of theater by exploring its central contradiction: a performance is an act of honesty,...
Life subsumes legend for O’Sullivan and Thompson in a worthy follow-up to their previous collaboration on the small-scale humanist triumph, 2020’s Saint Frances. Their ambition broadens significantly in Ghostlight, though their firm footing in sincerity and simplicity isn’t diminished in the slightest. The creative and life partners deliver a moving apologia for the value of theater by exploring its central contradiction: a performance is an act of honesty,...
- 6/12/2024
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer and “Ghostlight” director Alex Thompson will reunite for a body swap comedy. Think “Freaky Friday” with an indie sensibility.
From “Heaven Can Wait” to “Big” and “The Hot Chick,” it’s a familiar genre. However, what makes this film unique is that it’s believed to be the first family body swap movie to star an actual parent and their child.
Keith and Katherine starred in Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s acclaimed Sundance movie “Ghostlight,” which opens this Friday in limited release by IFC Films and Sapan Studios. It continues its theatrical rollout throughout the summer. Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan will co-write the untitled film, with Thompson set to direct. Full plot details are being kept under wraps. However, the film is being likened to “Columbo” with a twist (we may have missed the episode where Peter Falk and a younger version of himself swap raincoats).
Park Pictures,...
From “Heaven Can Wait” to “Big” and “The Hot Chick,” it’s a familiar genre. However, what makes this film unique is that it’s believed to be the first family body swap movie to star an actual parent and their child.
Keith and Katherine starred in Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s acclaimed Sundance movie “Ghostlight,” which opens this Friday in limited release by IFC Films and Sapan Studios. It continues its theatrical rollout throughout the summer. Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan will co-write the untitled film, with Thompson set to direct. Full plot details are being kept under wraps. However, the film is being likened to “Columbo” with a twist (we may have missed the episode where Peter Falk and a younger version of himself swap raincoats).
Park Pictures,...
- 6/12/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
When filmmakers and partners Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson premiered their “Ghostlight” on the first day of Sundance this January, it wasn’t the only new addition to their growing family they had to share. One month before the duo showed their “Saint Frances” follow-up to an eager Utah audience, they’d welcomed their first child.
For a filmmaking pair already carving out a niche for hard-won, heart-warming indie features (like Indie Spirit and Gotham nominee “Saint Frances”), making it a family affair is just part of the deal. After all, who else is better equipped to release a film while also suffering from massive sleep deprivation than a pair of can-do filmmakers?
As O’Sullivan and Thompson prepare to bring “Ghostlight” to theatrical audiences this week, that attitude and that family bond go a long way, even if the concerns are a little different this time around. Like, sleeping?...
For a filmmaking pair already carving out a niche for hard-won, heart-warming indie features (like Indie Spirit and Gotham nominee “Saint Frances”), making it a family affair is just part of the deal. After all, who else is better equipped to release a film while also suffering from massive sleep deprivation than a pair of can-do filmmakers?
As O’Sullivan and Thompson prepare to bring “Ghostlight” to theatrical audiences this week, that attitude and that family bond go a long way, even if the concerns are a little different this time around. Like, sleeping?...
- 6/12/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
We’ve been waiting for a weekend like this one since last July, as for the first time in almost a year, we finally get a movie that has the potential to open with over $100 million. Fingers crossed! Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
Although Disney and Pixar Animation have had a tough time in recent years due to a combination of the Covid pandemic and the advent of the Disney+ streamer, on Friday it will release “Inside Out 2,” the first theatrically released sequels to one of Pixar’s massive critical and commercial hits in five years.
The original “Inside Out,” directed by three-time Oscar winner and current Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter, opened with $90.4 million nine years ago. At the time, it was Pixar’s second-best opening, and it’s still the animation house’s best debut for a non-sequel. This sequel, directed by Kelsey Mann,...
Although Disney and Pixar Animation have had a tough time in recent years due to a combination of the Covid pandemic and the advent of the Disney+ streamer, on Friday it will release “Inside Out 2,” the first theatrically released sequels to one of Pixar’s massive critical and commercial hits in five years.
The original “Inside Out,” directed by three-time Oscar winner and current Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter, opened with $90.4 million nine years ago. At the time, it was Pixar’s second-best opening, and it’s still the animation house’s best debut for a non-sequel. This sequel, directed by Kelsey Mann,...
- 6/12/2024
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
When you see a film that bills itself as a family drama, you always have to make sure the members of the family are convincing enough. Well, that’s not a concern for the new film, “Ghostlight.” The family at the center of the film are an actual family offscreen, as well.
Read More: ‘Ghostlight’ Review: A Family Finds Solace In Community Theater [Sundance]
With “Ghostlight” arriving in select theaters this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a scene from the film.
Continue reading ‘Ghostlight’ Exclusive Clip: A Man’s Life Changes When He Discovers A Local Theater Troupe at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Ghostlight’ Review: A Family Finds Solace In Community Theater [Sundance]
With “Ghostlight” arriving in select theaters this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a scene from the film.
Continue reading ‘Ghostlight’ Exclusive Clip: A Man’s Life Changes When He Discovers A Local Theater Troupe at The Playlist.
- 6/11/2024
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Chicago – Two of the finest filmmakers who have roots in Chicago (college) are Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan. After Kelly wrote the acclaimed “Saint Frances” with Alex directing, their second film is a co-directing effort that is a brilliant meditation on finding one’s self after loss, and doing it through … acting.
Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first time in a low-rent production of a Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.
Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, Music Box Theatre, Chicago
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson are up-and-upward cinema creators,...
Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first time in a low-rent production of a Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.
Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, Music Box Theatre, Chicago
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson are up-and-upward cinema creators,...
- 6/11/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Previous | Image 1 of 11 | NextJohn C. Reilly, Career Achievement Award honoree.
Chicago – The Red Carpet was for rock … er, cinema … stars at the the 60th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) Summer Gala, and the directors, actors and film VIPs were present and feted. Patrick McDonald and Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com were also there, and got the stars to pose and talk.
Hosted with raucous glee by “Today Show” personality Al Roker, the night was a luminous event with brilliant speeches, highlighted by Career Achievement Awardee John C. Reilly, who thanked his born-and-bred Chicago upbringing for his movie star career. Also honored was filmmaker Jennifer Reeder (“Knives and Skin”) who received the Tour De Force Award for her progressive feminist filmography, and took us through her journey in a screenplay speech format. Ciff Founder Michael Kutza was also honored, and received a standing ovation.
Also among the Red Carpet attendees...
Chicago – The Red Carpet was for rock … er, cinema … stars at the the 60th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) Summer Gala, and the directors, actors and film VIPs were present and feted. Patrick McDonald and Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com were also there, and got the stars to pose and talk.
Hosted with raucous glee by “Today Show” personality Al Roker, the night was a luminous event with brilliant speeches, highlighted by Career Achievement Awardee John C. Reilly, who thanked his born-and-bred Chicago upbringing for his movie star career. Also honored was filmmaker Jennifer Reeder (“Knives and Skin”) who received the Tour De Force Award for her progressive feminist filmography, and took us through her journey in a screenplay speech format. Ciff Founder Michael Kutza was also honored, and received a standing ovation.
Also among the Red Carpet attendees...
- 6/10/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Visit Films has announced a torrent of recent deals on its slate led by a further key territory sale on Cannes Directors’ Fortnight entry Good One.
India Donaldson’s feature debut starring newcomer Lily Collias as a 17-year-old who goes on an awkward backpacking trip with her father and his best friend has gone to Cherry Pickers for Benelux after a previously reported deal with New Story for France.
Multiple territories remain in active negotiation after Cannes, and Metrograph Pictures holds North American rights.
SXSW documentary Mogwai: If The Stars Had A Sound about the cult post-rock band has been...
India Donaldson’s feature debut starring newcomer Lily Collias as a 17-year-old who goes on an awkward backpacking trip with her father and his best friend has gone to Cherry Pickers for Benelux after a previously reported deal with New Story for France.
Multiple territories remain in active negotiation after Cannes, and Metrograph Pictures holds North American rights.
SXSW documentary Mogwai: If The Stars Had A Sound about the cult post-rock band has been...
- 5/30/2024
- ScreenDaily
Katherine Mallen Kupferer, one of the breakout stars of “Ghostlight,” has signed with Fusion Entertainment for management.
“Ghostlight” premiered at Sundance and will be released across the country this summer by IFC Films and Sapan Studios. A Chicago-based stage and screen actor, Kupferer last year had a supporting role as Gretchen in the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret,” which was directed by Kelly Fremon Craig and executive produced by James L. Brooks.
“Katherine leaps off the screen in both ‘Ghostlight’ and ‘Are You There God? It’s Me Margeret,” said Fusion Entertainment partners Chris Evans and Adam Kersh. “Even at a young age, she is an impressively versatile comedic and dramatic actor. We look forward to working with Katherine and helping guide her already promising career to new heights.”
Born to theatrical parents Keith Kupferer and Tara Mallen Kupferer, Katherine made her...
“Ghostlight” premiered at Sundance and will be released across the country this summer by IFC Films and Sapan Studios. A Chicago-based stage and screen actor, Kupferer last year had a supporting role as Gretchen in the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret,” which was directed by Kelly Fremon Craig and executive produced by James L. Brooks.
“Katherine leaps off the screen in both ‘Ghostlight’ and ‘Are You There God? It’s Me Margeret,” said Fusion Entertainment partners Chris Evans and Adam Kersh. “Even at a young age, she is an impressively versatile comedic and dramatic actor. We look forward to working with Katherine and helping guide her already promising career to new heights.”
Born to theatrical parents Keith Kupferer and Tara Mallen Kupferer, Katherine made her...
- 5/24/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi has unveiled next month’s streaming lineup, featuring recent releases such as Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, Tynan DeLong’s Dad & Step-Dad, and Rachel Lambert’s Sometimes I Think About Dying. Additional highlights include Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Passion, Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy, Alex Thompson’s Saint Frances (ahead of the release of Ghostlight), as well as a spotlight on the Ross Brothers following Mubi’s streaming release of Gasoline Rainbow at the end of this month.
“Everybody’s raising this Rashomon thing, but I feel that it’s fundamentally different from Rashomon, because in Rashomon, each character, when they go back through the story again, they actually end up being a different character within the film, within the story, whatever specific story it is,” Hirokazu Kore-eda told us last fall regarding Monster. “Whereas with this, the people don’t change, but the monster who appears, appears in different places.
“Everybody’s raising this Rashomon thing, but I feel that it’s fundamentally different from Rashomon, because in Rashomon, each character, when they go back through the story again, they actually end up being a different character within the film, within the story, whatever specific story it is,” Hirokazu Kore-eda told us last fall regarding Monster. “Whereas with this, the people don’t change, but the monster who appears, appears in different places.
- 5/21/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 50th Annual Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) wrapped up on Sunday and announced the winners of the 2024 Golden Space Needle Audience and Juried Competition Awards.
The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.
Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.
In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...
The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.
Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.
In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – The Audience is the determiner for the Award Winners of the 11th Chicago Film Critics Film Festival, which took play from May 3rd-9th, 2024. The recipients for the 2024 Rotten Tomatoes Audience Award Winners are for Narrative Feature “Ghostlight,’ directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, Documentary Feature “Flipside” by Christopher Wilcha and the Short Films “Bob’s Funeral” by Jack Dunphy and “Welcome to the Enclave” by Sarah Lasley.
The 11th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. Below is the Five Best Films from HollywoodChicago.com Editor and Film Critic/Writer Patrick McDonald.
Five Best Films of 2024 Ccff, Audio Overview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com
The Chicago Critics Film Festival Audience Awards are sponsored by Rotten...
The 11th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. Below is the Five Best Films from HollywoodChicago.com Editor and Film Critic/Writer Patrick McDonald.
Five Best Films of 2024 Ccff, Audio Overview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com
The Chicago Critics Film Festival Audience Awards are sponsored by Rotten...
- 5/12/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Closing Night for the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) is Thursday, May 9th, and the final film centerpiece is “Ghostlight,” directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. For the full schedule, info and tickets, click Ccff Closing Night. For individual films, click titles below.
Ghostlight
Writer/Co-Director Kelly O’Sullivan (inset) of ‘Ghostlight’
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first in a low-rent production for one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.
Capsule Review: The premise has sitcom-like plot drivers to get the reluctant Dan on stage, but the path...
Ghostlight
Writer/Co-Director Kelly O’Sullivan (inset) of ‘Ghostlight’
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first in a low-rent production for one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.
Capsule Review: The premise has sitcom-like plot drivers to get the reluctant Dan on stage, but the path...
- 5/9/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"The lines are the easy part. The hard part is the emotional journey." IFC Films has revealed the trailer for Ghostlight, an acclaimed indie drama that first premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. I caught it there and I have to say - this really is a gem, it surprised & moved me in many unexpected ways. Co-directors Alex Thompson & Kelly O'Sullivan's previous film, Saint Frances, received widespread praise on the regional festival circuit & national stage, including noms from the Indie Spirit Awards and The Gotham Awards. This is their latest film creation. When melancholic construction worker Dan finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater's production of Romeo & Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss. Stars newcomer Keith Kupferer as Dan,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
‘Ghostlight’ Trailer: A Construction Worker Reconnects With His Daughter In Acclaimed Sundance Drama
There are plenty of films and TV shows telling stories about the power of art to save people’s lives. But you don’t often see one of these stories shine the light on a middle-aged construction worker. That’s exactly what happens in the new film, “Ghostlight.”
Read More: ‘Ghostlight’ Review: A Family Finds Solace In Community Theater [Sundance]
In the trailer for “Ghostlight,” we get to see how the film focuses on Dan, a construction worker who is having issues with his teen daughter.
Continue reading ‘Ghostlight’ Trailer: A Construction Worker Reconnects With His Daughter In Acclaimed Sundance Drama at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Ghostlight’ Review: A Family Finds Solace In Community Theater [Sundance]
In the trailer for “Ghostlight,” we get to see how the film focuses on Dan, a construction worker who is having issues with his teen daughter.
Continue reading ‘Ghostlight’ Trailer: A Construction Worker Reconnects With His Daughter In Acclaimed Sundance Drama at The Playlist.
- 5/6/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
One of our early favorites of 2024, Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Saint Frances follow-up Ghostlight premiered at Sundance and stopped by SXSW before coming to theaters next month from IFC Films. Ahead of the June 14 theatrical release, the first trailer has now arrived.
Here’s the synopsis: “When melancholic construction worker Dan finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.”
John Fink said in his review, “A masterfully crafted work with nearly no false notes, Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight is a tender drama bearing profound moments of humor and small triumphs. The smartly constructed script by O’Sullivan buries the lede, revealing new narrative information with each layer as...
Here’s the synopsis: “When melancholic construction worker Dan finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.”
John Fink said in his review, “A masterfully crafted work with nearly no false notes, Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight is a tender drama bearing profound moments of humor and small triumphs. The smartly constructed script by O’Sullivan buries the lede, revealing new narrative information with each layer as...
- 5/6/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
When Chicago-based filmmakers Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson first came across our radar with their charming “Saint Frances,” it was clear we were witnessing the birth of a powerhouse pair of indie filmmakers. Even in that first film, which marked Thompson’s feature directorial debut and that O’Sullivan both wrote and starred in, what would become their signature was obvious: a canny combination of heart and humor that go beyond basic loglines.
“Saint Frances” was eventually nominated for three Gotham Awards and the Indie Spirits’ vaunted John Cassavetes Award, and when chatting with IndieWire about their delightful gem, the pair even admitted that simple plotlines don’t quite do their works justice. “Saint Frances” comes with what seems like a downer of a description: “After an accidental pregnancy turned abortion, a deadbeat nanny finds an unlikely friendship with the 6-year-old she’s charged with protecting.” As the duo told...
“Saint Frances” was eventually nominated for three Gotham Awards and the Indie Spirits’ vaunted John Cassavetes Award, and when chatting with IndieWire about their delightful gem, the pair even admitted that simple plotlines don’t quite do their works justice. “Saint Frances” comes with what seems like a downer of a description: “After an accidental pregnancy turned abortion, a deadbeat nanny finds an unlikely friendship with the 6-year-old she’s charged with protecting.” As the duo told...
- 5/6/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Chicago – The 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) kicks off on Friday, May 3rd, with “Sing Sing” and continues through May 9th with an amazing cinema week featuring the best of the winter/spring bold face film fests, special guests, revivals and surprises! Click on 2024 Ccff for tickets and schedule.
The 11th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
In “Sing Sing,” Divine G (Colman Domingo), who is imprisoned in New York State’s infamous Sing Sing prison, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other men who are incarcerated. The story uses actual incarceration actors alongside Domingo and the other professionals, and the guests for Opening Night includes director Greg Kwedar, and actors Clarence “Divine Eye’ Maclin, Paul Raci and Sean “Dino” Johnson.
Capsule Review: The redemptive power of pretending to be something else is on display in this remarkable tale, filtered through the intense experiences of both society’s...
The 11th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
In “Sing Sing,” Divine G (Colman Domingo), who is imprisoned in New York State’s infamous Sing Sing prison, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other men who are incarcerated. The story uses actual incarceration actors alongside Domingo and the other professionals, and the guests for Opening Night includes director Greg Kwedar, and actors Clarence “Divine Eye’ Maclin, Paul Raci and Sean “Dino” Johnson.
Capsule Review: The redemptive power of pretending to be something else is on display in this remarkable tale, filtered through the intense experiences of both society’s...
- 4/30/2024
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Vashon Film Institute has set the date for the third annual Vashon Island Film Festival, which is slated to take place Aug. 8-11. The announcement comes with the launch of two new divisions of the Vashon Film Institute and a new donation arm, which accepts restricted funds to be used solely to fund improvements at the Vashon Theatre.
Vfi’s new divisions are the Quartermaster Lab, a collective of filmmaking programs, and VFIpresents, its sales, distribution and release division, which will also focus on organizing community events outside Viff.
“The quintessential goal in founding Vfi was to support independent filmmaking in the Pacific Northwest,” said Mark Mathias Sayre, founder of Vashon Film Institute. “To that end, Viff has already brought compelling indie features and documentaries to local audiences and will continue to do so. But that’s only part of the game plan: We’re equally committed to engendering the...
Vfi’s new divisions are the Quartermaster Lab, a collective of filmmaking programs, and VFIpresents, its sales, distribution and release division, which will also focus on organizing community events outside Viff.
“The quintessential goal in founding Vfi was to support independent filmmaking in the Pacific Northwest,” said Mark Mathias Sayre, founder of Vashon Film Institute. “To that end, Viff has already brought compelling indie features and documentaries to local audiences and will continue to do so. But that’s only part of the game plan: We’re equally committed to engendering the...
- 4/19/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov and Jack Dunn
- Variety Film + TV
IFC Films announced that Ghostlight, acquired by the studio out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it made its world premiere, will open in New York City and Chicago on Friday, June 14, 2024 before expanding nationwide the following week.
The film is co-directed by Chicagoans Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan and written by O’Sullivan, and stars real-life family Keith Kupferer, Tara Mallen, and Katherine Mallen Kupferer, as well as Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness).
The film follows Dan, a melancholic construction worker who finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.
“We are beyond excited to be bringing this project that is so near and dear to our hearts to the big screen this summer,...
The film is co-directed by Chicagoans Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan and written by O’Sullivan, and stars real-life family Keith Kupferer, Tara Mallen, and Katherine Mallen Kupferer, as well as Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness).
The film follows Dan, a melancholic construction worker who finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.
“We are beyond excited to be bringing this project that is so near and dear to our hearts to the big screen this summer,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The 27th Sonoma International Film Festival (March 20-24), as always, leaned into wine and food with the sold-out opening night U.S. premiere of Thomas Napper’s “Widow Clicquot” (Vertical Entertainment), starring Haley Bennett as the woman who saves the legendary winemaker’s legacy. The wine country film festival drew its highest audience attendance to date with a robust film slate programmed by artistic director Carl Spence (working with Executive Director Ginny Krieger), in his second year, including upcoming specialty fare like Luc Besson’s “DogMan” (Briarcliff Entertainment) starring Caleb Landry Jones in an incendiary performance, and Sony Pictures Classics’ raucous comedy “Wicked Little Letters,” starring Olivia Colman, along with a smattering of yummy wine and food events.
The five-day festival curated by Spence along with senior programmers Amanda Salazar and Ken Jacobson, showcased more than 100 films. Twenty-five countries were represented in this year’s lineup of 43 narrative features, 16 documentary features,...
The five-day festival curated by Spence along with senior programmers Amanda Salazar and Ken Jacobson, showcased more than 100 films. Twenty-five countries were represented in this year’s lineup of 43 narrative features, 16 documentary features,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
A masterfully crafted work with nearly no false notes, Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight is a tender drama bearing profound moments of humor and small triumphs. The smartly constructed script by O’Sullivan buries the lede, revealing new narrative information with each layer as we watch a nuclear family slowly come apart and, later, find solace in the wake of their son’s suicide. Anchored by a real-life family, the film feels as if it’s been meticulously workshopped with the same intimate collaboration that gave O’Sullivan and Thompson’s last feature, Saint Frances, its authentic nuances.
Dan Muller (Keith Kupferer) is first presented to us as a small-town construction worker with a short temper and family drama. He has a rebellious 15-year-old daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and his marriage to Sharon (Tara Mallen) is on the rocks. Love holds the family together, and following an...
Dan Muller (Keith Kupferer) is first presented to us as a small-town construction worker with a short temper and family drama. He has a rebellious 15-year-old daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and his marriage to Sharon (Tara Mallen) is on the rocks. Love holds the family together, and following an...
- 3/13/2024
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
One month ago, heading into the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the most anticipated title for buyers was not necessarily the action-adventure anthology with Pedro Pascal (Freaky Tales) or the Kristen Stewart-fronted post-apocalyptic love story (Love Me). It was Dídi, a coming-of-age film about a 13-year-old in the Bay Area from a first-time feature director with no notable U.S. stars. It quickly landed a deal with Focus Features, while films with shinier stars and higher concepts are still in negotiations for deals.
The U.S. has long been known as the great arbiter of “bigger is better.” But being risk-averse, given current economic conditions and industry trends back home (Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon MGM, and others are currently undergoing layoffs), may, says one U.S. buyer, “no longer mean getting a massive star or big director — it means costing less.” Yet, internationally, the mandate seems to be business as usual,...
The U.S. has long been known as the great arbiter of “bigger is better.” But being risk-averse, given current economic conditions and industry trends back home (Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon MGM, and others are currently undergoing layoffs), may, says one U.S. buyer, “no longer mean getting a massive star or big director — it means costing less.” Yet, internationally, the mandate seems to be business as usual,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Scott Roxborough and Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Visit Films has added Sundance premiere Ghostlight, Latin music biopic Jenni and New York-set comedy Late Bloomers to its slate for next week’s European Film Market.
Visit will represent international sales rights for Ghostlight, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Keith Kupferer, Tara Mullen, Katherine Mallen Kupfererv and Dolly de Leon star in the story of a construction worker who joins a local theater production of Romeo and Juliet.
IFC Films and Sapan Studio recently acquired North American rights to the film, which is produced by Ian Keiser, Alex Wilson, Pierce Cravens, Eddie Linker, Chelsea Krant and Alex Thompson.
Visit will represent international sales rights for Ghostlight, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Keith Kupferer, Tara Mullen, Katherine Mallen Kupfererv and Dolly de Leon star in the story of a construction worker who joins a local theater production of Romeo and Juliet.
IFC Films and Sapan Studio recently acquired North American rights to the film, which is produced by Ian Keiser, Alex Wilson, Pierce Cravens, Eddie Linker, Chelsea Krant and Alex Thompson.
- 2/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
The SXSW Film Festival announced today 50 new films, Xr projects and television programs that complete the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival lineup. Among the world premieres are the latest from The Voyeurs director Michael Mohan, who reunites with star Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate; Dev Patel’s action thriller Monkey Man; Alice Lowe’s followup to her Prevenge, Timestalker; and a new film from The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby director Ned Benson, The Greatest Hits. Festival favorites traveling from Park City to Austin include Didi, Black Box Diaries, Love Machina, Ghostlight and I Saw the TV Glow. Of particular interest to […]
The post SXSW Announces 50 New Projects for Its 2024 Program, Including Films from Michael Mohan, Nicole Riegel and Alice Lowe first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post SXSW Announces 50 New Projects for Its 2024 Program, Including Films from Michael Mohan, Nicole Riegel and Alice Lowe first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/7/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The SXSW Film Festival announced today 50 new films, Xr projects and television programs that complete the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival lineup. Among the world premieres are the latest from The Voyeurs director Michael Mohan, who reunites with star Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate; Dev Patel’s action thriller Monkey Man; Alice Lowe’s followup to her Prevenge, Timestalker; and a new film from The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby director Ned Benson, The Greatest Hits. Festival favorites traveling from Park City to Austin include Didi, Black Box Diaries, Love Machina, Ghostlight and I Saw the TV Glow. Of particular interest to […]
The post SXSW Announces 50 New Projects for Its 2024 Program, Including Films from Michael Mohan, Nicole Riegel and Alice Lowe first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post SXSW Announces 50 New Projects for Its 2024 Program, Including Films from Michael Mohan, Nicole Riegel and Alice Lowe first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/7/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
El éxito del terror indie en Sundance: “Talk to Me” pasa el testigo a “I Saw the TV Glow” en su 40ª edición.
El Festival de Cine de Sundance ha terminado y por ello os traemos nuestro análisis del festival. Un festival en el que anteriormente se estrenaron mundialmente películas muy aclamadas como “Brooklyn”, “Hereditary”, “Manchester By The Sea”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Get Out” o “Whiplash”. Y es que, esta temporada de premios aún no ha terminado y ya estamos con los ojos puestos en las películas de Sundance para ver cuál ha destacado y si alguna de ellas podría unirse a esta lista de películas aclamadas que tuvieron su estreno en el festival. Así que, pasemos al análisis.
Como siempre, para obtener una visión más clara acerca de las reacciones del festival, hemos optado por realizar un análisis utilizando como fuente los datos de Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic y Letterboxd.
El Festival de Cine de Sundance ha terminado y por ello os traemos nuestro análisis del festival. Un festival en el que anteriormente se estrenaron mundialmente películas muy aclamadas como “Brooklyn”, “Hereditary”, “Manchester By The Sea”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Get Out” o “Whiplash”. Y es que, esta temporada de premios aún no ha terminado y ya estamos con los ojos puestos en las películas de Sundance para ver cuál ha destacado y si alguna de ellas podría unirse a esta lista de películas aclamadas que tuvieron su estreno en el festival. Así que, pasemos al análisis.
Como siempre, para obtener una visión más clara acerca de las reacciones del festival, hemos optado por realizar un análisis utilizando como fuente los datos de Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic y Letterboxd.
- 1/31/2024
- by Marta Medina
- mundoCine
There are a few silver linings of covering Sundance remotely, which — as a critic with two young children and a marriage that I would still like to have at the end of the month — I elected to do for the fourth consecutive year. You don’t have to wait in lines, sit through the same ads about “the power of storytelling” before every screening, or stare longingly at nearby ski slopes as you take a deep breath and head into a high school auditorium to watch a documentary that will be on Netflix three days later.
More significantly, “doing Sundance” from the relative comforts of Eric Adams’ New York City has a way of unburdening the films you watch from the pressure forced upon them in Park City, where each premiere is attended by some of the most generous audiences on the planet…and also the unreasonable expectation that what...
More significantly, “doing Sundance” from the relative comforts of Eric Adams’ New York City has a way of unburdening the films you watch from the pressure forced upon them in Park City, where each premiere is attended by some of the most generous audiences on the planet…and also the unreasonable expectation that what...
- 1/29/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
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