OSCAR CONTENDING SERIES – Inside, The Valley Sings: A Visceral, Beautiful Cry from Within the Walls

In an era when issue‑driven documentary cinema often teeters between advocacy and art, Nathan Fagan’s Inside, The Valley Sings stands out as a work of rare ambition and emotional clarity. With this animated documentary he offers us not merely a depiction of solitary confinement but an immersive journey into the mind of isolation. Rendered through the sinuous hand‑drawn animation of Natasza Cetner, the film transforms what could easily have … Continue reading OSCAR CONTENDING SERIES – Inside, The Valley Sings: A Visceral, Beautiful Cry from Within the Walls

RAINDANCE SPOTLIGHT: Tristan Loraine on His Two Documentaries Premiering at Raindance 2025

In this interview, former airline captain turned filmmaker Tristan Loraine talks about his two documentaries – This Is Your Captain Speaking and Our Journey with Lobular Cancer – that will be making their world premiere at the 2025 Raindance Film Festival this June. Your route into filmmaking is quite unique. Can you tell us about your journey into becoming a filmmaker? In 2006, I was … Continue reading RAINDANCE SPOTLIGHT: Tristan Loraine on His Two Documentaries Premiering at Raindance 2025

REVIEW: JessZilla – Triumphant Documentary of a Boxing Icon

JessZilla from director Emily Sheskin, is a triumphant and deeply affecting documentary that goes far beyond the ropes of the boxing ring, recounting a young girl’s extraordinary journey marked by blood, sweat and many tears. The focus is on 15-year-old Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva from New Jersey, a fierce and charismatic fighter training to become a professional boxer while navigating the everyday joys and burdens of … Continue reading REVIEW: JessZilla – Triumphant Documentary of a Boxing Icon

Festival spotlight: 3rd watchAUT Austrian Film Festival presents the best new films from Austria alongside an influential title from the past

The third edition of watchAUT Austrian Film Festival brings to London the best new films to emerge from Austria, alongside a shorts programme plus an influential and controversial Austrian film from the 1980s. Presented by the Austrian Cultural Forum London in cooperation with the Austrian Film Institute, and running 13 – 16 March at Ciné Lumière and the ICA Cinemas, the festival provides a glimpse … Continue reading Festival spotlight: 3rd watchAUT Austrian Film Festival presents the best new films from Austria alongside an influential title from the past

OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: Jacob Krupnick’s THEN COMES THE BODY shows the transformative power of dance

Directed by Jacob Krupnick, Then Comes the Body is an uplifting and beautifully shot documentary that tells the inspiring story of Leap of Dance Academy, the first classical ballet school in Nigeria, and its founder Daniel Owoseni Ajala. What begins as a humble endeavor in Ajala’s front yard in Lagos has blossomed into a globally recognized institution, providing underprivileged children with access to world-class dance … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: Jacob Krupnick’s THEN COMES THE BODY shows the transformative power of dance