VENICE – Saoirse Ronan’s Paper Plane — A Quiet, Tender Debut

★★★★★ (5/5) There is something wonderfully unforced about Paper Plane, Saoirse Ronan’s 15-minute directorial debut. Rather than announcing itself as the work of a celebrated actor stepping behind the camera, the film settles into its own modest rhythm: observant, tactile and quietly heartbreaking. The story follows a young girl who retreats to a treehouse in silent protest after her mother begins a new relationship with an abusive … Continue reading VENICE – Saoirse Ronan’s Paper Plane — A Quiet, Tender Debut

HOLLYSHORTS FEATURE – Meeting Your Maker Is an Oscar-Worthy Masterpiece of Dark Comedy

Meeting Your Maker is one of those rare short films that catches you completely off guard. What begins as an outrageous premise, a beloved children’s television puppet contemplating suicide before his 300th episode, evolves into a surprisingly profound, emotionally resonant and genuinely unforgettable meditation on creativity, purpose and self worth. Writer director Gregory JM Kasunich has crafted something wonderfully original, a film that balances razor … Continue reading HOLLYSHORTS FEATURE – Meeting Your Maker Is an Oscar-Worthy Masterpiece of Dark Comedy

RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL – COWBOY is a Gripping Ride

COWBOY is an ambitious debut from filmmaker Nathan Grubbs that blends the grit of a classic western with the emotional sweep of a redemption drama. Set in the overlooked corners of New Orleans, the film follows Juno, a war veteran living on society’s margins whose desperate attempt to reclaim his former life spirals into tragedy when a botched heist takes a tragic turn. Grubbs, who also … Continue reading RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL – COWBOY is a Gripping Ride

TRIBECA SHORTS – RECONSTRUCTING CHARLIE Rejects Conventional Narratives Around Women and Illness

Margaret Brown There is a quiet power in films that refuse to look away from uncomfortable truths, and Lara Everly’s RECONSTRUCTING CHARLIE does exactly that. Premiering at the 2026 Tribeca Festival as part of the Vital Stories Program, the short stands out not simply because it tackles breast cancer, but because it approaches the subject through a deeply female lens, one rooted in lived experience, bodily autonomy, … Continue reading TRIBECA SHORTS – RECONSTRUCTING CHARLIE Rejects Conventional Narratives Around Women and Illness

Oscar Nominated: Tears That Turn to Treasure The Dark Fairytale Beauty of The Girl Who Cried Pearls

The Girl Who Cried Pearls is a darkly lyrical animated short that unfolds like a cautionary fairy tale passed down through generations, its beauty inseparable from its cruelty. Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, the film tells a haunting story of grief and devotion, centred on a young girl whose overwhelming sorrow manifests in an extraordinary and unsettling way. Each tear she sheds becomes … Continue reading Oscar Nominated: Tears That Turn to Treasure The Dark Fairytale Beauty of The Girl Who Cried Pearls