GOODBYE JUNE (2025)

Written by Joe Anders



Directed by Kate Winslet



Where & When: Landmark Theatres Sunset, West Hollywood, CA. December 16, 2025 4:20 PM



Available to stream now on Netflix



The extraordinary British actor, Kate Winslet has delivered many outstanding screen performances in such wide-ranging films as "Heavenly Creatures", "Sense and Sensibility", "Titanic", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "The Holiday" and "The Reader" which she would win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Now she has made the move to work behind the camera with her directorial debut, "Goodbye June". This comedic drama deals with a dysfunctional family who must come together to help their ailing matriarch through her difficult time. With a rich history of playing strong-willed, complicated characters and appearing in many indie and experimental cinema, it would be expected that Winslet eagerly wanted to take us on an unconventional journey into the lives of this unstable family. But "Goodbye June" is disappointingly trite and surprisingly timid, never pushing these anxious and eccentric characters far enough to the edge to make this family's story feel essential.

One morning, June (Helen Mirren) is boiling water to make tea. Having difficulty breathing, she collapses to the floor with her son, Connor (Johnny Flynn) rushing to get his mother to the hospital. With his doddering father, Bernie (Timothy Spall) in tow, Connor has the task of contacting his three older sisters; the career-oriented mother, Julia (Winslet) who is handling work and family while her husband is out of the country for his job; Molly (Andrea Riseborough), an overwhelmed, stay-at-home mother who has her kind but scattered husband (Stephen Merchant) on hand yet he isn't much help and Helen (Toni Collette), an unmarried, new-age spiritualist guiding on a retreat out of the country. 

When they all arrive to the hospital, the doctors (Jeremy Swift, Raza Jaffrey) inform the family that June's cancer has aggressively returned and inoperable. Not given much time, the distraught family decides to make sure that June has at least one more special Christmas with her entire clan. But this holiday gathering will prove to be a challenge to pull off since Julia and Molly are barely speaking due to a long simmering tension between them. Connor begins to struggle with his life choices because of this latest crisis and Bernie is in denial to his wife's critical situation while June's health starts to rapidly decline.

Winslet decided to direct "Goodbye June" after reading the screenplay by Anders, who also happens to be her son with former husband, Sam Mendes, the acclaimed director of screen and stage. Not wanting to let this story be told by someone outside of the family, this film is based loosely on Anders' experiences coping with his maternal grandmother's ordeal with ovarian cancer. The script captures the trauma, fear and stress of an impending loss with considerate precision yet the characterizations are far too broad and uncompelling. But Winslet wisely assembled a starry cast of friends and colleagues to fill these roles, masterful talents that are more than capable of making these family members appealing and poignant, allowing for her first time in the director's chair to be slightly easier and helping to elevate the film in the process.

"Goodbye June" is a film filled with anguished emotions, watching a family trying to put aside their personal grievances towards each other in order to provide an united front in the face of tragedy. Yet the catharsis we are expecting doesn't feel well earned. When we discover what the actual conflict between the two feuding sisters is really about, the reason is far more exasperating than meaningful. And we don't know for sure that Connor had been struggling with his sexuality until literally the end of the movie although it was vaguely implied earlier during a quiet moment with his mother's nurse, aptly named Angel played by Fisayo Akinade. 

Winslet is successful in creating a warm, lighthearted yet uneasy atmosphere with "Goodbye June". But there seems like there could have been a far darker and funnier movie at play, one with a few unexpected twists that might have made this family drama come across as more exhilarating and less formulaic.

GREAT PERFORMANCES: LIGHTS CAMERA FEELINGS!

Acting involves a performer adopting a character in order to illustrate a story through various potential mediums. And great actors are able to express specific emotions on cue with astounding skill and impressive endurance.

For this year's New York Times celebration of Great Performances, the focus is on how these ten actors, who each gave brilliantly heartfelt and deeply moving film performances in 2025, were able to tap into such big feelings.

With photographs and video by Paul Kooiker and interviews by Amy X. Wang, the actors spotlighted are Jessie Buckley ("Hamnet"), Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"), Kathleen Chalfant ("Familiar Touch"), Kirsten Dunst ("Roofman"), Jacob Elordi ("Frankenstein"), Lee Byung Hun ("No Other Choice"), Wunmi Mosaku ("Sinners"), Wagner Moura ("The Secret Agent"), Liam Neeson ("The Naked Gun"), and Teyana Taylor ("One Battle After Another").

Please click below to read the article:

NYTimes: An Actor's Guide To Big Feelings

KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR (2025)

Written & directed by Quentin Tarantino



Where & When: Vista Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. December 5, 2025 11:30 AM



When Quentin Tarantino completed what would be his fourth feature film, "Kill Bill" back in 2003, this homage to his love of the martial arts films he watched as a kid clocked in at four hours in completed length. Harvey Weinstein, the then-head of production at Miramax that financed the film, strongly favors to have his films released at manageable runtimes. The mercurial Weinstein suggested that Tarantino split the film into two parts which the filmmaker certainly preferred instead of being forced to make extensive cuts. "Kill Bill: Volume 1" reached theaters on October 10th with "Volume 2" coming out six months later. And this proved to be a far more practical solution. I mean, what in the world could actually be cut out of the film that wouldn't leave this breathtaking revenge thriller narratively neutered. 

Now, the two separate films have been properly joined together as one, entitled, "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair" and released for a theatrical run. I was at the first showing of the film on the first day of it's official release at the theater that Tarantino owns, the Vista in Los Angeles. The energy in that room was electrified and everyone was ready to settle in for the four and a half hours (including one intermission) of this cinematic thrill ride. And the film in many ways has actually been improved, now without any extensive interruption to distract from the wildly clever, brutally violent and absolutely bonkers experience that is tightly packed inside of Tarantino's ferocious, blood-splattered extravaganza.

Even with the film's current reconnection and enhancements, the story remains the same: Without a word, the Bride (Uma Thurman) suddenly left behind her life as a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad lead by her lover, Bill (David Carradine). Tracked down during the rehearsal for her upcoming marriage at a small chapel in El Paso, Bill (codename: Snake Charmer) along with his crew, Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox), California Mountain Snake (Daryl Hannah), Sidewinder (Michael Madsen) and Cottonmouth (Lucy Liu) guns down the entire wedding party, killing everyone inside. As a pregnant Bride (codename: Black Mamba) lies wounded, she tries to inform Bill that he's the father but he shoots her in the head.

Left in a coma with a merciful Bill deciding it would be dishonorable to kill her while she's defenseless in the hospital, the Bride comes out of the mental hibernation four years later. Distraught over the loss of her child, she vows bloody revenge to kill Bill and the rest of the Deadly Vipers involved.

"Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair" had originally premiered during the Cannes Film Festival back in 2006. Tarantino later screened "The Whole Bloody Affair" a few years later in the first movie theater he would own, the New Beverly Cinema, a revival house in Los Angeles. There are some subtle changes found in this version with the use of alternate takes and the animated sequence that reveals the backstory of O-Ren (Cottonmouth) has been expanded to include the entire scene which was cut for time.

By the time he made "Kill Bill", Tarantino was even more confident and comfortable in his abilities as a filmmaker having achieved great success with his previous works, "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown". Bestowed with plenty of accolades and prizes, he felt he could really begin to challenge some rules of conventional narratives, tackle subjects that are a bit more controversial and create his own thematic order. With "Kill Bill", Tarantino decided to go buck wild. Starting with an enjoyably farfetched plot, he pushed a non-linear story structure further, created some remarkable, memorable characters, incorporated elegantly rendered samurai sword fighting battles and pushed the blood and gore to unbelievable heights.

What this re-release of "Kill Bill" now brings into even sharper focus is the astonishing performance by Thurman and how she elevates the film through the sheer force of her radiant charisma and formidable physicality. As the Bride (aka Beatrix Kiddo), the statuesque actress is on screen for almost the entirety of the film as we watch her shrewdly plotting each step of her plan before rapidly and seemingly effortlessly putting her merciless scheme into motion. Taking on one combatant after the other, the Bride is raw, feral and deadly when facing an enemy (or an endless army of adversaries), using her razor sharp instincts to ultimately conquer and destroy. Yet she's still capable of letting down her guard to be soft, tender and even maternal when given the opportunity. It's by no means an exaggeration to state this is Thurman's greatest screen appearance, masterfully going above and beyond for this role of a lifetime.

I will admit that I tend not to be a big fan of films with excessive time lengths. My personal ideal of a perfect running time for a movie is, give or take, about two hours. My gripe is that often times when movies run well past this point (pushing thirty minutes and beyond) they tend to feel bloated, usually doing nothing more than simply making the film unnecessarily longer instead of enhancing the narrative. Now having stated this, "The Whole Bloody Affair" is certainly a film that earns every single second of its 270 minute runtime.

There is no question in my mind that Tarantino is an amazing talent and one of the most important filmmakers of all time. But this highly praised artist also has a narcissistic personality disorder and very large ego leaving him to believe that he can freely express his opinions no matter how wrong, offensive or downright cruel they might be. His recent personal attack on the talents of actor, Paul Dano is still shocking to me for it's lack of common courtesy and basic decency, especially considering Tarantino's position in the industry.

But none of this changes my opinion of Tarantino as a writer and director. His gift for taking the silly excesses of B-movies and adding his own singular spin on plot and characters is now legendary. There have been several misguided filmmakers who have attempted to duplicate the "Tarantino Effect". Yet they all fail to understand that their brains simply have to be wired a certain way in order to even remotely come close to his extraordinarily profound cinematic style.

2025 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS

The 2025 Golden Globes were announced today and "One Battle After Another" continues it's domination of recognition, receiving the most nominations with nine including Best Picture (Drama). The horror-drama, "Sinners' also did well with seven nominations. But it was indie and international cinema that really made an impact this year. Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value", a moving drama from Norway, receiving the second most nominations with eight that included Best Picture (Drama) and Best International Film. Also receiving nominations in both of those categories was Jafar Panahi's drama based in Iran, "It Was Just an Accident" with a strong showing of a total of four nominations . "No Other Choice" from South Korea and the drama from Brazil, "The Secret Agent" each received three. 

Independent cinema was recognized in the major categories with "Hamnet", "Marty Supreme", "Bugonia", "Train Dreams", "Blue Moon" and "Nouvelle Vague" (both from director, Richard Linklater) all receiving multiple nominations. The more traditional studio fare was not ignored with the musical, "Wicked: For Good", Guillermo del Toro's reimaging of "Frankenstein" and the upcoming sequel, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" received several nominations. 

The 83rd annual Golden Globes will be presented on January 11, 2026 on CBS and Paramount+ with host, Nikki Glaser returning for a second consecutive time.

Here are the nominations of the 2025 Golden Globes (Film):

Best Picture (Drama):

"Frankenstein"
"Hamnet"
"It Was Just an Accident"
"The Secret Agent"
"Sentimental Value"
"Sinners"

Best Picture (Comedy Or Musical):

"Blue Moon"
"Bugonia" 

"Marty Supreme"
"No Other Choice"
"Nouvelle Vague" 

"One Battle After Another"

Best Director (Motion Picture):

Paul Thomas Anderson, "One Battle After Another"
Ryan Coogler, "Sinners"
Guillermo del Toro, "Frankenstein"
Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just an Accident"
Joachim Trier, "Sentimental Value"
Chloé Zhao, "Hamnet"

Best Screenplay (Motion Picture):

Paul Thomas Anderson, "One Battle After Another"
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, "Marty Supreme"
Ryan Coogler, "Sinners"
Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just an Accident"
Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier, "Sentimental Value"
Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell, "Hamnet"

Best Performance By a Female Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama):

Jessie Buckley, "Hamnet"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Die My Love"
Renate Reinsve, "Sentimental Value"
Julia Roberts, "After the Hunt"
Tessa Thompson, "Hedda"
Eva Victor, "Sorry, Baby"

Best Performance By a Female Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy):

Rose Byrne, "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"
Cynthia Erivo, "Wicked: For Good"
Kate Hudson, "Song Sung Blue"
Chase Infiniti, "One Battle After Another"
Amanda Seyfried, "The Testament of Ann Lee"
Emma Stone, "Bugonia"

Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama):

Joel Edgerton, "Train Dreams"
Oscar Isaac, "Frankenstein"
Dwayne Johnson, "The Smashing Machine"
Michael B. Jordan, "Sinners"
Wagner Moura, "The Secret Agent"
Jeremy Allen White, "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere"

Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy):

Timothée Chalamet, "Marty Supreme"
George Clooney, "Jay Kelly"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "One Battle After Another"
Ethan Hawke, "Blue Moon"
Lee Byung-Hun, "No Other Choice"
Jesse Plemons, "Bugonia"

Best Performance By a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture:

Emily Blunt, "The Smashing Machine"
Elle Fanning, "Sentimental Value"
Ariana Grande, "Wicked: For Good"
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, "Sentimental Value"
Amy Madigan, "Weapons"
Teyana Taylor, "One Battle After Another"

Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture:

Benicio Del Toro, "One Battle After Another"
Jacob Elordi, "Frankenstein"
Paul Mescal, "Hamnet"
Sean Penn, "One Battle After Another"
Adam Sandler, "Jay Kelly"
Stellan Skarsgård, "Sentimental Value"

Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language):

"It Was Just an Accident" (France)
"No Other Choice" (South Korea)
"The Secret Agent" (Brazil)
"Sentimental Value" (Norway)
"Sirāt" (Spain)
"The Voice Of Hind Rajab" (Tunisia)

Best Picture (Animated):

"Arco"
"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle"
"Elio"
"KPop Demon Hunters"
"Little Amélie or the Character of Rain"
"Zootopia 2"

Best Original Score (Motion Picture):

Alexandre Desplat, "Frankenstein"
Ludwig Göransson, "Sinners"
Jonny Greenwood, "One Battle After Another"
Kangding Ray, "Sirāt"
Max Richter, "Hamnet"
Hans Zimmer, "F1"

Best Original Song (Motion Picture):

"Dream as One" from "Avatar: Fire and Ash" (Music & Lyrics by: Miley Cyrus, Andrew Wyatt, Mark Ronson, Simon Franglen)
"Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters" (Music by: Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, Park Hong Jun Lyrics by: Kim Eun-jae (EJAE), Mark Sonnenblick)
"I Lied to You" from "Sinners" (Music & Lyrics by: Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson)
"No Place Like Home" from "Wicked: For Good" (Music & Lyrics by: Stephen Schwartz)
"The Girl in the Bubble" from "Wicked: For Good" (Music & Lyrics by: Stephen Schwartz)
"Train Dreams" from "Train Dreams" (Music by: Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner Lyrics by: Nick Cave)

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement:

"Avatar: Fire and Ash"
"F1"
"KPop Demon Hunters"
"Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning"
"Sinners"
"Weapons"
"Wicked: For Good"
"Zootopia 2"

2025 AWARD SEASON BEGINS

It's December which means that award season is now in full effect. The prizes are coming fast and furious with several critics groups have selected their winners or nominees for the best in cinema of this year. Here is a round-up of the early picks from various groups:

"One Battle After Another" took the top prize of Best Film from the 91st New York Film Critics Circle on December 2nd. The over fifty member, New York-based critics organization also selected Benicio Del Toro's performance for Best Supporting Actor from this film. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s "The Secret Agent" received Best International Film and star, Wagner Moura won Best Actor. Best Director went to Iranian director Jafar Panahi for his Cannes Palme d’Or-winning drama, "It Was Just an Accident" and Amy Madigan received Best Supporting Actress for her wild turn in the horror-drama, "Weapons".
Here are the winners of the 2025 New York Film Critics Circle:

Best Film: "One Battle After Another"
Best Director: Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just an Accident"
Best Screenplay: Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, "Marty Supreme"
Best Actor: Wagner Moura, "The Secret Agent"
Best Actress: Rose Byrne, "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, "One Battle After Another"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, "Weapons"
Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, "Sinners"
Best Animated Film: "KPop Demon Hunters"
Best Non-Fiction Film: "My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow"
Best International Film: "The Secret Agent"
Best First Film: "Eephus"
Special Prizes: Museum of Moving Image; Screen Slate

The National Board of Review also selected "One Battle After Another" as their Best Film on December 3rd. This group of filmmakers, academics and fans gave Paul Thomas Anderson's crime-drama five awards including Best Director, Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro as Best Supporting Actor and Chase Infiniti for Breakthrough Performer Award. Other winners include Rose Byrne taking Best Actress for "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You" and Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" was named Best International Film with both receiving these awards from NYFCC. Here are the winners of the 2025 National Board of Review:

Best Film: "One Battle After Another"
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, "One Battle After Another"
Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor, "Sorry, Baby"
Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, "Sinners"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, "Train Dreams"
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, "One Battle After Another"
Best Actress: Rose Byrne, "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, "One Battle After Another"
Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, "Sentimental Value"
Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti, "One Battle After Another"
Best Animated Feature: "Arco"
Best International Film: "It Was Just an Accident"
Best Documentary: "Cover-Up"
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, "Sinners"
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: "Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning"
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk"

The nominations for the 41st Film Independent Spirit Awards were revealed also on December 3rd with "Peter Hujar’s Day" receiving the most noms with five, followed by "Train Dreams", "Blue Sun Place", "One of Them Days", "Lurker" and "Sorry, Baby" each getting four apiece. This organization focuses only on indie film productions that cost under $30 million, leaving some films that were slightly above that figure like "Weapons", "Marty Supreme", "The Smashing Machine" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman" out of consideration. The Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

Here are the nominations of the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards (Film):

Best Feature:

"Peter Hujar’s Day"
"The Plague"
"Sorry, Baby"
"Train Dreams"
"Twinless"

Best First Feature:

"Blue Sun Palace"
"Dust Bunny"
"East of Wall"
"Lurker"
"One of Them Days"

Best Director:

Clint Bentley, "Train Dreams"
Mary Bronstein, "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"
Lloyd Lee Choi, "Lucky Lu"
Ira Sachs, "Peter Hujar’s Day"
Eva Victor, "Sorry, Baby"

Best Screenplay:

Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin, "Splitsville"
Angus MacLachlan, "A Little Prayer"
James Sweeney, "Twinless"
Christian Swegal, "Sovereign"
Eva Victor, "Sorry, Baby"

Best First Screenplay:

Andrew DeYoung, "Friendship"
Elena Oxman, "Outerlands"
Alex Russell, "Lurker"
Syreeta Singleton, "One of Them Days"
Constance Tsang, "Blue Sun Palace"

Best Lead Performance:

Everett Blunck, "The Plague"
Rose Byrne, "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"
Kathleen Chalfant, "Familiar Touch"
Chang Chen, "Lucky Lu"
Joel Edgerton, "Train Dreams"
Dylan O’Brien, "Twinless"
Keke Palmer, "One of Them Days"
Théodore Pellerin, "Lurker"
Tessa Thompson, "Hedda"
Ben Whishaw, "Peter Hujar’s Day"

Best Supporting Performance:

Naomi Ackie, "Sorry, Baby"
Zoey Deutch, "Nouvelle Vague"
Kirsten Dunst, "Roofman"
Rebecca Hall, "Peter Hujar’s Day"
Nina Hoss, "Hedda"
Jane Levy, "A Little Prayer"
Archie Madekwe, "Lurker"
Kali Reis, "Rebuilding"
Jacob Tremblay, "Sovereign"
Haipeng Xu, "Blue Sun Palace"

Best Breakthrough Performance:

Liz Larsen, "The Baltimorons"
Misha Osherovich, "She’s the He"
Kayo Martin, "The Plague"
SZA, "One of Them Days"
Tabatha Zimiga, "East of Wall"

Best Cinematography:

Alex Ashe, "Peter Hujar’s Day"
Norm Li, "Blue Sun Palace"
David J. Thompson, "Warfare"
Adolpho Veloso, "Train Dreams"
Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, "Dust Bunny"

Best Editing:

Ben Leonberg, "Good Boy"
Carson Lund, "Eephus"
Fin Oates, "Warfare"
Sara Shaw, "Splitsville"
Sofía Subercaseaux, "The Testament of Ann Lee"

Best Documentary:

"Come See Me in the Good Light"
"Endless Cookie"
"My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow"
"The Perfect Neighbor"
"The Tale of Silyan"

Best International Film:

"All That’s Left of You" (Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus)
"On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" (Zambia, UK, Ireland)
"A Poet" (Colombia)
"The Secret Agent" (Brazil)
"Sirāt" (Spain)

John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000):

"The Baltimorons"
"Boys Go to Jupiter"
"Eephus"
"Esta Isla (This Island)"
"Familiar Touch"

Someone to Watch Award (recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition):

Tatti Ribeiro, "Valentina"
Neo Sora, "Happyend"
Annapurna Sriram, "Fucktoys"

Truer Than Fiction Award (presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition):

Tony Benna, "André is an Idiot"
Rajee Samarasinghe, "Your Touch Makes Others Invisible"
Brittany Shyne, "Seeds"

Robert Altman Award (given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast):

"The Long Walk"

The American Film Institute announced their annual picks of the top-ten films of the year on December 4th. These selections tend to be a fairly accurate indicator of which films will probably land Oscar nominations with eight of the AFI picks from the last two years also received Best Picture noms. The annual AFI Awards will be presented during a private luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles on January 9, 2026.

Here are AFI’s Top 10 Movies of 2025:

"Avatar: Fire and Ash"
"Bugonia"
"Frankenstein"
"Hamnet"
"Jay Kelly"
"Marty Supreme"
"One Battle After Another"
"Sinners"
"Train Dreams"
"Wicked: For Good"

And the Los Angeles Film Critics Association also awarded "One Battle After Another" as their selection for Best Film. Paul Thomas Anderson received Best Director and Teyana Taylor took the Best Supporting Performance for this film. Taylor shared this prize, which the acting awards here are gender neutral categories, with Stellan Skarsgård, who was honored for his work in “Sentimental Value". The Lead Performance Award went to Rose Byrne, who has been sweeping up prizes for her riveting turn in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and Ethan Hawke, who was quite impressive in the period biopic, “Blue Moon”.

Here are the winners of 2025 Los Angeles Film Critics Association:

Best Film: "One Battle After Another"
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Best Screenplay: Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident”
Best Lead Performance: Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Best Supporting Performance: Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” and Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
Best Documentary/Nonfiction: “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow”
Best Animation: "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”
Best Cinematography: Adolpho Veloso, “Train Dreams”
Best Film Editing: Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Best Production Design: Hannah Beachler, “Sinners”
Best Music Score: Kangding Ray, “Sirât”

COMING SOON

"Crime 101" is an upcoming film adaptation of the Don Winslow novella about an evasive thief with a thrill for high-stakes heists along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. And this crime-thriller stars two of the most beautiful people to ever grace the movie screen: Chris Hemsworth playing the suave burglar looking to do one final job before calling it a day and Halle Berry as a disgruntled insurance broker that he lures into helping him commit this crime. But Mark Ruffalo is a determined detective working relentlessly on the case and closing in on capturing this thief. Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Nolte also star.

The writer and director, Bart Layton continues his fascination with stories involving crime, following his debut with the 2012 documentary, "The Imposter" about the French scam artist, Frédéric Bourdin and "American Animals", a docudrama recounting the Transylvania University book heist in Lexington, KY.

"Crime 101" will be in US theaters on February 13, 2026

GUS VAN SANT: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will honor Gus Van Sant with a career retrospective beginning on December 4th through December 13th with screenings held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and Los Feliz 3 Theatres in Los Angeles. This master filmmaker of independent and mainstream cinema will have screened some of his best known and critically acclaimed works made early in his extraordinary career. The fest will end with an advance screening of his newest film, "Dead Man's Wire", a crime caper based on a true story set in the '70's involving a disgruntled customer who kidnaps his bank mortgager, then demands hostage money and an apology. Van Sant and screenwriter Austin Kolodney will be in person for a Q&A at the Aero, followed by a screening of the director's acclaimed 1989 dark comedy, "Drugstore Cowboy" that starred Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch.

With an interest in the visual arts as a young man, Van Sant attended the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied various avant-garde directors and began making Super-8 short films. Moving to Los Angeles in 1976, Van Sant found work as a production assistant while trying to break into the film business. During this period, he began to observe the colorful denizens living in the rougher sections of Hollywood. 

After moving to Portland, this experience helped inspire him to adapt Walt Curtis' autobiographical novel, "Mala Noche" as his feature film debut in 1986. Shot in 16mm black & white film and a budget of $25,000, the story follows the relationship between Walt, a gay store clerk, and two younger Mexican boys. "Mala Noche" was well received in the film festival circuit, helping to kick off the new queer cinema movement, and Hollywood took interest in the young filmmaker. But the studios were not receptive to his non-mainstream ideas, so Van Sant went back to develop his own indie projects. "Drugstore Cowboy" became a critical hit and would be followed by "My Own Private Idaho", loosely based on Shakespeare's "Henry V" that featured stars, River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, receiving wide praise, awards and moderate financial success.

Now the studios were more interested in what Van Sant had to offer. But his next film, a 1993 adaptation of Tom Robbins' "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" was considered a flop but his follow-up, the 1995 black comedy, "To Die For" was received as a great achievement and was the first film to properly showcase what Nicole Kidman, a rising performer at the time, could really do as an actor. 

Van Sant would continue on making films his way, encountering major triumphs ("Good Will Hunting", "Milk". "Elephant", "Last Days") or less than stellar receptions ("Gerry", "Restless", "The Sea of Trees" and the still puzzling shot-for-shot remake of "Psycho") in the process.

Please click below for additional information and to purchase tickets:

Gus Van Sant: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

THE RUNNING MAN (2025)

Written by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright



Directed by Edgar Wright




Where & When: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. November 17, 2025 4:15 PM



When "The Running Man", based on a story written by Steven King under the pseudonym "Richard Bachman", was first brought to the screen in 1987, it was a dystopian thriller that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a convicted criminal who must try to outrun gladiator-styled assassins on a depraved game show. But this movie (directed by actor, Paul Michael Glaser, best known for playing Detective Starsky in the 1970s television cop series, "Starsky & Hutch") was far removed from the novel which featured a dark, societal commentary theme, instead offering a more campy humor, action-adventure to further accommodate the popular star's screen persona. "The Running Man" was met with an indifferent reception from audiences and critics with King less than thrilled with this adaptation.

As a teenager, Edgar Wright had read the book and after seeing the movie, he was aware of how much was changed in style and tone. Now as a filmmaker, Wright has gotten the opportunity to put his own stamp on "The Running Man" and even has King's blessing who is a producer of this remake. With this updated version, he has approached the story to align closer to the source material while still putting his own distinctive spin to the movie. Far more adventurous and inventive than the original film, this visually pumped-up, "Running Man" still doesn't do enough to offer a compelling reason to take on this story again and the newly imagined conclusion is muddled and relentlessly excessive.

In a future America under totalitarian rule, Ben Richards (Glen Powell) and his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson) are living in Co-Op City, struggling to survive. Their baby daughter has become ill and since he has recently been fired from his job and effectively blacklisted, they cannot afford medicine for her. With very few options available, Ben decides to audition for a part on one of the violent game shows, despite his wife's objections. Run by the Government Network, the most popular program is "The Running Man", where a contestant can win one billion dollars if they survive for thirty days while being tracked down by the show's hunters who are to make sure they don't succeed. Even members of the viewing audience can participate in taking down a contestant and winning a cash prize for their efforts.

Ben, along with Tim (Martin Herlihy) and Jenni (Katy O'Brian), are selected to race for the prize while trying to stay alive for a month. Using his street smarts, plenty of disguises and the helpfulness of strangers, Ben covertly travels across New England, laying low and avoiding the trackers as best as he can. But it shouldn't be a real surprise that the show's producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) is not exactly playing fair, taking steps to make sure he's in full control of the outcome of this game.

Reality television had not yet entered into our culture at the time of the first film, now an unavoidable genre that has not reached the point of gladiator-styled entertainment (for the moment). King's story was set in 2025 (which was written in 1982) so the future world Wright has created doesn't have to stray too far from our current times. But the director has not added anything particularly innovative to the film, relying on the tried and true elements of a Hollywood action-adventure flick. I don't think this was entirely up to Wright, as he mangaed to get a few oddball, comic situations in there but not enough to help this film stand out from the standard studio action fare.

Ben Richards is described by the people who encounter him as a very angry man, meaning, I guess, that he's dangerous and hostile. Managing to deliver the occasional scowl and raised voice, Powell just isn't able to convincingly maintain this hothead demeanor. The actor's good ole boy charm shines through, with him coming across more frustrated than angered. Powell does what he can but the tough guy persona really doesn't fit him well. There are fine turns by the supporting cast that include Coleman Domingo as the show's flashy host, Bobby T, Michael Cera as an isolated survivalist, Emilia Jones who becomes Ben's hostage and Lee Pace as the leader of the hunters.

Wright does manage to create some fun, thrilling moments that are expected involving heart-pounding chases, bone-crushing battles and massive explosions. But the outcome is much like his last film, "Last Night in Soho", a psychological thriller that begins promising with style and great momentum yet ultimately collapses under the weight of a convoluted ending. Unfortunately, this modern take on "The Running Man" is unable to get up to proper speed, only going so far before wheezing and running out of breath.

2025 AFI FEST VIEWING DIARY

The 2025 AFI Film Fest was another amazing event where I got an early opportunity to see some of new films from across the globe that we will be seeing in theaters later this season and into next year. Here are reviews of a few of the films I saw over the five days of the festival:

Over fifty years ago, the writer Linda Rosenkrantz came up with a project she was conducting involving interviews with several subjects to describe what happened to them on an ordinary day. Her close friend, the photographer, Peter Hujar, one of the queer artists thriving in New York at the time, was asked to narrate a day of his life into a tape recorder. The project was never completed but a transcript of Hujar's conversations was discovered buried in files thirty years later by Rosenkrantz which she donated, including some of his papers, prints and contact sheets, to the Morgan Library in New York. A book was later published from this document in 2021. And then the filmmaker, Ira Sachs got his hands on this, feeling this was an important part of queer history that needed to be told, and set about making a movie based on the work. "Peter Hujar's Day" brings this moment back to life, in a way that fascinates yet still underwhelms, with Ben Whishaw as Hujar and Rebecca Hall as Rosenkrantz.

On December 18, 1974, a time when New York City was dirty, crime-ridden and very close to financial ruin, Hujar arrives at Rosenkrantz's East 94th street apartment to tell her about his day. He reveals meeting with an Elle magazine editor about photos from a job; set off to photograph Allen Ginsberg for an assignment, develops negatives, takes a nap and receives calls from friends, Susan Sontag and Fran Lebowitz. And while this might sound fairly routine, Hujar goes into vividly, colorful details, while holding nothing back, about his slightly neurotic, daily routines; dietary particulars; unvarnished opinions on the people he encounters and struggles trying to make a living as a freelance photographer.

And while "Peter Hujar's Day" is only seventy-six minutes long, the film still feels overextended, struggling to maintain momentum and energy throughout the extensive discourse. In an attempt to keep us visually engaged during Hujar's discussions, we change rooms in the apartment and head up to the roof of the building a couple of times yet the film still remains static. This is largely because we are not experiencing an actual conversation: just Hujar going on about what he thinks, which is exactly what he's been asked to do. Rosenkrantz might ask a question or interject a thought or two but the spotlight is completely on Hujar. This leaves Hall, always a commanding screen presence, with very little to do beyond simply nodding and looking deeply engaged. And the charismatic Whishaw does what he can as Hujar, revealing him to be an adept conversationalist with a charming eccentricity, but only has limited success in fully drawing us into his in-depth chatter. "Peter Hujar's Day" is not nearly as accomplished as Sachs' previous works ("Keep the Lights On", "Passages") yet the film still captures an intriguing atmosphere that's intimate and languid.

The latest from Jim Jarmusch, "Father Mother Sister Brother" is a familial comedy-drama that tells three separate stories from locations across the globe. The film, which won the Golden Lion Award at this year's Venice Film Festival, captures many of the complicated situations and long simmering tensions we can have within our families in a way that's intimate, caustic and amusing. We first meet siblings, Jeff (Adam Driver) and Emily (Mayim Bialik) in the car on the way to see their father (Tom Waits) in New Jersey. They haven't seen him since the passing of their mother. Emily is curious on how he's managing financially although Jeff admits he's sent him some money when he needed car repairs. When they arrive, their father is happy to see his children yet there's a tension and awkwardness throughout their visit. Next, we're off to Dublin where a popular writer (Charlotte Rampling) awaits the arrival of her two daughters, Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps) for their annual gathering for tea. And while all live in the same city, the family only visits each other in person this time every year. Finally in Paris, Billy (Luka Sabbat) and Skye (Indya Moore) are faced with clearing out their family home, after their parents recently died in a plane crash, while looking back on their unorthodox childhood.

Since this is Jarmusch behind the camera, these stories are more loosely structured as character studies with no real plot. Skateboarders, tea, water and Rolex watches are some of the things that offer a subtle connection to each quirky vignette. And his impressive all-star cast is certainly able to deliver emotional clarity and understated depth of feeling to their characters. But I have to say, I'm surprised that "Father Mother Sister Brother" was selected as the big winner at Venice. It just doesn't feel like a feature by Jarmusch that displays the filmmaker at the peak of his powers, in fact if his name was not attached, I don't think this film would have received nearly as much attention. Settling on entertaining yet routine narratives, Jarmusch doesn't really push himself enough to instill more inventiveness in these fairly common family conflicts.

And the last film I saw at the fest was "The Testament of Ann Lee", the recent feature directed by Mona Fastvold, nominated for an Oscar last year for co-writing the period drama, "The Brutalist" with her partner, director Brady Corbet. The couple have teamed-up again on the screenplay of this riveting story of Lee, the founding leader of the Shakers, a religious sect that began during the 18th century. Fastvold has used their form of worship, which involves extreme bodily movements, to tell this story much like a musical, heightened with surreal imagery, to take this innovative bio-drama into unexpected and fascinating directions.

Born in Manchester, England, Lee (Amanda Seyfried) had a life of formidable hardships since her childhood, then through her marriage to Abraham (Christopher Abbott) where she gave birth and lost four children before each would reach the age of one year. She found solace when she joined a church run by the Wardleys (Scott Handy, Stacy Martin) which was notable for the parishioners to chant and dance as a way to rid their bodies of sin. It was believed that Lee's arrival was a sign of the second coming of God, becoming known as "Mother", and would begin a new religious movement that was referred to as the Shakers. Having traumatic experiences regarding sexuality in her life, Lee was convinced that in their faith sexual relations should be forbidden, even in marriage, as the only way to find true salvation. After several arrests and spending many days in jail for blasphemy, Lee decides to leave England and take her small group of committed followers to America for religious freedom and a fresh opportunity to share their faith. Yet their arrival to the New World is far from welcoming as Lee and her flock are met at various times with combative skepticism and horrific violence.

The film reveals how easily religions can take shape, through one individual's whims and personal worldview, to offer an adaptationist view of Christian theology. But you must have a compelling and charismatic individual at the center in order to convince followers that this is the true path to follow. Since women have rarely evangelized, many were certainly dubious of Lee's claims. Yet she was still able to influence a growing number of apostles through her passionate devout faith despite the impracticalities of her stern insistence of celibacy. Seyfried delivers a mesmerizing performance as a woman, docile yet tough, who uses her unwavering faith to create a sense of personal control and authority over her life and body. Let's be honest, this is still not readily offered to women in today's world yet was even less possible in Lee's time. With a beguiling, offbeat style, "The Testament of Ann Lee" examines a seemingly inconsequential woman, a name largely forgotten through male dominated history, and bringing forward the amazing story of what she was able to accomplish with limited leverage and steely self-possession.

PARK CHAN-WOOK: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker widely regarded as a leading figure in current world cinema, is having a retrospective at the American Cinematheque that will feature some highlights from his storied career. Many of Park's films, largely rooted in the crime-thriller genre, have become celebrated for their stylized camerawork, black humor, and brutal violence. 

Beginning November 16th, there will be an advance screening of his latest feature, the dark comedy-thriller, "No Other Choice", which will be followed by an in-person Q&A with Park and star, Lee Byung Hun at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. The other screenings, which will be held at the Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatres through December, will include his unofficial Vengeance Trilogy: "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance", "Lady Vengeance" and "Oldboy", which is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made and helped introduce Park to a wide global audience. 

Originally intending to be become an art critic, Park decided to move into filmmaking after viewing the Alfred Hitchcock classic, "Vertigo". His feature film debut, "The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream" in 1992 and his follow-up five years later, "Trio" were not well received, and he has since tried to distance himself from these works. His breakthrough came (and what he considers his "first" film) with "Joint Security Area" in 2000, a riveting thriller involving deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war (screening on December 6th at the Egyptian with Park in-person) which became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korean history. This was followed by other acclaimed works that include "Thrist", "I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK", the English-language film, "Snowpiercer", "Decision to Leave" (winning Park the 2022 Best Director prize at Cannes) and the celebrated erotic-thriller, "The Handmaiden" which be screened during this festival on December 5th. 

Please click below for details and to purchase tickets:

Park Chan-wook: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

CHANTAL AKERMAN: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will present a thorough retrospective of the renowned Belgian filmmaker, Chantal Akerman. The film that this bold and visionary artist is best known for is "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" from 1975 which found its way to be ranked "the greatest film of all time" in Sight & Sound magazine's 2022 critics poll. This film will be screened to start the festival on November 2nd and will feature several of Akerman's early short films, her first feature film and first documentary on various dates through December.

A pioneer of cinematic modernism, Akerman's filming style focused on capturing ordinary life which tends to move at an unhurried pace. And while she didn't regard herself as a "feminist", Akerman always tried to transcend female aesthetics of the cinema in her work.

Born in Brussels, Belgium, Akerman enrolled in INSAS, a Belgian film school, but dropped out during her first semester to make a short film, "Saute ma ville" in 1968. Akerman moved to New York City in 1971, staying for about a year, where she was exposed to the vibrant art scene that was happening during this period. She also met and began her long collaboration with French cinematographer, Babette Mangolte, who was living in the US at the time, making the documentary, "Hotel Monterey" and some short films.

Once back in Belgium, Akerman began working on her first feature film, "Je, Tu, Il, Elle" that focused on a young woman's unconventional sexuality which was a daring statement at the time. She would go on to make twelve feature films and sixteen documentaries and short films.

Sadly, Akerman ended her own life on October 5, 2015 in Paris, at the age of 65. Her last film prior to her passing was "No Home Movie", a documentary that featured a series of conversations she made with her beloved mother shortly before she died.

Please click below for the complete list of films and to purchase tickets:

Chantal Akerman: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

2025 OUTFESTNEXT

After being sidelined for the last couple of years, Outfest, the non-profit organization that celebrates LGBTQ+ storytelling through film, education, and community, is beginning it's return with OutfestNEXT presented by HBO MAX. This film festival will be held for four days, November 6th through 9th, that will feature independent queer feature films, shorts and engaging conversations. The venues for the screening events will be held at the LGBT Center Renberg Theatre in Hollywood and the Look Dine-In Cinemas in Glendale.

Some highlights include "All That We Love", from director, Yen Tan, a heartfelt and poignant depiction of grief and what it means to start anew. Margaret Cho stars as a woman whose life begins to unravel after the death of her beloved dog. More complications begin with her estranged ex-husband (Kenneth Choi) coming back into her life, their free-spirited daughter (Alice Lee) plans on moving to another country and her best friend (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) who has recently lost his husband. From filmmaker, Lucio Castro is "Drunken Noodles", which tells the story of a young art student who has a series of unexpected intimate encounters. "Dust Bunny", the feature directorial debut from Bryan Fuller, a horror-thriller that involves an eight-year-old girl (Sophie Sloan) who hires her hitman neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) to kill the vicious monster under her bed. Sigourney Weaver also stars. And Sydney Sweeney stars in "Christy", a sports drama about the life of former professional boxer Christy Martin from director, David Michôd.







The Legacy Spotlight is Greg Berlanti’s beloved classic "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy" with a 25th anniversary screening. The film tells the story of a close-knit group of gay friends who support each other as they search for love, deal with loss, and discover themselves. Dean Cain, Zach Braff, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Theroux and Billy Porter star.



Please click below for the complete list of films, events and to purchase tickets:

2025 OutfestNEXT

MY VIEWING DIARY: PART SIXTEEN

"Daisy Kenyon" (1947)

After winning the Best Actress Academy Award for her turn as the harried mother in "Mildred Pierce", Joan Crawford's stagnant career was fully revitalized. One of the films she made following her win was "Daisy Kenyon", a melodramatic love triangle, that was daring at the time due to it's more pragmatic handling of these complicated emotional affairs. The infamous director, Otto Preminger was responsible for pushing as far he could go in this torrid story with the Motion Picture Production Code and later would go even further handling banned subjects in his movies.

Set in New York City shortly after the end of WWII, Crawford plays Kenyon, a commercial artist who is having an affair with Dan O'Mara (Dana Andrews), a smooth-talking, married lawyer. Fed up with waiting around for him and the empty promises of divorcing his wife (Ruth Warrick), Daisy informs Dan she has made other plans for dinner. As he's leaving her home, Dan runs into Daisy's new suitor, a war veteran widower named Peter Lapham (Henry Fonda). While Peter still misses his wife and Daisy is not over Dan, these two wind up getting married. After discovering her husband's affair with Daisy, she wants to file for divorce with full custody of their children. Dan asks Peter and Daisy to allow him to reveal the details of his former relationship with Daisy during the divorce trial. This request effects her marriage to Peter and the trial publicly damages her reputation.

Not well received at the time of its initial release, "Daisy Kenyon" has been reevaluated by modern audiences, giving the film a newfound respect. Neither Andrews or Fonda really cared for the script yet fulfilled their contractual obligations, still providing solid performances. But this is actually Crawford's opportunity to deliver a star turn with plenty of her usual hard-boiled flair and monumental emoting. She had wanted to buy the rights years before but was beat out by 20th Century Fox and campaigned hard to get to play the lead. Considering the restrictions of the era, Preminger managed to make "Daisy Kenyon" feel modern with credible characters reacting to challenging love situations believably and honestly.

"Dead Man" (1995)

"Dead Man" is Jim Jarmusch's version of a western; a dark, trippy and surreal adventure involving a meek, soft-spoken man who ends up becoming a wanted, gun-toting outlaw. Johnny Depp plays William Blake who we meet on a train heading to the frontier town of Machine from Cleveland. Selling everything he owns to get there for an accounting position he had been promised at the Dickinson metal shop, Blake discovers there is no job available with the owner (Robert Mitchum in his final film role) showing him to the door at gunpoint. Broke and homeless, the mild mannered Blake encounters Thel (Mili Avital), a lovely former working girl now making a living selling paper flowers, and offers him to stay with her for the night. But they are interrupted by Charlie (Gabriel Byrne), her former lover, who is not thrilled with this situation. Bullets soon fly across the room ending with Thel murdered by Charlie and (in self-defense) Blake shoots him dead. As Charlie happens to be the son of Dickinson, the distraught businessman sets a bounty out on Blake, wanted dead or alive, and hires a posse of outlaws (Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott and Eugene Byrd) to track him down. On the run, a wounded Blake encounters a Native American named Nobody (Gary Farmer) who helps heal him and believes he's the reincarnation of the English poet, William Blake.

The filmmaker has no interest in the deeply embedded, nonsense found in many Hollywood westerns where most white men were the virtuous heroes while the Native Americans are nothing more than blood-thirsty primitives. In "Dead Man", the Natives are presented as humane and enlightened with the pale faces appear unpredictably crazed and dangerous. And since this is a Jarmusch film, this quirky western features offbeat comedic moments, unhurried pacing and sudden bursts of bloody violence. Shot in crisp black & white by cinematographer, Robby Müller and with a rousing original musical score by rocker, Neil Young, "Dead Man" is far from top-notch Jarmusch. Yet the film still manages to engage with an eccentric sense of style and unsettling mood.

"Marty" (1955)

I had avoided for years watching "Marty", the story of a lonely butcher seeking love and companionship, despite the film winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Picture back in 1955 (one of only four films that managed to accomplish this feat). Despite all the acclaim I remained hesitant, feeling like it would be nothing more than an overwrought melodrama. But I recently gave in and finally watched "Marty". Now I must admit I made a huge misjudgment about this film. With a poignant screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky (another Oscar winner) and some outstanding naturalistic performances, "Marty" is a well-crafted and expressive small-scale drama filled with grand, complex human emotions.

Working as a butcher in the Bronx, Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine) is continuously scolded by the nosy neighborhood women that he should be ashamed for not settling down and getting married. But it's not like he hasn't tried meeting a nice girl. Tending to be shy and socially awkward, this makes dating very difficult for Marty. With his brothers and sisters already off and married, Marty is still living at home with their mother (Esther Minciotti) who worries about her son. One evening, with Marty at home and no plans on going out, Teresa pushes him to go dancing.

Reluctantly, Marty heads out to a dancehall with his also-single, best friend, Angie (Joe Mantell) with the hope they might meet some women. Marty runs in to Clara, (Betsy Blair) a high school teacher crying after being dumped by her blind date. They spend the evening together talking with these two lonely people making a deep emotional connection. But his friend and mother, feeling Clara is not good enough for him, both encourage him to move on and keep looking for a more suitable mate. Marty is left with a struggle between following his heart or listening to people he thinks knows what's best for him.

"Marty" began as a teleplay in 1953 during the early days of television with Rod Steiger playing the title role. For the film, Chayefsky expanded the script and after Steiger declined to take part, Borgnine took over playing Marty, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor and become a movie star. Borgnine and Blair have a lovely chemistry as two people, isolated and assuming they're unattractive, helping each other to feel less alone and desirable. After directing hundreds of hours of live television, Delbert Mann got his first opportunity to direct a feature film with "Marty". Having only sixteen days to shoot and a very low budget, Mann used his experience to craft an economical yet substantial drama and would receive the Best Director Oscar for his efforts. Please don't make my mistake: "Marty" is a beautifully moving film filled with absorbing passion and unfortunate heartbreak that should be sought out and seen.

DIANE KEATON (1946 - 2025)

I am shocked and sadden about the passing of Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning actress who dazzled audiences with her many screen performances. It was announced that the Los Angeles born and raised actor had died on October 11th at the age of seventy-nine with no cause disclosed to date. With a charming quirkiness, self-deprecating wit and an eccentric, spontaneous spirit, Keaton brought to mind the classic screwball movie comedian while still capturing a unique modern sensibility. And the distinctive wardrobe she wore off screen which usually consisted of tailored menswear, extra wide belts and a bowler hat made Keaton become a style icon. 

Born Diane Hall, she had gotten into theater during high school which sparked her interest in pursuing acting as a career. She briefly attended college in Santa Ana before dropping out and heading to New York. Discovering there was already a "Diane Hall" in the Actors' Equity Association, she took her mother's maiden name of "Keaton" as her stage name. Her first stage opportunity came when she was cast as part of the ensemble in the original Broadway production of "Hair" with Keaton famously declining to appear nude on stage even with the offer of a fifty dollar bonus. But Keaton's career would take off in 1969 after meeting Woody Allen and being cast in his play, "Play it Again, Sam". The comedy would earn Keaton a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Heading back to Los Angeles, she would appear in several television sitcoms, dramas and commercials.

Keaton's first significant film role was as Kay Adams-Corleone in "The Godfather" with director, Francis Ford Coppola casting her after noticing the actress in her 1970 film debut, "Lovers and Other Strangers". The film was a critical and box-office success, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Keaton would appear in the film's sequel two years later (also winning Best Picture) with her role far more substantial.

In 1972, Keaton co-starred with Allen in the film version of "Play it Again, Sam", directed by Herbert Ross. Once Allen decided to begin to direct his screenplays, he cast Keaton (who had a brief romantic relationship with him and remained life-long friends) in many of his features beginning with "Sleeper" in 1973 and "Love and Death" two years later. Allen has said that the character of "Annie Hall" was inspired by Keaton and the film would become a big box-office hit and received wide critical acclaim, winning four Academy Awards including Best Actress for Keaton and Best Picture. She would appear in his other films, "Interiors", "Manhattan" and "Manhattan Murder Mystery".

Other notable films that starred Keaton include the dramas, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (where she played against type as a schoolteacher for deaf children who at night hung out at bars to pick-up men), "Reds" (receiving a Best Actress Oscar nomination), "Shoot the Moon" and comedies, "Crimes of the Heart", "Baby Boom", a remake of "Father of the Bride" and the sequel. Keaton soon turned her attention to directing, first music videos, episodes of drama series and two films for television before making a documentary feature, "Heaven" in 1987 about the possibility of an afterlife. Her first feature film as a director was in 1995 with "Unstrung Heroes", a '60's set comedy-drama about a boy dealing with his mother struggling with cancer with Andie MacDowell and John Turturro. She would also direct and co-star in the 2000 comedy (featuring a screenplay by Nora and Delia Ephron), "Hanging Up" with Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow.

Keaton continued to perform as an actor appearing in "The Godfather Part III", "Marvin's Room" (where she received another Best Actress Oscar nomination), "The Family Stone", "Mad Money", "Book Club", "Something's Got to Give" (receiving her final Best Actress Oscar nomination) and "The First Wives Club", the popular box-office smash with Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler which has developed a cult following. Keaton's final screen appearance was last year in the comedy, "Summer Camp" which she co-starred with Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard.

Keaton was actively involved in the art scene in Los Angeles, particularly photography, and restoring then selling landmark homes throughout the area. And while she was involved in several high profile romances which included Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty, Keaton was never married. She is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke Keaton who were adapted when she was in her 50's.

Not all of the movies that Keaton appeared in were well received or memorable but the actress was consistently pointed as the highlight of any given film, praising her gift for an offbeat approach to her characters while remaining authentic with every performance. Diane Keaton was a true original and her remarkable artistry will absolutely be missed.

2025 AFI FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CANVA

The 2025 AFI Fest Film Festival will be on the way to showcase the latest films from across the globe in the heart of Hollywood. The fest will be held from October 22nd to 26th with most of the screenings to be at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres.

The fest will offer Red Carpet premieres, Special Screenings, Luminaries, Discovery, World Cinema, Documentary, After Dark and Short Film programs. AFI 2025 will open with "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" from writer/director Scott Cooper. Jeremy Allen White stars as the legendary rock musician, Bruce Springsteen as he prepares to record his next album after achieving major stardom, struggling with this success while haunted by his past. The other films making their premiere will include Noah Baumbach's "Jay Kelly" with George Clooney and Adam Sandler; "Song Sung Blue" from Craig Brewer involving the true story of a couple (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) starting a Neil Diamond tribute band; "Christy", another based on a true story about a trailblazing female boxer (played by Sydney Sweeney) who achieved fame in the 1990's and "The Spongebob Movie: Search For Squarepants" which continues the adventures of the beloved character on the big screen.





In the Luminaries section, which will highlight the latest films from world-renowned filmmakers, will feature new works from Paolo Sorrentino ("La Grazia"), Werner Herzog ("Ghost Elephants"), Hong Sang-soo ("What Does That Nature Say To You"), Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne ("Young Mothers"), Christian Petzold ("Miroirs no. 3") and François Ozon ("The Stranger").





Some of the Special Screenings will include "The Chronology of Water", the directorial feature debut by actress, Kristen Stewart; "Bugonia", Yorgos Lanthimos’ remake of the 2003 Korean cult classic, "Save the Green Planet!" with Emma Stone and the filmed version of the Tony Award winning revival of the stage musical, "Merrily We Roll Along" with the original Broadway cast, Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lyndsey Mendez.



And Guillermo del Toro was named as Guest Artistic Director for this year's fest. The Oscar-winning filmmaker (who will have his latest anticipated feature, an interpretation of the classic Mary Shelley novel, "Frankenstein", in theaters later in the month) has selected four of his favorite films to present to AFI audiences: "Barry Lyndon", "Fellini's Casanova", "The Duellists" and "L'Arcano Incantatore (Arcane Sorcerer)". These films will be screened at the Egyptian in Hollywood.

For the complete list of films and to purchase tickets, please click below:

2025 AFI Fest