★ Directed by: #ShivamSharma Written by: Shivam Sharma Starring: #AryanDhingra, #VedantSharma, #ShilpyYadav, #SumitBishnoi, #SheelKalia Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch It’s hard to say where to begin because despite the narrative behind Dhundh it's a film that doesn’t really go anywhere. Writer-Director Shivam Sharma wants to delve deep into the psychology of guilt, as his protagonist Danish portrayed by Aryan Dhingra is tormented by past actions. The script, however, follows very familiar ideas, leaving the experience derivative and unrewarding, as Dhundh bears a lot of similarities to films like ‘The Machinist’. Danish as a character and narrative focus is underdeveloped, we are placed within his story but there is no desire to support him in his quest to understand what is happening to him. Dhingra’s performance through Sharma’s direction doesn’t do much to help, lots of Dhundh consists of Dhingra either heavy breathing or handwriting to symbolise anguish and distress. It’s clear that the Danish character is not a sociopath but there’s no opportunity to understand who this man really is. A lot of the film has Danish interrogated either by the police or a therapist, targeting the conscious and subconscious of his character, a recurring theme of the film. Sharma’s script, however, lacks the necessary depth to make the ideas compelling, everything to Dhundh is one note all the way to its underwhelming reveal to Danish’s conflict. The filmmaking itself is uninteresting, nothing about Sharma’s vision for his character’s struggle felt unique and Dhundh quickly becomes a slog to get through despite being less than twenty minutes. The beginning of the film teases a more psychological approach in its visuals with two versions of Danish staring at one another, one covered in blood, the other terrific by the sight of himself. Sharma never follows through on this imagery, keeping us rooted in mediocrity as the film goes from one scene to the next, the editing never creating any urgency to Danish’s situation. For a film exploring consequences, Dhundh never makes the audience feel the pressure for Danish’s actions, its clear something terrible has happened and it's eating away at him but Sharma struggles to bring the viewer in to empathises with the experience. With very little to begin with, Dhundh meanders to the end with no memorable impact, as Sharma’s intentions for the story are let down by poor scripting, dull performances and lack of creative flair. The story while predictable has been done better by other filmmakers, and this film offers no original or creative alternative in how it explores Danish’s plight. #CoreyBulloch #shortfilm

★★★ Directed by: Linus Ignatius Written by: Linus Ignatius Starring: Linus Ignatius, Blake French, Crystal Ward Film Review by: Jason Knight Mass is a short film written, edited and directed by Linus Ignatius, who also stars in the film. The plot evolves around the life of an insecure gay man. The film begins by showing the protagonist Trey (Ignatius) as he works out in a gym full of men. He is then seen waking up in his home and feeling his body with his hands. Back in the gym he weighs himself on a weighing scale, and his weight is shown to be 179 lbs. He is then in the training area where he appears to get tired and drops the dumbbell he was lifting, while another man appears to mock him. Later he is sitting in a restaurant, talking on his mobile phone, while eating a hamburger. Opposite him is another man, who is also sitting on a table, eating a hamburger. The two men make eye contact and Trey appears to challenge the man by aggressively devouring his burger until he nearly chokes. Trey then goes to the hospital where a nurse (Crystal Ward) gives him an HIV-related blood test. Back at home, he sits on the couch, in his living room with his dog, using his phone to look through a gay dating site. He spots a man he fancies named Blake (Blake French) and exchanges messages with him in order to meet up. Blake comes to Trey's home, where he proceeds to make aggressive love to Trey, causing him to cry. The final scene shows Trey weighing himself again in the gym and this time the scale shows 180 lbs. Trey appears satisfied. The film ends with a dedication to American performing artist Nashom Wooden. Mass could be categorized as a gay film. This is obviously due to the fact that the protagonist is a homosexual and that he is seen engaging in homosexual sex. It could also be viewed as a film about self-discovery, as the leading man seems to want to be better, because he appears to be obsessed with his body and compares himself with other people. His obsession with his body is indicated because when he wakes up he checks his body for fat, he works out often and when he finds out that he weighs 180 lbs he is happy and therefore is obsessed with his weight. His tendency to compare himself to others is suggested when he observes other men training inside the gym, who appear to be more than him and in the scene where he meets Blake, he examines his body and asks him if he works out and if he likes protein. Ignatius's performance is outstanding. In every scene he successfully captures his character's emotions. Particularly in the scene where he is having uncomfortable sex, the close up on his face clearly shows that he is going through great emotional pain. And all the supporting actors deliver very convincing performances. Ignatius clearly put a lot of passion into this film. Not only is his acting terrific, he also creates beautiful shots and makes very effective use of slow-motion. Mass is a film that deserves praise and recognition. #JasonKnight

GRIMMFEST TV, offers movie entertainment for free while the world is in lockdown. A new online TV channel dedicated to horror films of all types, through which viewers can access exciting award-winning features and shorts from the Grimmfest archives. GRIMMFEST TV is available at: Grimmfest.com/TV. New titles are being added every week and this week is no exception. Two Grimmfest favourites from a few years back, THE CALL OF CHARLIE and BORN AGAIN go live at Midday, Friday19th June 2020. Multi-award-winning THE CALL OF CHARLIE is a macabre comedy of manners, influenced by Luis Buñuel, David Lynch and H.P. Lovecraft. Alternately amusing and disturbing. BORN AGAIN is a hilarious social comedy about inept Satanists, who have to deal with the dire consequences of their demonic ceremony. Bloody Disgusting called it “A mighty feat for an indie short" Festival Director Simeon Halligan said “Something a bit lighter this week with two comedy horrors from the Grimmfest vaults. These two humorous gems will lighten the tone, God knows we could all do with a laugh right now”. If you are enjoying watching horror films on Grimmfest TV, please do us a favour and subscribe to the channel. GRIMMFEST TV launched in late April and currently hosts nine quality features and over thirty award-winning shorts, all available to watch for free while we are all stuck at home. Films include Grimmfest 2018 best short award winner, WE SUMMONED A DEMON, Grimmfest 2014 hit, WHITE SETTLERS (Staring Pollyanna McIntosh from The Walking Dead), and the suitably virus themed LA CONTAGION. The most popular title on the channel so far is the half-hour retro creature feature, LOOM. All are still available to watch for free right now.

★★★★★ Directed by: #ErnestoMSandoval Written by: #ErnestoMSandoval Starring: #EduardoRoman, #MaliliDib, #RicardoDalmacci, #JonMolerio, #RogelioTRamos, #RomyPeniche Film Review by: Darren Tilby When I sat down to watch Ernesto Sandoval’s Mexico-based, Spanish-language short film, I never expected anything quite like this. From its beautifully animated intro to its scenic cinematography and outstanding production design, The Devil’s Son is a stunning piece of filmmaking; a work of mythical realism that Guillermo del Toro himself would be proud to call his own. “Once upon a time...” - with these being the first words in the film to greet us, and during Ben Judd’s (illustrator) exquisitely animated backstory, the viewer is immediately welcomed into the movie’s fairytale world. We’re told of a greedy and selfish farmer’s encounter with the devil; of how he promised the creature his son in exchange for power and wealth; and of how his wife died preventing the devil from claiming the boy. Outraged, the devil curses the boy (Pedro) with unrequited love: “He would love others, but no one would love him in return.” The only hope for lifting the curse: Accepting the devil as his father. Many years on and the now-adult Pedro – a brilliantly understated performance from Eduardo Roman – has made good on his promise to reject the devil at every turn. So too has the devil made good on his promise that Pedro will remain unloved. As it is, Pedro lives at home with only the old family horse for company; a companion he cares for deeply. But when past love Rosa – the ever-stunning Malili Dib, in one of her finest performances – arrives at his door, staggered and bruised and fleeing from her abusive partner (a wonderfully villainous turn from Ricardo Dalmacci), Pedro may have to break his oath. Now, while I resent using the obvious comparison to the works of Guillermo del Toro, the connections here are just too strong not to. It’s not the Mexican influence or setting per se. It’s the whimsy of the folklore grounded in the grittiness of realism, the character-focused story, and the juxtaposition and questioning of humanity and monstrosity. The Devil’s Son also reminded me of a brilliant movie I saw a few years ago called I’ll Take Your Dead, thanks in no small part to its gothic-aesthetic and isolated-desert-farmhouse setting. This brings me nicely to the next, and my favourite, aspects of the film: the visuals and its setting. The 1950s Mexican setting draws us into its fantasy world and Emre Okten’s exquisite attention to detail and staggeringly-beautiful, frankly, breathtaking cinematography – with its atmospherically lit interiors and sweeping vistas of the landscape’s desolate beauty – bring to full realisation the superb production design on display - great work from Valeria Munguia and Rudy Salas. What a fantastic piece of filmmaking. A sublime slice of folklore deep-rooted in Mexican socio-cultural history. It’s quite striking just how well-written and how well-made this movie is. Almost every shot from the film is awe-inspiring to behold. The Devil’s Son was put together by people who whole-heartedly believed in the project and loved what they did—and it shows. Wow, just...wow.

★★★ Stars Directed by: #MohanSinghGaharwar Written by: #MohanSinghGaharwar Starring: #ChiragMaridawaria, #ReshmiRajoriyo, #RatanSingh, #DeepakJayalwal Film Review by: Alicia Moore Mother follows the story of a ‘mentally disturbed’ son (Chirag Mandawaria) who lives only with his mother, plus his own persona and perceptions. As he faces turning points in his course of life, he has to actively differentiate between what is real and what is fake by understanding what matters most overall. This short film, written and directed by Mohan Singh Gaharwar, was shot entirely with a smartphone and no large budget to its name which is an impressive feat. The quality is of a very standard; in regards to the actual shots and of the writing itself. Having the knowledge that this film was made with no assistance from high end equipment truly shows that any aspiring filmmaker has the opportunity to achieve, even within the walls of their own homes or with a professional cast in their frames. When focusing on the casting choices, the main character has a striking onscreen presence thanks to the talent of Chirag Mandawaria. Mandawaria presents great strength in his abilities to express true, vivid emotion through acting. The audience is immediately captivated by his stance from the first few minutes of the film. The character is pushed through a range of different deeply rooted emotions during his duration onscreen and Mandawaria does not shy away from putting his heart into each direction given to him. A prominent aspect of the short film’s projection of enjoyment is the colouring/lighting that is used in multiple scenes. Whether this element is lighting of the set or colour editing carried out after filming, the bright colours incorporated into the shots give insight into what meaning and explanation the plot is trying to provide its audience. This technique somehow divides the set from the characters that are present within it – as if the characters are detached from their surroundings and completely immersed in themselves and the surroundings in their own specific perspective. Although the colouring is impressive and enhances the film in its entirety, the plot would flow smoother with the aid of more detailed dialogue. I found myself becoming slightly lost in the lack of explanation through dialogue in certain scenes. Some shots hold a lot of purpose in the plot but, because of the lesser detail, it slightly loses its force in the creation of the thriller atmosphere. Other than that, what the viewers are introduced to is a hair-raiser, a brilliant story. Mother finishes with an incandescent sense of excitement, a complete thrill as expected. The ending positivity ticks the box of ‘psychological thriller’ that has been put forward by the creator. A woman hangs from the ceiling, her body casting a beautiful shadow on the wall as the room is coloured a deep pink. Her feet twitch as the protagonist looks away from her almost lifeless limbs, completely unfazed by the body behind him. This short film exhibits admirable filmmaking in many different features of the process; I applaud Mohan Singh Gaharwar on his work.

★★★★ Directed by: #JuddApatow Written by: Judd Apatow, PeteDavidson, Dave Sirus Starring: #PeteDavidson, #MarisaTomei, #BillBurr, #SteveBuscemi Film Review by: #PhilipGiordano The King of Staten Island Movie Review Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical tale is a funny and authentic comedy that tugs at your heart. Coming of Age films are a journey of maturation; of a child becoming an adult. They are often litmus tests for filmmakers because they reveal what adulthood means to them. In this case, in Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island, manhood is about intimacy and self-confidence. In his eyes, that is what makes you a man. It’s significant because the protagonist’s father died when he was seven and that hole hasn’t mended as the film begins. As a native Staten Islander, this film hits close to home. And I think Apatow nailed the authenticity. From the specifics to the vagaries. From above ground pools to pill addictions to our foul attitudes, hair-trigger tempers and living with our parents well into our twenties. It’s a negative depiction of the folks that are from there, but to be fair, for many it is very accurate. Cinema is making people that aren’t perfect, human. Revealing their humanity. And as Dave Chappelle said in his latest special 8:46 “Staten Island…it’s an awful place…everyone who’s been there knows it…yuck to Staten Island.” It’s not particularly known for its warmth or open-mindedness. It’s thirty minutes away from one of the most cultural cities in the world and the majority of the people living there seldom visit Manhattan. This truth also gives a much deeper meaning to the ending of the film. But no spoilers here. The King of Staten Island follows Scott Carlin (Pete Davidson) an immature tattoo artist who is afraid of intimacy and commitment, which most likely stems from the death of his father, a fireman, who died while on duty. The film follows Scott as he craps on everything from his sisters’ graduation to anything requiring effort: including an unpaid apprenticeship with a major tattoo artist. My biggest criticism of Scott is that he doesn’t try, which certainly comes from attachment issues, but is a major flaw that stays present throughout the entire runtime of the film. When I was in high school there was a kid named Muldoon who instead of taking notes would obsessively draw faces in his notebook. One face per page, trying to perfect the proportions. He started out with a pencil and graduated to a pen. Years later, Muldoon became a full-blown tattoo artist. If only Scott ever tried drawing on screen I could root so much more for him! The biggest difference between Scott in The King of Staten Island and B-Rabbit in 8 Mile (a similar film in theme and genre) is that Rabbit puts his heart and soul into his writing and Scott is too scared to jump in head first and do the work. Trying to be a tattoo artist isn’t ruining your childhood friends bodies with your undeveloped skills, it’s drawing every second of your free time. Which is something completely off-screen, my biggest criticism of the film. The main conflict in the story comes when Scott’s mum Margi (Marisa Tomei) starts dating a firefighter named Ray Bishop (Bill Burr). This throws Scott out of control and he tries everything he can to break them up. From starting fights with Ray, embarrassing him in front of his friends, to getting Ray’s ex-wife day-drunk (more Staten Island authenticity points!) and finding out his vices. Ultimately it works, but not how Scott anticipated. His mom throws him and Ray out. This banishment forces Scott to finally fend for himself and propels him towards the world of adulthood. A journey that is not easy for him. I would be remiss to not talk about how emotional this film gets at times. Apatow tugs at our heart strings once Scott stops deflecting and starts embracing change. And when he finds refuge at Ray’s firehouse, he starts to build bonds with men who not only shared his fathers profession, but truly knew him. It’s here where the film finds its heart and its most endearing moments. When we see the men teaching Scott the values his father would have taught him if he were alive. As a son this hit me hard and as a new father myself, it made my eyes well up. Manhood is hard to attain and you need assistance. As much as guys talk tough, they deeply need that connection and someone to push them to be better. This is Apatow’s most indie effort in regards to subject matter, tone, and shooting style and he has done a fine job. It’s his best film since Funny People. The fantastic Robert Elswit, who was Paul Thomas Anderson’s longtime Cinematographer, crafts the light quite nicely, using lots of practicals (what Staten Island home isn’t overflowing with vintage lamps) and natural light. He keeps the camera very still where these types of films are traditionally handheld. Marisa Tomei is fantastic as always. She’s truly an angel; able to tight-rope so many complex emotions. Bill Burr, one of the top comedians in the world, who sells out stadiums and has a wildly popular podcast, reveals his acting chops here after his work on The Mandalorian. Burr is remarkably restrained in his performance allowing for a lot of nice subtle moments. Davidson, the lead, is extremely likeable, charismatic, and sympathetic. This film will make his talent undeniable. He is wickedly funny and profoundly dramatic. He gives a magnificently sincere and vulnerable performance. Overall The King of Staten Island is absolutely worth watching.

★★★ Directed by #JohnMitchell Written by #JohnMitchell Starring #ChrisBallHero, #JohnAltman, #FlorianSilbereisenSchwitzebel Film review by Rochelle McLaren Directed by John Mitchell, Sphere of Fear 2 is a film about a heartbroken man, Dylan (Chris Ball Hero) who befriends a possessed football (John Altman) as he needs his help to reunite with his ex-lover Faye (Ann Madernn), little does Dylan know, that Satan (Florian Silbereisen Schwitzebel) is after the possessed football as-well. The film begins with information about the previous film including the characters, this is useful to the audience as it keeps them up to date. From the beginning we learn what Dylan has been going through, a broken heart. The audience would learn that his broken heart could be significant to the film. We then see Dylan being harassed about his rent from his landlord, Dylan uses the excuse that he is still heartbroken, this can make the audience wonder if Dylan is genuinely heartbroken or if he just uses that excuse to get out of things. From the beginning of the film the camera moves around Dylan in his room as he lays crying on his sofa. This is useful to the audience as they gain an understanding of the characters personality, we see tissue, beer, condoms and a messy room. When a box is delivered to Dylan’s door all the way from Brazil, he mentions that he does not know anyone from Brazil which would make the audience more interested in what is inside that box. When Dylan finally opens the box, he meets the possessed football, his reaction is quite interesting and it gets the audience thinking if Dylan has met the football before. The film is not so realistic, we learn that Dylan had a brother named Trevor (George Wilson) who appears in the film as a ghost, when first meeting Trevor, the audience would question what really happened to him and will learn that when watching the rest of the film. The audience also learn the relationship between Dylan and Trevor. For an Indie film the director did well by brining up information from the previous film and making it relevant to Sphere Fear 2, this shows that the director is creative and that he acknowledges the audience by keeping them updated. The director also uses flashbacks to engage with his audience so they have all the information they need about what happened to each character. Performance wise, the acting is quite unserious which is not a bad thing at all because it brings out a comedy genre. This film is worth the watch especially if you are into indie/comedic films. #RochelleMcLaren

★★★★ Directed by #ChanningGodfreyPeoples Written by #ChanningGodfreyPeoples Starring #NicoleBeharie #AlexisChikaeze Film Review by Rachel Willis When Turquoise (Nicole Beharie of TV's Sleepy Hollow) enters her teenage daughter, Kai (newcomer Alexis Chikaeze), in the Miss Juneteenth pageant, she is optimistic Kai will win. Turquoise herself was a Miss Juneteenth winner fifteen years previously. For those unfamiliar with the Juneteenth holiday, writer/director Channing Godfrey Peoples weaves an explanation and short history into the film at relevant moments. You’ll quickly understand the importance of this holiday, not only in the film’s setting of Ft. Worth, Texas, but in the greater black community. If you are anticipating a film about the ins and outs of pageants, you won’t find it. Yes, there is some focus on the pageant, but mostly, this is a film about mothers and daughters. Turquoise is the focus. Beharie and Peoples create a lot of empathy for a black, single mother trying to make it work. There are numerous layers to Turquoise’s life. She’s separated from her husband, Kai’s father Ronnie (Kendrick Sampson), although he’s still around. It’s clear Turquoise loves Ronnie, but he’s disappointed her in the past. The film’s strength is the way it lets this story unfold organically. As the plot takes us forward, we learn more about the connections between characters—small, intimate moments conveying vast amounts of information. And the film’s main relationship, the one between Turquoise and Kai, is one of the most tender mother-daughter relationships you’ll find. Beharie and Chikaeze have a winning chemistry that completely roots the audiences in Turquoise and Kai’s relationship. Of course the characters butt heads, but the conflict is secondary to the loving bond the two women share. Turquoise maintains a hard line with her daughter because she wants Kai to do better in life than she did. Though Kai at times resents this, she seems to understand her mother’s intentions. When Kai finds ways to push back against her authoritarian mother, you are never in doubt of Kai’s love for Turquoise, she simply wants to be her own woman. The film also delivers a realistic view of poverty. Whenever Turquoise gains financial ground, something happens to pull the rug out from under her, leaving her with questions like whether to pay her late electric bill or the registration fee for the Miss Juneteenth pageant. Turquoise will always invest in her daughter’s future. Turquoise has a supportive community around her, a cast of characters who round out the story nicely, and when life tries to knock her down, she will get back up with the help of those around her. As we approach the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, this is a film worth seeing. #RachelWillis

★★★★ Directed by #ShannonMurphy Written by #RitaKalnejais Starring #ElizaScanlen #EssieDavis #BenMendelsohn Film Review by George Wolf Why would a first-time feature director make sure her camera lingers a few extra beats on one of those old karaoke videos where the visuals bear no relation to the lyrics being sung? Because it's a sly reinforcement of the abrupt, defiant way that Shannon Murphy is telling the story of Babyteeth, and of the unconventional soul at the heart of the film. That soul would be Milla (Eliza Scanlen), a seriously ill Australian teen who literally bumps into the 23 year-old Moses (Toby Wallace) while waiting for a tram. She likes his hair, so he gives her a haircut. She brings him home, and suddenly Milla's parents (Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis) have something new to worry about. "That boy has problems!" Mom shouts. Milla answers, "So do I!" True enough, and Rita Kalnejais delivers a debut screenplay that embraces the tough and the tender while taking us inside a fraying family dynamic. Mom Anna used to be a impressive pianist, but she struggles to stay off pills and keep her tears at bay. Dad Henry is a psychiatrist who handles Milla's illness in a more pragmatic fashion while he develops a strange fixation on the pregnant neighbor (Emily Barclay). Mendelsohn and Davis are customarily excellent, each reinforcing the different ways that grief can manifest itself, often pulling them closer and increasing their distance in equal measure. In lesser hands, the eccentricities of these characters could have dissolved into caricature or misguided comic relief, but Mendelsohn and Davis each bring a weary stoicism that keeps both parents grounded. Scanlen, fresh off playing Beth in last year's glorious revision of Little Women, is completely transfixing as a girl impatient to experience life. The more Milla is reminded of her sickness, the more she rebels, and Scanlen finds a mix of courage and fear that never feels false. The whiff of death in coming-of-age dramas has often been reduced to manipulative claptrap, but Murphy takes a bulldozer to that notion with an ambitious narrative that does not allow you to get comfortable. She introduces themes using chapter titles (some generic, some genuinely touching), transitions very abruptly and leaves some matters unexplained. Murphy's approach is uniquely assured, requiring our attention but rewarding our emotional investment, as the few mawkish leanings are swept away by the film's wickedly perverse sense of humor. After years of directing shorts and TV episodes, Murphy lands on the big screen as a vibrant new voice. Like Milla, she is setting her own pace in the search for the beauty in life, and Babyteeth finds that beauty in unexpected places. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #MattRiddlehoover Starring #RoseanneCash #TaraCash #KathyCash #CindyCash Film Review by George Wolf Imagine if the world thought your father was one half of an all-time great love story, but the other half wasn't your mother. You'd probably want people to know her story, too. Director Matt Riddlehoover lets the four daughters of Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto remove the shadow that has long obscured their mother's life. In the endlessly endearing My Darling Vivian, we're introduced to a woman of great strength and grace, and an intimate story that reinforces both the power and pain of love. Johnny and Vivian met as teenagers in Texas, writing passionate letters while he was away as an Air Force cadet, then marrying young and immediately starting a family before his legendary music career exploded. Whether by necessity or choice, Riddlehoover interviews Roseanne, Tara, Kathy and Cindy Cash separately, and the result is a wonderful mix of memory and perspective. Roseanne's remark that the sisters had "four different mothers" rings true as their recollections of youth often bounce off one another with a charming Roshoman-style variety. The stream of still photos, home movies and excerpts from the nearly one thousand letters (!) Vivian saved presents incredible insight into the sweetness of young love and the increasing demands on the shy and anxiety-prone wife of a superstar. While Johnny's constant touring left Vivian alone to care for four children under six years old, the pressures of fame, Cash's drug use and the shameful accusations about Vivian's ethnicity all added to the toxic atmosphere. As rumors swirled about Johnny's involvement with June Carter, news of their parents' divorce actually came as a relief to the oldest of the Cash sisters. The memories are often presented with aching detail - coming home from school and seeing fresh dry cleaning meant their mother had not committed suicide that day - and the openness of the family archives is breathtaking. And still, Vivian's own voice remains absent, haunting much of the film until Riddlehoover plays that hand for maximum effect. My Darling Vivian is essential to understanding the complete legacy of a cultural icon. But even beyond the celebrity trappings, it is a bittersweet testament to love, to family, and to scars that never quite fade. And, most of all, it's a record-straightening ode to a woman well worth knowing. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #BillGallagher Starring #GuorMarial Film Review by Seth Troyer I am basically still on the verge of tears as I write this. Bill Gallagher's emotional documentary Runner opens with sports coverage of a marathon and slowly zooms in on one man in particular. “Now this particular runner,” says a dorky sportscaster, “has an unbelievable story.” He doesn't know the half of it. This is the story of Guor Marial, a Sudanese refugee who went on a journey to become an Olympian. As a young boy, Marial runs from hardship to hardship, eventually getting separated from his family, and ultimately finding himself in America. It's wild to hear Marial's initial confusion at the absurdity of it all, that something he did to survive in Sudan is something westerners do as a sport. Marial hits the high school track field and metamorphosizes. From there we watch the harsh juxtaposition of this high school dream athlete winning medals while simultaneously struggling with the fact that his family members in Sudan are dying. My reservations about macho corporate sports went out the window as I watched this boy running in the name of his faraway home. It's also a wonderful thing to see journalists, coaches and politicians (mostly white, privileged Americans) one by one lay down their false crowns in awe before this kid who has gone through actual hell and is using his power to reach for nothing less than the Olympic games. This is the rare documentary that truly does justice to its incredible hero. It is cinematic to the point where your first reaction might be to think you are watching staged reenactments, but no, this is all real. They have footage of seemingly every moment of Marial's journey, as well as animation and news footage depicting the hell of war and starvation in Sudan. Arguably the film's most emotional moment occurs when Mrial returns to South Sudan to be reunited with his parents, who he has not seen in years. The moment when his mother, who lost so many of her children, collapses to the ground at the sight of her long lost son is one of the most powerful moments I have ever seen captured by a camera. This is still only the beginning of the story of the first Olympian from South Sudan: a beautifully human story that is about nothing less than what makes us go, what makes us try, and what makes us run. #SethTroyer

★★★ Directed & Written by #WardWells Starring #WardWells Film Review by Lawrence Bennie Of all the many things unfortunately hampered by lockdown, creativity hasn’t been one of them. Look no further for a perfect example than the “first and hopefully last” Roger Corman Quarantine Film Festival. The legendary producer, dubbed the “master of cult cinema” by Sight and Sound, has generously and ingeniously invited would-be-directors to submit their own two-minute short film. The challenge? The film must be set within the candidate’s home, filmed only with their phone and lit by the available lighting around their home. Killow is Ward Wells’ shot at following in the footsteps of the likes of James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, all prodigies of the 94 year-old Corman. This horror-comedy (of course, a favourite genre of Corman himself) sees a young man (Wells) check into a room, only to inexplicably come under attack from a murderous pillow. There is no dialogue. The only vocal expressions come from Wells’ battle with his fluffy assailant. Whether it features high in the competition or not, Wells’ concept, cheeky title and playful fun may at least raise a smile from Corman and his team. As far as Corman’s challenge goes, Killow ticks all the boxes. The film, presumably, has been shot at Wells’ home, with a phone and only natural daylight is used for illumination. Running for 1 minute and 55 seconds, it doesn’t get anymore tighter, and economical, then this. Well done, Ward! Title aside, there’s some other in-jokes, like the hotel keyring saying “Sweet Dreams” before the mayhem begins. When Wells’ pillow slowly rises upright on the bed next to him, horror buffs may be reminded of Count Orlok erecting from his coffin in Nosferatu (1922) or Michael Myers rising up for another tussle with Laurie in Halloween (1978). When the “Killow” refuses to lie down and die, there’s also the memory of the relentless Annie in Misery (1990). Finally, when Wells’ eventually dispatches his enemy by locking him up in a suitcase, this viewer was reminded of the villainous Nik-Nak’s comeuppance in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974). More than likely, these allusions were probably the last thing on Wells’ mind. But, they’re fun to make anyway. Whilst it’s unlikely to make a splash in the world of short film, Killow actually turns out to be an apt send-up of Corman’s cult classic B-movies. Who knows? It might even catch the eye of the “Pope of Pop Cinema” after all? #LawrenceBennie