The Sundance Institute has revealed the 10 projects selected for the inaugural 2025 Sundance Institute Filmmakers Fund.
Sponsored by Chase Sapphire Reserve, the fund awards $120,000 grants to artists from various backgrounds working on feature films worldwide. The grant is part of the Institute’s Artist Accelerator Program, which promotes artist development through yearlong fellowships, funding and ongoing artist support.
Related Stories
Recipients are selected from the Feature Film Program, the Documentary Film Program, the Indigenous Program, Catalyst, the Artist Accelerator Program and Ignite.
Popular on Variety
The 2025 grantees and their selected projects are: Roni Jo Draper and Marissa Lila Kongao’s “We Arrive With Fire,” Chris Gris’ “Forward,” Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs’ “High Steel,” Masami Kawai’s “Valley of the Tall Grass,” Khaula Haider Malik’s “Alien Nation,” Mackie Mallison’s “Everything Must Go,” Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s “Jaripeo,” Steve Pargett’s “Black Out Dreams,” Huda Razzak’s “Home of Birds” and Walter Thompson-Hernández’ “If I Go Will They Miss Me.”
Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, director of the Artist Accelerator Program and Women at Sundance Institute, said about the partnership, “We are thrilled to announce the inaugural grantees of the Sundance Institute Filmmakers Fund sponsored by Chase Sapphire Reserve. This partnership allows us to provide artists with critical support, empowering them to take bold creative risks and bring their powerful stories to life.”
She continued, “These 10 projects represent the diversity, innovation and artistic excellence that are at the heart of the artists we support at Sundance Institute. We are deeply grateful to Chase Sapphire Reserve for sharing our commitment to uplifting independent voices and helping us build a more vibrant future for storytelling.”
Wednesday, October 1
GKids Announces Los Angeles and New York Screenings for “Kokuho”
GKids has revealed that one-week-only theatrical engagements of “Kokuho” will take place in New York and Los Angeles, set to take place in September. The film will play at AMC Universal CityWalk Hollywood in Los Angeles on Nov. 14 and Angelika Film Center in New York City on Nov. 21, with a nationwide release set to come at a later time.
“Kokuho” follows 14-year-old Kikuo after the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang. After a famous Kabuki actor takes him under his wing, Kikuo decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. Across decades, the two young men grow and evolve together from acting school to the grandest stages, amid scandals, brotherhood and betrayals, as each pushes to become the greatest living Kabuki master.
The film had its debut at Cannes in Directors’ Fortnight, and has subsequently played as an official selection at the Shanghai International Film Festival, followed by its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Kokuho” will be playing at AFI Fest on Oct. 24.
Tuesday, September 30
Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller’s ‘After All’ to Open SOHO International Film Festival
The SOHO International Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Kerstin Karlhuber’s “After All,” which stars Erika Christensen, Penelope Ann Miller, Kiara Muhammad, Zach Gilford, Mike O’Malley and David James Elliott.
According to the description, the film follows “Ellen (Christensen), who returns home to care for her estranged, ailing mother, Verna (Miller) and the teenage daughter she left behind (Muhammad). As Verna declines and long-buried family secrets surface, three generations of women must confront painful truths, heal old wounds, and rediscover joy in one another as they reimagine what it means to be family.”
Presented by SOHO Creative Lab Foundation, the 2025 program will showcase more than 130 films, including more than 115 plus premieres.
Other films to debut during the festival include the animated feature “Flower of the Dawn,” world feature “A Farewell to Youth,” series pilot “Books,” documentary “Sanctuary,” U.S. short film “Clementine” and world short film “Under the Northern Skies.”
The festival will run from Oct. 7 to 13 at its new venue partner, Regal Square Union Square in New York City.
ICG Releases 63rd Annual Publicist Awards Voting Schedule Announced
Publicists of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, IATSE Local 600 has released its schedule for the 63rd Annual Publicist Awards, which will be held on March 13, 2026 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Ca.
The annual event honors publicists, unit still photographers, film and TV publicity campaigns and entertainment journalists who have showcased outstanding work over the course of the past year.
First ballot nomination results will be announced on Dec. 2, followed by TV publicity campaign nominees on Dec. 10 and motion picture publicity campaign nominees on Jan. 14. Final ballot voting closes Feb. 3.
Woodstock Film Festival Unveils “The Testament of Ann Lee” and “Dead Man’s Wire” as Opening and Closing Night Presentations, Uma Thurman Joins Board of Directors
The Woodstock Film Festival has revealed Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee” as its opening night and Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire” as its closing night presentations. The 26th edition of the festival will take place from Oct. 15 to Oct. 19. in venues across Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties, New York.
“We’re ecstatic to bookend this year’s festival with two bold, conversation-starting features that embody the fiercely independent spirit our audiences love,” said Meira Blaustein, Woodstock Film Festival Co-Founder and Executive Director in a press release. “From Mona Fastvold’s intimate vision to Gus Van Sant’s audacious retelling, these films invite dialogue long after the credits roll.”
Previously announced titles include Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly” as this year’s centerpiece film, alongside Hikari’s “Rental Family,” Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” and “Blue Moon” by Richard Linklater.
In addition to the opening and closing night film selections, Woodstock Film Festival has announced that Uma Thurman (“Kill Bill,” “Dangerous Liaisons”) has joined the festival’s board of directors. “The festival is happy to welcome Uma as our newest member of the board of directors and looks forward to the exciting opportunities ahead,” said Blaustein.
Friday, September 26
Liz Garbus to Receive Camerimage Award for Outstanding Directing
Camerimage will honor director Liz Garbus with an award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking at the 33rd EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival in Toruń, Poland this November.
Two time Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Garbus has produced and directed insightful documentaries such as “The Farm: Angola, USA,” “Bobby Fischer Against the World,” “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” “Love, Marilyn,” “What Happened, Miss Simone?,” and “Becoming Cousteau.” This year, she helmed the true crime docuseries “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer” on Netflix and “One Night in Idaho: The College Murders” on Amazon Prime Video. She also directed the 2020 narrative feature “Lost Girls” and episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Yellowjackets” and “Good American Family.”
Considered a leading voice in documentary film, Garbus continues to direct and produce under her New York-based production company, Story Syndicate.
The 33rd EnergaCAMERIMAGE will take place Nov. 15–22 in Toruń’s Kujawy Pomorze region.
Monday, September 29
The 41st Boston Film Festival Announces 2025 Award Winners
The 41st Boston Film Festival has revealed the winners of its 2025 program that is designed to spotlight a wide range of films and talent across genres and themes.
Presented by ad-free streaming service Kanopy, this year’s film festival featured a red carpet for filmmakers and talent as the platform joined the festival in inspiring students to discover, discuss and celebrate the art of cinema.
Audiences across Boston were treated to an array of premieres and screenings spanning suspense, drama, historical and environmental storytelling. Highlights included the international premiere of the opening night feature, “The Fallow Few.” The world premiere of “Ambleside” closed the festival.
Students at Emerson College were also treated to a screening of the new Warner Bros. Television series “It: Welcome to Derry,” which featured a panel discussion with production designer Paul Austerberry and costume designer Luis Sequeira, moderated by EXTRA’s Mona Kosar Abdi. As part of their ongoing collaboration with the Boston Film Festival, voice actor Eric Bauza was also featured on the festival’s Animation Panel.
“Ambleside” dominated, winning six awards including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Music, Best Actress and Best Ensemble Cast. Best Actor was awarded to Bradley James for his portrayal of Cpl. George Hansen in “The Fallow Few.” Best Actress was awarded to Ellie Bamber for her portrayal of Lucy Gladwell in “Ambleside.
Taking the Best Documentary Film award was “Blue Zeus” from directors Rocky Romano and Miranda Winters. Documentary “The Snake and the Whale” from director John Carlos Frey was named EcoFilm, and taking the Mass Impact Award was “Hidden: The Kati Preston Story,” directed by Daniel Matmor.
The full list of award winners can be found on https://bostonfilmfestival.org/.
Skybound Entertainment and Regal Join Forces To Premiere Spike and Mike’s Animation Extravaganza 2025
Skybound Entertainment has partnered with Regal to bring Spike and Mike’s Animation Extravaganza 2025 to theatres nationwide from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
Hosted by YouTubers Jaiden Animations and Ross O’Donovan, the 90-minute showing combines ‘70s and ‘80s animation with quirky live-action bits and new shorts. Skybound Entertainment received hundreds of submissions of short films from creators across North America and selected 24 films to be part of the inaugural three-day festival.
The shorts will feature retro 8-bit adventures, balloon-based aliens with interstellar appetites, phlegm-spitting characters, zombies, skeletons dancing under a full moon and video game marathons.
The Spike and Mike’s Animation Extravaganza will include the premieres of “Baloney Beacon,” “Beautiful Day,” “Danse Macabre,” “Debt & Misgivings,” “Detektive Thumb and the Infinity House,” “Doodlepops” and “Heart-Ache,” among others.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now at REGmovies.com.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Announces 2025 Gold Fellowship For Women Recipients
Alina Simone (“Black Snow”) and Marlén Viñayo (“Cachada: The Opportunity”) have been selected as the recipients of the 2025 Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, presented by Chanel. The Gold Fellowship for Women is a one-year program that combines support, personalized mentorship and access tonetworking opportunities for emerging women filmmakers. The two fellowships are presented annually to a U.S.-based filmmaker and a non-U.S.-based filmmaker.
“Championing and inspiring new generations of global filmmakers is core to the Academy’s mission, and we’re thrilled to continue this work through the Gold Fellowship for Women. We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our partner Chanel, which shares our commitment to nurturing talented women filmmakers and opening doors to meaningful opportunities in the film industry,” said Kim Taylor-Coleman, Academy governor and president of the Academy Foundation Board.
Fellows will receive career advancement support through the Academy Gold Alumni Network, providing continued access, professional development and education for alumni of the Academy’s talent development programs.
The 2025 fellows were selected from a group of six finalists.
