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Festivals
‘The Luminous Life’ review: A Lisbon spring brings new opportunities for a troubled 20-something
Dir/scr: Joao Rosas. Portugal. 2025. 99mins
It's spring in Lisbon and the town is stuffed with mild, heat and promise. However Nicolau (Francisco Melo) is...
Body horror ‘The Ugly Stepsister’ wins top awards at Bifan 2025
The Ugly Stepsister by Norway’s Emilie Blichfeldt has gained the highest prize and viewers award on the 29th Bucheon Worldwide Improbable Movie Pageant (Busan)...
‘The Visitor’ review: Lithuanian debut takes a fresh approach to the issue of migration
Dir: Vytautas Katkus. Lithuania/Norway/Sweden. 2025. 115mins.
The theme of migration is so completely mined in arthouse cinema, it's uncommon to discover a image that has...
‘Broken Voices’ review: Powerful Czech choir drama is loosely based on real-life abuse scandal
Dir/scr: Ondrej Provaznik. Czech Republic/Slovak Republic. 2025. 105mins.
13-year-old Karolina (Katerina Falbrova) is overjoyed when she is picked for a prestigious ladies’ choir, becoming a...
‘Baite’ review: Conventional murder mystery unfolds in 1970s Ireland
Dir: Ruan Magan. Eire. 2025. 94mins
The settled calm of a rural group is shattered by the invention of a long-hidden physique in Baite. Ruan...
‘Battalion Records’, ‘In Vacuo’ lead Karlovy Vary industry winners
Romanian mission Battalion Data and Ukrainian characteristic In Vacuo had been among the many winners at Japanese Guarantees, the trade part of the 2025...
‘Dandelion’s Odyssey’ review: Artistic animation takes a plant’s eye-view of the apocalypse
Dir: Momoko Seto. France/Belgium. 2025. 76 minutes
4 dandelion seeds – or ‘achenes’ to provide them their scientific title – embark on a outstanding journey...
‘Kika’, ‘Okamoto’ among Munich 2025 competition winners
Titles by Alexe Poukine, David Bim, and Soujiro Sanada had been among the many winners of the competitors sections at this 12 months’s Munich...
‘Animal Farm’ review: Director Andy Serkis softens George Orwell classic for family animation
Dir: Andy Serkis. Canada/UK/USA. 2025. 96mins
Initially conceived by George Orwell as a satirical allegory for the Russian Revolution and the following struggles of the...
‘Stitch Head’ review: Burtonesque animation is adapted from Guy Bass children’s books
Dir/scr: Steve Hudson. Germany/Luxembourg. 2025. 91mins
Excessive in his mountain lair, the Fort Grotteskew, a mad professor (voiced by Rob Brydon) is obsessive about designing...