‘Indie Sleaze Waves’ Is the Only 2000s Hairstyle You'll Be Rocking This Spring

Dennis Harvey Film Critic Even among many who’ve grasped the scientific evidence, or experienced escalating weather extremes, climate change remains an abstraction for most — something too large and vague to trigger urgent emotional response. Not so the fictive activists in “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” inspired by Andreas Malm’s nonfiction tome of the same name. Though diverse in background and motivations, the eight individuals here drawn together to attack an oil conduit in Texas share a sense that the planetary environmental crisis is immediate, and the time for gently chiding protests past.  Whether their actions constitute “eco-terrorism” and whether violence of any kind is ever justifiable in the service of progress are questions Daniel Goldhaber’s sophomore feature duly grapples with. Still, its degree of moral self-examination is unlikely to appease climate deniers, who’ll likely decry the film (if they notice it at all) as a recruitment poster for aspiring saboteurs. It’s more nuanced than that, but this strong, straightforward drama-cum-thriller about a divisive topic will nonetheless primarily appeal to viewers on the left side of the political dial. Neon is releasing to U.S. theaters on April 7.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor and social media influencer Tamera “Tee” Kissen (White Men Can’t Jump, House Party) has signed on to lead the vampire horror flick Fanged for indies Empyrean Pictures and Rebel Maverick.

Thank God for Owen Wilson. Without the star’s laconic laid-back comedic approach to character, his new film Paint would be strictly a comedy by-the-numbers affair. Even with Wilson offering his all as Carl Nargle, a local Burlington Vermont Public Television star whose time in the spotlight he has always held is fading quickly, Paint seems like a missed opportunity.

EXCLUSIVE: Fremantle HR boss Nicky Gray is exiting the Got Talent and Normal People super-indie after more than two decades.

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EXCLUSIVE: Tony Danza (The Good Cop) and Bex Taylor-Klaus (Deputy) have signed on to star alongside Adam Saunders in the indie comedy Re-Election, going into production in May, which Saunders will direct from his own Austin Film Festival semi-finalist script.

EXCLUSIVE: Bria Samone Henderson (The Good Doctor), Stakiah Lynn Washington (Primo), Tonya Pinkins (Red Pill), and Kim Estes (Dexter) have joined the cast of Angel City, the debut feature from filmmaker Noel Braham.

EXCLUSIVE: The Late Late Show with James Corden maker Fulwell 73 has launched its first UK label, a factual production outfit with Blowing LA EP Sheldon Lazarus.

Skrillex (aka Sonny Moore) has announced a monumental one-off show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, where he’ll perform for a mind-boggling five hours.Similar to his recent gig at Madison Square Garden in New York – where he DJ’d alongside recent collaborators Fred Again.. and Four Tet – Moore will hit the decks at 7pm, delivering tunes from then until midnight.

Manuel Betancourt “Only the optimist commits suicide, optimists who no longer succeed at being optimists.” The Emil Cioran line, introduced in the first scene of Sebastián Silva’s morbid black comedy “Rotting in the Sun,” initially feels like the key to understanding the Chilean filmmaker’s latest endeavor. “The others,” the quote continues, “having no reason to live, why would they have any to die?” More than merely placing suicide at the heart of Silva’s fictionalized take on himself, the quote’s pop intellectualism sets the tone for what soon becomes, in true Silva fashion, an absurdist meditation on death wishes, social media influencers (the film stars Jordan Firstman, also as himself) and 21st-century nihilism.

Paige Spiranac is without a doubt the most famous female golfer in the world. Her looks and skills have attracted millions of followers on social media, but there's been a price. The 30-year-old former professional says she is constantly hounded by explicit rumors any time she's at an event with male athletes or other male celebrities.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Indie sales agency All Rights Entertainment has achieved a string of pre-sales on “Lendarys,” a family adventure animation film that is currently in advanced stages of production and set for delivery later this year. The film was licensed to KMBO (France); Flins & Piniculas (Spain); Another World Entertainment (Denmark and Norway); Njuta Films (Sweden); Outsider Films (Portugal); Blitz Film (Ex-Yugoslavia), Five Stars Distribution (Israel), Selim Ramia and Co. (Middle East and North Africa), The Film Group (Greece & Cyprus), Kino Swiat (Poland), Nashe Kino (CIS excluding Baltics), ACME Film (Baltic States) and Madness Entertainment (Mexico).

An Amazon shopper has raved about a bargain find in the Spring Sale that helps to protect your home and offers "total peace of mind".

Amazon has announced a huge three-day sale which will see thousands of great deals and big savings. But ahead of the sale, there are a number of things shoppers should do in advance to ensure they’re prepared, get the best deals, save money and don’t miss out.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in Belgium’s A Team Productions the indie outfit behind hit drug gang drama “Patsers” by directorial duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah and standout short “ “Baghdad Messi.”  The company, which was founded in 2009, is headed by Kobe van Steenberghe and Hendrik Verthé and scored its first major international in 2011 with the short “Land of the Heroes” which won the International Jury Prize at the Berlinale that year. They are also behind short “Baghdad Messi,” by Belgium-based Kurdish director Sahim Omar Kalifa, which won prizes at dozens of international fests and was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2014.

Mark Sutherland Lauren Laverne is buzzing with excitement. She woke up to the news that Lizzo had given her a shout-out from the stage at London’s O2 Arena. “Lauren Laverne played my record on Radio 6 and just like that, I was flying to England every other weekend,” declared the singer, who had her first major radio exposure on Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show back in 2013. “What an utter queen,” laughs Laverne, who has been helming the station’s flagship breakfast show since 2019. “For everybody at 6, it’s a dream come true to have a world-changing, game-changing artist standing up on stage and describing what we do. We’re this little greenhouse; we plant these seeds and what grows out of them, who knows?”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Wet Leg lead the nominations for the 2023 Libera Awards, the celebration of independent music presented by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). The Grammy-winning British group lead all nominess with six, while Sudan Archives, Allison Russell, Fontaines D.C., and Soul Glo have three each. The ceremony takes place on Thursday, June 15 at the historic Town Hall in New York City, and will feature 37 categories highlighting the best in independent music, as well as performances from nominees. In addition to recording artists across all genres, the award ceremony will also acknowledge categories for Best Sync Usage, Creative Packaging, Independent Champion, Label of the Year, Marketing Genius, Self-Released Record of the Year, Best Re-Issue, Best Live/Livestream Act, Video of the Year, and A2IM’s Humanitarian Award. Nominees for this year are listed below.

Rylan Clark is adding another job to his already hectic schedule and that's helping shoppers find the best deal in Amazon's new spring sale.

Lamia Chraibi is one of Morocco’s best-known indie film producers whose credits include Mica, about a boy from the slums who is discovered to have a talent for tennis, and Sitges prize-winning horror Achoura as well as co-producing 2016 Cannes Critics’ Week winner Las Mimosas.

EXCLUSIVE: Producer Amy Williams has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Waheed AlQawasmi, the writer and director of upcoming indie feature Jacir, starring Lorraine Bracco.