Writer-director Benjamin Wong and producer Elizabeth Ai are making waves on the festival circuit with their poignant and emotionally gripping feature, Ba. In the film, Daniel Li (played by Lawrence Kao), a struggling father, faces a harrowing dilemma as he finds himself devoid of options, funds, and shelter. In a desperate attempt to secure his daughter Colette’s (portrayed by Kai Cech) future, Daniel unwittingly accepts a chilling role—becoming Death itself. As he undergoes a haunting physical transformation, he discovers that anything he touches will perish. Daniel navigates this cursed existence,
The stars aligned as the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival kicked off with the post-event celebration hosted by the Cinema Center. Amidst the vibrant atmosphere of downtown Austin, the Cinema Center played host to an exclusive two-day pop-up, treating attendees to a whirlwind of red-carpet premieres and unforgettable parties. The festivities, held on March 11-12, 2024, showcased some of SXSW’s most anticipated films, but none shone quite as brightly as Doin’ It. Doin’ It, a star-studded film featuring Lilly Singh, Stephanie Beatriz, and Jessica Clement, took center
Screening at SXSW this year was Family, the directorial debut of Benjamin Finkel. Family examines sobering topics such as death, sickness, and loss through the lens of horror. More specifically, it is told through the eyes of Johanna (Cameron Dawson Gray), a young girl living with her sick dad Harry (Ben Chaplin) and her mother Naomi (Ruth Wilson). With her father’s illness worsening, they recently moved closer to the hospital to more easily facilitate treatment. Johanna had previously hung a blue oval birdhouse and attracted a friendly, protective spirit to
One of the highlights from this year’s Midnight Shorts Program at SXSW was Apotemnofilia. Apotemnophilia syndrome is defined as “the desire for amputation of a healthy limb,” and just from the title of this short film, director Jan Pita has already hinted at what audiences can expect. Set entirely in a dressing room, we witness Clara (Lucía Azcoitía) descend into madness as she increasingly believes that bugs are nesting and swarming within her body, particularly her leg. She attempts to excise these critters with various implements scattered around the dressing