Cinemafile

The Fantastic Golem Affairs begins with Juan and David playing a movie guessing game on a rooftop. During an animated round, David strips naked, mimics a monkey and accidentally falls to his death. However, instead of a conventional fatal impact, his body inexplicably shatters into ceramic-like fragments. Juan, devastated and confused, attends David’s funeral, where his remains are treated with eerie indifference. Determined to uncover the truth behind his friend’s bizarre demise, Juan embarks on an investigation. From acclaimed Spanish filmmaking duo Burnin’ Percebes (Fernando Martínez and Juan González), don't miss this one-of-a-kind comedy full of unconventional storytelling, absurdist humor and genre-blending narratives, entirely inspired by one hilarious moment from Top Secret!, the 1984 comedy by Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker. Co-directors Juan González and Fernando Martínez also known as the Burnin' Percebes stop by for a conversation flying pianos and how on they turned The Fantastic Golem Affairs into one of the year’s mind-blowing cinematic experiences. 

Alexis Bloom’s blistering documentary THE BIBI FILES is an urgent journalistic exposé based on unseen leaked footage of police interrogations of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,  as well as his wife Sara and son Yair. The film explores the corruption cases that resulted in Netanyahu’s indictment on breach of trust, bribery, and fraud in 2019.. Many Israelis believe that Netanyahu’s attempts to delay his trial are key to understanding his current policies regarding war and the return of Israeli hostages. Working with Oscar-winning Producer Alex Gibney, Bloom uses never-seen-before interrogation footage of Netanyahu and his inner circle that provides an unflinching gaze into the private world behind the headlines. In Netanyahu’s corruption, Israel’s far right senses unprecedented political opportunity. Bibi’s embrace of their extremism results in deadly consequences. The Bibi Files has secured distribution in multiple international territories, while the Jerusalem courts rejected the Israeli prime minister's attempts to block the film. Director Alexis Bloom (Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks)  joins us for a frank and informative conversation on the impact and consequences of Netanyahu’s rise to power and his desperate tactics to remain there, at all costs

SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a wildly entertaining and fittingly unconventional documentary about convention-defying singer, songwriter and record producer Jerry Williams, aka Swamp Dogg, one of the great cult figures of 20th-century American music whose singular voice and ideas have shaped the history not merely of soul music, but of country, hip-hop and a dozen other genres. In SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED, the titular artist and his “bachelor pad of aging musicians”, including the charming Guitar Shorty and lovably quirky Moogstar, navigate the tumultuous music industry, transform their home into an artistic playground and invite fellow musicians like Jenny Lewis and John Prine and superfans Mike Judge, Johnny Knoxville and Tom Kenny to play in their unique musical sandbox…and paint Swamp Dogg’s pool. Bursting with infectious personality and stoner energy, SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a music documentary unlike any other. Co-director Isaac Gale (Ryan Olson) joins us for a lively conversation on the sublime world that Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams) has created and sustained over the last several decades, getting to know Moogstar and Guitar Shorty and where Swamp’s completely “chilled” vibe comes from in one of the most entertaining documentaries you will experience this year. 

Amidst the brazen rise of 21st century authoritarianism, few politicians have proven as corrupt and adept at undermining democracy as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A hero to his country’s Christian conservative population and a role model to the right-wing political movement in Europe and to Donald Trump and the Republicans in United States - Orbán takes carefully crafted, methodical steps to chip away at Hungarian democratic institutions while maintaining popularity with a majority of citizens. With chilling detail, Democracy Noir follows three courageous women - opposition politician Timea, journalist Babett, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) - who fight relentlessly to expose the lies and corruption embedded in Orbán's government. And Maria Antalne Deak - (Nikoletta’s mom). But amid this dark, new form of authoritarianism, there is still vital resistance. Through the testimonies and actions of Timea, Babett and Niko, we see first-hand what it takes to try and win back democracy and precious freedoms. Director Connie Field joins us for a conversation on the crippling impact that Orban's rule is having on Hungary, the European Union and the the future of Western -style democracy.

Little, Big, and Far hones in on the life and work of Karl, an Austrian astronomer, professor and museum consultant, is at a crossroads in life and work. At 70, he finds his jobs at risk and his physicist wife drifting away. At the same time, environmental instability begins to unsettle the astronomical field itself. His younger colleague Sarah, a specialist in citizen science, begins a relationship with Mateo, a passionate Ecuadorian astronomer. Together, they uncover a remarkable cosmic revelation at a forgotten telescope in New Jersey. As the group contends with personal and planetary tremors, Karl reflects on the Rosetta Mission, his wife’s odyssey through the American South in search of the eclipse, and the disorienting inheritance of a rapidly changing planet. It is in this quiet, expansive terrain—of solitude, wonder, and resistance—that director Jem Cohen has long made his cinematic home. For over 30 years, he has created truly independent, hybrid films, made possible via unorthodox low-budget production strategies. Cohen’s combination of guerrilla filmmaking with a wide-eyed, open-minded appreciation of science has led to a highly unusual film that is at once down-to-earth, deeply political and aesthetically bold. He joins us to talk about his latest stunningly beautiful masterwork, Little, Big, and Far.

In her feature film debut AMOEBA, writer and director Siyou Tan follows 16-year-old Choo as she befriends three rebellious classmates in their elite all-girls Chinese school. Their urge to resist authoritarian teachers and school doctrines drives them to discover the erased stories of mythical gangsters that ruled the streets of colonial Singapore. They decide to form their own gang. But how do you form a gang in modern Singapore, where even chewing gum is illegal? Loosely based on her previous short films, COLD CUT (2024), STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE (2021), Tan masterfully explores the dissonance of Eastern and Western culture in a sixty year-old country and the importance of Singapore’s societal expectations. Director Siyou Tan stops by to talk AMOEBA’s World Premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), assembling her superb cast of actors, and seeing AMOEBA as a story about four young women’s quest to find community and self-determination in a society where the prevailing narratives of subservience are imposed on young women. 

Cities and their dwellers evolve and grow in ways that are both richly intertwined and beautifully complex. In her gentle, timeless and quietly absorbing debut feature, Love, Brooklyn, director Rachael Abigail Holder wisely portrays such winds of change in her beloved Brooklyn, through the lived-in stories of three unique Brooklynites, as imagined by screenwriter Paul Zimmerman. A writer (André Holland, Moonlight) navigates complicated relationships with his ex, an art gallery owner (Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show), and his current lover, a newly-single mother (DeWanda Wise, She’s Gotta Have It), with the supportof his best friend (Roy Wood Jr., The Daily Show). A modern romance set against the rapidly changing landscape of Brooklyn, New York. Director Racheal Abigail Holder joins us for a conversation on why Love, Brooklyn is both a tender ode to the cities we hold dear, and a fresh addition to the great tradition of compulsively re-watchable New York movies to luxuriate in.

Patrick Oliphant was a giant slayer. In addition to being a fearless stunt pilot, executing dangerous maneuvers just to blow off a little steam, he bravely took on presidents, popes and the American corporate class with his mighty pen. An Australian transplant, Oliphant was America’s most renowned and feared political cartoonist for five decades. With his biting wit and masterful drawing skills he attacked individual and institutional corruption, collusion, greed, hypocrisy and arrogance, no matter the size or status of his enemies. We sit down with director Bill Banowsky to talk about why impactful political cartoonists have been throughout the ages and how, in our current climate of political partisanship and corporate control of the media, political cartoonists like Oliphant are critical to checking the powers that be.

It’s January 2021. The United Kingdom has just entered its 3rd lockdown and all theatres remain closed. For actors Sam Crane and Mark Osterveen, the future looks bleak. As the pandemic drags on Mark who lives alone is increasingly socially isolated, while Sam is panicking about how he is going to support his family. They channel their midlife frustrations by immersing their avatars in the horrifically violent yet beautifully rendered virtual world of Grand Theft Auto Online. In one gaming session they stumble across a theatre and have an idea. Why not stage Hamlet inside the game? Well, there are several reasons why not, chiefly that most people in the game are intent on ruthless annihilation, not polite appreciation of a theatrical production. But wasn’t theatre just as dangerous and rowdy a business in Shakespeare’s time, and isn’t Hamlet, a play about revenge the perfect choice for this place? GRAND THEFT HAMLET is shot entirely inside the world of Grand Theft Auto. By using the in-game phone camera we were able to get intimate close ups and cinematic pans across landscapes – enabling a more cinematic visual language and moments of pathos, emotion and lyricism to exist within the chaos and violence of this undiscovered country. Co-directors Sam Crane & Pinny Grylls join us for a conversation on the arc of their own journey into this virtual world, casting on-line netizens to play these iconic characters, how they came to grasp and utilize the boundless potential of this space, the genuinely funny travails of “rehearsing” the actors and so much more regarding this exceptionally successful debut feature “documentary”. 

Easily one of the best films of 2025 JULIE KEEPS QUIET focuses on the star player, Julie, at an elite youth tennis academy. Julie’s life revolves around the game she loves. She trains hard, pausing only for class or physical therapy before returning to the gym fixated on making it into the Belgian Tennis Federation. When her coach Jérémy is suddenly suspended following the suicide of one of his female protégées, all the players at the academy are encouraged to speak up about their experiences with him. Julie, however, decides to keep quiet. Despite strong suspicions from those around her that Julie’s relationship with Jérémy was inappropriate at best, her persistent silence begins to speak volumes. Confused and full of anxiety, the pressure she once channeled solely towards training shifts inward, affecting her confidence, her focus, and her game. Executive produced by tennis champion Naomi Osaka, JULIE KEEPS QUIET is a "tense, taut, artfully hushed debut feature" (Variety) by Belgian writer-director Leonardo van Dijl. Led by newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck whose performance embodies the different ways trauma is internalized, JULIE KEEPS QUIET respectfully and empathetically examines why some victims choose to remain silent.