Miles Ahead When: April 1 Where: Theaters Director: Don Cheadle Starring: Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi Why We’re Excited: Making his directorial debut, Don Cheadle brings one of history’s most influential artist to the big screen as he embodies the role of iconic jazz musician Miles Davis. A passion project for Cheadle, the actor and first-time director was gifted permission by the Davis estate to portray the musician and make a film that held true to the Davis legacy. The actor/writer/director/producer even took to IndieGoGo for fundraising, stating, “I want to tell a story that Miles himself would have wanted to see—something hip, cool, alive and ahead.” Rounding out the cast are Ewan McGregor as Rolling Stone reporter Dave Brill and Film Independent Spirit Award nominated actress Emayatzy Corinealdi as Frances Taylor Davis. Film Independent Members Pras Michel and Daniel Wagner were both part of the producing team behind the biopic. The film is a must-see for anyone who loves music—and who doesn’t love music?
Everybody Wants Some!! When: April 1 Where: Theaters Director: Richard Linklater Starring: Zoey Deutch, Blake Jenner Why We’re Excited: Alright, alright, alright! Are you ready for the “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused? Time and time again, Spirit Award winning filmmaker Richard Linklater has proven to be a pioneer in the indie film world—taking risks, telling innovative stories and creating unforgettable characters. Now he’s getting old school, revisiting the style of one of his most celebrated early works and giving a whole new generation a glimpse at life after high school. This time the cast is in college and trying to—as the film’s synopsis puts it—“navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood.” One can only imagine what kind of shenanigans will go down. And if it’s anything like Dazed, which came out more than 20 years ago, Everybody Wants Some is also bound to be a huge stepping-stone for its young cast. There faces are all-new, but surely these actors are hoping to be the next Ben Affleck or Matthew McConaughey, who both went on to find major success despite being unknown when Dazed was released. Film Independent Member John Sloss is an executive producer of the film, which we can only hope includes an AIR RAID!
Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story When: April 8 Where: Theaters Director: Lilibet Foster Why We’re Excited: This moving, life-affirming documentary is sure to tug at your heartstrings. Actor and subject Andy Whitfield’s story is one full of brevity, resilience and inspiration. Shortly after being cast as the lead on TV’s Spartacus, Whitfield faced a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. The emotional rollercoaster of his family’s battle against this disease was all captured by director Lilibet Foster’s camera in a film that was made with lots of love, and not much budget. Lilibet follows Andy, his loving wife Vashti and their two children as they face this unfortunate challenge head-on, with a truly admirable set of coping skills. Instead of letting the darkness of cancer invade their world, the couple takes their own approach toward healing, fighting together and living each moment to the fullest. Andy’s story moved viewers in a major way when it premiered at the 2015 LA Film Festival, and eventually won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. Film Independent Member Sam Maydew was a producer on the film, which will play in select theaters throughout the upcoming weeks. Bring plenty of tissues; but plan for an uplifting experience. Andy Whitfield’s story is proof of how changing your perspective can be the ultimate weapon.
Louder than Bombs When: April 8 Where: Theaters Director: Joachim Trier Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Isabelle Huppert, Amy Ryan Why We’re Excited: The latest film from Norwegian director Joachim Trier is a compelling drama, which recently competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the first film of Trier’s in English, featuring an international cast of exceptional talent. Jesse Eisenberg stars as Jonah, who after years of limited contact with his family returns home for an art exhibit celebrating the work of his mother (Isabelle Huppert), a famous war photographer. The event comes three years after her unfortunate death, placing Jonah back under the same roof as his father (Gabriel Byrne) and younger brother. Trier has a knack for character development and an ability to extract powerful performances, which all but ensures a compelling drama. Spirit Award winning actor David Strathairn and Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan co-star. Film Independent Member Michael B. Clark is one of the film’s executive producers, along with Members/producers Marc Turtletaub & Ron Yerxa.
Hostile Border When: April 15/May 3 Where: Theaters/VOD Director: Michael Dwyer Starring: Veronica Sixtos Why We’re Excited: Another favorite from last year’s LA Film Festival, this gripping drama from first time filmmaker Michael Dwyer took home the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature. The film stars Veronica Sixtos in a breakthrough role as Claudia, an illegal immigrant who is deported after getting arrested for credit card fraud. Barely speaking any Spanish, the troubled young woman is forced back to Mexico to live with her estranged father at their family’s cattle ranch. Determined to return to the U.S. and live out some version of the American dream, Pocha continues her streak of risky decision-making by getting into cahoots with a foreign smuggler, who convinces her that he can help. But at what price? The screenplay was written by Film Independent Fellow Kaitlin McLaughlin and will have a limited theatrical run and hit VOD on April 15.
Elvis & Nixon When: April 22 Where: Theaters Director: Liza Johnson Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey Why We’re Excited: Here’s yet another slice of oddball musical history headed to theaters. Maybe you’ve seen the photograph of President Richard Nixon & Elvis Presley shaking hands at the White House? You probably have—the photo is the National Archive’s most requested image. This new dramedy from filmmaker Liza Johnson tells the untold true story of how this famous meeting transpired. The casting is pitch-perfect: two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (and current TV president) stars as Nixon, and the always awesome Michael Shannon puts on his best Memphis snarl to portray the King. Find out what happened behind the closed doors of the Oval Office when “two of the greatest recording artists of all time”—the poster’s clever tagline—meet for the first time. The film premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival this month and hits theaters a few days later, but it’s already getting a ton of buzz. And shout out to Film Independent Member Cassian Elwes, one of the film’s producers.
The Meddler When: April 22 Where: Theaters Director: Lorene Scafaria Starring: Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons Why We’re Excited: Lorene Scafaria’s sophomore feature is the perfect comedy for anyone out there who has a very loving, yet very nosey mother. Susan Sarandon’s performance is already being hailed as one of her best following the film’s premiere at Toronto. Sarandon stars as a recently widowed, meddling mother to Rose Byrne, who moves from New York to Los Angeles with hopes of shaking up her routine. This, of course, also includes becoming as involved in her daughter’s (and everyone else’s) life as humanly possible. Spirit Award Winner J.K. Simmons co-stars as Sarandon’s potential love interest in a film that proves that there are still great roles out there for women “of a certain age.” Film Independent Member Steve Golin is an executive producer of the film, which will play at the Tribeca Film Festival and opens in theaters on April 22.
Son of Saul When: April 26 Where: DVD/VOD Director: Laszlo Nemes Starring: Geza Rohrig Why We’re Excited: This powerful Hungarian drama swept award season this year. Now the Film Independent Spirit Award winner for Best International Film is coming to your home theater. Geza Rohrig stars as Saul, a World War II concentration camp prisoner who works at the Auschwitz Crematorium disposing of the remains of victims of the camp’s notorious gas chamber. The film follows Saul for two days on a seemingly impossible, high-risk mission to salvage the body of his dead son and find a rabbi to bury him. While some may think of Saul as a Holocaust film, the heart of the story is about a man putting his own life on the line to procure a proper burial for the child he couldn’t take care of while still alive. The film originally premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and announced first-time filmmaker Laszlo Nemes as a talent to watch.
Viva When: April 29 Where: Theaters Director: Paddy Breathnach Starring: Hector Madina, Jorge Perugorria Why We’re Excited: Indie filmmaker Paddy Breathnach’s filmography comes in all sorts of colors, spanning a wide variety of genres. The Dublin-born director has made award-winning comedies, a documentary, a crazy horror film and now he’s back entertaining audiences with the first buzzworthy LGBT film of the year. In the film, Breathnach takes to the streets of Havana to make a Spanish-speaking drama about a young make-up artist named Jesús (Hector Madina, in his first big-screen role), who paints the faces of the town’s most fabulous drag queens. Jesús dreams of getting on stage and performing—not just being behind the scenes. When he finally has his moment to shine, a man in the crowd punches him in the face. It’s then revealed the man is his father (Jorge Perugorria), who has been absent from his life for over 15 years. The film explores homophobia, gay culture and the challenging, complex relationships within LGBT families as father and son struggle to repair their damaged relationship.
Green Room When: April 29 Where: Theaters Director: Jeremy Saulnier Starring: Alia Shawkat, Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin Why We’re Excited: Apparently Jeremy Saulnier wants us to lose sleep at night. The indie filmmaker has a knack for startling the pants off of his viewers, as evidenced by his debut, the taut low-budget thriller Blue Ruin, which earned the writer/director a Spirit Award nomination and won him the Director’s Fortnight prize at Cannes. We had a feeling he’d be one to watch, and his hyper-intense, blood-soaked sophomore feature has been haunting audiences since premiering at Cannes last year. A talented young cast joins Saulnier for this propulsive tale of a punk band who, through a minor mistake, becomes the prey of a maniacal neo-Nazi gang led by (who else?) Patrick Stewart. The film isn’t for the faint of heart, but it provides further evidence that Saulnier is firmly committed to keeping audiences on the edge of their seat. Film Independent Fellow and producer Anish Savjani survived production, luckily.
Key Film Independent Fellow or Member LA Film Festival Alum Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee First-time Filmmaker Microbudget Female Filmmaker Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
title: “10 Don T Miss Indies What To Watch In April” ShowToc: true date: “2024-05-05” author: “Kathleen Noboa”
ALIVE AND KICKING When: April 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters/VOD Director: Susan Glatzer Why We’re Excited: Dance into theaters this April with Film Independent Member Susan Glatzer’s feature debut, Alive and Kicking. Showcasing the diverse culture of swing dancing, Glatzer’s lively documentary explores the unique blend of personalities that make up this modern phenomenon (which encompasses not just swing, but the Lindy Hop movement as well.) Fellow Film Independent Member Martha G. Little co-produces this high-energy flick, which is sure to get your blood pumping and make it virtually impossible not to get up and dance. The film was nominated for Best Documentary at SXSW and will be available beginning April 7 in theaters and on VOD.
THE TRANSFIGURATION When: April 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Michael O’Shea Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine Why We’re Excited: Yet another debut feature in this month’s Don’t-Miss list, this coming-of-age horror story from Michael O’Shea’s took a big bite out of Cannes last year. Vampires abound, as young Milo (Eric Ruffin) becomes infatuated with the ultra-mysterious Sophie (Chloe Levine) and her bloody allure. The plot may remind film fans of 2008’s Let the Right One In, but O’Shea’s attempts to instill fear in the audience while simultaneously factoring in the post-pubescent grief of late adolescence is original enough to garner plenty of buzz. O’Shea submitted to Cannes with few expectations, but The Transfiguration quickly made a name for itself, becoming an official selection and competing for the Golden Camera and Un Certain Regard Awards.
THEIR FINEST When: April 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Lone Scherfig Starring: Gemma Arterton, Sam Clafin, Bill Nighy Why We’re Excited: Celebrating women in indie cinema, Spirit Award winning filmmaker Lone Scherfig (Best International Film 2009, An Education) returns with her audacious World War II flick, Their Finest. Based on the book by Lissa Evans (with a screenplay adapted by Gaby Chiappe) Gemma Arterton takes the lead as a brazen female screenwriter hired to make a propaganda film in Britain after the Blitzkrieg. A blend of comedy, romance and drama set during a pivotal era in history, Scherfig’s latest is also a movie-within-a-movie that practically demands repeat viewing. Premiering at TIFF before blazing into Sundance, the film co-stars Bill Nighy, who adds his signature comedic touch to this tale of love and war.
COLOSSAL When: April 7 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Nacho Vigalondo Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Tim Blake Nelson Why We’re Excited: Buzz has been building over Nacho Vigalondo’s sci-fi comedy ever since it invaded SXSW, Sundance and TIFF last year. Spirit Award nominee Anne Hathaway (Best Female Lead 2009, Rachel Getting Married) is getting rave reviews for her role as Gloria, an unemployed, recently dumped and virtually homeless young woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Coinciding with her many personal catastrophes, a Godzilla-like creature begins terrorizing the American continent. Soon, Gloria discovers a link between herself and the creature, attempting to restore some sort of sanity amidst the chaos. The surprising creature-comedy could very well climb its way to cult-classic status at some point, but Vigalondo’s vision is already being hailed as top-notch—you don’t want to miss it. The always-hilarious Jason Sudeikis co-stars alongside Tim Blake Nelson.
A QUIET PASSION When: April 14 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Terence Davies Starring: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine Why We’re Excited: In Terence Davie’s Emily Dickinson biopic A Quiet Passion, the life of the famed poet comes to life on the big screen thanks to the talents of the incomparable Cynthia Nixon. The film explores Dickinson’s life from her years as a young schoolgirl all the way to adulthood, living a reclusive life, with much of her credited work going unrecognized (spoiler alert!) until after her death. Jennifer Ehle, Duncan Duff and Oscar winner Keith Carradine co-star as the other members of the Dickinson family in this drama that creative writing and arts lovers will not want to miss. Additionally, Film Independent Member Michael Bowes worked on the project as a line producer.
THE STUDENT When: April 14 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Kirill Serebrennikov Starring: Yuliya Aug, Viktoriya Isakova, Pyotr Skvortsov Why We’re Excited: Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov’s controversial new drama is an intense study of the contrast between religion and education. Yuliya Aug stars a Ven, a pessimistic high-school student who feels bogged down by all the evils of the world. Ven’s religious perspectives and religious zealotry is challenged by his instructor, which quickly escalates into heated debates on the subject. Winner of the Francois Chalais Award at the Cannes Film Festival (where it premiered) The Student is a film that is sure to provoke thought, inviting audiences to analyze the hypocrisy of religious fanaticism in the classroom, and in society. The film is based on the stage play written by Marius von Mayenburg.
FREE FIRE When: April 21 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Ben Wheatley Starring: Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy Why We’re Excited: An arms deal goes incredibly wrong in acclaimed director Ben Wheatley’s new action-packed crime comedy, starring Spirit Award winner Brie Larson. Set in Boston in 1978, Larson stars alongside Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer and Sam Riley as the members of rival gangs meeting at a warehouse for a quickie arms deal. The transaction quickly goes south, however, and thus begins a massive shoot-out and ensuing cat-and-mouse game of survival. The motto here is: all guns, no control. Wheatley’s feature won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, where it screened during the Midnight Madness series.
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS When: April 25 Where You Can Watch: DVD/VOD Directors: Colm McCarthy Starring: Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Paddy Considine Why We’re Excited: You may have missed Colm McCarthy’s dystopian thriller The Girl with All the Gifts when it was in theaters this February. But now the film is finally hitting home video. Sennia Nanua makes her feature film debut as Melanie, the exceptionally gifted child at the epicenter of chaos and cruelty taking place in rural Britain in the post-apocalyptic near future. Glenn Close ferociously immerses herself into the role of the villain, Dr. Caroline Caldwell, who performs evil experiments on the children who have been subjected to a disease that transformed them into “hungries.” The zombie-themed horror film was part of the line-up at TIFF and co-stars Gemma Arterton, Anamaria Marinca and Spirit Award nominee Paddy Considine (Best International Film, 2011, Tyrannosaur.)
BUSTER’S MAL HEART When: April 28 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Sarah Adina Smith Starring: Rami Malek Why We’re Excited: Rami Malek—who you may know from the hit series Mr. Robot—stars in Sarah Adina Smith’s sophomore feature, Buster’s Mal Heart. Smith’s thrilling drama premiered at TIFF before making its way to Tribeca last year. Malek headlines as Buster, a family man on the run from authorities after meeting a conspiracy-obsessed drifter who convinces him of a dark government secret. The film is spliced with dark humor and somewhat evokes the look and feel of the hit USA series that put Malek on the map. But trust us: this is one movie you don’t want to miss, whether you’re a fan of Mr. Robot or not (and if not, the film may just end up putting the show your must-watch list.) Film Independent Member Mynette Louie is one of the film’s executive producers.
SLEIGHT When: April 28 Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: J.D. Dillard Starring: Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel Why We’re Excited: Bo (Jacob Latimore) is a young street magician left to care for his sister when their parents suddenly pass away. Events soon force Bo to turn to illegal means of earning a living, putting his siblings in the direct line of fire. When Bo’s sister is kidnapped, the forces of good, evil and magic collide. Filmmaker J.D. Dillard’s sophomore feature is a thrilling drama, celebrating the sacred the bond of family and asking: How far would you go to ensure that they are protected? The film premiered at last year’s Sundance, and Film Independent Member Moana Sherrill is one of the film’s producers.
Key Film Independent Fellow or Member LA Film Festival Alum Film Independent Spirit Award Winner or Nominee First-time Filmmaker Microbudget Female Filmmaker Filmmaker or Lead Characters of Color LGBT Filmmaker or Lead LGBT Characters
