Sophia Stein

Evolution! Mallorca — 7th Edition Sparkles

The 7th edition of the Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, October 25, 2018. When I ask Founder-Director Sandra Seeling Lipski why she chose “Evolution!” for the name of the film festival, she explains: “I think that everything is evolving in our lives. Culture is evolving. And films. And storytelling. Every year, there are …

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The Lobster In Love

The Lobster, the feature film masterpiece from director Yorgos Lanthimos, leads you through a profound and visceral exploration of love — light and dark, providing a perfect counter-point to the idealization of romantic partnership in marriage, as embodied by the Bachelor Nation hysteria and the internet dating craze. The story takes place in a rule-bound …

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Mammoth Lakes Film Festival — Great Films, Just A Drive Away

From the line-up, you would never guess that the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is only in its second year. It has the appearance of a well-oiled, expertly curated, more established film festival. Mammoth Lakes Film Festival kicks off this evening, Wednesday, May 25, at 7:00 pm, at Minaret Cinemas, Mammoth Lakes, with a screening of …

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The 88th Academy Awards – Predictions & Miscellaneous Musings

The 88th Oscars®, hosted by Chris Rock, will be televised live by the ABC Television Network on Sunday, February 28, ‪at 7:00 pm ET, 4:00 pm PT, from the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood. The presentation will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. For better or worse, here are …

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SUNDANCING

I am heading to Park City, Utah, for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and the sense of anticipation is palpable.  The eleven days and nights that I will spend watching films at the festival will be among the most inspiring, illuminating, and exhausting of my year. It was a stroke of genius really, Robert Redford …

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GRANDMA To The Rescue

I have been a fan of the honestly complex comedies from writer-director Paul Weitz ever since About a Boy, the feature film that he co-wrote and co-directed with brother Chris Weitz, back in 2002. The brothers scored an Academy-award nomination for that screenplay. Roger Ebert wrote of Hugh Grant’s performance in the film: “The Cary Grant department …

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Tangerine – From Wonderful Wizard Sean Baker

Tangerine was absolutely the rage at Sundance 2015. It was shot entirely on the iPhone by director-cinematographer Sean Baker and co-cinematographer Radium Cheung, who exploit the technology for all it is worth to create a totally original film, with a completely cinematic look. The reason that you should see Tangerine is for the inspired storytelling …

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