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Unite to Survive! Epic Korean Volcano Disaster Movie 'Ashfall' Trailer

"You really believe that absurd plan will work?" Nothing better to forget about the real world than an epic disaster movie. Ashfall is a Korean volcano disaster epic that first premiered last fall in Korea. Somehow we missed this entirely, but we're catching up now with these trailers anyway. Mt. Paektu, an active volcano straddling the China?North Korea border, suddenly erupts, causing severe earthquakes in both North and South Korea. Pandemonium ensues on the Korean peninsula, so the government puts together an elite team of specialists to figure out how to stop and destroy the volcano before it causes more desturction. The team includes both North and South Korean members, who must overcome their differences and unite the entire peninsula. Starring Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo, Ma Dong-seok, Bae Suzy, and also Jeon Hye-jin. This looks cool! The quality VFX make this stand out, along with some solid production value. Check it out. Here's the two official trailers (+ posters) for Byung-seo ...

Official Trailer for 'Funny Pains' Doc About Comedian Wendi Starling

"A lot of times comedy takes a big idea and breaks it down into something meaningless ? a joke ? and makes it insignificant..." Passion River has debuted an official trailer for a documentary film titled Funny Pains, telling the story of comedian Wendi Starling. Director Jorgy Cruz explains that, "Funny Pains is a two-part love letter to NYC and to stand-up comedy; both which I love, respect and owe a lot to." Following Wendi Starling on her journey, we have complete access to all the ups and downs that come with pursuing comedy in NYC, how she deals with tragic old wounds, and how those wounds start to appear in her own material. A star-studded cast of famous comedians join her to share the real deal about the journey of being a comedian. Looks like there's plenty of good laughs in this, from all of her friends and from Wendi herself. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Jorgy Cruz's ...

Hong Chau Takes Care of Patty Hearst in Trailer for 'American Woman'

"I never wanted to be in this alone." Elevation Pics from Canada has debuted an official trailer for an indie true story thriller titled American Woman, marking the feature directorial debut of award-winning writer / producer Semi Chellas. Not to be confused with that Sienna Miller disappearance drama from last year also titled American Woman, or the recent TV show also called "American Woman"; this is a different story. Inspired by the headline-dominating kidnapping of heiress Patty Hearst in 1974, this atmospheric drama is a fictionalized re-imagining of her time in hiding, from the perspective of Jenny, a political activist assigned to take care of her. Starring Hong Chau as Jenny, with Sarah Gadon, John Gallagher Jr., Lola Kirke, David Cubitt, and Ellen Burstyn. Looks like a rather intriguing film revisiting a real story from history. Here's the official Canadian trailer (+ poster) for Semi Chellas' American Woman, direct from YouTube: Inspired by the headline-dominating kidnapping of heiress Patty Hearst in 1974, ...

Boundless Creativity: 10 Favorite Recent Short Films to Enjoy Anytime

"You can be poetic and you don't have to answer anything. You can make whatever you want. You have creative freedom [making a] short film." (-Taika Waititi) We love short films! Ever since this coronavirus pandemic shut down cinemas worldwide, we've been doing our best to keep sharing worthwhile film content every day. There aren't many new trailers yet, and Hollywood is waiting to figure out their next step, so I've been finding the best short films to feature as well. Every single weekday since March, FirstShowing has featured one new short film on the site. All of them are worth watching. But not everyone has time to watch all of them. So I've put together this post highlighting my 10 favorite recent short films to watch and enjoy anytime. Today, tomorrow. Bookmark this page and stop by whenever to watch all these shorts below. Each of the short films is embedded below for quick and easy viewing. More information about ...

Watch: The Universe Breaks Apart in Animated Short Film 'Armstrong'

Time to get super weird! Armstrong is a mesmerizing, one-of-a-kind animated short film from filmmaker Russ Etheridge based in Brighton, England. The story is about a woman working in a factory who watches her crush from afar. One day, the moon disappears and her world breaks into pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. Etheridge explains the idea "came from our desire to tell a fantastical story in the vein of Hindu mythology, where anything can happen and celestial bodies often interact with human beings. In an episode of Hindu epic narrative the Mahabharata, the moon is stolen by one of the gods. This made us wonder - how might the sudden absence of the moon affect the world? We began to experiment with the idea of things falling apart, into their component pieces and the story began to take shape." But it's the visuals and the geometric shapes that make up this world that make the short really stand out. Utterly ...

High School Teens Fight Off Ghosts in Comedy 'School Spirits' Trailer

"I love that our school's haunted!" Freestyle Digital Media has released an official trailer for an indie teen comedy titled School Spirits, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Allison Eckert. This will be available to watch on VOD in early June for those who want to watch. A girl from Chicago relocates to a small town only to find it is inhabited by ghosts. A struggle against a bad spirit ensues with two of her new friends in order to keep the town's children safe. Tiffany Alvord (from "Guilty Party") stars as Zoey, joined by Teala Dunn, Piper Curda, Christian Delgrosso, Audrey Whitby, Philip Labes, Josh Levi, and Mark Bloom. This looks fun and low key, the ghosts aren't so much scary as they are amusing and strange. Here's the new official trailer (+ poster) for Allison Eckert's School Spirits, direct from YouTube: Zoey (Tiffany Alvord) finds herself uprooted from her Chicago home and dragged to a small town filled with ...

Official Trailer for 'Ask No Questions' Doc About Authoritarian Control

"They forced me to sit in front of a TV for eight hours a day." 1091 Media has released an official trailer for a compelling documentary titled Ask No Questions, an inside look at the way China's media participates in the government's authoritarian control. It just premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival earlier this year, and will be available to watch on VOD this June. A Slamdance programmer stated, "I have been mesmerized since I happened upon this. As close to Black Mirror as you'll find in non-fiction, it is a topical, necessary and important film." When Chinese state television blames his faith for a fiery public suicide, former state television insider Chen Ruichang is detained in a Clockwork Orange-style brainwashing facility and forced to accept the government's account. Which he believes was a government plot. This certainly is frightening, and I don't mean to feed into more conspiracies about China, but these kind of stories are crazy. Scary stuff. Official ...

Watch: Siblings Reconnect in Short Film 'Uproot' Made by Julia Bales

"When's the last time you went outside?" We all love being home. And no one ever wants to move out. But sometimes we have to... Uproot is a beautiful, tender short film made by filmmaker Julia Bales. The very short synopsis: "A sister helps her brother grow." But it's really about a woman convincing her agoraphobic brother, Greg, to let go of their father's home and move out from it. Vimeo premiered the short online and adds some context: "Bales cleverly utilizes the home as Greg's self-made shelter from the outside world and the center of the drama. Both an oasis and a claustrophobic trap, the house embodies the safe spaces we all cling to when facing overwhelming challenges." Uproot stars Joey Alley and Ptolemy Slocum. I love the Vimeo image, with all the plants on the table, it makes me want to watch this. And you should watch it, too. Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for premiering this. Brief description ...

New Trailer for WWI Horrors of War Drama 'The Rifleman' from Latvia

"We'll come back soon." Parkland Ent. has released the official UK trailer for a World War I drama titled The Rifleman, from Latvian filmmaker Dzintars Dreibergs. This film also has the title Blizzard of Souls, and its adapted from a book which was originally banned in the USSR; a story based on Aleksandrs Grins' own war experiences figghting in a Latvian battalion. A sixteen-year-old boy named Arturs enlists to fight in First World War as one of the first national battalions of Latvia, with dreams of becoming a hero. After surviving the brutalities of trench warfare and the loss of his family, he wonders if his efforts in battle were futile and if hope is only to be found in rebuilding a family and a home as Latvia itself is (re)born from the atrocities of war. Starring Oto Brantevics as Arturs, along with Raimonds Celms, Martins Vilsons, Jekabs Reinis, Gatis Gaga, Renars Zeltins, and Vilis Daudzins. This looks like it ...

Official Trailer for 'Man in Camo' Doc About the Artist Ethan Minsker

"In any other subtext, you'd think that he's a juvenile delinquent, but because he's from New York - he's an artist." Freestyle DM has released an official trailer for a documentary titled Man in Camo, available to watch on VOD later this month after first premiering in 2018. This autobiographical doc film is made by Ethan H. Minsker and is also about him. Navigating a diagnosis of dyslexia, the abrasiveness of the punk scene, and political parents, Ethan, an artist, writer, and filmmaker, takes us on a journey through the mind of a man who has leaped over hurdles in order to make art that matters. Whether he?s making creative films or fanzines, Minsker is determined to aggressively reiterate why a creative life is important to society and to life itself. Filled with commentary from the man himself and those closest to him, Man in Camo looks back on the times that shaped the man Minsker has become. This looks ...

Dreya Weber Pushes to Keep Performing in 'The Aerialist' Film Trailer

"Time passes... But the body never forgets." Red Road Studio has debuted an official trailer for a film titled The Aerialist, which will be available to watch streaming on Amazon this summer. The Aerialist is the much anticipated sequel to the award winning lesbian film The Gymnast, from the same director and star. Dreya Weber plays an aerialist (an aerial acrobatic performer) rehearsing for a rock tour, who is battling age, injury, and a young director scheming to end her career, while a shady reporter digs into the ghosts of her past. Weber is not only an accomplished actress but is one of the leading aerial performers and trainers having choreographed Pink, Cher, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and many others on their tours. The film's cast includes Morgan Bradley, Kelly Marcus, Thunderbird Dinwiddie, Victoria Meade, Viet Dang, and Nadine Ellis. This looks like a niche film, but it is an authentic and brutally honest story nonetheless. Here's the official trailer (+ ...

Watch: An Existentialist Ironic Dark Tale 'Decorado' Animated Short

"I don't know if all this is real or just a dream." Who is the crazy one here? Decorado is a fascinating short film from Spanish animation filmmaker Alberto Vázquez (also of Birdboy: The Forgotten Children). This premiered at festivals back in 2016, but is finally available to watch online for free. Decorado is described as "an ironic and existentialist fable about the meaning of life and our relationships. A hybrid between a horror story and a subversive comedy... Beyond the argument or the existential content, contains an unusual and risky formal commitment ? the use of an aesthetic that imitates the classic engravings of the 19th century." The film is about Arnold the bear, who starts to wonder if everyone he meets is putting on a performance to undermine his sanity. It's astonishing and also quite trippy, but that makes it unique. Click [cc] for subtitles. Thanks to Short of the Week for the tip on this one. Brief description: ...

Brutal Canadian Action Horror 'For the Sake of Vicious' Promo Trailer

"This is my house." Raven Banner has released an official promo trailer for a brutal Canadian action horror film titled For the Sake of Vicious, which is currently being sold at the (virtual) Cannes Market this summer. It hasn't premiered anywhere yet, but it looks like it will play very well at genre festivals this fall. The film is about a single mother who returns from a late shift on Halloween to find a maniac hiding out in her home with a hostage. But once she finds out what's going on, more people start to come to her home. Lora Burke stars, joined by Nick Smyth, Colin Paradine, and James Fler. Yow this looks extra violent and twisted. This is an intense, full-on red band trailer so watch out! There's no nudity, but it is extremely bloody and brutal. One of those home invasion horrors that flips and becomes a vengeance flick in the end. Official trailer (+ poster) for Gabriel ...

Official US Trailer for 16th Century Korean Monster Movie 'Monstrum'

"You're saying Monstrum really exists?" "Monstrum is real." Shudder has unveiled a new official US trailer for the Korean monster movie titled Monstrum, which originally opened in South Korea in late 2018. This is finally getting a streaming release in the US this week, for those who have been waiting to catch it. Set in the 16th century during the time of the plague, a mythical vicious creature has been rumored to be roaming Mount Inwangsan. Yoon Gyeom is a loyal subject of King Jung Jong of Joseon. He is sent to find and fight a monster that threatens King Jung Jong's life causing panic among the people. Starring Woo-sik Choi (seen in Parasite and Train to Busan), Myung-Min Kim, In-kwon Kim, Sung-woong Park, Hyeri Lee, and Hee-soon Park. Not sure why it has taken two years for this to get released, but it certainly looks badass! Gnarly creature, lots of wild fights, lots of wild characters. Looks like a ...

John Hawkes & Logan Lerman on Road Trip in 'End of Sentence' Trailer

"You know, they say it's inevitable that you turn into your father." Gravitas has debuted an official trailer for an indie road trip drama titled End of Sentence, which first premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival last year. The film marks the feature directorial debut of an Icelandic filmmaker named Elfar Adalsteins, but is set mostly in Ireland. After his wife dies, Frank reluctantly embarks on a journey to honor his wife's last wish of spreading her ashes in a remote lake in her native Ireland and a promise of taking his estranged son, Sean, along for the trip. With plenty of unresolved issues, the journey becomes a little more than father and son bargained for. Starring John Hawkes and Logan Lerman, with Sarah Bolger and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. This looks good, thanks to the cast. It seems like a kind-hearted film about letting go of the past. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Elfar Adalsteins' End of Sentence, ...

Official Trailer for Doc 'Beyond Skiing Everest' About Two Ski Brothers

"When you find your passion, figure out a way to do that." 1091 has debuted an official trailer for an indie documentary called Beyond Skiing Everest, another adventure sports doc about the challenges of the outdoors and life itself. The film is sort of a sequel to Skiing Everest from 2009, which originally featured footage of brothers Mike & Steve Marolt skiing from the summit of Shisha Pangma in 2000, and from high elevations on Cho Oyu and Mount Everest. This time they found another doc director, with a different vision. He "pieced together a story of the Marolts? pursuit of winter Himalaya trips and the progression of their climbing career over 40 years. He added interviews with the Marolts and climbing partners such as Jim Giles. While serving as a retrospective on their later career, the film also documents their induction earlier this year into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame for their unique mountaineering." Inspiring. Here's the ...

Russell Crowe Gets Road Rage in First Trailer for 'Unhinged' Thriller

"He's road raging." AMC Theaters has debuted an official trailer for an intense thriller called Unhinged, a road rage action movie made by filmmaker Derrick Borte. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe stars in this "timely psychological thriller that explores the fragile balance of a society pushed to the edge, taking something we've all experienced ? road rage ? to an unpredictable and terrifying conclusion." Whoa! Don't mess with Crowe! He is the one who becomes angry and turns violent after getting upset at another driver, played by Caren Pistorius. The cast also includes Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson, and Austin P. McKenzie. This is being marketed as "the first movie" to play in theaters on July 1st, which is an odd pick. Is this really the movie to bring people back to cinemas? I don't think so. But it does look frightening as hell. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Derrick Borte's Unhinged, direct from AMC's YouTube: Rachel (Caren Pistorius) is ...

Watch: Lightsaber Duel Star Wars Fan Film 'Power' from Avery Bazan

"The Jedi speak of peace and carry the same swords." Another new Star Wars fan film to enjoy. Power is a 10-minute action film that tells a personal and introspective story through an epic lightsaber battle. Set in the dark times between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, a master and his apprentice are undercover with an illicit group of smugglers. When one turns on the other, a lightsaber duel ensues with both physical and moral stakes. The film was shot over 9 days, shot on location, with a total of 217 shots in the final cut. Starring Avery Bazan as Kai (with the blue lightsaber; who also directed this) and Brandon Reddick as Goran (with the yellow lightsaber). The fight itself is pretty cool, but there's more to this fan film than just a lightsaber duel. I always appreciate when die-hard Star Wars geek filmmakers work in the mythology and lore of the universe, adding depth to ...

Official Trailer for 'The Grand Unified Theory of Howard Bloom' Doc

"Howard was ahead of the curve." 1091 has debuted an official trailer for a documentary titled The Grand Unified Theory of Howard Bloom, which premiered at the DOC NYC Film Festival last year. So who is this guy? In the 1980s, Howard Bloom was running the largest PR firm in the music industry, with an epic client list that included Michael Jackson, Prince, Bob Marley, and Joan Jett. But in 1987, he disappeared, struck down by a rare disease that left him bedridden for over a decade. He eventually resurfaced - this time as an author, putting out one book after another, in a quest to understand humanity?s place in the cosmos. Now 73 years old and disease free, Bloom believes he?s figured out what the universe wants from each of us; he just needs to get it all down in the time he has left. Incredible story, almost unbelievable! But it's all true. Official trailer for Charlie Hoxie's doc The ...

A Relationship is Tested in Official Trailer for 'The Departure' Drama

"I don't wanna be thinking, the whole time that I'm in New York, that she's spending all her free time with this other dude" An official trailer has debuted for an indie drama titled The Departure, which has been set for VOD release in June this summer. Before leaving Los Angeles to start a new job in New York, Nate, with the help of his best friend John, devises a wicked plan to test his girlfriend's loyalty. Worried about her interest in a coworker, he asks his friend to try and seduce her to see what will happen. Grant Gunderson stars as Nate, with Kendall Chappell playing his girlfriend Jessica, also joined by Austin Lauer, Olivia Lemmon, and Jon Briddell. The marketing info says this film will spark "dinner table conversation", of course. But it looks a bit too cheesy and a bit too obvious to pull off anything like that. But you never know? Here's the first official trailer (+ ...