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Em Haine as Hailey in Hailey Rose by Sandi Somers
Interviews

A Conversation with Sandi Somers: Director of Hailey Rose

I had the pleasure of chatting with Sandi Somers, the director of the film Hailey Rose, which is currently on a limited run in Canadian theatres, playing in Halifax, Calgary, and Toronto.

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April 5, 2024
Read more about the article Best Films of 2024 (January – March)
Videos

Best Films of 2024 (January – March)

Believe it or not, we're already a quarter of the way through 2024. With the year racing by, I wanted to take a moment to highlight five standout films that have captivated audiences and critics alike.

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April 2, 2024
Poster for the Calgary Underground Film Festival 2024
Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) / Lists

10 Must-Watch Films at the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF 2024)

10 Must-Watch Films at the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) *CHECK OUT THE 2025 LIST HERE* Despite what you might see in the news, indie film festivals are still alive.…

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March 28, 2024
Riddle of Fire Thumbnail (so bad in all the right ways)
Film Reviews / Videos

Riddle of Fire Film Review (Video)

Riddle of Fire Film Review Full Riddle of Fire Film Review below. Riddle of Fire is your new cult-favourite indie picture. Is the acting good? No. Is the dialogue cheesy? Yes.…

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March 27, 2024
Wicked Little Letters Swearing Poster
Film Reviews / Videos

Wicked Little Letters Film Review

Wicked Little Letters Film Review Keep scrolling for a full video of Wicked Little Letters Film Review... A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a dark and absurd scandal…

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March 27, 2024
April Films Poster (Civil War, Monkey Man, Arcadian)
Lists / Videos

Films to Watch in April 2024

Films to Watch in April 2024 There are a surprising number of films to watch in April 2024. While it may not be the fall festival or summer blockbuster season,…

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March 26, 2024
Road House Film Poster
Film Reviews / Videos

Road House Film Review

Road House Film Review Road House is a reimagining of the 1984 film of the same name. This time, though, our protagonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a former UFC fighter turned…

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March 25, 2024
Indie Films on Disney+
Film Reviews / Videos

Indie Films on Disney+

Indie Films on Disney+ Finding good indie films on Disney+ is akin to the proverbial needle in the haystack. Nonetheless, we have persevered and found a few gems hidden beneath…

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March 21, 2024
Evil Does Not Exist Film Review
Film Reviews / Videos

Evil Does Not Exist Film Review

Evil Does Not Exist Film Review I was able to catch Evil Does Not Exist, the latest from Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) on the festival circuit in the fall, but…

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March 19, 2024
Love Lies Bleeding Review
Film Reviews / Sundance Film Festival / Videos

Love Lies Bleeding Film Review

Love Lies Bleeding Film Review A queer crime thriller... with some body horror thrown in. What more can you ask for? Check out the full Love Lies Bleeding Film Review. In all…

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March 15, 2024
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About Me

About Me

Adam Manery

From the classroom to the couch - a former teacher dives headfirst into the world of film.Occasionally insightful, but frequently full of existential dread and dry humour.
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Points of Review

Film Reviews, Festival Coverage, and Interviews with Filmmakers

Points of Review
LA BOLA NEGRA (2026), directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, collectively known as Los Javis, has won the TIFF 2026 People’s Choice Award. The 155-minute film follows three queer men across three periods in Spain: Carlos in 1932, Sebastián in 1937, and Alberto in 2017.Inspired by Federico García Lorca’s unfinished play La Bola Negra, as well as Alberto Conejero’s La Piedra Oscura, the film connects these three stories through desire, repression, memory, inheritance, and the art that survives after people are gone.In this La Bola Negra review, I look at how Los Javis gradually bring its seemingly separate timelines together through cinematography, editing, music, sound, poetry, and recurring imagery. That includes the black ball at the centre of Carlos’s story, Lorca’s associations with snow, Sebastián and Rafael’s relationship during the Spanish Civil War, and Alberto’s much more contemporary world of Grindr, iPhones, and Candy Crush.I also dig into the film’s relationship with Federico García Lorca, including his unfinished work, his poetry, the influence he had on Leonard Cohen, and the larger idea of artists inheriting and reinterpreting work that previous generations were never able to finish.Visually, La Bola Negra is extraordinary. Its blocking, natural light, production design, use of windows and doorways, transitions through light and shadow, and precise compositions make this one of the most visually impressive films I’ve seen recently. But that beauty is consistently tied to the film’s larger ideas about silence, queer history, memory, physical intimacy, and the preservation of lives that might otherwise disappear.At 155 minutes, La Bola Negra is certainly ambitious, but I never found myself drifting. It was my favourite film at TIFF 2026 and, at least for now, might be my favourite film of the year.🎥 More from Points of Review
🌐 Website: https://pointsofreviews.com/
🍿 26 Movies to Watch at TIFF 2026: https://pointsofreviews.com/tiff-2026-top-films-to-watch/
🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PointsofReview?sub_confirmation=1Chapters:
00:00 La Bola Negra Review & TIFF 2026
00:45 What Is La Bola Negra About?
01:57 Federico García Lorca, Leonard Cohen & Inheritance
03:01 La Bola Negra’s Cinematography & Visual Style
04:02 How the Three Timelines Connect
06:04 Carlos (1932) & Lorca’s Unfinished La Bola Negra
07:18 Sebastián, Rafael & the Spanish Civil War
08:48 Alberto (2017) & Queer Memory
10:07 Silence, Repression & Unfinished Lives
10:52 Art, Memory & Preservation
11:39 Is La Bola Negra Worth Watching?#LaBolaNegra #TIFF2026 #LosJavis
La Bola Negra Might Be My Favourite Film of 2026
*Everytime*, written and directed by Sandra Wollner, comes to TIFF 2026 after winning the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes. In this review and analysis, I look at the film’s portrait of grief and memory, Gregory Oke’s cinematography after *Aftersun*, and the surreal third act that completely changed my response to the film.Starring Birgit Minichmayr, Lotte Shirin Keiling, Tristan López and Carla Hüttermann, *Everytime* follows a mother, younger daughter and teenage boy brought together by tragedy before travelling to Tenerife for a family holiday that never happened.🎥 Points of Review
🌐 Website: https://pointsofreviews.com/
🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PointsofReview?sub_confirmation=1Film Discussed:Everytime (Sandra Wollner): After a tragedy, a mother, younger daughter and teenage boy travel to Tenerife as grief, memory and reality begin to overlap.
https://www.tiff.net/films/everytimeOfficial Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4FsfG-TzEwTopics Discussed:Gregory Oke’s cinematography and the parallels with Aftersun
Memory, grief and absence
Long-lens cinematography
Sound, photographs and digital memory
Water, sunlight and recurring visual motifs
The transition from realism into surrealism
Why the third act completely changed the film for me#Everytime #TIFF2026 #FilmReview
EVERYTIME Movie Review
TIFF 2026 runs September 10–20, with 293 titles at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. Here are 10 Canadian films you should add to your watchlist.The list ranges from Quebec thrillers and Indigenous hockey to political dramas and international co-productions.🎥 Points of Review
🌐 Full Article: https://pointsofreviews.com/top-10-canadian-films-to-watch-at-tiff-2026
🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PointsofReview?sub_confirmation=1Films Discussed:A Long Winter (Andrew Haigh): A young man and his family confront grief after his mother disappears during a blizzard.
https://tiff.net/films/a-long-winterClosing Night (Cody Fern): An acclaimed actor’s estranged sister returns as she prepares for a major Broadway performance.
https://tiff.net/films/closing-nightHow We Stand (Marie Clements): Three Indigenous sisters separated by government policy and tragedy are drawn back together years later.
https://tiff.net/films/how-we-standL'AUTRE (Alexandre Franchi): A cancer patient begins to suspect his hospital roommate is connected to a much larger threat.
https://tiff.net/films/lautreLadies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney (Matthew Rankin): Archival footage, political advertising and Canadian television become an unconventional portrait of Brian Mulroney’s rise.
https://tiff.net/films/ladies-and-gentlemen-brian-mulroneyNobody’s Violence (Denis Côté): A woman involved in assisted-death pacts begins questioning the life she has built.
https://tiff.net/films/nobodys-violenceSmudge the Blades (Cody Lightning): A Zamboni driver takes over a northern Alberta Indigenous U18 hockey team in its final season.
https://tiff.net/films/smudge-the-bladesThe Betrayers (David Bezmozgis): A former Soviet dissident encounters the man whose betrayal sent him to prison decades earlier.
https://tiff.net/films/the-betrayersThe Stunt Driver (Michael Dowse): Canadian daredevil Ken Carter spends years trying to launch a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River.
https://tiff.net/films/the-stunt-driverToy Gun Bandit (Rémi St-Michel): A Quebec teenager’s toy-gun prank pulls him toward increasingly serious crime.
https://tiff.net/films/toy-gun-banditChapters:
00:00 Canadian Films at TIFF
00:11 10. The Stunt Driver
01:42 9. Closing Night
02:59 8. L'AUTRE
04:30 7. Toy Gun Bandit
06:25 6. How We Stand
07:53 5. The Betrayers
09:19 4. Smudge the Blades
11:03 3. Nobody’s Violence
12:36 2. Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney
14:06 1. A Long Winter
15:33 More TIFF Coverage#TIFF2026 #CanadianFilm #FilmRecommendations
TIFF 2026: 10 Most Anticipated Canadian Films
TIFF 2026 runs September 10–20, with 293 titles at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. Here are 26 films you should add to your watchlist.The list balances major premieres with Canadian films, international pictures, and lower-profile picks that may not be on your radar.🎥 Points of Review
🌐 Full Article: https://pointsofreviews.com/tiff-2026-top-films-to-watch/
🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@PointsofReview?sub_confirmation=1Films Discussed:A Long Winter (Andrew Haigh): A mountain family faces grief after their mother disappears.
https://tiff.net/films/a-long-winterA Talent for Murder (Anton Corbijn): Patricia Highsmith faces an agent seeking one final Ripley novel.
https://tiff.net/films/a-talent-for-murderAll of a Sudden (Ryusuke Hamaguchi): A care worker and terminally ill theatre director form an unexpected friendship.
https://tiff.net/films/all-of-a-suddenBucking Fastard (Werner Herzog): Two inseparable sisters search for a place where true love can exist.
https://tiff.net/films/bucking-fastardBunker (Florian Zeller): A marriage fractures after an architect takes a morally questionable job.
https://tiff.net/films/bunkerClub Kid (Jordan Firstman): A New York party promoter suddenly discovers he has a 10-year-old son.
https://tiff.net/films/club-kidCoward (Lukas Dhont): Two young soldiers form an intimate bond during the First World War.
https://tiff.net/films/cowardEverytime (Sandra Wollner): A family trip blurs memory, guilt and forgiveness after a girl’s death.
https://tiff.net/films/everytimeFjord (Cristian Mungiu): A child’s bruises ignite a conflict over parenting, culture and intervention.
https://tiff.net/films/fjordGentle Monster (Marie Kreutzer): A woman questions everything after her husband is arrested.
https://tiff.net/films/gentle-monsterHa-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (Josef Kubota Wladyka): A grieving ballroom dancer is pulled back toward dance and connection.
https://tiff.net/films/ha-chan-shake-your-bootyHow We Stand (Marie Clements): Three Indigenous sisters separated by tragedy are drawn back together.
https://tiff.net/films/how-we-standLa Bola Negra (Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi): Three men across eras connect queer desire and inheritance through Lorca.
https://tiff.net/films/la-bola-negraLadies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney (Matthew Rankin): Archival footage becomes an unconventional portrait of Brian Mulroney.
https://tiff.net/films/ladies-and-gentlemen-brian-mulroneyMinotaur (Andrey Zvyagintsev): A Russian businessman’s morality unravels amid military mobilization.
https://tiff.net/films/minotaurNobody’s Violence (Denis Côté): A woman involved in death pacts begins questioning the life she chose.
https://tiff.net/films/nobodys-violenceOnce Upon a Time in Harlem (William Greaves & David Greaves): Unseen 1972 footage captures figures of the Harlem Renaissance.
https://tiff.net/films/once-upon-a-time-in-harlemPossible Love (Lee Chang-dong): Two married couples collide as class, desire and hidden tensions surface.
https://tiff.net/films/possible-loveRiver (Joshua Giuliano): Three siblings are stranded on a remote river while something hunts them.
https://tiff.net/films/riverSmudge the Blades (Cody Lightning): A Zamboni driver takes over an Indigenous U18 hockey team.
https://tiff.net/films/smudge-the-bladesTangles (Leah Nelson): A daughter returns home as her mother’s Alzheimer’s progresses.
https://tiff.net/films/tanglesThe Debut (Jesse Eisenberg): A housewife lands a community-theatre role and becomes consumed by it.
https://tiff.net/films/the-debutThe Diary of a Chambermaid (Radu Jude): A Romanian housekeeper lives a modern echo of Mirbeau’s class tensions.
https://tiff.net/films/the-diary-of-a-chambermaidThe Man I Love (Ira Sachs): A New York artist navigates love and mortality during the AIDS crisis.
https://tiff.net/films/the-man-i-loveThe Unknown (Arthur Harari): A photographer follows a woman and wakes hours later inside her body.
https://tiff.net/films/the-unknownYour Mother Your Mother Your Mother (Bassam Tariq): A devout Muslim hitman tries to protect his family after his wife dies.
https://tiff.net/films/your-mother-your-mother-your-motherChapters:
00:00 TIFF 2026
00:45 26. Fjord
01:59 25. Bucking Fastard
02:58 24. How We Stand
04:11 23. River
05:20 22. Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
06:30 21. Smudge the Blades
07:47 20. Club Kid
08:56 19. Tangles
10:20 18. Once Upon a Time in Harlem
11:51 17. Everytime
13:10 16. Possible Love
14:18 15. Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
15:44 14. Bunker
16:57 13. A Talent for Murder
18:05 12. Gentle Monster
19:41 11. The Unknown
21:11 10. Nobody’s Violence
22:28 9. The Man I Love
23:51 8. The Diary of a Chambermaid
25:11 7. Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney
26:43 6. La Bola Negra
28:50 5. The Debut
30:18 4. All of a Sudden
32:01 3. Minotaur
33:33 2. Coward
35:06 1. A Long Winter
37:28 TIFF 26: Canadian Films & Hidden Gems#TIFF2026 #FilmFestival #FilmRecommendations
26 Movies to Watch at TIFF 2026
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