Hello Reader, If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could watch obscure arthouse films and still have someone to talk to about them,” the good news is you’re not alone. The even better news is that it’s 100% possible to find other passionate movie lovers to watch off-the-beaten-path movies with so you can discuss them while they're fresh. And they'll make you enjoy the movie even more! I know this because I ran our new membership Reel Ruminators: A Movie-of-the-Month Discussion Club last month...
4 days ago • 2 min read
How do you feel about finding people to talk about movies with, Reader? If you're anything like most of the film lovers I chat with, you probably fall into one of three buckets: 1️⃣ You don’t know anybody interested in the same kinds of films you are, which means you never have anyone to talk to about the arthouse movies you love. 2️⃣ You have friends who like the same kinds of movies as you do, but you don’t always watch them at the same time, so it’s hard to talk about them in depth. Or 3️⃣...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Treat yourself to one of the best documentaries of 2024....which you might not be able to see again! That film is the remarkable I'm Not Everything I Want to Be, a film about a photographer coming into her own, a portrait of a queer female artist, her search for identity amidst oppression, and life under European totalitarian regimes throughout the latter half of 20th century. It was one of the best films at the Berlinale this year, and I've been disappointed by how few...
19 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival came to a close on Sunday, but my Seventh Row coverage is still going strong! There are two new podcast episodes since I last wrote, and will be a couple more through the next few weeks, probably heading into October. TIFF 2024 Ep. 6: Ralph Fiennes x 2: The Return and Conclave As a Ralph Fiennes superfan, I talked about the two TIFF 2024 films where he plays the lead: pope election film Conclave and the adaptation of the end of The...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, In the latest TIFF 2024 podcast episode, I talk about two British films from major auteurs that are early festival highlights: Andrea Arnold's Bird and Mike Leigh's Hard Truths. Stills from Bird (left) and Hard Truths (right) Both films have US/UK/Canadian distributors and will be out in the coming months so I've tried to keep these episodes spoiler-free, but intriguing! I wrote the book on Mike Leigh's last film, Peterloo, which I saw at TIFF in 2018, so Hard Truths was one of...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, The Toronto International Film Festival has begun...and so has my coverage (bookmark this page for everything), in writing and podcast form. On the podcast, I'm putting groups of related films in conversation with each other to discover new insights and current preoccupations in the film industry. I want to offer you a spoiler-free discussion that's more than just "is this film any good?" This is for you if: You're attending TIFF and looking for recommendations; You're looking...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today...and so does our coverage. On the website, I've published a list of 8 must-see shorts at the festival. I've also launched the TIFF 2024 Podcast Season! Whether you're at the festival, or following along at home, the season is for you. With themed episodes, I'll be putting several films in conversation to tease out some similar themes and ideas that films (from around the world) are exploring during the festival. The...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, TIFF kicks off on Thursday, but before it does, here are 15 TIFF 2024 films I can't wait to see. Whether you're attending the festival and looking to score a ticket, or following along at home, these are some of our most anticipated films of the coming year. Collage of 9 of the 15 films on my list of TIFF2024 Films I Can't Wait to See. Want to know what they are? Hit the link below to read the article. This year’s Toronto International Film Festival will be my 22nd, meaning I’ve...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
,Hello Reader, You are receiving this as a paying subscriber to The Globetrotting Watchlist (which includes Film Adventurer and Cinephile Members), a monthly newsletter that helps you expand your cinematic horizons through streaming recommendations for the best socially progressive under-the-radar films worldwide. Your support helps us pay our expenses to keep Seventh Row, a non-profit, ad-free and online. What's Inside the Globetrotting Newsletter This month, I'm recommending: Bas Devos's...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read