#independent-film

#independent-film

It's only fitting that filmmaker Sierra Falconer's feature debut, "Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)," does a lot with a little. Originally conceived of as her senior thesis film for her graduate program at UCLA, Falconer's spectacular gem eventually took her all the way to Sundance, where it debuted in competition at the 2025 edition of the fest. It's the sort of discovery film fans are eager to find and don't always get a chance to: a charming, lived-in first film that shows off a filmmaker's talent and soul, heart, and skill.

Every Sunday, the Berkeley Thai Temple draws hundreds for its famous brunch, a community tradition running since 1980. Behind the food Thai noodle soup, curries, and Kanom Krok are volunteers who start work long before the doors open, from monks prepping ingredients to chefs, retired cooks, and families keeping the meal running. For many, volunteering is as much about connection and community as it is about cooking, turning the weekly brunch into a ritual of service, flavor, and shared joy.

Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest is nominally about a wealthy music producer (Denzel Washington) forced to decide whether it's worth giving up his fortune to save the life of his oldest friend's son. But it's clear that what engages Lee is the opportunity to follow his protagonist through the streets of New York and catch up on the latest. Like Lee, Washington's character is a legend in his field, surrounded by tributes to the trailblazers who inspired him;

A24's model does not rely on that kind of mass appeal. When the studio was first starting out, a lot of the films that they picked up were things that other studios or distributors had dropped or shied away from. They really embraced the specific and the strange. And because of how distinctive their films are in this landscape of reboots and sequels, and superhero movies, they decided that ruffling some feathers along the way was only going to help their case.

Hicks explained, 'The plan was always to build an actual space, so these pop-ups gave me a means to get more experience, which I definitely needed since I was pretty green in the realms of programming and projection.'

Horror is an expansive genre that includes a variety of sub-genres and styles, emphasizing the independent spirit of filmmaking beyond big studios.

Stillman's unique voice and compelling portrayal of privileged youth were not only influential in the indie scene but also shaped perceptions of 1990s cinema.