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Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Sep 10

Bolton International Film Festival Returns for Its Ninth Edition on 1st- 5th October 2025

https://upcomingonscreen.com/bolton-international-film-festival-returns-for-its-ninth-edition-on-1st-5th-october-2025/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Sep 10

Tomorrow's Too Late - ★★★★ 1/2

Tomorrow's Too Late is a documentary that will become vital for those, especially young people, who are in the process of transitioning. Dyan Holloway's story is truly inspirational in Terry Loane's remarkable film.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/tomorrows-too-late/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 20

Plastic Surgery ★★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival

Guy Trevellyan's Plastic Surgery is an urgent and phenomenal short that highlights an issue that most people push to the side. He marks himself as a filmmaker we have to keep an eye on with this debut.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/plastic-surgery/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 20

My Favorite Murderer ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival

Mitzi Akaha is fantastic in the short rom-com horror My Favorite Murderer, a film that nails it in tone, while still leaving you wanting more than the 9-minute runtime allows.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/my-favorite-murderer/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 20

Holy Smokes ★★★★ HollyShorts Film Festival

Holy Smokes is a short film that refuses to take itself seriously, finding moments again and again to conjure up hefty laughs for its audience, yet what keeps you watching is the chemistry and performances from…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/holy-smokes/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 18

The Pic ★★★ 1/2 HollyShorts Film Festival 2025

If you are after a light and rather delightful comedy short, then Frances Chewnings' The Pic will be right up your street.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/the-pic/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 15

Bootie's ★★★★- HollyShorts Film Festival 2025

Bootie's from director Milana Vayntrub is a fun as hell short film comedy. Full of empowerment in sex work, lead and writer Grace Canaan shows us that you can have a whale of a time doing something you love.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/booties/

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Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 14

Transcending Dimensions ★★★★ Fantasia 2025

Transcending Dimensions is a surreal blast from Toshiaki Toyoda, who aims to absorb us in every way that he can. It's ambitious, it's unruly, but it is never, ever, boring.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/transcending-dimensions/

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Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Aug 13

Hellcat ★★★★ Fantasia 2025

Hellcat is one mighty impressive feature debut from Brock Bodell. A horror thriller that not only leaves you guessing, but has you firmly planted at the edge of your seat right…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/hellcat-%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85-fantasia-2025/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 23

The Well - ★★★ Fantasia 2025

The Well is a solid eco-thriller that never fully reaches its potential due to its underdeveloped characters and story. There is still a lot to love about his film, yet it never fully satisfies.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/the-well/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 23

HollyShorts Unveils Star-Studded Jury for 21st Edition Featuring Celia Imrie, Anthony Head, Jennifer Ehle, Essie Davis, Catherine Hardwicke, and Dame Penelope Wilton

https://upcomingonscreen.com/hollyshorts-unveils-star-studded-jury-for-21st-edition/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 23

Noise - ★★★★ Fantasia 2025

Noise is a cracker of an audio-visual experience, keeping its audience not only on the edge of their seat but also on their toes. Kim Soo-jin's debut film leaves an terrifying impression on you thanks to some sublime sound design.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/noise/

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Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 23

Fragment ★★★★ 1/2 Fantasia 2025

Kim Sung-yoon's impressive directorial debut, Fragment, fills its audience with such heartbreaking hopelessness that you ache inside for these characters - a bleak gem of a film.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/fragment/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 21

The Bearded Girl ★★★ 3/4 Fantasia 2025

An engaging coming-of-age tale, The Bearded Girl is so full of charm that you can't help but fall for it. Honest and true to itself, it's a film about finding yourself even when you have a pre-defined legacy to…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/the-bearded-girl/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 20

La Mort N'existe Pas ★★★ 1/2 Fantasia

La Mort N'existe Pas is a sublimely hand-drawn animated film from Félix Dufour-Laperrière. There is great power in its message on political action and inaction. While…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/la-mort-nexiste-pas-%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85-1-2-fantasia/

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Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 19

Rewrite - ★★★★ Fantasia 2025

Daigo Matsui's terrific Rewrite takes the time loop story. It gives us a film full of contemplation on how we allow our past to define our future and how small moments can have drastic consequences on one's life.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/rewrite/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 18

Hold the Fort – ★★★★ Fantasia 2025

Hold the Fort is the horror comedy of the year, an absolute blast that, once the action starts, becomes a non-stop riot. William Bagley's film delivers in every conceivable way.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/hold-the-fort/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 17

500 Days in the Wild ★★★ Raindance 2025

For as gorgeous and inspirational as Dianne Whelan's 500 Days in the Wild is, there is a tendency to drift into near aimlessness due to the sweeping nature of…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/500-days-in-the-wild-%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85-raindance-2025/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 16

HollyShorts Film Festival Celebrates 21 Years With Star Studded Lineup Including Stephen Fry, the Late Michael Madsen, Lena Waithe, Stormzy, Idris Elba, Slick Rick, Kit Harington, Chris Pine,…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/hollyshorts-film-festival-celebrates-21-years-with-star-studded-lineup/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 16

Dirty Boy ★★★ Raindance

Writer-director Doug Rao's keenness to keep much of the story within an intriguing psychological mystery, Dirty Boy, to his chest leaves the audience not always sure whether to trust what they are seeing.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/dirty-boy/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 16

Katwe - ★★★★ 1/2 Sheff Doc Fest

Katwe is a powerful and essential documentary from Nima Shirali about the working class in the salt pans of Uganda—those left behind from one broken promise after another.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/katwe/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 16

Frankie Freako - ★★★★

Steven Kostanski has found a unique, cheesy, weird and most importantly, fun corner of cinema to thrive in, and that continues with his latest film, Frankie Freako. It's bizarre, but a whole lot of fun and sometimes, that's all…

https://upcomingonscreen.com/frankie-freako/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 15

Videoheaven - ★★★★

Alex Ross Perry's documentary Videohaven is the perfect visual dissertation that hits all the right emotional and thoughtful notes you want it to without being overly sentimental.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/videoheaven/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 15

Casas Muertas ★★★ 1/2 – Sheffield Doc Fest

One thread runs through all of the multi-generational subjects in Rosana Matecki's excellent documentary, Casas Muertas - they are all haunted in some form by ghosts.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/casas-muertas/

Scott Gilliland @upcomingonscreen.bsky.social · Jul 10

Redlight to Limelight ★★★ 1/2 – Sheffield Doc Fest

Dreams are everywhere; everyone has them. In Bipuljit Basu's empathetic Redlight to Limelight, we see those who are the most fragile dreaming, and all you can do is dream with them.

https://upcomingonscreen.com/redlight-to-limelight/