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SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S FRANKENSTEIN: “
The Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFiFF) today announced that this year’s festival will open with Netflix’s Frankenstein, the highly anticipated film from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and close with James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg. The festival will take place October 15–20, 2025.
Renowned for his mastery of visual storytelling, del Toro delivers in Frankenstein a profoundly moving meditation on love, creation, and the human condition, reaffirming his position as one of the foremost filmmakers of our time. Drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking novel while infusing it with his signature blend of gothic imagination and emotional depth, del Toro reimagines the timeless story for a new generation. The film explores not only the terror and wonder of creation, but also the loneliness, yearning, and moral dilemmas that bind its characters together. With striking visual design, meticulous craftsmanship, and exceptional performances from Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz, Frankenstein promises to be an artistic achievement.
“Cinema is essential. We are honored to present so many of the most exciting films of the year by some of the world’s top directors. This program will dazzle and delight a sophisticated film audience here in Santa Fe,” said Jacques Paisner, Santa Fe International Film Festival’s Artistic Director.
Academy Award®-nominee Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (Norway’s official entry for the Academy Award’s Best International Feature), starring Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning, has been selected as the Spotlight Selection, underscoring Trier’s continued mastery of intimate, character-driven storytelling. The Centerpiece Selection, Steal This Story, Please!, directed by Academy Award® nominees Carl Deal and Tia Lessin together with journalist and filmmaker Amy Goodman, offers a compelling exploration of authorship, originality, and cultural ownership. Serving as the Closing Night Selection, James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, and Colin Firth, delivers a powerful dramatization of one of history’s most consequential trials and provides a fitting conclusion to the festival’s five-day celebration of global cinema.
In addition, the 2025 program features an extraordinary slate of new works from many of today’s most celebrated filmmakers. Headlining the lineup is Academy Award®-nominee Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?, following the acclaim of Maestro and featuring Cooper in a leading role. Academy Award®-nominee Luca Guadagnino returns with After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri, while Academy Award®-winner Paolo Sorrentino presents La Grazia, led by Toni Servillo. Academy Award®-nominee Richard Linklater is represented with two highly anticipated features: Blue Moon, starring Ethan Hawke, and Nouvelle Vague, Linklater’s love letter to cinema reimagining the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless. Additional highlights include Academy Award®-nominee Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value with Renate Reinsve, Nia DaCosta’s Hedda starring Tessa Thompson, and Jafar Panahi’s politically resonant It Was Just an Accident. Rounding out this distinguished selection are Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent (Brazil’s official entry for the Academy Award’s Best International Feature) and Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams starring Joel Edgerton in a career best role, further underscoring the global scope and artistic ambition that define SFiFF’s programming.
The program also encompasses a wide-ranging selection of international cinema that amplifies new voices and bold artistic visions. Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco, Dolores Fonzi’s Belén, and Robb Moss’s The Bend in the River highlight innovative approaches to storytelling, while Bi Gan’s Resurrection, Lav Diaz’s Magellan(Philippines’s official entry for the Academy Award’s Best International Feature) , and Radu Jude’s Kontinental ’25 continue the tradition of formally daring world cinema. Acclaimed filmmakers such as Christian Petzold (Miroirs No 3), Ira Sachs (Peter Hujar’s Day), Oliver Laxe (Sirât), Sergei Loznitsa (Two Prosecutors), and Hlynur Pálmason (The Love That Remains) contribute striking new works to the festival. The lineup also features Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow, Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake, Hikari’s Rental Family, Max Walker-Silverman’s Rebuilding, Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, Roul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5, Park Chan wook’s No Other Choice (South Korea’s official entry for the Academy Award’s Best International Feature) and Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson’s So Surreal: Behind the Masks, further expanding the festival’s reach across continents and genres.
Through this diverse and ambitious selection, SFiFF continues its mission to present bold, innovative, and artistically significant works that engage audiences and expand the reach of international cinema. As an Academy Award®-qualifying festival for short film, SFiFF also serves as a vital platform for filmmakers seeking to elevate their work onto the global stage.
As part of its 2025 edition, the festival will confer the Lifetime Achievement Award upon acclaimed actor, director, and activist Edward James Olmos. The honor recognizes his extraordinary career, his indelible contributions to film and television, and his tireless advocacy for Latino representation in the entertainment industry.
Additional programming details, as well as ticketing information, will be announced in the coming weeks at www.santafeiff.com.”
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THE JESTER 2 on VOD: “Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label DREAD proudly presents THE JESTER 2. In this highly anticipated sequel, the masked killer known as The Jester returns in a deadly game where surviving means outwitting a killer who’s truly magic. Following the film’s exclusive theatrical run in partnership with Fathom Entertainment, THE JESTER 2 will be available to rent or purchase on video-on-demand (VOD) on October 17.
“In case you missed it in theaters, I’m thrilled to say THE JESTER 2 will be coming to VOD October 17th,” says director Colin Krawchuk. “Fans will have the chance to invite The Jester into their own home, just in time for Halloween. I hope the film can become a new Halloween staple for fans of the franchise and new audiences.”
The film is a DREAD original production in association with Traverse Terror and produced by Patrick Ewald, Cole Payne and Jake Heineke, fully financed from production to distribution by the independent studio.
“With THE JESTER 2 we’ve taken the franchise to the next level.” says Epic Pictures CEO Patrick Ewald. “Fans can expect inventive kills, nostalgic vibes, and electrifying performances from the cast, everything that makes THE JESTER 2 such a unique and thrilling experience, now coming home just in time for Halloween.”
The official synopsis for the film reads: On Halloween night, teen magician Max finds herself locked in a brutal showdown with the Jester, a nightmarish and supernatural trickster with real dark magic and a killer act. As illusions turn lethal and every escape is a trap, Max must pull off the ultimate trick: staying alive. On this deadly night, the only escape… is to beat the devil at its own game.
THE JESTER 2 is written and directed by Colin Krawchuk (The Jester). Starring Michael Sheffield (The Jester), Kaitlyn Trentham (Murder Made Me Famous, Within The Woods), Jessica Ambuehl (Becoming, The Dream Motel) and Dingani Beza (23 Minutes to Sunrise, Marshall’s Miracle). Produced by Patrick Ewald, Cole Payne and Jake Heineke.”
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MONSTER FORGE UNLEASHES “THE REVENANT” ON GLOBALCOMIX: “Monster Forge Productions is thrilled to announce the return of the underground cult classic THE REVENANT, now haunting a global stage via GlobalComix. Created by acclaimed storyteller Shannon Eric Denton (Deadpool, X-Men), this supernatural crime saga slams together pulp noir grit with a deadly ghost story—and it’s never been more timely, or more terrifying.
Set against the decaying opulence of twin cities Sapphire City and Jade Harbor, The Revenant follows a ruthless, sadistic vigilante who stalks the criminal elite with merciless intent. Rumored to be a reanimated gangster gunned down during the city’s Day of the Dead celebrations 15 years prior, The Revenant has become an urban legend among crooks and killers. Now, he’s back—and the body count is rising.
But this isn’t just one man’s revenge story.
The Revenant features story contributions from the late comics legend Keith Giffen (Lobo, Legion of Super-Heroes), Eisner nominated writer Rob Worley (Scratch9) and stunning, gritty artwork by international star Mateus Santolouco (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Two Guns).
“This was a passion project born from my love of pulp, horror, and Dia De Los Muertos,” said Shannon Eric Denton. “With Keith’s brilliance, Rob’s razor-sharp scripting, and Mateus’ kinetic art, we built a world where death isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning of payback.”
Previously released by Antarctic Press, Komikwerks, and Image Comics, The Revenant earned a cult following for its cinematic violence, shadow-drenched visuals, and unapologetic tone. Now, Monster Forge is proud to bring the series to GlobalComix, introducing it to a new generation of readers hungering for hard-hitting supernatural thrillers.
Fear is coming back into fashion—one bullet at a time.
The Revenant is now live at GlobalComix.com—digitally remastered and more deadly than ever. https://globalcomix.com/a/monster-forge
Because the past doesn’t stay buried.
And neither does he.“
