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‘The Fin’ review: Haunting imagery of ecologically devastated Korea – Locarno 2025

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South Korean indie filmmaker Syeyoung Park returns to the Swiss festival with a haunting and artistically fertile dystopian tale set in eco-devastated, reunified Korea. The Fin, written, directed, and shot by Syeyoung Park. Locarno’s Cineasti del Presente sidebar is dedicated to first or second features by directors that are radical, uncompromising, adventurous, and infused with genuine curiosity about the full spectrum of cinematic possibility. Korean filmmaker Syeyoung Park hits the mark perfectly with his new film, The Fin, a sophomore triumph that solidifies his reputation as a daring new voice in Korean underground cinema. Returning to the festival one year after receiving a special mention for The Masked Monster (which competed in the Short Film Auteur Competition)—now a strong contender for the Green Leopard—Park transports audiences to a post-war Korea where the South and the North have reunified. However, this reunification has not brought peace to its people, instead, the cou...
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‘Broken Voices’ Review: Ondřej Provazník’s Solo Debut Tackles Themes of Sisterhood, the Power of Authority, and Sexual Abuse in Prague Girls' Choir – Karlovy Vary 2025

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Broken Voices wins a Special Jury Mention for Kateřina Falbrová’s performance and the Europa Cinemas Label Award for Best European Film at the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Broken Voices premiered in the Crystal Globe Competition at the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. After gaining attention for his work on several documentaries (awarded in Jihlava) and the fiction feature Old-Times with Martin Dusek in 2019 — a project that earned nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Czech Lions — Ondřej Provazník makes a powerful solo debut with Broken Voices. The film is the only Czech fiction feature in the Crystal Globe Competition, yet it stands out as one of the major successes at this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Set within the confines of a prestigious girls' choir in Prague, the film follows Karolina (Kateřina Falbrová), a 13-year-old prodigy in younger class who dreams of advancing to the main upper class, where her ...
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Shanghai Film Festival 2025 Unviels Its Competition Lineup

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Twelve new films are vying for the Golden Goblet Award in the Main Competition section, while Asian New Talent strand will host the Asian premieres of  Brand New Landscape  and  Where the Night Stands Still. Black Red Yellow by Aktan Arym Kubat in Main Competition and Where the Night Stands Still by Liryc Dela Cruz in Asian New Talent. The 27th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has unveiled its official competition lineup, which includes fiction, documentary, short films, and animation. Hailed as China’s major festival event, this year’s edition will feature 49 films in competition, including 38 world premieres, 8 international premieres, and 3 Asian premieres. The Main Competition will feature 12 films—11 world premieres—battling for the coveted Golden Goblet Award for Best Film. The section highlights notable works from acclaimed filmmakers such as Kyrgyzstan’s Aktan Arym Kubat ( Black Red Yellow ), whose earlier films received recognition at Lo...
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‘Reedland’ Review: Atmospheric Debut Set in Rural Dutch Community Marks the Arrival of a Bold New Genre Filmmaker – Cannes Film Festival 2025

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Sven Bresser’s feature debut follows a solitary reedcutter whose quiet life unravels after he discovers a murdered girl on his land. Gerrit Knobbe stars in Reedland by Sven Bresser. For years, Cannes’  Semaine de la Critique  has been a vital springboard for discovering new voices in cinema. It has also quietly become a playground for bold genre filmmakers. Before taking home the Palme d’Or for  Titane , Julia Ducournau cut her teeth here with  Junior  and the now-iconic  Raw (Grave) . Back in 1993, Guillermo del Toro won over the jury with  Cronos , his gothic horror debut. Fast forward to 2023, Malaysian body horror  Tiger Stripes  by Amanda Nell Eu claimed the Grand Prize. Horror and high tension have always had a place in the Critics’ Week lineup. In 2007, French duo Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo debuted their bloody slasher sensation  Inside , sharing the spotlight with Juan Antonio Bayona’s haunting psychological horror ...
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