Latest news with #TheLastoftheMohicans
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Big Bear Film Festival to Launch in September, Led by Former Outfest Director Damien Navarro
The Big Bear Film Festival — formerly known as the Green Jack International Film Festival — is launching September 24-29, the brainchild of the newly inaugurated Big Bear Film Institute. The famed California mountaintop destination, which has been seen in numerous films and television shows dating back a century, will host what the BBFI is calling a 'boundary breaking celebration' that encompasses not just film, but animation, podcasting, gaming, stand-up comedy, Indigenous storytelling, experimental sound design, and AI. CEO Damien S. Navarro, who previously served as the executive director of Outfest, noted that over 400 titles have used Big Bear as a backdrop, including 'Magnolia,' 'The Last of the Mohicans,' 'Creep,' 'Gone with the Wind,' and 'Old Yeller.' More from IndieWire 'Materialists' Review: Celine Song Didn't Make a Rom-Com, She Made a (Pretty Good) Takedown of Them 'Apocalypse in the Tropics' to Open DOC NYC Selects Summer Series - See the Full List 'Its alpine terrain has doubled for the Rockies, Appalachians, and even European forests —making it one of the most versatile and under-celebrated locations in film history,' Navarro said. Festival features include a 'Peak Pitch' marketplace for original projects to connect with potential buyers, a 'Music Village & Audio Pavillion' lakeside retreat, an expo for gaming and animation content, an outdoor and drone cinematography showcase, and plans for a future 5-day 'Alpine Story Lab' residency. 'The Big Bear Film Festival is unapologetically built for the next generation of storytelling,' Navarro told IndieWire. 'Attendees can expect an eclectic mix: elevated genre films, climate-forward documentaries, Indigenous and Latinx voices, immersive experiences, gaming [and] animation showcases, audio storytelling, and outdoor/adventure films. We're especially excited about spotlighting IP across mediums — from podcasts to graphic novels to AI-created narratives.' Navarro added that BBFI wasn't just launching a festival; 'we're launching a movement.' 'Backed by the newly formed Big Bear Film Institute and Film Office, this is a year-round ecosystem for creators and culture-shifters,' he explained. 'With partners like Utopia, we're planting a flag for what a future-forward, community-rooted film culture can look like. Think Sundance-meets-SXSW with boots, brains, and a view.' BBFI's partner Utopia was founded by Robert Schwartzman in 2018. 'Our mission at Utopia has not only been to support how independent films reach audiences through direct acquisitions and full distribution support, but to provide filmmakers with alternative, empowering self-distribution tools and to challenge our industry by providing additional meaningful, viable outlets for monetization,' Schwartzman said in a press release. 'Partnering with the Big Bear Film Institute and Festival allows us to do exactly that — giving a range of creators and distributors a meaningful new environment to engage and launch their work within an energized and thoughtful community.' For information, sponsorships, and submissions, visit the festival's website. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Tom Cruise's best movie' is now available to stream on Netflix
Tom Cruise has starred in a number of blockbuster movies over the years, but there's one film in particular that fans believe is his best - and it's currently available to watch on Netflix. The Mission Impossible series welcomed its latest release this month, thrilling fans worldwide as Tom Cruise reprised his iconic role as Ethan Hunt. Yet, the 62-year-old is grabbing attention for a different performance on Netflix, portraying a hard-hitting role in the action-packed thriller Collateral. The 2004 film Collateral boasts an incredible cast including Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Debi Mazar and Bruce McGill. In the film, Jamie Foxx portrays a cab driver who's day takes a wild turn when he picks up a hitman, played by Tom Cruise. Collateral offers viewers an adrenaline rush, with a synopsis reading: "A cab driver realizes his current fare is a hit man who has been having him drive around from mark to mark until the last witness to a crime is dead. "When the cabbie finally figures out the truth, he must prevent the assassin from wiping out his last witness without becoming the next in the professional killer's line of casualties." Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann, known for masterpieces like Heat, The Last of the Mohicans and Ferrari, Collateral was a box office success, racking up $220 million off a $65 million budget, reports Surrey Live. The film has been highly praised online, with many hailing it as one of the actor's finest performances. One viewer penned: "I would say it's one of best Tom Cruise movies 'Collateral'." Another chimed in: "Collateral is my all time favorite Cruise movie outside the MI franchise. I love his works in 2000s era." A third shared on Rottentomatoes: "An absolute masterpiece." With another adding: "It's perfect. Cast. Story. Cinematography. Soundtrack. Direction. Acting. Climactic ending. The entire package." Another fan commented: "One of the most intense action thrillers ever. Amazing duo of Tom and Jamie Fox. It's so good to see Tom playing the villain." With someone else noting: "Great film, Tom Cruise is surprisingly good as a villain." Echoing these sentiments, with one enthusiast added: "Fantastic, dark action thriller with a really great story, all the performances are top-notch and Tom does a fantastic turn as Vincent. Its rare to find a film with this much character growth packing in with action and suspense." Collateral is available to stream on Netflix now.
