Dir: Richard Linklater, 2025, US/Ireland, Drama. Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott. "Ethan Hawke delivers a once in a lifetime performance as lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s snappy, banter-driven period piece, Blue Moon. With wide, dark eyes, a diminutive presence, a combover that isn’t fooling anybody, and an effortless gift of gab, Hawke’s turn as Hart is the finest work of his career… On the evening of March 31, 1943 Lorenz ‘Larry’ Hart leaves a Broadway musical theatre performance seconds before the performers on stage take their bow so he can rush on over to Sardi’s for the afterparty. The reasons for his sudden departure from the theatre are twofold. First, he hated the show, Oklahoma!, which featured music from his longtime collaborator Richard Rodgers… Second, he’s keen on impressing his date for the evening, a twenty-year-old college student named Elizabeth… The look and fashion of the era are in full, eye-catching display in Blue Moon, and the dialogue sounds like an uncensored riff on comedies and melodramas from the characters’ time period… Linklater’s direction is energized by his cast, all of whom fit perfectly together like matching puzzle pieces.” “Blue Moon is as close as it gets to a perfect work of art. Exceptionally written, superbly acted, and wonderfully moving, it’s a sucker punch little gem of a film, gripping as it is entertaining… it is a universal, heartfelt feature bound to win you over and stay a part of you for a while. Do not miss it.” – Ana Yorke, Pop Matters

After a stellar first season, Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory returns for Volume 4. This live concert experience transforms the City Cinema theatre into an intimate listening room. Double bassist Adam Hill will lead an ensemble of five musicians in an exploration of improvisational music that crosses genre and style. This iteration of the Lab will feature Ian Toms on guitar, Diana Delirio on voice and woodwinds, Max Gallant on drums, and Ray Knorr on fiddle. The program will present the premiere performance of a new composition by each member of the ensemble, as well as a few not-so-standards. Through the use of “structured improvisation” the performers will bring their diverse musical experiences together to create a common language that communicates across boundaries. Guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind musical event.

Dir: Tony Barbieri, Canada/France/US, 2000, Drama. Nastassja Kinski, Robert Forster, Cody Morgan, Jennifer Overton, Mary Vingoe. Winner: Seattle International Film Festival New American Cinema Award. Opening night live Q&A with producers Luciano Lisi and Christine Kavanagh. “Fine performances and an abiding intelligence are the hallmarks of The Magic of Marciano, an engaging, and sensitively rendered tale of a young boy’s passage through some turbulent emotional waters… James is a 9-year-old who, at the best of times, is left to his own devices. His single mother Katie (Kinski), a diner waitress in a quiet coastal town, is living with a loutish layabout… An obviously bright kid without role models or motivation at home, James isn’t doing as well as he might at school, and more or less foists himself upon Henry (Forster), a confidant and genial man who spends his days prepping his boat for a round-the-world sail… Just when James imagines things are looking up for him, matters take a considerable turn for the worse when Katie unaccountably takes Curt back in… Barbieri looks at his characters with a psychological exactitude that in itself is absorbing. Kinski’s Katie is a complex woman who, having undoubtedly always got by too easily on her looks, has neglected to build up other qualities of character… Kinski gives an extremely sharp reading of this fragile, imbalanced and reckless woman. By contrast, Forster’s Henry is the picture of a truly decent human being, a man comfortable in his own skin and with his place in the world… Forster makes him an immensely sympathetic, even magnetic individual whose eventual difficulties in deciding how best to help James are conveyed with perfect clarity…. Shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia, pic looks good and is enhanced by Harry Gregson-Williams’ fine score.” – Todd McCarthy, Variety

Dir: Brian Kirk, Canada/US/Germany, 2025, Thriller. Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca. “Emma Thompson and Judy Greer go head-to-head in a kidnapping thriller set in a forsaken Northern Minnesota snowstorm? I am so in! Director Brian Kirk relies on nuanced character work, gorgeously isolating cinematography, and the desperation of human nature to keep you guessing. Thompson is Barb… Despite the weather forecast, she puts on the ol’ snowsuit, warms up the even older pick up, and heads to faraway Lake Hilda to do some ice fishing… But she gets a little turned around and hears chopping in the distance, so she goes to ask directions… Barb finds a bearded man in camo who - very startled by the sight of her - directs her to the lake. But blood on the snow has Barb a little troubled, and soon enough, she sniffs out a kidnapping. Thompson… is so utterly convincing that you’re hooked. And that’s all before the glorious Greer makes her entrance… Dead of Winter sidesteps cliché, delivers thrills, and finds new ways to showcase two tremendous talents.” – Hope Madden, UK Film Review. "Poignant and captivating, The Dead of Winter is dominated by the magnetic presence of Emma Thompson who plays a heroine who’ll stop at nothing to fulfil her mission. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seats with a story full of unexpected twists and turns, a tale both tense and cruel but also tender and full of humanity." - Muriel Del Don, Cineuropa

Dir: Scarlett Johansson, US, 2025, Comedy/Drama. June Squibb, Erin Kellyman. Chiwetel Ejiofor Cannes Festival nominee Un Certain Regard Award and Camera d’Or. “Raucous cheers and quite a few tears greeted the world premiere of Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut at Cannes… The crowd warmly embraced the dramedy, which stars June Squibb as Eleanor Morgenstern, a fiercely independent Florida retiree who, after the sudden death of her lifelong best friend, relocates to New York to live with her daughter. A series of events leads her to a young woman suffering from the loss of her mother. The two bond over their shared grief and a desire to reconnect with their Jewish identity. But Eleanor has a secret that threatens to destroy the friendship they have built.” - Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter. “The jackpot combination of being tear-inducing and laugh-out-loud funny” – The Times, UK. “Powerful and touching” - Deadline

Dir: Ido Fluk, Germany/Poland/Belgium, 2025, Drama/Music. Mala Emde, John Magaro, Michael Chernus. In German and English with English subtitles. “On 24th January 1975, jazz musician Keith Jarrett performed to a sell-out crowd at Köln’s Opera House whilst playing a broken piano. The recording has since become the best-selling solo jazz album of all time… Köln 75 tells the amazing true story of how the evening came to be… When 18-year-old aspiring promoter Vera Brandes throws herself into the bohemian live music scene, she causes a stir with her infectious enthusiasm... Meanwhile, Jarrett was touring on the road in Germany… his path inevitably crosses with Vera’s, and the wheels behind the concert are set in motion… The first chapter is essentially the coming-of-age tale of our protagonist. Skipping class, clashing with her conservative parents, and navigating teen romance(s), Vera lights up the screen… the middle third shifts focus to Jarrett’s more sombre route to the famous stage, but the elements come together nicely for an exhilaratingly chaotic final act… We get a real sense of Brandes’ fun and riotous nature through Mala Emde’s leading turn… Magaro is compelling in the role of Jarrett… he paints a vivid portrait of a tortured artist… There’s an intoxicating punk rock spirit to Köln 75’s jazz-infused narrative.” - Garry Arnot, Cinema Perspective

Dir: Richard Linklater, France/US, 2025, Drama. Zoey Deutch, Guillaume Marbeck, Aubry Dullin. In French and English with Ebglish subtitles. "Linklater’s elegant love letter to the influential era in French cinema would be a towering achievement even if it did no more than generously invite budding cinephiles to film history without intimidating them. But the American auteur of loose-limbed rhythms and organically flowy dialogues accomplishes a lot more with his joyously beautiful telling of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s game-changing Breathless. In stunning black and white, and with the grainy sound quality of the era, he gives new life to the period picture, making it romantic, exquisitely detailed, and timeless. With Guillaume Marbeck and Zoey Deutch’s enthralling and uncannily exacting performances as Godard and Jean Seberg, the list of masters Nouvelle Vague honors is as rich as the film that surrounds them. Linklater loves this period, and he wants to make you a lover, too." - Tomris Laffly, Elle

Dir: Tobe Hooper, 1982, US, Horror/Thriller. JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Dominique Dunne, Heather O’Rourke. "Credited to Hooper, but every inch a Spielberg film, this is a barnstorming ghost story, set in one of the small suburban houses Spielberg knows and loves, where the family canary is called Tweety, and the kids read Captain America comics and eat at the Pizza Hut. Gradually this impossibly safe world is (in a truly ingenious plot development) invaded by something inside the family television. Soon the plot takes off into a delirious fight with demonic forces... it is consistently redeemed by its creator's dazzling sense of craft. For this one, Spielberg has even contrived a structural surprise which leaves the audience spinning like one of his house's haunted rooms, and arguably matches the opening of Psycho in its impudent virtuosity." - Time Out

In August 2017, in the lead-up to national elections, Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand’s opposition party leader. She had just turned 37. Two frenetic months later, she was Prime Minister. Just before the final vote was in, she discovered she was pregnant. She would become only the second head of state in history to give birth while in office. Ardern quickly became one of the most recognizable leaders in the world. She drew global attention from people craving a sensitive and compassionate approach to the critical issues of our time. In private, she struggled with being a mother and proving herself to a public skeptical of women’s leadership. A series of crises - the Christchurch massacre, pandemic lockdowns, and disinformation-fueled protests outside Parliament - would test that leadership and the feminine touch she brought to it. She resigned from office in January 2023, shocking her supporters and critics alike. Going behind the scenes of her administration and her private life, PRIME MINISTER follows Jacinda for seven years as she is catapulted to the top of New Zealand politics, becomes a feminist political icon, resigns suddenly from office and continues to champion the fight against isolationism, fear, and the distortion of truth. Intimate home footage shot by her husband and audio interviews that Jacinda did while in office give us unparalleled access. Along with in-depth contemporaneous interviews, these form the emotional backbone of the story, giving viewers an unfiltered window into her years in power. The world is at a perilous political crossroads. Trust in institutions, expertise, and liberal democracy itself are under dire strain. Which direction will we go? PRIME MINISTER leaves viewers wondering what the world might be like with more Jacindas at the helm.

Dir: Tina Romero, 2025, US, Horror/Comedy. Katy O'Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome, Margaret Cho. Winner: Audience Award, Tribeca Film Festival. "George A. Romero changed the face of horror... Now, his daughter Tina Romero is following in her father's footsteps with Queens Of The Dead, a campy splatter flick... [that] follows an eclectic group of drag queens and club kids on the opening night of their new club, Yum. Dre is desperately trying to pull her motley crew together – seasoned drag queen Ginsey Tonic, newcomer Scrumptious aka Nico, and manager Kelsey – for opening night. The DJ has gone AWOL, star attraction Yasmine has pulled out, and Dre's bigot brother-in-law Barry is taking far too long to fix a toilet. Dre's wife, Lizzy, suggests that Dre's previous top performer, Sam, could resurrect their drag persona for a big comeback show. Dre turns the offer down, but soon the group is forced to put their tumultuous histories aside when the zombie apocalypse breaks out during the Brooklyn drag show, and they must fight for survival. Queens Of The Dead is a loving homage to classic zombie films while still feeling fresh and fun... The giggles and gore play off thanks to the charming ensemble cast.. Between the witty one-liners and bizarre fight sequences are touching moments of human connection... Every inch of it is goofy and gory, cheesy yet charming, and an absolute blood-soaked blast from start to finish". - Rebecca Sayce, Filmhounds

Dir: Edgar Wright, 2004, UK, Horror/Comedy. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran. "Electronics-store clerk Shaun (Simon Pegg) is wasting his life downing pints at the local pub with his obnoxious flatmate Ed and underappreciating his way-out-of-his-league girlfriend Liz. He's such a zombie that an entire day passes before he notices a virus is spreading through London, turning everyone into actual zombies - the grunting, gnashing, undead kind. Can he survive? Will he bother trying? The zombie-movie genre already has some wink-wink funny entries, but this U.K. smash hit, written by Pegg and Wright, takes the prize. It's a bloody hoot." - David Ansen, Newsweek.

Dir: Tony Barbieri, Canada/France/US, 2000, Drama. Nastassja Kinski, Robert Forster, Cody Morgan, Jennifer Overton, Mary Vingoe. Winner: Seattle International Film Festival New American Cinema Award. Opening night live Q&A with producers Luciano Lisi and Christine Kavanagh. “Fine performances and an abiding intelligence are the hallmarks of The Magic of Marciano, an engaging, and sensitively rendered tale of a young boy’s passage through some turbulent emotional waters… James is a 9-year-old who, at the best of times, is left to his own devices. His single mother Katie (Kinski), a diner waitress in a quiet coastal town, is living with a loutish layabout… An obviously bright kid without role models or motivation at home, James isn’t doing as well as he might at school, and more or less foists himself upon Henry (Forster), a confidant and genial man who spends his days prepping his boat for a round-the-world sail… Just when James imagines things are looking up for him, matters take a considerable turn for the worse when Katie unaccountably takes Curt back in… Barbieri looks at his characters with a psychological exactitude that in itself is absorbing. Kinski’s Katie is a complex woman who, having undoubtedly always got by too easily on her looks, has neglected to build up other qualities of character… Kinski gives an extremely sharp reading of this fragile, imbalanced and reckless woman. By contrast, Forster’s Henry is the picture of a truly decent human being, a man comfortable in his own skin and with his place in the world… Forster makes him an immensely sympathetic, even magnetic individual whose eventual difficulties in deciding how best to help James are conveyed with perfect clarity…. Shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia, pic looks good and is enhanced by Harry Gregson-Williams’ fine score.” – Todd McCarthy, Variety

Dir: Michael Dougherty, 2007, US/Canada, Horror. Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox. "The best crowd-pleaser in years... an anthology film that actually surpasses Creepshow. It’s the kind of movie that makes us remember why we fell in love with horror movies. Without question, Michael Dougherty’s ode to Halloween is the film that brought fun back to the genre – something that’s been absent for far too long... The interlocking vignettes seethe with atmosphere and a strong sense of fun, ensuring that each piece of the film is somehow more delightful than the last. Couple that with some of the best performances the genre’s seen recently, and you have the greatest movie about October 31 since John Carpenter chronicled the night HE came home" - Dread Central. “One of the cinematic gems that make Halloween even more extraordinary is Trick ‘r Treat. This spooky film bestows upon us fleshed-out stories, at the same time reminding us that some traditions deserve to be cherished and never forgotten. The film weaves together multiple narratives that converge in a spectacular and unsettling third act and finale... Each story plays a vital role, and every character enhances and complements another... Since its debut, Trick ‘r Treat has become an essential watch… do yourself a favor and watch it this Halloween—you’re in for a bloody good time.” - Zofia Wijaszka, Nerdspin

Presented by Beyond the Frame: A CISF Connect Project. Dir: Karen Chapman, Canada, 2025, Drama. Olunike Adeliyi, Zahra Bentham, Maxine Simpson. Winner: Best First Feature, Canadian Screen Awards; Grand Prize and Best Performance, Arizona International Film Festival. There will be a Q&A with director Karen Chapman by Zoom after the show. “Karen Chapman’s tender and empathetic Village Keeper… is character-driven, her love for the people in front of her camera evident in every frame. She has crafted a story of a woman who has been asked so often to clean up after others that she’s never taken the time to deal with the mess of her own trauma. Olunike Adeliyi (Akilla’s Escape)… plays Jean, who lives in NW Toronto with her two children. Flashbacks to a violent past invade Jean’s daily life, punctuated by the fact that her kids are headed out into an increasingly dangerous world. When Jean is asked to clean up after a bloody crime scene, it sparks two fires in her heart, the one that connects to violence she’s seen in her life and one that prays that she can shelter her children from something similar… It’s a drama of lovely little moments like Jean humming to herself after an event or a tender embrace between a mother and daughter that feels spontaneous. It’s at its best when we feel the love not just between the characters but from the filmmaker to all the women like Jean who have similar stories to tell.” - Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Dir: Zacharias Kunuk, Canada, 2025, Drama. Haiden Angutimarik, Theresia Kappianaq, Leah Panimera. In Inuktitut with English subtitles. Winner:Best Canadian Feature, The Toronto International Film Festival. “Another tremendous fable from legendary Inuk filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, Wrong Husband pulls from legend and oral tradition to look at the darker, more complicated side of keeping a promise. Set far North in 2000 B.C.E., it blends dark comedy, horror, and a mythic quest to create a timeless story of love, looming evil, searching, and spiritual togetherness. Sapa and Kaujak have been promised to each other as husband and wife from birth. They have a strong bond, loving kinship, and are valuable members of their tribe… But their lives together are torn apart after Kaujak’s mother becomes a widow and is courted by a mysterious male from a far away tribe. The fisherman takes Kaujak and her mother away from their tribe to live with him, where the young woman will be forced into a different marriage with his son. With time of the essence Sapa sets off on a quest to get his love back… Kunuk takes a wide variety of genre influences into his approach to Inuit culture, storytelling, and tradition… including visual effects, layered and creepy soundscapes, and even some nifty creature design… but it’s also a race against time thriller and moral parable with a good deal of humour… Another unique effort from one of Canada’s most unique talents.” – Andrew Parker, The Gate