Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Really fascinating to see in the shorts section at Telluride this weekend Vera Miao's "Rock Springs 1885," the centerpiece of her feature that played at Sundance earlier this year. It was a flashback that was clearly the best part of the movie and can't remember anyone else doing this. 000
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Was quite chuffed to be invited onto @chrisreedfilm.bsky.social's Tribeca episode of Cinemaniax where we ended up highlighting a lot of great docs to come out of the fest this year, plus my favorite out of the narrative section "Caity." 111
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 23/05/2026Annual reminder that to stream the Cannes Closing Ceremony live, Brut's Tiktok is the way to go (no translation) www.tiktok.com/@brutofficie...tiktok.comBrut. (@brutofficiel) is LIVE - TikTok LIVEFestival de Cannes | Watch Brut. (@brutofficiel)'s LIVE on TikTok and interact with others in real time. 000
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 18/05/2026Breaking my social media seclusion to report from Cannes, as I'm going to be surprised if I like anything better all year than Marine Atlan's "La Gradiva" in Critics Week, which seems like Laurent Cantet & Annie Baker's lovechild about a high school field trip moveablefest.com/marine-atlan...moveablefest.comMarine Atlan'sA celebrated cinematographer brings an exceptionally sharp observational eye as a director to this story of a chaotic class field trip. 120
Reposted by Stephen Saitotnyfrontrow.bsky.social @tnyfrontrow.bsky.social · 30/01/2026Suzannah Herbert's documentary Natchez, opening today at Film Forum (needs to be shown nationally), turns observation into engagement—with history, its witnesses, its falsifiers, and government's crucial (and endangered) role in its preservation and transmission: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...newyorker.comChallenging Official Histories in “Natchez” and “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”Two stunning new documentaries—one filmed in Mississippi, and one in Russia—examine the ways that education comes up against indoctrination. 077
Reposted by Stephen SaitoSean P. Means @seanpmeans.bsky.social · 29/01/2026Sometimes finding "the one" at #Sundance — the movie that makes you love it with your whole heart — takes a minute. I found it, finally, in "Carousel," a tender romantic drama that stars Chris Pine and Jenny Slate, doing the best work in their careers. moviecricket.net/sundance-202...moviecricket.netSundance review: 'Carousel' is a romantic drama that goes deeper than most, and showcases Chris Pine and Jenny Slate in career-best performances — The Movie CricketIn the romantic drama “Carousel,” writer-director Rachel Lambert tenderly and precisely creates two characters who struggle to figure out whether love is worth the cost the second time around. Chris ... 071
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 27/01/2026Midway through a solid Sundance with plenty of reviews. A thread below for anyone interested, kicking off with probably the discovery of the fest so far for me with Georgia Bernstein's "Night Nurse," a slippery psychosexual drama moveablefest.com/georgia-bern...moveablefest.comGeorgia Bernstein's "Night Nurse" - Sundance 2026 Film ReviewA sexually-charged relationship between a patient and his newly hired caregiver leads to a stunning debut feature. 110
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 16/12/2025Under the radar since its Berlinale bow, but one of my faves this year "Timestamp," which chronicles a school year across Ukraine, is having special screenings in L.A. @laemmle.com 12/17 ahead of a digital release Fri. Connected w/director Kateryna Gornostai in Kyiv moveablefest.com/kateryna-gor...moveablefest.comKateryna Gornostai on "Timestamp"The director discusses capturing a crucial time in Ukraine as schools craft an education for a generation that must prepare for the unknown. 010
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 03/12/2025Absolutely gutted to hear of Tammie Rosen's passing. She constantly made the impossible seem like it was the easiest thing in the world and opened so many doors for so many, myself included. My deepest condolences to her friends and family. www.indiewire.com/news/obituar...indiewire.comTammie Rosen, Beloved Sundance Communications Chief and Film Festival Mainstay, Passes Away at Age 49The long-time publicist, known for her work at Sundance and Tribeca, passed away this week after a battle with cancer. 031
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 14/10/2025At a "Sly Lives" Q&A, Questlove spoke about how D'Angelo agreed to be in it to talk about burnout (many wouldn't), recalling the pressure on him to take his shirt off each night for "How Does It Feel," which he saw from beyond the drums on tour. Went from thinking about all we missed to all he gave. 000
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 17/08/2025It wasn’t easy, even in L.A., to find a theater playing “Highest 2 Lowest,” but if it’s in your neighborhood, it’s unbelievable with an audience. Scrambling to think of a better stretch of theatrical experiences than Naked Gun, Weapons & now this. Spike and Denzel turned the NoHo 7 into the Palais. 010
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 16/08/2025It's been surprising the most buoyant directors I've talked to lately have been those with films about the most grim situations in the world. Maybe that's the attitude that pulls them through to begin with. Anywho, here's Julia Loktev on "My Undesirable Friends" moveablefest.com/julia-loktev...moveablefest.comJulia Loktev on "My Undesirable Friends: Last Air in Moscow"The director discusses this landmark doc about Russian journalists racing against time to report on their government's free speech crackdown. 120
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 06/06/2025Some exciting stuff to share on day #1 of Tribeca - former location scout Paula González-Nasser turns out to be an impressive writer/director with "The Scout," recognizing how being let into other people's lives as part of her work allows her to reconsider her own moveablefest.com/paula-gonzal...moveablefest.comPaula González-Nasser's "The Scout" - Tribeca 2025 Film ReviewA location scout confronts not feeling as if she's in the right place in her life in this elegant and transfixing character study. 130
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 24/05/2025Took me a while, but the Cannes Closing ceremony is streaming on Brut's Tiktok www.tiktok.com/@brutofficie...tiktok.comBrut. (@brutofficiel) is LIVE - TikTok LIVEDIRECT - Festival de Cannes | Watch Brut. (@brutofficiel)'s LIVE on TikTok and interact with others in real time. 000
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 21/05/2025It's been a joy (and at least a lil exhausting) to spend the week digging into Directors Fortnight and Critics Week at Cannes, but wanted to share a few of the discoveries and pardon the 🧵... 110
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 11/03/2025Have been a little bit bummed walking around Austin the last couple days and realizing a lot of my old haunts are gone. But just got out of a screening of Uvalde Mom, a doc about the aftermath of the shooting, and when Al Green showed up midway through, the place erupted, so at least there’s that. 010
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 02/03/2025Discoveries made at True/False this year: Myrid Carter’s extraordinary family portrait “A Want in Her,” the propulsive all-archival “WTO ‘99,” Sasha Wortzel’s delicate Everglades evocation “River of Grass” and Kinkao, a great new Thai restaurant that replaced Chim’s on the main drag. 010
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 20/02/2025Starting to wrap up my Berlinale coverage, but hope this is just the beginning for "Timestamp," a beautiful doc about the Ukrainian school system continuing on that I suspect will be amongst the year's best films moveablefest.com/timestamp-ka...moveablefest.comKateryna Gornostai's "Timestamp" - Berlinale 2025 Film ReviewDirector Katerina Gornostai creates a remarkable portrait of the Ukrainian school system and their belief in a brighter future for the young. 110
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 24/01/2025Hitting the ground running at Sundance, so I hope you don't mind my sharing a running tab here... 130
Reposted by Stephen SaitoMynette Louie @mynette.bsky.social · 14/01/2025Please support Displaced Latine Families' GoFundMes if you can. Also in here are links to GoFundMe directories for Displaced Black Families, Filipino Families & the Music Community. Please also see the note about how GoFundMe funds may affect FEMA funding. #LAFires 🙏 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...docs.google.comDisplaced Latine Families - LA Fires Mutual Aid Directory 154
Reposted by Stephen SaitoAlison Willmore @alisonwillmore.bsky.social · 13/01/2025Wrote about my favorite performance of the past year, and why what Marianne Jean-Baptiste does in HARD TRUTHS really feels like it's in a league of its own www.vulture.com/article/give...vulture.comFor the Love of God, Give This Woman an Oscar NominationNo one last year gave a performance that comes close to what Marianne Jean-Baptiste does in Hard Truths. 311425
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 07/01/2025After so many other discoveries made @grandillusioncinema.org over the years, I was delighted they led me to see Mikiech Nichols' "Mountainside," among the special screenings in their "Farewell to 1403" series, starting this wk as the Seattle theater plans relocation moveablefest.com/mikiech-nich...moveablefest.comInterview: Mikiech Nichols on the Climb to "Mountainside"The director discusses making his charming feature debut & getting to press play on it as a projectionist at Seattle's Grand Illusion Cinema. 011
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 21/12/2024Super special screening of “Step Brothers” at Vidiots where Chewbacca sat in the front row, the bathrooms were stocked with Good Housekeeping magazines and John C. Reilly shouted as the film began (after an emotional intro by Maggie Mackay) “Does this mean we’re best friends?” Incredible night. 030
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 06/12/2024A big True/False strength in recent years are the intimate, intricately made family histories and got to talk with Chloe Abrahams about hers, "The Taste of Mango," out now & would keep an eye out for Rachel Elizabeth Seed's recent Spirit nominee "Photographic Memory" moveablefest.com/chloe-abraha...moveablefest.comChloe Abrahams on Building Bonds in "The Taste of Mango"The director talks about forging a connection between her mother and estranged grandmother with a camera in this tender love story. 000
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 06/12/2024Talked to the great Joshua Oppenheimer about visiting underground bunkers built by oligarchs and how we can't keep our head in the sand as "The End" starts its journey in the world today moveablefest.com/joshua-oppen...moveablefest.comInterview: Joshua Oppenheimer on "The End"The "Act of Killing" director discusses an unexpected third film in his essential work about impunity, a musical set at the end of the world. 022
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Here’s Michael Mann talking about how they hired the security expert who set up the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to protect his editing room on “The Insider” from any unexpected intrusions. 010
Stephen Saito @stephensaito.bsky.social · 29/11/2024Couldn't find any better way to christen this account than with a chat with Raoul Peck, who talks about his latest "Ernest Cole: Lost & Found" (now @ifccenter.bsky.social in NY) and how with each life story he's brought to the big screen, he's sharing more of his own moveablefest.com/raoul-peck-e...moveablefest.comRaoul Peck on the Bigger Picture in "Ernest Cole: Lost and Found"The "I Am Not Your Negro" director discusses the visionary photographer and sharing his own experience in telling others' life stories. 032