The always excellent Slamdance has shifted calendar slots and moved to the bright lights of Los Angeles and it starts Friday
While the address has gotten pricier the film is festival is still committed to the inde film ideal and it will be highlighting a ton of great films that should be on your radar.
I’ve been covering the festival for about ten years now when one of the programmers and friend of a friend reached out and said that I needed to be covering the festival. Until he did that I had never considered it.. The result is a love affair for the ages as I look forward to the goodies it uncovers every year.
Slamdance started out as the punk rock little brother to Sundance. Formerly held at the same time and in the same town as the big name festival Slamdance aimed to highlight the true inde films that Sundance was seeming to to move away from in order to highlight studio release. Slamdance always stayed true to it's inde roots and always found the small scale off the radar gems that the other festival would never touch.
The result of Slamdance remaining true meant it was bring out gems that most people would never have discovered otherwise. In all seriousness every year Slamdance puts two or three or more films on to my best of the year list before the year has ever begun. In all seriousness, the programmers are so good that I will try and watch every single film at the festival simply because so many of them are always so good.
As this posts I’ve seen all of the features playing the festival. I will be reviewing all of them. Some of them are some of the best films of this short year of 2025. I’ve also seen a number of the shorts. I’m going to be post reviews of many of shorts I’ve seen. I say that because there are a few, particular some of the animated films, that I simply don’t have words for. That is not an indication of quality, simply I am not going to simply post a review that says “good” or “I liked it” or somethng I can't do justice to in a clear manner (some of the more experimental animated films are like that).
Because the festival has so many short films I needed help to try and step the tide. I asked and I am going to have some reviews from my friends Caitlan Plovnick and Brent Miller who are coming aboard Unseen Films via their love of the short cinematic form. (There is a long story about how we met involving Peter, Hubert, a party and certain stuffed bull, but that's a tale for another time). They have gone above and beyond and I can't wait to share their musings.
I want to let the PR people and filmmakers know that the reviews of the shorts are going to run later in the coverage. I don't mean to lessen the importance of the films but somethings happened. Just know reviews are coming.
The festival embargo is that reviews are supposed to drop starting at 9am PT on the 21st and I will be sticking to that, though keeping it closer to the films actual screen time because I have discovered that a large number of the films have their own embargoes. The exception to the festival enforced embargo is going to be the reposting of reviews of the films I've previously reviewed. I am reposting my coverage of those films starting at 3am ET on the 21st because my reviews are already out there.
Since I've seen so many of the films at the fest you are probly asking "What are the films you should make sure you see?" Well here is a list of the tip top best films I’ve seen from Slamdance so far:
BANR is a crushing film about a long time couple where she has slipped into Alzheimer's and he has had a heart attack. This is as good a film as you'll see all year. One of 2025's best.
CORONER OF THE STARS is a portrait of former LA County Coroner Thomas Noguchi. It's not the tale you think it is and we are better for it.
OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT was one of the best films at DOC NYC and it's one of the best here at Slamdance. It's a look at a ticking time bomb of thousands of drums of chemical waste dumped off the coast of California.
HARLEY FLANNAGAN WIRED FOR CHAOS was one of the best films I saw in 2024. It's a portrait of the musician that says a great deal more about humanity.
FISHMONGER- twisted dark tale will bend your mind. A feature version is coming and I'm terrified.
KNOW ME is a small gem of a film that you need to see. Its the story of a family dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy that played out on the evening news. This is a great film that should not get lost so do make an effort to see it.
BIG JOHNSON- one of the best films of 2025 is a portrait of a one of kind man who just went for it. This ain't for the kiddies, but it is for anyone who wants to meet a wonderful person, now sadly lost.
40 WATTS FROM NOWHERE- Another of the great films of 2025, this portrait of a pirate radio station is pure magic.
DEBARGE- this is a heart breaking look at the darkside of fame as we see what has happened to some of the members of the Debarge family, who for a brief instant were the biggest thing in music.
MY OMAHA is an exploration of the divide in America as the director(not a fan of Trump) tries to reconnect with his father (a MAGA faithful). This is one of the most important films of the year.
STANDOUT: THE BEN KAJAR STORY- deeply moving of a man who overcame a genetic defect to become one of the great wrestlers ever. This best of 2025 film will require you have tissues with you.
LES BETES this short gothic nighmare of a film is one of the most spectacular things you'll see all year. Hands down the best animated short at the fest.
SAFE is 59 seconds long and it maybe the best film of the year.
Caitlin suggests three shorts you need to see:
DEUCE
STELLACAST TRANSMISSION: PT. 1 SUBCONCIOUS EYES
THE SEA INSIDE HER
And with that it's back to to darkness and the dozens more films playing the festival.
FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION GO HERE
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