The Librarians (2025)
★★★★☆
Oscar-nominated The Librarians, directed by Kim A Snyder and executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, is a documentary about the unlikely defenders of intellectual freedom in schools in Trump’s changing USA.
★★★★
San Sebastián Film Festival: 19-27 September 2025: Awards
★★★★☆
San Sebastián 2025
Solo (2023)
★★★★☆
The rush of a new love turns sour for young drag queen Simon, whilst also dealing with the return of his absent mother, in writer-director Sophie Dupuis’s excellent drama Solo.
From Ground Zero (2024)
★★★★☆
From Ground Zero, compiled by Rashid Masharawi and executive produced by Michael Moore, is a poignant compilation of short films showing everyday life in a destroyed Gaza.
Mother Vera (2024)
★★★☆☆
Mother Vera is an award-winning documentary by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson that enthrallingly reveals the life of a nun in Belarusia both pre- and post-convent.
Venice 2025: 27 August-6 September
★★★★☆
Venice Film Festival 2025
Kneecap (2024)
★★★★☆
Kneecap, written and directed by Rich Peppiat, is the comic, fictionalised story of the rise to fame of the controversial Irish-language rap trio Kneecap – played by themselves.
Holy Cow (2024)
★★★★☆
Holy Cow, co-written and directed by Louise Courvoisier, is a lovely, involving coming-of-age story set in rural France.
Sebastian (2024)
★★★★☆
A young writer dives into the world of sex work for content for his debut novel: soon the lines between research and reality become blurred in writer-director Mikko Mäkelä’s Sebastian.
BFI Flare: Cherub (2024)
★★★★☆
Lonely scientist Harvey lives a solitary life but discovering Cherub, a magazine for larger men and their admirers, leads to unexpected confidence and joy in writer-director Devin Shears’ Cherub.
On Falling (2024)
★★★★☆
On Falling, a first feature directed by Laura Carreira, is a worthy addition to the Ken Loach trilogy on Sixteen Films: the lives of people struggling on low-wage or zero-hours contracts.
Berlinale: Paternal Leave (2025)
★★★★☆
Paternal Leave is charming and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s the debut feature written and directed by Alissa Jung.
A Complete Unknown (2024)
★★★★☆
A Complete Unknown is an excellently written and acted, star-studded (Timothée Chalamet) biopic directed by James Mangold of four crucial early years in the life of iconoclastic genius, musician and poet, Nobel Prize-winning Bob Dylan.
Maria (2024)
★★★★☆
Maria, an emotional biopic, directed by Pablo Larrain, starring an incredible performance by Angelina Jolie as the iconic Maria Callas.