MSPIFF45 Announced 2026 Award Winners + FlixChatter’s Top 5 Favorites

The 45th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival has officially wrapped up. Perhaps the string of nice weather, with no snow in sight, attracted record-breaking crowds that shattered their previous daily attendance record—twice! I only managed to catch 11 films (two of them online), which is four fewer than I had hoped for. The reason? …

Continue reading MSPIFF45 Announced 2026 Award Winners + FlixChatter’s Top 5 Favorites

MSPIFF 2026 Review: HONEYJOON (2025) – A breezy, delightful mother-daughter comedy about navigating grief, set in the Azores

Film festivals are truly a great place to discover new voices. This is Lilian T. Mehrel’s fantastic debut feature, created when she won the AT&T Tribeca Untold Stories grant. I’ve always been into mother-daughter tales, especially since my late mom was a single parent who loved traveling, but we never got to take a trip …

Continue reading MSPIFF 2026 Review: HONEYJOON (2025) – A breezy, delightful mother-daughter comedy about navigating grief, set in the Azores

MSPIFF 2026 Review: Don’t Call Me Mama (2026)—A tense, atmospheric Norwegian forbidden romance that’ll leave you shaken

One of the main reasons I enjoy film festivals is that they frequently expose me to fresh talent in cinema. Last Thursday, I got to know Norwegian writer/director Nina Knag, whose gripping, atmospheric, and subversive debut drama will both excite and frustrate you in the best way. The phrase 'Don't Call Me Mama' is never …

Continue reading MSPIFF 2026 Review: Don’t Call Me Mama (2026)—A tense, atmospheric Norwegian forbidden romance that’ll leave you shaken

10 Highly-Anticipated 2026 Films Directed By Women – in honor of International Women’s Day

Happy International Women's Day!! I know I’m a bit late with this post since it’s nearly evening where I am, but honestly, every day should be International Women’s Day… why limit the celebration of women to just one day out of 365? At FlixChatter, I celebrate women every day by taking part in the 52 …

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Short Film Spotlight: JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA – one of 2026’s Oscar-nominated Live Action Shorts

Happy Saturday, all! For those in the US and Canada, happy Daylights Savings weekend. Clocks "spring forward" one hour at 2 AM tonight, so we lost an hour this weekend. Thus, I’m keeping this post rather short. I haven't had the opportunity to check out all the Oscar-nominated shorts, but last week my friend shared …

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FlixChatter Review: LIES WE TELL (2024) – A slo-burn, taut, atmospheric Gothic thriller set in Ireland

I didn't catch this one at MSPIFF last year, so I'm really happy to find it streaming on Netflix. Set against the backdrop of Ireland's wilderness, 18-year-old Maud Ruthyn is grieving the unexpected loss of her affluent father, who left her the inheritance of the sprawling Knowls estate. It's not exactly a suitable environment for …

Continue reading FlixChatter Review: LIES WE TELL (2024) – A slo-burn, taut, atmospheric Gothic thriller set in Ireland

FlixChatter Review: H Is For Hawk (2025) – A well-acted drama that doesn’t quite soar as high as it aims to be

Everyone deals with grief in their own way. I lost my mom when I was 16, and it was tough, but I think losing a parent as an adult can hit even harder. After her father's unexpected passing, Helen (Claire Foy) gets lost in the memories of their birdwatching adventures and time spent in nature. …

Continue reading FlixChatter Review: H Is For Hawk (2025) – A well-acted drama that doesn’t quite soar as high as it aims to be