Indie Film Release Guide: September 21st [An ONTD Original]

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We're finally getting into award season! This week, several films that premiered at various festivals are opening for public consumption: Colette, The Sisters Brothers, and Fahrenheit 11/9 being the most prominent. I'm going to experiment with adding in Q&A info for upcoming films when I see it, since I know a lot of us live in NYC & LA. I haven't asked in a little while, but if anyone has any other suggestions for this weekly post, let me know!

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia and Disney. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: September 14th, September 7th, and August 31st.

Colette

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Stars: Keira Knightley, Eleanor Tomlinson, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw
Writer: Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Plot: Colette is pushed by her husband to write novels under his name. Upon their success, she fights to make her talents known, challenging gender norms.
What you should know: The director is doing Q&As at Landmark this weekend in LA, and the producers are doing Q&A’s at the Angelika in NYC.
Opens in: NYC & LA



The Sisters Brothers

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Stars: John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed
Writer: Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain
Director: Jacques Audiard
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Plot: In 1850s Oregon, a gold prospector is chased by the infamous duo of assassins, the Sisters brothers.
What you should know: Based on the novel by Patrick DeWitt. The director and writer are doing Q&A’s at the Angelika on Friday in NYC, and the director and John C. Reilly are doing Q&A’a at Landmark and Arclight Saturday in LA.
Opens in: NYC & LA

Little Italy

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Stars: Hayden Christiansen, Emma Roberts, Alyssa Milano, Danny Aiello
Writer: Steve Gallucio, Vinay Virmani
Director: Donald Petrie
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Plot: A young couple must navigate a blossoming romance, amidst a war between their families' competing pizza restaurants.
What you should know: Check out some of ONTD’s posts about this definitely real film!
Opens in: Select cities and on demand

Life Itself

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Stars: Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Annette Bening, Mandy Patinkin
Written and directed by: Dan Fogelman
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: As a young New York couple goes from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, the unexpected twists of their journey create reverberations that echo over continents and through lifetimes.
What you should know: Check out this post for some early feedback -


Opens in: Wide release

Assassination Nation

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Stars: Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Suki Waterhouse, Abra
Written and directed by: Sam Levinson
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Plot: After a malicious data hack exposes the secrets of the perpetually American town of Salem, chaos descends and four girls must fight to survive, while coping with the hack themselves.
What you should know: I’ve seen it described as “Mean Girls meets The Purge” like two dozen times, so if that sounds appealing, this might be for you!
Opens in: (Fairly) Wide release

Love, Gilda

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Director: Lisa D’Apolito
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Diaries, audiotapes, videotapes and testimonies from friends and colleagues offer insight into the life and career of Gilda Radner -- the beloved comic and actress who became an icon on Saturday Night Live.
What you should know: Melissa McCarthy, Bill Hader and Amy Poehler all read portions of her diary aloud, while old friends talk about their personal experiences with her.
Opens in: Select cities

Tea with the Dames

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Director: Roger Michell
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith have let the cameras in on a friendship that goes back more than half a century. The four acting greats discuss their careers and reminisce about their humble beginnings in the theatre.
What you should know: While all of the dames have enjoyed critical success, Maggie Smith is by far the most successful commercially for her role in the Harry Potter films.
Opens in: NYC

The Song of Sway Lake

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Stars: Rory Culkin, Robert Sheehan, Isabelle McNally, Mary Beth Peil
Writer: Elizabeth Bull, Ari Gold
Director: Ari Gold
Genre: Drama
Plot: Music collector Ollie Sway recruits his only friend, a rowdy Russian drifter, to help him steal a 78 record from his own family's estate.
What you should know: This premiered last year, but The Orchard didn’t pick it up for distribution until a few months ago.
Opens in: LA

Beyond the Sky

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Stars: Ryan Carnes, Jordan Hinson, Claude Duhamel, Martin Sensmeier
Writer: Rebecca Berrih, Marc Porterfield, Fulvio Sestito, Rob Warren Thomas
Director: Fulvio Sestito
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Plot: While shooting a documentary to expose the lies of alien abductees, a provocative filmmaker and his crew encounter a young woman with a dark secret who leads them to uncover a disturbing truth.
What you should know: This is the director’s first feature-length film.
Opens in: LA

Fahrenheit 11/9

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Director: Michael Moore
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Filmmaker Michael Moore predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th president of the United States. Traveling across the country, Moore interviews American citizens to get a sense of the social, economic and political impact of Trump's victory. Moore also takes an in-depth look at the media, the Electoral College, the government agenda and his hometown of Flint, Mich.
What you should know: The comments on the trailer are depressing.
Opens in: Wide release

Also opening: White Rabbit (Trailer), The Last Suit (Trailer), Strange Nature (Trailer), My Son (Trailer), A Happening of Monumental Proportions (Trailer)

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I was pleased to discover there's a "Culkin" tag, since we're not always talking Macauley. Planning to see any of these films? Have you seen anything interesting lately?