Indie Film Release Guide: May 6th [An ONTD Original]

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Disney has got this weekend’s box office on lock with the release of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, which faces zero competition from the other major studios. But there are many other new indie releases this weekend, and you can explore those below.

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Studios, Universal, Columbia/Sony 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: April 29th, April 22nd, and April 15th.

Happening

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Stars: Anamaria Vartolomei, Kacey Mottet Klein, Luàna Bajrami, Louise Orry-Diquéro
Writer: Marcia Romano, Audrey Diwan, Annie Ernaux
Director: Audrey Diwan
Genre: Drama
Plot: Follows Annie, a bright young student who faces an unwanted pregnancy while abortion was still illegal in 1960s France.
What you should know: Won the Golden Lion at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters



Operation Mincemeat

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Stars: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Rufus Wright
Writer: Michelle Ashford
Director: John Madden
Genre: Drama, War
Plot: Hoping to change the course of World War II, and save tens of thousands of lives, two intelligence officers plot to break Hitler’s deadly grip on Europe by recruiting the most unlikely of secret agents: a dead man.
What you should know: Based on the book by Ben Macintyre.
Where to watch: In theaters, and on Netflix May 10th

The Twin

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Stars: Teresa Palmer, Steven Cree, Tristan Ruggeri, Barbara Marten
Writer: Aleksi Hyvärinen, Taneli Mustonen
Director: Taneli Mustonen
Genre: Horror
Plot: A mother needs to confront the unbearable truth about her surviving twin son.
What you should know: Filmed in Finland.
Where to watch: In theaters, and on Shudder

Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known

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Writer: Steven Sater
Director: Michael John Warren
Genre: Documentary, Musical
Storyline: Fifteen years after the Tony-winning Broadway run of Spring Awakening, the original cast and creative team reunite for a spectacular, one night only concert.
What you should know: Check out the 2007 Tony Awards performance from the OBC here.
Where to watch: HBO

Shepherd

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Stars: Tom Hughes, Kate Dickey, Jamie Marie Leary, Greta Scacchi
Writer/Director: Russell Owen
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Plot: A young Scottish shepherd, following the death of his unfaithful wife, fights to maintain his own sanity when the past catches up to him.
What you should know: Check out the comments below for why you might wanna give this one a skip!!
Where to watch: In theaters

In Front of Your Face

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Stars: Lee Hye-young, Cho Yunhee, Kwon Hae-hyo
Writer/Director: Hong Sang-soo
Genre: Drama
Plot: After years living abroad, former actress Sangok is back in Seoul, staying with her sister Jeongok in her high-rise apartment. The siblings sleep late, have breakfast in a cafe and visit a restaurant owned by Jeongok's son. But as the details of Sangok's day accrue, it becomes clear that there is much she is not revealing. And these mysterious circumstances have something to do with her decision to meet with film director Jaewon to discuss her return to acting.
What you should know: It’s in Korean.
Where to watch: In select theaters; expands next week

Human Factors

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Stars: Sabine Timoteo, Mark Waschke, Jule Hermann, Wanja Valentin Kube
Writer/Director: Ronny Trocker
Genre: Drama
Plot: A mysterious home invasion triggers off a shake in the core of a cosmopolitan middle-class family and unveils the fragility of truth and the power of individual perspective.
What you should know: It’s in French, Flemish and German.
Where to watch: In theaters; available VOD May 24th

The Sanctity of Space

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Writer: Chad Ervin, Freddie Wikinson
Director: Renan Ozturk, Freddie Wilkinson
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Inspired by the photography of legendary explorer Brad Washburn, three friends traverse some of Alaska's most challenging peaks.
What you should know: Both directors have previously worked on other climbing films.
Where to watch: In theaters

Sheryl

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Director: Amy Scott
Genre: Documentary, Music
Storyline: An intimate story of song and sacrifice-musically gifted superstar Sheryl Crow navigates an iconic yet arduous musical career battling sexism, ageism, depression, cancer, and the price of fame, before harnessing the power of her gift.
What you should know: This is director Amy Scott’s second directorial effort after 2018’s Hal, about director Hal Ashby.
Where to watch: Showtime

Lux Aeterna

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Stars: Béatrice Dalle, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Abbey Lee, Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull
Writer/Director: Gaspar Noé
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: Béatrice Dalle and Charlotte Gainsbourg are on a film set telling stories about witches. Technical problems and psychotic outbreaks gradually plunge the shoot into chaos.
What you should know: Nominated for the Queer Palm at Cannes 2019.
Where to watch: In theaters

More New Releases

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (Trailer)
The Ravine (Trailer)
Wuhan Wuhan (Trailer)

New to Streaming

Along for the Ride (Trailer) on Netflix
Marmaduke (Trailer) on Netflix
Dear Evan Hansen (Trailer) on HBO

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD?