Indie Film Release Guide: September 7th [An ONTD Original]

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The Nun is probably going to destroy the box office this weekend thanks to basically no wide release competition. But if you’re not interested in scary nuns, and still want to catch something new, there are other options. This week, we’ve got several documentaries, a few dramas, and a couple of horror films.

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: August 31st, August 24th, and August 17th.

Kusama: Infinity

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Director: Heather Lenz
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Artist Yayoi Kusama and experts discuss her life and work, from her modest beginnings in Japan to becoming an internationally renowned artist.
What you should know: You can find her work exhibited in museums all over the world, from The Broad in Los Angeles to the Tate Modern in London.
Opens in: NYC & LA



I Am Not a Witch

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Stars: Maggie Malubwa, Nellie Munamonga, Dyna Mufuni, Nancy Murilo
Written and directed by: Rungano Nyoni
Genre: Drama
Plot: Shula is the first child taken to a traveling witch camp, where she is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat.
What you should know: Won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
Opens in: NYC

Cold Skin

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Stars: Ray Stevenson, David Oakes, Aura Garrido, John Benfield
Writer: Jesus Olmo, Eron Sheean, Albert Sanchez Pinot
Director: Xavier Gens
Genre: Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi
Plot: In 1914, a young man arrives at a remote island near the Antarctic Circle to take the post of weather observer only to find himself trapped in a watchtower besieged by deadly creatures which live in hiding on the island.
What you should know: According to the IMDB trivia section, the only prominent female character doesn't have any dialogue.
Opens in: Select cities & on demand

Hal

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Director: Amy Scott
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Filmmaker Hal Ashby's obsessive genius leads to an unprecedented string of Oscar-winning classics, including Harold and Maude, Shampoo and Being There. But as contemporaries Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg rise to blockbuster stardom in the 1980s, Ashby's uncompromising nature plays out as a cautionary tale of art versus commerce.
Opens in: NYC

Bisbee ‘17

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Director: Robert Greene
Genre: Documentary
Plot: An old mining town on the Arizona-Mexico border finally reckons with its darkest day: the deportation of 1200 immigrant miners exactly 100 years ago. Locals collaborate to stage recreations of their controversial past.
What you should know: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2018.
Opens in: NYC

Five Fingers for Marseilles

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Stars: Zethu Dlomo, Garth Breytenbach, Kenneth Fok, Dean Fourie
Writer: Sean Drummond
Director: Michael Matthews
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Western
Plot: Lives change forever when Tau, the young lion, kills two corrupt policemen in a South African shanty town.
What you should know: The film is in Xhosa and Southern Sotho.
Opens in: NYC, Tucson

Alright Now

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Stars: Cobie Smulders, Jessica Hynes, Richard Elis
Written and directed by: Jamie Adams
Genre: Drama
Plot: A rock musician enrolls in college after she breaks up with her boyfriend and her band falls apart.
What you should know: Her character is not Robin Sparkles (but probably should be).
Opens in: LA, and available VOD

The Apparition

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Stars: Vincent Lindon, Galatéa Bellugi, Patrick d'Assumçao, Anatole Taubman
Writer: Jacques Fieschi, Xavier Giannoli, Marcia Romano
Director: Xavier Giannoli
Genre: Drama
Plot: A journalist is sent by the Vatican to investigate a young girl claiming to be visited by the Virgin Mary.
What you should know: It’s in French
Opens in: Select Cities

Susanne Bartsch: On Top

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Director: Anthony Carrona, Alexander Smith
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: An intimate immersion into the world of New York City nightlife and fashion icon Susanne Bartsch. Along with launching the careers of RuPaul and Marc Jacobs, her legacy includes raising millions of dollars for the fight against AIDS.
What you should know: RuPaul is an executive producer.
Opens in: LA

Mara

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Stars: Olga Kurylenko, Javier Botet, Mitch Eakins, Lance E. Nichols
Writer: Jonathan Frank
Director: Clive Tonge
Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Plot: A criminal psychologist investigates the mysterious strangling death of a man in his bed. She soon meets members of a community who tell her about a centuries-old demon that kills people in their sleep.
What you should know: A “mara” is a creature from Scandinavian folklore that takes the shape of a woman and rides people as they sleep to give them nightmares.
Opens in: NYC & LA

Also opening: Nelly (Trailer), Bleeding Blue (Trailer), Age of Summer (Trailer), Peppermint (Trailer)

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Seen anything recently? Plan to see anything this weekend? Have you seen any of Kusama's work?