“Aloha sustains Hawai’ians by reminding us who we are.”
Hawai’i is one of the most beautiful places on earth and the Kanaka (Native Hawai’ians) feel a strong connection to their homeland. However, over the years life on the islands has become too expensive for the Kanaka to live and thrive. Many move to the mainland to raise their families including director Cris Romento’s family who moved to Vancouver, Washington over thirty years ago. In Romento’s short documentary Dear Aloha, she interviews members of the Hawai’ian diaspora, in particular her father Eric who still mourns losing his homeland. He still feels the pride of his homeland as many in the diaspora do.
The film explores this displacement of Hawai’ians and the ongoing fight for the Kanaka to stay. A tender and bittersweet film with a lot of heart and a bit of hope for the future. I would love to see this expanded into a full-length feature. There are many films about immigration but not enough about diasporas. And the plight of the Hawai’ian diaspora is one that definitely needs to be spotlighted.
Description: “Two Native Hawai’ians living in the Pacific Northwest reflect on how Aloha sustains them amidst distance, loss, and longing.” (source)
Dear Aloha is part of 2025 SIFF’s cINeDIGENOUS festival program.
Dana Tiger’s life has been one of both artistic success and great tragedy. Her father was an artistic genius and when he died tragically at the age of 26, Dana, her mother and her siblings took on the family business. They used the father’s art and created their own to start the Tiger silk screening t-shirt business. Highly successful through the 1990s the family thrived until death knocked on their door once again.
Directed by Loren Waters (Cherokee Nation/Kiowa), Tiger is a poetic exploration of art, family, and tragedy. With her body ravaged by the effects of Parkinson’s disease, Dana Tiger exemplifies spiritual strength. She is a gifted storyteller and conveys the importance of carrying her family’s legacy so beautifully in the film. A powerful piece of work made even more potent with its brevity.
Description: “Dana Tiger explores the art of her father, legendary Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger, as a way to know him, the richness of her culture, and her family’s artistic tradition.” (source)
24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with Morrie Director: Scott Tinkham Grappling with one’s mortality can feel like being punched in the face. A bit disjointed but I appreciated how it embodied an existential panic attack.
Baba I’m Fine Director: Karina Dandashi Sweet story about a dad cheering up his teenage daughter after her breakup. Fun emo musical framing.
Ben’s Sister Director: Emma Weinswig
Set in 2015 before a massive cultural shift took hold in America, this drama focuses on bored teens manipulating each other for the sake of a “scav hunt”. Not for everyone but intriguing time capsule nonetheless.
Brief Somebodies Director: Andy Reid
Imaginative short examines the awkwardness of acting out intimate scenes. I enjoyed how this film examined how the two actors compartmentalize their characters and their real attraction to each other.
Entre Tormentas Director: Fran Zayas
Quiet but powerful drama about a man on a mission to bring back the body of his brother who recently committed suicide. Drives home the message that we need to care for one another even someone dies.
Grandma’s Four Color Cards Director: Sally Tran
Beautifully evokes the privilege of living a long life but also the daily struggle to keep going. Lovely performance by the 101 year old actress. Note to self: “a talking frog will bring good luck to your life.”
How Was Your Weekend? Director: Cam Banfield
Corporate culture turns sinister when a worker dares to go off script when asked the question “how was your weekend?” Great concept and execution. Anyone with experience in the corporate world will relate to the pressure of maintaining office pleasantries especially when you don’t feel like it.
I’m The Most Racist Person I Know Director: Leela Varghese
A sweet lesbian romance between two POC women. This honest exploration of internalized racism framed within a beautiful love story is quite restorative.
Max Distance Director: Marissa Goldman
A quirky comedy about isolation in the Zoom age and the awkwardness of dating. A bit aimless but nonetheless enjoyable.
Nervous Energy Director: Eve Liu
“Let’s make beautiful films.” Sometimes as a woman you need to get rid of negative energy to focus on your creative life. Cathartic. Intense.
One Day This Kid Director: Alexander Farah
A young Arab Muslim’s life as a gay man comes in direct conflict with his conservative upbringing. Stunning film about breaking and mending familial ties. Powerful performance by the lead actor who plays the adult Hamed.
Out for Delivery Director: Chelsea Christer
A dying woman arranges the delivery of her death with dignity medication and the pickup of her remains but mishaps get in the way. This dark comedy handles a delicate subject through an absurdist lens and demonstrates how automation removes the humanity from our collective experiences.
The Sentry Director: Jake Wachtel
A murdered guard in Cambodia haunts the spy who killed him. I always appreciate when a short film can take one small trope and expand upon it. This film morphs from action thriller to buddy comedy to tenderhearted drama in the most satisfying way.
The Singers Director: Sam Davis
A regular night at the dive bar turns into an impromptu singing competition. Evokes the idea that we never really know what talents lie within others. It has a beautiful slow build and will make you tear up by the end.
Strangers in the Same Shirt Director: Anthon Chase Johnson
Common enemies (their dad, high school teacher Mrs. Abbott, tiresome wedding guests) unite estranged half-siblings at their dad’s third wedding. Seemingly simple story but with unexpected layers and a rather satisfying buildup.
Synthesize Me Director: Bear Damen
A daughter dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s death reconnects with her memory by playing with her synthesizers much to her father’s dismay. Aptly depicts the danger of taking unregulated emotions out on the vulnerable.
Unholy Director: Daisy Friedman
A young woman struggles at a family Passover Seder now that she can only eat through a feeding tube. The situation is particularly tenuous because food is such an integral part of the Jewish culture and makes the protagonist feel “unholy”. Superb little film. Audiences will find the painful awkwardness of family gatherings is so relatable.
WassupKaylee Director: Pepi Ginsberg
The emotionally distant Kaylee @WassupKaylee joins a content house and forms a tenuous connection with another creator. The film depicts the content creators’ startling disconnect with reality and gives us a glimpse into a space where constant performance is expected and vulnerability is not.
Yú Cì (Fish Bones) Director: Kevin Xian Ming Yu
A non-binary Asian-American reconnects with their closeted father after a fishing incident. This quiet slice-of-life movie says a lot with a little.
Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) is seeking revenge on Neville (Jeremy Holm), the man who killed her daughter. But it isn’t enough to kill him once. She needs to travel through the multiverse killing him again and again in every timeline possible. Her methods of tracking down and killing Neville vary through each scenario and she’s able to escape and restart her mission by way of a coffin-like time machine. Irene has lost track of how many timelines she’s lived through or what exactly happened before she started traveling the multiverse. And while she’s grown weary and bitter, she continues on. However, things change when she meets Neville’s latest victim Mia (Stella Marcus), a headstrong 15-year-old who quickly becomes Irene’s sidekick. The timelines get increasingly complex now that there is a second person and Irene must now come to terms with her purpose while helping Mia escape her dreaded fate.
Michaela McManus in Redux Redux. Image courtesy of the McManus Brothers.
Written and directed by Kevin and Matthew McManus, Redux Redux is a riveting revenge thriller held up by two strong female protagonists.
I love how the multiverse and time travel elements are never gimmicky. The conceit flows smoothly through the film and the viewer will enjoy the ride without having to have the technology or methodology explained to them. Irene Kelly is a wonderfully badass yet flawed character and the story really revs up when she’s joined by her younger counterpart Mia. Michaela McManus and Stella Marcus are stellar in their roles. Actor/filmmaker Jim Cummings has a small role as Jonathan, Irene’s grief counseling hookup.
Fans of time loop films like Groundhog Day (1993) and Palm Springs (2020) and multiverse films like Sliding Doors (1998) [which is referenced in Redux Redux] Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) will find a lot to enjoy in this indie genre film.
Image courtesy of the McManus Brothers.
The filmmaking duo the McManus brothers also wrote and directed another sci-fi horror movie The Block Island Sound (2020) [check out my review here] which also co-starred their sister Michaela McManus.
Redux Redux is produced by Mothership Motion Pictures and had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival.
Redux Redux is distributed by Saban Films and is releasing nationwide in theaters February 20th, 2026.
Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott) used to be funny. Her stand-up comedy acts would elicit uproarious laughter from the crowd and hate comments on the internet. All of that ended when a traumatic event sent her into a deep depression. With the support of her roommates, Sam navigates her new life with PTSD. But she’s forced to face her past when Brooke (Olga Petsa), the teen she used to care for as a nanny, goes missing.
Written and directed by Ally Pankiw, I Used to Be Funny is a heartfelt drama that tackles PTSD and depression while balancing the poignancy with humor. The story alternates between the present day and the events that lead to Sam’s trauma. A slow burn keeps the audience both anticipating and dreading the moment that led Sam to her current mental state. I can’t say enough good things about Rachel Sennott who shines in this dramatic role while still also showcasing her knack for comedy. I was fully invested in Sam’s story and I think audiences will too.
I Used to Be Funny had its world premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film and TV Festival.
