‘Scares some life into the haunted cabin genre with a fresh, queer twist… Joe Fria has crafted a chilling tale… both universally horrifying and deeply personal’ Queerty
Buried traumas transform into physical phantoms in Shadows of Willow Cabin. Actor – turned writerdirector – Joe Fria (Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, The Belko Experiment) masterfully merges queer romance with supernatural horror in his feature debut to craft a moody, intimate and chilling feature that unfolds like a dark fever dream.
Following its international premiere at Grimmfest 2025, Shadows of Willow Cabin arrives on UK digital on 25 May, courtesy of GrimmVision.
Albert (Bryan Bellomo), a closeted husband and Devon (John Brodsky), a wounded soul, retreat to a remote mountain cabin to explore a connection sparked by a string of sexually charged messages on a dating app. What begins as tentative desire soon deepens into intimacy, but the cabin has other plans…
As the walls whisper with voices they thought had been silenced, the cabin comes to life, trapping the couple
in a supernatural loop where time fractures, ghosts manifest, and their repressed traumas take terrifying forms.
With reality unravelling and survival at stake, they must confront their darkest secrets – and each other – before the cabin consumes them forever.
Discover what lurks in the Shadows of Willow Cabin in this unnerving tale of identity, survival and love in the face of exile.
‘One of the smartest and most unique psychological experiences I’ve encountered’ ★★★★ Dread Central
‘Black Mirror meets Taxi Driver in rideshare thriller’ Bloody Disgusting
‘Effectively explores the toxic relationship between desperation and exploitation… a strong calling card for both its maker and lead actor’ Screen Daily Strap in for a high-stakes, pitch-black comedic thrill-ride with Self Driver.
Writer-director Michael Pierro (Hey, George) makes his feature debut with this award-winning festival favourite, which now comes speeding onto UK digital on 11 May, thanks to GrimmVision.
Facing mounting costs and the unrelenting pressures of modern life, down-on-his-luck cab driver D (Nathanael Chadwick – The Last Porno Show), is lured onto a mysterious new ride-share app that promises fast, easy money.
As his first night on the job unfolds, the tasks become increasingly more extreme and even illegal, drawing D into grave danger. As he embarks on a journey deep into the dark underbelly of society, he is forced into moral dilemmas that challenge his very understanding of free will.
Created through guerrilla filmmaking on the late-night streets of Toronto, Self Driver captures the uneasy energy of a big city at night and questions: if you’re driving on a road heading nowhere, with nothing to lose, how far would you go to redraw the map?
Take a spin with Self Driver for a pulse-pounding thriller that will push you to the brink of morality.
‘A mini sci-fi masterpiece… really clever… constantly entertaining and incredibly creative’ Bloody Flicks
‘A fantastic and intriguing blend of documentary, found footage horror, and even adventure… So exciting, yet so mysterious. A brilliant horror’ ★★★★ Nerdly
Descend into the madness of Tribe – Dan Asma’s (Fall, Cinematographer) fear-filled feature that blends psychological terror with cult chills and body horror. Following its acclaimed run on the festival circuit, the film arrives on UK digital 25 May, courtesy of GrimmVision.
On November 12 2024, retired university lecturer Devin Adams (Asma) documents the ever-changing symptoms of his strange new illness, including a loss of motor functions, amnesia and a growing face deformity. As he continues to record his spiral into insanity, he discovers old videotapes that may just be the key to piecing together his fractured memories.
The tapes reintroduce us to Devin back in August 2024 as he sets off to investigate the mysterious death of his old friend Charlie (Keaton Asma) – an affiliate of the Church of Heaven’s Light, who killed himself soon after visiting the Cuyamaca Mountains.
Desperate to explore the cult further and uncover the circumstances around Charlie’s passing, Devin journeys to the same fateful mountains in search of answers. But what initially starts out as an adventure soon transcends into a found footage nightmare involving chilling conspiracies, ancient creatures and cataclysmic cosmic horrors.
Find your Tribe in this mind-altering found footage hellscape.
Creep meets Unfriended in Adam Meilech’s (The Leak, Junk Male) Content – a sinister satire that reinvents found footage for the TikTok age.
Following its acclaimed run on the festival circuit, including Grimmfest 2025, press play on Content when it makes its digital debut on 27 April, courtesy of GrimmVision.
In a world offame hungryinfluencers, meet modern dayrenaissance manAJ (Meilech): actor, writer, director… stalker, kidnapper and outright psychopath.
A movie maker with bigger aspirations than any of his cast can quite fathom, AJ sets out to make his magnum opus, but little do his stars know, once he yells cut, the real action unfolds…
Surveying his talent via hackedphones and laptops, the deranged director blurs theline between fiction and reality in the name of creating his cinematic masterpiece.
Writer, director and star Adam Meilech gives an electrifying and unnerving performance as the truly unhinged filmmaker in this well observed and mischievously meta study of sociopathic self-delusion, online content creation and making films in the age of social media.
Quit doomscrolling and discover a new ‘unpredictable, unhinged and batshit crazy’ (Slasher Reviews) piece of Content for a scarily good time.
Filmmakers of the Australian-produced mystery-drama ‘Anno 2020’ are celebrating after having inked a worldwide distribution deal with US-based streamer Fawesome TV.
Shot for a total budget of only US$6,000, this controversial, award-winning feature film fits into the somewhat romantic-sounding but in-reality-brutal “no budget” film industry category.
The streaming milestone follows sold-out red carpet cinema screenings of ‘Anno 2020’ in key Australian states in 2024, as well as a successful international film festival run.
Future Today Inc., who own Fawesome TV, recently announced that besides its free ad-supported global streaming service, they now also reach 75 million US households directly. This expanded distribution is being achieved across connected television platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Vizio and LG.
Anno 2020’s New Zealand-Australian writer-director James Morcan, who adapted the movie from his published novel of the same name, today confirmed the film is being distributed by the on-the-rise streaming company and is already available to stream on that platform.
“I’m delighted that Fawesome TV are distributing our one-of-a-kind and truly epic movie to the world,” Morcan said from his Sydney office. “Fawesome are ever-expanding and are a great American streaming service to be associated with for this film – and hopefully for future movies my associates and I have in the works.”
The film’s editor and director of photography, Sydneysider Simon Carter, said today he was overwhelmed by Anno 2020’s continuing accolades.
“Our production is not a commercial one in the strictest sense. It’s more of a throwback to when movies were often made for art’s sake alone,” said Carter.
“It’s fitting that one of the awards ‘Anno 2020’ won was ‘Best Experimental Film’ at the Titan International Film Festival here in Australia. That award is reflective of the pioneering filmmaking and storytelling techniques we used to get this done.
“The whole team is amazed by the critical and now commercial success our humble and unorthodox production is achieving.”
In something of a paradox for its minuscule budget ‘Anno 2020’ was, against all odds, shot in 17 cities around the world during the Covid lockdowns of 2020-2021.
Carter said he believed most people could not even conceive of the immense challenges involved in producing and releasing an international feature film without a budget.
“James and I have been toiling away on the edit to create what we hope the world eventually considers a masterpiece and something that ages well…But it has been really tough without a budget and so many times it seemed impossible to ever finish it let alone release it.
“In the end it came down to our ability to pioneer new filming methods as well as some serious hard yards. One example of resourcefulness was pushing our only available post-production tech to its absolute limits and even at times using fans to cool them down.”
Billed as a global kaleidoscope of interconnected characters seeking redemption, answers and justice amidst the chaos of 2020, the film somewhat remarkably features an ensemble of renowned actors from around the world.
The cast includes American veterans Kevin Scott Allen (American Primeval), Sheila Ball (Assault On VA-33) and La Rivers (Equal Standard), as well as Chinese-American Crystal J. Huang (Dark Feathers) and US actor-singer Jessica Castello (Oildale), and leading Australians Erin Connor (Occupation: Rainfall), Greg Poppleton (The Chronicles of Narnia), Brett Partridge (Water Rats) and Audrey Nitschke (Wolf Like Me).
James Morcan, who also acts in ‘Anno 2020’, believes the movie adaptation of his novel could only ever have been done independently and without input from film financiers.
“I’m a bit old school in that I believe censorship has no place whatsoever in art. I wanted to cover the contentious handling of the Covid-19 lockdowns and other pandemic-related challenges experienced in 2020. This included the alternative opinions that were regularly censored from appearing in mainstream media and social media outlets. It felt very obvious that no financiers or distributors would back our production before filming commenced.
“However, because we had the courage to cover explosive topics widely discussed in the general public but never acknowledged by Hollywood studios or television networks, we may ultimately end up with something quite commercial. After all, timing is everything in the film industry…and Anno 2020 seems to be being released at a time when there is a growing desire for the truth about what went down during the Covid era…as well as increasing public demand for alternative voices to be heard.”
Lead Producer Gil Ben-Moshe, of MoneyShot Productions, said he expects to announce further streaming and distribution deals for ‘Anno 2020’ in the coming months.
Watching Mr. Pearson Kicks Off Nationwide Grassroots Theatrical ReleaseRooted in Community Engagement, Compassion, Care, and Indie Spirit
A national, community-driven theatrical rollout begins this week for Watching Mr. Pearson, an intimate and emotionally resonant feature redefining independent film distribution through direct audience connection, grassroots outreach, and filmmaker presence in theaters across the country.
Produced by Boston-based KT Pictures and Hedy Films, Watching Mr. Pearson marks the first theatrical release from the emerging creative partnership behind the SXSW-premiered genre film Imposters. While Imposters signals the collective’s range in bold, cinematic storytelling, Watching Mr. Pearson represents the heart of their mission: human-centered filmmaking grounded in empathy, connection, and lived experience.
The film stars Hugo Armstrong (Lucky, Coherence), delivering a deeply layered performance as Robert Pearson, a once-celebrated actor navigating the disorienting realities of memory loss. He is joined by Sam Bullington (Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2), Zainab Jah (All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Only Murders in the Building), Dominika Zawada, and Luis Rizo, forming a richly textured ensemble that brings emotional authenticity and nuance to the film’s exploration of caregiving, identity, and human connection.
Synopsis Watching Mr. Pearson follows two caregivers, Caroline and Miguel, as they share responsibility for Robert Pearson, a brilliant but fading actor struggling with cognitive decline. While Miguel focuses on routine and stability, Caroline forms a more imaginative and emotionally immersive bond with Pearson, stepping into scenes from his past to keep him engaged and connected. As their approaches begin to clash and the line between performance and reality blurs, both caregivers must confront what it truly means to care for someone at the edge of memory, identity, and self.
More than a film, Watching Mr. Pearson is launching as a national grassroots movement, with a distribution strategy built on direct, human connection and a belief that meaningful cinema can live beyond traditional release models.
The rollout has been intentionally shaped through outreach to senior communities, nursing professionals, and memory care organizations, creating space for the film to resonate with those closest to its themes. At the same time, the campaign is engaging faith-based communities through the film’s message of compassion, presence, and care, while maintaining an open, inclusive approach that welcomes audiences of all backgrounds into the conversation.
In parallel, the release has become a point of engagement for the film and media studies community, offering a real-time case study in independent distribution. The team’s hands-on, “build it from the ground up” approach, marked by direct theater relationships, local partnerships, and filmmaker-led outreach, reflects a bold, instructive model for how films can connect with audiences outside traditional systems.
“This release is about meeting people where they are,” said the filmmaking team. “Whether that’s in a theater, a classroom, a care community, or a place of worship, the goal is the same, to create connection, conversation, and a shared emotional experience.”
The rollout is supported by RBL Films & PR, led by industry veteran Ry Levey, specializing in impact-driven distribution and audience-first engagement strategies.
Filmmakers and Cast Touring Nationwide Select screenings will feature in-person appearances and post-film Q&As with members of the creative team and cast, including:
Director and co-writer Dillon Bentlage
Producer and KT Pictures co-founder Brian Reilly
Co-writer and producer Simon Kienitz Kincade, whose Chesapeake Bay roots have shaped key regional outreach efforts
Additional cast appearances in select markets
These appearances are designed to foster meaningful dialogue and deepen the film’s community impact.
WATCHING MR. PEARSON – THEATRICAL ROLLOUT SCHEDULE
• April 9–12 — Bethel, CT (Greenwood Features) • April 10 — Seymour, CT (The Strand Theater, with Q&A) • April 11 — Madison, CT (Madison Cinemas) • April 12 — Mystic, CT (Mystic Luxury Cinemas) • April 13 — New Canaan, CT (The Playhouse) • April 14–15 — Hartford, CT (Cinestudio) • April 17–23 — Rehoboth Beach, DE (Movies at Midway) • April 17–23 — Irvington, VA (Compass Cinemas) • April 19–21 — Somerville, MA (Somerville Theatre) • April 26 — Dennis, MA (Cape Cinema) • April 29 — Greenfield, MA (Greenfield Garden Cinemas) • May 9–10 — Santa Fe, NM (Sky Cinemas) • May 9–10 — The Villages, FL (Old Mill Playhouse) • May 16–17 — New Orleans, LA (Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge) • May 24 — New Paltz, NY (Denizen Theatre Cinema) • May 30 — Encino, CA (Laemmle Theatres – Town Center) • May 31 — Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle Theatres – The Royal) • June 4 — San Francisco, CA (Lee Neighborhood Theatres)
Ellis Series 2 Arrives on Digital and DVD This Spring
‘The British detective drama that the genre has been crying out for… [Sharon D. Clarke] effortlessly pours wit, enigma and emotion into her leading role’
Radio Times
As seen on Channel 5 SHARON D. CLARKE
IS
ELLIS
Series 2
Arrives on DVD 18 May 2026
On digital 31 March 2026
‘A fresh spin on the police procedural… Clarke is the queen of the withering look. I could watch her glaring down hapless plods in regional police stations all day’
The Times
‘Fresh and highly compelling’
★★★★
The Killing Times
FOLLOWING ITS critically acclaimed first outing, that proved a ratings winner, Acorn Media International is delighted to announce the return of Ellis – the groundbreaking detective drama that had audiences hooked.
Three-time Olivier Award winner and BAFTA nominated actor Sharon D. Clarke (Mr Loverman, Showtrial, Doctor Who) reprises her role as the inimitable, no nonsense case cracker – DCI Ellis – in the hotly anticipated second series, that arrives on digital 31 March and on DVD 18 May, following its transmission on Channel 5.
Ellis Series 2 finds the detective inspector fresh from her victories in series one as she is once again parachuted in to tackle failing cases across the North of England.
With DS Harper (Andrew Gower – Outlander, Carnival Row, Miss Scarlet and the Duke), by her side, she faces a new wave of fractured communities and mysteries that test not only her forensic brilliance but her resilience too.
From acclaimed writers Paul Logue (Shetland, Vera) and Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre (Murder Is Easy), the new series features two gripping cases that peel back layers of silence, ambition and betrayal.
The sharp and driven detective must investigate the suspicious death of a beloved community leader exposing long-held resentments and the death of a young woman that leads to the team uncovering a hidden network of coercion and exploitation.
Our favourite new case cracker is back to take on more seemingly unsolvable killer crimes, but nothing will stop the tenacious Ellis in this must-see gritty detective drama.
Harry Wild Series 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot and Box Set Details
Fan-favourite crime drama Harry Wild is back — and bigger than ever. With Series 4 arriving alongside a complete Series 1–4 box set, there’s never been a better time to dive into this witty, mystery-filled hit.
Led by Jane Seymour, the show continues to charm audiences with its blend of clever cases, humour, and irresistible detective chemistry.
📅 When is Harry Wild Series 4 released?
Harry Wild Series 4 and the Series 1–4 box set arrive on DVD and digital on 27 April 2026, following its broadcast on U&Drama.
🎭 Cast
The new series sees the return of its much-loved cast, including:
Jane Seymour as Harry Wild
Rohan Nedd as Fergus
Kevin Ryan as Charlie Wild
Rose O’Neill as Lola
Samantha Mumba
Paul Tylak
Aoife Mulholland joins the cast this season as Orla.
🕵️♀️ What is Series 4 about?
Business is booming for Harry and Fergus as they take on a fresh batch of mysteries — and this time, the stakes are even higher.
From a serial killer investigation to bizarre and unexpected cases, the duo find themselves tackling:
A suspicious convent mystery
A deadly racetrack sabotage
A case of disappearing dancers
A shocking doppelgänger murder
Meanwhile, personal lives begin to complicate things, with Fergus facing a difficult decision about his future.
📺 Why fans love Harry Wild
Since its debut, the show has earned praise for its light-hearted tone and engaging mysteries.
“Jane Seymour is having a ball… far from just another cosy detective drama” – Daily Mail
‘Watching Mr. Pearson’ Sets Spring Nationwide Theatrical Rollout as KT Pictures and Hedy Films Build on SXSW-Premiering Imposters
April 9th Launch Across CT, MA, VA and DE Precedes Broader U.S. Expansion Beginning in May, Led by Grassroots, Community-Driven Release Strategy
Fresh off serving as co-producers on the SXSW-premiering 2026 sci-fi thriller Imposters, Boston-based KT Pictures and Hedy Films are channeling that momentum into a nationwide theatrical rollout of their latest feature, Watching Mr. Pearson.
Launching first across Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Delaware beginning in April, the film is already generating strong early demand, with filmmaker-attended screenings beginning to fill up in multiple markets ahead of opening. The rollout will expand into a broader national release across the United States starting in May, powered by a grassroots strategy rooted in community engagement and direct audience connection.
This is not a conventional release. It is a ground-up theatrical movement in motion.
Working city by city, the team has built partnerships with memory care organizations, senior living communities, educators, and caregiver networks, activating audiences before opening weekend. Screenings are being positioned as shared community experiences, with planned post-film Q&As, conversations, and local collaborations designed to spark dialogue and connection around the film’s themes.
At the center of this effort is a close-knit creative collective: producers Samantha Valletta (Hedy Films), Dillon Bentlage, and Brian Reilly (KT Pictures), alongside co-writer and producer Simon Kienitz Kincade, whose personal connection to dementia and caregiving informs the emotional core of the film.
Together, they represent a new wave of independent filmmakers building outside traditional systems. Their collaboration spans multiple feature films, award-winning short films, and the internationally recognized web series Play It By Ear, which screened at Nashville Film Festival, HollyShorts, Dances With Films, and Catalyst Content Festival. That same hands-on, filmmaker-first ethos now drives a theatrical model built on relationships, trust, and lived experience.
Watching Mr. Pearson tells the story of a once-renowned actor struggling to distinguish past from present, and the two caregivers who use imagination and performance to help him remain connected to the world around him.
The film is anchored by a powerful central performance from Hugo Armstrong, whose body of work includes collaborations alongside Denzel Washington and Harry Dean Stanton, and who was recently part of the Oscar-nominated Jane Austen’s Period Drama. His portrayal of Robert Pearson is expected to be a defining emotional experience for audiences.
He is joined by a rising ensemble:
Sam Bullington, recently featured in Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2
Zainab Jah, acclaimed for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Only Murders in the Building
Dominika Zawada and Luis Rizo, whose performances bring nuance and humanity to the caregiving dynamic
Behind the camera, the film reflects years of creative collaboration. Bentlage and Kincade have developed a sustained writing and directing partnership across features and short-form work, while Reilly and Valletta continue to grow KT Pictures and Hedy Films into prolific, filmmaker-driven production companies committed to performance-centered storytelling.
Their recent role as co-producers on Imposters, directed by Caleb Phillips and starring Jessica Rothe and Charlie Barnett, signals their expanding presence within the independent film landscape. The film’s SXSW premiere highlights their reach in the genre space, while Watching Mr. Pearson underscores their commitment to intimate, human storytelling.
Supporting the release is RBL Films & PR, led by industry veteran Ry Levey, working alongside the filmmakers on a targeted, community-first distribution strategy designed to build meaningful audience engagement from the ground up.
Together, Imposters and Watching Mr. Pearson reflect the range of KT Pictures and Hedy Films: a creative partnership capable of delivering both high-concept genre cinema and deeply personal, emotionally resonant work.
Right now, that momentum is building around Watching Mr. Pearson.
Across early markets, organizations are coordinating group attendance, community leaders are engaging around the film’s themes, and audiences are preparing to experience the film together. The rollout is being shaped not just by distribution, but by participation.
This is independent cinema activated in real time.
WATCHING MR. PEARSON — NATIONAL THEATRICAL ROLLOUT
• April 9–12 — Bethel, CT (Greenwood Features) • April 10 — Seymour, CT (The Strand Theater, with Q&A) • April 11 — Madison, CT (Madison Cinemas) • April 12 — Mystic, CT (Mystic Luxury Cinemas) • April 13 — New Canaan, CT (The Playhouse) • April 14–15 — Hartford, CT (Cinestudio) • April 17–23 — Rehoboth Beach, DE (Movies at Midway) • April 17–23 — Irvington, VA (Compass Cinemas) • April 19–21 — Somerville, MA (Somerville Theatre) • April 26 — Dennis, MA (Cape Cinema) • April 29 — Greenfield, MA (Greenfield Garden Cinemas) • May 9–10 — Santa Fe, NM (Sky Cinemas) • May 16–17 — New Orleans, LA (Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge) • May 24 — New Paltz, NY (Denizen Theatre Cinema) • May 30 — Encino, CA (Laemmle Theatres – Town Center) • May 31 — Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle Theatres – The Royal) • June 4 — San Francisco, CA (Lee Neighborhood Theatres)
