By: Al B
RIDE
@WellGoUSA
Available on Blu-ray & DVD August 27
Desperate to raise money for his daughter’s cancer treatment, a retired bull rider teams up with his estranged son and resorts to robbery to secure payment before time runs out. But after the heist goes awry, keeping the money—and their freedom—requires the duo to outwit a dogged pair of local law enforcement officers, including a justice-minded sheriff who soon suspects that the key to her case may lie uncomfortably close to home.
LUMINA
GoldDove Pictures
In theaters now
A terrifying sci-fi thrill ride, LUMINA follows four friends desperately searching for their abductee friend in a DUMB – DEEP UNDERGROUND MILITARY BASE. Whether they find their friend or not, what they find in the desert of the US to the sands of the Sahara, will change their lives forever.
THE LAST FRONT
Enigma Releasing
In theaters August 9
In a Belgian village during the tumultuous start of World War I, the Lambert family finds themselves thrust into the heart of the conflict in THE LAST FRONT. At the center is Leonard Lambert (Glen), a devoted husband and father who grapples with protecting his family amidst the chaos of war as German forces advance to their village. Amidst the war, a tender love story blossoms between Adrien Lambert, Leonard’s son, and Louise Janssen, a local villager. Their relationship serves as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. With its compelling portrayal of familial bonds, love amidst chaos, and the indomitable human spirit, THE LAST FRONT promises to immerse audiences in a gripping tale of survival, love, and the enduring impact of war on both individuals and communities.
THE BEAUTIFUL SUMMER
Film Movement
Available on VOD/Digital August 9
Turin, 1938. Young Ginia has just left the countryside with her brother in search of a new life in the city. Though Turin lies in the shadow of a rising fascistic government and her brother yearns to return home, Ginia is more optimistic about the future. In a short time, she excels in her works as a seamstress at an atelier, gaining new clients with her designs and impressing her otherwise irascible employer. Restless and seeking adventure, Ginia soon finds it in a beautiful, enigmatic young woman named Amelia. Though similar in age, her new friend’s sensuality and confidence among the bohemian artists she socializes with embolden Ginia to begin modeling for the male painters in her circle. A whirlwind affair ensues, and the young seamstress finds herself swept up in this new and unfamiliar world, all the while never escaping Amelia’s spell. The young women grow closer, and Ginia makes an emotional journey towards self-discovery over the course of one beautiful, sun-dappled summer.
RUNNING ON EMPTY
Lionsgate
In theaters August 9 & VOD August 27
Keir Gilchrist, Lucy Hale, Francesca Eastwood and comic legend Jim Gaffigan star in a brilliantly quirky romantic comedy about celebrating life and living it to its fullest. Mortimer is an odd but clever young man living a lukewarm existence in California’s San Fernando Valley until he receives some life-changing news. Determined to make the most of every day, Mort sets out on a spirited quest to find meaning in his existence and discovers the girl of his dreams along the way.
HOPELESS TASTES OF HORROR
@WellGoUSA
Available on Digital now
After spending his entire childhood in a town riddled with crime and violence, a teenage boy saves up his money in hopes of someday moving with his mother to start a new, happier life. But after he crosses paths with a local gangster intent on helping him, he is drawn into increasingly dangerous situations that will leave him questioning whether his attempts to escape his hellish reality will instead ensnare him in it—permanently.
FARHA
Watermelon Pictures
Available on Digital/VOD now
Farha is a 14 year old girl who lives in a small village in Palestine, 1948. Girls her age are traditionally married off or spoken for yet Farha wants to continue her education despite traditions and the restrictions of schooling in her village for boys only. Inseparable from her best friend Farida, who lives in the city but who spends weekends in the village, Farha dreams of joining her at a school in the city. Life in the village is threatened and aggressively changed by the looming danger. Just when Farha’s father is finally convinced and Farha’s dream is at last coming true, the danger comes closer to their village. As violence escalates, Farha is brutally separated from Farida. Terrorized for his daughter’s safety and fearing for her life, Farha’s father locks her up in a concealed, small food storage space by the house, promising to return. But he never does.
KIDNAPPED
Cohen Media Group
Available on Blu-ray & DVD now
From one of Italy’s most revered directors, Marco Bellocchio (The Traitor), comes KIDNAPPED, the true story of Edgardo Mortara. Mortara was a young Jewish boy living in Bologna, Italy, when in 1858, after being secretly baptized, was forcibly taken from his family by the Pope, to be raised Catholic. His parents’ struggle to free their son became part of a larger political battle that pitted the papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification.
KINDRED
IndiePix Films
Available on DVD/Digital now
Adrian Russell Wills and Gillian Moody have been best friends for more than two decades. When they first met while making a short film, these kindred spirits felt an undeniable connection. Both were aboriginal children adopted by white families in Sydney’s northern suburbs – and, later in life, they each shared similar desires to reconnect with their bloodlines. In this moving documentary, Wills and Moody — both documentarians themselves – poignantly recount their emotional searches for love and belonging, providing a deeply personal journey into isolation and identity for two individual who continue to navigate the complexities of living in two different worlds.
LAST KUMITE
Capelight Pictues
Available on Blu-ray/DVD now
When Karate champion Michael Rivers wins the last tournament of his career, shady businessman Ron Hall offers him the opportunity to fight in an illegal, deadly Kumite in Bulgaria with the world’s best martial artists. Michael declines, only to find out later that his daughter Bree has been kidnapped and that in order to rescue her, he is left with no other option but to fight in the deadly tournament. When he finally gets to Bulgaria, he finds out that he is not the only fighter whose loved one got taken. Now, in order to beat the undefeated Kumite Champion Dracko, Michael trains with Master Loren, and Dracko’s former Sensei, Julie Jackson. But will it be enough for him to win the tournament and save his daughter’s life?