26th Woodstock Film Festival - 2025
The 26th Annual Woodstock Film Festival runs October 15th-October 19th, 2025…keep checking back for more reviews!!!
BUT…here’s a few to excite you as we lead up to it!!!
Concessions
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Feature Film
Film Production Companies: Terra Productions, Kebrado, Sentenza
Film Company
Rating: 15+ / Run Time: 91 minutes
Language: English
Director: Mas Bouzidi
Writer: Mas Bouzidi
Starring: Rob Riordan, Jonathan Lorenzo Price, Lana Rockwell, Ivory Aquino,
Volkan Eryaman, Greg Roman, Bob McAndrew, Sarah Okado,
Blake French, Max Madsen, with Josh Hamilton, Steven Ogg and Michael Madsen
“This place closing is exactly what I need to get my life on track.”
The Royal Alamo Cinema has stood proudly since 1973, and now, just over 50 years later, we’ve reached its final day. For Luke Plimpton (Ogg), this means the end of a family business. On hand for this bittersweet swan song are the small but loyal staff: Hunter (Riordan) and Lorenzo (Price) manning concessions, Deana (Rockwell) in the box office, Ron (McAndrew) ushering, Randy (French) keeping security, and Rita (Okada) running the projectors. With “potential future classics” like Taft! The Musical, Schindler’s List Refueled, and The Bad Bloke of Bedford Avenue on the marquee, it should be a fairly calm day.
Of course, it isn’t. Visitors include stunt double Rex Fuel (the late, great Michael Madsen), eager to catch one of his own films, and local newscaster Linda Chung (Aquino), covering the theatre’s closing live. There’s also the ongoing commentary from Sergio (Eryaman) and his band—delightful and witty characters straight out of the Kevin Smith playbook. Some staff know their next step in life, others don’t, and their conversations on work, purpose, and the passage of time give the film its heart.
In his feature debut, writer/director Mas Bouzidi has crafted a love letter to the slacker cinema of the mid-90s. Comparisons to Smith’s Clerks, Allan Moyle’s Empire Records, and Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused are inevitable—but Bouzidi’s goal is homage, not imitation. Structured in sequences that move through the day, the film offers debates on famous franchises, the identities of obscure musicians, and musings from a scene-stealing character known only as The Theater Philosopher (Roman). I won’t lie, I feel I have made many of those insights similarly in life, though I don’t make some of the decisions he does.
The ensemble cast is a delight. Riordan and Price share sharp, knowing banter that embodies the spirit of the genre. Eryaman’s Sergio delivers perfectly dry humor, while Ogg—though underused—injects moments of that intense energy fans loved from The Walking Dead. And then there’s Michael Madsen. In one of his final performances, he’s playful, flirtatious, and deeply affecting in a scene that may bring a tear to your eye.
Filmed in a still-functioning upstate New York cinema, the location feels like a time capsule, though we understand wholeheartedly that we are in the present day. It’s cash-only, has a cigarette machine in the lobby (despite the “no smoking” announcements made by Luke over the intercom), and screens only 35mm prints—mirroring the tactile, analog aesthetic of Concessions itself.
Bouzidi’s cinephile passion is evident. While steeped in cinematic influences, he keeps the conversations topical and the themes immediate. The result may divide audiences, but its heart, humor, and sincerity—plus a game cast—make it resonate. It’s also a timely reminder: nothing beats the moviegoing experience, so get out there and go.
All in all, cinephiles will savor the Easter eggs tucked throughout, and casual viewers will appreciate this affectionate love letter to the theatre.
For an exclusive discussion with Writer/Director Mas Bouzidi, click HERE.
Review by Cinephile Mike
*Previously published when screened at the 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival (August 2025).
How I Learned to Die
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short Film
Rating: NR / Run Time: 19 minutes
Language: English
Director: Manya Glassman
Writer: Manya Glassman
Starring: Lola Darling, Rebecca Gibel, John Hillner, Aijia Tang and
James Wert
“Let me provide some context.”
If you had a 60% chance of dying within four days, what would you do? This is the question on Iris' (Darling) mind. As a result of a crippling tumor on her third vertebra, she spends her days in a neck brace, pondering what her teenage self should accomplish. She keeps a list in her notebook. Among those things: first kiss, get drunk, drive a car without a license...all honest firsts for a teenager looking towards the end. As she tries to check items off, new ones keep getting added as they come to her. Providing comfort, and a list assist, is her best friend Kara (Tang), who, for a fellow teen, asks some surprisingly deep, reflective questions. There’s also her friend Drew (Wert), who helps turn a few of those list items into reality. Not providing quite as much (at least in Iris’ eyes) are her mother, Rachel (Gibel) and father, Sam (Hillner), who are finding different ways to process what is happening to their daughter.
In the midst of all this, Glassman's script is a pleasant, if somewhat mixed bag. It opens with a great break-the-fourth-wall moment, and closes with a satisfying ending — well, as satisfying as it can be given the circumstances. The pacing in the middle wobbles a bit, but for a twenty-minute short, it rights itself when it counts. The standout here is Darling. Her energy is infectious, grounding the performance with warmth and heart. In her acting debut, she brings a bubbly presence that wouldn’t feel out of place in a primetime sitcom. All in all, this is a touching dramedy with real heart and reminds us that despite our age, while we all process life’s challenges differently, we still need to live.
Review by Cinephile Mike
*Previously published when screened at the Tribeca Film Festival (June 2025).
Les Bêtes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Short Film
Film Production Companies: Red Hatchet Films
Rating: NR / Run Time: 12 minutes
Language: English
Director: Michael Granberry
Writer: Wladyslaw Starewicz
One night, on the roof of a castle, a strange bunny summons various guests of all shapes, sizes and types to a performance. Much like Chernabog did in the “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence from Disney’s Fantasia, all of the otherworldly beings gather by flight, walk or vehicle. Once together, they arrive at the court of the King of the realm, who sits resplendent on his throne with his subjects aligned on either side as the bunny’s minions dance, play and entertain the court. As these creatures perform, they are mocked by the guests and are even treated to some less than desirable behaviors. Manipulating the King is his jester who leads the King to believe that the bunny is up to no good, and this will have ramifications for all in attendance at the event.
Michael Granberry, inspired by the work of Ladislas Starevich, has crafted a stunning stop-motion animated tale of consequence and vengeance. Instead of using a script to tell the story, he instead, smartly, chooses to let the piece play out with no dialogue and be completely underscored by a gorgeous, fantastical musical score by Lito Velasco that tells more emotion in the music than could be told in dialogue. In fact, the expressions on the faces are so distinct and specific, you can almost play the dialogue in your head. The majority of the film is in crisp black and white save one particular sequence that, again, calls to mind the Fantasia sequence referenced before. All in all, Granberry shows to be a unique voice in the stop-motion realm and the finished product is awe inspiring.
Review by Cinephile Mike
*Previously published when screened at the 50th Boston Sci Fi Film Festival (February 2025).
