JOURNAL
Creative and short-form writing.
Our 2026 Oscar Nominee Predictions
Armed with the shortlist for only half the categories and sorted in order of the likely winner, here are our predictions for the 2026 feature length Oscar nominees.
BTS’ ARIRANG Is One That Carries Dreams
One cannot separate BTS naming their first album in nearly four years ARIRANG in a move to symbolize their Korean heritage from the broader context of their career. The decision to go as far as to explicitly name one of their three album versions “Rooted in Korea,” and have their world tour stage loosely resemble a Korean flag, only underscores the weight of their intentionality.
CIFF 2025 Round-Up: Our Top 10 Films
It’s safe to say CIFF delivered, with some of this year’s best features adorning its roster and many films soaring above our predicted ranking. With a plethora of thought-provoking, entertaining, and at times heartbreaking stories, here are the top 10 films we saw at CIFF this year.
Our Most Anticipated Films at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival
With over 15 films on our screening agenda in the next two weeks, we’re eager for whatever the midwestern festival has to offer. Here are our picks of the top 10 films we’re excited to see at CIFF in 2025.
Pride on Film: A Cinematic Retrospective
Paving the way for many movies to come, a few writers and directors pushed boundaries and refused to remain silenced by production codes, censorship, or Hollywood’s hatred. For Pride Month, I’d like to spotlight the most influential of these releases across decades of filmmaking.
SIFF 2025 Round-Up: 8 Movies To Keep Your Eye On
The 51st Annual Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) came to a close on May 25, and after a whirlwind 10 days of movie-watching, I’m here to report on my favorites of the festival.
ECCC 2025: Freaks, Geeks, Furries, & Fannibals
Because Hannibal and the horror genre in general have such a unique flavor, an acquired taste if you will, I don’t always realize how many other people share my affection for such work. So imagine my surprise when I went to Emerald City Comic Con 2025 (ECCC) and found myself in a convention center with literally thousands of other Fannibals.
Evil Does Not Exist
The film opens up with a music score that's melancholic but serene, gentle but potent with nostalgia—something that you fall asleep to, only to find yourself waking up with a jerk to a mini crescendo.