January 5, 2026 🎥 Basic Details Dates: In-person festival: January 22 – February 1, 2026 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Online/at-home program: January 29 – February 1, 2026. Host & Organizer: Sundance Institute — nonprofit organization dedicated…
Category: 2025
The Year 2025
the WORD @ 2026 Sundance Film Fest
A New York Times December 22 Opinion Piece Headline: “What Did We Learn From Susie”?
Below is what I learned
“The Most Important Thing “We “Learned From Susie Wiles” – Nah! Wiles & The Gang figured out an idiosyncratic, sick humorous way to stick their tongue out at us.” – By Gregg W. Morris, Editor, the WORD
Film Preview Filmmaker Suzannah Herbert’s Award Winning Documentary NATCHEZ Opens January, 30 at Film Forum WINNER – Best Documentary, 2025 Tribeca Festival
Natchez, Mississippi: a town of 15,000 for generations has drawn tourists to its immaculately restored antebellum mansions, hosted by hoop-skirted white matriarchs, for an experience dubbed “Pilgrimage.” As interest declines in and questions arise about showcasing these regal estates with…
A PEN America Must-See
At this year’s Annual General Meeting, we gathered virtually to envision the future of PEN America, reflect on how we navigate this fraught political climate, and strengthen our commitment to defend the liberties of writers during this perilous time.
Special remarks were delivered by Jennifer Finney Boylan, President of PEN America’s Board of Trustees, alongside Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, Interim Co-CEO and Chief Program Officer for Literary Programming, and Summer Lopez, Interim Co-CEO and Chief Program Officer for Free Expression. The vote for new offers and trustees of the board was followed by an insightful conversation with authors Rex Ogle, Padma Venkatraman, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall, and PEN America’s Freedom to Read Program Director, Kasey Meehan about authors, activism, and artistry.
There was no direct mention of Donald Trump at Annual Meeting itself, but in PEN America’s broader 2025 advocacy and press outside the meeting, the organization has publicly commented on and criticized aspects of the Trump administration’s policies.
the WORD Editor Gregg W. Morris
YALLA PARKOUR Directed by Award Winning Filmmaker Areeb Zuaiter Is a Sublime Story Telling Memoir That Will Have Audiences Wincing, Fidgeting, Gasping in Their Seats
A Must-See Ever There Was One
The Audience Q&A with YALLA PARKOUR Director Areeb Zuaiter took place at the Scandinavia House – The Nordic Center in America on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was moderated by Murtada Elfadi, a Variety magazine critic and a curator DOC NYC. Considering it was bitter cold in Manhattan, there was a sizable crowd on a chilling cold evening in the Big Apple. – By Gregg W. Morris
The Fabulous “7th Annual Micheaux Film Festival” Has Concluded With Its Signature Gold Night:
Young Hollywood Party Honoring Emerging Luminaries
Each year, the event honors recipients of the Sidney Poitier Emerging Luminary Awards, recognizing creators who embody the festival’s mission to celebrate, empower, and elevate diverse voices in film and television. This year’s honorees included Tosin Morohunfola (Run the World,…
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The 7th Annual Micheaux Film Festival Has Officially Kicked Off!
This Film Festival officially kicked off October 23 at The Culver Theater in Culver City, California – this reviewer is zooming in to catch up. There was a red-carpet celebration and the Los Angeles premiere of It’s Dorothy, alongside the series premiere of Remember and additional opening night selections. The Los Angeles premiere of It’s Dorothy brought the story full circle, returning to Culver City where The Wizard of Oz was originally filmed. – Gregg W. Morris, Editor-Reviewer
WORD Q&A with AFTER DARK Director Iain Forbes About the Genius Behind the Making of His Riveting Award Winning Film
AFTER DARK was Oscar-qualified after winning Best International Short Film at the Foyle Film Festival in 2024, cementing Forbes’ reputation as one of Scandinavia’s most exciting emerging directors. It world-premiered at Palm Springs International ShortFest (USA, 2024) and has since…
Film Review
AFTER DARK, Directed by Scottish-Norwegian Filmmaker Iain Forbes
This is a superb thought-provoking and emotionally resonant film. I regard it as one of those rare gems that is open to much more interpretation than what the publicity suggests. That is, if legions of patrons of the WORD watch it – and they should – I would expect a variety of responses and interpretations about what it’s truly about. It’s a scream of a cinematic Rorschach Test.
– Review by Gregg W. Morris, the WORD Editor-Reviewer
