Latest news with #Twinless
Boston Globe
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Nantucket Film Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary
Brabbée said this year's festival feels like both a celebration and reunion as past festivalgoers, talent, staff members, filmmakers, and community members prepare to return to Nantucket. 'We're really excited to have so many people who have been part of the festival's fabric over the years be woven back in,' she said. 'And of course, the audience, we're really excited to just share what we've created for them.' Advertisement For over a year, Brabbée and her team have planned numerous events to celebrate NFF's three decades of storytelling. One of those is this year's seaside garden soiree, ' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Elin Hilderbrand Nantucket Film Festival Brabbée also highlighted an event where journalist Lesley Stahl will lead a discussion with historian Nathaniel Philbrick and filmmaker Ken Burns about Burns's new 12-hour documentary series, ' After a seven-year hiatus, Advertisement The heart of the festival, of course, is film. The week kicks off with a pre-festival screening on June 24 of NFF's centerpiece film, ' The documentary celebrates the film's cultural impact with never-before-seen footage from director Steven Spielberg. It'll be followed by a panel discussion of the film's effects on the industry and the public's perception of sharks. Then on the festival's official first day, NFF has two films lined up. There's the documentary ' from 2017 to 2023 as she navigates national crises and motherhood. For those interested in a more narrative film, there's ' Film still of Jacinda Ardern working from home with her baby from "Prime Minister." Nantucket Film Festival Basil Tsiokos, NFF's senior programmer, said figuring out an opener for a festival can be challenging because it's about getting a sense of what audiences want to see while considering the tone being set for the rest of the festival. 'I think that's one of the reasons why we did two films for opening night, is to kind of capture the complexity of a festival that celebrates not only screenwriting fictional, but also storytelling in the sort of documentary sense,' Tsiokos said. 'So, both of those films are incredibly strong and so we thought it was a great way to kick things off.' Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney in "Twinless." Nantucket Film Festival Outside of the documentaries and features, Anita Raswant, NFF's lead programmer, highlighted the shorts programming as a great selection that allows audiences to take in strong stories in shorter segments. Advertisement With so many offerings, the NFF team emphasized festivalgoers' ability to personalize their experiences, so they can get the most out of their trips to Nantucket and enjoy the festival community. 'It is important to gather people together to watch film,' Tsiokos said. 'Films open up the world to audiences and, yes, you can get access to films down the line, on streamers and on whatever, which is great, and that's part of the ecosystem as well, but there's something to be said for being in person.' NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL June 25-30. Single screening tickets start at $20. For more information, including films, locations, and screening times, visit
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dylan O'Brien joins 'Being Heumann'
Hollywood actor Dylan O'Brien, best known for his role in "Maze Runner", is set to star in "Being Heumann". The 33-year-old actor will appear alongside Ruth Madeley and Mark Ruffalo in the upcoming film, according to the entertainment news outlet Deadline. The film is an adaptation of the bestselling memoir from disability activist Judy Heumann, titled "Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist". The book chronicles the journey of Heumann's struggle for inclusion and mentions her role in the disability rights movement. She led the movement alongside Ed Roberts and Javed Abidi, in 1977. The movement lasted for 28 days. "Being Heumann" is directed by Sian Heder and will have O'Brien essaying the role of Evan White, one of the few reporters covering the San Francisco disability rights protests. Madeley plays the titular role in the film. Ruffalo will portray Joseph Califano, the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Jimmy Carter, who was initially doubtful to sign off on civil rights legislation affecting the disabled community. The film is produced by David Permut under Permut Presentations and Kevin Walsh through The Walsh Company. John W. Beach and Kevin Cleary are producing under Gravity Squared Entertainment O'Brien will next appear in a black comedy film, "Twinless". Directed by James Sweeney, the film is slated to release in September. PTI
Buzz Feed
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
13 Queer Movies We're Excited To Watch In 2025
If 2024 proved anything, it's that queer storytelling is no longer confined to the fringes—it's thriving across genres, platforms, and budgets. From watching the emotionally charged All of Us Strangers to power-packed performances in Challengers, mainstream studios embraced LGBTQ+ narratives with more depth and indie films continued to push boundaries with fresh perspectives and bold storytelling. As we step into 2025, the momentum isn't slowing down. Whether it's groundbreaking queer horror, heartfelt coming-of-age dramas, or unapologetically joyful rom-coms, this year promises an exciting slate of films that celebrate, challenge, and expand LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Here are the must-watch queer movies of 2025! 1. A Nice Indian Boy Instagram: @wayfarerstudios The film stars Karan Soni as Naveen, a socially reserved doctor, and Jonathan Groff as Jay, an artist adopted by Indian parents. The story follows Naveen as he brings his fiancé, Jay, home to meet his traditional Indian family, who must navigate accepting his white, orphaned boyfriend while helping them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams. Even though the movie is not releasing in India, we hope it does because we rarely get to see lighthearted queer romcoms and it would be a delight to watch it on the big screen. 2. Twinless Republic Pictures "Twinless" is starring Dylan O'Brien in dual roles as Roman and his late twin, Rocky. The film explores grief and identity as Roman befriends Dennis (Sweeney) in a twin bereavement support group. It has already been making noise on the internet due to a certain steamy scene shared by Dylan O'Brien and James Sweeney raising the anticipation for the watch. 3. The Housekeeper Instagram: @embankmentfilms A period drama set in the 1930s starring Uma Thurman as Danni, a housekeeper at Mandeville Hall, and Phoebe Dynevor as novelist Daphne Du Maurier. Set in Cornwall, the film explores their forbidden romance and a fictionalized telling of the inspiration behind Du Maurier's classic gothic tale Rebecca. 4. Sabar Bonda Lotus Visual Productions This Marathi romantic drama follows Anand, a city dweller who returns to his ancestral village for his father's funeral and forms a tender bond with Balya, a local farmer. Exploring themes of grief and forbidden love in rural India, it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. 5. April & Amanda April & Amanda, a new HBO Documentary exploring the contrasting legacies of two icons and their relationships with gender identities, will premiere at @SundanceFest. Streaming soon on @StreamOnMax. #AprilandAmanda — HBO (@HBO) December 11, 2024 Twitter: @HBO The documentary directed by Zackary Drucker, explores the contrasting lives of two transgender pioneers: April Ashley, who embraced her transgender history, and Amanda Lear, who has often obfuscated hers. Their divergent paths reveal intertwined legacies shaped by public scrutiny. 6. The Light Fantastic Instagram: @genesius_pictures This upcoming comedy features Jeremy Irvine as Jason, a gay firefighter aspiring to become a professional ballroom dancer. Inspired by a true story and set in Blackpool, the film follows Jason's journey as he challenges the rigid traditions of the ballroom world under the guidance of his ultra-traditional instructor, Reynolds, portrayed by Rupert Everett. 7. On Swift Horses Sony Pictures Classics A steamy adaption of Shannon Pufahl's 2019 novel of the same name, the movie is set in the 1950s and explores Muriel's (Daisy Edgar-Jones) secret life as a horse race gambler and her romantic involvement with neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), while Julius (Jacob Elordi) embarks on a clandestine relationship with Henry (Diego Calva) in Las Vegas. 8. Mother Mary Instagram: @a24 Touted as an epic pop melodrama directed by David Lowery, the movie features Anne Hathaway as a fictional musician and Michaela Coel as an iconic fashion designer. The film explores their complex relationship, set against a vibrant musical backdrop. 9. The Wedding Banquet ShivHans Pictures A remake of Ang Lee's 1993 film featuring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, and Kelly Marie Tran, the film follows a gay man who agrees to a green-card marriage with his lesbian friend, leading to comedic complications when their parents visit for the wedding. 10. The History of Sound Film4 / Via Set during World War 1, the historical romantic drama stars the internet's favorite boyfriends, Paul Mescal as Lionel and Josh O'Connor as David, and follows the two men as they embark on a journey to record the lives, voices, and music of their American countrymen. Their shared mission leads to a profound and transformative love story. 11. Jimpa Closer Films The film follows Hannah (Olivia Colman) and her non-binary teenager, Frances, who is visiting their father, Jim (John Lithgow), in Amsterdam. Frances wishes to stay with Jim for a year, prompting Hannah to re-evaluate her parenting and confront past family dynamics. The narrative is semi-autobiographical, inspired by the co-writer and director of the film, Sophie Hyde's family experiences. 12. Kiss of the Spider Woman AGC Studios This musical drama features Jennifer Lopez as Ingrid Luna/Aurora, Diego Luna as Valentin Arregui, and Tonatiuh as Luis Molina. Set in 1980s Argentina during the Dirty War, the film intertwines political intrigue with vibrant musical sequences as Tonatiuh, a gay hairdresser, finds himself imprisoned in Argentina after being charged with public indecency. 13. Queens of the Dead IFC Films Directed by Tina Romero, daughter of horror legend George A. Romero, Queens of the Dead is a zombie horror film that follows a group of drag queens and their frenemies who must unite when the undead crash their Brooklyn drag show. The cast includes Katy O'Brian, Margaret Cho, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Cheyenne Jackson.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Twinless' director James Sweeney was hesitant to talk about his sex scene with Dylan O'Brien. Then it leaked online.
The buzz around Twinless out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival was so intense, the film had to be pulled from the festival's exclusive streaming website because scenes leaked on TikTok and X. The movie, which won the festival's top audience award, follows two men who meet at a support group for people who have lost a twin. It stars James Sweeney, who also wrote and directed the movie, and Dylan O'Brien, who won the festival's special jury award for acting for his dual role as twins. Sweeney spoke to Yahoo Entertainment on the ground at Sundance, where the film was creating buzz and selling out screenings but hadn't been plagued by piracy yet. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Growing up in an era when Lindsay Lohan's Parent Trap and several movies featuring the Olsen twins dominated pop culture, Sweeney developed a fascination with that extra-close sibling dynamic. He dated an identical twin, and when he started thinking about what it would be like to lose a twin, he thought it was the 'saddest thing I've ever heard.' 'Honestly, if I think about it too much, I will cry. It's such a profound bond,' he said. Sweeney, who also wrote, directed and starred in the 2019 rom-com Straight Up, said there were years when 'everybody in town passed on' Twinless. O'Brien signed on early in the process, though, and 'never doubted it.' Sweeney was hesitant to give much away about O'Brien's role but said the actor filmed each of his twin character scenes separately across different months. He plays both Roman, who Sweeney's character Dennis bonds with in a support group, and Roman's deceased twin, Rocky. As a former child actor who starred in the popular Teen Wolf series and Maze Runner movies but has since become a Sundance regular, O'Brien has a dedicated online fanbase that broke past the film's secretive festival promotion and may have contributed toward the leak of his Twinless scenes. Lauren Graham plays Roman and Rocky's mom, who spends much of the film grieving. Sweeney, a big Gilmore Girls fan, said he was 'reticent' about reaching out to her at first. 'I was like, 'Is she going to think I'm a lunatic?'' he joked. 'I think she's such a wonderful actress ... and I have so much respect for her.' On the red carpet for the Twinless premiere, Graham repeatedly spoke about how thrilled she was to be able to take on a darker role because she never gets opportunities like this. Another nugget from his childhood that Sweeney put into the movie was a reference to the life simulator computer game The Sims. Dennis and Roman dress as the video game characters for a costume party. 'I'd lose days of my life to The Sims,' Sweeney said. 'You get to build your own world. It ties into Dennis constructing these fantasies.' Sweeney added that originally, the script called for a reference to a Nintendo game involving twins, but they couldn't clear it after months of trying. It was a blessing in disguise, though, because so many people have fond childhood memories of playing The Sims, including O'Brien, who told Yahoo Entertainment on the Twinless red carpet that he loved cheating the game to get more money and deleting the bed out from under Sims who were getting naked. 'I was somebody who just really wanted to get promoted and focused too much on the skills and not enough on the relationships,' Sweeney said, laughing. 'I feel like that's something I need to explore in therapy.' He was hesitant to talk about the sex scene in the movie, but less than a week after the interview, it leaked online. The scene involves Sweeney, who directed himself, and O'Brien. 'It helped that it was such a comfortable set. I think ultimately I had to shove down the personal, bodily, actorly insecurities and take control as a director,' he said. 'This services the movie, and this is what I need to do, so I need to compartmentalize those emotions.' At its premiere, Twinless drew a lot of laughs and made a lot of people physically cringe. There's a twist Sweeney didn't want to discuss because he wants the film to have 'a full life' in theaters. He hopes people are 'a lot more curious after they've seen it versus going into it.' One thing he was eager to share, though, was that the film cast real-life twins as the background talent in support group scenes. Local casting agencies put out fliers seeking them out. Sweeney himself started seeing twins everywhere. 'I had just come back from scouting a location ... to the Airbnb where I was staying, and I was looking around, and I thought, 'Are those twins?'' he said, then walked up to the pair. 'I was like, 'Hi, excuse me, are you twins? ... I'm directing a movie and we're looking for twins.'' They said they already knew about him and his movie — they'd seen the flier. One was too busy to film, but the other ended up joining the cast. Ever guarded, Sweeney wouldn't say what's next for him. 'It's not real until it's happening and I don't want to jinx it,' he said. 'I want to do another rom-com, and I'd love to do a legal thriller drama. I think I'd be a lawyer in a different life. ... Maybe it's not even directing. Maybe I'll just play a lawyer on [Law & Order:] SVU.' Twinless has not yet announced plans for distribution.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Twinless' director James Sweeney was hesitant to talk about his sex scene with Dylan O'Brien. Then it leaked online.
The buzz around Twinless out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival was so intense, the film had to be pulled from the festival's exclusive streaming website because scenes leaked on TikTok and X. The movie, which won the festival's top audience award, follows two men who meet at a support group for people who have lost a twin. It stars James Sweeney, who also wrote and directed the movie, and Dylan O'Brien, who won the festival's special jury award for acting for his dual role as twins. Sweeney spoke to Yahoo Entertainment on the ground at Sundance, where the film was creating buzz and selling out screenings but hadn't been plagued by piracy yet. Growing up in an era when Lindsay Lohan's Parent Trap and several movies featuring the Olsen twins dominated pop culture, Sweeney developed a fascination with that extra-close sibling dynamic. He dated an identical twin, and when he started thinking about what it would be like to lose a twin, he thought it was the 'saddest thing I've ever heard.' 'Honestly, if I think about it too much, I will cry. It's such a profound bond,' he said. Sweeney, who also wrote, directed and starred in the 2019 rom-com Straight Up, said there were years when 'everybody in town passed on' Twinless. O'Brien signed on early in the process, though, and 'never doubted it.' Sweeney was hesitant to give much away about O'Brien's role but said the actor filmed each of his twin character scenes separately across different months. He plays both Roman, who Sweeney's character Dennis bonds with in a support group, and Roman's deceased twin, Rocky. As a former child actor who starred in the popular Teen Wolf series and Maze Runner movies but has since become a Sundance regular, O'Brien has a dedicated online fanbase that broke past the film's secretive festival promotion and may have contributed toward the leak of his Twinless scenes. Lauren Graham plays Roman and Rocky's mom, who spends much of the film grieving. Sweeney, a big Gilmore Girls fan, said he was 'reticent' about reaching out to her at first. 'I was like, 'Is she going to think I'm a lunatic?'' he joked. 'I think she's such a wonderful actress ... and I have so much respect for her.' On the red carpet for the Twinless premiere, Graham repeatedly spoke about how thrilled she was to be able to take on a darker role because she never gets opportunities like this. Another nugget from his childhood that Sweeney put into the movie was a reference to the life simulator computer game The Sims. Dennis and Roman dress as the video game characters for a costume party. 'I'd lose days of my life to The Sims,' Sweeney said. 'You get to build your own world. It ties into Dennis constructing these fantasies.' Sweeney added that originally, the script called for a reference to a Nintendo game involving twins, but they couldn't clear it after months of trying. It was a blessing in disguise, though, because so many people have fond childhood memories of playing The Sims, including O'Brien, who told Yahoo Entertainment on the Twinless red carpet that he loved cheating the game to get more money and deleting the bed out from under Sims who were getting naked. 'I was somebody who just really wanted to get promoted and focused too much on the skills and not enough on the relationships,' Sweeney said, laughing. 'I feel like that's something I need to explore in therapy.' He was hesitant to talk about the sex scene in the movie, but less than a week after the interview, it leaked online. The scene involves Sweeney, who directed himself, and O'Brien. 'It helped that it was such a comfortable set. I think ultimately I had to shove down the personal, bodily, actorly insecurities and take control as a director,' he said. 'This services the movie, and this is what I need to do, so I need to compartmentalize those emotions.' At its premiere, Twinless drew a lot of laughs and made a lot of people physically cringe. There's a twist Sweeney didn't want to discuss because he wants the film to have 'a full life' in theaters. He hopes people are 'a lot more curious after they've seen it versus going into it.' One thing he was eager to share, though, was that the film cast real-life twins as the background talent in support group scenes. Local casting agencies put out fliers seeking them out. Sweeney himself started seeing twins everywhere. 'I had just come back from scouting a location ... to the Airbnb where I was staying, and I was looking around, and I thought, 'Are those twins?'' he said, then walked up to the pair. 'I was like, 'Hi, excuse me, are you twins? ... I'm directing a movie and we're looking for twins.'' They said they already knew about him and his movie — they'd seen the flier. One was too busy to film, but the other ended up joining the cast. Ever guarded, Sweeney wouldn't say what's next for him. 'It's not real until it's happening and I don't want to jinx it,' he said. 'I want to do another rom-com, and I'd love to do a legal thriller drama. I think I'd be a lawyer in a different life. ... Maybe it's not even directing. Maybe I'll just play a lawyer on [Law & Order:] SVU.' Twinless has not yet announced plans for distribution.
