Shane Slater
Shane Slater is a passionate cinephile whose love for cinema led him to creating his blog Film Actually in 2009. Since then, he has written for AwardsCircuit.com, ThatShelf.com and The Spool. Based in Kingston, Jamaica, he relishes the film festival experience, having covered TIFF, NYFF and Sundance among others. He is a proud member of the African-American Film Critics Association.
Latest stories
More stories
-
in Festivals, InterviewsTIFF Interview: Jean Luc Herbulot Discusses ‘Saloum’ and his Visions for African Cinema and Culture
With its fresh take on the genre traditions of Westerns, thrillers and horror movies, Jean Luc Herbulot’s Saloum was one of the hidden gems of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. It follows a trio of mercenaries called the Bangui Hyenas who decide to hide out in a camp located in a mysterious and dangerous […] More
-
TIFF Review: ‘I’m Your Man’ is a Brilliantly Aromantic Love Story
If you watched Maria Schrader’s I’m Your Man with no prior knowledge of its premise, you’d probably be blindsided by its stereotypical setup. A woman meets a man at lively nighttime establishment where they are greeted by a hostess before partaking in food, drinks and dancing. On the surface, it seems like any other first […] More
-
TIFF Review: ‘The Rescue’ Is an Incredible Testament to Human Faith and Compassion
Since March 2020, the news has been largely a demoralizing experience for many people around the world. As deniers downplay the COVID-19 pandemic and reject various preventative measures to curb a rising death toll, it’s easy to lose hope in humanity. But the news can also be a source of restored optimism, as was proved […] More
-
TIFF Review: ‘Attica’ is a Meticulous Deconstruction of An Infamous Prison Uprising
In a climactic scene in Sidney Lumet‘s 1975 masterpiece Dog Day Afternoon, Al Pacino‘s bank-robbing Sonny Wortzik protests the encroaching police with cries of “Attica!” For those who were unaware of the word’s significance, the fervor created in the scene effectively hinted at something malicious. And indeed, he was referring to a real life incident […] More
-
TIFF 2021: 20 Films to Watch at the Toronto International Film Festival
On September 9th, the “Festival of Festivals” returns as the Toronto International Film Festival stages its 46th edition. And with more than 100 films on offer, TIFF 2021 is slowly rebuilding to its pre-COVID heyday. This year, the festival will be held in a hybrid format of in-person and virtual screenings, ranging from star-studded world […] More
-
in Interviews
Interview: Emma Dante on the Making of ‘The Macaluso Sisters’
Following a family of orphaned sisters through the decades, Emma Dante’s The Macaluso Sisters is a delicately touching drama about family and loss. Adapted her own play, the film explores the ripple effects of an unexpected tragedy, when one of the siblings dies during a trip to the beach. In a recent interview with Awards […] More
-
in Reviews
Film Review: ‘Ailey’ Honors a Legacy of Black Movement
In the opening scene of Jamila Wignot’s documentary Ailey, we see the late Cicely Tyson paying tribute to the titular Alvin Ailey at the Kennedy Center Honors. In her speech, she honors his impact in the field of dance, declaring that “Alvin Ailey is Black and is universal.” As Wignot reflects on Ailey’s life through […] More
-
Tribeca Film Review: ‘Socks on Fire’ Illuminates the Dark Behind A Happy Family Portrait
As its title promises, Bo McGuire’s Socks on Fire opens with a shot of socks burning on a clothes line. Symbolic of what’s to come, it sets the tone for the emotional carnage inflicted on his own family in Alabama. Documenting the fallout in the wake of its matriarch’s death, Socks on Fire illuminates the darkness […] More
-
Tribeca Film Review: ‘Catch the Fair One’ is a Propulsive and Meaningful Thriller
There’s more than meets the eye in Josef Kubota Wladyka’s gripping new thriller Catch the Fair One. Set around the world of competitive women’s boxing, its unpredictable storyline digs deeper to investigate the harsh reality of sex trafficking. As it uncovers the ugly underbelly of this horrifying world, this cinematic gut-punch is suitably unsettling. Catch […] More
-
in Festivals, Interviews
Tribeca Interview: Nana Mensah Discusses her Unexpected Directorial Debut ‘Queen of Glory’
Nana Mensah didn’t intend to direct her debut feature film Queen of Glory, but we’re glad she did. In our recent Awards Radar interview with the actor-writer-director, she discussed her unexpected road to using all three skills for this moving dramedy about a Ghanaian-American woman reconnecting with her roots upon her mother’s sudden death. As […] More
-
Tribeca Film Festival Review: ‘All These Sons’ Is an Empathetic Reflection on Chicago’s Gun Violence
Three years ago, Bing Liu made his mark on the documentary scene with his deeply personal debut feature Minding the Gap. Following the lives of himself and his two skateboarding friends as they approach manhood, the Oscar-nominated film was a raw and evocative examination of masculinity. Co-directed with Joshua Altman, Liu’s sophomore effort All These […] More
-
in Reviews
Film Review: ‘Port Authority’ Tells a Quintessential New York Story
Throughout the history of film, television and literature, stories of small-town outcasts seeking a new life in New York City have become commonplace. In one of the latest iterations of that popular storytelling trope, Port Authority gives a peek into the lives of a particularly underrepresented community. Directed by Danielle Lessovitz, this delicate drama tells […] More
Load More
Congratulations. You've reached the end of the internet.