From award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Lucy Gaffy and 13 bestselling crime novels and screenwriter Jo Spain comes a romance drama television miniseries Mix Tape – adapted from a novel of the same name by Jane Sanderson.

The premise of the story takes place in Sheffield (the northern part of England) during 1989 where two teenagers, Alison and Daniel, fall in love. In a time before internet, social media, and cell phones, Daniel records music onto a cassette tape that reflect his feelings, thoughts, which he gives to Alison.

In present time, Daniel and Alison have moved on, both with successful careers and created their separate lives. Daniel appears to be caught in a moment and feels disillusioned with his current marriage. Daniel is tempted to reach out to Alison. Instead of calling or sending her a text, he decides to send her a song from their past that represents the feelings they shared as teenagers.

The Gen-Xers will reminisce those youthful years about early relationships when they hear those 80s songs played in Mix Tape. The first couple of episodes is truly nostalgic for those that grew up in that era and it will provide an opportunity for the newer generation to learn and bestow value to the pioneers of alternative/indie rock – maybe even give them a glimpse of understanding their parents or relatives. The series will also have you thinking the possibilities of “what if” you were to reconnect with your high school sweetheart.

The series stars Teresa Palmer (notable for her work in Warm Bodies) who does a wonderful job bringing out the sweet tender imaginative aspects of Alison. Palmer is paired with Jim Sturgess (known for his work in 21), which he makes a great sentimentalist for his character Daniel who longs for that “loving feeling” of the past. These two actors have fantastic on-screen chemistry, expressing the characters feelings and the ability to connect with the viewers. I am looking forward to the reset of the episodes and curious on the series finale and the songs they select from their teenage years.

Lucy Gaffy and Jo Spain absolutely complement each other with collaborating on the Mix Tape miniseries. It was exciting to see that it won the 2025 SXSW Film Festival 2025 Audience Award in the TV Spotlight category. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew!

Written and directed by Andrew Patterson, The Rivals of Amziah King had its world premiere in Austin, Texas during the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, which received a standing ovation. The film stars Mathew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Tony Revolori, and a special appearance from Kurt Russell.

This crime, thriller film has a well written storyline by Patterson, with plenty of comedic scenes that is set in a beautiful country backdrop. The film revolves around a group of country folks that are a fondly close community and have each other’s back not just only in a time of need, but as a way of life – like gathering up to play some music, sing and enjoy some cold drinks – a unique form of relationship.

Despite McConaughey’s 6 year acting absence, he delivered an exceptional performance as Amziah King, the beekeeper that operates the family honey farm and the former foster parent to Kateri. McConaughey did not miss a beat sharing his musical talents with the other cast members, turning up the jam sessions with catchy tunes.

Newcomer Angelina LookingGlass was a natural portraying the part of Kateri – the orphaned young lady who takes over her foster’s struggling business and encounters some nasty rivals that want to control the honey market. Kateri finds that inner queen bee and takes action to protect the family honey business. Kateri can be sweet as honey but will not hesitate to lash out a lethal sting if you do her and her beloved community harm.

I was impressed with the overall performance. The connection between the cast was visible throughout the film, which kept the audience engaged. I did want to see more of Kurt Russell’s character, however the choice of limiting his screen time did allow to focus on Kateri’s story. I believe this wonderful independent film sets the tone for 2025 film makers and will truly be a buzz worthy of an Oscar nomination.

The release date for The Rivals of Amziah King is TBD.

SXSW is one of the best festivals to find a new movie going experience and Hallow Road did just that and so much more. Supported by two extremely talented leads in Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Jack Reacher), the film follows two parents that get that phone call all parents fear. An accident has occurred involving their teenage daughter and there are severe complications to the incident that I won’t share as I rather the audience discover the plot the same way I did.

The parents are an hour away from reaching their daughter who is alone and frightened. Matthew and Rosamund are at their very best as they traverse through a variety of emotions and revelations surrounding the family dynamic. It’s a masterclass that is a sight to behold. During a post viewing Q&A both Matthew and director Babak Anvari shared that am uncut 5-hour take was filmed for usage of the movie. In other words, its Matthew and Rosamund working together as a unit. Moving through the intensity of each scene hand in hand while sitting in car for the majority of the film. A truly remarkable feat for any two actors.

Not enough can be said about director Babak Anvari. His te3chnical skills are shown throughout. The use of unorthodox camera angles, dramatic close ups, and creative decisions on how to display digital text or car readings all add to the anxiety inducing tone of the project. There are moments you won’t anticipate. Moments of dread and absolute terror. This all enhanced by only hearing the audio conversation between the parents and their daughter. The viewer mostly left to their imagination of the nightmare that the young actress is going through.

Our verdict, Hallow Road is a must-see thrilling experience for all. A great accomplishment in performances by Matthew and Rosamund as well as a technical achievement for director Babak Anvari.