In myriad ways, coming as it does in January, Sundance sets the stage for US cinema through the rest of the year.

Dan Schindel
Dan Schindel is a freelance writer and copy editor living in Brooklyn, and a former associate editor at Hyperallergic. His portfolio and links are here.
The Design Duo Behind Pink Floyd’s Iconic Aesthetic
Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis) is a reasonably informative, if rather dry, look at a subject with much more potential for exploration.
We’re Screwed, But It’s Okay
Rachel Lears’s new film To the End is optimistic, perhaps to a fault.
Todd Haynes Discusses New Velvet Underground Doc
The director sat with Hyperallergic for a conversation about the making of his new film The Velvet Underground.
Film Looks at Suffering Through the Eyes of a Donkey
EO’s universe seems a godless one; there’s no philosophical reason for the pain that human and nonhuman animals endure.
Life According to Annie Ernaux
The subject matter of The Super 8 Years could not be more mundane, but the Nobel Prize-winning memoirist’s musings elevate it to something far more compelling.
An Achingly Personal Portrait of Nan Goldin
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed forcefully posits multiple parallels between the world Nan Goldin grew up in and the one she fights in today.
Tsai Ming-liang’s “Slow Cinema” Contrasts the Bustle of Modern Life
Tsai’s style is the opposite of boring; in demanding the viewer’s attention, he allows for incredible moments of human connection and discovery.
Noriaki Tsuchimoto Transformed Documentary Into an Art of Compassion
Though not well known outside of Japan, Tsuchimoto honed an observational style of filmmaking similar to the cinema verité movement in the US and Europe, but years earlier.
No Bears Questions the Power of Cinema
With his latest film, Jafar Panahi suggests that cinema might be a great art worth fighting for, but it may not be able to save anyone.
What Does AI Dance-Pop Sound Like?
The Computer Accent follows the pop-dance band YACHT as they use AI to help compose their 2019 album Chain Tripping.
Hidden Cinematic Gem in NYC Shines Again With New Theater
Chinatown’s venerated Downtown Community Television Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a state-of-the-art cinema and community hub.