Waco Independent Film Festival 2026
Greetings again from the darkness. For those who are itching to re-live the glory days of 1984 high school, writer-director Michael Walker and co-writer Susan Gomes are here for you. The surprising part is that even for non-Gen X viewers, the film is so well crafted and acted, that it flows beautifully as a time capsule for the era. As if that’s not enough, it’s also based on a true story.
Relative newcomer Anna Mirodin shines as Julie, a Jewish high school junior in suburban New York (White Plains). She’s a good student … trusted by her teachers, and a good girl … who admits she’s “never done anything with a boy.” Her best friend, Suzanne (Hannah Kepple, “Cobra Kai”, and a Dyan Cannon lookalike) is a bit more adventurous and tries to coax her friend into being more assertive in pursuing her desires. The perfect opportunity arises for Anna when Juan Jose Mundo, arrives from Spain as the exchange student assigned to stay at her house during his trip.
Juan Jose Mundo (Alexandro Byrd in his first feature film) is a charming, handsome, gregarious young man with proper manners around parents and the charisma to attract high school students of both genders. It’s quite entertaining to watch Juan quickly embed himself into the basement parties and other activities of Julie’s classmates – all while her reserved nature prevents her from sharing her feelings with him. Along the way, we are treated to the ‘treasures’ of 1984, including the family station wagon, the tied-to-the-era fashion choices, the music (much of which now seems comical), the blatant racism, and the politics that generated a Mondale/Ferraro bumper sticker on said station wagon. Especially prevalent is the presence of mix tapes as a flirtation strategy. Despite ringing true to the period, much of what’s included acts as a painful reminder of 1984.
Admittedly, teen comedies aren’t my usual cup of tea, yet Walker and Gomes fill a void that’s existed since the days of John Hughes … this is a smart movie about teenagers, and it even serves up a life lesson, if you can find a teen to listen. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to be a story about the danger of those years, but in fact, it’s a cautionary tale about teen desire, confusion, frustration, and peer pressure. We even have awkward parents and an obnoxious sibling on display. Kudos to the cast and filmmakers for refusing to dumb down the material for their audience.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. I usually try to avoid using the word ‘endearing’ to describe a film that strikes an emotional chord, but for this film from writer-director Lauren Meyering and co-writer Mackenzie Breeden, the word fits perfectly. Much of the reason for this is the screen presence of Lillian Carrier, who was diagnosed with autism at age 16. Here she portrays twenty-two-year-old Margarita in a way that allows us to understand her real life challenges.
Greetings again from the darkness. As a huge fan of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), I admire the homage paid to the classic film by writer-director David Wain (WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, 2001) and his co-writer Ken Marino, collaborators on ROLE MODELS (2008) and WANDERLUST (2012). In fact, there are long-term shared comedic genes noted throughout the list of cast, crew, and filmmakers here … with quite a few running through the “Reno 911!” franchise. If that’s not hint enough, I’ll repeat what I’ve written many times over the years: comedy tastes are quite diverse, and some will laugh heartily at this one, while others will be baffled as to what is so funny.
Greetings again from the darkness. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” It’s a famous adage that easily could continue with ‘through no fault of their own’ … and as it pertains to writer-director Alice Winocour’s (MUSTANG, 2015) latest film, the adage applies specifically the women. For a film based on Fashion Week in Paris, we get a rare glimpse inside the Chanel showroom. More importantly we get a feel for the stress and pressure being carried by those involved.
Greetings again from the darkness. Craig Gillespie previously directed I, TONYA (2017) and LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007), among other projects, and it’s perhaps those two films – both featuring odd outsiders – that motivated producer James Gunn to choose him to helm the feature film that brings DC’s Supergirl back to the big screen. The screenplay is by Ana Nogueira, and of course features characters originated by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster, with the key source material being the comic, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow”.
Greetings again from the darkness. This is at least the eighth film adaptation of a story by Cesc Gay: THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS (Spain, 2020), VICINI DI CASA (Italy, 2022), THE NEIGHBORS FROM UPSTAIRS (Switzerland, 2023), V DOBREM I ZLEM (Czech Republic, 2024), NEPRILICHNYE GOSTI (Russia, 2024), MAYBE MORE (France, 2024), THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS (S Korea, 2025). Clearly, it’s a story and situation that resonates with many couples, regardless of geography, language, or culture … and director Olivia Wilde provides an American spin with assistance from co-writers Will McCormack (Oscar winner, TOY STORY 4) and Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation”).
Greetings again from the darkness. So what is it that differentiates this one from the many other crime-comedies that have come before? The truth is … not much, but maybe just enough to keep fans of the genre tuned in. It certainly has an intriguing cast, and writer-director Derrick Borte (back with his UNHINGED star) and co-writer Daniel Forte have adapted the 2010 Thomas Perry novel, “Strip”.
Greetings again from the darkness. Making its world premiere at this year’s Dances With Films LA is the first feature film from writer-director Jay Diaz, whose previous credits include numerous short films, videos, and TV episodes. Himself a first generation American, Diaz tells the similar story of Angel, a man working hard at life while trying to prevent his dreams from slowly slipping away.
Greetings again from the darkness. Sometimes I believe the best use of cinema is in proving the old adage, ‘truth is stranger than fiction’. Combining that with the mission of Dances With Films to remain a festival that highlights independent filmmaking, featuring director Jay Silverman’s film on Opening Night is a fitting choice. It’s a remarkable story that writer Van Billet based on his own family. We can only imagine some of those holiday memories.
Greetings again from the darkness. Writer-director Haifaa Al-Monsour (MARY SHELLEY, 2017; WADJA, 2012) will always be referred to as a trailblazer, and the label was earned by becoming the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia to direct a feature length film. She has since influenced and inspired other women to pursue the art. Her latest film was co-written with her husband Brad Nieman, and it opens coldly with a woman’s dead body discovered in the desert.
