Indie Film Weekly [EP 13]: The Empire (2025) & Tigertail (2020)
Hey there! Welcome to Indie Film Weekly, your insider guide to new independent film releases. I’m Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films, where we specialize in helping indie filmmakers get their stories to film festivals and indie film distributors.
Each week, we spotlight new indie films hitting theaters. For these films, I suggest searching for them on Fandango or Google to see if they are showing in your city. And if you have to travel a bit, please do. It's important to support indie films by getting to the theater.
In addition, we highlight recent standout indie films that you can rent or download on platforms like Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube Movies, and Fandango at Home. Supporting indie films on these platforms is crucial, as not every indie film gets a Netflix deal.
Finally, we focus on one classic indie film that you can stream or rent, celebrating the timelessness of independent cinema.
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New in Theaters
Mark your calendars for March 14th, as we have three intriguing films hitting theaters:
First up is October 8, directed by Wendy Sachs. This documentary examines the emergence of anti-Semitism on college campuses, in social media, and on the streets following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Through interviews, news footage, and firsthand accounts, the film explores how an international crisis sparked a wave of political activism, cultural debates, and fear in communities around the world. With its journalistic approach, October 8 provides a sobering look at the complexities of modern discourse surrounding history, identity, and global conflict.
Next, we have Young Hearts, directed by Anthony Schatteman. This Belgian coming-of-age film follows two teenage boys as they navigate first love, self-discovery, and the pressures of growing up in a small conservative town. Schatteman has been recognized for his sensitive storytelling and has received praise for his previous short films, which tackle LGBTQ+ themes with nuance and emotional depth. Shot in a lyrical, dreamlike style, Young Hearts captures the intensity of adolescence with a raw honesty that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Finally, The Empire, directed by Bruno Dumont, is an offbeat sci-fi epic blending satire, action, and philosophical musings. Set in France, the film follows an extraterrestrial invasion that unfolds with Dumont’s signature absurdist touch. With a mix of professional and non-professional actors, The Empire defies genre conventions, offering a uniquely existential take on the classic alien invasion narrative. The film premiered at the Berlinale and has divided critics, with some calling it a subversive masterpiece and others baffled by its eccentric tone—which, for a Dumont film, is par for the course.
So, look for these films in a theater near you: October 8, Young Hearts, and The Empire.
Films to Rent or Download
For those preferring a cozy movie night at home, here's a new release available on Video on Demand:
Warden, directed by Marcus Alqueres, is a dark and grounded superhero story shot in a documentary style. The film follows a young man born with uncanny powers who sets out to change his struggling city. But as he gains celebrity and increasingly devoted supporters, some begin to suspect there’s a darker side to his rise to power. What happens when a real-world superhero emerges in a world without supervillains—but with plenty of laws and powerful interests?
Alqueres, a Canadian-Brazilian director, made a name for himself with his viral short film The Flying Man, which racked up over 25 million views online. Warden was shot on a tight budget using innovative guerrilla filmmaking techniques, mirroring the indie approach that made his short films so impactful. The film had its first industry screening at Comic-Con Experience in São Paulo—the largest Comic-Con in the Americas—where it generated strong buzz for its fresh take on the superhero genre.
Warden is now available to rent or buy on all major VOD platforms.
Indie Classic
This week our classic is more of an overlooked gem, release in 2020 marking its 5 year anniversary. One reason it was overlooked as it was one of the few films to hit theaters during the first year of covid.
The film is called Tigertail (2020) and its directed by Alan Yang who made an impressive jump from television (he was a writer on Parks and Recreation and co-created Master of None with Aziz Ansari) to film with his feature directorial debut, Tigertail. This slow-burn immigrant drama is visually stunning, with Yang mining his own personal history for the film’s narrative. It follows a Taiwanese factory worker who seeks a better life in America but struggles to keep his family afloat.
Yang infuses his earnest, semi-fictionalized story (inspired by his own father’s experiences) with the evocative narrative traditions of modern Asian cinema, from Wong Kar-wai to Edward Yang, resulting in a rich and intimate atmosphere at every turn. In a year where Lee Isaac Chung received breakout acclaim for his autobiographical Minari, Tigertail was unfortunately overlooked. If you missed it back in 2020, now's a great time to revisit this deeply personal and beautifully crafted film.
And that’s a wrap for this episode of Indie Film Weekly! Thanks for spending some time with me as we explore the world of independent cinema. You can also read about these films in our weekly email newsletter, which you can sign up for at theindieigniter.com.
If a film we discussed caught your interest, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review—it’s a great way to support the indie film community. Until next week, keep watching, keep supporting indie film, and I’ll see you back here soon!