Spring Festivals 2026 - THE ROLLING TAPE

Dates May 7-17, 2026

Location Chicago, Illinois

Reporting

The regional spring festivals around the country in late April and early May are a great check-in on a bucket of titles ranging from second screenings of Sundance and SXSW premieres from earlier in the year to undistributed titles from the previous year’s fall festival cycle. Des attended the Seattle International Film Festival for the first time, Adam Patla was joined by Jacob Diedenhofer at the Chicago Critics Film Festival, and Philadelphia locals Danny Jarabek and Jake Fittipaldi attended PFS SpringFest.

Reviews

Lead Dispatch

Review: ‘Late Fame’ is an Honest Look at Art and Criticism Culture

For its ideas, the positioning of making Dafoe a leading actor again, and the modern character study that it tackles, Late Fame is a worthy watch. It is a small film with a big…

Jacob Diedenhofer

Reviews

May 19, 2026 · by Jacob Diedenhofer

Review: ‘Power Ballad’ Strikes an Emotional Cord

John Carney has always been able to create movies that make audiences feel good, and that streak continues with his latest effort, Power Ball...

Reviews

May 15, 2026 · by Jacob Diedenhofer

Review: ‘Carolina Caroline’ Is a Con That Doesn’t Work

Adam Carter Rehmeier is back after his hit Snackshack in 2024, and he is reuniting with Kyle Gallner for an adrenaline-infused cross-country ...

Reviews

May 10, 2026 · by Adam Patla

‘The Sun Never Sets’ Review: Joe Swanberg is All Grown Up

Joe Swanberg has solidified himself as a formative figure in independent cinema. Known for his low-budget improvised films, Swanberg has a kn...

Reviews

May 8, 2026 · by Adam Patla

‘Chili Finger’ Review: Judy Greer Stars in a Stunning Act of Desperation

How far would you be willing to go for a life-changing sum of money? For Jess Lipki (Judy Greer), the answer is quite far. Chili Finge...

Reviews

May 6, 2026 · by Adam Patla

Review: ‘If I Go Will They Miss Me’ is a Poetic Debut

From the opening moments of If I Go Will They Miss Me, it’s clear that writer-director Walter Thompson Hernández is more than just a filmmake...

Reviews

May 5, 2026 · by Adam Patla

Review: ‘The Invite’ is Olivia Wilde’s Best Directorial Effort To Date

On Olivia Wilde’s third directorial outing, The Invite, an adaptation of the Spanish film Sentimental (2020), she scales back to a more conta...

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