In the shifting terrain where music meets cinema, Chris Vaughn is carving a path uniquely his own, one where a songwriter becomes a director and where melodies evolve into moving pictures. His latest short, The Fifth Chair, has turned heads on the festival circuit, earning accolades and confirming his place as a filmmaker to watch. Yet his roots remain firmly planted in songcraft and story.

Fantastic Fest, the world’s largest genre film festival, is pulling out all the stops for its 20th anniversary. Returning to the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, from September 18–25, 2025, this milestone edition promises to be the most ambitious yet, with 45 World Premieres, 15 International and North American Premieres, and 13 U.S. Premieres. The festival opens with the world premiere of Paramount Pictures’ Primate, a visceral new horror survival story from Johannes Roberts, starring Johnny Sequoyah and Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur.

In the hallowed halls of cinema, where the visual narrative often reigns supreme, there exists a profound, often understated, magic woven by sound. For too long, the sonic landscape of film has been treated as a mere embellishment, an afterthought to the visual spectacle. But as a lifelong devotee of movie scores and the intricate artistry of film sound, I’ve witnessed a seismic shift on the horizon, spearheaded by a formidable new talent: Killian Wright. His London-based studio, Flow Stereo, isn't just participating in the post-production process; they are fundamentally reshaping it, advocating for a world where sound is not just heard, but profoundly felt.

From the early days of Hollywood to modern blockbusters, prostitutes have been a fixture in American cinema, often depicted with a mix of fascination, empathy, judgment, and fantasy. The role of the “hooker with a heart of gold” has become a cinematic trope, but behind that cliché lies a complex, evolving narrative that reflects societal attitudes, industry trends, and the push-pull between exploitation and empowerment. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, strict moral codes shaped how sex work could be portrayed.