“The Marching Band” (“En Fanfare”) (2024 production/2026 release) (France). Cast: Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Lottin, Sarah Suco, Mathilde Courcol-Rozès, Johnny Montreuil, Clémence Massart, Ludmila Mikaël, Antonin Lartaud. Director: Emmanuel Courcol. Screenplay: Emmanuel Courcol, Irène Muscari, Oriane Bonduel, Marianne Tomersy and Khalad Amara. Web site. Trailer. Fostering brotherly love isn’t always easy, especially when siblings are different from one another or, even more fundamentally, when they are unaware of one another’s very existence. But sometimes circumstances arise that break down these barriers and open up a new set of dynamics, providing an opportunity to put these conditions to the test to see what they might yield. Such is the case with two siblings long unknown to one another who are unexpectedly drawn together in a crisis in the heartwarming French comedy-drama, “The Marching Band” (“En Fanfare”). When famed orchestral conductor Thibaut Desormeaux (Benjamin Lavernhe) collapses during rehearsal, everyone is naturally concerned. After all, that’s not the sort of thing that’s supposed to happen to a seemingly healthy man in his thirties. But he soon learns that he has leukemia and requires a bone marrow transplant, a procedure in which the necessary donation material must come from someone who is a compatible match, ...

The 44th annual edition of Chicago’s Reeling International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is now in the books, having featured an array of narrative, documentary and short films. The festival’s lineup was a big improvement over 2025, bringing in a slate of better programing compared to last year. In all, I managed to catch 13 films during the festival’s 11-day run, nine of which I rated good to excellent. So, with that said, here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought. Enjoy! “Montreal, My Beautiful” (“Montréal, ma belle”) (Canada) (5/5); Letterboxd (4.5/5), Imdb.com (9/10), TMDB.com (9/10), Imdb.com critics review; Web site, Trailer Being trapped in a bad marriage or relationship is one of the worst scenarios that anyone can endure, no matter what one’s sexual orientation might be. Just ask Feng Xia (a.k.a. Ping) (Joan Chen), a middle-aged immigrant from China who resettled with her overbearing, inconsiderate husband, Wang Jun (John Xu), in Montreal 14 years earlier. As a prototypical subservient housewife, she tends to the household, cares for their two children and helps run her husband’s convenience store. She also struggles to cope with Wang Jun’s career dissatisfaction, having once served as a road construction engineer back in ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio — featuring three new films — beginning Tuesday September 22 at 2 pm ET, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Podchaser, Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict and Jiosaavn ...

It’s that time of year again — the return of film festival season. And, if you live in the Chicago area, you may want to check out one of this year’s first featured events: Reeling 2026 — The 44th Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, September 17-27 at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema and Chicago Filmmakers. The annual event features a variety of narrative and documentary features, along with an extensive program of film shorts. Check out the program guide and schedule for details. And, as a longtime attendee of the festival, I’ll be there, covering the event again this year, so stop by and say hello. A full report on my screenings will appear after the event on my web site. Happy viewing! ...

Looking for a new way to follow me and my work online? Check out my new Instagram account, available under the user name authorbrentmarchant. See listings for my books, my web site, my blogs, my Good Radio Network posts, my Cinema Scribe posts, and details on other news and developments ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday September 8, 2 pm ET, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Podchaser, Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict and Jiosaavn ...