HEIRLOOM INSIGHTS
Upcoming Film Premiers 2025
Author: Heirloom Tax | Published: 9/4/2025
Two of our 2024 films have been selected to major international film festivals — a tremendous honor that fills us with pride! Dead Man’s Wire has been accepted into both the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, while Easy’s Waltz will also screen at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.
Dead Man’s Wire is based on the true 1977 story of Tony Kiritsis, who kidnapped his bank mortgager, Richard Hall, using a “dead man’s wire” — a cord wrapped around Hall’s neck and attached to the trigger of a sawed-off Winchester shotgun. Convinced he had been cheated out of money, Kiritsis demanded a $5 million apology. The film is written by Austin Kolodney and directed by Gus Van Sant, starring Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, Cary Elwes, Colman Domingo, and Dacre Montgomery.
In addition, the Venice Film Festival will honor Gus Van Sant with the 2025 Campari Passion for Film Award, which recognizes filmmakers whose passion drives bold, creative storytelling. As described on the VIFF website, this award is “not simply a lifetime achievement, but a tribute to the will to stand out and leave an indelible mark on the art of cinematic storytelling.” Congratulations to Gus on this well deserved recognition!
Easy’s Waltz follows a Las Vegas crooner (Vince Vaughn) who finally gets a shot at the big time when an older star (Al Pacino) offers him a career-changing opportunity. But his own tendency toward self-sabotage, combined with his brother’s reckless schemes, threatens to derail everything. Written and directed by Nic Pizzolatto, the film stars Vince Vaughn, Al Pacino, Kate Mara, Cobie Smulders, and Shania Twain.
We are so grateful these films are being recognized, and we can’t wait for the premiers!
* photos from the Venice and Toronto Film Festival websites