Alex Billington
@alexb.bsky.social
Cinema lover, dog lover, photographer, life-long geek, citizen of the world. I run the movie site FirstShowing.net + live in Berlin. Hackers, Sneakers, WarGames are my trio. 💾📡 Follow FS posts only here -> https://bsky.app/profile/firstshowing.bsky.social
Oh hey look it's me! FirstShowing.net in another trailer! Yay. 😎📽️ Another indie gem from 2025 - a must watch whenever it opens near you. The Plague is terrific. onfs.net/3X7K1TL
November 10, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Oh hey look it's me! FirstShowing.net in another trailer! Yay. 😎📽️ Another indie gem from 2025 - a must watch whenever it opens near you. The Plague is terrific. onfs.net/3X7K1TL
Postmen in the Mountains - Chinese film from 1999 about a boy who joins his dad on a long walk through the mountains to deliver mail by hand. Featuring an amazing doggie pal.
Watched it mainly for the dog! Became an instant personal all-time favorite. Exceptionally beautiful, soulful film.
Watched it mainly for the dog! Became an instant personal all-time favorite. Exceptionally beautiful, soulful film.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Postmen in the Mountains - Chinese film from 1999 about a boy who joins his dad on a long walk through the mountains to deliver mail by hand. Featuring an amazing doggie pal.
Watched it mainly for the dog! Became an instant personal all-time favorite. Exceptionally beautiful, soulful film.
Watched it mainly for the dog! Became an instant personal all-time favorite. Exceptionally beautiful, soulful film.
Really impressed by how it handles the English + Japanese mix with a gaijin fat American guy living in Japan. Felt so natural and never off-putting in any scene. I also admire what it confronts in the second half and how it even pushes back against Japanese traditions. Good film.
November 7, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Really impressed by how it handles the English + Japanese mix with a gaijin fat American guy living in Japan. Felt so natural and never off-putting in any scene. I also admire what it confronts in the second half and how it even pushes back against Japanese traditions. Good film.
Rental Family - Well this is delightful. Finally watched this film and yeahhh I loved it. Really. Sweet and charming and cute and warm like a big bear hug of a movie. There's actually a good story to follow. The score is lovely. It won me over and I will watch it again for that warm feeling again.
November 7, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Rental Family - Well this is delightful. Finally watched this film and yeahhh I loved it. Really. Sweet and charming and cute and warm like a big bear hug of a movie. There's actually a good story to follow. The score is lovely. It won me over and I will watch it again for that warm feeling again.
It's still far away but... For me, this year, the right word is to say I am "relieved" to be fully booked & set to return to Sundance 2026 in January. One final year in Park City, Utah. My 20th consecutive year covering #Sundance. Nervous about 100 things but for now I'm fully confirmed.
October 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
It's still far away but... For me, this year, the right word is to say I am "relieved" to be fully booked & set to return to Sundance 2026 in January. One final year in Park City, Utah. My 20th consecutive year covering #Sundance. Nervous about 100 things but for now I'm fully confirmed.
Back again the magnificent and freaky Sitges Film Festival in Spain to watch a dozen or so horror/action films over the next week. Always glad to be back here, always enjoy the sunny beach vibes of this town which becomes overrun with horror geeks. @sitgesfilmfestival.bsky.social #Sitges2025
October 9, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Back again the magnificent and freaky Sitges Film Festival in Spain to watch a dozen or so horror/action films over the next week. Always glad to be back here, always enjoy the sunny beach vibes of this town which becomes overrun with horror geeks. @sitgesfilmfestival.bsky.social #Sitges2025
How I feel waking up almost every single day nowadays...
September 23, 2025 at 3:26 PM
How I feel waking up almost every single day nowadays...
Ready to roll! My 9th year at the glamorous Venice Film Festival. Ready to start watching some of the year's best films this week. Can't wait to begin... #Venezia82 #VeniceFilmFestival
August 26, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Ready to roll! My 9th year at the glamorous Venice Film Festival. Ready to start watching some of the year's best films this week. Can't wait to begin... #Venezia82 #VeniceFilmFestival
View from my rooftop workspace today somewhere in the Italian countryside... Heading over to Venice tomorrow. 🇮🇹🌞
August 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
View from my rooftop workspace today somewhere in the Italian countryside... Heading over to Venice tomorrow. 🇮🇹🌞
This looks magnificent! Cannot wait to watch it soon. Opens in theaters in September... onfs.net/4lDR40c #ABigBoldBeautifulJourney
August 21, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This looks magnificent! Cannot wait to watch it soon. Opens in theaters in September... onfs.net/4lDR40c #ABigBoldBeautifulJourney
Had a chance to watch the movie Sketch and I really, really enjoyed it. Lives up to all the good buzz (it premiered at TIFF last year) as a charming, funny, inspiring little film about creativity and grief and family. The monsters are fun, Tony Hale is excellent, an actually feel-good movie. #Sketch
August 6, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Had a chance to watch the movie Sketch and I really, really enjoyed it. Lives up to all the good buzz (it premiered at TIFF last year) as a charming, funny, inspiring little film about creativity and grief and family. The monsters are fun, Tony Hale is excellent, an actually feel-good movie. #Sketch
Pattern Recognition - A Universal Skill
All of this!! Borrowed from That Other Site...
All of this!! Borrowed from That Other Site...
August 2, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Pattern Recognition - A Universal Skill
All of this!! Borrowed from That Other Site...
All of this!! Borrowed from That Other Site...
Executive produced by Steven Soderbergh. One of my favorite films from Sundance earlier this year! A light, uplifting, honest look at modern romance in the big city. #LoveBrooklyn opens in theaters soon. Don't miss it. #Soderbergh #NYC
July 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Executive produced by Steven Soderbergh. One of my favorite films from Sundance earlier this year! A light, uplifting, honest look at modern romance in the big city. #LoveBrooklyn opens in theaters soon. Don't miss it. #Soderbergh #NYC
Yes!! Back to Pandora we go...
July 28, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Yes!! Back to Pandora we go...
One of the BEST films of 2025. Absolutely stunning teaser! I adore this film! I am dying to watch it again! onfs.net/44KftMi
SO glad they're giving it a theatrical release in November for 2 weeks before it's streaming on Netflix. Deserves to be appreciated in the cinema. 🚂🇺🇸 #TrainDreams
SO glad they're giving it a theatrical release in November for 2 weeks before it's streaming on Netflix. Deserves to be appreciated in the cinema. 🚂🇺🇸 #TrainDreams
July 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
One of the BEST films of 2025. Absolutely stunning teaser! I adore this film! I am dying to watch it again! onfs.net/44KftMi
SO glad they're giving it a theatrical release in November for 2 weeks before it's streaming on Netflix. Deserves to be appreciated in the cinema. 🚂🇺🇸 #TrainDreams
SO glad they're giving it a theatrical release in November for 2 weeks before it's streaming on Netflix. Deserves to be appreciated in the cinema. 🚂🇺🇸 #TrainDreams
!!!! This looks proper awesome!! #PredatorBadlands
July 21, 2025 at 4:27 PM
!!!! This looks proper awesome!! #PredatorBadlands
WOW!!!! This looks amazing. I'm 1000% sold. Didn't think they could pull this off, but I am SO there on opening night. onfs.net/3TO5orr #TronAres #scifi
July 17, 2025 at 4:59 PM
WOW!!!! This looks amazing. I'm 1000% sold. Didn't think they could pull this off, but I am SO there on opening night. onfs.net/3TO5orr #TronAres #scifi
First trailer for Joachim Trier's acclaimed new film Sentimental Value which won Grand Prix at Cannes 2025. His follow-up to The Worst Person in the World - also with Renate Reinsve again, and Elle Fanning & Stellan Skarsgard. Oh hey look! I have a quote in this gorgeous trailer: onfs.net/3Gf6OYT
July 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM
First trailer for Joachim Trier's acclaimed new film Sentimental Value which won Grand Prix at Cannes 2025. His follow-up to The Worst Person in the World - also with Renate Reinsve again, and Elle Fanning & Stellan Skarsgard. Oh hey look! I have a quote in this gorgeous trailer: onfs.net/3Gf6OYT
This trailer gives away WAY TOO MUCH! But damn this looks phenomenal. My kind of epic sci-fi! Cannot wait! #ProjectHailMary launches into theaters March 2026 next year. 🚀🪐 Check it out: onfs.net/4kkyB8j
June 30, 2025 at 1:51 PM
This trailer gives away WAY TOO MUCH! But damn this looks phenomenal. My kind of epic sci-fi! Cannot wait! #ProjectHailMary launches into theaters March 2026 next year. 🚀🪐 Check it out: onfs.net/4kkyB8j
Two especially lovely, minimalistic posters for the film Familiar Touch. Described as a "coming-of-old-age" story about a woman named Ruth played by Kathleen Chalfant. Opening in limited theaters starting this weekend (NY now, LA next) - keep an eye out for it. #FamiliarTouch.
June 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Two especially lovely, minimalistic posters for the film Familiar Touch. Described as a "coming-of-old-age" story about a woman named Ruth played by Kathleen Chalfant. Opening in limited theaters starting this weekend (NY now, LA next) - keep an eye out for it. #FamiliarTouch.
Visiting one of the coolest art galleries on the entire planet today. In Gruyères, Switzerland - the H.R. Giger Museum. So rad. So gnarly. Such dark & sultry artwork - he really was a genius. #HRGiger
June 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Visiting one of the coolest art galleries on the entire planet today. In Gruyères, Switzerland - the H.R. Giger Museum. So rad. So gnarly. Such dark & sultry artwork - he really was a genius. #HRGiger
My final recap: onfs.net/3FEiAM0 Everyone I talked to agreed it was not a strong Cannes line-up... BUT I still watched 43 films & found 10 favorites to highlight! Most exciting discoveries came from the side sections - films like My Father's Shadow, The President's Cake, A Useful Ghost. #Cannes2025
June 4, 2025 at 8:11 PM
My final recap: onfs.net/3FEiAM0 Everyone I talked to agreed it was not a strong Cannes line-up... BUT I still watched 43 films & found 10 favorites to highlight! Most exciting discoveries came from the side sections - films like My Father's Shadow, The President's Cake, A Useful Ghost. #Cannes2025
Ha ha... This is totally me... 😜😂
June 3, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Ha ha... This is totally me... 😜😂
My 10 favorite films from #Cannes2025:
Sentimental Value
Sirat
Un Poeta
The Love That Remains
Love Letters
Little Amélie
The President's Cake
Nouvelle Vague
A Useful Ghost
My Father's Shadow
Some excellent discoveries in all the side sections this year. 👏🏻👏🏻 #cinema #Cannes
Sentimental Value
Sirat
Un Poeta
The Love That Remains
Love Letters
Little Amélie
The President's Cake
Nouvelle Vague
A Useful Ghost
My Father's Shadow
Some excellent discoveries in all the side sections this year. 👏🏻👏🏻 #cinema #Cannes
May 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
My 10 favorite films from #Cannes2025:
Sentimental Value
Sirat
Un Poeta
The Love That Remains
Love Letters
Little Amélie
The President's Cake
Nouvelle Vague
A Useful Ghost
My Father's Shadow
Some excellent discoveries in all the side sections this year. 👏🏻👏🏻 #cinema #Cannes
Sentimental Value
Sirat
Un Poeta
The Love That Remains
Love Letters
Little Amélie
The President's Cake
Nouvelle Vague
A Useful Ghost
My Father's Shadow
Some excellent discoveries in all the side sections this year. 👏🏻👏🏻 #cinema #Cannes
When I get home after the festival - and people ask me "where were you the last 2 weeks?"
Me:
Me:
May 23, 2025 at 3:34 PM
When I get home after the festival - and people ask me "where were you the last 2 weeks?"
Me:
Me: