Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter, producer and director, having won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Milk, the biopic of the late gay rights activist Harvey Milk starring Sean Penn. Additionally, Black wrote the screenplay for J. Edgar, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Black earned his chops writing on HBO’s Big Love quickly climbing the ranks from staff writer on the series to executive story editor to co-producer. Black’s newest film Virginia, which he wrote and directed, is loosely based on his own childhood experiences growing up in the South and is now playing in theatres.

Virginia stars Jennifer Connelly (Requiem For A Dream, A Beautiful Mind) in the title role as a beautiful yet unhinged single mother who struggles to raise her son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) while dreaming of escaping her small Southern boardwalk town. Her longtime affair with the very married, Mormon Sheriff Richard Tipton, played by Ed Harris (A Beautiful Mind, Pollock), is thrown into question when he decides to run for public office. Things are further complicated when Emmett begins a romantic relationship with Tipton’s daughter, played by Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew, Valentine’s Day). Virginia and the town – populated by Amy Madigan, Toby Jones, Yeardley Smith – are full of secrets and everyone knows Virginia can only keep things together for so long. Virginia is a funny, touching drama that looks at the American Dream and what it takes to keep it together.

I recently had a chance to sit down and chat with Dustin Lance Black about Virginia. The Director spoke about Schizophrenia, his southern Mormon upbringing, the American Dream, working with Jennifer Connelly, the exhaustive effort of researching the biopics he wrote, and his upcoming projects.

Dallas Richard Hallam and Patrick Horvath are the writing / directing duo behind Entrance, an indie, slow-burn horror film / psychological thriller. It’s a slasher film in which you might not even realize it’s a slasher film until you’re a good deal of the way through it. Entrance is about Suzy, played by Suziey Block (The Island), a lonely young woman in Los Angeles who begins to develop a growing case of anxiety and uneasiness living in the city. The movie is about the limits of our perception, how things lurking in our periphery of our lives can lead to horrific conclusions; and it’s about how Suzy fell out of love with the city of LA but the city wouldn’t let her go. It is also one of the most unique and unnerving films I’ve seen in a quite a while. Entrance is now playing in theaters, as well as IFC Midnight Cable VOD and Digital Outlets (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune, Playstation Unlimited).

I recently had the chance to speak with Directors Dallas Richard Hallam and Patrick Horvath about Entrance. The directors spoke about where the idea for the film came from, what films and filmmakers influenced them, creating tension and anxiety for the audience, their metaphor for Los Angeles, sound work, and their upcoming project.

David R. Brooks and Zev Brooks are the sibling filmmakers behind The Yankles, a film about an Orthodox Jewish baseball team with a very unorthodox coach. Though both brothers co-write the script, David helmed the direction of the film while Zev acted as Producer. The Yankles is a comedy about a hapless Orthodox Yeshiva baseball team that earns a ticket to compete in the college world series. The team hires Charlie Jones, played by Brian Wimmer (Footloose, Flipper) to coach. Charlie is a washed-up, ex-major league center fielder on parole for multiple DUI convictions and desperate to fulfill his community service. While The Yankles strive for success on the field, Charlie works to rebuild his reputation and relationships. The film, which has garnered numerous awards at domestic and international film festivals, is a hilarious and touching story about redemption. The Yankles opens in theatres today, Friday, May 18th.

I recently had the chance to speak with David and Zev Brooks about The Yankles. The filmmakers discussed their long, arduous seven-year journey to make a film with no prior track record and independent from any Hollywood or studio help. The brothers also discussed working with real-life husband and wife actors, tricks for shooting on such a tight budget, the stunts involved in shooting a sports movie, the themes in their film, and their influences.

Christian Serratos is best known for portraying Angela Weber in Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, but this Friday, she can be seen in a very different role. Christian plays Lena in the new movie, 96 minutes, one of four kids whose lives are slammed together in a shocking moment.

96 Minutes focuses on a carjacking and the four teenagers caught in the chaos of one night. The story builds to a climax as it intercuts between the car and the beginning of that day, following the separate stories of each kid - where they come from, who they are, and how they all ended up in one car on that fateful night.

IAR’s Jami Philbrick recently had the chance to speak with Christian Serratos about 96 Minutes. She spoke about taking on a role in a serious drama as opposed to genre films, working with her director and the vision of the film, how crying and screaming in a scene can be extremely therapeutic, befriending her cast members, the message of the film and her upcoming film, 7500.

Brittany Snow is one of the brightest and most engaging acting talents to emerge in recent years. She can currently be seen starring opposite Kathy Bates in the law series, Harry’s Law on NBC. She is also known for her role as Meg Pryor in American Dreams and Kate Spencer in John Tucker Must Die. She began work on the independent film, 96 Minutes, over two years ago but her passion in discussing her work on that film is still as fresh as ever. 96 Minutes premiered at SXSW Film Festival in March and releases in theatres this Friday, April 27th.

96 Minutes is the story of a carjacking and the four kids caught in the chaos of one night. The story builds to a climax as it intercuts between the car and the beginning of that day, following the separate stories of each kid - where they come from, who they are and how they all ended up in one car on that fateful night. With performances by a young multicultural cast, this tale touches on issues of race, class, friendship and the connections to the past.

IAR’s Jami Philbrick recently had the chance to speak with Brittany Snow about 96 Minutes. She discusses the joy of finally seeing something she worked so hard to get released, working with her director, not wearing any make-up, keeping up with the difficult sequencing of the film, and the overall message of the movie.

Darren Lynn Bousman is a filmmaker who quickly became one of the most sought after directors in the film industry after his first three major films Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV opened at #1 at the box office three years in a row. He then went on make his passion proect, Repo! The Gentic Opera, which was a combination of Blade Runner and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Darren also directed the horror film Mother’s Day and, most recently, 11-11-11. Darren is also working on a monster movie entitled The Barrens, and a short-film series called, The Devil’s Carnival. 11-11-11 arrives on Blu-ray and DVD today, April 24th.

11-11-11 is supernatural horror film that focuses on Joseph Crown, a famed, best-selling author who is coping from the recent and tragic death of his wife, Sarah, and son, Cole, who died in a fire caused by an insane fan. One day Joseph suffers a horrible car accident but comes out of it miraculously unscathed. The accident occurs at exactly 11:11 AM. Joseph begins to discover that 11 is a number that was somehow important in his past life and that he and his loved ones may be doomed to suffer from it in the future.

I recently had the chance to speak with Darren Bousman about 11-11-11. He discusses internet piracy, how an unfinished version of his movie was reviewed by mainstream sites and downloaded over a million times online before he was even finished making it, what extras we can expect on the DVD, how his new short-film series The Devil’s Carnival has become a road show/burlesque act, his upcoming monster movie The Barrens, as well as his upcoming numerically-themed horror flick Ninety, and his love for Harry Potter.

Today, we at IAR are pleased to bring you eight exclusive images from the ensemble drama 96 Minutes.

In our ever-more technologically-connected lives, it's easy to lose sight of the actual, tangible interconnectivity between real, physical people and the way our lives can end up inextricably entwined with those we thought were total strangers.  96 Minutes is inspired by actual events, and unfolds in real-time to explore the way we relate to one another and how a series of seemingly trivial decisions can add up to a cataclysm.

Finally opening in theaters on April 13th is the long awaited horror film from writer/producer Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and writer/director Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, Lost) called The Cabin in the Woods. The film was first shot in 2009 but due to MGM’s file for bankruptcy in 2010 the movie’s release was up in the air until Lionsgate picked up the film early last year. The film finally had its premiere last month at the South by Southwest film festival and has been praised by fans and critics alike as being a “game changer” for the genre and on par with classic horror films like Evil Dead II.

On the surface the premise is not unusual for the genre, five stereotypical college friends go to a remote cabin in the woods for a vacation and are terrorized by scary creatures. However, The Cabin in the Woods has a mind-blowing secret that audiences will soon discover, which may change the way they look at the film. With Whedon and Goddard behind the scenes, two of the men that helped create groundbreaking television series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost; you know to expect the unexpected. This isn’t your daddy’s horror film! The movie stars several actors familiar to Whedon fans including Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), Fran Kranz (TV’s Dollhouse), and Amy Acker (TV’s Angel), as well as Kristen Connolly (TV’s The Good Wife), Anna Hutchison (TV’s Go Girls), Jesse Williams (TV’s Grey’s Anatomy), Brian White (Brick), Bradley Whitford (TV’s West Wing), and Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor). The movie also features a surprise appearance from a legendary genre performer that adds an extra level of authenticity to the film.

I recently had a chance to speak with actor Fran Kranz who plays Marty, the resident stoner amongst the unassuming group of college kids, in The Cabin in the Woods. The actor discussed the new movie, its delay, his typical yet unique character, how he got the part, his initial reaction to first reading the script, the movie’s unexpected twists and turns, working with Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, The Evil Dead, and the film’s surprise cameo appearance.

Film and television music composer Robert Duncan spends most days engrossed in his work at his recording studio in North Hollywood. It is a warm, cozy enclave with some walls covered in wood panels, and one particularly unique wall covered in rock, which he explains creates a distinct echo. “The rock wall diffuses sound,” Duncan says as we pass by a treasure trove of various musical instruments. He proves his point by making a sound in one part of the room, then walking to another making the same sound again and pointing out the difference. “You see?” he asks with an excited look on his face. The sounds resonated are most certainly different in one area of the studio from the next.

Best known for his career-defining role as Michael Dawson on the phenomenally successful TV series LOST, actor Harold Perrineau has been giving impressive performances on television and in film for more than twenty years. The gifted actor has appeared in such popular movies as Smoke, Romeo + Juliet, 28 Weeks Later, and The Matrix Trilogy, as well HBO’s ground breaking TV series Oz, and ABC’s short-lived but critically acclaimed series The Unusuals. While Perrineau will return to television this summer on the new TBS series The Wedding Band, first he will be seen on the big screen opposite Oscar-winner Nic Cage, and Guy Pearce in Seeking Justice, which will open in theaters on March 16th.

In the film, which is helmed by veteran director Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, Thirteen Days), Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) plays Wil Gerard, a man that’s wife (January Jones) has been brutally attacked. While she is in the hospital, Will is visited by a mysterious man named Simon played by Guy Pearce (Memento). Simon says that he represents an organization that helps people who are “seeking justice,” and makes Wil an offer that he cannot refuse. Simon will arrange to have a complete stranger exact vengeance on his wife’s attacker, in exchange for a favor from Wil in the future. He agrees to the deal, and unwittingly puts himself into a dangerous underground vigilante program. While continuing to protect his wife from the truth, he quickly discovers that his quest for justice could lead to deadly consequences and that all is not as it seems. Perrineau plays Jimmy, Wil’s best friend and confidante who has a big secret of his own that may be closer connected to Wil’s mysterious organization than he ever could imagine. Actress Jennifer Carpenter (TV’s Dexter) and veteran actor Xander Berkeley (TV’s 24) round out the film’s talented cast.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with actor Harold Perrineau about his role in Seeking Justice. The talented actor discussed the new film, his character, why he wanted to do the movie, working with director Roger Donaldson, Nic Cage’s unique approach to acting on and off the set, playing a character with a secret and creating his back-story, whether he would “seek justice” or not if given the chance, his next film; which is Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Bin Laden Project, his upcoming new TV series, and how he feels now looking back at his time on LOST.