Peter Zerzan’s short film The Tourist, a Goa-set story shaped by atmosphere, character, and the emotional possibilities of travel, is preparing to reach a wider audience following its festival run. The upcoming public release marks a new chapter for the filmmaker, whose ambitions are already moving toward a considerably larger production.

The timing feels fitting. Cinema has always been a conversation between what a director has made and what he still wants to make. Zerzan’s work reflects that ongoing dialogue, with each project offering a new opportunity to explore the relationship between place, narrative, and the audience’s emotional experience.

The Tourist emerged as an international production shaped by Goa’s distinctive visual and cultural character. The film’s setting provides more than a backdrop. Its atmosphere informs the storytelling, allowing the landscape to influence the emotional rhythm of the narrative.

The score, composed by Ayaka Nakamoto, was developed with that sensibility at its core. Drawing inspiration from Indian and Iberian musical traditions, Nakamoto incorporated sitar, Portuguese guitar, strings, and piano to create a soundscape responsive to the film’s location.

“I wanted to create a nostalgic atmosphere in the romantic moments, while using modern harmonies to give the score a contemporary feel,” Nakamoto explains. “I wanted the score to reflect how Akiko’s experiences in Goa gradually changed her inner state. I shaped these shifts through instrumentation, meter, and string articulations, allowing the music to evolve naturally with her experience.”

Her approach follows Akiko’s emotional evolution throughout the film, with instrumentation, meter, and string articulation reflecting subtle shifts in her experience. The music gives the narrative room to breathe, allowing the visual language and performances to carry their own weight. She adds, “Rather than over-explaining every moment, I wanted to leave room for the audience to absorb the imagery and performances.” 

Nakamoto’s work with a live string quartet added another layer of intimacy to the production. She recalls the warmth and expressive detail that emerged through live performance, particularly during the waltz and melancholic passages.

“Hearing the players respond to each other gave the music a more human and organic quality,” she reflects. “Small details in the performance made a big difference. Subtle changes in phrasing, timing, and dynamics gave the music a sense of life. I’m very grateful to Peter for giving me the opportunity to record the score with a live string quartet for the film.” 

Such details reveal the care invested in The Tourist, a film whose creative identity extends across its visual storytelling and musical composition. Zerzan’s decision to bring the project to a general audience now gives viewers the chance to experience those choices outside the festival environment.

The release is expected toward the beginning of November, subject to final post-production preparations. Zerzan is working with his post-production team to ensure the best quality before making it available through a digital platform such as Vimeo or YouTube.

The film’s public arrival also serves as an introduction to the filmmaker’s next ambition.

Zerzan is currently developing a new thriller, a project that represents his most expansive filmmaking undertaking to date. The screenplay has been completed, and investment conversations have already begun.

Details surrounding the narrative remain closely held, though the production’s direction is becoming clearer. Zerzan is preparing to return to the United States for filming, with soundstage access in San Francisco being explored alongside producer Jeff Allard. 

The move brings the filmmaker back to American soil for a project he envisions on a larger scale. His international experience has broadened his understanding of production, and the forthcoming thriller offers an opportunity to apply those lessons to a more ambitious cinematic framework.

Zerzan’s current trajectory reflects the natural progression of an independent filmmaker building toward increasingly substantial work. The Tourist provides a complete creative statement, while the thriller represents the next challenge, one that demands greater resources and a committed network of collaborators.

His interest in connecting with potential investors and production partners forms part of that next phase. The public release of The Tourist offers an accessible introduction to his work and a glimpse into the filmmaking sensibility guiding his future projects.

Ultimately, Peter Zerzan finds his purpose in the gap between what is finished and what is yet to come. As one project meets the world and another waits behind the curtain, he thrives in the transition, using the quiet space of imagination to build what’s next.

Written in partnership with Tom White

After making waves at the Austin Film Festival and the Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival, Mexican psychological horror film Sacrificios is heading to Europe next month.

The film from writer/director Mauricio Chernovetzky and writer Alexander Ioshpe has officially been selected for the 34th edition of the Raindance Film Festival, where it will make its European premiere as part of the festival’s independent feature lineup.

The selection marks another milestone for the emotionally charged horror thriller, which first premiered at the 2025 Austin Film Festival and won the Audience Award in the Dark Matters category before traveling to Brazil for its Latin American premiere at Fantaspoa, the largest festival dedicated to fantastic genre cinema in Latin America.

For Chernovetzky and Ioshpe, the journey of Sacrificios has been deeply personal from the start.

“Something awoke in me when I returned to live in Mexico, reconnecting with its cultural layers, mysteries, and my own childhood,” Chernovetzky says. “That inevitably led me to think about my father and the sacrifices he made for me. That is when the idea for Sacrificios came. The story of what a father would do for his son.”

The film follows Juan, a grieving father devastated by the death of his young son. After a supernatural encounter at sea seemingly returns the child to him, Juan spirals into an increasingly dangerous cycle of sacrifice, obsession, and guilt as he fights to hold onto the impossible miracle.

Rather than building the film around traditional horror spectacle, Chernovetzky and Ioshpe approached Sacrificios as an intimate emotional story rooted in grief and faith.

“Grief breaks everything open, our sense of safety, certainty, and control,” Chernovetzky and Ioshpe tell LA Entertainment Weekly. “At that moment, faith becomes the only hope, the search for meaning, for answers, for a way to undo the loss. And the horror grows from there, from how far Juan is willing to go.”

The filmmakers credit lead actor Jorge A. Jimenez, known for Narcos, The Black Demon, and Borrega, with grounding the film’s emotional intensity. “There’s not a second of falsehood in his performance,” they say. “That truth carries the emotional core through everything.”

After years spent independently bringing the project to life, the response at Austin proved especially meaningful for the filmmakers. “Winning the Audience Award at Austin meant so much to us because it showed that our film truly connected,” they say. “People stayed after the screening to share their own traumas with us. Some came back a second time and brought friends.”

That momentum continued at Fantaspoa, where the filmmakers introduced the film to Latin American audiences for the first time. “We were curious how a hardcore genre audience would respond,” they say. “But the theater was packed, the audience was deeply engaged, and people stayed afterward to ask questions. It gave us the sense that the film is tapping into something universal.”

Looking ahead, Chernovetzky and Ioshpe hope the film finds a distribution path that allows it to connect with audiences seeking atmospheric, emotionally driven horror.

“Our ideal path would involve a targeted theatrical or hybrid rollout followed by a strong specialty and VOD release internationally,” they say. “We believe there’s an audience for horror films that are intimate, culturally grounded, and emotionally honest.”

With Raindance now ahead, Sacrificios continues to emerge as one of the more emotionally ambitious genre titles on the international festival circuit.

Written in partnership with Tom White

If you’ve ever finished a show and thought, “I wish I had something new to watch that actually feels different,” AAPI Heritage Month is a great time to branch out.

Asian film and TV have quietly become some of the most exciting storytelling in entertainment right now, from emotionally layered dramas to high-energy anime and beautifully shot, slow-paced lifestyle series. The only real question is: where do you start?

Start with the names you already know (even if you don’t realize it)

You’ve probably already seen actors like Steven Yeun (Beef, The Walking Dead) or Song Kang-ho (Parasite), but their earlier work opens up an entirely different world of storytelling.

Films like Burning or A Taxi Driver hit differently. They’re slower, more character-driven, and often linger with you in a way that big Hollywood releases don’t always try to.

Then fall into the rabbit hole (you’ll probably stay there)

If you’ve never really gotten into anime or serialized Asian dramas, this is where things can get addictive fast.

Shows like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Demon Slayer – The Movie: Mugen Train aren’t just popular; they’re the kind of series people build routines around. One episode turns into three, and suddenly it’s a full weekend watch.

For something quieter, try watching how culture shows up in everyday life

Not everything has to be high stakes. Some of the most memorable content comes from shows that focus on food, travel, and routine.

The Solitary Gourmet and A Taste of Life in Kyoto are the kind of series you put on thinking you’ll casually watch, and end up getting completely absorbed in. They’re less about plot and more about atmosphere, tradition, and small moments that feel deeply personal.

Where to find all of this (without another subscription)

Let’s be honest, most people aren’t looking to add another streaming service right now.

That’s where free platforms like Amasian TV come in. It brings together a mix of films, dramas, anime, and live programming, including internationally acclaimed and award-winning titles, all in one place, with curated collections that make it easier to jump between genres depending on your mood.

Whether you’re in the mood for something emotional, something bingeable, or just something new, it’s an easy way to explore without overthinking it.

This isn’t just for AAPI Month

What’s changed in the last few years is how accessible these stories have become. You no longer need to go out of your way to find them; they’re part of the broader entertainment landscape now.

So if AAPI Heritage Month gives you a reason to start, there’s a good chance you won’t stop there.

Written in partnership with Tom White