April X
| April X | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michel K. Parandi |
| Screenplay by | Michel K. Parandi Jack Coulton |
| Produced by | Lavinia Postolache |
| Starring | Connor Storrie Lilly Krug |
| Cinematography | Nathan Haugaard |
| Edited by | Hugo Caruana |
| Music by | Matthew Atticus Berger |
| Distributed by | Vertigo Releasing (United Kingdom) Sunrise Films / Rialto Distribution (North America) |
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Countries | United States Romania |
| Language | English |
April X is a 2025 science fiction thriller film directed by Michel K. Parandi and written by Parandi and Jack Coulton. It stars Connor Storrie and Lilly Krug as twins Bax and April. The film was shot on location in Bucharest, Romania, and is Parandi's feature directorial debut.[1]
The film was a finalist in the New American Cinema Competition at the 2026 Seattle International Film Festival.[2] It had its UK premiere on 17 June 2026 as the opening gala film of the 34th Raindance Film Festival.[3] Vertigo Releasing released the film theatrically in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2026, while a limited United States theatrical release through Sunrise Films and Rialto Distribution is scheduled for 2 October 2026.[4][5]
Plot
[edit] | This section's plot summary needs to be improved. (September 2026) |
Bax and April are twins in their twenties who live together and record their dreams onto discs. Both conceal how they earn money: Bax traffics human organs, while April considers selling recordings of her dreams to a gangster. When Bax falls into debt, April disappears. Bax searches the city for any trace of her, becoming increasingly consumed by the effort to find her.
Cast
[edit]- Connor Storrie as Bax
- Lilly Krug as April
- Tudor Chirilă as Tetris
- Șerban Pavlu as Klein
- Tourialay Akbari as Ronny
- Iulian Postelnicu as Adrian
- Berite Labelle as Gaby
- Marius Chivu as The Bear
- Lavinia Postolache as Rose
Production
[edit]Michel K. Parandi directed April X from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jack Coulton. Connor Storrie was cast as Bax early in the audition process. In a 2026 interview with Variety, Parandi said that the producers had encouraged him to continue auditioning actors for the role, but that he became convinced early on that Storrie was the right choice. Storrie was cast before his later breakthrough in the television series Heated Rivalry. Lilly Krug was cast opposite him as April.[6]
The film was shot on location in Bucharest, Romania.[1] Hugo Caruana edited the film and Matthew Atticus Berger composed the score.[1]
Release
[edit]April X screened at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2025, where it received first prize in the festival's Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror feature category.[7]
The film screened at the Seattle International Film Festival in May 2026 as a finalist in its New American Cinema Competition.[2] It had its UK premiere on 17 June 2026 as the opening gala film of the 34th Raindance Film Festival at Vue West End in Leicester Square, London.[3]
Vertigo Releasing released the film theatrically in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2026.[4] The film is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States on 2 October 2026 through Sunrise Films and Rialto Distribution.[5]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]Anne-Louise Fortune of Starburst praised the performances of Storrie and Krug and the film's visual atmosphere, while criticizing the number of underdeveloped plot strands and aspects of its world-building.[8] Diya Gohil of Filmhounds praised the film's production design, atmosphere and central performances, particularly those of Storrie and Krug, but criticized the screenplay's world-building, dialogue and character development.[9] Paul Risker of DMovies lauded the film's balance of darker science-fiction elements with its emotional focus, writing, "Beneath the sci-fi tropes, April X is a touching story about family, and the lengths one will go to for the ones we love."[10] Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall praised the film's grisly and menacing tone, while finding its simple and enigmatic approach to storytelling frustrating.[5]
Accolades
[edit]| Year | Award / festival | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rhode Island International Film Festival | Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Award (Feature) – First Prize | April X | Won[7] |
| Boise Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | April X | Won[11] | |
| 2026 | Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival | Best Thriller | April X | Won[1] |
| Seattle International Film Festival | New American Cinema Competition | April X | Finalist[2] | |
| Raindance Film Festival | Best International Feature | April X | Nominated[12] | |
| Best Debut Director | Michel K. Parandi | Nominated[12] | ||
| Best Performance in a Debut Feature | Connor Storrie | Nominated[12] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "April X". Seattle International Film Festival. SIFF. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "New American Cinema Competition". Seattle International Film Festival. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 "34th Raindance Film Festival Opening and Closing Galas Announcement". Raindance Film Festival. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 "April X". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "April X". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Sales Ross, Rafa (17 June 2026). "'April X' Director Michel K. Parandi Says Casting Connor Storrie Before 'Heated Rivalry' Felt Like Casting Harrison Ford in 'Blade Runner': I Was 'Telling Everybody He's Going to Be a Movie Star'". Variety. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Awards". Rhode Island International Film Festival. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Fortune, Anne-Louise. "April X". Starburst. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Gohil, Diya (28 June 2026). "April X (Raindance 2026) – An Intriguing Misfire". Filmhounds. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Risker, Paul (17 June 2026). "April X". DMovies. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- ↑ Wildman, John. "Boise Film Festival 2025 announces filmmaker awards and establishes itself as a fun stop and an industry player on the regional tour with 2nd edition". Films Gone Wild. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Announcing the Jury Award Nominees for the 34th Raindance Film Festival" (PDF). Raindance Film Festival. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.