What do you do when you don’t see people like you represented in French literature? Well, if you are Fatima Daas, you write a character that has never been shown before — a lesbian, Muslim young woman, first generation French daughter of Algerian immigrants. And then, a great filmmaker and actress like Hafsia Herzi might make it into a film that ends up in Cannes, in Competition. Well, this is what happened.
Read More
Tom Cruise must need a nap after 'Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning'
He runs across London, dives to the depth of the Baltic Sea, flies through the South African sky, most of the time outside an airplane, and never misses a beat — and I was exhausted just watching him do it all…
Read More
A still from ‘Yalla Parkour!’ by Areeb Zuaiter
There are eight DFI-supported titles in this year's Berlinale lineup
And at least one in each section too, including Competition and the new Perspectives for first time features.
Read More
Jacob Elordi in Justin Kurzel’s ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ photo © Curio Pictures
New additions to Berlinale Special program include much anticipated title 'Mickey 17' and new Justin Kurzel series with Jacob Elordi
There is goodness to be found in this year’s Berlinale Special program and it includes some eye candy, for yours truly.
Read More
Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in a still from Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’
Cinema is "something that is going to change your mind forever": Let's talk about Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer'
As the Italian-born filmmaker heads the Competition Jury at this year’s Marrakech International Film Festival, I’m reminded of one of my favorite, count-them-on-the-fingers-of-one-hand films from this year’s Venice Film Festival and why Guadagnino will always be a beloved filmmaker of mine.
Read More
Fink, Roz and Pinktail in ‘The Wild Robot’, courtesy of DreamWorks Animation
Kindness is a superpower: 'The Wild Robot' review
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but feel free to judge this magnificent film by its spellbinding still above.
Read More
Photo by © Akis Bado, used with permission
Locarno Golden Leopard winner 'Toxic' by Saulė Bliuvaitė reviewed
The film, which was awarded top prize by a jury chaired by Austrian auteur Jessica Hausner, was also the winner in the separately juried First Feature Competition.
Read More
Bérénice Béjo and Matheo Labbé in a still from ‘Mexico 86’
Review of 'Mexico 86' by César Diaz: A film with its heart in the perfect place
The fictionalized, yet personal story of the troubled relationship between the filmmaker and his own mother, ‘Mexico 86’ offers a viewpoint into the price women pay when trying to balance motherhood, and a revolution.
Read More
Cate Blanchett and Sasha Baron Cohen in a still from ‘Disclaimer’ by Alfonso Cuaron
Trailer released for 'Disclaimer': **Not to be watched if you can't handle entertainment
'Why War' may be Amos Gitai's most important film to date and will screen at this year's Venice Film Festival
For a man whose personal mission has been to “build bridges through cinema,” as he told La Repubblica newspaper in an interview just published this week, his latest film may prove the most important peace-making link yet.
Read More
Venice Film Festival line up includes latest from Amos Gitai, Scandar Copti, Pedro Almodóvar, plus a series from Alfonso Cuarón, Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer' and Pablo Larraín's 'Maria'
All wrapped up with the Lady Gaga starrer ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, Tunisian gem ‘Aïcha’ by Mehdi Barsaoui and ‘Wolfs’ starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt — talk about a festival for the stars!
Read More
Sophia Loren in a frame from the film ‘L’oro di Napoli’ by Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica's classic 'L'oro di Napoli' is pre-opening film of 81st Venice Film Fest
The Pre-opening film will screen on Tuesday August 27th of the 81st Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia, on the 50th anniversary of the death of Vittorio De Sica and the 70th anniversary of the film.
Read More
DreamWorks Animation launches brand new trailer for 'The Wild Robot' in Annecy
The latest DreamWorks Animation title will be distributed by Universal and is a new adaptation of the literary sensation by Peter Brown.
Read More
'Being Maria' Cannes Review: A problematic woman or simply someone who dared to call it like it is?
Cinematic, albeit scandalous history was made in 1972 when Bernardo Bertolucci’s ‘Last Tango in Paris’ was first screened. Now French filmmaker Jessica Palud, with the help of a book written by Maria Schneider’s cousin, retells the story to finally bring out the heroine in a woman who simply stood up for herself. And, as is often the case for strong women, lost.
Read More
Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' Cannes "review": For the love of cinema (and America)
If you go into Coppola’s opus without a heavy belief in romance and a huge cultural knowledge of cinema, you’ll miss the point. Once you’ve got that sorted, all you need is to sit back, relax and enjoy the show — because what a show it is!
Read More
'Wild Diamond' Cannes Review: A woman's story for the age we live in
Agathe Riedinger’s Competition title shows us the contradictions and pressures of being a modern woman. And the resulting film is a work of the seventh art not to be missed.
Read More
Jeremy Xido's 'The Bones' follows CPH:DOX premiere with Hot Docs Surprise Screening
And the film importantly holds proof that in order to understand our future, we must look at the past — the very distant, millions of years ago, dinosaurs and all, past!
Read More
Re-evaluating the power of cinema: Amos Gitai's 'Shikun' at Berlinale
If you’d asked me a year ago did I believe cinema could change the world, I would have answered you with an enthusiastic “yes!” Now? Read on to find out…
Read More
A still from ‘Ladies Coffee’ courtesy of Al-Agroobi.
Amal Al-Agroobi's groundbreaking short 'Ladies Coffee' to premiere at London's AWAN Festival
The London-based Emirati director is a personal favorite and her latest project breaks all the conventions set for Arab women filmmakers, in favor of a genre bending short that begs to be watched on the big screen.
Read More
A still from the film © Reiner Holzemer Film
Reiner Holzemer's 'Lars Eidinger -- To Be or Not To Be' premieres in North America
The latest documentary from the German filmmaker, whose mission appears to shoot cinematic homages to all things cool, will be shown to FIFA audiences in Montreal on March 21st.
Read More