As a media partner to the longstanding, extraordinary festival, I have been lucky enough to watch a few gems participating this year and will also moderate some Q&A’s with the creatives behind some of the titles. So come on down to the Vue Piccadilly from June 17th to the 26th!
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From left: Rithy Panh, Akuol de Mabior, Mo Amer, Annemarie Jacir and Bao Nguyen
Annemarie Jacir, Rithy Panh and Mo Amer unveiled as contributors to second round of Cate Blanchett's Displacement Fund
Along with Akuol de Mabior and Bao Nguyen, the group of five esteemed filmmakers will receive production grants to work on individual short films which will world premiere at the 2027 Rotterdam Film Festival.
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The Cannes Dispatches: You're the one that they want John Travolta and Asghar Farhadi has still got it
Audiences decide what is worthy of their attention and not critics and cinema insiders, as was obvious at the packed, enthusiastically charged screening of the American movie star’s directorial debut. Ultimately, the audience will also decide the fate of ‘Parallel Tales’ by the Iranian helmer, which showcases a very, very special Isabelle Huppert.
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The Cannes Dispatches: Musings on a film festival, its past, its present and its future
It is unusually quiet here in Cannes, although everyone is expecting it to get rowdy and noisy later tonight, when a “high octane midnight screening” event of the original ‘The Fast and the Furious’ is slated to take place. But for me, this first day on the ground has been all about a soulful Mexican film, ‘Ashes’ by Diego Luna. Yes, that Diego Luna!
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The Cannes Dispatch: Two women, a poster and the American heavyweight (title)
The choice to feature Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as ‘Thelma & Louise’ on the official poster of the upcoming 79th edition of the Festival de Cannes seems baffling. Until you dig deeper…
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Marilyn Monroe™; Rights of Publicity and Persona Rights: The Estate of Marilyn Monroe LLC. marilynmonroe.com. Photo Bernard of Hollywood © 2026 Renaissance Road Inc. Courtesy of the BFI
Five to watch at the upcoming BFI 'Marilyn Monroe: Self-Made Star' retrospective
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Monroe’s birth, the series will feature popular films and lesser known gems along with talks, an exhibition of portraits, a special study day dedicated to the superstar and a rerelease of John Huston’s ‘The Misfits’ by BFI Distribution.
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Asghar Farhadi directing Isabelle Huppert on the set of ‘Parallel Tales’ which will world premiere in Cannes
Cannes Official Selection announcement: No US studios, less women helmers in Competition and loads of political statements
Festival director Thierry Frémaux and festival president Iris Knobloch announced the majority of the titles earlier today, from the Pathe Palace in Paris and there are some surprises, mostly from the films left out, so far.
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A still from ‘House of the Wind’ by Bernard Auguste Kouemo Yanghu, used with permission
DFI Qumra 2026 wrap up piece: Online, together, committed and unafraid
It may have been a strictly virtual affair this year for the Doha Film Institute’s industry incubator but at the end of the week, projects from all corners of the world had found their wings and are ready to be viewed by the world come Cannes, Locarno or Venice — and beyond.
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A still from ‘When the Tiles Spoke’ by Soudade Kaadan, used with permission
'When the Tiles Spoke': Soudade Kaadan's latest short screens as part of Leighton House centenary in London
What happens after dark in a museum? The award winning Syrian filmmaker, and personal favorite, answers that question her own way, in a film that is all magical realism with a touch of hybrid documentary thrown in.
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Alba Rohrwacher in a still from ‘Three Goodbyes’ by Isabel Coixet, courtesy of Cinema Made in Italy
Three to watch at the upcoming Cinema Made in Italy festival in London
From Cinecittà to the BFI Southbank, Italian cinema is making an extraordinary return, with several titles directed by Italian filmmakers slated for UK distribution later this spring. And this time around, it seems to be all about freedom…
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From feft, Gael Garciá Bernal, Diego Luna, Alice Diop, Faouzi Bensaïdi and Gustavo Santaolalla
DFI announces Qumra Masters from 2026, including Gael García Bernal returning, along with Diego Luna
But also included in the stellar group are Alice Diop, Faouzi Bensaïdi and Gustavo Santaolalla.
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Viva i film italiani! Cinema Made in Italy takes over London
Come early March, from the 4th through the 8th to be exact, the BFI Southbank becomes home to some of the Italian cinematic gems everyone should be craving to discover.
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Berlinale title 'Chronicles from the Siege' plus Bassel Ghandour's latest & Moufida Fedhila's directorial debut among DFI 2025 Fall Grantees
Boasting upcoming titles in development from filmmakers like Ismaël El Iraki, Dima Hamdan and Hinde Boujemaa, plus those in post-production ranging from the MENA region to world cinema hailing from Hong Kong, Cameroon, Chile and Iran, the Doha Film Institute confirms its place as the best place for films and auteurs to meet, and find their well-deserved support.
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The Platinum Star Awards: Featuring the Best of the best in film in 2025 (my personal take)
While I usually avoid making lists of awards-worthy films, rules are meant to be broken and this year it was something definitely worth doing.
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Clockwise from top left, Bong Joon-ho, Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Jafar Panahi, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Tahar Rahim, Laurence Fishburne and Nadine Labaki
Marrakech IFF announces personalities for stellar conversations, including Bong Joon-ho, Guilermo del Toro & Nadine Labaki
The Marrakech International Film Festival (MIFF) which this year will run from November 28th to December 6th, 2025, has announced its highly anticipated line up for their Conversation Program.
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Marrakech FF announces stellar line up, including world premiere of Meryem Benm'Barek's highly anticipated 'Behind the Palm Trees'
The festival will kick off with ‘Dead Man's Wire’, Gus Van Sant's dark and jubilant comedy and close with Annemarie Jacir’s Palestinian submission to the Oscars ‘Palestine 36’, with loads of wondrous films screening in between.
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Clockwise from left: Raja Amari, Dhafer L’Abidine, Rithy Panh, Alessandra Speciale
Doha Film Festival announces stellar world cinema personalities for their Competition Jury
Included are frequent DFI collaborator Rithy Panh and Tunisian star Dhafer L’Abidine.
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A still from ‘The Reserve’ by Pablo Pérez Lombardini courtesy of © Pikila
World cinema projects from Mexico's 'The Reserve' to Spain's 'Sleepless City' and Japan's ‘Renoir’ in Competition at inaugural Doha Film Festival
Doha Film Festival will showcase a remarkable selection of acclaimed titles from across the world as part of its International Feature Film Competition, reflecting the festival’s commitment to cinematic excellence and cultural diversity, bringing together powerful stories that resonate across borders.
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A still from ‘Khartoum’, a documentary which will screen at the Doha Film Festival later this November
Sudan in focus at the upcoming inaugural Doha Film Festival in Qatar
Featuring music and films from the country in turmoil, the line up for the event held by the Doha Film Institute, highlights the creativity and rich heritage of a nation whose stories continue to inspire the world.
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A still from ‘Sink’ by Zain Duraie, courtesy of Tabi360
Five films you must watch at this year's BFI London Film Festival
Don’t be mad if I didn’t include your personal fave, or a Hollywood title. There are plenty of those, with galas and special conversations to boot. But for me, these titles deserve a second look.
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