The North American writer worked with William Wyler, Arthur Penn, William Dieterle and George Roy Hill, among other filmmakers The screenwriter Lillian Hellman, a key name of the classical Hollywood scene who worked alongside moviemakers such as William Wyler, Arthur Penn, W...

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MirrorWater Entertainment Begins Production on The Lost Voice, the Highly Anticipated Documentary about Pola Brückner, the First Woman To Have Filmed in the Amazon in Brazil/News Complements Brazil being named Country of Honor at this years' Marché du Film MirrorWater Entertainment (MWE) has begun production on The Lost Voice, the much-anticipated documentary about the first woman believed to have ever filmed in the Amazon. The story follows award...

Returning to Cannes for his fourth film in competition and his 13th film, Wes Anderson and his star-studded cast will arrive on the red carpet tonight for the premiere of The Phoenician Scheme. The story follows Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), who appoints his only daughter (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins. Wes Anderson h...

For the first time in 22 years, Richard Linklater will be returning to the Croisette for his latest feature: Nouvelle Vague (New Wave). In this biopic, Linklater tells the story of Jean-Luc Godard making ‘Breathless’. Nouvelle Vague is a love letter to the era of New Wave filmmaking that uses the techniques of the period to create an accurate depiction of Godard’s story. During an interview, The Before trilogy director told Les Inrockuptibles: “It’s the story of a...

For the 10th edition of Women In Motion, Kering brought together Directors Hirokazu Koreeda and Chie Hayakawa to discuss filmmaking in Japan and the impact women make on set. Koreeda spoke about the current state of the film industry in Japan, noting that it's challenging to make films at present. However, there has been a significant increase in female directors and filmmakers, making a positive impact on the industry in Japan. He also advocated for better working conditions in Japan, spe...

Big Bad Idea’s Outsiders Film Festival gets big, good audience Had it been a regular theatre, they would have put up a sign saying House Full. But Veda Black Box in Aram Nagar II, Versova, is not a cinema, and is designed for more intimate gatherings, like plays and workshops, so no such sign greeted me when I arrived at the venue of the Outsiders’ one-day film festival, some 2 hours after it had started. That happened because I had another appointment in the morning/forenoon, and...

Patricia Beckmann Wells   On the heels of its highly successful West Coast U.S. premiere at Slamdance Film Festival held in February, Patricia Beckmann Wells’ modern day AI fairytale Mombomb, Part 1 will have its South Asian premiere at the prestigious Nepal International Film Festival, held from March 20 – 24, 2025.   Mombomb, part 1 is among five films that will compete in the festival’s AI category on March 21st. Day 2 – Q...

THE 44th ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL SELECTIONS AND AWARDS 11-22 April 2025   Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the Istanbul Film Festival is set to return from 11 to 22 April 2025. The festival, sponsored by N Kolay, once again brings together pioneering filmmakers whose stories and styles are redefining today's cinema.   Marking its 44th year, the Istanbul Film Festival is a remarkable celebration of cinema, showcasing a wide ...

BIFFes 16, 2025: The flicks, picks and my jinx, Part I Among the 1,000 odd classic films that I had yet to see was an iconic film by the late actor-director-producer Guru Dutt, Kagaz Ke Phool (paper flowers). I had managed to watch his other classic, Pyasa, a few years ago. No restored print of Kagaz Ke Phool was available, till very recently, and when I saw the schedule of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes), I found that Kagaz Ke Phool, restored, was slotted for 7.30 pm show ...

BIFFes 16, 2025: The opening, closing, and the team behind the festival Besides showing films, major film festivals have a grand inaugural ceremony and an equally grand closing ceremony. The venue for the BIFFes 16 inauguration was the lawmakers’ abode, the Vidhan Soudha (Legislative Assembly) ramparts. Invited guests were taken there in big, comfortable cars or coaches. On such occasions, the 5-10 leading personalities that made the festival possible are invited (they invite themselves...

The festival has celebrated incredible interest shown by the public, who is flocking to the cinemas to see the best of international cinema and cheer on the stars on the Red Carpet. Many directors and actors from all over the world have presented their work during the first half of the festival, including Tilda Swinton, Edward Berger, Tom Tykwer, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger, Tala Al-Deen, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, Vicky Krieps, Ira Sachs, Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall...

Bengaluru International Film Festival, BIFFes, 2025: Universal Peace in Diversity At one time, Bangalore (now Bengaluru) was considered an ideal holiday location and a town where retirees could settle down after their decades of service. Today’s Bengaluru is nothing of the kind. It has progressed beyond the wildest imaginations. Many top companies, both Indian and foreign, have made it their headquarters, or regional headquarters. And, perhaps, it was the first city to earn the title of...

The seventh annual French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) is pleased to unveil its 2025 official poster, creating this year using AI technology, the announcement was made today by festival co-founders Nicole Goesseringer Muj and Gotham Chandna.   “In the spirit of innovation, we decided to experiment with our poster design this year,” comments Muj. “We wanted to use AI in a positive way, and have added an AI category ...

Saudi Nights, A Report: The ecstasy and the agony If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain, goes the adage. Since Saudi Arabian films were not coming to India, I went to Saudi Arabia in 2023, to attend the 2nd Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There, I saw Saudi Arabian, and many other films, from all over the world, in what was one of the grandest, most hospitable film festivals I have ever attended. And no, I have never ...

  Patricia Beckmann Wells’ modern day AI fairytale Mombomb, Part 1 has been named an official selection of the 31st Slamdance Film Festival in the Shorts Episodes category.     Created using over a dozen AI in a unique pipeline, the story is Beckmann Wells’ personal experience in her youth with a pair of serial killers and her ensuing lifelong regret. Based on real events, the feminist comedy horror series explores inter-generational trauma and...

  The Punto de Vista festival announces its Official Selection, made up of seventeen films from thirteen countries, as well as its opening and closing sessions. The opening and closing of the festival will feature Tent City by Miñuca Villaverde and Sepio by Frans van de Staak, respectively This year nearly 900 films were entered, among them the ten features and seven shorts that will eventually take away the festival prizes The Official Selection of Punto de...

Third Eye Asian Film Festival opens its eyes for the 21st time on January 10 A regular fixture for Mumbaikars and environs inhabitants, a hallmark of Maharashtra's film culture, the Third Eye Asian Film Festival will be held from January 10th to January 16, 2025, in Mumbai and Thane, at the outskirts of Mumbai city. A curated selection of 61 films will be screened at MovieMax Theatres in Andheri, Sion, and Thane. The festival will open with the Chinese film 'The Black Dog', which ...

Our Guest from the Future, Review: Russian Film Festival stutters at the end Our Guest from the Future was the closing film of the Russian film festival, held during December 12-15 at Cinépolis, Andheri West, Mumbai. It attracted almost double the capacity of Auditorium No. 4, the day being Sunday, a weekly holiday here. That caused an inordinate delay in starting the film. Finally, the film was screened, and, sadly so, it was the only weak link in the five film package. Although it wa...

Ice 3, Review: Russian film festival’s six-pack of ice While Mumbaikars were still mulling to dig into their winter-wardrobe, the Russian Film Festival laid out the white carpet, with huge sheets of ice several kilometres long, for the film was set in the freezing north. Mumbai’s winter would make us blush when compared to North Russia, where the temperatures can be much lower 0 degrees Celsius. This was of course, with solid reason. The fifth of their six-film package, Ice 3, was...

Pirates of the Barracuda Galaxy, Review: Russian Film Festival maintains its tempo, with adrenaline online Missing out on just one film so far, I have seen three of the four films screened, at the ongoing Russian Film Festival, at Cinépolis, New Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai. The festival began with the wrestling film Triumph, on 12th December, I could not make it in time for the second film, The Flying Ship, on the 13th. My review of Triumph was included in the coverage of the film ...

IFFI 2024, 22: Nithya Menen and the Power of Nuance National award-winning actress, Nithya Menen, shared her insights into the art of acting, at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Known for her nuanced performances in films like Thiruchitrambalam and OK Kanmani, the National Awardee spoke about the power of subtlety, the importance of emotional authenticity, and the challenges that come with portraying complex, real-world characters. Nithya began by reflecting on her pr...

IFFI 2024, 21: Karkhanu, Rador Pakhi and Google Matrimony Karkhanu meaning Factory, was Gujarat's first Smart Horror Comedy, bringing the eerie Haunted Factory legend to life. On Kali Chaudas (part of the auspicious annual Diwali celebrations in India) night, three carpenters are trapped in a ghostly workshop, where bizarre events force them to uncover its secrets before it's too late. A thrilling mix of suspense, humour and horror. Rador (morning sunshine) Pakhi (birds) tells the tr...