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Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.A camel, it has been said, is a horse designed by committee. This seems wrong, though, since it assumes that a horse was the initial objective, and that the camel resulted from too many incompatible interests and desires. In fact, the camel is perfectly equipped for what it needs to do, and if that camel finds itself having to step into a horse’s position, that speaks more to poor planning and shortsighted decision-making than to the nature of the camel itself. Nevertheless, the point of this aphorism is to suggest that you get something weird and nonfunctional when you allow too many people to have their say. But are these outcomes really that strange? What you get is more likely to be the sort of compromise that pleases no one. The Affordable Care Act is national health care by committee. Oprah’s Book Club is literature by committee.

Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.To participate in the Toronto International Film Festival Scavenger Hunt, simply take a selfie with each of the eight “landmarks” around Festival Street—the three-block stretch of King Street where you’ll find key festival venues, food trucks, and brand activations—then enter a raffle to win a prize. I wondered what a “landmark” would look like as I began my search one evening, killing time before Roberto Minervini’s existentialist war movie The Damned (all films 2024). I imagined informational placards on the festival’s main theaters—maybe I could learn something about the architecture of Roy Thomson Hall, the distinctive concert hall that resembles a mirrored funnel? Or some bizarre trivia about the Reitman family, that cinematic dynasty who developed the Lightbox Theater?I spotted the first landmark: a black square of poster board, affixed to a crowd-control barricade. It was adorned with plain white text,...

Pioneering horror and fantasy writer Anne Rice is best known for The Vampire Chronicles but wrote many amazing book series before passing away in 2021 at 80. Rice focused on fantasy, with historical and spiritual elements pervading many of her books. She wrestled with faith her whole life, losing it and eventually finding it again. This process inspired two religion-tinged book series and mystical themes running through The Vampire Chronicles and other novels. All Rice's series had something unique to offer, but some may say they varied in originality and consistency, making a well-considered ranking worthwhile.

Anne Rice's exploration of Christianity didn't stop her from diving into erotic scenes in her books, with one series, in particular, standing out. Rice wrote a reasonably chaste first book for The Vampire Chronicles in 1976, which was adapted into AMC+'s brilliant Interview with the Vampire. However, there were explicit chapters in Rice's work by the time of the fourth chronicle,...

Chatting with the head of a prominent documentary-production company recently, I asked if hybrid filmmaking had reached its natural limit. Could it conceivably be pushed further? He posited these limitations might be behind a recent trend of documentarians pivoting to fiction: Kirsten Johnson is making a Susan Sontag biopic with Kristen Stewart; Frederick Wiseman made his first narrative feature A Couple after half a century spent in non-fiction; Roberto Minervini’s The Damned and Sandhya Suri’s Santosh both premiered at Cannes this past Spring; most recently, RaMell Ross adapted the Pulitzer-winning novel Nickel Boys. Documentarians are realizing that if fiction and non-fiction are both highly constructed, then why not work this construction openly, with the added perks of larger budgets and access to stars?

Joshua Oppenheimer joins that cohort with The End, a bunker-bound musical set at the end of the world. From the jump, The End embodies a more classical filmmaking mode.

French-speaking Belgium hit a high-water mark at the Cannes Film Festival in May, with 11 Belgian co-productions claiming accolades and acclaim across the Croisette. Alongside Critics’ Week opener “Ghost Trail” and the Cannes jury and best actress prize-winner “Emilia Pérez,” eight of those co-productions received support from Belgium’s Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles, while just as many shared a proud Francophone voice.

At Venice, industry delegates built on that robust show of force, touting home-grown projects like Fabrice Du Welz’s police thriller “Maldoror” and co-productions like Aude Léa Rapin’s sci-fi drama “Planet B” and Marie Losier’s music doc “Peaches Goes Bananas,” while young producers took to the Lido to forge new partnerships beyond the traditional mold.

“We’re trying to diversify as much as possible,” says French-speaking Belgium’s Cinema and Audiovisual Center director Jeanne Brunfaut. “Though we tend to partner with [other Francophone countries], we want to encourage our producers to look further afield,...

When George Orwell went to war, he expected a nasty business of skirmishes—the clanging of iron and steel and the shouts of victory or death. But as his 1938 memoir Homage to Catalonia documents well, the days and weeks of boredom in between battles, when weather, hunger, and infection preoccupied his mind, are their own kind of torture. Even when Orwell is shot in the throat, he downplays the pain of the moment, pondering it as a surreal break from the doldrums of marching and scouting.

Orwell’s experience during the Spanish Civil War wasn’t akin to what took place in the trenches of World War I, nor on the frontline of Normandy, and as such Homage to Catalonia is no Storm of Steel. At least in that more harrowing war story, one can see the romantic side of mass death just as many saw beauty and meaning in...

Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) has announced the line-up for its eighth edition, including its Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons sections, and opening film A River Without Tears.

The festival also announced that it is screening a restored version of Chen Kaige’s award-winning Yellow Earth, to mark the 40th anniversary of the film, one of the first major titles of China’s Fifth Generation movement, which won a Silver Leopard at Locarno as well as best cinematography for Zhang Yimou at Nantes Three Continents Film Festival.

Opening film A River Without Tears, the second feature of female director Liu Juan, is the story of a father who insists on finding out the truth of his daughter’s suicide. Executive produced by Chinese auteur and Pingyao festival founder Jia Zhangke, the film will also screen as one of 12 titles in the festival’s Hidden Dragons section for emerging Chinese filmmakers (see full list below).

Meanwhile,...

A restored edition of Chen Kaige’s “Yellow Earth” is one of the highlights of the selection for the 8th edition of China’s boutique Pingyao International Film Festival. The film, which helped put Chinese art-house cinema on the map overseas and signaled a new era of Chinese directors, now referred to the FIfth Generation, was originally released 40 years ago.

The festival, which runs Sept. 24-30, will open with the world premiere of Liu Juan’s “A River Without Tears.”

The festival’s Hidden Dragons section of Chinese-made films includes: the Asian premiere of Ma Lanhua’s “Hello, Spring”; the Asian premiere of Tang Yongkan’s “Stars and the Moon”; and world premieres of Wang Lina’s “Village Music”; Zhu Xin’s “A Song River”; Yang Suiyi’s “Karst”; Luka Yang Yuanyuan’s “Chinatown Cha-Cha”; Shen Tao’s “Floating Clouds Obscure the Sun”; Siu Koon-ho’s “True Love, For Once...

As the Toronto International Film Festival gets underway, The Hollywood Reporter’s critics weigh in on this year’s crop of titles, from biopics to documentaries, sweeping epics to intimate character studies, tear-jerking dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies.

Several of this year’s slate have already debuted at other festivals throughout the year. For those curious about the very best the TIFF calendar has to offer, a few — but not nearly all — of the highlights include the Steven Soderbergh ghost story Presence, which David Rooney hailed as “masterfully done” out of Sundance; the Icelandic grief drama When the Light Breaks, which Lovia Gyarkye described as “impossible to shake” at Cannes; and the literary adaptation Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, which Caryn James praised at Telluride for the “astonishing” child performance at its center.

In addition, the lineup includes a number of highly anticipated world premieres — we’re curious about David Gordon Green’s Nutcracker,...

The Busan International Film Festival will expand its screening program by some 8% in what it calls “an effort to maintain a scale befitting Asia’s top film festival.” This is despite a 50% cut in government financial support.

The festival will open on Oct. 2 with “Uprising,” a star-studded period drama from Netflix that was scripted and produced by Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) and directed by Kim Sang-man.

It will close on Oct. 11 with the Eric Khoo-directed “Spirit World,” which the Singaporean director shot in Japan with French icon Catherine Deneuve in the lead role.

“Uprising” involves a servant (played by Gang Dong-won) and his master, the som of a noble family with military connections. While they agree that the servant should be free, complications arise. The film also stars Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rock, Jin Sun-kyu and Jung Sung-il. “With Park Chan-wook’s signature humor oozing through the well-woven narrative, full of intense conflict and tension,...

It looks like Sex Education star Asa Butterfield isn't quite done with Netflix just yet, seeing as though he's set to star in an upcoming Netflix thriller series titled Out of the Dust. More on his casting and the show below.

Butterfield is best known for starring in the lead role of Otis Milburn in the Netflix teen series Sex Education. He also had roles in the movies The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Then Came You, Your Christmas or Mine?, All Fun and Games and Your Christmas or Mine 2. His next project, other than Out of the Dust, is an upcoming animated sci-fi film called Rogue Trooper. Besides Sex Education, he has starred in one other Netflix project, the horror-thriller film Choose or Die.

Now that it's been announced that he'll be in Out of the Dust, this marks his second Netflix series and his third Netflix project overall.

Best Friend Forever has dropped the trailer for Marie Losier’s documentary feature “Peaches Goes Bananas.” The feature will have its world premiere at the Venice Days sidebar running alongside the film festival.

The documentary portrays Merrill Nisker — the trailblazing feminist queer icon, musician and producer known as Peaches — off and on stage. It showcases Peaches’ concerts, her bond with her sister Suri and her creative process.

The movie also results from the friendship bond that Losier has forged with Peaches over the years. “There was a special feeling between Marie and I from the moment we met — a comfort, a joy, a creative force, a knowing,” said Peaches in a statement. “Marie’s style is all her own and I love her for that. There are such sacred moments captured on film that I will always cherish, especially since the passing of my sister and my father,” she continued.

Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams and Sebastian Stan have joined the roster of Hollywood stars set to attend the 50th edition of France’s Deauville American Film Festival.

The festival announced Thursday that it would fete Portman and Williams with its Deauville Talent Award at the upcoming edition (running from September 6 to 15) in the presence of the stars.

Stan is also set to attend receive its Nouvel Hollywood award in the wake of recent performances in The Apprentice and A Different Man, which will screen at the festival as part of its Premieres line-up.

He joins Daisy Ridley, whose presence in Deauville for same award was announced last week. Previous recipients of the award feting rising Hollywood talents include Robert Pattinson, Ryan Gosling and Emilia Clarke.

In other additions to the program, Deauville also revealed that it would be welcoming back Cannes 2024 Palme d’Or winner Sean Baker, who has a long history with the festival.

Vertigo Games will be bringing the original Arizona Sunshine back to life in a newly-announced remake. Announced during the VR Games Showcase that Arizona Sunshine Remake will be making its way to the Meta Quest 2 and 3, PlayStation VR2 and PC via SteamVR, with those users who own the original Arizona Sunshine able to upgrade to Arizona Sunshine Remake at a discounted price of $9.99.

Pre-orders are now open with a 10% pre-order discount, as well as getting you the Federal Containment Agency Pack. The pack includes a Safety-First Ducky Charm, Hazard handlers gloves and a Crisis Command Suit. Those who go the upgrade route will also receive the pack.

Completely rebuilt with high-resolution textures and realistic environmental details, Arizona Sunshine Remake includes all of the original downloadable content and updates, including the “Dead Man” and “The Damned” DLCs, and the “Old Mine,” “Trailer Park,” and “Undead Valley” updates. The remake will include...

Very rarely does the anime world clash with the real one, but in one instance, fans saw Naruto come alive in front of their own eyes. No, it wasn’t a life-savior whose philosophy matches the character, but a WWE wrestler whose voice is scarily similar to Naruto.

The WWE world is full of anime fans like Ronda Rousey, John Cena, Mercedes Mone, Rhea Ripley, and more. They have openly expressed their interest in Japanese animations and their incredible plots. But the spotlight has suddenly shifted to another wrestler, and for a completely coincidental reason.

Meet Shayna Baszler, the Wrestler Who Sounds Like Naruto Shayna Baszler | Credits: @qosbaszler

Shayna Andrea Baszler is a professional wrestler hailing from South Dakota, USA. She is a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist, who is currently signed in with WWE. She is also the former two-time reigning champion of Nxt Women’s Champion. She...

Demi Lovato has a new song out with Grupo Firme!

The 31-year-old “Skin of My Teeth” singer joined the Música Mexicana group for the bilingual single, “Chula,” where they can be heard singing in both English and Spanish throughout the upbeat track.

Both artists first teased the new collab earlier this month and Demi joined Grupo Firme on stage at their Austin, Tex., concert to debut the song.

Footage from that performance is shown in the music video for the track.

Keep reading to watch and learn more…

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with Grupo Firme on ‘Chula,’” Demi shared in a statement. “Their energy and passion for music are infectious, and coming together with Eduin [Caz] on this track has been an incredible experience. I can’t wait for our fans to hear it and feel the same joy we felt when creating it!”

“We’ve been huge fans of Demi’s for so long,...

Deauville American Film Festival has unveiled the 14 US features for its 50th anniversary edition running September 6-15 in the Normandy seaside town.

They include Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio’s 2024 Sundance prize-winner In The Summers, Cannes-premiering titles including Roberto Minervini’s The Damned and Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve At Miller’s Point, and Christy Hall’s taxi drama Daddio.

Eight of the films are debut features, among them David Fortune’s Color Book which world-premiered at Tribeca and Brandt Andersen’s The Strangers’ Case which made its debut at Berlin.

Benoit Magimel heads up this year’s Deauville jury alongside Ludivine Sagnier,...

International auteurs Miguel Gomes, Wang Bing and Roberto Minervini will be part of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival’s Wavelengths program, TIFF organizers announced on Thursday.

The festival will present the North American premieres of “Grand Tour,” a period piece for which Gomes won the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; Minervini’s “The Damned,” a Civil War-era drama that screened in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section; and two films by Chinese documentarian Wang Bing, “Youth (Hard Times)” and “Youth (Homecoming).”

The Wavelengths section, which is devoted to daring cinema and contemporary art, will also include “exergue – on documenta 14,” a 14-hour documentary by Greek director Dimitris Athiridis that will be presented over three separate screenings.

Wavelengths is divided into different sections – one consisting of 11 feature films, another with a special presentation of Egyptian director Wael Shawky’s “Drama 1882” and another showcasing 13 different short and medium-length films grouped into thematic programs.

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its Wavelengths programme highlighting visionary work including Dimitris Athiridis’s 14-hour documentary exergue - on documenta 14, and a Classics line-up featuring work from Atom Egoyan and Frederick Wiseman.

The Wavelengths programme comprises 11 features, three shorts programmes, and an in-cinema looped presentation of Egyptian artist Wael Shawky’s Drama 1882.

The features selections includes Cannes entries Viêt And Nam by Trương Minh Quý, Grand Tour by Miguel Gomes and The Damned by Roberto Minervini, and Berlin selection Pepe by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias.

exergue - on documenta 14 receives its North American premiere after...

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival continues to update its robust programming lineup. This year’s Wavelengths and Classics programs boast various hits, now including the North-American premiere of buzzy Cannes title “Viêt and Nam,” directed by Trương Minh Quý.

The Wavelengths lineup tallies 11 features, three shorts programs, and a special in-cinema looped presentation. Wavelengths alums Miguel Gomes (“Grand Tour”), Roberto Minervini (“The Damned”), and Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias (“Pepe”) return with their respective North-American premieres. Jessica Sarah Rinland is also back to the program with “Collective Monologue.”

There is also the 14-hour documentary “exergue – on documenta 14” from Greek filmmaker Dimitris Athiridi, which will be presented over the course of three screenings.

The program is curated by Senior Curator Andréa Picard and Associate Curator Jesse Cumming, with contributions by Giovanna Fulvi, Nataleah Hunter-Young, and June Kim.

For the shorts selections, the late auteur Jean-Luc Godard’s final film “Scénarios...

The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival presented by Rogers has set their Wavelengths and Classics section. Wavelengths includes 11 movies, and 3 short programs and a special in-cinema looped presentation with diverse works from established auteurs and emerging talent.

Of note this year are the North American premieres of Roberto Minervini’s Civil War epic The Damned, Miguel Gomes’ Black and White period movie Grand Tour, and the completion of Wang Bing’s docu trilogy, Youth (Hard Times) and Youth (Homecoming) about Chinese sweatshop workers, the filmmaker’s chronicling which began in Youth (Spring) which played at Cannes and TIFF in 2023.

Jessica Sarah Rinland returns to the sidebar with Collective Monologue, alongside the North American Premiere of the queer Viêt and Nam, by first-time Wavelengths filmmaker Trương Minh Quý. The 14-hour, compulsively watchable exergue – on documenta 14 from Greek filmmaker Dimitris Athiridi will be presented in three screenings.

Short film...

The 2024 New York Film Festival has revealed its main slate lineup including Cannes winners Anora and Seed of the Sacred Fig as well as the U.S. premieres of Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds and Roberto Minervini’s The Damned, which was also awarded at Cannes.

Indeed, the NYFF main slate features a number of Cannes prize winners in addition to Sean Baker’s Anora, which won Cannes’ Palme d’Or; exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s Seed of the Sacred Fig, which was awarded a special prize; and The Damned, which won best director in the Un Certain Regard section, shared with Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, which will also screen at NYFF. Other Cannes faves set to play in New York include Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, which won the grand prize at the French festival, and Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour,...

New York Film Festival (NYFF) has announced a varied Main Slate featuring anticipated Venice world premiere The Brutalist from Brady Corbet as well as a raft of Cannes and Berlin winners including Sean Baker’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora.

The line-up of 33 films announced on Tuesday morning includes Payal Kapadia’s Cannes grand prize winner All We Imagine As Light, Miguel Gomes’s best director winner Grand Tour, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, recipient of the special prize.

Mati Diop’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Dahomey takes its place in the selection, as...

Thirty-three films will make up the Main Slate of the 62nd New York Film Festival, including the latest from David Cronenberg, Sean Baker, Payal Kapadia, Mike Leigh, Mati Diop, Hong Sang-soo and Julia Loktev. The festival will take place Sept. 27 — Oct. 14, 2024.

“The festival’s ambition is to reflect the state of cinema in a given year, which often means also reflecting the state of the world,” the festival’s artistic director Dennis Lim said in a statement. “The most notable thing about the films in the Main Slate — and in the other sections that we will announce in the coming weeks— is the degree to which they emphasize cinema’s relationship to reality. They are reminders that, in the hands of its most vital practitioners, film has the capacity to reckon with, intervene in, and reimagine the world.”

The movies in this year’s Main Slate come from 24 different countries.

New York Film Festival has revealed the Main Slate titles for its 62nd edition, which runs September 27 through October 14. The selection includes feature films from 24 countries, with 18 directors making their NYFF Main Slate debut, and two world, five North American, and 16 U.S. premieres. As previously announced, the festival will open with RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” and close with Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” and will feature Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door” as its Centerpiece.

The Main Slate includes celebrated films from festivals worldwide including Cannes prize winners: Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” (Grand Prize), Sean Baker’s “Anora” (Palme d’Or), Roberto Minervini’s “The Damned”, Miguel Gomes’s “Grand Tour” (Best Director), Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Special Prize). At this year’s Berlinale, Mati Diop’s “Dahomey” received the Golden...

Four U.K. genre-bending titles from Zu Quirke (“Nocturne”), Corinna Faith (“The Power”), Anna Fredrikke Bjerke (writer of Netflix’s “Midsummer Night”) and Ashley Horner will be teased to potential Nordic partners Aug. 21, at the 19th Nordic Co-production Market in Haugesund, Norway.

The curated pitch slate forms the industry centrepiece of the second U.K. Focus, organised by Haugesund’s industry event New Nordic Films, in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI).

“We are looking forward to the second U.K. Focus at Haugesund’s Nordic Co- Production Market, sparking co-production conversations for the participating U.K. producer/director teams in meeting potential Nordic partners,” said Denitsa Yordanova, head of the UK Global Screen Fund (Ukgsf), which is financed via the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) and administered by the BFI.

“The Nordics offers a very vibrant ecosystem of talents and co-production partners with strong track records.

Exclusive: The Gotham Group has signed Icelandic film director Thordur Palsson whose feature debut, the horror film The Damned, premiered at this year’s Tribeca Festival and will be released domestically by Vertical this fall.

Palsson was the creator and lead director of The Valhalla Murders, which premiered on Netflix in 2020 as the platform’s first Icelandic original.

“We have been admirers of Thordur’s work since the chilling series The Valhalla Murders and with his debut feature it’s become even clearer that he is one of the most exciting genre filmmakers working today,” said Justin Littman, Gotham Group Partner and Head of International.

The Damned follows Eva, a 19th-century widow who is tasked with making an impossible choice when, in the middle of an especially cruel winter, a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing outpost. With provisions running low, Eva and her crew must choose...

Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz drama Life scooped the top Golden Bee award for Best Feature Film at Malta’s second Mediterrane Film Festival over the weekend.

This year’s selection was overseen by Italian film festival veteran Teresa Cavina, who pulled together a line-up of 45 works with Mediterranean basin connections, 15 of which were in the main Competition.

In the backdrop to the festival, leading English-language newspaper The Times of Malta continued to probe whether the event’s budget of $4.1M budget (€3.9) was good use of taxpayers’ money on the island nation, with a population of roughly 500,000 people.

Last year, the newspaper heavily criticized the event for allegedly splashing cash on business class fights and luxury hotels for actors, directors and journalists as well as a lavish black-tie closing event, fronted by UK star David Walliams.

Replying to fresh questions from the newspaper, Malta Film Commission head Johann Grech said the...

Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz’s Life won the best feature film prize at the second annual Mediterrane Film Festival’s Golden Bee Awards in Malta this weekend.

Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown won the Jury’s Choice prize, while The Strangers’ Case picked up two awards: best director for Brandt Andersen and best acting for Yasmine Al-Massri.

Mike Leigh received the festival’s career achievement award, while veteran Maltese production coordinator Rita Galea, whose credits include World War Z, received a lifetime achievement award.

The main competition jury was comprised of Jon S. Baird, Margery Simkin, Mario Philip Azzopardi,...

Zeki Demirkubuz’s “Life” was awarded the Golden Bee for best feature film at the second edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival.

Mahdi Fleifel’s Directors’ Fortnight breakout “To a Land Unknown” took the Jury’s Choice prize, while Brandt Andersen’s “The Stranger’s Case” won Golden Bees for Best Director for Andersen and Best Acting for Yasmine Al-Massri.

The awards were handed out at a glitzy ceremony at the grand Fort Manoel in the Maltese capital of Valletta, which served as a location for “Game of Thrones” and “Assassin’s Creed.” BAFTA-winning British filmmaker Mike Leigh was honored with the festival’s Career Achievement Award after giving an extended career talk earlier at the festival with Maltese veteran production coordinator Rita Galea (“World War Z”) receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.

This year’s jury was headed by Scottish filmmaker Jon S. Baird (“Tetris”) and featured casting director Margery Simkin,...

The Mediterrane Film Festival announced its complete program ahead of its second edition, taking place in Malta’s capital of Valetta from June 22-30. New titles selected include recent Cannes highlights in Coralie Fargeat’s Demi Moore-led body horror “The Substance” and Roberto Minvervini’s “The Damned,” which join previously announced films like Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Kinds of Kindness” and Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw The TV Glow.”

Further program additions include Mahdi Fleifel’s Directors’ Fortnight standout “To a Land Unknown,” which Variety labeled “a confident, angry, fully-realized drama,” and Truong Minh Quy’s Un Certain Regard breakout “Viet and Nam.” An extended version of the Malta-shot “Jurassic World: Dominion” will play as part of the Malta Expanded strand, while on the retrospective end of the program, the festival will honor David Bowie with screenings of Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and Lisa Azuelos’s “My Way,...

by Elisa Giudici

The Damned © Okta Film Pulpa Film

In 2018, Italian documentarian Roberto Minervini adeptly captured the underlying tensions of American society amidst the backdrop of Trumpism and racism in What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, which premiered at Venice. Having called the United States home since 2000, Minervini demonstrates a keen understanding of the nation's profound anxieties, skillfully depicting them in his documentaries, often anticipating topics later dissected by journalists and political commentators.

The Damned by Roberto Minervini

It comes as no surprise then that Minervini, in transitioning to fiction with a historical film, chose to confront the Civil War, a pivotal moment in American identity formation...

In The Damned, Roberto Minervini embeds us with Union Army soldiers ranging across the Western front in 1862, far from the battlegrounds in the East but no less at risk. But when you direct a Civil War movie in 2020s America, it can be hard for audiences to view it as solely a fictional matter, especially when you’ve previously directed two of the most revealing documentary cross-sections of the United States in the last decade, The Other Side (2015) and What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire (2018). It’s possible to watch The Damned as a rugged journey […]

The post “We Question Together Hyper-Masculinity in Life as Well As In the War Movie Genre”: Roberto Minervini on The Damned first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

In The Damned, Roberto Minervini embeds us with Union Army soldiers ranging across the Western front in 1862, far from the battlegrounds in the East but no less at risk. But when you direct a Civil War movie in 2020s America, it can be hard for audiences to view it as solely a fictional matter, especially when you’ve previously directed two of the most revealing documentary cross-sections of the United States in the last decade, The Other Side (2015) and What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire (2018). It’s possible to watch The Damned as a rugged journey […]

The post “We Question Together Hyper-Masculinity in Life as Well As In the War Movie Genre”: Roberto Minervini on The Damned first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

A war can only go on for so long before its causes start to fray at the seams and the people who enlisted to fight on their behalf are forced to reckon with the basic fact of what they’re actually doing out there. Few movies this side of “The Thin Red Line” have been more attuned to that awful but clarifying process of self-recognition than Roberto Minervini’s “The Damned,” a thinly sketched piece of Civil War reenactment about a volunteer unit dispatched to patrol the uncharted borderlands along the western territories during the winter of 1862.

They set off as a noble — even heroic — group of peacekeepers in the proud service of a more perfect union, but after the veil of purpose started to slip loose they were reduced to a bunch of scraggly Union cosplayers fumbling their way through the wilds of Montana in search of anything that might resemble a purpose.

Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini’s artfully crafted movies, which include such works as Stop the Pounding Heart, The Other Side and What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, have always sat in a murky gray zone separating fiction from documentary.

Nonprofessional actors play themselves, or versions of themselves, in narratives that seem to have been crafted out of their own lives. And while the locations are always real places, with an emphasis on swaths of the American South — as his name suggests, Minervini is Italian, but he’s lived in the U.S. since 2000 — the director transforms them into sublime backdrops for his gritty tales of poverty and abandon.

His latest film, The Damned, is not technically a documentary: It’s set in 1862 at the height of the Civil War and follows a pack of Union soldiers treacherously exploring unmapped territories in the West. And yet, if...

"This land has it all." Time for a look at even more footage. Les Films du Losange has debuted the first full-length official trailer for The Damned, a French production made by an Italian filmmaker about America's Civil War in the 1860s. The film just premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, playing in the "Un Certain Regard" section. It's the latest narrative feature made by Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini, whose last film was a doc also set in America called What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?. The Damned is set in the winter of 1862, during the Civil War. The U.S. Army (meaning the Union army) sends a volunteer company to patrol the uncharted Western territories. As their mission changes course, the meaning behind their engagement begins to elude them. The film stars Jeremiah Knupp, René W. Solomon, Cuyler Ballenger, Noah Carlson, Judah Carlson, and Tim Carlson. We...

"You shot one before?" French distributor Les Films du Losange has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a film titled The Damned, a French production made by an Italian filmmaker about America's Civil War in the 1860s. The film is premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival this month, playing in the "Un Certain Regard" section. It's the latest narrative feature made by Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini, whose last film was a doc also set in America called Roberto Minervini. The Damned is set in the winter of 1862, during the Civil War. The U.S. Army (I guess they're referring to the Union?) sends a volunteer company to patrol the uncharted Western territories. As their mission changes course, the meaning behind their engagement begins to elude them. The film stars Jeremiah Knupp, René W. Solomon, Cuyler Ballenger, Noah Carlson, Judah Carlson, and Tim Carlson. There's barely 30 secs of footage, but it...

It’s the most exciting time of the year for a cinephile: the Cannes Film Festival is set to kick off next week, running May 14-25. Ahead of festivities we’ve rounded up what we’re most looking forward to, and while we’re sure many surprises await, per every year, one will find 20 films that should be on your radar. Check out our picks below and be sure to subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest updates from the festival.

All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia)

After one film, Payal Kapadia is a name you should know––a fresh, intrepid voice in cinema. And in the wake of student protests turning the world upside-down, she’s an essential up-and-comer. Her lone feature to date, 2021’s A Night of Knowing Nothing, is an experimental immersion into India’s own student revolutions––a brutal awakening into the shockingly violent...

Italian-born Texas-based director Roberto Minervini is known for a distinguished career making documentaries including his so-called Texas trilogy comprising “The Passage,” “Low Tide” and “Stop the Pounding Heart.”

His most recent doc “What You Gonna Do When the World’s On Fire?” about a community of Black people in New Orleans during the summer of 2017, when a string of brutal killings of Black men sent shockwaves throughout the country, launched from the Venice competition in 2018.

“The Damned,” which is Minervini’s first feature film, is set during the American Civil War in the winter of 1862. The naturalistic war drama follows a troop of volunteer soldiers tasked with patrolling unchartered borderlands in western territories. “As their mission ultimately changes course, the meaning behind their engagement begins to elude them,” reads the film’s provided synopsis.

This film, which will premiere at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, is heavily informed by Minervini...

When The Walking Dead fans look back on each season, most of them don't remember Season 8 too fondly. Season 7 hit a terrible rough patch after the killing Glenn in the premiere, and losing energy with each episode. Season 8 was not only a chance to make up for the losses, but to celebrate the AMC series' 100th episode. Many television shows in the 2020s can't even reach that milestone, with so many cancelations and abrupt endings.

The Walking Dead Season 8 succeeded in getting people to talk about the show again, but perhaps not in the way the creators intended. The most controversial moment of the season was Carl Grimes' unexpected death, which radically departed from his "last man standing" fate in Robert Kirkman's comics of the same name. Carl's death was a poor turning point for the series as a whole, and The Walking Dead never truly recovered from it,...

The Tribeca Film Festival 2024, presented by Okx, today announced its full lineup of feature narrative, documentary, and animated films. This year’s Festival, which takes place June 5-16 in New York City showcases the best emerging talent from across the globe alongside established names.

Of particular note to horror fans, Tribeca Midnight is the “surprising, shocking, frightening, and thrilling” destination for the best in horror and more for late night audiences. Look for buzzy titles like The Devil’s Bath, from filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. But the horror extends beyond the Midnight section, including the premiere of Amfad: All My Friends Are Dead.

Read on for the genre titles scheduled to premiere at Tribeca:

Spotlight Narrative

A launching pad for the most buzzworthy new films, Tribeca’s Spotlight section brings audiences anticipated premieres from acclaimed filmmakers and star performers.

The Damned, – World Premiere. When a ship sinks near her isolated fishing post,...

Zagreb-based doc specialist Splitscreen has boarded Argentinian gaucho tale “Where the Trees Bear Meat” by Alexis Franco ahead of its world premiere at Swiss documentary film festival Visions du Réel. It is one of 15 films vying for the top prize in the main international competition.

Set in the Argentine Pampas, the film follows Omar, a farmer, whose cows are dying as a result of a prolonged drought. Other prominent characters include Omar’s ageing mother, who has started planning her own departure, and his four-year-old granddaughter, whom he takes care of in her father’s absence.

Omar is Franco’s uncle, and the world he portrays in every lovingly crafted shot is the one he grew up in. This intimacy gives the film an authenticity that transcends the stereotypes and clichés often associated with gaucho culture. The story it tells is one of a family’s resilience in the face of adversity.

As expected, the Cannes Film Festival line-up is pretty spectacular with new films from Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold and David Cronenberg heading to the fest.

As the days are getting longer and there’s a tiny bit more sunshine in between the showers of rain, that can only mean one thing. The Cannes Film Festival is almost upon us.

Of course, us peasants rarely get to go, but it is fun to read the reactions from the glitzy world premieres as the stars gather in the picturesque town of Cannes.

And this year’s festival line-up is a doozy. We already knew George Miller was heading to the Croisette with Furiosa, Francis Ford Coppola is bringing Megalopolis and Kevin Costner will be premiering his new film, too, but there’s a whole heap of great filmmakers heading out to the beach with their films.

The highlights include Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds Of Kindness,...

Descubre las películas que estarán en Cannes 2024: una lista completa de todas las secciones.

Esta mañana, Thierry Frémaux ha anunciado la programación oficial de la 77ª edición del Festival de Cannes. La pasada edición del festival fue testigo de los estrenos mundiales de las aclamadas películas “Anatomía de una Caída”, “Killers of the Flower Moon” y “The Zone of Interest”. Unas películas que posteriormente fueron nominadas al Oscar a la mejor película, de modo que este año el listón está muy alto.

Desde su primera edición en 1946, el Festival de Cannes se ha consolidado como uno de los acontecimientos cinematográficos más importantes de la industria del cine y la edición de este año ofrece una gran variedad de películas de todo el mundo; desde directores consagrados hasta nuevas voces de la industria. Aunque, por desgracia, España no tendrá representación en el festival este año.

La presidenta del jurado de...

The Official Selection for the 77th Cannes Film Festival was revealed Thursday, with 19 movies in Competition (see full lists below).

Familiar names who will launch new works in the Competition include Ali Abbasi, who brings The Apprentice, a feature pic about the early life of Donald Trump. Andrea Arnold returns with Bird, starring Barry Keoghan, and Jacques Audiard’s latest, Emilia Perez, a musical with Selena Gomez will also debut in competition.

Elsewhere, American filmmaker Sean Baker brings Anora to the Croisette. Poor Things filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos will launch Kinds of Kindness, his latest collab with Emma Stone. David Cronenberg returns with The Shrouds, and Paul Schrader will debut Oh Canada starring Jacob Elordi, Uma Thurman and Richard Gere.

Related: ‘The Apprentice’: First Look At Sebastian Stan As Donald Trump & Jeremy Strong As Roy Cohn In Cannes Competition Film

There’s a strong English-language and American presence in the...

Ahead of a festival kicking off in just about a month, Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate, have unveiled the selection of the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Led by the previously announced major highlight, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, the competition lineup features the latest films from Jia Zhangke, David Cronenberg, Paul Schrader, Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, Miguel Gomes, Yorgos Lanthimos, Jacques Audiard, Ali Abbasi, Payal Kapadia, and more.

Other sections include the previously new films from George Miller and Kevin Costner, alongside Leos Carax’s personal short C’est Pas Moi, Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson’s Rumors, Alain Guiraudie’s Miséricorde, and more.

Check out the lineup below.

Competition

All We Imagine As Light – Payal Kapadia

L’amour Ouf – Gilles Lellouche

Anora – Sean Baker

The Apprentice – Ali Abbasi

Bird – Andrea Arnold

Caught by the Tides – Jia Zhang-ke...

The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 77th edition (May 14-25)

The competition includes films by Andrea Arnold, David Cronenberg, Yórgos Lánthimos, Paul Schrader and Paolo Sorrentino.

Festival director Thierry Frémaux revealed the Official Selection at a press conference at the Ugc Normandie theatre in Paris alongside festival president Iris Knobloch.

Previously announced titles include Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, which will open the festival on May 14 out of competition, George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Kevin Costner’s Horizon, An American Saga and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

Barbie director Greta Gerwig will preside over the jury.

Children of the Sun is a pulpy fever dream developed by one man and published by Devolver Digital. If you took Suda 51’s Killer7, and combined it with Sniper Elite, SuperHot and Mandy, then you’d end up with something resembling René Rother’s Children of the Sun. It works beyond just being a dynamic piece of visual art too, containing some extremely satisfying gameplay that feels crunchy and tactile.

Children of the Sun is out now for PC.

Let’s just get the discussion of the game’s visuals out of the way first, because Children of the Sun is truly striking to look at. In terms of its presentation, it resembles a particularly nasty 70s grindhouse movie that has been thoroughly soaked in bleach. It is extremely stylish, at times reminding me a lot of the visual flair seen in El Paso, Elsewhere.

In fact, it shares more with El Paso,...

The anxiety of something as adrenaline-inducing as Russian Roulette lies in its unpredictable circumstances. It’s almost ironic how a game of pure luck can grow increasingly thrilling even though nothing is truly in your control. Except, in the case of Buckshot Roulette, luck is merely an illusion. The game’s immaculate design and choice of themes fool you into believing you’re in control, yet gives you ample choice over how things go.

In my time playing through the indie table-top horror game that originally came from itch.io, I found myself at the edge of my seat, breaking my head over every possible ‘right’ decision I could take for my character. This may seem like a paradox because, at the start Buckshot Roulette, a shotgun and a couple of rounds in it decide my fate before I can make sense of why I’m even doing this to myself.