News

Now in its 27th season, The Voice is Warner Bros. and NBC's flagship reality TV competition program, having won nine Emmy Awards from 81 nominations. What is it exactly that attracts awards voters to the show year after year?

"I really think people respond to the feel-good nature," showrunner Audrey Morrissey told Gold Derby at Wednesday's Emmys FYC event at the West Hollywood Edition Screening Room. "Especially now, there's a lot of not-feel-good stuff in life, so I think a feel-good show is relief. There's something about music that really is cleansing. It makes you feel good and universal, and it's a noble pursuit." She likened The Voice to a "before and after" narrative, or an "underdog story."

As far as her dream coach is concerned, Morrissey has her eyes set on the Oscar winner for Skyfall. "One person that we've thought about for years, and I know she would slay,...

Fans of the popular isekai anime series Re:Zero have some brand-new collectibles in store, with the characters Emilia, Rem and Ram now inspiring limited-edition watches, necklaces and wallets thanks to an official collaboration.

Via PR Times, the Japanese brand Toei Co., Ltd. unveiled a new collaboration with Re:zero: Starting Life in Another World for new watches themed after Emilia, Rem and Ram. They retail for 16,500 yen (including tax), or approximtely US$110. Featuring nods to each character, the watches star their respective character's name, hair color and hair ribbon patterns on the dial. Emilia's green crystal worn on her chest also makes a cameo. Just 2,000 of the limited-edition watches for each character have been created, certified by a unique serial number on their backs. Readers can check out the official images below.

Related28 Years Later, Dragon Ball Daima Gives Super Saiyan 4 Goku His First Win Since The Shadow Dragons

Dragon Ball...

Sanrio, known for iconic mascot characters like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and more, has been sued by anime company Studio Comet over moral rights infringement regarding Kuromi. Comet is known for anime series like Jewelpet, Initial D Season 1 (alongside Gallop), School Rumble and numerous others.

Daily Shincho reports that a dispute over Kuromi's copyright has erupted between Studio Comet and Sanrio, with the former arguing its moral rights were violated after Sanrio claimed someone else created the character. Moral rights refer to respecting the intent and integrity of the original work. Parties can agree not to exercise them but otherwise include the right to be credited for work done. Studio Comet president and animation producer Hiromichi Mogaki said this: "In fact, Kuromi is a character designed by an animator belonging to our company. What the animator created is a work of our company, to which she belongs. However, Sanrio is now...

Now that Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary year has come to an end, Sanrio president Tomokuni Tsuji is confident it has the mascots in reserve to weather future storms, namedropping those he believes could be the "next Hello Kitty."

Sanrio president Tomokuni Tsuji was asked in a recent interview with Nikkei who he believes the next Hello Kitty may be. "There are concerns about a reactionary swing following Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary, but 2025 will be a year in which we can show we are breaking away from volatility," he said. "Some companies will be attracted to Hello Kitty, whose brand value has increased over the past 24 years; for companies looking for an anniversary character, we could suggest My Melody (who debuted in 1975) or Kuromi (who debuted in 2005). I'm often asked what the next Hello Kitty will be, and Kuromi, My Melody, Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin are all possibilities."

RelatedSanrio's Hello Kitty & Friends Reveal Delicious New U.

Netflix’s Melo Movie is an easy-breezy romance. Part of the reason why the narrative is made to build up through the ten episodes is also the painstaking exploration of the motley of characters that populates the narrative. There are multiple strands of love, not just restricted to romantic union. We have platonic love between friends, siblings, and parental love which sometimes take the backseat in the pursuit of romantic love. Melo Movie is also a variation on the romantic subgenre of enemies to lovers. Through this guide, we familiarize ourselves with the main characters and the cast of Netflix’s Korean drama series.

Choi Woo-shik as Ko Gyeom

Choi Woo-shik’s international recognition comes from his role as the Kim family son in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. He also played significant roles in Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie horror Train to Busan and Bong Joon-ho’s benign-monster film Okja. To his filmography,...

Melo Movie’s ending is a tad different from your usual romantic K-drama; it’s a little bit sad, it’s a little bit happy, and it’s a whole lot romantic. The 10-part series gives off the impression it’ll deliver an ending that’s going to leave us sad, maybe along the lines of Twenty-Five Twenty-One or Mr. Plankton, but instead it gives us an “adulting” ending. What I mean by this is that it’s a realistic, bittersweet ending, and I know many will disagree with me on this. Yes, the lead couple ends up together and is happy, but hear me out, everything else is kind of a mess, no? It definitely lives up to the title of “Melo Movie,” though, because when you’re in love, even the things that are complicated and scary all seem okay. That’s what the ending of the show feels like.

Sanrio continues to have numerous collaborations, with Hatsune Miku and other Vocaloid characters being constant companions. Now, an upcoming event is seeing the Vocaloid mascot dress up as some of Hello Kitty's favorite friends.

Snow Miku is an annual event in Hokkaido that celebrates winter weather and a certain electronic singer. In celebration, numerous collectibles will be available based on the character, with some of these based on familiar friends. Dressing Miku up as Kuromi and My Melody, the blizzard of items will leave fans of Vocaloid and Sanrio walking in a winter wonderland.

Related Hello Kitty Reveals Glamorous U.S.-Exclusive High-Top Sneakers in New Winter 2025 Release

Sanrio's Hello Kitty returns with glittery new U.S.-exclusive high-top sneakers to kick off 2025, marking its latest collaboration with Ground Up.

Snow Miku Embraces the Cold With Cute Sanrio Collectibles for Winter 2025

Snow Miku is a celebration of winter music, fandom and fun,...

Netflix has announced the stop-motion animated series My Melody & Kuromi, which brings the beloved Sanrio characters to life and will premiere in July 2025.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of My Melody and the 20th anniversary of Kuromi, the series takes viewers on an adventure in Mariland, their whimsical home. A special sneak peek reveals the characters in their adorable stop-motion form.

My Melody is a straightforward, cheerful girl who cares deeply for her younger brother. She enjoys baking cookies with her mother. Since her debut in 1975, she has continued to be loved by many fans.

Kuromi, who debuted in 2005 as My Melody’s self-proclaimed rival, may seem like a troublemaker, but she’s quite feminine. She is among the most popular characters, having ranked in the Top 3 in the 2024 Sanrio character ranking.

Directed by Tomoki Misato, a visionary creator celebrated for his work on Pui Pui Molcar, the series showcases his innovative approach to storytelling.

Netflix’s latest Japanese order is My Melody & Kuromi, a stop-motion animation based on Sanrio characters.

The series, directed by Tomoki Misato (Pui Pui Molcar), will roll out in July, and will center on My Melody, a straightforward, cheerful girl who bakes cookies with her mother and cares deeply for her younger brother. Shuko Nemoto is the writer.

My Melody & Kuromi comes from Toruku, which is part of Wit Studio. For Toruku, it marks a first stop-motion animation.

My Melody debuted in Japan in 1975, while Kuromi was added in 2005 as a trouble-making rival to My Melody who is actually softer than she appears. Since her debut, she has been a top-three ranked Sanrio character.

“I’m thrilled that this project is finally announced in this important year marking the 50th anniversary of My Melody and the 20th anniversary of Kuromi,” said Misato. “This momentous project motivated all of us to come together,...

Netflix has a treat in store for global fans of Japanese kawaii culture. The company revealed Thursday that production is underway on My Melody & Kuromi, a Japanese stop-motion animated series devoted to two of the most beloved characters from Sanrio, world-famous as the creator of Hello Kitty. Directed by visionary stop-motion artist Tomoki Misato, the series will launch on Netflix in July.

The characters My Melody and Kuromi have been favorites in Japan for decades. Sanrio launched My Melody in 1975 and describes the character as “a straightforward, cheerful girl who cares deeply for her younger brother” and “enjoys baking cookies with her mother.” Kuromi is a more recent addition to the Sanrio pantheon of cute, having launched in 2004. My Melody’s self-proclaimed rival, Kuromi is often pitched as a lovable but adorable troublemaker. Both characters are widely considered Sanrio favorites.

“I’m thrilled that this project is finally announced in...

Netflix is expanding its Japanese animation slate with “My Melody & Kuromi,” a new stop-motion series featuring “Hello Kitty” creator Sanrio’s beloved characters, set to debut globally in July.

The series features My Melody, who since her debut in 1975 has continued to be loved by a wide range of fans, and Kuromi, who debuted in 2005 as My Melody’s self-proclaimed rival. My Melody is a straightforward, cheerful girl who cares deeply for her younger brother and enjoys baking cookies with her mother. Kuromi, who may seem like a troublemaker, is actually quite feminine and has ranked in the Top 3 in the 2024 Sanrio character ranking.

“Pui Pui Molcar” director Tomoki Misato helms the project. “I’m thrilled that this project is finally announced in this important year marking the 50th anniversary of My Melody and the 20th anniversary of Kuromi” Misato said. “This momentous project motivated all of us to come together,...

Hello Kitty fans finally have an update on the official upcoming movie by Warner Bros., FlynnPictureCo., and Sanrio, receiving some positive production news nearly six years after its initial announcement in 2019 and three years since its previous major update.

Following years of silence, the Hello Kitty movie is still in production at Warner Bros., as revealed in a Sanrio media alert by Fortune through Afp last month. The film was first announced nearly six years ago in March 2019, with Warner's New Line Cinema (Lord of the Rings trilogy) and FlynnPictureCo. acquiring the rights to the film. The official Hello Kitty theme park in Hainan, China, is likewise on track to open next year.

Related Sanrio's My Melody & Kuromi Follow Hello Kitty for Major Anniversary Releases by Sega in 2025

A new image shared on social media previews two major 2025 Sanrio anniversaries that Sega is set to celebrate for both My Melody and Kuromi.

There are 31 animated films, 85 international films and 169 documentaries competing in the 2024 Oscar races for Best Animated Feature, Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature, the Academy announced on Thursday.

In the animated feature category, contenders include “Flow,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Piece by Piece,” “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rorhirrim,” “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” and “The Wild Robot.”

In the international category, the list includes “Emilia Perez,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and “I’m Still Here.” The list of eligible films was reported exclusively by TheWrap in October.

In documentaries, the field includes “Sugarcane,” “Dahomey,” “No Other Land,” “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” “Black Box Diaries” and “Daughters,” among many others.

In all three categories, Academy members are given lists of films that are required viewing, but are eligible to view and vote for films outside their lists as...

Mascot characters are prevalent in shonen anime. These adorable, usually non-human characters provide comic relief as well as potentially serve a role only they can fulfill. However, shonen anime isn't the only demographic of anime that have mascot characters. Shojo anime occasionally have their own mascot characters as well.

These characters often serve as a guide to the heroine, or occasionally the hero, introducing them to the strange new world they've found themselves in and guiding them along the way. They may still provide comic relief when the plot gets a little too serious, but shojo mascots tend to serve as guides as mentors. Of all the mascots in shojo anime, ten stand out from the crowd.

Ruby Is the Main Heroine and Mascot of Jewelpet Ruby Is the Jewelpet of Luck and Courage

In Jewelpet, Ruby is one of the two protagonists leading the way in this shojo anime.

Of all the many types of creatures in the vast Pokmon franchise, the Psychic-type is noted to be perhaps the most intelligent Pokmon on the roster. These Pokmon, though they can use physical attacks if they wish, often prefer to use the power of their minds in combat, using great amounts of psychic energy to defend themselves. Like other Pokmon, Psychic-type creatures come in a variety of appearances and personalities, from the gentle Ralts to the vicious Malamar.

Like the Pokmon of different types, Psychic-type Pokmon all utilize their own power in different ways and this may reflect in their design. Some, such as Gallade, use physical attacks often yet use their Psychic-type power to sense their opponents' power, and its design reflects this. Others, such as Espurr, are still learning to control their ability, and are intensely focused on not losing control of the remarkable energy; thus, the little...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies have been a cornerstone of horror cinema since Tobe Hooper's groundbreaking original in 1974. Over the decades, the series has evolved, but one constant has remained: the brutal, often shocking kills that have become somewhat of a trademark, fitting as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was inspired by a true story. From the iconic Leatherface to the various incarnations of his twisted family, the franchise has continually pushed the boundaries of violence in horror.

Since its inception, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise spawned numerous sequels, remakes, and reboots, each adding a different flavor to the established formula. The series has explored themes of family, cannibalism, and the dark underbelly of rural America, all while maintaining its reputation for intense visceral horror. Despite changes in style and tone, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remains synonymous with extreme cinema, influencing countless horror films, filmmakers, and is still the ultimate summer horror movie.

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

The Young and the Restless is bringing back a longtime producer after nearly two decades away from the show… and he happens to be married to one of the show’s stars!

Josh Griffith will remain as the executive producer and head writer of Y&r, but CBS has brought in someone to fill the senior producer position.

Keep reading to find out more…

Edward J. Scott is returning after leaving the show in 2007, according to Deadline. In the time since, he spent two years at Days of Our Lives and 14 years at The Bold and the Beautiful.

Edward, who is married to Y&r actress Melody James Scott (aka Nikki Newman), joined the team at the long-running soap opera series in 1976 and climbed the ranks to become executive producer from 1986 to 2001. He later served as supervising producer from 2004 to 2007.

After five Daytime Emmy wins for Y&r and another win for Bold and the Beautiful,...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Tajikistan has chosen the drama film “Melody” to represent the country at the Academy Awards for the second time. Directed by Iranian filmmaker Behrouz Sebt Rasoul, “Melody” tells the story of a music teacher named Melody who works with sick children in a rural Tajik village.

The film follows Melody as she tries to record the songs of 30 different birds to compose a piece for her students. She travels back to her hometown in search of the birds’ melodies. Along the way, Melody receives help from an elder singer who knows how to find the rare singing birds.

Tajikistan first tried to submit “Melody” for the 2024 Oscars but missed the deadline. They are now entering it for the 2025 awards ceremony. Sebt Rasoul confirmed the on-time submission to the entertainment website Deadline.

Tajikistan has only entered two other films in its history. The 1999 comedy “Luna Papa” did not get nominated. In...

From shonen to shojo and everything in between, Sanrio has collaborated with numerous anime and manga series over the years, including the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, My Dress-Up Darling, Oshi no Ko, Rose of Versailles and Natsume Yuujincho, just to name a few. Now, Hello Kitty and friends are partnering up once again with Clamp's iconic magical-girl series Cardcaptor Sakura, releasing brand-new merchandise sporting adorable sketch-like illustrations.

This is far from the first time Sanrio and Cardcaptor Sakura have partnered up, with famous manga artist group Clamp releasing stunning original artwork earlier this year featuring Hello Kitty dressed like Ccs's titular protagonist Sakura. This time, Sakura returns alongside her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji and love interest Syaoran Li, with all three characters being joined by Sanrio's Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, Cinnamoroll and Pochacco.

Related Hello Kitty's New 50th-Anniversary Squishy Toy Is a Stress Reliever...

Once an indie underdog, Kevin Smith has, in middle age, devoted himself to making what critics and fans alike might characterize as glorified, self-referential home movies, cast with friends and family members and filled with callbacks, in-jokes, and the same familiar anxieties about friendship, romance, and growing up. This is not an original observation.

Voice actor Yui Ogura will release her new album "Bloomy" from Nippon Columbia on September 18, 2024. It will have been two years and seven months since the release of her previous album "Tarte" in February 2022. While playing many anime characters, including Priestess in Goblin Slayer and Nasse in Platinum End , since her voice acting debut in 2009, Ogura made her solo singe debut from King Records in 2012. Then she changed her record company to Nippon Columbia in 2022, releasing four CD singles to date. The 12-song album "Bloomy" is her first full album from Nippon Columbia (fifth in her total career) and includes all of the title tunes from her recent four singles from the company — "Love∞Vision," "Himitsu ♡Melody," ( Yuri Is My Job! opening theme), "Empty//Princess.," and "Kimiiro no Kiseki" . "Love∞Vision" Music Video "Himitsu ♡Melody" Music Video "Empty//Princess." Music Video "Kimiiro no Kiseki" Music Video Ogura also announced her...

Sanrio has released new Hello Kitty boba milk teas in collaboration with A-Sha Foods USA, rolled out in Costco stores across the U.S. for the character's special 50th anniversary.

Via Hello Kitty's official X (formerly Twitter) account, the popular Kitty White is the star of a new boba milk tea collaboration with A-Sha Foods USA. The milk teas are available in three flavors: matcha, taro, and Thai tea in 10 fl oz cans (310 ml), and are sold at Costcos nationwide. The drinks are teased, "Matcha, taro, or Thai tea? Try all 3 flavors in the supercute Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary assorted boba pack now available in @costco stores." Readers can check out the official image below.

Related Sanrio & Retrospekt's New '90s-Style Keroppi Camera Gives Hello Kitty a Run for Her Money

Hello Kitty & Friends' Sanriocollaborates again with product design and manufacturer studio Retrospekt for a new '90s-inspired Keroppi film camera.

Stars: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, James Acaster | Written by Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman | Directed by Gil Kenan

The Ghostbusters are back in New York for the second instalment of the sequel-slash-reboot series, following 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. This time round, it’s directed by Gil Kenan, who co-wrote both Afterlife and Frozen Empire with Jason Reitman. Effectively energised by the New York setting, the sequel has evidently learned from the disastrous mistakes of the previous film and emerges as an entertaining adventure in its own right, though it’s not entirely without problems.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire jumps right into the Ghostbusting action, with the new team – former science teacher Gary Groobersom (Paul Rudd), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) and her two teenage children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace...

Horror heroes' lack of intellect adds to the fear factor and drives the plot forward in a terrifying manner. Movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre showcase how foolish decisions by heroes lead to catastrophic consequences. The archetype of "the fool" remains a consistent feature in horror films, with characters making poor choices that fuel the storyline.

More than almost any other film genre, horror is chockful of archetypes. From slashers to creature features, each type of horror film employs characters in familiar roles like "the bully," "the creep," and "the sex-crazed teen." Yet, one archetype is the most consistently used of all: "the fool."

Utilizing a horror hero who lacks intelligence is a popular trope in horror films because it exacerbates the already terrifying situation in which characters typically find themselves. After all, when confronted by a masked lunatic or a zombie horde, maintaining one's sense of composure would lead to successful survival strategies,...

Stars: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, James Acaster | Written by Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman | Directed by Gil Kenan

The Ghostbusters are back in New York for the second instalment of the sequel-slash-reboot series, following 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. This time round, it’s directed by Gil Kenan, who co-wrote both Afterlife and Frozen Empire with Jason Reitman. Effectively energised by the New York setting, the sequel has evidently learned from the disastrous mistakes of the previous film and emerges as an entertaining adventure in its own right, though it’s not entirely without problems.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire jumps right into the Ghostbusting action, with the new team – former science teacher Gary Groobersom (Paul Rudd), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) and her two teenage children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace...

It’s been almost forty years since Ghostbusters introduced the plucky foursome fumbling their way through spectral encounters, using a now iconic Manhattan firehouse as their operations base. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, set two years after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, further entrenches the Spengler family and newcomers into the franchise by returning to where it all began: New York City. Frozen Empire offers familiar set pieces, references, and easter eggs aplenty, but the nostalgia tank is now running on empty.

Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), mom Callie (Carrie Coon), and stepdad Gary (Paul Rudd) have adjusted well to life as Ghostbusters in the rundown yet classic firehouse. So well, in fact, that their latest paranormal capture caused enough city damage to put them in the crosshairs of Walter “Dickless” Peck (William Atherton). That’s not the only source of trouble for the new team; the firehouse’s containment unit is at capacity and struggling.

Experimental metal act Boris have announced a split album with fellow veteran Japanese band Coaltar of the Deepers. The LP, titled hello there, arrives March 22nd.

Both acts formed in the early 90s, and Boris member Takeshi has cited Coaltar of the Deepers’ shoegaze sound as an influence on his own band. The two previously collaborated in 2019 when Boris covered Coaltar of the Deepers’ 2007 song “To the Beach” for their tears EP. Boris’ version was produced by Coaltar of the Deepers singer-guitarist Narasaki.

The upcoming album features six songs, with Boris commenting that the concept is to “present newly recorded self-covers of past songs to today’s listeners,” as well as “a new attempt to specify songs to the other band and cover each other’s songs.”

The LP contains three Coaltar of the Deepers tracks, including new versions of two of their songs and a cover of a Boris...

The Paradox Live media mix franchise follows teams of specially-gifted hip-hop artists as they carve out a place for themselves in the music scene. But just because the Phantom Live can get gritty, weird and downright dangerous doesn't mean its participants aren't allowed to get cute! Over the course of the collaboration, all nine teams currently present in the project will team up with nine classic Sanrio characters. Kicking things off is Bae with My Melody. A first look at goods includes plushies, acrylic stands, keyrings, totes and more. My Melody and Hajun Yeon even sport matching outfits! Related: Jujutsu Kaisen Characters Crossover With Sanrio Mascots in New Collaboration The Bae x My Melody goods launch February 9, along with The Cat's Whiskers x Hello Kitty, Amprule x Kuromi, 1Nm8 x Cogimyun and Buraikan x Hangyodon. Four more team-ups launch on March 1: Visty x Cinnamoroll, cozmez x Little Twin Stars,...

The film is out of the running due to a “conflict of interest” among the selection committee.

The producer of Hong Kong film A Light Never Goes Out has spoken out following the disqualification of the feature from the 2024 Oscars race.

The drama was submitted by the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong for the international feature film category of the 96th Academy Awards in September. But when the Academy revealed the list of eligible titles last Thursday, A Light Never Goes Out was not included and the Federation is trying to figure out why.

Despite the outcome,...

Three decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, an emerging generation of filmmakers born and raised in the independent countries of Central Asia is giving an exhilarating charge to the region’s cinema and helping to put their unheralded industries on the map.

Leading Kazakh film critic Gulnara Abikeyeva says these “children of independence” are bringing a “new attitude” to the screen and giving a jolt of energy to emerging industries that for decades were under Moscow’s thumb.

“The production of films is growing very fast in all Central Asian countries,” she says. “There have appeared so many young production studios who can make movies with public or private money.”

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, what Abikeyeva describes as the “euphoria of freedom” caught hold across its former Central Asian republics, which include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Filmmakers who previously had to submit their...

Every year since its creation in 1956, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) invites the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The category was previously called the Best Foreign Language Film, but this was changed in April 2019 to Best International Feature Film, after the Academy deemed the word “Foreign” to be outdated.

The award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. For the 96th Academy Awards, the submitted motion pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline for submissions to the Academy was October 2, 2023, and 92 countries submitted a film. The 15-film shortlist will be announced on December 21, 2023, followed by the official nominations on January 23, 2024.

Here are this edition's Asian Submissions for Best International Feature Film.

Screen is profiling every submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

The 88 submissions for the best international feature award at the 2023 Oscars have been announced, and Screen has profiled all the entries below.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is set to be announced on December 21 with the final five nominees announced on January 24, 2024 The 95th Academy Awards will take place on March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The 88 submissions are down from last year when 92 films were in contentions. Four countries submitted this year but have not appeared on the final list - Cuba with Fernando Perez...

Exclusive: Tyler Thompson’s Cross Creek Pictures has teamed with Jay Kinra’s Jkin Films to produce Dig. Black List scribe Cody Brotter has been set to write a geopolitical thriller inspired by the true events of Tunnel 29, the famous escape route built under the Berlin Wall during the height of the Cold War.

The film will offer a rare first-hand account of what really happened during the construction of the tunnel, which was built in 1962 by a culturally diverse group of International college students from Italy, Germany & India. They met while attending The University of West Berlin and living in the same college dorm. The students were secretly aided by NBC News, which provided funding in exchange for exclusive access to capture footage of the escape. There were twists and turns that went into freeing 29 people who risked their lives to venture through the leaky tunnel to get under the wall,...

‘This Is What I Remember’ was the first submission by the Asian country in more than 20 years.

Kyrgyzstan’s Oscar selection committee has turned down the US Academy’s request to submit another title for the international feature film category following the rejection of Aktan Arym Kubat’s This Is What I Remember.

The film from the Central Asian country did not make the final list as its release date fell outside the Academy’s release window.

According to Oscar regulations, international feature film submissions must have received a local release between December 1, 2022 and October 31, 2023 in order to qualify. However,...

Oscar voters in the Best International Feature Film category have received their group assignments for this year’s initial round of voting, with 89 films included on the seven lists that the Academy has sent to members.

The lists, which were obtained by TheWrap, include presumed favorites “The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom), “The Taste of Things” (France), “The Promised Land” (Denmark) and “Perfect Days” (Japan), along with a number of documentaries, among them Estonia’s “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood,” Brazil’s “Pictures of Ghosts” and Ukraine’s “20 Days in Mariupol.”

The 89 films are four short of the record of 93 qualifying films in the category. The list of group assignments does not make up the Academy’s official list of eligible films; it’s possible that assigned films might still fail to qualify before first-round voting begins on Dec. 18. For the most part, though, films that are included in the group...

Season 1, Episode 1 of The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons, "Yuzuki's House," premiered on Crunchyroll on Oct. 5, 2023 to widespread complaints over the quality of the anime's subtitles. Crunchyroll temporarily took down the episode on Thursday in response.

Two employees at Anime News Network posted about the incident on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Woof, not sure what happened here but Crunchyroll's subtitles for The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons are straight-up unprofessional. 4 out of 5 sentences don't have punctuation, overly literal translation that mixes up possessives. It's a mess."

Related: Shogakukan's Teasing Master Takagi-San Manga Series Concludes This October

i'm trying to look at the bad machine subtitles on the crunchyroll version of Our House In The Middle Of Our Yuzuki and i'm seeing this instead pic.twitter.com/oDpEmNXD8e — Mike Toole (@MichaelToole) October 6, 2023 Woof, not sure what happened here but Crunchyroll's subtitles for The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons are straight-up unprofessional. 4 out of 5 sentences don't have punctuation,...

Pop megastar Katy Perry has joined the voice cast for the popular Peppa Pig animated kids series for Hasbro set to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.

Perry will have a guest voice role in one episode of the 3-part Peppa Pig Wedding Party Special set to premiere in spring 2024. She will voice the role of dress maker Ms. Leopard who assists with preparations for the first-ever wedding seen in Peppa Pig as Mr. Bull and Mrs. Cow get set to tie the knot.

Perry’s gig in Peppa Pig follows the pop princess grabbing the lead voice role in the animated musical feature Melody. The Peppa Pig episode in which Perry voice guests was completed before the SAG-AFTRA strike and does not breach strike restrictions, the series producer insisted.

“We’re incredibly thrilled to have such an A-list talent join the family-fun adventures in Peppa Pig. As a...

Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature is made difficult by the three-step process that begins after the October 2, 2023 deadline for countries to submit entries. To be part of the selection process for this category, which was called Best Foreign Language Film before 2020, requires a great deal of dedication. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscars Best International Feature predictions.)

In the days following the deadline for submissions, the academy determines each film’s eligibility. Then the several hundred academy members who serve on the International Feature screening committee are divided into groups and required to watch all their submissions over a six-week period that ends in early December. Their top 15 vote-getters will make it to the next round. That list of semi-finalists will be revealed on December 21, 2023.

These 15 films will be made available to the entire academy membership who can cast ballots for the final five...

Quick Links Oven Recipes Pizza Oven Dessert Machine Soda Machine Espresso Machine Potion Cauldron

In Hello Kitty Island Adventure, there are plenty of recipes to craft and various cooking stations scattered throughout the island. Players will be able to slowly reveal recipes as they test out different combinations of ingredients, and more elaborate recipes can even be unlocked through friendship levels.

There are several different cooking stations around the island, each with their recipes. They include the Oven, Pizza Oven, Espresso Machine, Dessert Machine, Soda Machine, and Potion Cauldron. Each station's base ingredient will likely be obtained through a gift reward from one of the characters.

Oven Recipes

The Oven is located in Hello Kitty's Café and has a base ingredient of Flour, which can be obtained as a gift reward from My Melody. When starting, players will only be able to make two-ingredient desserts, but after leveling up a friendship with Hello Kitty,...

The film by Iranian director Behrouz Sebt Rasoul will represent Tajikistan at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Tajikistan has submitted Behrouz Sebt Rasoul’s Melody for the 2024 Oscars, marking its first entry in 18 years and third to date.

It was submitted for the best international feature film category by the Union of Cinematographers of Tajikistan.

Written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Sebt Rasoul, the story follows a woman who teaches music at a centre for children with cancer. When her students request she compose a piece of music using the sound of birds, Melody travels back to her home village to find...

Quick Links How To Unlock The Diving Ability How To Unlock The Espresso Machine

In Hello Kitty Island Adventure, players can craft all kinds of objects and dishes to gift to characters and increase friendship, but one of the necessary appliances to do this, the Espresso Machine, must be unlocked. The Espresso Machine is one of several appliances available to players throughout their journey on the island.

Unfortunately, while some upgrades in Hello Kitty Island Adventure are easily unlocked, the Espresso Machine is not one of them. It will require quite a few steps to be able to use. Unlocking the Espresso Machine from start to finish will likely take a couple of hours of gameplay for those who have not made much progress with friends around the island.

How To Unlock The Diving Ability

First and foremost, the Espresso Machine is underwater. Therefore, players will not be able to...

Movies and TV shows can inspire musicians to create songs that reflect the themes and emotions of the on-screen stories. Some songs are directly connected to a specific film or show, using lyrics and references to retell the story or capture its ambiance. Other songs may take a more subtle approach, using vague themes or specific scenes from movies as inspiration to create their own narrative or atmosphere.

Inspiration for music can come from just about anywhere, but the movies and television shows artists watch are especially good sources of creativity, even when the inspiration is completely subtle. From Friday the 13th to Citizen Kane, the following songs are those that came to life because of famous films and television series, although not many even realize it. Not only were they inspired by a particular on-screen story, but they also include understated lyrics and snippets from these movies and shows.

While Greta Gerwig’s girl-power blockbuster “Barbie” is ruling over the French box office, another much younger female-led franchise, “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir” has managed to pull approximately €8 million ($8.9 million) at the local B.O., from more than 1.1 million tickets, since bowing on July 5.

Budgeted around $80 million and directed by Jeremy Zag, “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir” ranks as one of France’s most ambitious animated films to date.

Featuring eight original songs and a postcard-worthy Parisian backdrop, the musical film broke ground as the first female-powered superhero movie set in the French capital. Even as it faces stiff competition from “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir” has enough legs to match or surpass recent non-u.S. animated hits such as “Ballerina,” which sold 1.8 million tickets in France. It garnered 318,144 admissions on its opening day in theaters, a record for a French animated film. In Germany, the...

Upcoming indie horror/dark comedy movie The Only Ones now has released an official teaser trailer and new poster art. The film follows a group of friends looking to reconnect, who accidently set into motion a violent series of events that has them afraid for their lives and unsure who to trust.

The Only Ones is a feature length movie written and directed by filmmaker Jordan Miller from Frederick, MD. Jordan is known for writing/directing horror short film Three (which won festival awards and was released on Crypt TV), many music videos, and for co-hosting the Camp Nightmare podcast.

The Only Ones stars Tatiana Nya Ford, Paul Cottman, Emily Classen (The Forgiving), Zach Ruchkin, Nancy Anne Ridder (Scream), Christopher Inlow, Jim Krut and voice over work by Brett Wagner.

The teaser trailer for The Only Ones debuted in front of a live audience on May 28th at the 2023 Pittsburgh...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Air (Ben Affleck)

Sonny Vaccaro knows his basketball. As played with reliable conviction by Matt Damon, the head scout in Nike’s dwindling hoops division has a keen eye for the next great players, attending high school all-star tournaments around the country and scanning for potential endorsements. But Sonny is also a gambler, and on the tail end of his trips he jets over to Las Vegas to lock in a couple parlays, betting on NBA money lines and spreads before throwing all his winnings away at the craps table a minute later. You get the sense this has become his beleaguered ritual. At some point those basketball instincts and his penchant to go for broke will align and finally pay off.

Online Concert Record

A weekend concert by Hong Kong acting and singing superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah attracted a record-breaking 350 million viewers on Douyin, the mainland Chinese sister company of TikTok. The concert ran for two hours and attracted 100 million viewers in the first 30 minutes, with tens of millions more joining by the end. The figures beat Lau’s own previous record on the platform, which he set in July last year at a concert to celebrate his 40 years in the business. The South China Morning Post said the record numbers were swelled by a recent wave of nostalgia for Canto-pop or Cantonese-language contemporary music, though the paper also noted that Lau also performed a couple of Mandarin-language classics.

Arrested Executives

Tokyo prosecutors Tuesday arrested two executives of publisher and film production giant Kadokawa on suspicion of funneling bribes totaling to Takahashi Haruyuki, the former director of the Organizing Committee for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Maybe getting this wasted isn’t always a great idea — even if you’re trying to heal from heartbreak. On Thursday, Peach Prc released the music video for her single “Forever Drunk.” The video follows the Australian pop star as she gets ready for a solo night out in an attempt to get over her ex. But everything goes wrong.

“‘Forever Drunk’ looks back at my first heartbreak, when I thought this teenage relationship was all I had in my life, I had no family, I hated school, I didn...