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Jane Birkin was a prolific actress with a film career that spanned decades, starting back in 1965. Born in London, Birkin mostly worked as an actress in French cinema, becoming a major movie star in the country for her early roles in films like Slogan, La Piscine, and Cannabis. Alongside her work as an actress, she was a singer, with a number of studio albums throughout her career. However, Birkin is perhaps most famous for being the namesake of Birkin bags, fashion house Herms' most famous luxury handbags.

Sadly, Jane Birkin passed away on July 16, 2023, just two years after suffering a stroke in 2021. Her last film was the docu-drama, Jane by Charlotte, the directorial debut of her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg. Since first appearing in an uncredited role in the film The Knack... and How to Get It in 1965, Birkin had a legendary career right until the end.

Daddy Nostalgia (1990) Jane Birkin...

From their feature film debut with the exquisite India-set drama “The Householder” in 1963 to their final collaboration on 2005’s sumptuous historical epic “The White Countess,” director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant were cinema’s most reliable director-producer team, a couple (in both work and life) responsible for a filmmaking streak that consisted of dozens of great movies and no bad or indifferent ones. Noteworthy for their supreme attention to visual detail, highly literate screenplays (often written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala), and flawlessly cast ensembles, the films of Merchant Ivory Productions were near-annual gifts that were often undervalued; unlike less prolific auteurs like Stanley Kubrick, Ivory never made us wait for his movies, which made it easier to take them for granted.

Not that Merchant Ivory Productions lacked box office success or acclaim in their time; “A Room with a View” (1985) was a bona fide smash that won three Academy...

Jane Birkin, the iconic British-born actress, singer and model who became a chart-topping artist in France with her collaborations with then-partner Serge Gainsbourg, has died at the age of 76.

Birkin’s death was announced Sunday by the French culture ministry, which said Birkin was found dead at her Paris home. No cause of death was provided. Birkin recently canceled concerts due to unspecified health reasons; in recent years, she also suffered a stroke and battled leukemia.

French president Emmanuel Macron tweeted Sunday, “Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the...

The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off for the eleventh time starting Wednesday when "The Five-Year Engagement" premieres, and festival organizers have just announced the star-studded jury for this year's edition.

Thirty-nine celebrities -- of various levels of fame and awards kudos -- make up the six juries, with producer Irwin Winkler ("Goodfellas") serving a jury president.

Among those selected by Tribeca this year: Patricia Clarkson, Hugh Dancy, Rosario Dawson, Dakota Fanning, Kellan Lutz, Michael Moore and Olivia Wilde. Also on the list: Brett Ratner. The controversial big-budget director will serve on the Documentary and Student Short Film Competition jury along with Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun, Susan Sarandon and Shailene Woodley, among others.

“We are honored to have this accomplished group dedicate the time and care it takes to view and discuss the films in competition this year,” Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in a statement.

For...

Updated: Ok, so I’ve had way to many emails from you guys pointing out that the Oscar form isn’t working for some of you this time around. I’ve put my best team of problem solvers on the issue and they can’t work it out, but 7 or 8 of you have told me it’s not working for you… so I presume there’s many more out there. To date we’ve had a little less entries than last time, so this problem is too much for me to ignore.

My only solution for now is for you to email your picks to editor@obsessedwithfilm.com. I will be collating results on Monday or Tuesday, so you’ve got a bit of time left to enter.

Now you’ve read our 1999 Academy Awards retrospective, here’s your chance to re-write history without the hassle of going back in...