Author: CWB News Department

Slovak documentarian and editor Marek Šulík (Heavy Hearth) provides an inside view of the presidency of Slovak lawyer and anti-corruption activist Zuzana Čaputová, who became the country’s first female head of state, in his latest feature documentary Ms. President. Šulík’s film follows Čaputová from her euphoric election victory through the complexities of her tenure, concluding as she faces a new government composed of politicians who gained support by openly criticising her. A figure of liberal reform in a divided nation, Čaputová has navigated a politically volatile landscape marked by populist adversaries, widespread social disillusionment, and urgent global issues. Her presidency has seen extraordinary challenges,…

Seventeen thousand people in the Hollywood Bowl cheer as an unremarkable-looking man in a white jacket with a neat grey beard and bright blue eyes walks on stage. John Williams raises his baton and the Los Angeles Philharmonic begin the theme for Star Wars’s Imperial March. Thousands of lightsabers beat time along with him. The atmosphere crackles. Williams’s music is part of our collective psyche. Superman, Harry Potter, ET, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List – how many other films are so instantly recognisable from a few notes of their soundtracks? Laurent Bouzereau’s documentary celebrates the legendary film composer, now 92. The music,…

EXCLUSIVE to DEADLINE: The cast of A24‘s Sing Sing, led by Colman Domingo, is set to receive the 2024 Gotham Social Justice Tribute at the 34th edition of The Gothams, taking place live and in person at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Monday, December 2. The Social Justice Tribute was created in order to recognize the actors and filmmakers behind the most compelling purpose-driven films taken to the big screen. Sing Sing‘s cast is being honored for touching global audiences with the impactful real-life story of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and its alumni. https://youtu.be/j3dXc6P3zH8?si=t2AgdiSv5fjnnWcX…

The Palm Springs Film Festival kicked off its giving season Wednesday, revealing that Netflix’s audacious musical crime thriller Emilia Pérez has be bestowed the fest’s Vanguard Award. The honor will be presented January 3 during the festival’s Film Awards gala, an event that has become a must-stop for awards-season hopefuls. The Vanguard Award, a group honor distinguishing a film’s cast and director in recognition of their work, will be presented to writer-director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez, who are expected to attend the ceremony at the Palm Springs Convention Center. https://youtu.be/t3HupHq8-eE?si=KhVfg5hoTMmCm1Rm The film, which world…

On October 14th,2023, An Internationally prominent and acclaimed Iranian filmmaker, Darioush Mehrjui, and his scriptwriter wife, Vahideh Moahmmadifar, were slaughtered in their home in Iran. A few months before this tragic event, Mehrjui protested publicly against the censorship of his films and dared Iranian authorities to kill him. Featuring rare and intimate footage from Mehrjui and his wife in the last months of their lives, this documentary offers a unique chance to see the life of an artist in a closed society. Here, a murdered filmmaker is talking about his legacy in battling with censorship in his country. Cinema Without…

If you have a burning passion for filmmaking and are eager to launch your dream career, selecting the right college is essential. From learning the intricacies of cinematography to mastering video production, a degree from one of the best filmmaking colleges can set you on the path to success. Whether you’re interested in directing, editing, or acting, there are colleges that cater to all aspects of the film industry. Picking the perfect school might seem daunting, but rest assured, you’re not navigating this journey alone. Plenty of colleges for film and colleges with film majors offer outstanding programs that will…

A New Year’s party rapidly becomes a ‘New Fears’ party for three couples. Blurred Lines explores brave and relevant subject matter and  conveys it on screen in a captivating way. The female lead, Chris (played enchantingly by Siobhan Aislinn) is noticeably disturbed and distracted throughout the party. The subtextual implication is that Lucas (Mark Agar) had recently taken advantage of her with unwanted sexual contact. He’s not only a member of her peer group, but he’s the boyfriend of her best friend Jane (Vanessa Schaefer). Jane also seems very unsettled at the party. Her hesitation to drink alcohol and apprehensive demeanour imply a…

Sing Sing. The maximum security prison just north of New York City is hosting its own film festival today, showing documentaries about the criminal justice system, and the judges of this competition are incarcerated. Samantha Max of our member station WNYC reports. Filmmaker El Sawyer is teaching the judges of the prison’s upcoming film festival how to evaluate movies. He’s brought along some rubrics. The group will judge quality and structure, whether the movies bring a fresh perspective. Whether these movies get the criminal justice system right. The nonprofit criminal justice newsroom The Marshall Project is organizing the film festival.…

The 14th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) concluded with an awards ceremony at Rialto Theatre, presided over by Deputy Minister of Culture Dr Vasiliki Kasianidou. In the international competition, Haitian director Samuel Suffren’s “Dreams like Paper Boats” secured the €4,000 First Prize for Best Short Film. The jury praised its post-colonial narrative and black-and-white cinematography. Finnish entry “Pena’s Special Hauling” by Anssi Kasitonni claimed the €1,500 Second Prize. Brazilian filmmaker Moara Passoni received the €2,500 Best Director Award for “My Mother is a Cow”, whilst Belgian director Emmanuel Van Der Auwera’s “White Cloud” won the €3,000 Best Documentary Prize. The…

dris Elba has said he is planning to move to Africa as part of his plans to bolster the sub-Saharan film industry, saying “it’s going to happen”. Elba, star of hit TV shows Luther and The Wire as well as films including Beasts of No Nation and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, spoke to the BBC while attending the Africa Cinema Summit in Accra, Ghana. Having previously announced plans to build a film studio in Tanzania, Elba said that his ambitions for developing African film-making would require him to relocate. “It’s going to happen. I think [I’ll move] in the next five, 10 years,…