Author: CWB News Department

In 2023, the Festival de Cannes wishes to reaffirm its mission to support the creations of younger generations and transmit our passionate interest in films. The Résidence is one of the foremost projects among the initiatives included under the new “Cinéma de Demain” banner. Since its creation in 2000, the Résidence has assisted more than 250 filmmakers with their screenplays. Many of these directors have gone on to achieve international success, such as László Nemes with Son of Saul (Grand Prix at the 2015 Festival de Cannes, Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016), Lukas Dhont with Girl (Caméra d’or…

It’s the most exciting time of the year: the Cannes Film Festival is set to kick off next week, taking place May 16-27. 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. About Dry Grasses (Nuri Bilge Ceylan) While it’s been five long years since the latest film from Nuri Bilge Ceylan, we did get a recent re-release of his…

If you are in LA, don’t miss watching THE ISLAND  on this Saturday, April 29th, 8pm, at the UCLA Bridges Theater. This amazing and beautiful feature animated film is directed by Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian. Anca will attend the screening of THE ISLAND at SEEFEST. The Island, a new feature animation film by the celebrated Romanian director Anca Damian, is a surreal, comedic reinterpretation of the Robinson Crusoe tale, speaking of current affairs through visual poetry and symbolism. The film is a colorful, poetic and funny musical fable. https://youtu.be/Jy-Mxqg3C7A Born in Romania, Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre…

Cinema Without Borders is proud to present MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award for the 15  year at the prestigious SEEfest, South East European Film Festival LA. MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award offered by Cinema Without Borders and sponsored by MOZAIK Philanthropy goes to a feature film that helps bringing people of our world closer together. Winner will be announced on May 3rd during the closing ceremony of the 18th Edition of the festival at the Fine Arts theater. SEEfest will run from April 26th to may 3rd.. Jury members for MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award are: Susan Morgan Cooper Susan Morgan…

This film from British Iranian director Hassan Nazer was the British entry in the international feature section at this year’s Academy Awards; sadly it was not nominated. It is a likable, gentle comedy about two children in which an Oscar statuette plays a part: the ultimate MacGuffin, perhaps. It’s also a rather cinephile film which ponders the enormous prestige of Iranian cinema abroad. The premise is that the great Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, having boycotted the 2017 Oscars in protest at Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim travel ban, cannot be there in person to pick up his Oscar for The Salesman. But…

I haven’t gone to see a movie in a theater for years. Not because I don’t like movies or going to the theater or watching a movie in a theater (and eating movie theater snacks!) but because I’ve been busy writing a dissertation and having babies. It seemed like too much effort to go see a movie when you could stream the latest ones while sitting on your couch. For one thing, you’re not paying a babysitter, and instead of nachos with Velveeta cheese, you can have samosas and chaat (I do miss theater popcorn though). But when “Top Gun:…

Principal photography has wrapped on Following Harry, a documentary that offers an inside view of 96-year-old civil rights icon Harry Belafonte’s continuing mission of social justice. The film directed and edited by Susanne Rostock is being readied for premiere at fall film festivals. Belafonte, who celebrated his birthday on March 1, executive produces Following Harry. He, Rostock and producer Julius Nasso previously collaborated on the 2011 documentary Sing Your Song, a film that examined both Belafonte’s groundbreaking career in entertainment and his key role in the Civil Rights Movement. Following Harry is a present-tense account of Belafonte’s ongoing dedication to…

Before LED lights hit the scene, tungsten was the only affordable option. And even then, it wasn’t all that affordable. The specialized cinema equipment cost money and electricity. But this is 2023, and LED has paved the way for affordable lighting. For our Deals of the Week, we found three brands to get your scene lit and gripped. Aputure amaran The amaran series from Aputure has been a boon for budget creatives all over the world. Not only are its lights powerful, but they cost a fraction of what other companies (even Aputure) are charging. What makes Aputure lights stand out from the…

My Sunny Maad, a Czech-Slovak-French co-production directed by Czech filmmaker Michaela Pavlátová, has won a César Award, France’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, in the category of Best Animated Feature Film. This year’s César Awards were handed out during a gala ceremony in Paris on Friday evening, with Dominik Moll’s crime thriller The Night of the 12th winning for Best Feature Film. Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the awards show to honor his 1999 film Fight Club. Competing alongside My Sunny Maad for the Best Animated Feature César was directors Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre’s Little Nicholas – Happy as Can Be? (Le Petit Nicolas: Qu’est-ce qu’on attend…

Most film festivals can be counted on to provide entertainment, laced with some introspection. The weeklong FESPACO that opened Saturday in violence-torn Burkina Faso’s capital goes beyond that to also offer hope, and a symbol of endurance: In years of political strife and Islamic extremist attacks, which killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million in the West African country, it’s never been canceled. “We only have FESPACO left to prevent us from thinking about what’s going on,” said Maimouna Ndiaye, a Burkinabe actress who has four submissions in this year’s competition. “This is the event that must not be canceled…