Author: CWB News Department

The 75th Berlinale has been brought to a close by the traditional awards ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast, which saw the triumph of Dag Johan Haugerud’s Dreams (Sex Love) , the winner of this year’s Golden Bear. The gala was hosted by Luxembourgish actor, director and producer Désirée Nosbusch. She first invited on stage Tricia Tuttle, the German gathering’s new director, who admitted to being both “exhausted and full of joy, and excited about next year’s edition”. She also revealed that 330,000 tickets had been sold during the festival. After a round of applause dedicated to the victim of the Shoah Memorial attack that unfolded…

German film director Wim Wenders, known for his impactful storytelling and creative filmmaking, discussed the power of cinema in shaping history during a masterclass held on Friday. Wenders highlighted how movies serve as a historical catalog, crucial for a civilized future amid global attempts by governments to rewrite historical narratives. The 79-year-old filmmaker revealed his aspirations to create a film centered around peace, expressing the challenges of adapting stories to fit the ever-changing global landscape. He reflected on his early influences, including Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, which inspired his works such as ‘Tokyo-ga’ and ‘Perfect Days.’ Wenders, whose career spans…

The film industry in Iran operates under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance that requires directors to submit their synopsis or screenplay for approval before production and their completed picture for a screening permit. The political landscape in this country with a rich cinematography has changed between periods of relative openness and strict control, as moderate and hardline governments have alternately loosened and reinforced censorship. However, this type of state control is not the only problem in the industry, as Mehrnoush Alia shows in her feature debut “1001 Frames”. 10 years after her awarded short “Scheherazade”, she expands on the topic…

Italy has produced many of the most celebrated films of all time, and the history of Italian cinema has influenced directors and actors worldwide. However, knowing where to start with Italian films can be hard. Many of the greatest Italian movies have long run times and are connected to larger artistic movements, which can make them feel daunting. But they don’t have to be. The greatest Italian films transport viewers to Italy with beautiful visuals, solid social commentary and Italian wit. While not all movies about Italy are truly Italian films (sorry, Under the Tuscan Sun and The Godfather 2 technically aren’t Italian films…

MEXICO CITY, Feb 20 (Reuters) – The chief executive of streaming giant Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab on Thursday announced a $1 billion investment to produce some 20 films and TV series in Mexico annually over the next four years. Speaking at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference in Mexico City, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said he looked forward to entering more partnerships with producers in the Latin American nation. Sheinbaum said the investments in the film industry should produce many jobs beyond immediate production needs, such as hospitality for actors and crew members, fashion designers and also spur tourism. “It’s an…

Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s performance is too reel and too real. Maybe it’s because this is Black History Month that the complete Oscar lock-out of Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths seems so wrong. (It almost hurts more than the dismissal of Better Man.) Hard Truths was also overlooked for the Image Awards given by the NAACP, which is equally troubling. Both omissions reveal the worst about contemporary film culture. This isn’t simply a matter of actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s being ignored (despite already winning most of the season’s critics’ prizes). Fact is: Mainstream opinion has degraded. It would be an exaggeration to frame the Oscar and NAACP inadequacies as injustice;…

The film “Singing for Justice” is a 60-minute documentary about the incredible life of Faith Petric (1915-2013), known as the godmother of the San Francisco folk music scene. Affectionately dubbed a “Geritol gypsy,” Faith was a charismatic performer, political radical, worker, mother and grandmother who packed many lifetimes into her 98 years. In particular, she is recognized for the using the power of music to inspire social change by combining folk music and activism. The February 22 San Francisco screening of the award-winning film at the Roxie will feature a live sing-along and Q&A with co-directors, Stanford History Professor Estelle…

Having previously chalked up metaphysical and reflective dramas along the lines of The Place , Superheroes and The First Day of My Life , Paolo Genovese is returning to comedy, the genre which gave him his greatest international hit, Perfect Strangers . Much like that movie of 2016, which has been remade no less than 25 times around the world, everything happens over the course of a single evening in Madly, around a table laid for dinner in a comfortable Roman apartment. And this film, too, boasts a striking, stellar cast: ten of the most popular Italian actors lend their services to this brilliant comedy, which feels…

The Golden Globes hosted a gathering at the China Club during the 75th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale),  along with Bvulgari, with the evening highlighting the importance of major festivals in shaping international cinema and fostering cultural exchange. Berlinale continues to discover groundbreaking films and talents as well as showcasing works from established artists. The Golden Globes has always maintained close ties with major film festivals, discovering films that later become Golden Globes submissions and winners. Helen Hoehne, president of the Golden Globes, emphasized, “The Berlinale deserves a global stage that honors the industry’s finest talents. Our collaboration with Bvlgari…

URBANA – The third annual C-U International Film Festival (CUIFF) brought film enthusiasts together to celebrate the art of filmmaking and diverse storytelling around the world. The sold-out festival took place Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Spurlock Museum in Urbana. It received submissions from every continent except Antarctica. This year’s event featured films from the U.S., Brazil and Hungary. Max Libman, founded CUIFF when he was in high school, and has continued to celebrate the art of filmmaking each year. “I wanted to really inspire the next generation of filmmakers to tell stories,” said Libman, who’s now a freshman in…