‘A Band of Dreamers and a Judge’ Review: An Imbalanced Iranian Treasure-Hunting Doc About Its Own Making

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic In the Canadian cities of Montreal and Winnipeg, a futile tension exists between French and English speakers — doubly silly, since the country is officially bilingual. In his gently satirical “Universal Language,” writer-director Matthew Rankin imagines a rather fanciful solution, where Farsi is now the region’s dominant tongue.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Zach Galifianakis and Tom Sturridge team up in Olivier Assayas’ political thriller “The Wizard of the Kremlin”, based on Giuliano da Empoli’s bestseller by the same name. Produced by Olivier Delbosc’s banner Curiosa Films and Gaumont – who last partnered on Cannes prizewinning “The Taste of Things” — “The Wizard of the Kremlin” is one of the hottest packages launching at the Cannes Film Market where Alexis Cassanet, Gaumont’s EVP international sales and distribution, is kicking off pre-sales.

Ariana Madix teamed up with Duracell once again to take another swipe at her ex-boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, in a commercial. But she got the help of a special guest this time!

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Picture Tree Intl. has taken international sales rights to Icelandic comedy “Divine Remedy,” which is shooting in Iceland and Rioja, Spain.

King Charles was reportedly left "crushed" after being given just a 20-minute heads up about the public announcement of Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle.The then-Prince of Wales was in the midst of preparing for a meeting with the King of Bahrain during a sensitive tour in the Persian Gulf state in November 2016. Royal authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who are believed to have close ties with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, revealed that Charles' team had spent months planning the tour, hoping it would receive significant media coverage.

On the eve of the start of the Cannes Film Festival, embattled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof is gaining support from others in the film industry.

The estranged husband of reality TV's Selling Sunset Christine Quinn has been charged with assault and child abuse, authorities have confirmed.

Tom Sandoval just couldn’t resist getting in a few digs at Rachel Leviss during the Vanderpump Rules reunion!

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent New Dubai-based distribution and production studio The Plot Pictures is headed for the Cannes Marche du Film after snapping up Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) rights to a slew of indie titles across different genres. They include “Locust,” a first feature film from Taiwanese American multidisciplinary artist Keff that is playing in Critics Week, and Nick Hamm’s epic “William Tell.” The Plot Pictures CEO Pratixa Shah and head of sales Ozge Conduroglu – who was previously with Starz Play Arabia – are assembling a slate spanning “different genres, regions, and languages,” as Shah put it in statement.

during a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday. “The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in,” he began.

Tom Cruise and his kids Bella and Connor still keep in touch. The actor leads a very private life, prompting many to speculate on the nature of his relationship with his children, which include Bella and Connor, whom he adopted with Nicole Kidman, and Suri Cruise, whom he had with Katie Holmes.A new photo that has been swirling social media shows the first time that Cruise and Bella and Connor have been seen together since 2010, when they were photographed in New York with their father and Suri. Suri Cruise looks cool and stylish in new photos in NYSuri Cruise and Katie Holmes look like sisters on a fashionable coffee dateA post shared by Derrick Brooks (@officialdbrooks55)The photo was shared by Derrick Brooks, a former NFL player that is now one of the owners of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Hassie Harrison (“Yellowstone”), Jai Courtney (“Terminator Genisys”) and “Heartbreak High’s” Josh Heuston, soon to be seen in “Dune: Prophecy,” will star in the horror thriller “Dangerous Animals.” Adding edge to the package, Australia’s genre auteur Sean Byrne (“The Loved Ones,” “The Devil’s Candy”), one of the highest rated horror directors of all time on Rotten Tomatoes, is directing “Dangerous Animals” which will be brought onto the Cannes market by David Garrett’s Mister Smith Entertainment. Starting principal photography on Australia Gold Coast on May 7, “Dangerous Animals” is produced by London and Sydney-based Brouhaha Entertainment, behind Karim Aïnouz’s “Firebrand” and Guy Pearce-led “The Convert,” sold by Mister Smith, in conjunction with LD Entertainment (“Jackie,” “Ben Is Back”), Oddfellows Entertainment and management-production firm Range Media Partners.

Women’s basketball interest is growing so fast, even the WNBA can’t keep up.

Glasgow-born Sally Magnusson has been updating Scots across the country with the latest news on Thursdays and Fridays since 1997.

Anitta didn’t think much about her death. Despite growing up in the notorious favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian multi-hyphenate just knew that her life would be as glamorous as she always imagined: she would sing, dance and act her way to global stardom.

Ellise Shafer The second annual Cannes Investors Circle has revealed its lineup, including films from Ruben Östlund and Lorcan Finnegan. Taking place at the Marché du Film during the Cannes Film Festival, the Investors Circle showcases 10 never-before-seen films in various stages of development to an exclusive group of film financing experts and investors.

Lily Moayeri While the United States continues to debate how and when hip-hop lyrics can be used in court, dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death on April 24 for lyrics that criticized the Islamic Republic’s ruling regime. The sentence, handed down by the ruling Republic Court of the Islamic Republic, overturns a decree from the higher Supreme Court which, according to the New York Times, found issues with the original ruling that sentenced Salehi to six years imprisonment and banned him from making music or singing for two years. The reason given for Salehi’s execution, which the Islamic Republic administers by hanging, is his involvement with Iran’s 2022 protests through his music.

Shargh and Entekhab.State media reported that his sentence could be reduced by a pardoning committee if he appeals again.Salehi had spent time in prison last year and was briefly released, but according to witness testimonies, he was violently rearrested and sent him to prison in Isfahan. This happened after he revealed that he was tortured and placed in solitary confinement for 252 days following his arrest in October 2022, UN experts said in a statement published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).Salehi isn’t the only artist to have been targeted for showing opposition to the government.

A lawyer for Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi said his client has been given a death sentence for his involvement in the protests that swept Iran in 2022.

Sharareh Drury Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been sentenced to death by an Iranian revolutionary court over songs that criticized the Iranian government, according to his lawyer and state media. “An order for the execution of Toomaj Salehi has been issued,” Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian tweeted Wednesday.