Davood Roostaei, Famed Iranian-American Painter, Dies at 63

Ben Croll For writers of hardboiled fiction, the private eye could act as a conduit, an unmoored guide moving freely across social ranks and situations. For director Nima Javidi – whose new series “The Actor” is the first Iranian production to premiere in competition at Series Mania – the thespian might play a similar role. “Shakespeare said that all the world’s a stage,” Javidi tells Variety. “And that all the men and women are merely players, assuming different roles depending on their situations and what they want to achieve. I thought it was fascinating [to put performers in those private detective roles and have them], overcome obstacles, solve problems, and save themselves and others from difficulties by using their acting abilities.”

Manchester United fans have praised former striker Cristiano Ronaldo as he prepares to become the most-capped men's international player in history.

Thirty years ago, US law enforcement executed a warrant on a large compound in Texas that belonged to religious leader David Koresh and the doomsday cult the Branch Davidians. What followed was the biggest gunfight on American soil since the Civil War that ended with a fiery inferno captured live on national television.

Whenever the Iranian regime feels threatened by public protest its reflex is to go after two groups: demonstrators, most assuredly, but also artists – especially filmmakers.

Waco: American Apocalypse charts the story of the 1993 cult massacre which led to the deaths of 86 people.Directed by Tiller Russell (Night Stalker), the Netflix series details what happened in Waco, Texas when cult leader David Koresh and his followers went up against the US federal government in a 51-day siege.While the tragedy has been the basis of many documentaries and screen adaptations, Waco: American Apocalypse boasts access to unearthed FBI wiretap recordings and videotapes filmed inside the FBI’s Hostage Negotiation Command Post.The series spans three episodes in total, which will be released Wednesday March 22 on Netflix at 7am GMT.Netflix released a trailer for the documentary series last month – check it out above.The series features interviews with three former members of the Branch Davidians, including Kathy Schroeder, who served three years in prison for her role in the siege, and Heather Jones who was the last child to escape the compound.Speaking to the Guardian, Russell said: “They had conflicted feelings, but still a lot of love. I mean, it was among the best moments of their lives, and among the worst moments of their lives.

Danny DeVito will return to the Broadway stage this October in a new play by Theresa Rebeck called I Need That.

Brian Cox is opening up about his support for the women of Iran.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent March 20 marks the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. It’s Iran’s first Spring festivities since the death of Jina “Mahsa” Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in police custody for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. On Nowruz, which means “New Day,” Iranian activist Naza Alakija is paying tribute to Iran’s “Woman. Life. Freedom.” movement with the release of a powerful short film titled “Rise” about a young woman who, like Amini, pushes back agains Iran’s morality police and is kidnapped from the streets of Tehran. Alakija, who is the founder and CEO of London-based Evoca Foundation, produced the short – which features British-Iranian actress Yasaman Mohsani (“Secret Invasion”) as the victim – with partners who have chosen to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from Iran’s security forces, as has the film’s female director.

EXCLUSIVE: Olga Kurylenko (Black Widow), Jenny Seagrove (The Guardian), Anna Friel (Marcella) and Ben Miles (The Crown) have wrapped shoot on under-the-radar psychological thriller My Sister’s Bones, whose first look images we can reveal today (scroll down for more).

Fans went wild earlier this year when it was revealed that David Schwimmer would be entering the country's most famous tent. The Friends icon was named among the 20 famous faces taking part in this year's celebrity version of The Great British Bake Off.

Marta Balaga “Succession” star Brian Cox gushed about wife Nicole Ansari-Cox at Series Mania, after she expressed solidarity with women of Iran at the fest’s opening, demonstrating the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” to the photographers.   “My wife is half Iranian and she was one of the first people to cut her hair as part of the protest. We are living in such a difficult, dangerous time, particularly for women. In Afghanistan, in Iran. It’s unacceptable. I am very proud of my wife: She is a very strong woman with very strong opinions, and she taught me so much,” Cox told Variety during a roundtable interview.  

Ben Croll Based in the northern French town of Lille since 2018, Series Mania has emerged as a key showcase for premium series and a spotlight for international creators — though, given the wider forces shaping the TV business, that spotlight has often shone on talent from the same three or four territories. And so, when programming the latest edition, the Series Mania brass looked to widen the field. “This year, we will introduce our attendees to new narrative modes and visual possibilities,” says general director Laurence Herszberg. “Because we’ve discovered so many series from countries that haven’t often attended the major festivals, with creative outputs that are much lesser-known. We want to celebrate them as well.”

New York Dolls frontman David Johansen – check it out above.Co-directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi, Personality Crisis: One Night Only will tell “the definitive story of the culture-defying David Johansen, notorious ‘70s glam punk lead singer of the New York Dolls,” as per a synopsis.The Showtime documentary “reveals Johansen’s enormous influence, transcending the walls of music as a window into the art and cultural evolution of New York City”.Personality Crisis: One Night Only is framed around an intimate cabaret performance filmed in January 2020 at New York City’s Café Carlyle.Speaking about the film, Scorsese said: “I’ve known David Johansen for decades, and his music has been a touchstone ever since I listened to the Dolls when I was making Mean Streets.“Then and now, David’s music captures the energy and excitement of New York City. I often see him perform, and over the years I’ve gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations.

EXCLUSIVE: Bat in the Sun Productions and Bascule Productions Ltd. have set a North American theatrical release for the late Power Rangers star Jason David Frank’s final film, Legend of the White Dragon.

EXCLUSIVE: Great American Family is expanding its Christmas movie slate this year with 21 new original titles, up from 18 in 2022.

David Kane, lead writer on the BBC’s Shetland, is developing Denise Mina’s Morrow book series into a multi-season TV show.

Bindi Irwin has revealed she’s struggled with endometriosis for ten years and recently underwent surgery to treat the condition. "Dear Friends, I battled for a long time wondering if I should share this journey with you in such a public space.

EXCLUSIVE: David Wain, the man behind the comedy classic Wet Hot American Summer, has signed with Entertainment 360.

THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM NOMINEESRoger Deakins, ASC, BSC for “Empire of Light”Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS for “The Batman”Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC for “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”Claudio Miranda, ASC for “Top Gun: Maverick”Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS for “Elvis” *WINNERSPOTLIGHT AWARDSturla Brandth Grøvlen, DFF for “War Sailor” *WINNERKate McCullough, ISC for “The Quiet Girl”Andrew Wheeler for “God’s Country” EPISODE OF A ONE-HOUR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION SERIESJohn Conroy, ASC, ISC for “Westworld” – “Années Folles” Catherine Goldschmidt for “House of the Dragon” – “The Lord of the Tides” Alejandro Martinez for “House of the Dragon” – “The Green Council” M. David Mullen, ASC for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” – “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” *WINNERAlex Nepomniaschy, ASC for “The Marvelous Mrs.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic David Lindley, a virtuoso guitarist and multi-instrumentalist best known to many for his work with Jackson Browne, as well as a recording and touring artist in his own right, died Friday at age 78. No cause of death was immediately given. The musician had been known to have been ailing for some time. A family member posted late last year that Lindley had been repeatedly hospitalized for kidney issues, pneumonia and influenza; a fundraiser that had been recently set up for Lindley and his family said his medical issues “seem to have begun with a terrible bout of Long Covid.” “The loss of David Lindley is a huge one,” tweeted Jason Isbell. “Without his influence my music would sound completely different. I was genuinely obsessed with his playing from the first time I heard it. The man was a giant.”