Films Boutique Swoops on Lav Diaz’s ‘Essential Truths of the Lake,’ in Locarno Main Competition (EXCLUSIVE)

's return to CBS with season 25, Julie Chen Moonves is opening up to ET about who the network originally wanted as host and how much longer she sees herself working on the reality TV competition.  When asked if there's anything the fans of the hit series — which sees a group of strangers forced to co-exist in a shared house while they are isolated from the outside world — don't know, Moonves says that CBS wanted another daytime TV fixture to host. «I wasn't the first choice to host.

Addie Morfoot Contributor The Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation have selected six finalists for the fifth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. Notably, veteran filmmaker Sam Pollard received two of the six noms.  The award, established in 2019, recognizes late-stage documentaries that use original research and a compelling narrative to tell stories that bring American history to life through archival materials. The six projects that were selected are: Barak Goodman’s “Buckley,” Nicole London’s “The Disappearance of Miss. Scott,” Sam Pollard’s “The Harvest,” Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn’s “Drop Dead City – New York on the Brink in 1975,” Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro’s “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes,” and Jason Cohn’s “Modernism Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story.”

Marta Balaga Lav Diaz is “concerned” about the situation in his native Philippines. But it doesn’t mean he will stop making films. “If you do any kind of cultural work, you can be branded as a ‘communist’ and it’s a reason for them to kill you,” he says.  “There aren’t many venues to show my films, so we basically give them away for free. Listen, I am aware of the danger. But you have to accept the reality, confront these issues and continue to make things. And be careful, because we know what happened to Salman Rushdie.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Joshua Zeman’s latest feature documentary “Checkpoint Zoo,” an inspiring story that unfolds in a war-torn part of the world, has wrapped principal photography. The film tells the story of the daring rescue of over 5,000 animals that were trapped in a wildlife park behind enemy lines during the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian War.  “Checkpoint Zoo” was produced by Zeman and Zach Mortensen for Ghost Robot, with Ian Davies and Torquil Jones for Noah Media Group, which is also financing the project.  UTA Independent Film Group has signed on to lead worldwide sales of the picture. In the early days of the war, a beloved animal refuge known as Feldman Ecopark, located in Ukraine’s second largest city, was in a precarious position. On one side of the park was the invading Russian army; on the other sat the Ukrainian front line. With thousands of animals trapped with little food and water, a group of men and women risked their lives to bring them to safety.

Tiffany Haddish and Jamie Lee Curtis cannot get enough of each other! Speaking with ET ahead of the release of their  reboot, the co-stars shared that they're already thinking ahead to their next project together.When asked where she would want to go with Haddish on a trip, Curtis revealed that she and the  star have hatched a plan for a joint venture that will take them all the way to New York City. «You know, the best show business [often] comes from junkets, apparently.

Selome Hailu MTV is launching a new dating series titled “The Love Experiment” that aims to bring the choices and excitement of dating apps to life. The series, which premieres on Aug. 15 at 10 p.m., follows three single best friends who enter a hall of eligible men who are all ready for committed relationships. Inside the “dating utopia,” the women are in control, but they quickly realize that having too many ideal choices is harder than it seems. The stars of Season 1 and are Marcia, age 30; Paige, age 27; and Tamara, age 30. They are all from Atlanta, Ga. Mari Waugh aka Spicy Mari will help guide the women through “The Love Experiment” as a relationship expert. As the CEO and founder of the Spicy Life, Waugh works to encourage singles and couples to communicate and connect more effectively by incorporating passion and adventure in their interpersonal relationships.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. From sound engineers and screenwriters to celebrity makeup artists and stylists, Variety’s series “Ask an Insider” asks top professionals within the entertainment industry to share their must-have essentials, for work…and for play.

Not everything “Foundation” is so serious.

Coco Jones' star has never shined brighter. The newly titled Best New Artist is not only embarking on her own tour, but she's also debuting a remix of her hit single, «ICU,» with a very special featured artist — Justin Timberlake.ET spoke with the  star on the carpet of Wednesday's 2023 ESPY Awards, where she relived her emotional night at the BET Awards and teased her upcoming collaboration.At last month's awards ceremony, the 25-year-old emotionally thanked her fans as she accepted the year's Best New Artist award.

Will this be a sleeper hit of the summer? It should be!

his online girlfriend, Carmella. After already being told by producers that a man named Christian was pretending to be Carmella for the past four years he's been communicating with her exclusively over Snapchat, in this exclusive clip from Sunday's new episode of, Tyray refuses to let it go and hires a private investigator — and the new information he is presented with shocks him.During a previous episode, Tyray's sister, Lashanti, discovered Carmella's pictures on an escort website.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent A bevy of established auteurs – Joachim Lafosse, Cristi Puiu, Robin Campillo and Martín Rejtman – rub shoulders with the fast-rising figures of Maria Alche and Benjamín Naishtat and new U.S. discovery Raven Jackson among a first batch of directors contending in main competition at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival.  Also in the mix, announced Friday, is U.S. writer-director Noah Pritzker (“Quitters”) whose “Ex-Husbands” headlines “After Hours” co-stars Griffin Dunne and Rosanna Arquette.  Always open under director José Luis Rebordinos to a broader gamut of movies than many other “A” fests, the first features confirmed Friday include four comedies with notably a change of register to lighter comedy for both Naishtat and Alche, who triumphed at 2017’s San Sebastián with “Rojo” and “A Family Submerged,” best director and Horizontes winners respectively. 

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Kinology has boarded Quentin Dupieux’s (“Rubber”) ferocious comedy “Yannick” which will world premiere in competition at the Locarno Film Festival. The anticipated film is produced by Thomas et Mathieu Verhaeghe at Atelier de production, and Hugo Selignac at Chi-Fou-Mi Productions. “Yannick” stars Raphaël Quenard, Pio Marmaï, Blanche Gardin and Sébastien Chassagne. Yannick” unfolds during a mediocre stage performance of “Le Cocu” during which an audience member revolts and takes the full reins of the room. “‘Yannick’ is Quentin Dupieux’s most mature film; it’s both melancholic and thoughtful,” said Gregoire Melin, Kinology’s founder and president. “We’re so excited to be reteaming with him after ‘Daaaaaali!’ and ‘Wrong’ on this new film which could become even more cult than his previous movies,” Melin continued. 

Avril Lavigne and Tyga are giving things another shot!

UK star Riz Ahmed will be feted with a career achievement award at the upcoming 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, running August 2 and 12.

Marta Balaga Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival, Europe’s biggest mid-Summer movie event, has announced its lineup, welcoming recognizable names to its main competition, from Filipino auteur Lav Diaz (“Essential Truths of the Lake”) to Romanian powerhouse Radu Jude, who will show “Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World.” As already announced, Cate Blanchett and Zar Amir Ebrahimi are set to attend the Locarno Film Festival’s closing night to promote the European launch of Iranian-Australian director Noora Niasari’s debut film “Shayda.” Among the titles selected for Locarno’s more broad-audience-friendly Piazza Grande lineup, Justine Triet will attend with her Cannes Palme’ d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” along with Ken Loach and his “The Old Oak.”

Amid Amber Heard’s return to the spotlight, the actress has also returned to social media.

 is doing exactly that.«They're forcing me to say goodbye again! Just too much heartbreak year after year,» Scribner jokes to ET, although he admits the occasion is «bittersweet.» «I've been playing this character for 10 years; he's a great guy, I love the dude. And I'm excited for where Junior has been able to take things,» he adds.

Brent Lang Executive Editor MTV Documentary Films has released a first look teaser for “The Eternal Memory,” a look at love and Alzheimer’s disease that won the grand jury prize for world documentary at this year’s Sundance. A U.S. theatrical release kicks off on Aug. 11 in New York. It will be followed by engagements in Los Angeles and San Francisco on Aug. 18, with a limited national roll out to follow. Chilean filmmaker Maite Alberdi directed the movie, which could be a contender for the documentary Oscar. Alberdi is the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker behind “The Mole Agent.” To that end, “The Eternal Memory” played at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was the runner up for the audience award. A robust international festival campaign is already in the works, including stops at CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, and DocAviv, Hamptons Summer Docs and DC DOX.

Charity Lawson is dishing on the season premiere of . In an interview with ET's Denny Directo, the child and family therapist broke down the biggest moments from the start of her journey for love.The episode began with Charity explaining what she wants out of the show, namely a relationship like her parents, who have been married for 48 years.«I take away so much from what my parents have modeled and how they view love,» she told ET.