Nearly 50 per cent of drugs given “warning” in new Berlin drug testing scheme

EXCLUSIVE: Italian production and distribution stalwart Lucky Red is teaming with local pubcaster Rai on drama series Belcanto, about the roots of opera in Italy.

A growing list of 300 film professionals, including Martin Scorsese, Olivier Assayas, Joanna Hogg, and Radu Jude, have signed an open letter calling for the contract of outgoing Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian to be reinstated and extended beyond 2024. 

Carlo Chatrian whose mandate as artistic director of the Berlinale will come to an end next year. As we reported last week, Chatrian had been expected to stay on beyond 2024, and was surprised to learn that the German body which oversees the festival, Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin (KBB), announced that it would no extend his contract. The org had previously said it would abandon the model of having an executive director and an artistic director and return instead to having a single director, following the next edition.

Mitski is bringing a string of intimate acoustic shows across North America this September.The shows, dubbed ‘Amateur Mistake’, will see Mitski put on a small, intimate and acoustic performance during which she will preview her upcoming album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We’.On September 11, Mitski will perform at the Teatro De La Ciudad in Mexico City before performing at Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on September 20. On November 26, she will perform at New York’s Town Hall before ending the North American ‘Amateur Mistake’ show series at the Trinity Church in Toronto, Canada.A post shared by @mitskileaksTickets to the Mexico City show are already sold out.

EXCLUSIVE: Venice Film Festival chief Alberto Barbera is appreciated by many in the film and media industries not only for having cemented Venice as a must-attend blue-ribbon festival, but also for his candour.

Berlinale co-head Carlo Chatrian has decided to step down as artistic director after the 2024 edition of the festival.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Carlo Chatrian is to step down as Berlin Film Festival artistic director after the next edition of the event. In a personal statement posted on the festival website Saturday, he wrote: “For the past four years at the Berlinale, I have been fortunate enough to work along with extraordinary people, as in love with movies as I am, who are totally dedicated to revitalizing one of the world’s great film festivals.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Stella. A Life.,” which stars Berlinale best actress award-winner Paula Beer, has been sold to France, Scandinavia and Australia. The film will have a market screening at Toronto Film Festival, and will have its world premiere with a Gala Screening at the Zurich Film Festival.

German Culture Minister Claudia Roth has announced she wants the Berlinale to be placed back under the control of a single director.

Slowdive have released new single ‘alife’ and announced a UK and European tour for 2024 – find all the details below and purchase tickets for the UK shows here.The hazy new song is the final preview of the shoegaze band’s new album ‘Everything Is Alive’, which is out Friday (September 1) via Dead Oceans.Alongside the single announcement, Slowdive have announced a new string of UK and European dates for January 2024, which will see them kick off the run at Paradiso in Amsterdam on January 16, 2024.From there, they’ll perform shows in Paris, Oslo, Berlin, Munich and more, before starting their UK run at Dome, Brighton on February 14. Following stops in cities including Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow and more – along with a show at London’s Eventim Apollo on February 17 – they’ll wrap up at Manchester’s Academy on February 27.We are also very pleased to announce our UK and European tour in 2024.

U2 have announced ‘Zoo Station’ – an immersive experience for fans, designed ahead of their upcoming Sphere shows.Opening on September 28, the immersive fan portal, called ‘Zoo Station: A U2:UV Experience’ is designed to help fans gather a deeper understanding of the band’s acclaimed album ‘Achtung Baby’.Aiming to provide “a unique opportunity to interact with U2’s rich artistic legacy”, ‘Zoo Station’ is developed by Vibee, a Live Nation-founded destination experience company and VIP package provider, and is set to be the “ultimate hub for fans”.A ​​‘Zoo TV Cinema’ is featured within the experience, which has been curated by The Edge, as well as an Anton Corbijn Gallery, limited edition merchandise, VIP lounges and much more.It was developed in collaboration with Gavin Friday, U2’s longtime Creative Director, and also had direct input from the band members. The final result spans 12,000 square feet of interactive exhibit space across two floors, and is located within The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.The portal was also created to support the Irish band’s groundbreaking run of upcoming shows, which will launch off the most state-of-the-art venue, Sphere, the next day (September 29).Open daily to the public from September 28, the exhibit borrows its name from the opening track from the 1991 album ‘Achtung Baby’, and is the nickname for the Zoologischer Garten – an actual Berlin train station, located not far from Hansa Studios where much of the album was recorded.U2:UV ACHTUNG BABY LIVE AT SPHERE pic.twitter.com/tNqEuBgufY— U2 (@U2) August 30, 2023“Fans can visit the Ultra Violet lounge for music and shopping and the Fly Bar for drinks and more interactive art,” the description of the upcoming portal reads.

Porcupine Tree singer and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson has announced his new solo album, ‘The Harmony Codex’. Check out new single ‘Economies Of Scale’ below, along with our interview with the artist.Released on September 29, a deluxe three-disc edition of ‘The Harmony Codex’ will includs remixes of its songs by the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Interpol, Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears, Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt and electronica pioneers Radiophonic Workshop.‘The Harmony Codex’ has been previewed with listening sessions for fans in cities including London, New York, Berlin, LA and Amsterdam.

Supermodel Berite Labelle is on her way to becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood movies, and she credits her ongoing success to learning from her father.

Jaden Thompson “The Last of Us,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “John Wick: Chapter 4” were among the winners at the 10th annual Location Managers Guild International (LGMI) Awards which took place on Aug. 26 at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica. The awards honored the accomplishments of location managers and scouts who work to find the perfect settings for film and television.

Alissa Simon Film Critic After a one-year hiatus, the much-missed El Gouna Film Festival (Oct. 13 – 20) is back and poised to make an increased impact.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Tunisian auteur Mohamed Ben Attia’s new work “Behind the Mountains,” which will soon launch from the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section, sees the director add a supernatural element to the social dramas for which he is known. Attia’s third feature reunites the director with Majd Mastoura, star of his breakout drama “Hedi” — about a repressed young man ignited by a free-spirited woman — which won best debut and actor honors at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival.

Mitski has released two new songs, ‘Star’ and ‘Heaven’, and announced a run of intimate UK and European shows.The two new tracks are taken from her upcoming album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We’, which will come out on September 15 via Dead Oceans. Last month, the artist released the album’s lead single, ‘Bug Like An Angel’.Per a press release, ‘Star’ and ‘Heaven’ were originally conceived years ago, and were repeatedly altered before the release of their final iterations.Check out the lyric videos for the two tracks below:Mitski has also announced that she will be giving the songs from ‘The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We’ the acoustic treatment at a series of intimate shows across the UK and Europe in October.The pre-sale for the tour begins on September 7 before general sale commences the following day.

Jared Leto and Thet Thinn have been spotted together again!

After a rapturously-received performance at Coachella 2023 and a handful of dates in New York City and London, Jai Paul has announced a new run of 2023 tour dates. Beginning this fall, the dates kick off for two shows at Los Angeles's Mayan Theater on September 26, followed by dates at the Regency Ballroom and the Portola Music Festival in San Francisco.

Thirty Seconds To Mars have shared their new single ‘Seasons’ – you can listen to it below.The song is the fourth to be lifted from their forthcoming sixth studio album ‘It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day’.It follows on from previous singles ‘Get Up Kid’, ‘Stuck’ and ‘Life Is Beautiful’.The forthcoming LP, which is out on September 15, will be the band’s first new music in five years, and the follow-up to their 2018 album ‘AMERICA’. Visit here to pre-order the album.Speaking to NME in 2021, frontman Jared Leto confirmed that the band had penned around 200 tracks for their upcoming sixth studio album.