Saudi Arabia at Cannes Unveils Two Film Funds Worth a Total $180 Million To Grow Local Industry

Lily-Rose Depp is one proud daughter!ET's Rachel Smith spoke to Lily-Rose virtually from the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France Tuesday, where she said she couldn't be happier for her father, Johnny Depp, following the seven-minute standing ovation he received after the premiere of his new biographical drama, .The film marked the opening of the 76th annual event, and the  star's first leading role since his highly publicized defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.The French-language film sees Johnny as King Louis XV. Set in the 18th century,  tells the story of Jeanne Bécu (Maïwenn), the daughter of an impoverished seamstress who rose through the Court of Louis XV and became his last official mistress.«I'm super happy for him.

for minutes of applause. So entrenched is this French farce that trade publications routinely time the euphoria and judge the response to the new films based on the length of the cheering at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Cannes’ longest-ever roar? Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which premiered there in 2006, at 22 minutes. This year’s fest is in full swing, and so is the ceaseless hand-slapping.Here are Cannes’ standing ovations so far, from triumphant to tepid.The most ecstatic response to a film so far at this year’s festival, which runs until May 27, was for Martin Scorsese’s latest drama. The historical movie from Apple and Paramount brings together two popular Scorsese stalwarts, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, plus last year’s Best Actor Oscar winner Brendan Fraser and Jesse Plemons.

Johnny Depp is honoring his late friend Jeff Beck at a tribute concert after the actor's controversial appearance at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star stepped out on the stage to honor the legendary rock guitarist at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday.  Depp, 59, donned a loose white button-down with a design of his longtime friend Beck on the back of the shirt.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Ithra Film Productions has launched a new film fund that aims to attract international filmmakers to shoot fully-financed movies in the kingdom on which local talents and crews can cut their teeth. Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development – is looking to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed, nor was the criteria for selection besides the requirement that they contribute to foster the growth of Saudi Arabia’s embryonic film industry. “We invite international filmmakers to collaborate with filmmakers in the kingdom and join us on our journey to accelerate talent and sector development in Saudi,” said Majed Z. Samman, who is head of performing arts and cinema at Ithra, announcing the fund at the Cannes market during a panel at the Saudi pavilion.

Johnny Depp’s appearance this week at Cannes Film Festival has sent the internet into overdrive, and not in a good way. The former Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 59, returned to the spotlight at Cannes earlier this week, hitting the red carpet for the premiere of his new film Jeanne du Barry, in which he plays King Louis XV.

CANNES — Johnny Depp seemed back in full celebrity mode on Tuesday, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans before the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival’s opening film “Jeanne du Barry,” which marks the actor’s first major role since his high-profile defamation trial.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The 2023 Cannes Film Festival is jam-packed with buzzy world premieres, from Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.” Todd Haynes is also back to unveil “May December,” featuring the A-list pairing of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, while Disney is bringing Harrison Ford to the Croisette for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” New films from Pedro Almodovar, Jessica Hautner, Jonathan Glazer, Catherine Corsini, Hirokazu Kore-eda and more are also set to make their debuts at Cannes this year. Cannes is often seen as a launching pad for Oscar season. Warner Bros. in 2022 kicked off its lengthy awards run for Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” on the French Riviera, with the film going on to land eight Academy Award nominations, including best picture. Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” also picked up Oscar nods for best picture, director and original screenplay. Two international film nominees, “Close” and “EO,” launched at last year’s festival, while “Aftersun” best actor nominee Paul Mescal got his awards start in the Directors Fortnight sidebar. All of this is to say the industry will be closely watching the buzz on all of this year’s world premieres.

CANNES (Reuters) -Johnny Depp seemed back in full celebrity mode on Tuesday, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans before the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival's opening film "Jeanne du Barry," which marks the actor's first major role since his high-profile defamation trial. Fans in the French Riviera city were seen hoisting signs that read "Congrats, Johnny" and "We are sorry" with a heart. The festival delivered on its glamorous reputation with a parade of stars including Mads Mikkelsen, a blue-haired Helen Mirren and John C.

Come again? Brie Larson appeared to be flustered and surprised when she was asked to weigh in on Johnny Depp’s presence at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Johnny Depp is getting a lot of praise during his controversial appearance at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, 59, made his return to the spotlight one year after his bombshell defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.  Depp received applause from fans as he arrived at the red carpet around 7 p.m.

during his tawdry defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. On June 1, a jury awarded Depp a combined $15 million in damages after they found that Heard had defamed him in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed alleging spousal abuse.   Even if the jurors decided in Depp’s favor, the testimony was lurid and unflattering and neither notable came off blemish-free in the media frenzy. That sleazy spectacle arrived after another legal circus in 2020, when the actor lost a libel case in the UK against the Sun newspaper, which in 2018 had called him a “wife beater.”As a result of Heard’s allegations, Disney booted Depp in 2018 from future installments of the “Pirates” series, in which he played Captain Jack Sparrow.In 2020, Warner Bros.

Johnny Depp received a hero’s welcome he stepped foot on the red carpet at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Johnny Depp.  The embattled actor, who hasn’t appeared in public since his protracted 2022 legal battle with ex-girlfriend Amber Heard, received an ecstatic seven-minute standing ovation on Tuesday night at the premiere of Cannes Film Festival’s opening night film “Jeanne Du Barry.” Depp held back tears as the crowd in the South of France erupted in prolonged applause for his performance as the King Louis XV. He waved to the audience in the balcony and seemed taken aback by the response. The film’s director and star Maiwenn also broke out into tears as she briefly took the mic. “I want to share this moment with my lover, with my producer, with Le Pacte,” she said. “It was a production that was difficult to finance … and I want to share this moment with all my team across the theater.”

Actors Mads Mikkelsen and Johnny Depp are back in the same headline again.

Michael Douglas was among the many stars to hit the red carpet at Cannes for the opening night of the iconic French film festival.

Johnny Depp remains a controversial figure. The actor was embraced with a movie star’s welcome as he returned to Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday for the premiere of “Jeanne du Barry.” The period drama, from director Maïwenn, marks the actor’s first leading role in three years, following ongoing legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard. French fans began gathering as early as 10 a.m. along the Croisette in the hopes of scoring an autograph and snagging a selfie with Depp, who made his way into the theater just after 7 p.m. Enthusiastic spectators were holding up posters saying “Viva Johnny” and “We Love Johnny” while others chanted  “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny” and held out the actor’s Dior ads for a signature. Depp, sporting a pony tail and purple sunglasses, took his time to pose for selfies and acknowledge the admirers who came to see him. By the time he got to his seat inside the theater, the adoration continued as he was greeted with a rapturous standing ovation.

So many stars walked the red carpet at the premiere screening of Johnny Depp‘s new movie Jeanne du Barry, which is kicking off the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Johnny Depp poses for photos at the premiere screening of his movie, Jeanne du Barry, at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday (May 16) in Cannes, France.

The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival kicks off this evening with a stacked two-week lineup of celebrated auteurs and Hollywood star power along with all the usual provocative characters.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent If you thought Johnny Depp starring in a film might be a lightning rod of controversy, imagine the movie’s director spitting on a journalist. “Jeanne du Barry” will open the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night, marking Depp’s return to the red carpet, following legal battles that have largely defined the actor for the past few years. Ahead of the film’s premiere, the director, French actor and filmmaker Maiwenn, admitted to assaulting a journalist by spitting on him. “She’s outspokenly anti-#MeToo and she made a gesture to please her world, and that’s why she bragged about it on TV. We could see a sort of pride that echoed that world,” journalist Edwy Plenel tells Variety in his first interview since the spitting incident. Plenel was referring to Maiwenn’s comments published by Paris Match in 2020, saying “It’s crazy how many stupidities they say these days! These women don’t like men, that’s clear, and they’re causing very serious collateral damages.” In that same interview she said “When I hear women complaining that men are only interested in their bottom, I tell them, ‘Enjoy it because it won’t last!'”