Seattle International Film Festival Awards Top Honors to ‘Klondike,’ ‘Know Your Place’

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentPresiding over the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, director Thierry Frémaux has assembled some serious Hollywood star power, world cinema auteurs amid indications that despite COVID, the film world is buzzing with anticipation for the films, the deals and most of all the glamour the fest brings.While Frémaux has been credited with expanding the horizons of the Cannes Film Festival since taking over the reins of its Official Selection in 2001, he’s also been praised for building relationships with American studios and filmmakers.This year, he’s lured them back in spite of the ongoing pandemic, with a lineup including James Gray’s “Armageddon Time,” David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future,” Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up,” George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” and Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” “My first red carpet was for ‘Moulin Rouge!’ with Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman in 2001 and it will be engraved in my memory forever,” says Fremaux. “I’m happy to reunite with Baz this year.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentVersatile British actor Ben Whishaw, best known globally for playing Q in five James Bond films, has been cast in what’s bound to be the one of the most complex roles of his career.The actor will play the titular character in “Limonov, The Ballad of Eddie,” a new English-language film by revered Russian auteur Kirill Serebrennikov (“Petrov’s Flu,” “Leto”), about radical Russian poet and political dissident Eduard Limonov.The film, which will be presented as a promo reel to buyers in Cannes on May 17, is inspired by the best-selling novel “Limonov” by French writer and director Emmanuelle Carrère, which was translated in 35 countries.“Limonov” delves into the story of Eduard Limonov, who lived many lives. He was an underground writer in the Soviet Union who escaped to the U.S.

The Israel Film Festival is kicking off in LA this week and it’s going big on television.

Twenty One Pilots singer Tyler Joseph has claimed that he was asked to write a song for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack before star and producer Tom Cruise rescinded the offer.Joseph said in a new interview that he was invited to contribute a song for the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun.“I was working with the music placement person for the new Top Gun on writing a new song for them and then I believe Tom Cruise just came in and just fired everyone,” Joseph told Californian radio station KROQ yesterday (May 9) [via MusicNews].According to Joseph, he hadn’t actually started work on the project when Cruise allegedly pulled the plug. He added that his input was likely affected by changes made to the film as a result of the COVID pandemic.“I saw some scenes.

As the world has been hit by a heavy crisis in which a part of Europe finds itself in a state of war, the Festival de Cannes wishes to extend all its support to the people of Ukraine and all those who are in its territory.However modest as it is, we join our voices with those who oppose this unacceptable situation and denounce the attitude of Russia and its leaders.Our thoughts go out in particular to the Ukrainian artists and film industry professionals, as well as their families whose lives are now in danger. There are those whom we’ve never met, and those whom we’ve come to know and welcomed to Cannes, who came with works that say much about Ukraine’s history and the present.During this winter of 2022, the Festival de Cannes and the Marché du Film have entered their preparation phase.

Ashley Hume Sommer Carbuccia’s time-traveling comedy short “Mac & Cheese” was awarded best film at the 2022 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Awards. “Mac & Cheese” took home a total of three prizes at the annual event, with Amanda Pinto winning best director and Jake Nathanson scoring best editor.The ceremony returned in-person for the first time in two years on Thursday night at Sony Pictures Studios’ Cary Grant Theater in Los Angeles.

Father John Misty delivered a live rendition of ‘Kiss Me (I Loved You)’ on US TV last night (May 3). Check out the video below.The singer-songwriter – aka Joshua Tillman – appeared as the musical guest on the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in support of his fifth album ‘Chloë And The Next 20th Century’, which came out last month.Having recently shared its David Raboy-directed video, FJM played ‘Kiss Me…’ in Fallon’s New York City studio with the help of a small orchestra.

Filmmaker Paul Schrader has been set to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The Raging Bull and Taxi Driver screenwriter will be presented with the honor during the 79th edition of the event which runs August 31- September 10 on the Lido.

Angelique Jackson Issa Rae has been tapped to serve as the ambassador for the 2022 American Black Film Festival (ABFF), and she’s bringing a special treat to Miami Beach. Rae will screen her highly anticipated HBO Max series “Rap Sh*t” for the festival’s closing night.“I’m honored to be this year’s Festival Ambassador,” said Rae, announcing her participation.

Caer, an innovative and illuminating semi-documentary about trans Latin women in present-day New York, particularly those willingly employed as sex workers.On the flipside of that is Framing Agnes, the latest from director Chase Joynt, which is just now starting to hit the festival circuit after its recent Sundance debut.The film features an all-star cast including Angelica Ross (Pose), Jen Richards (Disclosure), Zackary Drucker (Transparent), and Silas Howard (Tales of the City), helping to shed light on a little-known slice of real-life and scientific research, specifically the story of a pioneering transgender woman who participated in gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s.Also on tap is a special retrospective screening of By Hook or By Crook, the landmark trans buddy film from 2001 directed by Harry Dodge and Silas Howard. All screenings will be offered with subtitles or captions to maximize accessibility.Streaming starts on Thursday, May 5.

took the stage at the Spokane Arena for the first show of his “Get Back” tour on Thursday evening.And a very special guest joined him for a duet on the song “I’ve Got A Feeling.” Footage of Lennon, who died in 1980 at the age of 40, from Jackson’s Disney+ documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” was presented on a big screen while the British rocker sang.The two crooned alongside each other to kick off the new tour.“So, Peter Jackson, the director of the ‘Get Back’ film, he texts me one day. And he says, ‘We can extract John’s voice.

Italian actor and director Valeria Golino has been set as jury president for the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorThe Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, whose 56th edition runs July 1-July 9, has expanded its activities aimed at supporting filmmakers, it announced Tuesday. The festival is launching KVIFF Talents, a year-round program that aims to identify talented filmmakers and support the creation of projects with international potential and a high level of originality.

The 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has announced that it will host the films in the Works-in-Progress section of the Odessa International Film Festival, which cannot be held this year because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.    “Broad solidarity with war-afflicted Ukraine must also include support for the country’s cultural life, which at this moment has come almost to a halt,” Hugo Rosák, head of KVIFF’s Industry Department, said in a statement.

The full Tribeca Film Festival lineup of 109 feature films from 40 countries and 88 world premieres for the 2022 event that takes place June 9-18 has been announced. It’ll be interesting to see if some of the films at the festival will end up being popular breakouts, land major studio/streamer distribution, or eventually move on to get recognized during awards season.

3rd Secret, the grunge supergroup featuring members of Soundgarden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam, have shared a new live video for their song ‘I Choose Me’ – you can watch it below.The band is comprised of Jillian Raye (vocals, lyrics), Jennifer Johnson (vocals), Krist Novoselić (bass), Bubba Dupree (guitar), Kim Thayil (guitar) and Matt Cameron (drums).After releasing their self-titled debut album last week (April 11), 3rd Secret have now shared a new live performance video of their track ‘I Choose Me’.Recorded last month at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, you can watch 3rd Secret perform ‘I Choose Me’ in the below clip.Described as “the Alt-Folk / Grunge album for 2022 — and beyond”, ‘3rd Secret’ is billed by the band on their website as follows: “Members of major Seattle bands converge, conjuring big riffs. Krist Novoselić and Jillian Raye get into Freak Folk and Pop Syrup.

Lise Pedersen “Like an Island” (“L’îlot”), a hybrid documentary fable tinged with magical realism by Swiss director Tizian Büchi, has won the Grand Jury Prize at international documentary film festival Visions du Réel in Nyon, Switzerland. The debut feature had its world premiere at the festival, bearing testimony to the event’s reputation as a launchpad for new talent and its tradition for hybrid fiction-reality films.