Steven Soderbergh To Headline 3rd Sands International Film Festival Of St. Andrews

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent George Lucas, the iconic filmmaker behind the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises, will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or on May 25 during the Closing ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. “The Festival de Cannes has always held a special place in my heart,” said Lucas in a statement.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Snow in Midsummer,” which quietly probes the 1969 massacre of Malaysian Chinese during post-election turmoil, was named the winner of the best film for young cinema competition (Chinese-language) at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Liang Ming was named best director for “Carefree Days,” while the film’s female lead Lyu Xingchen collected the best actress award.

Malaysia-Singapore-Taiwan co-production Snow in Midsummer and Swedish title Sons took top prizes in the Young Cinema Competition at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF).

Slowly, but surely, the lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival is being revealed. Last month, Cannes announced that George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be an early world premiere on la Croisette on May 15.

Slowly, but surely, the lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival is being revealed. Last month, Cannes announced that George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be an early world premiere on la Croisette on May 15.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will kick off with Quentin Dupieux‘s “The Second Act,” a star-studded surreal French comedy headlined by Léa Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphaël Quenard, Variety has learned. The anticipated movie is produced by Hugo Selignac at Chi-Fou-Mi, a Mediawan company, and is represented in international markets by Kinology.

Marco Mueller, who over the past decades has headed both the Venice and Rome fests – among several other events – is back in Italy where he is expected to be appointed artistic director of Sicily’s storied but troubled Taormina Film Festival. According to several sources Mueller, who in more recent years relocated to China, is expected to sign a contract on Thursday to become Taormina fest chief. The event is run by the Fondazione Taormina Arte Sicilia foundation currently being managed by Sergio Bonomo.

Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews will open on April 19 with a double-bill screening of British writer-director Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature In Camera and Harry Holland’s short film Last Call, starring Tom Holland. 

EXCLUSIVE: This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) will unspool in close collaboration with Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Scottish capital’s historic performing arts event, under a new expansive partnership confirmed today by the two organizations. 

Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival will celebrate the centennial of Columbia Pictures with an expansive retrospective titled The Lady with the Torch, mounted in collaboration with the studio’s parent company, Sony. 

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival is set to celebrate the centennial of Columbia Pictures with a retrospective featuring classic titles spawned by the Hollywood studio between the dawn of sound and the late 1950s. The Locarno retro, titled “The Lady With the Torch –– The Centenary of Columbia Pictures,” is being curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht, co-director of Italy’s Il Cinema Ritrovato festival, which is dedicated to cinematic treasures of the past and organized in partnership with Switzerland’s Cinémathèque Suisse.

The Sudanese drama Goodbye Julia is continuing its impressive awards run, earning the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature over the weekend at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Intishal Al Timimi, founder and chief of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, is stepping down from the fest’s top leadership role. Al Timimi had joined the festival when it launched in 2017 in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, 250 miles south of Cairo, and rapidly put the event on the international festival map, proving its mettle in promoting the cream of the region’s cinematic crop, while also providing key support in nurturing new works through the informal CineGouna market.

Intishal Al-Timimi, the long-time director of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, is stepping down from the role he has held since the event’s launch in 2017 in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna.

Many feared for the fate of regional film festivals following the pandemic, but if attendance at the 27th Sonoma International Film Festival was any indication, these mainstays of the cinephile circuit are doing just OK. The festival announced its largest attendance ever for the 2024 event surpassing ticket and pass holder sales for 2023.

Having debuted four projects in fewer than 12 months, always prodigious filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (“Logan Lucky”) is back at it and returning to the espionage genre with his new movie, “Black Bag.” The spy pic stars Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Michael Fassbender (“The Killer”) in the lead roles. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed three more names to the growing cast, with production ramping up this spring.  Continue reading Steven Soderbergh’s Spy Pic ‘Black Bag’ Adds James Bond Alums Pierce Brosnan & Naomie Harris at The Playlist.

Naomie Harris is the latest to join the Steven Soderbergh thriller Black Bag at Focus Features. The film stars Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rege-Jean Page and Marisa Abela. Soderbergh will direct from a script by David Koepp. Casey Silver and Greg Jacobs producing are producing.

Hearts have had their appeal against Lawrence Shankland’s booking for diving in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Ross County booted out.

EXCLUSIVE: Level 33 Entertainment has taken domestic on H.P. Mendoza’s The Secret Art of Human Flight, which made its world premiere at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. A July theatrical release has been set followed by a debut on digital platforms.

It’s been less than two months since the end of the 2024 edition, but this morning the Sundance Institute revealed the dates for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. This year’s event will run from Thursday, January 23 through Sunday, February 2nd.