Toronto: 'Cuties’ Director Says Netflix Film Not Hyper-Sexualizing Young Girls: "It's a Real Issue"

Serena Williams' shot at making tennis history will have to wait. The star announced Wednesday morning that she is withdrawing from the French Open due to a lingering left Achilles tendon injury.

Netflix has snatched up another hot French film, acquiring English-language rights in North America, the U.K., Australia/New Zealand, South Africa and the Middle East for DNA, the latest drama by and starring multitalent Maïwenn (Polisse). In her sixth feature as a director, Maïwenn stars as Neige, a divorced mother of three who retains a close connection to her Algerian grandfather, visiting him regularly in the nursing home where he lives.

Also Read: 'Cuties' Director Blames Poster for Right-Wing Attacks: 'People Judged Without Understanding the Real Message'“DNA” stars Fanny Ardant, Louis Garrel, Dylan Robert, Marine Vacth, Caroline Chaniolleau, Alain Françon, Florent Lacger, Henri-Noël Tabary, Omar Marwan and Maïwenn.Maïwenn directed from a screenplay she wrote with Mathieu Demy. “DNA” is a production of Why Not Productions and Arte France Cinéma.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorThe San Sebastian Film Festival has withdrawn the accreditation of U.S.-born French filmmaker Eugène Green for refusing to wear a mask.According to the Spanish festival, Green refused five requests for him to don a mask at last night’s premiere of his film Atarrabi Et Mikelats and he was ultimately asked to leave the auditorium.

A majority of viewers watching Cuties (Mignonnes) over the Sept. 18-20 weekend said they did so because of the controversy surrounding the acclaimed French film, according to a new survey from leading Hollywood marketing and research firm Screen Engine/ASI.

Jimmy Fallon has been loving life with his family of four since becoming a father in 2013.The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host and his wife, Nancy Juvonen, first welcomed daughter Winnie, and she became a big sister the following year when Frances arrived.After their eldest child’s arrival, the New York native opened up to Savannah Guthrie about why he and Juvonen opted to use a surrogate for both baby girls.“My wife and I had been trying a while to have a baby,” the Saturday Night Live

French cinema group UniFrance has condemned what it called the "violent reaction" online and on social media to Netflix film Cuties and has thrown its support behind the movie's director, Maïmouna Doucouré.

Cuties, a film its director argues “sounds the alarm” about sexualising pre-pubescent girls instead of exploiting ideas for art.In a memo sent out to the French industry today (September 18), the state-backed group, which supports and promotes French cinema worldwide, said it “offers its full support” to director Maïmouna Doucouré and the film’s producers.Online trolls have attacked Doucouré, Netflix and anyone connected with the movie of hyper-sexualising the movie’s young characters.As The

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentUniFrance, the French film promotion organization, released a letter on Friday supporting Maimouna Doucouré, the helmer of Netflix film “Cuties,” which has been the subject of a backlash on social media for allegedly “sexualizing” young girls.UniFrance, which also gave its support for the movie’s producer, Zangro and Paris-based distributor Bac Films, is the latest French film body to side with Doucouré.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorFrench cinema organization UniFrance, which is backed by the French government and represents hundreds of local producers, sales agents, directors and talent agents, has sent out a memo to industry expressing its support for filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré and her film Cuties after the social media frenzy sparked by a Netflix poster for the film.

Adam Levine admitted he took the late Kelly Preston by surprise after giving her a real French kiss in Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” music video.

Brad Pitt has been linked to German model Nicole Poturalski after they were photographed on a vacation together in the South of France, and now, she’s answering a question about his ex Angelina Jolie.

Who would have thought a small, indie French film would cause a worldwide uproar? Alas, that’s exactly what has happened with the new feature, “Cuties,” which has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past couple of weeks.

Rebecca Davis editorDirector Chloe Zhao’s 2017 film “The Rider” has been approved to screen in China via a limited theatrical release through the country’s National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas, the org said on Tuesday. A specific release date has not yet been set.Zhao is fresh off her win of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, where her road movie “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand, garnered her sweeping acclaim and the top prize.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Cuties” filmmaker Maimouna Doucouré says that Netflix’s initial marketing campaign opened up the film to a level of criticism that it didn’t receive after its Sundance Film Festival debut in January, and that she’s fighting “the same fight” as her critics.Speaking on Monday as part of a virtual 10 Talents to Watch panel hosted by French promotion organization UniFrance, Doucouré highlighted the streaming giant’s early artwork, which depicted the film’s

fertilization, making his road to discovering his new identity even more turbulent.While critics have praised the film for its empathetic approach, it has come under fire in LGBT circles as the latest example of the film industry not casting trans actors for trans roles.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorCuties continues to keep Netflix in the spotlight, for reasons other than what was envisioned when the company acquired the French film at Sundance in 2019.Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, the film (titled Mignonnes in French) takes aim at society’s sexualization of girls, through an ensemble of 11-year-old girls.