Iranian Filmmaker Majid Majidi Denounces U.S. War as ‘Midday Meal’ Emerges as Busan Fest Standout

Iranian director Majid Majidi says he originally planned to decline the Busan International Film Festival’s invitation to travel to South Korea to premiere his latest feature, Midday Meal. A gripping and heartfelt humanist parable filmed with the command of an established master, the film has since emerged as one of the standouts of the festival’s…

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Stephen Chow’s ‘Shaolin Soccer’ Spinoff ‘Kung Fu Soccer’ Sets U.S. Release After Dominating China’s Summer Box Office

Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Soccer is heading to North American and British cinemas after finishing the summer as China’s biggest box office hit. Singapore-based distributor Encore Films said Wednesday that the comedy legend’s long-awaited Shaolin Soccer spinoff will open Oct. 23 in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Ireland. The rollout will include the original-language version…

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The U.S. is building barriers around drones and robots, but China has scale to get around them

In July and August, Washington tightened restrictions on foreign-made advanced robotic systems and imposed steep tariffs on imported drones and their components, both moves citing national-security concerns. The drone tariffs take effect in September, with additional component tariffs following in 2027. These moves are part of a broader U.S. effort to restrict foreign technology in…

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Oscars: Japan Picks Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘All of a Sudden’ as Best Int’l Feature Submission

Japan has selected Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s luminously cerebral French-language feature All of a Sudden as its submission for the best international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards. The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, known as Eiren, announced the choice Wednesday. It marks the second time a Hamaguchi film has represented Japan at the Oscars,…

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