Rotterdam Fest Sets Marwan Hamed Retrospective, Biopic of Arab Music Icon Umm Kulthum

Rotterdam Fest Sets Marwan Hamed Retrospective, Biopic of Arab Music Icon Umm Kulthum

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has unveiled a Marwan Hamed retrospective for its 2026 edition, “in celebration of the prolific Egyptian director’s career.” The upcoming edition of IFFR will feature the European premiere of his upcoming El Sett, a biopic of Egyptian singer and actress Umm Kulthum biopic starring Mona Zaki (Flight 404) and Mohamed…

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How ‘Lady,’ a Mockumentary About a Deluded Aristocrat, Took Shape in a Real English Mansion

How ‘Lady,’ a Mockumentary About a Deluded Aristocrat, Took Shape in a Real English Mansion

Sian Clifford (Fleabag) as a narcissistic and lonely aristocrat in outrageous outfits and a camera crew chasing her through an English mansion are the stars of mockumentary Lady, the feature directorial debut of Samuel Abrahams, which he co-wrote with his partner Miranda Campbell Bowling. The film world premieres Thursday evening at the 69th edition of the BFI London Film…

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Canal+ Touts “Commitment to Cinema” as It Signs Deal for UGC Stake, ‘I Swear’ Boosts Studiocanal

Canal+ Touts “Commitment to Cinema” as It Signs Deal for UGC Stake, ‘I Swear’ Boosts Studiocanal

Canal+ Group, which is led by CEO Maxime Saada and houses film production and distribution arm StudioCanal, on Thursday highlighted its “commitment to cinema.” The French media giant said in early September that it had entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a 34 percent minority stake in UGC, one of France’s largest cinema chains, with an option to…

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Mattel Studios Boss Robbie Brenner Talks ‘Masters of the Universe,’ ‘Polly Pocket’ and ‘Magic 8 Ball’ at MIPCOM: “‘Barbie’ Blew the Doors Open for Us”

Mattel Studios Boss Robbie Brenner Talks ‘Masters of the Universe,’ ‘Polly Pocket’ and ‘Magic 8 Ball’ at MIPCOM: “‘Barbie’ Blew the Doors Open for Us”

Hot off the main stage at MIPCOM, Mattel Studios President Robbie Brenner caught up with The Hollywood Reporter about the company’s epic slate. Mattel’s upcoming projects include a Polly Pocket live-action film with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine attached and Lily Collins starring as well as Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe with Nicholas Galitzine, Camila…

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Oscar Contenders ‘Bugonia,’ ‘Sentimental Value,’ ‘It Was Just an Accident Make EFA Short List

Oscar Contenders ‘Bugonia,’ ‘Sentimental Value,’ ‘It Was Just an Accident Make EFA Short List

Several of this year’s hottest award season contenders, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons; Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value with Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard, and Elle Fanning; and international feature contenders It Was Just an Accident and The Voice of Hind Rajab, have made the shortlist for the 2026 European Film Awards….

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Amy Poehler Slams AI Actress Tilly Norwood on ‘Saturday Night Live’: “You’ll Never Be Able to Write a Joke, You Stupid Robot!”

Amy Poehler Slams AI Actress Tilly Norwood on ‘Saturday Night Live’: “You’ll Never Be Able to Write a Joke, You Stupid Robot!”

Amy Poehler kicked off her Saturday Night Live opening monologue by commemorating the official 50th anniversary of the show’s first episode — while also pointing out some of the major advancements in technology since its debut. The Good Hang podcast host affirmed it was “actually a very special night for the show, not just because…

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Yorgos Lanthimos Jokes He Needs an AI Avatar to Get Out of Promoting His Films: “Do I Have to Say the Same Thing a Thousand Times?”

Yorgos Lanthimos Jokes He Needs an AI Avatar to Get Out of Promoting His Films: “Do I Have to Say the Same Thing a Thousand Times?”

Yorgos Lanthimos might be on board with AI, after all. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker, director of movies The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, jokingly told BFI London Film Festival attendees on Saturday that he’s willing to send out a computer-generated avatar of himself if it helps him get out of promotional duties. Lanthimos spoke…

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