Berlin’s EFM Animation Days industry showcase presented a selection of eight German animation projects on Friday in a lively pitching session that offered a wide range of family-friendly and darker, adult-themed fare. Projects included modern twists on such classics as Robert
Spain’s muscular presence at this year’s Berlinale and European Film Market was bolstered on Saturday with an inaugural presentation and networking event organized by the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster in collaboration with the Madrid Film Office and Film Madrid Region. The
Hanna Bergholm’s Finnish chiller “Nightborn” shook up Berlinale’s competition, with some viewers laughing during its violent scenes. But its star, Seidi Haarla, isn’t laughing. “We were dead serious while making it,” she tells Variety. Haarla plays Saga, who moves with her
“Between a mother-tree and a young seed at the same time” is how Brazilian director Priscilla Kellen felt as she became a mother at 36. A very free and independent woman until then, it was this pregnancy and birth that shaped what would become “Papaya”, Kellen’s feature
Sebastian Brameshuber discusses his Panorama title, his own experience with shared rides, bringing together people in a studio for free-flowing conversations, and not shying away from emotions.
Emma Laird recalls a moment — not all that long ago — when she was stood on the rooftop of her apartment in Los Angeles, looking out across a picture-postcard sunset skyline and smoking a cigarette. “It was so cinematic,” she says. “And I was crying my eyes out.” The Brit had
While 'Iron Sky' told a “story of Nazis hiding on the dark side of the Moon,” the new films “shift the battleground to Mars, where the Red Menace is alive and well.”
The Berlin Film Festival has issued a lengthy statement from head Tricia Tuttle over what it describes as a “media storm” that has swept over the festival. The note — sent out late on Saturday night — comes following criticism faced by multiple attendees over the comments about
Sam Worthington and Taiwanese actress Ke-Xi Wu strike a tense note in the evocative first look at the expat thriller, which co-stars David Duchovny and is now being shopped to buyers at Berlin’s European Film Market.
Agnis Shen Zhongmin’s debut feature, “Shanghai Daughter,” approaches China’s Down to the Countryside Movement through an unconventional lens, treating the southwestern rubber plantations where her late father was sent during the Cultural Revolution as what she calls “a
Sales outfit Reinvent Yellow has closed deals in several territories for adventure-family film “Rocky the Troll,” which it is selling at the European Film Market in Berlin. It is produced by the team behind “Troll” (2022), the most watched non-English-language film on Netflix.
From teen breakout to seasoned leading man, the British actor returns to the Berlinale with a competition film that echoes the emotional themes of his early work.
Veteran producer Bill Kong is bringing four commercial titles to the European Film Market through his Edko Films banner as Hong Kong makes a strong showing at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival with Singapore-Hong Kong-China co-production “Panda” selected for the Forum section.
Chinese and Greater China cinema have a significant presence at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market, with multiple official selections and several market premieres being introduced to international buyers. Hong Kong-based Golden Network Asia is bringing
'The Studio,' 'Palm Royale,' 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Skeleton Crew' were the top winners in the TV categories at the ceremony that also recognized Amy Madigan, Michael Johnston and Greg Nelson and Judy Alexandra Cory with honorary awards.
“Sinners,” “Frankenstein” and “One Battle After Another” took home the top prizes in the Feature Motion Pictures categories at the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE Local 706) Awards. “One Battle After Another” took home two awards winning best contemporary make-up
Shudder has secured North American rights to “Hellcat,” a psychological horror thriller that marks the feature directorial debut of Brock Bodell, Blue Finch Films revealed at Berlin’s European Film Market. The streamer plans to release the film later this year following its
Turkish cinema, despite being held back by economic and political constraints, looks poised for a global breakthrough this year. Its milestone Berlin 2026 contingent — comprising three feature film premieres, two of which are competing for the Golden Bear — kicks off the
Catherine Laga’aia, who is set to make her breakout as the titular character in Disney’s upcoming live-action “Moana,” has been tapped to lead the Australian Gen-Z thriller “Crashout.” Deadhouse Films unveiled the casting for the project at Berlin’s European Film Market. The
Since arriving on the world cinema stage with the deeply personal docudrama “Bye Bye Africa” (1999), Chadian auteur Mahamat-Saleh Haroun has been at the forefront of a generation of filmmakers who have landed African cinema squarely on the map. Despite emigrating to France in
Paramount Skydance accused ByteDance of engaging in “blatant infringement” of its intellectual property with its Seedance video and Seedream image generative AI platforms, alleging the Chinese internet giant is illegally ripping off IP including “South Park,” “Star Trek,” “The
Rafael Manuel spent seven or eight years developing “Filipinana,” his debut feature about a teenage girl working at an elite Manila country club — years before HBO’s “The White Lotus” turned the luxury resort satire into prestige television gold. “I get the comparisons, of
Urban Sales has closed a raft of deals on “The Doll” (“La Poupée Vertigo”), a French romantic comedy starring Vincent Macaigne (“Maria”), Cécile de France (“The New Pope”) and Zoé Marchal (“Overdose”). Sophie Beaulieu’s debut feature, “The Doll” is one of the many romantic
A new Yahoo!/YouGov poll shows more Americans approving of Bad Bunny than of his recent nemesis-in-chief, Donald J. Trump, in the wake of controversy over last weekend’s Super Bowl halftime show, by a margin of 42% for the Puerto Rican performer versus 39% for the president.
Providence Equity is aiming to calm the waters within the Wasserman agency after Friday night’s surprise news that the firm will be put up for sale and founder Casey Wasserman will leave amid the furor over his appearances in the Epstein files. Casey Wasserman’s position as a
Cinemex, the Mexican film distribution-exhibition giant, has set a second-quarter release date for “Abracadaver,” the final movie from writer-actor-director Pancho Rodríguez (“Looking for an Angel”), who died Nov. 13. Already a Walt Disney Co. pickup for North America with
Charli xcx said she’s ready for a new era at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of “The Moment” – but she’s still figuring out just what that is. Following the screening at Zoo Palast, which was filled to the brim with her fans, the pop star appeared on stage alongside the
During a recent appearance on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast, Barack Obama gave his reaction after an AI video was posted to Donald Trump’s Truth Social account that depicted the former president and his first lady, Michelle, as apes. Obama opened his thoughts by calmly stating
Motherhood can be… a lot, as both Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and Lynne Ramsay’s “Die My Love” reminded us last year. Now, here comes a riposte in the horror genre: Hanna Bergholm’s Berlinale competition entry “Nightborn,” which brings a Finnish sensibility to
“Wuthering Heights” production designer Suzie Davies was excited to get a call from Emerald Fennell, since she’d worked on period dramas from this era before — not to mention on Fennell’s lavish “Saltburn.” “I thought it’d be fun,” Davies says. But Fennell had a different
James Van Der Beek’s younger brother, Jared Van Der Beek, took to Instagram on Friday to thank those who have reached out following James’ death on Wednesday. “There’s a special bond that exists between brothers and two days ago, that physical bond was broken,” he wrote. “I now
The 'Marty Supreme' star made an appearance at a special Valentine's Eve screening of 'Call Me by Your Name' on Friday.
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Wuthering Heights,” now playing in theaters. “Wuthering Heights” director Emerald Fennell gave her hair and makeup department head, Sian Miller, a mood board of imagery featuring architecture, landscape, fashion, film,
As press conference remarks are clipped and amplified online, some filmmakers worry that speaking freely could invite instant backlash.
Dua Lipa made a surprise appearance at Berlin Film Festival on Saturday night to accompany her fiancé, Callum Turner, at the world premiere of his new film “Rosebush Pruning.” The couple celebrated Valentine’s Day on the red carpet, looking so in love as they posed for
The 'Song Sung Blue' Oscar nominee was honored with the Arlington Artist of the Year Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Friday.
When the time came for Karim Aïnouz to direct his first English-language feature a few years ago, few would have bet on it being “Firebrand.” A historical drama based on the life of Henry VIII survivor Catherine Parr, it was handsome, well-acted and directed with complete
Just 24 hours after Sean Baker arrived in Penang, Malaysia, to shoot “Sandiwara” — the Oscar-winning director’s new short film starring Michelle Yeoh — he threw his initial script out the window. “It was ridiculous,” Baker tells Variety in a quiet corner of the Ritz Carlton in
“Animation is no longer the very interesting but a bit eccentric cousin you don’t want to invite at a filmmaker’s wedding. Not only are we now invited to the wedding, we’re setting the guest list.” With this opening punchline, Kaboom Artistic Director and Berlin EFM Animation
Donald Trump posted a lengthy message to Truth Social on Saturday morning in which he recalled his White House dinner with “Real Time” host Bill Maher. The president called the evening a “total waste of time” and said Maher is “no different” than his more liberal leaning
“Josephine,” a psychological thriller starring Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan and newcomer Mason Reeves, has been acquired for the U.S. by Sumerian Pictures in a competitive seven-figure deal. Sumerian, which was founded by Ash Avildsen as an artist-led independent creative studio
"Just tracking down leads. No arrests. And no signs of Nancy," Pima County Sheriff says after Friday night SWAT operation at Tucson home less than two miles from Guthrie's residence
Intense and intently observed, Teodora Ana Mihai’s “Heysel 85” chronicles the eruption of violence before a major soccer match in Brussels. Its setting is the real Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985, but it presents its drama through fictionalized reporters and local leaders, and
Ian de la Rosa’s “Iván & Hadoum,” world premiering in Panorama at this year’s Berlinale, is the most visible evidence of a wave of Catalan first features that has been nurtured by development labs, shorts programs and an institutional infrastructure now bearing fruit. De la
Catalonia arrives at this year’s Berlinale with its broadest spread of selections in years — including a Panorama feature debut, “Iván & Hadoum,” a buzzy Max series about Barcelona’s gentrification crisis, a returning shorts director and a Latin American minority co-production
Under the scalding hot sun of the Brazilian northeast, a group of young boys kicks dirt up while running over a football. All but one, Gugu, whose energy is directed elsewhere: a pompous dance number by the sidelines of the improvised field. Allan Deberton’s “Gugu’s World,”
Renowned German New Wave artist and filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger returns to the Berlin International Film Festival — where she received an Honorary Golden Bear in 2020 — with a film that took decades to get made. Premiering in the Berlinale’s Special Gala section, “The Blood
Food Network has revealed its 2026 Hot List, which is made up of 11 notable chefs and culinary content creators, including Nick DiGiovanni, Lorenzo Espada and Tini Younger. The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable channel defines the list as a set of honorees that bring “a unique
“Working with kids in movies is a lesson in not quite improvisation, but in adaptation,” says Mexico’s Fernando Eimbcke who first captivated audiences with his acclaimed feature film debut “Duck Season” (“Temporada de patos”). “They are filmmakers by nature,” he mused, “They’re
The Friday box office fell in love with Emerald Fennell’s sexy literary drama “Wuthering Heights,” which won out over fellow newcomers “GOAT” and “Crime 101” to claim the No. 1 spot. Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic gothic romance earned $11 million from 3,682
