Festival 2026

• The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) has unveiled its 2026 competition titles for the Crystal Globe and Proxima categories. • The selection features 24 world premieres from filmmakers spanning five continents, including works from Mexico, Japan, Croatia, Italy, and the United Kingdom. • This lineup reinforces the festival's commitment to showcasing new cinematic voices and promoting unconventional storytelling approaches.

• The Shanghai International Film Festival announced the full nomination lineup for the 28th Golden Goblet Awards on May 30, 2026. • Multiple Chinese-language productions earned nominations across major categories, showcasing the competitive quality of regional filmmaking. • The nominations underscore the increasing influence and strength of Asian cinema within the global international film circuit.

• Critics Jacob Stolworthy and Patrick Smith have released a curated list of the eight best movies screened at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. • The selection features a diverse range of genres, including a metaphysical drama, a monster movie, and a sweeping epic positioned as a strong awards contender. • A highlighted entry is a new film from the director of "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve.

• Al Jazeera Media Network won 12 awards at the 2026 New York Festivals TV Film Awards, announced during a virtual ceremony. • Al Jazeera Arabic received two Gold and one Bronze award for its documentary coverage of developments in Syria. • Al Jazeera English earned two Gold, two Silver, and five Bronze awards for human-interest stories across Palestine, India, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

• Cristian Mungiu won the prestigious Palme d'Or for his film *Fjord* at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. • The jury, led by Park Chan-wook, awarded the Grand Prix to *Minotaur* and named Pawel Pawlikowski (*Fatherland*) and the duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (*The Black Ball*) as best directors. • These awards highlight the top cinematic achievements of the year, cementing the global prestige of the winning filmmakers and their projects.

• The South Korean monster movie "Hope," produced by Plus M Entertainment, has emerged as the most divisive and wild entry at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. • The film is generating significant buzz and debate among critics and audiences due to its unconventional and shocking nature. • This reaction highlights the festival's role as a platform for provocative cinema that challenges traditional storytelling and genre boundaries.

• Cristian Mungiu won the prestigious Palme d'Or for his film *Fjord* at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. • The Grand Prix was awarded to *Minotaur*, while Pawel Pawlikowski (*Fatherland*) and the duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo (*The Black Ball*) shared the Best Director prize. • The awards were determined by a jury led by acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook, marking a significant moment for international cinema.

• Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, recognizing his legendary contributions to cinema. • Jane Fonda and Gong Li declared the festival officially open on stage, highlighting the event's celebration of international cinema and iconic figures. • The festival continues its tradition of honoring filmmaking excellence while bringing together major talent from Asia and around the world.

Regular events at the Tasmanian festival, including the Winter Solstice Nude Swim and the Night Mass party, joined by Australian and international musicians and artists in a program dominated by Latin American art Get our weekend culture and lifestyle emailA hallucinatory experimental film starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Rampling that can only be watched by one person at a time is heading to Australia as part of Tasmania’s 2026 Dark Mofo festival.It’s estimated that only 500 people in the world have seen French artist Loris Gréaud’s film Sculpt since its premiere at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2016 – though the exact figure is hard to know, since he later supplied the files to hackers to distribute over the dark web.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

The 2024 festival was cancelled after multiple authors pulled out over the non-profit’s stance on the Israel-Gaza warThe literary free speech organization PEN America has announced plans for their 2026 World Voices festival. The four day event will take place in New York and Los Angeles from 29 April to 2 May and feature writers from over 140 countries, with in person appearances from authors including Judith Butler, Bill McKibben, Cory Doctorow, Megha Majumdar and Katie Kitamura.In a press release, the event is billed as a “testament to literature’s ability to unite us, and to counteract the closed mindedness that has resulted in a nationalist maelstrom. It continues to affirm PEN America’s commitment to championing writers and their work.” Continue reading...