Jeannot Szwark, the French director known for directing “Jaws 2,” “Somewhere in Time” and “Supergirl,” died on Wednesday. He was 85 years old. Jane Seymour, who played Elise McKenna in Szwarc’s 1980 film “Somewhere in Time,” confirmed the news. “Today, we say goodbye to a true visionary. Jannot Szwark was not only a brilliant director, … Read more
Kieran Turner, the documentary filmmaker who created the web series “Wallflowers,” died Dec. 23 in West Hollywood. He was 56 years old. Turner’s death after a battle with cancer was confirmed by Christy Gross, president of CLG3 Communications. In addition to creating “Wallflowers,” Turner wrote and produced the online web series that ran for two … Read more
Spoiler alert: This article contains minor spoilers for the movie “Nosferatu,” which is now in theaters. Robert Eggers’ fourth film — “Nosferatu,” in theaters today via Focus Features — is a bold, star-studded reimagining of F.W. Murnau’s brilliant 1922 silent film of the same name. Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård star as the gorgeous Ellen … Read more
David Ayer has responded to public criticism over his support for James Gunn’s upcoming “Superman” film and its cinematic expansion of the DC Universe. Just days before the “Superman” trailer was released, Ayer addressed the ongoing campaign among his fans to promote and release his cut of the 2016 “Suicide Squad” film. He asked fans … Read more
Eric Skillman, artistic director of the Criterion Collection, is constantly collecting names. Skillman is the mastermind behind finding the artists who create or illustrate the Criterion Collection’s DVD artwork, which is why he has thousands of artists in the archive. He is always looking for new artists, but he is also looking for the perfect … Read more
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has expressed its displeasure with the federal government for its failure to appoint a permanent Director General (DG) of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). During a hearing on Thursday, Justice Babar Sattar criticized the position remaining vacant for so long, noting that statutory appointments could not be postponed … Read more
Prominent Afghan director Roya Sadat, whose latest film “Sima Song” is participating in the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, denounced being denied entry to the Kingdom to screen the film, despite obtaining a Saudi visa. Sadat in an email to diverse, She said that she was scheduled to travel to Jeddah, the Saudi … Read more
Prominent Egyptian director Marwan Hamed, known internationally for his groundbreaking epic “The Yacoubian Building,” shot “The Woman,” a biographical film about Egyptian icon Umm Kulthum, considered the greatest singer in the Arab world. Kulsoum has also been praised by Bob Dylan and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, among other Western artists, and sampled by Beyoncé … Read more
Belgian director Johan Grimonprez, whose film “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” won the Cinema Innovation Award at Sundance, spoke about the importance of “symbolic action” during a lecture at the IDFA documentary film festival on Sunday. Speaking amid the Art Deco splendor of Amsterdam’s Tuscinski cinema, Grimonprez began with an excerpt from his film “The … Read more
In November 2015, a horrific violent crime occurred in the impoverished Jebel Mghila region of Tunisia. A jihadist group attacked two young shepherds, killing one and forcing the survivor to carry a bloody message to his family. This real-life case inspired Lotfi Ashour’s harrowing drama “The Red Road,” which was screened as part of the … Read more