While festivals throughout the Region, and beyond, senselessly cancel their latest edition “in support” of the Palestinian cause, the best thing they could do would be to finally showcase cinema from Palestinian and Israeli auteurs, as well as one American filmmaker, who can collectively help explains the situation and smother the fire of warmongers with culture and education.
Read MoreChallenging perceptions: An interview with 'Catching Dust' filmmaker Stuart Gatt
After world premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC earlier this year, Stuart Gatt’s captivating thriller finally screens in the UK at the upcoming Raindance Film Fest. And I caught up with the filmmaker to ask about his influences, why he’s so good at writing women’s characters and more.
Read MoreJio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival to open with Hansal Mehta's 'The Buckingham Murders' starring Kareena Kapoor
While at the BFI London Film Festival, where the title world premiered this past week, the filmmaker sat down for an insightful ‘Selfies Interview’ and discussed a bit about the film as well as why he loves having Kareena in his project.
Read MoreI'll have that chocolate-covered Timothée Chalamet, please.
In the upcoming ‘Wonka’, the story of the beloved chocolatier, penned originally by Roald Dahl in 1964, goes back to the character’s beginnings. And with Chalamet as Willy Wonka, this is going to be a joyride simply not to be missed.
Read More'High & Low: John Galliano' London review
There are so many layers to filmmaker Kevin Macdonald’s film that it would take more than a few hundred words to get to them all. At the core of this stunning must-watch documentary is a fashion hero turned antihero who could be a poster child for explaining our current times.
Read MoreMasculinity, fashion and biker culture decoded : Jeff Nichols' 'The Bikeriders' at the BFI London Film Festival
Apart from the great look of the film and the immediate immersion for the viewer into the late 1960’s biker culture of the American midwest, ‘The Bikeriders’ also offers insight into masculine insecurities and strengths and in the process, becomes yet another favorite Jeff Nichols work of seventh art.
Read More'Saltburn' by Emerald Fennell opens the BFI London Film Festival, with a twist
The film is exactly what is needed to encourage audiences to watch more cinema in the theaters, and amazingly enough, it is an Amazon MGM Studios production — proving that streamers do know it best if given the chance to do their thing.
Read More'Maestro' -- A personal review
Once the absurd discourse about Bradley Cooper’s nose will have finally quieted down, those who have been lucky enough to have watched ‘Maestro’ on the big screen will realize they’ve witnessed a masterpiece.
Read MoreFrom the MIME.news archives: "Cinema is there to tell a story": Amjad Al Rasheed on Jordan's Oscar submission 'Inshallah a Boy'
For those of us who believe in the power of cinema as a social change maker, Al Rasheed's film — a winner in the Critics' Week in Cannes where it world premiered and the Jordanian submission to the Best International Feature Oscar race — is an important piece of the 7th art.
Read MoreAwards hopefuls, indie gems and streaming must-watches: My BFI London Film Fest wish list
There is just so much good stuff screening at this year’s London Film Festival — from a documentary about a nearly-cancelled forever fashion icon, to a film featuring Austin Butler and Michael Shannon as bikers, to MENA gems, Oscars and Golden Globes hopefuls and indie treasures. So buckle your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy fortnight.
Read MoreSci-fi reimagined: Talking to Moin Hussain about 'Sky Peals' in Venice
We often forget that some of the best films ever made didn’t come with colossal budgets and outrageous VFX, their brilliance established through a great story and very relatable characters. British-Pakistani filmmaker Moin Hussain’s debut feature, which premiered in Venice before being poised to screen at the upcoming London Film Festival, is just one of those films.
Read More'Backstage' - Venice review
At the start of ‘Backstage’, the first feature directorial collaboration between Moroccan filmmaker Khalil Benkirane and Tunisian star Afef Ben Mahmoud, the unthinkable happens. And we, the audience, are along for the ride of a lifetime.
Read MoreJa’far ‘Abd al-Hamid's 'Tabbouleh & Pie' shows the endless benefits of sharing our culture with others
A short film that quickly takes up full space in one’s heart, al-Hamid’s work will be shown as part of the Institut du Monde Arabe’s upcoming exhibition program for ‘Parfumes d’Orient’ in Paris.
Read MoreAmr Gamal on his groundbreaking, award winning film 'The Burdened' at Berlinale
The Yemeni film, which screened in the Panorama section and won the Amnesty International Film Award at this year's Berlin Film Festival, is a groundbreaking oeuvre which transcends the already strong power of cinema.
Read More'Bye Bye Tiberias' review: A personal tribute to a global cause
Lina Soualem’s touchingly personal documentary should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand the Palestinian struggle, and the true emotional toll of an entire people’s displacement.
Read MoreFilmmaker Karan Tejpal and producer/writer Gaurav Dhingra talk Venice title 'Stolen'
Screened as part of Orizzonti Extra in Venice, the Indian indie production featured an unrelenting heroine, one that though penned by male writers, ticked all the boxes of a perfectly female character for me.
Read MoreNetflix's 'NYAD' brings together the brilliance of Annette Bening & Jodie Foster
An Oscar win has always eluded the wonderful Annette Bening, while it has been more than 30 years, and her official coming out, since Foster won the last of her Academy Awards. ‘NYAD’, a Netflix film could change the game.
Read MoreReviewing David Fincher's 'The Killer' without giving too much away...
Starring the magnificently contained Michael Fassbender as the unnamed hitman, this is one film that must be viewed without any previous knowledge of its story and possibly on a cool Fall evening, with a shot of premium whiskey nearby. But you’ll have to see for yourself why that is.
Read MoreOlmo Schnabel talks directing 'Pet Shop Days', dual identities & laws of attraction
Olmo Schnabel’s directorial debut is everything you could wish for in a film, from a man with such an impressive background — artist and filmmaker Julian is his dad and mom is Spanish actress Olatz López Garmendia — but also someone who is perfectly at ease with both his American and Spanish sides. And refreshingly believes life is best when lived outside the boxes of convention.
Read More'Stane' by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović is the latest must-watch from Miu Miu Women's Tales
When the filmmaker of 2021 Cannes Camera d’Or winner ‘Murina’ becomes the latest in a line of wondrous women filmmakers to feature in the beloved fashion brand’s series, the result is definitely something worth writing about!
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