Bangladeshi Film ‘Suraiya’ Wins Prestigious Berlinale World Cinema Fund Grant

Bangladeshi feature film Suraiya has been awarded a major production grant from the Berlinale World Cinema Fund (WCF), placing it among a select group of global independent projects backed by one of the world’s leading film institutions. The announcement came following the WCF’s 42nd jury session, where twelve films from across Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Mexico, Panama, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Venezuela were chosen for financial support. This year’s selection was made from 236 submissions representing 63 countries — underscoring the competitiveness of the process. Suraiya, directed by Robiul

Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton has passed away at 79

The Oscar-winning star, born in Los Angeles, rose to prominence in the 1970s thanks to her portrayal of Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather series. She went on to become widely recognised for leading roles in Father of the Bride, First Wives Club and Annie Hall, the latter earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978. Her death was confirmed to CBS News — the BBC’s US partner — by producer and longtime friend Dori Rath. Annie Hall also brought Keaton the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or

AI “Actress” Tilly Norwood Triggers Backlash in Hollywood

A new figure is making waves in Hollywood — but she isn’t human. Tilly Norwood, a fully AI-generated character created by Dutch actress and technologist Eline Van der Velden, is being positioned as cinema’s next rising star. Her creator claims that major talent agencies are already considering representing her, sparking an industry-wide debate over the future of acting and the ethics of synthetic performers. Norwood was developed through Van der Velden’s AI studio Xicoia, an offshoot of her production company Particle6. Soft-launched earlier this year on social media, Tilly currently has

One Battle After Another: Farewell to yesterday

Paul Thomas Anderson’s crazy amalgam of the film languages of the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino and himself sees the director reinventing himself. Despite some annoying moments, One Battle After Another is astonishingly contemporary and fun. ‘It is not an abyss that separates us from yesterday, but the changed situation’ – Alexander Kluge, Yesterday Girl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday_Girl) At first, there is simply irritation. Anyone who, like me, fell in love with Paul Thomas Anderson’s last two films because they represented the cinematic formula for great happiness is likely to be completely baffled, if not a

A House Named Shahana : Freedom Without Fireworks

Leesa Gazi’s A House Named Shahana (Barir Naam Shahana) begins with a simple, disarming image: Dipa’s divorce papers fluttering away in a rickshaw. The moment carries the weight of an entire life, one that has been denied, silenced, and finally, set loose. That accidental loss feels almost poetic; she’s so overwhelmed by freedom that she momentarily forgets the document that makes it official. The story rewinds eight years, and through those flashbacks Gazi takes us into a household that speaks the language of control. Dipa, played with haunting restraint by Aanon ' ...

Claudia Cardinale: Indomitable On and Off Screen

"When I arrived in Hollywood they wanted to change everything about me: my weight, my look, even my teeth. For a while I was intimidated, but eventually I replied, ‘If I am so ugly, why did you call me here?’” This, followed by her trademark throaty laughter, is what Claudia Cardinale told me when I interviewed her in the Eighties, and it represents her personality in a nutshell: defiant, brave, dignified. In 2022, Cinecittà dedicated a book to her, curated by her daughter Claudia Squitieri, titled "The Indomitable," and indeed, Cardinale was ' ...

Goodbye Annie Hall: A Tribute to Dianne Keaton

Diane Keaton, one of the finest actresses Hollywood has ever produced, deserves accolades for most of her quirky roles and brilliant performances. Over the years, she developed a distinctive style of her own, with a great sense of fashion. She redefined the concept of a new American woman in Annie Hall. With her androgynous style, she challenged the status quo of society. Dynamic, chirpy and unapologetically herself, Diane was every thinking person’s dream girl. Unlike popular belief, she was a beauty with brains — what a lethal combination! She began her career ' ...

Hollywood Backs Ongoing “No Kings” Movement Against Trump

The nationwide “No Kings” protest movement continues to draw growing participation from across the United States, with actors and filmmakers once again joining demonstrators in major cities, including Los Angeles and New York City, during rallies held last Saturday. Organizers say the protests are aimed specifically at President Donald Trump and what they describe as his anti-democratic policies. Marchers carried placards denouncing political overreach and warning against the return of authoritarian-style leadership in American governance. Spike Lee shared an image from a New York rally, urging followers to “get up, stand up.” ' ...