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European distributor Global Screen has unveiled its lineup of drama series that will be launched to buyers at TV market Mipcom next week.

Crime thriller “Murder on the Inca Trail” revolves around a murder on the remote Inca Trail, but there are no witnesses, no weapon and no evidence. How can chief inspector Rita Berg identify the murderer of Ursula Glück, who is killed during an alleged robbery? Her husband, Jona Kepler, claims innocence, but suspicion lingers. Despite a lack of motive, Berg keeps digging.

The show, which is produced by Westside for Ard Degeto/Br, stars Nina Gummich and Thomas Prenn. It is available as four 45 minute episodes or two 90 minute episodes.

Also new for Mipcom is Season 2 of period anthology drama “The Palace,” produced by Moovie, Constantin Film and Zdf. Once again set at the legendary Palace theater in Berlin, the new season takes us to 1990, the year...

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first stepped down as working royals, no one had any idea that the couple would divulge the royal family’s private matters in the way they did. Meetings and conversations that Harry’s relatives thought would always be private were suddenly put out there for the entire world to digest.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex aired the royal’s dirty laundry out in public through televised interviews, podcasts, the prince’s memoir, and a Netflix docuseries.

In their docuseries, Meghan and Harry spoke about what the royal family thought of Meghan being a “Hollywood actress.” However, the duchess isn’t the first TV star to marry into the family and the woman who did before her insisted the royals did not bear any judgment against her.

What Prince Harry and Meghan said the royal family thought of the ‘Hollywood actress’ Screengrab from an...

Zoë Kravitz is speaking out on the ongoing debate over whether someone can be a fan of a controversial artist’s work but not condone their actions.

Amid cancel culture and the #MeToo movement with allegations against actors and auteurs alike coming to light, “Blink Twice” writer/director Kravitz told Esquire that she does not shy away from still appreciating would-be canceled directors’ films. Kravitz specifically cited her admiration for Roman Polanski’s filmmaking. He directed two of her favorite films, “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Tenant.”

Polanski left the U.S. in 1978 after pleading guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl who has since defended the director. Polanski has denied the sexual misconduct claims from five other women. Polanski is still making films, with his feature “The Palace” debuting at Venice 2023.

“It’s Ok that somebody bad was involved in something good,” Kravitz told Esquire about separating the art from the artist.

The Whale and Doom Patrol actor Brendan Fraser is ready to stand at attention while preparing to play Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower in Pressure, an upcoming film from Working Title and Studiocanal. The intense war drama revolves around the world-altering events of D-Day and follows the lead-up to the Normandy landings.

Brendan Fraser joins Andrew Scott for Pressure, with Scott playing Britain’s Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg. Stagg charted and reported weather patterns to Eisenhower. Weather plays a pivotal role in warfare, with conditions determining battlefield conditions, entry point availability, and more.

People in certain political circles celebrate General Eisenhower’s leadership during the conflict. His essential contribution to the war effort helped him secure the 34th U.S. President position, serving from 1953 to 61. Anthony Maras directs Pressure from a screenplay he co-wrote with Oliver Award winner David Haig.

Here’s the official logline for Pressure:

“In the 72 hours leading up to D-Day,...

In the Antico Teatro in the Sicilian town of Taormina, the 70th edition of the Taormina Film Festival got off to a lively start, with the Nastri d’Argento Awards ceremony, amid a mix of comedy and controversy.

The comedy was on hand with the loudest applause of the evening going to Carlo Verdone and Christian De Sica (above), two “pillars of Italian comedy” as they were introduced by Pilar Fogliati, star of “Confidenze,” and “Romeo Is Juliet.” Pilar herself was a recipient of her first Nastro d’Argento. The Nino Manfredi awards were given by the late actor’s son and film director Luca Manfredi to Emanuela Fanelli, last seen in Paola Cortellesi’s box office hit “There’s Always Tomorrow” as well as to Claudio Bisio, the actor-director who sent a video message of thanks.

Other absent awardees were Margherita Buy and Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore who received a special career prize.

Six months after world-premiering to poor reviews at the Venice Film Festival, Roman Polanski’s latest film “The Palace” has been acquired by a French distribution company, Swashbuckler Films.

The Paris-based banner, which specializes in classic movies, is hoping to release “The Palace” on May 15. The company’s owner, Sebastien Tiveyrat, told Variety he hasn’t yet obtained the exhibition visa from the National Film Board and hasn’t started contacting exhibitors in France to book theaters.

Although Polanski’s inclusion at the Venice festival sparked a controversy due to the fact that he’s still currently facing sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” sold across many territories, including Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland where it came out between September and January. The black comedy will next open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles international sales on the movie.

“The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve...

Currently on trial in France for decrying the sexual assault claims from actress Charlotte Lewis, Roman Polanski now finds himself facing a trial next year in the United States over allegations of raping a minor in 1973.

The Oscar winning director is set to face American justice starting on August 4, 2025, plaintiff’s lawyer Gloria Allred revealed in a press conference today.

With Jane Doe (previously identified under a shortened version of her name in 2017) sitting by her side Tuesday, Allred also stated that 90-year-old Polanski received papers in the case recently at his home in Paris from a “process server.” After that, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge assigned the date on March 8, the famed advocate attorney stated.

A longtime fugitive from American justice and almost certain not to appear in court in Los Angeles, Polanski sitting for a deposition in the case is still a bit of an unknown, Allred says.

Franco-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski is on trial in Paris today (March 5) to face allegations that he defamed British actress Charlotte Lewis, who accused him of sexual abuse.

The 90-year-old director currently resides in Paris, but is not due to appear in court according to his lawyers. Lewis, who starred in the director’s 1986 film Pirates, claimed in May 2010 that Polanski had sexually assaulted her during an audition at his Paris home in 1983 when she was just 16 years old.

In December of 2019, Polanski refuted her accusations as an “odious lie” in an interview with Paris Match magazine and cited inconsistencies in Lewis’ account of the events.

Roman Polanski will be tried in Paris today over allegations that he defamed British actor Charlotte Lewis.

Lewis brought the claim against the 90-year-old filmmaker, claiming he defamed her by calling her sexual assault allegations against him a “heinous lie” in a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine. Polanski is not due to appear in court.

In 2010, Lewis accused Polanski of sexually assaulting her “in the worst possible way” in 1983 when she was in Paris for a casting appointment, aged 16. She later appeared in Polanski’s 1986 film Pirates. Polanski denied the allegations in the 2019 Paris Match interview and is said to have referenced a quote attributed to Lewis from a 1999 interview with the now-defunct outlet News of the World, in which she allegedly remarked: “I wanted to be his mistress (…) I probably desired him more than he did me.”

Lewis disputed the quote’s accuracy in 2010 and subsequently filed the suit.

A defamation trial against controversial director Roman Polanski is underway in Paris.

The 90-year-old Franco-Polish filmmaker is being sued by British actor Charlotte Lewis, who is claiming he defamed her by calling her sexual assault allegations against him a “heinous lie” in a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine.

Lewis first came forward with her allegations against Polanski in 2010, alleging that the director had sexually assaulted her in Paris in 1983, when she was 16 years old. Lewis said she had traveled to Paris for a casting call, and she later appeared in Polanski’s 1986 movie “Pirates.”

Polanski has been accused of sexual assault by several women, beginning in 1977 when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting 13-year-old Samantha Gailey. He entered a plea bargain and plead guilty to one charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, later fleeing the U.S. and continuing his career in Europe. He remains a fugitive from the U.

Roman Polanski will face trial in France on Tuesday over allegations that he defamed the British actress Charlotte Lewis after she accused him of having sexually assaulted her in the 1980s.

Polanski, who is still a fugitive from U.S. justice over a rape case involving a 13-year-old in 1977, faces multiple accusations relating to other alleged sexual assaults dating back decades, all of which he has denied.

In 2010, Lewis accused Polanski of having sexually assaulted her “in the worst possible way” in 1983 when she was 16 and in Paris for a casting. Lewis appeared in Polanski’s 1986 film Pirates. She said she had decided to speak out to counter suggestions from Polanski’s legal team that the 1977 case was an isolated incident.

Four other women have since come forward with claims Polanski abused them in the 1970s, three of them as minors. The 90-year-old director has denied all of the allegations.

Le Pacte has hopped aboard Quebec director Daniel Roby’s biopic Villeneuve: Rise Of A Champion about the early years of Formula One legend Gilles Villeneuve.

The film starts shooting next week in Canada and will focus on Villeneuve’s early years, his snowmobiling career, his start in motor racing and success before signing with Ferrari.

Set in Quebec starting in 1970, Rémi Goulet will play the titular Villeneuve as he rises from a modest background. Rosalie Bonenfant stars as his wife.

Villeneuve: Rise Of A Champion is produced by Christian Larouche at Christal Films, with Le Pacte on board to co-produce,...

“Mare of Easttown” Primetime Emmy Award winner Kate Winslet is making her return to HBO — this time, as a power-hungry, insufferable political leader. Stephen Frears and Jessica Hobbs direct the series about an unraveling authoritarian ruler, with Oscar winner Winslet joined in the cast by Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton, and Hugh Grant. Watch the latest trailer below.

The limited series, created and showrun by Will Tracy, premieres on HBO and Max March 3. Voting for the Emmys nominations begins June 13. That may feel like a long way off, even though the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards just happened (courtesy of the strikes) January 15. Place your easily made bets: Winslet will be part of the conversation once again this year.

“The Regime” tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to fall apart. Along with Winslet, lining up...

They say politics is a bloodsport, but in Kate Winslet’s new HBO limited series The Regime, that might literally be true.

HBO has released the official trailer for the drama (formerly titled The Palace), set to debut March 3, with Winslet starring as the chancellor of an unnamed European country. She meets with an American envoy played by Martha Plimpton who offers her full support — but notes that the U.S. needs Winslet’s character “to demonstrate credibility to us… trustworthiness.” And no, the chancellor doesn’t seem to like that very much.

More from TVLineGame of Thrones Spinoff About...

“I’m seeing it logged on Letterboxd. You know anything?”

This was the message I received from an industry friend. The topic was Woody Allen’s 50-somethingth directorial effort, Coup de Chance. Little did I know a network of file sharing and secret screenings were already underway, part of a series that (almost) included Timothée Chalamet.

The 88-year-old director’s latest and perhaps final film debuted at the Venice Film Festival out of competition in early September 2023 to solid reviews, and is currently boasting an 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. (The Hollywood Reporter’s critic Leslie Felperin was muted in her praise, calling it “competent but forgettable.”) The droll relationship drama with a soupçon of criminality has accrued $7.4 million in receipts, according to BoxOfficeMojo, with its top four markets being Italy, Spain, Russia and France.

Yet the people leaving their witty remarks on the popular cinephile social networking service Letterboxd were not doing so from overseas.

HBO is getting ready to unleash its latest miniseries in the form of "The Regime." The series has a lot going for it as it has an Oscar-winning actress at the center of the story, which hails from two of the minds behind one of the network's most beloved shows in recent memory, "Succession." But this is a very different sort of show not focused on the world of messy corporate politics, instead taking place inside a European palace and an authoritarian regime.

But what is this show about, exactly? Who is behind the camera and responsible for its creation? Who is in front of the camera bringing this political regime to life? We're here to answer all of those questions and more, offering up everything you need to know about the show before it arrives. Let's get into it.

Read more: The 15 Best Anthology TV Series Ranked

When Does The Regime Premiere?...

Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn have been cast as Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut in Universal Pictures’ live-action take of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon.

They join Mason Thames and Nico Parker who are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid in this adaptation from original How to Train Your Dragon filmmaker Dean DeBlois, who is also directing, writing and producing this new reboot.

Gerard Butler will reprise his role as Stoick the Vast and Nick Frost joins the franchise as Gobber the Belch.

Three-time Best Picture Oscar nominee Marc Platt will produce for his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions alongside Adam Siegel, President of Marc Platt Productions.

The pic hits theaters on June 13, 2025.

Dennison just...

Kate Winslet learns that it’s lonely at the top in the official teaser trailer for The Regime. The HBO limited series, premiering March 3, finds the actress in the role of an English chancellor whose metaphorical crown is slipping. Her political positioning leaves her feeling somewhat paranoid, and the only person she believes she can trust is a man who has been stripped of his personal identity.

“You’re here because you’re a nobody. You’re not anybody,” Winslet’s character tells the one soldier she keeps close (portrayed...

“Mare of Easttown” Emmy winner Kate Winslet is back at HBO — this time as a European authoritarian ruler under heaps of pressure, and crumbling because of it.

HBO has released another trailer for its upcoming series “The Regime,” headed for the premium TV network on March 3, 2024. Oscar nominee Stephen Frears (“The Queen”) and Jessica Hobbs (an Emmy-winning director on “The Crown”) direct the series showrun by Will Tracy.

“The Regime” tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to unravel. Along with Winslet, the cast includes Belgian “Rust and Bone” heartthrob Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, surprise 2023 Best Actress Academy Award nominee Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton, and, a usual suspect for this sort of lofty Euro political fare, Hugh Grant. The trailer suggests layers of moneyed darkness a la “Succession” with a dash of Armando Iannucci “Veep” satire to match the drama.

Veteran exec will be replaced by deputy chairman Oliver Berben.

Veteran German producer Martin Moszkowicz is to step down as chairman of Constantin Film.

In a statement today, Constantin said that Moszkowicz will let his contract expire as planned and at his own request on February 29, 2024 and will continue to work as a producer for Constantin Film from March 1.

Constantin has appointed deputy chairman, Oliver Berben, to be chairman of the company from March 1, 2024.

Moszkowicz has been part of the Constantin management team since 1990, and is responsible for the company’s film business, including worldwide production and distribution, world sales,...

Respected German industry veteran Martin Moszkowicz is stepping down as chairman of Resident Evil producer Constantin Film.

The independent film and TV production company announced that Moszkowicz will let his contract expire as planned and at his own request on February 29, 2024. He will continue to work as a producer for Constantin Film from March 1, 2024.

Current Deputy Chairman Oliver Berben has been appointed as his replacement in the chairman role with effect as of March 1 2024. In other board news, Hanns Beese has extended his contract.

“We are very grateful to Martin Moszkowicz for his many years of professional and loyal leadership and cooperation. Under his guidance, Constantin Film has developed sustainably into one of the most successful independent film and television production companies in Europe,” said Bernhard Burgener, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Constantin Film.

“We wish him the very best for his future and...

Both the ÖFI+ scheme for local films and the Fisa+ scheme for international shoots are being significantly enhanced.

Austrian producers have welcomed the government’s plans to increase the overall budget for the Fisa+ and ÖFI+ film and TV incentive schemes to more than €130m in 2024, to support both local production and to attract international film and TV production shoots.

The ÖFI+ scheme, which is administered by the Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI) as an extension of its funding portfolio, supports national Austrian productions and Austrian majority or minority co-productions, is set to see its budget increase by €24.4m from the...

United King Films has started shooting Yohanan Weller’s comedy My Private Telenovela as cinemas tentatively reopen.

Film production has tentatively resumed in Israel starting with Yohanan Weller’s feature comedy My Private Telenovela (working title) as select cinemas begin to open their doors following the deadly Hamas attack on October 7 and escalating war in the region.

The film is the first feature to begin production again in the country, delayed from an initial start date of October 8.

My Private Telenovela is produced by Moshe and Leon Edery’s United King Films and will be released by the company’s distribution arm in Israel.

Warsaw Film Festival sets out to spotlight a slew of new local releases, from “Anxiety” by Sławomir Fabicki – Oscar-nominated for his short “A Man Thing” – to this year’s opener “Song of Goats” by Andrzej Jakimowski.

The latter, featuring “Eo” star Mateusz Kościukiewicz and set in Greece, will show characters living close to an active volcano, exploring the question of how “each of us is responsible for maintaining our fragile heritage,” says the director.

“We are witnessing a war in a neighboring country [Ukraine], threats from a barbarian empire and rapidly growing populism that is devastating politics. It’s a dreadfully worrying mixture.”

As Poland braces for parliamentary elections on Oct. 15 and the controversy over Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” refuses to die down, emotions run high.

“What happened went beyond the accepted framework. There was no shortage of absurdity, like the attempt to force cinema managers to screen propaganda material before the film,...

"The Palace" is a new 'black comedy' feature directed by Roman Polanski ("Chinatown"), starring Oliver Masucci, Fanny Ardant, John Cleese, Joaquim de Almeida, Barbareschi, Milan Peschel, Bronwyn James, Fortunato Cerlino, Michelle Shapa and Mickey Rourke, with a North American theatrical release Tba:

"...the film takes place on 'New Year's Eve' 1999, where a dinner party at the 'Gstaad Palace' takes an unexpected turn.."

Click the images to enlarge...

When the Watson Twins sang for Jenny Lewis on her 2006 album Rabbit Fur Coat, they viewed it as simply doing a favor for a friend. Lewis was the Watsons’ neighbor in the Silver Lake neighborhood of L.A., and Chandra and Leigh Watson always liked an opportunity to jam.

Back in high school in Kentucky, the sisters could often be found at their friend’s Grateful Dead shop singing harmonies behind whoever had an acoustic guitar. To them, the Rilo Kiley bandleader’s project was no different.

“We thought Rilo...

Todd Haynes will be honored with the Zurich Film Festival’s A Tribute To… Award at its upcoming 19th edition.

The Swiss festival announced the honor as it unveiled its full line-up on Thursday.

The U.S. director will be presented with the honorary prize ahead of a screening of new film May December on October 3.

“It’s a real honour to celebrate this master of American cinema. Todd Haynes is renowned for his elegant mise-en-scène and his ability to get the best from his actors and actresses,” said Zff Artistic Director Christian Jungen.

“We also have a long-standing working relationship with Todd. The outstanding drama May December featuring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman is the third film he has presented with us in the last ten years.”

Previous recipients of the award include Paolo Sorrentino, Wim Wenders, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Oliver Stone, Maïwenn and Luca Guadagnino.

From the strikes to awards contenders and the inclusion of films by controversial directors.

The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival wrapped on September 9 with Yorgos Lanthimos’ acclaimed Poor Things taking the Golden Lion for best film.

Screen considers the big talking points from an 11-day festival marathon, which opened with Edoardo De Angelis’ Commandante and closed with J.A. Bayona’s Society Of The Snow.

The strikes were the main talking point

The challenges keep on coming for festival directors. First, they had to navigate Covid restrictions, now it is the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera...

Attending a major film festival is soul-draining and exhilarating in equal measure, with days bookended by crack-of-dawn P&i screenings and until-dawn 2 a.m. parties. At this year’s 80th Venice Film Festival, which unfolds on the former plague quarantine island of the Lido that’s a water taxi away from the main city, things were different.

There were no paparazzi shots of “Maestro” director and star Bradley Cooper taking those water taxis because he didn’t attend. Ditto Zendaya, whose would-be opening-night title “Challengers” was removed from the lineup, or Emma Stone for “Poor Things.” The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and the work stoppage orders prevented talent without an interim agreement from attending or promoting their films, an idea that initially seemed at odds with film festivals and Venice — a city that seems to float on glamour as much as the Adriatic Sea — in particular.

And certainly: The party scene was less lively,...

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Every year, filmmakers gather at festivals across the globe and compete over whose is the longest.

At the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, Bradley Cooper’s measured an impressive seven while Adam Driver’s was an average-size six. Woody Allen’s, though, was only a five and poor Roman Polanski’s was a puny three.

But hello there, Yorgos Lanthimos! The Greek director’s unfurled at a whopping 10!

Wipe that smirk off your face — we’re referring to the length in minutes of the standing ovations each of these filmmakers received after screenings of their new movies.

Ovation lengths, as anyone who’s been keeping up with the trades knows all too well, is how success and failure are gauged at the festivals these days. As measurements go, they...

Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here. August is behind us but the sun is shining, and we’ve got all the news and analysis you need to get you to the weekend. Sign up here.

Let’s Talk About Residuals Baby

Possible blueprint?: As is so often the case days, it all started with a tweet. Writer-director Carina Adly MacKenzie took to X to throw a proverbial grenade into the long-running debate around streaming residuals – the U.S. unions’ long-held desire for writers and actors to be compensated fairly when shows on the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ perform above expectations. “Fun fact: in France, Netflix already reports their viewership to writers monthly and pays writers based on that viewership, because it’s the law there,” wrote Carina. “They literally already have that system in place.” Curiosities on both sides of the Atlantic...

“There has been a lack of respect towards Polanski,” said Barbera of the overwhelmingly negative reviews of his film.

Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has elaborated on his controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s The Palace after he revealed he himself told the director it was “not completely resolved” and in the face of generally excoriating reviews of the film.

Barbera has faced criticism for including the film, which is playing out of competition in official selection.

As Polanksi has admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977 he is unable...

“There has been a lack of respect towards Polanski,” said Barbera of the overwhelmingly negative reviews of his film.

Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has elaborated on his controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s The Palace after he revealed he himself told the director it was “not completely resolved” and in the face of generally excoriating reviews of the film.

Barbera has faced criticism for including the film, which is playing out of competition in official selection. As Polanksi has admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977 he is unable...

With 12 reviews so far, Roman Polanski’s latest film, “The Palace,” currently sits at a horrendous 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Polanski hasn’t really had a hit film in a very long time and has also been at the center of controversy for decades, but a 0% is still really rough, with some reviews calling it the worst movie of the year. But somehow, “The Palace” had a massive debut at the Venice Film Festival, where the festival director Alberto Barbera defended the film’s inclusion despite the filmmaker’s aforementioned controversy.

Continue reading Venice Director Admits Roman Polanski’s ‘The Palace’ Is A “Weak” Film But Says Negative Reviews Were Too “Mean” at The Playlist.

“Judge the art, not the artist.” That is the mantra we hear each and every time someone in the entertainment world is accused of heinous behavior, and it’s one that was repeated by artistic director Alberto Barbera prior to this year’s Venice Film Festival.

In an interview with The Guardian, Barbera discussed his decision to include films by Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, and Luc Besson in the 2023 festival program — Polanski’s The Palace, a class comedy about a dinner party at a luxury Swiss hotel on the eve...

As if to come to the aid of her national cinema after the debacle that was Roman Polanski’s The Palace, Poland’s Agnieszka Holland, soon to turn 75, restores some of her homeland’s cultural dignity with a devastating exposé that angrily, and quite brilliantly, questions its humanity and political integrity. At 144 minutes, and in black and white, it is not exactly a Trojan horse, and its moral rigor does not come with a spoonful of sugar. But Green Border earns every second of that running time, and with a focus and energy that belies its director’s age. Awards-wise, this may prove to be the international feature to beat.

It begins in October 2021 with Chapter 1: The Family, in which a Syrian couple, Bashir and Amina, their three children and their grandfather are traveling on a plane from Turkey to Belarus. Their mood is upbeat; they are planning to go from Belarus to Poland,...

It’s Only the End of the World: Polanski Checks Out with Broad Satire

As many are likely to avoid The Palace, the latest film from persona non grata Roman Polanski, as those who deign to (are even able to) watch it will likely deride it. Turning ninety years of age this year, there’s something to be said for an auteur of his age delivering something so nonsensically innocuous with a satire on elitist, obnoxious hotel guests getting obliterated at the turn of the century in a swank Swiss hotel. Though what that something is, at best mixed, which is unfortunate if it will stand as his swan song.…...

A group of roughly 20 people chanted outside the premiere of Woody Allen’s “Coup de Chance” at the Venice Film Festival Monday. While those inside Palazzo del Cinema watched the movie, the group yelled a variety of slogans, such as “no spotlight for rapist directors” and “the alpha male doesn’t exist.”

Film and TV reviewer Luke Hearfield shared a flyer from protestors on Twitter. Bolded text reads, “You would never let those involved in the Palermo, Caivano, and Milano violences walk the red carpet” in reference to a series of gang rapes that have rattled Italians in recent weeks.

The flier also states, “Patriarchal society believes the genius artist and not those who were sexually assaulted.”

Protesters have rallied together at #Venezia80 to “turn the spotlight off rapists”.

This protest just took place during the premiere of Woody Allen’s new film Coup de Chance. pic.twitter.com/cpG...

Woody Allen’s 50th film as a director, Coup de Chance, got an enthusiastic reception Monday night at its Venice Film Festival premiere. The 87-year-old filmmaker was cheered to his feet as the credits came down on his French thriller, which co-stars Lou de Laage, Valerie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud and Niels Schneider. The warm standing ovation lasted five minutes, with Allen and his cast waving and bowing from the grand balcony of Venice’s Sala Grande cinema.

Outside the theater earlier in the evening the situation was very different, however. A group of protesters demonstrated against what they called the “rape culture” of the Venice festival and marched past the cinema’s entrance just as Allen was walking down the red carpet. The protestors, which numbered about 20 people, shouted slogans including “no rape culture” and “we are speaking for those without a voice against the director rapists.” The Venice Film...

Around 15 topless protestors marched and chanted outside the main venue.

A group of topless protestors have disrupted the world premiere of Woody Allen’s latest film Coup de Chance in Venice.

Around 15 protestors, the majority of them women wearing tape across their chests, stood outside the Palazzo del Cinema venue and chanted in support of victims of rape and sexual assault. The protestors were from several Italian collectives, including feminist group Non Una Di Meno, which hails from Venice, Padova and Treviso; and smaller collectives Cso Morion, Spina Collective, Squeert Collective and Cso Pedro.

The protestors also distributed a leaflet...

A group of protesters demonstrating against what they called the “rape culture” of the Venice Film Festival marched past the festival’s red carpet during the world premiere of Woody Allen’s Coup de Chance.

The group of around 20 people shouted slogans like “no rape culture”; “we are speaking for those without a voice against the director predators”; “a rapist is not a sick man, he is the healthy son of patriarchy”; “No spotlight for rapist directors”; and “the alpha male doesn’t exist.”

The protestors began their demonstration just as Allen stepped onto the red carpet of his film. They stopped shortly past the carpet, forming a line and taking off their shirts before chanting more.

The demonstration lasted only a few minutes before they were led out of the festival area by police. One of the demonstators, who gave their name as Melania, told The Hollywood Reporter they...

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: Woody Allen hasn’t made a great film in years. Opinions vary enormously, of course, on which one was the last top-notch effort: Some would go to bat for, say Blue Jasmine (2013), while others defend Match Point (2005). Many others reckon that Husbands and Wives (1992) was the last gasp of greatness before it all started going bumpily downhill.

And of course there are those, especially among younger filmgoers who didn’t grow up with Allen as a kind of mascot for American East Coast Jewish identity, who just don’t get what the fuss was ever about — and/or why the olds so want to defend someone who has been accused by his daughter Dylan Farrow of sexual abuse, even if charges were never brought against him.

Oh yeah, that’s another elephant, isn’t it?

That last controversy may not put...

by Elisa Giudici

"The Palace"

Venice is experiencing an absence this year: the middle-ground movies. While there are some mind-blowing films and quite a few terrible ones, those good yet imperfect titles are notably missing. This 80th edition of the festival has been quite the rollercoaster, with moments of brilliance followed by real disappointments. Some movies have sunk so low that they become oddly memorable. Let's take a closer look at a few of the disappointments witnessed in Venice recently.

The Palace by Roman Polanski

It might be too early to pass judgment, but Polanski's latest film is a disaster of such magnitude that I hope the title of the worst movie in competition won't fall to an Italian entry...

The US filmmaker attended the press conference for his Venice title ‘Coup de Chance’.

Woody Allen said he has “never had anything terrible happen” to him, speaking at the press conference for his out-of-competition entry Coup de Chance today.

The conference took place as a French filmmaking collective placed signs around Venice criticising his presence at the festival.

Over the last 24 hours, French film industry activist group Tapis Rouge, Colere Noire has placed banners in prominent locations in Venice, plus in Paris and Deauville in France. The banners are protesting the inclusion of Allen, Roman Polanski and Luc Besson in the festival.

David Fincher’s neo-noir action thriller The Killer brought the house down Sunday night at its Venice Film Festival premiere, drawing a seven-minute standing ovation and showers of bravos.

Fincher basked in the reception from the balcony of Venice’s Sala Grande cinema solo, since his starring cast, including Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, were absent from the night’s festivities due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

The Killer is written by Fincher’s Seven (1995) and Fight Club (1999) screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker and based on a French graphic novel of the same name. It follows a cold-blooded assassin (Fassbender) who begins to have a psychological crisis after a fateful near miss — in a world with no moral compass.

Netflix teaser for the film reads: “Solitary, cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, a killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. Yet, the longer he waits, the...

“Island of rapists,” “No Golden Lion for predators,” “Sexist cinema/ feminist response” read the banners, posted on the Lido near the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, an anonymous protest against the inclusion by the 80th Biennale of films from controversial directors Roman Polanski and Woody Allen. Polanski’s new film, The Palace, premiered in Venice last night. Allen’s French-language Coup de Chance will have its world premiere here on Monday.

The series of banners written in Italian, French and English, which, among other things, accuse the Venice Film Festival of hosting “rapists,” appeared Sunday morning on the Lido, at the Giardini della Biennale and at the Santa Maria Elisabetta traffic circle, one of the festival’s main thoroughfares. They were made with the same technique: Individual letters, one sheet of paper per letter, glued to a wall or to the ground, in large black block type. It is not yet clear who made them.

Seven takes on the hits and misses of the 80th Venice International Film Festival, from the reviewers at THR Roma, The Hollywood Reporter‘s first European-language edition, on the hottest Venice titles so far.

Dogman, by Luc Besson Caleb Landry Jones in ‘Dogman’

“A bizarre and powerful work that has the stigmata of the best Besson, the one that allows us to glimpse the force, total and invincible, behind a helpless, placid and fragile appearance. Dogman is kitschy and moving as that Caleb Landry Jones who tears you apart when he wears, in his playful and necessary disguises, the most difficult mask: himself.

“Dogman is Besson’s cinema reclaiming its space after losing it for 20 years, it is the desire to excel and excel without the excuse and fear of showing itself in all its talent. Because measure and subtraction are sometimes just an alibi.”

— Boris Sollazzo

El Conde, by...

It’s hard to believe that it’s now over 60 years since Roman Polanski teamed with Jerzy Skolimowski for the landmark 1962 Polish thriller Knife in the Water. But it’s even harder to believe that these two giants of international cinema reunited more recently to pool their braincells and come up with The Palace, the most terrible, joyless farce since the heyday of the ’70s British sex comedy. Forget for a moment, if you can, the furor surrounding Polanski’s controversial status as a fugitive from justice and concentrate instead on the fact that the Venice Film Festival, in its infinite wisdom, went ahead and booked this entirely dreadful offering anyway, deeming it somehow worthy of a prestigious Out of Competition slot.

The setting is The Palace, a plush Alpine hideaway where the jet set of Europe are gathering to see in the year 2000. There are fears that the Y2K...

Roman Polanski’s black comedy “The Palace” was given a tepid three-minutes of applause when it world premiered in the Palazzo del Cinema’s Sala Grande on Saturday night.

Producer Luca Barbareschi, French star Fanny Ardant and other key cast members including German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Portugal’s Joaquim de Almeida and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”) stood up and took a bow, but the audience’s response seemed to be more polite than exited, though there were occasional bursts of laughter during the screening.

Before the film’s premiere “The Palace” set designer Tonino Zera received Venice’s Campari Passion for Film prize from artistic director Alberto Barbera.

Polanski directed the black comedy from a screenplay he wrote alongside Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska. “The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve in 1999, when a dinner party at Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace hotel takes an unexpected turn.

Producer and actor Luca Barbareschi is currently at the Venice Film Festival to promote Roman Polanski’s newest film, “The Palace.” The decision to include the movie at the festival has come under fire as Polanski has never addressed the charges of unlawful sex with a minor that were filed against him in the United States back in the 1970s.

Barbareschi explains, “I know the real story. I was there in 1975 and 1976.”

Barbareschi, who has been friends with Polanski for five decades, is adamant about his friend’s innocence and chalked up the accusations to the director’s purported sex appeal. He told Deadline, “I don’t think he ever raped anybody. He was a very sexy man and women were chasing him.”

The producer also blamed the moral and cultural standards of today for his friend’s ongoing legal troubles. He added, “I cannot speak for Roman, but the ’70s were not today.