Latest news with #Cinema
Arab News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
3 Saudi cities to host film criticism forum
RIYADH: The Film Commission has announced the launch of the third annual Film Criticism Conference and its related events, under the theme 'Cinema: the Art of Place.' This year's conference will be held at three cultural enters: Asir in August, Qatif in October, and Riyadh in November, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The event reflects the commission's commitment to creating a critical landscape beyond traditional events, establishing an interactive knowledge platform for critics, researchers, filmmakers, and emerging Saudi talents. The program includes informative sessions, practical workshops, and specialized art exhibitions, the SPA added. This edition opens dialogue on the relationship between cinema and place, viewing it as a means of identity, narrative, and visual reflection that enriches both historically. It will explore place in cinema as a symbol, a mirror of reality, or a window into imagination, inviting diverse critical and philosophical perspectives. The conference continues to strengthen its role as a platform celebrating cinematic criticism in the region, according to the SPA. Last year's event attracted more than 10,000 visitors from more than 30 countries, with participation from more than 35 local and international entities, along with prominent critics, directors, and researchers.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Could Gen Z save moviegoing?
Streaming might be dominant entertainment right now, but young adults are seeking real-life community at the cinema. When young people turn out at the movie theater in droves, they make headlines for flinging popcorn and screaming. Accused of being antisocial homebodies, some theaters have tried to lure them off their couches and into their seats by letting them keep their tiny beacons of light and distraction out during phone-friendly screenings. Some say they're willing to turn their hallowed halls into amusement parks with bowling lanes and roller-coaster-esque 4DX screenings, all to boost their offerings and keep the hallowed tradition of theatergoing alive in the digital age. But as ticket prices rise and at-home streaming options proliferate, what if Gen Z is the movie theater industry's greatest hope? According to a Yahoo News/YouGov Survey conducted May 22-27, 2025, Americans surveyed say they prefer to wait to see a new movie when it's available on streaming (61%) rather than seeing it in theaters (23%). But young adults under 30 are the age group most likely to head to the cinema, according to the poll. About half (49%) have seen a movie in a theater in the past six months, and 60% in the past year. And when a new movie comes out, respondents under 30 were the most likely to say they'd see it in theaters (31%) vs. waiting for it to become available on streaming (53%), compared to adults 30 and older. So what's enticing them to put their phones down, travel to the theater and give the big screen their attention for a few hours? 54% of Gen Z-ers surveyed said they want 'an experience I can't get at home.' More than half of poll respondents under 30 said an interesting plot (56%) and lower ticket cost (55%) could persuade them to get their butts in seats too. 'The most coveted demographic' Though assumptions about Gen Z's affinity for phones and hatred of spending money might lead some people to believe that they might not love theatergoing, it's actually an organic part of the young adult experience. George Huang, a filmmaker and professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, tells Yahoo it makes total sense that younger generations are more likely to go to the theater than their millennial, Gen X and boomer counterparts. They typically spend less time fretting about work, kids and taxes, Huang says. And Hollywood knows this. 'The most coveted demographic has always been young adults … economically, they have the most spare time,' he explains. 'And movies, in comparison to sporting events or live concerts, are still the cheapest ticket around.' Young audiences are also 'trendsetters and cultural arbiters of cool … and let's face it, who doesn't want to be cool!' Huang adds. 'A decline in Hollywood films' Studios have long had an eye out for young adults. Susan Doll, a film historian who teaches at Ringling College of Art and Design, tells Yahoo that the industry has prioritized reaching young moviegoers since the 1980s. In the years leading up to that decade, the artistic ambitions of legendary filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola led "to excesses in budgets and shooting schedules," which corporate conglomerates that bought film studios weren't particularly fond of. As a result, new executives focused on budget control and commercial franchises to boost profits. They noted the financial success of 1975's Jaws and 1977's Star Wars, and a 'fascination and then dependence on blockbuster movies' began. Executives also took note of the fact that young viewers would go to the theater to see movies like 1978's Superman and Halloween multiple times, creating a fan base that would carry over to sequels and series. 'These beloved films tended to be viscerally sensational, relying heavily on action, fast pacing, and special effects. They were also uncomplicated, and without irony or moral ambiguity,' Doll says. The young demographic then became the primary demographic. In Doll's opinion, the 'dominance of formula, the adherence to genres driven by expensive special effects, the embracing of the clichéd heroes played by costly stars and the acceptance of costly marketing strategies … please a young demographic, [but] the end result is a decline in [the quality of] Hollywood films,' she says. 'This generation of moviegoers ... is really smart' Still, the industry needs money to survive, and box office numbers don't lie: Audiences are flocking to see movies made for the youngest theatergoers. Five of the 10 biggest films at the domestic box office in 2024 — Inside Out 2, Wicked, Moana 2, Despicable Me 4 and Kung Fu Panda 4 — were rated G or PG, suggesting they were targeting young audiences that include children younger than Gen Z. But all 10 of them — even the PG-13-rated, Oscar-nominated Dune: Part Two and expletive-filled, R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine — were constructed from familiar intellectual property and involve the heavy use of special effects that studios have long used to target young people. Not every Gen Z theatergoer wants to see a blockbuster based on well-known characters. Multiple theater owners tell Yahoo that they were moved by the success of director Ryan Coogler's film Sinners, which is among the top three most successful movies at the 2025 domestic box office to date. Box office stats can't capture the trend in seeing older, classic movies that theater owners say they've noticed. When David Lynch died in Jan. 2025, the nonprofit Belcourt Theatre in Nashville screened his offbeat hits Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead. Those movies are accessible — and popular — on streaming services, but young people turned out in droves to see the auteur's masterpieces on the big screen, just as Lynch would have wanted. Stephanie Silverman, Belcourt's executive director, tells Yahoo she sees a lot of young people at the theater, and she's not alone. She spoke at a conference of European independent cinemas in 2024, where she heard that young audiences across the globe are showing up for the rereleases of prestigious classics like The Seventh Samurai and Princess Mononoke. 'This generation of moviegoers … is really smart. Whether it's spending time on [movie review social media site] Letterboxd during the pandemic, or having a curiosity about past filmmaking and how it connects to current filmmaking,' she says. 'They come in curious, wanting to see films that are recognized as important that they could watch on their televisions at home, but they want to see them in community.' This is a massive victory for theatergoing, Silverman says, because it creates lifelong customers. As these Gen Z-ers start families, they might have less time to go to the movies at first, but could pick that back up when the kids are old enough to go to the theater. 'Our fractured digital selves can feel whole' Since Gen Z was raised with easy access to technology and the internet, they spend that excess of alone time online. They still crave in-person events, though, seeking a sense of identity and community in an ever-fractured world. Theatergoing can provide that. Jack Goodson, a Gen Z expert known as the Identity Consultant, tells Yahoo that 'cinema isn't just a format — it's a ritual, and rituals matter more when identity is unstable.' 'Gen Z isn't saving cinema. They're reminding it what it's for — collective myth, emotional cohesion and the rare moment where our fractured digital selves can feel whole,' he says. But since Gen Z's moviegoing habits are driven by their desire to develop identity, some experts say studios could do a better job making movies that make them feel represented on-screen. Michael Tran, who co-authored UCLA's annual Hollywood Diversity Report in 2025, tells Yahoo that 'racial/ethnic and gender diversity has unfailingly remained a key predictor of success at the box office' — but younger moviegoers aren't rushing to the theater as much as they could because they're 'hesitant to see films that do not cater to them.' According to data from the UCLA report, young adult women, particularly those of color, are vital consumers. Studios and filmmakers not tapping into that demographic is leaving money on the table. Barak Epstein, operator of the Texas Theatre in Dallas, tells Yahoo that young people naturally flock to their cinema. They saw a lot of success last year with Sean Baker's buzzy, Oscar-winning Anora, and again this year with a movie called F***toys that hasn't been picked up for distribution yet. Filmmaker Annapurna Sriram is 'going on tour with it like a rock band,' and young people are turning out with enthusiasm, Epstein says. I saw this firsthand at a 4DX screening of A Minecraft Movie. The enthusiasm of Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers led to theaters creating special "chicken jockey" screenings that featured sanctioned chaos. It was delightful. For Gen Z, moviegoing is a ritual. It's an easy and relatively inexpensive way to access community and celebrate identity. Now they just need other generations to catch on and keep that experience alive. 'Sometimes I'm like, 'How do I find older people?' Epstein laughs. __________________ The Yahoo News survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,560 U.S. adults interviewed online from May 22-27, 2025. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 election turnout and presidential vote, party identification and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Party identification is weighted to the estimated distribution at the time of the election (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). Respondents were selected from YouGov's opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S. adults. The margin of error is approximately 2.9%. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Giallo Gelato at Logan Theatre brings 4 nights of horror and ice cream to Chicago
The Giallo Geltao event at the Logan Theatre in Logan Square is bringing four nights of Italian horror films paired with cold, sweet treats to the city this weekend. Each of the four movies featured in the event are celebrating their 50th anniversary this ear. Giallo is an Italian horror cinema genre that is often described as Italy's post-World War II answer to Alfred Hitchcock. Arty, brightly colored and blood-soaked, the movies combine elements of horror, thrillers and murder along with high style. The genre reached its peak by the mid-70s and produced classics like Dario Argento's "Suspiria" and Mario Brava's "Blood and Black Lace." The Logan Theatre will be showing Armando Crispino's "Autopsy" on Friday, July 18; Dario Argeno's "Deep Red" on Saturday, July 19; "Strip Nude for Your Killer" by Andrea Bianchi on Sunday, July 20; and Luigi Bazzoni's "Footprints on the Moon" on Monday, July 21. There will be themed gelato flavors inspired by each night's movie. You can get tickets to any or all of these films at
BreakingNews.ie
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Kneecap and Small Things Like These break into top 25 box office performers
Two Irish movies, Small Things Like These and Kneecap, last year broke into the top 25 box office performers at the cinema here. That is according to the 2024 annual report for the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO), which shows that the biggest movie at the Irish box office last year was Disney's Inside Out 2, which grossed €6.2 million. Advertisement Inside Out 2 was well ahead of the second biggest hit at the box office last year, Despicable Me 4, which grossed €4.83 million. Paul Mescal's much anticipated Gladiator II opened in November to mixed reviews and recorded the 5th highest box office of the year at €3.67 million and was edged out of the top four by Deadpool & Wolverine which grossed €4.36 million and Wicked, which enjoyed a box-office of €3.83 million. No Irish movie broke into the top 25 top box office movies for 2023 but last year, two did with Small Things Like These ranked 11th and had a box office of €2.4 million, while Kneecap had a box office of €1.14 million and was ranked 25th. The report states that total box office revenue in 2024 at the Irish cinema was €102.5 million, up €1.5 million on 2023 while total box office admissions in 2024 was 11.62 million, up one per cent on 2023. Advertisement In his report, Director at the IFCO, Dr Ciarán Kissane said: 'It is great to see Irish titles, Kneecap and Small Things Like These, in the top 25 box office earners in 2024.' Small Things Like These stars Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson and was adapted for the screen by Enda Walsh from the best-selling Claire Keegan 2021 novel. The comedy drama Kneecap movie depicts the rise of Kneecap, the hip-hop trio from Belfast. The movie premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was the first Irish language movie to do so where it won the NEXT Audience Award. Dr Kissane said: 'Films originating from Ireland accounted for 17pc of features and shorts classified for Irish cinema in 2024. This is a significant increase on 2023 figures, where Irish features accounted for just 10pc." Advertisement The report states that "the increase in Irish material is linked to the increase in the number of shorts classified and this reflects IFCO's increased engagement with Irish film festivals and producers". Dr Kissane said that 'while box office revenue is back to the pre-pandemic peak, admissions are still over 3.5 million lower than 2019'. He said: 'This indicates that there remains significant room for growth and this is supported by independent analysis. He pointed out that PWC's Ireland Entertainment Media Outlook 2024-2027, total cinema revenue in Ireland is projected to grow to €161 million by 2027. He said: 'This would be a significant increase on the pre-pandemic 2019 figure of €124 million.' He said that the majority of the top 25 grossing films in 2024 were US releases and these accounted for over 55 per cent of total box office revenue. Concerning complaints received in 2024, IFCO received correspondence about 13 different films and the report states that 'all were dealt with and closed within specified timeframes'.
Arab News
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
May Calamawy promotes Palestinian film's North American run
DUBAI: Egyptian Palestinian actress May Calamawy took to social media on Saturday to promote Palestinian film 'To A Land Unknown.' For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Distributed by Watermelon Pictures, the film is directed by Mahdi Fleifel and stars Angeliki Papoulia, Mahmoud Bakri, Manal Awad and Aram Sabbah. May Calamawy took to Instagram Stories to share news that 'To A Land Unknown' is on a 40-screen cinema run in North America this month, including showings in New York, Houston and Vancouver. 'Reda and Chatila are two Palestinian cousins hustling their way through the underbelly of Athens pursuing their dream of making it to Germany. But as their hardship grows, so too does their desperation. When Chatila hatches a reckless all-or-nothing plan, it strains their bond and pushes the limits of what they will do for freedom,' the film's logline reads. The film was awarded the Silver Yusr Award December's Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. Watermelon Pictures was co-founded by Alana Hadid, the sister of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid. Hadid — along with brothers Badie Ali and Hamza Ali — co-founded Watermelon Pictures, a production company with a mission to create compelling, impactful stories that resonate with global audiences. 'I was honored to be asked to be the creative director of Watermelon Pictures. I think it's not only a passion project for Hamza and Badie, but it is an opportunity for Palestinians to have a place to go to tell their stories … I get emotional about it. I think it's just one of the most beautiful things that people have a place where they can put their stories. And we know that we have a safe place for that,' Hadid previously told Arab News. For her part, Calamawy is known for her roles in US Netflix series 'Ramy' and 'Moon Knight' (2022), where she plays dual characters Layla El-Faouly and the Scarlet Scarab. She made headlines in late 2024 when almost all her scenes were cut from Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator II,' with fans taking to social media to complain. Her casting in the film was first announced in May 2023. At the time, Deadline reported that Scott had cast Calamawy after a lengthy search, writing: 'While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the (Paul) Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed.' However, fans noticed that in the final cut, which hit cinemas in November, Calamawy is only seen in passing and she has no dialogue.
