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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kleber Mendonça Filho's Brazilian Epic ‘The Secret Agent' Wins Fipresci Award at Cannes: ‘A Rich, Strange and Deeply Troubling Story'
Bearing out Brazil's place as country of honor at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Kleber Mendonça Filho's 'The Secret Agent' ('O Agente Secreto') won the Fipresci Prize in the Official Selection – Competition category, granted by the International Federation of Film Critics . Set in Brazil under military rule in 1977 and starring Wagner Moura ('Narcos,' 'Dope Thief') , the film delves into themes of political repression, morality and resistance. Known for his earlier films 'Aquarius' and 'Bacurau,' both of which played in main comoetition at Cannes, Mendonça Filho continues his exploration of Brazil's sociopolitical landscape with a narrative praised for its depth and ambition. More from Variety Cannes Film Festival Power Restored After 5-Hour Outage Across South of France With Foul Play Suspected, Closing Ceremony to 'Proceed as Planned' Josh O'Connor Says 'There's a Kindness' to Working With 'Mastermind' Director Kelly Reichardt and Responds to Paul Mescal Calling Him 'Silly': 'I Am' 'Caravan' Review: Tender Debut Feature Focuses on a Single Mom's Experience with Her Disabled Son 'The Secret Agent' was hailed by Variety's Peter Debruge as a 'terrific '70s thriller' and 'dazzling period drama.' In its assessment of the film, the Fipresci jury explained: 'We chose a film that has a novelistic, epic generosity; a film that allows for digression, diversion, humor and character to evoke a time and place and a rich, strange and deeply troubling story of corruption and oppression. A film that makes its own rules, that is personal yet universal, that takes its time and immerses you in a world – the world of military-ruled Brazil in 1977 and the world of good people in bad times.' 'The Secret Agent,' an epic tale which runs nearly three hours, is a multinational co-production involving Brazil, France, Germany and the Netherlands. MK2 Films is selling internationally, and Neon just picked up North American distribution rights. Further Fipresci recognition went to actor-turned-director Harris Dickinson's debut 'Urchin,' which screened in the Un Certain Regard section. A two-time BAFTA-nominated actor, Dickinson is known for his performances in 'Babygirl,' 'Beach Rats' and 'Triangle of Sadness.' A harrowing character study of a homeless man named Mike who struggles with addiction, 'Urchin' has drawn acclaim for its visceral realism and emotional depth. Variety's Guy Lodge praises lead actor Frank Dillane for 'imbuing Mike with both the kind of wily charisma that makes people want to rescue him and a self-destructive volatility that keeps repelling such efforts.' According to the jury, Dickinson's debut is 'a powerful first feature that works as a complex character study of a homeless man struggling with addiction. We dive deeply into a cycle of self-destruction portrayed with sincerity, authenticity and genuine empathy.' From this year's Critics' Week, Directors' Fortnight and other parallel selections, the Fipresci jury selected Momoko Seto's animated feature 'Dandelion's Odyssey' for special recognition. The French-Belgian production, distributed internationally by Indie Sales, blends experimental storytelling with animation. Seto, is known for her artistic short films including 2015 Berlin Audi Short Film Award-winner 'Planet Sigma.' Next up for 'Dandelion's Odyssey' is a competition screening at Annecy in June. 'In these strange and dangerous times, we believe the most important thing is to find meaning in our choices and to allow ourselves to feel deeply through films that restore cinema's emotional essence,' the Fipresci jury said. 'We reward this film for its unique use of animation techniques blending classical and modern styles, for the quality of its editing and for the power of its message – love, salvation and companionship in the harshest circumstances. A universal message of life's triumph over the forces of death.' This year's Fipresci jury at Cannes was chaired by Australian critic C.J. Johnson and included Mariana Hristova (Bulgaria), Laurent Delmas (France), Eva Novrup Redvall (Denmark), Michael Ghennam (France), Hosam Fahmy (Egypt), Ioannis Rouzaios (Greece), Olga Ruin (Sweden) and Freddy Wong (Hong Kong). Awards come just hours before the Cannes Film Festival's main prize ceremony where 'The Secret Agent' is in the running for Cannes' Palme d'Or. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
It's not an Indian summer at Cannes 2025
What the 78th Cannes Film Festival did not expect when it announced a stricter dress code (disallowing nudity and voluminous dresses) was that someone would turn up on the red carpet dressed like a giant bird. The incident occurred on Day 5 at the premiere of the Jennifer Lawrence-Robert Pattinson starrer Die, My Love, a psychodrama about a new mother's descent into mental instability. A few days later, the no-selfie rule imposed by the festival (in 2018) didn't stop Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise and his team from taking selfies either, some of them with their tongues out in jest. It's quintessential Cannes — no amount of gatekeeping can take away from the glamour and showmanship at the most prestigious film festival in the world. This year's edition of the festival, which opened on May 13, comes close on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to impose tariffs on movies produced outside the country. What this means for productions that bank on business in the U.S. market remains unclear, but there is palpable trepidation among film executives. While industry reports suggest that deal makings are sluggish this year, it remains to be seen if the tariff drama is to blame. That said, several critically well-received movies (Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent, multi-generational German drama Sound of Falling, and Richard Linklater's Godard biopic New Wave, to name a few) are playing out alongside Hollywood premieres such as Spike Lee's Highest to Lowest, Ari Aster's Eddington and Kristen Stewart's The Chronology of Water — in and outside of the competition sections. European auteurs, including Joachim Trier, the Dardenne brothers and Julia Ducournau, and acclaimed Iranian directors Jafar Panahi and Saeed Roustaee, have also showcased their work at the festival. Smaller Indian attendance 'India at Cannes' made headlines last year, with as many as eight films in participation, and Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light winning the Grand Prix. The Indian presence this year is limited to director Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The film, about two childhood friends and their search for dignity via a job in the police force, premiered in the prestigious sidebar section, Un Certain Regard, where it received a 9-minute standing ovation. Ghaywan is returning to Cannes a decade after his Masaan was screened at the festival and won the FIPRESCI Prize (awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics). Talking about Homebound before its premiere, the filmmaker said, 'I'm hoping to see how the humanity of the film resonates with the rest of the world. I hope people understand and relate with it. I just want people to like it because it took a lot for me to make it — I have taken 10 years for my second film.' Martin Scorsese is an executive producer for the film, a process that involved Zoom calls, script consultations and elaborate notes, Ghaywan revealed. Additionally, a newly restored version of Satyajit Ray's 1969 classic, Aranyer Din Ratri, a Walden-esque tale about a group of friends escaping the mundanity of their lives, was screened in the Cannes Classics section. Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson called Ray an 'inspiration' in his gushing 10-minute tribute to the filmmaker. He was joined by actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, both of whom fondly remembered their work in the film. Another Indian interaction that got some traction on social media was a video of actor Robert De Niro hugging his Silver Linings Playbook co-star Anupam Kher, ahead of the Cannes screening of the latter's musical drama, Tanvi the Great. But perhaps the biggest splash this year was filmmaker Payal Kapadia's new role as a jury member — alongside French actor Juliette Binoche, American actors Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong and others. She was in full agreement that judging films competing for the Palme d'Or was a treat. 'I have never had an opportunity to watch all the festival competition films in the past because when you have a movie you are focused on your thing. So, to see this whole curation and discuss it with the jury team has been wonderful,' she told Hollywood Reporter. Selective highlights? At the Bharat Pavilion, it is business as usual, with trailer launches, round table discussions and networking sessions. Upcoming films — including the recent Berlinale hit Baksho Bondi, helmed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi with Tilottama Shome in the lead, Kher's Tanvi The Great, Neeraj Churi's queer film Sabar Bonda, and Biriyaani director Sajin Baabu's Theater: The Myth of Reality — were introduced at the venue. While the Pavilion's schedule is packed, one sore point remains that the movies in competition never get enough notice here. An insider observed that the attention reserved for market films (the Marché du Film section) is rarely shared with festival section movies that have earned their entry. In other words, only establishment friendly films are promoted. Marché du Film is also where producers pay to have private screening of their films for bragging rights, and as expected, hopeful Indian producers flit in and out of meetings to market their work. 'It has been back-breaking and intense but also a gorgeously invigorating festival,' said Smriti Kiran, founder and director of the newly launched production company Polka Dots LightBox. 'As a fairly new film producer and buyer, I spent my time doing meetings, pitching, attending workshops, conversation sessions, shadowing producers and throwing myself into sidebar events to understand the world of co-productions, film grants, distribution and acquisition avenues, script labs and film professional networks that exist across the world,' added Kiran. Interestingly, any promotion of the only Indian film in competition, Homebound, is conspicuously absent from the festival schedule, though the Pavilion hosted an unplanned last-minute session with Ghaywan and producer Karan Johar, just before the film's premiere. 'The biggest change for India this year at the festival is that Payal Kapadia broke the glass ceiling, and she made it possible for Indian movies to be noticed,' Ghaywan observed. For the film's lead actor, Ishaan Khatter, fresh from the publicity of his new Netflix series The Royals, Cannes is a 'full circle' moment. 'Cannes being the Mecca of film festivals, it was always a dream to go there with a film. It's everything and more I could have hoped for. The energy there was so beautiful, people genuinely care about cinema with a passion,' he said. Another notable appearance at Cannes is by director Honey Trehan, to drum up support for his 2023 film, Punjab '95. Trehan's biopic of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, starring Diljit Dosanjh, was announced as a line-up at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, before being pulled out, and is yet to be released in India over censorship troubles. Trehan said his urgent need is to not let the buzz around the film die and to clear a path for at least an international release. 'It's not just my film,' said the filmmaker. 'Movies like Santosh [which had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes last year, where it received positive reviews], have also not been released in India because the government feels the subject is controversial. Throttling artistic freedom in the name of censorship is detrimental to good art. Good cinema needs to reflect historical truths and lived realities of our people.' Leading to the Oscar buzz At Cannes, sometimes contenders that could win the prestigious Palme d'Or take their time to emerge during the two weeks of the festival. At the time of this article going to press, a Ukrainian film called Two Prosecutors, about life in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule, was creating a buzz for the big prize, according to the critics jury grid by Screen magazine. The same could be said of Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident, with the director himself travelling to Cannes, a rarity that attracted much attention. This year, there are 22 films in the main competition section dominated by Hollywood and European movies, with two Iranian films, one Japanese film and one Brazilian film in the roster. Several festival goers, however, aren't fully convinced about the output. 'This is a festival about which I am very divided,' said Freddy Savalle, a legal executive with a French production company. 'The Japanese offered contemplative films that bored me considerably, but there has been a very good selection of French and even Belgian movies. What I regret, and it is often the case every year, is that the festival invites prestigious directors, who have nothing new to say, or who repeat themselves, like Wes Anderson, for example. They are invited only because they are big stars and because they have had success in the past,' said Savalle. Anderson's film, an adventure caper in his typical idiosyncratic fashion, comes with gorgeous sets and excellent casting as expected, and a tiresomely familiar narrative. Critics are divided. According to BBC's Nicholas Barber, 'The good news is that The Phoenician Scheme is one of Anderson's funnier films, with a commitment to knockabout zaniness which lets you smile at the Anderson-ishness rather than simply roll your eyes at it.' Whether the Cannes to Oscar pipeline will come to pass this year like last is too early to tell. There isn't an Anora or Emilia Perez yet, but among the promising films premiered is queer drama, The History of Sound, by Oliver Hermanus; Mastermind by American indie darling Kelly Reichardt; and Woman and Child by the Iranian director Saeed Roustaee. Closer home, will Ghaywan's Homebound, for instance, replicate the success of his debut film, Masaan? 'It might sound like a cliché but I genuinely do not expect the film to win anything,' Ghaywan said. 'I don't want to put any pressures or expectations on it, I'm just very glad it's here because I think it deserves to be,' added Khatter. Even if Homebound doesn't win anything, Bollywood can be proud it produced these talents. The writer is a Düsseldorf, Germany-based journalist.
See - Sada Elbalad
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Cairo International Film Festival celebrates FIPRESCI's centenary
Ali Abo Deshish _ Pasant Elzaitony Today, the Egyptian Pavilion at Marché du Film, part of the 78th Cannes Film Festival (13–24 May 2025), will host a reception marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Just days ago, Cairo International Film Festival and FIPRESCI launched a historic agreement that will result in the publication of a special book on the federation. This book will be the outcome of a research seminar involving members of FIPRESCI and the Egyptian Film Critics Association, addressing a topic of importance to the history of cinema. The seminar will be held as part of the 46th edition of Cairo International Film Festival, scheduled for 12–21 November 2025. The event will also include the presentation of the 'FIPRESCI 100 – Lifetime Achievement Award' to a prominent cinematic figure. Commenting on the collaboration, actor Hussein Fahmy, President of Cairo International Film Festival, said: 'We at Cairo International Film Festival are proud to be part of FIPRESCI's centenary celebrations and to strengthen our cooperation with the federation at this historic moment. We believe film criticism is a fundamental partner in the industry's development, and our role as a festival goes beyond screening films to include supporting cultural dialogue and enhancing artistic standards. This partnership is a step forward in boosting the status of Egyptian and Arab cinema on the global map and in opening broader horizons for young talents and creatives.' Mohamed Tarek, Artistic Director of Cairo International Film Festival, stated: 'This collaboration with FIPRESCI is a significant milestone in the journey of Cairo International Film Festival and reflects our ongoing commitment to deepening the dialogue between filmmakers and critics worldwide. We believe film criticism is one of the pillars of industry development. Through publishing the book and organizing the seminar in the upcoming edition, we aim to create a broader space for sharing experiences and documenting the history of film criticism, contributing to the growth of Egyptian and Arab cinema.' Ahmed Shawky, President of FIPRESCI, added: 'Cairo International Film Festival has always been a strategic partner to FIPRESCI. It was the first Arab festival to host a FIPRESCI jury, which highlights the depth of the relationship between the two institutions. Moreover, many of the festival's successive artistic directors and programmers have been members of the Egyptian Film Critics Association and FIPRESCI. This new partnership with Cairo International Film Festival is therefore a key highlight of our centenary celebrations, and we hope it paves the way for broader cooperation between critics and filmmakers across the Arab world and globally.' Founded in 1976, Cairo International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious festivals in the Arab region and Africa. It holds an official international 'Category A' status from the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), making it the only festival in the Arab world and Africa with this accreditation. Founded in 1925, the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) includes national organizations of film critics from over 50 countries worldwide, in addition to individual representation from 36 countries. It aims to promote and develop film culture and protect the professional interests of critics. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
