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'Demon Slayer' tops N.America box office with record anime opening

The latest entry in Crunchyroll's "Demon Slayer" anime film series took first place in the North American box office this weekend with a genre-record $70 million debut, industry estimates showed Sunday.

Shakespeare family tragedy 'Hamnet' wins top Toronto film prize

"Hamnet," a devastating period drama about the life of William Shakespeare and his family, won top prize Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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New York's Met Opera unveils Saudi collaboration to boost finances

The Metropolitan Opera in New York announced Wednesday an agreement to perform in Saudi Arabia and provide artistic training in the oil-rich kingdom as it works to shore up a creaky financial outlook.

Gaza drama gets 23-minute ovation at Venice premiere

A gut-wrenching new film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year was given a 23-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the star-studded Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.

Director Julian Schnabel hits out at boycott calls over Israel

US director Julian Schnabel has hit out at calls to boycott Scottish actor Gerard Butler who has been targeted by activists for his alleged previous support for the Israeli military.

Docu-drama gives 'voice' to Gaza victims at Venice Festival

A harrowing film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year gives a "voice and face" to Palestinian victims of the war, its director said.

Putin says not heard of Jude Law film portrait

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he had not heard about "The Wizard of the Kremlin", a film starring Jude Law as the Russian leader that premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

Harrowing docu-drama gives 'voice' to Gaza victims at Venice Festival

A gut-wrenching film premiering at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year gives a "voice" to Palestinian victims of the war, its director said.

Anger in Japan after Instagrammer drinks burial site offering

The Australian embassy in Japan issued a warning to travellers to behave themselves after an Instagrammer drank offerings from a Japanese burial site, provoking widespread anger online.

In Senegal, the last of Dakar's 'bubble homes' at risk

Marieme Ndiaye emerged from her igloo-shaped home in Senegal's capital, its 1950s space-age aesthetic in sharp contrast with the boxy, multi-storey apartments being built nearby.

Gaza war grief features in 'devastating' new film at Venice

A new film about the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl by Israeli forces in Gaza last year is set to screen at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, after drawing backing from Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix.

Argentine couples win World Tango Championships

Dynamic Argentine duo Leandro Bojko and Micaela Garcia were crowned winners of the Stage category Tuesday, the final dance-off of the World Tango Championships in Buenos Aires.

Trump health misinformation swirls despite denial

From manipulated images to out-of-context photos, false claims that Donald Trump is seriously ill -- or even dead -- have swirled online, with the misinformation persisting even after the US president publicly rejected it on Tuesday.

Paramount to make live-action 'Call of Duty' movie

Paramount, the Hollywood studio recently acquired by the software billionaire Ellison family, will make a movie based on the wildly popular "Call of Duty" video games, it announced Tuesday.

Scrap nukes, director Bigelow urges in new thriller at Venice

The world needs to be "more informed" and reduce its nuclear stockpile, US director Kathryn Bigelow said on Tuesday ahead of the premiere of her latest film, about an imminent strike on the US.

Two held as Argentina hunts for Nazi-looted painting

Argentine police are investigating a deceased Nazi's daughter and son-in-law after a 17th century painting stolen from a Dutch Jewish art collector was recently spotted in a property ad before promptly disappearing.

Sofia Coppola's love letter to Marc Jacobs debuts at Venice

The Venice Film Festival welcomed one of fashion's biggest names on Tuesday, Marc Jacobs, protagonist of a Sofia Coppola documentary that seeks to unveil the creative process of her designer friend.

Scrap nukes, urges director Bigelow with new thriller at Venice

The world needs to be "much more informed" and reduce its nuclear stockpile, US director Kathryn Bigelow said Tuesday as the Oscar winner's latest film about an imminent strike on the United States was set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Madagascar receives skull of king beheaded by France

Madagascar marked at a ceremony Tuesday the return from France of the skulls of three men killed by French troops 128 years ago, including one believed to be that of a decapitated king.

French actor Depardieu ordered to stand trial for rape

A French investigating judge has ordered cinema icon Gerard Depardieu to stand trial on charges of raping and sexually assaulting actor Charlotte Arnould in 2018, sources close to the case and a lawyer said Tuesday.

Gus Van Sant in six films

After seven years away, US filmmaker Gus Van Sant returns with a new film screening out of competition at this year's Venice Film Festival, where he will also collect a lifetime award.

From novelist to influencer: the many sides to Albert Camus

The premiere of "The Outsider" at this year's Venice Film Festival brings to the screen one of the world's most read novels, penned by French author Albert Camus, a star in his day and now.

French colonial legacy fades as Vietnam fetes independence

Crispy banh mi baguettes, grand colonial facades, and chattering Francophone schoolchildren are lingering reminders of the French presence that once dominated Vietnam.

Nolan's 'Odyssey' script is 'best I've ever read,' says Tom Holland

With "The Odyssey" and a new "Spider-Man" film, next summer looks set to be the summer of Tom Holland -- and the famously boyish and ebullient star can hardly contain his excitement.

Nazis, cults and Sydney Sweeney: Hollywood heads to 50th Toronto fest

The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off Thursday, with Hollywood stars Russell Crowe, Sydney Sweeney and Daniel Craig bringing hotly anticipated world premieres to the 50th edition of North America's biggest movie event.

Venice heralds Hitchcock heroine Novak with lifetime achievement award

The Venice Film Festival celebrated Hollywood actress Kim Novak on Monday, bestowing a lifetime achievement award to the reluctant star and platinum blonde heroine of Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo", now 92.

'The Rock' finds new range in Venice debut 'The Smashing Machine'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said Monday he had turned his heavily muscled back on action movie roles to be able to express himself as an actor in his latest film "The Smashing Machine", set to premiere later in Venice.

'The Rock' looks to stretch his range in 'The Smashing Machine'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said Monday a "burning desire" to express himself as an actor led him to accept a role in "The Smashing Machine", which was to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Argentine cinema enjoys a moment at Venice despite cuts

Although Argentina has been underrepresented at recent international festivals due to government cuts to the sector, five Argentine films are on show at the Venice Film Festival, including Lucrecia Martel's documentary "Nuestra Tierra" (Our Land).

'Fueling sexism': AI 'bikini interview' videos flood internet

The videos are strikingly lifelike, featuring bikini-clad women conducting street interviews and eliciting lewd comments -- but they are entirely fake, generated by AI tools increasingly used to flood social media with sexist content.

'Weapons' fights back to top of N. American box office

Buzzy horror flick "Weapons" returned to the top of the North American box office in its fourth week of release, earning $12.4 million over the Labor Day holiday weekend, industry estimates showed Sunday.

Hong Kong's 'hungry ghosts' tell tale of fading community

Eyes glowing red, the towering "ghost king" presided over the atrium of a Hong Kong housing block on Sunday as residents performed age-old rituals -- a scene that may become history as redevelopment looms.

Jude Law became 'obsessive' Putin watcher for role as Russian leader

British actor Jude Law on Sunday said he became an "obsessive" watcher of Vladimir Putin as he prepared for his role as the Russian leader in his new film "The Wizard of the Kremlin" which premieres later at the Venice Film Festival.

New documentary casts Marianne Faithfull in new light

A new documentary about British singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull urges viewers to take a fresh look at the extraordinary life of the "Swinging 60s" icon who died in January this year.

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