CANNES: Veteran Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski has scored a slot in the Cannes competition this year with the Polish/Italian coproduction EO, an odd tale that sees the world through the eyes of a donkey. It is sure to leave critics and audiences alike scratching their heads their heads.

CANNES: Just like the James Bond franchaise the Top Gun Maverick with Tom Cruise in the title role is a formula that cannot fail with audiences and its screening out of competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival was one of the star turn highlights of the event. Even before the film screened the cast headed by Tom Cruise was greeted by thunderous applause on the red carpet and a further round of ovations when Cruise received a surprise Palme d’Or special award. It makes you wonder why it took so many years to come up with a sequel to the original Top Gun?

CANNES: Filmmaker Brett Morgen’s biopic of David Bowie Moonage Dreams screens Out of Competition in the Midnight Screenings of this year’s Cannes Film Festival but it is sure to be a worldwide hit given the enduring popularity of Bowie and the artist’s world fans.

CANNES: Director Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up is a well deserved Cannes competition entry with an unusual take on the balance between art and family life for an American female artist. Reichardt is known for her minimalist style of filmmaking and Showing Up follows the same themes.

CANNES: Acclaimed filmmaker James Gray has scored a well deserved slot in the Cannes main competition with Armageddon Time a deeply personal coming of age story set in Queens New York in the 1980s in the neighbourhood where the director grew up.

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VENICE: All The Beauty And The Bloodshed (USA) directed by Laura Poitras was awarded the top prize in the main competition of the 79th Venice Film Festival, which took place from 31 August to 10 September 2022.

VENICE: FNE spoke to Agustina Lumi from Argentina, who is one of the mentors for the new mentoring programme launched by the CICAE-International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas Training this year.

VENICE: FNE spoke Tímea Kókai Nagy from Hungary, who is one of the trainers at the CICAE-International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas Training, which took place from 28 August to 4 September 2022 on the island of San Servolo in Venice. She also works for the Cinefest Festival in Hungary.

VENICE: FNE spoke with Teona Strugar Mitevska about her new film The Happiest Man in the World, which is screening in the Orizzonti programme of the Venice Film Festival.