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This week's episode features:Mariana Di Girolamo (Chile), one of today’s most well-known actresses. After a successful career in television, she made her film debut in 2019 as the protagonist of Pablo Larraín's eighth feature film, Ema, which premiered in the Official Competition at Venice. Her performances have been characterized by a singular dramatic approach to physical and body work and by portraying complex and unpredictable female characters. She has also collaborated on films by director Leonardo Medel, with whom she has explored unusual narrative formats, such as video dance and virtual reality, and original stagings, such as La Verónica, which premiered in San Sebastian.Peter Lanzani (Argentina), an actor who, from a very young age, participated in very popular television productions both in his country and in Latin America. In 2015, he made his film debut as the protagonist of The Clan (El clan), Pablo Trapero's ninth feature film,...

Ema Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute Ema, Mubi, available now

Actress Mariana Di Girolamo is a Chilean name to watch as she brings chameleon-like qualities to roles like this and, a year later, Leonardo Medel's La Veronica. Here, she plays reggaeton dancer Ema, one half of a couple (alongside Gael Garcia Bernal's choreographer Gaston) whose adoption of a young boy has turned sour along with their relationship. Blazing with contradiction, we see Ema trying on personas for size - mother, wife, sexually liberated fly-by-night - with Di Girolamo bringing a magnetic intensity to each, as her character begins to show she wants to get the child back, no matter what the cost. Beyond the performances, the dance choreography embedded in Pablo Larrain's film and fiercely colour-coded cinematography from Sergio Armstrong are stunning.

Et: The Extra-terrestrial, 2.30pm, ITV2, Easter Monday

If you're looking for something all the family...

Verónica lies at the centre of her world, a model and football Wag who carefully stage manages her life with selfies in mind. Leonardo Medel reflects this mindset with his film, with cinematographer Pedro Garcia permanently keeping Verónica (Mariana Di Girólamo)  front and centre for the entire running time - the world might not revolve around her but she treats it as though it does. Nothing is more important to her than "putting on a scene", whether that means directing the exact moment for her model buddy to slap on the sunscreen or more sinister manipulations of her husband Javier (Ariel Mateluna).

Even her newborn baby Amanda plays second fiddle to her moods and it fills her with consternation that Javier will not let her be pictured with the child for her fans. Verónica happily tries on one persona after the other - whether it's giving the camera her best...

At the Award Ceremony of the 24th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) awards were handed to the winners of the four competition programmes of the festival and PÖFF’s sub-festivals Youth and Children’s Film Festival Just Film and International Short Film and Animation Film Festival PÖFF Shorts.

The jury of Official Selection – Competition headed by Mark Adams selected director Ivaylo Hristov’s drama “Fear“ as their favourite, handing the film the Grand Prix of the festival. Blending drama with deadpan comedy, the film’s story is set on the Bulgarian border, on a new route for African migrants arriving from Turkey with hopes to reach Germany. The protagonist, the former school teacher, comes across an African man who will bring a dramatic turn to her life.

The Best Director award goes to Turkish director Nisan Dağ for “When I’m Done Dying“, a vibrant portrayal of an upcoming hiphop artist struggling with drug addiction.

Nisan Dağ wins best director for ‘When I’m Done Dying’.

Director Ivaylo Hristov and producer Assen Vladimirov have won the Grand Prix for best film, for Bulgarian drama Fear, at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).

The event presented its awards in Tallinn, Estonia this evening. Hristov and Vladimirov share the €10,000 grant that comes with the win.

Scroll down for the full list of awards

They were awarded the prize by a jury consisting of Mark Adams, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik and Ester Kuntu.

The jury praised “a beautifully-made film that astutely balances dry humour with important contemporary drama.

Venice’s Special Jury Prize-winning “Dear Comrades!,” a Russian historical drama directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, has been sold by Films Boutique to Southern Europe.

“Dear Comrades!” was acquired for Italy by Paolo Del Brocco at Rai Cinema and for Spain by the Barcelona-based distributor Vercine.

The film, which sheds light on the Novocherkassk massacre, was produced, co-written (with Elena Kiseleva) and directed by Konchalovsky, a revered and now veteran Russian auteur who is best-known for directing “Runaway Train,” “Duet For One” and “House Of Fools.”

Shot in black and white, the politically-minded film retells the tragic events of 1962, when the Soviet Union military opened fire on workers from a construction plant who were staging one of the first street protests in Soviet Russia. The movie stars Julia Vysotskaya (”Paradise”).

“Dear Comrades!” world premiered in main competition at the Lido to strong reviews and went on to win the Special Jury Prize.

Industry registration closes on September 2.

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) organisers on Tuesday (September 1) announced a selection of 30 global acquisition titles outside the Official Selection.

TIFF Industry Selects titles hail from 29 countries and have been hand-picked by TIFF’s industry and festival programming teams and will screen to accredited users on the festival’s dedicated press and industry platform, TIFF Digital Cinema Pro. Industry registration closes on September 2.

2020 TIFF Industry Selects Titles:

A Good Man (France) Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar

After Love (UK) Aleem Khan

And Tomorrow The Entire World (Germany/France) Julia Von Heinz

Apples (Greece) Christos Nikou

Baby Done (New...

Yulene Olaizola’s “Tragic Jungle,” Natalia Meta’s “The Intruder” and Clarisa Navas’ “One in a Thousand” will compete in the San Sebastian Film Festival’s Latinos Horizontes, a showcase of standout recent movies from Latin America that this year underscores the emergence or consolidation of a new generation of female filmmakers in Latin America.

In all, women direct or co-direct seven of the nine features in Horizontes Latinos, a section which also features two world premieres: “La Verónica,” from Chile’s Leonardo Medel; and “Unlimited Edition,” co-directed by Virginia Cosín, Edgardo Cozarinsky, Santiago Loza and Romina Paula.

Certainly, this year’s San Sebastian makes no claim via its selection to women having suddenly taken over the Latin American industry: Four of the five titles from the region in other sections, including main competition (Argentine Eduardo Crespo’s “Nosotros Nunca Moriremos”) and New Directors (Brazilian João Paulo Miranda’s “Memory House”) are made by men.

Chile’s Leonardo Medel directs the drama starring Mariana Di Girolamo.

Berlin-based Films Boutique has picked up world sales rights to La Veronica, a new social media-themed drama directed by Chile’s Leonardo Medel, which is being introduced to buyers during the virtual Cannes market.

The film, produced by Santiago-based outfit Merced, is in post-production and led by rising Latin American star Mariana Di Girolamo, last seen in Pablo Larraín’s Venice competition title Ema.

Girolamo plays the wife of a famous football player who spends her days by the pool, at photo shoots and taking care of her Instagram account.