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With turkeys packed in bellies and holiday gift shopping now officially underway, it’s getting to be that time of year where we look back on 2024 and reflect on what’s most important: The movies that made it all bearable. Kicking things off, the storied French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema has released its top 10, which include some selections from IndieWire’s own 2023 best-of list. Though our official 2024 list is not yet locked in, we also share some items on our 2024, so far best-of list. The list only includes movies that opened theatrically in France in 2024, hence the crossover.

Serving as the hub for the French New Wave and launching the careers of legendary talents such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, Cahiers du Cinema has been in publication since 1951 and continues to offer a bold, distinct voice in the world of film. One of its more unique choices over...

Allzu oft wird man den neuen Film von Alain Guiraudie wohl nicht an der Spitze einer der großen Bestenlisten des Jahres sehen. Die Cahiers du Cinéma lehnen sich einfach einmal weit aus dem Fenster und erklären „Misericordia“ zu ihrer Nummer eins des Jahres 2024.

Alain Guiraudies „Misericordia“ (Credit: Festival de Cannes)

Zum zweiten Mal landet Alain Guiraudie an der Spitze der Jahres-Bestenliste der Cahiers du Cinéma: Nachdem er 2013 mit seinem Kulthit „Stranger By the Lake“ schon einmal Nummer eins gewesen war, belegter nun mit „Misericordia“ erneut die Spitzenposition in der Cineastenbibel. Insgesamt ist es das fünfte Mal, dass eine Arbeit des Filmemachers in der Top ten landet. Seine Weltpremiere feierte „Misericordia“ in diesem Jahr auf dem Festival de Cannes in der Reihe Cannes Premiere.

Zwei weitere Cannes-Titel landen auf dem zweiten und vierten Platz, allerdings beides Titel aus dem Wettbewerb von 2023, die allerdings erst in diesem Jahr in Frankreich im...

Una década en la vida de una pareja contada en 10 episodios centrados en un único momento: el cambio de año. © Movistar Plus+

Ya se ha publicado el primer tráiler de la serie original de Movistar Plus+ Los años nuevos, de Rodrigo Sorogoyen, que tuvo su estreno mundial en la Sección Oficial fuera de concurso, dentro de la categoría Ficción, del Festival Internacional de Cine de Venecia.

Los años nuevos, compuesta por dos partes de cinco episodios cada una, sigue a Ana, que cumple 30 años el día de Año Nuevo con la vida aún por resolver: vive en un piso compartido, no le gusta su trabajo, cambia a menudo de amigos… Óscar cumple 30 años el día de Nochevieja con su vida casi resuelta: médico vocacional, amigos fieles, y una relación que va y viene. La noche en la que ambos cumplen los 30, se conocen, se enamoran, y comienzan una relación cuyas...

It is fitting that for the 30th year of the Geneva International Film Festival, artistic director Anais Emery and her team are going back to the future.

“It was very important to recall the history of the festival but not through a retrospective,” says Emery of the event that takes place in the Swiss city from November 1-10.

”We wanted to renew, to celebrate and underline Giff’s speciality and specificity.”

That means showcasing innovative storytelling delivered via the myriad audiovisual mediums available to creators, from film, TV and web content to installations, virtual reality and extended reality (Xr) works.

International awards contendersAll We Imagine As Light andThe Girl With The Needleare among the films screening as part of the international competition at the 30th anniversary edition of the Geneva International Film Festival, taking place in Switzerland from November 1-10.

Payal Kapadia’s Indian dramaAll We Imagine As Light centres on three woman living in modern-day Mumbai and was awarded the grand prix at Cannes earlier this year.

Several of the competition films are also representing their countries at the Oscars as international feature submissions includingMatthew Rankin’s Universal Languagefor Canada and Magnus von Horn’sThe Girl With The Needlefor Denmark.

Una década en la vida de una pareja contada en 10 episodios centrados en un único momento: el cambio de año. © Movistar Plus+

Ya se ha anunciado la fecha de estreno de la serie original de Movistar Plus+ Los años nuevos, de Rodrigo Sorogoyen, que tuvo su estreno mundial en la Sección Oficial fuera de concurso, dentro de la categoría Ficción, del Festival Internacional de Cine de Venecia.

Los años nuevos, compuesta por dos partes de cinco episodios cada una, sigue a Ana, que cumple 30 años el día de Año Nuevo con la vida aún por resolver: vive en un piso compartido, no le gusta su trabajo, cambia a menudo de amigos… Óscar cumple 30 años el día de Nochevieja con su vida casi resuelta: médico vocacional, amigos fieles, y una relación que va y viene. La noche en la que ambos cumplen los 30, se conocen, se enamoran, y comienzan una relación...

The recent fourth edition of Iberseries & Platino Industria attracted Spanish- and Portuguese-language content creators and executives from Europe, Latin America, and the U.S. to Spain’s capital, Madrid.

Its market featured a range of booths, including one for the Madrid Film Office, whose mission is to promote the city as a filming destination, offer advice to TV, film, and other projects shooting in the city, and support the local industry and stimulate investment.

During Iberseries, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Raúl Torquemada, director of the Madrid Film Office, to discuss his team’s success in attracting a broad range of productions beyond the ones you may immediately think of (Netflix’s Money Heist, anyone?), breaking records, and promoting the city via such offerings as a map about “Madrid, the TV Series Capital” and one showcasing 272 locations from Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar movies.

Why has Madrid been so successful...

Antonio Vivaldi, the Italian Baroque composer and violinist who penned “The Four Seasons,” will be portrayed in “Primavera,” the feature debut of Damiano Michieletto, a leading opera director. Memento International has boarded the film which begins shooting this month in Rome and Venice.

“Primavera” was penned by Ludovica Rampoldi, the award-winning screenwriter of movies such as “The Traitor” and “Gomorrah – the series,” among others. The script is loosely adapted from Tiziano Scarpa’s critically acclaimed novel “Stabat Mater.”

Set in 18th century Venice, “Primavera” follows Cecilia, a 20-year-old violin virtuoso who lives at the Pièta orphanage. Despite her talent, Cecilia remains confined within the orphanage, knowing that marriage is the only way out. Yet, her life takes a turn after she meets Antonio Vivaldi, a brilliant and ambitious composer who becomes the new violin teacher. Guided by Vivaldi and his music, Cecilia “finds the strength to challenge the destiny that once seemed inevitable,...

Paddy Duffy’s The UnHolylands starring James Nesbitt is among the world premieres at the 24th Belfast Film Festival (October 31-November 9).

Duffy’s coming-of-age comedy sees two brothers attempt one last house party before their university days are over. It also stars Ciaran McCourt, Peter Jeffries and Sean Daly.

Further world premieres include Michael Head’s comedy The Spin starring Derry Girls’ Tara Lynne O’Neill and Will McConnell’s experimental drama Beautiful And Loud And Clear.

Competition

Eight films comprise Belfast’s third annual international competition including Xiaoxuan Jiang’s To Kill A Mongolian Horse, winner of best directing and...

A restored edition of Chen Kaige’s “Yellow Earth” is one of the highlights of the selection for the 8th edition of China’s boutique Pingyao International Film Festival. The film, which helped put Chinese art-house cinema on the map overseas and signaled a new era of Chinese directors, now referred to the FIfth Generation, was originally released 40 years ago.

The festival, which runs Sept. 24-30, will open with the world premiere of Liu Juan’s “A River Without Tears.”

The festival’s Hidden Dragons section of Chinese-made films includes: the Asian premiere of Ma Lanhua’s “Hello, Spring”; the Asian premiere of Tang Yongkan’s “Stars and the Moon”; and world premieres of Wang Lina’s “Village Music”; Zhu Xin’s “A Song River”; Yang Suiyi’s “Karst”; Luka Yang Yuanyuan’s “Chinatown Cha-Cha”; Shen Tao’s “Floating Clouds Obscure the Sun”; Siu Koon-ho’s “True Love, For Once...

El remake de ‘El Cuervo’ y ‘Diabólica’ decepcionan en su debut. © Sony Pictures / Disney

El informe de la taquilla del fin de semana del 30 de agosto al 1 de septiembre no trae muchas novedades en el top 5. Según los datos provisionales de Comscore Spain, la comedia familiar Odio el verano se mantiene en el primer puesto con una recaudación estimada de 648.000 euros, lo que supone un moderado descenso del 18,5% respecto a su estreno el fin de semana anterior. Con estas cifras, la comedia de Fer García-Ruiz lleva recaudados un total de 2.3 millones de euros, situándose como la quinta película española más taquillera en lo que va de año, solo por detrás de Padre no hay más que uno 4, La familia Benetón, Menudas Piezas y Buffalo Kids.

En el segundo puesto, Romper el círculo, dirigida por Justin Baldoni, se mantiene estable con una recaudación aproximada de 531.000 euros, registrando un mínimo descenso del...

France’s Memento International has added the English-language Venice Horizons title Familiar Touch to its festival slate.

Familiar Touch is the debut feature from US filmmaker Sarah Friedland and is about a woman’s transition to assisted living and the impact it has on her identity and desires.

Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQueen, and H. Jon Benjamin star.

“It is a coming-of-age film that reimagines the genre for an older woman,” explained Friedland. “It is both a character study and a portrait of caregiving relationships.”

Friedland wrote the script and produces with Alexandra Byer’s Rathaus Films and Matthew Thurm’s Go For Thurm.

El cine nacional brilla en la taquilla también con ‘Buffalo Kids’. © Disney / Sony Pictures

Según los datos provisionales de Comscore Spain, este fin de semana del 23 al 25 de agosto ha traído cambios significativos a la taquilla española, destacando especialmente el cine nacional con el estreno de Odio el Verano. Esta comedia familiar de Sony Pictures, dirigida por Fernando García-Ruiz, ha entrado directamente al primer puesto con una recaudación aproximada de 795.000 euros, y se posiciona así como el segundo mejor estreno español en lo que va de año, tan solo por detrás de la película familiar de Santiago Segura, Padre no hay más que uno 4.

No hay muchos cambios en los siguientes puestos del top 10 de la taquilla. Alien: Romulus, la nueva película de la icónica saga de ciencia ficción y terror, dirigida por Fede Álvarez, ha descendido al segundo lugar con una suma de 704.000 euros, lo que representa una caída del 41.3% en su recaudación.

Otros de los títulos seleccionados incluyen ‘Bird’, ‘Emilia Perez’, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ y ‘The Substance’.

La Academia de Cine Europeo ha anunciado la primera selección de títulos que optan a las nominaciones de los Premios del Cine Europeo. Se han seleccionado 29 producciones y en septiembre se ampliará la lista con una nueva tanda de títulos.

En esta primera lista se encuentran tres películas españolas: Un amor, de Isabel Coixet, con siete nominaciones a los premios Goya 2024, O Corno, de Jaione Camborda, ganadora de la Concha de Oro en el Festival de San Sebastián 2023, y Volveréis, de Jonás Trueba, premio a la Mejor Película europea en la Quincena de Realizadores de Cannes.

La ceremonia de los Premios del Cine Europeo tendrá lugar el 7 de diciembre en Lucerna (Suiza). Pueden optar a los Premios del Cine Europeo los largometrajes europeos que, entre otros criterios, hayan tenido su primera proyección oficial entre el...

The first wave of titles in contention for the 2024 European Film Awards include Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds Of Kindness and Sundance award-winner Kneecap.

Cannes premieres feature predominantly in the 29 titles unveiled today (August 14), including Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez; Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig; Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour; Halfdan Ullmann Tønde’s Armand and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance – all of which picked up prizes on the Croisette.

Other films from Cannes include Andrea Arnold’s Bird; Emanuel Pârvu’s Three Kilometers To The End Of The World; The Count Of Monte-Cristo; and Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With The Needle.

Die European Film Academy hat 29 Spielfilme bekannt gegeben, die ins Rennen um eine Nominierung in den Kategorien der European Film Awards, die am 7. Dezember in Luzern verliehen werden, gehen. Weitere sollen im September folgen.

Die ersten Filme der Spielfilmauswahl für die European Film Awards stehen fest (Credit: European Film Academy)

Der Vorstand der European Film Academy hat die ersten 29 Spielfilme bekannt gegeben für eine Nominierung in den Kategorien der European Film Awards bekannt gegeben. Weitere sollen nach Efa-Angaben im September folgen.

Wie die European Film Academy heute mitteilt, waren die Filme von den Akademiemitgliedern für eine Nominierung empfohlen worden.

Den rund 5.000 Akademiemitgliedern obliegt es nun auch, die Filme zu sichten und die Nominierten in den Kategorien „Europäischer Film“, „Regie“, „Schauspielerin“, „Schauspieler“, „Drehbuch“, „Dokumentarfilm“, „European Discover“ und „Young Audience Award“ zu benennen, die am 5. November bekannt gegeben werden.

Die Gewinner werden am 7. Dezember in Luzern zusammen mit den Gewinnern der...

Cannes Competition titles The Substance, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, and Emilia Perez are among the first set of titles recommended for nominations at this year’s European Film Awards.

Overall, 29 titles have been selected for the first stage of nominations by the European Film Academy Board. The selection includes films from 26 countries. In the coming weeks, the 5,000 members of the European Film Academy will start to vote on the selected films. The winners will be announced at the European Film Awards ceremony in Lucerne, Switzerland, on December 7.

To be eligible for a European Film Awards, films must be European feature films which, among other criteria, had their first official screening between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024 and have a European director. The rule book states that should a film director not be European, exceptions can be made if the filmmaker is “provided they have a European refugee or similar status...

Las tres películas preseleccionadas se conocerán el 4 de septiembre.

La Academia de Cine ha fijado el 18 de septiembre como la fecha en la que se anunciará la película que representará a España en los Premios Oscar 2025.

Antes de esta selección final, los académicos participarán en una primera ronda de votación que se llevará a cabo del 27 de agosto al 2 de septiembre. Posteriormente, el 4 de septiembre, la Academia revelará los tres filmes preseleccionados por sus miembros. De estos tres candidatos, se elegirá la película final tras una segunda ronda de votación que se celebrará del 9 al 16 de septiembre.

Este año hay muchas opciones, entre ellas, “La Casa” de Álex Montoya, galardonada en el Festival de Málaga; “Segundo Premio” de Isaki Lacuesta y Fernando Navarro, ganadora de la Biznaga de Oro; “La Estrella Azul” de Javier Macipe, proyectada en el pasado Festival de San Sebastián; “Volveréis”, de Jonás Trueba, ganadora de la...

Protagonizan la película Itsaso Arana y Vito Sanz. © Elástica Films

Elástica Films ha publicado el primer tráiler del nuevo largometraje de Jonás Trueba, “Volveréis”, que obtuvo el mayor galardón de la Quincena de Cineastas del Festival de Cannes 2024: el Europa Cinemas Cannes Label Prize a la Mejor Película Europea.

En “Volveréis”, después de 15 años juntos, Ale y Alex tienen una idea que podría parecer absurda: organizar una fiesta para celebrar su ruptura. Este anuncio deja perplejos a sus seres queridos, pero ellos se mantienen firmes en la decisión de separarse. ¿O quizá no?

La película está protagonizada por Itsaso Arana (“Las Chicas Están Bien”) y Vito Sanz (“Vergüenza”). Por otra parte, la dirección corre a cargo de Jonás Trueba (“Todas las Canciones Hablan de mí”) y está escrita por el director y los dos actores protagonistas.

El director comentó lo siguiente acerca del filme : «Creo que mis películas...

Una década en la vida de una pareja contada en 10 episodios centrados en un único momento: el cambio de año. © Movistar Plus+

La serie original de Movistar Plus+ “Los Años Nuevos”, de Rodrigo Sorogoyen, participará en la Sección Oficial fuera de concurso, dentro de la categoría Ficción, del Festival Internacional de Cine de Venecia, que se celebra del 28 de agosto y al 7 de septiembre.

“Los Años Nuevos”, compuesta por dos partes de cinco episodios cada una, sigue a Ana, que cumple 30 años el día de Año Nuevo con la vida aún por resolver: vive en un piso compartido, no le gusta su trabajo, cambia a menudo de amigos… Óscar cumple 30 años el día de Nochevieja con su vida casi resuelta: médico vocacional, amigos fieles, y una relación que va y viene. La noche en la que ambos cumplen los 30, se conocen, se enamoran, y comienzan una relación cuyas idas y venidas se alargarán diez años.

Memento International has sold Guillaume Nicloux’s romantic biopic The Divine Sarah Bernhardt to more than 20 territories across the globe.

The film about the life of the legendary French stage actress starring Sandrine Kiberlain in the titular role will be released by Wanted in Italy, Vercine in Spain, September Film Distribution in Benelux, Agora Films in Switzerland, Nos Lusomundo in Portugal, Rosebud.21 in Greece, Cirko in Hungary, Beta in Bulgaria, McF Megacom in Ex-Yugoslavia and HBO for Eastern Europe.

Further global sales include Eden Cinema in Israel, Imovision in Brazil, Sycomad in South Korea and O’Brien International for airlines. Negotiations continue in Poland,...

Will Seefried’s romance drama “Lilies Not for Me,” led by Fionn O’Shea (“Normal People”) and Robert Aramayo (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”), has been boarded by Memento International in the run up to its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

The cast of rising actors also includes Erin Kellyman (“Willow”), Jodi Balfour and Louis Hofmann (“Dark”).

Set in 1920s England, “Lilies Not for Me” revolves around a gay novelist and his psychiatric nurse who form an unlikely friendship over a series of doctor-prescribed dates. “Through their conversations, he tells her the story of his relationship with an old friend which spiraled out of control when they turned to a risky procedure to cure themselves of their forbidden feelings for one another,” the synopsis reads.

The film hails from “Call Me by Your Name” producers Emilie Georges and Naima Abed at Paradise City, as well as Hannes Otto,...

A trio of French sales houses have made a flurry of appointments ahead of the summer break and before the autumn festival season.

Núria Palenzuela Camon has joined Paris-based Indie Sales as head of festivals and will co-run marketing alongside the company’s sales executive Constance Poubelle. She is taking over for Clement Chautant who is heading to French arthouse distributor Arizona Distribution to lead on acquisitions.

Palenzuela Camon is fresh off a four-year stint as head of festivals and marketing at sales outfit Totem Films. Salomé Rizk will take over in the same position at Totem after running the festivals team for Loco Films.

Chinese sales company Beijing Hugoeast Media has boarded Japanese director Takuro Ijichi’s feature debut Vicissitude, ahead of its world premiere in the Asian New Talent competition of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (June 14-23).

It marks the first Japanese title for the Beijing-based company, which handles worldwide sales excluding Japan.

The Japanese drama follows two boys who grow up in a rural town in Kagoshima prefecture where they find joy in nature until they learn the absurdities of life. The film touches on the social issues of loneliness in Japanese society and high suicide rates among young generations.

Warner Bros will give documentary The Commandant’s Shadow, in which the son of Auschwitz head Rudolf Höss confronts his father’s legacy, a one-week awards-qualifying theatrical run starting on June 7.

Daniela Völker’s film received a two-day theatrical release via Fathom Events last week after premiering in New York. Now the studio is broadening the footprint into Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami and New York through a select release.

The Commandant’s Shadow follows 87-year-old Hans Jürgen Höss as he reckons with his family’s horrific past. Höss grew up in the family villa at Auschwitz, adjacent to the camp...

Spanish director Jonás Trueba’s The Other Way Around has sold widely for Memento International, after receiving the Europa Cinemas Label award for best European Film at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

Wanted Cinema has snapped up the film for Italy, Piffl Medien will release it in Germany, Panda Lichtspiele Filmverleih in Austria, Vedette in Benelux, Leopardo in Portugal, Rosebud in Greece, New Horizons in Poland, Hugoeast in China, Kino Pavasaris in the Baltics, Discovery for ex-Yugoslavia and Pt Falcon in Indonesia. Elastica and Filmin are handling Spanish distribution and Arizona Distribution will distribute the film in France.

Trueba’s eighth feature...

The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has now concluded, with Sean Baker’s Anora taking home the Palme d’Or. While our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week––and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections––we’ve asked our contributors on the ground to share favorites.

See their picks below, and explore all of our coverage here.

Leonardo Goi (@LeonardoGoi)

1. Grand Tour (Miguel Gomes)

2. All We Imagine As Light (Payal Kapadia)

3. Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie)

4. Anora (Sean Baker)

5. Eephus (Carson Lund)

6. Viet And Nam (Trương Minh Quý)

7. Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point (Tyler Taormina)

8. Black Dog (Guan Hu)

9. Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola)

10. Good One (India Donaldson)

Read all of Leonardo’s reviews here.

Luke Hicks (@lou_hicks)

1. Anora (Sean Baker)

2. Caught by the Tides (Jia Zhangke)

3. Oh, Canada (Paul Schrader)

4. Viet and Nam (Trương Minh Quý)

5. The Seed of the Sacred Fig...

Y más buenas noticias: llegará a los cines en verano. © Elástica Films

El nuevo largometraje de Jonás Trueba, “Volveréis”, ha conseguido el mayor galardón de la Quincena de Cineastas del Festival de Cannes 2024: el Europa Cinemas Cannes Label Prize a la Mejor Película Europea.

En la película, después de 15 años juntos, Ale y Alex tienen una idea que podría parecer absurda: organizar una fiesta para celebrar su ruptura. Este anuncio deja perplejos a sus seres queridos, pero ellos se mantienen firmes en la decisión de separarse. ¿O quizá no?

“Volveréis” está protagonizada por Itsaso Arana (“Las Chicas Están Bien”) y Vito Sanz (“Vergüenza”). Por otra parte, la dirección corre a cargo de Jonás Trueba (“Todas las Canciones Hablan de mí”) y está escrita por el director y los dos actores protagonistas.

El director ha comentado lo siguiente acerca del filme y su estreno en Cannes: «Creo que mis películas...

Der kanadische Regisseur Matthew Rankin ist für sein Drama „Universal Language“ mit dem Publikumspreis der Quinzaine des Cinéastes ausgezeichnet worden, mit dem in diesem Jahr erstmals auf dem Festival de Cannes ein Publikumspreis vergeben wurde.

Publikumspreisgewinner der Quinzaine des Cinéastes: „Universal Language“ von Matthew Rankin (Credit: Quinzaine des Cinéastes)

In diesem Jahr wurde im Rahmen der Quinzaine des Cinéastes der erste Publikumspreis auf dem Festival de Cannes verliehen. Die mit 7.500 Euro dotierte und von der Chantal Akerman Foundation gestiftete Auszeichnung ging an den kanadischen Regisseur Matthew Rankin für sein persisch- und französischsprachiges Drama „Universal Language“.

In seinem Drama verknüpft Rankin die Geschichten mehrerer Charaktere miteinander: die Grundschüler Negin und Nazgol, die im Eis eine höhere Geldsumme finden und versuchen, an sie ran zu kommen, Massoud, der eine Gruppe Touristen durch Winnipeg führt und Matthew, der seinen bedeutungslosen Job in einem Büro der Regierung von Quebec kündigt und sich auf eine...

Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language and late French director Sophie Fillieres’ This Life Of Mine both won prizes in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight sidebar.

Rankin’s second feature Universal Language took the first-ever Audience Award in the section, which came with a €7,500 cash prize sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation. It is the first audience award across the major Cannes sections, with no audience prizes given in the Official Selection or Critics’ Week sections.

The Persian- and French-language film is a comedy in which various storylines intertwine, including two women trying to retrieve some frozen cash; a tour guide leading...

Universal Language from director Matthew Rankin has won the first-ever Chantal Akerman award, an audience prize presented to the best film in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes film festival.

The prize is named after the Belgian auteur, who died in 2015, director of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which was voted the greatest film of all time by the latest Sight and Sound critics poll.

Professionals and industry attendees, as well as ordinary moviegoers, picked Rankin’s experimental drama, a surrealistic tribute to Persian cinema, as the best film in the Cannes sidebar this year. The prize comes with €7,500 ($8,100) in prize money from the Chantal Akerman Foundation. Best Friend Forever is handling sales on Universal Language.

Arthouse cinema group the Europa Cinema Label gave its top prize in the Directors’ Fortnight section to Jonas Trueba’s debut The Other Way Around, an anti-romantic comedy about a young Spanish...

Canadian director Matthew Rankin’s Persian and French-language drama Universal Language has won the inaugural Audience Award of Directors’ Fortnight.

This is the first official prize launched by Directors’ Fortnight which does not have a jury. The €7,500 cash award, is also the first audience award to be launched in Cannes, across the Official Selection and the parallel sections.

It is being sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation, which preserves the legacy of the director who retained strong ties with Directors’ Fortnight throughout her career, after screening breakthrough film Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce – 1080 Brussel in the section in 1975.

Described as taking place “somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg”, Universal Language intertwines multiple characters.

Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it, while Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg and Matthew quits...

The dogged pursuit of the relationship unicorn that is the good break-up informs the wit and winking wisdom of Jonás Trueba’s “The Other Way Around,” a delightful showcase for the Spanish director’s lithe, airy style, here accented with glistening strands of Madrileño meta-melancholy. A hip, popular twosome decide to call it quits after 14 years, cuing a very funny yet properly grown-up portrait of the ideal couple trying to smoothe, and even to celebrate, their transition into ideal exes. It’s the celebration aspect that will prove their undoing. If the good breakup is rare, the joyous breakup is completely mythical.

Filmmaker Ale (Itsaso Arana) and her actor boyfriend of 14 years Alex (Vito Sanz) have decided — mutually, they insist — to pack their bags for Splitsville. They lie in the dark in their still-shared bed with a poignant politeness recognizable to anyone who has similarly ended a longterm relationship prior to canceling a longterm lease.

“The Other Way Around” from Spanish director Jonás Trueba has won the Europa Cinemas Label for best European film in the Directors’ Fortnight section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The film turns on Ale (Itsaso Arana – who co-wrote the screenplay with Trueba) and Alex (Vito Sanz), who have been together for 15 years. Now, though, the duo is ready to split, but not without throwing a hell of a fiesta to celebrate their time together.

“The idea of a ‘separation party’ can be scary, but I just kept hearing about it,” Trueba told Variety in a recent interview. “I even suggested it to a friend of mine, but every time, people’s faces just drop. You can see fear creeping in. It’s crazy and silly, and at the same time, it could be something beautiful. It’s a great idea for a film, if not for real life.

Jonas Trueba’s The Other Way Around has received the Europa Cinemas Label as best European film in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

The comedy-drama – which has the Spanish title Volveréis – was selected by a jury of four exhibitors from the Europa Cinemas network.

An eighth feature for Spanish filmmaker Trueba, The Other Way Around follows a couple who decide to throw a party to celebrate their separation after 15 years as a couple.

The jury said, “Humorous and cleverly written, the film’s circular structure manifests generosity of spirit in its inspiring look at human relationships. It is a pleasing beacon of positivity,...

Spanish director Jonás Trueba’s The Other Way Around (Volveréis) has won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

The prize is judged by four members of the Europa Cinema network representing independent exhibitors operating 3,121 screens across Europe. Under the prize, the film will receive the support of these cinemas as it goes on release.

This year’s jury omprised Louise Casey Conneally; Maarja Krass; Rémi Labé and Tamara Visković.

“Jonás Trueba’s well-crafted and nuanced film has an unusual premise – it tells the story of a couple who embrace a novel ritual. Prior to their separation, they elect to celebrate their 15-year relationship with a party,” read their statement.

“Humorous and cleverly written, the film’s circular structure manifests generosity of spirit in its inspiring look at human relationships.

Few periods on the calendar mean more to cinephiles than the two weekends in May occupied by the Cannes Film Festival. Since its founding in 1946, the French festival has been a launchpad for some of the most artistically significant films of all time. The Palme d’Or is one of the most coveted film awards on the planet, and the festival’s ability to balance subversive arthouse work with major Hollywood premieres has led many to view it as the world’s most significant celebration of cinema.

The 2024 lineup featured a mix of buzzy premieres from New Hollywood titans like Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader alongside exciting new works from emerging directors. Between the Main Competition, Un Certain Regard, special screenings, and sidebars like the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week, the onslaught of new films can be overwhelming for anyone who isn’t able to give the festival their 24/7 attention.

Breaking Up is Hard To Do: Trueba Reinvents Couple Goals

Gloriously reminding us that we are doomed to repeat the same existential mundane experiences, in an

amuse bouche format with winks to Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard and relationship woe cinema that was Ingmar Bergman, Spanish filmmaker Jonás Trueba reshuffles the deck of (tarot) cards that is couplehood in the highly creative relationship comedy concept adorned with some meta cinema references. Reworking with the very likeable screen pairing thesps of Itsaso Arana and Vito San (also featured in Trueba’s previous number The August Virgin), The Other Way Around (which goes by the title Volveréis – which means “you will return” in Spanish) is a Kinder Surprise for how life imitates art, and how the couple-hood we see on screen might just be mordant live example of what is le passé composé.…...

“Annie Hall” changed the game in being a cautionary tale about a couple that conspicuously doesn’t last, while at the same time an enduring case for the wonder and necessity of romance. “The Other Way Around” is a similarly wacky subversion of the rom-com theme in that its central couple, successful millennial director Ale (Itsaso Arana) and actor Alex (Vito Sanz), cheerfully announce to their friends and loved ones that they’re breaking up. A big party will mark the occasion and duly end the relationship — which, their friends remind them, has gone on forever (more than a decade). The only people who think this is a sane idea is Ale and Alex. Not even Ale’s father(played by director Jonás Trueba’s real-life father, Fernando) can fathom it, although it was originally his idea. The concept seems to be born out of a kind of 90s stand-up...

Spanish director Jonás Trueba wants you to celebrate the endings, not just the beginnings.

That includes the demise of a serious relationship, because Ale and Alex (Itsaso Arana and Vito Sanz) have been together for 15 years. Now, they want only two things: to go their separate ways and to have a proper fiesta.

“The idea of a ‘separation party’ can be scary, but I just kept hearing about it. I even suggested it to a friend of mine, but every time, people’s faces just drop. You can see fear creeping in. It’s crazy and silly, and at the same time, it could be something beautiful. It’s a great idea for a film, if not for real-life.”

In “The Other Way Around,” premiering at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, the couple in question still has a lot of affection for each other.

“It’s a love story, but another kind of love story,...

New films by Julio Medem, Alejandro Amenábar, Alberto Rodríguez, Isaki Lacuesta, Jonas Trueba and Oliver Laxe join a brace of smart thrillers in a rich Cannes lineup from Spain.

“8,” (Julio Medem)

Medem returns towhat he does best: a love story transcending time and space and a poetic critique of recent history, according to sales agent Latido Films. “Fariña’s” Javier Rey and “La Mesías” Ana Rujus star as the lovers. Morena Films produces.

Sales: Latido

“As Neves,” (Sonia Méndez)

After a magic mushroom-fueled party, teens in a snowbound Galician village discover one of them is missing. The film was well-received at the Malaga festival.

Sales: Begin Again Films

“Barren Land,” (Albert Pintó)

From a director on “Money Heist” and “Berlin,” this suspense thriller captures how the drug trade devastates friendships and lives in Andalusía’s Cádiz. Film sports a great cast: Luis Zahera (“The Beasts”), Karra Elejalde (“While at War...

French producer Sylvie Pialat will replace Spanish director Rogrigo Sorogoyen as Cannes Critics’ Week president.

“Due to personal circumstances, and much to our regret, Rodrigo Sorogoyen has had to step down as president of the jury for the 63rd Semaine de la Critique,” Critics’ Week said on Saturday (May 11).

The 11th-hour changeover will also see French filmmaker Iris Kaltenback join the jury alongside previously announced members Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire, Belgian director of photography Virginie Surdej, and Canadian journalist and film critic Ben Croll.

Pialat was originally on the jury, and will now act as the group’s president.

Pialat...

Memento International has boarded “Gazer,” the debut feature of American filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan which will world premiere at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

Set in New Jersey, the paranoia thriller stars Ariella Mastroianni as Frankie, a young mother with a rare degenerative brain condition called dyschronometria. Struggling to perceive time, she uses cassette tapes for guidance and is unable to find steady work with her condition. When a mysterious woman offers her a risky job, she takes it, unaware of the dark consequences that await.

Sloan, who is from New Jersey and previously worked as electrician, pays tribute to New Hollywood’s great masters by revisiting the mystery thriller genre in “Gazer.” Lensed in 16mm stock, the film follows a magnetic character played by Ariella Mastroianni, who stars opposite Marcia Debonis, Renee Gagner, Jack Alberts and Grant Schumacher.

“‘Gazer’ is a redemption story derailed by a revenge story, following flawed characters...

Memento International has boarded “The Ugly Stepsister,” the ambitious feature debut of Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt. The company will kick off sales at this year’s Cannes.

Combining comedy and horror, the film is a daring and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of the Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira.

The gory film follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business. She will go to any lengths to catch the prince’s eye.

“The Ugly Stepsister” is produced by Maria Ekerhovd in Norway for Mer Film, and is co-produced by Lizette Jonjic for Zentropa Sweden (“Another Round”), Mariusz Włodarski for Poland’s Lava Films (“The Girl With The Needle”), Theis Nørgaard for Denmark’s Motor (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Zefyr and Film i Väst. With support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Polish Cash...