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When it comes to difficult subject matter, “Women Talking,” Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel, is about as distressing as it gets. The film follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony who must decide whether to stay or leave after experiencing unimaginable sexual violence. The true events took place in

MARRAKECH  —  Tilda Swinton, translucent, beautifully elf-ish, wearing a striped, Chanel kaftan, decked in a glittering bib of flowers. The quirky, white shirt collar and boyish, blond hair-cut, add a touch of seriousness to the Scottish actress’s original sense of style, befitting of her intelligent flow of words that roll seamlessly from her mouth to describe her

Personal tales of hubris, ego and living large dominated the Camerimage International Film Festival, with the Florian Hoffmeister-shot drama “Tár,” directed by Todd Field, taking the top prize at the leading annual cinematography event. The jury honored the elaborately constructed story of a brilliant, obsessive composer and conductor, played with gusto by Cate Blanchett, with

Up-and-coming Moroccan filmmaker Saïd Hamich Benlarbi is developing a brace of projects as a producer and director, notably “La mer au loin” which won one of the two top prizes at the Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops. Produced by Hamich Benlarbi’s Paris-based banner Barney Production and Manuel Chiche’s company The Jokers, “La mer au loin”

When film and stage director Sam Mendes first showed his script for “Empire of Light” to his regular collaborator, cinematographer Roger Deakins, the subject of how to shoot the personal, bittersweet story didn’t even come up, he says. Rather, it was all about whether Deakins felt something for the central characters, Hillary (Olivia Colman) and

In filming “The Quiet Girl,” the evocative 80s-set story of a mysterious child sent to live with distant relatives for the summer in rural Ireland, cinematographer Kate McCullough says she found her way by keeping herself open to the natural elements of the setting. “When you arrive on a location, there’s lots to inspire you,”

MARRAKECH – Director Sally El Hosaini, whose Working Title-produced “The Swimmers” opened the Toronto Film Festival, is turning her attention to one of the biggest mass murder-suicide stories in history with her forthcoming project “Jones.” The Welsh-Egyptian director, who recently signed with CAA, told Variety at the Marrakech Film Festival that she began working on

Diane Kruger will partner with French pay-tv leader Canal+ to star in an hour-long documentary retracing the life and career of Romy Schneider, with production set to begin next week. Produced by Canal+ Docs and directed by Marjory Déjardin, the film is part of a larger series called “Elle parle d’Elle” (She Talks About Her),

MARRAKECH —  “Astrakan” director David Depesseville is following on from his debut feature, which plays in man competition at the Marrakech Film Festival, with a second film looking at another real-life French child drama. Although he’s keeping most specific details under wraps, he’s written the script for his follow-up film, which he will also direct. Carole

Sales agent Begin Again Films has dropped a clip of “Black Kisses,” (“Besos negros,”), from Colombia’s Alejandro Naranjo and the director’s latest doc-feature, in the run-up to its world premiere on Nov. 19 at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Shared in exclusivity with Variety by Begin Again Films, the clip shows Edgar Kerval, one of the four

Moroccan-born French director Yasmine Benkiran, whose feature debut “Queens” opened at Venice and is playing at the Marrakech Film Festival, is now developing two ambitious features. “Queens,” which was developed at the Atlas Workshops, the industry sidebar running alongside the Marrakech Film Festival, is a rare Moroccan film weaving adventure and genre with strong female

Good men were not in short supply on Thursday night, as GQ magazine once again invaded West Hollywood for its annual Men of the Year celebration. At the top of the Sunset Strip, the Edition Hotel played host in its lobby restaurant and adjoined garden, where impossibly chic guests rubbed shoulders. The event offers some

A documentary about the life and work of author Fritz Peters is underway from director William Gazecki.  The Emmy winner and Oscar nominee behind New Yorker Films’ “Waco: The Rules of Engagement” and “The Outrageous Sophie Tucker” is currently in production on the project, set up by Hirsch Giovanni Entertainment. Peters was a trailblazer in his

Rebecca Halpern’s latest documentary “Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie” examines iconic Chicago chef Charlie Trotter, who developed micro-greens and helped make vegetarianism mainstream. The chef, who died in 2013, was also known for his cookbooks, which featured groundbreaking food photography, which earned him the title “godfather of food porn.” Trotter’s first

Brendan Fraser’s career resurgence isn’t limited to Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” for which Fraser is widely expected to land an Oscar nomination for best actor. While the actor is destined to attend the 2023 Oscars as a nominee, he’ll also spend next year as a cast member in his first Martin Scorsese film. Fraser is