9 mins read

Martin McDonagh on being scared of John Malkovich, the CIA and ‘Wild Horse Nine’

TORONTO | Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Martin McDonagh has unveiled a dark comedy of mischievous wit and melancholy soulfulness, and it’s immediately been hailed as one of the best movies of the year. Yes, the British-Irish writer-director of “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “In Bruges” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” has been […]

5 mins read

An Israeli documentary on the war in Gaza sets off a firestorm at home after Venice award

JERUSALEM | An Israeli documentary about the civilian death toll in the war in Gaza has sparked fierce backlash at home after being awarded the special jury prize last week at the Venice Film Festival, drawing anger from top officials and even calls to strip the filmmakers of Israeli citizenship. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu […]

7 mins read

Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers’ documentary on Gaza war premieres at Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy | Twenty-four Israeli military insiders including intelligence officers and soldiers give insight into the war in Gaza and what they say is the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians in “NAZA,” a documentary that’s having its world premiere Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. The film was made by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, […]

5 mins read

At Venice, Ellen Burstyn reflects on playing Marilyn Monroe and a lifetime in movies

VENICE, Italy | Of all the roles Ellen Burstyn might have been offered in her 90s, that of Marilyn Monroe seemed fairly unlikely. But then one day Maggie Gyllenhaal came to her apartment to talk about a wild idea: What if she played Monroe at 100? “It sounded like a good idea to me,” Burstyn […]

4 mins read

Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’ hits Venice Film Festival with a dark CIA tale

VENICE, Italy | Martin McDonagh had written a few versions of his new film “Wild Horse Nine,” which receives its world premiere on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival, before he homed in on the CIA and the 1973 military coup in Chile. One was about a father and son, another was about two actors. […]

8 mins read

Movie stars, timely documentaries and awards hopefuls convene at the Venice Film Festival

August can be a dreary month for Hollywood glamour, but the Venice Film Festival is on the horizon to kick off the busy fall film festival season in style. There will be plenty of stars gracing the red carpets when the 83rd edition of the festival kicks off Wednesday on the Lido: Noel and Liam […]

2 mins read

Venice Film Festival adds Gaza doc ‘NAZA’ to competition lineup

The Venice Film Festival has added a new documentary about the civilian toll of the Israel-Hamas war to its lineup. “NAZA,” from two of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” will screen in the main competition, festival organizers said Monday. According to the synopsis, the film was shot at night on Tel […]

5 mins read

Japan’s horror master Kurosawa’s first samurai film arrives at US theaters

TOKYO | Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the Japanese director known as “the master of horror,” was a bit nervous about how viewers might react to his first samurai film. He needn’t have worried. “The Samurai and the Prisoner,” opening in New York and Los Angeles on July 31, followed by a rollout in major U.S. cities through […]

2 mins read

George Clooney to get the lifetime achievement prize from Venice Film Festival

George Clooney is returning to the Venice Film Festival this year, where he’ll be honored with a lifetime achievement award. The festival’s organizers said Monday that Clooney has been selected to receive the Golden Lion at the 83rd edition of the festival in September. “I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. This festival is […]