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☆ Soggy Cannes premiere for Turkish director Ceylan's 'About Dry Grasses'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Turkish auteur filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan returned to the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet on a particularly rainy Friday with his latest competition entry, "About Dry Grasses." Ceylan and his film team gathered in front of the Palais des Festivals as rain lashed the French Riviera city and puddles formed on the red carpet and the plastic sheets covering it. Including "About Dry Grasses," Ceylan's films have been in the running for the Palme d'Or seven times, with only "Winter Sleep" taking the top prize in 2014. Ceylan said in a statement that he wanted the film to impart the gradual decline in the personal convictions of civil servants and teachers sent to remote areas at an early age. Reporting by Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sean Penn: Studios' AI stance in Hollywood writers strike a 'human obscenity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Cast member Sean Penn attends. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Actor Sean Penn said on Friday he supported striking Hollywood writers and called studios' rejection of their demand to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing scripts a "human obscenity". "There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, you know, including the use of AI," Penn said at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of AI in writing scripts.

☆ Emotional Harrison Ford reflects on his years as Indiana Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Harrison Ford teared up on Friday as he recalled his years playing Indiana Jones, after the Cannes premiere of what he has said will be his last outing in the blockbuster film franchise. "I love to work and I love this character and I love what it brought into my life," he told journalists at the festival. The new film, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", pits the adventurous archaeologist against a former Nazi scientist, played by Mads Mikkelsen, who is searching for a dial that makes it possible to travel through time. That's what I looked like 35 years ago because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we made together over all these year," Ford said. Ford, who first played Indiana Jones in 1981, told Total Film magazine last month that he would hang up the character's iconic bull whip and hat for good after this film, which will be released to wider audiences in late June.

☆ Auschwitz drama 'Zone of Interest' marks director Glazer's first Cannes foray
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Zone of Interest" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Director Jonathan Glazer, cast members Sandra... Read moreCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - British director Jonathan Glazer will compete for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for the first time this year with his Auschwitz drama "The Zone of Interest," whose premiere on Friday evening drew celebrities including Cate Blanchett and Carla Bruni. Sandra Hueller, star of Germany's 2017 Oscar nominee for best foreign-language feature "Toni Erdmann," plays Hoess' wife, Hedwig. "The Zone of Interest," which will be distributed by A24, is Glazer's first feature since 2013's "Under the Skin" starring Scarlett Johansson and was shot entirely in Auschwitz. Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan reunite on screen in Cannes competitor 'Black Flies'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan and Director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire... Read moreCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan are reunited on the big screen after more than a decade in "Black Flies," a gritty tale about New York City paramedics that premiered in Cannes on Thursday. The two actors previously appeared together in 2011's Palme d'Or winner "The Tree of Life," directed by Terrence Malick. Oscar-winning Penn, 62, plays veteran paramedic Rutkovsky while Sheridan, 26, known for his role as Cyclops in the X-Men film series, stars as Cross, who is just starting in the field. Former boxer Mike Tyson, Michael Pitt from "Funny Games," and Katherine Waterston of "Inherent Vice" also have parts.

☆ The bullwhip is back: Harrison Ford in Cannes for 'Indiana Jones' premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Miranda Murray | Thomson Reuters | Speed Editor On The Berlin Hub Who Provides General Coverage On Everything Politics To Energy In Germany | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (Indiana Jones et le cadran de la destinee) Out of Competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France,... Read moreCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Harrison Ford was in Cannes for the much-anticipated premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on Thursday evening, 15 years since the actor last picked up the adventurous archaeologist's iconic bullwhip and hat on the big screen. The newest movie's release date had been postponed several times after it had been announced in 2016 and follows 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which received mixed reviews. The "Indiana Jones" franchise, created by George Lucas of "Star Wars" fame, has grossed nearly $2 billion at the global box office with four films and amassed a global fan base. It also inspired a TV series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." "Dial of Destiny" is the first "Indiana Jones" movie the Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has made after buying the distribution rights for the franchise from Paramount Pictures in 2013.

☆ Director says she will work with intimacy coaches after Cannes film furore
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Corsini said on Thursday she would work with intimacy coaches and do more to help young actresses in future films, after concerns were raised about an intimate scene with minors in her Cannes Festival entry "Homecoming". Corsini told journalists on Thursday she would take different decisions and call in experts to help actors prepare for sex scenes if she were faced with similar circumstances in the future. "Maybe I was being a bit pretentious, thinking I had 30-35 years of experience in my career and maybe I thought I had more experience than an intimacy coach. Corsini told Variety magazine on Tuesday that she ultimately cut the intimate scene from the final version "to calm everyone down and especially so that people would stop bothering the actors." Including Corsini, there are a record seven female directors competing for the Palme d'Or top prize this year.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda: sexual identity not the focus in film 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference for the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said he did not want to focus on sexual identity in portraying the relationship between the two schoolboys at the centre of his latest film, "Monster." "The age that these children are at is an age where their sexual identity is maybe not fully... they're not fully aware of it at this stage," Kore-eda told Reuters on Thursday, the day after the movie's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Earlier Thursday, Kore-eda told journalists he did not think the story should be viewed as portraying two boys who have growing feelings for each other, as suggested in some reviews. For "Monster" Kore-eda once again teamed up with Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palmes d' Or winner "Shoplifters," and who portrays Saori in the new film.

☆ Controversial 'Homecoming' film director attends Cannes premiere with cast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Le retour" (Homecoming) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Catherine Corsini, producer Elisabeth... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Corsini appeared on the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet flanked by a cluster of cast members on Wednesday for the premiere of her drama "Homecoming," which has been the subject of some controversy in recent months. The director walked between producer Elisabeth Perez and actor Aissatou Diallo Sagna, who won France's Cesar award for best supporting actress in Corsini's 2021 film "The Divide." The movie had faced controversy after concerns were raised about an intimate scene involving minors. Wednesday's red carpet appearance was briefly interrupted by a protester at the barricades in a red dress, who flashed her pregnant stomach with the word "Surrogacy" and a barcode on it.

☆ Almodovar's gay Western draws Cannes crowd - even without Pedro Pascal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Pedro Almodovar and cast members Ethan... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Throngs of people eager to watch Pedro Almodovar's "Strange Way of Life," a 31-minute Western film starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as lovers, at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday afternoon were turned away after waiting more than an hour in the rain. "There is some very robust and old-fashioned storytelling here and 'Strange Way of Life' feels quite old-fashioned in its way," wrote The Guardian newspaper, which gave it four out of five stars. The film will be released later this year and is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, according to the trade paper Variety. Reporting by Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Jeanne du Barry" Out of competition - Red Carpet arrivals - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Gong Li poses. REUTERS/Gonzalo... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Gong Li, one of China's best actors, told Reuters on Wednesday that Michelle Yeoh's recent success at the Oscars and Golden Globes was particularly encouraging for Asian actors. "Since the beginning of the epidemic to now, in fact, the film industry has not been so vibrant, not like it was before, so her award is also an encouragement," Gong said. "Well, congratulations to her, because I also take it as an encouragement to fellow Asian actors to enter the world."

☆ Johnny Depp on Cannes comeback: I didn't go anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Jeanne du Barry " Out of competition - Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Johnny Depp pushed back at suggestions he was making a comeback with the Cannes Film Festival's opening movie "Jeanne du Barry" following a high-profile defamation trial a year ago, though he admitted people had "stopped calling" at the time. "I keep wondering about the word comeback, because I didn't go anywhere," Depp said after arriving 45 minutes later than scheduled at the news conference for the film on Wednesday. "Jeanne du Barry," in which Depp plays King Louis XV, received a seven-minute standing ovation at the luxurious Grand Theatre Lumiere, where it premiered on Tuesday evening. No, not at all, I don't feel boycotted because I don't think about it, I don't think about Hollywood," he said.

☆ At Cannes, independent film firms optimistic as streamers stumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Miranda Murray | Thomson Reuters | Speed Editor On The Berlin Hub Who Provides General Coverage On Everything Politics To Energy In Germany | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Independent film companies facing a market upended by the entry of streaming services are showing some optimism heading into this year's Cannes Film Festival as the Netflix era has begun flattening out and audiences start trickling back into cinemas post-pandemic. Cannes may make headlines for its glitz and glamour, but as the world's largest event for buying and selling movie rights, its importance to the industry is unparalleled. "It's a transitional time on the business side as the traditional business model that independent buyers use sees lessened value," said O'Shea. The similarity among much of the content offered on streaming platforms leaves theatre audiences wanting something different, an unmet appetite that independent companies could fulfil, he said. "Something good is happening, and I'm sure other streaming services will follow suit," Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux said in an interview with Le Film francais magazine in April.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda angles for second Cannes win with 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda hopes to repeat his success at the Cannes Film Festival, five years after winning the top prize, with "Monster," which breaks down the misunderstandings between a single mother and a teacher started by two schoolboys. "Monster" sees Kore-eda once again team up with actor Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palme d'Or winner "Shoplifters." The film is Kore-eda's second in competition since winning the top prize at Cannes, after his Korean-language entry "Broker" lost out last year to "Triangle of Sadness" by Swedish director and this year's Cannes jury president Ruben Ostlund. Kore-eda also brought Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto on board to compose a soundtrack critics praised as particularly moving. Kore-eda and his cast took to the red carpet at Cannes on Wednesday night for the premiere of their film, which critics praised for its clever structure and atmospheric setting.

☆ Johnny Depp marks celebrity comeback with Cannes opening film
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Jeanne du Barry" Out of competition - Red Carpet arrivals - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Johnny Depp poses. REUTERS/Yara... Read moreCANNES, May 16 (Reuters) - Johnny Depp seemed back in full celebrity mode on Tuesday, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans before the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival's opening film "Jeanne du Barry," which marks the actor's first major role since his high-profile defamation trial. "There are hundreds of film festivals all around the world, but there's only one Cannes," Douglas told the crowd. "Even the casting - some would say stunt casting - of Johnny Depp as the king offers a few early thrills and then mostly yawns," wrote The Hollywood Reporter.

☆ Cannes jury president to striking Hollywood writers: 'Yeah, go!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the jury - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Jury President Ruben Ostlund and jury member Brie Larson attend a press conference. REUTERS/Yara NardiCANNES, May 16 (Reuters) - Swedish director Ruben Ostlund, who heads the jury awarding the Cannes Film Festival's top award this year, expressed solidarity with striking Hollywood film and TV writers on Tuesday, saying industrial action was the only way to change work conditions. "It's great that people have a strong collegial feeling so you can go out and have a strike. Top executives close to the discussions have told Reuters that the strike could continue into the summer and possibly beyond.

☆ Cannes Film Festival 2023 kicks off with 'all killer, no filler' line-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have 'Indiana Jones,' we've got Martin Scorsese's new film with Leonardo DiCaprio. Festival director Thierry Fremaux pushed back against criticism that Depp was a controversial choice for an opening-night film, telling Variety magazine the actor had not been banned from working. Other jury members include Brie Larson of "Captain Marvel" and Julia Ducournau, one of two women to win the Palme d'Or. Out of competition, Harrison Ford will return as adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones, 15 years since the last film in the franchise, in the world premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on Thursday. Festival organizers are concerned the unrest seen during the pension reform protests could also make its way to the festival, said Roxborough.

☆ Cannes director open to letting green activists onto red carpet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 15 (Reuters) - Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux said on Monday he was open to letting climate demonstrators onto the red carpet, as the showbiz extravaganza prepared to launch amid bursts of activism on both sides of the Atlantic. But the confluence of at least three major protest movements has put unusual pressure on the organisers. "It's not impossible that we will welcome them at the top of the steps to express themselves," he added. It was too early to tell what effect the writer's strike would have on the festival, he said, but the right to strike had to be respected. Reporting by Miranda Murray and Mindy Burrows; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'I got a check the other day for $8': TV and film writers share why they're on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

TV and film writers at the picket line in New York on the first day of the WGA strike, May 2, 2023. Every three years, the Writers Guild of America, the TV and film writers' union, negotiates a contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. "You go from job to job," and each contract can look different from writer to writer depending on their experience, for instance. TV writer Sheri Holman on strike in New York. TV and film writer Chisa Hutchinson.

☆ 'iCarly' writers join the WGA strike as showrunner Ali Schouten calls out Hollywood studios' 'corporate greed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Insider spoke to Ali Schouten, the showrunner behind Paramount+ series "iCarly," about what's at stake. The "iCarly" writers will link up with the picket line outside the lot where the show is filmed, according to Ali Schouten, the series' showrunner and executive producer. Ahead of the "iCarly" writers' picketing on Thursday, I spoke with Schouten to understand what she and her colleagues are fighting for. Lisa Rose/Paramount+The last writers' strike resulted in $2 billion worth of losses for the California economy, and some experts predict the impact of this work stoppage could be even greater. How is the writers' strike impacting you, your business, or your family?

☆ Siemens Healthineers reports lower Q2 profit, discontinues heart surgery robots business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - U.S.-German medical device maker Siemens Healthineers (SHLG.DE) on Wednesday said it is giving up part of billion-dollar acquisition Corindus' business as it reported a 30% drop in quarterly operating profit on lower contributions from COVID tests. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) fell to 681 million euros ($750 million) in the January-March period, less than the 702 million expected by analysts, according to a consensus provided by the company. The group said it was discontinuing the robotic-assisted endovascular cardiology business in its Advanced Therapies segment and reported a 329-million euro writedown. Siemens Healthineers had acquired the business as part of the 1-billion-euro Corindus acquisition in 2019. This led to a 81% fall in quarterly net income, which came in at 108 million euros.

☆ Silver Lake reiterates offer in battle for Software AG takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, May 10 (Reuters) - Silver Lake appeared unshaken in the battle to acquire Software AG (SOWGn.DE) on Wednesday, reiterating in a statement its offer of 32 euros ($35.23) per share for the German company. Rival Bain Capital via its portfolio firm Rocket Software has offered up to 36 euros per share for Software AG. "Silver Lake reiterates its conviction in the attractiveness of its previously announced offer of EUR 32.00 per share of Software AG, to whose stated strategy and whose status as an independent, Darmstadt-based company Silver Lake remains fully committed," Silver Lake said in a statement. Software AG said on Tuesday night that Silver Lake's offer presented a high degree of transaction security in addition to a significant premium for shareholders. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Hakan Ersen, Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mother’s Day Gifts 2023: What Marie Kondo, Chloë Sevigny, Miranda Kerr and Other Mothers Are Giving and Receiving
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Fiorella Valdesolo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Photo: clockwise from top left: PRADA, KHIRY, ASSOULINE, OSEA, Misette’s Fete, HEREU, THE TREE CENTER PLANT SUPPLY CO., WITTUSBecause they field meltdowns with grace (or something akin to it), because they set calendar reminders for class registrations, because they manage to conjure acceptable answers for all of the many, many questions, mothers and maternal figures deserve acknowledgement every day, and especially on the one holiday reserved for them. Honoring these efforts with a gift can be challenging, so we turned to some high-profile women to find out what they’re giving—and coveting for themselves—this Mother’s Day. Read on for their ideas. AERIN LAUDERPhoto: Getty Images for AERINThe mother of two and founder and creative director of lifestyle brand Aerin has a keen sense for all things home, beauty and accessories. Aerin’s latest release is a collaboration with Pamela Munson: hand-embroidered flower-themed bags inspired by the brand’s signature scents.

☆ Ecuador Strikes a Landmark Deal to Save Nature, and Some Cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Catrin Einhorn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The NewsEcuador announced a record-setting deal on Tuesday designed to reduce its debt burden and free up hundreds of millions of dollars to fund marine conservation around the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago of unique biodiversity that’s famous for inspiring Darwin’s theory of evolution. The arrangement, known as a debt-for-nature deal, is a bit like refinancing a mortgage, only for government bonds. Gustavo Manrique Miranda, the Ecuadorean foreign minister, called it a historic agreement that takes into account the value of nature. He said Ecuador was as wealthy as any of the richest countries in the world, “but our currency is the biodiversity.”

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Ecuador sealed the world's largest "debt-for-nature" swap on record on Tuesday, selling a new "blue bond" that will funnel at least $12 million a year into conservation of the Galapagos Islands, one of the world's most precious ecosystems. Tuesday's $656 million "Galapagos Bond," as it has been dubbed, will run until 2041 and gave investors that bought it a 5.645% "coupon" or interest rate, its bankers said. Ecuador sovereign bonds currently yield from 17% to 26%, but the new bond has an $85 million 'credit guarantee' from the Inter-American Development Bank and $656 million of political risk insurance from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp (DFC), effectively making it less risky. The driver has been the remote Galapagos Islands, some 600 miles (970 km) off Ecuador's mainland coast, that inspired Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Scott Nathan, the chief executive of DFC, said people needed to "stay tuned" for similar deals in other countries and the Galapagos deal had been a long time coming.

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