Julianne Moore Garlanded by Women in Motion by Amber Wilkinson - 2026-04-23 11:03:10+00:00
Oscar‑winner Julianne Moore will receive the 2026 Women in Motion Award during the Cannes Film Festival, recognizing her four‑decade career and commitment to expanding roles for women on screen. The ceremony also honors Italian director Margherita Spampinato with the Emerging Talent Award, accompanied by a €50,000 grant (approximately $54,000) for her second feature. Both awards are presented by Kering and Cannes to spotlight female talent across the industry. Moore and Spampinato praised the recognition as a catalyst for greater visibility and diversity in cinema.
Heat - Amber Wilkinson - 20306
Swiss director Jacqueline Zünd’s new documentary *Heat* captures the sweltering reality of the Persian Gulf, where temperatures regularly top 50 °C and force residents to live nocturnally. The film juxtaposes opulent, air‑conditioned malls frequented by the wealthy with the grueling outdoor...
Stray Cats by Jennie Kermode
Spanish indie thriller Luger marks director Bruno Martín’s first feature in 16 years and writer Santiago Taboada’s debut as a feature‑film screenwriter. The story follows two petty criminals, Rafa and Toni, whose uneasy friendship drives a gritty, low‑budget action narrative centered on a...
Walud - Amber Wilkinson - 20304
Walud, a short film co‑written and co‑directed by Daood Alabdulaa and Louise Zenker, portrays a Syrian woman’s quiet rebellion against her ISIS husband in a remote village. Filmed in Tunisia, the narrative uses intimate cinematography and sound design to depict...
Tulips - Amber Wilkinson - 20300
Tulips is a 16‑minute UK short film directed by Rhys Prichard that dramatizes a grandfather’s struggle with dementia as his family confronts his loss of independence. The narrative follows his daughter‑in‑law’s teenage daughter, Sophie, who films the moment in an...
The Dying House by Jennie Kermode
Mārama, the debut feature by Taratoa Stappard, has emerged as a standout 2026 Gothic‑horror film, placing a young Māori governess in a Victorian English manor. The film weaves Māori mythology and colonial trauma into classic Gothic tropes, earning acclaim at festivals...
Departures - Jennie Kermode - 20299
Departures, an indie rom‑com directed by Neil Ely and Lloyd Ely‑Morgan, follows Benji (Eyre‑Morgan) as he navigates a volatile relationship with dominant lover Jake (David Tag). The film mixes dark humor with a stark look at consent, power imbalance, and...
Marama - Jennie Kermode - 20298
Mārama, directed by Taratoa Stappard, follows Mary, a Māori woman who travels 11,500 miles to 1859 England to work as a governess. The film blends Gothic tropes with Māori cultural lenses, exploring ancestry, inheritance, and the psychological fallout of colonialism. Ariana...
After the Fire by Paul Risker
American director Max Walker‑Silverman’s second feature, Rebuilding, follows Dusty, a Colorado rancher displaced by a devastating wildfire, as he adjusts to life in a government‑run campsite and mends ties with his daughter and ex‑wife. In an Eye For Film interview, Silverman explains...
Cavalier Vies with Fresh Talents in Directors’ Fortnight by Richard Mowe - 2026-04-14 12:46:11+00:00
The 58th Cannes Directors’ Fortnight unveiled a vibrant slate of 19 feature films and nine shorts from 19 countries, spotlighting both emerging voices and seasoned auteurs. Highlights include 94‑year‑old Alain Cavalier’s final documentary *Thanks For Coming*, Kantemir Balagov’s English‑language debut *Butterfly Jam* opening the program,...
Critics' Week Announces Titles by Amber Wilkinson - 2026-04-13 20:12:33+00:00
Cannes Critics' Week unveiled its 2026 lineup, featuring 11 titles that spotlight first‑ and second‑time directors. The opening slot is historic, with the animated adaptation In Waves – a love story between a skateboarder and a surfer – marking the...
Stay-at-Home Seven: April 13 to 19 by Amber Wilkinson, Jennie Kermode
The Eye For Film column for April 13‑19 spotlights a mix of international thrillers, indie gems and classic blockbusters across streaming and broadcast platforms. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Oscar‑nominated political thriller *The Secret Agent* arrives on MUBI, while the Scottish indie *Beats* debuts on...
PH-1 - Jennie Kermode - 20297
Jennie Kermode’s review of the thriller PH‑1 calls it a serviceable but unoriginal film that leans on outdated plot devices. The story follows Payton Burnham, who answers a mysterious blackmail call and repeatedly makes poor decisions, eroding suspense. While the...
Trauma Or, Monsters All - Jennie Kermode - 20295
Larry Fessenden’s new horror‑drama Trauma Or, Monsters All reunites the werewolf, Frankenstein‑type and vampire characters from his earlier films in a single story set in the decaying town of Talbot Falls. The plot follows teenage journalist Cassandra, whose sensational article...
Speaking for Herself by Jennie Kermode
Short film Grace, directed by Anna Rodgers, follows a young woman with Down syndrome seeking an intimate weekend with her boyfriend, foregrounding the newly enforced Irish Assisted Decision‑Making (Capacity) Act 2017. The film blends a love story with activist intent,...