Weather
English
RocksNews

International news in seven languages

Advertisement
Advertisement

Topic

Asia

Entertainment

Garin Nugroho, Mishima Yukiko, Qiu Jiongjiong Titles Among 15 in Tokyo Film Festival Competition

The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival has unveiled its complete program, led by a 15-film main competition featuring work by Indonesian director Garin Nugroho, Japanese filmmaker Mishima Yukiko and Hong Kong-based Qiu Jiongjiong. The competition spans world and Asian premieres. Seven titles receive world premieres: “The Canary’s Lullaby,” a Taiwan-Japan co-production directed by Ikeda Akira; […]

Entertainment

Indonesian Director Ariani Darmawan Ends 15-Year Hiatus With ‘Jani Be Good,’ Debuts Trailer Ahead of Tokyo World Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Indonesian director Ariani Darmawan is ending a 15-year absence from filmmaking with her debut feature, “Jani Be Good,” which will world premiere in the Asian Future competition at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival. Variety is debuting the film’s first trailer. The drama is titled “Desember Jani” in Indonesian and produced by Jakarta outfit Palari […]

Entertainment

Venice Golden Lion Winner Milcho Manchevski’s ‘Sister Brother Manhole Cover’ Heads to Tokyo for World Premiere, Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

“Sister Brother Manhole Cover,” the new feature from Venice Golden Lion winner Milcho Manchevski, will world premiere in the Tokyo International Film Festival’s main competition. Variety is debuting the trailer. Francesca Breccia’s Coccinelle Film Sales is handling the film and will start selling it to international buyers during Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market. Manchevski […]

Entertainment

Palme d’Or Winner ‘Fjord’ to Open Jakarta World Cinema as Festival Spreads Across Indonesia (EXCLUSIVE)

Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, will open Jakarta World Cinema, the Indonesian festival said Thursday as it revealed a 2026 program that also includes the top prize winners from Venice and Berlin. The Indonesian premiere of Thai filmmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun’s “Inherit” will close the event. The lineup draws […]

Entertainment

‘Doraemon the Movie’ Guardians on Taking Nobita’s Undersea Adventure to Indian Cinemas: ‘It Transcends Generations’ (EXCLUSIVE)

“Doraemon” has been on Indian television for 21 years, long enough, by TV Asahi’s reckoning, for the franchise to start passing from one generation of viewers to the next. Now the Japanese broadcaster is taking the franchise into cinemas. “Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil” opens across India on […]

Advertisement
Entertainment

Ajay Devgn Says ‘Drishyam 3: The Conclusion’ Surpasses Predecessors, Ends Franchise for Good (EXCLUSIVE)

Top Bollywood star Ajay Devgn tells Variety he is confident “Drishyam 3: The Conclusion” clears the bar set by its predecessors, calling the psychological thriller’s twists unpredictable even for genre-savvy audiences accustomed to guessing outcomes. Speaking ahead of the film’s Oct. 2 release, Devgn says the Hindi-language franchise ends definitively, unlike its open-ended Malayalam-language counterpart. […]

Entertainment

Karan Johar to End ‘Koffee With Karan’ After 22 Years With Final Season on JioHotstar: ‘The Decision Is Emotional and Personal’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Indian media personality Karan Johar will end “Koffee With Karan” after 22 years. His celebrity chat show returns for a ninth and final season, streaming on JioHotstar from Oct. 14. Since its 2004 debut, the show has run eight seasons and 161 episodes. On its couch, top Indian stars have talked about friendships, romances, breakups […]

World

Heatwaves, wildfires expose a third of world to extreme ozone pollution

Heatwaves and wildfires helped expose 34 percent of the world’s population to “extremely poor” ozone air quality in the first eight months of 2026, according to a European Union report published Wednesday. Asia recorded the highest exposure, while ozone pollution remained difficult to curb despite decades of progress in reducing other harmful emissions.

Entertainment

JioStar’s Kevin Vaz Urges Indian Government to Restore BARC TV Audience Ratings as Media Sector Hits $28.9 Billion

Leading Indian streamer JioStar’s Kevin Vaz has called on India’s government to immediately restore BARC audience ratings, using the inaugural address at the FICCI-Frames conference to warn that the data gap is leaving broadcasters, advertisers and agencies without dependable numbers heading into the festive season. Vaz is the CEO of entertainment at JioStar and chair […]

Entertainment

Prime Video, Sony, JioStar, Zee and NDTV Chiefs on How Connected TV Is Reshaping Indian Storytelling

Connected TV is changing what Indian media companies make, not just where audiences watch it, with Prime Video now developing shows around whether audiences will watch them together, executives said at the FICCI-Frames conference in Mumbai. Streaming began as a largely solo experience, Gaurav Gandhi, VP and head of Prime Video for Asia-Pacific and Australia-New […]

Entertainment

Jia Zhangke, Tian Qi’s Unknown Pleasures Lands Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s ‘Jenjira’s Magnificent Dream’ for China

Jia Zhangke’s Unknown Pleasures Pictures has acquired China rights to Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Jenjira’s Magnificent Dream,” co-founder Tian Qi has confirmed to Variety. The Chinese art-house distributor is also negotiating to acquire two titles from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. In June, it added Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” and Marine Atlan’s “La Gradiva,” and in January it […]

Entertainment

‘Light Pillar’ Director Xu Zao Readies AI-Themed Follow-Up ‘Easy, My Friend’

“Light Pillar,” the Berlinale Perspectives animated feature from first-time director Xu Zao, is competing in the Hidden Dragons section for Chinese-language films at the Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival. The film is still seeking distribution in China. The story follows Zha, who works at a dilapidated film studio in northern China and […]

Advertisement
Entertainment

‘Hirayasumi’ Anime Unveils Footage, Key Visual and Lead Voice Cast Ahead of NHK Debut

New footage from the anime adaptation of Shinzo Keigo’s manga “Hirayasumi” has been unveiled, along with a key visual and the principal voice cast, ahead of the series’ January 2027 premiere on Japan’s NHK General TV. Viz Media and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro) released the material. International streaming plans have yet to be revealed. Production +h., […]

Topic: Asia | RocksNews