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The Tokyo International Film Festival will review its 39th edition once it wraps and reassess where it stands on the international circuit before its 40th anniversary next year, festival director Hisamatsu Takeo says. “I believe the direction we establish through that process will also help define TIFF’s course for the next decade, leading up to […]
Ali Abbas Zafar’s romantic action-drama pairing “Saiyaara” breakout Ahaan Panday with Sharvari will be called “Beparwah,” Yash Raj Films revealed Monday. The title reveal came exactly five months before the film opens worldwide in theaters on March 26, 2027, the Good Friday holiday. Aditya Chopra produces. “Beparwah” is the first time Panday and Sharvari have […]
People pushed to move, or left without anywhere to belong, through no fault of their own form the through-line of this year’s Women’s Empowerment section at the Tokyo International Film Festival, according to programmer Shimizu Yu, who also oversees the festival’s Youth strand. Now in its third year, the seven-film section includes Manuela Martelli’s “The […]
Family relationships run through the Asian films that Tokyo International Film Festival programmer Ishizaka Kenji has picked for this year’s edition. “While it is hard to pinpoint an exact catalyst for this surge in family-driven drama, what is undeniable is that amidst today’s geopolitical volatility, these filmmakers share an instinctive urge to reexamine the smallest […]
Japan’s anime industry is in better shape overall, but gaps in pay and conditions are opening up largely between studios prepared to put their own capital on the line and those that are not, according to Fujitsu Ryota, programming advisor for the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Animation section. “Given the high level of creativity demonstrated […]
“Night Feeds,” a psychological horror short from Rana Roy starring May Calamawy (“Moon Knight”), will open the first edition of the Yami International Film Festival, Tokyo’s new showcase for horror and darker genre fare. “Breeder,” from Alex Goyette, will close the festival, which runs Nov. 20–26 at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya. The event is run […]
Constantin Film and Sony Pictures’ horror reboot “Resident Evil” secured the top spot at the mainland China box office for the third consecutive weekend, grossing RMB37.6 million ($5.6 million) over the Oct. 23–25 frame, according to data from Artisan Gateway. Since rolling out during the Golden Week holiday corridor on Oct. 5, the film has […]
Japanese animated sensation “Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” maintained a commanding grip on the South Korean box office over the weekend of Oct. 23–25, capturing nearly 45% of nationwide ticket revenue in its fourth frame. According to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the Toho-distributed […]
Stars of “Squid Game” and “KPop Demon Hunters” took the stage in Seoul on Oct. 24 as Netflix celebrated 10 years in Korea with a fan festival, where co-CEO Ted Sarandos previewed upcoming titles including “Tantara” and “All of Us Are Dead” Season 2. “Squid Game” was represented by Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun and Park […]
“Forza,” Marco Balsamo’s soccer drama shot between Bali and Milan, has been picked up for international sales by EST N8, which will take the film to the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM market (Oct. 28–30). Before that, it gets its first public screening on Oct. 25 at Jakarta Film Week. Balsamo’s first feature as director […]
The AI technology behind Star Plus and JioHotstar series “Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh” is headed to Indonesia. There, its developer Galleri5 and fellow Collective company Collective Studios’ Historyverse plan to create film and series properties drawn from the country’s myths and history. Historyverse, which handles original IP and studio work for Collective Artists Network, is partnering […]
Japanese auteur Kore-eda Hirokazu, whose films are known for their natural performances from child actors, said there is one thing he has decided never to put on screen: a child crying. “It’s not that I can’t, or that it’s difficult. I don’t shoot it,” the Japanese director said at an In Conversation event at the […]
Korean filmmaker Lee Hwan-kyung, director of “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” has assembled an Indonesian ensemble led by Vino G. Bastian, Pevita Pearce, Faradina Mufti and Indra Jegel for “Gasigogi,” a father-son drama now in production with Falcon Pictures. The film follows Jiwa, a father who sacrifices everything in a fight to save Juna, his […]
Kartik Aaryan’s upcoming action drama “Captain India” is set amid the Houthi conflict in Yemen, Variety understands. The film marks Aaryan’s first turn as a pilot. Shimit Amin directs the project, which is based on a real humanitarian evacuation. Aaryan’s character leads the rescue effort. That conflict is central to the story and adds a […]
Malaysia’s 47 million target was out of reach before the haze arrived; the year-end damage now depends on whether travelers rule out more than the worst-hit areas.
Kore-eda Hirokazu ran the screenplay for his AI-themed Cannes title “Sheep in the Box” past a generative AI chatbot, then cut it loose after concluding that notes from something with no personal history with cinema were of no use to him. Kore-eda, who is receiving the Cinema Honorary Award at the Singapore International Film Festival, […]
Gianni Infantino's hopes of being re-elected Fifa president are enhanced by an endorsement from the Asian Football Confederation.
Acclaimed Asian filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun, director of “Comrades: Almost a Love Story” and “The Warlords,” said he will probably use AI in his filmmaking but “definitely not AIGC,” or AI-generated content, and that the two-hour feature will hold its ground against short-form and vertical dramas, at least in his lifetime. Speaking at an In […]
ASEAN's consensus-driven approach and a lack of enforcement mechanisms make legal action difficult, experts say.
Indonesia’s film agency is helping draft a revised Film Law that would reshape its powers, while Jakarta, where Netflix now has four titles in production, is working to become a regional film hub. Fauzan Zidni, chair of the Indonesian Film Agency (BPI), tells Variety the first draft, prepared with the Ministry of Culture, has taken […]
