Festivals

As the 76th edition of the Venice film festival is about to kick off tomorrow, there is a lot to contemplate for guests, reviewers and organizers alike. The competition choices as a whole look promising and are sure to generate interest, even though there is no single film that sticks out quite yet, as it had been the case when lineups were announced in previous years featuring such titles as Gravity, A Star Is Born, or Roma.

For over 10 days, the Jerusalem Film Festival celebrated cinema with a program which made room for the best films coming from Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and San Sebastian. Several premieres played to full houses with some reserved for new Israeli films, which competed for the prestigious awards that are the jewel of this event.

All throughout San Diego Comic-Con 2019, there was a feeling of anticipation hanging heavily in the air. Some studios chose to sit out the massive pop culture and genre celebration this year, either preferring to keep their cards close to their chest or feeling better served by other avenues of promotion.

While erstwhile global smash hit Game of Thrones was somewhat busy, in the tradition of Albert Brooks, defending its life at a Comic-Con 2019 post-mortem panel, another HBO show that in many ways was passed the zeitgeist torch by its network sibling was busy holding forth on Saturday, July 20, with what was probably the most intellectually substantive and thought-provoking Hall H panel in years. Westworld fans were treated to a first look — two looks, actually, since the trailer was replayed near the end of the gathering — at the show’s third season, set to premiere in 2020 at a date yet to be determined.

Having portrayed Superman three times, Henry Cavill is, of course, no stranger to Comic-Con. And he admits it’s shaped him as both a performer and a person.