The 76th film festival on the French Cote d'Azur saw a record number of female directors in the competition. The Palme d'Or for best film went to "Anatomy of a Fall," directed by Justine Triet. The prestigious Cannes Film Festival's closing ceremony took place on Saturday, with a French thriller landing the event's top award.  Women win big as Justine Triet takes Palme d'Or This year's Cannes festival was marked by a record number of female directors, with seven of the 21 films in the competition made by women, including newcomers and long-established auteurs. Justine Triet, 44, claimed the main prize, with "Anatomy of a Fall" awarded the coveted Palme d'Or for best film.  Triet is the third female director to win the prestigious Palme d'Or. She prevailed over veteran directors like Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ken Loach and Wim Wenders, all of whom have won at least one Palme d'Or. The film stars German actress Sandra Hüller as a writer who tries to prove her innocence after she is accused of her husband's death. In her acceptance speech, Triet blasted the French government over the recent protests against president Emmanuel Macron. "The country suffered from historic protests over the reform of the pension system. These protests were denied... repressed in a shocking way," she said.  Best actor and actress awards In the best actress category, Turkey's Merve Dizdar got the nod for the film "About Dry Grasses," the latest from festival favorite Nuri Bilge Ceylan.  The best actor nod went to Japan's Koji Yakusho for "Perfect Days," a film by German director Wim Wenders about the story of a Tokyo toilet cleaner. The Grand Prix, the second-highest prize after the Palme d'Or, went to British director Jonathan Glazer's "Zone of Interest," about a family living next to Auschwitz. Meanwhile, the award for best director went to Vietnamese-born French filmmaker Tran Anh Hung for "The Pot-au-Feu", a foodie love story, set in a 19th century French gourmet château.

Austrian actor Helmut Berger has died at the age of 78. One of the stars of European cinema in the 1960s and 1970s, he was renowned for playing narcisisstic and sexually-ambiguous characters. The German-speaking cinema world mourned the passing of one of its past stars on Thursday, with news that Helmut Berger died in his sleep shortly before his 79th birthday. It was in such films as "The Damned" (1969) and "Ludwig II" (1972) that Berger gained recognition for his striking looks and captivating presence on screen. Who was Helmut Berger? Born in the Austrian spa town of Bad Ischl in May 1944, Berger worked as a film extra in Rome before being discovered by Italian director Luchino Visconti. Visconti, who later became Berger's partner, gave him his first big acting role in 1967's "The Witches." His collaboration with the Italian director is considered to be outstanding. Berger personified the breaking of sexual taboos in European cinema. He became known in particular for his portrayal of narcissistic and bisexual figures. He played prominent roles in Visconti's "The Damned" and "Ludwig II," in which he portrayed an insane Bavarian king. "Helmut Berger was one of the greatest and most talented actors European cinema had ever seen," said Berger's agent Helmut Werner, who announced Berger's death on his website. "His mentor, [Visconti], recognized this talent immediately. No other actor after him embodied the Bavarian fairy tale king as expressively." Visconti is often cited as having called Helmut Berger "the most beautiful man in the world." Finding world fame Berger was credited with personifying the breaking of sexual taboos in European cinema, gaining fame for his portrayal of narcissistic and bisexual figures. His fame was not limited to the German-speaking world. Berger found world fame with Vittorio De Sica's "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis," Massimo Dallamano's "Dorian Gray," and, later, in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part III." As such, he starred alongside cinema greats such as Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster and Silvana Mangano. Pop icon Madonna cited the androgyny of characters like Berger and David Bowie as among the most important influences on her work. Visconti died in 1976, plunging Berger into a personal crisis with few new major roles, instead appearing on talks shows and reality television. However, Berger's agent Werner said the actor had no regrets: "Many years ago, Helmut Berger told me: 'I have lived three lives. And in 4 languages! Je ne regrette rien!"

The movie based on the Western Front novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I, gained the Best Picture award, along with six other honors. The German film "All Quiet on the Western Front'' won seven prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) on Sunday. Irish tragicomedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" and rock biopic "Elvis" both earned four awards at the gala. 'War is anything but an adventure' A visceral depiction of life and death during World War I, "All Quiet" earned Edward Berger the best director award in London. The film was also acclaimed as best film, adapted screenplay, film not in the English language, cinematography, sound and original score. The film, based on the novel of the same title by Erich Maria Remarque, was up for 14 awards in total, making it the joint most-nominated foreign-language film in the academy's 76-year history. The epic has also been nominated for nine Oscars, with the Academy Awards ceremony set to take place next month. Producer Malte Grunert said the success the film enjoyed on Sunday night was "incredible," adding that the movie and novel illustrated that "war is anything but an adventure." Book banned in Nazi Germany The book first appeared towards the end of 1928 in the German newspaper Vossische Zeitung and was published as a novel in early 1929. The book was quickly translated into 26 languages. In Germany alone, nearly half a million copies were sold within months. The publication and its sequel, "The Road Back", which was published a year later, were among the texts banned in Nazi Germany. The Banshees of Inisherin and Elvis win 4 BAFTAs each "The Banshees of Inisherin" co-starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson earned four prizes, including best supporting actor for Barry Keoghan and best supporting actress for Kerry Condon, who was initially not awarded the prize after a miscommunication. Austin Butler won the leading actor award for his portrayal of "Elvis" in the biopic movie based on the life of the legendary singer and actor dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll." "This means the world to me," Butler said on stage upon receiving his award. Awarded annually since 1955, the BAFTAs represent the biggest honors for film in Britain with this year's ceremony held at London's Royal Festival Hall.

It equals the most nominations a non-English-language film has received at the UK-based awards. The anti-war drama, based on a 1928 novel, depicts life and death in the trenches of World War I. German film "All Quiet On The Western Front" led nominations for the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) on Thursday. The anti-war drama, based on a 1928 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque, received 14 nominations. This is the most nominations a non-English-language film has received at the BAFTAs. The only other release to have received 14 nominations is the 2001 Mandarin-language action film "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", organizers said. "All Quiet On the Western Front", directed by Edward Berger, was released by streaming platform Netflix in October 2022. What is 'All Quiet On The Western Front' about? The book depicts life and death in the trenches of World War I, which Remarque had experienced as a conscript. He emigrated to Switzerland in 1933, after which his works were banned and burned by the Nazis. The 2022 movie adaptation of Remarque's novel was recognized in the best film category, as well as for films not in the English language, for director, supporting actor, adapted screenplay and original score. Some critics have praised the film as a successful anti-war drama, while others criticize the director for inventing new storylines and ommitting characters and scenes from the book. Also this month, "All Quiet On the Western Front" was nominated for best foreign film at the US-based Golden Globe Awards. Late last year, the movie was nominated to the Oscars shortlist for best international picture among 15 other candidates. What other films were nominated? The  dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" and the sci-fi film "Everything Everywhere All At Once" received the second highest amount of nominations, with each movie getting 10 nods. Baz Luhrman's Elvis Presley biopic received nine nominations, while psychological drama "Tar" was given five nods. The BAFTAs will take place on February 19 in London.

Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida has passed away. She was renowned as one of Europe's most erotic film icons. Italian news agency ANSA announced on Monday that the actress had passed away. She was 95. Lollobrigida was not only a major Italian star, she also became internationally famous as a sex icon. Her film titles say it all: "Wife for a Night," "The Unfaithfuls," "The Wayward Wife," "Beautiful But Dangerous" — these are all titles from the 1950s, linked by a clear theme.  That same theme continued well into the 1960s: "Go Naked in the World," "Strange Bedfellows," "Pleasant Nights," "The Sultans," "Imperial Venus" and "Curious Way to Love." 'La Lollo' marketed for eroticism Admittedly, the original Italian names of some of these highly eroticized film titles sound rather harmless in comparison. Film distributors throughout the world tried to draw attention to the attractive actress' sex appeal — even if the actual films didn't have much to do with sex. And it worked. Lollobrigida became one of the most sought-after sex symbols of her era. While the US was busy promoting the likes of Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe, Europe responded with Lollobrigida and, later on, Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot. And while the respective film industries on either side of the Atlantic were competing to crown an unparalleled beauty, Lollobrigida saw her own rivalry heating up with Loren. The two divas of the silver screen were in fierce competition, along with all the other European belles, to be unofficially crowned as Europe's most erotic female film star. The winner is still up for much debate. Born to be famous Born on July 4, 1927, just outside Rome, Lollobrigida began competing in beauty pageants at the tender age of 3. The camera loved her outstanding beauty — and she clearly loved the camera. It was through these pageants that Italian film directors first took notice, when she was in her teens. Following numerous performances as an extra, "La Lollo" was cast in minor and increasingly larger film roles as she became an adult. Her first major roles came in 1952, starring opposite French screen hero Gerard Philipe in "Fan-Fan the Tulip" and "Beauties of the Night." Lollobrigida's fame grew steadily as she enchanted moviegoers across Europe with her Italian temperament, her boundless sensuality and her impressive figure, which was only emphasized by the work of canny seamstresses altering her outfits to highlight her assets.  Breakthrough role The gorgeous Mediterranean brunette certainly had a knack for making the hearts of men skip a beat. This did not go unnoticed in Hollywood, where Lollobrigida launched a successful career just a few years later. Her breakthrough came in 1956 with a pan-European production opposite Anthony Quinn in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Despite her widespread popularity, "La Lollo" never managed to win an Academy Award. Though many other famous actresses over the years have shared a similar fate, it may just have been due to her reputation with regard to her acting ability.  Film producer Carlo Ponti allegedly once said that she was, at best, a "mediocre" actress. Whether or not he was right in that assessment is in the eye of the beholder. With or without the coveted award, Lollobrigida's career continued to reach ever greater heights. In the 1960s, she starred in one movie after the next. While arthouse films were beginning to carve out their share of the market during that decade, she continued to see herself first and foremost as an actress in popcorn flicks. However, her fame could only go so far, and the nature of cinema was changing rapidly. But instead of trying to push the envelope, she also wanted to focus on things that were important to her. She turned her attention to photography, and later sculpture, finding success in both. On her 95th birthday on July 4. 2022, Lollobrigida told ANSA that she was determined to stay creative with the photography and art projects she turned to after her decades as a sex symbol. But she didn't turn her back on show business altogether. A few minor roles in the 1970s and '80s aside, she remained true to her original calling by working as jury president at film festivals — first in Toronto and later at the Berlinale in Germany as well. Diva-like behavior The 1986 Berlinale, however, did not exactly run smoothly for Lollobrigida. As head of the jury, she caused a major stir when she rejected the majority pick for best picture. "Stammheim," directed by German filmmaker Reinhard Hauff, was clearly not her cup of tea. The courtroom drama took a closer look at the legal proceedings behind the trials of the Red Army Faction (RAF), a group of radical left German terrorists held responsible for the murder of 33 people during the 1970s. The film clearly went against Lollobrigida's ideas of what constitutes a good film, and she didn't hold back in letting the press know about it. Her choice to distance herself from the jury's vote was seen as unprofessional, but in hindsight appears to be a testament to her trademark confidence that had taken her so far in life. Lollobrigida managed to weather the controversy and was still recognized as "the" Italian diva long after. 'Right to live and die in peace' Despite her increasing physical and mental fragility in recent years, La Lollo attempted to stand for parliament in the general election held in Italy on September 25, 2022, which was won by the right-wing party of Giorgia Meloni. Her grandnephew, Francesco Lollobrigida, became the farm and food sovereignty minister for the winning party. She last appeared in public on November 21, 2022, on a popular Italian TV show, tearing up as she discussed her ongoing legal dispute over her estate with her son and grandson. "I have a right to live and die in peace," she said.

The critically acclaimed film, and Pakistan's Oscar entry, came under pressure from religious leaders. Pakistani authorities have now prohibited its screening in cinemas. Pakistan's authorities said Monday that they banned the movie "Joyland," a story about a man who falls in love with a transgender woman, from screening in cinemas. Joyland has received top global awards, including the Queer Palm, which is the Cannes Film Festival's LGBTQ prize. The movie also came away with rave reviews after it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and the American Film Institute Festival. "Joyland" was due to screen in theaters in Pakistan this week after authorities issued a screening certificate. But they later withdrew the permission after receiving complaints from religious leaders who deemed the movie objectionable. While Pakistan's parliament broke ground in 2018 by passing a law to provide legal recognition to transgender persons, some conservative hardliners have lately been campaigning to take those rights away from people. Pressure from religious group The movie is Pakistan's official entry for the category of Best International Feature Film for Oscars 2023. Directed by Saim Sadiq, the film tells the story of a young married man from a middle-class family who joins an erotic dance theater and falls in love with a transgender performer. Pakistan's censor board said the movie had "highly objectionable material" after religious groups accused the movie of promoting homosexuality. Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, a member of a religious political party who had campaigned against the release of the film, wrote on Twitter that he was relieved to hear about the ban. "Nothing un-Islamic can happen here," Ahmad added. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Wednesday) said her government has allocated Taka 1000 crore for setting up cinema halls or cineplex at district and upazila levels having modern facilities to furtherflourish film industry of the country. "It is now information technology's age. The cinema industry was analogue which I want to make digitised. So, we allocated Taka 1000 crore. I want to build modern cinema halls or cineplex at district and upazila levels," she said. The Prime Minister was addressing the handing over ceremony of the National Film Award-2020 at city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital as the chief guest this morning. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry organised the function. The Prime Minister said her government has taken measures to digitalize the old films. Mentioning that the film is the reflection of the society, she said it can play a big role in reforming the society. The film related people could discharge their due role and responsibilities towards the nation and the country by making good cinemas, she added. Describing the film as the bearer of the history, she said it would help know many things unfamiliar to us. The Prime Minister urged all concerned to make good movies which can play a significant role in eliminating irregularities and disarray from the society. On behalf of the premier, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud handed over the awards among the recipients as he presided over the function. Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Ministry Hasanul Haq Inu was present. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Md. Mokbul Hossain delivered the welcome speech. The premier called upon all concerned to make more films on the country's Liberation War, sacrifice of the masses, quality education, people and their patriotism. "Alongside providing entertainment, cinemas can play role in reforming the society, educating and encouraging the people in patriotism and thus help the country march towards prosperity," she said. Sheikh Hasina said she wants Bangladesh's culture to flourish further. "Bangladesh is marching ahead and will far advance and our film industry will make further progress," she said. The Prime Minister said she becomes overwhelmed seeing Bangladeshi movies, adding, "The making of our film is so nice despite the limited resources." She said that she usually watch Bangladeshi movies in planes while going abroad. Recalling the contribution of the artistes to the Liberation War, she said her government has been working tirelessly to give the film industry a strong footing. The Prime Minister said there are huge intellectuals in the country, adding that the hidden talents should come out to the light and use their expertise for the welfare of the nation. She greeted the young artistes for their outstanding works in the film industry and urged them to devote themselves to make good movies which will help young generation get a better life. The Prime Minister said her government has formed a welfare trust by giving a seed money for the artistes aimed at providing them financial assistances in their hardship. She called upon the rich people to donate in large number in the fund. Describing the language, literature and culture as priceless assets, she urged all to make movies on the history, culture and heritage of the country. The premier recalled the contribution of Bangabandhu to development of film and said Bangabandhu had first created the scope of making film by a Bangalee in Bangladesh as he placed the bill titled "East Pakistan Film Development Corporation" in the parliament and it was passed. Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu had set up the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) and took other necessary measures for the overall development of film. But, after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, she said the voice of art and culture of Bangalees was gagged and propaganda was carried out for distorting the history of independence. Earlier on February 15 this year, the names of the recipients of National Film Award-2020 have been announced in 27 categories. 'Gor (The Grave)' and 'Bishwoshundori' movies jointly won the award in the best film category. Gor (The Grave) was jointly produced by Gazi Rakayet and Faridur Reza Sagar while Anjan Chowdhury was the producer of 'Bishwoshundori'. Eminent artistes Anwara Begum and Raisul Islam Asad got the lifetime achievement awards-2020 for their enormous contributions to the film industry. Gazi Rakayet has been given the best director award for his film 'Gor'. Siam Ahmed was awarded the best actor for leading role in film 'Bishwoshundori', while the best actress in leading role award-2020 went to Deepanwita Martin for film 'Gor'. The best actor in supporting role award went to Fazlur Rahman Babu for film 'Bishwoshundori' while Aparna Ghose won the best supporting actress award for film 'Gondi'. Misha Sawdagor was awarded best actor in a negative role for film 'Bir'. Mugdhota Morshed Wriddhi won the best child artiste award for film 'Gondi'. Belal Khan bagged the best music director's award for the song 'Bishshash Jodi Jayre' of the film 'Hridoy Jurey', while late Md Sahidur Rahman won the award in the best dance director category for film 'Bishwoshundori'. The best singer award went to Md. Mahmudul Haque Imran (film 'Bishwoshundori'), while Dilshad Nahar Kona and Somnur Monir Konal were jointly got the best female singer awards for their songs in 'Bishwoshundori' and 'Bir' films. Documentary 'Bangabandhur Rajnoitik Jibon o Bangladesher Obbhyudoy' directed by Syed Ashique Rahman, was awarded in the best documentary category, while short film 'Aarong', directed by Jannatul Ferdaus ,was awarded in the best short film category. The other award winners are: Kabir Bakul (best lyricist), Md. Mahmudul Haque Imran (best composer), Gazi Rakayet (story), Gazi Rakayet (screenwriter), Fakhrul Arefeen Khan (dialogue), Shariful Islam (editor), Uttam Kumar Guha (best art direction), Pankaj Palit and Mahbub Ullah Niaz (jointly for best cinematographer), Md Shahadat Hasan Badhon (special award under best child artist category), Kazi Selim Ahmed (sound designer), Enamtara Begum (costume) and Mohammad Ali Babul (makeup). On behalf of the recipients, noted artist Raisul Islam Asad expressed his feelings at the function. Source: BSS AH