76th Berlin International Film Festival: “A Russian Winter” Review

Directed by Patric Chiha, A Russian Winter offers a necessary portrait of the post-2022 lives of Russians who chose exile. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian identity has often been flattened into a single political narrative, leaving little space for those who reject the regime, or for the difficult, uncertain process of…

76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Papaya” Review

A compact and light-hearted Brazilian animation, Papaya, screening at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, feels exceptionally sincere and heartening as director Priscilla Kelle’s feature debut. Without dialogue, the constant adventure of the papaya seed reflects a teeming Amazonian forest landscape blazing with colours through its vitality and the complex interactions of plants coexisting within…

76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Iván & Hadoum” Review

Hadoum, a Moroccan woman, and Iván, a Spanish trans man, are colleagues in a greenhouse in southern Spain, where they fall in love. However, this love is tough. It has to face problems such as class and race, and, most practically, it interferes with Iván’s promotion. Behind it all lies the expectation of his entire…

76th Berlin International Film Festival: In Coversation with Kilian Armondo Friedrich, Director of “I Understand Your Displeasure”

Premiering in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival, I Understand Your Displeasure, directed by Kilian Armando Friedrich, is a wonderful work. Known for his background in documentary cinema, including Nomades du Nucléaire, which debuted in Berlin and later won the German Short Film Award, Friedrich brings the same observational intimacy and ethical…

76th Berlin International Film Festival: “Yellow Letters” Review

Premiering in Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, Yellow Letters, directed by İlker ÇATAK and written by him alongside Ayda Meryem ÇATAK and Enis KÖSTEPEN, begins as a simple, intimate family story that gradually reveals itself to be far more powerful and troubling. The opening is shattering in its simplicity. Under the dark lights…

Jonny Durgan’s “G.S.W” – Short Film Review

Driven by a compelling narrative, Jonny Durgan’s G.S.W. slowly tightens its grip on the viewer, refusing to let go until the final moments. Built around a single emergency, the film examines moral fracture and the collision of professional duty with personal fear. The film follows Beth (Genevieve O’Reilly: Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, Ahsoka,…

Singapore International Film Festival: “10s Across the Borders” Review

10s Across the Borders is a pan-Asian documentary feature directed by Chan Sze-Wei, spotlighting the ballroom scene culture in Southeast Asia. Starring three pioneers Xyza Pinklady Mizrahi, Teddy Oricci, and Aurora Sun Labeija from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, it uncovers this fascinating subculture derived from African and Latinx communities in New York in a…

European Film Awards 2026: Nominees in the Arts & Crafts Categories Announced

The European Film Academy has unveiled the nominees for the 2026 European Film Awards in eight Arts & Crafts categories, celebrating the extraordinary creative talent that shapes the sound and emotional power of European cinema. This year, it’s the first full implementation of the Academy’s new member chapter system, with professionals from each craft selecting…

62nd Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival: “Beyond 93 Letters” Review

What is it like to request the end of your own life? Beyond 93 Letters follows the heavy-hearted journey of Ting-ying, who, after earning her PhD, is diagnosed with a brain tumour. After four years of ineffective treatments and relentless pain, she ultimately sends a plea for help to Dignitas, the Swiss organisation that provides…