2026 OUTFESTNEXT

After beginning a new chapter last year, OutfestNext returns with a summer film festival that celebrates LGBTQ+ experiences through cinema. For four days, July 23 to July 26, the fest will offer independent queer feature films, shorts, documentaries and engaging conversations. The screenings will be held at the LGBT Center Renberg Theater and Micro Cinema in Los Angeles.

Some of the films that will be featured include "I Want Your Sex", the first feature film in over a decade from filmmaker, Gregg Araki, one of the pioneers of the New Queer Cinema movement. This erotic comedy stars Olivia Wilde as an art-world provocateur and Cooper Hoffman as her new young assistant that she turns into her sexual plaything. Charli XCX, Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville also star. "Test" from director, Sam McConnell follows an amateur bodybuilder (Brock Yurich who also wrote the screenplay) in working-class Ohio who is working hard to achieve his dream of becoming a champion. But to afford his daily regime of meds required to bulk up, he discretely performs on the web for men. 

William Friedkin’s 1980 film "Cruising" was the controversial mainstream movie to depict gay life which involved a cop going undercover to solve a murder. The documentary from Jeffrey Schwarz, "Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders" examines the real-life killings that inspired the main narrative of "Cruising" while also exploring the legacy of this film today. This year's winner of the Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival from director, Brydie O'Connor, "Barbara Forever" looks at the life and work of the late, pioneering lesbian filmmaker, Barbara Hammer. "Maspalomas", from Spanish directors, Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga, tells the story of an elderly man (José Ramón Sorois) who came out late in life and is now making up for lost time in the gay paradise of Maspalomas in the Canary Islands. But a stroke changes his life with his daughter moving him against his wishes into a conservative nursing home. And "Dreamboi", an erotically charged horror film set in the Philippines from director, Rodina Singh that was recently banned by that country's motion picture review board.









For the complete list of films and to purchase tickets, please click below:

OutfestNext 2026

2026 BLEAK WEEK: CINEMA OF DESPAIR

From May 31st through June 7th, Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair will be returning to theaters for the fifth year. This festival, which has expanded globally this year to seventy-three cities, began in Los Angeles by the American Cinematheque to present a weeklong event that spotlights some of the greatest films from around the world that explore the darkest sides of humanity, as well as some of the bleakest points in human history. This year's series continues with some of the world’s greatest filmmakers who completely embrace a cinema of despair in pursuit of unpleasant truths and raw empathy.

Some of the films presented will include appearances by filmmakers and actors for discussions with highlights include French acting icon, Isabelle Huppert with six of her films that will feature "The Piano Teacher", "Elle" and the infamous, "Heaven's Gate"; filmmaker, Ari Aster will have a retrospective that will include his bleak classics, "Hereditary", "Beau is Afraid" and a director's cut of "Midsommar"; Steven Spielberg's timely, "A.I Artificial Intelligence" will celebrate it's 25th Anniversary with actor, Haley Joel Osment; The Coen Brothers' underappreciated 2001 film, "The Man Who Wasn't There" with the theatrical world premiere of a new restoration and Q&A with cinematographer Roger Deakins; Theresa Russell will be present for a screening of "Bad Timing", a now cult classic that co-starred Art Garfunkel and directed by her then-husband, Nicolas Roeg; the U.S. premiere of a new 4K restoration of Jane Campion's Oscar-winning drama, "The Piano" from 1993; and Al Pacino will be in-person for a Q&A following a screening of "The Godfather Part II" on June 2nd.











The screenings will take place at the Los Feliz 3 Theatres, The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. For the complete list of films, please click below:

2026 Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair

For more information on venues participating outside of Los Angeles, please click below:

2026 Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair Global Film Festival

WINNERS OF THE 2026 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Cristian Mungiu’s drama, "Fjord" won the Palme d’Or at the conclusion of the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival. The Romanian director, who previously received the festival’s prize for his film, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" in 2007, becomes the tenth director to win the coveted award twice. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve star as a conservative couple who decide to move to the remote village in Norway where the wife was born with their children. But their new life does not go as planned when they come up against a couple who become concerned about how they're raising their family. And theatrical distributor, Neon (which will release "Fjord") continued to make history at Cannes with its seventh straight Palme d’Or winner with Bong Joon Ho’s 2019 film, "Parasite" and Sean Baker's 2024 feature, "Anora" both going on to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Russian director Andreï Zviaguintsev’s "Minotaur" went on to receive the Grand Prize which is the runner-up. Based on the 1969 French film "The Unfaithful Wife" by Claude Chabrol, "Minotaur" is set in a Russian small town and follows business executive on the verge of laying off his employees when he discovers his wife is having an affair.

This year's jury, lead by Park Chan-Wook, seemed to have great difficulty narrowing down just one winner as there our multiple films sharing prizes. The directorial duo, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for "La Bola Negra" and Paweł Pawlikowski of "Fatherland" both won the Best Director award. Virginie Efira and Tao Okamot jointly received the Best Actress award for their performances in "All Of A Sudden" while Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagneshare, the stars of Lukas Dhont’s World War I drama, "Coward", shared the Best Actor Award.

Here is the list of winners of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival:

Palme d’Or: "Fjord"
Grand Prize: "Минотавр (Minotaur)"
Jury Prize: "Das Geträumte Abenteuer (The Dreamed Adventure)"



Best Director: Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, "La Bola Negra (The Black Ball)" and Paweł Pawlikowski, "Fatherland" (Tie)





Best Screenplay: Emmanuel Marre, "Notre Salut (A Man of His Time)"
Best Actress: Virginie Efira and Tao Okamo, "Soudain (All Of A Sudden)"
Best Actor: Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagneshare for "Coward"



Camera d’Or: "Ben’Imana"
Short Film Palme d’Or: "Para los contrincantes (For The Opponents)"
Honorary Palme d’Or: John Travolta and Barbra Streisand

2026 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

The 79th annual Cannes Film Festival is set to begin with the glamourous star-studded event will run from May 12-23 on the French riviera. This international celebration of cinema will be the first opportunity to see some of the exciting new works that will reach screens throughout the rest of the year and beyond. The poster for this year's fest features the image of Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as "Thelma & Louise" in Ridley Scott's 1991 road-trip drama that made it's world premiere at Cannes going on to become a critical and commercial success.

The festival opens with the world premiere of "La Vénus électrique (the Electric Kiss)" from Pierre Salvadori which will be screened Out of Competition. The film stars Pio Marmaï as Antoine Balestro, a painter in 1920's Paris who has been unable to work since the death of his wife, Irène (Vimala Pons), much to the frustration of his gallery owner, Armand (Gilles Lellouche) who goes through some drastic measures to try and get him in front of an easel.



Korean writer/director Park Chan-Wook will serve as this year's jury president. He will be joined by American actress, Demi Moore; Swedish actor, Stellan Skarsgård; Irish actress, Ruth Negga; Ivorian-French actor, Isaach De Bankolé; Chinese writer/director Chloé Zhao; Chilean writer/director Diego Céspedes; Belgian writer/director, Laura Wandel and Britsh screenwriter Paul Laverty to select the winners of the top prizes.

There have been twenty-two films selected for Competition that will feature an impressive collection of films by a wide range of international filmmakers. Some of the movies will include new works by acclaimed directors, Andrey Zvyagintsev ("Минотавр (Minotaur)"), Pawel Pawlikowski ("Fatherland"), Lazlo Nemes ("Moulin"), Cristian Mungiu ("Fjiord"), Hirokazu Kore-eda ("箱の中の羊 (Sheep in the Box)"), Lukas Dhont ("Coward"), Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi ("La Bola Negra (The Black Ball)"), Marie Kreutzer ("Gentle Monster"), Asghar Farhadi ("Histoires Parallèles (Parallel Stories)") and Pedro Almodóvar ("Amarga Navidad (Bitter Christmas)"). This year will be very slight in regards to an American film presence at Cannes with only Ira Sachs' "The Man I Love", a musical fantasia set during the AIDS crisis and the recent addition of James Gray's "Paper Tiger", a crime-drama featuring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, as the only movies from the US selected for competition.





In the Un Certain Regard section, which presents a lineup which recognizes emerging talent and innovative cinema, will feature the latest film from Jane Schoenbrun with "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" which will be the opening film; American actor/comedian, Jordan Firstman's directorial debut, "Club Kid"; "A Girl’s Story" the debut feature directed by French actress, Judith Godrèche and Greek director Konstantina Kotzamani’s "Titanic Ocean" about a special school in Japan that trains teenage girls into being professional mermaids.



Some intriguing films that will be shown out of competition includes the return of the Danish filmmaker, Nicolas Winding Refn with his horror-thriller, "Her Private Hell", his first feature film in ten years. The actor, Andy Garcia will premiere his second film as a director with "Diamond", a crime-drama that stars Garcia, Vicky Krieps, Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman. Steven Soderbergh will screen his documentary, "John Lennon: The Last Interview", the controversial film that will combine AI visual elements with the audio of the former Beatle's final interview with Rolling Stone magazine and Ron Howard will debut his documentary "Avedon" about the life and career of the famed photographer, Richard Avedon.

And Peter Jackson, the New Zealand filmmaker best known for his work on the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, will be presented this year with an honorary Palme d’Or. The Academy Award winning director will also participate in the fest's Talks program along with fellow Oscar-winners, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton for separate onstage conversations.

KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The esteemed Polish filmmaker, Krzysztof Kieślowski will be honored with a tribute by the American Cinematheque with a screening of his best known works which includes his celebrated "Three Colours" trilogy. The retrospective will begin on May 3rd and running through July 12th with screenings held at the Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatre.

Kieślowski, who passed away in 1996 at the age fifty-four during open-heart surgery following a heart attack, had been awarded numerous prizes throughout his career that included a 1988 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion in 1993, the Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear as well as receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay in 1995.

Born in Warsaw, Kieślowski had no real career goals, briefly attending firefighters' training school and then wanted to become a theatre director but lacked the proper education and settled on cinema. He applied to the Łódź Film School and was rejected three times before finally being accepted. After making several short films, Kieślowski's first major project was a documentary and his first film for television, "Workers '71: Nothing About Us Without Us" in 1972 which focused on workers discussing the reasons for the mass strikes of 1970. Frustrated by the censorship of his film by the government when it aired, Kieślowski decided to focus largely on fiction which would allow him more artistic freedom and control over his work.

His first feature film was "Personnel", a 1975 television drama about a young man who finds work as a tailor at an opera and becomes disillusioned by the harsh realities of stage productions, that would win numerous awards at national festivals including the Grand Prize at the Mannheim International Film festival. Kieślowski's work during his early period were shot in a documentary style with many nonprofessional actors which includes "Blizna (The Scar)", "Przypadek (Blind Chance)" and No End "Bez końca (No End)". This lead to the 1988 television movie, "Dekalog" which featured a series of ten hour-long episodes set in a Warsaw tower block, each loosely based on one of the Ten Commandments. The program helped Kieślowski attract foreign financing for his next films, mainly from France, which allowed him to have a bigger budget and expand his vision to create his work.

The first was "The Double Life of Veronique" in 1990 which starred Irène Jacob as two women, one Polish and the other French that do not know each other, who share a deep, emotional bond that transcends language and geography. This film became internationally acclaimed, winning the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Best Actress award for Jacob.

His next project was the ambitious feature film trilogy, "Three Colours (Blue, White, Red)", which explores the virtues symbolized by the French flag. "Blue" (which symbolizes liberty) starred Juliette Binoche as a woman whose husband and daughter are killed in a car accident and then tries to isolate herself from life. "White", about equality, is a psychological comedy involving a Polish man (Zbigniew Zamachowski) living in Paris that suffers several humiliating circumstances after being left by his French wife (Julie Delpy). And Irène Jacob starred in "Red" (which represents fraternity) with her playing a model whose life dramatically collides with a bitter retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant). Despite the critical acclaim for these films, Kieślowski announced he was retiring in 1994 following the premiere of "Red" at the Cannes Film Festival. He had become physically and emotionally exhausted from the process of filmmaking as well as claiming to really never enjoyed making movies.

Whether this was true or not, Kieślowski revealed himself to be a true cinematic visionary, leaving behind an indelible collection of films ranging from the social realist examinations of life under communism to the universal complexities of the human condition.

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Krzysztof Kieślowski: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

WINNERS OF THE 2026 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

With the close of the 76th annual Berlin Film Festival, Ilker Çatak’s "Gelbe Briefe (Yellow Letters)" has won the top prize of Golden Bear for Best Film. The fifth feature film from the German-Turkish director following his Oscar-nominated "The Teachers' Lounge", "Yellow Letters" follows an actress and her arts professor husband in Turkey whose lives are upended due to political persecution by their authoritarian government. Grant Lee took Best Director for "Everybody Digs Bill Evans", the bio-drama about the legendary jazz pianist. Sandra Hüller received the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance for her role in "Rose", a period drama about a woman disguised as a male soldier and the Best Supporting Performance prize was shared by Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay who co-star in "Queen at Sea" as a long-married couple who are struggling due to the wife's dementia.

Here are the winners of the 2026 Berlin Film Festival:

Golden Bear: "Gelbe Briefe (Yellow Letters)"
Best Director: Grant Gee, "Everybody Digs Bill Evans"
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Geneviève Dulude-de Celles, "Nina Roza"



Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: "Salvation"



Silver Bear Jury Prize: "Queen At Sea"
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Sandra Hüller, "Rose"



Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay, "Queen at Sea"



Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: "Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)"

2026 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

The first major celebration of new world cinema is soon set to begin with the 76th Annual Berlin International Film Festival, running from February 12th through 22nd. The 2026 edition of Berlinale will open with the drama film, "No Good Men", the third feature by Afghan filmmaker, Shahrbanoo Sadat. Based on true events, the film follows Naru, (played by Sadat herself) who is the only female camerawoman at Kabul TV. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she's convinced that there are no good men left in Afghanistan until she meets a married fellow reporter (Anwar Hashimi) and that opinion begins to shift.

Wim Wenders, the legendary German filmmaker, is this year's Jury President and will help lead in deciding which films will win prizes in the Main Competition. The fellow jurors will be Nepalese filmmaker, Min Bahadur Bham; South Korean actress, Bae Doona; Indian filmmaker, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur; American filmmaker, Reinaldo Marcus Green; Japanese filmmaker, Hikari and Polish producer, Ewa Puszczyńska. 

Some of the films in competition includes new works by Grant Gee ("Everybody Digs Bill Evans"), Beth de Araújo ("Josephine"), Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel ("The Loneliest Man in Town"), Geneviève Dulude-De Celles ("Nina Roza"), Karim Aïnouz ("Rosebush Pruning"), Lance Hammer ("Queen at Sea"), İlker Çatak ("Gelbe Briefe (Yellow Letters)") and Warwick Thornton ( Wolfram")





Out of Competition screenings will include two films that premiered at the recent Sundance Film Festival: "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York", a crime-thriller from actor/filmmaker, Noah Segan that stars, John Turturro and Padraic McKinley's "The Weight", a period drama that features Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe. "The Testament of Ann Lee" from Mona Fastvold, (that has already been released in the US) and Gore Verbinski's latest, "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" (which will reach US theaters on February 13th) will also be screened.



And Michelle Yeoh, the iconic Malaysian performer, will be the recipient of the Honorary Golden Bear for her extensive career in cinema that has spanned over forty years. "Everything Everywhere All at Once", the sci-fi comedy which the actress won the 2022 Oscar for Best Actress and the world premiere of "Sandiwara", a short film shot on an iPhone from the Oscar-winning filmmaker, Sean Baker which has Yeoh playing five different characters will both be screened in her honor.

JOACHIM TRIER: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will celebrate the Danish-Norwegian filmmaker, Joachim Trier with a tribute featuring most of his movies to date beginning on January 2nd to January 8th. There has been plenty of buzz surrounding his most recent film, "Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)" which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, selected as the Norwegian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, was awarded or nominated for several film critics prizes and received seven nominations for the upcoming Golden Globe Awards. Trier and his long-time collaborator, Eskil Vogt (who has co-written all of Trier's films) will be in-person for a special screening of "Sentimental Value" on January 7th at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. They will also be appearing together following the screening of their previously acclaimed film from 2021, "Verdens verste menneske (The Worst Person in the World)" on January 8th at the Los Feliz Theatre in Los Angeles.

The work of Trier tends to be intimate ruminations involving romantic relationships, memory and an arduous search for a sense of identity. His arresting films are filled with dark moods, darker humor and subdued emotions while visually highly stylized yet naturalistic in tone.

Trier came from a family that had been involved in cinema with his father working as a sound technician and his grandfather was an experimental filmmaker in Norway. He first got involved with film himself by shooting and editing his own skateboarding videos. Trier later enrolled at the European Film College in Denmark and then the National Film & Television School in Britain. It was during this time that he made several short films with one, "Proctor" winning Best British Short Award at the 2002 Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Trier went to work on his feature film debut, "Reprise", released in 2006, about two friends who both want to become writers but whose lives take on different paths. This well-received film would go on to be selected as Norway's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. "Reprise" became the first feature in Trier's Oslo trilogy, a trio of standalone films all set in the Norwegian city, which was followed by "Oslo, August 31st" in 2011 and concluded with "The Worst Person in the World". Trier also directed "Louder Than Bombs" his first English-language film, the supernatural thriller, "Thelma", and the documentary "The Other Munch".

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Joachim Trier: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

GUS VAN SANT: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will honor Gus Van Sant with a career retrospective beginning on December 4th through December 13th with screenings held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and Los Feliz 3 Theatres in Los Angeles. This master filmmaker of independent and mainstream cinema will have screened some of his best known and critically acclaimed works made early in his extraordinary career. The fest will end with an advance screening of his newest film, "Dead Man's Wire", a crime caper based on a true story set in the '70's involving a disgruntled customer who kidnaps his bank mortgager, then demands hostage money and an apology. Van Sant and screenwriter Austin Kolodney will be in person for a Q&A at the Aero, followed by a screening of the director's acclaimed 1989 dark comedy, "Drugstore Cowboy" that starred Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch.

With an interest in the visual arts as a young man, Van Sant attended the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied various avant-garde directors and began making Super-8 short films. Moving to Los Angeles in 1976, Van Sant found work as a production assistant while trying to break into the film business. During this period, he began to observe the colorful denizens living in the rougher sections of Hollywood. 

After moving to Portland, this experience helped inspire him to adapt Walt Curtis' autobiographical novel, "Mala Noche" as his feature film debut in 1986. Shot in 16mm black & white film and a budget of $25,000, the story follows the relationship between Walt, a gay store clerk, and two younger Mexican boys. "Mala Noche" was well received in the film festival circuit, helping to kick off the new queer cinema movement, and Hollywood took interest in the young filmmaker. But the studios were not receptive to his non-mainstream ideas, so Van Sant went back to develop his own indie projects. "Drugstore Cowboy" became a critical hit and would be followed by "My Own Private Idaho", loosely based on Shakespeare's "Henry V" that featured stars, River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, receiving wide praise, awards and moderate financial success.

Now the studios were more interested in what Van Sant had to offer. But his next film, a 1993 adaptation of Tom Robbins' "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" was considered a flop but his follow-up, the 1995 black comedy, "To Die For" was received as a great achievement and was the first film to properly showcase what Nicole Kidman, a rising performer at the time, could really do as an actor. 

Van Sant would continue on making films his way, encountering major triumphs ("Good Will Hunting", "Milk". "Elephant", "Last Days") or less than stellar receptions ("Gerry", "Restless", "The Sea of Trees" and the still puzzling shot-for-shot remake of "Psycho") in the process.

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Gus Van Sant: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

PARK CHAN-WOOK: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker widely regarded as a leading figure in current world cinema, is having a retrospective at the American Cinematheque that will feature some highlights from his storied career. Many of Park's films, largely rooted in the crime-thriller genre, have become celebrated for their stylized camerawork, black humor, and brutal violence. 

Beginning November 16th, there will be an advance screening of his latest feature, the dark comedy-thriller, "No Other Choice", which will be followed by an in-person Q&A with Park and star, Lee Byung Hun at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. The other screenings, which will be held at the Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatres through December, will include his unofficial Vengeance Trilogy: "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance", "Lady Vengeance" and "Oldboy", which is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made and helped introduce Park to a wide global audience. 

Originally intending to be become an art critic, Park decided to move into filmmaking after viewing the Alfred Hitchcock classic, "Vertigo". His feature film debut, "The Moon Is... the Sun's Dream" in 1992 and his follow-up five years later, "Trio" were not well received, and he has since tried to distance himself from these works. His breakthrough came (and what he considers his "first" film) with "Joint Security Area" in 2000, a riveting thriller involving deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war (screening on December 6th at the Egyptian with Park in-person) which became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korean history. This was followed by other acclaimed works that include "Thrist", "I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK", the English-language film, "Snowpiercer", "Decision to Leave" (winning Park the 2022 Best Director prize at Cannes) and the celebrated erotic-thriller, "The Handmaiden" which be screened during this festival on December 5th. 

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Park Chan-wook: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

CHANTAL AKERMAN: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

The American Cinematheque will present a thorough retrospective of the renowned Belgian filmmaker, Chantal Akerman. The film that this bold and visionary artist is best known for is "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" from 1975 which found its way to be ranked "the greatest film of all time" in Sight & Sound magazine's 2022 critics poll. This film will be screened to start the festival on November 2nd and will feature several of Akerman's early short films, her first feature film and first documentary on various dates through December.

A pioneer of cinematic modernism, Akerman's filming style focused on capturing ordinary life which tends to move at an unhurried pace. And while she didn't regard herself as a "feminist", Akerman always tried to transcend female aesthetics of the cinema in her work.

Born in Brussels, Belgium, Akerman enrolled in INSAS, a Belgian film school, but dropped out during her first semester to make a short film, "Saute ma ville" in 1968. Akerman moved to New York City in 1971, staying for about a year, where she was exposed to the vibrant art scene that was happening during this period. She also met and began her long collaboration with French cinematographer, Babette Mangolte, who was living in the US at the time, making the documentary, "Hotel Monterey" and some short films.

Once back in Belgium, Akerman began working on her first feature film, "Je, Tu, Il, Elle" that focused on a young woman's unconventional sexuality which was a daring statement at the time. She would go on to make twelve feature films and sixteen documentaries and short films.

Sadly, Akerman ended her own life on October 5, 2015 in Paris, at the age of 65. Her last film prior to her passing was "No Home Movie", a documentary that featured a series of conversations she made with her beloved mother shortly before she died.

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Chantal Akerman: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

2025 OUTFESTNEXT

After being sidelined for the last couple of years, Outfest, the non-profit organization that celebrates LGBTQ+ storytelling through film, education, and community, is beginning it's return with OutfestNEXT presented by HBO MAX. This film festival will be held for four days, November 6th through 9th, that will feature independent queer feature films, shorts and engaging conversations. The venues for the screening events will be held at the LGBT Center Renberg Theatre in Hollywood and the Look Dine-In Cinemas in Glendale.

Some highlights include "All That We Love", from director, Yen Tan, a heartfelt and poignant depiction of grief and what it means to start anew. Margaret Cho stars as a woman whose life begins to unravel after the death of her beloved dog. More complications begin with her estranged ex-husband (Kenneth Choi) coming back into her life, their free-spirited daughter (Alice Lee) plans on moving to another country and her best friend (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) who has recently lost his husband. From filmmaker, Lucio Castro is "Drunken Noodles", which tells the story of a young art student who has a series of unexpected intimate encounters. "Dust Bunny", the feature directorial debut from Bryan Fuller, a horror-thriller that involves an eight-year-old girl (Sophie Sloan) who hires her hitman neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) to kill the vicious monster under her bed. Sigourney Weaver also stars. And Sydney Sweeney stars in "Christy", a sports drama about the life of former professional boxer Christy Martin from director, David Michôd.







The Legacy Spotlight is Greg Berlanti’s beloved classic "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy" with a 25th anniversary screening. The film tells the story of a close-knit group of gay friends who support each other as they search for love, deal with loss, and discover themselves. Dean Cain, Zach Braff, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Theroux and Billy Porter star.



Please click below for the complete list of films, events and to purchase tickets:

2025 OutfestNEXT

2025 AFI FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CANVA

The 2025 AFI Fest Film Festival will be on the way to showcase the latest films from across the globe in the heart of Hollywood. The fest will be held from October 22nd to 26th with most of the screenings to be at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres.

The fest will offer Red Carpet premieres, Special Screenings, Luminaries, Discovery, World Cinema, Documentary, After Dark and Short Film programs. AFI 2025 will open with "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" from writer/director Scott Cooper. Jeremy Allen White stars as the legendary rock musician, Bruce Springsteen as he prepares to record his next album after achieving major stardom, struggling with this success while haunted by his past. The other films making their premiere will include Noah Baumbach's "Jay Kelly" with George Clooney and Adam Sandler; "Song Sung Blue" from Craig Brewer involving the true story of a couple (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) starting a Neil Diamond tribute band; "Christy", another based on a true story about a trailblazing female boxer (played by Sydney Sweeney) who achieved fame in the 1990's and "The Spongebob Movie: Search For Squarepants" which continues the adventures of the beloved character on the big screen.





In the Luminaries section, which will highlight the latest films from world-renowned filmmakers, will feature new works from Paolo Sorrentino ("La Grazia"), Werner Herzog ("Ghost Elephants"), Hong Sang-soo ("What Does That Nature Say To You"), Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne ("Young Mothers"), Christian Petzold ("Miroirs no. 3") and François Ozon ("The Stranger").





Some of the Special Screenings will include "The Chronology of Water", the directorial feature debut by actress, Kristen Stewart; "Bugonia", Yorgos Lanthimos’ remake of the 2003 Korean cult classic, "Save the Green Planet!" with Emma Stone and the filmed version of the Tony Award winning revival of the stage musical, "Merrily We Roll Along" with the original Broadway cast, Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lyndsey Mendez.



And Guillermo del Toro was named as Guest Artistic Director for this year's fest. The Oscar-winning filmmaker (who will have his latest anticipated feature, an interpretation of the classic Mary Shelley novel, "Frankenstein", in theaters later in the month) has selected four of his favorite films to present to AFI audiences: "Barry Lyndon", "Fellini's Casanova", "The Duellists" and "L'Arcano Incantatore (Arcane Sorcerer)". These films will be screened at the Egyptian in Hollywood.

For the complete list of films and to purchase tickets, please click below:

2025 AFI Fest

26 MOVIES TO SEE AT THE 2025 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

The 63rd annual New York Film Festival is set to begin on September 26th and running through October 13th. This celebration of film will present new and important cinematic works from around the world, many we will be able to see in local theaters over the next few months.

The fest opens with the latest from Luca Guadagnino with "After The Hunt", a psychological drama with Julia Roberts as a Yale professor whose privileged life is turned upside down after her protégée (Ayo Edebiri) accuses her longtime colleague and friend (Andrew Garfield) of sexual assault. The Centerpiece selection is "Father Mother Sister Brother" which just won director, Jim Jarmusch this year's Venice Film Festival Golden Lion award. The film is set up in three chapters concerning the relationships between adult children reconnecting or coming to terms with their aging or lost parents. And the Closing Night film is the third film by Bradley Cooper as a director, "Is This Thing On?". This comedy-drama involves Will Arnett as a man whose marriage is unraveling, causing him to have an unpredictable midlife crisis which leads him to become a stand-up comic.





With so many films to be screened at the fest, Vulture has put together a list of a few of the most anticipated films that have made it to NYFF, some after premiering at other well-known festivals earlier in the year. Please click below to see the twenty-six films that have been highlighted:

26 Most Anticipated Movies at the 2025 NYFF

2025 CINEPRIDE FILM FESTIVAL

With Outfest imploding two years ago, Los Angeles was left without a film festival that celebrates the LGBTQ+ communities. But that seems to be over with the announcement of the inaugural CinePride Film Festival which will be held on September 11-14 at the Landmark Theatres Sunset in West Hollywood. This four-day event will feature a mix of feature films, documentaries and shorts that displays a wide range of thrilling queer cinema from across the globe.

For the complete listing of films and events, please click below:

2025 CinePride Film Festival

WINNERS OF THE 2025 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

The close of this year's Venice Film Festival brought an awards ceremony with the winner of the Golden Lion was given to the latest from Jim Jarmusch, "Father Mother Sister Brother". The drama-comedy, with a starry cast led by Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver, is about the complicated relationships between parents and their children involving three sets of families. The runner-up Grand Jury prize of the Silver Lion went to "The Voice of Hind Rajab", a political docudrama from Kaouther Ben Hania that details the killing of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip last year.

For his first feature film without his brother, Josh, Benny Safdie received the Silver Lion Best Director prize for his sports biopic "The Smashing Machine" based on the life of mixed-martial arts fighter, Mark Kerr. Best Screenplay went to the director, Valérie Donzelli for her drama, "At Work (À pied d'œuvre)" and shares the prize with co-writer, Gilles Marchand. Based on a true story, a successful photographer at the peak of his career decides to pursue writing but he faces financial hardship and personal struggles during this dubious transition.

Here are the winners in the Main Competition of the 2025 Venice Film Festival:

Golden Lion: "Father Mother Sister Brother"

Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: "صوت هند رجب (The Voice of Hind Rajab)"

Silver Lion Best Director: Benny Safdie, "The Smashing Machine"

Best Screenplay: Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand, "A Pied d’oeuvre (At Work)"

Best Actress: Xin Zhilei, "日掛中天 (The Sun Rises on Us All)"

Best Actor: Toni Servillo, "La Grazia (The Pardon)"



Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Luna Wedler, "Silent Friend"



Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film: Nastia Korkia, "Short Summer"

Special Jury Prize: Gianfranco Rosi, "Sotte le Nuvole (Below the Clouds)"

2025 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

The 2025 Venice International Film Festival will be held from August 27th to September 6th at the Venice Lido in Italy. For its eighty-second year, "La grazia (The Grace)", from the acclaimed Italian filmmaker, Paolo Sorrentino, has been selected to open the fest. Little has been revealed about this drama making it's world premiere but Toni Servillo, who starred in the director's Oscar-winning film, "The Great Beauty", appears in what has been described as the final days of a fictional Italian presidency.

The American filmmaker, Alexander Payne will be this year's Jury President to select the prize winners in the Main Competition with French filmmaker, Stéphane Brizé; Italian filmmaker, Maura Delpero; Romanian filmmaker, Cristian Mungiu; Iranian filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof; Brazilian actress, Fernanda Torres and Chinese actress, Zhao Tao filling out the rest of the jury.

Some of the films selected for the main competition includes the latest works by an impressive collection of international filmmakers: Yorgos Lanthimos ("Bugonia"), Jim Jarmusch ("Father Mother Sister Brother"), Guillermo del Toro ("Frankenstein"), Kathryn Bigelow ("A House of Dynamite"), Noah Baumbach ("Jay Kelly"), Park Chan-wook ("No Other Choice"), Benny Safdie ("The Smashing Machine"), Ildikó Enyedi ("Silent Friend"), François Ozon ("L'Étranger (The Stranger)") and Olivier Assayas ("The Wizard of the Kremlin").













The Closing Night film will be "Chien 51 (Dog 51)" by French director, Cédric Jimenez. This sci-fi thriller set in a future society where their leader is assassinated with a top agent (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and a jaded cop (Gilles Lellouche) are forced to work together to solve the murder.

The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will be given this year to the provocative German filmmaker, Werner Herzog and legendary American actress, Kim Novak. Herzog's new documentary, "Ghost Elephants", which follows a mysterious herd of ghost elephants in the jungles of Angola, will make its premiere out of competition. And The Glory to the Filmmaker, an award dedicated to personalities who have made a significant contribution to contemporary cinema, will be given to American painter and filmmaker, Julian Schnabel with his latest film, "In the Hand of Dante" (starring Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler) screening at Venice out of competition.

MONICA VITTI: LA MODERNISTA

Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà have teamed-up for a special presentation to bring long overdue recognition to one of the great performers of Italian films and world cinema: Monica Vitti. A striking beauty with a magnetic presence, Vitti has been hailed as an actor who transformed the screen with a modern sensibility as film shifted from glossy spectacle to gritty realism during the 1960's. 

Born in Rome in 1931 as Maria Luisa Ceciarelli, she took her mother's maiden name when deciding to become an actress, getting bit parts on stage and in films before earning a significant role in "Le dritte", directed by Mario Amendola in 1958. Two years later, Vitti met filmmaker, Michelangelo Antonioni who cast her in "L'Avventura". This film about the disappearance of a young woman during a boating trip in the Mediterranean with the woman's lover and her best friend (played by Vitti) coming together to search for her went on to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and would make Vitti an international movie star. From this notable success, an artistic partnership began between Antonioni and Vitti with them going on to make three more groundbreaking films together: "La Notte", "L'Eclisse" and "Il deserto rosso (Red Desert)". 

This is the first North American retrospective dedicated to the remarkable career of Vitti with fourteen of her essential films to be screened, several with new 4K restorations.

Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:

Film at Lincoln Center: Monica Vitti: La Modernista

CLAIRE DENIS: AN AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE RETROSPECTIVE

Claire Denis, the distinguished French filmmaker, will be honored with a celebration of her work and career with an American Cinematheque retrospective beginning on June 4th through 7th which is also part of the Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair film festival.  

While she was born in Paris, Denis was raised during her formative years in colonial West Africa as her father was a civil servant which he moved the family around every two years across the area. This experience would have a profound influence on her future career as a filmmaker as well as the old American films she would watch as a child.

By the time she returned to France as a teenager, Denis felt disconnected to her birth country. As as young woman, she searched for direction. She was briefly married to a photographer and studied various subjects before attending the prestigious film school, IDHEC (which is now La Fémis). After graduating in 1971, Denis would go on to be the assistant director for many acclaimed filmmakers which included Wim Wenders with Denis traveling to the US with the German director to film "Paris, Texas" and his return to Germany to make "Wings of Desire".

At this point, Denis was ready to call her own shots behind the camera and made "Chocolat" in 1988. This semi-autobiographical drama looks at a French woman reflecting on her childhood in Cameroon and her relationship with her family's African servant. This film, nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, brought her immediate acclaim.

Denis would go to have an extraordinary career with the now seventy-nine year old director having made sixteen feature films to date as well as numerous short films and documentaries. American Cinematheque will spotlight six of her movies which includes Denis' most acclaimed film, "Beau Travail", a 1999 drama loosely based on Herman Melville's novella, "Billy Budd". The other films featured are "35 Rhums (35 Shots of Rum)"; the erotic-horror drama, "Trouble Every Day"; "Les Salauds (Bastards)", an homage to film noir starring Vincent Lindon and Chiara Mastroianni; her first English-language film, "High Life", a sci-fi horror with Robert Pattinson and "White Material" which has Denis returning to Africa with Isabelle Huppert as the owner of a struggling coffee plantation trying to hold on to it during the eruption of a civil war.

Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:

American Cinematheque: Claire Denis Retrospective

WINNERS OF THE 2025 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

The Juliette Binoche-led Main Competition jury has selected Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" for the top prize of the Palme d'Or at the close of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The Iranian filmmaker is currently in exile from his home country and has used his cinema to bring voice to opposition to the Islamic Republic. This, in turn, has effectively gotten him "banned" from making films in Iran and previously imprisoned several times. This thriller, shot in secret, tells the story of five Iranian protestors who deal with a moral dilemma about whether or not to murder their former torturer. Following winning the Golden Bear at Berlin for "Taxi" in 2015 and the Golden Lion at Venice for "The Circle" in 2000, Pahahi becomes only the fourth filmmaker to win top honors at all three festivals (the previous three are Henri-Georges Clouzot, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Robert Altman). And the film distributer, Neon has won bragging rights with Panahi's win as they will release the film and have acquired the Palme d’Or winners for six years in a row.

The runner-up winner or Grand Prix went to the latest from Joachim Trier, "Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)". The last time the Norwegian director was at the fest, he had won the Palme d'Or for "Verdens verste menneske (The Worst Person in the World)" back in 2021. Renate Reinsve (who won Best Actress for her role in the 2021 film) stars in this family drama centered on the estranged relationship between a father and his two daughters. The Jury Prize was a tie with "Sirât", Óliver Coro's drama about a father's search for his missing daughter in the deserts of southern Morocco and "Sound of Falling" from Mascha Schilinski with this German-set drama following four girls from different historical periods whose lives are interconnected, sharing the award.

The Brazilian filmmaker, Kleber Mendonça Filho received Best Director for his film, "The Secret Agent" and the star of this drama, Wagner Moura won Best Actor. Set in 1977, a teacher is caught in the political turmoil of the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship.

 Here are the winners of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival:

Palme d'Or: "یک تصادف ساده (It Was Just an Accident)"



Grand Prix: "Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)"

Jury Prize: (TIE) "Sirât" and "In die Sonne schauen (Sound of Falling)"





Best Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, "O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent)"
Best Screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, "Jeunes Mères (Young Mothers)"
Best Actress: Nadia Melliti, "La Petite Dernière (The Little Sister)"
Best Actor: Wagner Moura, "O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent)"
Camera d’Or: Hasan Hadi, "The President’s Cake"
Camera d’Or (Special Mention): Akinola Davies Jr., "My Father’s Shadow"
Special Award: Bi Gan, "狂野时代 (Resurrection)"