TIFF '24: Kiyoshi Kurosawa delivers a new nightmare in "Cloud"

by Cláudio Alves

CLOUD

What if, one day, you realized everyone in the world hates you? What's more, everyone wants you dead. That's the sort of situation you might expect to encounter in the world of dreams and night terrors, one's innermost anxieties synthesized for a restless slumber. It's also the nightmarish scenario Kiyoshi Kurosawa suggests in his latest shocker, a work of stress cinema supreme with many surprises in store, playing like a descent into hell. It's also Japan's official submission for the Best International Film Oscar race, as bizarre as that might seem. It's a bold choice, alright. Maybe not the best from a strategic standpoint, but a true celebration of Japanese film excellence. 

And one thing's for sure – there's no other director like Kiyoshi Kurosawa out there, and no film like Cloud either…

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Venice 2024: "The Room Next Door" takes the Golden Lion

by Nathaniel R

Pedro Almodóvar and his actresses Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton working on THE ROOM NEXT DOOR which is now a Golden Lion winner

The 81st annual Venice Film Festival has ended and the two perceived frontrunners The Brutalist and The Room Next Door took home major prizes, as did Babygirl, The Quiet Son, and Brazil's possible Oscar submission I'm Still Here. The "Competition" films are the headlining titles of course but they aren't the only films that get major mileage from applause and kudos as any festival wraps up. Outside of the main competition films like Familiar Touch (US), Familia (Italy), Iddu (Italy),  Mon Inséparable (France), Paul and Paulette Take a Bath (UK) and The New Year That Never Came (Romania) all won fanbases if the awards that flew around this week are indication.

The prizes went like so... 

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TIFF ’24: Claes Bang is “William Tell”

By Abe Friedtanzer

The legend of William (or Wilhelm, in German) Tell describes a man who helped to liberate Switzerland from Austrian occupation in the early 1300s. Whether he was real or not is immaterial to the fame his legacy has achieved throughout history, and he’s become the subject of many stories, including the 1804 play William Tell by Friedrich Schiller. That serves as the inspiration for writer-director Nick Hamm’s action epic of the same name, making its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival…

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Venice 2024: Jury of One

by Elisa Giudici

As the Venice Film Festival draws to a close, the time has come to reflect on the competition, predict who will claim the prestigious Golden Lion, and consider which films will carry momentum into Oscar season. Above all, it's time to think about what will truly remain from this year's edition.

Overall Festival Impressions

Last year’s festival lacked consistency, with a mix of standout films and titles that induced sheer embarrassment. This year, however—thanks in part to a much stronger and more compelling Italian contingent—the competition has been far more solid, with only a couple of notable failures and several standout films. In fact, considering the lackluster showing at Cannes this year, Venice could very well take the title of Festival of the Year. The event is anchored by The Brutalist by Brady Corbet, a monumental work operating on a level unmatched by any other film this year. Almodóvar, Guadagnino, Salles, and Bing have also impressed...

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Venice '24: "The Brutalist" is monumental

Please join us in congratulating Elisa Giudici on this milestone, her 100th post for The Film Experience. Direct from Venice, Italy. And what a film, apparently, for this occassion. 

by Elisa Giudici

THE BRUTALIST

After multiple attempts, Brady Corbet has finally made his Great American Film. It’s always risky to make such a statement, but The Brutalist isn’t just the standout film of this year’s Venice Film Festival, nor merely the most ambitious and monumental project of 2024; It's a work destined to leave a lasting legacy. With the right reception, this could easily become a landmark in cinema history...

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