James Mottram, Author at Celluloid Junkie

By James Mott

Maggie Gyllenhaal presided over the jury at 2026, while Robert Pattinson starred in "Primetime"

Venice 2026: Defiant Documentaries, Female Filmmakers and a Scaled-Back Studio Offering

Unfolding between 1 and 12 September 2026 – a week later than usual – the 83rd Venice Film Festival brought filmgoers back to the Lido, braving the blistering heat all in the name of cinema. With a sprinkling of stars, rather than a deluge, it was a festival that remained buoyant, despite a lack ofR…

Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech has ambition plans for the island nation's future as a filming location, and he's using the Mediterrane Film Festival to bring Malta to the industry's attention (Photo: Courtesy Mediterrane Film Festival)

How the Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta Is Putting the Island on the Map for Filmmakers

Speaking to Celluloid Junkie during the festival, Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech lays out his ambitious strategy for the film festival, and how he hopes it will act as a springboard for further investment in the island country as a filming location. This year, the Mediterrane Film Festival ret…

(From left) Daniel Berger, President at Oscilloscope Pictures; Sarah Mosses, Founder & CEO of Together Films; John Nein, Senior Programmer & Director of Strategy, Sundance Film Festival; Sharon 'Rocky' Roggio, Founder & Creative Director, 1946 Studios; and moderator Iddo Patt, CEO & Co-Founder of Eventive (Photo: Eventive)

Can Direct-to-Audience Distribution Give Indie Films a New Path to Theatres?

For decades, the independent film industry has operated according to a familiar hierarchy. A filmmaker completes a project, premieres at a major festival, secures a distributor, launches a theatrical run, and hopes that audiences discover the film through cinemas, home entertainment releases or – mo…

Berlinale 2026 - Festival director Tricia Tuttle, Silver Bear winner Sandra Hüller and Golden Bear winner Ingo Fliess

Berlinale 2026: Political Strife, Homegrown Success Stories and An Uncertain Future

With near Arctic conditions leaving Berlin covered in a blanket of snow and ice, the 76th Berlin Film Festival took place between 12th and 22nd February. But the chill winds really came from another direction, as a controversy-tinged festival saw organisers plunged into geopolitical debates. As fest…

Everyman Cinema and Emirates' World Class Cinema campaign 2

Pearl & Dean Partner Emirates with Everyman for a First-Class Experience

Some partnerships feel like a match made in advertising heaven. Certainly, that was the feeling when Catherine Ferguson, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Pearl & Dean, took a call last June with a chance to pair up Emirates and Everyman Cinema. Contacted by Emirates’ media agency Universal McCa…

Emily Cecil-Dennett stands in front of the inside of Trafalgar Releasing’s original broadcasting truck

A Complete Service: Trafalgar Releasing’s End-to-End Offering

For the past decade, London-based distribution company Trafalgar Releasing (Trafalgar) has been a market leader when it comes to event cinema (also known as alternative content). Bringing live experiences to a wider audience via the cinema screen, whether it’s recorded productions of pop concerts, s…

WatchWord: Closed-caption Glasses Transform Cinema Experience for Deaf Community

Even with the advent of captions, a trip to the cinema for anyone who is part of the hearing-impaired community can be a very restrictive experience. Captions – which not only include all spoken dialogue, but written descriptions of sound effects, music and even emotions – can be delivered in two wa…

A montage of filmstars - Dwayne Johnson, Julia Robertson, George Clooney, Jim Jarmusch - sit against the Venice Film Festival sign

Venice Film Festival 2025: Streamers and Stars Own the Lido While Jarmusch Sneaks Off with the Golden Lion

Forget easing into the Lido with gondolas and red-carpet glitz — Venice 2025 (27th August to 6th September) came out swinging. Between George Clooney and Dwayne Johnson lighting up the premieres, MUBI and Netflix muscling into awards-season territory, and a record-breaking ovation for “The Voice of…

The Filmhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland sits proudly at 88 Lothian Road. The arthouse cinema was refurbished and reopened in June 2025 after being closed since 2022

The Resurrection of Filmhouse – An Edinburgh Success Story

This June, film fans in Edinburgh, Scotland, were treated to several sold-out screenings of Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1988 love letter to cinema, “Cinema Paradiso.” Nothing unusual there, you might think. Except that the venue was Filmhouse, the Scottish city’s beloved independent cinema, which had lain…

The stage at Mediterranean Film Festival is lit up in a dark room for the awards ceremony. The left side says We Are Malta and the right says We Are Film.

Mediterrane Film Festival Showcases Malta’s Popularity with Hollywood

Most film festivals are designed to bring together audiences with the latest movies from both established directors and rising stars. Now in its third year, the Mediterrane Film Festival (MFF) seemingly has a different mission. Hosted on the island of Malta during the last ten days of June, it’s as…