Film Festivals Archives - Celluloid Junkie

(From left) Nicolas Edmery and Elisa Joliveau-Breney, film analysts at the European Audiovisual Observatory; Naohiro Kaji, director of the Culture and Creative Industries Division at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and Martin Kanzler, deputy head of department for market information at the Observatory, who participated in the "FOCUS on World Film Market Trends" at the Marché du Film in Cannes on May 15, 2026. (Photo: courtesy of European Audiovisual Observatory)

Global Cinema Attendance Inches Up, But the Recovery Belongs to Asia, Says the Latest FOCUS Report

The global theatrical market continued its uneven recovery in 2025, with Asia emerging as the main engine of growth and Japan standing out as one of the few major territories to surpass its pre-pandemic attendance levels. That was the central message from the launch of the 2026 edition of FOCUS – Wo…

(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…

(From Left) Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, Co-Founder and Co-Presidents of Sony Pictures Classics, Dylan Leiner, EVP of Acquisitions, Production and Business Affairs at Sony Pictures Classics and Matt Brennan of the Los Angeles Times during the "How Sony Pictures Classics Navigates the World of Indie and International Cinema" panel on March 18, 2026 at the 2026 Marché du Film alongside the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

The Long Game: How Sony Pictures Classics Still Wins at Cannes

There are easier ways to make a living than selling independent and international cinema in 2026. There are safer businesses than theatrical distribution, quieter ones than acquisitions, and certainly more predictable ones than building a release strategy around festival discovery, Oscar momentum, r…

2026 Cannes Film Festival - Palais des Festivals

Cannes 2026: Strong Films, Thin Buzz and a Market Finding New Footing

A strong competition without a consensus breakout, a Marché reshaped by private capital, and a Hollywood no-show that raised uncomfortable questions about the festival’s global reach. The 79th Cannes Film Festival closed on May 23 the way it opened — with defiance. No major Hollywood studio tentpole…

Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” Wins Palme d’Or at 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” Wins Palme d’Or at 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 23, giving the Romanian filmmaker his second win of the festival’s top prize, nearly two decades after “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” took the Palme in 2007. The Norway-set drama, starring Sebastia…

The Red Sea Film Foundation's 2026 Women In Cinema honorees, (from left) Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo, Kamila Andini, Aixa Kay, Genevieve Nnaji, and Tara Sutaria during its annual luncheon held alongside the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival

At Cannes, Red Sea’s Women in Cinema Spotlight Makes the Case for a Wider Film Map

The Red Sea Film Foundation’s annual Women in Cinema spotlight brought together filmmakers and performers from Nigeria, Rwanda, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Morocco — and made clear that some of the industry’s most urgent voices are still waiting for the infrastructure to match their ambition.…

2026 Cannes Film Festival

As Hollywood Pulls Back, Cannes Doubles Down

There is a quality to the light along the Croisette in May that no other film festival can replicate or claim. It falls at a particular angle across the Palais des Festivals — that concrete monolith critics have spent decades mocking and cinephiles have spent decades loving — and transforms even the…

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…

2026 Sundance Film Festival

As Sundance Says Goodbye to Park City, Its Films Look Forward

There’s a particular rhythm to January in Park City that only Sundance people really understand. The crunch of snow under boots that aren’t meant for ice. The quiet panic of realizing you’ve misjudged travel time between venues by at least fifteen minutes. The oddly comforting sight of volunteers in…

(Left to Right) Berlinale chief Tricia Tuttle speaks with filmmaker and festival director director Shekhar Kapur during a panel on November 22, 2025 at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, India

Imperfect Is Beautiful: Shekhar Kapur and Tricia Tuttle on AI’s Role in Cinema’s Next Act

Under the winter sun in Panaji, Goa, where palm trees and festival banners spill out along the Mandovi River, the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which took place 20–28 November, once again felt like one of Asia’s most vital A-list gatherings. The industry-focused Waves Film Bazaar…