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A star-studded host committee, Academy Awards nominees and presenters, along with some of the most powerful industry influencers came together on March 1, 2025, for MPTF's 23rd Annual ‘Night Before’ benefit.

Demi Moore, Colman Domingo, and Cynthia Erivo

Co-Chaired by Demi Moore, Colman Domingo, and Cynthia Erivo, the annual event raised close to $4 million.

Colman Domingo noted, “MPTF has been there for our community for over 100 years and this celebration is a great way to come together in the spirit of taking care of our own.”

“This incredible organization raises crucial funds and provides a host of other services for our industry family when they need it most. I’m looking forward to celebrating everyone’s great accomplishments while supporting a cause that helps many generations,” said Demi Moore.

Funds raised will help MPTF continue to provide essential support and services to working and retired entertainment industry members in response to the...

Marisa Abela is not well, bitch. Not just because the third season of her hit HBO series “Industry” is averaging 1.6 million cross-platform viewers per episode and was recently renewed for a fourth season, but also because one of the show’s fans happens to be a TV personality she’s a fan of herself. In a recent interview with The Cut, Abela revealed the “Real Housewife” who reached out over social media to show her support and some other sources of entertainment for when she’s not lighting up screens big and small.

“I love and watch most of the ‘Housewives’ franchises, which is really fun because Dorinda Medley is watching ‘Industry’ right now and Dm-ing me live updates. It’s the biggest thing ever,” said Abela. “It was so funny because she was messaging me about it while I was in Venice with very important and impressive people in my industry,...

A star-studded host committee, Academy Awards nominees and presenters, along with some of the most powerful industry influencers came together on March 9, 2024, for MPTF's 22nd Annual ‘Night Before’ benefit.

Co-Chaired by Sterling K. Brown & Ryan Michelle Bathé, America Ferrera & Ryan Piers-Williams, Jodie Foster, and Paul Giamatti, the annual event raised over $4.3 million.

“MPTF and I have such a rich, wonderful history together of taking care of our own. I’m so proud to support this incredible organization and help raise crucial funds to support our industry family when they need it most,” said Jodie Foster.

America Ferrera stated, “I’m proud to be part of a benefit that brings our community together while helping sustain the important mission of MPTF.”

Sterling K. Brown noted, “I’ve been involved with MPTF for many years and am honored to chair the Night Before with my peers. This is not only a great...

The stars of Poor Things have arrived at the 2024 Academy Awards!

Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, and director Yorgos Lanthimos walked the red carpet prior to the awards show on Sunday (March 10) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Willem was joined by his wife Giada Colagrande, while Mark was accompanied by his wife Sunrise Coigney.

Mark and Ramy wore red pins to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

See all the photos of Poor Things star Emma Stone at the Oscars!

If you didn’t know, Poor Things is nominated for 11 Oscars, including the award for Best Picture!

Mark is also up for Best Supporting Actor, and Yorgos is nominated for Best Director.

Make sure to tune in Tonight for the Oscars, airing on ABC at 7pm Et / 4pm Pt. The show will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and there are so many incredible stars expected to present throughout the show.

The Motion Picture & Television Fund raised more than $4.3 million at its 22nd annual star-studded benefit on Saturday night.

The exclusive event was co-chaired by Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé, America Ferrera and Ryan Piers-Williams, Jodie Foster and Paul Giamatti.

Funds raised from the event will be used to support industry members and their families who benefit from MPTF’s charitable programs and services, such as financial assistance, crisis counseling, caregiving support and residency on the Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, which now serves as “home” to many television and film veterans. During the recent work stoppages, MPTF received over 13,000 calls for aid and provided more than $8 million in charitable financial assistance.

“MPTF and I have such a rich, wonderful history together of taking care of our own,” said Foster. “I’m so proud to support this incredible organization and help raise crucial funds to support our industry family when they need it most.

According to SAG-AFTRA, Pedro Pascal is preparing to start production on the Fantastic Four movie.

On Tuesday, Pedro Pascal attended a special career retrospective for the actor hosted by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). His bio for the event description noted that Pascal "recently wrapped production on Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated Gladiator 2 and will soon begin production on Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four." As SAG-AFTRA would be privy to Pascal's projects, this appears to confirm his casting in Fantastic Four, which has been widely reported on but not officially verified.

Related Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four's Complete Family Tree While the Fantastic Four's Reed Richards' is a member of the First Family of Comics, his real family tree includes brilliant time-traveling warriors. Director Matt Shakman Has Teased a Spring 2024 Production Start

Noting that the movie will "soon begin production...

Upcoming Pedro Pascal Movies and Shows to Watch. ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Pedro Pascal has become the sweetheart in the Hollywood world of entertainment. He’s undoubtedly one of the most versatile actors in the film industry. For the past few years, the Narcos star delivered back-to-back remarkable performances and rose to fame through his movies and shows. He’s the internet’s favourite, and one of the reasons is his witty interviews and cuteness. But his work has always been the reason why he’s often in the news.

For all the Pedro fans, we have listed his upcoming movies and shows that will make you more excited about what new the actor has to offer.

Upcoming Pedro Pascal Movies and Shows Upcoming Pedro Pascal Movies Gladiator 2

Recently, a BTS picture from Pedro’s upcoming movie Gladiator 2 leaked online. He’s wearing a cloak in the pic, but...

So many celebrities stepped out to attend the 2024 BAFTA Tea Party presented by Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions on Saturday (January 13) at The Maybourne Beverly Hills.

The star-studded event featured appearances from more than 100 stars, including the likes of Julianne Moore, Jonathan Bailey, Mark Ruffalo, America Ferrera, Fantasia Barrino, Cillian Murphy, Sam Claflin and Eva Longoria.

Since it was such a big event, we pulled together photos for you to easily scroll. That way you can easily see who was there and what they were wearing!

Head inside to see photos of all of the celebs on the red carpet at the 2024 BAFTA Tea Party…

Keep scrolling for photos of more than 100 celebrities at the BAFTA Tea Party…

Brian Cox and Nicole Ansari-Cox

Diane Warren

Calah Lane

Greta Lee

Fyi: Greta is wearing Loewe.

Tracy Ifeachor

Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy

Fyi: Emily is...

Beetlejuice 2 blends nostalgia and innovation, promising to breathe new life into the beloved classic film with Tim Burton's vision. Willem Dafoe's role as a detective in the afterlife adds an intriguing layer to the whimsical world of Beetlejuice, highlighting the humor and otherworldly elements fans love. The Beetlejuice 2's resilience in overcoming challenges, including the actors' strike, showcases the film industry's ability to evolve while honoring its roots, creating a truly magical cinematic experience.

Beetlejuice 2 is the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton's 1988 masterpiece of comedy-horror, and it is bringing Willem Dafoe along for the ride. However, after recently spilling the beans on his character, Dafoe has revealed his regret at getting caught up in the moment and perhaps revealing more than Burton may be happy about.

According to Variety, during the 20th Marrakech Film Festival, Dafoe, celebrated for his wide-ranging acting abilities, divulged details about...

Willem Dafoe has revealed that he turned into a “gentleman farmer” during the Hollywood actors strike. The star had no work for almost four months last year when the SAG-AFTRA actors union staged a walkout over pay and conditions and Dafoe has revealed he used his downtime to focus on farming – tending to the animals at his estate in Italy and growing vegetables.

“I love to work and it was longer than I like to go. I never know how much to talk about this. Basically, let’s say, I was a gentleman farmer … (I have) lots of animals (and a vegetable garden) …I’m basically a vegetarian, so I do it just for the pleasure of their company and to try to give them a good life, which is a little naive,” he told the ‘The Guardian’.

As well as keeping chickens and turkey, Dafoe and his wife Giada Colagrande...

Willem Dafoe is being honored!

The 68-year-old Oscar-nominated actor received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday afternoon (January 8) in Hollywood, Calif.

Supporting Willem at the event was his wife Giada Colagrande along with friends and former co-stars Pedro Pascal, Patricia Arquette, Mark Ruffalo, and Camila Morrone.

Keep reading to find out more…

In his acceptance speech, Willem shared his gratitude for his long-last and successful acting career.

“I just want to say it’s wonderful to be part of this community of artists and entertainers, people that — by sharing their experience, imagining others’ perspectives, telling stories, and musing on what is, was, and most importantly could be,” Willem shared.

“They make us feel closer to each other and connect us, creating an important dialogue particularly needed in these detached, technology-driven and divisive times,” he continued. “So I’m glad to be with people like this and...

Emma Stone dons a floral, nude dress while stepping out on the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday (January 7) in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The 35-year-old actress was seen meeting up with her Poor Things co-stars Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe, as well as their director Yorgos Lanthimos, on the red carpet, and they posed for a cute group photo!

Mark and Willem were joined at the event by their wives, Sunrise Coigney and Giada Colagrande, respectively.

Poor Things is up for seven awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Emma, and Best Supporting Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for both Mark and Willem, who lost out to Robert Downey Jr. Yorgos is up for Best Director, Tony McNamara is up for Best Screenplay and...

It was a good night for so many stars at the 2024 Astra Film Awards on Saturday (January 6).

The event was hosted at the Biltmore Los Angeles, and a list of talented celebs walked the red carpet and accepted awards on the main stage!

Hailee Steinfeld took home the award for Best Voice-Over Performance for her work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, while Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks and their The Color Purple castmates took home the win for Best Cast Ensemble.

Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie also slayed the competition. The blockbuster won Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. Margot Robbie tied with Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) for Best Actress, and Ryan Gosling snagged Best Supporting Actor.

We pulled together pics of the biggest stars on the guestlist for you to check out!

Head inside to see all of the photos from the red capret…

Keep...

Beetlejuice 2 blends nostalgia and innovation, promising to breathe new life into the beloved classic film with Tim Burton's vision. Willem Dafoe's role as a detective in the afterlife adds an intriguing layer to the whimsical world of Beetlejuice, highlighting the humor and otherworldly elements fans love. The Beetlejuice 2's resilience in overcoming challenges, including the actors' strike, showcases the film industry's ability to evolve while honoring its roots, creating a truly magical cinematic experience.

Beetlejuice 2 emerges as an example of how sequels can breathe new life into beloved classics within the ever-changing film and television industry. Directed by the visionary Tim Burton, this follow-up to the 1988 cult classic is anticipated to be a harmonious blend of nostalgic elements and innovative creativity. The confirmation of Willem Dafoe's role has emerged as a particularly intriguing development amidst the film industry's palpable excitement.

According to Variety, during the 20th Marrakech Film Festival,...

After skipping Venice due to the actors’ strike, a busy Willem Dafoe is back on the festival trail, attending the 20th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival with his wife, filmmaker and actor Giada Colagrande. He spoke to Variety about his ties to Morocco, why he’s “happy to be promoting and starting to work again” now that the strike is over, and his role in Tim Burton’s upcoming “Beetlejuice 2.”

How does it feel to be back in Marrakech?

I’m happy to be back. Morocco for me is “The Last Temptation of Christ,” a film that was a beautiful experience. And I loved shooting it because it demanded a lot of me and it was really full on. And it was very in the nature of Morocco. And we were working with an incredible Moroccan crew. So that’s my association. I’ve always heard Marrakech was...

Jessica Chastain and Tilda Swinton provided the ultimate study in contrast while attending the second day of the 2023 Marrakech International Film Festival on Saturday (November 25) in Marrakech, Morocco.

The 46-year-old Memory actress opted for a long-sleeved black dress with a train and a plunging neckline, which provided the sole pop of color.

Tilda, 63, went the exact opposite direction. She wowed in an icy, oversized coat. While the women’s outfits were very different, she also accessorized with a pop of pastel pink on her shoes.

Keep reading to find out more…

The actress was joined on the red carpet by her son Xavier, who wore a green and gold kilt!

Other stars in attendance included, Isabelle Huppert, Alexander Skarsgard, Joel Edgerton, Willem Dafoe and wife Giada Colagrande, Mads Mikkelsen, House of Gucci actress Camille Cottin and Mudbound director Dee Rees. We’ve got photos of everyone in the gallery!

If you missed it,...

The stars are stepping out in Morocco!

Jessica Chastain, Alexander Skarsgard, and Joel Edgerton arrived at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Marrakech International Film Festival on Friday (November 24) in Marrakech, Morocco.

Other stars in attendance included Willem Dafoe and wife Giada Colagrande, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton and son Xavier, House of Gucci actress Camille Cottin, and Mudbound director Dee Rees.

The stars also attended a screening of Hit Man.

The annual film festival, which runs this year from Nov. 24 through Dec. 2, honors films and figures within the movie industry from around the world.

Last month, Jessica was honored during another film festival.

Click through the gallery for 30+ pictures of the stars at the opening ceremony…...

Morelia, Mexico – Mindful of how his words could “turn into click-bait,” Willem Dafoe, in Morelia to present his latest film “The Lighthouse,” declined to comment about the looming advent of more streaming giants in the market. “It’s a complex question; we’re still forming ideas on how people see films and how films are being made,” he said. However, he later observed: “I still like film a lot, not just for its quality but the intention is stronger; you can’t just shoot and shoot like you can on digital film, so it changes how you think, it weeds out the laziness in performances,” he mused.

Speaking in a clear and measured pace for nearly an hour with festival director Daniela Michel and for a subsequent Q & A with the audience, a cerebral Dafoe talked about his craft, his role choices, “Lighthouse” director Robert Eggers and of course, the future Batman,...

Exclusive: Eclipse Pictures has acquired worldwide sales rights to Tropico, a noirish thriller set in Brazil being directed by Giada Colagrande from a screenplay by Barry Gifford. Willem Dafoe, Morena Baccarin and Pedro Pascal will star. Colagrande previously directed Padre and Pasolini.

In Tropico, Willem Dafoe plays Raymond Sanz, a veteran operative hired to spy on Mark, an American businessman (Pascal) in a steamy costal town in Northern Brazil. However, things get more complicated when Sanz falls simultaneously for Mark’s wife, the mysterious and beautiful Lucia (Baccarin), and her equally beautiful identical twin sister, Olivia (Baccarin). “Barry’s atmospheric screenplay is an exotic thriller in the best traditions of the noir genre,” said Colagrande, “and I also couldn’t be more excited to work with such an accomplished group of actors.”

Nathalia Scarton is producing Tropico through her Bidou Pictures Brazil banner, with Jeremy Dawson executive producing. Eclipse’s...

A star-studded host committee, Academy Awards nominees and presenters, along with some of the most powerful industry influencers came together on February 23, 2019 for the 17th annual ‘Night Before’ party to benefit Mptf.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Glenn Close, Regina King, Rami Malek, and George Clooney

Credit/Copyright: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Mptf

Funds raised during the evening will be used to support their industry colleagues and friends who benefit from Mptf’s charitable programs and services such as financial assistance, crisis counseling, care giving support, and of course the legendary retirement facility in Woodland Hills that is “home” to film and television veterans alike. The annual event raised $5 million last night, totaling just over $85 million in the event’s history.

The 2019 host committee included a lineup of the industry’s most elite talent, including Amy Adams & Darren Le Gallo, Mahershala Ali, Tanya Haden Black & Jack Black, Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg, Amal & George Clooney,...

Exclusive: Les beaux jours d’Aranjuez is an adaptation of the play by Peter Handke.

German auteur Wim Wenders is to shoot new movie Les beaux jours d’Aranjuez in June.

The project was announced by Alfama’s Paulo Branco during the Efm. The film is an adaptation of the play by Peter Handke. It will star Reda Kateb and Sophie Semin. Handke himself is likely to have a cameo. The film will be an Alfama/Road Movies coproduction, to be sold by Alfama.

The film marks a reunion between Wenders and veteran Portuguese producer Branco, who co-produced Wenders’ The State Of Things in 1982 and has worked with him several times since.

Wenders’ Every Thing Will Be Fine is screening out of competition, sold by Hanway.

Branco has also announced various other new projects. This year, Benoit Jacquot should finally be shooting Alfama’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s 2001 novella, The Body Artist...

No Exit for Pasolini star Willem Dafoe with director Abel Ferrara: "You know concentric circles." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Abel Ferrara's Pasolini stars a divine Willem Dafoe as Pier Paolo Pasolini, with Maria de Medeiros, Riccardo Scamarcio, Adriana Asti, Valerio Mastandrea and Giada Colagrande. Developed by Maurizio Braucci from an idea by Nicola Tranquillino and Ferrara, Pasolini begins and ends on one fatal day.

Willem Dafoe as Pier Paolo Pasolini: "It's one thing to show, it's another thing to do."

Dafoe recently starred in Anton Corbijn's A Most Wanted Man. I asked him if Lars von Trier's Antichrist and Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation Of Christ prepared him for Pasolini's final day. Ferrara told me what that means to him. Fashion, architecture, research, restaurants, apartments and the power of three, pushed our conversation into Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe's working relationship upon entering Pasolini's world.

Today’s film is the 2013 short Castello Cavalcanti. The film is directed by Wes Anderson, who shares writing duties with Roman Coppola, and stars Giada Colagrande and Jason Schwartzman. Schwartzman rose to prominence with a leading role in 1998′s Rushmore, going on to performances in I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. His newest film, Saving Mr. Banks, opened in wide release in American theatres this weekend.

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The post Sunday Shorts: ‘Castello Cavalcanti’, starring Jason Schwartzman appeared first on Sound On Sight.

For everyone else counting down the days until Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest is released next year, the wait has just got a little easier, with Anderson releasing a brilliant new short film, Castello Cavalcanti.

Anderson is of course no stranger to the medium, with his career beginning back in 1994 with the short, Bottle Rocket, which was itself be turned into a feature two years later). The director then made the fantastic Hotel Chevalier, serving as the prologue for The Darjeeling Limited. And now he returns to the format with Castello Cavalcanti, presented by Prada.

Anderson is reuniting here with Jason Schwartzman, with whom he has worked countless times over the years, including on Hotel Chevalier, with Schwartzman then starring as Jack Whitman opposite Natalie Portman, his on-screen girlfriend.

This time around, Schwartzman stars as a Us racecar driver who crashes in a small Italian village in 1955, and he stars opposite Giada Colagrande.

While Wes Anderson fans have to wait until next March to see his next feature film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, a new short film from the filmmaker has been released, entitled Castello Cavalcanti. Jason Schwartzman stars as an Italian race car driver in 1955, with Giada Colagrande co-starring in this seven-minute film, presented by Prada.

Castello Cavalcanti was released November 13th, 2013 and stars Jason Schwartzman. The film is directed by Wes Anderson.

Good news, Wes Anderson fans. It turns out we don’t have to wait until next February to see the filmmaker’s latest project, as a new short film written and directed by Anderson has been released online following its premiere at the Rome Film Festival. Presented by Prada, Castello Cavalcanti stars Anderson’s frequent collaborator Jason Schwartzman and centers on an American race car driver who crashes in a small Italian village in 1955. Anderson and Schwartzman previously collaborated on the short film Hotel Chevalier, and their follow-up effort is in no way a let down. It’s a fantastic and incredibly funny film, and running at nearly 8 minutes long it’s a great appetizer for Anderson’s next feature The Grand Budapest Hotel. Hit the jump to watch the new short film. Castello Cavalcanti also stars Giada Colagrande.

Prada has teamed with writer/director Wes Anderson to deliver a new eight-minute short film titled Castello Cavalcanti starring Jason Schwartzman as Formula One race driver Jed Cavalcanti. The short was presumably made once Anderson finished work on his upcoming film The Grand Budapest Hotel, which The Playlist says could have actually been released this year until Fox Searchlight decided to hold off for a March 2014 release. The short follows Jed during the Molte Miglia rally, in September 1955 when he crashes into a sculpture of Jesus in Castello Cavalcanti and fatefully meets his ancestors and ultimately has a few drinks and spaghetti with them. Co-starring Giada Colagrande Featuring cinematography from Darius Khondji (Midnight in Paris) you can check out the short directly below. yt id ="yWnKRJ4c8xY" width="610"...

Wes Anderson has debuted a new short film, titled "Casello Cavalcanti," as part of a new collaboration with Prada (similar to their project with Roman Polanski last year, "A Therapy"). Check it out in the player below! Longtime Anderson cohort Jason Schwartzman takes the lead role in the seven-minute film, starring as a racecar driver in 1955 Italy. He'll also soon be back on the big screen in director John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks on December 13 and will re-team with Anderson for next year's The Grand Budapest Hotel , opening March 7, 2014. Written and directed by Anderson, "Casello Cavalcanti" also stars Giada Colagrande and is produced by the Directors Bureau in association with Hi! Productions.

Abramovic will present the film and revive her method in Venice.

Venice Days will host a ‘special event’ screening of Giada Colagrande’s The Abramovic Method, starring the artist Marina Abramovic.

Fondazione Furla presents the film, which was produced by Art + Vibes in collaboration with Collateral Films and with the support of Fondazione Furla.

The film documents the first time Abramović’s method was enacted, and it was shot from March 21 to June 10, 2012 at Pac Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea di Milano.

Abramovic and Colagrande return to Venice after last year presenting Bob Wilson’s Life and Death of Marina Abramovic.

Abramovic will revive her method in Venice through the images of the film during three invitation-only screenings.

“In my experience, grown over my forty-year career, I have arrived at the conclusion that the audience plays a very important, even crucial, role in performance,” said Abramović. “Without an audience, a performance is meaningless because, as Duchamp...

The actor famous for being game for anything talks about his passion for physical theatre, his attraction to strong directors – but declines to comment on the size of his penis

When Willem Dafoe was a little boy in Appleton, Wisconsin, he shut himself in a closet for two days. Nobody missed him. "It was a big family. My dad was a surgeon, my mom a nurse, and they were always out working. I had five sisters and a brother. They didn't care what I got up to."

Maybe – and it's a theory that would get me evicted from Freudian analysis 101 – the abandoned boy became the inveterate pleaser of adults. Perhaps that early experience of neglect explains why Dafoe has so often been an obliging actor, ready to do anything to accommodate a director's fruity demands. Think Lars von Trier directing Charlotte Gainsbourg to crush his testicles with a block of wood in Antichrist; Madonna,...

Ava DuVernay made an impact on 2012 with her film Middle of Nowhere as did her lead actress Emayatzy Corinealdi and today a new short film from DuVernay has premiered as part of the Miu Miu Women's Tales collection, this being the fifth installment in what is described as a "celebration of the transformative power of feminine bonds, and a symbolic story of life change." The title of the short is The Door and it's described by DuVernay as follows: "In the film, characters arrive at the door of a friend in need, bringing something of themselves... Eventually, we witness our heroine ready to walk through the door on her own. The door in the film represents a pathway to who we are." The short features Gabrielle Union, Alfre Woodard, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Adepero Oduye (Pariah) and singer-songwriter Goapele and some great music. The first song, "Turn Your Lights On" by Emantive...

★★☆☆☆ Bob Wilson's Life & Death of Marina Abramović (2012) director Giada Colagrande has the good fortune to be married to one of Hollywood's most multifaceted actors, Willem Dafoe, and to have been a good friend of Abramović from the tender age of 19, making her a shoo-in for the task of recording Robert Wilson's theatre production The Life & Death of Marina Abramović on film. This is not to detract from her long career as director, writer and actress - but let's say it helps.

Read more »...

Female directors might have been left out of the competition at this year's Cannes International Film Festival, but thanks to the Italian fashion house Prada, they are front and center at this week's Venice Film Festival. The Venice Days, an independent programming section, opens Thursday with "The Miu Miu Women's Tales," a series of events focusing on female directors. The three-day showcase, which runs on the Lido until Sept. 1, will include the screening of four short films from the directors Zoe Cassavetes, Lucrecia Martel, Giada Colagrande and Massy Tadjedin. Tadjedin's film...

The Venice International Film Festival's Venice Days kicks off its ninth edition with "Women's Tales," featuring four short films by young female directors: Zoe Cassavetes, Lucrecia Martel, Giada Colagrande and Massy Tadjedin. Venice Day's three-day showcase, intended to support female filmmakers, will take place on the Lido with creative partner Miu Miu. The directors will participate in a Q & A about women's creativity in film on August 31 and September 1 (11:30am) at the Hotel Excelsior's Sala Tropicana. They will be joined by filmmakers Liliana Cavani, Mira Nair and last year's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar-winner Susanne Bier ("In A Better World"). Natalia Aspesi and Luciana Castellina will moderate the events. Nair's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" has been acquired by Italian distrib Eagle Pictures prior to its premiere as the opening night film at Venice (August 29). Here's more on Venice...

He has played goodies, baddies, creeps and goblins. But Willem Dafoe's latest film posed new challenges. He talks to Steve Rose about his hits, his flops – and the perils of skinning a wallaby

It is a perennial paradox. Studios spend vast sums of money bringing together the efforts of hundreds of skilled technicians, well-drilled actors and extras – yet cinema is often at its most compelling when simply showing an individual silently going about their business. There are countless examples: James Stewart stalking Kim Novak in Vertigo, David Hemmings poring over his prints in Blow-Up, Daniel Day-Lewis scrabbling underground in There Will Be Blood. We tend not to regard "just doing stuff" as acting – but perhaps making it all so absorbing is actually the hallmark of a great actor.

In his new movie The Hunter, released tomorrow, Willem Dafoe does "stuff" very well. His character is searching for the last Tasmanian tiger,...

Where's that friendly neighborhood Spider-Man when you really need him? Not in Rome, apparently, where a burglar robbed Willem Dafoe's apartment on Sunday night, a rep for the actor confirms to E! News. Sure, the thesp might be known for portraying the webslinger's nemesis, the Green Goblin, but doesn't Peter Parker realize he was only acting? Here's what went down. And you won't believe how the thief got in... Rather than pick the lock, it seems the crook opted for a less conventional way to enter the penthouse pad—by utilizing ropes and mountain-climbing gear, according to the New York Post. Neither Dafoe nor his Italian wife, Giada Colagrande, were there...

Willem Dafoe's home in Rome, Italy has been burgled in a co-ordinated raid in which thieves allegedly used sophisticated climbing gear to break into the penthouse apartment.

The Spider-Man star was not home at the time of the Sunday night break-in at the home he shares with his Italian wife Giada Colagrande.

A neighbour was alerted to the burglary by the building's alarm, which was allegedly triggered after the gang lowered themselves from the roof and into Dafoe's top-floor property using ropes and mountain-climbing equipment, according to the New York Post's Page Six column.

A Rome police representative tells the publication items stolen included jewellery, but "we are waiting for the owner to return to draw up a full list".

Dafoe is currently in New Mexico filming upcoming movie Odd Thomas.

This morning the Venice Film Festival announced the line-up for their 2010 Festival which will run from September 1-11, and a lot of hot titles and directors are set to be on hand including the already announced festival opener Black Swan from Darren Aronofsky and closer, The Tempest from Julie Taymor. In competition, Aronofsky's feature is joined by titles from Sofia Coppola, Vincent Gallo, Julian Schnabel, Francois Ozon, Abdellatif Kechiche, Takashi Miike and Tom Tykwer. Also, making a midnight Lido appearance will be Robert Rodriguez with his grindhouse thriller Machete. One other notable title is the inclusion of the Casey Affleck-directed Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary I'm Still Here, which will be screening out of competition.

Unfortunately I won't be able to cover this one, but one of these years I would like to find a way to pull a triple play and cover Cannes, Venice and Toronto in the same year...

Now that all bets are off on Terrence Malick showing up on the Lido, and Wong Kar-wai's The Grand Master appears to be on the same no-show list (the fest have announced that Andrew Lau's The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen has their second opening night flick celebrating the anniversary of Bruce Lee’s 70th birthday). Among the other films with odds against, I'm not seeing the Coens (True Grit), Eastwood (Hereafter), Boyle (127 Hours) and Oscar contender The Fighter was according to it's star, no going to tour the fest circuit. Just announced today, Head Jury member Quentin Tarantino's buddy Robert Rodriguez's Machete will be the third opening film - it'll screen at midnight, and I think it'll be in good company genre-wise with some of the genre titles below. Here are some titles (ranging from almost guaranteed to only minimal chance...

While there are no mentions of Terrence Malick, Variety are confirming the obvious (view my predictions) in Aronofsky's Black Swan, Reichardt's Meek's Cutoff, Corbijn's The American, Schnabel's Miral, Coppola's Somewhere, Kechiche's Black Venus, Ozon's Potiche, Tykwer's Three and Cordier's Happy Few all making it to the Lido this year, but they've added a couple more brow lifters that I'll delve into below. Among the titles that are being mentioned for Venice, and which I thought were strictly Tiff items, they and several sources mention Ben Affleck's The Town will hit the Lido first, and they say the same as well for Tom Hooper's The King's Speech, and Iciar Bollain's Even the Rain - which I saw more as Tiff and San Sebastian double booking. And if Canadian film Richard J. Lewis' Barney's Version turns out to be gold, then people might question why it wasn't the opener in Toronto,...

• [Ed's note: Vanity Fair. I buy the Hollywood issue every year and I love the magazine for the articles (that sounds like the excuse I had when my mom caught me with Playboy). Below you'll find more than a baker's dozen of folks who ate shrimp cocktails and collected souvenirs for their hard working publicists. Enjoy!] A "fly" on the wall pic: Jeff Goldblum in good spirits. The dude with no thumbs in The English Patient: Willem Dafoe and wife/actress Giada Colagrande. Loved you in Broken Flowers!: Jeffrey Wright comes to Vanity Fair not empty-handed. I'm not publishing the Edward Burns pics: Videoclip model Christy Turlington continues to make grown men cry. Drugstore Cowboy hottie: We don't see enough of you Kelly Lynch! Star of The T.V Set: David Duchovny is into leather. Mystery hottie. How do you like your eggs done? Can I water your plants? All pictures © of Pierre-Alexandre Despatis 2006. Tribeca Photo Diary #2 Tribeca Photo Diary #1 ...

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Actor Willem Dafoe married Italian actress and director Giada Colagrande in a secret ceremony in New York six weeks ago. The pair sneaked into the ceremony at Manhattan's City Hall, where they were joined by just close friends and family - according to the New York Daily News. Dafoe, who turns 50 this month and 29-year-old Colagrande co-wrote and will star together in forthcoming romantic drama Before It Had A Name. Dafoe has a son Jack, 23, from his 27-year relationship with theatre director Elizabeth LeCompte, which ended last year.