Under the artistic direction of Alberto Barbera, the world's oldest film festival has been relaunched and expanded. Venice’s Mostra del Cinema has revitalized its infrastructure and screening rooms, enhanced the quality of film selections—many of which start at the Lido and go on to receive numerous awards worldwide—and attracted Hollywood stars and celebrities from around the globe. However, when it comes to the business side, the outcome is more nuanced. Barbera often boasts that Venice has overtaken Cannes in terms [...]

International Tax Credit: New Provisions Presented at the Venice Film Festival Festival At the Venice Film Festival, at the Italian Pavilion, the Undersecretary for Culture, Lucia Borgonzoni, and the Director-General for Cinema and Audiovisual, Nicola Borrelli, presented the new provisions of the decree on the tax credit aimed at attracting foreign investments. Borgonzoni reiterated the importance of this measure to strengthen Italy's image as an ideal destination for international investors, highlighting the high professionalism of Italian crews and the attractiveness [...]

Marco Bellocchio will receive the 25th Robert Bresson Award. The award ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 31, at 12:30 p.m., at the Italian Pavilion - Sala Tropicana 1 at the Hotel Excelsior, during the 81st Venice International Film Festival. The award, presented by the Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo and Rivista del Cinematografo with the patronage of the Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See, is given to a director who has [...]

‘Not a Sequel Cash Grab’—A Passion Project Met with Enthusiastic Reception At the Venice Film Festival, Tim Burton, alongside his star-studded cast, unveiled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the much-anticipated follow-up to the 1988 cult classic. Thirty-six years after Beetlejuice charmed audiences, Burton and Michael Keaton have returned with the next chapter of this supernatural comedy, set to have its world premiere tonight after a press screening earlier today. Speaking to the press, Burton expressed his deep connection to the film and its [...]

NBA Slams Warner Bros Discovery in Court Battle Over Amazon TV Rights Deal, Calls Company Too Small to Compete  The NBA has slammed Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in an escalating legal battle over broadcast rights, accusing the media giant of lacking both the financial strength and the audience reach to compete with Amazon’s lucrative deal. The fight centers around a $77 billion, 11-year rights package that Amazon secured earlier this year, set to begin in the 2025-26 season. WBD, through [...]

Disney's theme parks, long synonymous with the "Happiest Place on Earth" are facing a tough reality. Despite their immense popularity, rising prices and extra fees are causing a slowdown in growth, as highlighted in the company's recent earnings report. The report showed that while Disney overall had a positive Q3, its Experiences sector, which includes theme parks and cruise ships, grew by just 2%, generating $8.4 billion in revenue. Operating profit, meanwhile, dipped 3% to $2.2 billion. Disney attributed this [...]