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Berlin Film Festival Organizers Unveil 2025 Competition Line-up

File Photo: Executive Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Mariette Rissenbeek and Artistic Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Carlo Chatrian, Lupita Nyong'o, Jury President and jury members Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhk stand onstage during the opening gala of the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
File Photo: Executive Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Mariette Rissenbeek and Artistic Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Carlo Chatrian, Lupita Nyong'o, Jury President and jury members Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhk stand onstage during the opening gala of the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
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Berlin Film Festival Organizers Unveil 2025 Competition Line-up

File Photo: Executive Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Mariette Rissenbeek and Artistic Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Carlo Chatrian, Lupita Nyong'o, Jury President and jury members Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhk stand onstage during the opening gala of the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
File Photo: Executive Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Mariette Rissenbeek and Artistic Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Carlo Chatrian, Lupita Nyong'o, Jury President and jury members Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhk stand onstage during the opening gala of the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

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Richard Linklater's new feature about a Broadway composer, a documentary about young people in war-torn Ukraine and a homage to 1960s' spy films were among the films unveiled on Tuesday as part of the 2025 Berlin Film Festival's competition line-up.

"This is a major A-list festival with a thriving market," said new festival director Tricia Tuttle, with guests from more than 150 countries coming to the 75th edition of the festival, Reuters reported.

The 19 films in contention for the festival's Golden Bear top prize feature several directors making their return to the German capital, including Romania's Radu Jude, with his new dark comedy "Kontinental '25," and South Korea's Hong Sang-soo with his languorous family comedy "What Does that Nature Say to You".

Linklater, the US director known for "Before Sunrise," makes a buzzy return to the festival after more than a decade with "Blue Moon," about composer Lorenz Hart - the other half of famous songwriting team Rodgers and Hart - with an all-star cast including Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott.

"Reflection in a Dead Diamond" is Belgium-based duo Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani's maximalist spy feature, while "Dreams" stars Jessica Chastain as an heiress who falls in love with a Mexican ballet dancer, and "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" about a child's mysterious illness features Rose Byrne along with late-show TV host Conan O'Brien and rapper ASAP Rocky.

"Timestamp" is Kateryna Gornostai's observational documentary about life in Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion marks one of the more overtly political entries this year.

POLITICS AS USUAL?

The Berlin Film Festival, which this year runs from Feb. 13 to 23, is considered more political than its peers - Cannes, Venice, Sundance and Toronto.

"We do not shy away from this. It's arguably in the DNA of the city itself and also in the festival itself," US-born Tuttle told reporters.

The festival ends on the day of Germany's national election, though Tuttle said it does not plan to mark the event in any way other than encouraging people to vote.

Outside the competition, Oscar-winning "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi "Mickey 17" with Robert Pattison will have its German premiere during the festival, as will James Mangold's Bob Dylan biopic with Timothee Chalamet "A Complete Unknown".

Tuttle took charge amid financial uncertainty at the festival, which had to slim down its program last year, and Berlin slashed its 2025 culture budget by millions of euros.

However, ahead of Tuesday's news conference, Germany's culture ministry said it would contribute an extra 1.9 million euros ($1.97 million) to the festival for its 75th anniversary.

That boost "allows us to deliver the festival with a balanced budget this year and... to relive the festival in the way that we want to in this anniversary year," said Tuttle.

US director Todd Haynes heads the international jury that will award this year's top prize. "Run Lola Run" director Tom Tykwer's new film "The Light" will open the festival.

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Entertainment

‘Scary Movie’ Tops Box Office, Slaying ‘Masters of the Universe’ and Adding to Low-Budget Streak

(L-R) US actor/producer/writer Shawn Wayans, US actor Anthony Anderson and US actor/producer/writer Marlon Wayans attend Paramount's "Scary Movie" premiere at the Paramount theater in Los Angeles on June 3, 2026. (AFP)
(L-R) US actor/producer/writer Shawn Wayans, US actor Anthony Anderson and US actor/producer/writer Marlon Wayans attend Paramount's "Scary Movie" premiere at the Paramount theater in Los Angeles on June 3, 2026. (AFP)
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‘Scary Movie’ Tops Box Office, Slaying ‘Masters of the Universe’ and Adding to Low-Budget Streak

(L-R) US actor/producer/writer Shawn Wayans, US actor Anthony Anderson and US actor/producer/writer Marlon Wayans attend Paramount's "Scary Movie" premiere at the Paramount theater in Los Angeles on June 3, 2026. (AFP)
(L-R) US actor/producer/writer Shawn Wayans, US actor Anthony Anderson and US actor/producer/writer Marlon Wayans attend Paramount's "Scary Movie" premiere at the Paramount theater in Los Angeles on June 3, 2026. (AFP)

The summer box office is booming — but not because of the usual suspects.

After three weeks of indie horror dominance at the box office, the slasher spoof “Scary Movie” topped ticket sales with $55 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, easily besting the far-from-mighty “Masters of the Universe.”

A new order has lately come to movie theaters, which have seen Gen Z ticket buyers flock to the horror hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” both made by YouTubers-turned-filmmakers. Those movies have even outshone The Walt Disney Co.’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

This weekend, comedy was the underdog champ. Though the genre has been all but left for dead in theaters, the sixth “Scary Movie” notched a franchise-best $105.5 million global launch. The Wayans brother comedy even outdid its primary satirical target, the “Scream” franchise. Earlier this year, “Scream 7” debuted with $97 million worldwide.

Both franchises are distributed by Paramount Pictures, though Miramax produced the new “Scary Movie.” Co-written by Marlon, Shawn, Keenan and Craig Wayans, the sequel marks the Wayans’ return to the franchise after their departure over creative differences following 2001’s “Scary Movie 2.”

“This is an outstanding opening for a comedy sequel this far into the series,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe. "It’s a huge bounceback after the last episode crashed in 2013 when Anna Faris and Regina Hall were excluded. The weekend figure is triple the average for the genre.”

Reviews weren’t good (26% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (a “B” CinemaScore) were so-so. But that didn’t stop the $30-million “Scary Movie” from dominating its much bigger budget competition.

“Masters of the Universe,” a sword and sorcery action adventure based on the 1980s animated series and Mattel toys, failed to revive the dormant franchise. The Amazon MGM release, the second “Masters of the Universe” film following a 1987 movie of the same title, opened with $29.3 million domestically.

“Masters of the Universe,” starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, added $25 million overseas. But for a film that cost nearly $200 million to produce, a much higher launch was needed to make profitability likely.

It’s Mattel Studios’ first release since 2023’s “Barbie.” But after the extraordinary $1.45 billion success of that film, “Masters of the Universe” will be closer to a flop for the toy company.

A24’s “Backrooms,” last weekend’s top release, slid steeply on its second weekend, dropping 68% with $25.9 million. But “Backrooms,” a $10 million movie based on 20-year-old Kane Parson’s YouTube series remains a record-breaking phenomenon. It's now A24’s highest grossing film ever with $212 million worldwide, moving ahead of “Marty Supreme."

In a near tie for third place, Focus Features’ “Obsession” grossed $25.6 million in its fourth weekend. That marked a paltry 7% drop from the previous weekend for 26-year-old Curry Barker’s horror sensation. Not accounting for inflation, no horror movie has ever had a better fourth weekend.

“Obsession,” about a man who wishes his crush returned his affections, was made for less than $1 million. It’s now grossed $152.1 million domestically and $224.8 million worldwide — a record for Focus.

In its third weekend, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” fell all the way to sixth place with $10 million. It was even bested by Fathom Entertainment’s “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” a combination of the last two episodes of the animated series. It collected $12.7 million.

A few other movies hit milestones.

Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” became the studio’s highest grossing film ever with $898 million globally. That puts it ahead, not accounting for inflation, both the highest grossing entries in the studio’s “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” franchises.

And 2026 got its first billion-dollar movie. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” crossed $1 billion worldwide for Universal.

The weekend overall was up a remarkable 63% from the same weekend last year, according to Comscore. Ticket sales on the year are up more than 13%. Next weekend, Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” debuts.

Entertainment

US Gamers Getting Older as Industry Reports Growth

People play Mario Kart World during a launch event ahead of the midnight release of the Nintendo Switch 2 at the Nintendo New York store on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
People play Mario Kart World during a launch event ahead of the midnight release of the Nintendo Switch 2 at the Nintendo New York store on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
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US Gamers Getting Older as Industry Reports Growth

People play Mario Kart World during a launch event ahead of the midnight release of the Nintendo Switch 2 at the Nintendo New York store on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
People play Mario Kart World during a launch event ahead of the midnight release of the Nintendo Switch 2 at the Nintendo New York store on June 4, 2025. (AFP)

Video games are having a moment in the United States -- but the players are getting older.
The average American video game player is now 37 years old -- up from 29 about two decades ago -- as the industry reports activity climbing back to their highest levels since the pandemic-era boom, a new report reveals.
The findings, from the Entertainment Software Association's annual Essential Facts report, challenge enduring stereotypes about who plays games while underscoring the industry's recovery from a post-pandemic slowdown.
"It mirrors in large part the demographics of the nation," ESA president and chief executive Stanley Pierre-Louis told AFP, noting that more than half of all players in the United States are now 35 or older.
The steadily rising average player age reflects both the aging of a generation that grew up with consoles and a wave of older adults who have since picked up the hobby.
The gender split also defies the stereotypical image of the young male gamer.
Men account for 53 percent of players and women 46 percent, with women actually outnumbering men among Baby Boomers, the ESA said.
Overall, 67 percent of Americans play video games for at least an hour a week -- a figure broad enough to encompass everything from blockbuster console titles to casual mobile games like Wordle.
Revenues -- totaling $60.7 billion in 2025 -- have rebounded to their highest point since 2021, when pandemic lockdowns drove an outsized surge in both players and spending.
After a pullback as restrictions lifted, the industry has returned to growth, Pierre-Louis said.
- Self-regulation -
As lawmakers in the United States and Europe weigh tougher regulations on screen time, age verification and in-game spending, Pierre-Louis argued the US gaming industry's track record of voluntary self-regulation sets it apart.
That voluntary framework, he said, has given the industry credibility with US lawmakers that social media platforms lack.
Those platforms, he noted, "traditionally didn't have the same level of parental tools that video games had" -- a gap that has fueled the regulatory backlash now engulfing companies such as Meta and TikTok.
"Safety is not a competitive issue in our industry -- it's one of collaboration," Pierre-Louis said.
"Being on the ecosystem and staying on the ecosystem means you feel like you're in a trusted environment."
- 'Satisfaction' -
The ESA was founded in 1994 partly in response to congressional concern over violent content in games, and almost immediately established the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which assigns age ratings from E for Everyone to M for Mature for titles sold in North America.
The system also flags details about online interactions and in-game purchases.
Major console platforms including Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch now offer parental control tools that allow families to restrict what games children can access, cap spending and limit screen time -- capabilities Pierre-Louis said have been refined over decades in direct response to parent and policymaker feedback.
The argument, however, faces increasing pushback in the United States.
The gaming industry is facing growing scrutiny as platforms expand into social media-like features, with ESA member Roblox especially under pressure over child safety issues with regulators and in courts.
Legislative proposals range from mandatory age verification for games with chat features to bills that would impose national safety standards.
For the industry, such legislation should not be necessary.
"It's a matter of how do we get everyone up to speed on what the video game industry has been doing, so that there's satisfaction around the practices and trust and safety mechanisms we have in place," Pierre-Louis said.

Entertainment

Actor Anthony Head, Known for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ Has Died at 72

Anthony Head arrives for the European premiere of 'The Iron Lady' on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in London. (AP)
Anthony Head arrives for the European premiere of 'The Iron Lady' on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in London. (AP)
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Actor Anthony Head, Known for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ Has Died at 72

Anthony Head arrives for the European premiere of 'The Iron Lady' on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in London. (AP)
Anthony Head arrives for the European premiere of 'The Iron Lady' on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in London. (AP)

Anthony Head, the suave, smooth-voiced British actor known for roles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Ted Lasso," has died, his family said Friday. He was 72.

Head’s daughters, actors Emily and Daisy Head, told the Press Association news agency that the actor passed away due to complications from pneumonia.

The performer became known to British TV audiences in the 1980s as one half of a will-they, won’t-they romantic couple in a series of ads for Nescafe instant coffee.

Head achieved US fame as librarian Rupert Giles, mentor to the title character in the cult-favorite supernatural series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which ran from 1997 to 2003.

He most recently played Rupert Mannion, the villainous ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca, in "Ted Lasso."

"Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them," his daughters said. "How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us."