Sundance Festival Kicks off as Film World Reels from LA Fires 

Indian-US director Meera Menon attends the launch of Marvel studio original series "Ms Marvel" at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 2, 2022. (AFP)
Indian-US director Meera Menon attends the launch of Marvel studio original series "Ms Marvel" at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 2, 2022. (AFP)
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Sundance Festival Kicks off as Film World Reels from LA Fires 

Indian-US director Meera Menon attends the launch of Marvel studio original series "Ms Marvel" at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 2, 2022. (AFP)
Indian-US director Meera Menon attends the launch of Marvel studio original series "Ms Marvel" at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 2, 2022. (AFP)

The US film industry's first major gathering since wildfires devastated Los Angeles began Thursday at Sundance, where stars kicked off the indie movie festival under somber circumstances.

Hollywood's annual pilgrimage to the Rocky Mountains to debut the coming year's top indie films started barely two weeks after blazes killed more than two dozen people and brought the US entertainment capital to a halt.

Festival chiefs spoke at length with filmmakers "who lost homes or were displaced" by the fires before deciding to press ahead, Sundance director Eugene Hernandez told AFP.

Among those were the team behind "Didn't Die," an indie zombie movie about survivors podcasting to an ever-dwindling human population, which was partly shot in the filmmakers's now-destroyed Altadena homes.

"We turned the film in, and a few days later... our homes were lost," director Meera Menon told AFP.

The film's producer and editor, who lived near to Menon and her co-writer husband, also fled their house before it was razed by the fires.

"The four of us really lost everything... our home was our dream home," added a tearful-sounding Menon, who was nonetheless driving up to Utah on Thursday to attend her film's premiere next week.

Also among the 88 features being screened in snowy Park City is "Rebuilding," starring Josh O'Connor as a rancher who loses everything in a wildfire.

"It takes on an added poignance," said Hernandez.

"It's an incredible film, and one that we felt was important to show, based on that spirit of resilience," said Sundance programming director Kim Yutani.

- J-Lo, Cumberbatch -

Among festival highlights, Jennifer Lopez brings her first film to Sundance this weekend with glitzy musical "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

From "Dreamgirls" director Bill Condon, the film is based on the Broadway adaptation of Argentine author Manuel Puig's novel.

Lopez plays a silver-screen diva whose life and roles are discussed by two mismatched prisoners as they form an unlikely bond in their grim cell.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in another literary adaptation, "The Thing With Feathers," based on Max Porter's experimental and poetic novel about a grieving husband and two young sons.

Rapper A$AP Rocky and late-night host Conan O'Brien make up the eclectic cast of mystery "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You."

And "The Bear" star Ayo Edebiri teams up with John Malkovich for thriller "Opus," about a young writer investigating the mysterious disappearance of a legendary pop star.

- Politics -

Among Sundance's documentary selection, which has launched several of the most recent Oscar-winning nonfiction films, politics will feature heavily.

Former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern is expected in town to promote the behind-the-scenes documentary "Prime Minister."

Palestinian-American director Cherien Dabis will unveil "All That's Left of You" in a prominent Saturday evening premiere at Sundance's biggest venue.

Sundance runs until February 2.



‘Conclave’ Wins Best Picture at BAFTAs as ‘The Brutalist’ Takes Directing and Acting Prizes 

British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)
British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)
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‘Conclave’ Wins Best Picture at BAFTAs as ‘The Brutalist’ Takes Directing and Acting Prizes 

British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)
British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)

Papal thriller “Conclave” won four prizes including best picture on Sunday at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, where genre-bending musical “Emilia Pérez” proved that it’s still an awards contender despite a multipronged backlash that looked to have dented its chances.

At a ceremony where no film dominated, “The Brutalist” equaled the awards tally of “Conclave," scooping four trophies, including best director for Brady Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody. Mikey Madison won the best actress prize for Brooklyn tragicomedy “Anora.”

“Conclave,” which stars Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal corralling conniving clergy as they elect a new pope, beat “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez” and Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” to the top prize. “Conclave” was also named outstanding British film and took trophies for editing and adapted screenplay.

Supporting performer prizes went to Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain” and Zoe Saldaña for “Emilia Pérez,” which also won the award for best film not in the English language.

From the BAFTAs to the Oscars

Stars including Cynthia Erivo, Hugh Grant, Ariana Grande, Lupita Nyong’o, Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan walked the red carpet at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the awards, known as BAFTAs. The British prizes often provide clues about who will triumph at Hollywood’s Academy Awards on March 2, in an unusually hard-to-call awards season.

They also have a distinctly British accent. The ceremony kicked off with its kilt-wearing host, Scottish actor David Tennant, leading the audience in a rousing singalong of The Proclaimers’ anthem “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

Madison won the female acting trophy for her powerhouse performance as an exotic dancer entangled with a Russian oligarch's son in “Anora.” She beat Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore for body-horror film “The Substance,” Ronan for “The Outrun,” Erivo for “Wicked” and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for “Hard Truths.”

Brody beat competition from Fiennes, Chalamet, who plays the young Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” Grant for the horror film “Heretic,” Colman Domingo for prison drama “Sing Sing” and Sebastian Stan for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.”

Brody, who plays a Hungarian-Jewish architect in the postwar United States, said “The Brutalist” carried a powerful message for our divided times.

“It speaks to the need for all of us to share in the responsibility of how we want others to be treated and how we want to be treated by others,” he said. “There's no place any more for antisemitism. There's no place for racism.”

“The Brutalist” also won prizes for its cinematography and musical score.

“A Real Pain,” about mismatched cousins on a trip to explore their roots, won the BAFTA for best original screenplay, as well as Culkin's acting award.

“I’d like to share this with my wife, who didn’t come because she didn’t think I’d win,” quipped writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, who also co-starred in the film.

Claymation caper “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” won awards for best animated feature and best family and children’s film.

Sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” won prizes for sound and visual effects, while blockbuster musical “Wicked” took the costume and production design trophies.

Rising stars and lifetime honors

Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,000 members of the UK academy of industry professionals, with one — the Rising Star Award — selected by public vote from a shortlist of nominees. This year's winner was David Jonsson, star of high finance TV drama series “Industry” and London rom-com “Rye Lane.”

“Star, I don’t know,” he said. “But rising, I guess.”

The prize for best British debut went to Rich Peppiatt, writer-director of Irish-language hip-hop drama “Kneecap.”

“Willow” and “Return of the Jedi” actor Warwick Davis received the academy’s top honor, the BAFTA Fellowship, for his screen career and work to create a more inclusive film industry.

The 3-foot, 6-inch (1.1-meter) actor founded a talent agency for actors under 5 feet tall, because, he said, “short actors weren’t known for their talent, just their height.”

“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me — and I’ve been in ‘Star Wars,’” Davis said as he accepted his award.

This awards season has been clouded by last month’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and BAFTA chairwoman Sara Putt sent a message of strength to everyone affected,

The event was without a dash of royal glamour this year. Neither Prince William, who is honorary president of the British film academy, nor his wife Kate attended the ceremony, which coincided with school holidays for their three children.

William, 42, sent a video message, recorded during a visit to meet students at the London Screen Academy on Wednesday.

During the visit, the heir to the throne discussed his own viewing habits, saying he’d watched World War II drama “Darkest Hour” and had begun postapocalyptic TV drama “The Last of Us.” He said he found it “quite full on” and didn’t make it to the end.