Annual US indie-film showcase organized by the Sundance Institute
Venice features a mix of veteran and new voices, with female directors underrepresented in the main competition. Maggie Gyllenhaal heads a diverse jury, while NAZA debuts as a documentary; May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown is highlighted for its post-war drama.
Olivia Wilde’s The Invite has sparked a broader conversation about modern relationships. The film, directed by Wilde and starring her opposite Seth Rogen, centers on a couple whose marriage unravels during a dinner with liberated neighbours. The conversation touches on identity, societal expectations, and the purification of self within intimate life.
A Buffalo jury has found Hadi Matar guilty on all counts in a federal terrorism case stemming from the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie during a talk on writers’ safety. Matar already faces a 25-year state sentence for the August 2022 attack; the federal verdict could carry a life term. Prosecutors say the act was motivated by Iran’s fatwa against Rushdie and Hezbollah ties, while the defense questions Matar’s state of mind.
New York City has hit peak summer activity with record crowds and spending. After Knicks’ championship and World Cup crowds, the city remains lively as visitors push commerce and events into high gear this August.