Annual US indie-film showcase organized by the Sundance Institute
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.
Venice Film Festival winners have spotlighted gender disparity in cinema. May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown has won Golden Lion; Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love takes Silver Lion; Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s DAU wins best director. Gaza documentary NAZA earns a special jury prize. The festival continues to face questions about female representation in major competitions.
Apple TV’s Brothers pairs Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as self-macaronized versions of themselves. The show teases a deeper myth about family and fame but lands in familiar sitcom territory, underutilizing its star duo and undercooking its emotional core.