Movies
How the BAFTAs faced up to its problem with race
Behind the scenes — This week, the awards ceremony unveiled its diverse nominations list – a far cry from the overwhelmingly white line-up from last year. But do these changes go far enough, and what will it take for the rest of the industry to follow suit?
Written by: Rory Horne
Boots Riley is Hollywood’s new disruptor in chief
Truth to power — With his debut feature Sorry To Bother You, the rapper turned filmmaker is responsible for 2018’s most brazenly original slice of cinema: a seething take on class, race and identity in Corporate America. The good news is that he’s only just getting started.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Desiree Akhavan is film's most exciting 'outsider'
Can't stop, won't stop — After winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for a coming-of-age film about LGBT teens, Desiree Akhavan has battled self-doubt to realise her dream as a director. But in a medium with few opportunities for fresh voices, she knows that success is never straightforward.
Written by: Cian Traynor
What to catch at this year’s Surf and Skate Film Festival
Board culture — Gender equality, ’80s France, and the endless search for the perfect wave: this weekend’s Milan festival celebrates the bond between surf, skate & film. We pick out our must-see selection.
Written by: Cristiana Bedei
An interview with Sean Baker, film's brightest activist
Magical mystery tour — Sean Baker has developed his own cinematic language: one packed with colour, energy and humour. But after years on the fringes, consistently bold work has cemented his status as a socially conscious voice in Hollywood.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
Ken Loach’s advice for young filmmakers
A voice of resistance — Ken Loach has been a singular force in British filmmaking for over 50 years: exposing injustice, standing up for the marginalised and fighting the powers that be. Now he's made his angriest film yet.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Director Anna Rose Holmer on her daunting film The Fits
A twisted tale — The Fits is the story about sisterhood you need to watch. Its co-writer and director talks about her fascination with dance, finding the real-life Cincinnati girl troupe that stars in it, and how magic happens in collaboration.
Written by: Marta Bausells
This student took 400 low-income girls of colour to see Hidden Figures
Representation matters — 18-year-old activist and writer June Eric-Udorie crowdfunded a screening of Hidden Figures for girls of colour in London, because how we see ourselves on screen matters.
Written by: Marta Bausells
The young filmmaker defying a corrupt movie industry in style
Cinema's lone wolf — Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat has delivered a scathing critique of her home country - and our tendency to run with the pack - with a dreamlike masterpiece.
Written by: Alex King
A movie-inspired DIY guide to life, from artist Timba Smits
Life lessons from Steve Zissou, Forrest Gump and The Bride — Throw out the self-help guides and life gurus. All you need to live a good life is movie star role models, says Little White Lies Artistic Director Timba Smits.
Written by: Alex King
The best dance scenes in alternative cinema
Dancing in the dark — From Gummo to Dogtooth, acclaimed director and choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall spotlights seven killer moves from off-kilter classics... and nominates the greatest dance movies ever made.
Written by: Steven T. Hanley
LA’s 6th Street Viaduct was the bridge you never knew you loved
Saying goodbye to an architectural movie star — Local landmark, subculture magnet and Hollywood star – Los Angeles' 6th Street Viaduct was many things to many people. Until it was torn down in late January, to be replaced by a space-age bridge straight out of the millennial architect handbook. Residents are worried, while others, including Dogtown legend CR Stecyk, continue to mourn its legacy.
Written by: Adam White