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Fragments of Ice review – fascinating chronicle of Soviet collapse through the lens of a Ukrainian ice skater

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Film-maker Maria Stoianova mines her father’s video diaries from the 1980s and 90s to document the decline of communism – and his obsession with western shopping malls Here is an interesting film which does not render up its meaning easily: a personal piece about memory, and an enigmatic essay about the decline and fall of the Soviet Union as it was experienced by one family in Ukraine, based entirely on home-movie video footage. It is innocent and transparent, and yet subtly encumbered by the sadness of history. I can imagine Adam Curtis quoting this in its entirety for some new compilation about the post-communist 20th century. Film-maker Maria Stoianova presents us with video clips shot by her dad, Mykhailo Stoianov, an ice skater and ice dancer with the Ukrainian national ice ballet company who, throughout the communist 1980s and into the new era, toured the US, Canada, the Middle East and western Europe. (Mykhailo even played Blackpool in the UK.) The skaters were a privileged cul...
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Yash Raj Films partners with Rusk Media to develop next-generation digital entertainment IP

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On June 29, 2026, Yash Raj Films (YRF) announced a strategic investment in Rusk Media, one of India’s leading digital-first entertainment companies that specialises in original vertical storytelling IPs for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. The investment backs Rusk Media’s vision to build the next generation of enduring digital IP for India and the world. Under the partnership, YRF will oversee the creative direction of original animation and vertical micro-drama IP, while Rusk Media will produce and distribute the content through its proprietary Alright! TV platform and global digital channels. The collaboration aims at fuelling YRF & Rusk Media’s shared ambition of establishing India as a creative force in the vertical entertainment economy through original IPs across animation and vertical micro-drama, distributed across Rusk Media’s proprietary Alright! TV platform and global digital channels. Akshaye Widhani, CEO, Yash Raj Films, said: “The instinct to evolve has always been ce...
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Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha sparks title row: NCP and Vithabai Narayangaonkar's family seek title change

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Shraddha Kapoor's upcoming film Eetha has landed in controversy even before its theatrical release. While the recently unveiled teaser drew appreciation for the actress's transformation into legendary Lavani and Tamasha artist Vithabai Narayangaonkar, the film's title has now become the subject of criticism. After the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) questioned why the biographical drama was not named after Vithabai Narayangaonkar, members of the late folk icon's family have also urged the makers to reconsider the title and rename the film in her honour. NCP questions the choice of title According to a report by TV9 Marathi, the NCP's Film and Cultural Department has objected to the title Eetha, arguing that a film based on the life of Vithabai Narayangaonkar should carry her name. The party has suggested that titles such as Vitha or Vithabai would be more appropriate and would acknowledge her immense contribution to Maharashtra's Lavani and Tamasha traditions....
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‘We’re up against forces that have all the money in the world’: Erin Brockovich on her battle against AI datacentres

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In 1993, she squeezed a $333m settlement from a Californian energy company in a scandal over contaminated water. Three decades later, she has a new target in her sights – and it’s global When Erin Brockovich woke to find 30 emails from people from the same town, she realised something was going on. People email Brockovich all the time because of what happened in 1993, when she was instrumental in suing Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) on behalf of residents of the town of Hinkley, California, whose groundwater had been contaminated. The case resulted in a settlement of $333m – then the largest ever payout for a direct-action lawsuit. When she was immortalised by Julia Roberts in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, she became the hero we didn’t know we needed, a modern day Joan of Arc. She had won against PG&E with no formal legal training. The emails she received a few weeks ago were about datacentres. In April, she put a callout on her website asking for anyone with concerns...
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I’m a psychiatrist who was terrified of horror films – until I learned about ‘cinematic neurosis’

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Why do scary movies thrill some viewers and send others running for the hills? Our writer gets to the bottom of his fear of the genre – with the assistance of Freud, clinical researchers and his six-year-old self I am six years old, and I am watching a man turn into a werewolf. The film is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, a 1948 comedy. I am staring up at our black-and-white TV fixated on the werewolf transformation unfolding in slow motion and I begin to scream so inconsolably that my parents must carry me upstairs to calm me down. That night was the beginning of my lifelong fear of horror films and of the supernatural, of darkness and of being alone in a house. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/nwdHRqF via IFTTT
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Still blazing after all these years: Mel Brooks at 100

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The director of The Producers hits his century as a uniquely beloved entertainer who embodies his conviction that ‘comedy is the opposite of death’ Mel Brooks’ story is that of the US and Jews and American Jewish comedy. He was born on the kitchen table of a tenement in Brooklyn a century ago in the same month Marilyn Monroe made her own entrance on the opposite coast. The son of European immigrants, Brooks was brought up by his mother after his father died when Melvin was just two years old. He was a small, sickly child and the youngest of four brothers, perhaps an explanation for an almost pathological desire for attention. In the words of his colleague Larry Gelbart : “Mel thought when he got slapped in the ass by the doctor who delivered him that was applause, and he has not stopped performing since.” In his youth, Brooks’ preferred method of making a noise was playing the drums and he was actually taught the instrument by Buddy Rich. Neither could possibly have known at the time t...
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Tearing up the screen: BFI’s Rip It Up season rebels against tired teen stereotypes

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Young people have chosen this six-month season, and though rebel classics such as Quadrophenia and If … are here, the picks show youth culture in flux Seventy-five years ago, the Festival of Britain offered a vision of a modern, forward-looking nation emerging from the austerity of the second world war. It also coincided with the emergence of a new cultural figure in the US: the teenager. For the first time, young people were beginning to be recognised as a distinct social group with their own tastes, fashions, anxieties and aspirations. That evolution forms the basis of Rip It Up, a new nationwide season from the BFI Film Audience Network running from May to October, exploring how British film and television have captured youth culture across seven decades. Bringing together screenings, archive material, talks, live events and youth-led programming, the season traces a journey from postwar rebellion and working-class aspiration to contemporary questions of identity, belonging and self...
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Shahid Kapoor becomes Bvlgari’s first Friend of the House for fragrances in India; says, “It feels like a partnership that makes sense to me”

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Shahid Kapoor has added another milestone to his career by becoming Bvlgari's first-ever Friend of the House for fragrances in India. The announcement marks a significant development for the Italian luxury maison, as it is also the brand's first fragrance collaboration with a male personality in the Indian market. The partnership comes at a time when Shahid Kapoor is enjoying the success of his recently released film Cocktail 2, which has received a positive response from audiences. Beyond the big screen, the actor has continued to expand his presence in the luxury and lifestyle space with this latest association. As part of the collaboration, Shahid will represent a curated selection of Bvlgari's fragrance portfolio, including the widely recognised Bvlgari Man and Bvlgari Le Gemme collections. The brand stated that Shahid's personality and style align with Bvlgari's identity of timeless luxury, craftsmanship and contemporary sophistication, making him a natural ch...
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EXCLUSIVE: Tanishk Bagchi gets engaged to Payal Dangodra in a close-knit ceremony at Mahaveer Jain’s home; Amruta Fadnavis attends

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One of the most prominent composers of the film industry, Tanishk Bagchi, is now engaged. Bollywood Hungama has exclusively learned that the engagement took place yesterday, Friday, June 26. Tanishk Bagchi's engagement took place with Payal Dangodra, a prominent fashion, beauty, food, travel and lifestyle content creator. The engagement ceremony was a close knit one and took place in the Mumbai residence of producer Mahaveer Jain. Only close friends and family members were present to indulge in the celebrations and bless the couple. As per inside sources, Amruta Fadnavis, wife of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, was one of the guests and she even sang songs. Interestingly, Tanishk Bagchi has now turned producer along with dynamic young producer Divyansh Jain under 'MJF NXT', a platform by Mahaveer Jain Films to present a platform for emerging creative talents in the entertainment industry landscape. Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Tanishk Bagchi of Saiyaara fame...
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Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan starrer Haiwaan locks September 11, 2026 release date

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The wait is finally over for fans eager to see Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan share screen space once again. The makers of Haiwaan have officially announced that the much-anticipated thriller, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Priyadarshan, will hit cinemas worldwide on September 11, 2026. Backed by KVN Productions in association with Thespian Films, Haiwaan is being positioned as an edge-of-the-seat thriller that promises suspense, gripping drama and high-stakes storytelling. The film marks a significant collaboration as Priyadarshan reunites with Akshay Kumar while also bringing together Akshay and Saif Ali Khan for a much-awaited on-screen reunion. Announcing the release date on social media, KVN Productions shared an intriguing poster along with the caption, “One obsession. One relentless pursuit. One date you’ll want to remember. #Haiwaan - A Priyadarshan Film starring Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar… In cinemas 11th September 2026. Mark your calendars”. The announcement has already...
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