Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Industry Arm Ups Ante on TV Strand, Doubles Down on Efforts to Create More Diverse and Inclusive Market

Italian restaurant group Piccolino has unveiled its "most exuberant restaurant yet" - a new £2mn Piccolino Grande in Wilmslow. The new site features lavish interiors and a huge new Winterised terrace inspired by Tuscany.

January may be the traditional time for people to give plant-based recipes a go as part of Veganuary, but there’s no reason why you can’t try meat-free today. And with cold, gloomy weather here to stay, we’re opting for comforting dishes, including this one-pan plant-based moussaka created by flexitarian Peter Andre. Coming in at just £1.41 per serving, the recipe, which uses Beyond Meat mince, is not only cost-effective, but it can be cooked up in less than 40 minutes.

Christopher Vourlias Sofia Exarchou’s “Animal” won the Golden Alexander at the 64th Thessaloniki Film Festival on Sunday, marking the first time in 30 years that a Greek film took home the top honors at the country’s longest-running film event. Exarchou’s sophomore feature, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, was praised by Variety’s Jessica Kiang as “a poignant portrait of life amid the sequins and the seediness of a Greek resort.” The film follows a group of entertainers at an all-inclusive island resort preparing for the busy tourist season who are forced to wrestle with the dark reality that the show must go on as the sultry Mediterranean nights turn violent.

Love Island Games host Maya Jama has been flaunting her stunning figure in a bikini while on holiday. The 29 year old shared a snap on Instagram stories, where she's seen rocking a black, white and yellow leopard print bikini top with black bottoms. She also posted another picture from her recent fashion campaign with Dolce and Gabbana, which was tagged by a fan: "@mayajama slaying the windows in Paris." Maya, who is back together with British rapper Stormzy, revealed she's in Dubai on a break from filming the new Love Island Games series in Fiji.

Savina Petkova Hollywood might have ground to a halt in recent months during the recent labor strikes, with the role of artificial intelligence in the moviemaking business a key stumbling block between studio bosses and both the writers and actors guilds. But two-time Academy Award winner Alexander Payne (“Sideways”) quipped at the Thessaloniki Film Festival this week that when it comes to AI, he’s all for it. “If AI could write a script for me, I would be so happy,” Payne joked.

A Perfect Circle, Puscifer and Primus have announced additional tour dates for their joint 2024 tour of the United States – see the full list of tour dates below.This past weekend (November 4), Puscifer took to social media to announced the expanded list of tour dates, which now run from April 2 until May 4 instead of the previously announced run which was only scheduled to run from April 17 until April 26.All shows will feature A Perfect Circle and Primus to celebrate the 60th birthday of Maynard James Keenan, who performs in A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.A post shared by Puscifer (@puscifer)Tickets to all shows are now on sale and can be purchased here.April:02 – Boston, MA Boch Center – Wang Theatre03 – Boston, MA Boch Center – Wang Theatre05 – Mashantucket, CT Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino06 – Atlantic City, NJ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena07 – Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park09 – Alpharetta, GA Ameris Bank Amphitheatre10 – Franklin, TN FirstBank Amphitheater12 – Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory13 – The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion16 – Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre17 – Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)18 – San Diego, CA The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park (SOLD OUT)20 – Los Angeles, CA The Hollywood Bowl21 – Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre (SOLD OUT)23 – West Valley City, UT Maverik Center25 – Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)26 – Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)30 – Bonner Springs, KS Azura AmphitheaterMay:01 – Chicago, IL Wintrust Arena02 – Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre04 – Forest Hills, NY Forest Hills StadiumThe joint tour marks A Perfect Circle’s first run of shows since 2018, when they

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, to two parents of Greek heritage, two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne was awarded Greek citizenship last year around the time he was working on his latest feature, The Holdovers. 

A teen decided to ditch going to university - and now gets paid £1k a month to travel the world on millionaire superyachts.

Seven years after her skillful debut Park, which played Toronto and San Sebastian, where it won the New Directors Award, Greek filmmaker Sofia Exarchou has returned with her sophomore outing. 

“We’re so f–ked. How are we gonna do that?” Veteran TV director Jeremy Podeswa said was the first reaction he and a colleague shared after seeing an early cut of Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire pilot for HBO. 

Agora, the industry section of Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival, kicks into gear this weekend with an eye on expansion as industry head Angeliki Vergou and her team introduce a series of changes to the established event.

Swedish director Ruben Östlund has been announced as a guest of honor at the 15th edition of France’s Les Arcs Film Festival, in the role of its Talent Village Ambassador.

Christopher Vourlias When the Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival kicks off its 64th edition on Nov. 2, the organizers will unveil a host of changes while renewing their commitment to serving audiences at one of Europe’s longest-running film events — all at a time of almost unprecedented uncertainty over the future of cinema and even the very purpose of festivals themselves.

Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival returns this evening for its 64th edition with a screening of The Pot-au-Feu (The Taste of Things), the latest film by French-Vietnamese director Trần Anh Hùng. 

Sophie Turner appears to have a new man in her life.

Black Friday is an exciting time for travellers as holiday companies and airlines jostle to offer the very best cut-price deals. With the likes of British Airways, easyJet, TUI and Jet2 expected to offer big savings when Black Friday falls on November, 24, it could be the perfect time to book your next getaway.

Maya Jama and Stormzy became embroiled in a rather public heated row, just moments after they landed in Los Angeles. The recently reunited couple confirmed their romance during a luxurious holiday in Greece over the summer, but it seems that now the honeymoon period may be coming to an end. After landing in LA, where Stormzy is reportedly filming a new music video, the pair were photographed looking rather annoyed with one another.

Jessie Ware has been on our radar for years.The 39 year old musician first came to attention way back in 2012 when she released her debut album, Devotion.The record received critical acclaim and was even nominated for that year's Mercury Prize. Following her early success, Jessie then went on to release a string of other albums and singles, all of which have been incredibly well received - most recently, 2023's That! Feels Good! which produced the feel good single, 'Free Yourself'.Thanks to these musical talents, Jessie has also been nominated for six Brit Awards over the years.

EXCLUSIVE: Black Bear has closed a raft of international deals on Guy Ritchie’s next project, the as yet untitled action film which wrapped principal photography in Spain this week.

John Stamos has been open about his excessive drinking in the past. During the peak of his battle with alcoholism, the "Full House" alum confessed he doesn’t even recall being on the movie set of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2." Stamos, 60, was arrested June 12, 2015, on suspicion of driving under the influence, and he was hospitalized. He explained how his alcoholism would deeply impact his memory.