Berlin Film Festival Full Lineup: Richard Linklater’s ‘Blue Moon’ Starring Ethan Hawke, Michel Franco’s ‘Dreams’ With Jessica Chastain and More

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon,” starring Ethan Hawke and Margaret Qualley, and Michel Franco’s “Dreams” with Jessica Chastain are slated to compete at the 75th edition of the Berlin Film Festival. This year’s jury will be presided over by “May December” filmmaker Todd Haynes.
“Blue Moon,” which also stars Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott, is a long-gestating project which charts the final days of Lorenz Hart, half of the songwriting team Rodgers & Hart. The film has already been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics.

“Dreams” reunites Franco with Chastain following 2023’s “Memory.” The film stars Isaac Hernández as Fernando, a young ballet dancer from Mexico, who dreams of being internationally recognized and living in the U.S. Chastain plays his lover, a socialite and philanthropist.

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Other notable titles on the competition roster include “Hot Milk,” the feature debut of acclaimed screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (“She Said”) starring Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps; and “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Mary Bronstein’s film starring Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky and Conan O’Brien.

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Two Chinese movies will also make their world debuts at the Berlinale: “Girls on Wire” (“Xiang fei de nv hai”), directed by Vivian Qu, and “Living the Land” (“Sheng xi zhi di”), directed by Huo Meng.

The exciting lineup kicks off the leadership of new artistic director Tricia Tuttle, who took over from Carlo Chatrian and signals an endeavor to boast a competition that brings the festival slightly closer to Cannes. Overall, movies that will compete this year for the Golden and Silver bears are on paper less niche and more crossover than recent Berlinale lineups, but Tuttle, who is a well respected American film journalist and curator, has also kept the edginess and iconoclastic flare that has symbolized the festival since its inception.

In announcing the lineup, Tuttle discussed her wish to broaden the appeal of the festival, as well as keep its political roots. “We cannot and we do not shy away from [politics]. It’s arguably in the DNA of the city and the festival itself,” she said. “But it’s fair to say that the Berlinale is many things and for all festivals and all culture right now, the news agenda can often dominate the discourse. But we really hope that believe that the films that audiences are going to see over the weeks of the festival are going to get people talking about the vibrancy of the art form itself.”

Under Tuttle’s helm, the Berlinale has introduced a new competitive section called Perspectives whose inaugural lineup includes 14 feature film debuts, 12 of which are world premieres.

“Perspectives, our new first fiction feature competition brings together exceptional international filmmakers, spanning the globe from India to Mexico, from Taiwan to Egypt, from the U.S. to Slovenia,” Tuttle said. The films include “Mad Bills to Pay” by Joel Alfonso Vargas and “How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World” by Florian Pochlatko.

Meanwhile, the competition roster spans movies from 26 countries and includes eight films directed or co-directed by female helmers.

“We’re fiercely proud of the films in this year’s competition; they showcase the breadth of cinema and offer fascinating glimpses into different lives and places,” said Tuttle, who previously led the BFI London Film Festival during a fast-growing five-year chapter.

Tuttle described the films selected as “intimate dramas that ask us to understand our human fragilities and strengths; there is gentle comedy but also the sharpest, blackest satire; there are films that pay homage to cinematic greats and ones that use the art form’s fullest canvas.”

“Each of these singular works shows filmmakers at the top of their craft. From these deserving ranks, we look forward to discovering what Todd Haynes’ jury pick as the winners of Berlinale Golden and Silver Bears,” Tuttle continued.

Nine more titles have also been added to the Berlinale Special program, most notably James Mangold’s Oscar contender “A Complete Unknown” starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan. The fest will also host a screening of Peter Wollen’s 1987 film “Friendship’s Death,” starring Tilda Swinton, as part of her Honorary Golden Bear tribute.

Last year, the Berlinale was embroiled in controversy after the directors of award-winning doc “No Other Land” — both Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers — described Israeli’s “apartheid” while on stage, sparking angry responses from German politicians. Tuttle acknowledged that, this year, there have been concerns surrounded freedom of speech and that “lots of filmmakers from Arab countries” had approached the organizers “just to make sure the festival is a space for open dialogue.”

Tuttle added that the matter “had affected the program,” but it’s “not been something that’s kept us from being able to program what we want.”

See the full lineup below.

COMPETITION

“Ari”

by Léonor Serraille | with Andranic Manet, Pascal Rénéric, Théo Delezenne, Ryad Ferrad, Eva Lallier Juan

France / Belgium 2025

World premiere

“Blue Moon”

by Richard Linklater | with Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott

USA / Ireland 2025

World premiere

“La cache” (“The Safe House”)

by Lionel Baier | with Dominique Reymond, Michel Blanc, William Lebghil, Aurélien Gabrielli, Liliane Rovère

Switzerland / Luxembourg / France 2025

World premiere

“Dreams”

by Michel Franco | with Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernández, Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell

Mexico 2025

World premiere

“Drømmer” (“Dreams (Sex Love)”)

by Dag Johan Haugerud | with Ella Øverbye, Selome Emnetu, Ane Dahl Torp, Anne Marit Jacobsen

Norway 2024

International premiere

“Geu jayeoni nege mworago hani” (“What Does That Nature Say to You”)

by Hong Sangsoo | with Ha Seongguk, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Yunhee, Kang Soyi

South Korea 2025

World premiere

“Hot Milk”

by Rebecca Lenkiewicz | with Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, Vicky Krieps, Vincent Perez

United Kingdom 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

by Mary Bronstein | with Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Ivy Wolk

USA 2024

International premiere

“Kontinental ’25”

by Radu Jude | with Eszter Tompa, Gabriel Spahiu, Adonis Tanța

Romania 2025

World premiere

“El mensaje” (“The Message”)

by Iván Fund | with Mara Bestelli, Marcelo Subiotto, Anika Bootz, Betania Cappato

Argentina / Spain 2025

World premiere

“Mother’s Baby”

by Johanna Moder | with Marie Leuenberger, Hans Löw, Claes Bang, Julia Franz Richter

Austria / Switzerland / Germany 2025

World premiere

“O último azul” (“The Blue Trail”)

by Gabriel Mascaro | with Denise Weinberg, Rodrigo Santoro, Miriam Socorrás, Adanilo

Brazil / Mexico / Chile / Netherlands 2025

World premiere

“Reflet dans un diamant mort” (“Reflection in a Dead Diamond”)

by Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani | with Fabio Testi, Yannick Renier, Koen De Bouw, Maria de Medeiros, Thi Mai Nguyen

Belgium / Luxembourg / Italy / France 2025

World premiere

“Sheng xi zhi di” (“Living the Land”)

By Huo Meng │with Wang Shang, Zhang Chuwen, Zhang Yanrong, Zhang Caixia, Cao Lingzhi

People’s Republic of China 2025

World premiere

“Strichka chasu” (“Timestamp”)

by Kateryna Gornostai | with Olha Bryhynets, Borys Khovriak, Mykola Kolomiiets

Ukraine / Luxembourg / Netherlands / France 2025

World premiere | Documentary form

“La Tour de Glace” (“The Ice Tower”)

by Lucile Hadžihalilović | with Marion Cotillard, Clara Pacini, August Diehl, Gaspar Noé

France / Germany 2025

World premiere

“Was Marielle weiß” (“What Marielle Knows”)

by Frédéric Hambalek | with Julia Jentsch, Felix Kramer, Laeni Geiseler, Mehmet Ateşçi, Moritz Treuenfels

Germany 2025

World premiere

“Xiang fei de nv hai” (“Girls on Wire”)

by Vivian Qu | with Liu Haocun, Wen Qi, Zhang Youhao

People’s Republic of China 2025

World premiere

“Yunan”

by Ameer Fakher Eldin | with Georges Khabbaz, Hanna Schygulla, Ali Suliman, Sibel Kekilli, Tom Wlaschiha

Germany / Canada / Italy / Palestine / Qatar / Jordan / Saudi Arabia 2025

World premiere

BERLINALE SPECIAL GALA 

“After This Death”

by Lucio Castro | with Mia Maestro, Lee Pace, Rupert Friend, Gwendoline Christie, Philip Ettinger

USA 2025

World premiere

“A Complete Unknown” (“Like a Complete Unknown”)

by James Mangold | with Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook

USA 2024

German premiere

“Heldin” (“Late Shift”)

by Petra Volpe | with Leonie Benesch, Sonja Riesen, Urs Bihler, Margherita Schoch, Jürg Plüss

Switzerland / Germany 2025

World premiere

“Islands”

by Jan-Ole Gerster | with Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing, Dylan Torrell

Germany 2025

World premiere

“Köln 75”

by Ido Fluk | with Mala Emde, John Magaro, Michael Chernus, Alexander Scheer

Germany / Poland / Belgium 2025

World premiere

“Das Licht” (“The Light”)

by Tom Tykwer | with Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger, Tala Al-Deen, Elke Biesendorfer, Julius Gause

Germany 2025

World premiere

“Lurker”

by Alex Russell | with Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Sunny Suljic

USA / Italy 2025

International premiere | Debut film

“Mickey 17”

by Bong Joon Ho | with Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo

USA / South Korea / United Kingdom 2024

German Premiere

“The Thing With Feathers”

by Dylan Southern | with Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Boxall, Henry Boxall, Sam Spruell, Vinette Robinson

United Kingdom 2025

European premiere

BERLINALE SPECIAL SERIES GALA

“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”

by Justin Kurzel | with Jacob Elordi, Ciarán Hinds, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge, Simon Baker

Australia 2025

World premiere | Series

BERLINALE SPECIAL 

“Ancestral Visions of the Future”

by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese | with Siphiwe Nzima, Sobo Bernard, Zaman Mathejane, Mochesane Edwin Kotsoane, Rehauhetsoe Ernest Kotsoane

France / Lesotho / Germany / Saudi Arabia 2025

World premiere | Documentary form

“Das Deutsche Volk”

by Marcin Wierzchowski

Germany 2025

World premiere | Documentary form

“Honey Bunch”

by Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli | with Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Kate Dickie, Jason Isaacs, India Brown

Canada 2025

World premiere

“Je n’avais que le néant – ‘Shoah’ par Claude Lanzmann” (“All I Had Was Nothingness”)

by Guillaume Ribot

France 2025

World premiere

“Kein Tier. So Wild.” (“No Beast. So Fierce.”)

by Burhan Qurbani | with Kenda Hmeidan, Verena Altenberger, Hiam Abbass, Mona Zarreh Hoshyari Khah, Mehdi Nebbou

Germany / Poland / France 2025

World premiere

“Leibniz – Chronik eines verschollenen Bildes” (“Leibniz – Chronicle of a Lost Painting”)

by Edgar Reitz, Anatol Schuster | with Edgar Selge, Aenne Schwarz, Michael Kranz, Lars Eidinger, Barbara Sukowa

Germany 2025

World premiere

“A melhor mãe do mundo” (“The Best Mother in the World” | “Die beste Mutter der Welt”)

by Anna Muylaert | with Shirley Cruz, Seu Jorge, Rihanna Barbosa, BeninAyo

Brazil / Argentina 2025

World premiere

“Michtav Le’David” (“A Letter to David”)

by Tom Shoval | with David Cunio, Eitan Cunio, Sharon Aloni-Cunio, Silvia Cunio, Luis Cunio

Israel / USA 2025

World premiere | Documentary form

“My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow”

by Julia Loktev | with Anna Nemzer, Elena Kostyuchenko, Ksenia Mironova, Sonya Groysman, Alesya Marokhovskaya

USA 2024

International premiere | Documentary form

“Pa-gwa” (“The Old Woman With the Knife”)

by Min Kyu-dong | with Hyeyoung Lee, Kim Sung-cheol, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Moo-yul, Shin Sia

South Korea 2025

World premiere

“Shoah”

by Claude Lanzmann

France 1985

PERSPECTIVES

“Al Mosta’mera” (“The Settlement”)

by Mohamed Rashad | with Adham Shoukry, Ziad Islam, Hajar Omar, Mohamed Abdel Hady, Emad Ghoneim

Egypt / France / Germany / Saudi Arabia / Qatar 2025

World premiere

“Baksho Bondi” (“Shadowbox”)

by Tanushree Das, Saumyananda Sahi | with Tillotama Shome, Chandan Bisht, Sayan Karmakar, Suman Saha

India / France / USA / Spain 2025

World premiere

“BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions”

by Kahlil Joseph | with Kaneza Schaal, Hope Giselle, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Funmilayo Akechukwu, Peter Hernandez

USA 2025

International premiere | Debut film

“Come la notte” (“Where the Night Stands Still”)

by Liryc Dela Cruz | with Jenny Llanto Caringal, Tess Magallanes, Benjamin Vasquez Barcellano Jr.

Italy / Philippines 2025

World premiere

“El Diablo Fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)” (“The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box”))

by Ernesto Martinez Bucio | with Mariapau Bravo Aviña, Rafael Nieto Martínez, Regina Alejandra, Donovan Said, Laura Uribe Rojas

Mexico 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“Duas Vezes João Liberada” (“Two Times João Liberada”)

by Paula Tomás Marques | with June João, André Tecedeiro, Eloísa d’Ascensão, Tiago Aires Lêdo, Jenny Larrue

Portugal 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“Hé mán” (“Eel”)

by Chu Chun-Teng | with Devin Pan, Misi Ke, Chin-Yu Pan, Bella Chen, MeiHou Wu

Taiwan 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World”

by Florian Pochlatko | with Luisa-Céline Gaffron, Elke Winkens, Cornelius Obonya, Felix Pöchhacker, David Scheid

Austria 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“Kaj ti je deklica” (“Little Trouble Girls”)

by Urška Đukić | with Jara Sofija Ostan, Mina Švajger, Saša Tabaković, Nataša Burger, Staša Popović

Slovenia / Italy / Croatia / Serbia 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)”

by Joel Alfonso Vargas | with Juan Collado, Destiny Checo, Yohanna Florentino, Nathaly Navarro

USA 2025

International premiere | Debut film

“Minden Rendben” (“Growing Down”)

by Bálint Dániel Sós | with Szabolcs Hajdu, Ágoston Sáfrány, Anna Hay, Zonga Jakab-Aponyi, Zsófi Szamosi

Hungary 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“Mit der Faust in die Welt schlagen” (“Punching the World”)

by Constanze Klaue | with Anton Franke, Camille Moltzen, Anja Schneider, Christian Näthe, Johannes Scheidweiler

Germany 2025

World premiere | Debut film

“On vous croit” (“We believe you”)

by Arnaud Dufeys, Charlotte Devillers | with Myriem Akheddiou, Laurent Capelluto, Natali Broods, Ulysse Goffin, Adèle Pinckaers

Belgium 2025

World premiere

“Le rendez-vous de l’été” (“That Summer in Paris”)

by Valentine Cadic | with Blandine Madec, India Hair, Arcadi Radeff, Matthias Jacquin, Lou Deleuze

France 2025

World premiere | Debut film

Pioneering Fusion Energy: the role of Eni, a global energy-tech company

Technology

Fusion energy promises a true revolution in the energy sector. One scaled to industrial levels. It would enable the generation of large amounts of zero-carbon energy through a safe, firm, and virtually limitless process. These unique characteristics position fusion as a potential turning point in the global journey toward decarbonization.

Although the fusion process is the basis of life on Earth, replicating it artificially on our planet remains an extraordinary challenge.

In the last few years, scientific and technological breakthroughs have brought the industrialization of this technology a step closer. Today, the prospect of fusion energy powering the world feels more tangible than ever. Research, development, and industrialization programs for fusion energy are underway in over 50 countries globally. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) World Fusion Outlook 2024 report records more than 150 fusion energy projects worldwide –from both public and private sector – showing a remarkable 30% increase since 2019.

In line with the various technological and process alternatives available for the commercial development of fusion, the private fusion industry has grown rapidly in recent years and experts are exploring various solutions. In its 2024 report on the global fusion energy industry, the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) highlights that the sector has attracted over $7 billion in investments in the last few years, and it has seen a growing number of companies – now over 45 – accompanied by a series of technological advancements.

Private companies are exploring various technologies, with approaches ranging from magnetic or inertial confinement to more innovative designs. For the fusion industry, this breadth of possibilities serves to diversify risk by simultaneously pursuing multiple potential applications of various innovative technologies. Startups can take greater risks and capitalize on new funding opportunities, unlocking an accelerated progress toward fusion commercialization. In this context, collaboration between the public and private sectors will be crucial to advancing toward the industrialization of fusion. While private companies play a pivotal role in taking risks and innovating, shared technological challenges for fusion – such as the materials or the fuel cycle – will require joint efforts. Sharing of knowledge and expertise on a global scale, facilitated by public-private collaboration, will not only accelerate the pace of progress but also ensure a more efficient and lower-risk approach.

Technological innovation is a cornerstone of Eni’s energy transition strategy and breakthrough technologies such as fusion energy can drive a shift in the energy transition and its decarbonization pathway.

As Eni, we were one of the first energy companies to support the development of fusion energy and we have a comprehensive approach that spans numerous initiatives:

Participation in Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS): since 2018 Eni is a strategic shareholder in CFS, a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the industrial application of magnetic confinement fusion. Eni and CFS actively collaborate to accelerate the industrialization of the technology. In March 2023, Eni and CFS signed a Technology Framework Agreement to collaborate on the development of fusion energy. CFS is currently building the first fusion reactor demonstration – named SPARC – that is aimed at achieving a positive energy balance in a magnetic confinement facility, paving the way for the subsequent commercialization of fusion energy. SPARC will thus serve as a testing ground for the development of ARC: the first industrial-scale fusion power plant capable of feeding electricity into the grid with a zero CO₂ emissions process. In September 2021, CFS already reached a crucial milestone with the successful test of the world’s most powerful innovative high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet, a major step forward on the road to the first commercial fusion energy plant.
Participation in the ENEA’s DTT (Divertor Tokamak Test facility) project, aimed at engineering and constructing a fusion machine dedicated to testing components that will have to manage the large amount of heat generated inside the fusion chamber.
Collaborations with universities and research centers of excellence, which have long been part of Eni’s network. Also noteworthy are the collaborations with the CNR (Italian National Research Council), the Polytechnic University of Milan, Turin, the University of Milan Bicocca, Padua.
Internationally, we have a long-standing scientific collaboration with MIT and we recently established a partnership with the UK Atomic Energy Authority to speed up research into solutions that will enable fusion energy such as the fuel cycle, materials, superconducting technology, physics, and plasma control.
Finally, to support these important institutions in their research, Eni has made available to researchers the computing power of its HPC 6, our supercomputing system among the most powerful in the world.

However, the commitment of research, centers of excellence, private companies, and suppliers alone cannot unlock the full potential of fusion energy. To meet the requirements of a large-scale production, an entire new industry will need to be ready to scale, and some enabling factors still need to be developed.

Workforce development will be a crucial point in the successful transition to large-scale fusion energy production. Investing in training and education programs to build expertise in fusion technology and related fields is essential for addressing the future possible shortage of qualified professionals. Eni has actively supported the development of talent through co-financed PhD programs and, more recently, the establishment of a master’s program in new nuclear technologies in partnership with the Polytechnic University of Turin.

A second critical factor is manufacturing and supply chain development. Europe, thanks to its crucial participation in international programs such as ITER, has established a leadership position in the fusion supply chain. However, the current system operates on a one-time project basis, limiting the scalability required for an industrialized fusion sector. To overcome this, a strategic, long-term EU approach is necessary to strengthen and expand the fusion supply chain. Furthermore, fully integrating fusion energy into the EU framework for Net-Zero industry and EU-wide support schemes for industrial and technological innovation would help an enabling environment to grow and facilitate cross-sector collaboration.

Governments and policymakers play a critical role in fostering a stable and predictable environment for businesses and investors, ensuring that the fusion projects are marketable from the outset of commercialization. Europe’s leadership in fusion energy, however, is far from guaranteed.

Europe should draw inspiration from other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and China, which have already implemented bold and focused strategies to accelerate fusion development, backed by significant investments and clear policies. The US and the UK, for instance, have already developed dedicated regulatory frameworks for fusion, separated from fission.

Without a coordinated and ambitious EU approach, Europe risks lagging behind in the global race to harness the transformative potential of fusion technology.

All in all, Europe really needs a cohesive EU fusion strategy – supported by enabling policies – to unlock the full potential of this transformative sector. A strategy would accelerate technological development and lay the groundwork for the industrial realization of projects within a medium-to-long-term timeframe.

These efforts would contribute to establish the conditions necessary to support the commercialization phase of fusion energy, stimulating national investments and attracting international capital. In doing so, Europe could reinforce its leadership in fusion energy while building the foundation for a new strategic industry that aligns with the broader goal to enhance EU competitiveness.

 

Francesca Ferrazza, Eni’s Head of Magnetic Fusion Initiatives

Businesses is England set to pay additional £1.1bn in business tax this year, but the ‘worse is yet to come’

Business News

The latest research from The Global Payroll Association (GPA) reveals that England’s businesses are forecast to pay an additional £1.1 billion in business rates by the end of this financial year, and that’s before things start to get even more difficult from April onwards, when the Labour Chancellor’s barrage of cost increases for businesses kicks in – including changes to business rates, employer NIC contributions, and the National Living Wage. GPA has analysed England’s expected business rates bill for the current financial year (2024/25)* and how it compares to the previous year’s bill on a national and local authority level basis. When the current financial year closes at the end of March, England’s businesses are forecast to have paid a total of £26.3 billion in business rates. This marks an annual increase of +4.5%, or +£1.1 billion, compared to the total for 2023/24. GPA’s analysis goes on to reveal which  local authority districts are expected to see the largest increases this year. Tower Hamlets in London is forecast to see England’s biggest increase with an expected 2024/25 business rates bill of £433.2m marking an annual uptick of +28.9%. Watford is set to see the second-largest increase of +27.6%, followed by Worcester (+26.7%), Runnymede (+25.4%), Mole Valley (+25.2%), Bracknell Forest (+23.8%), Spelthorne (+22.1%), Broxbourne (+21%), Three Rivers (+20.7%), and Stoke-on-Trent (+20.1%). Worse is yet to come This increase in the national business rates bill is only the start of what’s likely to be a difficult period for England’s businesses. During October’s Autumn Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, announced that the existing 75% discount on retail, hospitality and leisure business rates will be replaced by a 40% relief from April 2025, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. The likely impact of this is that many businesses will see their rates almost double. Add this to the increases in both Employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage, and the 2025-26 financial year is going to be a brutal challenge for many of England’s businesses. Melanie Pizzey, CEO and Founder of the Global Payroll Association, said, “The soaring costs that England’s businesses are going to be hit with over the next financial year will have a direct and detrimental impact on a lot of working people. We’re going to have scheduled pay rises put on ice, annual bonuses slashed or eliminated, a reduced number of new opportunities and, most concerning of all, a substantial number of job cuts. “All of this will be done in the name of reducing costs to mitigate the financial impact of the government’s incoming policies. But, of course, it still won’t be enough for many businesses who could be forced to cease trading once and for all.. “It’s hard to see how the government is, as it says it is, protecting working people, and even harder to see how it will achieve economic growth if the nation’s businesses are struggling to turn a profit and, therefore, dwindling in number. “We are told that any short-term pain will eventually result in long-term gain, but that does little to comfort the working people who are already wrestling to afford the most basic costs of living, and whose sole focus is on keeping their head above water for the next week or month.”

Scallop fishers scoop invasive sea vomit from Bay of Fundy in aid of science

Science and Health

Scallop fishers in the Bay of Fundy are keeping an eye out for a creamy-white species that grows on the seabed and could be described as gross.  The invasive marine invertebrate is known as sea vomit, sea squirt and pancake-batter tunicate, and large patches of it were found near Deer Island in 2020 and 2022, according to the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Saint Andrews.The centre approached the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association for help collecting samples of sea vomit for a three-year research project.Emily Blacklock, the science director for the association, will be among 50 scallop fishers looking for sea vomit in their scallop catches, scraping off any they find and storing it in ethanol-filled vials.Samples of sea vomit, also known as sea squirt and pancake batter tunicate. The sample on the right is growing on a mussel.

Bad news for good books

Arts & Culture, Books

When the “confidential announcement” dropped in my inbox almost two weeks ago, I was not surprised, just emotionally numb and sad. The Good Literary Agency, known affectionately as TGLA, will be closing at the end of March. 
I am a “diverse” author, thanks to a litany of disabilities including Long Covid. I was raised in a single parent household, and not just for economic reasons. My background is as a freelance journalist, including my current position as editor of Disability Review Magazine. To write for a living has been marked by trying to be “enough” – in passing barriers of disability and gender – just to get anywhere at all. It is beyond exhausting.
Why should this context matter? To tell a good story should be the bottom line. But then why are children not reading as much as they used to? Maybe it’s because of a monopoly of children’s literature. Maybe they are bored by the same stories being told. We are failing to reflect this time, this place, this life. We need greater inclusion of all kinds, including disability, across the board. 
The Good Literary Agency was a lifeline in this respect. I have to write against my body on borrowed time, owing to energy limits imposed by Long Covid, before giving in to enforced rest. I was made to tell stories – the kind that make friends say, often with an open mouth: “You should write a memoir!” That started to feel just that little bit more tangible on signing on a year ago to TGLA.
Publishing is built on so much incredible privilege that we have yet to reckon with. Querying for an agent for the first time was the most soul destroying exercise; my inbox became a home to a running commentary of the same invasive conversations and so-called well meaning conversations. How would you feel to be essentially told: “We already have one of you, so we can’t take you on too”? Or that you are too “niche” despite being a quarter of the UK’s population? 
The last government census points out this seemingly much neglected fact. Thanks to the pressure cooker of care in the community, we have to rely on care from relatives and loved ones more than ever before. This makes “our fight” your fight, too. We are not “niche”; there are more disability books to come than ever before, from Rachel Charlton Dailey, Frances Ryan and so many other incredible writers. 2024 was also a significant year, with work from people such as Amy Arthur, Alice Wong, Tiffany Yu, Ellie Middleton and Lucy Webster – all on the subject of disability. How is that “niche”?  “People like you” is still a phrase that emotionally stings, when used to deny opportunities based on my disability.

How would you feel to be essentially told: “We already have one of you, so we can’t take you on too”? Or that you are too “niche” despite being a quarter of the UK’s population? 

Then there’s the fact that I am also a woman. Emma Gannon has written recently of the expectation of women having to bare their soul to be seen as interesting or authentic, over on her Substack newsletter; I can’t think of any male author I know who has had the same ask. I am not “inspiring” for just doing my job; I am not a tragedy, either. I am a human being. 
A book I worked on for over a year now hangs in the balance. We don’t know if our agents will be accepted at other firms, or whether we will have representation from the end of March. My manuscript is a behind-the-scenes look at the criminal justice system and the police – for instance, how we got a criminal trial wrong and why it should worry us. A spin-off audio project was also in the works. I am more than willing to throw everything I have at this. But now I don’t know if I’ll be allowed the chance any more. 
TGLA wishes to pass a baton on to the rest of the publishing industry, yet the lack of disability (or any other training) in publishers’ DEI policies stand out across the board. I want to see authors with any sort of historically underrepresented trait, background or perspective considered with the same legitimacy as our peers. If we tell you what’s wrong, proactive listening needs to be engaged and action taken – not just a wave off with a “we’ll do better next time!” The legal Reasonable Adjustments afforded by the Equality Act for disabled folks should be standard, without us having to constantly advocate for ourselves; it’s time consuming beyond belief to explain yourself, your mere existence, constantly.
To have an advocate like the TGLA was a lifeline – and those of us who are so often dismissed, misunderstood or mistreated need lifelines, more so than ever before. 

Georgians mark record tourism year in 2024

Travel

January 21, 2025 – 14:27 AMTPanARMENIAN.Net – Georgia welcomed a record 7.4 million international visitors in 2024, with 5.1 million classified as tourists, according to Maya Omiadze, head of Georgia’s National Tourism Administration, Sputnik Georgia reports. Among foreign tourists, Russians remained the largest group, making up 19.2% of total visitors. This represented only a 0.2% increase compared to the previous year. Turkish visitors ranked second with 18.1%, while Armenians were third, accounting for 12.8% of total visitors. Omiadze emphasized that Georgia will continue efforts to attract tourists from various countries in 2025. Georgia’s tourism revenue reached $4.4 billion in 2024, surpassing the 2023 figure by 7.3% ($300 million).

Thandiwe Newton joins cast of new ‘Anaconda’ movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

‘Mission: Impossible’ actress Thandiwe Newton has joined the cast of the new ‘Anaconda’ movie. She joins ‘Ant-Man’ star Paul Rudd and ‘School of Rock’ actor Jack Black in the film. Rudd and Black were announced as the movie’s lead actors in August last year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Selton Mello, Ione Skye and Steve Zahn have also been added to the cast. Filming has already begun in Australia. The new ‘Anaconda’ movie is due for release in December 2025. It is a reboot of the 1997 version starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, Jonathan Hyde and Jon Voight.The reboot is a comedic reimagining of the ’90s film. According to Variety, it will focus “on a group of friends who are facing mid-life crises and set off to remake their favourite movie from their youth”.  Newton, who has starred in movies like ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ and ‘2012’, will reportedly play a childhood friend who travels with Rudd and Black’s characters to a rainforest where they encounter one of the world’s most feared snake species. 

ALSO READ: Darren Maule’s movie review: ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’

🎬’Anaconda’ premiered in theaters 27 years ago, April 11, 1997 pic.twitter.com/M7w3NoipJd— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) April 12, 2024

ALSO READ: Cape Cobra found under person’s pillow

The 1997 version of the film was a major hit, especially in South Africa, where most millennials, thanks to e.tv, have watched the movie at least 10 times. The channel was notorious for repeatedly playing the movie at 8 pm on a Saturday or Sunday night.It became a running joke over the years, with scores of memes and jokes made about the channel’s “obsession” with the film. “The public prosecutor in South Africa needs to investigate Etv and their obsession with Anaconda,” one X user joked in 2022. Another use teased in 2023, “I wish someone can love me the way ETV loves Anaconda.” A third person said, “Etv wants to make sure no South African dies without watching Anaconda. Unreal commitment.”The 2025 ‘Anaconda’ movie will be released in cinemas on December 25. 

Can you guess this Saturday’s 8PM movie? pic.twitter.com/rCJeWiZsTB— @etv (@etv) January 13, 2022

The public prosecutor in South Africa needs to investigate Etv and their obsession with Anaconda 🤣 pic.twitter.com/7SAXQr89tX— International Kandizzle ✈️ (@KingKandoro) November 17, 2022

I wish someone can love me the way ETV loves Anaconda😞 pic.twitter.com/qEMaxLO1vA— 🇿🇦Kaptain🇿🇦 (@kaptain_1912) February 14, 2023

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What’s the controversy? Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab 95 movie release date postponed due to ‘circumstances beyond control’

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

What’s the controversy? Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab 95 movie release date postponed due to ‘circumstances beyond control’ | Today Newsvar _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1:”2″, c2:”6035286″, options: {enableFirstPartyCookie: true, bypassUserConsentRequirementFor1PCookie:true }});( function() {var s = document.createElement(“script”), el = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.async = true; s.src = “https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/cs/6035286/beacon.js”; el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();SubscribeSign in