Excellence at Howard Courtesy Photo Excellence at Howard Haile Gerima, professor, John H. Johnson School of Communications' Department of Radio, Television and Film and award-winning independent filmmaker, has made a major splash in prestigious film festivals throughout the world with his latest film, “Teza.” In February, “Teza” won the Dioraphte Award for films held in the highest regard by festival audiences at the 38th International Film Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Gerima’s film also won four top awards at the 22nd Carthage International Film Festival in Tunisia in October 2008, including Best Screenplay, Best Music and Best Actor prizes and the Golden Prize for Cinematography. At the 65th Venice International Film Festival, the oldest film festival in the world, held in September 2008, Gerima walked away with the Italian festival’s Special Jury Prize and Best Screenplay Prize for “Teza.” File Photo Sonja Williams, associate professor and chair of the John H. Johnson School of Communications’ Department of Radio, Television and Film, is the recipient of a 2009 Gracie Award from the American Women in Radio and Television.

Williams served as an executive producer of "Uncrowned Queens: Voices of African American Women"— a documentary series that aired on WNED public radio in Buffalo, New York. The series highlights the accomplishments and viewpoints of African-American women who have made an exceptional difference in their western New York communities. This is Williams’ second Gracie Award; the first was awarded in the mid-1990s for her production of "A Woman’s Touch," a documentary that examined the role of African-American women in radio. In addition, Williams has written and produced numerous award-winning documentaries for National Public Radio and the Smithsonian Institution. File Photo Rochelle Ford, Ph.D., associate dean of Research and Academic Affairs in the John H. Johnson School of Communications, was tapped as the new host for the PRSA podcast series, “PRSA Diversity Today.” Ford is an award-winning scholar who also has published work on diversity and public relations pedagogy. She writes the column “Diversity Dimensions” for Public Relations Tactics and is the winner of the 2008 D. Parke Gibson Multiculturalism Award. The Department of Theatre Arts received a grant from the Broadway League to take students majoring in Theatre Arts Administration to New York City.

The students will engage in workshops and discussions and meet with executives from all aspects of production, gaining insights on how each area works individually as well as collectively to ensure a high-quality production from development to opening night and beyond. Sandra G. Shannon, Ph.D., professor in the Department of English, will deliver the keynote address at the 70th anniversary conference of the College English Association, which will take place in Pittsburgh, Pa. from March 26 to 28. Given the conference location is the birthplace of the late playwright August Wilson, organizers see the conference as an opportunity to honor the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. The title of Shannon's address is “Wish You Were Here: August Wilson in the Age of Obama.” Photo by Ceasar William Lawson, M.D., Ph.D., is president-elect of the Washington Psychiatric Society, which represents psychiatrists in D.C., suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. It is one of the largest chapters in the American Psychiatric Association. In addition, Dr.

Lawson’s abstract, “Bipolar Disorder Outside of Mental Health Settings,” was chosen for a workshop at the Office of Minority Health’s Third National Leadership Summit on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health 2009. Using Their Heads - Photo 4 - Pictures - CBS News Using Their Heads Next Whether they're used as a trademark, to make a fashion statement or to be comfortable, hats are making a comeback among the stars. It follows years of bare heads in Hollywood. Singer Justin Timberlake was among the first to wear a fedora. Here, he arrives at the Keep a Child Alive annual Black Ball benefit event, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, in New York. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Kropa American actor Ashton Kutcher wore one when he arrived at Sydney International Airport on July 17, 2010, in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Graham Denholm/Getty Images Pop star Madonna is watched by local children during a visit to Chinkhota village near Lilongwe, Malawi, Sunday, March 29, 2009.

Credit: AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi Actor Ethan Hawke touches his hat before a press conference at the late Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's palace, in Bucharest, Romania, Oct. 31, 2009. Credit: AP Actor David Spade attends a photo call for the film "Grown Ups" at Maricel Hotel on July 29, 2010, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Kevin James attends the premiere of "Grown Ups" on July 27, 2010, in Dublin, Ireland. Credit: AP Singer Britney Spears arrives at the grand opening of the LAX Nightclub at the Luxor Resort & Casino early Sept. 1, 2007, in Las Vegas. Credit: Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Honoree Ian Somerhalder poses in press room during the 2010 Teen Choice Awards at Gibson Amphitheatre on Aug. 8, 2010, in Universal City, Calif. Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Yoko Ono arrives at the New York Premiere of "A Film Unfinished," Wednesday, Aug.

11, 2010. Credit: AP Actor Kevin Pollak attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Middle Men" held at ArcLight Cinemas on Aug. 5, 2010, in Hollywood, Calif. Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Susan Sarandon arrives for the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in New York, Sunday, June 27, 2010. Credit: CBS/Gordon Donovan Johnny Depp is frequently seen in hats, like this one he wore when he visited "The Early Show" last year. Credit: CBS Brad Pitt arrives for a photocall of the movie "Burn After Reading" during the 65th Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 27, 2008. Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images NeYo attends the listening party for NeYo's New Song and Alfani's New Line at SL on Feb. 1, 2010, in New York. Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Actor Samuel L. Jackson poses with the fans during Giffoni Experience 2010 on July 30, 2010, in Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy.

Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Hilary Duff attends the Samsung 3D LED TV launch party at Time Warner Center on March 10, 2010, in New York. Credit: Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Samsung) Actor Don Cheadle arrives at the world premiere of Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment's "Iron Man 2" held at El Capitan Theatre on April 26, 2010, in Hollywood, Calif. Credit: Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Mickey Rourke is seen at the Sarajevo Film Festival, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Credit: AP Actress Lindsay Lohan attends the launch of Vida hosted by Sofia Vergara at Voyeur on January 13, 2010, in West Hollywood, Calif. Credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images TV personality Nicole Richie attends the 3rd annual Kidstock Music and Art Festival at Greystone Mansion on May 31, 2009, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Credit: AP Joel Madden wears his trademark hat at the Artists for Haiti Benefit, hosted by Olivia Wilde and Artists for Peace and Justice, in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010. Credit: AP Photo/Danny Moloshok Sarah Jessica Parker attends the gala premiere afterparty of "Did You Hear About The Morgans?" held at Aqua on Dec. 8, 2009, in London, England. Credit: Dave Hogan/Getty Images Robert Downey Jr. attends the world premiere of Sherlock Holmes held at The Empire Leicester Square on December 14, 2009, in London. Credit: AP Singer Kid Rock poses in the press room at the 2010 CMT Music Awards, in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. British Film Star Clive Owen | Access Hollywood British Film Star Clive Owen 1 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen attends a screening of Magnolia Pictures’ ‘Shadow Dancer’ hosted by The Cinema Society & BlackBerry at Sunshine Landmark on May 30, 2013 in New York City 2 of 45 Dave M.

Benett/Getty Images Clive Owen and Thandie Newton step out at the global launch of Audi City in London on July 16, 2012 3 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen is spotted at Men’s Semi-Final Day at Wimbledon in London on July 6, 2012 4 of 45 Getty Premium Nicole Kidman and US actor Clive Owen pose during the photocall of ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn’ presented out of competition at the 65th Cannes film festival, Cannes, France, on May 25, 2012 5 of 45 WireImage Carice Van Houten, Clive Owen and Pilar Lopez de Ayala attend ‘Intruders’ premiere at the Kursaal Palace during the 59th San Sebastian International Film Festival, San Sebastian, Spain, on September 16, 2011 6 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen steps out at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

on January 15, 2012 7 of 45 WireImage Clive Owen attends the Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso 80th Anniversary at Les Beaux-Arts de Paris on June 28, 201 8 of 45 Clive Owen in HBO’s ‘Hemingway and Gellhorn’ 9 of 45 FilmMagic Nicole Kidman, Director Philip Kaufman and Clive Owen speak onstage during the ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn’ Panel at the HBO Winter 2012 TCA Panel at Langham Hotel, Pasadena, on January 13, 2012 10 of 45 HBO Nicole Kidman as Martha Gellhorn and Clive Owen as Ernest Hemingway in HBO’s ‘Hemingway and Gellhorn’ 11 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen attends the Vertu Global Launch of The ‘Constellation’ in Milan, Italy on October 18, 2011 12 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen arrives at ‘Killer Elite’ Premiere at Roy Thomson Hall during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada

, on September 10, 2011 13 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen attends “GQ Magazine Awards 2010” at Palace Hotel in Madrid, Spain on November 22, 2010 14 of 45 Getty Premium Clive Owen attends the screening of ‘The Boys Are Back’, at the Soho Hotel, London, January 18, 2010 15 of 45 Rachel Zoe shares her drama with Clive Owen at the Giorgio Armani Milan Fashion Week 16 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen strikes a pose at ‘The Boys Are Back’ photo call during the Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival in London, England on October 21, 2009 17 of 45 Getty Premium Clive Owen attends ‘Duplicity’ photocall, at Santo Mauro Hotel on March 11, 2009 in Madrid, Spain 18 of 45 Julia Roberts and Clive Owen at the ‘Duplicity’ premiere in Paris, March 13, 2009 19 of 45 Getty Images Cl

ive Owen attends the world premiere of ‘Duplicity’ held at The Empire, Leicester Square on March 10, 2009 in London, England 20 of 45 Clive Owen arrives at The Academy for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 21 of 45 Getty Images Naomi Watts and Clive Owen attend after party for the Cinema Society and Angel by Thierry Mugler screening of ‘The International’ at the Solomon R.

Guggenheim Museum on February 9, 2009 in New York City 22 of 45 Clive Owen and wife Sarah-Jane Fenton at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of ‘The International’ 24 of 45 Clive Owen promotes “The International” at the Berlin Film Festival 25 of 45 Clive Owen and Julia Roberts in ‘Duplicity,’ due March 20 from Universal 26 of 45 Clive Owen, director Tom Tykwer, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Ulrich Thomsen at ‘The International’ press conference 27 of 45 Getty Premium Clive Owen and Julia Roberts arrive at the World film premiere of ‘Duplicity’, at the Empire Cinema on March 10, 2009 in London, England 28 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen attends the press conference for ‘The International’ as part of the 59th Berlin Film Festival 29 of 45 Clive Owen suits up for the premiere of ‘Duplicity’ in London, March 10, 2009 30 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen and wfe Sarah Jane

 Fenton at the ‘Duplicity’ premiere in London, March 10, 2009 31 of 45 Getty Images Julia Roberts and Clive Owen attend the world premiere of ‘Duplicity’ held at The Empire, Leicester Square on March 10, 2009 in London, England 32 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen arrives at the ‘The Boys Are Back’ screening during the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, September 15, 2009 33 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen attends the Jaeger LeCoultre Party during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Teatro alle Tese in Venice, Italy on September 7, 2010 34 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen attends the Laureus Welcome Party during the Laureus Sports Awards 2010 at the Fairmount Hotel, Abu Dhabi, March 9, 2010 35 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen speaks onstage during a visit to the Apple Store Soho on March 17, 2009 in New York City 36 of 45

 Getty Images Clive Owens attends the New York premiere of ‘Duplicity’ at Clearview Cinema’s Ziegfeld Theater on March 16, 2009 in New York City 37 of 45 Getty Images Clive Owen arrives at the Maria Cristina Hotel during the 59th San Sebastian International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain on September 16, 2011 38 of 45 Getty Premium Clive Owen clowns around with a slinky during an appearance on ‘El Hormiguero’ at Vertice 360 Studio in Madrid, Spain, on October 6, 2011 39 of 45 Clive Owen and Naomi Watts investigate in a scene from ‘The International’ 40 of 45 Clive Owen plots his next move in ‘The International’ 41 of 45 Clive Owen at the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes, NY 42 of 45 Getty Images Jeremy Renner, Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen attend the Jaeger LeCoultre Party during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Teatro alle Tese, Venice, Italy, September 7

, 2010 43 of 45 Hilary Swank, Demi Moore and Clive Owen 44 of 45 Clive opts for a light colored suit in Spain, 2006 45 of 45 BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Reporter's log: Venice 2008 Printable version Reporter's log: Venice 2008 George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman are just some of the stars attending the 65th Venice Film Festival.

There are 21 films in competition for the festival's prestigious Golden Lion prize - which will be awarded by a jury headed by German director Wim Wenders. BBC News entertainment reporter Neil Smith spent a week on the Lido filing regular updates. MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER, 1800 LOCAL TIME (1700 BST) Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazzara star in Natalie Portman's Eve The 65th Venice Film Festival continues until Saturday. Sadly, though, the time has come for me to take my leave. I am disappointed that I'll be missing a couple of high-profile US films, among them Rachel Getting Married with Anne Hathaway. I'll also have to delay the pleasure of seeing Mickey Rourke, in Spandex, in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. On the whole, though, it's been a great experience covering this historic event for the first time. Over the past week, I've heard one journalist after and another bemoan the paucity of Hollywood films and international celebrities. What they see as a drawback, however, I have seen as a challenge.

It's forced me to think outside the box and seek out things to write about, rather than have them handed to me on a platter. I'm glad to say I'm going home on a high note, having just seen Natalie Portman's debut short, Eve, starring Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazzara. A 21-minute piece about a couple in their twilight years, it suggests she has a promising future ahead of her behind the camera as well as in front of it. MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER, 1600 LOCAL TIME (1500 BST) Everyone's a critic, the adage goes. At the Venice Film Festival, though, that is literally the case. While the reviewers have their say in their publications and websites, the public can make their own opinions known on a billboard located in the "Movie Village" that nestles beside the festival site. Reviews, cartoons and collages make for an eye-catching display that proves Venice to be a city of passionate and good-humoured cineastes. I particularly enjoyed this drawing, which sums up my own reaction to Abbas Kiarostami's Shirin perfectly.

MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER, 1400 LOCAL TIME (1300 BST) All of the screenings I've seen so far have been in and around the Palazzo del Casino, the festival's main building on the Lido. But other venues are being used too, among them the PalaBiennale - a massive big top erected on a nearby rugby pitch. I went there on Sunday to catch Goodbye Solo, a US indie playing as part of the festival's Orizzonti sidebar. The warm-hearted story of a Senegalese cab driver and his relationship with a grumpy old man who is contemplating suicide, Ramin Bahrani's film is a real find. MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER, 1130 LOCAL TIME (1030 BST) Natalie Portman's short film, Eve, stars Lauren Bacall As I stood sipping a Bellini on the terrace of the Grand Hotel Des Bains last night, it occurred to me there were worse ways to spend my last evening at the Venice Film Festival. I was there for work, of course, having been invited to attend the Kineo Italian Movie Awards, which were being held at this legendary Lido landmark.

Natalie Portman was the star attraction, winning a "Movie for Humanity" award for her charitable endeavours. The petite actress was mobbed by paparazzi when she arrived and was quickly ushered away by her attentive security. I thought that would be the last I would see of her, so was surprised to find her later queuing behind me at the buffet. (The former Star Wars starlet chowed down on goat's cheese ravioli with rice, in case you're interested.) Portman is at the festival with a short film entitled Eve, which is screening this afternoon. John Landis engaged in an animated chat, despite his injuries As I was leaving the awards, I bumped into Hollywood director John Landis, who is serving on this year's international jury. The poor man was leaning on a walking stick and sporting a plaster on his forehead, having taken a tumble at the opening night party. "I did a very spectacular fall and cracked my ribs," he revealed. "I think they're trying to kill me." SUNDAY 31 AUGUST, 1800 LOCAL TIME (1700 BST) It's struck me I haven't been watching many Italian films at this Italian film festival.

I think I've made up for it, though, by seeing Vittorio De Sica's 1948 masterpiece Bicycle Thieves. Screening here in a restored print, this black-and-white classic tells of a humble bill poster who goes on an epic quest with his young son to recover his stolen bike. Shot through with poetry, pathos and the desperation of Rome in the post-war era, it's the film that defines Italy's neorealist cinema movement. What was interesting about the screening I saw was that the English subtitles I'd been expecting did not appear. Yet such was the elegance of the storytelling and the naturalism of De Sica's non-professional leads I was able to follow the film perfectly well without them. SUNDAY 31 AUGUST, 1400 LOCAL TIME (1300 BST) Hayao Miyazaki faced the press and photographers in Venice The Hayao Miyazaki press conference illuminated the perils of reporting on an international film festival. Questions raised in English had to be translated into Japanese for the director whose answers, in Japanese, were then translated into Italian.

By the time the British contingent received an English translation of the Italian through their only fitfully functional headsets, there was every likelihood it bore only tangential relation to what was actually said. Throw in the tendency of some local journalists to make rambling statements rather than genuine inquiries and you have a recipe for confusion. I suspect my question on whether Miyazaki had been influenced by Finding Nemo when creating his underwater fable didn't even make it into Japanese. I would love to be able to ask him again in person but the ageing auteur is only doing a handful of face-to-face interviews with pre-selected outlets. My request for access met with a non-committal response from the film's UK distributor so I don't rate my chances very highly. SUNDAY 31 AUGUST, 1200 LOCAL TIME (1100 BST) Of the 21 films in contention for this year's Golden Lion award, two of them are animated features from Japan. Having seen the first of these, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, I have a feeling neither it nor director Hayao Miyazaki will go home empty-handed.

I'm not a lover of the veteran animator's fantastical style, but even I was charmed by this delightful tale of a fish who yearns to become human. Miyazaki's latest has made the equivalent of $93m at the Japanese box office - a testament to the 67-year-old's astonishing popularity on his native soil. SUNDAY 31 AUGUST, 1030 LOCAL TIME (0930 BST) Things being so quiet on Saturday afternoon, I took the opportunity to pop over to the old town for a bit of film-related sightseeing. Valentino's Venice store has been transformed into an advert for his film So many classic pictures have been shot in Venice over the years it really feels like one giant movie set. I'm not sure, but I think I found the stretch of canal that Katharine Hepburn fell into while shooting Summertime in 1955. The stubborn star insisted on performing the stunt herself and was left with a life-long eye infection as a result. I also wanted to see what is Venice's main talking point outside the festival - a new bridge over the Grand Canal.

Built to link the city's train and bus stations, this steel and grass construction has been the subject of much heated debate. Its lack of disabled access has irked many. Others think its contemporary design is out of sync with the city's historic architecture. The 94-metre bridge will open next month, though plans for a full-scale presidential ceremony have been scaled back. As I made my way to St Mark's Square and the vaporetto back to the Lido, I discovered my old friend Valentino was using his store front to promote his documentary. I can't seem to get away from the fellow. SATURDAY 30 AUGUST, 1345 LOCAL TIME (1245 BST) The mood is relaxed around the Lido on the first weekend of the festival. I may be wrong, but I get the feeling quite a few people are taking the day off. Not me, of course. Instead I've been catching a couple of the films that are screening outside of the main competition line-up. One of these is 35 Rhums (Shots), a quiet mood piece from French director Claire Denis.

Set in and around a Parisian apartment block, the film explores the lives of a black single father and his teenage daughter as they face the prospect of a future apart. It's a little slow and ponderous, but once you get into its rhythm it proves both insightful and gently humorous. I also saw Vinyan, a psychological horror movie about a Western couple in Thailand searching for the son they lost in the 2004 tsunami. Rufus Sewell and Emmanuelle Beart play the parents in a film that takes some distressing turns en route to an extremely baroque climax. SATURDAY 30 AUGUST, 1030 LOCAL TIME (0930 BST) Theron plays a troubled restaurant manager in The Burning Plain Charlize Theron looked amazing on the red carpet last night in a silver Versace gown as she attended the premiere of The Burning Plain. Having chatted to a few of my fellow critics, the consensus is her film is one of the stronger competition entries to have screened so far. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of Plastic City, a Brazilian-Chinese co-production set in the vast metropolis of Sao Paolo.

A crime drama of sorts, it tells of an ageing black marketeer, originally from China, whose lucrative trade in counterfeit goods is under threat from both the authorities and rival gangsters. I say 'of sorts' because Yu Lik-wai's lengthy saga goes off on a surreal tangent in its second half that lost me completely. I also couldn't help thinking its subject matter clashed slightly with the dire warning on the possible consequences of film piracy that precedes every festival screening. Though Plastic City is sure to have its admirers, it does seem strange to find it in the running for the prestigious Golden Lion. Then again, it's no more unlikely than the execrable Inju: The Beast in the Shadow. FRIDAY 29 AUGUST, 1830 LOCAL TIME (1730 BST) Valentino is promoting his fly-on-the-wall documentary I've spent the afternoon marvelling at Valentino's astonishing tan. A rich, lustrous orange, it makes the Cuprinol Man look like Nicola from Girls Aloud. I had plenty of time to admire it during a round table session with the iconic designer in a beachside bar at the fancy Excelsior Hotel.

Valentino, who hosted a glam party last night after the premiere of his fly-on-the-wall documentary, wouldn't be drawn when asked to comment on the scandalously low wages paid in some sectors of the Italian fashion industry. He did, though, talk of his affection for the six pug dogs - Milton, Monty, Maude, Margot, Maggie and Molly - that follow him around wherever he goes. "We could have made an entire movie about them," said Matt Tyrnauer, director of Valentino: The Last Emperor. The former Vanity Fair writer revealed he was currently working on another documentary about US writer Gore Vidal. "I have a PhD in difficult people," he joked. FRIDAY 29 AUGUST, 1410 LOCAL TIME (1310 BST) Charlize Theron had to fend off an ardent admirer at this morning's Burning Plain press conference who asked her which side of the bed she slept on. "Whichever side you're not on," she joked. "How much money do you have?" The bold gentleman was told he was "cute" but that Theron's partner, Irish actor Stuart Townsend, would have something to say to him if he persisted.

"My boyfriend will kill you," she told him. "He's really hot too." One gag that didn't go down so well was her co-star Jennifer Lawrence's response to being asked where Kim Basinger was. "Haven't you heard? She's dead!" answered the 18-year-old newcomer. FRIDAY 29 AUGUST, 1230 LOCAL TIME (1130 BST) Charlize Theron stars alongside Kim Basinger in The Burning Plain I really have been seeing some strangely titled films out here in Venice. First there was Achilles and the Tortoise, Takeshi Kitano's charming if overlong tale of a wannabe artist. Then there was Inju: The Beast in the Shadow, which turned out to be a lurid fiasco full of decapitated geishas and kinky sex. (Thursday's press screening drew the first boos I've heard at this year's event, which probably won't do wonders for its Golden Lion chances.) Pride of place, however, must go to Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit!, a Japanese creature feature in the Godzilla mould.

Barking mad from start to finish, this wacky parody saw the G8 Summit in Hokkaido hijacked by what looked to me like a giant rubber chicken. With each of the member countries failing to defeat it, it is left to another intergalactic monster to give it a battering. I doubt it will feature too highly in this year's awards. For sheer entertainment value, though, I've yet to see its equal. This morning, though, was reserved for more earnest fare - Charlize Theron's intense family drama The Burning Plain. A moving saga of buried secrets and bitter betrayals told in three different time frames, it's the first film I've seen here with real Oscar potential. FRIDAY 29 AUGUST, 0900 LOCAL TIME (0800 BST) Every morning I venture into the dimly-lit basement of the Palazzo del Casino and fish a mountain of junk out of my personal mailbox. I say personal. In truth, I'm receiving exactly the same press releases, publications and production notes as everyone else. I've yet to get anything that's of any real use - a party invite, say, or a free ride on a gondola.

But I'll keep checking just in case. My other port of call is the festival computer room, which is always certain to be a hive of activity. It could hardly be otherwise, given the huge amount of press needing to file their copy and the limited number of computers available to them. I saw someone physically ejected yesterday for daring to use a festival cable to power her private laptop. They don't mess about, these Venetians. THURSDAY 29 AUGUST, 1830 LOCAL TIME (1730 BST) The arresting sight of Juliette Binoche wearing a veil is all I'll take away from Shirin, the new film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. Comprising a series of close-ups of various Muslim women watching a film we can only hear, this perplexing curio takes minimalism to a whole new level. Admittedly, there is something oddly hypnotic about looking at a cinema screen filled with women silently staring back at you. It doesn't take long, though, for this austere experiment to become an endurance test - one that was clearly too much for the dozens of people who walked out of this afternoon's screening.

I have higher hopes for Inju, The Beast in the Shadow, a thriller set in Japan from French director Barbet Schroeder that's screening this evening. The one I'm really looking forward to, though, is The Burning Plain, which is screening bright and early on Friday morning. Starring Kim Basinger and Charlize Theron, it's the first directorial outing from Guillermo Arriaga, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Babel and 21 Grams. I'll let you know what it's like tomorrow. THURSDAY 29 AUGUST, 1445 LOCAL TIME (1345 BST) Takeshi Kitano's film is one of 21 competing for Venice's top prize Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano is a Venice favourite, having won the Golden Lion in 1997 for Hana-bi and a special director's prize in 2003 for Zatoichi. With that pedigree, it's no surprise his latest work, Achilles and the Tortoise, has been tipped as one of this year's main contenders. The veteran director is playing down his chances, though. "The percentage has been quite high so I wouldn't ask for more," he told reporters earlier.

"I'm grateful to the organisers for always choosing my movies. I don't pay them, honestly." A tragi-comic portrait of a painter with more enthusiasm than talent, Achilles is a beautifully made, often hilarious film in which people literally die for their art. Having been told by his late father that he has a gift, the lead character - played by three actors, one of them Kitano himself - spends his life trying to prove that prophecy correct. "In certain circumstances art can become a drug," said Kitano through a number of interpreters. "This is a story about cruel art. It is not necessary for an artist to die, nor should he sacrifice his family." THURSDAY 28 AUGUST, 1100 LOCAL TIME (1000 BST) Brad Pitt had a surprise gift waiting for him at last night's gala - the Volpi Cup he won last year for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. So did George Clooney, as it happened - a flower from glamorous host Ksenia Rappoport. There was a real buzz about the Palais du Cinema last night, a sure sign that the festival is up and running.

This year's film line-up might not be the most exciting on record but the crowds are flocking to the Lido all the same. Water taxis were queuing six deep outside the Excelsior Hotel, location of the glitzy opening night party. Me? Well, I would have gone, honest I would. But there were a couple of films I thought I'd see instead. The first was Jerichow, a lean and broody German drama about a discharged soldier turned delivery man who begins a steamy affair with his employer's wife. The other was Valentino: The Last Emperor, a fascinating look at the fashion icon's career featuring cameos from Gwyneth Paltrow, Joan Collins and Sir Elton John. It's a vivid portrait of a legendary designer, only marred by a terrible sound mix that rendered much of its dialogue unintelligible. Here's hoping they get it fixed before he sees it. As the documentary shows, he's not above throwing the occasional hissy fit. WEDNESDAY 27 AUGUST, 1800 LOCAL TIME (1700 BST) The blistering heat hasn't stopped hundreds of locals gathering outside the Sala Grande for tonight's big premiere.

In the meantime, they can amuse themselves watching footage of George Clooney arriving last year for a screening of his legal thriller Michael Clayton. The festival's set-piece venue is covered in white cloth at present in preparation for a major - and long overdue - makeover. Three winged lions, the traditional emblem of Venice, poke their heads through the cladding. In honour of Tilda Swinton, I've dubbed the biggest one Aslan. WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 1445 LOCAL TIME (1345 BST) Brad Pitt and George Clooney sparred with the Venice press pack A moment of levity at the Burn After Reading press conference when a young woman approached the stars asking if they wanted to join her running club. "From the looks of it we might need to run from you," quipped George Clooney. Having queued 20 minutes to get in and another 30 for the talent to arrive, I was hoping I'd have something more substantial to report at the end of it. But with up to 500 reporters present from who knows how many countries, it was always destined to be something of a dog's dinner.

The film itself I found great fun, if a little lightweight - a comedy of errors involving some AWOL CIA memoirs that fall into the hands of two opportunistic gym instructors. I also felt it ran out of steam well before the end. It does, however, feature a Brad Pitt performance to savour as a gum-chewing exercise nut as thick as his dumbbells. John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton also stand out as an alcoholic CIA operative and his cheating shrew of a wife. I can't say it's Clooney's finest hour, though, even if he does sport the same beard he won an Oscar with in Syriana. There are more films to come today, among them a new documentary about Italian fashion legend Valentino. Let's hope there isn't a dress code. WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 0900 LOCAL TIME (0800 BST) A worker prepares the red carpet at the entrance of the Sala Grande My first full day at the Venice Film Festival begins with a screening of Burn After Reading, the new black comedy from the Oscar-winning Coen brothers.

I'm a big fan of their work so I'm keen to see what it's like - as is one of its stars, British actress Tilda Swinton. The two of us flew in on the same plane yesterday, separated only by about 30 rows of seats, 200 passengers and a retractable curtain. But I got the chance to say hello at Venice airport while we were waiting for our luggage to appear on the baggage carousel. Tilda is only in town for a few days but is hoping to catch Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, the latest feature from Japanese anime guru Hayao Miyazaki, while she's here. Watching her get so animated about his work has made me want to see it too. I doubt I'll be able to get quite so up close and personal with George Clooney and Brad Pitt later at the Burn After Reading press conference. But at least I know where it's taking place, having spent my first few hours on Italian soil yesterday familiarising myself with the festival HQ. Located on the Lido, the thin strip of land and sand that separates ancient Venice from the Adriatic, the Palazzo del Cinema is an imposing edifice that dates back to Mussolini's day.

I suspect, though, I will be spending most of my time in its neighbour, the no less dramatic Palazzo del Casino. This is where the morning press screenings are held, and also where the festival organisers put on their famously disorganised press conferences. Will today's be any different? I'll let you know later. The Festivals | European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival April 4 - 16, 2017 For more than 30 years now, the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival rouses the European capitol from its winter sleep for the most expected cinematographic event of the year. Bursting to the seams with amazing spectavles and original... Read more » Imagine Film Festival April 12 - 22, 2017 The annual Imagine Festival started out in 1984 as The Weekend of Terror, a two-night "mini-festival" of horror, sci-fi and fantasy films. This small-scale event eventually became a festival of 12 days, reaching a wider audience with a great variety of...

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Read more » Lund International Fantastic Film Festival September 29 - October 7, 2017 The Lund International Fantastic Film Festival takes place between October 20th and October 29th. The festival will also be the host of this years Melies d’Or competition and gala. Lund International Fantastic Film Festival, Sweden was founded in... Read more » Sitges - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya October 5 - 15, 2017 Sitges - Catalonia's official festival is a primary film statement and an excelent showcase for diverce tendencies in cinema, with a special impact from the fantasy genre. Sitges represents a journey through the most advanced and innovative fantasy... Read more » ScienceplusFiction - Trieste International Science Fiction Film Festival November - 2017 After having hosted the Trieste International Science Fiction Film Festival, one of the oldest and most important science fiction festivals in Europe, it was time, in 2000, for the capital city of Friuli Venezia Giulia to go back to its cinematographic...

Read more » Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival April - 2017 The Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival (HOFF) is the “one and only stop” for the genre hungry in the Baltics. Held in the unique setting of the city of Haapsalu - once a renown summer retreat of the Russian Czars, now a picturesque town, a... Read more » Grossmann Fantastic Film & Wine Festival July - 2017 Grossmann Fantastic Film & Wine Festival was spawned in 2005 on the 100th anniversary of Slovenian cinematography in Ljutomer, where the first Slovenian motion picture was made by Dr. Karol Grossmann. Situated amongst endless wineyards Grossmann... Read more » Court Metrange Festival October 18 - 22, 2017 The Court Métrange Festival, founded in Rennes – Brittany / France - by Hélène and Steven Pravong together with the Unis Vers Sept Arrivé association in 2004 is the only French festival dedicated to fantastic (including horror, bizarre …) short...

Read more » Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival October 26 - 31, 2017 The Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival is the only genre festival in Flanders! Ready to promote young and new talent, our Fresh Blood section is the ideal springboard for debuting European genre filmmakers, but not only debuting filmmakers are promoted!... Read more » San Sebastian Horror & Fantasy Film Festival October 28 - November 3, 2017 The San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival is organized since its beginning in 1990 by the San Sebastian Municipal Board of Culture. Born with the goal of attracting youngsters to the movies, while audiences of this kind have lost none of... Read more » Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival November - 2017 Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival is one of the oldest Festivals in Europe and is probably the oldest that is solely dedicated to horror movies. With a solid experience Molins de Rei Festival is not only a meeting point where spectators hungry of...

Read more » Abertoir Horror Festival November - 2017 The Abertoir Horror Festival was established in 2006 in Aberystwyth, a seaside town in Mid-Wales and is recognised as a festival of national significance. Supported by the Film Agency for Wales, the festival itself continues to grow stronger,... Read more » FanCine Málaga - Festival de Cine Fantástico November - 2017 The Fantastic Film Festival (FANCINE) of the University of Málaga began its career in 1990 as an initiative of the Vicerrectorado de Cultura of University of Málaga. It started as a fantastic films trade fair. In its 18 years of existence, it has... Read more » Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival May - 2017 Created in 2005, Fantaspoa - International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre was the pioneer festival dedicated to bringing fantastic films to Brazil. Beginning as small repertoire festival, with 20 films in 2 screening rooms and a duration of...

Read more » Fantasia International Film Festival July 13 - August 2, 2017 Since its inception in 1996, Fantasia has been an event hell-bent on showcasing the most exciting, innovative and individualistic examples of contemporary international genre cinema, with an emphasis on unveiling films very rarely seen in North... Read more » Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival July 13 - 23, 2017 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) is the fantastic film festival showcasing a terrific range of alternative films in the genre of science fiction, fantasy, and horror from all around the world. Since its first edition in 1997, BiFan... Read more » Fantastic Fest September 21 - 28, 2017 Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. In years past we have presented the world premieres of THERE WILL BE BLOOD,...

Read more » Screamfest Horror Film Festival October - 2017 Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition is a non-profit 501 ( 3 ) ( c ) organization. Screamfest is one of the largest genre film festivals held in the U.S. and is an internationally recognized showcase for independent filmmakers and... Read more »

Question: Which city hosted in 2008 the 65th anniversary of the oldest film festival in the world?
Answer: Venice