This week, see Marilyn Monroe in a different light as actors perform readings of her journals in the documentary Love, Marilyn. Very much a homage to the famous actress by filmmaker Liz Garbus (Bobby Fischer Against The World), this documentary does its best to explain why 51 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe still fascinates us today. Also this week, you can enjoy a hilarious Aussie rom-com and Billy Bob Thornton’s latest directorial effort. 

Here are my picks for the week, enjoy.

On Tuesday 10^th December, a who’s who of the New Zealand film industry, and a few hangers-on, will gather in Auckland to celebrate the very best in New Zealand film from over the past year.

This week, the notoriously private David Geffen opens up about his colourful life and career in the compelling documentary King of Hollywood: Inventing David Geffen. Black Swan’s Vincent Cassel is charismatic in the suspenseful French period The Monk, and Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern stars in another British period piece - although this time she gets to be funny.

The Show Me Shorts Film Festival kicks off in Wellington at the Rialto Channel Wellington Opening Night tonight (Thursday 14th November) at the Paramount Cinema where the award winning films from this year’s festival will be screened.

Included in the lineup, is director Joe Lonie’s impressive debut short film Honk If You’re Horny. Following on from its success at the Sorta Unofficial New Zealand Film Awards 2012, Honk If You’re Horny scooped the Rush Monro's Best Film Award as well as the SDGNZ Best Director Award at the Rialto Channel Auckland Opening Night and Awards Ceremony last week.

Andy Anderson also won the StarNow Best Actor Award for his performance as Terry, a ballsy taxi driver who tells a hilarious and raunchy story to a young musician he’s driving across town. A fast paced, beautifully told and completely compelling short film – don’t miss this opportunity to catch this excellent film.

There are plenty of moving dramas, riveting documentaries, and a good dose of romance on Rialto Channel this week. We also continue to celebrate the best of Australian film on Friday evenings throughout November, and there’s even a trip for two to Australia to be won - just head to the competitions page for details.

Here are my picks for the week; at the top of the list is documentary Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present - it’s just brilliant.

The winners of the Show Me Shorts Film Festival were announced last night at the Rialto Channel Opening Night and Awards Ceremony at the Capital Cinema in Auckland.

We are now just hours away from the opening night of the 2013 Show Me Shorts Film Festival! To celebrate, Francesca Rudkin shares with us some of her favourite short films.

When it comes to my highlights this week, it’s all rather bloody I’m afraid!  Ralph Fiennes does a good job bringing Shakespeare’s battle fueled tragedy Coriolanus into the modern day, and in Swedish film The Man From Beijing, a judge is targeted by a psychopathic mass murderer who hacks to death eighteen members of her family - hard not to take personally. To lighten the mood there’s also top documentary Milius, about producer, director and screenwriter John Milius. A wannabe solider and maverick, Milius created some of the most memorable and ‘manly’ characters we’ve seen on screen, including Dirty Harry and Conan the Barbarian.

Serbian filmmaker, producer and musician Emir Kusturica is an internationally acclaimed director, just as well known for supporting the arts in his home country as he is for his own creative output. Throughout November, Emir Kusturica is the featured director on Sunday evenings’ Director’s Series.

Born in Sarajevo in 1954, Kusturica was sent by his parents to the prestigious Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague in 1978. He returned home after graduating and made several TV films, followed by his debut feature film Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (1981), a collaboration with screenwriter Abdulah Sidran, that went onto win the Silver Lion for best first feature at the Venice Film Festival.