Mark Cousins is an Irish filmmaker, author, broadcaster and curator whose passion for film is clearly evident in his epic documentary series that focuses on cinematic innovation, The Story of Film: An Odyssey. An engaging and personal journey that covers 6 continents and 12 decades, The Story of Film: An Odyssey screens every Sunday evening before Rialto Channel’s Directors Series at 7.25pm and is a must see for anyone even vaguely interested in film. In between doing the Festival circuit, Mark kindly found a moment to chat.

The Toronto International Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend with director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave scooping the coveted People’s Choice Award. Following in the footsteps of films such as American Beauty, Slumdog Millionaire and Silver Linings Playbook that also won this award on their way to Oscar glory, it’s no surprise McQueen’s was chuffed with the win.

Read more about the Festival, plus check out my highlights for the week...

What an ungracious way to be put out to pasture after a career spanning five decades. An announcement from a ‘source’, not from an official representative or the man himself, claiming Jack Nicholson has “quietly retired” from acting because he can’t remember his lines. I would have thought you could just retire because your 76, surely there’s no need to make the guy appear senile.

The 70th Venice Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend with the Bernardo Bertolucci led Jury announcing the following list of winners.

Taking top honors, the Golden Lion Award, was Sacro GRA, a documentary directed by Gianfranco Rosi about the famous highway that circles Rome. A rather unexpected win by all accounts.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the impressive lineup of films scheduled to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the most important (if you’re looking to win an Oscar) annual film festivals.

This week I want to talk about one of the smaller, classy film festivals, the Venice Film Festival, which is on at the moment.

My first highlight this week is From up on Poppy Hill produced by the famous Japanese animation studio that brought us the beautiful Spirited Away and Ponyo, Studio Ghibli.

Director Akira Kurosawa is one of the greatest and most influential Japanese directors of all time, and during September a prestigious collection of his films will play on Rialto Directors, every Sunday at 8.30pm.

For many of us, Richard Gere will always be the knight in a limo who fell for the goofy (and gorgeous) prostitute in Pretty Woman, played by Julia Roberts. Despite having also starred in films as diverse as An Officer and a Gentleman, Days of Heaven, Chicago and I’m Not There he will always be defined by Pretty Woman. Last year though he delivered another gritty performance to remind us he’s not done yet, playing a highflying businessman in the thriller Arbitrage. It’s a great film and reminds us that while Gere has a face for romantic comedies he can also really act.

Here are my highlights for the week...

It’s time to talk Oscars. It’s ridiculous I know, the award ceremony isn’t for five months, but with the Toronto International Film Festival about to kick off (5th – 15th September) the buzz about films with ‘Oscar-potential’ will begin.

And be in to WIN one of 3 double passes to The Patience Stone...

This week marks the beginning of cool, stylish new French television series Rebound on Rialto Channel (every Wednesday night from 8.30pm).

It’s being described as a mix between Lost and Twin Peaks, and is set in a small picturesque Alpine village where several years earlier a school bus filled with students went off the road with all on board killed. Years later, as the community prepares to erect a memorial, the dead begin returning to their homes and live as if nothing has happened. Each episode focuses on one zombie’s story, and it’s easy to see why this series has been a smash hit in France. Understated, slick and creepy, only the French could make zombies look this good.

Zombies haven’t reached the same feverish popularity as vampires over the last decade but it’s still hard to keep a good zombie down. So, to celebrate the release of these Gallic zombies I thought I’d take a look at some of the best Zombie flicks released this century.