8 Lessons from EU Independent Filmmaking Beyond Celebrity Culture
At the 2026 edition of IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival, one of the most striking discoveries was not simply films, but curatorial insights into independent filmmaking. As a press delegate attending on behalf of the Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies, I arrived expecting innovative independent cinema across geographies and genres. What I did not anticipate was how profoundly the festival’s curatorial lens of inquiry would invite audiences to re-think the foundations of spectatorship in their wider cultural practice of art. Co-funded by the Creative Europe MEDIA...
Read MoreCelebrity James Cameron on Plant-Based Empowerment
In the words of activist Dr Anita Krajnc, James Cameron is a hero! Cameron, like Bill Clinton, Casey Affleck, Moby, Bryan Adams, Venus and Serena Williams, and many more celebrities, shares critical thoughts and observations on vegan / plant-based empowerment. The above video captures his powerful words at the Blue Ocean Film...
Read MoreWriting Fame: Defining the Celebrity
Dear Celebrity Culture Readers, Last week, I had the pleasure of being at the 13th Annual FILMI industrial party and film festival in Toronto. FILMI supports independent as well as mainstream film talent within and beyond standard frameworks of the entertainment industry. Questions on fame kept coming up in many conversations and industrial panel talks with friends and associates (below). There is no one single meaning of popular recognition, just like there is no one single kind of talent. Unique qualities of talent, however, play a key role in connecting with viewers and creating...
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