‘Memory’ Review: Michel Franco’s Latest Favors Restraint and Contemplation as Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain Give Staggering Performances | Toronto
Films dealing with brain diseases such as dementia have long been overwhelmingly emotional experiences that pulled on heartstrings, emphasizing its characters’ ordeal and showcasing the... Read More
Mina Takla
Mina Takla is a foreign correspondent for AwardsWatch and the co-founder of The Syndicate, an online news agency that offers original content services to several film brands including Empire Magazine’s Middle East edition and the Dubai Film Festival. Takla has attended, covered and written for multiple film festivals online including the Dubai International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Annecy Film Festivals. He has been following the Oscar race since 2000 with accurate, office-pool winning predictions year after year. He writes monthly in Empire Arabia, the Arabic version of the world’s top cinema magazine and conducts press junkets with Hollywood stars in the UK and the US. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing from Australia’s Wollongong University and is currently based in Dubai, UAE.
‘Shayda’ Review: Noora Niasari’s Narrative Feature Debut is a Striking, Moving Tale of Resistance and Empowerment | Toronto
This review contains spoilers. In her feature film debut Shayda, which will represent Australia in this year’s Best International Feature Film Oscar race, Iranian-Australian filmmaker... Read More
‘Woman of the Hour’ Review: Anna Kendrick’s Directorial Debut Intelligently Examines the Convergence of Toxic Masculinity and Gender Prejudice | Toronto
In her impressive directorial debut Woman of the Hour, actress-turned-director Anna Kendrick builds on a horrifying true crime case to deliver an unflinching look at... Read More
‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ Review: Ilker Çatak’s Oscar Entry from Germany is a Brilliant and Powerful Reflection on Flawed Democracies | Toronto
One of the smartest, most satisfying films at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, Ilker Çatak’s The Teachers’ Lounge uses a German school as... Read More
‘Hajjan’ Review: Abu Bakr Shawky’s Follow-Up to ‘Yomeddine’ a Mostly Enjoyable Crowd Pleaser That Rings a Bit Hollow | Toronto
Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky made quite the splash in 2018 with his debut feature film Yomeddine which became the first ever Egyptian debut film... Read More
‘Next Goal Wins’ Review: Michael Fassbender is Pitch Perfect in Taika Waititi’s Enjoyable Underdog Sports Story | Toronto
Conventional but still enjoyable, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins presents the real story of the American Samoa football team, who had broken the record for... Read More
‘Lee’ Review: Kate Winslet and Andy Samberg Excel in Ellen Kuras’ Largely Unambitious Debut Feature | Toronto
Making the transition from cinematography to directing, Ellen Kuras delivers a biopic that, while boasting competent technical credits, lacks the ambition, risk-taking and ferocious nature... Read More
‘Pain Hustlers’ Review: David Yates Delivers a Conventionally Accessible Look at Corporate Greed | Toronto
In Pain Hustlers, David Yates embarks on a different kind of project that couldn’t be further away from his recent franchise output (most notably 7... Read More
‘The Teacher’ Review: Farah Nabulsi’s Feature Debut is a Mildly Satisfying, if Narratively Muddled, Take on Repressed Anger | Toronto
Palestinian British filmmaker Farah Nabulsi’s previous short film, The Present, catapulted her to worldwide acclaim with its heartfelt story about parental love and sacrifice. Now... Read More
‘Les Indésirables’ Review: Ladj Ly’s Look at the Clash Between Power and Marginalized Groups in Modern Day Paris Disappoints | Toronto
Five years ago, French filmmaker Ladj Ly made quite the splash with his debut feature Les Misérables, a harrowing, gut-wrenching story of how powerless, marginalized... Read More
2024 Black Reel Awards Nominations: ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘The Piano Lesson’ Lead 
2024 Online Association of Female Film Critics (OAFFC) Nominations 
Interview: ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham on Bringing Back Two of Animation’s Most Beloved Characters [VIDEO] 
2024 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners: ‘The Beast’ Named Best Picture, Director; Kieran Culkin is Best Actor for ‘A Real Pain’