Any seasoned filmmaker will likely admit that you’re never fully prepared to make your first film, but that’s part of the excitement. Getting started can be a huge part of the battle and those fears aren’t always technical. Sometimes that one thing stopping you from shooting your first film has nothing to do with the technical side and more with your confidence. That’s why we rounded up a list of the best books for first-time filmmakers that cover a range of topics including cinematography, how to get the right shot, the inner workings of the film industry, inspirational quotes from famed directors, and more....

The last year has been challenging for students and teachers alike, but graduation season provides an opportunity to celebrate. Maneuvering through a global pandemic and adjusting to distance learning hasn’t been easy, and even though schools are moving closer to returning to in-person learning, this year’s graduates deserve to be honored for beating seemingly impossible odds. To celebrate the class of 2021, we rounded up a bunch of must-have gizmos and gadgets: smartwatches, portable Bluetooth speakers, headphones, computers, and a bunch of other really cool items to gift the graduates in your life....

These moves would be terrible news for theaters; it would leave them without a significant theatrical release until “No Time To Die” on November 20. (Presuming, of course, that 007 stays put.) Worse, it begs the question of how long they can remain in operation without fresh product. However, the factors that inform Disney’s decision making are governed by multiple factors, all of which are out of the studio’s control....

Yes, you can actually have a movie-night sleepover inside an actual Blockbuster, which has created a living room space amid its towering shelves of movies. The decor harkens back to the 1990s peak of the rental chain, with a pull-out couch and pastel-patterned bedspreads and pillows. Guests will be able to play VHS movies on the included 4:3 TV. Unfortunately, the sleepovers are available only to residents in Bend’s Deschutes County....

For director Amy Winfrey, who oversaw 21 episodes throughout the six seasons, “The View from Halfway Down” was a particularly satisfying conclusion. Winfrey not only got to dabble in the ultimate expression of surrealism, but she also got to participate in fun callbacks with some of her favorite characters, including “Horsin’ Around” sitcom creator Herb Kazzaz (Stanley Tucci) and child-actress-turned pop star Sarah Lynn (Kristen Schaal). “In ‘Downer Ending,’” Winfrey said, “a young BoJack is hiding under a table from his mother because he doesn’t want to perform ‘The Lollipop Song....

The four-and-a-half-hour “City Hall” first debuted out of competition at the Venice Film Festival in September, followed by a North American premiere in Toronto this month, and then landing at the New York Film Festival, long a favorite venue for Wiseman’s works. Here’s an official synopsis of the film: “City government touches almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us are unaware of or take for granted these necessary services such as police, fire, sanitation, veterans affairs, elder support, parks, licensing of various professional activities, record keeping of birth, marriage, and death as well as hundreds of other activities that support Boston residents and visitors....

In the memo, which was obtained by IndieWire and can be read below, the channel’s CEO Chris Licht said those affected by the layoffs will be contacted over the next two days, and the rest of the staff will receive communication on who has been let go on Thursday. “Our people are the heart and soul of this organization. It is incredibly hard to say goodbye to any one member of the CNN team, much less many....