All posts tagged: makers

Locarno 2026 Political Film Makers With Pseudonyms: Filmsaaz, Neozoon

Locarno 2026 Political Film Makers With Pseudonyms: Filmsaaz, Neozoon

James Gray and Darren Aronofsky are among the big-name filmmakers getting honored at the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival this August. But the 2026 lineup of the Swiss festival also showcases all sorts of newer and emerging filmmakers from around the globe. Their names may not be widely known yet, but buzz at a festival, such as Locarno, could, of course, open doors and bring support for more projects ahead. Some of these up-and-coming filmmakers, however, create cinematic experiences not under their legal names, but pseudonyms. Cases in point: Filmsaaz and Neozoon, whose works are featured in this year’s Pardi di Domani, or “Leopards of Tomorrow, program.” The name of the program is a reference to Locarno’s Leopard awards and is designed to provide “a vital space for expressive experimentation and innovative forms of cinematic poetry,” the festival says. In fact, it calls the section “a cornerstone” of its mission “to foster dialogue between generations and traditions and to support the filmmakers who will define the future of cinematic expression.” Whether or not you are already aware of Neozoon and …

The hacker who humiliated spyware makers and was never caught

The hacker who humiliated spyware makers and was never caught

Over the last few decades, several mysterious hackers have captured the public’s imagination, but none quite like Phineas Fisher. A decade after their most famous hack, Phineas remains, by most accounts, the most prolific and public hacker never to have been caught.  As part of our series on the biggest cybersecurity mysteries of all time,  we’re delving into the enigma of Phineas, the hacktivist who hacked controversial spyware makers FinFisher and Hacking Team. The latter, an Italian startup, was among the first to turn government spyware into a viable global business, paving the way for spyware makers such as the Israeli NSO Group. Phineas’ hack against Hacking Team eventually led to the startup’s demise years later. Apart from Anonymous, an amorphous amalgam of hacktivists with a mixed track record of mostly stunt hacks designed to gather publicity rather than have real impact, Phineas is perhaps the most well-known hacktivist in history. Their story is made of impressive hacks and endless unanswered questions.   Who is Phineas Fisher?  Variously called an anarchist, a cybercriminal, a hacktivist, and a vigilante, the hacker has said they “use a lot of …

Egyptian history makers breaking new ground for Africa’s most successful nation

Egyptian history makers breaking new ground for Africa’s most successful nation

ARLINGTON, Texas, July 3 : For all their dominance of African football, Egypt’s World Cup history has been underwhelming, so Friday’s success over Australia and progress to the last 16 will count among their finest hours. Egypt had the better of the chances but were unable to beat Australia after two hours of football with the scores level at 1-1 before triumphing 4-2 in a penalty shootout. It was their first success in a World Cup knockout game, which compares starkly with their record seven African Cup of Nations titles and distinguished role as pioneers of African soccer. Egypt first went to the World Cup in 1934 – the next African country was Morocco in 1970 – but have qualified only three times since, and it was not until beating New Zealand 3-1 in Vancouver a fortnight ago that they achieved a win at the finals. Now they are through to the last 16, in what Mohamed Salah termed a pivotal moment for the country. “I’m happy we wrote history today,” he said. The crushing …

50 American Fashion Brands You Should Know, From Heritage Makers to High-End Designers

50 American Fashion Brands You Should Know, From Heritage Makers to High-End Designers

The eve of America’s 250th birthday is an occasion for contemplating some big questions about the country’s legacy, the future of democracy, and America’s place in the world. It’s a mixed bag, sure, but there’s still plenty to celebrate—including a surfeit of excellent menswear, from heritage brands to conceptual high-fashion labels to makers of top-notch workwear. There are so many great American clothing brands these days, in fact, that to list them all would be virtually impossible (apologies to those who aren’t listed here—we still love you!) To narrow it down, we’ve picked a few of our favorites across three main categories: heritage brands (anything that’s been around for 100 years or more), fashion brands (designer-led labels), and new-school brands (21st-century brands with an emphasis on American-made). To keep things manageable, we also skipped the brands that—like Tom Ford, Thom Browne, and Supreme—do excellent work, but are no longer American-owned. The result is a by-no-means-definitive list spanning some of the most important names in American menswear in 2026, from century-old stalwarts to recent arrivals. 3sixteen …

How Europe’s EV makers shrank their product to challenge the bloated SUVs | Electric, hybrid and low-emission cars

How Europe’s EV makers shrank their product to challenge the bloated SUVs | Electric, hybrid and low-emission cars

The winding backstreets of London, Paris and Rome are a large part of their charm. But they are also a problem for electric carmakers. For a long time, squeezing big batteries into smaller, cheaper cars to fit European streets was too much of a problem, so manufacturers focused on bloated SUVs instead. But that is finally changing. Battery technology has improved and Europe’s carmakers havecut manufacturing costs enough that they can now sell cars that might have a chance of fitting down a medieval lane or two. The new Renault Twingo E-Tech is a case in point. Driving the city car through London attracts quizzical looks. Its bulbous headlights live up to the older petrol version’s “frog” nickname, and this particular model has a “mango yellow” paint job. But small, European electric cars like this will be notable for more than their looks if they can slow the trend towards ever-bigger lumps of metal – and help fend off the challenge from Chinese rivals. “The world is not going to be saved by big SUVs …

Japanese Fair Trade Officials Raid 6 Ice Cream Makers on Suspicion of Price Fixing

Japanese Fair Trade Officials Raid 6 Ice Cream Makers on Suspicion of Price Fixing

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese government fair trade watchdog officials have raided six major ice cream makers on suspicion of price fixing. Tokyo-based Meiji Co. said in a statement Tuesday that it had been raided on suspicion of violating anti-monopoly laws. “We accept with sincerity the fact that our company was raided, and we promise to cooperate fully with the Japan Fair Trade Commission investigation,” it said. Five other companies, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Morinaga & Co., Lotte Co., Ezaki Glico Co. and Akagi Nyugo Co., issued similar statements. It wasn’t clear when the raids took place. In addition to ice cream, the companies make various food items, desserts and confectionery goods, including pudding, chocolate bars and chewing gum, sold widely at supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide. Japanese media called it “a price cartel.” Top managers at the companies were in touch with each other over several years to coordinate raising ice cream prices by 10 yen (6 U.S. cents), for instance, as well as the timing of such hikes, the reports said. Japanese antitrust officials …

Michael Jackson biopic makers confirm sequel is on the way – with ‘25 to 30% already shot’

Michael Jackson biopic makers confirm sequel is on the way – with ‘25 to 30% already shot’

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter After years in production, Lionsgate’s controversial Michael Jackson biopic finally debuted in cinemas earlier this month – and the studio has now confirmed a sequel is on the way. Michael was released to resoundingly negative reviews from critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey awarding it one star and labelling the film a “ghoulish, soulless cash grab”. Those negative reviews, however, did not stop fans from heading for cinemas in their droves and securing Michael the biggest opening weekend for any music biopic in history with $217m (£160m) in takings globally. The film’s current revenue is a whopping $715.8m (£533.2m) worldwide. The figures have fuelled talk of a possible follow-up and speaking in a quarterly earnings call reported on by Variety, Lionsgate motion picture chair Adam Fogelson confirmed that preparations for a second film are well underway – and going “exceptionally well”. …

Beloved fantasy confirmed for TV adaptation from makers of One Piece

Beloved fantasy confirmed for TV adaptation from makers of One Piece

Fans of sci-fi novelist Brandon Sanderson will be thrilled to learn that a live-action adaptation of his popular Skyward novels is in the early stages of development. The “epic” books imagine a devastating war between humanity and an alien race named the Krell, where the bravest of our dwindling number serve as fighter pilots against the extraterrestrial force. We follow the story of Spensa, a human girl who dreams of defending her people, but faces deep prejudice due to the infamous actions of her late father; a deserter, who was executed and is considered a “coward” by history. The synopsis, courtesy of Sanderson’s website, reads: “Spensa is still determined to fly – even if it means she must be as resilient in the face of long odds as humanity itself has had to be against the alien threat.” Want to see this content? This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept …

Forza Horizon 6 car list: Full list of available cars and makers

Forza Horizon 6 car list: Full list of available cars and makers

It’s time to take to the streets of Japan in Forza Horizon 6, but what cars will you do it in? Ad Like its predecessors, Forza Horizon 6 has a huge number of vehicles for players to drive across the length and breadth of Japan. If you’re wondering which ones made the cut, here’s the full list of all cars and makers present in Forza Horizon 6. Forza Horizon 6 car list: Full list of available cars and makers To make things more readable, we’ve split the list up by maker, and listed them all in alphabetical order. Alternatively, you could just Ctrl+F to find the specific maker you’re looking for. Here is the full list of cars in Forza Horizon 6: Want to see this content? This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept and continue’ to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes. Accept and continue Abarth 1968 Abarth …