Cannes Drama and Legal Tangles: Iranian Director's Exile and Baldwin's Prosecution

The latest entertainment news highlights include Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s Cannes premiere amidst legal challenges and exile, honors for Bruce Springsteen and Lana Del Rey at the Ivor songwriting awards, consumer lawsuits against Live Nation, and the latest updates in Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” shooting case. Various films compete as the Cannes Film Festival draws to a close.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Iranian director Rasoulof's Cannes film born of tussles with justice system

Exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof said on Friday that his Cannes Film Festival competition entry, about a court official's family during his country's 2022 protests, was born out of his own experiences with the justice system. Rasoulof was in the French Riviera town to premier "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" almost two weeks after announcing he had fled Iran in the wake of his sentencing to eight years in jail and flogging.

At Cannes, Iranian director Rasoulof recalls difficult exile decision

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof recalled how he had to decide within hours whether to go into exile or serve a prison sentence, saying it was still difficult to talk about it during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. Rasoulof was in the French Riviera town for the premiere of his new drama "The Seed of the Sacred Fig", almost two weeks after announcing he had fled Iran and entered into exile in the wake of his sentencing to eight years in jail and flogging.

Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, Raye honoured at Ivor songwriting awards

Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey and Raye were among the music stars honoured at the Ivors in London on Thursday, the annual awards for songwriters and screen composers. U.S. rocker Springsteen became the first international songwriter to receive an Ivors Academy Fellowship, the highest honour bestowed by the UK-based association.

Live Nation ticket buyers sue in wake of US Justice Department case

Live Nation and its Ticketmaster unit have been hit with the first in a likely wave of new consumer antitrust lawsuits after the U.S. government and states sued to break up the two companies on Thursday. The first consumer class action to piggyback on the government cases was filed later on Thursday in Manhattan federal court, seeking $5 billion in damages on behalf of potentially millions of ticket purchasers.

Prosecution of Alec Baldwin for 'Rust' shooting

On Oct. 21, 2021 a Colt Single Action Army Revolver actor Alec Baldwin was using to set up a camera shot on the movie "Rust" fired a live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. The following is a chronology of Baldwin's comments in relation to the shooting on a New Mexico film set and events surrounding Hollywood's first on-set fatal shooting in nearly 30 years.

As Cannes Film Festival nears end, who will win the top prize?

A Donald Trump biopic, a musical about a Mexican cartel boss and Francis Ford Coppola's long-time passion project are just some of the films competing for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize as the glamorous fest comes to a close on Saturday evening. Jury president Greta Gerwig, the director behind last summer's pink-hued hit "Barbie," will decide along with eight others which of the 22 films to award the Palme d'Or.

Kodi, star of 'Dog on Trial,' takes home Cannes' top dog prize

There was lots of tail-wagging and face-licking as Kodi, this year's winner of the Palm Dog, the canine equivalent of the Cannes Film Festival's top prize, went up to receive his red collar for the French comedy "Dog on Trial" on Friday. The Griffon mix was praised for his "breathtaking" performance as Cosmos, a guide dog for a visually impaired man, who goes on trial over an attack, in a case whose outcome could mean death.

'Black Dog' wins Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes

"Black Dog," about a man released from prison who returns home to his remote town in China to rid it of stray dogs before the Olympics, only to befriend one of them, won the Cannes Film Festival's "Un Certain Regard" competition on Friday. Eddie Peng, who stars as Lang in the film by director Guan Hu, attended the ceremony at Cannes along with greyhound Xin.

Judge denies Alec Baldwin request to drop indictment for 'Rust' shooting

A New Mexico judge on Friday rejected Alec Baldwin's bid to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge for the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, opening the way for an unprecedented trial of a Hollywood actor for an on-set death.

Baldwin's lawyers argued at a May 17 hearing that a grand jury indictment of the actor was "a sham" as a New Mexico state prosecutor failed to tell jurors they could question defense witnesses and stopped them hearing evidence helpful to the actor's case.

US Justice Department, states file lawsuit against Live Nation

The U.S. Department of Justice and a group of states have filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, according a court docket on Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)