arts24

Of the three major European film festivals, Berlin's annual event has often featured political films and commentary. Yet this year's jury president Wim Wenders stirred up controversy when he said that artists should "stay out of politics", prompting Indian author Arundhati Roy to cancel her appearance at the festival. Film critic Emma Jones brings us up to date on this heated debate and flags up the movies making headlines at the Berlinale so far.

As Iran faces growing international outrage over its violent crackdown on protesters, Iranian-French actress Mina Kavani is bringing a story of exile and resistance to the Paris stage.

Iceland's award-winning Ásgeir rose to fame over the last decade thanks to his stunning falsetto voice and intricate guitar melodies. He popped by the FRANCE 24 studios to tell Marjorie Hache about his fifth album "Julia", which is the first he has composed fully in English. We also hear from Australia's Chet Faker and take a look at electroclash queen Peaches' new release "No Lube So Rude".

February is delivering a packed slate of must-watch television. Critic Dheepthika Laurent reviews the French release of "Heated Rivalry", which brings a steamy, taboo-breaking hockey romance to new audiences, as well as the Netflix show that revisits the legacy and controversies of "America's Next Top Model". Legal drama fans can dive into a high-stakes new season of "The Lincoln Lawyer", with Mickey Haller facing his toughest case yet – his own.

In this episode of arts24, we meet Ghanaian-Dutch visual artist Joel Quayson, who won the 2025 Dior Prize for Photography and Visual Arts for Young Talents, one of the most closely watched awards in contemporary photography. Born to Ghanaian parents and raised in the Netherlands within a devout Christian household, Quayson's work is shaped by the tension between faith, cultural heritage and queer self-expression. That deeply personal conflict lies at the heart of his prize-winning video "How do you feel?", now on view at Paris's Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP).

In this episode of arts24, film critic Manon Kerjean reviews several new French releases: Alice Winocour's "Coutures", starring Angelina Jolie and Louis Garrel in a backstage drama about women navigating illness and industry pressures during Fashion Week; Anthony Marciano's "Le Rêve américain", featuring Raphaël Quenard and Jean-Pascal Zadi as two unlikely French NBA agents; and Pascal Bonitzer's "Maigret and the Dead Lover", with Denis Podalydès investigating aristocratic secrets in early 2000s Paris.

She topped the charts with the planetary hit "New Soul" in 2007 and her stirring voice and irresistible melodies have filled concert halls, radio waves and headphones ever since. Yael Naim tells us why reaching a personal and artistic crossroads led her to experiment with a new minimalist sound and new production techniques, and why embracing optimism is a political choice today.

On today’s Arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim is joined by artists whose music reflects their multicultural upbringings. Franco-Haitian singer–songwriter Naïka grew up across the Caribbean, Kenya, South Africa and the United States. Singing in English, French and Créole, her music mirrors this global upbringing. She is set to release her debut album, Eclesia – ancient Greek for “the coming together of people” – a theme that her music embodies.

FRANCE 24's Charli James previews a big weekend in arts and entertainment. Bad Bunny promises a "huge party" for everyone at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Also, Mariah Carey sings in Italian at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Plus, a new light show opens in Bordeaux featuring the colours of Henri Matisse and Frida Kahlo.

After a four-year hiatus for military service, the boys of BTS are coming back and Netflix is streaming it worldwide. Plus: Timothée Chalamet feels the love from fans in Paris at the "Marty Supreme" premiere and we look at how AI is being used to produce popular vertical drama series even quicker and cheaper.