Pedro Almodóvar's I'm So Excited

Pedro Almodóvar's I'm So Excited to Open Los Angeles Film Festival
The North American Premiere of the latest film from the Oscar-winning Spanish director will kick off the annual festival on June 13. The film is set for a theatrical release courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics two weeks later. The film has already hit theaters in Spain and eight other European countries.

Maryland Film Festival Announces 12 Films from 2013 Lineup
The annual Baltimore event has revealed a dozen films from this year's roster. Award-winners and favorites from Sundance and SXSW abound, including Andrew Bujalski's Computer Chess, Lynn Shelton's Touchy Feely, and Lotfy Nathan's 12 O'Clock Boys. The festival will take place May 8 – 12. Visit the Maryland Film Festival blog for more info.

Jane Fonda Tells Critics to “Get a Life” Over Criticism of Nancy Reagan Role
Fonda appears as the former First Lady in director Lee Daniels' The Butler, which is slated to open in theaters in October. Fonda, a favorite target for people on the right of the political spectrum for decades, added that the criticism will “cause more people to see the movie.” The Butler recalls the true story of Eugene Allen who served as butler to U.S. Presidents from 1952 to 1986. The Reagans are only part of the story, THR reports.

Stephanie Zacharek Joins Voice Media
Zacharek joins the Village Voice as its principal film writer. She wrote criticism and features from 1999 to 2010 for Salon.com and more recently served as chief film critic for Movieline.com. She replaces the recently-departed Scott Foundas who went to Variety. Zacharek will begin her new assignment on April 24.

Tribeca Unveils Star-Studded Juries
Oscar-nominated playwright Kenny Lonergan, Oscar-winner Paul Haggis, actor Bryce Dallas-Howard, Tony and Emmy-award wining actress Blythe Danner and Time magazine Senior Editor Jessica Winter will comprise the 2013 World Narrative Competition jury. Whoopi Goldberg once again joins the World Doc Competition Jury. She will be joined by Evan Rachel Wood, Mira Sovino and doc filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Sandi Dubowski.

Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing to Open 2013 Seattle International Film Festival
The adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing stars Alexis Denisof, Amy Ackler, Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg, who will attend the opening of the event, which runs May 16 – June 9. The black-and-white film was shot over just 12 days at the filmmaker's California home and will open at Film Society of Lincoln Center on June 7. TOH reports.

UK's Bradford Festival Celebrates 100 Years of Bollywood
By some measures the world's largest film industry, Bollywood will take center stage at the 19th Bradford International Film Festival with a string of classics from Indian cinema including the 12 surviving minutes of India's first feature film, Raja Harishchandra. The festival will also screen The Chess Players, a 1977 film by world-renown auteur Satyajit Ray, The Guardian reports.