This issue we add a little levity to the occasion with a brief look at comedy on film.

Filmmaking in the Middle East is as diverse as the people who live there. We speak with four filmmakers from the region, and one from Denmark. There is also a look at the little-known Israeli horror scene, plus the usual roundup of festivals.

This issue is dedicated to the people who put the images on the big screen, the unsung heroes that are the cinematographers. Includes interviews with award-winners Vilmos Zsigmond and Danny Cohen.

Documentaries are becoming more popular in cinemas as people, tired of the same old Hollywood dross, look for surprising and refreshing stories. We speak to three documentary filmmakers with different approaches and different subjects: Oscar-winning Alex Gibney (Client 9), Phil Leirness (The Truth is Out There) and Justin Mitchell (Rio Breaks). Plus reviews and previews of festivals.

Music and film have always worked together, and we celebrate that relationship with a look at film score composers and festivals that specialise in music.