Veteran film-maker Jean-Luc Godard recently lamented the state of modern cinema whilst promoting his new film Film Socialisme. I take a look at his comments within the context of some of the independent cinema flourishing today and ask whether film is indeed over, and what to make of the term “auteur” in the current cinematic climate.

Every so often you watch a film that you know you’re going to love within the first 5 or 10 minutes. Treacle Jr. is one such film. Funny, poignant, wonderfully acted and making brilliant use of its South London locations, Treacle Jr. is an absolute gem of a film, illustrating once again that you don’t need a Hollywood budget to create brilliant cinema.

Enter the Void is the highly anticipated new film from the French New Wave director of Irreversible. If you want something groundbreaking and technically a cinematological head trip, we have Enter the Void DVDs and posters to give away! Competition ends 26 April 2011.

Director Arthur Penn, the man behind Bonnie and Clyde, has died in New York, hours after reaching his 88th birthday. It is the latest news in what has already been a sad week for film, which has also seen the death of Quentin Tarantino’s long-time editor, Sally Menke.