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Record Foreign Entries for 2010 Student Academy Awards®

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April 19, 2010

A record 61 entries from 36 countries, along with 497 entries from students representing 122 U.S. colleges and universities, are in competition for the 2010 Student Academy Awards. This year’s pool of submissions includes a first-ever entry from Nigeria.

Record Foreign Entries for 2010 Student Academy Awards®

Beverly Hills, CA — A record 61 entries from 36 countries, along with 497 entries from students representing 122 U.S. colleges and universities, are in competition for the 2010 Student Academy Awards. This year’s pool of submissions includes a first-ever entry from Nigeria. The competition – now in its 37th year – will culminate in the awards presentation, which will include screenings of the winning films, on Saturday, June 12, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards and corresponding cash prizes may be presented in each of four categories: Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Alternative. Additionally, one film is selected each year to receive the Honorary Foreign Film award.

Last month, at the 82nd Academy Awards, former Student Academy Award winner, Pete Docter, took home the Oscar® for Best Animated Feature Film for “Up.” Gregg Helvey, a 2009 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Live Action Short Film category for “Kavi.” Since the program’s inception, Student Academy Award winners have gone on to earn 40 Oscar nominations and won 7 Academy Awards.

A complete list of schools and countries represented in the competition is available at http://www.oscars.org/awards/saa/entrants.html.

The 37th Annual Student Academy Awards ceremony on June 12 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets will be available beginning on April 28. Tickets may be obtained online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
8949 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD | BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90211-1907
(310) 247-3090 TEL | (310) 271-3395 FAX | PUBLICITY@OSCARS.ORG | WWW.OSCARS.ORG/PRESS

Robin Hood Opens 63rd Cannes Film Festival On May 12

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Film of the Month: Women Without Men

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WOMEN WITHOUT MEN:

We have chosen Women Without Men as our film of the month of April.

The highly esteemed Rotten Tomatoes gave the film four stars, and that means it is a must see.

The film is based on Shahrnush Parsipur‘s magic realist novel of the same title. The novel was banned in Iran in the mid-1990s.

“This has been a labour of love for six years.(…) This film speaks to the world and to my country.”
~ Shirin Neshat

THE STORY:
In her feature-film debut, renowned visual artist Shirin Neshat offers an exquisitely crafted view of Iran in 1953, when a British- and American-backed coup removed the democratically elected government. Adapted from the novel by Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur, the film weaves together the stories of five individual women during those traumatic days, whose experiences are shaped by their faith and the social structures in place.

With a camera that floats effortlessly through the lives of the women and the beautiful countryside of Iran, Neshat explores the social, political, and psychological dimensions of her characters as they meet in a metaphorical garden, where they can exist and reflect while the complex intellectual and religious forces shaping their world linger in the air around them. Looking at Iran from Neshat’s point of view allows us to see the larger picture and realize that the human community resembles different organs of one body, created from a common essence.

WomenWithoutMen

Acclaimed Series ‘Prison Break’ Returns to Television on Si TV

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PRISON-BREAK
“Prison Break” Returns to television on Si TV weeknights at 10PM ET & PT beginning Monday, April 19. Pictured are series stars Amaury Nolasco (l) and Wentworth Miller as Sucre and Michael, plotting their escape from Fox River. (PRNewsFoto/Si TV) LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES

Acclaimed Series

Prison Break is a suspenseful drama that revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an elaborate plan to help his brother escape prison. The series focuses Lincoln Burrows (played by Dominic Purcell), a death-row inmate who is accused of the murder of the vice president. Wentworth Miller stars as his brother Michael Schofield, an engineer who helped design the prison where Lincoln is being held. Michael gets himself arrested and sent to the same prison so, empowered with his knowledge of the building, the two brothers can escape together. However, while inside, Michael discovers a massive conspiracy that is determined to see Lincoln’s sentence carried out.
The series also made a star of Latino actor Amaury Nolasco, who was twice-nominated by the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) prestigious ALMA awards for his work on Prison Break. Nolasco portrays Fernando Sucre, Michael’s complex cellmate.

The 81-episode series ran on the Fox Network from 2005-2009 and continues to have a huge on-line following as evidenced by its 1.5+ million fans on Facebook. In support of the series launch on Si TV, the network has built a robust, interactive site featuring video extras, games, photos and much more at www.sitv.com/prison-break.

About Si TV
Si TV is America’s first media company to reach the millions of 18-34-year-old Latinos who prefer their content in English and seek it across all platforms — including linear television, the internet, video-on-demand and wireless devices. Si TV offers authentic, relevant content that includes Model Latina, Latino 101, and the first-ever Web-to-TV reality series Elle & Tito: The Married Life.
Si TV is available nationwide on Dish Network, and in more than 200 cities and communities across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco / Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Denver, San Antonio and Las Vegas. For more information about Si TV, please visit www.sitv.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100414/NY86646
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN11
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Si TV
CONTACT: Kim Becker, +1-914-834-0422 or Mark Braff, +1-201-612-0707,
both for Si TV
Web Site: http://www.sitv.com/

Move Around, Your Way

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Move around, your way

Quinny Senzz: a practical buggy with a high comfort level

womanandchild

Klik hier om de versie in het Nederlands te zien.

HELMOND, The Netherland 12 April /PRNewswire/ — The fact that you are now a mum or dad does not mean that you can no longer carry on the same lifestyle as before. You will still enjoy going out, shopping and finding trendy gadgets. Whether in your professional or private life, you expect first-rate quality, choosing products that look good and are user-friendly. Quinny has developed the revolutionary Quinny Senzz for parents who know what they want. Combining an attractive design, user-friendliness and comfort, the Quinny Senzz is compact and even suitable from birth, when used with a Maxi-Cosi infant car seat.

Its unique one-hand folding system quickly and easily folds the Quinny Senzz into a compact package, which remains upright for easy storage. The cleverly integrated handle lets you carry the Quinny Senzz effortlessly with one hand.

Ultimate Sleeping Comfort

The compact Quinny Senzz offers your child a spacious seat that adjusts to several reclining positions and is comfortably soft, making it perfect for a nap. The Quinny Senzz can be used from birth with a Maxi-Cosi infant car seat.

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Freedom of Movement

The Quinny Senzz gives you plenty of freedom of movement. Thanks to its lightweight, compact size and exceptional user-friendliness, the Quinny Senzz can be easily taken on any public transport. It is manoeuvrable enough for an entire day of shopping and, due to its small dimensions, is never an obstacle. With the Quinny Senzz, you can go about your daily routine without any hassles and enjoy all those things that make urban living so appealing. Indulge in your dynamic lifestyle, while your child enjoys the ride.

Nice and Easy

The Quinny Senzz was designed by industrial designers at the top of their field. Their efforts have resulted in a state-of-the-art buggy that can be folded with one hand and that remains upright when folded – unlike most other buggies on the market that must be stored horizontally. You can fold or unfold the Quinny Senzz in an instant while carrying your toddler on your hip – without any irritation or hassle. The Quinny Senzz can be easily carried with one hand thanks to the convenient handle.

Trendy Look & Feel

To give the Quinny Senzz its unique look & feel, our team of designers and stylists worked with high-quality materials in five surprising colour combinations. The Quinny Senzz is made of an oval-shaped frame of flat tubes and a seat of soft yet dirt-resistant bicolour material in a combination of light grey and a vivid colour. The Quinny Senzz comes with a sun canopy, raincover, handy shopping basket and adapters for attaching a Maxi-Cosi infant car seat. As can only be expected, a matching footmuff, parasol and parasol clip are also available as accessories.

About Quinny Senzz

Quinny offers clever travel solutions for today’s self-confident and self-assured parents, solutions that were made with both you and your child’s lifestyle and living situation in mind. The product range consists of high-quality prams, pushchairs and buggies together with matching accessories. In 2008, Quinny teamed up with designer Henrik Vibskov to create the revolutionary limited edition ‘Quinny by Henrik Vibskov’. Quinny is a premium brand of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B; DII.A).

Media Contact:
Dorel Netherlands
Ciska Clark
P.O. Box 607
5700 ET Helmond
+31(0)-492-578-111
c.clark@nl-dorel.com

www.dorel.nl

 

Translations

Femi Odugbemi’s “Bariga Boy” and other Nigerian films Top 2010 AMAA

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amaa_r1_c11

Femi Odugbemi
Femi Odugbemi

Saturday night April 10, the urbane Nigerian filmmaker Femi Odugbemi’s documentary film “Bariga Boy” was the winner of the coveted prize for Best Documentary Film at the 2010 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held in Yenagoa, the capital city of Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

AMAA known as the African Oscars attracted top movie stars, filmmakers and aficionados from Africa and other continents, but the competition was for only Africans. Most of the nominees came from outside the host country and proved that they have more to show Nigeria than what Nigerian filmmakers can show them. Izu Chukwu’s film “The Child” won the AMAA for the best achievement in Editing and for the best achievement in Make-Up, the film “Fulani” won the AMAA for the best achievement in Art Direction, “I Sing of a Well” was the best in Sound, Kunle Afolayan’s horror movie “Figurine” won the AMAA Heart of Africa Award for the best film from Nigeria, and “Imani” from Uganda was the best film in the African language.

CLICK HERE FOR THE DETAILS OF ALL THE NOMINEES AND WINNERS OF THE 2010 AMAA.

Femi Odugbemi’s short documentary film chronicles the picturesque life of a young Nigerian actor and choreographer Segun Adefila and his dance drama troupe as he overcomes the challenges of struggling for survival in the Lagos ghetto of Bariga. The spirit of his art propels his genius to rise above the poverty surrounding him and his Crown Troupe of Africa.

briga boy pic

ABOUT “BARIGA BOY”:

SYNOPSIS.

The poverty and deprivation of ghetto life is no barrier, rather it is the source of inspiration for the dynamic and politically-charged dance drama of Segun Adefila and the Crown Troupe.
From the inner city slums of Bariga in Lagos, Adefila and an unlikely band of street performers create a guerilla theatre of inspiring music and dance drama with themes that parody the sensitive contradictions of the politics and government of Nigeria.

The documentary chronicles the artistic development of Segun Adefila and his Crown troupe’s emergence as the most sought-after dance drama theatre in Nigeria, appreciated for their thought-provoking approach to their art as a mirror of their environment and a tool for social change. Featuring landmark music and dance performances and incisive commentaries from leading Nigeria culture personalities such as Ahmed Yerima, Francesca Emmanuel, Duro Oni, Tunde Kelani and Jahman Anikulapo,
“Bariga Boy” is a gripping experience of how one artiste’s creative consciousness is fired by the urban ghetto experience.

Duration: 26mins

Crew : Producer/Director: Femi Odugbemi
Writer: Femi Odugbemi
Photography: Rasaq Disu
Lighting: Oluwole Olawoyin
Sound: Steve Awanah
Editor: Hakeem Olowokere & Olumide Obajimi

Sales Contact: Femi Odugbemi
Email: femiodugbemi@gmail.com

Why Did I Get Married Too?

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I have not seen Tyler Perry’s latest film Why Did I Get Married Too?, but it is attracting so much buzz online and offline since the weekend opening on April 2. It was second at the box office after the Clash of the Titans, grossing over $30,150,000 from 2155 theatres.

The romantic black comedy is all about relationships continued from the Why Did I Get Married? (2007).
Four American couples reunite for their annual vacation in the Bahamas and each couple did not come with only their luggage, but also with lots of baggage of their matrimonial ups and downs, pluses and minuses.

why_did_i_get_married_too_ver2

The movie is star studded with Janet Jackson who reprised her role as Patricia, Jill Scott who reprised the role of Sheila, Malik Yoba and the legendary Louis Gossett Jr and Cicely Tyson who is one of the greatest actresses of all time, and lest I forget, as usual Tyler Perry himself acted a major role as Terry.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

The Story
Gathered together in the Bahamas for their annual one-week reunion, four close couples eagerly reconnect, sharing news about their lives and relationships. But their intimate week in paradise is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Sheila’s ex-husband, Mike, who hopes to break up her new marriage with Troy and win her back. The others soon realize they too are not immune to the challenges of commitment and fidelity. Angela doesn’t believe her husband, Marcus, can be faithful now that he’s a celebrity television newscaster. Dianne and Terry’s relationship is feeling the strain of raising children. And Patricia, a successful self-help psychologist, must finally reveal the deep flaws in her seemingly perfect marriage to Gavin. With their relationships hanging in the balance when they return home, each couple must choose between blame and forgiveness, doubt and faith, with life-altering consequences.

Ali to Join Americans Across Country in National Start! Walking Day

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DALLAS (April 7, 2010) /PRNewswire/ — Laila Ali, world champion athlete and former professional boxer, is encouraging people to walk 30 minutes today as part of National Start! Walking Day. From coast to coast, Americans will lace up their sneakers and take steps — literally — to increase physical activity when they participate in today’s events.

National Start! Walking Day, in its fourth year — including more than 3.2 million people representing about 1,300 companies — is sponsored by the American Heart Association as part of its Start! initiative. Start! champions walking because it has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. The association conducts the National Start! Walking Day primarily in the workplace because jobs are becoming increasingly sedentary and Americans are working 164 more hours per year than 20 years ago.

Ali is a natural choice of spokesperson for the American Heart Association. “I’ve always been interested in health and wellness, and I am honored to work with the American Heart Association, an organization dedicated to preventing heart disease,” said Ali, whose family has a history of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “As a working mother, I have to fit my workouts in when I can.”

LailaAli

In January, the American Heart Association identified physical activity as one of seven key factors to achieve ideal cardiovascular health as part of its new 2020 goal to improve cardiovascular health and reduce deaths.

According to a recent American Heart Association study, only 15 percent of American adults achieve the association’s recommended levels of moderate aerobic exercise, 30 minutes a day for five days a week.

“The importance of regular physical activity cannot be overstated,” said Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. “Our latest research demonstrates that 70 percent of American adults report being told by a healthcare professional to make a lifestyle change and 33 percent of those were told to exercise more. Simply put, we all need to get up and do more.”

The American Heart Association recommends that all adults avoid inactivity. Walking vigorously for as little as 30 minutes, preferably most days of the week, can promote weight loss, decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the association said. Additional benefits occur as the amount and intensity of physical activity increases. Some adults also may gain up to two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular, vigorous physical activity, such as very brisk walking.

The American Heart Association’s robust Web site — startwalkingnow.org — includes strategies to help people get started and stay on a physical activity regimen. They include:

Local walking paths. To find one near you, visit startwalkingnow.org.
Three customized walking programs (beginner, intermediate and advanced)
Online tracking tools to document calories consumed, steps taken and routes walked
Sole mates social networking capabilities to find and support like-minded walkers
Downloadable seasonal walking guides with tips to maintain a routine regardless of weather
Walking videos, produced in collaboration with ExerciseTV, that make an at-home workout easier with tips and motivation

Social media daily walking guide with inspirational messages, heart-health tips of the day, video content from Exercise TV, community chat capability and a private journal
Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® Restaurants. For more information, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit startwalkingnow.org.

Editor’s Note: In celebration of National Start! Walking Day, the American Heart Association is honoring Team Ton, 19 people from across the nation who have successfully shed a total of 2,000 pounds by walking. For anecdotes, images or interviews of the group or of any individual, please contact Katie Bell at katie.bell@heart.org.

About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.