THE 78TH FESTIVAL DE CANNES WINNERS’ LIST
The 77th Festival de Cannes is open!
IGUAZU WATERFALLS AND THE MOVIE BLACK PANTHER
ETHNIC BIGOTRY & XENOPHOBIA AGAINST THE IGBOS IN NIGERIA
CANON/EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 FILM INDUSTRY WORKSHOP

Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie and Beyonce Knowles on Playboy’s Sexiest Celebrities List

12 Feb 2010 15:00 Africa/Lagos

Playboy Unveils its Annual Sexiest Celebrities List

scarlett-johansson-louis-vuitt

Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie Among the Honored Starlets

angelina-jolie-sexy-picture

CHICAGO, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Playboy is bringing sexy back with its annual Sexiest Celebrities list. The magazine is once again revealing its picks for hottest celebs on earth in its annual March Sex and Music issue (on newsstands and online at www.playboydigital .com Friday, February 12, with additional photos available at www.playboy. com/celebs).

SCARLETT JOHANSSON 2

The honor roll includes 26 actresses, reality TV stars, musicians and models – including Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie – in a sexy 6-page pictorial.

Sexy_Beyonce_Knowles_326

The following celebrities are included on Playboy’s Sexiest Celebrities list (not ranked, but in order of appearance):

Camilla Belle (actress)
Aubrey O’Day (singer)
Kim Kardashian (model, reality TV star)
Bar Refaeli (model)
Scarlett Johansson (actress)
Christina Hendricks (actress)
Katy Perry (singer)
Tara Reid (actress)
Beyonce (singer)
Alina Puscau (model)
Olivia Wilde (actress)
Nicole Scherzinger (singer)
Holly Madison (model, reality TV star)
Sasha Grey (model, actress)
Angelina Jolie (actress)
Joanna Krupa (model, reality TV star)
Karissa Shannon (model, Miss July 2009)
Kristina Shannon (model, Miss August 2009)
Crystal Harris (model, Miss December 2009)
Anna Paquin (actress)
Alicia Keys (singer, actress)
Carmen Electra (model, actress)
Megan Fox (actress)
Jessica Alba (actress)
Lisa Rinna (actress)
Ida Ljungqvist (model, 2008 Playmate of the Year)

Source: Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

CONTACT: Abi O’Donnell of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., +1-312-373-2440,
aodonnell@playboy.com

Valentine’s Day and other Movies Now Playing

Valentines-Day-Movie-Poster-2-valentines-day
Valentine’s Day Poster

Many new movies have been released and Valentine’s Day is already pulling crowds, because we are celebrating the Valentine and it is the natural romantic movie to see.

Opening This Week

The Wolfman
22 Reviews (18% Rotten)

Valentine’s Day
18 Reviews (17% Rotten)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
14 Reviews (64% Fresh)

October Country
2 Reviews

Videocracy
2 Reviews

American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein
1 Review

To Die for Tano
1 Review

Order of Chaos

My Name is Khan

Barefoot to Timbuktu

Brittany Murphy’s Final Role

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT MURPHYBrittany Murphy in her final role in the new pick-up from Anchor Bay Entertainment, Abandoned. (PRNewsFoto/Anchor Bay Entertainment) BEVERLY HILLS, CA UNITED STATES

11 Feb 2010 16:26 Africa/Lagos

Anchor Bay Entertainment Acquires Psychological Thriller Abandoned Starring Brittany Murphy in Her Final Role

Also Stars Dean Cain, Mimi Rogers and Peter Bogdanovich

Joan Collins: Legendary and Timeless Classical Beauty in New Film

6 Feb 2010 15:57 Africa/Lagos

joan_collinsJoan Collins: Legendary. Timeless. Classical. Beautiful.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Joan Collins will be returning to the silver screen in a delicious, dark independent movie entitled “Fetish,” filming this week in New York City.

Starring the legendary Joan Collins and Charles Casillo, FETISH is a dark comedy that will leave you breathless!

A fearless actress, Joan has always been a risk taker with her career.

In this movie she will be working with a fresh and talented group of new filmmakers.

Joan accepted the role recognizing that the wave of the future is entrusting your career outside of the studio system with maverick filmmakers and accepting great roles where you can find them.

The screenplay for “Fetish” was written by Charles Casillo, who is the author of the novels “The Fame Game” and “The Marilyn Diaries.”

The story revolves around an iconic actress on the skids, making a play for a comeback with a late night talk show host.

In an interview with Liz Smith, Joan has described the project as “Twilight Zone” meets “Sunset Boulevard” meets “David Letterman.”

She will be appearing opposite Charles Casillo, who also wrote and acted in the independent feature film “Let Me Die Quietly” which was met with much acclaim in last year’s film festival circuit.

“FETISH” is directed by 30 year old director Matt Pellowski, in association with his production company Red Line Studios.

“FETISH” offers a provocative storyline and meaty characters, a role that Joan can really sink her teeth into. Although a far cry from the big budgets of the “Dynasty” television series, Ms. Collins will wear fashion designs by Mark Zunino, a protege of Nolan Miller, the preeminent Hollywood trendsetter of the 1980’s.

“Fetish” will be a welcome treat for Joan Collins many fans who enjoy seeing her in stylish, dramatic roles.

Facebook: Let Me Die Quietly
Twitter: @letmediequietly
www.letmediequietly.com/fetish

Source: LMDQ LLC

CONTACT: Kelvin Dale, Executive Producer, LMDQ LLC, +1-808-280-0059,
Kelvin@letmediequietly.com

Web Site: http://www.letmediequietly.com/

Pixar’s ‘Up’ Wins the Annie for Best Feature

7 Feb 2010 06:30 Africa/Lagos

Pixar’s ‘Up’ Wins the Annie for Best Feature

Disney, DreamWorks Top List of Winners at 37th Annual Annie Awards

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ — Pixar Animation Studio’s Up wins the Best Animated Feature honor at the 37th Annual Annie Awards held at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Saturday, Feb. 6. Walt Disney Animation Studios won six Annies overall including three for its feature The Princess and the Frog and three for its television production Prep and Landing. DreamWorks Animation won five Annies including Best Television Production for Children and Directing/TV for The Penguins of Madagascar, Character Animation/TV and Storyboarding/Feature for Monsters vs. Aliens and Storyboarding/TV for Merry Madagascar. A complete list of winners can be viewed at the Annie Award’s official website www.annieawards.org. The Annie Awards ceremony will be webcast on the Annies website beginning Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

Best Home Entertainment Production went to 20th Century Fox’s Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder; Best Animated Short Subject went to ShadowMachine’s Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5; Acme Filmworks won Best Animated Television Commercial for Spanish Lottery ‘Deportees’; Best Animated Television Production went to Disney’s Prep and Landing; and Best Animated Television Production for Children went to DreamWorks’ The Penguins of Madagascar.

The Winsor McCay award was given to three industry leaders – Tim Burton, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bruce Timm. Named in honor of the prolific animator, Winsor McCay, this award stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation. Tim Burton accepted his Winsor via video. Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, director, producer and one of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, William Shatner, handled hosting duties this year and was joined on stage by a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent including animation legend June Foray, actors Seth Green, John Leguizamo, Sean Astin and industry notables Pete Docter, Ed Catmull and Henry Selick. A special tribute to the late Roy Disney was introduced by Don Hahn.

“ASIFA-Hollywood congratulates all of the Annie Award winners,” said ASIFA-Hollywood President Antran Manoogian. “With so many outstanding animated productions and talented artists vying for an Annie, it made it another difficult year to select the best in our industry.”

Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards recognize the year’s best animated features, television productions, commercials, short subjects and outstanding individual achievements in the field of animation. Entries submitted for consideration were from productions that originally aired, were exhibited in an animation festival, or commercially released between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past three decades, and is considered the highest and most prestigious honor given in animation by the animation industry. Today ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, animation film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.

CONTACT: Gretchen Houser, Houser PR
P: 562-235-0991
E: Gretchen@houserpr.com

Source: ASIFA-Hollywood

CONTACT: Gretchen Houser of Houser PR for ASIFA-Hollywood,
+1-562-235-0991, or Gretchen@houserpr.com

Web Site: http://www.annieawards.org/

U.S. Online Video Market Continues Ascent as Americans Watch 33 Billion Videos in December

5 Feb 2010 20:39 Africa/Lagos

U.S. Online Video Market Continues Ascent as Americans Watch 33 Billion Videos in December

Hulu Surpasses 1 Billion Monthly Video Streams for First Time

RESTON, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released December 2009 data from the comScore Video Metrix service, showing that nearly 178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video during the month. Online video viewing continued to reach record levels in December, with 33.2 billion videos viewed during the month.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

Top 10 Video Content Properties by Videos Viewed

Google Sites continued to rank as the top U.S. video property in December, delivering 13.2 billion videos, with YouTube.com accounting for nearly 99 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Hulu ranked second with more than 1 billion videos viewed, an all-time high for the property, and representing 3.0 percent market share. Microsoft Sites ranked third with 561 million (1.7 percent), followed by Fox Interactive Media with 551 million (1.7 percent) and Yahoo! Sites with 539 million (1.6 percent).

Top U.S. Online Video Content Properties* by Videos
Viewed

See the detailed report.

82nd Academy Awards(R) Nominations Announced

CONTACT
Teni Melidonian
tmelidonian@oscars.org

Toni Thompson
tthompson@oscars.org

February 2, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
82ND ACADEMY AWARDS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Beverly Hills, CA — Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced today (Tuesday, February 2) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and 2008 Oscar® nominee Anne Hathaway.

Sherak and Hathaway, who was nominated for an Academy Award® for her lead performance in “Rachel Getting Married,” announced the nominees in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Lists of nominations in all categories were then distributed to the media in attendance and online via the official Academy Awards Web site, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominations are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees; this year that category features 10 nominees instead of 5, as has been the case since 1943.

Nominations ballots were mailed to the 5,777 voting members in late December and were returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members this weekend at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings also will be held at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

All active and life members of the Academy are eligible to select the winners in all categories, although in five of them – Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject and Foreign Language Film – members can vote only if they have seen all of the nominated films in those categories.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man” (The Weinstein Company)
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Matt Damon in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones” (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Penélope Cruz in “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year

* “Coraline” (Focus Features), Henry Selick
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox), Wes Anderson
* “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), John Musker and Ron Clements
* “The Secret of Kells” (GKIDS), Tomm Moore
* “Up” (Walt Disney), Pete Docter

Achievement in art direction

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics), Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* “Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Art Direction: John Myhre, Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* “Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood, Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* “The Young Victoria” (Apparition), Art Direction: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Achievement in cinematography

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Mauro Fiore
* “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Warner Bros.), Bruno Delbonnel
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Barry Ackroyd
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Robert Richardson
* “The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics), Christian Berger

Achievement in costume design

* “Bright Star” (Apparition), Janet Patterson
* “Coco before Chanel” (Sony Pictures Classics), Catherine Leterrier
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics), Monique Prudhomme
* “Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Colleen Atwood
* “The Young Victoria” (Apparition), Sandy Powell

Achievement in directing

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), James Cameron
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Kathryn Bigelow
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Quentin Tarantino
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Lee Daniels
* “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios), Jason Reitman

Best documentary feature

* “Burma VJ” (Oscilloscope Laboratories), A Magic Hour Films Production, Anders østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* “The Cove” (Roadside Attractions), An Oceanic Preservation Society Production, Nominees to be determined
* “Food, Inc.” (Magnolia Pictures), A Robert Kenner Films Production, Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”, A Kovno Communications Production, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* “Which Way Home”, A Mr. Mudd Production, Rebecca Cammisa

Best documentary short subject

* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province”, A Downtown Community Television Center Production, Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
* “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”, A Just Media Production, Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”, A Community Media Production, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* “Music by Prudence”, An iThemba Production, Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* “Rabbit à la Berlin” (Deckert Distribution), An MS Films Production, Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Achievement in film editing

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Julian Clarke
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Sally Menke
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Joe Klotz

Best foreign language film of the year

* “Ajami” (Kino International), An Inosan Production, Israel
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haddock Films Production, Argentina
* “The Milk of Sorrow”, A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogrà/Vela Production, Peru
* “Un Prophète” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production, France
* “The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics), An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production, Germany

Achievement in makeup

* “Il Divo” (MPI Media Group through Music Box), Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* “Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* “The Young Victoria” (Apparition), Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), James Horner
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox), Alexandre Desplat
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* “Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.), Hans Zimmer
* “Up” (Walt Disney), Michael Giacchino

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” (Sony Pictures Classics), Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas
* “Take It All” from “Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best motion picture of the year

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), A Lightstorm Entertainment Production, James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.), An Alcon Entertainment Production, Nominees to be determined
* “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), A Block/Hanson Production, Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production, Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), A Voltage Pictures Production, Nominees to be determined
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production, Lawrence Bender, Producer
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production, Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* “A Serious Man” (Focus Features), A Working Title Films Production, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* “Up” (Walt Disney), A Pixar Production, Jonas Rivera, Producer
* “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios), A Montecito Picture Company Production, Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Best animated short film

* “French Roast” , A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production, Fabrice O. Joubert
* “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” (Brown Bag Films), A Brown Bag Films Production, Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
* “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)”, A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production, Javier Recio Gracia
* “Logorama” (Autour de Minuit), An Autour de Minuit Production, Nicolas Schmerkin
* “A Matter of Loaf and Death” (Aardman Animations), An Aardman Animations Production, Nick Park

Best live action short film

* “The Door” (Network Ireland Television), An Octagon Films Production, Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* “Instead of Abracadabra”, (The Swedish Film Institute), A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production, Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* “Kavi”, A Gregg Helvey Production, Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish”, (Premium Films), A Druid Films Production, Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* “The New Tenants”, A Park Pictures and M & M Production, Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Achievement in sound editing

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Wylie Stateman
* “Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* “Up” (Walt Disney), Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Achievement in sound mixing

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* “Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount), Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Achievement in visual effects

* “Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing) , Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* “Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Adapted screenplay

* “District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics), Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* “In the Loop” (IFC Films), Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) , Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Original screenplay

* “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Written by Mark Boal
* “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Written by Quentin Tarantino
* “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories), Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* “A Serious Man” (Focus Features), Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Up” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

# # #

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

AWARDS PUBLICITY
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(310) 247-3090 TEL | (310) 271-3395 FAX | PUBLICITY@OSCARS.ORG | WWW.OSCARS.ORG/PRESS

Coming Soon: “Ije” by Chineze Xandria Anyaene

Xandria Productions IjehIje Poster

Chineze Xandria Anyaene is a very ambitious young woman who at 26 is the youngest Nigerian female director who may become our own Kathryn Bigelow who has just made history as the first ever female to win the Directors’ Guild of America (DGA)‎ award for best feature for her film The Hurt Locker.

Anyaene is the first student at the New York Film Academy – Acting & Film School to make a feature film on 35mm. Her film Ije is definitely miles ahead of the common stock-in-trade of Nollywood movies.

Watch out for more on Ije later.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift Dominated the 52nd Grammy Awards

Beyonce_1Beyoncé at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles.
Photo Credit: Michael Caulfield / WireImage.com

The beautiful and electrifying Beyoncé Knowles was the undisputed Queen of the 52nd Grammy Awards as she set the record as the first female artiste to win the most Grammy Awards with six out of her ten nominations. The highly gifted Taylor Swift won four out of her eight nominations.

TaylorSwift

Photo tags:

Blind Boys Of Alabama Bobby Darin Brian Culbertson Beatles Bill Freimuth Angelia Bibbs-Sanders B.B. King 52nd GRAMMY Awards Pre-Tel Chris Cornell Chris Martin Bill Harley Billy Currington 52nd GRAMMY Awards Carrie Underwood Billie Joe Armstrong 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Neil Diamond Bono Ben Harper Chris Blackwell 11th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon Beyonce Blue Note Records Christina Aguilera 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year 12th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon Andrea Bocelli Big Boi Bill Putnam Jr. Anthony Hamilton Chrisette Michele Akon Adam Lambert Bruce Springsteen Charlie Haden Booker T. Jones Anthony Wilson Carole King Celine Dion Bill Cunliffe Aretha Franklin Chris Tucker Alison Krauss Allen Toussaint Cassandra Wilson Alicia Keys Avril Lavigne Carlos Pena 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute Brenda Lee Ashanti Bruce Lundvall Backstage and Audience Adele Bubba Jackson Brad Paisley BeBe Winans Bon Jovi Carmen Rizzo Carlos Santana Alice in Chains 52nd GRAMMY Winners 12th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Buck Howard Al Green Chris Brown 52nd GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Bonnie Raitt Beau Bridges Big Jon Platt Boney James Barbra Streisand Barbara Boxer Andre 3000 Black Eyed Peas AJ Parhm Jr

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
31 Jan 2010
17:46
Teen Pop Star and Youth Activist Chantel ‘Chani’ Christie, Winner of the 2009 Pop Artist of the Year Award, Set to Release Her Much Anticipated New Single ‘Gimme Love’ Via Jean Rah Fya Records
29 Jan 2010
18:09
Moroccanoil(R) Rocks the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

14:31
3D Eye Solutions, Inc. Signs License Agreement with Artfest International, Inc. Bringing 3-D Technology to Fine Arts and Sports Memorabilia Industry
02:13
Mary J. Blige, Andrea Bocelli and David Foster to Perform ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ on The Grammy(R) Awards; Live and Studio Versions Available Exclusively at iTunes.com/Target to Benefit Haiti Relief Efforts
28 Jan 2010
22:00
Gillette UNCUT Music Film Series Makes Its World Premiere in Los Angeles
20:00
Lincoln Stars Shine During Music’s Biggest Night
18:04
Mariah Carey Releases Newly Remixed Album of Duets – ANGELS ADVOCATE – March 30th on Island Records

Report: Despite Blockbuster 2009, Hollywood Security Officers Still in Poverty

1 Feb 2010 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Report: Despite Blockbuster 2009, Hollywood Security Officers Still in Poverty
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A new report being released today by the Service Employees International Union highlights the continued poverty wages of Hollywood’s mostly African American and Latino security officers, despite record 2009 revenues for Los Angeles wealthy film studios.
“These studios have millions coming in each and every day,” says Rogelio Garcia, employed by security firm Andrews International at Fox Studios. “And each and every day we’re out there protecting them for next to nothing.”
Entitled “Reel Profits, Real Poverty: How Major Hollywood Studios Are Leaving Security Officers Behind,” the report focuses on the economic disparity between wealthy Hollywood studios and officers employed by the studios’ security company of choice, Andrews International, owned by Boston-based private equity firm Audax. Despite economic recession, the film industry brought in a record $10.7 billion in revenue in 2009. Meanwhile Hollywood security officers are paid as little as $10 an hour and struggle to meet basic needs such as food, medicine, and shelter.
In a town known internationally for its reputed progressive values, security officers featured in the report testify to discrimination, lack of training and equipment, working up to 10 hours without breaks, and having to choose between buying food or medicine. One Andrews International officer tells of co-workers–a mother and daughter–who lost their apartment and were forced to live on the Sony film studio lot. The pair were discovered and fired. The report can be viewed at http://insecurewithandrews.org/2010/01/new-report-reel-profits-real-poverty.ht ml.
Unlike other Hollywood workers, security officers do not have a union and do not share in film industry prosperity. Andrews International officers in Hollywood are joining with Andrews International officers in six states who have been trying since 2009 to form a union with SEIU in order to raise company — and industry — standards. With more than 10,500 security personnel in the U.S. and Mexico, Andrews International is the seventh-largest contract security firm in the United States.
With 2.2 million members, SEIU is the nation’s fastest-growing labor union and represents more than 30,000 security officers nationwide. Visit insecurewithandrews.org to learn more.
Source: Service Employees International Union
CONTACT: Kevin O’Donnell, +1-312-401-7598
Web Site: http://insecurewithandrews.org/