The Festival de Cannes honours Jean-Paul Belmondo
The Festival de Cannes will welcome Jean-Paul Belmondo on Tuesday 17 May with a special evening held in his honour.
“We are delighted that he has agreed to attend this gala evening in celebration of his talent and career. His range and personal charisma, the precision of his acting, his cocky wit, the ease with which he carries himself have made him, along with Jean Gabin and Michel Simon, one of the greatest French actors of all time (…).
The thrilling Congolese gangster epic movie “Viva Riva” outshined competitors to win 6 awards from 12 nominations at the 7th Annual African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Sunday night at the Gloryland Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Riva is a small time operator who has just returned to his hometown of Kinshasa, Congo after a decade away with a major score: a fortune in hijacked gasoline. Wads of cash in hand and out for a good time, Riva is soon entranced by beautiful night club denizen Nora, the kept woman of a local gangster. Into the mix comes an Angolan crime lord relentlessly seeking the return of his stolen shipment of gasoline. Director Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s Kinshasa is a seductively vibrant, lawless, fuel-starved sprawl of shantytowns, gated villas, bordellos and nightclubs and Riva is its perfect embodiment.
~ From South by South
The film by Congolese director Djo Tunda Wa Munga won the awards for Best Film and Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design.
The Ghanaian film “Sinking Sands” won 3 awards, for the Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Make-up.
“Aramotu” won awards for Best Nigerian Film and Best Costume Design.
The Best Actor Award went to Themba Ndaba of South Africa for his role in “Hopeville” and the Best Young Actor was Edward Kagutuzi for “Mirror Boy”.
It was another disappointing AMAA for Nollywood diva Genevieve Nnaji whose role in Tango With Me was not good enough to beat Amake Abebrese of Ghana who won the Best Actress award for her role in “Sinking Sands”.
The following is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards
Best Film
Viva Riva – Djo Tunda Wa Munga (Congo)
Best Director
Viva Riva – Djo Tunda Wa Munga
Best Actress In Leading Role
Amake Abebrese – Sinking Sands
Best Actor In Leading Role
Themba Ndaba – Hopeville
Best Actress In Supporting Role
Marlene Longage – Viva Riva
Best Actor In Supporting Role
Hoji Fortuna – Viva Riva
Best Young Actor
Edward Kagutuzi – Mirror Boy
Best Child Actor
Sobahle Mkhabase (Thembi), Tschepang Mohlomi (Chili-Bite) And Sibonelo Malinga (Khwezi) – Izulu Lami
Best Film In African Language
Izulu Lami – Madoda Ncayiyana (South Africa)
Best Nigerian Film
Aramotu – Niji Akanni
Best Screenplay
Sinking Sands
Best Editing
Soul Boy
Best Cinematography
Viva Riva
Best Achievement In Sound
Shirley Adams
Best Visual Effects
A Small Town Called Descent
Best Soundtrack
Inale
Best Make Up
Sinking Sands
Best Costume Design
Aramotu
Best Production Design
Viva Riva
Best Film For African Abroad
In America: The Story Of The Soul Sisters – Rahman Oladigbolu (Nigeria/USA)
Best Diaspora Short Film
Precipice – Julius Amedume (UK)
Best Diaspora Documentary
Stuborn As A Mule – Miller Bargeron Jr & Arcelous Deiels (USA)
Best Diaspora Feature
Suicide Dolls – Keith Shaw (USA)
Best Documentary
Kondi Et Le Jeudi Nationale – Ariana Astrid Atodji (Cameroun)
Best Short Documentary
After The Mine – Diendo Hamadi & Dinta Wa Lusula (DRC)
Best Short Film
Dina – Mickey Fonseca (Mozambique)
http://www.chinokino.com
PRESS RELEASE
2ND EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The second edition of Eko International Film festival (EKOIFF), www.ekoiff.com is coming up in the mega city of Lagos from July 9-14, 2011.
This year’s Theme of Eko International film Festival is ‘‘Nollywood – maximizing the Nigerian Film Industry”.
The President/Co-Founder Mr. Hope Obioma Opara said the preparations for the second edition are already in progress with a new advisory board made up of accomplished professionals in the Nigerian film industry.
Mr. Hope O. Opara
“The members of the Advisory Board will be announced at the press conference coming up soon. The second Eko International Film Festival will attract more filmmakers from different parts of the world,” said Mr. Opara.
“Organizing film festivals is an industry on its own besides script writing, acting, producing and directing. It is an international fiesta that attracts the convergence of film makers, the news media and film marketers for a major reason, competitions at various levels of film production and distribution deals.
“You can’t promote Nollywood in Nollywood, because an international film festival is a platform to expand our distribution network, forming synergy and collaboration with the outside world in a global village. It will also attract workshops for upcoming film makers to learn from professionals.”
The first edition was held last year at Genesis Deluxe Cinemas in Lekki, Lagos, which attracted more than 26 films submitted from eight countries of the world and this year’s festival in as much as it is exclusive for film professionals, the screening will be open to the public to watch movies at different cinemas for five days, televised on different TV stations and shown on websites, seen on millions of mobile phones and PCs in Nigeria and the rest of the world 24 hours daily.
Eko International Film Festival is expecting film practitioners and other stakeholders from all parts of the world including Nigerian practitioners as well to compete for the awards .Invitations have also been sent to other film festivals around the world to come and participate.
Eko International Film Festival is organized by Supple Communications Limited, Publisher of Supple magazine www.supplemagazine.org (the leading online film festivals and movies magazine in Africa) in partnership with M21 Entertainment of Europe, the owners of www.filmfestivals.com, the leading portal for the film and festival circuit, established in 1995 and www.fest21.com, the first social network for the film and festivals professionals.
The benefits of Eko International Film Festival are bringing more foreign participants to Nollywood and more visitors which will increase attraction of international tourists to the tourist destinations in Lagos state and other parts of Nigeria.
Eko International film festival will appreciate the support of corporate organizations and the government for the growth and development of the movie and entertainment industry.
For more information visit: www.ekoiff.com
Contact:
Hope Obioma Opara
President/Co-Founder
Eko International Film Festival.
Farewell Elizabeth Taylor, Queen of Hollywood
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond “Liz” Taylor, DBE (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)
Our beloved Elizabeth Taylor, the beautiful and wonderful Queen of Hollywood passed on yesterday at 79.
Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential American Sweetheart of Tinsel town from her very first film Universal Pictures’ There’s One Born Every Minute, at the tender age of nine in 1942 to MGM’s National Velvet that shot her to limelight in 1944. She was fantastic in many other films, but it was in Cleopatra the 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz that she attained her golden age in Hollywood and earned her crown as the Queen of Hollywood.
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice and many other coveted awards for her awesome talents as an actress of all seasons from the Golden Era of Hollywood to the end.
Liz was world famous for getting married eight times to seven husbands.
She passed away on March 23, 2011 in the loving arms of her four children at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
May the beautiful soul Elizabeth Taylor rest in peace.
The following are statements from the Elizabeth Taylors AIDS Foundation and Elizabeth Arden.
23 Mar 2011 14:42 Africa/Lagos
Statement on Elizabeth Taylor
PR Newswire
LOS ANGELES, March 23, 2011
LOS ANGELES, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Legendary actress, businesswoman, and fearless activist Elizabeth Taylor died peacefully today in Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was surrounded by her children- Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton. She was 79 years old. In addition to her children, she is survived by 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
The actress had been hospitalized six weeks ago with congestive heart failure, a condition with which she had struggled for some years. Though she had recently suffered a number of complications, her condition had stabilized and it was hoped that she would be able to return home. Sadly, this was not to be.
Her son, Michael Wilding, said tonight:
“My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love. Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts.”
A private family funeral later this week. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org). People wanting to send personal messages can log onto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Taylor-Tribute.
It is respectfully asked that the public allow the family privacy at this difficult time.
Details of a memorial service will be announced at a later date.
SOURCE The Pool
CONTACT: Sally Morrison, The Pool, +1-424-901-8803, Info@insidethepool.com
Web Site: http://elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org
23 Mar 2011 15:05 Africa/Lagos
Elizabeth Arden Statement on the Passing of Elizabeth Taylor
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, March 23, 2011
NEW YORK, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Elizabeth Arden, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEN), a global prestige beauty products company, has issued the following statement regarding the passing of Elizabeth Taylor.
“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, the legendary actress, activist and businesswoman. As her business partner in the fragrance industry, we have held her in the highest esteem and have had tremendous respect for her extraordinary compassion, creativity and business acumen.
“With the launch of her first fragrance in 1987, Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion, she built a fragrance empire and one of the most successful brands in fragrance history. White Diamonds remains a best seller almost 20 years after its 1991 introduction, a testimony to her transcendent and enduring appeal. Our best tribute to Elizabeth Taylor will be to continue the legacy of the brands she created and loved so much.
“Her sense of humor, passion for life, never-ending dedication and generosity of spirit will be remembered by all of us. She will be deeply missed.”
E. Scott Beattie
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
About Elizabeth Arden:
Elizabeth Arden is a global prestige beauty products company with an extensive portfolio of prestige beauty brands sold in over 100 countries. The company’s brand portfolio includes Elizabeth Arden skincare, color, and fragrance products, PREVAGE® anti-aging formulas, the celebrity fragrance brands of Britney Spears, Elizabeth Taylor, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff, and Usher; the designer fragrance brands of Juicy Couture, Alberta Ferretti, Alfred Sung, Badgley Mischka, Bob Mackie, Geoffrey Beene, Halston, John Varvatos, Kate Spade, Lucky Brand, and Rocawear; and the lifestyle fragrance brands Curve, Giorgio Beverly Hills, and PS Fine Cologne.
SOURCE Elizabeth Arden, Inc.
CONTACT: Gretchen Dowling, Elizabeth Arden, +1-212-261-1249, gretchen.dowling@elizabetharden.com
Web Site: http://www.elizabetharden.com