“Little Miss Sunshine” was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but one doubts that it is going to actually win it. However, till the Oscars ceremony, “Little Miss Sunshine” won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. This movie about a strange road trip was also named the Best Picture by the Producers Guild of America.
At this year’s edition of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Best Male and the Best Female Awards were won by Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”), and Helen Mirren (“The Queen”) respectively.
“Dreamgirls”, although not being nominated for Best Picture, won two awards, thanks to Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, who gained the Best Male and Best Female Supporting Actors Awards.

Technorati Tags: little miss sunshine, forest whitaker, helen mirren, dreamgirls

This year’s favourites of the America’s oldest undergraduate drama group, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, are Ben Stiller and Scarlett Johansson. The students of Harvard University have been selecting every year a pair of actors who have impressed them much during the year.
The actors will take part to a dress parade, and then to a performance by Harvard’s student drama group. In the latter event they will also take part practically.
On the 15th of February, Scarlett Johansson will lead a parade through Cambridge and then attend a roast in her honor, followed by her received the traditional Pudding Pot prize. Ben Stiller’s ceremony will take place on the 23rd of February.
The last year’s favourites were Halle Berry and Richard Gere. The Pudding, as the Hasty Pudding Theatricals are formerly known, has been awarding actors since 1951 for Women and since 1967 for Men.
The first lady who had ever received a Hasty Pudding award was Gertrude Lawrence, and the first man was Bob Hope. Since then many famous actors have been elected by the students, actors like Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli or Meryl Streep, Anjelica Huston, Sandra Bullock, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Robert de Niro or Sean Connery, Bruce Willis, Martin Scorsese, Robert Downey Jr., Tim Robbins.
Scarlett has been involved in many projects, like “The Prestige” (opened on the 20th of October 2006), “The Black Dahlia”, “The Nanny Diaries” or “The Other Boleyn Girl”. So her schedule was very “crowded”. Ben Stiller is in the same situation, as he has no more than six upcoming films for 2007 and for 2008: “The Mirror”, “Madagascar 2: the Lost Island”, “The Heartbreak Kid”, “Tropic Thunder”, “Blades of Glory” and “Date School”. The two actors will make time however for the students, as they are honored by their being elected.

Technorati Tags: scarlett johansson, ben stiller

The new James Bond actor Daniel Craig attended the Chine premiere of the latest James Bond movie, alongside the movie crew. However, he failed to meet the Chinese fans expectations, as he walked on the red carpet without any looking to his fans. He did not even greet the fellows to see him and his crew.
The Chinese premiere of “Casino Royale” took place Monday. After this premiere more than 1000 cinemas across China will star showing the movie, which is the biggest launch ever for a foreign film, as the producers (Sony Pictures) said. In China, where the film market is an over-controlled one, only 20 foreign films are allowed to be shown in cinema each year.
Daniel Craig attended the premiere together with Eva Green and producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and director Martin Campbell. Campbell was very sad to find that fake DVDs of the movie are already being commercialized on the streets of Beijing. He and all his team were not very optimistic regarding the revenues “Casino Royal” will collect.
Anyway, the film seems well-received in China, although the revenues are expected not to be so high. The Chinese censors did not request any cuts, and that’s another good thing.

Technorati Tags: daniel craig, new james bond, china, casino royale, michael wilson, barbara broccoli

After many speculations had been made, Hugh Grant decided to end the show and to state that in fact he had not been invited to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. Liz Hurley, the 41 years old actress and model will marry in March to the Indian rich businessman Arun Nayar.
The two of them will have part of two ceremonies: on in the United Kingdom and one in Mumbai, Bombay, India.
Liz Hurley had formerly split in 2000 from Hugh Grant, after a 13 years relationship. However, after all this time spent together Grant had not been invited to the wedding.
The actor is now the lover of Jemima Khan, the ex-wife of former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan. She was reported to have been against accompanying his boyfriend to the wedding, anyway.
Grant said he was not surprised by not being invited to his ex-girlfriend wedding. He also told the press that Jemima, the daughter of the late billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, have had a positive influence in his live. Grant appreciated Jemima as a strong woman, as he has always liked this kind of women.

Technorati Tags: liz hurley, imran khan, jemima khan, hugh grant, arun nayar

In the period of Film Festival, it was time for the Berlin Film Festival to kick off. The German film event will take place next week. The list of international stars that will come to the event will have been announced on Tuesday.
The Berlin Film Festival, or the Berlinale, is on of the three most important film festivals worldwide. In 2007 the event will be at its 57th edition. Its director, Dieter Kosslick, stated that Berlin should expect a real “star power in the city”. And the statement seems quite fair, as stars like Cate Blanchett, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Dame Judi Dench, Timothy Hutton, as well as Clint Eastwood, will come at the Berlinale.
Director Dieter Kosslick also stated that when inviting Clint Eastwood to come to Berlin for a screening of his famous film, “Letters from Iwo Jima”, he said “Don’t stop pushing me.” “Letters from Iwo Jima” is the story of the famous battle of the World War from the Japanese point of view.
At this year’s Berlin Film Festival there will be shown about 400 movies, screening about 100 world premieres. The Festival will open Thursday next week, with the world premiere “La Vie En Rose”. It will last about 10 days.

Technorati Tags: berlin film festival, clint eastwood, dame judi dench, la vie en rose

China wants it all by itself. The country that appears to be more and more protected against the outer world thanks to all kind of real and virtual (fire)walls is now planning to have its own Oscar-like prizes and ceremony.
They are planning Hong Kong to host the Asian version of the famous American Academy Awards ceremony. This will imply government funding, as the organizers of the film festival stated.
The first edition of the Asian Film Awards will take place on the 20th of March, as a curtain-raiser to the Hong Kong International Film Festival, which will be at its 31st edition in 2007. There will be handed ten prizes for different categories. One hopes that these awards will help in giving more recognition to the Asian film industry.
The festival’s chairman is Wilfred Wong. He stated that the government agreed matching the amount given by sponsors, which will reach around $640,000. This funding was welcomed by the Hong Kong film industry.
A condition for the films to be elected for consideration for the awards is to have English subtitles. There are about 700 films to be considered; this includes “Curse of the Golden Flower” (with Gong Li and Chow Yun Fat), “Exiled” and “Still Life”, which are considered favourites.

Technorati Tags: asian film, chow yun fat, gong li, china, oscar

The new musical Broadway production “Spring Awakening” seems to become a successful play. “Spring Awakening” is an adaptation of the German play from 1891, written in 1891 and it is about teenagers and their age’s problems.
The discussions of the teens are interesting, especially because one should not forget that the action of the play is happening in the nineteenth century, when such discussions are in fact taboos.
The play seems to still have what to tell the young teenagers of the 21st century. It is a very appealing performance as the young actors starring in it are John Gallagher Jr., Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele. There are all in their twenties.

Technorati Tags: spring awakening, john gallagher, broadway

“Dreamgirls” is a musical movie that is based on the 1981 “Dreamgirls” Broadway musical. The story line of the movie follows three young women: Deena Jones (played by the famous singer Beyonce Knowles), Lorrell Robinson (played by Anika Noni Rose) and Effie White (played by Jennifer Hudson). The all three girls are willing to become pop stars!
Deena, Lorrell and Effie have big wishes, but they don’t exactly know how things are working in real life. They will learn how to deal with love, hate and not only.
“Dreamgirls” is also a movie about “The Supremes”, the famous female band of the 60s. The movie will focus on this legendary band’s history, only after the girls will split up. Deena, Effie and Lorrell will start back singing for some James “Thunder” Early fellow (played by Eddie Murphy), after having been discovered by Curtis Taylor Jr., a car salesman turned agent.
After Early’s failure, the girls start on their own. Because Deena is the prettiest one, she will become the lead singer, although Effie is the best voice of the group. Finally, Effie will need to leave the group. Deena will become the superstar and the manager of the group and the bumpy roads of the singing career are being followed.
“Dreamgirls”, a story about Dreams and wishes, is the story of many young girls, wishing for fame and glory. As a musical, starring Beyonce, “Dreamgirls” could be a relaxing movie for anybody.

Technorati Tags: beyonce, dreamgirls, eddie murphy, musical

It’a a bit late, but here it is!

Another animated movie staring smiling animals (in fact penguins, mainly), a movie for children and adults: Happy Feet is the story about serious personal and societal problems, environmental issues and not only. The great idea of its producers is that all these important things are being told through an allegory.
Imagine that among singing penguins there’s a little strange one who is not able to sing. Still he is a very good dancer: Mumble “Happy Feet” will be oppressed by his big group because he is different. He will suffer and he will finally leave them.
“Happy Feet” – the movie – is like a “Moulin Rouge” for kids. Although, as we mentioned, the movie focuses on very important and serious problems. However, although one says that parents should not hurry to get their children at cinema because this movie is kind of animated movie for adults, we find it quite a good teaching film. Children will be able to understand with their own knowledge that they should be tolerant with the ones that are different, that they must be environment-protective people and so on.
We consider “Happy Feet” a special movie. It is special also because of its CGI special effects. There will appear some scenes from the real human world when one can see real images. The music is great, the subject is well-chosen and the mature themes are making this movie to be a real hit.

Technorati Tags: happy feet, penguins, moulin rouge, animals, animation

“Volver” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” were the most important winners of the Spain’s famous Goya Awards. “Volver” won five awards, after it had been nominated in 14 categories and “Pan’s Labyrinth” won seven awards after being nominated in only 13 award categories!
So, “Volver” was chosen the Best Film, it was considered to have had the Best Director and the Best Actress: Penelope Cruz, as well as the Best Supporting Actress: Carmen Maura and the Best Music. Cruz cried on stage and said that this award was very important.
However, Pedro Almodovar did not attend the ceremony. He watched it on TV at home, surrounded by friends.
Comparing to Almodovar, Guillermo del Toro came at the gala. His film won seven Goyas: the Best Original Script, the Best Newcomer Actress: 12 years old Ivana Baquero, the Best Photography, the Best Editing, the Best Special Effects, the Best Make-up and the Best Coiffure Awards.
The Goya Awards are considered Spain’s Oscars, as they are country’s main national movie awards. The Goyas started to be given in 1987, a year after the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematograficas de Espana was founded.

Technorati Tags: volver, goya awards, penelope cruz, pedro almodovar, guillermo del toro