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Two of three speakers at the engineering school’s ceremony disappeared abruptly from the school’s graduation website. A self-described “fourth-generation Trojan” from Pasadena, Ms. Blain, who has spent much of her life imagining her own U.S.C. Pro-Palestinian students tried to set up an encampment on campus days later, and university officials summoned the Los Angeles police. At the engineering school, where Ms. Tabassum, the valedictorian, will be graduating, professors were trying to resurrect her chance to speak. A university committee had picked Ms. Tabassum, who is Muslim and of South Asian ancestry, from about 100 undergraduates with near 4.0 grade point averages.

Persons: Kevin Feige, Liza Colón, Zayas, Tina, “, ”, Jaren Lewison, they’re, Ella Blain, Blain, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Biden, U.S.C, Asna Tabassum, Jon M, Chu, Marcia McNutt, Blain’s, Annette Ricchiazzi, Carol Folt, Missives, Sean Penn, —, Goodwin Liu, Merrill Balassone, Phil Chan, Pam Zhang, Safiya Umoja Noble, Lewison, Jane Coaston, Tabassum, Yannis C, Folt, Kevin Crawford Knight, Didi Global, Zohreh, Khademi, Knight, ” Hossein Hashemi, Hashemi, Dustin Jeffords Organizations: University of Southern, Angeles, Marvel Studios, Hollywood, Netflix, Dornsife, of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles Memorial, School of Dramatic Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , Indiana University, Bloomington, Northeastern University, United Nations, University, Vermont’s, Columbia University, National Academy of Sciences, Los Angeles police, Community, Dodger, California Supreme, MacArthur, Rossier School, Education, Jewish, commencements, New York Times, Microsoft, Media, “ Locations: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Coast, Aude, Pasadena, Gaza, Ann Arbor ,, Boston, U.S, Israel, U.S.C, California, San Bernardino County

☆ Election 2024 Biden jokes, Trump still leads and updates from the Sunday shows.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Maggie Astor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Che told me to say that, and I’m just realizing I was set up.” “Shame, shame, shame on you.” “Shame on you!” “Shame, shame, shame, shame.”President Biden didn’t waste time. “The 2024 election’s in full swing and yes, age is an issue,” Mr. Biden said in a roughly 10-minute speech. He ended it by noting that his grandfather, who recently died, had voted for Mr. Biden in the last election. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois held court with guests as Biden campaign officials talked about recent polls showing Mr. Biden cutting into Mr. Trump’s lead. “My vice president actually endorses me,” Mr. Biden said, referring to former Vice President Mike Pence’s decision not to endorse Mr. Trump.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, —, Donald, Joe, Michael Che, Che, I’m, ”, ” Mr, “, ” “ Donald, Mr, Stormy Daniels, Trump, ‘, ’, Washington Hilton, Hazami Barmada, Evan ”, Evan Gershkovich, “ We’re, Paul Whelan, we’re, Evan, Austin Tice, Deborah, Tice, Haiyun Jiang, The New York Times Kelly O’Donnell, Gershkovich, Ms, O’Donnell, Colin Jost, Advance —, Jost, Jost didn’t, mignon, Lester Holt, Jeffrey D, Al Sharpton, John Fetterman, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm, Sean Penn, Chuck Schumer, J.B . Pritzker, Trump’s, Robert E, Lee, Mike Pence’s Organizations: White, ’ Association, Israel, Union, ’, Washington Hilton, New York Times, The New York Times, Washington, Wall Street, ., Home, U.S, Journalists, Austin, Wall Street Journal, Credit, NBC News, Staten, Advance, Mr, Black, White House, Hollywood, Democratic, Illinois, Biden, “ Locations: Gaza, New York, York, Russia, Moscow, The U.S, Syria, Pennsylvania, Gettysburg

Editor’s Note: In this appeal to Congress, more than 35 artists, activists, scholars and others call for funding for Ukraine. On territory that Russia occupies, it tortures Ukrainian citizens, kidnaps Ukrainian children and murders Ukrainian leaders. By fighting Russia alone, they protect Europe. By fighting a conventional war against a nuclear power, they are making nuclear proliferation and nuclear war less likely. Together we call upon Congress to do the right thing – right now.

Persons: Read, Stringer, Abrams, José Andrés, Gabrielle Carteris, Mona Charen, Misha Collins, Rosario Dawson, Felicia Day, Doug Fears, Jonathan Safran Foer, Francis Fukuyama, Mark Hamill, Gale Anne Hurd, Dara Khosrowshahi, William Kristol, Eric Edelman, Scott Kelly, Daniel Lubetzky, Michael McFaul, Kate McKinnon, Alyssa Milano, Viggo Mortensen, Patton Oswalt, Phillips O’Brien, Brad Paisley, Sean Penn, Serhii Plokhii, Ivanna Sakhno, Eric Schmidt, Liev Schreiber, Timothy Snyder, Terrell Jermaine Starr, Barbra Streisand, Hilary Swank, Peter Wehner, Katheryn Winnick Organizations: Ukraine, CNN, Getty Locations: Russia, Russian, Crimean Tatars, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Aleppo, Grozny, Europe, Donetsk, Ukraine, AFP, China, Beijing, Asia, East, Africa, United States

☆ Vietnam War Historian Breaks Down 7 More Vietnam War Scenes in Movies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Margaret Guzman | Benjamin Nigh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Military history professor Bill Allison rates more Vietnam War movies, such as "Forrest Gump," for realism. Allison breaks down additional battlefield tactics used by the Viet Cong, or VC, and People's Army of Vietnam, or PAVN, during the Vietnam War, such as the ambush scene in "Forrest Gump" (1994), starring Tom Hanks, and the nighttime attacks of the Tet Offensive in "Full Metal Jacket" (1987). He covers the public perception of the Vietnam War in the United States, such as the war of attrition portrayed in "Hamburger Hill" (1987); the maltreatment of civilians in "Casualties of War" (1989), with Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox; and the overlap of the civil-rights movement with anti-war and anti-draft protests in "Da 5 Bloods" (2020), starring Chadwick Boseman. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Bill Allison, Forrest Gump, Allison, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Michael J, Chadwick Boseman, Hunter, Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep Organizations: People's Army, Fox, Business Locations: Vietnam, Viet, United States, Russian, South Vietnam

Dianne Feinstein once stood at the center of a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history. Decades later, in death, she's being lauded by LGBTQ+ leaders as a longtime ally who, if she didn't always initially do the right thing, was able to learn and evolve. The suspect is Supervisor Dan White.”George Moscone was the liberal mayor of San Francisco; Milk was California’s first openly gay elected official. The Human Rights Campaign, a large LGBTQ+ advocacy group, cited Feinstein’s “sterling record of support for the LGBTQ+ community." And it was one of the hardest moments, if not the hardest moment, of my life,” Feinstein told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2008.

Persons: Dianne Feinstein, she's, didn't, Feinstein, Moscone, Harvey Milk, Dan White, ” George Moscone, Milk, California’s, White, Stuart Milk, supervisor's, “, ” Milk, Feinstein’s, ” Feinstein, “ don’t, ”, Joe Biden, Gavin Newsom, George W, Bush, Matthew S, Kierra Johnson, Randy Shilts, “ Milk, Sean Penn Organizations: of Supervisors, grimly, “, AIDS, Navy, Rights, San Francisco, Republican, Los Angeles Times, National, Task Force, San Francisco Chronicle Locations: San Francisco County, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, Francisco

☆ Sean Penn and Volodymyr Zelensky: 'Superpower' puts the two men in the center of the action
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Although Penn happened to be in the right (or wrong) place when he was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, “Superpower,” which Penn directed with Aaron Kaufman, is the product of seven trips to and from Ukraine. Sean Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in November 2022. His conversations with the Ukrainian people prove equally enlightening, both before the war – when many expressed doubts about Zelensky – and during it. Of course, there are those quick to deride or dismiss actors like Penn stepping off the soundstage and into such roles. Still, if you’ve read this far and might not have clicked on a review about another Ukraine documentary, guess what?

Persons: Sean Penn, ” Penn, Penn, Volodymyr Zelensky, Aaron Kaufman, “, Walter Cronkite, Steven Pifer, Vitali Klitschko, Alexander Vindman, Zelensky –, Sean Hannity’s, Penn doesn’t, Hannity, Will Smith Oscar, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, you’ve Organizations: CNN, “, Penn, European Affairs, United States National Security Council, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Fox News, Paramount Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Haiti, Kyiv, Crimea, Ukrainian, –

☆ Talking Heads Reunite for Restored ‘Stop Making Sense’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Jason Bailey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The hottest ticket at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was not for the new auteur film from Hayao Miyazaki or Ryusuke Hamaguchi, the latest vehicle for Kate Winslet or Sean Penn, or grand prizewinners at Cannes and Venice. No, the most feverishly in-demand screening was for a 39-year-old movie that everyone in its sold-out audience could have watched at home, at the push of a button. “Stop Making Sense,” directed by Jonathan Demme, is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of the form, a joyful documentation (and celebration) of Talking Heads’ 1983 tour supporting their album “Speaking in Tongues.” The Toronto festival screening marked the debut of A24’s new restoration of the film ahead of its theatrical and IMAX rerelease later this month. “This is the greatest concert film ever!” he enthused with the musicians sitting next to him. That reunion was an event in itself, following what the frontman David Byrne recently described, with characteristic understatement, as an “ugly” breakup in 1991.

Persons: Hayao Miyazaki, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, ”, Jonathan Demme, Spike Lee, “, I’m, David Byrne, haven’t, Chris Frantz, Byrne, Tina Weymouth Organizations: Roll Hall of Fame Locations: Cannes, Venice, Toronto

☆ TIFF 2023: What to watch at the Toronto Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jenna Zucker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is seen in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 10, 2021. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is back for its 48th edition, welcoming movies from around the world to premiere in Canada. The event comes right after the Venice Film Festival, where actor Adam Driver slammed the streaming sites for their lack of flexibility over the demands of writers and actors guild. Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson are expected at the festival to promote their film "Daddio." Last year, German film "All Quiet on the Western Front" premiered at TIFF and won four Oscars, including best international feature film.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Cameron Bailey, Adam Driver, Driver, Ferrari, Roy Thomson, Peter Street, Nickelback, Sean Penn, Dakota Johnson, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, Paul Giamatti, Hayao Miyazaki, Patricia Arquette's, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anna Kendrick's, Chris Pine's, Michael Keaton's, Knox, Lil Nas, Rustin, Pedro Almodovar, Jane Campion's, Campion, Jenna Zucker, Divya Rajagopal, Denny Thomas, Sandra Maler Organizations: Toronto, Film, REUTERS, Hollywood, Venice Film, Roy Thomson Hall, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre, Wales Theatre, King, University, SAG, TIFF, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Venice, Toronto's, Spanish

TORONTO (AP) — When the Hollywood actors union announced a strike this summer, Cameron Bailey, the longtime chief executive of the Toronto International Film Festival, dusted off his COVID-19 playbook. “This is the nature of running a festival,” Bailey says. We support them, but we’ll miss them.”The dual strikes have already taken the spotlight at the Venice Film Festival. “I’ve loved movies since I was child and I’ve never been to a film festival before,” says Jefferson. “Even the idea that I’m going to a film festival with a film that I’ve directed feels surreal.

Persons: Cameron Bailey, ” Bailey, Hayao Miyazaki’s, Oscar, “ Harry Potter, David Yates, Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, they’re, ”, Yates, “, Damien Chazelle, Adam Driver, Michael Mann, “ Ferrari, Bradley Cooper, Leonard Bernstein, “ Maestro, Cooper, Yorgos, Alexander Payne’s “, ” George C, Wolfe’s “ Rustin ”, Andrew Haig’s “, Bailey, Craig Gillespie’s, Gillespie, Lars, Tonya ”, ” Gillespie, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, Duncan Crabtree, ” Crabtree, Sean Penn, Dakota Johnson, Jessica Chastain, Willem Dafoe, Nicolas Cage, Finn Wolfhard —, Viggo Mortensen’s “, ” Kristin Scott Thomas ’ “, ” Michael Keaton’s “ Knox, ” Ethan Hawke’s “, Anna Kendrick’s, Lil Nas, Montero, ” “, Paul Simon ”, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin’s “, Jessica Yu’s “, Cord Jefferson, Larry Wilmore, Percival Everett’s “, Jeffrey Wright, “ I’ve, I’ve, Jefferson, “ I’m, Jake Coyle Organizations: TORONTO, Hollywood, Toronto, ”, SAG, Venice Film, Netflix, Amazon, Telluride Film, GameStop, America Ferrera, Cannes, Twitter Locations: North America, Toronto, Venice, Telluride, Cannes, Ireland

☆ Opinion | Fareed Zakaria on Where Russia’s War in Ukraine Stands — and Much More
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +96 min

Obviously, the line is not perfect, but I think that’s a very sensible line. And I don’t think that’s all about absorption capability. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that the Russians have done everything they can. fareed zakaria[LAUGHS] And by the way, I think that’s some key to understanding the alliance is a personal one. I think India, Israel, and Poland — usually, in the 70 percent-plus say they like — have a favorable view of America.

Persons: ezra klein, it’s, Fareed Zakaria, Zakaria, “ Fareed Zakaria, fareed zakaria, Ezra, Putin, They’ve, there’s, fareed zakaria It’s, they’re, It’s, Fidel Castro, Sean Penn, haven’t, you’re, won’t, Biden, They’re, Washington, Winston Churchill, Merkel, wouldn’t, —, Nancy Gibbs, Khomeini, Macron, Ron DeSantis, YouGov, fareed zakaria I’m, that’s, DeSantis, Lindsey Grahams, Mitch McConnell, Xi Jinping, ezra klein Yes, Xi, Gorbachev, Zelensky, Trump, Obama, Bush, United States —, McCarthy’s, I’ve, they’d, doesn’t, didn’t, ezra klein They’re, fareed zakaria They’re, we’ve, Simpson, I’m, Janet Yellen, Colin Powell, unquote, That’s, Jonathan Haidt, We’ve, he’s, fareed zakaria That’s, they’ve, fareed zakaria Well, gee, TikTok, we’re, George Kennan, Mike Gallagher, klein, Nirupama Rao, Bob Kagan, can’t, — fareed zakaria, Lord Mountbatten, Gandhi, Franklin Roosevelt, Ho Chi Minh, fareed zakaria Right, narratively —, Modi, you’ve, China’s —, fareed zakaria Modi, India’s, Advani, Vajpayee, you’d, There’s, India, Joe Biden, fareed zakaria I’ve, Benedict Anderson’s “, Orville Schell, John Delury, Sunil Khilnani, ezra klein Fareed Zakaria Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Putin, Starbucks, Russia, Revolutionary Guard, NATO, Ukrainian, Communist, European Union, U.S, Republican Party’s, Republican Party, Republicans, ASEAN, Trump, Defense, United, U.S ., Democrats, Chinese Communist Party, State, Facebook, Google, Soviet Union, Huawei, Twitter, South China Seas, Foreign Affairs, Yale Law, International Criminal, South China, . Security, Trade Organization, Pax Americana, Americana, New York Fed, America, Republican, Fox, Beijing Locations: ezra klein Russia, Ukraine, Russia, America, Europe, China, India, Russian, United States, Relatedly, Japan, Turkey, Holland, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Venezuela, Central America, Southeast Asia, Washington, Britain, ‘, U.S, United Europe, Germany, Soviet Union, Vietnam, Beijing, Trump, Asia, Iraq, Hainan, Montana, Republic, Soviet, weirdly, South, Taiwan, Pakistan, New Delhi, South Africa, Kuwait, Russia’s, Eden, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Kashmir, it’s, Cuba, Pax, American, Mumbai, Shanghai, Israel, Poland, Indian, Nigeria

☆ Wes Anderson, Ken Loach among contenders for Cannes Film Festival's top prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference for the film "Asteroid City" in competition - Cannes, France, May 24, 2023. Director Wes Anderson speaks. REUTERS/Yara NardiCANNES, May 27 (Reuters) - Veteran directors Wes Anderson, Ken Loach and Wim Wenders are among those in the running for the Cannes Film Festival's coveted Palme d'Or at Saturday's closing ceremony, with 21 films in competition for the top prize. This year has a record seven female directors in the running for the top prize, which only two women have previously won - Jane Campion in 1993 and Ducournau in 2021. More than 14,000 participants from over 120 countries crowded the film market this year, surpassing 2019's previous peak of 12,500.

☆ Sean Penn: Studios' AI stance in Hollywood writers strike a 'human obscenity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Cast member Sean Penn attends. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Actor Sean Penn said on Friday he supported striking Hollywood writers and called studios' rejection of their demand to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing scripts a "human obscenity". "There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, you know, including the use of AI," Penn said at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of AI in writing scripts.

☆ Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan reunite on screen in Cannes competitor 'Black Flies'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan and Director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire... Read moreCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan are reunited on the big screen after more than a decade in "Black Flies," a gritty tale about New York City paramedics that premiered in Cannes on Thursday. The two actors previously appeared together in 2011's Palme d'Or winner "The Tree of Life," directed by Terrence Malick. Oscar-winning Penn, 62, plays veteran paramedic Rutkovsky while Sheridan, 26, known for his role as Cyclops in the X-Men film series, stars as Cross, who is just starting in the field. Former boxer Mike Tyson, Michael Pitt from "Funny Games," and Katherine Waterston of "Inherent Vice" also have parts.

☆ The Glory Days of the American Mall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Rich Cohen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sean Penn (right) and Robert Romanus in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ (1982). Photo: Universal/Everett CollectionIn 1982, the mall meant freedom. Some started at The Sweet Factory, then spent the afternoon dipping a hand into the candy bag like a wino with a bottle. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” was our mall epic, as “Apocalypse Now” was the epic of the Vietnam War. It captured the mood, and, in doing so, told us where we were going and where we had been.

☆ Putin's war turned this quiet Polish airport into a global military hub where passenger jets touch down alongside Patriot missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport is just 50 miles from Poland's border with Ukraine. He told Insider: "I realized that a great challenge was ahead of us and that any mistake on our part couldn't be an option." Hamryszczak told Insider that he had to rise to "countless" challenges, including making complex arrangements with world leaders and welcoming the world's media. Air Force One is "the most famous aircraft that has ever visited our airport," Hamryszczak said. "This is no longer the same regional airport that operated in 2021, or even before the pandemic," Hamryszczak told Insider.

[1/5] Former tennis player Boris Becker attends a news conference to promote documentary 'Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 19, 2023. "You have to be a bit crazy to cross the line and do things nobody else has ever achieved before." "You expect world champions in a sport to be like everyone else but we aren't," he told a news conference. "What I liked about Boris is that unlike many athletes he is a great storyteller," Gibney said.

[1/2] Director Sean Penn attends a photo call on the red carpet to promote the documentary 'Superpower' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Nadja WohllebenBERLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Late in the evening of Feb. 24, 2022, just some 15 hours after Russia triggered its invasion of his country, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy found time to receive American actor Sean Penn. Sitting in a bare, apparently windowless room, Zelenskiy speculated on Vladimir Putin's motives for the invasion. In fighting against the Russian invasion, Ukraine is "fighting a fight on all of our behalf," Penn told the audience at the premiere. "You're Sean Penn.

BERLIN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - This year's Berlin International Film Festival marks a resurgence for the global film industry after years in the doldrums due to the COVID-19 pandemic, industry expert Scott Roxborough said on the eve of the event. "The film industry is starting to come out of the pandemic, starting to revive itself," said Roxborough, Europe bureau chief of the Hollywood Reporter. "It's going to be here in Berlin where we really see the green shoots of the future of cinema." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address Thursday's opening night gala by video link, the festival announced on Wednesday. One of China's biggest stars, her lengthy absence had prompted speculation she had fallen foul of China's leadership.

☆ Record surge in films at Berlin festival marks industry revival post-COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - This year's Berlin International Film Festival, known as the Berlinale, marks a resurgence for the global film industry after years in the doldrums due to the COVID-19 pandemic, industry expert Scott Roxborough said on the eve of the festival. And, after a three-year pandemic lull, the volume of movies seeking distributors or financing is setting records, with 827 films from 121 countries chasing 1,168 buyers, according to the festival. "The film industry is starting to come out of the pandemic, starting to revive itself," said Roxborough, Europe bureau chief of the Hollywood Reporter. "It's going to be here in Berlin where we really see the green shoots of the future of cinema." One of China's biggest stars, her lengthy absence had prompted speculation she had fallen foul of China's leadership.

☆ Ukraine, Iran's quests for freedom to dominate Berlin Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A pin, Berlinale bear in Ukrainian flag's colors, is seen on the sweater of a staff member during a news conference ahead of the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschBERLIN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Sean Penn's documentary portrait of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, filmed as Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, will be among headliners at next month's Berlin Film Festival, where a life achievement award will go to Steven Spielberg. "And maybe Berlin is more relevant than other places, because we are close to Ukraine, because Ukrainian people live in Berlin." The competition will also make space for animation with "Suzume" by Japan's Makoto Shinkai, described by Chatrian as the "poet of youth". Described as a journey through the Japanese archipelago, the film stands out for its bold colouring.

☆ 'Elvis' and 'Avatar' face off as Hollywood returns to Golden Globes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] The Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. Photo taken on December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The flashy "Elvis" biopic and sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar: The Way of Water" battle for the top honor at the Golden Globes on Tuesday when stars return to a ceremony trying to rebuild its reputation after scandals. The Golden Globes will be back on television after celebrities and broadcaster NBC abandoned the 2022 show because of ethical lapses at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the group that hands out the awards. "I think we're going to see 'Elvis' win and Austin Butler win," said Chris Beachum, managing editor of awards website Gold Derby. Golden Globes voters "have proven time and time again that they love spectacles and they love musicals."

☆ Fact Check-Clip showing crowd running toward film crew was captured in Birmingham in 2013
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Instead, the footage was filmed years before the Russian invasion in 2022 and shows behind-the-scenes of a science fiction movie captured in Birmingham, UK in 2013. The 28-second clip shows three individuals behind a camera with another holding a megaphone in a city square. The scene of the clip currently circulating online matches a scene that features in the trailer of ‘Invasion Planet Earth’ (0.42s) (bit.ly/3MukI87). The scene also wasn’t filmed in Ukraine, as claimed online, and instead was captured in Victoria Square, Birmingham. The clip shows filming of a scene in the movie ‘Invasion Planet Earth’ that was captured in 2013 in Birmingham, UK.

☆ Madonna baffles the internet with 'I'm Gay' TikTok video
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A viral video of gay icon Madonna appearing to suggest that she is gay herself has taken the internet by storm. During an interview on Andy Cohen’s talk show “Watch What Happens Live!” Mizrahi suggested Bernhard and Madonna at one point had a sexual relationship. “The gay community has been incredibly supportive of me,” she told Ellen DeGeneres during a 2010 interview in which she sounded the alarm about a rise in suicides among gay teenagers. Madonna’s video resembles another recent TikTok from actress Shay Mitchell, who played a lesbian in the teen drama “Pretty Little Liars,” in which Mitchell seems to come out as bisexual. Representatives for Madonna did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.

☆ Eileen Ryan, ‘Magnolia’ actress and Sean Penn’s mother, dead at 94
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Eileen Ryan, a veteran actress and matriarch of the Hollywood family that includes actor Sean Penn, died at her home on Sunday, according to a statement shared by Penn’s publicist. Ryan appeared in over 60 television shows and films over her decades-long career, enjoying turns in genre fare such as 2002’s “Eight Legged Freaks” and “Feast” in 2005. Ryan, born Eileen Annucci, met her husband, late director Leo Penn, in 1957 in New York City at rehearsals for “The Iceman Cometh,” according to the statement. The pair moved in together within a week of meeting, and married a few months later, the statement added. Their marriage lasted 41 years until Leo Penn died in 1998.

☆ How Bryan Lourd became one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Lourd, 61, isn't a household name, but he wields a stunning amount of influence in Hollywood. Lourd's Hollywood clients aren't just A-listers, they're A+-listers: Brad Pitt. An old-fashioned talent agent who loves discussing old movies and doesn't mind pointing out the flaws in his own clients' work, Lourd has become arguably the most powerful person in Hollywood. "He's one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. But Lourd's clients are such bankable stars that it's equally important for Hollywood executives to be friendly with him as it is beneficial for Lourd and CAA.

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