Category: News

2011 Aug 30

Soderbergh’s “Contagion” to open Zurich fest

Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion will open this year’s Zurich Film Festival.

The action-thriller, which boasts an all-star cast, including Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard, unspools Sept. 22, kicking off the fest, which runs through Oct. 2.

Contagion, which also stars Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bryan Cranston, centers on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deal with the outbreak.

The Warner Bros. release was produced by Soderbergh, Gregory Jacobs, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher from a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns.

Fishburne will also be on hand at the fest to serve as international jury prexy. The fest will also honor Fishburne, who has appeared in such productions as The Matrix trilogy, Mystic River, What’s Love Got To Do With It and the upcoming Man Of Steel, with a special achievement award.

Also serving on the international feature film jury are U.S. producer John Lesher, Beki Probst, head of Berlin’s European Film Market and Swiss-based exhib operator, Danish actress, director and writer Paprika Steen (Applause), British actress Alice Eve (The Raven) and Serbian writer-director Stevan Arsenijevic (Love And Other Crimes).

On the fest’s international documentary jury will be:

Academy-award winning director, producer and writer Charles Ferguson (Inside Job); U.K. producer John Battsek (Project Nim, The Tillman Story); Georgian filmmaker Nino Kirtadze (Durakovo: Village Of Fools); Dutch director Eline Flipse (Our Newspaper); and U.S. producer Stephen Nemeth (Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story).

Entering its seventh year, the Zurich Film Festival has established itself as a marquee European event, showcasing a diverse array of international films, many from young up-and-coming filmmakers.

Source: Variety

2011 Aug 22

Kate Winslet rescues Richard Branson’s 90-year-old mom in fire

Kate Winslet to the rescue!

Sir Richard Branson’s multi-million dollar Caribbean estate was destroyed by a fire early Monday but his Oscar winning guest saved the billionaire’s mother’s life!

“Many thanks to Kate Winslet for helping to carry my 90 year mum out of the main house to safety wondering when a Director was going to shout CUT!” Branson profusely thanked his houseguest on his blog today.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Winslet, her boyfriend and her family were staying in the lavish eight-bedroom Great House, along with Branson’s daughter Holly and her friends when disaster struck.

Thankfully, all 20 people escaped unharmed from the fire though.

Sharing shocking photos of his retreat burning, Branson said the fire brokeout before dawn when lighting from a tropical storm hit the home on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

“The main house is destroyed and the fire is not yet completely out. My office was based in the house and I have lost thousands of photographs and my note books which is very sad. But all family and friends are well — which in the end is all that really matters,” The Virgin boss said on his blog.

“It’s very much the Dunkirk spirit here. We will rebuild the house as soon as we can. We have a wonderful staff here and we want them to stay in work. We’ll all stay here. There’s a lot of damage but we’ll create something even more special out of the ruins with the help of experts from water damage restoration san diego as they can repair all forms of damage.Thanks again for all the kind messages you have sent — they mean a lot. Currently just huddled up with family and friends in the continuing tropical storm realizing what really matters in life.”

Source: Radar Online

2011 Jul 29

Roman Polanski’s “Carnage” to open 49th Annual New York Film Festival

Roman Polanski’s Carnage will open this year’s New York Film Festival.

The film is adapted from Yasmina Reza’s 2009 Tony Award-winning play “God Of Carnage”. Shot in Paris earlier this year, it stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly.

It’s Polanski’s first film since being freed last year from house arrest in Switzerland. After arresting him, the Swiss government released the 77-year-old, rejecting a request to extradite him to the United States.

He still faces an Interpol warrant in effect for 188 countries for a 1977 child sex case in California.

Polanski isn’t expected to attend the New York gala.

The play “God Of Carnage” is about a degenerating evening between two couples meeting after their kids were involved in a playground fight. Like the Broadway production, the film is set in Brooklyn. The original play was in French and set in Paris.

Richard Pena, selection committee chairman and program director, calls the film “a new pinnacle” for the director. Polanski’s directorial debut, Knife In The Water, screened at the first New York Film Festival.

Carnage will first premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. Sony Pictures Classic will release Carnage later this year.

The 49th annual New York Film festival runs Sept. 30 through Oct. 16.

Source: The Washington Post

2011 Jul 14

Kate and “Mildred Pierce” nominated for an Emmy!

Congratulations to Kate on her Emmy nomination!!! Mildred Pierce also got a Outstanding Miniseries nomination! :D

I’d also like to congratulate Kate’s co-stars Brían F. O’Byrne, Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, Melissa Leo and Mare Winningham on their nominations! :)

2011 Jul 14

First trailer for “Contagion”

The first trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller Contagion has gone online, and you can watch it by clicking below. It’s an outbreak thriller starring none less than Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, so yeah, you’re probably going to want to take a look.

VIDEO LINKS:
• Movies: Contagion – Trailer

2011 Jul 13

First footage for “Contagion”

Check out the first footage for Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion:

2011 Jun 22

Winslet nominated for Hollywood star

Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lopez are among nominees announced to get their star on Hollywood’s storied Walk of Fame next year.

Jennifer Aniston and Scarlett Johansson will also get their names on the Hollywood Boulevard footpath in 2012, while actor Richard Burton and soul legend Barry White will get posthumous stars.

“The committee has selected a fabulous slate of stars to add sparkle and luster to the Hollywood Walk of Fame over the next year,” said John Pavlik on Tuesday, chairman of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Selection Committee.

Simpsons creator Matt Groening was also nominated, along with John Lasseter and Sumner Redstone from the film world, and musicians Boyz II Men and Ann and Nancy Wilson of the band Heart.

The selection committee is part of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the golden stars on the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre, home to the Oscars.

The nominees were chosen from hundreds of applicants considered at a June 17 meeting of the committee, whose decision was ratified by the Chamber’s board of directors.

While the nominations are for 2012, those chosen have up to five years to schedule ceremonies to unveil their stars, after which their selection will expire.

Source: Bundaberg News Mail