Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
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Michael Costigan Lands two-Year, First-Look Deal at Sony Pictures






LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Sony Pictures Entertainment said Tuesday that it has entered into a two-year, exclusive first-look agreement with producer Michael Costigan and his company COTA Films.


The deal reunites Costigan with Sony Pictures, where he previously worked for nine years and served as a production executive. Costigan then served as president of Ridley and Tony Scott‘s Scott Free Productions from 2005 until 2012.






Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of production for the studio, made the announcement jointly.


“We couldn’t be more excited to be back in business with Michael,” they said in a statement. “He has a great eye for material, strong director and talent relationships and has been making interesting, original movies during his years with Scott Free. Of course he remains a great friend and we’re thrilled to be professionally reunited.”


Costigan most recently produced “Stoker,” Park Chan Wook’s English-language debut starring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode, and “The East,” starring Brit Marling, Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard, and directed by Spirit Award nominee Zal Batmanglij. Both films premiered last week at Sundance to positive reviews and will be released later this spring.


Costigan also produced “Out of the Furnace,” directed by Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”) and starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson.


As executive vice president of production at Sony, he acquired and developed films including “Charlie’s Angels,” “Gattaca,” “The People Versus Larry Flynt,” “Girl Interrupted” and “Bottle Rocket.”


Under the Scott Free banner, Costigan executive produced “Prometheus,” “The Counselor,” “Robin Hood,” “Body of Lies,” and “American Gangster.” He also produced Mark and Jay Duplass’ “Cyrus” and “Welcome to the Rileys.”


Before joining Scott Free, Costigan executive produced Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain.”


Joining Costigan is Ben Leclair, who most recently produced the “Upstream Color,” directed by Shane Carruth, which premiered at Sundance. He previously worked as VP, production for Mike White at Ripcord, where he was a producer of “Year of the Dog” and oversaw Jared Hess’ “Gentlemen Broncos.”


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NBC’s ‘The Office’ to get send-off on May 16






LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Emmy-winning comedy “The Office” will pack up its pencils and staplers after eight years with a one-hour finale on May 16, U.S. broadcaster NBC said on Thursday.


Producers have promised that the episode will tie up several loose storylines on the workplace mockumentary, which debuted on U.S. television in 2005 as an adaptation of the British series of the same name created by comedian Ricky Gervais.






NBC announced last year that the show, set at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, would end in 2013.


Audiences began to turn away from “The Office” after Steve Carell, who played bumbling manager Michael Scott, left in 2011. Viewership fell to about 4 million last year per episode from a high of about 8 million in 2008.


The U.S. show has won four Emmy Awards.


The show’s American producers said last year that the success of “The Office” actors outside of the program played a role in the decision to wind it down.


Mindy Kaling, who played office magpie Kelly Kapoor, left last year to develop “The Mindy Project,” her own comedy for Fox, which is owned by News Corp.


John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer, who play office couple Jim and Pam, have launched film careers on the back of their performances on the show.


Office sycophant Dwight Schrute, portrayed by Rainn Wilson, also sought to create a spin-off show but it was not picked up for broadcast.


It will be the second big NBC comedy to end its run. “30 Rock” bowed out last week after seven seasons.


NBC is part of Comcast Corp.


(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)


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The Wanted take music to television with E! reality show






LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After storming the U.S. pop charts with their infectious dance songs last year, British-Irish boy band The Wanted are set to invade television screens with a new reality show on the E! channel this summer, the network announced on Wednesday.


“The Wanted Life,” co-produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, will follow the band members as they move into a house in the Hollywood Hills and work on their anticipated album, due for release later this year.






The Wanted – Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker and Jay McGuiness – formed in 2009 in England, and was signed by Justin Bieber‘s manager Scooter Braun for its U.S. endeavors.


The five, aged 19 to 24, are known for their raucous behavior and are often pictured out drinking and partying with girls.


“We’ve always tried to show who we are. We haven’t hid much,” band member George said in an interview with E! Online.


“I don’t think there’s anything off limits to be honest … We’ll let everything be exposed,” Kaneswaran added.


The band have accumulated a strong following of fans on Twitter after hit singles such as “Glad You Came” and “Chasing the Sun” became radio and pop chart staples last year.


The band also opened for Bieber at various tour dates including his sold-out Madison Square Gardens gig in New York last December.


They will be embarking on their own headlining tour in the United States and Britain in the fall, with details to be released in summer.


George has also grabbed headlines for his friendship with troubled actress Lindsay Lohan, who has been traveling to the UK with the band in the last few months.


George did not say whether Lohan would appear on the show, which is set to premiere in June.


(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Eric Walsh)


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“Game of Thrones” writer George R.R. Martin lands overall deal with HBO






LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – There just might be a lot more dragons and swords in HBO‘s future.


George R.R. Martin, whose “A Song of Fire and Ice” fantasy novel series served as the basis for HBO’s hit drama “Game of Thrones,” has entered an overall deal with the network.






The two-year agreement will retain Martin as a co-executive producer of the series, which begins its third season March 31, but will also have him developing and producing series for the network.


In addition to “Game of Thrones” – which he’s written a few episodes for – Martin served as a producer and writer on the 1980s series “Beauty and the Beast,” and penned a handful of episodes for the 1980s revival of “The Twilight Zone.”


News of Martin’s overall deal with HBO was first reported by Deadline.


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NBCU’s Bonnie Hammer to run Cable; Joe Uva to run Telemundo






LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – NBC Universal‘s executive lineup underwent a shift of responsibilities on Monday, with Bonnie Hammer, NBCU‘s chairman of cable entertainment and cable studios, taking control of NBC Universal’s full cable portfolio, and executive Lauren Zalaznick being promoted to a new role, and former Univision president and CEO Joe Uva taking over NBCU’s Spanish-language network Telemundo.


Under her new expanded duties, Hammer (pictured) will oversee Bravo, Oxygen, Style, Sprout and TV One adding to her existing duties of overseeing USA Network, SyFy, E!, G4, Cloo, Chiller and other properties. The newly consolidated collection of networks will be renamed Cable Entertainment Group.






Zalaznick, who has been serving as chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated media, has been promoted to the new position of EVP NBCUniversal, where she’ll focus on “innovation, digital, monetization and emerging technology across the company,” NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke told employees in an internal email.


Uva, meanwhile, has been tapped for the newly created position of NBCU’s chairman of Hispanic Enterprises and Content, a position that will include running the company’s Spanish language networks Telemundo and mun2. Uva stepped down as president and CEO of Univsion in June 2011.


Hammer and Zalaznick will assume their new responsibilities immediately, while Uva will come aboard April 3.


Burke, who’s enacted similar restructurings for NBCU’s sports and news divisions, said that the restructuring will help streamline things while allowing for better exploitation of the company’s assets.


“Our business is more dynamic and challenging than at any point in its history,” Burke wrote in a memo to his staff. “Now, more than ever, we need to simplify our organization and take advantage of the breadth of our assets. At the same time, we need to focus more on innovation and emerging technologies. These organization changes are designed to do just that,” Burke wrote.


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Bolshoi ballet chief heads to Germany after attack






MOSCOW (AP) — The artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet said he knows who ordered an acid attack that left him with severe burns to his eyes and face but won’t say, voicing hope that investigators will soon name the perpetrator.


Sergei Filin checked out of a Moscow hospital Monday and headed to Germany for further rehabilitation.






Filin, 42, wore shades and a bandage on his head, and skin on his face was red and swollen from burns. But he spoke energetically and seemed to be in a good mood as he walked out of the hospital accompanied by his wife.


“My body is full of strength and energy,” he told reporters.


Filin earlier told Russian state television that he knew who ordered the attack but wouldn’t give names. “My heart tells me who did it,” Filin told Rossiya 24 television in an interview broadcast late Sunday.


He said that investigators would visit him in Germany as part of the continuing probe.


An attacker threw sulphuric acid in Filin’s face in Moscow on Jan. 17, as he was returning home from work.


“I felt enormous, unbearable pain,” Filin recalled in the television interview. “I fell face down in the snow and started rubbing my face and eyes with snow.”


His colleagues said the attack on Filin could be in retaliation for his selection of certain dancers over others for the prized roles.


The Bolshoi has been plagued by intrigue and infighting that have led to the departure of several artistic directors over the past few years.


Filin told reporters Monday as he was leaving the hospital that he’s still seeing as if through a mist as his eye treatment is continuing, and added that he will have to undergo further eye surgery in Germany.


“I don’t care about my face, my hair, my looks,” he said in the television interview. “I’m ready to be completely bald, look like a Frankenstein. It will have no impact on my heart, on my soul. All my inner self, all my energy is focused on recovering eyesight.”


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NBC News President Capus to leave network






(Reuters) – NBC News President Steve Capus will be leaving the network in the coming weeks after struggles at the unit, including lower ratings for its flagship morning TV show, “Today.”


No replacement has been named for Capus, president of NBC News since 2005, according to a company memo obtained by Reuters. In a statement, Capus said it was “now time to head in a new direction.”






Three sources close to NBC said his departure had been rumored around the halls after parent Comcast Corp reorganized the news division in July, bringing in Patricia Fili-Krushel to head the news unit’s business operations. After that change, these sources said, Capus’ departure became a matter of when, not if.


Prior to Comcast’s takeover, the three heads of NBC‘s news operations — Mark Hoffman at CNBC, Phil Griffin at MSNBC and Capus — all reported directly to Jeff Zucker, who was not only NBC’s chief executive but also well-versed in hard news.


“There was a natural flow to the news division under Zucker. They all spoke the same language,” said one of these sources. “No disrespect to Pat, but she’s not viewed as a news person.”


Indeed, both Capus and Zucker basically grew up with each other at NBC, spending about 20 years together at the network. Capus did not say what his next move would be. Zucker, the executive who promoted him seven years ago at NBC, is now the worldwide president of CNN, owned by Time Warner Inc.


The sources said it would not be a surprise if Capus eventually resurfaced in a new position under Zucker at CNN. Earlier this week, Mark Whitaker, the managing editor at CNN, announced his resignation to make room for Zucker to install his own team. Prior to his joining CNN, Whitaker worked at NBC News under both Capus and Zucker.


Fili-Krushel said in a memo to staff on Friday that until a replacement for Capus is found, NBC News will operate under an interim structure with various executives reporting to her. She will start the search for a successor in coming weeks, with Capus helping with the transition.


Two other sources said that the recent view internally has been that Antoine Sanfuentes, an executive who oversees NBC News‘ Washington bureau and the Sunday political talk program “Meet the Press,” was being groomed to replace Capus. Fili-Krushel said in her memo that Sanfuentes will report to her and serve as interim managing editor responsible for editorial decision-making.


The first three sources said they had expected Capus to announce his departure at the end of last year to coincide with the announcement that Jim Bell was leaving as executive producer of the “Today” show to assume the newly created role of full-time executive producer of the Olympics.


Ultimately, Capus decided to trigger his departure by exercising an “out” clause built into his most recent contract, according to one of the first three sources.


Capus commanded the loyalty of NBC News staff, particularly the on-air talent and producers, all of the five sources agreed. Some of the major news events he worked on included the September 11 attacks, the discovery of anthrax in the NBC newsroom, the death of Britain’s Princess Diana and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His resignation came as an unexpected blow to NBC News staff, despite the apparent grooming of Sanfuentes.


Savannah Guthrie, installed by Capus as “Today” show host after the departure of Ann Curry, tweeted on Friday that Capus was “a great leader and tireless advocate for NBC News” who will be missed.


NBC News made deep job cuts in 2006 after wider layoffs at the parent company. Rivals ABC News and CBS News have also made hundreds of layoffs in the past few years.


Capus said in his memo that he “tried to shield journalists from the tough economic pressures hoping that would give each of you the running room to focus solely on a commitment to outstanding journalism.”


RECENT STRUGGLES


NBC News has been the one part of the network’s news operations to show slippage in the last year. CNBC is far and away the leading business news network, as measured in ratings. MSNBC has not only surpassed CNN to become a strong No. 2 among general cable news networks, but has also closed the gap with long-time leader Fox News, owned by News Corp.


“Pat Fili-Krushel has a strong vision of the integration that is required to make the full array of NBC programming fire on all cylinders in unison. She also understands the need to complement both the owned station and Comcast cable group goals to leverage all to best advantage,” said Magid & Associates consultant Steve Ridge.


NBC News has ranked as the leader among network news broadcasts in both the morning and evening for much of Capus’ eight-year run as president. Two of the first three sources said he deserves credit for maintaining the “Today” show as the dominant morning news program, “NBC Nightly News” as the leading evening news broadcast, and “Meet the Press” as the marquee Sunday news program. But over the last year, Capus’ fiefdom has taken a few hits, most notably at the “Today” show.


NBC News, for example, was criticized for ousting Ann Curry as “Today” co-host after only one year.


The “Today” show has been in a back-and-forth ratings war with ABC’s “Good Morning America” ever since ABC snapped NBC’s 16-year unbeaten streak last year. “NBC Nightly News” is averaging 8.76 million total viewers, ahead of “ABC World News” and “CBS Evening News.” It has seen less ratings success with the news magazine “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” which debuted in 2011 and after being bounced around the schedule, will move to Friday nights on Feb 8.


NBC News also came under fire last spring when it decided to edit a call to police from George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. The editing made it appear that Zimmerman told police, without being prompted, that Martin was black when, in fact, the full tape revealed that the neighborhood watch captain did so only when responding to a question posed by a dispatcher.


NBC has since been sued for defamation by Zimmerman.


(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Andrew Hay and Matthew Lewis)


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Washington wins 3 trophies at NAACP Image Awards






LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kerry Washington was a triple threat at the NAACP Image Awards.


The star of ABC’s “Scandal” picked up a trio of trophies at the 44th annual ceremony: outstanding actress in a drama series for “Scandal,” supporting actress in a motion picture for “Django Unchained” and the President’s Award, which is given in recognition of special achievement and exceptional public service.






“This award does not belong to me,” said Washington, who plays a slave separated from her husband in “Django Unchained,” as she picked up her first trophy of the evening for her role in the film directed by Quentin Tarantino. “It belongs to our ancestors. We shot this film on a slave plantation, and they were with us along every step of the way.”


Washington, who plays crisis management consultant Olivia Pope on “Scandal,” serves on President Barack Obama‘s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.


Don Cheedle was awarded the outstanding actor in a comedy series trophy for his role as a slick management consultant in Showtime’s “House of Lies.”


“This doesn’t belong just to me, but I am taking it home tonight,” joked Cheedle.


A few winners weren’t present at the Shrine Auditorium to pick up their trophies, including Denzel Washington for outstanding actor in a motion picture for “Flight,” Viola Davis for outstanding actress in a motion picture for “Won’t Back Down” and Omar Epps for supporting actor in a drama series for Fox’s “House.”


“Red Tails,” the drama about the Tuskegee Airmen, was honored as outstanding motion picture.


“Look! I beat Quentin Tarantino,” beamed “Red Tails” executive producer George Lucas as he accepted the award.


LL Cool J, who was honored as outstanding actor in a drama series for CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles,” dedicated his trophy to fellow nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, “The Green Mile” and “The Finder” actor who died last year.


“I wish his family well,” said LL. “Let’s give it up for him.”


Gladys Knight sang during the in memoriam segment, but the beginning of her performance wasn’t heard on the live NBC broadcast because of a technical glitch.


Sidney Poitier presented Harry Belafonte with the Spingarn Award, which honors outstanding achievement by an African American. His honor was followed by a serenade from Wyclef Jean and Common.


Other winners at the ceremony hosted by talk show host Steve Harvey included Loretta Devine as supporting actress in a drama series for “Grey’s Anatomy,” Cassi Davis as outstanding actress in a comedy series and Lance Gross as outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for TBS’ “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.”


The Image Awards are presented annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the group’s members select the winners.


___


Online:


http://www.naacpimageawards.net


___


Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang


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Beyonce admits Inauguration Day pre-recording






NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Beyonce answered critics of her Inauguration Day performance the best way she could — with another sterling performance of the national anthem.


The difference?






On Thursday, it was live: She admitted during her Super Bowl news conference that when she performed for President Barack Obama and the nation, she decided to sing to a prerecorded track because she didn’t have time to practice. Calling herself a self-proclaimed “perfectionist,” she said wanted the day to go off without a hitch.


“I practice until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra,” she said, adding that she was also emotional that day. “Due to no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a risk. It was about the president and the inauguration, and I wanted to make him and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry. And I’m very proud of my performance.”


It was the superstar’s first public comments on what has become known as “Beyonce-gate.”


Her rendition of the anthem was critically praised, but was scrutinized less than a day later when a representative from the U.S. Marine Band said Beyonce was lip-syncing — merely mouthing the words to a pre-recorded track — and the band’s accompanying performance was taped. Shortly after, the group backed off its initial statement and said no one could tell if she was singing live or not.


With the controversy growing each day, and everyone from politicians to other entertainers weighing in, the inauguration performance threatened to overshadow her planned Super Bowl halftime show. So the 31-year-old, wearing a tight, cream mini-dress, addressed the issue as soon as she took to the podium Thursday afternoon.


She asked everyone to stand, and, with an image of the American flag behind her, performed a live rendition of the national anthem that mirrored the one on Inauguration Day. After, she said with a laugh: “Any questions?”


Despite her performance, there were.


When pressed about whether any sound was coming from her voice when she sang for the president, she said she was singing along to the track and not mimicking (though it’s unclear how audible her voice was). And when asked if she would be singing live at the Super Bowl, she said: “I will absolutely be singing live.


“This is what I was born to do.”


She added later: “I always sing live. … The inauguration was unfortunately a time where I could not rehearse with the orchestra, actually because I was rehearsing for the Super Bowl. So that was always the plan.”


Beyonce also got a chance to talk more in detail about the reason why she was in New Orleans — to perform at the halftime show. Calling it one of her career aspirations, she said when she arrived at the Superdome, she was so moved by the experience she took her shoes off and ran on the field, taking in the history at the famed venue.


“It really makes me emotional,” she said. “When I am no longer here, it’s what they’re gonna show.”


Beyonce has teased photos and video of herself preparing for the show, which will perhaps be the biggest audience of her career. Last year, Madonna’s halftime performance was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance ever, with an average of 114 million viewers. It garnered more viewers than the game itself, which was the most-watched U.S. TV event in history.


But she would not give anything more away about the performance. While a Destiny’s Child reunion was shot down by Michelle Williams, who is starring in a production of “Fela!”, the third Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland, is in town. Beyonce laughed off questions of whether Rowland or Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, would join her on stage.


“I can’t give you any details, sorry,” she said.


She also would not reveal her set list, though acknowledged she was having a hard time trying to “condense a career into 12 minutes.”


Before the news conference, Beyonce’s “Life is But A Dream” was shown to the media. The documentary about the star’s life features her talking in-depth about intimate details of her life, including suffering a miscarriage; it will air on HBO on Feb. 16.


In it, she also reveals more of her 1-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, whom she called her inspiration.


“I feel like my daughter changed me and changed my life and has given me so much purpose,” she said. She added that she was counting down until 9 p.m. Sunday, when her performance would be over — and she could be reunited with Blue Ivy.


___


Follow Nekesa Mumbi Moody at http://www.twitter.com


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Justin Timberlake launches music comeback with Grammy performance






LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Justin Timberlake, making his pop music comeback with a new single and album, will perform at next month’s Grammy Awards for the first time in four years, Grammy organizers said on Wednesday.


Timberlake, 31, will take the stage at the music industry‘s biggest night in Los Angeles on February 10, ahead of the scheduled March release of his first album since 2006.






“The 20/20 Experience” marks Timberlake’s return to music after several years in which he has focused more on acting and business ventures, including a clothing line and a partnership in social networking site Myspace.


At the Grammy Awards ceremony and show, Timberlake will join performers and country music nominees Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley, singers Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, and bands Mumford & Sons and FUN.


Elton John will also duet with rising British singer Ed Sheeran, and the Grammy ceremony will be hosted by rapper LL Cool J. Other performers will be announced in the next 10 days.


(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Will Dunham)


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Ke$ha bringing her “crazy beautiful life” to MTV series






NEW YORK (Reuters) – Singer Ke$ ha is coming to cable television with a new reality series that promises to document the “drama, madness and euphoria” of her professional and personal life, MTV said on Tuesday.


“Ke$ ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life,” will premiere on MTV in April, the network said.






“You might have heard my voice on the radio, seen me onstage or in a music video, but that’s only a part of the story,” the 25-year-old singer, known for hits including “Tik Tok” and “We R Who We R,” said in a statement.


“With this documentary series I’m revealing a more complete picture of what my life is really like. It’s not all glamorous but it’s all real,” she added.


MTV said the “no-limits” series would depict the music star “as she navigates the drama, madness and euphoria of her professional and personal life while recording a new album and traveling the globe.”


The show was shot over two years by the singer’s brother Lagan Sebert, working with minimal crew, providing what MTV said was an unfiltered, “real and raw” look at her life.


Lagan, a journalist, said that as he watched his sister’s ascent, “I soon realized that the most amazing story was happening in my own family and it became my mission document it … I set off on a two year long journey to tell my sister’s story.”


Ke$ ha has sold 3 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide and has won MTV Europe‘s best new act award. Her most recent album was 2012′s “Warrior.”


(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)


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Oscar nod for protest film cheers Palestinians






RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Oscar-nominated documentary “5 Broken Cameras” screened for Palestinians for the first time on Monday, leaving locals hopeful that their struggle with Israel for land and statehood will gain a global audience.


The low-cost film is based on five years of amateur camera work by journalist Emad Burnat as he documented weekly protests against land seizures by Israeli forces and Jewish settlers in his village of Bil’in in the occupied West Bank.






Neighbors are killed in the protests and demolition equipment mars the landscape while the filmmaker captures his infant son’s rapid loss of innocence, heralded by his first words: “wall” and “army.”


“This is a film for those who were martyred. It’s bigger than me and bigger than Bil’in. More than a billion people follow the Oscars and they will know our struggle now,” Burnat said after the viewing.


His work will compete at next month’s Oscar ceremony against four other films, including a documentary called “The Gatekeepers” that looks at the decades-old Middle East conflict through the eyes of six top former Israeli intelligence bosses.


Although the perspective is very different, both movies share a surprisingly similar message — the Israeli occupation of the West Bank is morally wrong and must end.


Burnat’s film received a standing ovation at its premier in Ramallah, the Palestinians‘ administrative capital, with the audience excited to see their seemingly endless conflict splashed on the big screen.


“The film shows the whole world what occupation is. It wiped the happiness off the boy’s face at too young an age. This has been the experience for all of us,” said taxi driver Ahmed Mustafa, who brought his wife and child to the viewing


“It’s not all bad though. It shows that there is progress, there are victories, and that our cause is still alive and moving,” he said.


In 2007, Israel’s High Court ruled that the separation barrier built on Bil’in lands was illegal and ordered it rerouted, cheering activists. The ruling was finally implemented in 2011, but the protests continue.


ISRAELI CO-DIRECTION


Humble villagers in black-and-white chequered Palestinian scarves and smartly dressed city dwellers shared the same visceral reaction to scenes in the film that are much chronicled but seldom appear in feature-length film.


A shot of olive trees reduced to glowing embers after being torched by Jewish settlers coaxes an audible gasp from viewers.


“Oh God!” said one man.


But as Burnat’s camera captures defiant chants in the protagonists’ village accent, or rocks being hurled at fleeing Israeli jeeps, ecstatic applause filled the hall.


The film was co-directed by an Israeli activist and filmmaker, Guy Davidi. This close association has led some people to classify 5 Broken Cameras as an Israeli movie and it was rejected by a Morocco film festival for this reason.


However, Burnat said it had been shown in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries and denied that the joint production reflected any meaningful “normalization” of relations between Israel and the Palestinians.


“(Davidi) is a solidarity activist who came to the village to show his support. He was shown our material and agreed to help. This doesn’t represent Israeli-Palestinian collaboration,” Burnat said.


But the film’s action shows many examples of cooperation between Israeli solidarity activists and locals.


An Israeli photographer gives Burnat one of his five cameras, which are progressively shot or crushed in protests over the years, giving the film its name, and Israeli solidarity activists are shown helping to plan protests in Hebrew.


“Working jointly with an Israeli doesn’t diminish this work, it enhances it,” Palestinian student Amira Daood told Reuters.


“They’re not all against us. Some are opposed to what Israel is doing and the movie demonstrates that,” she said.


(Reporting By Noah Browning, editing by Paul Casciato)


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“Argo” boosts Oscar chances with two weekend award






LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Iran hostage drama “Argo” won its second big award in two days on Sunday, boosting its chances of winning a best picture Oscar next month in a race that had been considered wide open.


“Argo” won best cast ensemble, the top prize, at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, while Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence took lead acting honors.






On Saturday, “Argo” won the Producers Guild Award – a key measure of Hollywood sentiment – beating “Lincoln,” “Les Miserables,” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” which are all Academy Award best picture contenders.


“There was absolutely no way I thought we would win this award,” the film’s director and star, Ben Affleck, told reporters backstage after the SAG win. “Argo” is the true story of the rescue of U.S. diplomats stranded in Tehran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.


Asked about his movie’s Oscar chances, Affleck said he was not in the business of “handicapping or trying to divine what’s going to happen down the road.”


“I don’t know what’s going to happen, nothing may happen, but it’s a wonderful opportunity to be on the ride,” Affleck added.


The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) ceremony is among the most-watched during Hollywood’s awards season because actors make up the largest voting group in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which chooses the Oscar winners. The SAG honors are selected by about 100,000 actors working in the United States.


SAG prizes acting over directing, screenplay writing and other skills that usually factor into the Oscar best picture choice.


PLAYING DOWN OSCAR HOPES


British-born Day-Lewis, who has picked up a slew of awards for his intense portrayal of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to abolish slavery in “Lincoln,” confirmed his status as front-runner for what would be his record third Oscar on February 24.


But the actor played down his Oscar hopes backstage. “Members of the academy love surprises, so about the worst thing that can happen to you is if you’ve built up an expectation,” Day-Lewis told reporters.


Accepting his award on stage to a standing ovation, he recalled that “it was an actor that murdered Abraham Lincoln and, therefore, it is sometimes only fitting that, now and then, an actor tries to bring him back to life again.”


In one of the most closely contested categories, Lawrence, 22, was chosen best lead actress for playing an outspoken young widow in “Silver Linings Playbook” over Jessica Chastain’s feisty CIA agent in Osama bin Laden thriller “Zero Dark Thirty.”


Tommy Lee Jones, 66, won the best supporting actor trophy for his turn as radical Congressman Thaddeus Stevens in “Lincoln,” beating strong competition from Robert De Niro, who played a gruff father in “Silver Linings Playbook.”


Anne Hathaway, 30, won her first SAG award for her supporting role as the tragic Fantine in musical “Les Miserables.”


“I got my SAG card when I was 14 … And I have loved every single minute of my life as an actor,” said Hathaway, accepting the statuette.


SAG also handed out awards for performances in TV dramas, comedies and mini-series, and gave a lifetime achievement award to actor Dick Van Dyke.


In TV drama, the British cooks and countesses period show “Downton Abbey” won best ensemble cast. “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston was named best actor and “Homeland’s” Claire Danes best actress.


“Modern Family” won the best comedy cast ensemble award for a third consecutive time. Alec Baldwin won best TV comedy actor for the 8th time for his role as an egotistical executive in “30 Rock” and his co-star Tina Fey took the honors for comedy actress ahead of the show’s final episode on Thursday.


(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, editing by Stacey Joyce)


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“Fruitvale,” “Blood Brothers” win top awards at Sundance






PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) – Drama film “Fruitvale” and documentary “Blood Brothers” won the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, giving them a big boost to reach independent movie audiences this year.


“Fruitvale,” starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan and directed by 26-year-old, first-time filmmaker Ryan Coogler,” picked up the U.S. drama jury and audience awards for its “moral and social urgency.”






The film is based on the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in Oakland, California, on New Year’s Eve in 2008 and whose death sparked riots against police brutality. Movie studio The Weinstein Company purchased distribution rights for the film.


“This film had a profound impact on the audience that saw it … this award goes out to my home in the Bay Area where Oscar Grant breathed, slept, loved, had fun and survived for 22 years,” Coogler said in his acceptance speech.


Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim awarded the U.S. documentary jury prize to “Blood Brothers,” saying it shook the voting panel to their core.


The documentary follows an American man who moves to Africa and works with children suffering from HIV at an orphanage, and through his work, the children gain a voice.


“It is so encouraging for the kids … their lives are so encouraging, and they die and no one remembers their name … To take their story so that everyone sees it, it’s so awesome,” director Steve Hoover said.”


Young actress Shailene Woodley, praised for her performance in “The Descendants” last year, and her co-star Miles Teller won the Special Jury acting prize in “The Spectacular Now.”


Actress Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut in the U.S. drama category with quirky comedy “In A World,” picked up the drama screenwriting award.


Hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who premiered his raunchy directorial debut “Don Jon’s Addiction” this year, the Sundance Film Festival Awards pick winners at the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood’s major studios.


“Sundance is a community of people of filmmakers and film lovers who all believe together that there’s more to movies than glitz and glamour and money and the box office. In Hollywood, you can feel like a freak if you talk about movies as art, and here, you don’t have that,” Gordon-Levitt said.


WORLD CINEMA WINNERS


The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 35th year, is backed by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. The 10-day gathering of the independent film industry is held in snowy Park City, Utah.


In previous years, films that win the top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival often go on to achieve Hollywood awards success as well.


Last year, mythological drama “Beasts of the Southern Wild” won the top prize at Sundance and is now nominated for four Oscars in major categories.


The award winners are voted for by special juries of industry professionals and by the audience for the audience favorite awards.


In the world cinema categories, South Korean drama “Jiseul” picked up the grand jury drama prize. The film, directed by Muel O, follows the residents of a small town who were forced to hide in a cave for 60 days after the military attacked their village.


Cambodian documentary “A River Changes Course,” about three young Cambodians struggling with adversity in a country ravaged by war and debt, picked up the world cinema grand jury award.


“Events like these really bring our communities together to share in the beauty of the world and the beauty of our future,” director Kalyanee Mam said.


“Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer,” which follows the story of three members of a Russian feminist punk band jailed for performing a “punk prayer” in a Russian Orthodox church, picked up special jury prize in the world documentary category.


Co-director Mike Lerner said the three members of the band had “started a feminist revolution that we hope will continue around the world.”


(Editing by Philip Barbara)


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Fox News, Palin cutting ties






NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel is parting ways with former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, ending her three-year tenure as a contributor on the network.


While Palin’s time at Fox was occasionally rocky, the network’s news executive, Bill Shine, said Friday that “we have thoroughly enjoyed our association” with her.






“We wish her the best in her future endeavors,” said Shine, Fox’s executive vice president for programming.


A person familiar with discussions between Fox and Palin described the parting as amicable, saying that Fox and Palin had discussed renewing her contract but she decided to do other things. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.


Palin’s lawyer in Alaska, John Tiemessen, had no immediate comment on her exit. Palin’s last appearance on Fox News was Dec. 19 on Greta Van Susteren‘s show.


Palin signed to deliver commentary on Fox in January 2010, reportedly for $ 1 million a year. It was a coup for both sides at the time; the former Alaska governor was a little more than a year removed from her attention-getting run for the vice presidency and was considered one of the leading contenders for the 2012 presidential nomination. At Fox, she had a platform on the most popular network for conservative viewers. Fox installed equipment in Palin’s Wasilla, Alaska, home to make her regular appearances easier.


But there were some indications of tension between her and Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, who was quoted in a 2011 story by The Associated Press saying, “I hired Sarah Palin because she was hot and got ratings.”


When Palin announced she would not be a candidate in 2012, she said it on a conservative radio show, which didn’t sit well with the company paying her to be a contributor. Palin took to her Facebook page late last summer to complain that Fox had cancelled her appearances one night at the GOP national convention; Fox said it was simply because the GOP had to condense its speaker schedule due to a hurricane.


Four years removed from her vice presidential candidacy, Palin’s influence had waned and she was somewhat overshadowed as a contributor at Fox by Karl Rove, former President George W. Bush‘s top political aide. Rove recently renewed his contract at Fox through the 2016 election.


With four more years of a Barack Obama administration in power, Fox recently hired former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich as a contributor.


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Voice of Te’o prankster? Couric plays voicemails






NEW YORK (AP) — The person Manti Te’o says was pretending to be his online girlfriend told the Notre Dame linebacker “I love you” in voicemails that were played during his interview with Katie Couric.


Taped earlier this week and broadcast Thursday, the hour-long talk show featured three voicemails that Te‘o claims were left for him last year. Te’o said they were from the person he believed to be Lennay Kekua, a woman he had fallen for online but never met face-to-face.






After the first message was played, Te’o said: “It sounds like a girl, doesn’t it?”


“It does,” Couric responded.


The interview was the All-American’s first on camera since his tale of inspired play after the deaths of his grandmother and girlfriend on the same day in September unraveled as a bizarre hoax in an expose by Deadspin.com on Jan. 16.


Te’o's parents appeared with him for part of the interview and backed up his claim that he wasn’t involved in the fabrication, saying they, too, had spoken on the phone with a person they believed to be Kekua.


Couric addressed speculation that the tale was concocted by Te’o as a way to cover up his sexual orientation. Asked if he were gay, Te’o said “no” with a laugh. “Far from it. Faaaar from that.”


He also said he was “scared” and “didn’t know what to do” after receiving a call on Dec. 6 — two days before the Heisman Trophy presentation — from a person who claimed to be his “dead” girlfriend.


The first voicemail, he said, was from what was supposed to be Kekua’s first day of chemotherapy for leukemia.


“Hi, I am just letting you know I got here and I’m getting ready for my first session and, um, just want to call you to keep you posted. I miss you. I love you. Bye,” the person said.


In the second voicemail, the person was apparently upset by someone else answering Te’o's phone.


The third voicemail was left on Sept. 11, according to Te’o, the day he believed Kekua was released from the hospital and the day before she “died.”


“Hey babe, I’m just calling to say goodnight,” the person on the voicemail said. “I love you. I know that you’re probably doing homework or you’re with the boys. … But I just wanted to say I love you and goodnight and I’ll be ok tonight. I’ll do my best. Um, yeah, so get your rest and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you so much, hon. Sweet dreams.”


Couric suggested the person who left those messages might have been Ronaiah Tuisasosopo, a 22-year-old man from California, who Te’o said has apologized to him for pulling the hoax.


“Do you think that could have been a man on the other end of the phone?” she asked.


“Well, it didn’t sound like a man,” Te’o said. “It sounded like a woman. If he somehow made that voice, that’s incredible. That’s an incredible talent to do that. Especially every single day.”


Tuiasosopo has not spoken publicly since news of the hoax broke. The Associated Press has learned that a home in California where Te’o sent flowers to the Kekua family was once a residence of Tuiasosopo and has been in his family for decades.


Also on Thursday, the woman whose pictures were used in fake online accounts for Kekua said Tuiasosopo confessed to her in a 45-minute phone conversation as the scheme unraveled.


Diane O’Meara spoke with The Associated Press in a telephone interview. She said Tuiasosopo told her he’d been “stalking” her Facebook profile for five years and stealing photos.


O’Meara’s attorney, Jim Artiano, said they had not decided on whether to take any legal action.


The 23-year-old O’Meara, of Long Beach, Calif., said she knew Tuiasosopo from high school and he contacted her through Facebook on Dec. 16. She said that, over the next three weeks, Tuiasosopo got in touch with her several times, attempting to get photos and video of O’Meara. She said he made up a story about wanting them to help cheer up a cousin who was injured in a car crash.


O’Meara learned her identity had been stolen on Jan. 13 when she was contacted by Deadspin.com.


The next day she got in touch with Tuiasosopo.


“When I contacted Ronaiah I got a very bizarre vibe from him, he became very nervous, he wasn’t asking the questions I expected. He was asking ‘Who contacted you? What did they say?’” O’Meara said.


Later that day, he confessed, O’Meara said. She said she asked Tuiasosopo why he didn’t simply stop the hoax.


“He told me he wanted to end the relationship,” O’Meara said. “He said he wanted to stop the relationship between Lennay and Manti, but Manti didn’t want Lennay to break up with him … He said he tried to stop the game many times.”


When news of the hoax broke a few days later, O’Meara said she received a text from Tuiasosopo asking her to call him as soon as possible. O’Meara said she didn’t respond.


___


Associated Press writer Tami Abdollah contributed to this report from Los Angeles.


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Country singer Gary Allan’s new album gets label’s early push






NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – The release of country music singer Gary Allan’s new album “Set You Free,” this week, his first since undergoing vocal surgery in 2010, was not meant to happen so soon.


But when his record label, MCA Nashville, saw his new song “Every Storm (Runs out of Rain),” race up the charts in September, the label pushed the album’s release up two months from March.






“I’ve been doing this forever and it usually goes the other way,” Allan told Reuters. “It’s super exciting for me.”


Now in its 20th week on Billboard’s country chart, “Every Storm (Runs out of Rain),” peaked last week at No. 4 and has been downloaded some 685,000 times, according to Nielsen SoundScan.


Allan, 45, who has scored three country chart toppers in his 17-year career, said his latest hit was the right song at the right time for a country politically divided and seemingly down on its luck.


“It’s a song about hope,” he said. “Sometimes a song really resonates with people and the public because of the timing of its release. This is a time when our country needs hope and I think that’s why it’s doing so well.”


Allan’s voice is stronger on the album and he credits surgery he underwent in 2010 to remove a polyp from his vocal cords, which made it difficult for him to sing high notes.


“I don’t think I realized it really, but there were a few years where I couldn’t hit the falsetto notes on songs like ‘Smoke Rings in the Dark.’ After the surgery, it was like I was 18 again,” he said.


Allan, a California native who often plays down-home American rodeos and state fairs, is best known as a brooding troubadour who likes to pack an emotional punch.


TEAM OF RIVALS


“I don’t want to hear songs about how sunshiny things are,” he said. “I don’t like songs that feel like radio candy … I like the ones that make you think, laugh or cry – they pull some kind of emotion out of you.”


Allan for the first time played a part in writing every song on “Set You Free” to achieve that sentiment. He also used a team of rivals to freshen up his sound on his ninth studio album.


“I think you need to do something new to keep reinventing yourself,” he said. “I used three different producers and we were all a little competitive with each other to see who could get the best songs,” he said.


“The result was we got better quality in the songs and the recording. It’s my favorite album I’ve ever done.”


Among his favorite songs on the album is “One More Time,” a song about the death of his father in 2008, written with Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren – co-writers on “Every Storm.”


“We just wanted to write an introspective song,” Allan said. “We kept thinking ‘What would you say when you got to the pearly gates?’, and what I would say is ‘I want one more time, I’m not ready to be there.’”


Another song, “Pieces,” describes Allan’s life philosophy.


“No matter who you meet in life, you take something from them, positive or negative,” Allan said. “That’s what the song is about, pieces of what I’ve been through and of the people I’ve met.”


MCA Nashville is part of Universal Music Group, a subsidiary of France’s Vivendi SA.


(Reporting by Vernell Hackett, editing by Eric Kelsey, desking by G Crosse)


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“Cyborg Foundation” wins $100K Focus Forward prize






LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Spanish director Rafel Duran Torrent has won the $ 100,000 cash prize in the Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. The awards, the most lucrative ever given to short documentaries, went to five different shorts, with the top one being Duran Torrent’s “Cyborg Foundation.”


The director will also be invited to a Sundance Institute ShortsLab program of his choice this year.






Runners-up were Jared P. Scott and Kelly Nyks for “The Artificial Leaf,” Paul Lazarus for “Slingshot,” Kim Munsamy for “Bones Don’t Lie and Don’t Forget” and Callum Cooper for “Mine Kafon.”


The program was launched at last year’s Sundance by Morgan Spurlock and Karol Martesko-Fenster. Focus Forward was run by Spurlock’s and Martesko-Fenster’s company, cinelan, and sponsored by GE.


The top films were chosen by a jury consisting of Sundance senior programmer Caroline Libresco, actress Daryl Hannah and directors Barbara Kopple, Jose Padilha, Joe Berlinger, Floyd Webb and Peter Wintonick.


The winning films and the 15 other finalists can be viewed on the Focus Forward website.


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Michelle Obama wears Wu to the balls again






WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama made it a fashion tradition Monday night, wearing a custom-made Jason Wu gown to the inauguration balls. The ruby-colored dress was a follow-up to the white gown Wu made for her four years ago when she was new to Washington, the pomp and circumstance, and the fashion press.


She now emerged in velvet and chiffon as a bona fide trendsetter.






“I can’t believe it. It’s crazy,” said Wu, reached at his Manhattan studio. “To have done it once was already the experience of my life. To have a second time is tremendous.”


President Barack Obama also struck a similar style chord to his first-term inaugural balls: He wore a white tie with his tuxedo.


The red halter dress was the only one Wu, who went from fashion insider to household name on this night in 2009, submitted for Mrs. Obama’s consideration. He collaborated with jeweler Kimberly McDonald on the jeweled neckline. “For this occasion, it had to be real diamonds,” Wu said.


He said he felt the dress showed how he has grown up as a designer — and how Mrs. Obama’s style has evolved to be even more confident.


The first family headed out to inaugural festivities earlier on Monday with Mrs. Obama leading a very coordinated fashion parade in a navy-silk, checkered-patterned coat and dress by Thom Browne that were inspired by a menswear necktie.


The outfit was specifically designed for Mrs. Obama, but Browne said he wasn’t 100 percent sure she was going to wear it until she came out with it on at Inauguration. “I am proud and humbled,” he said.


The rest of Mrs. Obama’s Inauguration Day outfit included a belt from J. Crew, necklace by Cathy Waterman and a cardigan by Reed Krakoff, whose ensemble she also wore to yesterday’s intimate, indoor swearing-in ceremony.


Obama wore a blue tie with his white shirt, dark suit and overcoat. Malia Obama had on a plum-colored J. Crew coat with the hemline of an electric-blue dress peeking out and a burgundy-colored scarf, and her younger sister Sasha had on a Kate Spade coat and dress in a similar purple shade.


“It is an honor that Sasha Obama chose to wear Kate Spade New York,” said the company’s creative director, Deborah Lloyd, in an email to the Associated Press. “She epitomizes the youthful optimism and colorful spirit of the brand. We are so proud to have been a part of this historic moment.”


Jenna Lyons, creative director of J. Crew, said it was “a huge point of pride for all of us” to be a part of the day — as the brand was back in 2009 when the girls wore outfits by CrewCuts, its children’s label.


“It’s amazing to see the evolution of the family. I love the way Michelle looks. She looks beautiful in something so clean and tailored. It’s such an elegant choice,” Lyons said, “and they all look so sophisticated! You can see how the girls have grown up in the four years, and they’re still so alive and vibrant, but more sophisticated.”


The vice president’s wife, Jill Biden, wore a gray coat and dress by American designer Lela Rose.


Mrs. Obama has worn Browne’s designs for other occasions, including a gray dress with black lace overlay to one of the presidential debates last fall, and she honored him last summer at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards for his contribution to fashion.


Browne made his name in modern — very modern — menswear, but he launched womenswear in 2011. He was in Paris on Monday, just finishing previews for his next menswear collection. The idea to use the tie fabric came to him because he was indeed designing these men’s clothes at the same time, he explained.


“I wanted ‘tailored’ for her. For me, she stands for strength and confidence, and that’s what I wanted to design for her,” he said.


Simon Collins, dean of the school of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design in New York, said the Obamas dressed in their typical fashion: one that shows pride in their appearance.


“They are a stylish couple and their children look fabulous. Too many people get dressed in the dark,” he said. “They show it’s good to dress up, take pride in how you look. … It’s a wonderful example for America and the rest of the world.”


He also noted that the Obamas seem to understand that the fashion industry is a driving force in the U.S. economy and that its lobby is a powerful one. They don’t treat fashion frivolously, he observed.


The first lady “is so supportive of so many American designers,” Browne noted.


But Collins said he was a bit surprised the public doesn’t pay much attention to the president’s wardrobe. He joked that Obama should perhaps try one of Browne’s signature shrunken suits — the ones that show a man’s ankles.


At the end of the Inaugural festivities, Mrs. Obama’s outfit and accompanying accessories will go to the National Archives.


___


Samantha Critchell tweets fashion at (at)AP_Fashion, and can be reached on Twitter at (at)Sam_Critchell.


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Legend, 2 Chainz, MC Lyte honored at Hip-Hop Ball






WASHINGTON (AP) — John Legend believes hip-hop played its part in helping Barack Obama become president, and he’s proud at how the genre has matured over the years.


“I think hip-hop had a role in making sure we elected a black president in America because we made it so that black people were in people’s homes … through our music and through our culture,” the R&B crooner said Sunday night at the Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball.






“I think it made Barack Obama and more people like him possible, so I’m really thankful for hip-hop and the role it plays in society,” he continued.


Legend was awarded the humanitarian award at Sunday’s event, and it was one of many honors handed out at the Harman Center for Arts.


Hip-hop pioneers MC Lyte and Doug E. Fresh were both given lifetime achievement awards. Fresh even hit the stage, beat boxing while comedian-actor-singer Wayne Brady cooed Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” At one point, Brady even busted out his own rhymes.


Rapper Yo Yo earned a roaring cheer when she hit the stage to honor MC Lyte; Lil Mama also paid tribute to the “Ruffneck” rapper.


2 Chainz, who had a breakthrough year with his Grammy-nominated solo debut and multiple rap hits, earned the street soldier award for encouraging young voters as a spokesperson for the Hip-Hop Caucus’ “Respect My Vote!” campaign.


“Doing my thing on the charts is one thing, but to be getting honored on another avenue, it just feels like a blessing,” he said in an interview. “I’m keeping my head leveled and staying humble.”


Actress Rosario Dawson won the vanguard award for her work as chairman of the Voto Latino organization.


“It’s time to step out of the shadows. It’s time to not just be talked about by other people, it’s time to take the leadership ourselves and that first step of leadership is voting,” Dawson said of the importance of the Latino vote.


Rappers Swizz Beatz and Meek Mill also earned honors at the event, attended by a few hundred hip-hop fans, including model Tyson Beckford, former NBA star Dikembe Mutumbo and Victor Cruz of the New York Giants. La La Anthony and Terrence J hosted the ball.


British singer Marsha Ambrosius also delivered a rousing performance, and playful jokes about Obama.


“I got a call from the president and he asked me to perform his favorite song,” she said before singing the R&B jam “Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player).”


Then she sang “Butterflies,” a song she co-wrote for Michael Jackson’s 2001 “Invincible” album.


“This might have been his favorite,” she said.


___


Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin


Entertainment News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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