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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Drew Barrymore gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Drew Barrymore has earned her own spot on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The actress, who was just seven when she shot to fame in ET, is the fifth Barrymore to be immortalised with a star on the sidewalk. Drew’s father John Drew Barrymore was an actor and grandfather John Barrymore a 1930s movie star. Her uncle Lionel and aunt Ethel acted mostly in theatre. The Charlie’s Angels star’s plaque is in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where space is reserved for Hollywood’s biggest celebrities.

Maria Shriver quits NBC News
Maria Shriver, who took a leave of absence from her job as occasional co-host of NBC’s Dateline in order to help husband Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid for the California governorship, has now quit NBC News. Following the election, Shriver returned to the program on what appeared to be an accelerated schedule, but left once again following reports that she was playing an integral role in Schwarzenegger’s administration. “It has become clear to me that as I try to move forward and balance my career as a news journalist with my new role as first lady of California, my journalistic integrity and that of NBC News will be constantly scrutinized,” Shriver said in a statement.

James Brown arrested
Singer James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” was arrested on domestic assault charges at his home in South Carolina, The star, 70, was whisked away by cops and booked into the county jail in Aiken, South Carolina, where he’s awaiting a bail hearing. It’s not the first time Brown has been locked up - in 1988 he served a prison term after an arrest on drug and assault charges and was convicted of a drug-related offense in 1998. But the state of South Carolina - where Brown lives - forgave the singer for his crimes last May when they granted him a pardon.

Photographer Helmut Newton Killed in Car Crash
Acclaimed fashion photographer Helmut Newton died in a car crash in Los Angeles when he lost control of his Cadillac while leaving a Hollywood hotel and crashed into a wall and lost his life after being taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center. He was 83. The controversial photographer was famed for his love of black and white shots of nude celebrity females, having shot stars including Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Jerry Hall for a range of publications including Playboy, Elle and Vogue. Mr. Newton, who was Jewish, fled Germany for Singapore in December 1938, a month after Nazi-led pogroms. He eventually settled in Australia and became a citizen, then took up residence in Monte Carlo.

It’s the End for ‘That 70’s Show’
Ashton Kutcher is bringing another of his hit TV shows to an end, after announcing the next season of That 70s Show will be the last. Kutcher and his sitcom co-stars have decided to bring the show to an end next year. Co-star Topher Grace says, “It’s out of respect to the show. We have so much fun but you know when these shows kind of get lame after a while, well, we want to go out while it’s still good. Ashton and I, our contracts are done this year but we actually signed up for another year. But we wanna end it.”

JULIA ROBERTS AND ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER TO VISIT INDIA
Dr K.A Paul, the founder of the global peace initiative (CPI), has invited “Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts and actor-turned-Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger to visit India. They will also make a stopover in Mumbai on their way to Hydrabad.

Australia wooing Bollywood
Australia is striving to get filmmakers in Bollywood to shoot their movies around famous landmarks in Australia, like the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the red desert of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kangaroo Island, to popularise Australia as a major film destination .The sheer scale and scope of locations available in Australian cities such as Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth are amazing. These cities offer sophisticated high rises, intricate colonial architecture and family neiborhoods.

“LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURNOF THE KING” WINS TOP GOLDEN GLOBES
The epic film fantasy “Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King” won the Golden Globe Awards for the best film and the best director. The film also bagged two musical awards,
one for composer Howard Shore for best original score and another for the best movie song”Into the West”.
Charlize Theron bagged the best actress award for her role in “Monster”.

“Lost in Transition”, about a pair of Americans in Tokyo searching for meaning in their lives, took the prize for best film comedy or musical.

Diane Keaton as an older woman in love in “Something’s Gotta Give” and

Bill Murray as an aging actor in “Lost in Transition” got the awards for lead comedy performances. Tim Robbins and Renee Zellweger bagged supporting movie performer honours.

Marlon Brando writes his will
Acting legend Marlon Brando who starred in films like “On The Water Front” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” is 79. He has reportedly been preparing for death since being told, about eight months ago, that he was suffering with congestive heart failure. In the will that he has written, he has not only mentioned the names of those whom he would like to attend his funeral, but also the names of those who he would not like to be invited. He has also expressed a wish that his ashes be sprinkled amid the palm trees of a Tahitian island he once owned.

Angelina Jolie honoured for work with refugees
Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie received the U.N. correspondents association’s FIRST CITIZEN OF THE WORLD award for her efforts to spotlight the plight of the world’s 20 million refugees. As a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency since 2001, Jolie has travelled to a dozen different hotspots and war zones such as Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Kosovo and Ingushetia in Russia. The 28-year-old actress who adopted a boy from Cambodia told those present at the presentation ceremony that she never feels more alive than when she is with refugees.

“Goodbye, Lenin” Topmost Nominee in European Film Awards
The European Film Academy has given Wolfgang Becker’s East Berlin comedy, “Goodbye, Lenin” five nominations for this year’s European film awards, including mentions for best European film and best director. Becker’s feel-good film about a son trying to keep the truth of German reunification from his loyal communist mother also picked up EFA acting nominations for stars Daniel Bruehl and Katrin Sass as well as a screenplay nomination for writer Bernd Lichtenberg.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appeal
“Titanic” star Leonardo DiCaprio is making use of his stardom for a good cause. He has called on officials to reduce America’s dependence on oil and appealed for a slowdown on global warming. According to “Teen Hollywood”, the actor who is also a conservationist narrated an online film titled “Global Warming” as part of an Internet campaign organized by Global Green USA, an affiliate of Green Cross International.

Mel Gibson’s film praised
Mel Gibson’s religious film, an epic, “The Passion Of The Christ” has been praised by Vatican officials after three highly influential congregations were invited to special screenings of the film. The film was described as “a production of exquisite artistic and religious sensitivity. It neither exaggerates nor downplays the role of Jewish authorities and legal proceedings in the condemnation of Jesus.”

De Niro has prostate cancer

US film star Robert De Niro has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. But the doctors say that his prospects for recovery are good. De Niro has recently been voted the greatest actor of all times. This 60-year old has beaten Steve McQueen, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson to the title. More than 13,000 film fans were asked to vote to find the top 50 most popular film actors and Actresses. Marilyn Monroe was the highest ranked female at number seven.

One of the most popular actors in Hollywood, De Niro has twice won Oscar in the best actor category.

New partnership to help develop film industry in SA
US film and production outfit Goldstein Company has entered into a partnership with Johnnic Communications to collaborate in raising finance for the production and distribution of a number of feature films to be produced in the country. The partnership is designed to facilitate the producrion of at least six feature films. The films will be selected for commercial success in the North American and international markets and be a combination of African screenings and stories as well as films shot on other locations.

Goldstein Company president Gary Goldstein said what motivated the company to work in South Africa was the contribution it could make to the development of the local film industry. “We have a good number of projects that could be put to production in the next three years. We have spoken to a number of film directors to make them aware of SA as a possible destination for making movies.” Goldstein said.
He said the Company’s involvement also meant it could be part of the growth of film industry in SA by training a number of local people in key areas of film making. What also motivated Goldstein and a group of independent producers was a chance to reduce production costs as the producers did not have resources of bigger movie studios. Filming in SA is still cheaper than in Australia, the other favourite destination for US filmmakers and even lower than Europe or North America. Johnnic Communications CEO Connie Molusi said the partnership would be built on the company’s existing film business.

“ We are excited about the opportunity of taking the role of SA’s film industry on the larger global stage”, Molusi said.

Julia Roberts believes in “will of heaven”
“Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts whom motherhood is eluding is not fretting or fuming. On the contrary, she has turned philosophical and left pregnancy to the will of heaven. And she has no complaints against her cameraman husband Daniel Moder. She says, she shares a very profound and positive relationship with him.

Tops box office
The later-in-life love-and-laugh story Something’s Gotta Give starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, surged to first place at North American box offices. The film elbowed past Tom Cruise’s “The Last Samurai”.That’s the way to go Jack.

Jennifer’s party with a difference
One cannot help appreciating what actress Jennifer Love Hewitt did recently. She arranged a party for victims of the Lake Arrowhead wildfire that blackened Southern California in October last year.The gathering included food, music and a photographer to take family pictures. The wildfire killed at least 22 people and destroyed about 3,600 homes.

Satyajit Ray award
Czech cinema pioneer and director Jiri Menzel was honoured with Satyajit Ray lifetime achievement award by Chidananda Dasgupta at the 9th Kolkata Film Festival between December 10 and 17. Speaking on the occasion, the Oscar-winning director said “I often create ‘humour’ and ‘laughter’ in my cinema to ‘laugh at life’ because I consider life ‘sad and cruel’. The director was paid a warm tribute through a solid retrospective of his 11 films revealing a rare poignancy of human life trapped in eventless pattern of existence.

Travolta, Spielberg honoured in New York
An all-star gala was held at the famed Rainbow Room in Manhattan to honor the recipients of this years Stella Adler Studio of Acting Awards.

Entitled Stella by Starlight, the event, celebrated with a gala fete and awards ceremony, honoured the legacy of the late legendary actor, director and teacher Stella Adler.

The award winners included film and television star John Travolta, who was presented with the Stella Adler Award ‘for consummate artistic achievement and interpretation’ and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg who received the Jacob Adler Award for ‘courageous contributions to American culture’. The director was not able to attend the ceremony.

Acting couple Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were honored with the Group Theater Award for ‘prolific achievement in theater, film and television arts and for community and social commitment’.

The event’s co-chairmen were Marlon Brando, Michael Medavoy and Roy Scheider. Together, they headed the committee of luminaries from the worlds of theater, film, television and business, many of those being alumni of the famous school.

Stella Adler is considered by many American theater professionals to be one of the premiere masters of modern dramatic training and interpretation in the country. She is the co-founder of the acclaimed Group Theater, and together with Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg and Cheryl Crawford, she established one of the world’s leading acting schools.

To this day, nearly ten years after her death, Adler is still viewed one of the foremost influences on contemporary American acting.

“Cold Mountain” is on the top in race for Oscar
Civil War conflict “Cold Mountain” topped the list of Golden Globe nominees with eight nominations, including the best dramatic film, putting it ahead of all the films in this year’s race for the Oscar in Hollywood.

The Miramax film also earned nominations for stars Nicole Kidman and Jude Law in categories for best actress and actor in a dramatic film. Director Anthony Minghella received nominations for best director and best screenplay.

International award for Indian children’s film
“Heda Hoda” (Here, There”), a children’s film (in Kutchi language) directed by Vinod Ganatra has won the most prestigious international award at The Golden Elephant Children Film Festival. The festival organized by the Andhra Pradesh Government at Hyderabad is an internationally renowned annual event inviting entries from all over the world.
Titled “The Blind Camel” in English, the film has also been invited to the Berlin Film Festival to be held in February.

British screen star passes away
Patricia Roc who was on the top in the 1940s and 1950s died in Switzerland on December 30. She was 88. Educated at exclusive schools in England and Paris, she studied at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and made her stage debut in 1938 in a London production of the comedy “Nuts in May”.There she was spotted by movie moghul Alexander Korda who gave her the role of a Polish princess in the 1938 costume epic “The Rebel Son”, launching a 40-film movie career that blossomed during World War II. For ten consecutive years from 1943, she was one of Britain’s top box office stars, packing cinemas worldwide in classic films such as “Millions Like Us”, “The Wicked Lady” “The Brothers” and “When the Bough Breaks”.In 1946, Roc was the first homegrown British star to go to Hollywood under a “lend-lease” deal between Rank and Universal Studios.

World’s first full length feature film sold online using peer-to-peer technology
Sharman Networks, publisher and distributor of Kazaa, the world’s most popular file sharing application announced in Sydney on 12th November ‘2003 the world’s first full length feature film to be sold on line using peer-to-peer technology. Under a distribution agreement between Sharman’s partner Altnet and filmmaker Aum Creates, the full-length Hindi language thriller “Supari” is available for purchase to Kazaa’s estimated 60 million users worldwide for US$2.99 . Altnet’s technology allows Aum Creates be paid each time the movie file is shared and purchased via Kazaa, while users can also download free movie trailers, production footage, and music videos, as well as purchase songs from the movie soundtrack for US 90 cents each. The film is protected, promoted and distributed with Altnet technology which allows the copyright holder to be paid each time the movie file is downloaded using Kazaa. Using Alt peer-to-peer distribution technology, content owners have complete control over the rules, distribution and pricing of their products. The efficiency of peer –to- peer can provide an approximate 90% cut in bandwidth costs compared with traditional web site distribution. Altnet’s service gives the film a preferred placement in Kazaa search listings, making it easy for fans to find.

According to Nikki Hemming, CEO Sharman Networks, “”The Bollywood movie market is growing at twice the rate of Hollywood, in terms of production and revenue. This is where benefits of peer-to-peer technology become really clear, by selling large, high quality files online such as feature films,at low cost to a massive audience across the globe which quite simply cannot be done efficiently using traditional websites. Peer-to-peer technology offers movie industry a huge opportunity to massively enhance its distribution and generate revenue.”

Supari’s Indian distributors Yash Raj Films initiated promotion of the film on Kazaa prior to release in India. According to Supari director, Padam Kumar, “through movie trailer, soundtrack, and ‘behind the scenes’ footage promotions, Kazaa has already managed to create widespread awareness for Supari. Selling the full movie is a logical next step, and for a relatively low budget movie, it is a very cost-effective way to reach the masses.”

Kumar said “P2P is an exciting new avenue for revenue generation and global distribution in the film industry. The global reach of Kazaa is phenomenal, and it is a very targeted market avenue for us since it’s so entertainment focused.
To find Supari movies, go to the video section in the Kazaa application or search for “Supari Download Kazaa at www.kazaa.com

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