Celebrity prank calls

BAFTA has celebrated the number of older white women nominated for best actress at its Television Awards amid a steep decline in ethnic diversity in performance shortlists. All six nominees in the Leading Actress category are white, with some observing that Ambika Mod had been overlooked for her performance in BBC/AMC series This Is Going To Hurt , which is leading the chase for a bronze mask with a total of six nominations. Asked if BAFTA had hoped for a different outcome, CEO Jane Millichip said: “There is representation in that category in the fact that if you look at the age of the actresses and the roles written for them, it is extraordinary. This is something that we’ve discussed for a long time in the television and film world: Are the roles written for women over the age of 40? That is a really impressive result.” Imelda Staunton (aged 67) has been nominated for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown . Other nominees include Kate Winslet (47) … [Read more...] about BAFTA Says Older White Women Count As Diversity As It Defends Big Drop In TV Nominations For People Of Color

Whenever the Iranian regime feels threatened by public protest its reflex is to go after two groups: demonstrators, most assuredly, but also artists – especially filmmakers. When protests surged in six provinces in May last year over rising food prices, the government promptly banged on the doors of two documentary filmmakers, Mina Keshavarz and Firouzeh Khosrovani, and arrested them. For good measure, law enforcement agents reportedly harassed numerous other filmmakers, seizing their communications equipment. The May unrest appears mild compared to the uproar triggered in September 2022 by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly not wearing her hijab in accordance with law. Security forces have attacked and killed an unknown number of demonstrators in the course of months of protests. The government also responded with an immediate clamp down on leading figures in Iranian cinema, detaining or imprisoning Jafar Panahi, Mohammad … [Read more...] about Wim Wenders, Afsun Moshiry Unveil Six Iranian Docs At CPH:DOX As Iran’s Regime Continues Crackdown On Filmmakers

Actress and Goop CEO Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in court Tuesday for the first day of a civil trial over claims she seriously injured a man in a skiing accident in Park City, Utah, in 2016. Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, filed the suit against Paltrow, alleging that the Shakespeare in Love actress caused a violent collision that left him seriously injured on the ground while she and her entourage continued their descent down the slopes, AP reported. The lawsuit states that Paltrow crashed into Sanderson, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs, and other serious injuries.” Sanderson initially sued for $3 million, but after that suit was dismissed, he amended his claim and is now seeking $300,000. Paltrow has filed a counterclaim, seeking legal fees and $1 in damages. The Oscar winner has alleged that Sanderson is overstating his injuries and trying to exploit her wealth and celebrity. “He demanded … [Read more...] about Gwyneth Paltrow Appears In Court As Trial Over 2016 Ski Accident Begins

Lamia Chraibi is one of Morocco’s best-known indie film producers whose credits include Mica , about a boy from the slums who is discovered to have a talent for tennis, and Sitges prize-winning horror Achoura as well as co-producing 2016 Cannes Critics’ Week winner Las Mimosas . The Franco-Moroccan producer, who works under the banner of La Prod in Casablanca and Moons a Deal in Paris, is now attempting to break into drama series. It is a transition that has been tried and tested by indie film producers in Europe and North America but is less common in the Middle East and North Africa . Chraibi is giving it a shot in the belief that North African drama could eventually enjoy the same popularity as the non-English language shows out of Scandinavia, Turkey or South Korea. “I’m convinced that they could seduce audiences in the same way,” she says. “Language and origin of a series is no longer an issue, if anything, there’s an appetite to see stories set in … [Read more...] about Doha Film Institute Pioneers Series Lab As MENA Indie Film Producers Push Into Drama In Untapped Region

Getty UPDATE 4:32 PM PT -- 1/19 -- Marvin Gaye III allegedly grabbed his wife by the neck and lifted her off the ground before her cousin intervened, and then he began physically attacking both women before pointing a handgun at them ... at least according to the wife, who just got court-ordered protection from Marvin Gaye 's son. UPDATE In Wendy Gaye 's request for a domestic violence restraining order, she claims Marvin threatened to shoot her and her cousin as they ran out of the house. UPDATE In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Wendy says it wasn't the first abusive incident over their 12 years together ... and she claims he's threatened her with a gun on multiple occasions in the past. UPDATE The judged signed off on the restraining order ... and Marvin now must stay a football field away from her and her cousin and has to move out of the home. More marital issues for Marvin Gaye III, son of Motown icon Marvin Gaye ... his wife is … [Read more...] about Marvin Gaye III’s Wife Claims He Grabbed Her By Neck Before Pointing Gun At Her

TMZ.com Dick Van Dyke got into a car crash in Malibu ... though he managed to avoid serious injury. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police responded to a call of a single-car accident last Wednesday morning, and when deputies arrived they found Dick behind the wheel of a 2018 Lexus LS 500 which he'd crashed into a gate. Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Our sources say the 97-year-old film and TV legend told cops his car slid and he lost control before slamming into the gate. The streets were wet from the nonstop rain L.A.'s been getting. As for Dick's injuries ... we're told he was bleeding from the nose and mouth and might have suffered a concussion. Paramedics treated him at the scene, and he had no interest in going to a hospital. Dick's taken a beating onscreen during his seven decades in Hollywood ... so we're guessing a few minor bumps and bruises don't faze him much. Our sources say drugs and alcohol were NOT … [Read more...] about Dick Van Dyke Behind the Wheel in Single-Car Crash