45th Annual NAACP Image Awards – nominations

The nominees for THE 45TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference at the TV One presentation to the Television Critics Association during its Winter 2014 Press Tour in Pasadena, CA. David Oyelowo (“Lee Daniels’ ‘The Butler’”), Joe Morton (ABC’s “Scandal”), Keke Palmer (VH1’s “CrazySexyCool”), Bresha Webb (TV One’s “Love That Girl”) and Gina Torres (USA’s “Suits”) announced the categories and nominees with NAACP Image Awards Committee Chairman, Leonard James and President and CEO of TV One, Alfred Liggins.

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be voted upon by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes are opened on Friday, February 21 during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised categories. The remaining categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Saturday, February 22 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed). The telecast will also include a one-hour pre-show airing live from the red carpet (8:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed).

2013 Festival International du Film sur l'Art (FIFA) Awards – winners

The 31st Annual Festival International du Film sur l'Art (International Festival of Films on Art) or FIFA, presented in association with Astral, closed on Sunday with supplementary screenings of some twenty films. From March 14 to 24, FIFA’s legions of fans were able to enjoy a total of 248 films from 28 countries, embracing a wide range of artistic disciplines, at nine of Montreal’s most prominent cultural institutions. For the first time, FIFA proudly presented recent works from Cuba, Cambodia, South Korea and the Bahamas.

The international jury of the 31st FIFA, presided over by Olivier Kaeppelin, director of the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (France), revealed the 12 prizewinners from 8 countries at the Awards Ceremony held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts last Saturday, March 23. The other jury members included American filmmaker and composer Michael House; New Brunswick producer, director and screenwriter Monique LeBlanc; Quebec producer Michel Ouellette; and Belgian producer-director Françoise Wolff.

2013 Festival International du Film sur l'Art, Mar 14-24

OPENING NIGHT AND AWARDS CEREMONY FILMS OF THE FIFA’s 31st EDITION
THE FATWA – SALMAN’S STORY AND ROAD MOVIE, A PORTRAIT OF JOHN ADAMS

Montréal – The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) is proud to present its Opening Night and Awards Ceremony in one of Montreal’s finest cultural institutions: the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The film The Fatwa – Salman’s story by Jill Nicholls will open the FIFA’s 31st edition on Thursday, March 14 at 8 p.m. and on the eve of the closing of the Festival, the film Road movie, un portrait de John Adams / Road Movie, a Portrait of John Adams by director Mark Kidel will be presented on the Awards Ceremony, held on Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m.

2013 South Bank Sky Arts Awards – winners

The best of British arts and culture celebrated at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2013 in a glittering ceremony hosted by Melvyn Bragg

From Olympic arts and comedy to new and emerging talent, this year's South Bank Sky Arts Awards once again celebrated the best of British culture and achievement. In a ceremony attended by some of the most illustrious patrons, practitioners and performers in the arts, the winners in visual art, theatre, opera, dance, comedy, classical music, pop, TV drama, literature and film were presented with their awards.

Book launch tonight for RAISING HELL: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of The Devils

ECW Press and TINARS are proud to present the launch of Richard Crouse's new book RAISING HELL: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of The Devils! (ECW Press, October 2012)

Some people have yet to recover from seeing Ken Russell’s infamous film The Devils. Considering it was released in 1971, that’s saying something.

Russell was determined to put his own spin on a real-life case of mass hysteria (and supposed demonic possession) that took place amongst a group of Ursuline nuns in 17th century France. His efforts enraged censors and led the film to be banned numerous countries. To this day, The Devils remains a highly controversial cinematic work.

Luminato 6, June 8-17

The sixth edition of Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity beings today with a number of exciting events including Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass and La Belle et la Bête: A Contemporary Retelling. The festival is encompasses a wide spectrum of artistic disciplines and activities including music, theatre, visual arts, literature, film, magic, food and dance.

One of the highlight's of the festival will be a marathon performance by Stewart Goodyear of all 32 of the Beethoven piano sonatas in an 11-hour period. There will also be free concerts every day at David Pecaut Square, starting on Friday, June 9 with K'naan and Kae Sun. Other free shows will include Rufus Wainwright, Loreena McKennitt, Calypso Rose, Fatoumata Diawara, Dan Mangan and Kevin Fox. The closing concert at David Pecaut Square will be the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performing works including a new piece by Philip Glass and Tchaikowsky's 1812 Overture for the 200th Anniversary of that war.

60th Stratford Shakespeare Festival, May 28-Oct 28

Tonight, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival launches their 60th season with a Gala presentation of Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by Christopher Newton, the play will star Ben Carlson as Benedick and Deborah Hay as Beatrice. Newton was a member of the Festival’s acting company from 1966 to 1968.

Five other plays open in quick succession this week: 42nd Street, directed by Gary Griffin and featuring Sean Arbuckle as Julian Marsh, Kyle Blair as Billy Lawlor, Cynthia Dale as Dorothy Brock, and Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Peggy Sawyer; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, directed by Donna Feore, featuring Stephen Patterson as Snoopy, Erica Peck as Lucy and Ken James Stewart as Charlie Brown; Cymbeline, directed by Antoni Cimolino, featuring Graham Abbey as Posthumus, Tom McCamus as Iachimo, Cara Ricketts as Innogen, and Geraint Wyn Davies as Cymbeline; The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Ethan McSweeny, featuring Sean Arbuckle as the Pirate King, Kyle Blair as Frederic, C. David Johnson as the Major General, and Amy Wallis as Mabel Stanley; and The Matchmaker, directed by Chris Abraham, featuring Tom McCamus as Horace Vandergelder and Seana McKenna as Dolly Levi.

2012 South Bank Sky Arts Awards – winners

Yesterday, the leaders of the British contemporary and classical arts scene gathered at The Dorchester to present the 16th Annual South Bank Sky Arts Awards. The ceremony was hosted by Melvyn Bragg.

The winners for film and theatre were both adaptations. We Need To Talk About Kevin was based on Lionel Shriver’s novel, while the theatre presentation of Matilda was from the Roald Dahl story.

For Classical music, the winner was Llŷr Williams for his cycle of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas at the Edinburgh Festival. The winner for Opera was the English National Orchestra's The Damnation of Faust. For Pop Music, Kate Bush won for 50 Words For Snow, winning out over fellow chanteuses Adele (21) and PJ Harvey (Let England Shake). The soprano Sophie Bevan won the Times Breakthrough Award, as voted by readers of The Times.

2012 Festival International du Film sur l’Art – Award winners

30TH FIFA: AN ANNIVERSARY EDITION, A SYMBOL OF REFINEMENT, SURPRISE AND QUALITY!

Montreal, March 26, 2012 – The 30th International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), presented in collaboration with Astral, has demonstrated that after thirty years the public’s devotion to the festival is unwavering, as is the festival’s mission. For the last month, film-lovers, art enthusiasts and tourists joined in the anniversary celebrations. From March 15 to 25, 232 films from 27 countries were presented at nine of Montreal’s finest cultural institutions, representing all artistic disciplines and modes of expressions.

At the awards ceremony held on Saturday, March 24 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the international jury of the 30th FIFA, presided over by singer-actress-director Carole Laure, honoured 12 films from 9 countries. Other jury members included Simon Brault, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada; filmmaker Jérôme de Missolz; Christopher Jackson, conductor and artistic director of the Studio de musiques anciennes de Montréal; and Spanish art historian and museologist Salvador Nadales.

2012 Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA), Mar 15–25

The 30th anniversary edition of the Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA) or International Festival of Films on Art kicks off tonight with an invitation only screening of Lech Majewski’s The Mill and the Cross. The film stars Michael York, Charlotte Rampling and Rutger Hauer as the painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It tells the story of Bruegel's "The Way to Calvary" through a dozen of its characters come to life.

The festival continues over the next week-and-a-half with films about all the arts. It includes films about  painting, sculpture, animation, photography, design, architecture, fashion, film, literature, dance, theatre, opera, music and more.

After last year's successful launch, the Marché International du film sur l'Art (International Market of Films on Art, or MIFA) returns with representatives from countries including France, United States and Spain. MIFA takes place from Wednesday, March 21 to Saturday, March 24. Activities include training, pitch sessions, master classes, roundtables and conferences.

Les Globes de Cristal (French Arts & Culture Awards) - winners

The 7th edition of Les Globes de Cristal (Crystal Globes) took place in Paris for French Arts and Culture in twelve categories. Actress Carole Bouquet hosted the ceremony

Intouchables by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano was named Best Film while Omar Sy was named Best Actor. The film was up against Polisse by Maïwenn, The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius, La Guerre est déclarée (Declaration of War) by Valérie Donzelli and L'Exercice de l‘Etat (The Minister) by Pierre Schoeller. Omar Sy had been competing with his co-star François Cluzet as well as Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Olivier Gourmet L'Exercice de l‘Etat (The Minister), and Jean Pierre Daroussin (Les Neiges du Kilimandjaro (The Snows of Kilimanjaro)).

The Best Actress award went to Karin Viard and Marina Foïs jointly for their work in Maïwenn's Polisse. Their fellow nominees had been Bérénice Béjo (The Artist), Marie Gillain (Toutes nos envies (All Our Desires)), Valérie Donzelli (La Guerre est déclarée (Declaration of War)) and Leïla Bekhti (La Source des femmes (The Source)).