All posts tagged "Oscars"

Hollywood (United States) (AFP) - "Everything Everywhere All at Once" won top honors at the Oscars on Sunday, claiming seven prizes including best picture. Here are five other talking points from the Hollywood ceremony: Kimmel shines - The Academy's decision to bring back late-night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel as Oscars host was widely seen as the cautious choice of a "safe pair of hands" after last year's slap-shaped controversy. But Kimmel -- who has twice hosted before -- delivered a sharp, witty performance, with plenty of political zingers. Topics included Fox News' coverage of the US Capitol r......

Hollywood (United States) (AFP) - It is a comeback story so improbable, it could only happen in Hollywood. At age 12, Ke Huy Quan went to a casting call with his brother, who was auditioning for the role of Short Round in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Quan himself was chosen to star in the 1984 blockbuster sequel alongside Harrison Ford. The following year, he again struck big screen gold in the action adventure classic "The Goonies." And then the casting calls dried up and -- unable to capitalize on his childhood fame -- he built a career behind the cameras as a stunt coordinator. C......

Los Angeles (AFP) - At just 14 years old, Ja'saray Juarez debates what makes a good ad with her friends -- catchy music, clever camera work and appealing characters are all part of the mix. She will eventually film her own commercial to show her class. In a few years, the freshman hopes to launch her career behind the camera, thanks to a special program at her Los Angeles high school for hundreds of young people from underrepresented communities looking to break into showbiz. Since September, the public high school has been home to a magnet program for film and television studies that has rece......

Los Angeles (AFP) - Pop superstar Rihanna will perform at the Oscars next month, organizers said Thursday, just weeks after she made her long-awaited -- and visibly pregnant -- return at the Super Bowl. The Barbados-born singer will perform her Academy Award-nominated song "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" at the film industry's top awards show in Hollywood. The song is competing with the likes of Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick," and the current frontrunner "Naatu Naatu" from Indian crowd-pleaser "RRR." Rihanna, 35, had not performed a live show in seven ye......

Los Angeles (AFP) - Will Smith refused to leave the Oscars ceremony after attacking comedian Chris Rock, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed Wednesday, as it began disciplinary action against the mega star. Smith had been asked to leave the Dolby Theatre after marching onstage and hitting Rock for a joke about his wife's hair. Moments after the shocking episode, he was handed the best actor award to a standing ovation. "While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differentl......

Hollywood (United States) (AFP) - The Oscars return to Hollywood on Sunday, as nominees from top contending films including "CODA," "The Power of the Dog" and "Belfast" gather in a futuristic, glittering ballroom for the movie industry's biggest night. After a year away from the Dolby Theatre due to the pandemic, the 94th Academy Awards are back in the heart of Tinseltown, where A-listers who have passed strict Covid-19 testing protocols will walk the red carpet in their finest gowns and tuxedos once again. Dark, psychological Western "The Power of the Dog" had looked set to earn Netflix its m......