Last Days in Jerusalem (Tanathur)

A Sophie Dulac Distribution (in France) release of a Lama Films, Sophie Dulac Prods., Cabiria Films, Neue Pegasos production. (International sales: Wide Management, Paris.) Produced by Amir Harel, Ayelet Kait, Dulac, Michel Zana, Ilan Flammer. Co-producers, Elena Trifonova, Ernst Szebedits. Directed, written by Tawfik Abu Wael.With: Lana Haj Yahia, Ali Badarni, Kais Nashif, Zuhaida Sabbagh, Huda Al Iman. (Arabic dialogue)A Palestinian husband and wife hope emigrating to Paris will save their failing relationship in Tawfik Abu Wael's airless sophomore feature, "Last Days in Jerusalem." Though the subject is strong, the realization keeps auds at arm's length, favoring deadening line delivery and a claustrophobic style. Pic tries to make personal the pressurized limbo of life in the Occupied Territories, but instead foregrounds an unappealing duo whose situation engenders little emotion. Fest play is unlikely to last long. Theater actress Nour (Lana Haj Yahia) is married to older Dr. Iyad (Ali Badarni), though the spark is gone, and the hardships of life in the Palestinian Territories, combined with their marital stalemate, push them toward emigration. On the way to the airport, Iyad gets a call that the hospital is overwhelmed with victims from a bus attack, and they turn around. Nour's self-centered mother (Huda Al Iman) offers little succor at the family home, while Iyad, overwhelmed, cracks up while operating at the hospital. Abu Wael ("Thirst") briefly introduces some of the difficulties faced by East Jerusalem residents, yet relies on viewers' prior knowledge to extract emotion. Visuals are clean if cold.Camera (color, HD-to-35mm), Caroline Champetier; editors, Guy Lecorne, Gaby Shihur; music, Wisam Gibram; production designer, Nael Kanj; costume designer, Hamada Atallah. Reviewed at Locarno Film Festival (competing), Aug. 11, 2011. (Also in Toronto Film Festival -- Contemporary World Cinema.) Running time: 80 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Summer's Most sexy Women: Zoe Saldana of 'Colombiana'

'Colombiana' opens today, with it we obtain another chance to take the stunning beauty and difficult-edged toughness the marvelously gifted Zoe Saldana gives nearly every role she plays nowadays. Nowhere-skinned warrior of 'Avatar' and also the normal-skinned gunslinger in 'The Losers' now will get the screen virtually to herself in her own latest adventure, by which she plays a lady having a single-minded purpose: revenge. Now, as an ingredient our ongoing Summer's Most sexy Women series (see: Natalie Portman, Penelope Cruz, the lovely ladies of 'X-Males,' Blake Lively, Megan Fox and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Rosario Dawson, Mila Kunis, Olivia Wilde, Freida Pinto, the ladies from the 'Final Destination' franchise, Jessica Alba), we make available to you a photograph gallery from the gorgeous Miss Saldana at her finest, then a relevant video assortment of a few of her most sexy work. Summer time's Most sexy Women: Zoe Saldana See All Moviefone Art galleries » Here's Zoe filming her Envy by Calvin Klein campaign: Here's the way the advertisements switched out (part 2, part 3): Some moments from Zoe's film 'Haven,' with Orlando Blossom: A fast scene from 'Star Trek,' with Zoe as Uhura (the recording quality's not great, but you get the drift): Additionally, there are this (unembeddable, regrettably) hot scene with Zoe and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the film 'The Nonwinners.' And, finally, browse the trailer for 'Colombiana': Photos: Everett Collection, Bazaar, C magazine, Getty, Calvin Klein, The new sony, Complex, Esquire, Flaunt, Glamour, GQ, Existence, Prestige, Women's Health.

Healthy Hollywood: Fab Food Friday Carrie Fishers 50-Pound Weight Loss!

By Terri MacLeodNEW YORK, N.Y. -- At 54, Carrie Fishers recently slimmed-down physique is jaw-droppingly fabulous certainly an inspiration to all of us looking to shed a few pounds (or more). Way to go, girl! Healthy Hollywood interviewed Carrie at the start of her Jenny Craig weight loss journey. I remember the actress having doubts shed be able to stick to the program. She certainly never thought shed be back in bikini-ready shape. Yet, in just nine months, and thanks to the Jenny Craig weight loss program, Carrie dropped 50 pounds. The actress even joked with Todays Ann Curry that shed like to start a line of bikinis for women over 40. Celebrities like, Jennifer Hudson, Kirstie Alley, and Snooki have also dropped major pounds in 2011. Each star credits a different weight loss path. But, isnt dieting basically about calories in vs. calories out? Not exactly, according to registered dietician Leslie Bonci, who wrote the The Active Calorie Diet, and states not all calories are created equal. Believe it or not, eating certain types of food can rev your metabolism, curb your appetite, and help you drop more pounds that others. In The Active Calorie Diet, I explain that certain foods take more work to eat so you burn more calories during digestion. In fact, just the act of chewing foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean cuts of meat can increase your calorie burn by up to 30%. This diet plans breaks food down into four types of active calories chewy foods, hearty foods, energizing foods, and warming foods. Your meals will consist of mostly Chewy and Hearty foods, plus at least one Energizing or Warming food. You can have a daily snack that contains at least one type of Active Calorie food. Keep your calories to around 1,500 a day and you could lose up to 14 pounds and 4 inches in just 4 weeks, reveals Bonci. So, what exactly are these fat-busting foods? Leslie Bonci shares a sampling with Healthy Hollywood. 1. Chewy Foods: (lean meats, nuts, whole fruits, and vegetables) To maximize the chew factor, choose food in its most whole state apples instead of applesauce, for instance. High-protein foods really are your best ally in the Active Calorie Diet because they take more work to chew and longer to leave your stomach so you take more time eatingand have more time to register that youre full. 2. Hearty Foods:(fruits, vegetables, brown rice, whole grains and cereals) These foods are packed with fiber, so they take up more room in your belly (compared to other foods with the same number of calories), and leave less room for second helpings. Foods that take more work to chew literally make your mouth work harder (ramping calorie burn by 10%!) and increase the thermic effect of food, the calorie-burn bump we get from eating and digesting any given type of food. 3. Energizing Foods:(coffee, black and green tea, and dark chocolate) These types of foods give you a dose of metabolism-boosting caffeine just be careful not to load them up with milk, cream, or sugar! Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java or black tea can boost your metabolism by 5 to 8% - about 80 to 128 calories a day. 4. Warming Foods:(peppers, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, cloves, mustard, and vinegar) These foods help fully activate the calories from every meal with a blast of heat. Dieters taking capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their burn, doubled their energy expenditure for several hours after eating, according to a new study from UCLA. Even mild peppers contain compounds that help erase up to 100 calories a day by binding to nerve receptors and sending fat-burning signals to your brain. Cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and garlic help, too. For more information on The Active Calorie Diet, head to www.activecaloriediet.com. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Hulu Putting in a bid Pressed Back Until Finish of Week

NEW You are able to - Initial bids for movie aggregator Hulu, initially thought to become due on Wednesday, are required in the future in through the finish each week as suitors got a bit of more hours, Reuters reported. Wall Street sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Yahoo, Google and Amazon . com.com were among individuals parties likely to submit bids. Reuters stated that individuals three together with DirecTV were indeed one of the parties planning to submit offers. Meanwhile, South Korean cell phone company SK Telecom, which earlier around had bid for Blockbuster, have been thought to maybe also eye a play for Hulu, however it stated Thursday it won't bid. "We know that Hulu expires available, but we don't intend to take part in the auction," a SK Telecom speaker told Reuters. Hulu is possessed by Wally Disney, News Corp., NBCUniversal and equity firm Providence Equity Partners. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects The Wally Disney Company News Corp. NBCUniversal Hulu

Caleb Landry Johnson joins 'Byzantium'

EXCLUSIVE: Caleb Landry Johnson has arrived a mans lead in "Byzantium" directed by Neil Jordan.The pic presently stars Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton and is dependant on the Moira Buffini play.Story involves a parent and daughter who're vampires of the underworld and arrive in a tiny British town revealing their secret towards the town. Johnson plays a teen dying of leukemia which in turns forces him to have a problem with his mortality, leading to Saorsie Ronan's character to have a problem with her very own growing old.Buffini also composed the script with Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley creating.Johnson was most lately observed in Fox's "X-Males: Top ClassInch and is visible next within the Universal/Working Title co-production "Contraband" starring Mark Wahlberg.He's repped by Paradigm, Untitled and Blossom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

National Black Theatre Fest Regains its Swagger in Sweltering N.C.

National Black Theatre Fest Regains its Swagger in Sweltering N.C. By Perry Tannenbaum August 18, 2011 For five days in August, the city of Winston-Salem, N.C., is transformed. Fifth Street becomes Black Theatre Festival Boulevard. A block away, Fourth Street is reborn as Larry Leon Hamlin Way, in honor of the National Black Theatre Festival's founder. Traversing these streets is Cherry Street, where the city's two major hotels, Embassy Suites and the Marriott, are the nerve center of the biennial event.All day long, Cherry and Fourth are bustling with festival activity. Connected to the Embassy by a sleek underground walkwayand shielded from the sweltering heatthe M.C. Benton Jr. Convention Center comes alive with an International Vendors Market and various events with a youthful edge, including the TeenTastic series of teen-targeted plays, a National Youth Talent Showcase, and the wildly successful and freewheeling NBTF Poetry Jam, beginning at midnight.After kicking off the festival with the opening-night gala on Monday, Embassy Suites hosts the Youth/Celebrity Project, offering more than 6,000 young people from across the country the opportunity to interact with NBTF celebs. The children's talent showcase, youth-targeted plays, and a Storytelling Festival give participants plenty to talk about. Three meeting rooms and two ballrooms buzz with activity starting at 8:30 a.m., including this year's four-day International Colloquium, "Black Theatre and the Critical Canon: A Call to the Culture Bearers." Harry J. Elam Jr., a scholar of black drama and vice provost at Stanford University, keynoted the colloquium, following in the distinguished footsteps of poet-writer-actor Maya Angelou, who in 1989 served as the first NBTF chairperson, and Nobel Prizewinning dramatist Wole Soyinka.For the most intensive festival activity, cross Cherry Street via the swanky pedestrian overpass that connects the partnering hotels. Celebrity limos ease into the courtyard outside the Marriott at all hours. Inside, the beehive of activity begins at 9 a.m. and goes on past midnightincluding workshops, lectures, artist networking, and performances in seven meeting rooms.The daily schedule at the Marriott peaks twice. In the lobby, where tables are set up to distribute fliers and sell NBTF souvenirs, daily news conferencesincluding samplings of various shows at the festivalbegin at noon. There, about two dozen actors, producers, directors, and celebs join media relations director Brian McLaughlin at the dais. Another glittery gathering happens upstairs at 10:30 p.m., after the evening shows, as nightly celebrity receptions allow festivalgoers to mingle with the stars. A ticket stub to any of the shows that day gets you inpast the barricade set up outside in the courtyard for crowd control.Of course, the main mass-audience drawing cards at the festival are the musical, dramatic, and comedy productions, where many of those beloved stars of stage, screen, and TV spring into action. In addition to the Storytelling Festival and the Youth Talent Showcase are 40 shows, including two from the host, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. There can be as few as one performance of a particular show or as many as five, fanning out to 18 different venues in the downtown area or nearby at Winston-Salem State University, Salem Academy and College, Summit School, UNC School of the Arts, and Wake Forest University.NBTF outdoes the New York International Fringe Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with its vibrant nerve center on Cherry Street. Yet the cohesiveness of the Winston-Salem event doesn't break down as theatergoers head out to various venues. Quite the contrary. Green hybrid electric shuttle buses line up in front of the Marriott, beginning on Fifth Street and stretching past the hotel, each bus assigned to one of the venues. Volunteers hold signs aloft, guiding ticketholders to the correct bus in the mighty green parade.At an event that often looks like a sprawling block party, the synergy and convenience of such a system cannot be overpraised. Huddled together in groups for an upcoming show at 3 p.m. or 8 p.m., festivalgoers begin to exchange information on the sidewalk, praising or issuing warnings about shows they've already seen, disputing or agreeing when they chance to have seen the same production. The buzz of theater conversation continues onboard, and by the time the buses reach their destinations, the lines of people streaming into the lobbies aren't a motley group of total strangers. After the shows, the common bonds are even stronger on the ride back, with even more animated conversation.The shuttles are also a foolproof way, in a strange city, to find your show and arrive there on time. Beginning on Tuesday night with the New Federal Theatre production of "Knock Me a Kiss," other full-length items included a staged reading of the SonEdna Foundation's new musical, "Charleston Olio," featuring Phylicia Rashad; the Black Theatre Troupe's "Three Sistahs" the host company's "Four QueensNo Trump" Ensemble Theatre's "The Waiting Room" Billie Holiday Theatre's "The Legend of Buster Neal" Penumbra Theatre Company's "Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking" the Layon Gray ExperienceBlack Gents of Hollywood co-production of "All American Girls: A Negro League of Their Own" and a late-night forbidden pleasure, "M.O.I.S.T. (Multiple Orgasm Initiative for Sexual Transformation)."Unlike in the fringe fests of New York and Edinburgh, most full-length works aren't compressed into smaller time slots to facilitate teardown and turnover. But in the Celebrity Performance Series and the L.L. Hamlin Solo Performance Series, longer works often do become shorter. At the Wake Forest MainStage Theatre, Vanessa Williams' one-woman show, "Feet on the Ceiling," was paired as a celebrity performance with Dorien Wilson's "Un-Ringing the Bell."Other works hailed from Brooklyn, Manhattan, Houston, Phoenix, St. Paul, Winston-Salem, L.A., and Charleston, Miss. Among the best was "Knock Me a Kiss." According to theatergoers, other greats included "Voices of Haiti," the multimedia production by poet Kwame Davis and photographer Andre Lambertson for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington, D.C.; and Black Ensemble Theatre's "Those Sensational Soulful 60's.""You can't catch everything," says T'Keyah Crystal Keymh, celebrity co-chair of NBTF 2011. "You can't catch half of everything," she adds in consoling tones.There seemed to be a chance that NBTF would be reduced to nothing when Hamlin died suddenly, at age 58, just before the 2007 festival. Keymh had first been invited down to Winston-Salem in 1999, when she was at the height of her "Cosby" fame, portraying the only daughter of Rashad and Bill Cosby. She recognized that the festival had come to a crossroads."The first festival after Larry Leon Hamlin passed away was a difficult festival," Keymh recalls. "A lot of people didn't come and haven't been back since, because they felt like they would miss him too much. Miss his presence. And I felt the same way. I actually had something to do during that festival and was not going to come. I changed my plans because I thought this was not the year to miss this festival, because I don't want the momentum to stop building."Themed as "An International Celebration and Reunion of Spirit," the first NBTF, in 1989, drew 17 professional black theater companies to Winston-Salem for 30 performances. Hamlin's "marvtastic" formula for his festival always included a heavy influx of celebrities to help fuel audience interest, press coverage, and funding. This year marked the first time that the National Endowment for the Arts joined local, county, and statewide agencies as a sponsor. Corporate friends included Reynolds American (parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco), HanesBrands, Wachovia, and another banking powerhouse, BB&T. Before a couple of late cancellations, 40 theater companies were expected to give 123 performances at this year's festival, attendance having grown since the inaugural event from 10,000 to more than 65,000.That would certainly qualify as momentum. Mabel Robinson, the festival's current artistic director, headed a committee that sifted through approximately 130 submissions, mostly on DVDs, to arrive at the 40-plus picked for the main stage. Quality, diversity of subject matter and genre, and audience appealthat's where those celebrities carry weightare parts of the equation."It's about giving artists work," says Robinson, "whether they are actors, dancers, designers, or whomever, trying to make it as easy as possible while giving work to black artists." That's another difference between NBTF and New York's fringe festival. The companies that are chosen receive a fee, and the artists who participate in Winston-Salem get airfare and living quarters. For the Actors' Equity outfits such as Penumbra and New Federal, the festival has secured a special code from Equity that makes it happen.Andr De Shields, who starred as W.E.B. DuBois in "Knock Me a Kiss," began his association with the festival in 1995, when Equity sent him down to scope out compliance with union rules in offering proper representation to "protected groups" of performers. After reporting his favorable findings in the Equity newsletter, De Shields was invited back to perform at the 1997 event, served as celebrity co-chair in 2001, and received the festival's Living Legend Award in 2009. Citing the abysmally low percentage of African Americansa paltry 3 percentin the audience for Broadway shows, De Shields offers a hearty endorsement of NBTF's achievement."Right now, this is the epicenter of the black theater culture," he asserts. "This is where the canon of black dramatic theater and musical theater gets its start. It's certainly one of the reasons why I come here, because this is where I can access and be accessible to a community that is traditionally underserved by the marketplace. This is where we get the opportunity to grow the community of artists, producers, playwrights, performers, hopefuls."NBTF is also a place where black theater artists can develop and take the pulse of their audience. De Shields had this vividly brought to his attention in the denouement of Charles Smith's playarguably the most significant moment of the entire festival. This is where De Shields, as DuBois, learns that his son-in-law, the revered Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen, was gay. In the staging by Chuck Smith, DuBois is literally staggered by his daughter's revelation, backing up two or three steps and plopping down into his easy chair. The audience roared with laughter, openly deriding DuBois' navet, not at all offended by the scrutiny aimed at the founder of the NAACP. Weeks after the first same-sex marriages were performed in New York, De Shields indicates his awareness that a good portion of gay black men, even in sophisticated Manhattan, are still on the down-low. So how was he struck by the audience reaction in the heart of the Bible Belt?"It's shocking," De Shields admits. "It's shocking in a good way, however. Shocking in the sense that we as artists are powerful tools in terms of defining how much progress we've made as a culture. And we must continue to chip away at this monolithic perspective of who black men are. We are still trying to recover our masculinity from having been emasculated by 400 years of slavery. That's what that laughter is about. The skeletons are finally being shaken in the closet."It's also a sign that "Knock Me a Kiss" has a fighting chance of becoming part of that black theater canon. National Black Theatre Fest Regains its Swagger in Sweltering N.C. By Perry Tannenbaum August 18, 2011 For five days in August, the city of Winston-Salem, N.C., is transformed. Fifth Street becomes Black Theatre Festival Boulevard. A block away, Fourth Street is reborn as Larry Leon Hamlin Way, in honor of the National Black Theatre Festival's founder. Traversing these streets is Cherry Street, where the city's two major hotels, Embassy Suites and the Marriott, are the nerve center of the biennial event.All day long, Cherry and Fourth are bustling with festival activity. Connected to the Embassy by a sleek underground walkwayand shielded from the sweltering heatthe M.C. Benton Jr. Convention Center comes alive with an International Vendors Market and various events with a youthful edge, including the TeenTastic series of teen-targeted plays, a National Youth Talent Showcase, and the wildly successful and freewheeling NBTF Poetry Jam, beginning at midnight.After kicking off the festival with the opening-night gala on Monday, Embassy Suites hosts the Youth/Celebrity Project, offering more than 6,000 young people from across the country the opportunity to interact with NBTF celebs. The children's talent showcase, youth-targeted plays, and a Storytelling Festival give participants plenty to talk about. Three meeting rooms and two ballrooms buzz with activity starting at 8:30 a.m., including this year's four-day International Colloquium, "Black Theatre and the Critical Canon: A Call to the Culture Bearers." Harry J. Elam Jr., a scholar of black drama and vice provost at Stanford University, keynoted the colloquium, following in the distinguished footsteps of poet-writer-actor Maya Angelou, who in 1989 served as the first NBTF chairperson, and Nobel Prizewinning dramatist Wole Soyinka.For the most intensive festival activity, cross Cherry Street via the swanky pedestrian overpass that connects the partnering hotels. Celebrity limos ease into the courtyard outside the Marriott at all hours. Inside, the beehive of activity begins at 9 a.m. and goes on past midnightincluding workshops, lectures, artist networking, and performances in seven meeting rooms.The daily schedule at the Marriott peaks twice. In the lobby, where tables are set up to distribute fliers and sell NBTF souvenirs, daily news conferencesincluding samplings of various shows at the festivalbegin at noon. There, about two dozen actors, producers, directors, and celebs join media relations director Brian McLaughlin at the dais. Another glittery gathering happens upstairs at 10:30 p.m., after the evening shows, as nightly celebrity receptions allow festivalgoers to mingle with the stars. A ticket stub to any of the shows that day gets you inpast the barricade set up outside in the courtyard for crowd control.Of course, the main mass-audience drawing cards at the festival are the musical, dramatic, and comedy productions, where many of those beloved stars of stage, screen, and TV spring into action. In addition to the Storytelling Festival and the Youth Talent Showcase are 40 shows, including two from the host, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. There can be as few as one performance of a particular show or as many as five, fanning out to 18 different venues in the downtown area or nearby at Winston-Salem State University, Salem Academy and College, Summit School, UNC School of the Arts, and Wake Forest University.NBTF outdoes the New York International Fringe Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with its vibrant nerve center on Cherry Street. Yet the cohesiveness of the Winston-Salem event doesn't break down as theatergoers head out to various venues. Quite the contrary. Green hybrid electric shuttle buses line up in front of the Marriott, beginning on Fifth Street and stretching past the hotel, each bus assigned to one of the venues. Volunteers hold signs aloft, guiding ticketholders to the correct bus in the mighty green parade.At an event that often looks like a sprawling block party, the synergy and convenience of such a system cannot be overpraised. Huddled together in groups for an upcoming show at 3 p.m. or 8 p.m., festivalgoers begin to exchange information on the sidewalk, praising or issuing warnings about shows they've already seen, disputing or agreeing when they chance to have seen the same production. The buzz of theater conversation continues onboard, and by the time the buses reach their destinations, the lines of people streaming into the lobbies aren't a motley group of total strangers. After the shows, the common bonds are even stronger on the ride back, with even more animated conversation.The shuttles are also a foolproof way, in a strange city, to find your show and arrive there on time. Beginning on Tuesday night with the New Federal Theatre production of "Knock Me a Kiss," other full-length items included a staged reading of the SonEdna Foundation's new musical, "Charleston Olio," featuring Phylicia Rashad; the Black Theatre Troupe's "Three Sistahs" the host company's "Four QueensNo Trump" Ensemble Theatre's "The Waiting Room" Billie Holiday Theatre's "The Legend of Buster Neal" Penumbra Theatre Company's "Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking" the Layon Gray ExperienceBlack Gents of Hollywood co-production of "All American Girls: A Negro League of Their Own" and a late-night forbidden pleasure, "M.O.I.S.T. (Multiple Orgasm Initiative for Sexual Transformation)."Unlike in the fringe fests of New York and Edinburgh, most full-length works aren't compressed into smaller time slots to facilitate teardown and turnover. But in the Celebrity Performance Series and the L.L. Hamlin Solo Performance Series, longer works often do become shorter. At the Wake Forest MainStage Theatre, Vanessa Williams' one-woman show, "Feet on the Ceiling," was paired as a celebrity performance with Dorien Wilson's "Un-Ringing the Bell."Other works hailed from Brooklyn, Manhattan, Houston, Phoenix, St. Paul, Winston-Salem, L.A., and Charleston, Miss. Among the best was "Knock Me a Kiss." According to theatergoers, other greats included "Voices of Haiti," the multimedia production by poet Kwame Davis and photographer Andre Lambertson for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington, D.C.; and Black Ensemble Theatre's "Those Sensational Soulful 60's.""You can't catch everything," says T'Keyah Crystal Keymh, celebrity co-chair of NBTF 2011. "You can't catch half of everything," she adds in consoling tones.There seemed to be a chance that NBTF would be reduced to nothing when Hamlin died suddenly, at age 58, just before the 2007 festival. Keymh had first been invited down to Winston-Salem in 1999, when she was at the height of her "Cosby" fame, portraying the only daughter of Rashad and Bill Cosby. She recognized that the festival had come to a crossroads."The first festival after Larry Leon Hamlin passed away was a difficult festival," Keymh recalls. "A lot of people didn't come and haven't been back since, because they felt like they would miss him too much. Miss his presence. And I felt the same way. I actually had something to do during that festival and was not going to come. I changed my plans because I thought this was not the year to miss this festival, because I don't want the momentum to stop building."Themed as "An International Celebration and Reunion of Spirit," the first NBTF, in 1989, drew 17 professional black theater companies to Winston-Salem for 30 performances. Hamlin's "marvtastic" formula for his festival always included a heavy influx of celebrities to help fuel audience interest, press coverage, and funding. This year marked the first time that the National Endowment for the Arts joined local, county, and statewide agencies as a sponsor. Corporate friends included Reynolds American (parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco), HanesBrands, Wachovia, and another banking powerhouse, BB&T. Before a couple of late cancellations, 40 theater companies were expected to give 123 performances at this year's festival, attendance having grown since the inaugural event from 10,000 to more than 65,000.That would certainly qualify as momentum. Mabel Robinson, the festival's current artistic director, headed a committee that sifted through approximately 130 submissions, mostly on DVDs, to arrive at the 40-plus picked for the main stage. Quality, diversity of subject matter and genre, and audience appealthat's where those celebrities carry weightare parts of the equation."It's about giving artists work," says Robinson, "whether they are actors, dancers, designers, or whomever, trying to make it as easy as possible while giving work to black artists." That's another difference between NBTF and New York's fringe festival. The companies that are chosen receive a fee, and the artists who participate in Winston-Salem get airfare and living quarters. For the Actors' Equity outfits such as Penumbra and New Federal, the festival has secured a special code from Equity that makes it happen.Andr De Shields, who starred as W.E.B. DuBois in "Knock Me a Kiss," began his association with the festival in 1995, when Equity sent him down to scope out compliance with union rules in offering proper representation to "protected groups" of performers. After reporting his favorable findings in the Equity newsletter, De Shields was invited back to perform at the 1997 event, served as celebrity co-chair in 2001, and received the festival's Living Legend Award in 2009. Citing the abysmally low percentage of African Americansa paltry 3 percentin the audience for Broadway shows, De Shields offers a hearty endorsement of NBTF's achievement."Right now, this is the epicenter of the black theater culture," he asserts. "This is where the canon of black dramatic theater and musical theater gets its start. It's certainly one of the reasons why I come here, because this is where I can access and be accessible to a community that is traditionally underserved by the marketplace. This is where we get the opportunity to grow the community of artists, producers, playwrights, performers, hopefuls."NBTF is also a place where black theater artists can develop and take the pulse of their audience. De Shields had this vividly brought to his attention in the denouement of Charles Smith's playarguably the most significant moment of the entire festival. This is where De Shields, as DuBois, learns that his son-in-law, the revered Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen, was gay. In the staging by Chuck Smith, DuBois is literally staggered by his daughter's revelation, backing up two or three steps and plopping down into his easy chair. The audience roared with laughter, openly deriding DuBois' navet, not at all offended by the scrutiny aimed at the founder of the NAACP. Weeks after the first same-sex marriages were performed in New York, De Shields indicates his awareness that a good portion of gay black men, even in sophisticated Manhattan, are still on the down-low. So how was he struck by the audience reaction in the heart of the Bible Belt?"It's shocking," De Shields admits. "It's shocking in a good way, however. Shocking in the sense that we as artists are powerful tools in terms of defining how much progress we've made as a culture. And we must continue to chip away at this monolithic perspective of who black men are. We are still trying to recover our masculinity from having been emasculated by 400 years of slavery. That's what that laughter is about. The skeletons are finally being shaken in the closet."It's also a sign that "Knock Me a Kiss" has a fighting chance of becoming part of that black theater canon.

Conan the Barbarian Tale from the Tape: Arnold Schwarzenegger versus. Jason Momoa

In a few days, moviegoers will thrill towards the tale of Conan, a classy chap in the upper echelons of high society ... wait, what's that? That isn't true? He's a "barbarian"? That appears just like a harsh title, does not it? Well, regardless, the storyplot of Conan "the Barbarian" reenters the zeitgeist in a few days because of a brand new film starring Jason Momoa. So how exactly does Momoa stack facing the 1982 Conan, Arnold Schwarzenegger? And exactly what do we all know about Jason Momoa, aside from the truth that he made an appearance in 'Game of Thrones' without saying greatly? Let us compare both large-screen Conans, shall we? BIRTHPLACE Arnold Schwarzenegger: Born in Thai, Austria. Jason Momoa: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Advantage: Even HEIGHT Jason Momoa: By most accounts, Momoa is six feet, three inches tall. Arnold Schwarzenegger: By most accounts, Schwarzenegger is simply under six ft tall. Advantage: Momoa FAMILY Arnold Schwarzenegger: His father became a member of the Nazi party in 1938. Jason Momoa: You realize, let us just proceed and provide that one to Momoa ... regardless of what. Advantage: Momoa Watch a clip for 'Conan the Barbarian (2011)' HUMBLE Origins Arnold Schwarzenegger: Within the mid-sixties, began a bodybuilding career. Won his first Mr. World title in 1967. Jason Momoa: In 1998, began a modeling career. Advantage: Schwarzenegger ACTING DEBUT Arnold Schwarzenegger: First role was as Hercules in 'Hercules in New You are able to.' Jason Momoa: First role was as Jason in 'Baywatch Hawaii.' Advantage: Momoa Level Of Experience Arnold Schwarzenegger: Before 'Conan,' had ten on-screen credits. Jason Momoa: Before 'Conan,' had eight on-screen credits. Advantage: Schwarzenegger TV CAREER Arnold Schwarzenegger: Made an appearance about the television series 'The Roads of Bay Area.A Jason Momoa: Made an appearance about the television series 'Stargate: Atlantis.' Advantage: Schwarzenegger FIGHTING Abilities Jason Momoa: Described Khal Drogo on 'Game of Thrones,' a guy who does fight any challenger to protect his crown. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Described Hercules in 'Hercules in New You are able to,' a guy who once smacked a bear in Central Park. Advantage: Schwarzenegger BEST QUOTES Arnold Schwarzenegger: Most well-known pre 'Conan' quote is "Milk is perfect for babies. Whenever you develop you need to drink beer," from 'Pumping Iron.' Jason Momoa: Most well-known pre 'Conan' is (converted), "Mago, find elsewhere to stay your c**k," from 'Game of Thrones.' Advantage: Momoa ONLINE IDENTITY Arnold Schwarzenegger: Includes a fairly secretive official website that asks us to "Stay updated for my next move." Jason Momoa: Includes a fairly secretive official website that only states, "Jason has some awesome new photos to inform you. We simply can't release them yet." Advantage: Schwarzenegger Watch Arnold for action as Conan Resurrection Conan the Barbarian - MOVIECLIPS.com THE Amounts GAME Jason Momoa: Used to be attacked with a guy brandishing a beer glass, which led to stitches amassing up to 140. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Accustomed to own a Mercedes W140. Advantage Momoa PATERNITY Jason Momoa: In 2007, Momoa and the partner, Lisa Bonet, welcomed their first child in to the world. Arnold Schwarzenegger: In 1997, Schwarzenegger and the housekeeper ... um, let alone. Advantage: Momoa Clearly, Jason Momoa is not anywhere close to accomplished as Schwarzenegger. However when you consider only their pre-Conan roles, Momoa -- mostly from his focus on 'Game of Thrones' -- comes with a small advantage. Can be if Momoa continues to rule this area-office inside a James Cameron film or (God allow us to) govern a condition. But, up until now, it makes sense, remarkably ... Champion: Jason Momoa You are able to contact Mike Ryan on Twitter. Follow Moviefone on Twitter. (Banner image thanks to Everett Collection Lionsgate)

Mercedes Gets A New Love Interest On Glee

FIRST PUBLISHED: August 10, 2011 4:36 PM EDT LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Although Chord Overstreet is pursuing other options after the producers behind Glee chose not to offer him a season regular gig, Mercedes (Amber Riley) is still going to get some love in her McKinley High life. LaMarcus Tinker, formerly of NBCs Friday Night Lights is set to heat up the love life of the New Directions member as Marcus, TV Guide reported on Tuesday. LaMarcus will play Marcus, a linebacker. He reportedly started work on the FOX show on Tuesday. While Chord wont be back, Darren Criss (Blaine) and Harry Shum Jr. (Mike) were made season regulars for the upcoming season. Beyond the new full-time cast members, the upcoming season of Glee will focus on the senior year of graduating characters Finn (Cory Monteith), Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer). It also appears Santana (Naya Rivera) will be graduating, the actress previously told Access Hollywood. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Brenda Strong Ready For Dallas & Final Season Of Desperate Housewives

By Jolie LashBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- It was one of the biggest television moments of all time when Bobby Ewing appeared in a shower on Dallas in May 1986, returning to life as the show rolled back an entire season via Pam Ewings dream. And no one is happier than actress Brenda Strong, who plays the legendary TV characters new wife in the upcoming TNT reboot. Oh thank God, thank God [she] woke up and [he] came out of that shower, otherwise I wouldnt have a role, Brenda joked on Sunday night at ABCs Television Critics Association bash at the Beverly Hilton. The Emmy-nominated Desperate Housewives actress (for Outstanding Voice-Over), has begun filming the Dallas reboot, playing Ann Ewing, and the project reunites her with Jesse Metcalfe, Eva Longorias DH Season 1 love interest. On Dallas, however, Jesse plays Christopher Ewing, the adopted son of Bobby, and stepson of Brendas character. Hes my new son-in-law and I have to say, Jesse really showed up for the pilot, she told Access Hollywood. His acting has gotten so incredibly detailed and rich and I think people are gonna be surprised about how good he is in this. South Fork, Texas, the central location for Dallas, is a departure for Jesse, who spent Season 1 of DH as Gabrielle Solis sexy gardener-turned-lover and its also a big change for Brenda who played the heard, but not often seen, late Mary Alice Young in DH. I am the new Mrs. Bobby Ewing, I am Ann Ewing and Im not replacing Pam, Im not replacing Victoria Principal. Ive been married to him for seven years, she explained of her new character. I come back as a very strong equal and come from a moneyed family and shes definitely entrenched in Dallas society, but shes grounded and earthy at the same time. Shes kind of like the new Miss Ellie [Ewing]. Dallas is actually in production, but because DH is officially now entering its final season, Brenda is about to get very busy, as creator Marc Cherry revealed at the TCA session on Sunday that the last run for the show would reexamine DHs original story line the tragic suicide of her character. Weve heard that Mary Alice will have more of a presence and I do know that Marc Cherry said whatever our last season is, theres some tension that should bring Mary Alice back more to kind of bookend it, she said. So we have Mary Alice getting us off to a bang at the start and were fishing with a bang as well. The actress said shes filmed several scenes already on Wisteria Lane that look back on themes from the shows debut year, 2004. I actually just worked on the set last week and I had to go back to the day I killed myself, and talk about recapitulation. Its like, Enough, already! Its so depressing, she said of the heavy material. But really, whats great its kind of like Groundhog Day. You can go back to the same day, but once you do that, theres so much nuance emotionally that you can start to reveal and it actually talks about without giving too much away that I wanted to call my friends but then decided not to and so I think its a very emotionally charged subject and Im hoping that I get to see a lot more of the ladies with me. Desperate Housewives ends its Season 8 run in 2012. Dallas premieres next summer on TNT. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ryan Murphy: I Had Been Shocked By Glee Graduation Reaction

La, Calif. -- Glee showrunner Ryan Murphy declined to fix his hit FOX show in the Television Experts Association media tour on Saturday (he was available to advertise his new Forex series, American Horror Story), but he softened his stance a little in the premiere of Glee: The three dimensional Concert Movie last evening, shedding hints concerning the direction from the shows approaching third season. Its exciting because were writing towards graduation and it is very moving in my experience that concept of moving forward and being youthful, Ryan told E! correspondent Kristen Dos Santos in the films premiere in La on Saturday. As well as used to do less tunes, more story. While loyal Gleeks will need to face losing the shows senior class this year, Ryan recommended the figures love lives is going to be bring the fans pleasure, as they will not be as rife with turmoil. Nobodys splitting up this season, that is thrilling, he stated. For the could they beOrare not they departing debate, Ryan keeps that Jum Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith were aware theyd be graduation this year though the majority of the Glee veterinarians told the press this news would be a surprise but hes prepared to place the past in it and target the show. I had been shocked just a little freaked out about this, I must be truthful, he stated, when requested concerning the recent scandal. It seemed like we attempt so difficult using the cast to incorporate making them seem like theyre on the top from the news, and so i was surprised whenever a couple of of these stated they didnt understand what was happening. But, water underneath the bridge, he added. Glee: The three dimensional Concert Movie hits theaters on Friday. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved.These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Is Martin Lawrence Returning to TV?

Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence may be returning to the small screen 14 years after the end of his self-titled Fox comedy, Vulture reports. Martin Lawrence and longtime girlfriend tie the knot Lawrence, 46, is in negotiations with CBS for a deal that would see the actor and comedian star in and executive-produce his own series for the network. The show, which has no writer attached, would be produced by CBS Television Studios and would likely debut sometime during the 2012-2013 TV season. Lawrence became a breakout star on the Fox sitcom, Martin, which ran from 1992 to 1997. After leaving the series, which still lives on in reruns on BET, he went onto star in such film franchises as Bad Boys and Big Momma's House. Lawrence was also a series regular on the final season of What's Happening Now!! and currently executive-produces the BET original series Love That Girl! Would you like to see Lawrence back on TV?

How Did 'Midnight in Paris' Become Woodsy Allen's Top-Grossing Movie?

It's the usual understanding that Woodsy Allen's American group of followers has basically deserted him during the last two decades. Between his the nineteen nineties personal scams and a number of hit-or-miss movies that appeared like pale xeroxes of his earlier films, audiences in the own country had virtually abandoned him towards the French. Just how, then, is one able to explain the smash success of his current 'Midnight in Paris,' that has made a lot more than any movie Allen makes in the four-decade career? The romantic comedy, that was still within the top ten in the box office last weekend before falling to number 12 a few days ago after a lot more than two several weeks in theaters, has made $45.7 million in The United States by This summer 28. That tops the $40.a million made by Allen's 'Hannah and Her Sisters' one fourth century ago, also it doubles the income of these recent modest Allen hits as 2008's 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' and 2005's 'Match Point,' each of which made about $23.two million. Modified for inflation, Allen's greatest hit continues to be 1979's 'Manhattan,' which gained $39.9 million - about $130 million in present day ticket prices. Still, 'Midnight in Paris' has additionally gained $33.5 million overseas, for any worldwide total of $79.two million, also it shows little manifestation of slowing down lower in the near future. What's behind the film's windfall? Here are a few possible solutions: It Is Good Apparent, possibly, but nonetheless, consensus is almost universal that Allen has not designed a movie this good in 2 decades. It features a 92 percent score among experts at Rotten Tomato plants (as well as an 85 % audience score there) as well as an 81 score at Metacritic. No Allen movie has brought scores this high or reviews this glowing since 1994's 'Bullets Over Broadway.' It Is Good Summer time Escapism Allen's time-travel fantasy is neither the normal thorny art-house movie nor the normal frantic romantic comedy. It is simply an attractive daydream within an exotic location. It is a Terrific Travelogue Can not afford to visit the actual Paris this summer time? You are able to still visit its top tourist points of interest vicariously. They have been lovingly captured pics of by cinematographer Darius Khondji with similar fond eye that Gordon Willis introduced to New York's landmarks in 'Manhattan.' It Does not Seem Like a minimal-Budget Indie Movie Since it is not. Some Allen movies are shot on the shoestring, that one cost $$ 30 million. It shows lavish period detail, from costumes to cars. Plus, the very first time, Allen used digital intermediate process in publish-production, instead of traditional photochemical color timing, to create the colours from the movie and tweak the pictures. Therefore it appears like an costly studio film. Owen Wilson Constitutes a Better Woodsy Than Woodsy Plenty of Allen's recent movies have featured an Allen surrogate within the lead romantic role, playing the type of lovelorn intellectual nerd that Allen might have performed themself in more youthful days. (Because who would like to begin to see the septuagenarian Allen like a romantic lead any longer?) Most of them have acquired his vocal tempos and body gestures (particularly, John Cusack and Kenneth Branagh, and also to a smaller extent, Jason Biggs, Will Ferrell and Ray David), causing them to be look and seem like poor Woodsy Allen impersonators. But Owen Wilson does none of this. He handles to share the Allen attitude without aping Allen's actions, so he appears an authentic spin about the usual character. Plus, he's Owen Wilson, so he brings an enormous reserve of laid-back charm towards the role that other stars (including Allen themself) have didn't have. It's Clean There has been lots of effective R-ranked comedies this summer time, attempting to one-up one another in raunchy outrageousness. 'Midnight,' however, is ranked PG-13. There's some risqué talk but no on-screen action, with no jokes built around full-frontal nudity or body fluids. If you are a grown-up who desires comedy but feels that 'The Hangover Part II,' 'Bridesmaids,' 'Bad Teacher,' or 'Friends With Benefits' are extremely puerile for you personally, 'Midnight' is the antidote. 'Midnight in Paris': Trailer No. 1 It's funny Allen fans frequently complain he no more makes broadly amusing movies like he accustomed to in the heyday. Well, here you decide to go. 'Midnight' is filled with a myriad of humor, operating on a number of different levels. You will find large sight gags, snappy one-inserts, and sly references to classic pieces of art, literature, and film. Should you catch all of them, you are able to pat your self on the rear to be well-read, but even when you do not, almost always there is another large laugh right nearby. It's serious. Around his fans profess to like his early slapstick comedies, Allen's greatest hit movies happen to be those that have something to express. 'Annie Hall'? Love is painful and does not last, but we keep trying because we can not do without it. 'Match Point' and 'Crimes and Misdemeanors'? We reside in a random world without any expectation of justice. 'Hannah and her Sisters'? We can not determine if there's existence after dying, therefore we may as well enjoy existence before dying. (The exception might be 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' whose point appears to become that People in america just aren't cut to live lives of grand passion, a minimum of nothing like Spaniards.) 'Midnight,' too, includes a indicate make, behind all of the comedy. Its Message Is Resonant If 'Midnight' includes a theme, it's that nostalgia is really a lovely trap. Wilson's character discovers that everybody thinks their present-day existence is dull in comparison with a previous golden age the people for the reason that supposed golden age felt this way. Easier to look forward rather than backward. (Indeed, for those his fondness for 20's Jazz Age culture and music, Allen's never been one trapped previously. Only at that writing, the 75-year-old has already been busy shooting his next movie, creating a film occur Rome the very first time in the career.) At any given time once the present appears not only dreary but absolutely bleak, it's no surprise moviegoers may wish to take Allen's easy journey into a thrilling, lighthearted past. 'Midnight' enables audiences to experience together with the parlor-game question, "Should you may go in time, which era can you visit?" But following the indulgence of nostalgia, it reassures audiences the best is yet in the future, the golden age continues to be in front of us. Who wouldn't wish to spend 1 hour 30 minutes by taking your trip? Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

Studio Sues Over Leaked Breaking Beginning Images

FIRST Released: August 2, 2011 12:28 PM EDT La, Calif. -- The manufacturers from the Twilight movies have prosecuted a couple they're saying have the effect of seeping images of incomplete moments in the series finale Breaking Beginning. A suit filed Monday by Summit Entertainment in federal court in La accuses Daiana and Hector Santia, who reside in Argentina, of hacking into secure computer systems, stealing images and posting them on social networks. The happy couple are charged with posting multiple images from Breaking Beginning online on March 31. Tries to achieve them weren't immediately succesful. The suit claims other people who haven't been recognized can also be responsible. Summit has blasted the leaks, saying it's unfair to nearly all Twilight fans to possess incomplete work published online. Copyright 2011 by Connected Press. All privileges reserved.These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.