How ‘Belfast,’ ‘Dune’ and Other Oscar Films Shine the Spotlight on the Refugee Crisis (Guest Blog)

EXCLUSIVE: Cast has been finalized on Borderland, the long-gestating thriller set on the paranoid streets of 1970s London.

A Stand Up for Ukraine event taking place Saturday saw $4.6 billion in grants and $5.5 billion in loans pledged for humanitarian efforts being undertaken by Ukraine and other European countries, UN agencies and grassroots organizations to support all those impacted by the Russian invasion.

Caitriona Balfe has paid tribute to her diehard fans as she and the rest of the Outlander cast prepare to film the seventh season.

Read more: Kevin Hart spotted filming new Netflix film in Belfast after announcing second Limelight gig After some digging into locations across the UK where you might not know your favourite show/movie was filmed, Betway named Belfast as one of their top 5 filming locations that are prime for celeb-spotting. They said: "Northern Ireland has garnered a reputation among production crews as the perfect cinematic backdrop thanks to iconic shows like 'Game of Thrones', 'Line of Duty' and 'Derry Girls'.

The cost of living crisis is happening all across the UK with energy bills, food and fuel prices soaring as well as national insurance rising. But according to research there are certain areas of the country where people are much better, or worse off, than others when it comes to the cost of living.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterContinuing his streak of using the magnetic child stars of awards season in his advertising campaigns, New York-based designer Thom Browne has cast Jude Hill as the face of his spring childrenswear line.This year’s Critics Choice Award winner for best young actor, 11-year-old Hill and his delightful Irish accent stole hearts all season in Kenneth Branagh’s Academy Award winner “Belfast.” The Thom Browne campaign was shot by Cass Bird and imagines Hill in a series of cinematic moments alongside a young girl and one of the brand’s most visible symbols — Hector, the silhouette of a wire-haired dachsund, who happens to be a giant. Browne himself also makes a cameo.The designer dressed Hill for the recent Oscars telecast and has also appeared on a slew of notable Hollywood men in recent months.

Naman Ramachandran Arrow Films have acquired U.S., Canada, U.K. and Ireland rights to Berlinale title “Incredible But True,” by French writer-director Quentin Dupieux (“Mandibles”).The quirky comedy, which had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February, sees a husband and wife move into a suburban house of their dreams only to discover that a mysterious secret is hidden in the basement, which may change their lives forever.

Northern Ireland striker Dion Charles insisted he should have been awarded a penalty before Hungary got the winner in Tuesday's 1-0 friendly defeat at Windsor Park.

Video: How Ciarán Hinds went from studying law to Oscars race (Associated Press)Ukrainians in Poland make plea as Biden visit endsCeremony for Biden at Polish presidential palaceBiden meets Ukraine foreign, defence mins in PolandGrammys winner Hit-Boy still at 'top of the top'Desperate scenes at damaged Mariupol hospitalPope presides over special prayer for UkraineNebraska Congressman guilty in campaign probeNYC Amazon workers decide whether to unionizeAP Top Stories 5PAmazon gears up for dual union election resultsOfficials ID teenager who fell to death in FloridaDatabase tracks evidence of potential war crimesUkrainian troops push out Russian forces at a costDirectors of ‘jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy’ talk film reception, Ye’s social media activitiesBiden salutes US troops in Poland as the world's bestStreet artists paint their resistance to Ukraine warHe then paid tribute to those “lost along the way”, including John Sessions and Jim Dornan, the father of Belfast’s star, Jamie Dornan. “We miss them, we love them, we will never forget them,” Branagh continued.

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell won the Best Song Oscar for “No Time to Die,” the brother-sister duo’s power ballad from James Bond film No Time to Die.

Kenneth Branagh has just turned one of his eight career Oscar nominations into a win, stepping up to receive the award for Original Screenplay for Belfast.

Katie Price's engagement ring was nowhere to be seen as she took to Instagram to post a series of videos on Friday.  Just hours before, Carl Woods, 33, appeared to have removed photos of his fiancé from his Instagram after they returned from a sun-soaked trip to Thailand together.  In the video Katie, 43, could be seen as she showed off some sweets to her followers, without the glitzy ring on her left hand.

Maluma is expanding his business horizons, exploring differenct facets of the entertainment industry with his latest venture.This week, the Colombian superstar released his latest song, “Mojando Asientos,” dropping a music video that serves as his directorial debut alongside the track. At the same time, Maluma also unveiled his new production company Royalty Films.Co-directed by Cesar “TES” Pimienta and Rayner Alba “PHRAA,” this music video is the company’s first-ever release, according to reports from Billboard.

Jamie Dornan and Amelia Warner are stepping out for the night!

After several years in which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences vacillated between eight or nine Best Picture nominees, Oscar has returned to a set number of 10 films for its top prize. The whole idea of doubling the amount from five to 10 came about in 2010 to encourage voters to select a broader range of films that might actually include some popular titles. That lasted a couple of years before the Academy tweaked it, allowing anywhere from five to 10 movies to make the cut. Now, with dwindling ratings, AMPAS once again decided to pin their hopes on a solid 10 in the hope that a Spider-Man or a Bond film could catch the fancy of the 9,487 eligible voters and help improve ratings with an audience favorite or two for viewers to root for. No such luck. This year’s lineup, which certainly has its share of warm-hearted crowd pleasers, only produced one film that even came close to making more than $100 million at the domestic box office, Dune, which debuted day-and-date on HBO Max. Nevertheless, ratings potential aside, the lineup of 10 nominees this year are a worthy bunch. Here are the 10 nominees for BEST PICTURE.

Emilio Mayorga Award-winning French documentary distributor Java Films has grabbed world rights to Anna Giralt’s “Robin Bank,” a doc competition entry at this year’s Malaga festival.Produced by Jorge Caballero at Catalan-Colombian Gusano Films, Germany’s Indie Film and Catalan pubcaster TVC, in partnership with Arte France – La Lucarne, “Robin Bank” tells the story of Catalan activist Enric Durán who, between 2005 and 2008, managed to take out €500,000 ($550,000) in loans from 39 different banks which he never reimbursed, instead using the money to fund social projects.Imprisoned for two months, Durán was released on bail, and while he awaited trial, fled the country, declaring himself a fugitive. The film received warm a welcome from audiences at its recent world premiere at Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival.‘‘ ‘Robin Bank’ is a unique story that really speaks to our times.

Amber Heard is hard at work on her new movie!