Lebanon Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Naman Ramachandran The BFI London Film Festival has revealed eight titles that will be in official competition. The films include Santiago Mitre’s political drama “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina); Clement Virgo’s brotherly love tale “Brother” (Canada); Marie Kreutzer’s irreverent period drama “Corsage” (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany-France); Fyzal Boulifa’s atmospheric domestic drama “The Damned Don’t Cry” (France-Belgium-Morocco); Mark Jenkin’s folk horror tale “Enys Men” (U.K.); Hlynur Palmason’s historical epic “Godland” (Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden); Soudade Kaadan’s poignant family film “Nezouh” (U.K.-Syria-France); and Alice Diop’s courtroom drama “Saint Omer.”

Anna Marie de la Fuente Breaking Glass Pictures has snagged North American rights to “Blood-Red Ox,” the first genre pic by award-winning Bolivian director-producer Rodrigo Bellott, now playing at the 18th Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic) sidebar Visions of the World.“A mind-bending trip into the depths of myth and madness, Bellott has crafted a haunting tale that pays homage to classic horror films while offering commentary on contemporary environmental and social issues,” said Scott Motisko, Breaking Glass VP of acquisitions, business development and sales, who together with Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff negotiated the pact with Ida Martins, CEO of Media Luna.“We have a longstanding business relationship with Breaking Glass Pictures and couldn’t think of a better outlet for “Blood-Red Ox,” said Martins, adding: “They have been doing an excellent job with all Media Luna previous titles, and we are honored to have one more title in their care.” Shot on location in Bolivia and upstate New York, “Blood-Red Ox” centers on Amir, a Lebanese American journalist, and his partner Amat. The two visit Amir’s environmentalist friend in the town of Tarija, which is being harassed by an oil company bent on exploiting the Bolivian rain forest.

A day after Salman Rushdie was stabbed Friday by a man who rushed the stage as the author was about to give a lecture in western New York, authorities announced the suspect was arrested on an attempted murder charge.

Salman Rushdie was stabbed Friday by a man who rushed the stage as the author was about to give a lecture in western New York, authorities announced the suspect was arrested on an attempted murder charge.Rushdie, 75, was flown to a hospital and underwent surgery after the attack.  His agent, Andrew Wylie, said Friday night the author is currently on a ventilator and cannot speak. He said Rushdie will likely lose an eye, adding that the nerves in his arm were «severed» and his liver was «stabbed and damaged.» Police identified the attacker as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey.

A Lebanon man who was "intercepted" in the English Channel last June was found dead in Manchester Ship Canal just over a year later.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures International is forming a new partnership with Emirates-based Majid Al Futtaim Distribution which will see the latter release Universal movies in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE) and Egypt. In Lebanon and Cyprus, Uni will retain its longstanding distribution relationship with Four Star Films.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentStrand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Maryam Touzani’s “The Blue Caftan,” which world premiered at Cannes and won the Fipresci prize. The film, which is represented in international markets by Films Boutique, will have its North American premiere at Toronto in the Special Screenings section.Touzani’s follow-up to Un Certain Regard title “Adam,” “The Blue Caftan” tells the story of Halim and Mina, a married couple running a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas.

A Manchester University graduate who was helping refugees in Lebanon was brutally raped, murdered then dumped at the roadside by an Uber driver on the way home from a night out, an inquest has heard. Rebecca Dykes, 30, who was described as a 'devoted humanitarian', had been travelling back from a night out in the Gemmayzeh district of Beirut when she was picked up by Uber driver Tariq Houshieh in December 2017.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorThe Match Factory will launch sales on the debut film by Ehab Tarabieh, “The Taste of Apples Is Red,” at the Toronto Film Festival, where the film will be premiering in the Discovery section. Tarabieh’s previous short films have won several prizes, including Best Short Film at Doha Tribeca Festival for “The Forgotten” (2012) and a nomination for a European Academy Award for “Smile and the World Will Smile Back” (2015).

Tiffany Cross and comedian Wanda Sykes — have already slammed the network for reportedly hiring Griffin.Who will be the next co-host of @TheView? The wait is finally over! Find out only on @TheView this THURSDAY at 11e|10c|p on ABC! pic.twitter.com/xvLHqgin2ZBorn in Los Angeles on June 15, 1989, Griffin is the daughter of two journalists. Her father, Joseph Farah, was the executive news editor at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, then an editor at Northern California’s the Sacramento Union.Her father is of Syrian and Lebanese descent.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne of the wonders of music streaming is its borderlessness. Back in the day, a person might never hear, let alone purchase, music outside their country or comfort zone if they didn’t happen to wander into that area of a record store or radio dial.

Abel Ferrara, Shia LaBeouf And Steve Buscemi Head To Venice Sidebar Giornate Degli Autori

Outfest has announced the award winners of its 40th Anniversary Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Naman Ramachandran Sally El Hosaini’s refugee drama “The Swimmers” will open the 47th Toronto International Film Festival.The film follows the journey made by swimming sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini who fled as refugees from war-torn Syria all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.In 2015, after their house was destroyed in the Syrian Civil War, the Mardini sisters decided to flee the country. They made their way to Lebanon and then Turkey, where they arranged to be smuggled into Greece by dinghy.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentA Turkish biopic about 1980s pop singer Bergen, who grappled with a violent husband that hired someone to pour nitric acid on her face and later shot and killed her, is becoming a sleeper box office hit across West Asia.The potent female empowerment film, titled “Bergen,” follows the singer’s meteoric rise from cello player to becoming Turkey’s “Queen of Arabesque,” all while struggling with a partner hellbent on sabotaging her career. The pic is helmed by Turkish directorial duo Caner Alper and Mehmet Binay, who are known for works driven by civil liberties and gender issues such as the 2015 drama “Drawers,” about a teenage girl’s sexuality.Upon grossing a substantial $10 million-plus intake at Turkish cinemas, “Bergen” is now scoring brisk box office returns across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon and Oman.

Dining with the stars! New York City is home to some of the hottest restaurants in the world — and our favorite stars have taken notice. From casual eateries to elegant fine dining, there are so many different restaurants that numerous celebrities have visited.

On The J Lo newsletter, including exclusive photos of her bridal looks. “We read our own vows in the little chapel and gave one another the rings we’ll wear for the rest of our lives,” she wrote.J Lo revealed her first dress was “from an old movie”. For part of the celebrations, Jennifer Lopez wore a textured sleeveless dress that she revealed was “from an old movie”—her take on the “something old” bridal tradition, complete with her signature bouncy waves and a smoky make-up look. The pièce de résistance, however, came courtesy of Zuhair Murad, the Lebanese couturier behind the embellished gown she wore in the rom-com Marry Me.

Jennifer Lopez wore two dresses for her surprise wedding to Ben Affleck on Saturday night. The couple, who were engaged in the early 2000s before separating for 17 years, finally said “I do” at The Little White Chapel in Las Vegas, according to Lopez. “We did it.

A new wine bar with a ‘sun trap’ terrace has opened with views across the historic warehouses around Canal Street. Beeswing, which is perched above the new Nell’s bar off Minshull Street, will feature an impressive - and unusual - wine list too.

Shakira has had a lot on her plate lately. Amid a notorious separation from the father of her children, Gerard Piqué, the singer faces one more concern: the health of her father, William Mebarak. The 90-year-old author suffered a severe fall at the end of May, just before her daughter confirmed the end of her relationship with the F.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentYes Studios has unveiled the new trailer for the highly anticipated fourth season of “Fauda,” which will launch July 13 on Yes TV in Israel and will be available on Netflix worldwide.The plot of the new season involves Hezbollah activists from Lebanon and Palestinian militants in the West Bank, and new cast members include Inbar Lavi (“Lucifer”), Amir Boutrous (“The Crown”), Lucy Ayoub, Danny Steg (“Kvodo”) and Loai Nofi (“Hashoter Hatov”).Following the events of the previous season, Doron (Lior Raz) feels guilty over the death of his teammate, and angry and frustrated after his dismissal from the unit. Captain Ayub (Itzik Cohen) tries to bring Doron out of his difficult situation and enlists him for a basic security mission in Brussels.

The camera pans over folds of lush blue satin fabric. Quickly fingers enter the frame, caressing it with great care.

Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear in new prequel Lightyear.The actor, who voiced the fictional space adventurer in the flagship Pixar films, broke his silence on the new project in an interview with Extra.“The short answer is I’ve stayed out of this ’cause it has nothing to do [with my Buzz Lightyear],” Allen explained.Watch the full interview here:“It’s a wonderful story,” the actor said of Lightyear. “It just doesn’t seem to have any connection to the toy, and it’s a little…I don’t know.

Naman Ramachandran Rodrigo Reyes’ “Sansón and Me” (Mexico/U.S.) has won best film at the Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 23-28) international competition. Supported by BBC Studios Documentary Unit, the award is Academy Award accredited.Special mentions were given to “One Day in Ukraine” by Volodymyr Tykhyy (Ukraine-Poland) and “After the End of the World” by Nadim Mishlawi (Lebanon)The best first feature award was won by Rosa Ruth Boesten’s “Master of Light” (U.S.-Netherlands). A special mention was given to “Julie on Line” by Mia Ma (France).Best short film was awarded to “Fawley” by Chu-Li Shewring and Adam Gutch (U.K.).

Mexican Immigrant Tale ‘Sansón And Me’ Wins Best Film At Sheffield Doc/Fest

Middle East and North Africa distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has snapped up regional distribution rights for Saudi action picture Route 10, starring rising local talents Fatima AlBanawi and Baraa Alem.

Conecta Fiction & Entertainment, its first major TV event, returned to much of the winning formula of its early pre-pandemic editions: A spectacular setting in Spain, here the august historical city of Toledo; TV project pitches; an intense conference strand; marvellous networking opportunities, most especially the possibility of spending quality time with mover and shaker industry figures from Spain and Latin America.“I love to be here and it’s healthy, mainly for networking. I’m learning a lot, it’s like going to school,” Fremantle’s Manuel Marti enthused at Toledo. Most attendees would agree with him.But, compared to 2019, the industry has moved on and is now buffeted by larger turbulence.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentGangland warfare and a Romeo and Juliet romance with a twist are the main elements of Sky Studios’ first Italian in-house production ‘Blocco 181,’ which is set against the backdrop of a gritty multi-ethnic Milan that has never appeared on screen before.The eight-episode show – which launches this week on Sky in the U.K. after making a splash in Italy – is lead-directed by London-based Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi, best known for art-heist thriller “The Burnt Orange Heresy” starring Mick Jagger as a shady art collector.“It’s a dark fable combining crime, romance, sex, and coming-of-age elements,” said Capotondi who besides directing the series, also co-penned the “Blocco 181” screenplay.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorCameroon’s Cyrielle Raingou has won the Kirch Foundation Award, which comes with a €5,000 cash prize, for her film project “I’m Coming for You.”The award comes at the conclusion of the first edition of Munich Film Up!, an eight-month mentoring and residency program for film school graduates that started in November.The program was created by the Pop Up Film Residency, in partnership with the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF München) and the Munich Film Festival.The six filmmakers who took part in the program were:Lana Bregar, Slovenia (Film school: AGFRT Ljubljana) with “Dark Head” Erec Brehmer, Germany (Film school: HFF München) with “Lightness and Weight” Anastasiya Gruba, Ukraine (Film school: Kyiv University) with “Women Suicide Season” Loïc Hobi, Switzerland/France (Film school: Ecole de la Cité) with “Crypto Lover” Cyrielle Raingou, Cameroon (Film school: Doc Nomads Master) with “I’m Coming for You” Pratik Thakare, India (Film school: Satyajit Ray Institute Kolkata) with “A Midnight Meal” “I’m Coming for You,” which is still at an early stage of development, centers on Karthoumi, a young mother. Always wearing a hijab, she rides a Bobber motorcycle across Africa’s Sahel region to trade with Boko Haram terrorists.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentPortugal’s “The Last Wolf,” Lebanon’s “Status Quo” and Uruguay’s “The Invisible Ink” proved big winners at the 6th Conecta Fiction & Entertainment, which will wrap Friday in Toledo, Spain.A potential part of a burgeoning production axis between Spain and Portugal, “The Last Wolf” won the largest prize of the night, a development deal at Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, worth an estimated €50,000 ($52,500) and a virtual invitation to set the project up as a co-production with Spain.The prize is a sign of the times. Battling financial straights, RTVE is turning to co-production or license deals – with its peers in Europe (Germany’s ZDF Studios on Simon West Magellan epic “Boundless”) or go-ahead and more flexible U.S.

.A 20th Anniversary screening of Todd Haynes’ “Far from Heaven” will take place, with Haynes, Julianne Moore, and producer Christine Vachon in person.“I’m incredibly proud of the work our programming team has done to craft a lineup that celebrates the history of the LGBTQIA+ community and the art we create, and that also spotlights innovative new work that will pave the way for 40 more years of spectacular, groundbreaking queer cinema,” said Outfest’s Director of Festival Programming, Mike Dougherty. The 11-day festival will host the Los Angeles premiere of Sundance Audience Award winner “Girl Picture,” as well as Sundance favorites “Sirens,” about a female thrash metal band from Lebanon; “Mars One,” a family drama from Brazil that centers a love story between two women; and Chae Joynt’s “Framing Agnes,” starring Zackary Drucker, Angelica Ross, Silas Howard.World premieres include “Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story,” a doc from Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Pulse Films that tells the story of competitive skating icon Leo Baker, who in 2020 resigned from the U.S.

Sofia Vergara has hit the Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent!

“America’s Got Talent” dance crew the Mayyas earned the golden buzzer from judge Sofia Vergara on Tuesday, and it’s not the first time they’ve gotten the honour in the “Got Talent” global franchise.

Nightbirde — the late songstress and former Golden Buzzer recipient who was battling late-stage cancer when she auditioned for the show in 2021.«She said, 'We can't wait until life isn't hard anymore, before you decide to be happy,'» Nadim continued, recalling Nightbirde's emotional audition. «Seeing the Mayyas in  is the most beautiful feeling I've ever felt.»As the dancers hit the stage, they explained that their group's name means «The proud walk of a lioness» and recalled their reasons for auditioning.«Lebanon is a very beautiful country.

Universal/Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion is set to thrash past $500M worldwide today. The global total through Thursday is $493.2M. That includes $302.1M from the international box office and $191.1M domestic on the Colin Trevorrow-directed threequel.

Naman Ramachandran Shailaja Padindala’s Kannada-language film “Naanu Ladies” won best narrative feature and Pedro Peira’s English and Spanish-language film “LA QueenCianera” best documentary feature at the 2022 Kashish LGBTQ+ film festival in Mumbai.Gujarati-language shorts “Muhafiz” by Pradipta Ray and “Dal Bhat” by Nemil Shah” won best Indian narrative short and the Riyad Wadia Award for best emerging Indian filmmaker respectively. “Muhafiz” also won best screenplay for Ray and Ashutosh Pathak.Padindala said: “ ‘Naanu Ladies’ is a film attempting to identify cis-het culture [as it] weaves itself into the queerness of everyday life.