Tag Archives: Academy Awards

Becky G Performs Oscar-Nominated “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” During Oscars

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Becky G brings the fire to the 2024 Oscars…

The 27-year-old Mexican American rapper/singer performed “The Fire Inside,” the Academy Award nominated track from the Eva Longoria-directed film Flamin’ Hot, at Sunday’s Oscars.

Becky GDiane Warren penned the inspirational track for the film about Richard Montañez, the Frito-Lay janitor who became an executive after inventing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Ahead of the ceremony at the Dolby Theater, Longoria talked about the excitement her directorial debut getting some recognition at the Academy Awards.

“I have goosebumps. I can’t believe it. I can because Diane Warren wrote the song, so she’s a genius and Becky G is a genius,” Longoria told Laverne Cox on Live from E! red carpet coverage. “Their performance tonight… You will never be more proud to be a Latino and a Chicano, but Becky’s thought and love that she put into this performance tonight is going to blow everybody away. She has some special guest from Inglewood.”

She continued, “We don’t ever get this platform. We, people of color, we don’t really get this stage. We wanted to bring our whole community with us tonight. We wanted to thank everybody for watching the movie [and] making it a success.”

Flamin’ Hot starred Jesse García as Richard Montañez and the cast included Annie González, Emilio Rivera, Vanessa Martínez, Hunter Jones, Dennis Haysbert, Tony Shalhoub, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Matt Walsh and Brice Gonzalez.

America Ferrera to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Oscars

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Win or lose, America Ferrera will be taking the Oscars stage…

The 39-year-old Honduran American actress, who earned her first-ever Academy Awards nod this year for her performance in Barbie, will serve as a presenter at Sunday’s Oscars.

She’s part of a roster of new presenters that includes Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Sally Field, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Grande, Ben Kingsley, Melissa McCarthy, Issa Rae, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz and Forest Whitaker.

They join previous announced presenters Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The Oscars will be broadcast live on March 10 ceremony from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the ceremony for a fourth time.

ABC, which has aired the Oscars since 1976, is televising the show live starting at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT — an hour earlier that usual. The network, which has begun to use the Oscars as a lead-out to showcase its top programming, will follow its coverage of the live ceremony with an original episode of Abbott Elementary.

ABC’s time tweak also means that its annual pre-show will now run for 30 minutes — instead of the usual 90 — beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. As per usual, the main Oscar telecast will be rebroadcast in the Pacific Time zone in primetime after the live presentation.

Raj Kapoor will serve as showrunner and executive producer of the 96th Oscars, with Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing.

Lila Avilés Among Storytellers Immortalized with Barbie Doll in Their Likeness for International Women’s Day

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Lila Avilés is getting all dolled up…

The 42-year-old Mexican film director, screenwriter, actress and producer, whose meteoric rise on the international stage after just two feature films that have both represented Mexico at the Oscars, is among eight women storytellers selected by Mattel to be immortalized with Barbie dolls in their likeness.

Lila Avilés, BarbieAvilés joins Academy Award-winning actors Helen Mirren and Viola Davis along with country-pop artist Shania Twain, Australia’s Kylie Minogue, German comedian Enissa Amani, Japanese model Nicole Fujita and Brazilian Indigenous influencer Maira Gomez who have been selected as Barbie role models in honor of International Women’s Day.

Their dolls will be one of a kind and not for sale.

Said Mattel in a statement: “Since the brand’s inception, Barbie has helped girls explore their limitless potential through different roles and narratives – from encouraging self-expression through dress-up to playing out any of her 250+ careers. With Barbie by their sides, countless children have been able to imagine their own stories through play that help shape their real-life futures.”

“The brand is sharing countless stories of empowerment and bringing her legendary legacy to life through the eyes and words of fans everywhere, starting with some of the most renowned storytellers out there,” it continued.

Given the phenomenal box office and critical success of Greta Gerwig’s multi-Oscar nominated movie, Barbie, the company chose the storytelling theme for this year.

Last year’s theme was STEM, which covered women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. That year, Engineer Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman in space, was among the few to be chosen for a Barbie doll to be made in her likeness.

Lila Avilés, BarbieDescribing her selection as an “incredible, beautiful and surreal surprise,” Avilés expressed her delight at the recognition. “It’s not only me but my career that is being honored,” she told Variety.

The figurine portrays her with a camera on her shoulder, a script in one hand and her beloved cat by her feet.

Her latest film, Totem, which landed on the long list for the Oscar’s Best International Feature category, has played in more than 100 film festivals and will be rolling out theatrically across 40+ countries, including the U.S. where it’s still out. It’s slated to play on the Criterion Channel and just became available on Netflix Latin America.

“People ask me if my movies are feminist. In as much as my protagonists are women, they are, in an organic way,” she said.  “The Chambermaid, my feature debut, gave voice to a woman who’s ostensibly invisible to many,” she noted. “Totem delves into childhood and the idea that childhood is destiny,” she added, recalling the times when she and her brother played with each other’s toys, including her Barbie dolls.

This doll is hers to keep. Fortunately, her daughter is already in her teens so may not be clamoring to play with it.

Bad Bunny to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards

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Bad Bunny has a date with Oscar…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar has been added to the list of presenters for this year’s Academy Awards show.

Bad BunnyBut the “Monaco” singer is not the only Puerto Rican artist set to take the stage.

West Side Story star Rita Moreno, an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award) winner, will also serve as a presenter.

Bad Bunny and Moreno are among the list of recently added presenters for the March 10th Oscars telecast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef.

Moreno won an Oscar in 1962 for West Side Story. In 1977, she became the first Latina (and just the third person overall) to complete the EGOT.

In 2022, Bad Bunny made history when Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Spanish-language album to top Billboard’s year-end chart and to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year. His acting credits include Bullet Train, Narcos: Mexico and Cassandro,

Earlier this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that another popular Latin star, Becky G, would perform the nominated “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot on the telecast.

Previously announced Oscars presenters are Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast to outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10, at the new, earlier time of 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT.

Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the show for the fourth time. It will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner for the 2024 Oscars. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing. Rickey Minor is music director.

Becky G to Perform Oscar-Nominated “The Fire Inside” at This Year’s Academy Awards

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Becky G has a date with Oscar…

The 26-year-old Mexican American singer, rapper and actress will perform at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Becky GBecky G will perform “The Fire Inside,” a single with music and lyrics by Diane Warren for the film Flamin’ Hot.

The track is one of this year’s Best Song nominees.

Becky G is among a roster of Oscar performers that includes Jon Batiste, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, Scott George and the Osage Singers, and Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson.

They’ll take the stage to perform the trophy hopefuls during the 96th Oscars hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on March 10.

The announcement was made by Oscars executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and EPs Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan.

ABC will air the show live coast-to-coast starting at the new time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Here’s the list of the Best Song nominees, songwriters and Oscarcast performers:

“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” – Performed by Becky G
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

“I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” – Performed by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson
Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

“It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony” – Performed by Jon Batiste
Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon” – Performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers
Music and Lyric by Scott George

“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” – Performed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Front Row to Release Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund’s “City of Gold” in Middle East for First Time

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Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund acclaimed Brazilian film is heading to Middle East theaters more than 20 years after its release.

Middle East distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment will release the iconic Oscar-nominated Rio de Janeiro gangland drama City of God across the Gulf countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

City of GoldCo-directed by Meirelles and Lund, film made waves back in 2002 for its realistic depiction of the rise of gang violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro with a young unprofessional cast.

Front Row originally released the film straight to DVD in the Gulf due to a variety of local restrictions but some two decades later is pushing on with a theatrical release in a sign of how the region is opening up.

Front Row’s planned February 22 release coincides with the 21st anniversary of the movie’s 2003 theatrical release following its Out of Competition world premiere at Cannes in 2002, and also ties in with a global re-release on February 23.

The initiative also coincides with Front Row’s 20th Anniversary.

“The film holds a special place in our hearts; it was our first acquisition, and at the time we couldn’t release it theatrically due to language restrictions imposed by cinemas, and also because we couldn’t afford the budget it needed to stand out, so it went straight to DVD,” says Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra.

“We’ve come a long way since, and City of God remains an unforgettable masterpiece that deserves to be seen on the silver screen. What better way of celebrating our 20th?”

Front Row is co-distributing City of God with The Festival Agency, led by Leslie Vuchot, who acquired the rights from Wild Bunch.

The partnership is part of drive by Front Row to release a number of classics in the Gulf region that were not presented on the big screen first time round.

City of God was nominated in four categories at the 76th Academy Award but went home empty handed. However, it regularly features on critics lists as one of the top films of all time and is ranked #25 on IMDB with an audience score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

J.A. Bayona’s “The Society of the Snow” Wins 12 Goya Awards, Including Best Director & Best Film

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J.A. Bayona is this year’s Goya Awards darling.

The 48-year-old Spanish filmmaker’s The Society of the Snow took home 12 trophies at the 38th Annual Goya Awards, Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars, in Valladolid.

J.A. BayonaBayona’s film for Netflix claimed the most awards of the night, including Best Director and Best Film awards for the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker.

J.A. Bayona, La Sociedad De La Nieve, Society of the SnowBut Bayona wasn’t the only multiple-award winner.

Pablo Berger earned two Goya Awards for his acclaimed animated film Robot Dreams, which is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Film.

The 61-year-old Spanish filmmaker’s film claimed the Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Animated Film awards.

The top acting awards went to Malena Alterio for Antonio Méndez Esparza’s Que Nadie Duerma and David Verdaguer for David Trueba’s Saben aquell.

Here’s the complete winners list:

Honorary Goya
Juan Mariné

Best Supporting Actor
José Coronado
Cerrar los ojos (Close Your Eyes)

Best Original Song
“Yo solo quiero amor”
Rigoberta Bandini
Te estoy amando locamente

Best Costume Design
Julio Suárez
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Special Effects
Pau Costa, Félix Bergés and Laura Pedro
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver and Montse Ribé
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best New Actor
Matías Recalt
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Film Editing
Andrés Gil y Jaume Martí
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Cinematography
Pedro Luque
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Sound Editing
Jorge Adrados, Oriol Tarra y Marc Orts
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Art Direction
Alain Bainée
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Production Design
Margarita Huguet
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Original Music
Michael Giacchino
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Animated Film
Robot Dreams
Pablo Berger

Best Documentary Film
Mientras seas tú, el aquí y ahora
Carme Elías, de Claudia Pinto

Best Short (Fiction)
Aunque es de noche
Guillermo García López

Best Documentary Short
Ava
Mabel Lozano

Best Animated Short
To bird or not to bird
Martín Romero

Best Novel Direction
Estíbaliz Urresola Solaguren
20.000 especies de abejas (20,000 Species of Bees)

International Goya
Sigourney Weaver

Best New Actress
Janet Novás
O corno (The Rye Horn)

Best Iberoamerican Film
La memoria infinita (Chile) (The Eternal Memory)
Maite Alberdi

Best European Film
Anatomía de una caída (Francia) (Anatomy of a Fall)
Justine Triet

Best Supporting Actress
Ane Gabarain
20.000 especies de abejas (20,000 Species of Bees)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Pablo Berger
Robot Dreams

Best Original Screenplay
Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
20.000 especies de abejas (20,000 Species of Bees)

Best Actor
David Verdaguer
Saben aquell (Jokes & Cigarettes)

Best Actress
Malena Alterio
Que nadie duerma (Something is About to Happen)

Best Director
J. A. Bayona
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Best Picture
La sociedad de la nieve (The Society of the Snow)

Danny Ramirez to Star in Live Reading of Oscar-Nominated Drama “Anatomy of a Fall”

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Danny Ramirez is studying anatomy…

The 31-year-old Colombian and Mexican American actors will star in a live reading of the Oscar-nominated drama Anatomy of a Fall.

Danny RamirezRamirez will star alongside Riley Keough, Bob Odenkirk, Jay Ellis, Kate Berlant, Quincy Isaiah and Olivia Wilde in the reading.

Keough takes on the lead role of Sandra, which earned Sandra Hüller an Academy Award nomination for best actress this year.

In addition to the human cast, the movie’s dog Messi will reprise his role as Snoop.

The event, taking place on February 14 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, is presented by Neon and Film Independent. The film’s director Justine Triet will co-direct with Franklin Leonard of The Black List.

“My partner Arthur and I wrote this script while in quarantine together,” Triet said in a statement on Saturday. “What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than with this caliber of talent exploring relationships, love and truth? We are so excited at the opportunity to collaborate with Film Independent.”

In addition to best actress, Anatomy of a Fall’s Oscar nominations include best original screenplay, best editing, best director and best picture.

The film has won the Palme d’Or, two Golden Globe Awards – including best screenplay – and two Gotham Awards. Anatomy of a Fall has been highly recognized by more than 25 national critics groups, in addition to garnering nominations from the Producers Guild of America and American Cinema Editors.

Past live readings at the Wallis have included Love Actually, Back to the Future, Jennifer’s Body and Triangle of Sadness.

For more information and tickets for the live reading, go to filmindependent.org.

Ramirez’s previous credits include The Gifted, On My Block and Top Gun: Maverick.

Max to Begin Streaming “The Color Purple,” Starring Colman Domingo, on February 16

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Colman Domingo is seeing purple to the Max…

The Color Purple, starring the 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor, will make its streaming debut on Max on February 16.

Colman Domingo, Color PurpleThe film musical remake from Warner Bros. and director Blitz Bazawule is up for an Academy Award, received two SAG Award nominations and earned 17 NAACP Image Award nods.

It stars Fantasia Barrino, who reprises the role of Celie after playing her on Broadway in 2007, as well as Danielle Brooks, who received a Tony nomination for the Broadway role and is now competing for a best supporting actress Oscar.

Domingo, who portrays Albert “Mister” Johnson, Taraji P. Henson and Halle Bailey also star in The Color Purple, which boasts producers including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones, and is a film adaptation of the Broadway musical, which itself adapted the 1985 Spielberg film based on Alice Walker’s novel.

“Spielberg did justice to Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-winning novel, but he also left room to expand and improve,” wrote Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge in his review of the 2023 film. “Now, nearly four decades later, a rousing new version arrives from director Blitz Bazawule.”

He continued, “Instead of rejecting what came before, the Ghanian filmmaker embraces and builds upon it, collaborating with Spielberg, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey to update the material for the next generation … The main change, apart from a cast with impossibly big shoes to fill, comes from incorporating the songs written for the Broadway musical — which also brings an additional freedom, as those numbers allow the story to transcend the characters’ harsh reality.”

In her November Variety cover story, Barrino talked about her trepidation in returning to the role of Celie. In fact, she initially said no to the movie role, turning down Winfrey herself before changing her mind. “I’m grateful that I did not allow those voices in my head to hold me back from stepping into this woman’s shoes,” Barrino said. “It was important that I did.”

Netflix Orders New Adaptation of Spanish Film “My Dearest Señorita” from Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi

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Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi are breathing new life into an iconic Señorita.

Netflix has ordered the Spanish film, My Dearest Señorita, produced by the 33-year-old  Spanish actor, stage, film and television director and writer and his 39-year-old Spanish producing and romantic partner, who is also an actor, stage, film and television director and writer.

Javier Calvo & Javier AmbrossiCalvo and Ambrossi’s project is an adaptation of the 1972 Oscar-nominated film of the same name, which was directed by Jaime de Arimañán, who co-wrote the script with José Luis Borau. The original film starred the late José Luis López Vázquez.

The 1970s film was a romantic drama that explored themes of intersexuality, and was one of very few to tackle sexual orientation in General Francisco Franco’s ultra-conservative Spain. It was nominated the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 1973 Oscars.

“Times have changed, and we believe it is a good time to revisit this story, a story of gender identity and wonderful, mainstream love,” said Calvo and Ambrossi in a statement. “The creative challenge is how far we can update it without losing the essence.”

Known as “Los Javis,” Calvi and Ambrossi launched Suma Content, an independent global production label, in October 2021.

Their projects include he musical La Llamada, the television series Paquita Salas, Veneno and La mesías.