Silvia Lara Wins Deutsche Bank’s Frieze Los Angeles Film Award

There’s nothing lostabout Silvia Lara’s latest project… 

The up-and-coming Latina filmmaker was named the recipient of the inaugural Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award at the opening of Frieze LA, beating out nine other finalists for the $10,000 prize. 

Silvia Lara

The award, granted in partnership with the nonprofit academy Ghetto Film School, aims to recognize emerging Los Angeles-based filmmakers between the ages of 20 and 34 years old. It’s part of the second annual Frieze Los Angelesart exhibit, which takes place on the Paramount studio lot and brings works from over 70 galleries from around the world. 

Lara’s film, Beauty Never Lost, was created during a three-month program at the Ghetto Film School and captures the life and inhabitants of Whittier, California, through a series of vignettes. 

“I began as a writer and photographer, but even as a writer I always hoped to one day see my ideas onscreen. It took some time, but I eventually learned that there was such a thing as cinematography and that it would prove to be a harmonious union between my two passions: storytelling and creating images,” Lara said in a statement.   

The finalists included Danielle BoydMya DodsonMichelle Jihyon KimNabeer KhanAlima LeeTimothy Offor,Toryn SeabrooksNoah Sellmanand Nicole L. Thompson, and their works were voted on by a jury of art and entertainment figures including artist Doug Aitken; filmmakers Shari Frilot,Jeremy Kaganand Sam Taylor-Johnson; and curator Hamza Walker.

Rasuk to Star in “Fifty Shades of Grey” Film Adaptation

Prepare for fifty shades of Victor Rasuk

The 29-year-old Dominican American actor has been added to the ensemble cast of Fifty Shades of Grey, the film adaptation of the hit novel of the same name.

Victor Rasuk

Rasuk, the former star of HBO’s How to Make It in America, will portray Jose Rodriquez, an aspiring photographer and Anastasia Steele’s classmate. His close relationship with the co-ed pits him against Christian Grey.

Jamie Dornan will play the bondage enthusiast Christian, replacing Charlie Hunnam who abruptly left the project earlier this year. Dakota Johnson will portray the college student Anastasia, Jennifer Ehle stars as her on-screen mother and Luke Grimes as Christian’s brother Elliot.

The filming was supposed to kick off in November but has been pushed to December, just eight months before the planned August 1, 2014 release date, as the script is being polished by The Wolverine scribe Mark Bomback.

Sam Taylor-Johnson will direct the film.

Rasuk had a breakout performance as the lead in Peter Sollett‘s 2002 indie Raising Victor Vargas and then went on to play a skateboarding pioneer in Catherine Hardwicke‘s 2005 Lords of Dogtown. He has also appeared in Steven Soderbergh‘s The Argentine and most recently in the Steve Jobs biopic jOBS.

He will next star in Godzilla long with Taylor-Johnson’s husband Aaron Johnson.