27/01/2025

MONDAY | JAN 27, 2025

24

LYFE

Parasite director to screen new film at Berlin festival S OUTH Korean director Bong Joon ho will present his new film Mickey 17 out of competition in Berlin next month, the city’s film festival o Bong Joon-ho to unveil black comedy Mickey 17

announced recently. Six years ago, Bong won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, then an Oscar for best picture for Parasite – the first non-English movie to do so at the Academy Awards. Science fiction black comedy Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey, who has volunteered in a programme in which cloning allows him to have multiple successive lives to the point where “dying is a habit”. The Berlinale is the first major European film event of the year. The festival has also announced that it will give a lifetime achievement award to British actor Tilda Swinton, who has also collaborated with Bong in the past. The festival opens with the latest offering from German film-maker Tom Tykwer, who made his name with Run, Lola, Run in 1998. The 75th edition of the Berlinale runs from Feb 13 to 23. Last year, French-Senegalese director Mati Diop’s Dahomey , a documentary examining Europe’s return of looted antiquities to Africa, took the prestigious prize. – AFP THE Grammys, slated for this Sunday, will “proceed as planned” despite the devastating fires scorching Los Angeles, revealed the Recording Academy. In a letter to Academy members, organisers said the 67th annual music awards gala would take place at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA “in close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources.” “This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honouring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours,” Academy head Harvey Mason Jr said in the letter, which was co-signed by Board of Trustees chair Tammy Hurt. “The Grammys will not only honour the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles,” Mason and Hurt said. The marquee televised portion of the gala will still air on CBS. Top nominees include Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar. At least 24 people have died, tens of thousands of people are displaced and swaths of Los Angeles sit in ruins nearly a week after fires broke out when extreme winds spread flames across arid Southern California, crippling the city and razing entire communities.

Conclave, Emilia Perez top nominations for Baftas CONCLAVE and Emilia Perez led the shortlist of films vying for recognition at the UK’s British Academy Film Awards (Bafta), as the race for Oscars glory gathers pace. Conclave , a fictionalised account of high-stakes horse-trading in the Vatican after the death of a pope, earned 12 nominations while surreal narco-thriller musical Emilia Perez followed with 11. Both will compete for the coveted best film award at next month’s ceremony. Epic immigrant drama The Brutalist , which received nine nominations including for best film, Wicked (seven) and Dune: Part Two (seven) were the other leading contenders. Unexpected hit Kneecap , a docu-fiction about three Belfast upstarts who rap in the Irish language, racked up six awards, including for original screenplay and outstanding British film. French director Jacques Audiard’s Mexico-set Emilia Perez and The Brutalist were the big winners at the Golden Globes earlier this month, and both appear strong contenders for top gongs at the Oscars on March 2. However, this year’s awards season is seen as highly unpredictable. An international crop of movies are considered potential big winners in Hollywood and at the Baftas, the highlight of the annual British film calendar held two weeks earlier. Hosted by Scottish actor David Tennant, it will take place on Feb 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Cannes favourite Anora and Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown will also battle for the best film Bafta in the British capital. Meanwhile, the director award pits Audiard against Edward Berger ( Conclave ), Sean Baker ( Anora ), Brady Corbet ( The Brutalist ), Denis Villeneuve ( Dune: Part Two ) and Coralie Fargeat ( The Substance ). Karla Sofia Gascon, the star of Emilia Perez , who is transgender, will compete with Cynthia Erivo ( Wicked ), Marianne Jean-Baptiste ( Hard Truths ), Mikey Madison ( Anora ), Demi Moore ( The Substance ) and Saoirse Ronan ( The Outrun ) for best actress recognition. The leading actor award will see Adrien Brody (The Brutalist ), Ralph Fiennes ( Conclave ), Timothee Chalamet ( A Complete Unknown ), Colman Domingo ( Sing Sing ), Hugh Grant ( Heretic ) and Sebastian Stan ( The Apprentice ) all compete. – AFP Hosted by Tennant, the Baftas will take place on Feb 16 at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Bong is well-regarded for directing Parasite , the first non-English language film to win the Best Picture award at the Oscars. – ALL PICS BY AFP

Grammys still set for Sunday, will support Los Angeles fire relief, honour first responders

Swift is among the leading nominees at the Grammys this year.

created for the event focused on “rebuilding infrastructure, supporting displaced families and advancing fire prevention technologies and strategies to ensure LA is better prepared for fire emergencies.” The entertainment industry in showbiz capital Los Angeles is weighing how to navigate its just-started award season, which is particularly intense for film and features a steady stream of swanky premieres and galas. The body behind the Oscars scrapped its ritzy nominees’ luncheon in light of the fires, while moving its nominations announcement online. – AFP

In response, the Recording Academy and its philanthropic arm MusiCares launched a relief effort with an initial US$1 million (RM4.4 million) donation supporting impacted music industry workers. The letter said additional donations had allowed for the organisation to distribute more than US$2 million in emergency aid thus far. Separately, LiveNation and AEG Presents, along with the Azoff Company, over the weekend announced a “Fireaid” benefit concert on Thursday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Proceeds are to go to a non-profit