2015 iREPRESENT Documentary Film Festival: Call for Entries

REINVENTING DOCUMENTARY FILM-MAKING IN DIGITAL SPACE.

The 5th iREP Film Festival is scheduled to hold from the 19th to 22nd March, 2015, in Lagos, and it promises to be four days of over 40 documentary film screenings, insightful panel discussions, training and workshops, and networking.

iREPRESENT Documentary Film Festival 2015 is planned to take full advantage of online connectivity and interaction through livestream broadcast and feedback.

#‎iREP2015‬ is premised on the reality that Digital media technology is expanding narrative possibilities and shaping audiences’ experiences of how realities are articulated. Documentary filmmaking is coming to terms with these new realities and continuously finding hybrid strategies to navigate the blurred lines crisscrossing verite and satisfying the ever changing temperament of the digital world that is hip, fun-seeking, chaotic, multi-tasking, and attention sapping. For documentary filmmaking, digital technology presents a challenge and an opportunity that would either remarkably transform and redefine what passes as a documentary film or bury the art in its past. More than ever before there is a need to reinvent the art of documentary filmmaking within the space of the new elements that are dictating the trend of media consumption and experience globally.

GOT A DOCUMENTARY FILM?::
‪#‎iREP2015‬ is the place to show it! This year we plan to show over 40 documentary films, and we sincerely hope your film will be one of them.
Enter your film today! See the poster for details.

Email: info@irepfilmfestival.com
Website: http://irepfilmfestival.com.






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Martha L. Ruiz is Co-Leader of PwC's Oscars® Balloting Team for 87th Academy Awards

Martha L. Ruiz Named Co-Leader of PwC's Oscars® Balloting Team
PwC Enters its 81st Consecutive Year Preserving Secrecy of Oscars Winners

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- PwC announced today that Martha L. Ruiz has joined Brian Cullinan as the new Oscars balloting co-leader overseeing the Oscars balloting process, replacing longtime balloting co-leader Rick Rosas. This year marks PwC's 81st year leading the Oscars balloting process on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Academy).

Ruiz joins a very small group of PwC partners who have safeguarded the world's most famous and best kept secrets for over eighty years. Ruiz and Cullinan will be the only two people in the world who know the identities of the Oscar® winners before they are revealed on ABC's live telecast at 4:00 p.m. PT (7:00 p.m. ET) on Sunday, February 22, 2015.

"PwC's role in the Oscars balloting process represents the firm's lasting legacy of utmost accuracy and confidentiality," said Ruiz, tax partner in PwC's entertainment, media and communications practice and newly-appointed Oscars balloting co-leader. "It's an honor to join this esteemed group of PwC balloting leaders to uphold our long-standing relationship with the Academy."

A PwC veteran of nearly 18 years, Ruiz specializes in providing tax compliance and advisory services to a variety of entertainment clients throughout Southern California. She has also spent over 10 years working behind the scenes as part of the Oscars balloting team.

"The Oscars balloting process is a symbol of PwC's culture of integrity and trust," said Brian Cullinan, chairman of PwC's U.S. board of partners, managing partner of PwC's Southern California practice and Oscars balloting co-leader since 2014. "Each year, the Oscars serve as an immense source of pride for the people of PwC. This year, I look forward to working closely with Martha, and, on behalf of PwC and the Academy, thank Rick Rosas for his 14 years of impeccable service."

PwC oversees all aspects of the voting process: helping to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the balloting process, maintaining sole custody of all votes and tabulations, and remaining responsible for the confidentiality of the results. Cullinan and Ruiz lead a team of tight-lipped, meticulous accountants who conduct the same ballot-counting method used for decades, maintaining a high-level of accuracy and confidentiality.

Once the final votes have been submitted and tabulated by PwC, Cullinan and Ruiz memorize every winner, and two briefcases are prepared each with a complete set of envelopes bearing all the Oscar winners' names. The briefcases are then brought by each balloting leader to the show via separate, secret routes. During the live telecast, Cullinan and Ruiz remain backstage and hand each winning envelope to award presenters before they walk onstage.

"The foundation of our long-standing relationship with PwC is based on integrity and trust," said Dawn Hudson, Academy CEO. "We look forward to working with Martha, Brian and PwC for many years to come."

Oscars nominations opened to voting members of the Academy on Monday, December 29, 2014, and nominees were announced on Thursday, January 15, 2015. Final ballots will be available on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 8 a.m. PT, and completed ballots are due on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 by 5 p.m. PT.

For additional information, visit: www.pwc.com/balloting or follow us on Twitter @PwC_EntComm.

About PwC:
PwC firms help organisations and individuals create the value they're looking for. We're a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 195,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.

©2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers. All rights reserved

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150121/170637
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100917/NY66894LOGO

SOURCE PwC

CONTACT: Ray Yeung, Brainerd Communicators, Inc., (212) 986-6667, yeung@braincomm.com; Laura Schooler, PwC US, (646) 471-3229, laura.schooler@us.pwc.com
RELATED LINKS
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Please, Separate Politics from the Oscars

All 20 of this year's acting contenders are white.
So what?
There are no women in the directing or writing categories.
So what?
The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite on Twitter is unnecessary bellyaching.
Africa made the the nominations with Mauritanian Abderrahmane Sissako's critically acclaimed "Timbuktu" competing for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. And he will make headlines all over the continent if he wins it.

Thank God Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is BLACK, otherwise they would have called her a white supremacist from the KKK.
All these bellyaching and farts over lack of diversity in the membership of the Academy and 2015 Oscar nominations are irrelevant to the fact that merit determined the nominations and not politics of racism. Politics should be separated from the Oscars and it would be stupid to use racial diversity and equality to determine the nominations and winners of awards whether in the Arts or Sciences.
African Americans and other non-Caucasians in America must stop their persecution complex and stop their overreaction to events and incidents affecting their personal racial egos. After all, even the darkest room does not change the color of the silver screen.
What should determine our progress and success in life is our genius and not the color of our skin, religion or sexual orientation.

I hope these protesters will not disrupt the Academy Awards on February 22 at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

Best picture 

• American Sniper
• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash

Best actor in a leading role

• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
• Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
• Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best actress in a leading role

• Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best actor in a supporting role

• Robert Duvall, The Judge
• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
• Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best actress in a supporting role

• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Laura Dern, Wild
• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
• Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Best director

• Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best foreign film

• Ida, Poland; directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
• Leviathan, Russia; directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
• Tangerines, Estonia; directed by Zaza Urushadze
• Timbuktu, Mauritania; directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
• Wild Tales, Argentina; directed by Damián Szifron​

Best original screenplay

• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo
• Boyhood, written by Richard Linklater
• Foxcatcher, written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
• The Grand Budapest Hotel, screenplay by Wes Anderson; story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
• Nightcrawler, written by Dan Gilroy

Click here for the complete list of 2015 Oscar nominees.






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Film Icon Ron Howard Wins Prestigious Critics' Choice LOUIS XIII® Genius Award

Actor Chris Hemsworth with director Ron Howard, winner of the Critics' Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award, during the 20th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards at the Hollywood Palladium on January 15, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.
source: Louis XIII de Remy Martin
media contact info: http://www.LOUISXIII-COGNAC.com/.

Chris Hemsworth Presents Prestigious Critics' Choice LOUIS XIII® Genius Award to Film Icon Ron Howard at 20th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards

LOS ANGELES, January 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

LOUIS XIII & Broadcast Film Critics Association Honour the 'A Beautiful Mind', 'Apollo 13' and 'In the Heart of the Sea' Director for Demonstrating Unprecedented Excellence in the Cinematic Arts

LOUIS XIII Cognac and the Broadcast Film Critics Association proudly bestowed the third annual "Critics' Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award" to legendary filmmaker Ron Howard this evening, presented by actor Chris Hemsworth at the 20th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards ceremony. LOUIS XIII Cognac is celebrated globally as a genius blend and is committed to recognizing outstanding talent in other creative areas.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150116/724693 )

After three decades and 24 distinctive films, Ron Howard's approach to making films is truly genius. Howard creates movies inspired by real characters and events and turns their stories into intense cinematic experiences for audiences worldwide. In 2013, "Rush", starring Hemsworth, finds new visual ways to illustrate the connection between driver and racecar. In "A Beautiful Mind", which earned Howard an Academy Award for directing, he puts viewers through the head-spinning exhilaration of John Nash as he solves math problems. Following the success of "A Beautiful Mind", Howard delivered "The Missing", a brutally powerful Western, followed a few years later by the controversial blockbuster conspiracy thriller, "The Da Vinci Code", then the captivating historical piece, "Frost/Nixon".

Howard's directing career demonstrates the sheer variety of genres he explores. His films feel uniquely American as they focus on tough, heroic figures that refuse to accept defeat, as seen in "Apollo 13" and "Cinderella Man". Howard surprises the audience with each picture and with his new project, "In the Heart of the Sea", he embraces these familiar attributes. As his sixth film based on a real story, it's inspired by the events that caused Herman Melville to write Moby Dick, and stars Chris Hemsworth as the ship's dauntless first mate. Later this year, Howard will transport audiences to the sixties for an upcoming documentary about the Beatles.

"Ron Howard is a cinematic genius and someone who has paved the way for many filmmakers today," said Joey Berlin, president of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which presents the Critics' Choice Awards. "Ron's films truly speak to his work ethic and attention to detail. We expect his upcoming project about the inspiring real life story behind Moby Dick to be a notable continuation of his legacy."

"We are very pleased to recognize Ron Howard with the Critics' Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award," said Ludovic du Plessis, Global Executive Director, LOUIS XIII. "Mr. Howard's craftsmanship, dedication to quality and ability to continually inspire with timeless storytelling resonate with generations of audiences around the world."

For more information on LOUIS XIII please visit http://www.LOUISXIII-COGNAC.com/.

About LOUIS XIII de Rémy Martin

LOUIS XIII Cognac was created in 1874. It is an intricate alchemy blended from 1,200 eaux-de-vie, created from grapes grown in the chalky soils of Grande Champagne, the best growing area of the Cognac region, France. This cognac ages up to 100 years in specially crafted barrels called tierçons. Four generations of cellar masters have worked to oversee the unique blend, which evokes tasting notes and scents of myrrh, honey, immortelle, plum, honeysuckle, wood bark, leather and passion fruits.

About The Broadcast Film Critics Association:

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 270 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public. The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

SOURCE LOUIS XIII de Remy Martin

CONTACT: Jennifer Giuliano, Luxury Management Group, +1-310-854-4755, jgiuliano@ems.luxurymg.com; Caroline Sarrot, LOUIS XII International, Communication Director, +33-1-44-13-44-13, csl@remy-cointreau.com

THE BEST COLLECTION OF FILMS BY RON HOWARD

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American Sniper Will Open in IMAX Domestic Locations on January 16

Warner Bros. Pictures' And Village Roadshow Pictures' American Sniper Will Open In IMAX Domestic Locations On January 16

Click here to read more.






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Happy New Year 2015

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Sony Pictures To Distribute "The Interview" Online Beginning Christmas Eve Through Google Play, YouTube Movies

Sony Pictures To Distribute "The Interview" Online Beginning Christmas Eve Through Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and Dedicated Website
Film To Be Widely Available On Demand Throughout The United States

The Interview

Pervasive Language, Crude and Sexual Humor, Nudity, Some Drug Use and Bloody Violence

In the action-comedy The Interview, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show 'Skylark Tonight.' When they discover that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the most unlikely candidates, to 'take out' Kim Jong-un.

Directors
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Writers
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Genre
Comedy
Stars
James Franco (Dave Skylark), Seth Rogen (Aaron Rapaport), Lizzy Caplan(Agent Lacey), Randall Park (President Kim), Diana Bang (Sook), Timothy Simons (Malcolm)
Language
Comedy
Runtime
112m

CULVER CITY, Calif., Dec. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that The Interview will be available online across the United States starting today, Christmas Eve.
As of 10:00 a.m. PST, the film will be available to rent in HD on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and the dedicated website www.seetheinterview.com at a price of $5.99. The film can also be purchased in HD for $14.99.
"It has always been Sony's intention to have a national platform on which to release this film," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment. "With that in mind, we reached out to Google, Microsoft and other partners last Wednesday, December 17th, when it became clear our initial release plans were not possible. We are pleased we can now join with our partners to offer the film nation-wide today.
"We never stopped pursuing as wide a release as possible for The Interview.  It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech. We chose the path of digital distribution first so as to reach as many people as possible on opening day, and we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release."
"I want to thank Google and Microsoft for helping make this a reality. This release represents our commitment to our filmmakers and free speech. While we couldn't have predicted the road this movie traveled to get to this moment, I'm proud our fight was not for nothing and that cyber criminals were not able to silence us.
"No doubt the issues we have confronted these last few weeks will not end with this release, but we are gratified to have stood together and confident in our future. I want to thank everyone at Sony Pictures for their dedication and perseverance through what has been an extraordinary and difficult time."
Fans can watch The Interview on several platforms including:

• Google Play: the movie is available to buy or rent at play.google.com, and can be watched in the Play Movies & TV app on Android and iOS phones or tablets, or streamed in the living room via Chromecast, Roku or the Nexus Player.
• YouTube: the movie is available at youtube.com/movies and can be watched on the web, in the YouTube app, or on select living room devices like Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStation and Xbox.
• Microsoft's Xbox Video: the movie is available to buy or rent on the Xbox Video app on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and XboxVideo.com.
• SeetheInterview.com: In addition, The Interview is available at the dedicated website www.seetheinterview.com, which is sponsored by Sony Pictures and powered by Kernel and with payments through Stripe, a secure payment platform.

In addition to Google Play, YouTube, Microsoft and www.seetheinterview.com, The Interview is also being released in more than 300 United States theaters on December 25th.
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

SOURCE Sony Pictures Entertainment
CONTACT: Jean Guerin, SVP, Media Relations, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 310.244.2923
RELATED LINKS
http://www.seetheinterview.com
http://www.sonypictures.com






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