Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Bosnian-Dutch film wins top award at 25th Sarajevo Film Festival
A Bosnian-Dutch film about a girl leaving the Netherlands and returning to her native Bosnia to visit the sick father she has never met was chosen on Thursday as the best movie at the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), celebrating its silver jubilee. The jury chaired by Swedish film-maker Ruben Ostlund, whose film "The Square" won Cannes' Palme d'Or in 2017, awarded "Take Me Somewhere Nice" by Bosnian director Ena Sendijarevic with the 16,000 euros ($17,736) Heart of Sarajevo award.
Chicago judge may tap special prosecutor to review actor Jussie Smollett's case
The case of ex-"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, who sparked a firestorm in Chicago by reporting a racist attack authorities have ruled a hoax, returns to court on Friday, when local media say a judge may tap a special prosecutor to review the case. The actor, who is black and gay, stunned the city when he told police on Jan. 29 that two masked men threw a noose around his neck and poured chemicals on him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs and expressing support for U.S. President Donald Trump.
Five people killed in stampede at Algiers rap concert
At least five people were killed in a stampede at a packed rap concert in the Algerian capital on Thursday night, a hospital source said. Thousands had gathered at the concert of local rap star Abderraouf Derradji, known as "Soolking", in a stadium in Algiers.
Rockin 'n' rollin on Mars: Rolling Stones have space rock named after them
The Rolling Stones have rocked stages around the world in their more than 50-year career. But now their influence has gone into space after NASA's Mars InSight Mission named a rock on the planet after the band. Slightly larger than a golf ball, the "Rolling Stones Rock" is said to have rolled some 3 feet (1 meter), spurred by the InSight spacecraft's thrusters during touchdown on Mars in November, NASA said.
Amazon's 'Carnival Row' mixes crime thriller, love story, fantasy
Amazon.com Inc's next original series will take viewers to "Carnival Row," a lavish Victorian-era fantasy world where mythical creatures are forced from their homeland and must live uneasily alongside humans. The eight-episode drama stars Cara Delevingne as a refugee fairy opposite Orlando Bloom, who plays a human detective trying to solve a string of gruesome killings in the area. The pair have a connection from the past.
Michael Jackson's ex-publicist touts foundation to 'protect' legacy
A former publicist for Michael Jackson on Thursday announced plans for a charitable foundation not affiliated with the late pop singer's family or estate, intended to defend and promote the legacy of the controversial entertainer. Raymone Bain, who represented Jackson in 2005 and 2006, said the Michael Jackson Legacy Foundation would seek to raise money for the charitable causes Jackson supported during his life, including the advancement of civil rights for African Americans.
Obamas make their Hollywood movie debut with 'American Factory'
Barack and Michelle Obama made their Hollywood debut on Wednesday with a documentary set in industrial Ohio that film reviewers are calling compelling and timely. "American Factory," the story of what happened when a Chinese company took over an abandoned General Motors plant, is the first product of a multi-year collaboration between Netflix and Higher Ground, the production company formed last year by the former U.S. president and first lady.
Harvey Weinstein to be arraigned again ahead of criminal trial
Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday morning on an indictment in connection with his upcoming criminal trial, a spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney said on Thursday. The contents of the indictment could not immediately be determined. The spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance declined to comment on the substance of the indictment.
Bosnia-born Matrix co-writer foresees partition of America
Novelist and Matrix co-writer Aleksandar Hemon worries that growing U.S. social divisions could bring about the partition of the United States, saying present-day America reminds him of his native Bosnia, ethnically divided after war in the 1990s. "I am in the business of imagination - I can perfectly imagine the situation in which a part of the United States effectively becomes independent," Hemon said on the sidelines of the Sarajevo Film Festival, where he moderates press conferences in the competition program.
Twerking hillbilly? Yes. Cheater and liar? No, says Miley Cyrus
Pop star Miley Cyrus on Thursday said she was no angel, but angrily denied rumors she had cheated on her estranged husband, actor Liam Hemsworth. In a series of postings on Twitter a day after Hemsworth filed for divorce after just seven months of marriage, the 26-year-old singer said she had nothing to hide.
