Tag: Oscars

  • VIDEO: Riz Ahmed fixes wife’s hair on Oscars red carpet

    Riz Ahmed may have lost the Oscar Award for Best Actor to Anthony Hopkins but he walked away with the best red carpet appearance when he took a moment to fix his wife Fatima Farheen Mirza’s hair. Ahmed had revealed in January that he had tied the knot in secret a few months back.

    In a video that went viral on social media, the couple can be seen walking in together and as the photographers clicked their pictures, Riz paused for a moment to make sure his wife’s hair looked perfect. Ahmed’s act won the hearts of audiences across the world and they started hailing the couple as “relationship goals”.

    The British-Pakistani actor was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role of a drummer who loses his hearing in the Sound of Metal.

    In addition to winning hearts with his romantic gesture on the red carpet, Ahmed also made history at this year’s Oscars as the first Muslim nominee in the Best Actor category. He was up against Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Father, Gary Oldman for Mank, and Steven Yeun for Minari. Hopkins eventually took home the award.

    Meanwhile, Sound of Metal bagged two awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

    The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.

    The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.

    “Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”

    This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.

    Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”

    An honourary award for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which has supported struggling actors and crew particularly during the pandemic, was awarded at the Oscars’ traditional Hollywood theater base. Black entertainment mogul Tyler Perry was also honored.

    But the bulk of the awards were handed out at the 1930s-built Union Station, chosen for its grand scale and outdoor courtyards, where white tents sheltering everything from Covid testing booths to catering were installed.

    “We’re here, isn’t it crazy?” said Ahmed. “Human beings in the flesh!”

    While The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences remembered late actors Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput, Chadwick Boseman and other stars in the 93rd Academy Awards.

    The late stars were honoured for their services to the cinema industry in the ‘In Memoriam’ sequence during the award show with Stevie Wonder’s song ‘As’ in the background.

    https://youtu.be/lRbfMvLO118
  • Riz Ahmed’s family has the most desi response to his Oscar nomination

    Riz Ahmed’s family has the most desi response to his Oscar nomination

    British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed’s family reacted to his historic Oscar nod in the most desi fashion ever.

    In a social media post Riz revealed that his cousin was unaware of what the Oscars were and was unable to understand why his nomination was such a big deal.

    “My cousin Adnan legit didn’t know what the Oscars were,” wrote Riz on social media. “‘Why all the gas? I won [the] Best Client Engagement Award for the financial quarter’.”

    “Other cousin steps in ‘Na it’s not as big as that, cos he didn’t win anything. It’s more like getting an email from your boss.’ Thanks, boss,” added the actor.

    For the unacquainted, Ahmed bagged the nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Sound of Metal, making him the first Muslim and Pakistani actor to get the nod in the category.

  • Mehwish, Adnan, Sanam congratulate Riz Ahmed on his Oscar nomination

    Riz Ahmed, who played the role of a drummer who begins to lose his hearing in Amazon Studio’s Sound of Metal charted history by becoming the first Muslim to be nominated in the leading actor category at the Academy Awards.

    Read more – Obamas to adapt Mohsin Hamid’s ‘Exit West’ for Netflix with Riz Ahmed in the lead

    The actor, while responding to the nomination said that he was “honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances”.

    “I am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement,” the actor added.

    Mehwish Hayat, Adnan Siddiqui and Sanam Saeed celebrated Riz’s big achievement and congratulated the actor on social media.

    “Congratulations Riz. You have created history with your nomination as the first Muslim for lead actor at the distinguished Academy Awards,” said Siddiqui. “Hard work and talent always get recognised.”

    “Pakistan is proud of you,” added the actor.

    Mehwish Hayat also expressed her delight over the nomination, saying: “In a world where we’re fighting for fairer representation in mainstream media, a Muslim nominated for Best Actor for the first time since 1929 is one hell of a big deal.”

    Sanam Saeed also congratulated her ‘dosst‘, saying: “Proud moment, you totally deserve it.”

    “Go on then keeping making waves and bringing about change,” she added.

    The 2021 Oscar nominations were announced from London by presenters Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The Academy Awards would typically have happened by now but this year will be telecast on April 25. The film academy said Monday that the show will be held at both its usual home, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the city’s railway hub, Union Station.

  • Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim to bag ‘Best Actor’ nomination at Oscars

    Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim to bag ‘Best Actor’ nomination at Oscars

    Riz Ahmed, who played the role of a drummer who begins to lose his hearing in the Sound of Metal charted history by becoming the first Muslim to be nominated in the leading actor category at the Academy Awards.

    This is also for the first time that two Asian actors have been nominated in the Best Actor category. Nine of the 20 acting nods went to non-white performers, including Riz and a South Korean Yuh-Jung Youn of Minari, in what Variety Magazine described as the most diverse acting Oscars slate ever.

    Sharing his excitement on social media, Riza said: “Wow! I’m honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances, and am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement.”

    “I’m equally thrilled for our visionary writer-director Darius Marder and the brilliant Paul Raci As well as our editor Mikkel, sound designer Nicolas, and co-writer Abe Marder,” he added.

    “These nominations represent the time, generosity and talents of so many — all of our incredible cast, crew, producers,” said the actor further. “Sound of Metal is about how a health crisis can cut you off from your life and loved ones, and force you to grow in unexpected ways. In a challenging year for so many, I hope this story can inspire us to forge new and deeper connections with ourselves and others.”

    “And in particular I’d like to thank my mentors in the drumming, addiction recovery, and D/dead communities” Riz concluded.

    Meanwhile, six nods each were earned by the other best picture contenders The Father, Black Panther story Judas and the Black Messiah, Korean-language drama Minari, Nomadland, #MeToo revenge tale Promising Young Woman, 1960s Vietnam War courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Amazon Studio’s deaf drama Sound of Metal.

    The late Chadwick Boseman also got a first Oscar nod for his final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

    The nominations were announced from London by presenters Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The Academy Awards would typically have happened by now but this year will be telecast on April 25. The film academy said Monday that the show will be held at both its usual home, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the city’s railway hub, Union Station.

    This year’s awards season — typically a month-long circuit of screenings, cocktail parties and schmoozing — has been entirely virtual, taking much of the buzz and predictability out of the Oscars. Eligibility was extended to early 2021 releases and to movies that bypassed theatres.

  • Pakistan’s official Oscar entry ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ fails to qualify

    Pakistan’s official entry in the International Feature Film Award category at the 93rd Academy Awards Zindagi Tamasha is out of the Oscars race. The film is not part of the list of 15 international feature films announced Tuesday that “will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9.”

    According to a report published in Variety Magazine, “Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category. Films from 93 countries were eligible in the category, the most in Oscars history. Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.”

    “In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote,” stated the report.

    The nominates for the Oscars will be announced on March 15 while the award ceremony will be held on April 25.

    Read more – ‘Emily in Paris’ writer surprised with Golden Globe nomination

    The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee had selected Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars in November 2020.

    Directed and co-produced by Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano, Zindagi Tamasha features Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Kureshi in the lead roles. The film is centred around a naat khwan Rahat Khawaja (played by Hassan) and his family who are outcast from the society when a video of Khawaja enjoying a song is leaked.

    The official synopsis states: “The film is an intimate portrait of a family as well as a scorching political commentary on little gods on this earth who police our private passions.”

    Meanwhile, Zindagi Tamasha has not yet hit cinemas in Pakistan. It was initially scheduled to hit screens on January 25, 2020, but immense backlash from religious circles forced the federal and provincial government to halt its release. However, in July 2020, the Senate HR committee cleared the film and allowed it to be screened post-COVID-19.

  • ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ is Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars

    ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ is Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars

    The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee has selected Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars.

    According to a press release, the film will be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘International Feature Film Award’ category for the 93rd Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will choose the final nominees for all award categories including International Feature Film in February 2021. The complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be announced on 15th March 2021 with the presentation show for the 93rd Academy Awards scheduled to take place on 25th April 2021.

    Directed and co-produced by Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano, Zindagi Tamasha features Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Kureshi in the lead roles. The film is centred around a naat khwan Rahat Khawaja (played by Hassan) and his family who are outcast from the society when a secret of Khawaja’s is leaked.

    The official synopsis states: “The film is an intimate portrait of a family as well as a scorching political commentary on little gods on this earth who police our private passions.”

    Speaking about the selection, Sarmad said: “All the heartache that Zindagi Tamasha gave me has somehow restored my faith in the power of art too: the sheer, almost physical power of art to make life imitate it. This announcement, for me, is a very bright light shining at the end of this dark tunnel of a year.”

    “I made this film in Pakistan and foremost, for Pakistan, for my people and the misfortune that my people have remained deprived of it weighs quite heavy on my artistic conscience. Some pride is slowly kicking in though and no matter how far we go with this official selection, Zindagi Tamasha will be representing all of us – our ‘Pakistan’,” he added.

    The Oscar committee for 2020 was chaired by two-time Academy Award and Emmy winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and included musician Faisal Kapadia, director Asad-ul-Haq, filmmakers Asim Abbasi and Hamza Bangash, Syed Muhammad Ahmed, Mehwish Hayat, Hasan Shehreyar Yasin, Arshad Mahmud and Jamal Shah.

    Asim, who directed the critically acclaimed Churails, said: “For me, Zindagi Tamasha is the strongest submission from Pakistan since 2013.”

    It is pertinent to add here that Zindagi Tamasha has had a bumpy ride. It was initially scheduled to hit screens on January 25 this year but immense backlash from religious circles forced the federal and provincial government to stop its release.

    While the Federal Government had said that the film will be reviewed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the Punjab Government had directed the filmmaker to hold a screening on February 3 so that the film can be reviewed again. However, no screening has taken place to date. It is pertinent to mention here that the provincial and central censor boards had earlier cleared the film for release with a few cuts.

    At that point, Sarmad had made a heartfelt appeal to the Prime Minister, President, Chief of Army Staff and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to facilitate the release of the film.

    Later, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar had taken notice of the ban and said that the committee will review the film. In July, the committee cleared the film and allowed it to be screened post-COVID-19.

    Zindagi Tamasha premiered at the Busan International Film Festival held in October 2019 where it also won the prestigious Kim Ji Seok Award.

    Watch trailer:

  • Oscar nominees are getting gift bags worth $225,000. Here’s what’s inside

    Oscar nominees are getting gift bags worth $225,000. Here’s what’s inside

    While an Oscar nomination can open doors to bigger roles and a higher paycheque, this year it also comes with a cruise on a luxury yacht, cosmetic surgery, and personal matchmaking service in a gift bag worth more than $225,000.

    The gift bag, which is not affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will be sent to all 20 acting nominees and the five men nominated for best director, Distinctive Assets, the Los Angeles-based company behind the goodie bags revealed. Among those who will be receiving a gift bag include Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Scarlett Johansson.

    “It’s the highest value we’ve ever put together,” said Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary, who has been assembling the bags for 18 years.

    This year’s top swag includes a $78,000, 12-day yacht cruise; $20,000 of facial rejuvenation treatments; and $20,000 in matchmaking services.

    The nearly 80 items also include clothing, gadgets and a 24-carat gold-plated vape pen that Fary said was selected with Leonardo DiCaprio in mind. Photos of DiCaprio vaping a few years ago helped popularise the trend.

    More than a dozen items have philanthropic elements, including a book that empowers young girls and a cleanser that supports showers for the homeless.

    Fary said the bags aren’t given based on need, but appreciation.

    “This is an acknowledgment of an amazing performance that they put in and, for many of them, a lifetime of amazing performances. So, you’re never too rich or famous to outgrow gratitude,” he said.

    Because Fary is not officially connected to the academy he’s allowed creative freedom with what’s included and its recipients.

    “I only give this to the top acting and directing nominees. So, because we’re only gifting about 25 people, that means I get the most insanely priced things,” he said.

    It’s also a chance for brands to be associated with high-profile celebrities.

    “This is a business endeavor. This is about the promotion. This is about products connecting their services and their wares with the biggest trendsetters in the world,” Fary said.

    Each bag is delivered directly to the nominees during the week leading up to the Oscars on Sunday.

    Here are some highlights from the goodybag, compiled from Insider:

    A 12-day trip for two on the world’s first ultra-luxury expedition yacht — the Scenic Eclipse

    According to Insider, the yacht takes 200 guests on a 12-day trip to Antarctica, where they can encounter penguins, kayak, and snowshoe. This trip is valued at $78,190 and the yacht includes eight restaurants, a submarine, two helicopters, and a “spa sanctuary.”

    Dinner for two at Flora’s Field Kitchen

    Located in Cabo, Mexico, the restaurant serves exclusively handmade, fresh food from its nearby 150-acre ranch.

    A “brain sensing headband” from Muse

    The Brain Sensing Headband is a “personal meditation assistant” that senses users’ mental activity and translates it to sounds of weather to guide breathing.

    A 24 karat gold Royal Chakra Bath Bomb from Hotsy Totsy Haus

    Each bath bomb dissolves to reveal a full moon charged amethyst crystal.

    A getaway for eight guests in an active Spanish lighthouse

    The Faro Cumplida is an active lighthouse that hosts up to eight guests in three private suites.

    Foot Spray

    Still Standing Unisex Foot Spray is made from three herbal remedies that contain anti-inflammatories and pain relievers to keep users’ feet comfortable for long periods of time — like awards season appearances.

  • A decade in showbiz: #MeToo, Oscar drama and star-studded weddings

    A decade in showbiz: #MeToo, Oscar drama and star-studded weddings

    A showbiz decade marked by the emergence of the #MeToo movement, drama at Oscar time and a clutch of star-studded royal weddings is drawing to a close.

    Here are the highlights from the decade.

    2010

    Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman to win best director at the Oscars for The Hurt Locker, a low-budget Iraq war drama that also beats blockbuster Avatar, directed by ex-husband James Cameron, to the best picture award.

    Kathryn Bigelow

    Model Naomi Campbell testifies at former Liberian leader Charles Taylor’s war crimes trial, saying she was given “dirty looking pebbles” but did not know if they were blood diamonds.

    Fashion designer Alexander McQueen and actors Dennis Hopper and Tony Curtis die.

    2011

    Britain’s Prince William marries Kate Middleton.

    Michael Jackson’s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer’s 2009 death from a fatal dose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol.

    Actress Elizabeth Taylor and singer Amy Winehouse die.

    2012

    Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie get engaged.

    Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z welcome their first child, daughter Blue Ivy.

    Actress Katie Holmes files for divorce from Tom Cruise after nearly six years of marriage.

    Singers Whitney Houston and Robin Gibb die.

    2013

    William and Kate welcome their first child, son George, as do reality TV star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West, who name their daughter North.

    Paul Walker dies.

    2014

    Jolie and Pitt tie the knot in France, George Clooney marries human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice and Kardashian and West wed in Florence.

    George Clooney, Amal Clooney

    Robin Williams passes away.

    2015

    Comedian Bill Cosby is criminally charged with indecent assault against one woman after dozens accuse him of sexual misconduct dating back decades. He denies the allegations.

    Former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, stepfather of Kim Kardashian, becomes the most high-profile American to publicly come out as a transgender woman, taking the new name Caitlyn Jenner.

    Johnny Depp marries Amber Heard.

    Actors Omar Sharif and Leonard Nimoy and director Wes Craven die.

    2016

    Director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith boycott the Oscars because no black actors are nominated for a second straight year. The ensuing uproar leads the Academy of Motion Pictures to expand membership to more women and people of colour.

    Jolie and Pitt split; Heard files for divorce from Depp.

    Kardashian is robbed of millions of dollars of jewelry at gunpoint in Paris.

    Music stars David Bowie, Prince and George Michael, and actors Alan Rickman, Carrie Fisher and Gene Wilder die.

    2017

    A blunder overshadows the Oscars as La La Land is wrongly named best picture. African-American drama Moonlight is the actual winner. PricewaterhouseCoopers, which oversees the ballots, says presenter Warren Beatty had been given the wrong envelope.

    The New York Times and the New Yorker publish accounts by numerous women accusing film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, fuelling the #MeToo movement across entertainment, politics and business. Weinstein denies any non-consensual sex.

    Harvey Weinstein

    A suicide bomber kills 22 people at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Grande later holds a benefit concert for the victims.

    After winning six Grammys five years earlier for smash hit album 21, Adele triumphs again, taking five awards for follow-up 25.

    2018

    Cosby becomes the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since the #MeToo movement began.

    Britain’s Prince Harry marries US actress Meghan Markle.

    Singer Aretha Franklin, actor Burt Reynolds, comicbook supremo Stan Lee, designer Hubert de Givenchy and chef Anthony Bourdain die.

    2019

    Documentary Leaving Neverland, in which two men say they were abused as children by Michael Jackson, renews scrutiny of the singer’s legacy. Jackson’s estate calls it a “rehash of dated and discredited allegations”.

    Prosecutors drop a sex assault case against Oscar winner Kevin Spacey after the alleged victim refuses to testify.

    Harry and Meghan welcome their first child, Archie.

    Hit medieval drama Game of Thrones wraps up after eight seasons. The ending divides fans.

    Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, actors Peter Fonda, Abid Ali and Luke Perry and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison die.