Latest news with #Nativity
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ECAM Forum, Madrid Audiovisual Cluster Launch FINDE for Spanish Indies to Mind the Financing Gap
The ECAM Forum's Co-Production Market in Madrid will host on June 12 FINDE, a new Financing Independent Cinema initiative aiming at bringing together Spain's indie film sector and the ecosystem of private investment. Spearheaded by top Spanish film school and cultural foundation ECAM and the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster, the industry day is meant to 'bridge the gap between traditionally isolated sectors, breaking down barriers and demystifying key concepts about private investments in film', the partners said. More from Variety Francisca Alegría's 'Nativity' Sees Chile's Madre Content Join Quijote Films on the Magical Realist Fable of a Violent Man's Rebirth (EXCLUSIVE) ECAM Forum Coordinator Alberto Valverde on an Expanded Second Edition: 'The Winning Teams From Cannes Are Also in Madrid' 'To the North's' Mihai Mincan Talks ECAM Forum Bound Coming-of-Age Mystery 'Milk Teeth,' Sound Designed by Oscar-Winner Nicolas Becker (EXCLUSIVE) During the intensive day, 100-plus accredited ECAM Forum participants will be invited to hands-on training on equity and private investment in film, networking sessions with investors and presentations of international funds. Also on the program are round-tables between heavy-weight players from the private and public sector and selected indie producers from outfits including Tornasol, Elastica, BTeam, El Deseo, Beta Fiction, Morena Films and Avalon. Top international experts in attendance take in Rémi Burah, ARTE/Cofinova general director, Giorgos Karnavas, CEO of leading Athens-based production and sales powerhouse Heretic – attached to the upcoming Willem Dafoe-led 'The Birthday Party' co-produced with Spain, the Netherlands and the U.K. – and Alexandra Lebret, Axio Capital partner and former head of the European Producers Club. Lebret will be pitching to Spanish producers the recently launched €58 million ($66 million) Together Fund, billed as first European equity fund dedicated to small and mid-sized indie producers of scripted content, to which the European Investment Fund, has already committed €25 million ($28.5 million). Commenting on the new indie film financing meetings at ECAM Forum, Avalon CEO Stefan Schmitz said: 'I think it's a good idea to introduce more private money into the [audiovisual] sector and I'm curious to the see the results on FINDE.' 'We are delighted to collaborate with the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster to discuss and promote new trends and financing models for our industry, and to help independent and emerging cinema gain access to these new models,' said Alba Wystraëte, head of ECAM. Teresa Azcona, head of Madrid Audiovisual Cluster, who designed FINDE together with ECAM Forum and producer Sophie Erbs, added: 'This event will allow us to go further with our strategy to improve the audiovisual sector's access to financing, both for companies and for projects. This way, we can strengthen our increasingly dynamic ecosystem and contribute to making Madrid the capital of audiovisual industry financing.' According to Madrid Audiovisual Cluster – backed by the City Council and the Community of Madrid – the audiovisual sector already accounts for around 2.6% of the Spanish capital's GDP. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Boston Globe
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Another TV series about the mob? Some in Naples say, ‘Basta.'
Perhaps no modern pop culture reference has clung more stubbornly to Naples, Italy's third-largest city, than 'Gomorrah,' the title of Roberto Saviano's 2006 nonfiction bestseller about the Neapolitan mafia. A critically acclaimed movie followed in 2008, and the TV series premiered in 2014 and ran for five seasons. Two more movies debuted in 2019: 'The Immortal,' a spinoff, and 'Piranhas,' based on a Saviano novel about crime bosses as young as 15. And now there's 'Origins.' Advertisement So excuse some Neapolitans if they say they've had enough. 'They filmed the first one; they filmed the second one,' said Gennaro Di Virgilio, a fourth-generation owner of an artisanal Nativity shop. 'Basta.' Once too dangerous and corrupt to attract many foreigners, Naples has been in the thrall of a tourism boom for years. Social media has lured visitors to the city's history, food, and sunshine, helping Naples shake off some of its seedy reputation, though youth unemployment and crime remain stubbornly high. But the city keeps getting typecast, some Neapolitans say, as Gomorrah, reducing its residents to those engaged in the 'malavita,' the lawless life. 'Why must only bad things be said about us?' lamented Delia D'Alessandro, whose family handcrafts cornicelli, or red, horn-shaped amulets believed to offer protection from evil. 'I am in love with my city. Every time I take a waterfront stroll at sunset, I get emotional.' Advertisement 'Gomorrah' may not sell romance. But it has hardly dimmed Naples' allure, while introducing many non-Italians to the city. The creators of the series, who dismissed their critics as the grumbling of a few, expressed gratitude to Naples and its residents. After filming for 'Origins' wrapped last month, director Marco D'Amore, thanked Naples -- 'this unique and rare city-world' -- on Instagram. While the original series was airing, some residents dressed up as the protagonists for Carnevale. At least one shop on the famed Via San Gregorio Armeno, known for its Nativity figurines, sells statuettes of some of the main characters: Ciro Di Marzio (aka 'the immortal') and Gennaro 'Genny' Savastano, the young mob don, complete with his signature chain necklace. (They were recently joined by a new figurine of Pope Leo XIV.) Riccardo Tozzi, lead producer of 'Gomorrah: Origins,' defended the show, which he points out has long drawn from Naples' vibrant theater scene to cast local actors and hire local crews. The objections of detractors have carried little weight with the wider public, he added: 'Nobody thinks, 'Oh, God, I'm not going to Naples because there is the Camorra.'' He called opposition to the show a misguided attempt at artistic censorship 'that didn't exist even during the Fascist era.' And he argued that an unflinching narrative, even if perceived as 'negative,' appeals to audiences. 'The postcard of the beautiful and the good is boring,' he said. Advertisement The mob's real-world influence in Naples is diminished, but not gone. The Camorra has evolved, experts say, still trafficking drugs and laundering money but no longer controlling large swaths of territory. The cramped Spanish Quarter used to be infamous for its pickpockets and muggers; today, it is a tourist destination better known for its pizza joints and a giant mural of Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona, who once played for Napoli and is revered. But even with a smaller mob footprint, Naples and its suburbs suffer from entrenched problems that visitors to touristy parts of the city may not see, including high rates of school absenteeism, youth violence, and unemployment. Those social ills, among the worst in Italy, are especially pronounced in neighborhoods such as Scampia, outside Naples, home to a violent Camorra turf war two decades ago that was recounted in the 'Gomorrah' book. Gennaro De Crescenzo, a teacher at the local Melissa Bassi High School, acknowledged Scampia's ongoing troubles. But most big cities face social challenges, he added, and it is unfair for his students to be 'indelibly branded' by their infamous neighborhood, though 'Gomorrah' has not filmed there in years. He said some of his students who go abroad to work find that they cannot escape the taint of the old neighborhood. 'You're from Scampia?' people ask. 'Oh, 'Gomorrah!'' 'It's a cliche,' said Domenico Mazzella di Bosco, the school principal. 'It's easy to stick, but then, let's face it, it's difficult to remove.' De Crescenzo said he and others are mulling calling for a boycott of 'Origins' once it premieres. (Its Italian release is slated for early 2026.) Much of the 'Gomorrah' film and early parts of the series were filmed in a vast public housing project of white, triangular buildings in Scampia named 'Le Vele,' or the sails. Today, two of the three remaining Vele stand empty, walled off and graffitied, their demolition slowly underway. Officials evacuated the third Vela after a walkway collapsed last summer, killing three people. Advertisement 'Gomorrah: Stop nourishing yourselves with our lives,' read spray paint in Italian on one of the walls. Back in the Spanish Quarter, Ciro Novelli had taped an anti-'Gomorrah' sign on the door of his small grocery store that proclaimed: 'You are warned, media usurers of a reality that dishonors our civilization.' The problem with the latest Camorra-inspired fiction, Novelli said, is that it does not always show how those in the 'malavita' often end up in jail or dead. A customer, Giuseppe Di Grazia, recalled that when he was young, mob bosses were feared by many young men. Now, he added, a teenager 'wants to imitate him. He wants to surpass him. He wants to become him.' Maurizio Gemma, director of the Film Commission of the Campania Region, said he can sympathize with those sentiments about crime shows, especially in places dealing with violence. But, Gemma said, the answer is not to 'condemn the story.' 'An evolved society must be able to manage its contradictions and must also be able to talk about its contradictions,' he said, 'in the hope that these contradictions will be overcome and that these problems will be solved.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Scholastic Superstars: Schuylkill County's best and brightest
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Mia Artz had been told there was little chance of getting into an Ivy League university, given that she attended a high school that graduated only about 70 students a year. Still, the Tri-Valley High School student set her academic sights high, and was accepted to Brown University. Tri-Valley's Mia Artz speaks during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Though she has chosen a different path, and will attend The University of Pittsburgh in the fall, Mia hopes her acceptance to a prestigious school like Brown will inspire other students. 'I want those with big dreams at small schools to know that anything is possible through hard work and a persistent belief in what you offer the world,' she said Wednesday in accepting a Scholastic Superstar Medal at Penn State-Schuylkill campus. 'I want to show the kids that come after me that they can do great things and achieve their dreams.' Mia was one of 15 outstanding scholars from Schuylkill County high schools whose academic achievements were recognized at the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars ceremony in the John E. Morgan Auditorium. Corey Scherer, Penn State Schuylkill interim chancellor, welcomed the students and their families. 'This honor is not just for what you did in the classroom, but for the things you do in the community that make you role models for other students,' he said. 'I'm excited for you all in terms of what's going to happen from here on out.' Terry Purcell, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill and LVHN Northwest Region, said the superstars are among the best Schuylkill has to offer. 'It goes to show that hard work pays off,' Purcell said. 'Your futures are bright, and we wish you well.' Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, part of Jefferson Health, was the prime sponsor of Scholastic Superstars. Ryan Sharp, Pottsville Republican Herald news editor and Scholastic Superstars coordinator, introduced each of the award recipients. Larry Holeva, executive editor of the Scranton Times-Tribune, Citizens' Voice and Hazleton Standard-Speaker, and Purcell presented the Scholastic Superstar medals. PROUD MOMENTS In his introduction, Sharp said he had no doubt the students would make the world a better place. 'They're all straight-A students, but they have all been called to serve in some capacity,' he said. 'They've already served their home communities, and will move on to serve the state as doctors, the courts as lawyers and their country in the military.' After receiving their medals, students explained what scholastic accomplishments or community service projects they were most proud of. Samuel Spolski, who received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award and was captain of Nativity's football team, said he was inspired to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Nativity's Nolan Daynorowicz, recipient of the president's award for educational excellence, plans to attend Penn State University and major in nuclear engineering. Inspired by his parents, both of whom are teachers, Pine Grove's Shane Hall will attend Penn State Schuylkill Campus and major in education. * Tri-Valley's Mia Artz speaks during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Tamaqua's Bradyn Brothers speaks during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Nativity BVM's Miranda Burkot accepts her award during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * North Schuylkill's Joseph Campbell IV takes a photo with Terry Purcell, President of Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill, during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * North Schuylkill's Christopher Dambrosia speaks during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Natvity BVM's Nolan Daynorowicz answers a question during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Pine Grove's Alexander Dubbs answers a question during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Pine Grove's Shane Hall explains his desire to be an educator during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Mahanoy Area's Victor Hanley shakes hands with Terry Purcell, President of Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill, during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Schuylkill Haven's Anna Schaeffer answers a question during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Williams Valley's Sage Smeltz answers a question during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Nativity BVM's Samuel Spolski answers a question during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Blue Mountain's Leah Walasavage speaks on stage during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Front row: Leah Walasavage, Bradyn Brothers, Miranda Burkot, Nolan Daynorowicz, Samuel Spolski, Mia Artz and Joseph Campbell. Back row: Anna Schaeffer, Christopher Dambrosia, Victor Hanley, Alexander Dubbs, Shane Hall and Sage Smeltz. The Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony took place at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Show Caption 1 of 14 Tri-Valley's Mia Artz speaks during the Republican Herald Scholastic Superstars medal ceremony at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Expand SEE FULL PHOTO GALLERY: Scholastic Superstars receive medals Bradyn Brothers, Tamaqua's Scholastic Superstar, said she plans to attend Auburn University and major in engineering. 'I've been able to get a well-balanced education,' she said, 'not just because of my core classes but also because of my music classes.' Anna Schaeffer, Schuylkill Haven's female scholar-athlete and recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award, spoke of plans to major in political science and become a lawyer. Sage Smeltz, Schuylkill County's first female football scholar-athlete and senior class president at Williams Valley, will pursue a double major in history and religious studies at Lycoming College. Blue Mountain's Leah Walasavage, tennis team captain and a student-teacher at an Orwigsburg dance studio, has enrolled in the 3+1 masters program in accounting at Quinnipiac University. North Schuylkill's Christopher Dambrosia's explanation of why he's attending Carnegie Mellon University to major in business analytics elicited laughter from the audience. 'I like math,' he said, 'and I like money.' Miranda Burkot, a member of the Spanish Honor Society at Nativity BVM High School, cited a hygiene drive for the Servants To All homeless shelter in Pottsville as her most rewarding community service event.
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Call the Midwife's Helen George teases fans with update for series 15
Call the Midwife star Helen George has given fans a glimpse of what's to come in the BBC period drama's upcoming two-part Christmas special. Call the Midwife actress Helen George has posted a sneak peek from the set of the show's season 15 on social media. The 40-year-old star, who plays Trixie Aylward in the long-running BBC period drama, excited fans with an image on her Instagram stories Sharing a miniature Nativity scene placed within the walls of Nonnatus House. The actress shared: "Summer nativity scenes." The photograph implies that filming is still underway for the two-part Christmas special, which began earlier this month. According to the show's official social media, fans of the programme can anticipate an exciting Christmas special, set to be split between Poplar and Hong Kong. The storyline hints at challenges and excitement as "distant troubles, wild celebrations, new beginnings, sad reunions and a few sore heads," are set to unfold. During the two-parter, senior Nonnatus House staff will venture to Hong Kong for a key mission, forcing their junior colleagues to work independently back in Poplar. A synopsis of the episode teases: "As the Christmas action shifts between the sun-drenched Far East and a snowy East End, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order's future. "After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it, work with it, and see what love can do. This change of energy reverberates throughout series 15." Following the Christmas special, the show will return in January 2026 with eight more episodes. The latest instalment of the beloved series kicks off in 1971, with a nod to the era's feminist movement as some characters are seen burning their bras outside Nonnatus House. The synopsis continues: "As the year unfolds, we see the team handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery." Amidst the buzz of filming for the new series, there's more thrilling news for fans as Nonnatus House is set to broaden its horizons. Viewers can eagerly anticipate a prequel series set against the backdrop of World War Two and a film, which will be set in 1972 that will take some of the show's "iconic" characters abroad. Heidi Thomas, the mastermind behind the series, has given a sneak peek into the prequel, highlighting the resilience and spirit of the East End during the Blitz. She teased: "The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary - filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy. The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going. There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces." While details about the film's "top-secret location" remain under wraps, Heidi hints at an exciting departure from the usual setting. She added: "As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it also seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape. "The rise in hospital births, and changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight and work out what really matters. Whilst the location of the film remains top-secret, I can say it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen!"
Buzz Feed
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Weirdest Met Gala Celebrity Accessories
The Met Gala has always been home to the weird and wonderful, and in recent years, we've certainly seen celebrities take it up a notch. The 2025 Met in particular saw some super exciting and extravagant looks — but one thing in particular I always look forward to is seeing the accessories. Did you guys spot that Norwegian billionaire with the briefcase full of flowers? So pointless… I'm obsessed. Anyway, it got me thinking that celebrities have really been bringing their A-game with accessories, but are some of these iconic, or just plain weird? I'll let you decide. 1. André 3000's piano, 2025 It's symbolism for how he carries the music industry, actually. According to me. 2. Frank Ocean's green baby, 2021 Incredible stuff. 3. Jaden Smith's dreads, 2017 And if I said he was the most on theme that entire year... 4. Ezra Miller's mask, 2019 Hate how much I love this. 5. Jon Batiste's saxophone, 2025 Not the first instrument we've seen at the Met, and definitely won't be the last. 6. Lizzo's flute, 2022 If there's one thing we can count on, it's Lizzo playing the hell out of that flute. 7. Hunter Schafer's face spider, 2021 Don't even have words for how much I need a face spider. 8. Lady Gaga's huge brick phone, 2019 Never gagged harder, will never gag this hard again. 9. Sarah Jessica Parker's Nativity hat, 2018 Oh look, I can see baby Jesus from here. 10. Tracy Ellis Ross's frame, 2019 Toooooo good. 11. Janelle Monae's many hats, 2019 So many! 12. Camila Cabello's ice cube, 2024 Girl, is your hand not wet? 13. Grimes's sword, 2021 She came prepared for any scenario. 14. Olivier Rousteing's sewing machine, 2025 He, too, came prepared for any (fashion) scenario. 15. Tyla's hourglass, 2024 In case anyone wanted to play Pictionary inside. 16. Katy Perry's lightbulbs, 2019 Serving Lumière. And of course, 17. Jared Leto's head, 2019 I can't even fault it. And that's everything! Now that I look back at this list, I actually can truly say I'm obsessed with every single one of these. Thanks for doing the Met Gala right, ladies and gents. Let me know if I missed any strange accessories down below.
