Monday, February 27, 2017

Moonlight Wins Best Picture Oscar In Upset

By Darlene Donloe
Wait! What? Last night the 89th annual Academy Awards, 
hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and considered Hollywood's 
biggest night, ended in controversy when La La Land was 
mistakenly declared the Best Picture winner. Moonlight was 
later announced the winner to the shock of everyone involved 
with the show or watching the show. 
Presenters Warren Beatty and  Faye Dunaway looked a bit 
befuddled when Beatty opened the envelope. It was apparent 
he knew something was wrong, but never motioned and 
mentioned that he was holding the wrong card.  He looked in 
the envelope to see if there was another card, but never actually 
told anyone he was holding the wrong card. Why is still a mystery.  
Instead he handed the card to Dunaway who thought he was 
playing - so quickly read La La Land.  The result was a historic 
blunder by the Academy that left the cast and crew of La La Land 
traumatized and the cast and crew of Moonlight shocked.  
By that time, the wind had been taken out of Moonlight's sails. 

Reportedly, Brian Cullinan, one of the accountants from 
PriceWaterhouseCoopers mistakenly handed the wrong envelope 
to Warren Beatty.

It was the blunder heard around the world!

Below is the complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE
MOONLIGHT
Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Emma Stone
La La Land
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Casey Affleck
Manchester by the Sea
DIRECTING
LA LA LAND
Damien Chazelle
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
MOONLIGHT
Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Mahershala Ali
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
MAHERSHALA ALI
Moonlight
Viola Davis
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
VIOLA DAVIS
Fences
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
ZOOTOPIA
Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE SALESMAN
Iran
CINEMATOGRAPHY
LA LA LAND
Linus Sandgren
FILM EDITING
HACKSAW RIDGE
John Gilbert
VISUAL EFFECTS
THE JUNGLE BOOK
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon
PRODUCTION DESIGN
LA LA LAND
Production Design: David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
SOUND MIXING
HACKSAW RIDGE
Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace
SOUND EDITING
ARRIVAL
Sylvain Bellemare
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA
Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow
COSTUME DESIGN
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Colleen Atwood
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
SUICIDE SQUAD
Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and 
Christopher Nelson
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
CITY OF STARS
from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by 
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
LA LA LAND
Justin Hurwitz
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
PIPER
Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
SING
Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
THE WHITE HELMETS
Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
THE WHITE HELMETS
Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Bergman's Oscar® Style Lounge & Party A Hit




By Darlene Donloe

In honor of the upcoming 88th Annual Academy Awards, Doris Bergman hosted her Ninth Annual Valentine Romance Oscar® Style Lounge & Party at Fig & Olive in Hollywood.

Bergman has earned a reputation in Hollywood for throwing the best pre-Oscar style lounge and party. After her recent soiree, her reputation is in tact.

Doris Bergman

Fig & Olive

The invitation-only event, hosted by Buywine.com, was attended by celebrities and persons from the world of entertainment who enjoyed French and Italian gourmet cuisine, premiere Napa wines and unique spirits while celebrating the film industry’s Oscar® nominated actors, former Oscar® winners, presenters, stylists and industry VIPs.

The atmosphere was festive as attendees were lavished with everything from high-end fashion for men and women that included couture gowns, to bespoke tuxedos and suits, beauty, skin and hair care, jewelry, accessories, handbags, fragrances and electronics.

Oscar nominees in attendance included Benj Pasek (La La Land/Best Song), Justin Paul (La La Land/Best Song), David Greathouse, executive producer (Hacksaw Ridge) Best Picture, David Permut, producer (Hacksaw Ridge/Best Picture), Saniyya Sidney (Fences/Best Picture and Hidden Figures Best Picture), joined multiple Oscar nominees Bruce Dern, Golden Globe nominees/winners Allen Maldanado (Black-ish), Dale Goldboldo (People vs. O.J.), Grammy nominee Renee Olstead, (Do You Want To Know A Secret?), Frank Stallone, (Stayin’ Alive), primetime Emmy nominee Matt Walsh (Veep), primetime Emmy winner Patrika Darbo (Acting Dead), Dancing With Stars dancers Karina Smirnoff and Edyta Sliwinska, Sam Trammell (True Blood), Steven Bauer (Ray Donovan), Lauren Makk (FABLife), Dr. Nicholas Perricone (skincare guru), Michael Campion (Fuller House), Tony Denison (Major Crimes), Dee Wallace, Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story), Denise Boutte (Couples’ Night), Justin Chon (Gook) and Kelsey Scott (12 Years A Slave).

Johnny Harris of Photo Tee-Shirts
and Kelsey Scott (12 Years A Slave)

Allen Maldanado (Black-ish)

Spa Girl



A number of vendors were on hand – some for the first time, others making a return.  All of the vendors showered attendees with a number of high-end items. Vendors included: The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Dr. Perricone Hydrogen Water, Vida Emanuel European Day Spa, Isdinceutics, USA, Photo Tee-Shirts, Buywine.com, True Love Skin Care, The Footmate System by Gordon Brush, Rejuvenation in Motion Mobile Med-Spa, Timmy Woods Handbags, Sassy Locks Custom Baby Clothing, The Coffee Chef, Samiah Hinton Designs, FIBRUM Virtual Reality, Sue Wong Couture Gowns & Fragrance, Single Dress, Kaya Di Koko, Single Underwear For Men, Rekorderlig Cider, Handmade Hearts By Hillel, Hint Water, Spa Girl Vodka, M & R Photo Gallery, Pura D’or Hair Care, Spongelle, Zozo Bean Bakery, Zenful Water and Dr. Perricone gift boxes (containing Cold Plasma, Cold Plasma Eye, Cold Plasma Sun-D, The Essential Multivitamin, Super Greens and H2 Elemental Energy.)  VIP gift bags were provided by Dr. Perricone.


Alma M. Callan of BuyWine.com

Dee Wallace with Sassy Locks

Handmade Hearts By Hillel



Spa Girl

Timmy Woods Handbags

Always popular among the guests were Twisted Silver, My Saint, My Hero and Art Lewin Bespoke Suits & Tuxedos.

“We’re all here for the same reasons,” said Megan Lyne, sales rep for My Saint, My Hero. “It’s always nice to come and have a nice time, but our bracelets are a reminder that we all need prayer and blessings.”

(l-r) Christine Rich and Megan Lyne

My Saint, My Hero is inspirational jewelry that includes blessing bracelets, necklaces, earrings and accessories.

Twisted Silver

Twisted Silver introduced their latest piece – Muscle, which can be worn as a choker, necklace or bracelet.

Debra Mitchell, who owns Twisted Silver, said she participates every year because she gets to meet new people.

Debra Mitchell (r) adorns Casey Burke (The Middle)
with some Twisted Silver

Art Lewin

Art Lewin’s ties are always a crowd favorite.

The always nattily dressed Lewin of Art Lewin Bespoke has been participating in the popular event for years.  Lewin, whose company has been in existence for 27 years, opened his Art Lewin Bespoke company in Beverly Hills four years ago. 

ZoZo Bean Bakery

Janeth Hurtado’s ZoZo Bean Bakery was launched in honor of her seven-month-old, daughter, Zoey, who passed away eight months ago.   Proceeds from the sales are slated for liver research and organ donation.



Jennifer Suiter’s True Love Skin Care, founded in 2015, is a crowd-pleaser.  The line specializes in all-natural topical nutritional supplements.

“I’m so excited to share True Love with everyone,” said Suiter. “When people see the unique approach we take to skin care and health, they’re just blown away.”

Footmate was on hand (pun intended).  The product comes with a gel and has Tee Tree oil and olive oil, which is good for callouses.  The product is good for people in wheelchairs, athletes, diabetics and children.

Eureka Glinton, the general manager of the Bahamas Film & Television Commission was in attendance to promote the commission. The Bahamas has been used in several Hollywood films include seven James Bond films, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Into The Blue and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?

Glinton also noted that the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues have used the Bahamas as a destination.

Greg Keushgerian and Brittany Marshall

Greg Keushgerian and Brittany Marshall gifted Fibrum, a gaming content company with a branded VR headset.  The system is completely wireless and sells for $79.99.

Dr. Sal

Dr. Sal, a primary care physician with expertise in facial aesthetics, sports medicine, and pharmaceutical clinical research, touted his mobile concierge med spa, which he started a year ago.

“Some people don’t want to come to the office,” said Dr. Sal. “I provide my services in the comfort of your house. You call me. I provide privacy and discretion because no one wants anyone knowing they’ve had plastic surgery.”

Lauren Makk

Lauren Makk (FABlife), who is pulling for Moonlight to win Best Picture this year, said she came to the event because she wanted to meet the vendors and support the Oscar nominees.

“I’m also here to support Wednesday’s Child,” said Makk.


In the spirit of giving back, guests and sponsors donated unwrapped gifts for young adults (ages 13-18) for a post-holiday gift drive benefitting ‘Wednesday’s Child’ -- a weekly segment airing on KTTV FOX 11 News, Los Angeles, with Anchor Christine Devine. ‘Wednesday’s Child’ highlights ‘harder to place’ children in the LA County foster care system who are in need of adoptive families.

In Los Angeles County, alone, there are over 35,000 children receiving child welfare services,” says social worker, Professor William Wong.  Bergman always invites two foster children to join in on the festivities and experience what it feels like to be treated as a VIP.  http://www.foxla.com/wednesdays-child








Thursday, February 23, 2017

Namic Vision Awards Nominations Announced


 New York, NY – February 22, 2017 -- The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) has announced nominees for the 2017 NAMIC Vision  Awards. Presented in partnership with NAMIC – Southern California, the awards honor original and digital programming content that depicts the lives, spirit, and contributions of people of color and best reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the viewing audience.

HBO led all networks and distributors vying for this year's awards with 12 nominations. Both BET Networks and ESPNgarnered eight nominations. History Channel and CNN are also among the top nominated networks, earning five each. Nominations for the 2017 NAMIC Vision Awards were announced as part of the Hollywood Creative Forum 8.0 VIP Reception hosted by The Walter Kaitz FoundationAmrit Singh, chief political correspondent, culture editor, and news anchor for REVOLT, Donnell Turner, co-star of ABC's "General Hospital" and Danielle Vega, co-star of Hulu's original series "East Los High" were on-hand to announce the nominees.

"NAMIC is honored to continue the tradition of honoring original content that defies stereotypes, while telling compelling stories of cultural diversity and life experiences," said Eglon E. Simons, president and CEO, NAMIC. “This year's nominees must be applauded for their excellence and commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion on and off screen."

NAMIC Vision Awards are presented in 18 categories: Animation, Awards & Honors, Best Performance – Comedy, Best Performance – Drama, Children's, Comedy, Daytime, Digital Media - Short Form, Documentary, Drama, Foreign Language, Lifestyle, News/Informational, Original Movie or Special, Reality, Reality - Social Issues, Sports, Variety/Talk Show. History Channel’s “Roots: A New Vision” is this year's top nominated program with five nominations. The Starz original series, "Survivor's Remorse" earned a total of four nominations.

The NAMIC Vision Awards competition extends eligibility to national broadcast and cable networks; local affiliates; local origination programs from cable operators; and VOD content produced for digital platforms. Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of entertainment industry executives. Judging is based on overall imagery (creative merit, originality, and presentation quality), sensitivity (the consideration given to cultural nuances), writing (the depiction of issues relevant to people of color) and the quality of acting in the performance categories.

ABOUT NAMIC
NAMIC (National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises over 3,000 professionals belonging to a network of chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. For more information, please visit www.namic.com and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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2017 NAMIC Vision Awards Nominees

Animation
Doc McStuffins - Disney Junior
Miles from Tomorrowland - Disney Junior
Sanjay and Craig - Nickelodeon
Sofia the First - Disney Junior
The Loud House - Nickelodeon

Awards & Honors
47th NAACP Image Awards - TV One
BET Awards 2016 - BET Networks
Black Girls Rock! - BET Networks
Dear Mama - VH1
Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens - VH1
Trailblazers Honors - Logo

Best Performance – Comedy           
Don Cheadle: House of Lies - Showtime
Issa Rae: Insecure  - HBO
RonReaco Lee: Survivor’s Remorse - Starz
Teyonah Paris: Survivor’s Remorse - Starz
Tichina Arnold: Survivor’s Remorse  - Starz 

Best Performance - Drama
Anika Noni Rose: Roots - History Channel
Forest Whitaker: Roots - History Channel
Gabrielle Union: Being Mary Jane - BET Networks
Kerry Washington: Confirmation - HBO
Malachi Kirby: Roots - History Channel
Malik Yoba: Bad Dad Rehab - TV One
Regé-Jean Page: Roots - History Channel

Children's
All in with Cam Newton - Nickelodeon
Game Shakers - Nickelodeon
Nina’s World - Sprout
Sesame Street - HBO
Stuck in the Middle - Disney Channel

Comedy
Ballers - HBO
black-ish - ABC
Fluffy Breaks Even - Fuse
Insecure - HBO
Survivor’s Remorse - Starz

Daytime         
SuperSoul Sunday - OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
The Talk - CBS
                                               
Digital Media - Short Form
Change Agents: History in the Making - TV One
Harlem on My Plate - Powerhouse Productions
One Heritage, Two Generations: Amelia Morán Ceja and Dalia Ceja - NBC Latino
This is Birth with Lisa Ling - CNN
Voices - NBC Asian America
                       
Documentary
Eyes on the Prize Then and Now: A WORLD Channel Special -  World Channel 
Fault Lines: The Lives of Black Women - Al Jazeera English
Roots: A New Vision - History Channel
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four - Investigation Discovery
We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World - CNN
                       
Drama
Being Mary Jane - BET Networks
East Los High - Hulu
Grey’s Anatomy - ABC
How to Get Away With Murder - ABC
Secret and Lies - ABC
                       
Foreign Language    
Pancho Villa: Se Busca Vivo o Muerto - Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic
Texas Trocas - Discovery Networks - Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic
                       
Lifestyle        
Ayesha’s Homemade - Food Network
Design + Story - ABS-CBN International
Patti LaBelle’s Holiday Pies - Cooking Channel
Smollett Eats - Food Network
Special Projects: Breakthrough Women - CNN
Spice to Life - ABS-CBN International

News/Informational
Arab and Queer: Lebanese Singer Pushes Boundaries - NBC Out
BA Election Day Coverage 2016 - ABS-CBN International
NewsOne Now with Roland Martin - TV One
Special Projects: Impact Your World - CNN
Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement - BET Networks
The Story of God with Morgan Freeman - National Geographic

Original Movie or Special    
All the Way - HBO
BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration - BET Networks
Black Girls Rock! - BET Networks
Rock the Runway - ABS-CBN International
Special Projects: Amalgam Comics - CNN
                       
Reality           
Black Market with Michael K. Williams - VICELAND
SC Featured: Chubbtown - ESPN
SC Featured: Inky Johnson - ESPN
SportsCenter: Mother of Hampton Lacrosse - ESPN
Sunday NFL Countdown: Jarrius Robertson - ESPN
                       
Reality - Social Issues         
E:60 American - ESPN
Gaycation with Ellen Page - VICELAND
Rise Up: A SportsCenter Special - ESPN
Vice News Tonight - HBO
Vice: “Viva Cuba Libre” - HBO
                       
Sports
E:60 Mike Evans - ESPN
SC Featured: The Meaning of Miyah - ESPN
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel - HBO
Terrance Crawford: My Fight - HBO
VICE World of Sports - VICELAND

Variety/Talk Show    
All Def Comedy - HBO
Being: Brandy - BET Networks
Lemonade - HBO
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson -  National Geographic 
VH1 Live! - VH1
  
2017 NAMIC Vision Awards by Network/Distributor


ABC - 4
ABS-CBN International - 4
Al Jazeera English - 1
BET Networks - 8
CBS - 1
CNN - 5
Cooking Channel - 1
Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic -2
Disney Channel - 1
Disney Junior - 3
ESPN - 8
Food Network - 2
Fuse - 1
HBO - 12
History Channel - 5
Hulu - 1
Investigation Discovery - 1
Logo - 1
National Geographic - 2
NBC Asian America - 1
NBC Latino - 1
NBC Out - 1
Nickelodeon - 4
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network -1
Powerhouse Productions - 1
Showtime - 1
Sprout - 1
Starz - 4
TV One - 4
VH1 - 3
VICELAND - 3
World Channel - 1