Redford opens West Hollywood indie theater

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Actor Robert Redford announced he is opening the latest in his chain of indie cinema houses on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. The 630-seat Sundance Sunset Cinema is the fifth in Redford's chain of theaters that cater to independent films, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. The theater is scheduled to open Friday. Redford spent $2 million renovating the theater, the former Sunset 5, located in the neighborhood where the actor grew up. "I was born and raised here and I thought if could do a theater here it would, in a sense, be a little bit like coming home," Redford, who lives in Sundance, Utah, told the Times. "I thought maybe we could revive something that was meant to be." New digital projectors were installed at the theater, along with a new sound system, extra-wide stadium seats with small tables, along with a bistro and beer and wine bar, the Times reported. The theater joins four others operated by Redford in Madison, Wis., San Francisco, Houston and Seattle. A sixth theater is scheduled to be opened in Westchester, N.Y.

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Women directors take front row at Venice film festival

Hollywood veterans will brush shoulders with up and coming starlets and auteurs in Venice starting on Wednesday for the film festival in which women directors are set to take centre stage. Robert Redford will fly in for the first time to the world's oldest movie festival, where Terrence Malick's To The Wonder and Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master will be among the 18 films vying for the Golden Lion prize. Women directed a total of 21 of the 52 films being shown and there will be a particular focus this year on the economic crisis gripping the Western world, the Arab Spring revolutions and the theme of religious fundamentalism. Music is also on the menu with Spike Lee's hotly anticipated Bad 25 documentary about pop icon Michael Jackson and Jonathan Demme of "The Silence of the Lambs" fame with his homage to Neapolitan crooner Enzo Avitabile. "A festival should not just be a catwalk for celebrities," festival director Alberto Barbera told reporters in Rome last month as he unveiled the line-up. "Festivals should revert to their original roles of exploration, of scoping out innovation, instead of relying only on established producers," he said. Barbera said he had "taken risks" with a mix of "established directors and many unknown young directors from countries without cinematic traditions." The first edition of the festival was held in 1932 on the terrace of the glamorous Excelsior Hotel on the Venice Lido and featured movies of some of the best known directors of the time like Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. Among the newcomers is Haifaa al-Mansour from Saudi Arabia - where cinemas are banned and women face sweeping daily discrimination - with her film Wadjda about a little girl desperate for a bicycle which she is not allowed. Alongside US stars like Ben Affleck, Brian De Palma, Kate Hudson, Selena Gomez and Winona Ryder, there will also be world-famous Asian directors Takeshi Kitano of Japan (Outrage Beyond) and Kim Ki-duk of South Korea ("Pieta"). The festival kicks off with a showing of US-based Indian director Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist -- a political thriller about a young Pakistani man torn between Wall Street ambitions and the call of his homeland. It winds up on September 8 when a jury headed by US producer Michael Mann with Hong Kong director Peter Chan, British actress Samantha Norton and French model Laetitia Casta will pick the winners of the Golden Lion. "To The Wonder" will be only Malick's seventh film in a directing career that began in 1969. It tells the story of an increasingly turbulent relationship between Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Affleck). Anderson's The Master is set to kick up a storm with its thinly-veiled portrayal of the early years of Scientology with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing "Lancaster Dodd" -- a character based on Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Hollywood lore Going back into Hollywood lore, the festival will also feature reclusive Oscar-winner Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter) and a new director's cut of his epic Western Heaven's Gate - one of the biggest movie flops of all time. "This is a tardy but necessary recognition of the greatness of a visionary director, one of the most intense and original voices in American cinema of the past 40 years who has been gradually reduced to silence," Barbera said. On a more contemporary note is Ibrahim El Batout's Winter of Discontent - a feature film which was shot in part during last year's demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square that ultimately unseated veteran president Hosni Mubarak. The film's protagonists are a political activist, a journalist and a state security officer whose lives entwine in the middle of the revolution. Tunisian director Hinde Boujemaa will also bring to the Venice Lido beach her first film -- the documentary "It Was Better Tomorrow" about a woman struggling to change her life in the middle of the Tunisian revolution. Among other women directors taking part in the festival will be Algeria's Djamila Sahraoui, Argentina's Jazmin Lopez and US-born Rama Burshtein. Barbera said: "Maybe this is a sign that something is finally changing in the world of cinema, which as we all know is very sexist.

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Ileana wants to....

Cinemimi [Tuesday, August 21, 2012]
Ileana is one of the hottest stars of the south film industry. Her latest release Julayi is not only rocking the Andhra Pradesh theaters but also the theaters in Tamil Nadu. She is not just adored for her perfect physique, but also for her mellifluous voice.

Ileana has always been drawn to good music, being a capable singer herself. The lovely lady of the south has recently expressed her desire to croon a number in one of her upcoming films. Looks like Ileana is all set to rock the music industry.

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Asin is out ...

Cinemimi [Tuesday, August 21, 2012]
Sajid Khan directed the blockbuster Housefull 2 earlier in the year. This multi-starrer marked another hit for Asin in her steady innings in Bollywood. Sajid is currently busy with Himmatwala, Tamannah's Bollywood re-entry with Ajay Devgn in the lead.

Post this, Sajid Khan will direct another sequel to Housefull and this movie won't have Asin in the cast, according to sources. Asin is currently busy with Khiladi 786 co-starring Akshay Kumar.

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Thuppakki audio release in September mid

Cinemimi [Tuesday, August 21, 2012]
Harris Jayaraj has confirmed 'Thuppakki's audio release details. 'Thuppakki will be available in stores by mid of next month (September)", he says. The audio disc will include six tracks and the theme music.

The shoot of Thuppakki has been entirely wrapped but for two songs. One of the tracks is currently being shot in Switzerland and is a romantic number between Vijay and Kajal Aggarwal.

Directed by AR Murugadoss, Thuppakki sees Vijay as an encounter specialist and is touted to portray him as a suave action hero satisfying his mass image as well. A first look teaser will be released once the title issue is resolved.

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Shalini Ajith Kumar to contest in badminton championship

Cinemimi [Tuesday, August 21, 2012]
Shalini is known for her passion towards badminton. Shalini Ajith Kumar is known for her mastery on badminton circles. Ever since the inception of her participation in the state level badminton tournament she made headlines.
Her motivation led her to a new high last Sunday when she was seeded second in both, doubles and mixed doubles at the rating tournament held in Nagercoil. Shalini bagged the runners up position in not just the Women's doubles but also the Mixed doubles.

The top players will clash in the State Level Badminton championships to be held in Nagercoil later this month and Shalini has confirmed her participation.

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Director Vijay, hero Vijay and villain Vijay

Cinemimi[Tuesday, August 14, 2012]
It looks like AL Vijay is playing games with names for his upcoming film starring Vijay in the lead. He has now roped in a new villain for the film, with the same name. Yes, singer Vijay Yesudas is making his debut as an antagonist in this film.

The film is expected to go on floors in November, after actor Vijay completes all his commitments. Director Vijay has begun the casting for the film and will finalize before the shoot.

Meanwhile, the hearing for the Thuppakki title case has been moved again to 22nd August.

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Shriya goes topless

Cinemimi[Tuesday, August 14, 2012]
The southern siren Shriya Saran has gone topless for the popular men’s magazine, Maxim. The glam doll is also seen sporting lingerie costumes. The pretty actress has supposedly taken this move to draw attention from the north, where the magazine is more famous. The actress also stars in Zilla Ghaziabad, which is awaiting its release.

Presently the actress is busy shooting for her Tamil-Kannada bilingual Chandra, starring Ganesh Venkatraman, Prem Kumar, Sukanya, Vivek and Sumithra.

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Sivaji 3D Making Video

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Tamil Actress Aksha Latest Hot Stills

Cinemimi[Tuesday, August 14, 2012]

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Sangavi Hot Sexy in Manmatha Rajiyam Movie Pictures

Cinemimi[Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Sangavi Hot Sexy in Manmatha Rajiyam Movi

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Ajith impresses all

Cinemimi[Tuesday, August 14, 2012]
Ajith completed the shoot for his small guest role in English Vinglish yesterday, coinciding with Sridevi's birthday. Sources say that Ajith impressed everyone on the sets with his simplicity, co-operation and professionalism.

From the director Gauri Shinde to producer Balki to comeback queen Sridevi, Ajith managed to make a mark in their minds. Amitabh has done the corresponding role in Hindi while Ajith has shot for the Tamil and Telugu versions.

English Vinglish deals with a housewife's insecurities arising from her struggles with English in America.

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Gautham Menon to work with Asin

Cinemimi [Tuesday, August 14, 2012]
Gautham Menon who was supposed to work with Asin several years back for 'Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikalam' (that never took off) is all set to work with the actress but not for a feature film.

Buzz is that Gautham Menon who started off his journey as an ad filmmaker will work with the actress for a television commercial and that the shooting will take place in the backwaters of Kerala, one of Gautham's favorite locales. He is currently on a location hunt in there.

Gautham Menon is currently working on bilingual Neethanae En Ponvasantham with Jiiva and Samantha. Meanwhile he also has Yohan Adhyayam Ondru with Vijay about which several rumors are doing the rounds that it's shelved and Thupariyum Anand with Suriya.

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Dhanush's Gujarath trip

Cinemimi[Tuesday, August 14, 2012]
Kolaveri dude Dhanush, who is now the brand ambassador of Tata Nano, is in Gujarat. The actor and his Mariyaan director Bharath Bala are shooting the last schedule in Bhuj. The shoot for the film will be wrapped up with this schedule, say reports.

The film also stars Parvathi Menon and Appukutty in important roles. AR Rahman’s music and Marc Koninckx’s cinematography are touted to be the biggest strengths of the film.

Apart from this project, Dhanush has Sargunam’s Sotta Vazha Kutty, Vetri Maaran’s Vengai Samy and Anand Rai’s Raanjhnaa.

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