BREAKING: Brett Ratner Resigns As Producer from the Oscars

Never underestimate the energy of #RatnerFreeOscars! Just 24 hrs after news of Brett Ratner’s insensitive remarks about rehearsals (they’re “for fags”) and the sex existence triggered experts to protest his participation within this year’s 84th Oscars telecast, the Tower Heist director has walked lower as producer. “I known as [Academy of movement Picture Arts and Sciences leader] Tom Sherak today and resigned like a producer from the 84th Oscars telecast,” Ratner described inside a extended apology/statement released just moments ago. “Being requested to assist placed on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career. But as painful because this might be for me personally, it might be worse if my connection to the show may be a distraction in the Academy and also the high ideals it signifies.” Despite the fact that Sherak demonstrated his support for that Tower Heist director yesterday after his number of ill-advised claims, the AMPAS leader grants of his resignation. “He did the best factor for that Academy as well as for themself,” Sherak stated inside a statement in the AMPAS. “Words have meaning, and they've effects. Brett is a great person, but his comments were unacceptable. All of us hope this is an chance to boost awareness concerning the harm that's triggered by reckless and insensitive remarks, no matter the intent.” As Sherak searches for a brand new producer with this year’s ceremony, Movieline want to kindly point him for the alternative suggestions produced by our dear visitors yesterday. It's not known whether Eddie Murphy, whom the Tower Heist director employed because this year’s Academy awards host, will even step from this season’s ceremony. Developing… · Brett Ratner Out as Oscar Show Producer [THR]

Tunes (As cancoes)

A VideoFilmes presentation and production. Produced by Joao Moreira Salles, Mauricio Andrade Ramos. Directed, put together by Eduardo Coutinho.With: Dea, Gilmar, Esmeralda, Jose Barbosa, Sonia, Nilton, Isabell, Zio, Jose, Lidia, Fatima, Ramon, Maria p Fatima, Maria Aparecida.Like Ernest Wiseman, 19 thirties-born Brazilian docu filmmaker Eduardo Coutinho ("2 Decades Later," "Master Building," "Playing") quietly keeps creating one strong film to a different. His latest, "Tunes," is again a stealthily straightforward feature, and seems at such wide-different subjects as man's instinct, diversity as well as the energy and want for music and love by simply asking several Rio p Janeiro residents to go over a typical Brazilian song. It seems sensible, to put it simply, lyrical. After its Rio preem, the pic will launch worldwide at IDFA, incorporated inside a Coutinho small-retrospective. Even though 78-year-old Coutinho has furthermore directed fiction films, co-written scripts and every once in awhile labored becoming an actor (recently in "From Beginning to completeInch), since the late the 19 nineties, the prolific director has mainly dedicated to documentaries. His apparently nonchalant style, having its roots in TV verifying, is becoming so loose that Coutinho almost seems to encounter fabulous people and tales, though the simple truth is individuals are the result of careful research and selection. For "Tunes," an initial quantity of 237 potential interviewees, discovered by placing ads in newspapers recruiting people in Rio's avenidas, brought to 42 shot interviews, though only 18 finally appear onscreen. Every individual has about a few minutes to sing a bit of a common tune, a capella, and explain why that song is important on their behalf. The tranquility of the idea is echoed inside the backdrop, which consists of a stage getting just one chair and black curtains lit having a spotlight. Through the interviews, people are presented in medium closeups, though a wider shot in the beginning or finish from the scene might showcase something in the subject's personality, through gestures, as they gets into or leaves happens. The choices of tunes, all Brazilian, might be unfamiliar for foreign audiences, nevertheless the tales inside it are globally identifiable. Widower Gilmar, a hard guy, works a sound lesson his dressmaker mother familiar with sing when he will be a boy. Stalkerish Sonia still can't overcome her first love 3 decades later, while German Isabell, who found Rio to marry a Brazilian who then left her, finds both revenge and peace in the (heavily outlined) samba song. Lidia tried to shoot her lover, while Zio mourns losing his three "moms": his real mother, wife and mother-in-law, who all died inside the same year. A lot of the interviewees -- diverse in age and background, and merely recognized onscreen by their first names -- choose tunes they need to have developed round the radio, though Zio has written their very own. A distinctive situation is probably the film's most memorable protags, the lively Dea, who's thinking the incorrect date was positioned on her certificate of a birth because she doesn't appear like somebody who was produced in 1928. She sings a stay tuned the king of Brazilian music, Roberto Carlos, which she once sang with him, adding mischievously: "He was married in those days.In . Showing up throughout are recurring types of affection, loss and desire, all complex feelings which are the topics of several tunes. The brilliance of Coutinho's conceit is always that he sets to show that people frequently use song when words can't express how they feel, but he shows this permitting people discuss the emotions that inspired their song associated with preference. Tech package is modest but classy. Pic was produced by VideoFilmes, the business of helmer Fernando Meirelles.Camera (color, HD), Jacques Cheuiche editor, Jordana Berg appear, Valeria Ferro assistant director, Ernesto Piccolo. Examined at Rio p Janeiro Film Festival (competing), March. 13, 2011. (In Intl. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam -- competing.) Running time: 91 MIN. Contact Boyd van Hoeij at news@variety.com

New Regency boarding 'The Revenant'

New Regency is at predicts seriously board Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's American West drama "The Revenant." Company would produce along with Anonymous Content's Steve Golin, David Kanter and Keith Redmon. Anonymous setup the project, which Warner Bros. has optioned to distribute. "Vacancy" scribe Mark L. Cruz written the script. The project is founded on the novel "The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge" by Michael Punke and launched in 2003. Novel is occur 1823 and concentrates on a fur trapper who's mauled by killed and conned with the two males enlisted to stay with him. Fueled by anger, the trapper survives and makes his way through hundreds of miles of uncharted backwoods to exact retribution. Pic is most likely the very first projects New Regency has signed onto since a shakeup within the professional ranks. In September, news broke that co-chairs Hutch Parker and Bob Harper would exit by year's-finish, while founder Arnon Milchan introduced former Vital professional Kaira Weston in as Boss. Captured, company came aboard to co-produce the Allen Hughes-helmed drama "Broken City," with Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe installed on star. last century Fox-based Regency also closed a $500 million credit facility lately. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Kal Penn on His White House Stint, Harold & Kumar's Christmas, and Hollywood's Lingering Color Barrier

An unusual thing happened to Kal Penn on the way to stardom: in April 2009, after making two successful franchise-starting Harold & Kumar comedies, appearing in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, and co-starring on TV’s House, the rising actor opted to take a two-year sabbatical from Hollywood to work in the Obama administration. This week, he returns to screens as Kumar to John Cho’s Harold in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, which finds the former hamburger-seeking BFFs facing new, daunting life changes and, in the spirit of the holidays, renewing their friendship the old fashioned way: With giant spliffs, babies on drugs, and Claymation. The third big-screen Harold & Kumar outing finds Kumar at an impasse; dumped by his girlfriend (Daneel Harris) and kicked out of med school, he spends his days in a state of stoned depression. Worse: He’s long since parted ways with Harold, who’s now married and living in the suburbs. When a mysterious Christmas package brings the two former best friends together on Christmas Eve, shenanigans (and Santa shootings) ensue. Movieline caught up with Penn recently in Los Angeles to discuss his work with President Obama, how to bridge political divides, working with the RZA, and how he still finds himself up facing antiquated attitudes towards race and color-casting when he goes out for roles. How did your two years in the White House change you, and did it change your outlook as an actor coming back to film? Not on the acting stuff, and to me that’s the nice thing; the two worlds are totally separate. What I love about being creative is you get to exercise one part of your brain and when you’re being cerebral it’s a totally different part of your brain. But I guess what I really walked away with was a deeper sense of… so, politically I’m an Independent, I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. So having had that experience I realize that people don’t talk to each other enough. We don’t often talk to people that disagree with us. I had the chance to be in this meeting that the President had with some young people in Boston, where the President says if you only talk with people who agree with you, then politics will always disappoint you. And I think that’s so true, especially now; you turn on CNN or Fox News or MSNBC and it’s just mostly nonsense. It’s mostly people yelling at each other, and that sells ad space, I get it. That’s their bottom line and their revenue, but it doesn’t tell the truth, ever. It’s always spin. So what was your biggest takeaway? I think what I learned from working in Washington is that there are so many great things that the President especially is doing — I think that’s a given since we have a do-nothing Congress - but he’s been pushing a lot of things through that don’t make the news, like financial aid reform or increasing Pell grants. A couple things have made the news, like ending the Iraq war and the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal. But there are so many things that don’t make the news that I think it reinforced my commitment to wanting to stay active in public service — not politics necessarily, but public service. Certainly in wanting to stay in politics to help [President Obama], but outside of that, feeling like the more active we are in our community, whether we agree or disagree with people, the better off we can be. How do you begin to bring differing sides together, then? The issues are the same, and we don’t often think of that. If you think of something that the media did a great job of making contentious, which is the healthcare quote-unquote debate, what they never focused on were the things that everyone agreed on. Everyone agreed that that current healthcare was unsustainable, everyone agreed that if you’re a young person you should be able to stay on your parent’s health insurance a little bit longer, that we should get rid of something called pre-existing conditions so if you’re sick you can’t get kicked off of your health insurance when you need it the most. The common sense things. Nobody really talked about that. So I think there is a lot of power in talking to each other respectfully as humans and not spinning it with nonsense. Especially if you listen to members of Congress talk: They try to convince us that if you disagree with one person or another, somehow one person loves America more than another. That’s the most laughably ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. How did the White House staff receive you joining the ranks? Same as everybody else. We had worked together since 2007 on the President’s campaign, so I had gotten the chance to get to know them very well for a couple of years before he got inaugurated. What I loved about working with everyone is that the couple hundred people who worked in the White House, every single one of us had a unique story of how we ended up volunteering on the campaign or coming there, so you’ve got folks that put law school on hold, or people that are veterans, and people who are economy professors. Jumping into the film, Harold and Kumar have taken a bit of time off as well - it’s been a few years, they’re both in very different places in their lives and no longer BFFs. They both go through big life changes - getting older, thinking about starting families, taking responsibility — which isn’t exactly what one might expect from what could be considered a stoner movie. I feel like I’ve never viewed this as a stoner movie, which is funny to people who always viewed it as a stoner movie. When we got the script for the first one, you read through it and as an actor your responsibility is to believably play the relationship between the characters. So for me it was a buddy comedy, it was a road trip comedy, if anything it was a movie about burgers. And the use of weed by the characters was not that different from the use of alcohol by other characters. So when the movie came out and people said it’s a stoner movie, it’s a burger movie, it’s a frat boy movie, it’s an Asian-American movie — whatever they were assigning to it — I kind of felt, sweet! If that’s what you take from the movie that almost shows that we did our job as actors, if you’re able to take what you want out of the buddy comedy. But the reason I didn’t think it was a stoner movie was, compared to legit stoner movies like Cheech and Chong and Pineapple Express, Harold and Kumar are not high very much. Right - especially in this one. And when they are, only bad things happen. So a tree gets burned down, or Kumar’s girlfriend breaks up with him, or whatever it is. It’s only the aftermath that teachers them anything. Right. So if anything, it shows you that you shouldn’t partake! That’s why I would love to put people around a table who agree with both sides of that and see what decision they come to. In this script, what scenes were you most surprised to read? Everything between the cover and the last page. [Laughs] I mean, Claymation? Claymation was awesome. Claymation and the Christmas Story stuff were probably two of my favorite moments. They weren’t shocking, per se, but they were both a hat tip to A Christmas Story and the Claymation movies, and we love those movies. We wanted to make it a traditional Christmas movie in addition to one about crazy gags. There are also a few very special shout-outs to The Wu-Tang Clan in this movie. I had a great time with that. Which came first, getting RZA to do a cameo or Kumar dropping a Wu-Tang line to calm a baby? Dropping the line. Because RZA wasn’t written in originally, the lines were written in originally. And then there was a whole discussion when the RZA signed on; I was a big proponent that Kumar should acknowledge that the RZA is selling them a Christmas tree. He’s a huge Wu-Tang fan, we can’t get away with that! And the push-back was no; we want to do this, and I think ultimately this was the right decision. Remember in the first Harold & Kumar when Kumar stops to pee in the woods and Jamie Kennedy plays this bizarre businessman that pees right next to him? He gets back in the car and Kumar never tells Harold what happened. Ever. Like, at all. And this was one of those moments. I still think Kumar knows that the RZA sold them a Christmas tree, he’s just not tipping off Harold or anybody else. He’s trying to play it cool. A few years back, after you hit it big with Harold & Kumar and were subsequently branching out into other kinds of films, some wondered if you could break out of the “White Castle Ceiling.” What’s your take on how your post-Harold and Kumar options have changed, and the film choices you’ve made in branching out? I feel very fortunate. Look, I think that there’s no doubt that I may have lost some jobs because Harold & Kumar is viewed in a particular light. You think so? I don’t know, because you never know. But we’ve also had the chance to work with folks like Mira Nair, Bryan Singer, the guys who did 24, and now How I Met Your Mother, and these are all people who are aware of the Harold & Kumar franchise. So I feel very blessed in that realm, but I do think that there’s still a color bar in Hollywood. It’s gotten infinitely better in the last eight years, especially in television. But you still audition for things all the time and they tell you, “We want to keep it a little more vanilla, so…” That actually happened to you recently? Last week there was a movie that I was up for with a very prominent African-American actor and I was told one of the reasons I didn’t get the job was because they were not comfortable with more than one person of color in the cast. So, it still happens. It happens albeit less now than it did eight years ago, and hopefully it happens less eight years from now than it does today, but there are unfortunately some backwards-thinking producers left in Hollywood. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Project Runway's Anya: I Didn't Think I'd Win

Anya Ayoung-Chee As the former Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Anya Ayoung-Chee was already recognized internationally for her beauty. But now the Project Runway Season 9 winner wants the beautiful things she creates to find their way overseas. Throughout the competition, the designer inspired viewers with her can-do attitude. She decided to pursue her fashion dreams after the tragic death of her brother Pilar. Although she had some local success in the Caribbean for her designs, she took the next step and learned to sew four months before applying for and being cast on Project Runway. The Project Runway Season 9 winner is... After being announced the winner Thursday, Ayoung-Chee spoke to TVGuide.com about how much more she has to learn, how she doesn't hold a grudge against competitor Joshua McKinley and her plans for the future. Congratulations! How hard was it to keep your win a secret?Anya Ayoung-Chee: Thank you so much! Sometimes if it were with my best friends, it was difficult. And, oh gosh, everybody asked me on the street and everywhere I went. But I didn't want to spoil it. It's so much more fun to find out in real time, so I'm happy that I didn't give it away. How was it then when everyone found out? You had some sort of viewing party?Ayoung-Chee: Yes. I live in NY so I had a party here, and I had one in Trinidad - I was Skyping with them. Trinidad and Tobago has gone crazy. It's like the World Cup or something. It's crazy and everybody was screaming. It was really overwhelming. In the moment, what was going through your mind when you found out you had won?Ayoung-Chee: I was really shocked. I did not anticipate it, particularly because it was just a few days before that I almost went home because I didn't make the best choices of what to show the judges in the three looks. I was so thrilled to be still in the running, but I did not think I was going to win. So it was a complete shock to me. When you learned that you had won in the finale, you also made a point to thank Heidi Klum for her support. What are your feelings about her part in your success?Ayoung-Chee: From the very beginning, Heidi rallied for me because the other judges were not really interested in letting me be on the cast because of my lack of sewing skills. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been there; I really believe that. What's nice about her, though, is that she was always fair. Even though she had pushed to have me on the show, when I didn't perform well, she made sure to let me know that. So I really appreciated that she wasn't acting on any favoritism, but she certainly was integral to my being on the cast in the first place. How much did you overhaul for that final collection at Fashion Week?Ayoung-Chee: I pretty much did half of it, so out of 10 pieces I made five the day before. [Laughs] I know it's crazy, but we got to go to Mood as you know, so that really helped. Geez, I don't know what I would have done without that. Have you come to the conclusion that you can you only produce under pressure?Ayoung-Chee: [Laughs] I don't think only, but clearly I'm good at it. I don't know where that comes from, but I think I really do produce better when I'm forced to do it. Do you think the criticisms that you need to take more lessons as far as technique and study more diverse styles are fair?Ayoung-Chee: Yeah, I don't anticipate making clothes for my customers directly, but I do see that having skill will improve my design sensibility and I want to keep on that path. So, I think I'm going to challenge myself continue to learn more techniques. It will only make my designing better. And in order to make it in the international market, I have to have a wider variety. I do feel that having more sewing technique will assist me in designing things, let's say for winter, and outside of the things I'm accustomed to. The creative silhouette on the dress inspired by the raven made it a particular favorite. Has anyone requested that you remake it... but with a more practical way of getting in and out of it (instead of sewing a person in and cutting them out)?Ayoung-Chee: [Laughs] Literally, exactly what you said I've been asked to do that. They want me to put a zipper on it. Joshua McKinley always seemed so resentful and angry at you and your successes. Was it really as it seemed from watching TV?Ayoung-Chee: I really do think that because of the editing you only see a fraction of what our relationship was. A lot of the time we were really having a good time, and we were tablemates for a lot of the season. We've since grown in our friendship and we've had very honest conversations at how things went on the show. It's in the past. If at times he was just under pressure and he was feeling nervous about where he was at in the competition, he would say things that, although I agree they were unnecessary, it was just par for the course of the competition I think. Who was the most entertaining behind the scenes?Ayoung-Chee: Oh my God, Viktor Luna by far. He kept us all in stitches the whole time, down to the episode you saw last night. They didn't show a lot of what was going on. We were so tired and he just kept us going because he was almost finished with his collection, so he could just be the jokester the whole time. His comedic timing is on point. He's extremely funny. Who were you closest with? Is there anyone you keep in contact with?Ayoung-Chee: Laura for sure. She and I have become very good friends. She lives in St. Louis, so I don't get to see her very much but we talk all the time. She's an amazing girl. Is there anything you learned about yourself from watching this show?Ayoung-Chee: I definitely saw that I was able to remain myself completely and not get caught up in a lot of the drama. I just see now how effective that was. It wasn't intentional, but when I see now how much was being said behind the scenes, I'm just glad I didn't get into that. Check out the rest of today's news The huge earrings and the bracelets you wore on the show were part of the look too. Will you be offering accessories as part of your fashion line?Ayoung-Chee: Absolutely. Like you, I just think an outfit is never complete unless you've styled it properly. I love earrings, I love bracelets, I love rings. I'm super into accessories, and I'm absolutely going into that arena and I think it's very viable commercially because you don't have to do sizes or any of those things. In the After the Runway specials, Kimberly Goldson mentioned that she's had many male fans ask her out. Have you had any similar proposals or attention in that arena?Ayoung-Chee: You know what's funny, it was only one or two of those, but overall the messages have been much more friendly and platonic. It's been just a lot of love and support and definitely not anything too much on that side of it really. I don't know why, but I'm happy it hasn't gone in that direction. What is the funniest fan response or request you've received?Ayoung-Chee: Hmm, that's a good question. So much of it has been so great in the sense of inspiring people to do ... whatever it is that they've been dreaming to do. ... I've just been overwhelmed by how many people have messaged me about being inspired to sew or whatever it is that they realize now they can do if they try to do it. How do they message and contact you? What's your Twitter?Ayoung-Chee: My Twitter name is @AnyadeRogue and then on Facebook. That's a bit overwhelmeing,. Between the two, it's been hundreds and hundreds of messages about being inspired to follow their dreams. How are you going to celebrate now that the secret is out?Ayoung-Chee: Well, I really feel like now is when the work really begins because I want to continue in the effort to build my online retail presence and get my line into boutiques and stores in the U.S. I don't know if I'm going to celebrate just yet. I want to see the line progress, and that's going to take a bit of work at this point. What is the next step for you then?Ayoung-Chee: My website anyaayoungchee.com is on the verge of launching the retail portion. That's really my big fish right away. I'm also starting a microfinance loan program for young creatives in the Caribbean to support the kids who are like I was when I was a teenager, who need that extra boost to follow their dreams in the creative field. Are you happy that Anya won? Would you purchase any of her designs?

We Have To Discuss Kevin Wins At LFF

Lynne Ramsay's drama takes Best Film The 55th BFI London Film Festival - or 'L Double F' as no-one calls it - has already established another auspicious year. Filmmakers from the stature of David Cronenberg, Alexander Payne, Lynne Ramsay andFernando Meirelles displayed their wares, large title stars adorned the red-colored-carpet using their Earth-healing presences and George Clooney, bless him, did both. Plus no-one fell into that giant hole in the center of Leicester Square, the industry bonus.But, like Highlander on sportsday, there might be just one champion. The votes have been in and Ramsay's highly-acclaimed We Have To Discuss Kevin originates away using the festival's Best Film award. John Madden, LFFjury chair, referred to it as being "a sublime, uncompromising tale from the torment that may stand instead of love".It appears just like a solid shout - just the Artist and Shame came near to the critical plaudits bathed on Ramsay and her cast - and it is great to determine the gifted Scot, director of effective films like Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar, obtaining the recognition she warrants. Also leaving with gongs were Candese Reid, champion of Best British Newcomer on her submit Tinge Krishnan's singeing social drama Junkhearts, and Las Acacias director Pablo Giorgelli who collected the Sutherland debut feature award. The those who win entirely:BESTFILMWe Have To Discuss Kevin - Lynne RamsayBESTBRITISHNEWCOMERCandese Reid (Junkhearts)SUTHERLANDAWARDWINNERfor best debut featurePablo Giorgelli (Las Acacias)BESTDOCUMENTARYInto The Abyss - Werner Herzog

'Deep Blue Sea' Closes BFI London Film Festival

LONDON -- Terence Davies's The Deep Blue Sea, starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale, brought this year's BFI London Film Festival to a close as the closing-night feature.our editor recommends'We Need to Talk About Kevin' Named Best Film at BFI London Film FestivalBFI London Film Festival Opens With Fernando Meirelles' '360,' Jude Law Sandra Hebron to Step Down as BFI London Film Festival Artistic Director (Exclusive)The Deep Blue Sea: Toronto Review The event was the last to be overseen by festival artistic director Sandra Hebron, who is stepping down after almost 10 years at the helm of the British capital set event to pursue her own personal agenda. She has been with the BFI Festivals department since 1997. Hebron, visibly moved, said the standing ovation she received made her final speech all the harder to deliver. She was at pains to thank all the fillmmakers whose work has unspooled this year and across previous editions. FILM REVIEW: 'The Deep Blue Sea' Davies said Hebron and her tenure had had a profound effect. "If the audience is not there, the act (of filmmaking) is not complete," he said. "She gives us (filmmakers) that." A warm embrace between the two followed as more applause erupted. Adapted by Davies from Terence Rattigan's play of the same name, the movie marks a return to fiction movie-making for Davies after his documentary Of Time and the City took Cannes by storm in 2008. It details the story of privileged wife in 1950s London, married to a judge who leaves after falling in love with a young ex-RAF pilot. The movie is bankrolled by the U.K. Film Council and Film4, Channel 4's movie-making arm and supported by Protagonist Pictures, Lip Sync Productions and U.K. distributor Artificial Eye. Produced by Sean O'Connor and Kate Ogborn, exec producers are Katherine Butler, Lisa Marie Russo, Peter Hampden and Norman Merry. Hiddleston said he owed deep gratitude to Hebron for showing his first film in the festival nine years ago. Weisz, currently shooting in NYC, sent a VT message of thanks to Hebron and Davies for giving her the part in his film. The last two weeks of the festival has seen a slew of red carpet events, masterclasses, panel discussions and more than 207 fiction films unspooling and more than 133,000 tickets sold across the capital. Related Topics Rachel Weisz International The Deep Blue Sea