Entertainment

Focal Point, Sharjah Art Foundation’s upcoming book fair, to feature 120 publishers

Sharjah Art Foundation has announced the program and exhibitors for the fourth edition pf Focal Point, the region’s largest and most diverse art book fair.

To be held on December 9-11, 2021, in Sharjah Art Foundation’s Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Arts Square, from 4pm to 10pm, this year’s edition will also feature a day-long talks program at the iconic Flying Saucer.

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The annual art book fair held in Sharjah by the Foundation aims to support, catalyze, and promote interdisciplinary publishing practices as part of the arts ecology.
Focal Point brings together printed matter, including artist books, academic volumes and journals, zines and other non-traditional and experimental publications from more than 120 publishers, magazines, artists, editors, authors and makers from the UAE and MEASA (Middle East, Africa, South Asia) region.

A number of major publications and artist monographs will be launched during Focal Point and the fair’s public program extends throughout the art book fair with children and community workshops, music events and more.
Among the launches, art lovers will be looking forward to the monograph on the New York–based Egyptian artist Ahmed Morsi titled ‘Ahmed Morsi: A Dialogic Imagination,” published by Sharjah Art Foundation, The Africa Institute, and Skira. The publication discussesthe places, people, texts, ideas, and materials that have shaped the unique practice of Morsi.
Those interested in comics, will look forward to ‘Corniche 3,’ a SAF Community publication project which brings together artists based in the UAE and broader region.

Publishing grant

The 2021 edition of the Fccal PointPublishing Grant extends the Foundation’s mission to provide opportunities that contribute to interdisciplinary publishing practices in the region.
The grant is conceived as a means to support projects that contribute to the production of original ideas and critical thinking, and that offer experimental and innovative approaches to publishing in art and culture.

This year the Foundation will award a total of $30,000 to multiple grantees and provide publishing and distribution support in three categories: Long-form essays, reproduction of small publications, and experimental publications.
The 2021 grant awardees will be announced on December 9, 2021, at the Talks Program being held in the Foundation’s Flying Saucer.

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Entertainment

Accused of rape, British comedian Russell Brand speaks of ‘distressing’ week

British comedian and actor Russell Brand on Friday spoke of an “extraordinary and distressing week” in his first public comments since rape and assault allegations were aired against him, but did not address the claims.
“Obviously it’s been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information you are being presented with,” he said on a video posted to his YouTube channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers.
“I need your support now more than ever, more than I ever imagined I would,” he added.
But he did not comment on the joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 television in which four women made claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse against him.
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Then on Thursday, a woman accused Brand of exposing himself to her in 2008.
Brand criticized the British government for asking tech companies to take action against him.
Denouncing what he described as “deep state and corporate collusion” and “media corruption and censorship,” he said he would post a longer video on Monday.
In a video released last week, just before the story broke, Brand, 48, denied the allegations against him, which are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.
He said his relationships had always been “consensual,” even during a period when he admitted he was “very, very promiscuous.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman called the allegations “very serious and concerning.”
Sunak “has been clear there should never be any space for harassment, regardless of where it is found,” he added.
Brand’s publisher Bluebird announced that “all future publishing” with the comedian had been put on hold.
Video-sharing platform YouTube has also demonetized his content.

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Entertainment

Talks between striking Hollywood writers, studios fail for second day

Negotiators for Hollywood's major studios and striking film and television writers failed to reach an agreement to end a months-long stalemate after meeting for a second straight day on Thursday, CNN reported.

Representatives of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) talked for more than 10 hours, CNN said. It is unclear when they will convene again.

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Spokespeople for the WGA and the AMPTP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

To help spark a deal, sessions on Wednesday and Thursday were attended by Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Comcast's NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, according to a source close to the studios.

Roughly 11,500 WGA members walked off the job in May to protest pay and working conditions in the streaming TV era.

The SAG-AFTRA actors union went on strike in July, putting Hollywood in the midst of two simultaneous work stoppages for the first time in 63 years.

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Entertainment

Striking writers, Hollywood studios to meet again to resolve five-month standoff

Negotiators for the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood studios will meet again on Thursday to try to resolve a nearly five-month standoff that has disrupted film and television production.

The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other media companies, held talks for the first time in about a month on Wednesday.

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Early on Wednesday evening, the two sides issued a joint statement saying simply: “The WGA and AMPTP met for bargaining today and will meet again tomorrow.”

To help spark a deal, Wednesday’s meeting was attended by Disney CEO Bob Iger, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Comcast’s NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, according to a source close to the studios.

People in the room described the session as “encouraging,” the source said, and the four executives are expected to return to the talks on Thursday.

CNBC, citing people close to the negotiations, said writers and producers were near an agreement and hoped to reach a deal on Thursday. But if a deal is not reached the strike could last through the end of the year, CNBC reported.

The WGA went on strike in May after negotiations reached an impasse over compensation, minimum staffing of writers’ rooms and the role of artificial intelligence (AI), among other issues.

The SAG-AFTRA actors union called a work stoppage in July, putting Hollywood in the midst of two simultaneous strikes for the first time in 63 years. No talks are currently scheduled between the actors and the studios.

Hollywood studios release terms of new proposal to striking writers