World stocks fall as Cyprus reopens banks

BANGKOK (AP) ? Renewed jitters about Europe's debt crisis sent world stock markets lower Thursday.

Cypriot banks will open Thursday after being shut for nearly two weeks as an emergency loan was being pieced together to prevent the nation's financial sector from collapsing. Authorities have been putting measures in place to prevent a rush of euros out of the country's banks. Cash withdrawals will be limited to 300 euros ($383) per person each day, and no checks will be cashed.

European stocks were mostly lower in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 was nearly unchanged at 6,388.95. Germany's DAX fell almost 0.1 percent to 7,782.21. France's CAC-40 lost 0.3 percent to 3,699.58.

Wall Street also appeared headed for a day of losses, with Dow Jones industrial futures falling 0.2 percent to 14,424. S&P 500 futures shed 0.2 percent to 1,553.10.

The agreement to bailout Cyprus, reached late Monday with international lenders, gives the country a 10 billion euro ($12.9 billion) bailout but forces losses on depositors with more than 100,000 euros in the country's two largest banks.

Evan Lucas of IG Markets in Melbourne said the deal has sparked fears it may be repeated in other European nations if they faced similar circumstances. In an email commentary, he said investors saw the deal "as a monster in the shadows for banks in Portugal, Spain and Italy" since it requires depositors, not the public or its tax contributions, to take the pain.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index tumbled 1.3 percent to 12,335.96. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.7 percent to 22,299.63. South Korea's Kospi was nearly unchanged at 1,993.52. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.6 percent to 4,966.50.

Peter Lai of DBS Vickers Securities in Hong Kong said he was expecting a "disastrous phenomenon" in Cyprus when banks reopen.

"We also expect there'll be some kind of bank run. So lots of people are trying to get their cash back and this undoubtedly will be some kind of bad impact on the Cyprus banking system and people believe that or they think that this may affect the euro system," he said.

Meanwhile, in Italy, a leading political party failed in its attempt to form a new government. The stalemate has raised concerns that the country will be unable to manage its deep debts. Italy is the third-largest economy of the 17 countries that use the euro.

Financial stocks across Asia slumped. Japan's Mizuho Financial Group dropped 2.4 percent. Agricultural Bank of China fell 2.1 percent in Hong Kong.

In Australia, Newcrest Mining plummeted 8.3 percent after the company said its gold production target for the 2012-13 fiscal year would not be reached.

Benchmark oil for May delivery was up 1 cent to $96.59 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 24 cents to close at a five-week high of $96.58 per barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.2768 from $1.2774 late Wednesday in New York. The dollar fell to 94.06 yen from 94.38 yen.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-stocks-fall-cyprus-reopens-banks-092306412--finance.html

king of kings ostara masters 2012 andy kaufman tom watson kawasaki disease resurrection

94% The Sapphires

All Critics (94) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (87) | Rotten (6)

A very conventional story of a '60s Australian girl group gains extra power from its context and setting in this fact-based story set to the beat of Motown soul.

The performers improve it, or save it, depending on your viewpoint.

"The Sapphires" is a bit like a puppy you're trying to house break. It may have its bad cinematic moments but it's just so darn appealing that you have to love it.

While the fish-out-of-water story remains a little overused, the sweet soul music still provides a terrific hook.

For the most part Aussie director Wayne Blair's feature debut is snappy and fresh.

Mauboy has one hell of a voice, and the Sapphires' vocal performances speak to the endless power of great soul songs.

Irresistibly feel good, sound good movie, wears hearts and social relevance on its sparkly sleeve. . .Fun and racial tolerance amidst war [with] sterling aborigine talent.

The most affable, innocuous outing ever set in a war zone.

With O'Dowd in the lead, and a hit-soundtrack-ready selection of tunes from the Stax and Motown catalogs and more, The Sapphires is popcorn entertainment, with some earned laughs and a genuine heart.

It helps that the leading actors are so skillful and appealing, beginning with Chris O'Dowd as a roguish Irishman who becomes the girls' manager...

You've seen this type of tale many times before...but the inspired-by-a-true-story Aboriginal slant adds interest, the actresses create unique characters and Chris O'Dowd really shines.

This familiar but supremely well-told and produced tale of the unlikely rise of an Aboriginal female pop group in the Vietnam War-era is feel-good entertainment at its best. Performances, solid script and great music all hit the high notes.

It sidesteps the usual cliches. Fame and fortune matter less than the human connections that are fostered and repaired on this unlikely journey.

Melodramatic and clich?d to a fault, The Sapphires is however elevated by winsome performances, particularly O'Dowd, and plentiful musically-driven charm.

Not even sweet soul music can turn Vietnam circa 1968 into a feel-good trip, but "The Sapphires" tries its darnedest.

No quotes approved yet for The Sapphires. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sapphires_2012/

Johnny Pesky spice girls justin theroux Bumbo recall USA Basketball taio cruz taio cruz

Jackbooted ACLU Thugs Support Drones* (OliverWillisLikeKryptoniteToStupid)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/295283280?client_source=feed&format=rss

uk vs louisville university of kansas buckeye west side story final four 2012 bridesmaids winning lottery numbers

For gay rights activists, partial victory more likely than sweeping

U.S. Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments in a case that could overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) for a second day on Wednesday. Potential swing vote, Justice?Anthony Kennedy warned the law may infringe on states' rights to define marriage.?

By Lawrence Hurley,?Reuters, David Ingram,?Reuters / March 27, 2013

Solicitor General Donald Virrilli (R) argues in front of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (L) and Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Justices indicated interest in striking down the law denying federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

REUTERS/Art Lien/Handout

Enlarge

The?U.S. Supreme Court?seemed to be leaning on Wednesday toward striking down a law that denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples in a move that would reflect a shift in Americans' attitudes about gay marriage.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

In a second day of oral arguments on same-sex marriage, a majority of the court raised serious concerns with the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, enacted in 1996 under President Bill Clinton.

Arguments over the last two days on the DOMA?case and a separate one challenging?California's ban on gay marriage marked the high court's first foray into a delicate and divisive political, religious and social issue in the?United States?as polls indicate growing public support for same-sex marriage.

In theory, the cases have the potential for the court to take a significant step toward endorsing gay marriage as it gains support in some parts of the country. Based on the arguments, however, a partial victory for gay rights activists seems more likely than the sweeping declaration of same-sex marriage rights they had hoped for.

As demonstrators rallied outside the?Supreme Court building?for a second day, Justice?Anthony Kennedy, a potential swing vote, showed a willingness to invalidate DOMA, which denies married same-sex couples access to federal benefits by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

He warned of a "real risk" that the law infringes on the traditional role of the states in defining marriage.

A conservative, Kennedy is viewed as a key vote on this issue in part because he has twice authored decisions in the past that were viewed as favorable to gay rights.

In contrast to the ambivalent approach they displayed on Tuesday in arguments about?California's Proposition 8 gay marriage ban, the nine justices seemed willing to address the substantive issue in the DOMA?case, while also eyeing procedural questions.

The court is not expected to rule on the two cases until the end of June. If the justices were to strike down DOMA, legally married gay couples would be winners because they would have improved access to federal benefits, such as tax deductions.

Justices gave a strong indication they might resolve the Proposition 8 case on procedural grounds, but even that would be viewed as a win for gay rights activists as same-sex marriages in?California?would likely resume.

What appears highly unlikely is a sweeping declaration of a right for gay people to marry, a possible option only in the?California?case.

Overall, a majority of the justices made it clear that, while they might not impede the recent movement among some states toward gay marriage, they were not willing to pave the way either.

Nine states now recognize gay marriage, while 30 states have constitutional amendments banning it and others are in-between.

On several occasions over the two days, the justices' own remarks illustrated how quickly attitudes have changed in favor of gay marriage.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/DgiD59VDbNk/For-gay-rights-activists-partial-victory-more-likely-than-sweeping

chris kreider correspondents dinner 2012 white house correspondents dinner 2012 whcd 2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest

News Summary: S&P 500 edges higher to set record

IT'S A RECORD: The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged six points higher to close at a record 1,569.16, surpassing its previous all-time high of 1,565.15 logged in October 2007. Including dividends, the index has returned 152 percent since it bottomed out in March 2009 during the Great Recession.

LAST DAY OF THE QUARTER: With markets shut for the Good Friday holiday, Thursday's trading session marked the end of the first quarter for stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average finished the quarter 11.3 percent higher, and the S&P 500 was up 10 percent.

BLING: Signet Jewelers rose 5.9 percent to $67 after reporting that its net income rose 10 percent. Sales were boosted by its acquisition of the Ultra jewelry store chain and as customers made more purchases at its U.S. Kay and Jared stores. The performance exceeded the expectations of Wall Street analysts.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/news-summary-p-500-edges-214556744.html

lenny dykstra jenelle evans jenelle evans mlb 12 the show sabu franchise tag lesotho

Spamhaus Hit With 'Largest Publicly Announced DDoS Attack' Ever, Affecting Internet Users Worldwide

LONDON (AP) -- An Internet watchdog group responsible for keeping ads for counterfeit Viagra and bogus weight-loss pills out of inboxes around the world has been hit by a huge cyberattack, a crushing electronic onslaught that one expert said had already had ripple effects across the Web.

Spam-fighting organization Spamhaus said Wednesday that it had been buffeted by a massive denial-of-service attack since mid-March, apparently from groups angry at being blacklisted by the Geneva-based group.

The BBC identifies one of those blacklisted groups as Cyberbunker, a a web hosting company in the Netherlands. Cyberbunker "offers dedicated server hosting that allow clients to stay online, no matter what," according to its website.

"It is a small miracle that we're still online," Spamhaus researcher Vincent Hanna said in an interview.

Denial-of-service attacks work by overwhelming target servers with traffic - like hundreds of letters being jammed through a mail slot at the same time. In a blog post, San Francisco-based CloudFlare, Inc. said the attackers were taking advantage of weaknesses in the Internet's infrastructure to trick servers from across the Internet into routing billions of bits of junk traffic to Spamhaus every second.

The attack could be bad news for email users, many of whose incoming messages are checked against Spamhaus's widely used and constantly updated blacklists.

Hanna said that his site had so far managed to stay on top of the spammers, but warned that being knocked offline could give them an opening to step up their mailings.

The sheer size of the attack has already affected Internet users elsewhere, according to Patrick Gilmore of Akamai Technologies.

He explained that colleagues at other Internet service providers had been in touch to say their services were affected by the attack. He declined to identify them - saying they had shared the information on a confidential basis - but said problems include sluggish access and dropped connections.

He added to the New York Times: "It is the largest publicly announced DDoS attack in the history of the Internet."

Earlier on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/spamhaus-cyber-attack_n_2963632.html

Sim City Manchester United Alvin Lee nicki minaj jamie lynn spears kevin hart Chavez Dead

University of Tennessee professor discovers how microbes survive at bare minimum

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Whitney Heins
wheins@utk.edu
865-974-5460
University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Research finds archaea eats protein

Beneath the ocean floor is a desolate place with no oxygen and sunlight. Yet microbes have thrived in this environment for millions of years.

Scientists have puzzled over how these microbes survive, but today there are more answers.

A study led by Karen Lloyd, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, assistant professor of microbiology, reveals that these microscopic life-forms called archaea slowly eat tiny bits of protein. The study was released today in Nature.

The finding has implications for understanding the bare minimum conditions needed to support life.

"Subseafloor microbes are some of the most common organisms on earth," said Lloyd. "There are more of them than there are stars or sand grains. If you go to a mud flat and stick your toes into the squishy mud, you're touching these archaea. Even though they've literally been right under our noses for all of human history, we've never known what they're doing down there."

Archaea are one of three life forms on earth, including bacteria and eukarya cells.

Scientists are interested in archaea's extreme way of life because it provides clues about the absolute minimum conditions required to sustain life as well as the global carbon cycle.

"Scientists had previously thought that proteins were only broken down in the sea by bacteria," said Lloyd. "But archaea have now turned out to be important new key organisms in protein degradation in the seabed."

Proteins make up a large part of the organic matter in the seabed, the world's largest deposit of organic carbon.

To reveal the cells' identities and way of life, Lloyd and her colleagues collected ocean mud containing the archaea cells from Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Then they pulled out four individual cells and sequenced their genomic DNA to discover the presence of the extracellular protein-degrading enzymes predicted in those genomes.

"We were able to go back to the mud and directly measure the activity of these predicted enzymes," said Andrew Steen, another UT researcher and coauthor of the study. "I was shocked at how high the activities were."

This novel method opens the door for new studies by microbiologists. Scientists have been unable to grow archaea in the laboratory, limiting their studies to less than one percent of microorganisms. This new method allows scientists to study microorganisms directly from nature, opening up the remaining 99 percent to research.

Lloyd collaborated with other researchers from UT, as well as, Aarhus University in Denmark, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine, Ribocon GmbH in Germany, and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Biology in Germany.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Whitney Heins
wheins@utk.edu
865-974-5460
University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Research finds archaea eats protein

Beneath the ocean floor is a desolate place with no oxygen and sunlight. Yet microbes have thrived in this environment for millions of years.

Scientists have puzzled over how these microbes survive, but today there are more answers.

A study led by Karen Lloyd, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, assistant professor of microbiology, reveals that these microscopic life-forms called archaea slowly eat tiny bits of protein. The study was released today in Nature.

The finding has implications for understanding the bare minimum conditions needed to support life.

"Subseafloor microbes are some of the most common organisms on earth," said Lloyd. "There are more of them than there are stars or sand grains. If you go to a mud flat and stick your toes into the squishy mud, you're touching these archaea. Even though they've literally been right under our noses for all of human history, we've never known what they're doing down there."

Archaea are one of three life forms on earth, including bacteria and eukarya cells.

Scientists are interested in archaea's extreme way of life because it provides clues about the absolute minimum conditions required to sustain life as well as the global carbon cycle.

"Scientists had previously thought that proteins were only broken down in the sea by bacteria," said Lloyd. "But archaea have now turned out to be important new key organisms in protein degradation in the seabed."

Proteins make up a large part of the organic matter in the seabed, the world's largest deposit of organic carbon.

To reveal the cells' identities and way of life, Lloyd and her colleagues collected ocean mud containing the archaea cells from Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Then they pulled out four individual cells and sequenced their genomic DNA to discover the presence of the extracellular protein-degrading enzymes predicted in those genomes.

"We were able to go back to the mud and directly measure the activity of these predicted enzymes," said Andrew Steen, another UT researcher and coauthor of the study. "I was shocked at how high the activities were."

This novel method opens the door for new studies by microbiologists. Scientists have been unable to grow archaea in the laboratory, limiting their studies to less than one percent of microorganisms. This new method allows scientists to study microorganisms directly from nature, opening up the remaining 99 percent to research.

Lloyd collaborated with other researchers from UT, as well as, Aarhus University in Denmark, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine, Ribocon GmbH in Germany, and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Biology in Germany.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/uota-uot032713.php

lou gehrig toby mac blue ivy carter photos purple squirrel blade runner close encounters of the third kind beyonce and jay z baby

Abs, Smiles & More: Ryan Gosling's Hottest Moments

In honor of his latest film The Place Beyond the Pines (in theaters March 29), we're looking at the Baby Goose's most swoon-worthy pics!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/ryan-gosling-hot-photos/1-b-368399?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aryan-gosling-hot-photos-368399

black friday deals Sephora Cyber Monday 2012 Walmart.com detroit lions Thanksgiving Day cooking a turkey

CASTING NOW: INTERESTING, FUN BUSINESS?! : RealityWanted ...

Posted On:	03/04/2013??
Closing On:	03/21/2013
Company:

City: Any City

State: National

Do you have an interesting and fun business? Do you have a quirky clientele and crazy co-workers? Submit today for a great new show!

Source: http://www.realitywanted.com/call/23885-casting-now-interesting-fun-business

history channel sinkhole Macklemore History Channel The Bible

'Giant Slayer' scares up ho-hum $28 million debut

This film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Nicholas Hoult in a scene from "Jack the Giant Slayer." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures)

This film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Nicholas Hoult in a scene from "Jack the Giant Slayer." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? It wasn't exactly a mighty victory, but "Jack the Giant Slayer" won the weekend at the box office.

The Warner Bros. 3-D action extravaganza, based on the Jack and the Beanstalk legend, made just $28 million to debut at No. 1, according to Sunday studio estimates. It had a reported budget of just under $200 million.

But the studio also hit a milestone on the global front with Peter Jackson's fantasy epic "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" crossing the $1 billion mark worldwide. The first of three films based on the classic J.R.R. Tolkien novel has made $301.1 domestically and $700 million internationally.

"Jack the Giant Slayer" comes from Bryan Singer, director of "The Usual Suspects" and the first two "X-Men" movies. It stars Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, Ian McShane and Stanley Tucci.

Among other new releases, the college romp "21 & Over" from Relativity Media made only $9 million this weekend to open in third place. And the horror sequel "The Last Exorcism Part II" from CBS Films debuted in fourth place with just over $8 million.

Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.' executive vice president of theatrical distribution, said "Jack the Giant Slayer" opened lower than the studio had hoped, but he's encouraged by its CinemaScore, which was a B-plus overall and an A among viewers under 18. One bit of good news for "Jack" is that it had a 56-percent uptick from Friday to Saturday, suggesting strong word-of-mouth and more family audiences for the PG-13 adventure.

"That tells us that the audiences that are seeing it really do like it," Goldstein said. "The international opening in Asia has been very strong ? the 3-D component of the special effects works in a big way outside the domestic marketplace."

"Jack the Giant Slayer" made $13.7 million in 11 international territories for a worldwide total of $41.7 million. Internationally, "A Good Day to Die Hard," the fifth film in the blockbuster Bruce Willis franchise, was the big winner of the weekend with $18.3 million for a global total of nearly $222 million.

Domestically, this is the sixth weekend in a row that movie ticket sales are down, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. He pointed out that many of the action pictures aimed at men this year ? including "Snitch," ''The Last Stand," ''Bullet to the Head" and "Parker" ? have been disappointments at the box office.

"Other films have done OK but we need to do better than OK to keep up with last year's pace," he said. "Where is the audience? I don't want to overstate this, but where are the guys?"

Among the few bright spots, the Jason Bateman-Melissa McCarthy comedy "Identity Thief" has become the first film to cross the $100 million mark this year. Now in its fourth week in theaters, the Universal movie has made $107.4 million.

"This is a tough marketplace right now. Everything is underperforming," Dergarabedian said. "There hasn't been a huge breakout hit yet. For every 'Identity Thief' there have probably been 10 other films that have underperformed."

Meanwhile, winners at last weekend's Academy Awards, including "Argo," ''Silver Linings Playbook" and "Life of Pi," are still sticking around in the top 20 after several months in theaters, further underscoring the weakness of recent new releases.

But Dergarabedian was optimistic that things will turn around with the opening next week of Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful," a much-anticipated prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" starring James Franco and directed by Sam Raimi. It's expected to open in the $75-100 million range.

"We need the cavalry to arrive and we need them soon," he said. "Maybe James Franco is the cavalry."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday:

1. "Jack the Giant Slayer," $28 million. ($13.7 million international.)

2. "Identity Thief," $9.7 million.

3. "21 & Over," $9 million.

4. "The Last Exorcism Part II," $8 million.

5. "Snitch," $7.7 million.

6. "Escape From Planet Earth," $6.7 million.

7. "Safe Haven," $6.3 million.

8. "Silver Linings Playbook," $5.9 million.

9. "A Good Day to Die Hard," $4.5 million. ($18.3 million international.)

10. "Dark Skies," $3.6 million.

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "A Good Day to Die Hard," $18.3 million.

2. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $15.2 million.

3. "Jack the Giant Slayer," $13.7 million.

4. "Les Miserables," $10.5 million.

5. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $9.2 million.

6. "Django Unchained," $8 million.

7. "New World," $7.3 million.

8. "Miracle in Cell No. 7," $6.2 million.

9. "Beautiful Creatures," $6 million.

10. "Flight," $5.2 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-03-Box%20Office/id-91473a06f6164f8d8d51746cfbd90fc6

jessica chastain oscars jane fonda halle berry abc bradley cooper channing tatum

Chinese reach out to U.S. screenwriters with competition

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - China's film industry is reaching out to U.S. screenwriters with a first-of-its-kind competition designed to foster artistic collaboration between China and the U.S.

On behalf of the Cultural Assets Office of the Beijing municipal government, director Huiguang Zhang on Monday will announce the launch of the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition. Open to U.S.-based contestants of all nationalities, the competition is asking writers to submit both short film and feature film screenplays centered on Beijing and its multifaceted culture.

Zhang will serve as president of the competition, and film producer Kevin Niu will serve as chairman. Honorary competition presidents will include vice-mayor of Beijing Wei Lu and two-time Academy Award-winning director Mark Harris. Harris and producer Tracey Trench ("Ever After"), a consultant for Oriental DreamWorks, will serve as the competition's grand judges.

"I am thrilled that the Beijing International Screenwriting Competition is taking place at this time in history," said Ms. Huiguang Zhang. "The city and people of Beijing are excited to begin a new era of creative and cultural collaboration with the U.S."

With no entrance fee, the competition encourages professional writers, students, and the general public alike to submit feature film proposals. The competition for short film screenplays is open to U.S. students only. In keeping with the competition's "Tale of Beijing" theme, all film submissions must prominently feature Beijing as a location, conveying in some way its romance, mystery, and cultural richness.

"This competition is one of the first established routes for U.S. filmmakers to obtain direct access to the Chinese market," said competition chairman Niu. "It will serve as a model for future cultural collaboration between the U.S. and China.

Proposals for the first round of the feature film competition are due April 7, and short film screenplays are due April 20. The top finalists for each will be announced in May. In addition to international recognition and cash prizes totaling more than $100,000, all of the finalists will receive all-expense paid trips to Beijing in June where they will have the opportunity to meet with Chinese investors. Additionally, up to seven short film grand prize winners will receive financing for the production of their films.

The competition is sponsored by the Beijing International Creative Industry Corp. Other partners include LeTV and Harvardwood. For more information on the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, please visit http://writebeijing.org/.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-reach-u-screenwriters-competition-184508648.html

Election 2012 map Election Results Map Early voting results BBC Dick Morris Daily Show provisional ballot