SNP MP Stewart McDonald has emails hacked by Russian group

The competition winners of the 73rd Berlinale are about to start rolling in as the festival draws to a close Saturday evening.

Kristen Stewart is standing up for a second silent demonstration during the 2023 Berlinale Film Festival.

The first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be recognized in Washington, D.C. on Saturday with an afternoon rally at the Lincoln Memorial.

King Charles is showing his support for Ukraine once again.

EXCLUSIVE: On February 24, 2022 Sean Penn and his documentary filmmaking team got up before dawn in Kyiv in anticipation of a planned interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Suddenly, explosions shattered the quiet and missile fire turned the darkened sky to malevolent orange. Russia’s full-scale attack on its neighbor had begun — what President Vladimir Putin later that day euphemistically dubbed a “special military operation.”

Ukrainian filmmaker Roman Liubyi is marking the first anniversary on Friday of Russia’s invasion of his country with a screening at the Berlin Film Festival of documentaryIron Butterflies in its Panorama section.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is understood that he believed a takeover would only take a few days.

Today marks one full year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began and fears remain that it could last for another.

On this day last year, Vladimir Putin ordered his troops across the Ukraine border, marking the start of a deadly conflict which has taken the lives of thousands.

Ed Meza @edmezavar “Ctrl: Z. Russian Voices,” a documentary that examines the impact of the Ukraine war on the everyday lives of people in a small Russian town, has sold to broadcaster across Europe, including Franco-German channel Arte, TV 3 in Spain and CNN in Portugal. Distributed internationally by Paris-based Java Films, the documentary was filmed in the small Russian town where director Natacha Rostova, using a pseudonym, grew up. It examines the lasting effects the ongoing conflict is having on the lives of families and couples, ordinary people who are silenced, often too afraid to speak out, while others have become fervent opponents of the war.

Brittney Griner is back on the court! The WNBA star has officially made her return with the Phoenix Mercury after being held for months in Russian prisons on drug charges, the team announced on Tuesday. «It's a great day for all of us to announce that Brittney Griner has officially signed to play for the Mercury in 2023. We missed BG every day that she was gone and, while basketball was not our primary concern, her presence on the floor, in our locker room, around our organization, and within our community was greatly missed,» Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman said in a statement.

EXCLUSIVE: In a seven-figure deal finalised over the last week, Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films has beaten out competitors for UK rights to Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid, which A24 is releasing in the U.S. on April 21.

Broadcast and cable networks are planning specials, a town hall and other coverage Thursday tied to the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Correspondents also will report from sites around the country, with Vladimir Putin’s regime mounting a winter offensive.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large No lie, “Poker Face” will enter the Emmy awards race as a comedy. The show is an hour-long whodunit but also contains plenty of comedic elements, which is why Peacock has decided to enter it in that lane. News comes as awards consultants across town make the final decision on where to place their programs, as the Television Academy officially opens this year’s Emmy submissions starting Feb. 21. For example, on Friday, Variety exclusively reported that HBO’s “The White Lotus” would submit in the drama space, after the TV Academy ruled that it no longer qualified as a limited series (due to the return of star Jennifer Coolidge) In the case of “Poker Face,” the decision to enter in comedy comes as the show continues earn strong reviews from critics. “Poker Face” is currently “99% certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its whodunit nature, insiders note that Lyonne is widely seen as a comedic actor — her previous series, Netflix’s “Russian Doll,” also mixed comedy and drama but was entered in comedy categories (receiving nominations in 2019 for best comedy and lead comedy actress, for Lyonne, as well as for two different episodes in comedy writing).

On 24 February 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Missiles were soon raining down on major urban conurbations, including the capital Kuiv, destroying homes, and communities and forcing millions to flee in search of safety. Within weeks, the UK Government launched the Homes for Ukraine programme, encouraging Brits to welcome refugees into their homes.

Brittney Griner is heading back to the basketball court.

Cate Blanchett is looking as gorgeous as ever on the red carpet at the 2023 EE British Academy Film Awards on Sunday (February 19) at Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

Christopher Vourlias The war in Ukraine has taken center stage this week at the Berlin Film Festival, which is taking place for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion last year. At Thursday’s opening ceremony, Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelenskyy appeared via satellite to encourage festival-goers “not to remain silent” over Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression. Sean Penn, who this week premiered his docu-portrait of the Ukrainian leader, “Superpower,” lashed out at Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, who he described as a “war criminal” and a “creepy little bully.” Moral outrage has not been in short supply since the start of the war, as the global film community — in a show of near unanimous condemnation of the Kremlin’s criminal attack — has rallied behind the Ukrainian war effort. But many U.S. and foreign companies quietly continue to do business with Putin’s pariah state or have resumed the deal-making that was put on pause once the war began.

Charna Flam Veteran entertainment publicist Andrew Freedman died Feb. 8 in New York after being diagnosed with liver cancer in August. He was 67. Freedman worked with clients including Gayle King, Barbara Walters, Joan Collins, Margo Martindale, Christopher McDonald and Harry Shearer. Prior to his career as a publicist, Freedman served as communications specialist to Sen. Ted Kennedy during his 1980 presidential campaign, which was followed by his campaign work for Sen. George McGovern in South Dakota and Reps. Jim Howard and Andy Maguire in New Jersey. Following his campaigning involvement, from 1984-1991 Freedman worked at NBC and served as a spokesman for the network’s programming. Freedman oversaw the network’s press operation for the U.S.-Russian Reykjavík and Geneva summits, the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the network’s presidential election coverage and managed media relations for NBC Nightly News, “Meet the Press” and the “Today” show.

Andrew Freedman, the news and entertainment publicist who ran the New York-based Andrew E. Freedman Public Relations for more than three decades, died on February 8 following a cancer diagnosis last year. He was 67.