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Anna Melikyan
Biography
Anna Gagikovna Melikyan (Armenian: Աննա Գագիկի Մելիքյան; Russian: А́нна Гаги́ковна Меликя́н; born 8 February 1976, Baku) is an Azerbaijan-Armenian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and TV director/producer, who works in Russia. She is best known for the film "Mermaid" (2008), which received many international and national awards. After her participation at Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, she was listed in the TOP-10 of most perspective film directors by "Variety" magazine.
Anna Melikyan was born in Baku (USSR, now Azerbaijan) and grew up in Yerevan (USSR, now Armenia). At the age of 17, she moved to Moscow. In the mid-1990s, Anna Melikyan was a television director, wrote scripts for commercials and television programs, worked in the team of Yevgeny Ginzburg, and participated in the creation of New Year's show programs. In 1998 — he directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Moscow International film festival. In 2002, she graduated from the directing department of "VGIK" (workshop of S. Solovyov, V. Rubinchik). The first feature film was "Mars", which premiered at the 2004 Berlin film festival. The second feature film "Mermaid" won the "Best Director Award" at the Sundance Film Festival, the FIPRESCI prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and was a Russian Oscar Nominee in 2008. For the film "Star" in 2014, Anna received the prize for "Best Director" at the "Kinotavr" Festival. In 2015, for the film-almanac "About Love", she received two main prizes at "Kinotavr" - the "Grand Prix" for the best film and the "Jury Prize" of film distributors. American magazine "Variety" included Melikyan in the top ten most promising Directors in the world. Anna created the "Magnum Film" company, which is engaged in the production of films and television series, as well as the search and production of new talents.
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AJ Raval
Biography
AJ Raval is a Filipino actress, YouTuber, and social media star. Having the genes of such talented parents, AJ also sparked interest in the business. She has considered an upcoming star and has high expectations given her famous family. Before becoming an actress, AJ was a member of a girl group called The Fabulous Girlfriends when she was only 15 years old. She has starred in several movies under Viva Films and appeared in the first‑ever Philippine longest-running drama of all time "Ang Probinsyano."
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Caitlin Stasey
Biography
Caitlin Jean Stasey is an Australian actress who is well known for her roles as Francesca Thomas in The Sleepover Club, Rachel Kinski in Neighbours and Ellie Linton in the film adaptation of John Marsden's best seller 'Tomorrow When the War Began'
Caitlin is from Victoria, Australia, She began taking an interest in acting/performing when she was about six years of age. She also has an active interest in writing screenplays and documentary film making.
Caitlin was featured as part of the Australian Girls Choir in a Qantas commercial, singing "I Still Call Australia Home" and traveled the world as a member of the choir to film the commercial in 2000 before the Sydney Olympics. This commercial was named the "Greatest Australian Commercial" on 20 to 1.
In Caitlin's early years she played the role of Francesca "Frankie" Thomas which made a hit in both Australia, UK and Americas Nickelodeon TV.
Her role in Tomorrow When the War Began was highly praised by critics and won her an IF (inside film) award in 2010 for best actress. one of the most prestigious film awards in Australia
She moved to Los Angeles in 2010.
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Sean Connery
Biography
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 – October 31, 2020) was a Scottish actor and producer. He won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards (one being a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award), and three Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award and a Henrietta Award. Connery was the first actor to portray the character James Bond in film, starring in seven Bond films (every film from Dr. No to You Only Live Twice, plus Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again), between 1962 and 1983. In 1988, Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables. His films also include Marnie (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Highlander (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996), and Finding Forrester (2000).
Connery was polled in a 2004 The Sunday Herald as "The Greatest Living Scot" and in a 2011 EuroMillions survey as "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure". He was voted by People magazine as both the “Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century” in 1999. He received a lifetime achievement award in the United States with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999. Connery was knighted in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to film drama.
On October 31, 2020, Connery died at the age of 90.
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Joseph Shabalala
Biography
Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala (28 August 1940 – 11 February 2020) was a South African singer and musician who was the founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala was born on 28 August 1940, in the town of Ladysmith (eMnambithi district) in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa. His parents, Jonathan Mluwane Shabalala and Nomandla Elina Shabalala, raised Joseph and his six siblings on a white-owned farm called Tugela. His father died in the late 1940s; Joseph, being the eldest, had to take care of the family. He left the farm, however, in 1958 to search for work in the nearby city of Durban.
During this time, he was spotted by a well-known group, the Durban Choir, after he delighted audiences with his smooth guitar playing and soprano voice. When he joined the choir, he attempted to teach them some of his new compositions, namely his first song "Nomathemba" (which was made into a play in 1995). They refused, and so he left them after only two years.
In 1958 Shabalala discovered an isicathamiya group, The Highlanders, led by his hero Galiyane Hlatshwayo. Hlatshwayo was the man who encouraged Shabalala to use his voice powerfully. Shabalala formed his own group the following year 1959, Ezimnyama ("The Black Ones"). A series of dreams he had in his sleep in December 1960 was a major turning point in the formation of the group; when he saw how well his group did in the once-weekly isicathamiya competitions, he renamed them Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Mambazo" meaning axe, referring to how the group chopped down the other choirs by winning almost every time.
In 1986, Paul Simon travelled to South Africa to collaborate with South African artists for his upcoming Graceland album. Simon collaborated with Shabalala and the group, and co-composed the now-famous song, "Homeless". The group's popularity spread all over the world, and since then they have sold records popular enough to earn platinum disc certification. In 1987, the group won their first solo Grammy Award for Shaka Zulu. Since then, they have won a second Grammy, and have been nominated more than ten times for the award. Following the worldwide success of Graceland, Shabalala began composing more songs in English (prior to this they had only recorded two in English and one in German).
On the night of 10 December 1991, his brother and fellow member Headman Shabalala was killed by an off-duty white security guard near the town of Ladysmith. The death was thought to be a racial murder. Joseph, helped by his beliefs, persevered, and the group continued; the members now included his brother Jockey, close relatives Albert and Abednego Mazibuko, Russel Mthembu and Jabulani Dubazana and his sons Sibongiseni, Thamsanqa, Thulani and Msizi. Nevertheless, tragedy returned. In May 2002, Shabalala's wife of 30 years, Nellie, was shot and killed by an assailant outside the couple's home in Clermont, KwaZulu-Natal. Shabalala's hand was wounded in his attempt to protect his wife. Mboneni Mdunge was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison. At the same trial, Shabalala's son Nkosinathi Vivian Shabalala (Nellie's stepson) was charged, tried, and acquitted on charges of having paid Mdunge for Nellie's murder.
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Hugh Spight
Biography
Hugh Spight was born May 5, 1947, in South Wales. Hugh was trained in ballet in his early life, and went on to have a long career in dance, working with many of the top dance companies in Europe. He did some puppet work on "The Great Muppet Caper" and "The Dark Crystal", performing the stilt puppetry as the Landstrider in "The Dark Crystal". He would later do a similar stilt performance in Duran Duran's "Arena". While working on "The Dark Crystal", he ended up also working on the "Return of the Jedi" set, as both were filming next to each other at Elstree Studios. Hugh would perform the Gamorrean Guard that takes Han Solo to Jabba's dungeon, and the rebel alien Orrimaarko, also known as "Prune Face". His name would be misspelled in "Return of the Jedi's" credits, spelled as Hugh Spirit. He would do a few minor TV roles throughout the 80s and 90s, most notably, being in 5 episodes of Doctor Who. Hugh often attends fan and comic conventions, to meet his fans.
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Daniel Fathers
Biography
Daniel was born and raised in London, England to a family completely immersed in show business. His mother Tessa Shaw was an actress, most notably of the 'Dr. Who' series fame and his father George Fathers, was one of the West End's most respected Scenic Designers.
Known for his physical, as well as 'Machiavellian' roles, having been a former professional athlete (Rugby and Bull Riding), Daniel easily interchanges between American and UK accents, having moved to Canada when he was in his late teens. He is a former Canadian Armed Forces Militia Soldier and is still a Commissioned Officer in the British Army, as a part-time Instructor, which lends himself to playing his fare share of military and ex-military roles. However, he is also a trained dancer (Ballet Rambert, Central School of Dance), which helped in being cast on stage in the Tony Award Winning 'Mamma Mia!' by Phyllida Llyod, playing two of the Leads, Bill Austin and Harry Bright in the Toronto Company. Daniel is an accomplished equestrian and an expert swordsman, which he showed in CW's 'Reign' and 'Pompeii'
Daniel's first big opportunity came as a young boy in front of Franco Zeffereli for the title role in the 1977 classic 'Jesus of Nazareth'. However, as a boy he was much more interested in sports, going on to be selected for England's U16 Rugby Final Trials and reaching the final of the All England Schools 400m Hurdles in which he came 5th.
Daniel is known the world over by teens having starred in Disney's 'Camp Rock' movies opposite teen sensations, the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, playing the affable Brown Cessario, an old time rock 'n' roller and Uncle of the Jonas Brothers. 'Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam' won the Peoples Choice Award (2011).
On the big screen, Daniel has starred opposite such stars as Oscar® nominee, Ellen Page in the critically acclaimed film, 'The Tracy Fragments', Sir Derek Jacobi ('Gladiator'), Ken Welsh ('The Void'). On television he played opposite Golden Globe nominated Tatiana Maslany in 'Orphan Black', Rob Lowe in Lifetime's 'Beach Girls'. For David Levien and Brian Koppleman of 'Billions' fame, Daniel reprized his role as gangster poker player 'Muff Lannigan' opposite Michael Madsen.
As a Presenter/Host he was privileged to present at the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards in 2013, of which the show he hosted, 'Canada's Greatest Know It All' for Discovery, was a nominated for numerous CSA's in 2013 and 2014.
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Cate Blanchett
Biography
Catherine Elise Blanchett (born May 14, 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. Blanchett is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.
After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Blanchett began her acting career on the Australian stage, taking on roles in Electra in 1992 and Hamlet in 1994. She came to international attention as Elizabeth I in the drama film Elizabeth (1998), for which she won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Actress, and received her first of seven Academy Award nominations. Her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004) won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing a neurotic former socialite in Woody Allen's comedy-drama Blue Jasmine (2013). Blanchett's other Oscar-nominated roles include Notes on a Scandal (2006), I'm Not There (2007), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), and Carol (2015). Her highest-grossing films include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogies, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Cinderella (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and Ocean's 8 (2018).
Blanchett has performed in over 20 theatre productions. From 2008 to 2013, she and her husband, Andrew Upton, were the artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company. Some of her stage roles during that period were in revivals of A Streetcar Named Desire, Uncle Vanya and The Maids, garnering several theatre awards and nominations. She made her Broadway debut in 2017 in The Present, for which she received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play nomination. Blanchett has also received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series as producer for the FX/Hulu historical drama miniseries Mrs. America (2020).
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Ari Brisbon
Biography
Ari Brisbon from Providence,RI. A graduate of the Hope High Arts Magnet. He began attending Everett's conservatory at fourteen. In 2007 Ari received a $6500 scholarship to attend Brown University's Theatre Bridge program. Ari won the Rhode Island State Shakespeare competition in 2008. In 2010, he joined Everett Company as a creator and performer in "Brainstorm" and "Freedom Project", Ari is in production of Everett's latest piece "Bliss Body". Collages of dance, imagery and true stories, to explore and share experiences of bliss. Ari teaches improv theater at Everett School to youth from low income families. Over the year of 2022 Ari has been busy numerous projects and films. "Eephus" directed by Carson Lund just finished production."A Quiet Road" directed by Vega Montanez, and "Mr.Birthday" directed by Dan Hunter. Ari continues to push through fulfill his dreams, social boundaries and most importantly take everything that he has to offer , and bring it back to his students.
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Cadence Barreda
Biography
Cadence Barreda is a student from Oklahoma. She is an avid movie watcher and discovered her love of making movies in 2021 after the making of her debut short Game Night which won Best Short at the Finger mullet Film Festival, the Silver award at the Native Indigenous Academy for Cinematic Arts as well as being featured in over 10 other festivals including the deadCenter Film Festival, which is Academy Award qualifying. Her other films have played in festivals all over the US as well as internationally. She is a proud Latina and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
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