Monday, January 28, 2013

'Fruitvale,' 'Blood Brothers' win at Sundance

By Reuters

PARK CITY, Utah -- Drama film "Fruitvale" and documentary "Blood Brothers" won the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, giving them a big boost to reach independent movie audiences this year.

George Frey / EPA

Director Ryan Coogler wins the audience award for dramatic film for "Fruitvale" at the awards ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 26.

"Fruitvale," starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan and directed by 26-year-old, first-time filmmaker Ryan Coogler," picked up the U.S. drama jury and audience awards for its "moral and social urgency."

The film is based on the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in Oakland, Calif., on New Year's Eve in 2008 and whose death sparked riots against police brutality. Movie studio The Weinstein Company purchased distribution rights for the film.

"This film had a profound impact on the audience that saw it ... this award goes out to my home in the Bay Area where Oscar Grant breathed, slept, loved, had fun and survived for 22 years," Coogler said in his acceptance speech.

Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim awarded the U.S. documentary jury prize to "Blood Brothers," saying it shook the voting panel to their core.

The documentary follows an American man who moves to Africa and works with children suffering from HIV at an orphanage, and through his work, the children gain a voice.

George Frey / EPA

Director Steve Hoover accepts the award for best documentary for the film "Blood Brothers" at the Sundance Film Festival.

"It is so encouraging for the kids ... their lives are so encouraging, and they die and no one remembers their name ... To take their story so that everyone sees it, it's so awesome," director Steve Hoover said."

Young actress Shailene Woodley, praised for her performance in "The Descendants" last year, and her co-star Miles Teller won the Special Jury acting prize in "The Spectacular Now."

Actress Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut in the U.S. drama category with quirky comedy "In A World," picked up the drama screenwriting award.

Hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who premiered his raunchy directorial debut "Don Jon's Addiction" this year, the Sundance Film Festival Awards pick winners at the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood's major studios.

"Sundance is a community of people of filmmakers and film lovers who all believe together that there's more to movies than glitz and glamour and money and the box office. In Hollywood, you can feel like a freak if you talk about movies as art, and here, you don't have that," Gordon-Levitt said.

World cinema winners
The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 35th year, is backed by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. The 10-day gathering of the independent film industry is held in snowy Park City, Utah.

In previous years, films that win the top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival often go on to achieve Hollywood awards success as well.

Last year, mythological drama "Beasts of the Southern Wild" won the top prize at Sundance and is now nominated for four Oscars in major categories.

The award winners are voted for by special juries of industry professionals and by the audience for the audience favorite awards.

Victoria Will / AP

In the world cinema categories, South Korean drama "Jiseul" picked up the grand jury drama prize. The film, directed by Muel O, follows the residents of a small town who were forced to hide in a cave for 60 days after the military attacked their village.

Cambodian documentary "A River Changes Course," about three young Cambodians struggling with adversity in a country ravaged by war and debt, picked up the world cinema grand jury award.

"Events like these really bring our communities together to share in the beauty of the world and the beauty of our future," director Kalyanee Mam said.

"Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer," which follows the story of three members of a Russian feminist punk band jailed for performing a "punk prayer" in a Russian Orthodox church, picked up special jury prize in the world documentary category.

Co-director Mike Lerner said the three members of the band had "started a feminist revolution that we hope will continue around the world."

List of winners at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival:

U.S. DRAMA FILMS

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Fruitvale"
Best Film, Audience Award - "Fruitvale"
Directing - Jill Soloway, "Afternoon Delight"
Screenwriting - Lake Bell, "In A World"
Cinematography - Bradford Young, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" and "Mother of George"
Special Jury Prize, ensemble acting - Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, "The Spectacular Now"
Special Jury Prize, sound design - Shane Carruth, Johnny Marshall, "Upstream Color"

U.S. DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "Blood Brother"
Best Documentary, Audience Award - "Blood Brother"
Directing - Zachary Heinzerling, "Cutie and the Boxer"
Editing - Matthew Hamachek, "Gideon's Army"
Cinematography - Richard Rowley, "Dirty Wars"
Special Jury Prize - "Inequality for All" (tied), "American Promise" (tied)

WORLD CINEMA, DRAMA

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Jiseul"
Best Film, Audience Award - "Metro Manila"
Directing - "Crystal Fairy," Sebastian Silva
Screenwriting - "Wajma," Barmak Akram
Cinematography - "Lasting (Nieulotne)," Michal Englert
Special Jury Prize, artistic vision - "Circles"

WORLD CINEMA, DOCUMENTARY

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "A River Changes Course"
Best Documentary, Audience Award - "The Square"
Directing - Tinatin Gurchiani, "The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear"
Editing - Ben Stark, "The Summit"
Cinematography - Marc Silver, "Who is Dayani Cristal?"
Special Jury Prize, film - "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"

OTHER AWARDS

Shorts, Jury Prize - "The Whistle," Grzegorz Zariczny
Shorts, Audience Award - "Catnip: Egress To Oblivion," Jason Willis

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/27/16725018-fruitvale-blood-brothers-win-top-awards-at-sundance?lite

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Senators reach agreement on immigration reform

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2011 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at the Newseum in Washington. In an opinion piece published Sunday Jan. 27, 2013 in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform." (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2011 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at the Newseum in Washington. In an opinion piece published Sunday Jan. 27, 2013 in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform." (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

(AP) ? A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, including a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.

The deal, to be announced at a news conference Monday, also covers border security, non-citizen or "guest" workers and employer verification of immigration status.

Although thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain ? the legislation could run into trouble in the Republican-controlled House ? the development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.

President Barack Obama also is committed to enacting comprehensive immigration legislation and will travel to Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which is expected to overlap in important ways with the Senate effort.

The eight senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn't get enough GOP support.

Now, with some Republicans chastened by the November elections which demonstrated the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats, some in the GOP say this time will be different.

"What's changed, honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the aisle ? including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle ? that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill," McCain said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"I think the time is right," McCain said.

The group claims a notable newcomer in Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate whose conservative bona fides may help smooth the way for support among conservatives wary of anything that smacks of amnesty. In an opinion piece published Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform."

According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the senators will call for accomplishing four goals:

?Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here, contingent upon securing the border and better tracking of people here on visas.

?Reforming the legal immigration system, including awarding green cards to immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science, math, technology or engineering from an American university.

?Creating an effective employment verification system to ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants.

?Allowing more low-skill workers into the country and allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can demonstrate they couldn't recruit a U.S. citizen; and establishing an agricultural worker program.

The principles being released Monday are outlined on just over four pages, leaving plenty of details left to fill in. What the senators do call for is similar to Obama's goals and some past efforts by Democrats and Republicans, since there's wide agreement in identifying problems with the current immigration system. The most difficult disagreement is likely to arise over how to accomplish the path to citizenship.

In order to satisfy the concerns of Rubio and other Republicans, the senators are calling for the completion of steps on border security and oversight of those here on visas before taking major steps forward on the path to citizenship.

Even then, those here illegally would have to qualify for a "probationary legal status" that would allow them to live and work here ? but not qualify for federal benefits ? before being able to apply for permanent residency. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone else already in line for a green card within the current immigration system.

That could be a highly cumbersome process, but how to make it more workable is being left to future negotiations. The senators envision a more streamlined process toward citizenship for immigrants brought here as children by their parents, and for agricultural workers.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that the framework agreed on by the senators could provide important protections for illegal immigrants who are exploited by employers and live in "constant fear" over their immigration status.

But the ACLU took issue with the proposal to require employers to use an electronic employment-verification system, calling it "a thinly disguised national ID requirement" that would undermine employees' privacy and lead to discrimination against those "who look or sound 'foreign.'"

Such legislation could also face long odds in the House, which is dominated by conservative Republicans and which has shown little interest in immigration reform.

The debate will play out at the start of Obama's second term, as he aims to spend the political capital afforded him by his re-election victory on an issue that has eluded past presidents and stymied him during his first term despite his promises to the Latino community to act.

"As the president has made clear for some time, immigration reform is an important priority and he is pleased that progress is being made with bipartisan support," a White House spokesman, Clark Stevens, said in a statement. "At the same time, he will not be satisfied until there is meaningful reform and he will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved."

For Republicans, the November elections were a stark schooling on the importance of Latino voters, who voted for Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent, helping ensure Obama's victory. That led some Republican leaders to conclude that supporting immigration reform with a path to citizenship has become a political imperative.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-28-Immigration/id-eab05f201f014f6985d3c9be324fd6aa

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Google Challenges Hackers To Pwn Chrome OS In Pwnium 3 Competition, Offers Up To $3.14159M In Prizes

Chromium logoCompetitions like Pwn2Own are a staple of the security research scene and with Pwnium 3, Google today announced the latest edition of its own competition. What's different this time around is the target. For the first time, the focus of the Pwnium competition is now Chrome OS, Google's Linux-based browser-centric operating system. In total, Google is making up to $3.14159 million in pi prize money available for this competition.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/e1XikE3lTHI/

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What's cooking with Pinterest? | Food & Drink | The Sun Herald

Unless you have a favorite site, searching blindly for recipes online can be frustrating.

I've found that one of the easiest ways to find recipes on the Web is to search on Pinterest. It's like an index for the largest cookbook ever.

According to business intelligence firm RJMetrics, 10.5 percent of all pinboards on Pinterest are categorized under Food, the website's fastest?growing category. It's also the category that gets the most repins, generating on average more than 50 percent repins than the second-most reshared category, Style and Fashion.

"Pinterest has proven to be a fun, useful, and, let's admit, addictive space for home cooks and foodies," said CookingLight.com editor Allison Long Lowery. Cooking Light is one of the most popular boards to re-pin.

"We're excited about the level of engagement it brings to our recipes. As people create beautiful boards of food photography, they are organizing their favorite recipes. We love the idea of people planning their healthy meals from favorite recipe pin boards. And don't believe what you've heard: We know decadent, not-so-healthy recipes find a home on Pinterest, but we see enormous interest for healthy recipes that feature seasonal ingredients.

"The growth of Pinterest is staggering. For Cooking Light in 2012, we saw nearly 750 per cent growth in traffic referrals from Pinterest to our site and the numbers continue to trend up," Lowery said.

Because Pinterest is such a popular place to search for recipes, we decided to look for healthy recipes and asked for help from some local pinners.

Hope Arnold of Georgetown, Ky., is on Pinterest almost daily, she said.

"Every night before I go to sleep I spend about 15 to 20 minutes on the iPad checking email and on Pinterest."

From what she finds there, Arnold prepares about one new recipe a month.

"I mostly pin things for parties and holiday-themed treats for school," she said. "I am more likely to pin a recipe and adapt it to something that I can pull out of the pantry. I am terrible about remembering ingredients at the market that are not on the usual weekly to-buy list."

Toa Green, chef/owner of Thai Orchid Cafe in Lexington, Ky., said she pins recipes "as a way to keep up with dishes I want to try and make. It's a fun way to get ideas for recipes or new dishes."

Carolyn Gilles of Lexington, chef/instructor at The Wholesome Chef, said she likes Pinterest for recipes because it's so visual.

"I like to get inspired by what a dish may look like, colors or even just presentation ideas," she said. "I don't follow anyone in particular, but I usually like to search by foods that are in season and find recipes based around locally available foods."

Here are some recipes to help you stay focused on your healthier eating regimen for the new year.

CRAB CAKES AND SPICY MUSTARD SAUCE

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 tablespoons canola mayonnaise, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 green onions, chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 1/3 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs), divided

1 pound lump crab meat, drained and shell pieces removed

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine bell pepper, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, salt, pepper, onion, egg and egg yolk. Add 1/3 cup panko and crab; toss gently. Divide crab mixture into 8 equal portions; shape each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Place remaining panko in shallow dish. Gently dredge patties in panko.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add 4 crab cakes; cook 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and crab cakes. Combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and remaining ingredients; serve with crab cakes.

From Cooking Light

GREENS, SPROUTS AND SWEET POTATO SALAD

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2- by 1/3-inch sticks

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups sprouts

1 romaine heart, coarsely chopped

4 small Japanese or Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 cups packed mesclun

2 large scallions, finely chopped

8 green olives, pitted and chopped

1 avocado, diced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, white or black

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss sweet potato sticks with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then spread in an even layer on baking sheet. Season with salt. Bake for 12 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are nice and tender.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, tamari, honey and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Season the dressing with salt.

In another small bowl, toss sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the dressing and let stand for 10 minutes to marinate, then toss a few times. In a large bowl, combine romaine, cucumbers, mesclun, scallions, olives and avocado. and toss to combine. Add remaining dressing and toss again. Transfer salad to a large serving bowl or platter, top with roasted sweet potatoes and marinated sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

From Withstyleandgraceblog.com

CRANBERRY ORANGE BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 large bag Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 pint fresh cranberries

Salt

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Zest of one orange

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and drain cranberries, and add to a large mixing bowl with Brussels sprouts. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and pinch of salt.

Spread evenly onto baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes (?stirring once halfway through cooking).

While Brussels sprouts are cooking, toast walnuts. If you have whole walnuts, do a bit of rough chopping. Add nuts to a small baking dish. With about 5 to 10 minutes left on the Brussels sprouts' cook time, place nuts in oven. Watch carefully to make sure they don't burn. You just want them to darken a bit.

When everything is roasted and toasted, remove from oven and toss together in a large bowl. Using a microplane grater, zest one whole orange over top of the bowl. In a small dish, whisk together remaining olive oil, orange juice and balsamic vinegar. Pour over mixture, and toss with sea salt. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

From the Daily Garnish

Sort of a kale Caesar

2 large bunches kale

2 to 3 large cloves garlic

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup organic lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

10 turns freshly ground black pepper

1?3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup whole wheat croutons

Clean kale by removing stems, washing the leaves and drying. Chop them into bite-size pieces and place in a very large bowl. Smash garlic and finely chop. Combine in large bowl with lemon juice, salt, red pepper and black pepper. Whisk to combine and continue whisking, slowly pouring in olive oil to emulsify.

Combine dressing with kale leaves, using your hands to gently massage into the leaves. Let stand 30 minutes. Smash the croutons. Toss dressed salad with crushed croutons and grated Parmesan until well coated. Top with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

From Everydaymaven

MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP IN THE SLOW COOKER

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cans (15 ounces each) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

Cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Fresh cilantro

Scatter onion and garlic about the base of your slow cooker. Arrange chicken breasts evenly over the top. In a medium bowl, whisk chicken broth, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt. Pour over chicken. Cook on low about 6 hours.

Remove lid and shred chicken using two forks and pulling against the grain of the meat. Stir in beans, cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes to allow beans to warm.

Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

From Canyoustayfordinner.com

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/01/28/4431830/whats-cooking-with-pinterest.html

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Venezuela prison riot kills 61, government mum

URIBANA, Venezuela (Reuters) - A prison riot in southwestern Venezuela killed 61 people, a hospital official said on Sunday, although the government has refused to give an official death toll in the bloody standoff that highlighted chaos in the country's jails.

The violence took place on Friday at the Uribana jail near the city of Barquisimeto. Relatives who gathered outside the jail fumed at the lack of information from authorities who have started transferring prisoners to other facilities but have not confirmed how many were killed.

The rioting took place at a time when cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez remains in Cuba receiving treatment and with Vice President Nicolas Maduro - the notional head of state - visiting the socialist leader in Havana and then traveling to a summit in Chile.

The riot was the fourth high-profile conflict in 18 months in a prison system that houses three times the number of inmates it was designed to hold. Critics say it is controlled by gangs with ready access to machine guns and even hand grenades.

"We're suffering here, and the government is saying nothing," said Josefina Ramirez, 36, whose 25-year-old husband was inside. "We want Chavez to come here to give us news. We want an answer."

Chavez has not been seen or heard from in 45 days, which has spurred criticism from opposition leaders that the country is effectively without a president. Allies insist he is fully carrying out duties.

Ruy Medina, director of the Barquisimeto Central Hospital, put the death toll at 61.

A hand-written list posted on a barbed wire fence outside the Uribana jail listed 20 dead and 104 injured. Outside the nearby morgue, where hearses lined up on Saturday to collect bodies, a similar list showed 24 dead.

It was not known who posted the lists. A prisons ministry official did not respond to requests for comment. Amid the silence, rumors circulated among family members at the prison gates that the death toll had reached as high as 400.

'BUNCH OF DEAD PEOPLE'

"There's a bunch of dead people tossed on the ground in there, the government doesn't want to take them out to avoid showing the reality," said Veronica Chavez, whose husband told her he was being transferred to another prison but did not know which. She called the list outside the prison "a lie."

Maduro vowed a full investigation of the incident in pre-dawn comments on Saturday just after arriving back in Venezuela from Havana. Within hours, he left to meet with Latin American and European dignitaries at a summit in Chile.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff scrapped her agenda at that summit and returned home after a nightclub fire killed at least 232 people.

Prisons Minister Iris Varela in a news conference said the riot was triggered by reports in the opposition media about plans to search the prison to remove weapons. "It seems as though their thirst for blood and terrible things will never be quenched," she said, referring to media.

Varela said reports had exaggerated the number of dead by including prisoners whose bodies showed signs they died several days before the incident - comments that critics seized as further evidence of the cruelty of the penitentiary system.

"They're not dogs, they're not animals, they're people like us," said Angelia Ibarra, 42, seeking information about her 25-year-old son inside. "The true animals are the government people."

Venezuelan jails have been increasingly in the headlines because of repeated shootouts and riots as well as conditions that are both outrageously cruel and downright surreal.

Inmates refusing to be transferred out of a Caracas prison battled security forces in May for days as smoke rose above the compound and shots rang out. Chavez later said he called from Cuba, where he was receiving medical treatment, and spoke with one of the inmates to help negotiate an end to the standoff.

Local media last year published a story about a nightclub called Disco Tokio that held a Mother's Day party that featured musical groups flown in from Colombia and Puerto Rico. The club was located inside the Tocoron jail.

An online animated series about jail violence called "Jail or Hell," produced by a former inmate, has drawn a following among Venezuelans captivated by the chaos of the prisons.

(Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-prison-riot-kills-61-government-mum-193314251.html

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