Youssef Chahine, the Egyptian film director has died aged 82. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage in the early hours of the morning.

Born in 1926, Chahine was credited with launching the career of actor Omar Sharif. He had been active in the Egyptian film industry for over 50 years.
He directed over 25 films throughout his career. In 1997 he was given a lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival.

In June 2008 he was hospitalized with a coma following an apparent cerebral haemorrhage. He was later flown to Paris but later returned to his home.

Wikinews
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

As Concept Media Get Launch Today

Having carefully segmented its markets as a necessity to understanding the true needs of Gambia’s advertising industry, Media Vision, a registered company that takes care of media needs in the country will today launch a new company called Concept Media.

Expected to take care of advertisements and the film industry in the country, the coming of Concept Media into the country’s advertising and film industry is seen by many as a move in the right direction.

Under the Umbrella body of Media Vision an organisation that houses and owns the Daily Express newspaper, Concept Media will also serve as the representatives of organisations, branding organisation names, promotions and advertisements in the media.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Point, Babatunde Olaitan commonly known as Baba T, Consult Manager of Concept Media, said his company is out to complement the efforts of the advertising industry in The Gambia with a new look by re-branding the media and the advertising industry.

“Concept Media is a house that is here to take care of TV advertisements, radio jingles, newspaper adverts, designing and all sort of adverts in a proper and efficient manner,” he said.

According to Baba T, Concept Media will from today be out to take care of advertisements in the country and the film industry pertaining to what is in the country. “These are some of the things that Concept Media is out to do,” he said.

In Baba T’s view, Concept Media knows the constraints that media houses face in dealing with adverts, saying that is why they are out to re-brand the industry.

“We want to help organisations and assure them that we are going to put them on the right track. We also want to assure newspapers that working with us is going to be a success,” he noted.

Copies of The Profit, a 2001 film blocked from distribution in the United States due to a court injunction won by the Church of Scientology, appeared on the Internet Friday on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites and on the video sharing site YouTube.

Directed by former film executive Peter N. Alexander, movie critics have characterized The Profit as a parody of Scientology and of its founder L. Ron Hubbard. Alexander was a Scientologist for twenty years, and left the organization in 1997. The film was funded by Bob Minton, a former critic of Scientology who later signed an agreement with the Church of Scientology and has attempted to stop distribution of the film. Alexander has stated that the movie is based on his research into cults, and when asked by the St. Petersburg Times about parallels to Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard said: "I'll let you draw that conclusion ... I say it's entirely fictional."

The film was released in August 2001, and was shown at a movie theatre in Clearwater, Florida and at a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France. A Scientology spokesman gave a statement at the time saying "the movie is fiction and has nothing to do with Scientology", however the Church of Scientology later took legal action in an attempt to stop further distribution of the film. The Church of Scientology claimed that the film was intended to influence the jury pool in the wrongful death case of Scientology Lisa McPherson, who died under Scientology care in Clearwater, Florida.

In April 2002, a Pinellas County, Florida judge issued a court order enjoining The Profit from worldwide distribution for an indefinite period. According to the original court injunction received by Wikinews, the movie was originally banned because the court found that it could be seen as a parody of Scientology. "...an average person viewing the film entitled The Profit could perceive that it is a parody of the Church of Scientology," stated Robert E. Beach Senior Circuit Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Pinellas County, Florida in his ruling on the injunction on April 20, 2002.

"To the extent that any person considered as a potential juror in evaluating any issues involving the Church of Scientology, the process of voir dire provides a fair and complete remedy to eliminate any potential juror that may possibly have been influenced to be less than fair and impartial," added Beach.

Luke Lirot, the attorney for the film's production company, announced on the film's website on April 7, 2007 that "We have absolutely no exposure for any repercussions from the court order," but that the film was still blocked from distribution due to an ongoing legal battle. Lirot wrote: "all that's stopping the release of the movie is the legal battle with the partner who was compromised by Scientology (Robert Minton) and is currently using his power as partner to stop the release of the film."

In an October 2007 article, The Times described the film as "banned in the US because of a lawsuit taken out against it by The Church of Scientology," and Russ Kick's The Disinformation Book of Lists included the film in his "List of 16 Movies Banned in the U.S.". An 8-minute teaser segment from The Profit appeared on the film's website and on the video sharing site YouTube in February 2008, and an attorney representing Bob Minton sent a letter to Luke Lirot requesting that the film clip be taken down. In a response letter, Lirot wrote that "Rather than damage any asset of the LLC, the short clip merely keeps the film in the public eye, and in a positive way."

On Friday, copies of the film began to circulate on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites and on YouTube. A link related to the film's appearance on the Internet on the community-based link aggregator website Digg.com had 3,546 "Diggs" - and hit the front page of the site's Entertainment section on Saturday.

On Saturday, Scientology critic and Emmy award-winning journalist Mark Bunker put a streaming version of the film on his website, www.xenutv.com, and encouraged others to watch and discuss the film on a real-time chat channel. In a video posting to YouTube Saturday, Bunker said "I did not do it. I had nothing to do with it ... I had nothing to do with this release at all. But I'm happy it's out there ... people are finally having a chance to see it. A lot of people have been curious over the years and there's been a lot of interest in seeing the film, so finally you can."

On the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology, a poster by the username "Alexia Death" commented on the film's appearance on the Internet in the context of censorship: "It is out! And so it is a WIN if many people review it even if they say it SUCKS! :) Being bad is no cause to allow censorship :) And being censored is no cause to assume its good:)" A post to the blog "Blogsreel" commented: "We have all wanted to see this movie that scientology kept hidden away from us. We have all wondered just how damning could this story be that we were banned from watching it."

Blog postings have attributed the film's appearance on the Internet as part of the anti-Scientology movement Project Chanology organized by the Internet-based group Anonymous, but this has not been confirmed. Wikinews previously reported on international protests against Scientology which took place as part of Project Chanology on February 10 and March 15. A third international protest by Anonymous is scheduled for April 12. Titled "Operation Reconnect", the third international protest will focus on highlighting Scientology's practice of disconnection.

A new film prize at the 2008 Zanzibar International Film Festival for films relating to development policy issues

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, in cooperation with the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) and Southern Africa Communications for Development (SACOD) will be awarding the Ousmane Sembène Films for Development Award for the first time in 2008. The prize will be awarded to a film that takes a particular look at topics of development cooperation. It carries prize money of US $5,000 and is designed to help the winner in his or her future film-making career. The Festival will be held in Zanzibar/Tanzania from 11–20 July 2008.

The focus of the film selection in 2008 will be on HIV/AIDS, with topics such as gender, the environment and ecology, education and poverty following in the years to come. “HIV/AIDS poses a threat to people and societies throughout the world, particularly in the large majority of African countries, which are home to two-thirds of all people living with HIV. Future development in the countries of Africa depends to a large extent on whether the societies particularly hard hit by HIV manage to cope with this pandemic. That’s why we’re focusing on HIV/AIDS in the first year of the prize,” said Thomas Kirsch-Woik, GTZ expert on HIV/AIDS.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), amongst others, GTZ is shaping the German contribution to the global AIDS response and is developing further approaches in the fields of HIV/AIDS prevention. GTZ is also steering the German input to the European hospital-twinning  Alliance ESTHER, the aim of which is to improve access to high quality treatment, care and prevention of HIV and AIDS in developing countries. Moreover, GTZ is further developing promising approaches to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV in Kenia and Tanzania .

As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forwardlooking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. Working under difficult conditions, GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.

Two members of the Association of Movie Practitioners Nigeria have arrived in the Gambia to enhance the capacity of this nations actors. They will also shoot a film about the slave trade during their visit.
 
Mezeako Chigozie,mo the Executive Director and Oraka Patrick, his Secretary General, arrived a few days ago to train Gambians in movie production.

Chigozie said they came to The Gambia to help because of the huge number of requests they have received to do so. He says Nigerian films are popular in The Gambia and, as a result, they are very well known here.

“We have brought a script on the slave trade which when made will attract international attention,” he said. He emphasised their eagerness to have a strong Gambian involvement in the project along with contributions from Portuguese Europeans and nationals from other African Nations.

He pointed out that Nigerian films always feature in film festivals but if Gambians are involved their names will also appear. “We are ready to help young people and we have all it takes to make it work,” Chigozie told The Point.

He said that the project will help create employment for young people because acting and filmmaking is a profession. It will, according to him, lift the country’s name and create employment for Gambian young people along the way. He says, in showing the youth of the nation how movies are made their appreciation of the art form will increase.

“We have some groups practicing and we shall meet the heads to tell them about our mission and teach.

Chigozie went on to say, “They shall inform them, train them, have auditions and then we select those suitable to shoot the movie on the slave trade. It is meant to help the youth of the country.”

Godwin Adole, the Artistic Director, said this is the time to become and artist. He said interested youths should go to their office at Tranquility Residence at Brusubi or call 9925760 or Matty Jobe on 7062948.

They intend to visit SoS for information and all media houses. Plans are underway to bring Patience (Mama G) Aki and Paw Paw along with other stars to come and perform in The Gambia.