Entertainment News Roundup: Billie Eilish film offers intimate look at teen music sensation; Cyprus Eurovision entry raises some hackles and more

Pandemic forces Berlin Film Festival to go online The Berlinale, one of the world's most open and public film festivals, begins on Monday in a decidedly low-key, private fashion, being streamed to a select audience of journalists and industry professionals rather than playing to packed cinemas.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

New version of first ever African-American screen kiss discovered in Norway

A new version of the first known on-screen kiss between two African-American actors has been discovered in the collections of the National Library of Norway. The 1898 film, directed by U.S. film industry pioneer William Selig, stars vaudeville actors Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown and shows them courting and kissing in front of a cloth backdrop.

Emporio Armani nods to 1980s in fall line at Milan Fashion Week

Giorgio Armani is taking fashionistas back to the 1980s for his fall Emporio Armani line, nodding to the era's bright colours in his latest creations at Milan Fashion Week. The veteran designer, affectionately called "King Giorgio" in his native Italy, presented plenty of hot pink and purple creations, high-waisted trousers and chunky jewellery in the autumn/winter 2021-2022 collection called "In the mood for pop".

No dancing with the devil - Cyprus Eurovision entry raises some hackles

Some Christians in Cyprus are in a lather over the country's offering this year to the annual Eurovision song contest, saying it has scandalised the faithful with its references to the devil. "El Diablo" (The Devil), a dance mix performed by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou, was announced this week as Cyprus' entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled in May in Rotterdam.

Pandemic forces Berlin Film Festival to go online

The Berlinale, one of the world's most open and public film festivals, begins on Monday in a decidedly low-key, private fashion, being streamed to a select audience of journalists and industry professionals rather than playing to packed cinemas. The organisers of the Berlinale, or Berlin Film Festival, now in its 71st year, have always prided themselves on running screenings that are open to an enthusiastic public, unlike Venice and Cannes, its main rivals in the festival calendar.

Study finds Netflix leads on women directors, lags with Latin, Asian roles

Netflix Inc outpaced competitors in hiring women to direct feature films but Latin-American and Asian actors were underrepresented in leading TV roles, according to a study commissioned by the streaming service and released on Friday. Hollywood has faced criticism in recent years for a lack of diversity among people on and off screen. Netflix, the world's largest streaming service, asked researchers at the University of Southern California to assess the prevalence of multiple groups among actors in its English-language programming and creators working behind the scenes.

Tom Holland goes through transformation in opioid crisis movie 'Cherry'

British actor Tom Holland, best known for playing Spider-Man, went through a physical transformation to play a drug addict war veteran suffering from PTSD in the new Russo brothers' movie "Cherry". Holland, who rose to global fame when he was cast by the Russo brothers as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 2016 superhero movie "Captain America: Civil War", said he wasn't sure if he was ready to take on the title role in the new gritty crime drama.

Lady Gaga offers $500,000 reward for stolen French Bulldogs

Pop superstar Lady Gaga is offering a $500,000 reward for the return of her French Bulldogs, Koji and Gustav, stolen in a violent altercation in Los Angeles that left a man fighting for his life, police and a source close to the singer said Thursday. Gaga, who was in Rome filming a movie when the dogs were stolen, has not commented personally on the theft. However, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that two French Bulldogs were stolen at gunpoint from a 30-year-old man on Sierra Bonita Avenue in Hollywood Wednesday night.

Colman and Hopkins join forces in complex story of dementia in new film 'The Father'

Oscar winning duo Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman team up to tell the complex story of dementia in the new film "The Father," which opens to limited audiences in New York and Los Angeles on Friday. Written and directed by Florian Zeller, Hopkins and Colman play father and daughter in the film about family, love and loss, taking audiences inside the mind of someone dealing with dementia.

Billie Eilish film offers intimate look at teen music sensation

A new documentary captures Billie Eilish’s meteoric rise to fame, in an intimate portrayal of the teenager recording music at home, passing her driving test, going through a relationship break-up and meeting her idol Justin Bieber. "Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry" follows the American singer-songwriter's close relationship with her family, performing on stage, on the road, meeting fans and collecting five Grammy Awards, the music industry's highest honours.

Pandemic or not, the Golden Globes show must go on

The Golden Globes kicks off a pandemic-era Hollywood awards season on Sunday after a year that upended the entertainment industry and saw celebrities on red carpets replaced with webcams on sofas. Yet somehow the show is going on, albeit without the chummy gala dinners, hordes of photographers, and designer gowns associated with the celebration of the year's best films and TV shows.

(With inputs from agencies.)