Entertainment News Roundup: Oscar line-up is packed with firsts; Lead singer of Bay City Rollers, Les McKeown, dies and more

The Cameroon International Film Festival was cancelled in 2019 and 2020 because of the conflict between state forces and English-speaking rebels, as well as the coronavirus pandemic. Hollywood loves a reboot - now Oscars show gets its turn The biggest cliffhanger at Sunday's Oscars may not be who wins the top prizes - or even if Netflix can finally snag a coveted best picture trophy - but how the movie industry's biggest night reinvents itself after a tumultuous year.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

War-hit Cameroonian town holds film festival as movies get Netflix boost

Filmmakers and actors gathered in the western Cameroon town of Buea for a film festival this week, as the region tries to regain a measure of normalcy despite an ongoing secessionist conflict. The Cameroon International Film Festival was cancelled in 2019 and 2020 because of the conflict between state forces and English-speaking rebels, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

Hollywood loves a reboot - now Oscars show gets its turn

The biggest cliffhanger at Sunday's Oscars may not be who wins the top prizes - or even if Netflix can finally snag a coveted best picture trophy - but how the movie industry's biggest night reinvents itself after a tumultuous year. Forced to rethink the ceremony because of the pandemic, and with a slate of diverse but mostly smaller films, organizers are promising a show unlike anything seen in the 93-year history of the Academy Awards.

Oscar line-up is packed with firsts

It's a year of multiple firsts at this year's Oscars, the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony for the highest achievement in film. Following is a list of major milestones this year. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Lead singer of Bay City Rollers, Les McKeown, dies

Les McKeown, the lead singer of the pop band The Bay City Rollers, whose catchy songs and tartan-heavy outfits made them famous among teenagers around the world in the 1970s, has died aged 65, his family said on Thursday. McKeown sang the Scottish band's biggest hits including "Bye, Bye, Baby" and "Saturday Night" which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Changing immigration trends colour 'Minari' reception in South Korea

The heartfelt Korean immigrant tale in "Minari" resonated with many Asian Americans, but for some in South Korea the film presented a far too dated view of immigration to the United States. "Minari", directed by a Korean-American and produced in the United States, was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, best director and best supporting actress for Youn Yuh-jung, a historic first for a Korean actor.

From McNuggets to Vuitton, K-pop's BTS notch up marketing deals

Mixing high- and low-cost styles is a well-worn fashion trick, and Korean pop sensations BTS are taking the approach to a whole new level in marketing deals announced this week. After first agreeing with McDonald's to promote a new meal selling for just over $6, the six-strong boyband have also been named brand ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, the purveyor of handbags that sell for well above $1,000.

Picasso, Mondrian artworks go on show in London

Paintings by Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and Vincent Van Gogh went on display at Christie's in London on Thursday ahead of a May sale, with the auction house encouraging art fans to book viewings while museums remain closed in Britain. The three oil paintings are the highlights of the upcoming "20th Century Evening Sale" on May 13 in New York. They were previously on show in Hong Kong.

Caitlyn Jenner joins Republican fray seeking to unseat California governor

Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympic gold medal winner and transgender activist, on Friday added her celebrity status to a growing band of Republicans seeking to unseat California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose business-disrupting pandemic response has fueled a recall drive. Jenner, 71, said the Democratic governor's "over-restrictive lockdown" has devastated small business and deprived children of in-class schooling.

Searing Romanian Oscar contender tackles botched response to nightclub fire

For Romanian father Narcis Hogea, who lost his son Alexandru in a Bucharest nightclub fire in 2015, the botched response to the disaster shown in the Oscar-nominated documentary film "Collective" remains an open wound. Alexandru, a 19-year-old computer science student, was among 65 people who died as a result of the blaze at the Colectiv nightclub, a tragedy that exposed incompetence and corruption in Romania's healthcare system.

International Oscar field highlights humanity's darker side

Dramatic portrayals of people's cruelty toward others are a theme in this year's best international feature film Oscar race, with stories of genocide, corruption and bullying among entries from five countries that include two first-time nominees. Denmark's comedy-drama "Another Round" is the outlier, with its tale of teachers who agree to drink a certain amount of alcohol every day in the hope it will get them out of a middle-aged rut.

(With inputs from agencies.)