Entertainment News Roundup: Somali drama wins Pan-African film festival grand prize; 'Squid Game' mania has shoppers snapping up Vans' white slip-on shoes and more

Some prop guns are non-firing facsimile weapons, but many are real guns, loaded with blank rounds instead of bullets. Reactions to actor Alec Baldwin's fatal shooting of cinematographer Hollywood was shaken on Friday by news that actor Alec Baldwin had fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza while firing a prop gun on the "Rust" movie set in New Mexico.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Somali drama wins Pan-African film festival grand prize

Somalia's entry "The Gravedigger's Wife" by Finish-Somali writer-director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed won the prestigious Stallion of Yennenga grand prize for best film at the Pan-African film festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Sunday. The poignant drama about a gravedigger's struggles to raise money to pay for his wife's surgery, took home the 20 million franc CFA ($35,714) prize money and the golden stallion statue.

'Squid Game' mania has shoppers snapping up Vans' white slip-on shoes

White slip-on shoes are becoming a hot commodity thanks to the wildly popular South Korean survival drama "Squid Game", with sneaker maker VF Corp reporting a small increase in demand for its Vans brand. The series, which became a global sensation and the No.1 program on Netflix, shows hundreds of cash-strapped players competing in hyperviolent games, sporting shoes resembling Vans' all-white slip-ons.

Prop gun in Alec Baldwin accidental movie set shooting had live rounds, police say

Alec Baldwin was handed what was described as a safe "cold gun" on the set of his movie "Rust", but the prop gun contained live rounds when it was fired, according to details of the police investigation into the fatal shooting released on Friday. The shot hit cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest, and director Joel Souza who was behind her, in the shoulder, according to a county sheriff's affidavit filed in Santa Fe magistrates court.

Broadway's 'Phantom of the Opera' plots a cautious return to the stage

Meghan Picerno was back at work after 18 months of pandemic limbo, overjoyed to be singing and dancing again with her "Phantom of the Opera" castmates as they rehearsed for the return of Broadway's longest-running show. As the musical's late October reopening neared, sometimes all Picerno could think about was making it to the first curtain call unscathed by the breakthrough COVID-19 cases that had sidelined vaccinated actors at other shows.

Hollywood remembers cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' immense talent

A heartbroken Hollywood rushed to pay tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Friday after she was accidentally shot dead by actor Alec Baldwin on a movie set. The 42-year-old was working as director of photography on the New Mexico set of new Western "Rush" when she was killed on Thursday when Baldwin fired a prop gun.

'Vibrant' cinematographer remembered as police probe Baldwin shooting

The crew was setting up a difficult shot during filming on the New Mexico set of "Rust", and the movie's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, wasn't quite satisfied. She turned to Lane Luper, a member of the camera crew, who suggested some adjustments that she found worked perfectly. That kind of collaborative spirit, Luper said at a candlelight vigil on Saturday, was what made Hutchins such a joy to work with.

Prop guns spark debate after cinematographer's death on set

An on-set shooting death has reignited concern about the use of prop guns like the weapon actor Alec Baldwin discharged in the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming a movie in New Mexico. Some prop guns are non-firing facsimile weapons, but many are real guns, loaded with blank rounds instead of bullets.

Reactions to actor Alec Baldwin's fatal shooting of cinematographer

Hollywood was shaken on Friday by news that actor Alec Baldwin had fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza while firing a prop gun on the "Rust" movie set in New Mexico. Following are reactions to the shooting:

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)