The African child soldier drama “War Witch” won best film and its 15-year-old star earned best actress Thursday night at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Tribeca announced its winners as the 11th annual edition of the New York festival wound down to its Sunday close.
Montreal filmmaker Kim Nguyen shot “War Witch” in the Congo, where his young lead, Rachel Mwanza, was previously living on the streets. Rachel, who earlier won best actress at the Berlin Film Festival, plays a pregnant teenager swept up in an unspecified revolution.
“I realized quickly that she has an immense talent,” Mr. Nguyen said in an earlier interview. “When I asked her how she does it — how she bursts out in laughter, how she starts crying so normally — she just told me that she thinks of her past.”
Best actor was given to both Dariel Arrechada and Javier Nunez Florian, who star in Lucy Mulloy’s “Una Noche.” The film is about Cuban teenagers, struggling in poverty, who decide to flee to Florida.
It’s a fiction that became reality when Mr. Nunez Florian and another actor from the film, Analin de la Rua de la Torre, disappeared in Miami en route to Tribeca from Havana. They are presumed to have defected from their native Cuba, where the film was shot.
“Una Noche” also won best cinematography for Trevor Forrest and Shlomo Godder’s photography, and Ms. Mulloy was cited as best new narrative director.
Prince William, Kate mark 1st anniversary
With her first wedding anniversary just past, the former Kate Middleton’s transformation into a highly regarded member of the royal family is essentially complete.
She is now the Duchess of Cambridge, a striking woman who is comfortable speaking in public, going to charity events with husband Prince William or having tea with Queen Elizabeth II, her grandmother-in-law.
But the best times seem to be the quiet moments — walking the wilds of North Wales with William and their black cocker spaniel puppy, Lupo.
“The main point is that they look as if they’re enjoying themselves,” said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, in an Associated Press interview. “The first year of marriage is difficult for everybody and they’ve adapted to their role admirably.”
Ms. Seward said she believes the royal couple, who started off as college buddies before a romance developed, have benefited tremendously from their long, solid friendship. The first year of their marriage has been largely free of controversy.
“They were together a long, long time and maybe this is a demonstration of how much it helped for them to be the friends that they are,” she said.
Kate and William planned to celebrate their first anniversary on Sunday in private, palace officials said.
The duchess has faced considerable pressure in her first year as she has eased into her increasingly public royal role, but she has avoided any missteps, seeming to have benefited from strong family support and good advice from palace professionals.
She was reluctant at first to speak in public, although she showed an immediate skill at interacting with British citizens at casual events.
Their first year of married life has been a study in balancing their dual roles: royal and regular. The couple like to dress down when they walk Lupo, but they also wear designer duds at gala dinners and speak out in support of their chosen charities.
After they said “I do” in a gala spectacle at Westminster Abbey, the first images to emerge of the couple were of a casually dressed Kate picking up groceries.
Her later appearances on William’s arm were more typically royal: stunning red carpet walks in designer gowns while championing charitable causes.
While the royal wedding was the culmination of a long courtship, it was also Kate’s coronation in the eyes of the public — as a fashion icon, a philanthropist and a possible future queen.
New Watershed Festival joins slate of country shows
Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley and other country stars have signed up for the inaugural Watershed Music Festival outside Seattle.
The new three-day festival will be held Aug. 3 through 5 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash.
A news release announcing the festival said tickets go on sale May 5 and are limited to 25,000. Fans will be able to camp out and late-night sets are scheduled.
The Watershed joins a growing number of multiday country music festivals around the nation and is the first at the venue, which hosts the annual Sasquatch Music Festival.
Other stars scheduled to perform include Kix Brooks, Sara Evans, Dwight Yoakam, Uncle Kracker, Brantley Gilbert and Thompson Square. More performers will be announced at a later date.
George Jones concerts delayed for his recuperation
Doctors are ordering George Jones to postpone all tour dates through May 20 to recover from an upper respiratory infection.
A statement from Mr. Jones’ publicist, Kirt Webster, said the 80-year-old singer is resting at his home near Nashville. He spent about a week in the hospital last month receiving antibiotics for the infection.
Mr. Jones is delaying his entire Canadian run in May as well as a show in Caruthersville, Mo. He already had postponed concerts on April 20 and 21 in Minnesota and South Dakota.
The Country Music Hall of Fame member posted a video on his website Wednesday thanking fans for their prayers and the “wonderful ways” they have stood by him. He said he was on his “way back for sure,” adding that he only needs time.
• Compiled from Web and wire reports.
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