AFP, KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: Taiwan's Cardinal Paul Shan, who will embark on a high-profile trip to China this summer, says he hopes that the Vatican and Beijing can be "mature" and reconcile their bitter differences.
Shan, 89, a highly revered religious leader on the island, made the remarks after he unveiled plans for the voyage, hailed as a first contact between Catholics on both sides of the Taiwan Strait in more than 60 years.
"It takes time for China and the Vatican to reconcile. The government has its jurisdiction and the Church has its jurisdiction, and they should respect each other," Shan told AFP in an interview.
"The two sides should be in contact and exchange (views) and let the other side know its jurisdiction so they can eventually reconcile," he said, sitting in his residence in the south Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung.
The Vatican and China have not had formal diplomatic ties since 1951, when the Holy See's recognition of Taiwan sparked anger in Beijing, which claims the island as its own.
The state-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association does not acknowledge the authority of Pope Benedict XVI and is fiercely opposed to the "clandestine" clergy loyal to the pontiff.
However, there are about a dozen clergymen who have been recognised by both the Vatican and the Chinese authorities in recent years, which could become a model for future ties, said Shan, who was born on the mainland.
"Catholicism is different from other religions and there is one Catholic (authority) in the world. The pope appointing clergymen is a fundamental part of the Catholic faith and China should respect core Catholic values," he said.
"Catholics are not willing to accept clergymen who are not recognised by the pope and it's better for the two sides to work out their issues through dialogues."
Demonstrating fragile relations, a war of words erupted between Beijing and the Vatican in December, with China rebuffing criticism by the pope of its curbs on practising Catholics and of the state-sanctioned Chinese church.
China has about five million Catholics who worship at Communist Party-sanctioned "official" churches, while up to 11 million reportedly worship at "underground" churches.
Shan, appointed by the late Pope John Paul II as a cardinal in 1998, was born in central China and relocated to Taiwan after the nationalist Kuomintang party was defeated by the communists in 1949 at the end of a civil war.
He said the rapprochement between former arch-rivals Taiwan and China in recent years serves as an example that dialogue and contact are the way to go.
"Painful lessons from the history show that violence and war cannot solve problems and everyone should mature to conduct negotiations," he said.
Shan first returned to China in 1979 from the Philippines to visit his relatives in a trip that was kept private due to tensions between Taiwan and China at the time. He has not set foot on the mainland since.
He has remained active in public despite his retirement from official duties in 2006, the year he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
He launched a "goodbye tour" across Taiwan the following year to share his fight against cancer and to call for the public to treasure their lives -- the same message he intends to take to China.
In June, he is scheduled to travel to Shanghai and Zhengzhou city, near his native town, in a week-long journey.
Shan is expected to hold a joint mass with Shanghai Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian, according to Chou Chin-huar, head of Taipei-based cancer charity the Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation, which organised his trip.
However, Shan said he is not planning to meet members of China's "underground" Catholic churches because he does not wish to "create troubles for them".
Shan has also been promoting environmental protection and disaster prevention, an area he discussed with the Dalai Lama during the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to Taiwan in 2009 after a deadly typhoon.
"The Dalai Lama is a down-to-earth person and he came to comfort victims of the typhoon as a religious figure, there was no reason for me to refuse him a meeting," Shan said. Beijing brands the Dalai Lama a dangerous "splittist".
Chou, of the cancer foundation, admitted that meeting had "increased difficulties" in arranging the cardinal's China visit and that Beijing itself will not be a stop due to "political sensitivity".
US House cuts $61 bn in spending, shutdown looms
AFP, WASHINGTON: Historic spending cuts approved by the US House of Representatives have raised prospects of a government shutdown and ramped up the public relations blame game.
After a marathon floor debate running well past midnight, the Republican-controlled House voted to cut about $61 billion in government spending. The Barack Obama administration and leaders in the Senate, controlled by Democrats, immediately criticized the move.
"The continuing opposition in the House would undermine and damage our capacity to create jobs and expand the economy," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said at a news conference after a Group of 20 meeting in Paris.
The government is presently funded through a stopgap spending measure expiring March 4, a result of congressional disagreement last year. A shutdown could delay Social Security checks, tax refunds and payments for veterans, Democrats claim.
A similar standoff in 1995 forced a government shutdown widely viewed as having backfired on the Republicans who controlled Congress.
[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]
"No responsible elected official should even consider such an option," Senator Daniel Inouye, who chairs the powerful appropriations committee, said after the House voted 235-189 along party lines.
"The consequences of a shutdown would be immediate and dire."
But Geithner said he was "very confident" a shutdown would be avoided.
House Speaker John Boehner celebrated passage of "one of the largest spending cuts in American history."
The House slashed funds for President Obama's health care overhaul, and voted to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating industries that emit greenhouse gases.
Boehner called the cuts "critical to reducing economic uncertainty, encouraging private-sector investment and creating a better environment for job creation in our country."
His office later released an analysis showing only 26 of 127 spending-cut amendments were sponsored by Democrats and "most were symbolic."
It is "hard to claim your party is focused on 'job creation and deficit reduction' when you can't point to much of anything you were actually willing to cut," the statement said.
The House voted to scrap funds for a second engine for the F-35 fighter aircraft, eliminate funding for the US Institute of Peace as well as the East-West Center -- which Congress envisioned as a bridge to Asia.
"The #House budget severely cuts funding for #food #security as global food prices are spiking. What happened to compassionate #conservatism?," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley tweeted.
One of the approved amendments would block federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a family planning organization that supports abortion rights. It said the funding cut would be "an outrageous assault" on its clients.
The House and Senate are in recess next week, giving lawmakers a narrow window to reach a compromise and making it increasingly likely that Congress will have to adopt a short-term spending bill.
Boehner has warned, however, that he won't accept any short-term measure that doesn't markedly reduce spending -- a step that would likely trigger a shutdown if the Senate rejects it.
Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi had proposed a bill funding the government through March 31, but her staff was later quoted as saying a shutdown is likely.
Senate Democrats could approve short-term funding to keep the government running and essentially dare Boehner to reject it.
Obama this week threatened to veto the bill if it undermines national security or economic recovery.
Enough Republicans voted with Democrats to defeat a proposal to withhold dues to the United Nations pushed by Republican Representative Paul Broun, a member of the Tea Party caucus.
They also rejected an amendment to cut $400 million for Afghanistan's infrastructure, and protected $1.5 billion for Iraqi security forces.
The House also voted to withhold military assistance to Chad because of the African nation's use of child soldiers.
Democrats said Boehner should have corralled votes to pass a bill that would stand a chance in the Senate.
But Boehner, who became speaker following mid-term elections marked by the Tea Party's small-government activism, dismissed such talk. He celebrated the fact that nearly 600 amendments were proposed, many by first-time congressmen.
Boehner commended the freshman class for the "commitment and extra effort they put forth to make this momentous debate possible."
After a marathon floor debate running well past midnight, the Republican-controlled House voted to cut about $61 billion in government spending. The Barack Obama administration and leaders in the Senate, controlled by Democrats, immediately criticized the move.
"The continuing opposition in the House would undermine and damage our capacity to create jobs and expand the economy," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said at a news conference after a Group of 20 meeting in Paris.
The government is presently funded through a stopgap spending measure expiring March 4, a result of congressional disagreement last year. A shutdown could delay Social Security checks, tax refunds and payments for veterans, Democrats claim.
A similar standoff in 1995 forced a government shutdown widely viewed as having backfired on the Republicans who controlled Congress.
[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]
"No responsible elected official should even consider such an option," Senator Daniel Inouye, who chairs the powerful appropriations committee, said after the House voted 235-189 along party lines.
"The consequences of a shutdown would be immediate and dire."
But Geithner said he was "very confident" a shutdown would be avoided.
House Speaker John Boehner celebrated passage of "one of the largest spending cuts in American history."
The House slashed funds for President Obama's health care overhaul, and voted to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating industries that emit greenhouse gases.
Boehner called the cuts "critical to reducing economic uncertainty, encouraging private-sector investment and creating a better environment for job creation in our country."
His office later released an analysis showing only 26 of 127 spending-cut amendments were sponsored by Democrats and "most were symbolic."
It is "hard to claim your party is focused on 'job creation and deficit reduction' when you can't point to much of anything you were actually willing to cut," the statement said.
The House voted to scrap funds for a second engine for the F-35 fighter aircraft, eliminate funding for the US Institute of Peace as well as the East-West Center -- which Congress envisioned as a bridge to Asia.
"The #House budget severely cuts funding for #food #security as global food prices are spiking. What happened to compassionate #conservatism?," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley tweeted.
One of the approved amendments would block federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a family planning organization that supports abortion rights. It said the funding cut would be "an outrageous assault" on its clients.
The House and Senate are in recess next week, giving lawmakers a narrow window to reach a compromise and making it increasingly likely that Congress will have to adopt a short-term spending bill.
Boehner has warned, however, that he won't accept any short-term measure that doesn't markedly reduce spending -- a step that would likely trigger a shutdown if the Senate rejects it.
Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi had proposed a bill funding the government through March 31, but her staff was later quoted as saying a shutdown is likely.
Senate Democrats could approve short-term funding to keep the government running and essentially dare Boehner to reject it.
Obama this week threatened to veto the bill if it undermines national security or economic recovery.
Enough Republicans voted with Democrats to defeat a proposal to withhold dues to the United Nations pushed by Republican Representative Paul Broun, a member of the Tea Party caucus.
They also rejected an amendment to cut $400 million for Afghanistan's infrastructure, and protected $1.5 billion for Iraqi security forces.
The House also voted to withhold military assistance to Chad because of the African nation's use of child soldiers.
Democrats said Boehner should have corralled votes to pass a bill that would stand a chance in the Senate.
But Boehner, who became speaker following mid-term elections marked by the Tea Party's small-government activism, dismissed such talk. He celebrated the fact that nearly 600 amendments were proposed, many by first-time congressmen.
Boehner commended the freshman class for the "commitment and extra effort they put forth to make this momentous debate possible."
Merkel braces for battering in German state poll
AFP, BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel braced for a heavy electoral defeat in polls on Sunday in Germany's second city Hamburg, with surveys showing her conservatives on course for a drubbing.
Voters in the first of seven state elections in what could prove to be an annus horribilis for Merkel are poised to hand power to the opposition Social Democrats (SPD), ending nearly a decade of conservative rule, polls show.
In the run-up to the election, the SPD was polling nearly double the support enjoyed by Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
However, local issues have featured heavily in the campaign and surveys show the SPD's lead over the CDU in Hamburg is not replicated nationwide, where the conservatives remain the most popular party.
The Hamburg election is an "absolute special case," said Manfred Guellner from polling institute Forsa.
Merkel herself sought to put on a brave face, telling a campaign rally: "In the last nine years, things have got gradually better for Hamburg."
But the SPD hopes to make it a uncomfortable year for Merkel, 56, who ditched the party at the last election in September 2009 in favour of a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).
Billed as the "dream coalition", it has turned out to be little short of a nightmare, with internal squabbles over several major issues and Merkel under fire for her handling of a series of economic crises in the eurozone.
After polling 14.6 percent in September 2009, carrying Merkel over the line, support for the FDP -- led by Foreign Minister and vice-chancellor Guido Westerwelle -- has collapsed to around five percent.
In Hamburg, the FDP risks not winning a single seat.
If the polls are correct and the SPD returns to power in the city state where they ruled the roost for 40 years before 2001, it will make it harder for Merkel to push through her political agenda.
In May, a defeat in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, cost the coalition its majority in the upper house and a reverse in Hamburg would force her into more painful compromises with the opposition.
And while the opposition are keen to deliver an election setback in Hamburg, they are eyeing the bigger prize of Baden-Wuerttemberg on March 27, where the CDU risks losing power for the first time in 58 years.
The ecologist Greens, doing well in the polls nationally, also have high hopes for that election, buoyed by their opposition to plans to build a new train station in the state capital Stuttgart.
"For the CDU, Baden-Wuerttemberg is much more important (than Hamburg)," Michael Greven, political scientist at Hamburg University, told AFP.
"If they lose that state election, it will have repercussions at the federal level."
Voters in the first of seven state elections in what could prove to be an annus horribilis for Merkel are poised to hand power to the opposition Social Democrats (SPD), ending nearly a decade of conservative rule, polls show.
In the run-up to the election, the SPD was polling nearly double the support enjoyed by Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
However, local issues have featured heavily in the campaign and surveys show the SPD's lead over the CDU in Hamburg is not replicated nationwide, where the conservatives remain the most popular party.
The Hamburg election is an "absolute special case," said Manfred Guellner from polling institute Forsa.
Merkel herself sought to put on a brave face, telling a campaign rally: "In the last nine years, things have got gradually better for Hamburg."
But the SPD hopes to make it a uncomfortable year for Merkel, 56, who ditched the party at the last election in September 2009 in favour of a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).
Billed as the "dream coalition", it has turned out to be little short of a nightmare, with internal squabbles over several major issues and Merkel under fire for her handling of a series of economic crises in the eurozone.
After polling 14.6 percent in September 2009, carrying Merkel over the line, support for the FDP -- led by Foreign Minister and vice-chancellor Guido Westerwelle -- has collapsed to around five percent.
In Hamburg, the FDP risks not winning a single seat.
If the polls are correct and the SPD returns to power in the city state where they ruled the roost for 40 years before 2001, it will make it harder for Merkel to push through her political agenda.
In May, a defeat in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, cost the coalition its majority in the upper house and a reverse in Hamburg would force her into more painful compromises with the opposition.
And while the opposition are keen to deliver an election setback in Hamburg, they are eyeing the bigger prize of Baden-Wuerttemberg on March 27, where the CDU risks losing power for the first time in 58 years.
The ecologist Greens, doing well in the polls nationally, also have high hopes for that election, buoyed by their opposition to plans to build a new train station in the state capital Stuttgart.
"For the CDU, Baden-Wuerttemberg is much more important (than Hamburg)," Michael Greven, political scientist at Hamburg University, told AFP.
"If they lose that state election, it will have repercussions at the federal level."
Bahrain protesters back in square as troops leave
AFP, MANAMA: Thousands of jubilant Bahrainis returned to Manama's Pearl Square, the focal point of bloody anti-regime demonstrations, after police and troops withdrew in an apparently conciliatory move.
After the security force pull-out, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa ordered that they were to stay away.
Salman, deputy commander of the armed forces, ordered "all security forces to immediately withdraw from assembly areas," the BNA state news agency reported.
He also asked the "crowds to leave" to start a "new phase of national action that would bring together all parties."
The latest developments come as pressure grows on the pro-West and strategically vital Gulf kingdom to talk to the Shiite-led opposition, which demands that the government resign before talks offered by the king can begin.
Protesters erected tents in the square after removing barbed wire and pouring in from three streets. They later lit candles in memory of the dead in the uprising.
Police, who fired tear gas earlier in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent people from reaching the square, eventually followed the army's lead and withdrew.
"I am happy we are back -- I told you we would be back," 23-year-old Ibrahim told AFP in the square from which protesters were driven in a deadly police raid on Thursday and the army moved in with threats of firm measures.
But on Saturday afternoon, the soldiers returned to their bases.
"People want the regime to fall," chanted demonstrators, saying they wanted "peaceful" protests.
"The will of the people has prevailed in the end," said one.
"Our old tent was destroyed by police (in the raid), so we brought a new one," said Ibrahim, who arrived with a group of friends.
A top US official spoke with Bahrain's crown prince Saturday, urging him to respect human rights and launch "meaningful" reform after mass protests, The White House said.
US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon had a telephone conversation with the crown prince a day after President Barack Obama condemned a clampdown on bloody anti-regime protests.
"Mr. Donilon reiterated the president's condemnation of violence used against peaceful protesters, and expressed support for the steps that the crown prince has ordered taken to show restraint and initiate dialogue," the statement said.
Earlier, the opposition had rejected the prince's offer of dialogue, saying it would join talks only after troops withdrew and the cabinet quit.
The Islamic National Accord Association, which is boycotting parliament over the army's iron-fisted response to protests sweeping the country, said 95 people were wounded on Friday, of whom three were "clinically dead."
Six people have died since Monday, according to the opposition and relatives, while the government puts the figure at five. At least 250 more have been hurt.
"To consider dialogue, the government must resign and the army should withdraw from the streets," said INAA parliamentary leader Abdel Jalil Khalil Ibrahim.
"What we're seeing now is not the language of dialogue but the language of force."
Bahrain's main labour union called an indefinite strike from Sunday to protest at police violence and demand the right to demonstrate peacefully.
King Hamad announced on Friday that he had assigned his son to begin a dialogue.
In a television interview, Prince Salman said "our dialogue must take place in a climate of total calm," adding that "no issue can be excluded from that dialogue."
On Saturday he acknowledged the need for reforms.
"There are clear messages from the Bahraini people... about the need for reforms," he told Al-Arabiya television.
Reforms in Bahrain were initiated by King Hamad with a 2001 referendum on a new constitution which paved the way for parliamentary elections in 2002, the first since parliament was scrapped in 1975.
But the opposition wants a "real constitutional monarchy."
"We do not accept dialogue with any of the murderers," said a large banner in Pearl Square Saturday.
Another read "Khalifa, Go!" addressing Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman, the uncle of King Hamad who has been in office since 1971 and is widely despised by the Shiite-led opposition.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said it was vital that the promised dialogue "should begin without delay."
In a telephone call to the crown prince on Saturday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he had expressed "the UK's deep concern about the situation and strong disapproval of the use of live ammunition against protesters."
Britain is the former colonial power in Bahrain and the US Fifth Fleet is headquartered in the island state.
The army's intervention came after a deadly police action prompted protesters, inspired by the February 11 overthrow of veteran Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, to occupy Pearl Square.
After the security force pull-out, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa ordered that they were to stay away.
Salman, deputy commander of the armed forces, ordered "all security forces to immediately withdraw from assembly areas," the BNA state news agency reported.
He also asked the "crowds to leave" to start a "new phase of national action that would bring together all parties."
The latest developments come as pressure grows on the pro-West and strategically vital Gulf kingdom to talk to the Shiite-led opposition, which demands that the government resign before talks offered by the king can begin.
Protesters erected tents in the square after removing barbed wire and pouring in from three streets. They later lit candles in memory of the dead in the uprising.
Police, who fired tear gas earlier in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent people from reaching the square, eventually followed the army's lead and withdrew.
"I am happy we are back -- I told you we would be back," 23-year-old Ibrahim told AFP in the square from which protesters were driven in a deadly police raid on Thursday and the army moved in with threats of firm measures.
But on Saturday afternoon, the soldiers returned to their bases.
"People want the regime to fall," chanted demonstrators, saying they wanted "peaceful" protests.
"The will of the people has prevailed in the end," said one.
"Our old tent was destroyed by police (in the raid), so we brought a new one," said Ibrahim, who arrived with a group of friends.
A top US official spoke with Bahrain's crown prince Saturday, urging him to respect human rights and launch "meaningful" reform after mass protests, The White House said.
US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon had a telephone conversation with the crown prince a day after President Barack Obama condemned a clampdown on bloody anti-regime protests.
"Mr. Donilon reiterated the president's condemnation of violence used against peaceful protesters, and expressed support for the steps that the crown prince has ordered taken to show restraint and initiate dialogue," the statement said.
Earlier, the opposition had rejected the prince's offer of dialogue, saying it would join talks only after troops withdrew and the cabinet quit.
The Islamic National Accord Association, which is boycotting parliament over the army's iron-fisted response to protests sweeping the country, said 95 people were wounded on Friday, of whom three were "clinically dead."
Six people have died since Monday, according to the opposition and relatives, while the government puts the figure at five. At least 250 more have been hurt.
"To consider dialogue, the government must resign and the army should withdraw from the streets," said INAA parliamentary leader Abdel Jalil Khalil Ibrahim.
"What we're seeing now is not the language of dialogue but the language of force."
Bahrain's main labour union called an indefinite strike from Sunday to protest at police violence and demand the right to demonstrate peacefully.
King Hamad announced on Friday that he had assigned his son to begin a dialogue.
In a television interview, Prince Salman said "our dialogue must take place in a climate of total calm," adding that "no issue can be excluded from that dialogue."
On Saturday he acknowledged the need for reforms.
"There are clear messages from the Bahraini people... about the need for reforms," he told Al-Arabiya television.
Reforms in Bahrain were initiated by King Hamad with a 2001 referendum on a new constitution which paved the way for parliamentary elections in 2002, the first since parliament was scrapped in 1975.
But the opposition wants a "real constitutional monarchy."
"We do not accept dialogue with any of the murderers," said a large banner in Pearl Square Saturday.
Another read "Khalifa, Go!" addressing Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman, the uncle of King Hamad who has been in office since 1971 and is widely despised by the Shiite-led opposition.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said it was vital that the promised dialogue "should begin without delay."
In a telephone call to the crown prince on Saturday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he had expressed "the UK's deep concern about the situation and strong disapproval of the use of live ammunition against protesters."
Britain is the former colonial power in Bahrain and the US Fifth Fleet is headquartered in the island state.
The army's intervention came after a deadly police action prompted protesters, inspired by the February 11 overthrow of veteran Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, to occupy Pearl Square.
Literary scout sues to be paid for finding "Twilight"
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: A woman who claims credit for discovering "Twilight" as a potential feature film is demanding payment for her role in helping launch one of Hollywood's biggest movie franchises.
Nanette Shipley says in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court that she was "a literary scout," whose job was to find potential feature films for Maverick Films.
Shipley claims enormous success, helping Maverick find and obtain the rights for two motion pictures, "Twilight" and "The Lighting Thief."
She says her complaint against Maverick and topper Mark Morgan that she was promised $75,000 for her work in connection with "Twilight" and $100,000 for her work in connection with "The Lighting Thief."
She says she's only been paid $20,000 and wants the outstanding $155,000 plus legal costs.
Maverick Films was an indie film production studio started by Madonna. It was then led by Morgan, who in 2008, acquired sole ownership of the company's current projects and relaunched as Imprint Entertainment. He's been quite successful, setting up "Twilight" with Summit, which went on to gross nearly $400 million worldwide and spawn four sequels ("Breaking Dawn" will be released in two parts) and "Percy Jackson & the Lighting Thief" with Fox, which has grossed more than $200 million worldwide.
Morgan couldn't be reached for comment.
Nanette Shipley says in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court that she was "a literary scout," whose job was to find potential feature films for Maverick Films.
Shipley claims enormous success, helping Maverick find and obtain the rights for two motion pictures, "Twilight" and "The Lighting Thief."
She says her complaint against Maverick and topper Mark Morgan that she was promised $75,000 for her work in connection with "Twilight" and $100,000 for her work in connection with "The Lighting Thief."
She says she's only been paid $20,000 and wants the outstanding $155,000 plus legal costs.
Maverick Films was an indie film production studio started by Madonna. It was then led by Morgan, who in 2008, acquired sole ownership of the company's current projects and relaunched as Imprint Entertainment. He's been quite successful, setting up "Twilight" with Summit, which went on to gross nearly $400 million worldwide and spawn four sequels ("Breaking Dawn" will be released in two parts) and "Percy Jackson & the Lighting Thief" with Fox, which has grossed more than $200 million worldwide.
Morgan couldn't be reached for comment.
Alaska increasing draw for TV, film productions
AP, ANCHORAGE, Alaska: The real Alaska has finally joined the A-list.
Long a bit player in the entertainment world, the 49th state increasingly is sought out by TV and film producers for its unmatchable lure of spectacular beauty and peril, of wild adventures and dangerous jobs.
And they're actually shooting in the nation's largest and most remote state instead of locations dolled up to portray Alaska, as multiple projects have done.
Alaska's new film production tax credit program has only amped up the state's evolving Q quotient, attracting several dozen projects since it was launched in 2008.
"People are curious about Alaska. They're curious about Alaskans. They're curious about Alaska jobs," said Alaska Film Office manager Dave Worrell.
Most of the productions are based in TV reality: "Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers," "Gold Rush Alaska," Alaska State Troopers," "Flying Wild Alaska" and, of course, the recently concluded special eight-part series, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," to name a few.
Palin's reality show, which aired on TLC, was among productions that tapped the incentives program. It was approved for a tax credit of nearly $1.2 million after spending about $3.6 million in the state, according to film office documents.
There also has been a noticeable uptick in interest from feature filmmakers — where the big money is.
A major production starring Drew Barrymore, "Everybody Loves Whales," and a supernatural thriller starring Jon Voight filmed in Alaska last year, adding to a trickle of feature films over the years with actual footage in Alaska.
Still, Alaska's incentive program is in its infancy and movies set in Alaska continue to be filmed in other states and foreign locations such as British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada, which has a well-established incentives system.
"I think Alaska theme shows are going to entice more feature films to Alaska because they're going to see all of the different, great stories that Alaska has to tell," Worrell said. The new film office offers incentives including a 30 percent tax credit to qualifying productions spending at least $100,000 in the state. Added incentives for Alaska hires, as well as offseason and rural shoots, boost credits to a maximum of 44 percent.
To date, the $100 million program has approved a total of $6.1 million in tax credits for 16 productions — including 11 reality projects and three feature films — that spent a total of $18.5 million in the state. Another 30 projects, including eight feature film productions, have signed on for the credits.
The program is set to expire in 2013, but some state lawmakers are determined to keep it going. Among them is state Rep. Chris Tuck, an Anchorage Democrat who is a sponsor of bill that would extend the program by 10 years and another $200 million.
He believes the program takes precedence over addressing such industry challenges as a limited number of experienced crews in the state and a lack of infrastructure like a soundstage. Keeping the incentives alive are a critical first step, he said.
"We have to make sure that we have certainties for the movie industry so they can continue coming up here," he said.
For producers of the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," the tax credit is just an added perk. Alaska itself is the draw, said Phil Segal, president of Original Productions. The Burbank, Calif.-based company also produces the History channel's "Ice Road Truckers," a popular reality show about Far North truck drivers.
"Deadliest Catch, a documentary series about dangerous crab fishing in the Bering Sea, was already a hit when the incentive program began — and for good reason if you ask Segal. For many viewers, he said, the state represents the allure of the unknown, akin to Old West wagon trains heading to an uncharted destination.
"We're in Alaska for one reason and one reason only. It is an amazing, cultural den that has so many stories to be told," he said. "It is this incredibly rich final frontier that is an amazing backdrop for storytelling."
"Alaska State Troopers" on the National Geographic Channel holds the same mystique. The series, which just completed production for a second season, features various troopers in multiple settings across the state, covering vast jurisdictions dotted with isolated villages, often in brutal weather and terrain.
"Just the fact that they're asked to cover so much ground, often alone, in extreme conditions, I think, is very appealing and interesting to a viewer," said Dan Stern of Seattle-based PSG Films, producer of the series as well as a 2006 National Geographic Channel special, "Cowboys of the Sea," about salmon fishing in Alaska's Bristol Bay. "People have told me that they're fascinated by Alaska because of our shows and other shows they've watched."
Long a bit player in the entertainment world, the 49th state increasingly is sought out by TV and film producers for its unmatchable lure of spectacular beauty and peril, of wild adventures and dangerous jobs.
And they're actually shooting in the nation's largest and most remote state instead of locations dolled up to portray Alaska, as multiple projects have done.
Alaska's new film production tax credit program has only amped up the state's evolving Q quotient, attracting several dozen projects since it was launched in 2008.
"People are curious about Alaska. They're curious about Alaskans. They're curious about Alaska jobs," said Alaska Film Office manager Dave Worrell.
Most of the productions are based in TV reality: "Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers," "Gold Rush Alaska," Alaska State Troopers," "Flying Wild Alaska" and, of course, the recently concluded special eight-part series, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," to name a few.
Palin's reality show, which aired on TLC, was among productions that tapped the incentives program. It was approved for a tax credit of nearly $1.2 million after spending about $3.6 million in the state, according to film office documents.
There also has been a noticeable uptick in interest from feature filmmakers — where the big money is.
A major production starring Drew Barrymore, "Everybody Loves Whales," and a supernatural thriller starring Jon Voight filmed in Alaska last year, adding to a trickle of feature films over the years with actual footage in Alaska.
Still, Alaska's incentive program is in its infancy and movies set in Alaska continue to be filmed in other states and foreign locations such as British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada, which has a well-established incentives system.
"I think Alaska theme shows are going to entice more feature films to Alaska because they're going to see all of the different, great stories that Alaska has to tell," Worrell said. The new film office offers incentives including a 30 percent tax credit to qualifying productions spending at least $100,000 in the state. Added incentives for Alaska hires, as well as offseason and rural shoots, boost credits to a maximum of 44 percent.
To date, the $100 million program has approved a total of $6.1 million in tax credits for 16 productions — including 11 reality projects and three feature films — that spent a total of $18.5 million in the state. Another 30 projects, including eight feature film productions, have signed on for the credits.
The program is set to expire in 2013, but some state lawmakers are determined to keep it going. Among them is state Rep. Chris Tuck, an Anchorage Democrat who is a sponsor of bill that would extend the program by 10 years and another $200 million.
He believes the program takes precedence over addressing such industry challenges as a limited number of experienced crews in the state and a lack of infrastructure like a soundstage. Keeping the incentives alive are a critical first step, he said.
"We have to make sure that we have certainties for the movie industry so they can continue coming up here," he said.
For producers of the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," the tax credit is just an added perk. Alaska itself is the draw, said Phil Segal, president of Original Productions. The Burbank, Calif.-based company also produces the History channel's "Ice Road Truckers," a popular reality show about Far North truck drivers.
"Deadliest Catch, a documentary series about dangerous crab fishing in the Bering Sea, was already a hit when the incentive program began — and for good reason if you ask Segal. For many viewers, he said, the state represents the allure of the unknown, akin to Old West wagon trains heading to an uncharted destination.
"We're in Alaska for one reason and one reason only. It is an amazing, cultural den that has so many stories to be told," he said. "It is this incredibly rich final frontier that is an amazing backdrop for storytelling."
"Alaska State Troopers" on the National Geographic Channel holds the same mystique. The series, which just completed production for a second season, features various troopers in multiple settings across the state, covering vast jurisdictions dotted with isolated villages, often in brutal weather and terrain.
"Just the fact that they're asked to cover so much ground, often alone, in extreme conditions, I think, is very appealing and interesting to a viewer," said Dan Stern of Seattle-based PSG Films, producer of the series as well as a 2006 National Geographic Channel special, "Cowboys of the Sea," about salmon fishing in Alaska's Bristol Bay. "People have told me that they're fascinated by Alaska because of our shows and other shows they've watched."
Iranian film wins at Berlin film festival
AP, BERLIN: Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's "Nader and Simin, A Separation," a drama that centers on a disintegrating marriage, won the best movie honor and swept the acting awards at the Berlin film festival on Saturday.
A six-member jury led by actress Isabella Rossellini handed the movie the top Golden Bear prize and its ensemble cast, led by Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami, both the best actor and the best actress awards.
"I never would have thought that I would win this prize," Farhadi said as he collected the Golden Bear.
He added that it offers "a very good opportunity to think of the people of my country — the country I grew up in, the country where I learned my stories — a great people."
The film highlights a clash between traditional and modern ways of living and thinking, as well as class differences.
It chronicles the events that follow a wife's unsuccessful petition for a divorce, which she seeks when her husband refuses to leave Iran with her and her daughter. He worries about leaving behind his father, who suffers from Alzheimer's.
The wife then moves out and the man hires a pregnant, pious young woman who agrees to take care of his father, without telling her husband. One afternoon, a blazing argument is followed by the woman suffering a miscarriage — setting off a chain of events that shakes the family.
Iran has been in the spotlight at the Berlin festival because the jury's official seventh member, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, was unable to come after being sentenced to six years in jail on charges of working against the ruling system.
"I would like to recall Jafar Panahi — I really think his problem will be solved, and I would like him to stand here next year," said Farhadi, speaking through an interpreter.
Farhadi was honored as best director in Berlin two years ago for his previous movie, "About Elly."
This year's best director honor went to Germany's Ulrich Koehler for "Sleeping Sickness," a film about an aid worker long based in Africa and his increasingly alienated wife.
Hungarian director Bela Tarr's starkly minimalist, black-and-white "The Turin Horse," the story of a farmer and his horse, won a runner-up Silver Bear.
Tarr, a veteran arthouse filmmaker, insisted that it would be his last movie. "I believe that, in this film, everything comes together," he said after the award ceremony.
Argentine-born first-time director Paula Markovitch's "The Prize," an autobiographical film set in Argentina during the military dictatorship of the 1970s, won two prizes for outstanding artistic achievement.
They went to Wojciech Staron for his camerawork and Barbara Enriquez for the production design.
American director Joshua Marston and co-scriptwriter Andamion Murataj took the best script award for "The Forgiveness of Blood," a drama set in Albania.
The festival's Alfred Bauer prize for innovation went to German director Andres Veiel's "If Not Us, Who," a movie about the early years of some of the far-left Red Army Faction's leading figures.
A six-member jury led by actress Isabella Rossellini handed the movie the top Golden Bear prize and its ensemble cast, led by Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami, both the best actor and the best actress awards.
"I never would have thought that I would win this prize," Farhadi said as he collected the Golden Bear.
He added that it offers "a very good opportunity to think of the people of my country — the country I grew up in, the country where I learned my stories — a great people."
The film highlights a clash between traditional and modern ways of living and thinking, as well as class differences.
It chronicles the events that follow a wife's unsuccessful petition for a divorce, which she seeks when her husband refuses to leave Iran with her and her daughter. He worries about leaving behind his father, who suffers from Alzheimer's.
The wife then moves out and the man hires a pregnant, pious young woman who agrees to take care of his father, without telling her husband. One afternoon, a blazing argument is followed by the woman suffering a miscarriage — setting off a chain of events that shakes the family.
Iran has been in the spotlight at the Berlin festival because the jury's official seventh member, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, was unable to come after being sentenced to six years in jail on charges of working against the ruling system.
"I would like to recall Jafar Panahi — I really think his problem will be solved, and I would like him to stand here next year," said Farhadi, speaking through an interpreter.
Farhadi was honored as best director in Berlin two years ago for his previous movie, "About Elly."
This year's best director honor went to Germany's Ulrich Koehler for "Sleeping Sickness," a film about an aid worker long based in Africa and his increasingly alienated wife.
Hungarian director Bela Tarr's starkly minimalist, black-and-white "The Turin Horse," the story of a farmer and his horse, won a runner-up Silver Bear.
Tarr, a veteran arthouse filmmaker, insisted that it would be his last movie. "I believe that, in this film, everything comes together," he said after the award ceremony.
Argentine-born first-time director Paula Markovitch's "The Prize," an autobiographical film set in Argentina during the military dictatorship of the 1970s, won two prizes for outstanding artistic achievement.
They went to Wojciech Staron for his camerawork and Barbara Enriquez for the production design.
American director Joshua Marston and co-scriptwriter Andamion Murataj took the best script award for "The Forgiveness of Blood," a drama set in Albania.
The festival's Alfred Bauer prize for innovation went to German director Andres Veiel's "If Not Us, Who," a movie about the early years of some of the far-left Red Army Faction's leading figures.
Acclaimed Iranian film triumphs in Berlin
Reuters, BERLIN: Iranian drama "Nader and Simin: A Separation" won the Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin film festival on Saturday, while its ensemble cast also picked up the best actor and actress prizes on a triumphant night.
Director Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of a marriage in crisis was firm favorite for the coveted award, and its victory was the first for an Iranian picture, Berlin organizers said.
In the movie, one family is pitted against another in a gripping legal tussle which highlights the gap between middle class "intellectuals" and poorer, traditional Iranians for whom religious beliefs and honor tend to be more important.
It was praised for its subtle exploration of Iran's class divisions and religious conservatism, which it managed to combine with the tension of a crime thriller. The acting awards were a bonus for Farhadi, whose daughter Sarina starred.
Farhadi paid tribute to fellow Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi, who was unable to accept Berlin's invitation to sit on the main jury after being sentenced to six years in jail and banned from making movies or traveling abroad for 20 years.
He stands accused of inciting opposition protests in 2009 and making a film without permission, and his sentence has caused an outcry in the movie making world.
"I want to remind you of Jafar Panahi," Farhadi told the glitzy awards ceremony. "I really think his problem will be solved, and I hope he will be the one standing here next year."
When asked to speak about the situation in Iran, he replied: "I can either say what you want me to say and the result would be that I get into trouble and couldn't make films anymore.
"Or I can say as much as I'm allowed to and continue making films. I prefer making my films. I'm not a hero, I'm a film maker," he told reporters, adding that he spoke to Panahi after receiving the Golden Bear.
Panahi's absence was marked with an empty chair alongside jury head Isabella Rossellini at the opening press conference, and some German media have dubbed this year's cinema showcase the "Iranian Berlinale."
DARK TALE OF A HORSE
The runner-up film prize went to Hungarian director Bela Tarr's black-and-white "The Turin Horse," a slow-moving, bleak feature about a farmer and his daughter's forsaken lives in a windswept, isolated house.
The love-it-or-loathe-it picture, which Tarr has said would be his last, sharply divided critics, but its stark images, sparse dialogue and relentlessly droning score were considered among the most memorable at this year's festival.
"That is true it is my last film. The last so-called Tarr film," he told reporters after receiving his award.
"I believe that in this film everything comes together. Everything is contained in this film -- everything that I believe needs to be shown in film, i.e. everything that uses the language of film."
One of the few surprises at the awards, which wound up the 10-day event where hundreds of new films are shown to the press and potential buyers, was the best director prize to Germany's Ulrich Koehler for the generally unfancied "Sleeping Sickness."
Best script went to Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for "The Forgiveness of Blood," which looks at the sometimes tragic consequences of ancient codes governing blood feuds which are still enforced in some parts of rural Albania today.
"The Prize," a story set in Argentina, picked up two technical awards, and the Alfred Bauer Prize for innovation went to German entry "If Not Us, Who."
Director Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of a marriage in crisis was firm favorite for the coveted award, and its victory was the first for an Iranian picture, Berlin organizers said.
In the movie, one family is pitted against another in a gripping legal tussle which highlights the gap between middle class "intellectuals" and poorer, traditional Iranians for whom religious beliefs and honor tend to be more important.
It was praised for its subtle exploration of Iran's class divisions and religious conservatism, which it managed to combine with the tension of a crime thriller. The acting awards were a bonus for Farhadi, whose daughter Sarina starred.
Farhadi paid tribute to fellow Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi, who was unable to accept Berlin's invitation to sit on the main jury after being sentenced to six years in jail and banned from making movies or traveling abroad for 20 years.
He stands accused of inciting opposition protests in 2009 and making a film without permission, and his sentence has caused an outcry in the movie making world.
"I want to remind you of Jafar Panahi," Farhadi told the glitzy awards ceremony. "I really think his problem will be solved, and I hope he will be the one standing here next year."
When asked to speak about the situation in Iran, he replied: "I can either say what you want me to say and the result would be that I get into trouble and couldn't make films anymore.
"Or I can say as much as I'm allowed to and continue making films. I prefer making my films. I'm not a hero, I'm a film maker," he told reporters, adding that he spoke to Panahi after receiving the Golden Bear.
Panahi's absence was marked with an empty chair alongside jury head Isabella Rossellini at the opening press conference, and some German media have dubbed this year's cinema showcase the "Iranian Berlinale."
DARK TALE OF A HORSE
The runner-up film prize went to Hungarian director Bela Tarr's black-and-white "The Turin Horse," a slow-moving, bleak feature about a farmer and his daughter's forsaken lives in a windswept, isolated house.
The love-it-or-loathe-it picture, which Tarr has said would be his last, sharply divided critics, but its stark images, sparse dialogue and relentlessly droning score were considered among the most memorable at this year's festival.
"That is true it is my last film. The last so-called Tarr film," he told reporters after receiving his award.
"I believe that in this film everything comes together. Everything is contained in this film -- everything that I believe needs to be shown in film, i.e. everything that uses the language of film."
One of the few surprises at the awards, which wound up the 10-day event where hundreds of new films are shown to the press and potential buyers, was the best director prize to Germany's Ulrich Koehler for the generally unfancied "Sleeping Sickness."
Best script went to Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for "The Forgiveness of Blood," which looks at the sometimes tragic consequences of ancient codes governing blood feuds which are still enforced in some parts of rural Albania today.
"The Prize," a story set in Argentina, picked up two technical awards, and the Alfred Bauer Prize for innovation went to German entry "If Not Us, Who."
Banksy welcome at Oscars, but will he show?
AP, LOS ANGELES: The question that's kept Oscar observers guessing since nominations were announced last month — Will Banksy show up? — remains unanswered. But the motion picture academy says the bad-boy British street artist is more than welcome to attend.
The elusive graffiti star is up for best documentary feature for his directing debut, "Exit Through the Gift Shop." Since he prefers to hide his face, it has seemed unlikely he would reveal himself before half a billion viewers worldwide on Hollywood's biggest night. Even in his own film, he appears in shadows, wearing a hoodie and with his voice altered to make it unrecognizable.
While publicists for the movie and for Banksy himself declined to comment as to whether he'll be at the Kodak Theatre with the rest of the nominees on Feb. 27, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it would be happy to see him.
"Banksy and his folks are keeping things very mysterious," the academy's executive director, Bruce Davis, said Friday. "We certainly are expecting the producer of the film to be with us, Jaimie D'Cruz, but I would not be surprised if Banksy were in the audience as well — but I don't think he's going to be wearing a name tag, so it may not be clear."
It seems Banksy was already in L.A. this past week, as evidenced by a few new pieces of his work that have cropped up around town.
One of them, a billboard for the Las Vegas nightclub Light, was tagged with graffiti images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse drinking and smoking with a sexy, scantily clad dancer. CBS Outdoor, which owns the billboard, quickly pulled the image down, saying it didn't meet their standards.
While Banksy's representatives won't comment on the work, as is their custom, Associated Press photos of the billboard match those on Banksy's own website. There was also no explanation as to why the iconic Disney characters were used, but the Academy Awards are televised by Disney-owned ABC.
Contrary to earlier reports, Davis said the academy did not tell Banksy to stay away from the Oscars for fear that he might cause a disruption at the elegant ceremony.
"We like to have the nominees with us," he said. But he added that because of Banksy's penchant for secrecy, "this presents certain problems, and we're talking to people about that. We kind of like to know who we're giving an Oscar to, but I think we can handle that if his film should win — and remember, there are four other contenders here.
"Weird stuff happens on the show, and that's the stuff people remember," Davis said (who can forget the streaker or Sally Field). "If that film should win and if something unusual transpires, that is not a bad thing for the Academy Awards."
"Exit Through the Gift Shop," which follows the evolution of the Los Angeles street art scene as it builds to a frenzy over the latest hot, new thing, is up against "Gasland," "Inside Job," "Restrepo" and "Waste Land."
When Banksy was nominated Jan. 25, he put out a statement: "This is a big surprise. I don't agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an exception for the ones I'm nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me."
The elusive graffiti star is up for best documentary feature for his directing debut, "Exit Through the Gift Shop." Since he prefers to hide his face, it has seemed unlikely he would reveal himself before half a billion viewers worldwide on Hollywood's biggest night. Even in his own film, he appears in shadows, wearing a hoodie and with his voice altered to make it unrecognizable.
While publicists for the movie and for Banksy himself declined to comment as to whether he'll be at the Kodak Theatre with the rest of the nominees on Feb. 27, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it would be happy to see him.
"Banksy and his folks are keeping things very mysterious," the academy's executive director, Bruce Davis, said Friday. "We certainly are expecting the producer of the film to be with us, Jaimie D'Cruz, but I would not be surprised if Banksy were in the audience as well — but I don't think he's going to be wearing a name tag, so it may not be clear."
It seems Banksy was already in L.A. this past week, as evidenced by a few new pieces of his work that have cropped up around town.
One of them, a billboard for the Las Vegas nightclub Light, was tagged with graffiti images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse drinking and smoking with a sexy, scantily clad dancer. CBS Outdoor, which owns the billboard, quickly pulled the image down, saying it didn't meet their standards.
While Banksy's representatives won't comment on the work, as is their custom, Associated Press photos of the billboard match those on Banksy's own website. There was also no explanation as to why the iconic Disney characters were used, but the Academy Awards are televised by Disney-owned ABC.
Contrary to earlier reports, Davis said the academy did not tell Banksy to stay away from the Oscars for fear that he might cause a disruption at the elegant ceremony.
"We like to have the nominees with us," he said. But he added that because of Banksy's penchant for secrecy, "this presents certain problems, and we're talking to people about that. We kind of like to know who we're giving an Oscar to, but I think we can handle that if his film should win — and remember, there are four other contenders here.
"Weird stuff happens on the show, and that's the stuff people remember," Davis said (who can forget the streaker or Sally Field). "If that film should win and if something unusual transpires, that is not a bad thing for the Academy Awards."
"Exit Through the Gift Shop," which follows the evolution of the Los Angeles street art scene as it builds to a frenzy over the latest hot, new thing, is up against "Gasland," "Inside Job," "Restrepo" and "Waste Land."
When Banksy was nominated Jan. 25, he put out a statement: "This is a big surprise. I don't agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an exception for the ones I'm nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me."
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