Latest news with #Aks
Muscat Daily
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
New online platform 'Aks' to showcase Oman's film productions
Oman's film industry gets a global boost with the launch of 'Aks' – a major milestone in the evolution of Omani cinema and a strategic step to promote independent productions – in Osaka In a landmark move to support the sultanate's cultural and creative industries, Omani director Fahad Ramadan al Maimani has launched Aks, the first Gulf platform dedicated exclusively to showcasing Omani films. The announcement was made on May 23, 2025, at the Omani Pavilion during Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Aks is a pioneering initiative that aims to strengthen Oman's presence on the regional and global cultural map. More than just a digital platform, it represents a promising cultural project that heralds a new era for independent digital filmmaking in the region. Speaking to Muscat Daily from Japan, Maimani described Aks as an independent cultural and cinematic platform created to stimulate the artistic movement in Oman and enhance the visibility of independent cinema. The platform, he explained, provides a modern digital space where filmmakers can share their stories with both, local and international, audiences. Maimani said he deliberately chose to unveil Aks during Expo 2025 in Osaka because of the event's global scale and multicultural reach. 'Expo 2025 brings together countries and cultures from across the world under one roof. It's the perfect stage to announce a platform like Aks which is built on the values of cultural dialogue, creativity, and innovation,' he said. 'By launching at the Expo, we wanted to signal that Omani cinema is ready to step onto the world stage.' He further highlighted that Aks was developed to overcome persistent challenges faced by independent filmmakers, chief among them weak distribution networks and limited audience access. He emphasised that Aks is part of a broader global movement that positions culture not only as a form of soft power but also as an economic opportunity and a developmental responsibility. 'The platform's vision goes beyond traditional exhibition,' he added. 'It seeks to redefine the relationship between audiences and cinema, between ideas and sound, and between image and belonging.' Explaining the name, Maimani said Aks is inspired by the visual language of photography and filmmaking, drawing from icons and symbols commonly found in cameras, editing software, and film equipment. This visual connection, he noted, gives the platform a strong identity while evoking a sense of creativity and belonging in the audiovisual space. Currently, Aks features a digital library with a curated selection of short narrative and documentary films, including White Gold, Never Dive Alone, ROPE, Loss, The Art of Life, Rhythm, Athar Fatima, and Color. Maimani revealed that the platform will soon expand with the launch of a smart application that promises a unique and immersive viewing experience. The app – also named Aks – will be available on Apple Store and Google Play before the end of the year, offering audiences in Oman and beyond easy access to the country's growing body of cinematic work. He described the launch of Aks as a major milestone in the evolution of Omani cinema and a strategic step toward enabling independent productions to assume a more influential role in both the Gulf and global cultural arenas. The platform, he said, seeks to empower filmmakers from all of Oman's governorates while building a comprehensive digital archive of local film productions. In addition to promoting Omani voices, Aks is also designed to support the creative economy and attract investment into the sultanate's burgeoning film industry. (Audiences can access the platform and explore its growing collection of Omani films by visiting
Time of India
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Raveena Tandon reveals she never wanted to be an actress: ‘I wanted to be a director like my father'
Raveena Tandon has long been celebrated as one of the most glamorous and successful actresses in Bollywood, but in a recent conversation with filmmaker Farah Khan , the Mohra star revealed that acting was never part of her plan. During her appearance on Farah's YouTube show, Raveena looked back at her early days and clarified a widely shared story about how she entered the industry. Contrary to the belief that she was always destined to be in front of the camera, Raveena said, 'I didn't want to be a heroine. I wanted to be a director like my father. I wanted to make ads. I never thought of being a heroine.' Farah Khan remembers a young Raveena: 'She was very beautiful' Farah, who introduced Raveena as the 'most beautiful heroine,' fondly recalled meeting her when she was just 16. 'I have known her since then. She was very beautiful. I told her, 'You will be a heroine.' She said, 'I will sweep in the studio… but I want to be in films,'' Farah shared. Raveena is the daughter of late filmmaker Ravi Tandon , known for classics like Khel Khel Mein, Majboor, and Jhuta Kahin Ka. Praising him, Farah said, 'His father was my favourite director. So many classics.' Raveena also added a fun trivia, pointing out that Baghban was actually a remake of one of her father's films. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'Baghban was also a remake of Zindagi Ki,' she said. From accidental heroine to powerhouse performer Though her journey into acting may have been unexpected, Raveena made her mark with her 1991 debut Patthar Ke Phool and quickly climbed the ranks with box-office hits like Dilwale, Mohra, Laadla, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, and Ziddi. Raveena Tandon Looks Pretty and Youthful in Bandra In the late '90s, she became a staple in comedy blockbusters alongside Govinda, delivering hits like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Dulhe Raja, and Anari No.1. She later won acclaim for serious roles in Ghulam-E-Mustafa and Shool, and ventured into parallel cinema with Daman and Aks in the 2000s. After a break from films, Raveena returned with the thriller Maatr, Netflix series Aranyak, and a key role in the blockbuster K.G.F: Chapter 2. Up next, she will be seen in Housefull 5, directed by Tarun Mansukhani. The star-studded ensemble features Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, Chunky Pandey and Johnny Lever. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
New York Post
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ex Fyre Fest designer says fraudster Billy McFarland, Anna Delvey, Luigi Mangione have one thing in common
The former social media designer for Fyre Festival says social media is fueling the idolization of bad actors and scammers, specifically naming Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland, notorious scam socialite Anna Delvey Sorokin and UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione as prime examples. Oren Aks spoke with Fox News Digital after Fyre Festival 2, a do-over version of the original Fyre Festival that failed in 2017, was postponed just weeks before it was scheduled to take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2. Oren Aks, who was employed with Jerry Media when he did graphic design and social media strategy work for Fyre Festival in 2017, told Fox News Digital that, in the age of social media, the public makes icons out of con artists and criminals like Delvey and Mangione. McFarland is no exception, he said. 'We look at them like they're iconic, like, 'Oh what's she wearing to court?' And … at a certain point, you're just more obsessed with them as this narrative that you've built rather than who they actually are. … If you met Billy, you wouldn't be impressed,' Aks said. Aks added that the public, especially the American public, does not talk about the success stories of millionaire and billionaire business moguls in the same way the public discusses scammers and 'money grubbers,' particularly on social media. 5 Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland cancelled his attempt to revive the failed music event. AP 'It used to be … this inspirational route you would take in your career to kind of move up a ladder or earn a living and buy a house or something. Now, we vilify those people, and we glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes,' Aks said. 'Like style icons or freedom fighters or whatever other imaginary title you want to assign them. And I think … it's very worrying as a societal shift. … Why are we doing this?' Aks added that America has built up the idea 'that you have to fail big to win big, or you have try big to succeed.' 5 The original Fyre Festival made headlines in 2017 for its chaos and disorganization. AP 5 Mitch Purgason attended the first event and paid for a 2-bedroom villa but got a 1-bedroom tent with a soaking wet bed instead. 'And they're almost kind of like this never-ending train wreck. … It's what fuels the internet,' he said. 'That's why people care about this Luigi Mangione guy. In what universe are we living in that this is a relevant story to glorify these people as the image of success? And … there'll be a thousand more. And it's truly an American story.' Aks said he was excited about the Fyre Festival project in 2017 because he had a background working in the music industry and was passionate about music festivals. The event and McFarland promised attendees who paid thousands for tickets a luxurious music festival set in the Bahamas but delivered a glorified campsite on the island instead. 5 The former social media designer for Fyre Festival compared McFarland to Anna Delvey Sorokin and Luigi Mangione. AP There was 'writing on the wall' before the festival began that should have indicated the event would be a disaster, from credit cards bouncing to Fyre Festival's partners being left out of the loop on logistical planning, Aks said. He recalled the moment he knew things were going south. 'When we arrived, the point where it really hit me was actually … going over this hill and kind of descending into the valley where the beach area, where the festival was taking place, and seeing the tents and the actual media center stage area and … nothing was there,' he said. 'In my brain, the logistics didn't work out, but I just assumed that's just not my territory. I'm the graphic designer. I'm sure they've got like an architect or … someone dealing with that. But then I saw the FEMA or the U.N.-style tents, and that was the moment it all hit.' 5 Oren Aks said bad actors like McFarland, Sorokin and Mangione are being idolized for their actions. J Mayer/Shutterstock After the 2017 Fyre Festival's failure, it went viral on social media when Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag and a photo of the strewn-together sandwiches served at the festival go viral at the time. The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220. Fyre Festival 2 has since been postponed, and McFarland announced this week he is selling the Fyre brand. 'We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach, and cultural capital – to an operator that can fully realize its vision,' McFarland wrote in a statement posted to Instagram Wednesday. McFarland said the Fyre brand 'deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its full potential.'
Fox News
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Ex Fyre Fest designer says fraudster Billy McFarland, Anna Delvey, Luigi Mangione have one thing in common
The former social media designer for Fyre Festival says social media is fueling the idolization of bad actors and scammers, specifically naming Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland, notorious scam socialite Anna Delvey Sorokin and UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione as prime examples. Oren Aks spoke with Fox News Digital after Fyre Festival 2, a do-over version of the original Fyre Festival that failed in 2017, was postponed just weeks before it was scheduled to take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2. Oren Aks, who was employed with Jerry Media when he did graphic design and social media strategy work for Fyre Festival in 2017, told Fox News Digital that, in the age of social media, the public makes icons out of con artists and criminals like Delvey and Mangione. McFarland is no exception, he said. "We look at them like they're iconic, like, 'Oh what's she wearing to court?' And … at a certain point, you're just more obsessed with them as this narrative that you've built rather than who they actually are. … If you met Billy, you wouldn't be impressed," Aks said. Aks added that the public, especially the American public, does not talk about the success stories of millionaire and billionaire business moguls in the same way the public discusses scammers and "money grubbers," particularly on social media. "We glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes." "It used to be … this inspirational route you would take in your career to kind of move up a ladder or earn a living and buy a house or something. Now, we vilify those people, and we glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes," Aks said. "Like style icons or freedom fighters or whatever other imaginary title you want to assign them. And I think … it's very worrying as a societal shift. … Why are we doing this?" Aks added that America has built up the idea "that you have to fail big to win big, or you have try big to succeed." "[I]t's a very worrying societal shift." "And they're almost kind of like this never-ending train wreck. … It's what fuels the internet," he said. "That's why people care about this Luigi Mangione guy. In what universe are we living in that this is a relevant story to glorify these people as the image of success? And … there'll be a thousand more. And it's truly an American story." Aks said he was excited about the Fyre Festival project in 2017 because he had a background working in the music industry and was passionate about music festivals. The event and McFarland promised attendees who paid thousands for tickets a luxurious music festival set in the Bahamas but delivered a glorified campsite on the island instead. There was "writing on the wall" before the festival began that should have indicated the event would be a disaster, from credit cards bouncing to Fyre Festival's partners being left out of the loop on logistical planning, Aks said. He recalled the moment he knew things were going south. "When we arrived, the point where it really hit me was actually … going over this hill and kind of descending into the valley where the beach area, where the festival was taking place, and seeing the tents and the actual media center stage area and … nothing was there," he said. "In my brain, the logistics didn't work out, but I just assumed that's just not my territory. I'm the graphic designer. I'm sure they've got like an architect or … someone dealing with that. But then I saw the FEMA or the U.N.-style tents, and that was the moment it all hit." After the 2017 Fyre Festival's failure, it went viral on social media when Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag and a photo of the strewn-together sandwiches served at the festival go viral at the time. The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220. Fyre Festival 2 has since been postponed, and McFarland announced this week he is selling the Fyre brand. "We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach, and cultural capital – to an operator that can fully realize its vision," McFarland wrote in a statement posted to Instagram Wednesday. McFarland said the Fyre brand "deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its full potential."
Sky News AU
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Insider's warning as fraudulent music event Fyre Festival attempts comeback: ‘We glorify the evil'
The former social media designer for Fyre Festival says social media is fueling the idolization of scammers and their wild ideas — Fyre Festival 2 being no exception. Oren Aks spoke with Fox News Digital after the apparent postponement of Fyre Festival 2, a do-over version of the original Fyre Festival, which failed in 2017 after promising attendees who paid thousands for tickets a luxurious music festival set in the Bahamas and delivering a ramshackle campsite on the island instead. Fyre Festival 2 was set to take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2, but one of its partners, ticketing company confirmed to Fox News Digital last week that the event had been postponed and it was refunding tickets for the event. "I think the bigger question here is … why is this so fascinating to people to keep going at it? Again, it's just because it's a big meme. So, because it is a meme, it keeps memeing, and we're just reinventing the meme," Aks said. "So, I get that in terms of like pop culture." In other words, people are treating Fyre Festival 2 like a big inside joke. The first festival's failure inspired documentaries on Hulu and Netflix, and some want to be in on the chaos if it fails a second time, Aks explained. Others believe Fyre Festival's creator, 33-year-old Billy McFarland, is a visionary and want to give him a second chance after he was convicted and sentenced to serve several years in prison for fraud following the 2017 event. "For me, the worldview of this story doesn't make sense," Aks said. "I've heard from having conversations with people throughout the years that … he is just a hardworking entrepreneur and that this is just to create opportunity to have fun in the making and they can't wait for it to be done right. So … if you're going out there for that, good luck. If you are going for having a good laugh, it must be nice that you have money to travel for a good laugh." He continued: "Either way, I don't think it's happening anymore from what I read last week, but if it does, it just won't be relevant again. I don't know if you noticed, even Coachella this year was … nobody was posting." When Aks joined the Fyre Festival team eight years ago, he worked for Jerry Media, which handled graphic design and social media strategy for the original festival. Aks said he was excited about the project because he had a background working in the music industry and was passionate about music festivals. There was "writing on the wall" before the festival began that should have indicated the event would be a disaster, from credit cards bouncing to Fyre Festival's partners being left out of the loop on logistical planning, Aks said. He recalled the moment he knew things were going south. "When we arrived, the point where it really hit me was actually … going over this hill and kind of descending into the valley where the beach area where the festival was taking place and seeing the tents and the actual media center stage area and … nothing was there," he said. "…In my brain, the logistics didn't work out, but I just assumed that's just not my territory. I'm the graphic designer, I'm sure they've got like an architect or … someone dealing with that. But then I saw the FEMA or the UN-style tents, and that was the moment it all hit." In the age of social media, Aks said, the public makes icons out of scammers like Anna Delvey and even murder suspects like Luigi Mangione. "We look at them like they're iconic, like, 'Oh what's she wearing to court?' And … at a certain point, you're just more obsessed with them as this narrative that you've built rather than who they actually are. … If you met Billy, you wouldn't be impressed," Aks said. Aks added that the public, especially the American public, does not talk about the success stories of millionaire and billionaire business moguls in the same way the public discusses scammers and "money grubbers," particularly on social media. "It used to be … this inspirational route you would take in your career to kind of move up a ladder or earn a living and buy a house or something. Now, we vilify those people, and we glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes," Aks said. "Like style icons or freedom fighters, or whatever other imaginary title you want to assign them. And I think it's, well, it's very worrying as a societal shift. … Why are we doing this?" Aks said he believes McFarland hasn't lived his "15 minutes of fame" yet after the first Fyre Festival, and he is still working to achieve recognition for Fyre Festival 2. Fyre Festival 2 did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions about a postponement, and nothing on the event's website or social media pages mentioned anything about changed plans. Earlier this month, Fyre Festival organizers fired back at Playa del Carmen's statement saying the Mexican city's government had no knowledge of the event. "FYRE has been working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025, to ensure a safe and successful event," organizers said. "All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation," the statement reads, along with screenshots and photos of "relevant permits, payments, and communications" with Playa del Carmen officials. "FYRE has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event." McFarland also posted a video of a press conference he and his team held in Playa del Carmen on March 28, which included government representatives from the area. The statement came in response to Playa del Carmen's social media post saying that "[i]n response to rumors about a supposed event called 'Fyre 2,' we inform you that no event of that name will be held in Playa del Carmen." It was the second statement from a government entity denying the festival's existence since March. The event was originally scheduled to take place in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, between those dates, but it recently moved to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, after Isla Mujeres said Fyre Festival organizers had not requested permits in the popular vacation town. Tickets for Fyre Festival 2 start at $1,400 per person for general admission and go up from there. The most expensive ticket sells for more than $1 million and offers private air and yacht travel, luxury villa accommodations and festival access over four days to eight people. In 2017, Fyre Festival guests arrived in the Bahamas to find bare-bones tents when they were promised luxury accommodations; cheap, boxed meals when they were promised a high-end culinary experience; unclean port-o-potties; and canceled music acts that they paid to see over the course of the festival. The original Fyre Fest promised music acts including Blink 182, Migos and other artists; celebrity model attendees, including the Hadid sisters and Emily Ratajkowski; luxury accommodations and fine food, with tickets ranging from $1,200 to over $100,000. After the festival's failure, it went viral on social media when Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag go viral at the time. The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220. Originally published as Insider's warning as fraudulent music event Fyre Festival attempts comeback: 'We glorify the evil'
