Latest news with #Sag
Western Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Baby Reindeer scoops early Bafta win with prize for Jessica Gunning
The Netflix hit, said to be inspired by the real-life experiences of creator Richard Gadd, sees his character Donny being hounded by a woman called Martha, played by Gunning, after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works. Yorkshire-born Gunning beat her fellow Baby Reindeer star, trans actress Nava Mau, who played Donny's girlfriend. Jessica Gunning and Richard Gadd (Jordan Pettitt/PA) On stage on Sunday at London's Royal Festival Hall, Gunning said: 'Hello, cheeky chops, gosh, thank you Bafta, wow', before joking that she used to pretend to be a dog in her garden. 'I sometimes do this kind of cheesy thing where I look back on the younger me and moments in my life, and I imagine the kind of then me, seeing me now, and think, 'little did we know',' she said. She said last year, her and Gadd were at the ceremony, and 'little did we know what the year had in store', while thanking him for changing 'her life'. Gunning has previously picked up an Emmy, Sag award and Golden Globe for playing Martha, whose interference in Donny's life makes his world unravel, as the show also dramatises the failing comedian character's other traumas. Baby Reindeer hit the headlines since being released on Netflix last year after a woman claiming to be the 'real' Martha came forward to bring a lawsuit against the streaming company. Picking up the best supporting actor prize was Ariyon Bakare for the BBC LGBT drama Mr Loverman, based on the Bernardine Evaristo novel of the same name. The programme follows Barrington Walker, played by Lennie James, as he contemplates leaving his wife for Bakare's character. Accepting the prize, Bakare appeared to stop a few times as he became 'nervous' and thanked his sister for her support. He said: 'This award stands on the shoulders of those who came before me, those who might have been afraid to come out, to be who they want to be.' He also thanked James and Sharon D Clarke, who played Barrington's wife Carmel. The ceremony was opened by host and Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who referenced his presenting role on The Traitors US in a sketch with footage of him shown in the Scottish Highlands castle where the hit reality series takes place. On stage, Cumming also joked about his acting career, Facebook, and brought a fake children's book about long speeches and who winners are supposed to thank. The Bafta TV Awards will air on BBC One at 7pm.
WIRED
20-03-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Satellite Internet Will Let Us Put AI in Everything
AI-powered agents need to be connected all the time to be truly effective. Sounds like a job for satellite internet providers. A Starlink satellite dish on the roof of a house in Niamey, Niger on January 22, 2025. Photograph:If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED Satellite internet is blasting off right now. Nations and states are inking deals with satellite providers to fill in service gaps for their residents and keep their critical infrastructure connected. Phone makers are building satellite capabilities into their handsets. Airlines are partnering with satellite operators to keep your in-flight Netflix stream stutter-free. And the race to blast the satellites powering these networks into orbit is helping the rocket business thrive. All of this adds up to boom times for satellite internet. But there's another factor that could cause the tech's proliferation to accelerate further: artificial intelligence. The AI industry is keen to see a fully connected world because of the benefits a persistent connection can bring to its products, says Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. The near future of the AI arms race hinges on agents, smart-ish virtual assistants that can automate various parts of your life. But those AI agents have to be on call 24/7 to be effective, which requires an always-on internet connection. And the fast pace of AI agent innovation requires the AI models to be tweaked and updated often, which makes a direct connection indispensable. 'We're still very much dependent on the cloud because things are changing so fast,' Sag says. 'You can't just deploy an AI model to an endpoint and expect that you're not going to have to update that model pretty regularly.' Another beneficiary of the satellite internet expansion is likely to be the great, flawed landscape that is the internet of things. IoT tech like free-roaming robot vacuums, road-tripping luggage trackers, and security cameras at the edge of your property will no longer struggle to stay connected while they transfer videos, photos, commands, and location data. 'I think IoT will become more relevant,' Sag says, 'because satellite connectivity will enable more IoT devices to feed back into AI.' If you have satellites blanketing the entire planet giving real-time data of where devices are and how they're moving, that offers up a massive feast of information for AI to gobble up and, hopefully, to digest into something usable. 'IoT struggled significantly because nobody knew what to do with the data,' Sag says of the past decade. 'But AI loves data. And the more data you give it, the more you can empower it to make better decisions.' A Link to the Stars Of all the major players in satellite internet, Starlink looms the largest. It provides solid internet service to over 4.5 million subscribers around the world, many of whom would otherwise not have access to a reliable connection. It's also a subsidiary of SpaceX and controlled by CEO Elon Musk, the person leading the systematic dismemberment of federal agencies across the entire pantheon of government in the US. Thanks to Musk, Starlink's internet service is even installed at the White House. That political connection is unsavory to some, and it's sending some potential customers elsewhere. Starlink is controversial for other reasons too: The service was found to be used by a criminal organization in Myanmar to keep a slavery-powerd scam operation online. But Starlink is beloved by millions of rural residents and rich yacht owners alike. The US military is excited about using it to keep troops connected in the field. Corporations are hitching their wagon to Starlink as well, with travel providers like United Airlines and cruise ship companies hoping to keep customers online as they scurry around the globe. T-Mobile recently partnered with Starlink to provide connectivity to customers in reception dead zones. Starlink on T-Mobile, Sag says, is an example of this satellite technology being implemented in a simple and effective way. If you go out of the range of a terrestrial T-Mobile reception tower, your phone can connect to Starlink passively, without having to fiddle with changing networks yourself. 'They worked extremely closely with Google and Apple to make sure that this was a super, super easy experience,' Sag says. 'You don't need an app and you don't have to click any buttons. It just works.' Terrestrial wireless connections already have that sort of interoperability built in. If you're traveling and lose connection with a cell tower, there's probably another one close by that your device will automatically connect to. Satellite internet provides that same unbroken experience even when there are no cell towers to connect to—for phones, trackers, and a litany of connected gadgets. Got You Covered Of course, Starlink's satellites are not the only ones on the launchpad. The same day T-Mobile first announced its partnership with Starlink, the European Commission also announced it had signed a contract to put a constellation of 290 satellites into orbit as part of its own Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) program. Amazon's Project Kuiper already has prototypes in the sky, and is aiming to get more than 3,000 satellites into orbit to provide broadband internet service. Google's parent company, Alphabet, has spun off its own satellite provider named Taara to better compete in the field. Three Chinese firms have joined the fray, which also includes players like Lynk Global and Eutelsat OneWeb. AT&T and Verizon are both working with the Texas satellite company AST Space Mobile to expand their coverage areas. (Verizon has also been working with Project Kuiper since 2021.) Apple has invested $1.5 billion into the satellite company Globalstar with the goal of building out its own constellation that can enable Apple devices to use features like Emergency SOS and car crash detection in remote areas without a cell signal. 'The advantage of these global constellations and why we're building them is that they have global coverage,' says Ian Christensen, senior director of private sector programs at the Secure World Foundation, an organization that advocates for cooperative and sustainable space tech. 'You don't worry about being in a place where you connect with a Starlink satellite, but not a Globalstar satellite.' The way that ease of interoperability could go awry, Christensen cautions, is if devices themselves are locked to proprietary satellite systems. So if Globalstar satellites only worked on Apple phones or vice versa, there could be some gaps in the constellation of coverage. That doesn't seem like the plan for the companies involved, however. A more likely evolution of this globe-spanning network, Christensen says, is that satellites become platform-agnostic, much the way land-based telecom operations are. 'Most of your devices actually can talk to the Russian system, the Chinese system, and the US system,' Christensen says. 'Devices are interoperable in that way, and that's a design choice.' Partly Cloudy Skies Lots of experts, Christensen included, have concerns with the sustainability of satellite operations. In August 2024, the advocacy group PIRG called on the FCC to limit how many satellites are launched into orbit until a comprehensive environmental review can detail the widespread effects of blasting thousands of satellites into the sky. There's also the matter that satellite internet is typically slower than the speeds we're used to with fiber-based broadband. While the data rate might be sufficient for our connectivity needs now, it might get bogged down as the number of connected devices grows—especially if those devices are as data-hungry as an always-connected AI agent. Regardless, the race for low-Earth orbit is well underway. And your phone will be plugged into the space internet sooner than you think. 'Fundamentally, I think it will become standardized that all phones have satellite connectivity, because the value of saving a life is literally priceless,' Sag says. 'I wouldn't want to go out into a place where I don't have service without it.'
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Is this the most open Oscars race in recent memory?
The red carpet is being vacuumed, the manicurists are working overtime and, across Hollywood, an unprecedented number of acceptance speeches are getting a polish. The four big categories at this year's Oscars – best picture, director, actor and actress – are being deemed too close to call as the remarkable drama of this year's award season reaches a peak. The Brutalist, Brady Corbet's epic postwar drama about a modernist Hungarian architect in the US, was until recently perceived as a lock for the top prize. But two other films have since denied it the top prize at subsequent ceremonies, causing its stock to drop rapidly. Earlier this month, Anora, a comedy-drama about a sex worker in Brooklyn who falls for the son of a Russian billionaire, triumphed at three of the four significant guild awards in the US – those decided by writers, directors and producers. This is a significant bellwether. Only one film has ever lost the Oscar after taking all three: Brokeback Mountain, in 2006, which controversially lost to Paul Haggis's Crash. Crash's previous key win had been the ensemble prize at the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) awards. The equivalent winner at the Sags last weekend was Conclave, Edward Berger's papal thriller adapted from the Robert Harris novel, which was also a surprise best picture winner at the Baftas a fortnight ago. Despite Anora's apparent edge, pundits are now split between the top trio of titles. All have their passionate champions and vocal detractors, and although Conclave is believed to not be quite as ardently adored as the other two, it is perhaps the most widely admired. Being enough people's second choice, however, could serve it well given the Academy's preferential choice system. Should it take the best picture Oscar on Sunday, it will follow the path of another British hit, 1998's Shakespeare in Love, which ousted frontrunner Saving Private Ryan at the Oscars after leveraging victories at the Baftas and Sags. Others speculate the award may end up going to a wild card: Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, which holds across-the-board appeal and could capitalise on the best actor victory of star Timothée Chalamet at the Sags last Sunday. The Brutalist's Adrien Brody had managed a clean sweep of trophies until that upset. Meanwhile, the ascendancy of Conclave had led some to suspect a last-minute swoop by its star, Ralph Fiennes. Anonymous Oscar ballots leaked earlier this week suggested a misapprehension among more than one voter that Fiennes had already won an Oscar in 1994 for Schindler's List – the first of his three nominations. Fiennes actually lost out that year, and a win for Conclave would be his first award for more than 30 years, since Bafta did give him the best supporting actor award for Spielberg's film. Though his peers' ignorance is troubling, it also suggests that should sufficient of their number be more on top of their history, Fiennes might just have a chance. Meanwhile, the best actress race could contain not one but two fairytales gone awry. Karla Sofía Gascón, the first out transgender actress nominated for an Oscar, was widely predicted to make even more history with her win for her role in Emilia Pérez – until unearthed offensive social media posts imploded her campaign. The path was therefore cleared for Demi Moore, 62, whose almost 45-year career had not troubled awards bodies, regardless of her box office clout. The Golden Globe Moore won in January plays into a comeback narrative Hollywood finds almost as irresistible as one which breaks inclusivity records. Yet Mikey Madison, the 25-year-old star of Anora, won best actress at the Baftas, and the Independent Spirit awards, meaning Moore's victory looks increasingly uncertain. While last year's Oscars progressed with relative predictability, almost in lockstep with all preceding ceremonies in awarding Oppenheimer the big prizes, alongside Poor Things' Emma Stone and The Holdovers' Da'Vine Joy Randolph, the path to the 97th Academy Awards has been strewn with unforeseen obstacles. Even before the Emilia Pérez social media story, Jacques Audiard's film, which heads into the ceremony with 13 nominations – the most of any movie this year, and three more than any other foreign language film ever – had been deemed 'offensive' by Mexicans and the trans community, both of whom it endeavours to depict. Both that film and The Brutalist came under fire for the use of AI in voice cloning for its lead performers; Gascón during some musical numbers, as well as to improve Brody's Hungarian accent. Netflix's U-turn this week over funding the expenses of previously cold-shouldered Gascón means the star will attend the Academy Awards, where her behaviour – as well as that of her co-stars – will be closely scrutinised. The Los Angeles fires delayed the Oscars nominations announcement twice and led to a number of key Academy and ancillary events being cancelled. Meanwhile, ceremony organisers are scrambling after the death of one of the most respected Oscar-winners in history, Gene Hackman, in disturbing circumstances. They will also be closely monitoring the health of Pope Francis, to gauge which of host Conan O'Brien's jokes about Conclave – which depicts the election of a new pope after his predecessor's death – may or may not sail too close to the wind. Those in search of certainty on Sunday night are encouraged to seek solace in the supporting actor races, both of which are sure things. Despite Emilia Pérez's bumpy ride, Zoe Saldaña seems guaranteed to win best supporting actress. Speaking to the Guardian last week, Guy Pearce – whose role in The Brutalist has earned him a best supporting actor nod – conceded that the actor who has so far swept the board in their category would probably continue to do so. 'I'm not gonna win! Kieran [Culkin] will win, again,' he said. 'I've had [a speech] I've thought about for the last three months now – haven't used it once!'
The Guardian
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘We are very worried': Conclave cast express concern for Pope Francis in health crisis
The cast of papal election drama Conclave have expressed their concerns for Pope Francis, as reports continue of his critical condition. Actors Isabella Rossellini and Sergio Castellitto, who respectively play papal housekeeper Sister Agnes and conservative cleric Cardinal Tedesco in Conclave, were speaking as the film was given the award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture by the Screen Actors Guild (Sag), an outcome that would appear to significantly boost its chances in the Oscar race. In remarks reported by the Wrap, during the ceremony, Rossellini said: 'First of all, we would like to wish Pope Francis a quick recovery.' She added later: ''We are very, very worried for our pope. We love this pope – Papa Francesco, Pope Francis. We wish him well. We wish him to recover.' Castellitto said: 'For us that live in Rome … our relationship as Italians to the pope is much closer. I repeat, I really wish him well.' Conclave dramatises the process by which a new pope is elected, and the film's co-star John Lithgow, who plays the machiavellian Cardinal Tremblay, acknowledged it was 'timely'. 'The film has ended up extremely timely … and it's about the social organism electing a leader. And elections have become a great big, important subject of our time. With the election that took place just yesterday in Germany, these are extremely important events right now.' Lithgow added: 'You cannot help seeing Conclave and not thinking what happens when different tribes quarrel with each other trying to decide on who is their leader.' Pope Francis was admitted to hospital on 14 February after suffering breathing difficulties. He has remained hospitalised with what has been described as 'pneumonia and a complex lung infection'.
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez appear together at awards show amid Emilia Perez controversy
Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez appeared together at the 2025 Sag Awards amid a controversy surrounding their recent film Emilia Perez. The Netflix musical, in which both actors starred, has been at the centre of a scandal surrounding offensive tweets posted by the film's lead actor, Karla Sofía Gascón. Emilia Perez was up for three awards at the ceremony, which is hosted by the Screen Actors Guild (Sag): Best Supporting Actress (for Saldaña), Best Lead Actress (for Gascón), and Best Ensemble Cast. The movie won just one award, in Saldaña's category. Not present at the ceremony was Gascón, who has reportedly been dropped by Netflix from the awards campaign trail, though is expected to attend the Academy Awards later this week. Saldaña, 46, and Gomez, 32, took to the stage during Sunday night's (23 February) Sag ceremony to introduce their film, which follows a Mexican druglord (Gascón) who undergoes a gender transition. " Emilia Pérez was a magical collaboration where we got to sing and dance and explore the journey of being authentically yourself," Saldaña told the audience. Gomez added: " Emilia Pérez is a ride unlike any other — it's thrilling, it's heart-wrenching, and it's always one fabulously choreographed step ahead of your expectations." Saldaña continued, "Every once in a while, we get a movie that dares to be unpredictable as life itself, and here she is." A montage of clips from the Spanish-language musical then played on screen. Emilia Perez was considered a frontrunner for many major awards this year and was nominated for 13 Oscars – a record for a film not in the English language. However, the controversy surrounding Gascon's tweets – which voiced offensive sentiments on topics such as Islam, George Floyd, and the Oscars themselves – has seen many people write off the polarising movie's chances. The exception to this is in the Best Supporting Actress category, where Saldaña has proved to be consistently successful, and remains the favourite to take home the Oscar on Sunday. Jacques Audiard, the film's director, was among those to criticise Gascon, describing her approach to the scandal – involving multiple apologies and an hourlong TV interview – as 'self-destructive'. Since then, Gascon has been absent from the awards show circuit, and has vowed to stay out of the public eye. 'Following Jacques's interview that I understand, I decided, for the film, for Jacques, for the cast, for the incredible crew who deserves it, for the beautiful adventure we all had together, to let the work talk for itself," Gascón wrote in an Instagram post on 6 February. "Hoping my silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference. I sincerely apologise to everyone who has been hurt along the way.'
