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The Star
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
UTAR creatives scoop 11 awards
CREATIVITY is an ever-appreciating currency in the modern world. Proving they possess a wealth of it, 10 students from the Department of Multimedia Design and Animation at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Faculty of Creative Industries (FCI) recently took part in the international Indigo Design Awards 2025, and emerged with a total of 11 awards. The achievement, announced on April 3, came amid a lineup of contenders from some of the world's top institutions, including the Yale School of Art and the Savannah College of Art and Design in the United States. An annual competition since 2017, the Indigo Design Awards – held in Amsterdam, Netherlands – celebrate exceptional design across digital, graphic, mobile and branding disciplines. The UTAR students' projects, which garnered four Golds, six Silvers and one Bronze, spanned categories such as motion graphics, branding, interactive design, magazine publishing and mixed media. Gold winners Loke Qi Yan, Lee Han Ying, Tang Tze Ling and Law Khor Nee expressed their jubilation in a recent press release. Loke, who also won a Silver, was recognised for two projects: 'Welcome to Google Workspace' (motion graphics) and 'Organic Face – Celebrate Your Inner Glow' (branding). 'Winning this recognition made me realise that I'm capable of achieving anything, as long as I keep learning, growing, and pushing my creative limits,' she said. Lee, who created a music teaser video inspired by Ariana Grande's We Can't Be Friends, said getting her work recognised 'feels really nice' – she had joined the competition as an attempt to step out of her comfort zone. Tang's 'Girl in the Picture' is a chilling title sequence for a true crime documentary. Describing her award as 'surreal', she said it was also 'incredibly encouraging'. Law's motion design video 'Webflow' shone in the mixed media/moving image category. Filled with visuals and animations, it celebrates the transformation from static web layouts to intuitive digital design. In addition to the Gold winners, Teng Por Xuen, Ng Hong Kai, Erene Teoh, Jong Shu Qing and Lim Chu Zhen won Silver awards. Teng's 'Ugly Duckling Magazine' was inspired by his journey of embracing his identity. 'This competition recognised the idea of individuality. To every Ugly Duckling out there, you still can be anything you want to be,' he said. Hong Kai's animated short 'Bak Kut Teh – A Traditional Chinese Food in Malaysia' explored the history of the beloved Malaysian dish through the story of Ah Fatt, a migrant-turned-culinary figure. He expressed his gratitude to his mentor, FCI lecturer Ng Perng Jeu, and his family for their support. Teoh, who submitted her motion graphic music video 'Golden Hour', also expressed appreciation for her mentors at UTAR. 'I'm excited to keep learning and make even cooler things ahead!' she said. Jong said her win validated the hard work behind her promotional video for Dior's Fall/Winter 2024. 'Winning Silver is an incredible honour. It motivates me to keep innovating,' she added. Lim described her win for her branding motion piece 'Montigo', promoted as a lifestyle brand, as 'incredibly exciting and rewarding'. Bronze winner Lavanyaa G.R. Chandran takes pride in having submitted an explainer video on the Saraswathi Veena. 'Bringing light to my culture, especially on an international platform, is something I'm proud of,' she said. According to the press release, the students received guidance from FCI dean Assoc Prof Dr David Tneh Cheng Eng, Department of Multimedia Design and Animation head Dr Wan Irma Sabrina Idris, and lecturers Lee Kin Keong, Jeevamalar Kumarasamy, Perng Jeu and Ravindran Munusamy. The award ceremony for this year's edition of the competition is set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 29.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Azealia Banks and Bebe Rexha clash in vicious online feud: 'You might wanna jump on some type of therapy'
If Azealia Banks and Bebe Rexha's relationship were a song, it would be sung by Ariana Grande: "We Can't Be Friends." The "212" rapper and "Meant to Be" singer engaged in a public spat on Monday, following Banks' unprovoked critique of Rexha's physical appearance at the 2025 Met Gala. "Sis gives me - hormonal birth control implant or something," Banks wrote on X Monday evening, in response to a photo of Rexha arriving at the annual fundraising celebration wearing a black Christian Siriano ensemble. "It's giving implanon/nuvaring she needs removed or depo shot that needs to stop happening." Rexha responded the following morning, suggesting that Banks "might wanna jump on some type of therapy," and snarking that the antidepressant "lexapro worked great for me. Something that helps with the deep rooted sadness and chaos you keep projecting. Healing looks good on everyone. Try it." A few minutes after sharing her response, Rexha posted again, hoping to draw the back-and-forth to a close: "Ok I'm gonna go and enjoy my day now ❤️ Have a good day everyone love you." In a third post that has since been deleted, Rexha, 35, opened up about weathering constant criticism of her appearance and explained that she has a health condition. "I'm so tired of people commenting on my weight. I have PCOS and struggle with infertility," she wrote, referring to polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder that presents challenges Rexha has been open about in the past. She continued, "I got pregnant, and it didn't work out and I've been carrying that pain in silence. I never owed anyone that truth, but maybe now you'll think twice before commenting on anyone's body."Rexha's attempt to shut down the conflict was only successful on her end, however, as Banks fired off several lengthy responses on Tuesday. "You should really get off Lexapro lmao, weight gain is a TRADEMARK side effect of Lexapro," Banks wrote in one, referring back to Rexha's original response. In another, she offered to be Rexha's "support sister if u need it's honestly nothing to be ashamed of because trust me... The problems that come from ssri's are a lot LOT worse than anything you feel you are going thru now." Banks' comments toward Rexha were part of a larger running commentary she posted in reaction to pictures from the Met Gala's red carpet, which this year was tinted a deep shade of blue, courtesy of artist Cy Gavin. The New York City-born musician, 33, had praise for Nicki Minaj's Thom Browne look ("Ok now that we can see the boning this look is a serrrve," compared Sabrina Carpenter to Lil' Kim ("This is very Notorious K.I.M. coded"), and had a mixed reaction to an image of Katy Perry look that was later found to be AI-generated ("Katy just gives me evil Madonna levels of behind the scenes corporate sabotage"). Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariana Grande Gives Closer Look at Her Darker Hair in 'Brighter Days Ahead' Behind-the-Scenes Photos
Ariana Grande's Glinda blonde has been a permanent fixture since filming Wicked, but the pop star took a brief break from the shade with her latest project. The "We Can't Be Friends" singer, 31, shared a series of behind the scene images from the filming of her short film, Brighter Days Ahead, to her Instagram on April 8. In the photos, Grande is seen sporting a hair color a few shades darker than the Glinda blonde she has been wearing for the Wicked press cycle. Her hair, now closer to an auburn shade, was pulled up into a side-parted high ponytail that cascaded down her back. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Ariana Grande Trades Pink for Black at CinemaCon Wicked: For Good Presentation. Is She Hinting at What's to Come for Glinda? Hints of auburn started creeping into Grande's hair earlier this year — for the 2025 Golden Globes in January, the actress's Aubrey Hepburn-inspired hair was updated to a darker hue with chunky highlights by her hair colorist, Rachel Bodt, for the event. "We went for a warm, light auburn-brown base with chunky contoured highlights to create contrast," Bodt told InStyle. "I kept both the highlights and base colors warm so they played well with each other. Since it was a bolder look, I wanted it to feel like it went together." The auburn shade, which formally enters the red family, is a far cry from the cherry color Grande used to wear on Victorious. The brighter red damaged her hair due to her getting it touched up every week; Grande later adopted her signature ponytail to give her hair a break from the damage, and wore her hair in brunette shades. 'It's kind of like the red was Cat [Valentine], and that was very much a character, and it was very much a portion of my life that I love and I am so grateful for," she said in a 2020 appearance on the Zack Sang Show. "And I look at it and I love it and I see red I think fondly of that, but again, it's not me.' Read the original article on People
See - Sada Elbalad
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Ariana Grande Releases "Eternal Sunshine" Deluxe Album, "Brighter Days Ahead" Short Film
Yara Sameh Ariana Grande released Friday the highly-anticipated deluxe edition of her album, "Eternal Sunshine", along with a nearly 30-minute short film, "Brighter Days Ahead". Set to a backdrop of the album's songs, the short film picks up 70 years after the Wicked star's 'We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)' music video. In that music video, she plays Peaches, a heartbroken young woman visiting a clinic named Brighter Days Inc. to have the memories of her lost love (played by Evan Peters) wiped from her mind. In "Brighter Days Ahead", Grande is now an elderly woman, visiting the same clinic to try its new procedure, memory restoration. The service comes at a price, according to a release: The relived memories are permanently erased after viewing. Throughout the short film, Grande's Peaches looks back at her life through clips of memories, including what appear to be real childhood home videos of the chart-topping pop star. The extended edition of the original 13-song project features six new tracks, including 'Twilight Zone,' 'Warm,' 'Dandelion,' 'Past Life,' 'Hampstead' and 'Intro (End of the World) Extended,' a longer version of the emotional opening track on the original LP. "Eternal Sunshine" originally dropped almost exactly a year ago, in March 2024. The album's standard release was then followed by a 'Slightly Deluxe' version of the album, with four additional tracks: 'Yes, And?' with Mariah Carey, 'Supernatural' with Troye Sivan, an acoustic recording of 'Imperfect for You' and an a capella version of 'True Story.' The "Wicked" star has had a whirlwind year since the release of "Eternal Sunshine". She earned her first Oscar nomination for her role of Glinda in the adaptation of the hit stage musical; the film's second part, "Wicked: For Good", is slated to be released later this year. Grande and co-star Cynthia Erivo also opened the 2025 Academy Awards. The 'Thank U, Next' singer kicked the performance off with her rendition of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' Erivo then presented 'Home' from The Wiz. The pair then performed a section of Wicked's 'Defying Gravity.' Special fan screenings of "Brighter Days Ahead" are being held on Sunday (March 30) in L.A., New York, Chicago and Grande's hometown of Boca Raton, Florida. Ariana GrandeAriana Grande read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Ireland Replaces Former Israeli Embassy with Palestinian Museum News Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariana Grande's new short film includes movie references to 'X-Men' and 'Minority Report.' Here's every detail you may have missed.
Ariana Grande released the deluxe version of her album "Eternal Sunshine" on Friday. The release was paired with a short film co-directed by Grande and Christian Breslauer. The short film features a string of movie references and an explicit shout-out to Steven Spielberg. Ariana Grande released "Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead" on Friday, an extended version of her Grammy-nominated seventh studio album. Grande has described "Eternal Sunshine" as a concept album, drawing liberally from Michel Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." The 2004 sci-fi film stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as ill-matched lovers who decide to erase their memories of each other, arguably dooming themselves to a never-ending loop of heartbreak. The deluxe edition's arrival was paired with a short film, co-directed by Grande and Christian Breslauer, who previously helmed the visual for "Yes, And?" Much like the album itself, "Brighter Days Ahead" is thematically and aesthetically influenced by Gondry's cult classic — as well as other significant moments in cinema. Keep reading for the key references and details we found. Grande's character is called Peaches, a reference to Winslet's character in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Grande's fans first met Peaches in the music video for "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," which premiered last March. The character's fruity name is a clear nod to Clementine, the impulsive yet lovable heroine from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," who is portrayed by Winslet. "We Can't Be Friends" shows Peaches arriving at Brighter Days, Inc. for a futuristic memory-erasure procedure. (In Gondry's film, the clinic is called Lacuna, Inc., a word that means "a blank space or a missing part," according to Merriam-Webster.) Grande's new short film picks up 70 years after the events of "We Can't Be Friends." "Now, she finds herself once again in the waiting room of Brighter Days Inc., but this time for a very different appointment," the video's description reads. "The company now offers advanced memory restoration, allowing her to revisit a curated selection of moments from her life — both cherished and painful." In the opening scene, we can see that Grande's signature hand tattoos have become faded and blotchy with time. Peaches uses a machine to revisit four past memories, which play out like a series of mini music videos. The short film features six songs from "Eternal Sunshine." "Intro (End of the World)," "Eternal Sunshine," and "Supernatural" were all included on the album's standard edition, while "Dandelion," "Twilight Zone," and "Hampstead" are deluxe tracks. The memory machine bears an uncanny resemblance to Cerebro from the "X-Men" franchise. Cerebro is a supercomputer that amplifies the telepathic powers of Professor Charles Xavier, played by Patrick Stewart in the original "X-Men" trilogy. Perhaps Grande is lobbying for a role in the newly expanded MCU? The machine's design also evokes Steven Spielberg's 2002 sci-fi film "Minority Report." The futuristic action flick "Minority Report" stars Tom Cruise as Chief John Anderton. His police department, Precrime, is tasked with analyzing psychic premonitions, which they use to catch would-be killers before they commit premeditated murders. The memory machine depicted in Grande's short film resembles the technology in "Minority Report," especially the spheres where Peaches' memories are stored. The "Brighter Days Ahead" credits seem to confirm this parallel; they include a line that reads "Additional Thanks to Universal Studios, Steven Spielberg," the director of "Minority Report." Even before her Oscar-nominated turn as Glinda in "Wicked," Grande was no stranger to referencing movies in her work. She previously included nods to "Catwoman" in "The Boy Is Mine" (2024) and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" in "34+35" (2020). Most famously, Grande's 2018 "Thank U, Next" video paid homage to a handful of female-led rom-coms: "Mean Girls," "Legally Blonde," "13 Going on 30," and "Bring It On." When she performed the hit song on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" with cowriters Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx, they reenacted the iconic final scene from "The First Wives Club." Grande used a similar looping machine for a live performance of "Positions." Following the release of "Positions" in 2020, Grande collaborated with Vevo to produce a series of live performances of songs from the album. To kick off her performance of the title track, Grande used a looping machine to stack her vocals and harmonies — almost identical to the one she uses in "Brighter Days Ahead" to perform the "Eternal Sunshine" title track. "That was one of the first instruments she had as a child, and she would loop her vocals to make songs up," Vevo exec Ed Walker told Business Insider. "She told us this story on set, about how it was crazy because she hadn't used one of those loopers in like, 10 years. She got one in the studio and she just used it and then she was like, 'Right, we're starting the song with this.' It took her back to being in her bedroom." Grande has also said she "fell in love" with using looping machines after watching Imogen Heap perform at a young age. Grande's real dad, Ed Butera, plays a Frankenstein-like version of her dad in the film. The final segment of the short film is a black-and-white music video for "Hampstead," the final track on the deluxe album. Grande's dad, Ed Butera, plays a doctor who literally stitches his daughter's body back together. He finds her still-beating heart in a tavern and her brain in a pile of junk, echoing the song's lyrics: "I left my heart at a pub in Hampstead / And I misplaced my mind in a good way." In the end, the doctor is able to resurrect his daughter by playing a song for her on his piano. Read the original article on Business Insider
