Toronto will hold the world's first Breast Fest Film Festival next week to raise awareness about breast cancer globally.
To be organised by Toronto-based non-profit organisation Rethink Breast Cancer, the November 21-22 festival will feature films, individual stories and discussions about the issues surrounding the disease.
By showcasing films about the emotional toll of the disease, the festival will use the powers of this media to engage and educate audiences about the disease, Rethink Breast Cancer said Tuesday. The festival will also connect people to each other and to the breast cancer cause, it said.
On the pattern of the Toronto International Film Festival, film screenings will be followed by panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions with film directors.
"So many people are touched by breast cancer, but each person's experience is very different, resulting in a wide range of needs that are not always met through traditional support and education options," said Rethink vice-president Alison Gordon.
"The stars of the Breast Fest Film Festival are the women and men who have shared their stories, through which we hope to engage and connect people, and encourage them to think differently about breast cancer," she added.
The festival will open with the Canadian premiere of Living Proof, which highlights the importance of breast cancer research through the true story of Dennis Slamon of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) who helped develop the breast cancer drug Herceptin. Renée Zellweger is one of the executive producers of the film.
Next day, the winner of the Breast Fest Film Festival short film competition will be presented the Amazing Grace award – named after well-known Canadian filmmaker Grace Cianciotta.
Those touched by breast cancer will also share their stories at an international forum to be held November 22.
Nicole Richie Fears Being 'exploited' Like Hilton.... Socialite Nicole Richie fears following in the footsteps of her Simple Life partner by being "exploited" and sentenced to a jail term.
Hotel heiress Hilton has to report to Los Angeles' Century Regional Detention Center by 5 June (07) to start serving her sentence for violating her probation following a 2006 drink-driving arrest.
And Richie worries that constant negative media attention will influence officials to take the same line as with Hilton and she will be incarcerated too.
Richie says, "Sometimes people just get exploited. I can only hope that doesn't happen to me."
The socialite already court massive media attention, recently hitting the headlines after newspapers printed copies of an eMail seeming to promote heavy drinking and anorexia.
Nicky Hilton Brands Sister's Jail-term Absurd.... Paris Hilton's sister Nicky has branded her sister's 23-day jail sentence "pretty absurd".
The hotel heiress has to report to Los Angeles' Century Regional Detention Center by 5 June (07) to start serving her sentence for violating her probation following her 2006 drink-driving arrest.
Sister Nicky tells People.com, "I think she should definitely be punished, but going to jail for a traffic violation is pretty absurd."
Paris - who is the face of sparkling wine Rich Prosecco - will fly to St Tropez, France for a summer party to mark the end of her jail-term.
Gunther Aloys, head of Rich Prosecco, says, "Her family is very anxious about what will happen. When (the jail sentence) is over, she was planning to go on vacation at the end of June. We expect to have a party day then with her in St.Tropez."
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Meanwhile the troubled socialite Paris Hilton is planning a second foray into publishing following her upcoming jail sentence - she is releasing her prison memoirs.
Angeles' Century Regional Detention Center this month (Jun07) after she was found guilty of violation her probation terms following a drink driving arrest last year (06).
The hotel heiress will serve at least 23 days behind bars at the Los Following Hilton's 2005 book Confessions Of An Heiress, she will release a diary of her prison spell later this year (07), according to the New York Daily News.
A source says, "Paris' prison diary will make a more dramatic read than Martha Stewart's.
"If she can make it believable, and not exaggerate too much, she might expect to make a million dollars out of it."
Tyra Banks doesn't like wine - but orders it in public to look sexy.
The US talk show host thinks the alcoholic tipple tastes "nasty" but likes to hold a wine glass to look more attractive to people.
Tyra wrote on her personal website: "I recently went to Napa, California, and I learned how to pair wines with certain tastes, how red wine tastes good with salt and bitter things like lemon.
"So, every now and then I'll order some wine at the table. I'll only take two sips, but I'll keep holding the glass cause it makes me feel sexy, but I still don't drink it because it still tastes kind of nasty to me."
The 33-year-old former supermodel believes she is lucky as her dislike for alcohol means she won't end up in rehab like other stars.
She said: "I feel like I've been very lucky because I don't really have an addictive personality.
"I've never had any drugs and I had a little taste of alcohol when I was 12-years-old, but that's about it.
"I'm not really an 'alcohol girl' and I'm definitely not a 'drug girl.' "
Socialite Paris Hilton has been offered advice on how to cope with life in prison from her jailed aunt.
The hotel heiress has to report to Los Angeles' Century Regional Detention Center by 5 June (07) to start serving her sentence for violating her probation following her 2006 drink-driving arrest.
And the reality TV star has been offered advice from her aunt - her mother's half sister Elizabeth Avanzino - who recently completed her fifth stint in prison.
Avanzino says she wants to "lend a supportive role to Paris and let her realise everyone is capable of making mistakes".
She tells the New York Post, "I used to own an art gallery. Then I relapsed on alcohol, and I started to do other things.
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"I don't want anything from (the Hiltons). Paris does have a lot of issues, and I just want them to come up just to talk.
"She's a person, she makes mistakes, but I think this goes deeper. People need to know their roots.
"I have always admired her but never pursued her or my other half-niece (Nicky Hilton). I would love to get to know them."
Troubled pop star Britney Spears is back to her wild partying ways - the Toxic singer was reportedly seen vomiting violently in the toilets of a Los Angeles hotel at the weekend (27May07).
The 25-year-old mother-of-two yesterday (29May07) posted a message on her official website insisting she had entered rehab earlier this year (07) because she had "hit rock bottom" and was "so lost", refuting reports her stay was the result of depression or alcohol abuse.
But the superstar has allegedly returned to her pre-rehab days, after she was found slumped over a toilet in Los Angeles' Sky Bar at the Mondrian Hotel on Sunday, crying as she threw up. She was later carried out of the club by hotel staff, according to British newspaper The Sun.
Spears was reportedly overheard telling hotel workers: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Things aren't going well for me at the moment."
A source tells the tabloid, "She had make-up smeared over her face and her wig hanging off. She had a room booked at the hotel but was too ill to stay and was begging her bodyguard to take her home.
"She looked a real mess and was sitting on the floor with her head over the (toilet) bowl throwing up. There was vomit down the front of her black dress and around her mouth.".
Kelly Brook Almost Killed On Set Of New Movie.... British actress Kelly Brook almost drowned while filming scenes for her latest movie Fishtales, after hitting her head on a rock.
The Smallville star plays Neried in the film, a feisty mermaid who falls in love with an Oxford-professor, played by her real-life fiance Billy Zane.
But while shooting one scene off the Greek island of Spetses, Brook sustained a minor head injury and struggled for air as her legs were strapped into her mermaid costume.
She says, "I held my breath as long as I could under water, then shot up and smacked my head on a huge Grecian column which was supposed to be part of a temple set.
"I suppose I panicked for a moment because my legs were trapped in the mermaid's fins and tail - the costume was stuck on and I was thrown into the sea with my legs strapped together.
"It was quite a bang on the head. I was dazed and saw stars and there was no way I could climb out on my own. Luckily some divers rescued me, but it was very painful and quite a shock."
Actress Eva Mendes was so scared of doing nude scenes that she had to have a drink to get through a love scene with actor Joaquin Phoenix in the movie 'We Own the Night'.
Speaking at a press conference at Cannes, she said: 'I wasn't comfortable at all. They were very sweet and they poured me a vodka and orange juice and then I was fine.
'I'm very professional and I don't usually drink on the job but that morning I had a little vodka and OJ.'
She also said that it was her first sex scene, reports people.com
'Thank god it was with director James Gray. Not that it was actually with James,' she said. 'He did it at the end of the shoot, so it was the last day and I was really, really comfortable ....'
Former supermodel Tyra Banks credits her sudden popularity with younger men to her new curvy figure.
The retired catwalk star and talk show host insists she's been inundated with attention from younger men ever since she gained a more voluptuous figure.
The 33-year-old star of The Tyra Banks Show explains, "Twenty-three-year-old guys ask me out all the time. Some of them are even celebrities who come on to my show. One guy even went for my muffin top (midsection fat).
"I was like, 'You're 10 years younger than me. You need to date Hilary Duff.
Don't date me. I have a roll around my middle."
However, she insists she is now less popular with men her age, adding, "I make a good living, so men my age get a little intimidated."
Sienna Miller's Partying Upsets Neighbours.... British actress Sienna Miller has infuriated close neighbours who are fed up with her late night house parties.
The Factory Girl star, who lives in London, stands accused of keeping nearby residents up with noisy nocturnal gatherings - and some are so tired of the disturbances they're threatening to call in the cops.
One tells British newspaper The Independent, "She has parties with bouncers that last until daylight.
"The music's so loud that it rattles our windows. When someone's gone round to complain, the music's turned down a bit and then turned up when they've gone.
"We're going to call the noise police if it carries on."
Miller is currently away from home filming Dylan Thomas biopic The Edge of Love in Wales.
At an exclusive party on a private yacht in Cannes, Jessica Simpson reportedly "spent the whole night following Leonardo DiCaprio around like a lost puppy," a source tells Page Six. "He just seemed freaked out and kind of ignored her."
· Employees at ABC are taking sides in the matter of Rosie O’Donnell vs. Elisabeth Hasselbeck. O’Donnell’s chief writer, Janette Barber, was allegedly escorted from The View offices after she was caught drawing moustaches on photographs of Hasselbeck that hang in the studios.
· A source for Page Six alleges that Paula Abdul did not actually break her nose trying to avoid her Chihuahua as she claims. “She had pitched a fit, threw something into a mirror or glass object, and a shard of glass struck her in the face, which explains why Paula's nose didn't seem swollen.”
· When Sarah Silverman fans call the number listed on the 2007 MTV Movie Awards promotional poster (which reads: For a good time, call 1-877-SARAH07), they get a recorded message from Silverman and her dog telling callers they’re going to die.
· Despite the fact that Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Manson are in the process of ending their marriage, Rose McGowan may still have hard feelings toward Von Teese, who the rocker began dating the same month he and McGowan broke up. The Grindhouse actress stepped outside when the burlesque star performed her act at the AmFAR benefit in Cannes.
· You only have three years left to find out whether American Idol judge Simon Cowell actually has a heart in there somewhere. He has told friends he won't renew his contract past 2010.
Actress Jessica Alba fears she isn't taken seriously by Hollywood studios, because she is too "hot".
The sexy star - who recently topped a magazine poll of the Sexiest Women in the World - claims her good looks have held her back.
But Alba hopes the five films she will appear in in 2007 will help change people's minds.
The 26-year-old actress tells U.S. magazine GQ, "I hope all my new work will help producers in getting past my hotness.
"I try not to make the headlines. I'm self-conscious about this. I try to not make my presence known. I have my own fashion style and do not try to fit in. I don't have my breasts under my chin, I'm not showing butt cheeks, nor much legs. I don't go for the trendiest look."
Paris Hilton has been immortalised as a doll wearing prison overalls.
The convicted hotel heiress' impending jail sentence has inspired a line of memorabilia - which includes T-shirts, mugs and prisoner-Paris figures.
Sandy Kelley - who sells the dolls - is quoted as saying by Britain's Daily Express newspaper: "I'm sure Paris wouldn't mind. Everyone knows how she loves to be the centre of attention."
The merchandise is said to be attracting immense interest on internet auction sites.
Paris is also said to be cashing in on her prison stint.
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The 'Simple Life' star is rumoured to be in talks for a book and TV deal detailing her 23-day stay in a Los Angeles jail.
The 26-year-old was ordered to spend 45 days in prison after being found guilty of violating her probation by driving with a suspended licence.
Her sentence, which is due to start on June 5, was halved earlier this week after she was rewarded for "good behaviour".
Sexy actress, Jessica Alba gets extremely uncomfortable when cameramen focus on areas which should not to be captured on tape.
The Good Luck Chuck actress said that it can get really uneasy when camera lingers over awkward places.
“When you see the camera right here you’re like, ‘Uh, that’s my crotch.… I’m going to stand over here,’” Us Weekly quoted Alba, as telling GQ magazine.
“You know? Cameramen are just horny sometimes,” she added.
The actress also opened about how she felt when movie bosses forced her to scuba dive in a bikini, scrapping the original idea of a wet suit.
She added that if she had created a fuss over the change, she would have been called a diva, and that similar incidents will keep happening.
“…The people in charge decided to dumb it down. And all of a sudden, the wet suits went away…If I’d bitched about the change, I would’ve been called a diva. I can’t say it was the first time that ever happened. And I can’t say it’ll be the last,” she said.
Sarah Jessica Parker took her four-year-old son James to his first celebrity party last night (15.05.07).
The actress took James to a star-studded New York party, celebrating the opening of a new Serge Normant at John Frieda salon - where he got his first taste of the city's glamorous celebrity circuit.
Sarah told the USA Today newspaper: "He loves Serge. He wanted to come."
The former 'Sex and the City' star is a close friend as well as a client of celebrity stylist Serge.
She added: "Serge has the technical skills. He's the kindest, nicest person. I really love him, he's a friend."
Fellow actress Ellen Barkin also partied at the event in the city's trendy meat-packing district to support Serge.
Serge's celebrity clients have included Julia Roberts and Jennifer Connelly.
Sarah celebrates her 10th wedding anniversary with actor Matthew Broderick this month.
Anna Nicole Smith's will was filed by Howard K. Stern yesterday (14.05.07).
Anna Nicole's former lover and lawyer filed the papers - naming him as the will's executor - at a Los Angeles probate court, stating her total assets to be worth $710,000.
The will - which was drawn up in April 2001 - leaves everything to Anna Nicole's son Daniel who died last September of an accidental overdose in the Bahamas.
Daniel, 20, was visiting his mother just days after she had given birth to daughter Dannielynn when he died.
Anna Nicole's ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead, 34, was proven by DNA test results to be the father of eight-month-old Dannielynn on April 10.
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Anna Nicole died on February 8 from an accidental overdose at Florida's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Meanwhile, Birkhead filed a separate petition at a Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday formally requesting to be named as guardian of Dannielynn's estate.
Los Angeles probate attorney Allan Cutrow said: "What this means - if granted - is that Stern as the executor will have to deal with Birkhead on any matters pertaining to Anna Nicole's estate.
"Birkhead and Stern appear to be cooperating in pursuit of Anna Nicole Smith's claim against the Marshall estate - that's where the principal money is."
Anna Nicole's estate could be worth much more because of her decade-long court battle for the estimated $1.6 billion estate of her late husband, Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II.
A hearing was set for June 19 regarding Stern and Birkhead's respective filings.
Former ‘Baywatch’ babe Carmen Electra like nothing better than to send, and receive, naughty text messages.
The actress, who is releasing a new book ‘How To Be Sexy’, says in it that she loves to indulge in a racy phone message conversation every now and then.
"I am a texter, I love to text. There is nothing wrong with getting a hot text," The Sun quoted her, as saying.
However, she does warn faithful fans that while they should definitely go ahead and express how they are feeling, they should also be ‘subtle’.
"I say go for it - but be subtle. Express how you are feeling but don't do anything too crazy," she writes.
Her most important piece of advice however, is that you should double check to see whether the message is being sent to the right person.
And despite the fact that she is considered one of the sexiest women in Hollywood, Carmen insists that even she has flaws. The only difference is that she doesn’t delve on them.
"There are problem areas. You look in the mirror and pick apart the things that you don't like about your body," she writes.
"But what I have tried to do is not obsess over what I don't like about myself," she added.
Scarlett Johansson is turned on by confident men.
The 'Lost in Translation' star - who has dated Josh Hartnett and was romantically linked to Justin Timberlake - says good looks are not enough for her.
Scarlett told People magazine: "I look at a guy and think he has such a cute nose or such nice eyes, but there isn't one feature I look for in a guy. One thing I look for, that isn't physical, is a healthy confidence. I think it's the full picture.
"If somebody is confident in a way you would admire - being strong, funny - that can make someone you might not initially be attracted to more attractive."
The 22-year-old blonde is often praised for her beauty and curvaceous figure and admits she is happy with her looks.
She said: "I think that everybody has days that feel more accepting of their own body than other days. I wouldn't say it's something I struggle with. I have what I have and I try and appreciate that.
"I think I feel most beautiful when someone that I love and trust tells me that I am. Then you really do feel it. When people you trust and have affection for tell you that you're beautiful then you really feel like it's special."
Paris Hilton's Behaviour Blasted By Spelling Widow.... Paris Hilton has been publicly criticised by the widow of late media mogul Aaron Spelling for her behaviour in the wake of being sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation by driving with a suspended license.
Candy Spelling, whose daughter is actress Tori Spelling, has hit out at socialite Hilton for not taking responsibility for her actions.
In court earlier this month (May07), Hilton claimed her long-term representative Elliot Mintz had repeatedly informed her her license had been suspended for only 30 days and that she could still drive for work-related matters. She is currently appealing her sentence.
But Spelling has had enough of Hilton's excuses.
She writes on website Tmz.com, "As someone who has known you for most of your life... I'm very worried about you.
"The last week has not only been an obvious roller-coaster for you emotionally, but your strategy went from blaming employees and stating silly excuses like, 'I don't read,' to your new lawyer's tactic to have you sound mature and take some responsibility...
"In most situations, your privileged life works to your benefit... you can get away with more bad behaviour and excuses than most people could even imagine.
"I am sorry you have been sentenced to jail. I can't think of too much that would be worse. But since you let this happen, use the next couple of weeks...
by looking around, realising that you are not as truly entitled as your money implies.
"You are a young woman who can add more to her community than establishing new definitions for infamy."
Hilton Annoyed By Amorous Cops.... Paris Hilton won't be winning many police friends when the new issue of style magazine Harper's Bazaar hits newsstands later this month (May07) - she claims cops pull her over just to ask her out.
The socialite, who was sentenced to 45 days in prison on 4 May (07) for driving with a suspended license, suffers a case of terrible timing thanks to a damning article in June's publication.
She says, "I think I get in more trouble because of who I am. The cops do it all the time. They'll just pull me over to hit on me. It's really annoying.
"They're like, 'What's your phone number? Want to go to dinner.' They won't even give me a ticket."
That wasn't the case when she was pulled over for driving with a suspended license in February (07).
