Oscar nominees attend luncheon
More than 150 Oscar nominees – from hairstylists to A-listers – gathered at a Beverly Hills hotel on Monday to celebrate the joy of being nominated. "I'm not used to this," said Julie Delpy, nominated for best Adapted Screenplay along with Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke for Before Midnight. Delpy then rushed over to Lupita Nyong'o of 12 Years a Slave and gushed as the two snapped a photo together. Nearby, a giggling Meryl Streep chatted with Bruce Dern; Josh Gad greeted Sandra Bullock with a kiss on both cheeks; and Ethan Hawke introduced his date for the afternoon, daughter Maya Thurman-Hawke, to everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Spike Jonze. When it came time for the traditional group photo, everyone headed for the stage, including Cate Blanchett, who ditched her Christian Louboutin heels and ran most of the way. – AP
Malala documentary in production
Production on the Image Nation-financed documentary about the life and trials of the teenage Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai is coming along nicely. The Image Nation head Michael Garin told The National that the Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim considers the film – scheduled to be released next year – "the best work he's ever done", before adding: "I wouldn't want to hire a filmmaker that didn't think that of his latest film." The producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald were apparently moved to tears by the 20 minutes of preliminary footage they've seen. Guggenheim won his Oscar for the 2006 climate-change documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Image Nation is a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media, which owns The National. – The National staff
Actors cameo in Fashion Week
"If in doubt, check Instagram." That's one of the phrases on the signs carried by models at Kenneth Cole's New York Fashion Week show on Monday. Cole, known for embracing Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, showed a short film with the actors Alan Cumming and Rachel Dratch engaging in a Twitter fight. At finale time, the two walked the runway together. Jon Bon Jovi was in the audience. "I don't go to fashion shows, so this is fun," Bon Jovi said. – AP
