Simon Stone is mostly known for his work in theatre. His adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck received great reviews, characterised as a ‘searing modern-day tragedy’ after its Barbican premier last year. In The daughter, Stone adapts the original script for the big screen, creating a tantalising family drama, set in rural Australian countryside. Geoffrey Rush stars as local factory owner Henry, whose son Christian (Paul Schneider) returns after years of absenc...

  The elevator pitch for The Book Thief isn't exactly grabby: the story takes place in Nazi Germany; it's narrated by Death; and almost everyone gets killed in the end. Yet both the bestselling novel and its screen adaptation have that certain ich weiss nicht that keeps people coming back for more. For director Brian Percival (Downton Abbey), the uncommon choice of narrator was one of the main elements that drew him to the project, as he recently tol...

By Maria Esteves - February 27, 2009 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) official 81st Annual Academy Awards New York Evening Gala was held at the stunning legendary Carlyle Hotel, NYC, on Sunday, February 22, 6:45PM. The festivities for Academy members included an intimate cocktail reception in the Café Carlyle, an elegant multi-course dinner prepared by executive chef James Sakatos in the Trianon Suite and live broadcast of the 2009 Oscars hosted by actor Hugh Jackman a...