Hollywood

Regina Pande and her brother Graham, both hailing from the Western Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, will feature in a movie entitled "Bataplai/Butterfly". The film, directed by PNG-New Zealander woman Veialu Alia Unsworth, tells the story of a mixed-race Papua New Guinean-American woman who defies her family's strict rules to pursue her passion as a make-up artist.

This support is an advancement to Hollywood to pitch his Book ‘A matter of Conscience’.

TPA chief executive officer, Eric Mossman, shared that he was impressed with what a Papua New Guinean can do and was willing to assist.

Leading the nominations this year is Vice - a satirical biopic of former US Vice-President Dick Cheney - which has six.

A Star Is Born, which stars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, has five nods, as do The Favourite and Green Book.

Mary Poppins Returns and Spike Lee's BlackkKlansman have four apiece.

Let's hope A Star Is Born wins something, if only so Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper can recreate the film's excruciating award ceremony scene live on stage.

The #MeToo campaign was groundbreaking: it was both personal and anecdotal, yet also a collective roar by women all over the world, sharing stories of sexual assault or harassment.

They were not just saying how pervasive the behaviour was: it was also a sign of empowerment.

Hollywood has been rocked by the Weinstein scandal and others which followed it.

And many hope it can re-invent itself in a more healthy shape.

Now, a new hashtag, #TimesUp, is rooting the fight against sexual harassment in legal battles.

But cultural shifts can take time.

The initiative, which is called Time's Up, was announced via a full-page advert printed in the New York Times.

The Hollywood project is described as a "unified call for change from women in entertainment for women everywhere".

It comes in the wake of sexual abuse allegations by high-profile actresses against film producer Harvey Weinstein.

In a "solidarity letter" published on its website, Time's Up says the "struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard" must end, adding: "Time's up on this impenetrable monopoly."

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said both Sorvino and Ashley Judd were "blacklisted" following conversations with Weinstein's company.

Both actresses have claimed the media mogul sexually harassed them.

Weinstein has denied allegations of misconduct, and of blacklisting the actresses.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was initially in development with Weinstein's Miramax company, before being passed to New Line Cinema.

In an interview with Stuff.co.nz this week, Jackson said he was interested in casting both women in the blockbuster franchise.

Writing in the New York Times, Hayek said Weinstein once told her: "I will kill you, don't think I can't."

Dozens of actresses - including Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow - have accused Mr Weinstein of harassment or assault.

He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.

In her article, Hayek, 51, a Mexican-American, describes working with him on what she called her "greatest ambition" - telling the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

The "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." star clapped back on social media this week when she was questioned about changing her last name.

"Changing my last name doesn't change the fact that my BLOOD is half Chinese, that I lived in China, speak Mandarin or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese," she wrote. "It means I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldn't cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable."

Like many designers, it took Keil a long time for the breakthrough.

Her very first engagement as a designer was creating the wardrobe for Miss Samoa in 1996.

And something which started off as a hobby has brought her far from her kitchen table, onto local and regional runways and eventually the big jump to the red carpets of Hollywood.

But if the Writers Guild of America is not able to agree to a new contract before May, it all could come to a screeching halt, nearly a decade since the union's last strike that lasted 100 days and carried a billion-dollar price tag.

At issue: The WGA's three-year-contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is about to expire. Among the Guild's requests are higher pay for TV writers and more funding toward healthcare.