Saturday, June 30, 2012

Rihanna's Sexy Black Giorgio Armani Gown


Wearing What: Rihanna set the red carpet on fire in this sexy black Giorgio Armani gown with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. She accessorized with a gold Jimmy Choo clutch and Christian Louboutin Bis un Bout pumps.

How to pull off this look: The only thing we recommend be done differently is your hair. An elegant updo will do well to accentuate all features of the dress as well as bring out your face and the confidence that lies behind it.






Thursday, June 28, 2012

Profile Picture - How NOT To Attract Customers To Your Online Skills Profile


Profile Picture - How NOT To Attract Customers To Your Online Skills Profile

A study of the first 1,000 users to join ProfileTree.com in March shows that profiles with a personal profile picture had 12 times more views than similar listings with no image. Skill Profiles with a brand logo managed 8 times more views than those with the standard image.


LONDON, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent survey of the first 1,000 people to join ProfileTree.com shows how important it is to complete a skills profile with a photo. To maximise the impact of their marketing effort, this should be a personal image of themselves.
What makes the Best Profile Picture?
Skills profiles with head shots. In fact 9 of the top 10 visited profiles were head shots where the individual was smiling with excellent posture, eyes open, shoulders back. They came across as professional, yet each still reflected the skill or service the individual offered.
Based on the survey, ProfileTree.com says follow these steps to create the best profile pictures to attract customers and views:
1. Use a high quality photo.
2. Personality counts, the image should still reflect your brand and service. If it's a professional service, then the profile picture should reflect a professional person.

3. Be energetic, but don't distract possible customers by being dramatic in your photo.
Whether Self Employed or not, it is apparent that profiles with personal images are visited many times more than logos.
What not to do with Profile Pictures:

Avatars performed the worst, recording the lowest visits compared to any image. The survey found that even with impressive profiles, users were not getting views if they had an avatar.
Cartoon and animal images performed very poorly. The exceptions were for people who were artists or worked with animals. If you want possible customers to visit your profile, do not use cartoons or animals.
Graphic logos, from business or general graphics also did not attract much attention from potential customers, side by side, customers viewed profiles that had images of people just over 50% more than profiles with logos.
To conclude, the 1,000 users that were studied spent an average of 18 minutes creating their profiles, those that took time to upload a personal profile picture had 12 times more visitors than those with the stock image.
To ensure the maximum customers are attracted to your skills profile or online advert for yourself and your service - the first step is an attractive photograph. Spending time creating a text based profile online, ensuring key words and headings are excellent for Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Google Plus may be a waste of time without adding an image that reflects your service and yourself.
About ProfileTree (http://www.profiletree.com): ProfileTree is a free listing services where self employed and small businesses can create a skills profile. Listings are easy to search, read and review. Users can even see who their friends recommend!

SOURCE ProfileTree
CONTACT: Ciaran Connolly, ProfileTree, ciaran@profiletree.com, 00447733951638, http://www.profiletree.com
Web Site: http://www.profiletree.com



Winners of the 2012 International Animation Film Festival - Golden Kuker - Sofia


International competition

  • Grand prix “Golden Kuker” - FATHER (IVAN BOGDANOV, MORITZ MAYERHOFER, VELJKO POPOVIC, ASPARUH PETROV, DMITRY YAGODIN, ROSITSA RALEVA, Bulgaria / Croatia / Germany) - Video

    Father from Golden Kuker on Vimeo.


  • Special award “Proiko Proikov” for best animated eco film - HINTERLAND (LINDA MCCARTHY, UK) - Video

  • Best animated super short film - HOW TO EAT YOUR APPLE (ERICK OH, USA / South Korea) - Video
  • Best animated short film (1 – 10 min) - TRAM (MICHAELA PAVLATOVA & Negativ Films, France / Czech Republic) - Video
  • Best animated short film (10 – 50 min) - RED RIVER, SONG HONG (STEPHANIE LANSAQUE, FRANCOIS LEROY, France) - Video
  • Best animated feature film - The Jury did not award a film in this category
  • Best animated student films - MALOU OR THE MECHANICAL HOSTILITY (EVELIEN DEROECK, Belgium) - Video
  • Best animated film made for kids - VIOLINPLAY (TÜNDE VOLLENBROEK, The Netherlands) - Video
  • Best animated music film - DEMONI (THEODORE USHEV, Canada / Germany / Bulgaria) - Video
  • Special Jury award - ABOUT KILLING THE PIG (Simone Massi, Italy) - Video
National competition
  • Best bulgarian animated film - REW DAY (Svilen Dimitrov) - Video
Special mentions
  • SPECKY FOUR EYES by Jean-Claude Rozec (France) - Video
  • MATESO by Collective team of children COLLECTIVE CAMERA - Video

Click here for the full report.



Harry Potter 15th Anniversary





THURSDAY, JUNE 28: HARRY POTTER 15TH ANNIVERSARY



Profile America — Thursday, June 28th. Fifteen years ago this week, the first of a series of books was published in the United Kingdom — "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," published in the U.S. with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The books, written by J.K. Rowling, ended up breaking all known publishing records, selling 450 million copies and translated into more than 60 languages. Some critics have credited the series with sparking an increase in reading among juveniles. In addition, the seven novels have been made into wildly successful motion pictures. Nearly $23 billion worth of printed books are sold in the U.S. each year.


CLICK THE PICTURE TO ORDER FOR THE COMPLETE BOOKS 1-7.





Profile America is produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: Measuring America—People, Places, and Our Economy.



Atiq Mahenti In Dubai Wants To Contact Nigerian Friend Peace


Atiq Mahenti is based in Dubai, but lost contact with his Nigerian friend Peace who visited Dubai in April and May 2010 and stayed at the Blue Diamond Hotel in Deira near Gold Souk, Dubai. He wants Peace to contact him asap.


The following is the message from Atiq Mahenti.



Dear Peace,
Where are you?
Please contact me by my email id atiq_dxb@hotmail.com or call my mobile telephone number 00971 50 8800215.


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

TripAdvisor Names 2012 Travelers' Choice Restaurant

Las Vegas’ Le Cirque (Bellagio) is a top place for a bite to eat, according to TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice Restaurants awards. (A TripAdvisor traveler photo)

Awards Recognize Travelers’ Favorite Dining Spots in Popular Destinations Worldwide

NEWTON, Mass. – June 26, 2012 – /PRNewswire/ — TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2012 Travelers’ Choice® Restaurants awards.  The inaugural awards recognize favorite dining establishments in popular cities worldwide, based on millions of valuable traveler reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor.

In total, 576 restaurants around the world were honored, including travelers’ overall favorites, plus travelers’ favorites in the U.S., Europe and popular travel destinations. Restaurants that offer dinner and table service were eligible for the awards.

“We’re thrilled to highlight some of the TripAdvisor community’s most beloved eateries to help travelers plan their next trip or night out,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.  “We found that travelers’ favorite restaurants range from well-known, casual chains to upscale fine dining options – the common thread for these award-winners being a consistently remarkable dining experience with outstanding service and quality.”

Travelers’ favorite restaurant is Le Bernardin in NYC, according to TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice Restaurants awards. (A TripAdvisor traveler photo)

Travelers’ Choice Overall Favorite Restaurants:
1. Le Bernardin, New York City
2. Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
3. Le Cirque (Bellagio), Las Vegas
4. Girl & The Goat, Chicago
5. Le Gavroche, London
6. La Pergola, Rome
7. Ciya Sofrasi, Istanbul
8. Guy Savoy, Paris
9. Europea, Montreal
10. Toulouse Petit, Seattle

Travelers’ Choice Favorite U.S. Restaurants:
1. Le Bernardin, New York City
2. Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
3. Le Cirque (Bellagio), Las Vegas
4. Girl & The Goat, Chicago
5. Toulouse Petit, Seattle
6. Fruition Restaurant, Denver
7. Alinea, Chicago
8. Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston
9. Uchi, Austin
10. Screen Door, Portland, Ore.

For the complete list of 2012 Travelers’ Choice Restaurants winners, go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Restaurants.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world’s largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor’s millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors**. TripAdvisor’s travel media brands include www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.comwww.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, January 2012
**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, January 2012
©2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE TripAdvisor




1 in 5 Women Will Experience a Mood or Anxiety Disorder While Pregnant or After Giving Birth (PPD)



Regroup Therapy introduces Video Support Groups to help women come together and feel better, wherever they are

This is how a Regroup Video Support Session at regrouptherapy.com looks. Expecting and postpartum moms come together with a licensed therapist with specific experience in maternal depression and anxiety. Postpartum depression (PPD) and other maternal mood disorders affect 1 in 5 moms either during or after their pregnancy.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1g4au)


CHICAGO, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Up to 1 out of every 5 pregnant and new mothers will experience prenatal or postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety. Most women are undiagnosed and inadequately treated, if treated at all. This can have devastating effects on women and families. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics 2010; 126;1032-1039), untreated postpartum depression (PPD) and prenatal depression can lead to increased medical costs, inappropriate medical care, discontinuation of breastfeeding, child abuse, and neglect. Support groups can be an effective way to help prevent these negative consequences (Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:638–640). Unfortunately, women with postpartum depression (PPD) and other maternal mood disorders frequently struggle to find a group that overcomes barriers of geographical location, traffic, timing, and childcare.

Regroup Therapy is excited to enable women to find support, through the launch of its video support groups. These groups facilitate live interaction between women suffering from Prenatal and Postpartum Depression (PPD)/Anxiety and preeminent therapist-moderators. These online sessions are easy to participate in, and unite women struggling with mood or anxiety concerns like postpartum depression (PPD) from the comfort of their own homes. The sessions are moderated by therapists with specific expertise in maternal mental health and provide women with a supportive experience to promote healing and health.

These sessions also offer participants with PPD and other maternal mood disorders the invaluable opportunity to empathize with and learn from others who share their challenges. These groups will provide an opportunity to practice new skills and develop action plans for healing.

About Regroup Therapy:

Regroup helps bring women and expert, licensed therapists together to help them overcome life challenges. This happens in a live, video support group that is simple enough for anyone to use. It has the benefits of a live, face-to-face support group with the added advantage that participants can join from wherever they choose. In the future, Regroup will expand to help people with a wide range of issues and concerns.

Regroup was recently selected as one of 35 companies invited to compete in Techweek LAUNCH at this year's Techweek Conference and Expo in Chicago.

www.regrouptherapy.com

For more information please contact:
David Cohn
david@regrouptherapy.com
(847) 562- 5673

Related Links:
Regroup Therapy Video Support Groups
Regroup Therapy Video Support Groups in 85 seconds

SOURCE Regroup Therapy

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1g4au)



Miss Universe Leila Lopes On Cover of MAXIM Portugal



Exotic African beauty Leila Lopes, the Miss Universe 2011 on cover of Maxim Portugal, June 2012.



Click here for more photographs.



Watch the Katy Perry Premiere Party Live!


Watch the Katy Perry Premiere Party Live!



Tuesday, June 26, 2012

75% Of Women Are Unlikely To Date Jobless Men


Women are scared of dating jobless men. Photo Credit: Catholic Match.

26 Jun 2012 16:00 Africa/Lagos

Social Stigma For Unemployed Men: 75% Of Women Are Unlikely To Date Them

SAN DIEGO, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As if being unemployed isn't bad enough for the recently announced 8.2% of the population without jobs, a new survey performed by specialty dating service It's Just Lunch may have just added to the woes of unemployed men: 75% of women say they are unlikely to date them. When the dating company asked 925 single women, "Would you go out on a date with someone whom you knew was unemployed?" 33% of women said "No." Another 42% answered "Maybe" with the stipulation that "I wouldn't want to throw a lot of time into it unless they had a game plan for getting back on track."

Only 4% of women answered with an unreserved "Of course" while another 21% responded with "Yes. But I'd be curious to see how they're keeping occupied in the meantime."

"Not having a job will definitely make it harder for men to date someone they don't already know," says Irene LaCota, spokesperson for It's Just Lunch. "This is the rare area, compared to other topics we've done surveys on, where women's old-fashioned beliefs about sex roles seem to apply."

Many women fear that there will be a financial obligation if they date someone who is out of work. "While my heart goes out to people who are unemployed or under-employed in this economy," says Carole Bartholomeaux, president of Bartholomeaux PR in Phoenix, Arizona, "I will not have a relationship with someone whom I need to support."

Others are worried about having their activities constricted by an unemployed man's financial limitations. "I like to be able to do certain things and they will not be able to afford it," says Abbi Samuels, a software developer from Santa Cruz, California.

Women of all ages seem to feel the same way. And it's not just about money—according to life coach and filmmaker Patricia Weaver, it's also about being with a man who is engaged in some kind of activity. "Even at my age, 75, and dating if you can believe it," she says, "if a man is not employed, volunteering, involved in life it's a deal breaker."

Men seem to understand the phenomenon.

Ben Nettleton, a social media director for Global Healing Center of Houston, Texas, was unemployed for two out of five years in San Francisco. He and several other jobless buddies attended social events together. They noticed that when it came to women, "Basically every other dude in the room who [got] a bank injection every two weeks [had] the leg up. No 27 year old career-building woman has [an] interest in telling her parents about the guy she met who doesn't have a job."

But according to Vincent Turner, of San Francisco, women are subtle in how they reject you when they discover you are living off your savings. "No one's going to say, 'I'm not going to date you because you don't have a job.' You usually get the first date. But you don't get a lot of callbacks." But it's clear to him the issue is a steady paycheck. Though he's not technically unemployed, he's the unsalaried CEO of his own financial start-up, Planwise.com. "I've had it intimated to me that 'That's not what I signed up for.'"

Unemployment can even pave a rockier road for men who are considering marriage. That was a speed bump Brandon Garrett, of Draper, Utah, had to face last September. His jobless status was uncomfortable for his girlfriend – and also for him. "I had to ask her, 'Does this give you any qualms about my ability to provide for the family in the future?'"

They did wind up planning the wedding while he was unemployed, but he didn't officially propose until he got a job offer. "That's when I could afford a ring," he says. Garrett is now a marketing executive for The Ready Store.

Though joblessness is a social stigma for men, unemployed women have much better odds of meeting someone. Almost two out of every three men are open to dating a woman who is out of work. 19% say they have no reservations at all and 46% were positive, but interested in knowing how unemployed women spend their time.

Though romance may be a bit tougher if you're unemployed, LaCota says it's just like any other personal trait. "We're human, so we all have characteristics that certain people see as negatives," she says. "But you'll eventually find someone who doesn't have a problem with those issues at all."

It's Just Lunch is a personalized dating service for busy professionals. The company has coordinated over two million dates for clients since opening in 1991. IJL minimizes the stress and maximizes the efficiency of dating by sending people on casual, no-pressure dates over lunch, brunch or drinks after work. IJL's team of dating specialists, not a computer, perform the matchmaking. The company has over 150 locations in the US, Canada and internationally.

SOURCE It's Just Lunch

CONTACT: Irene LaCota, +1-760-779-0101 ext. 129, Irene.LaCota@IJLCorp.com



Survey Shows Most Couples Discuss Money Before Marriage


Black couple struggling over money. Photo Credit: Popular Critic.

Survey shows most couples discuss money before marriage

Supermajority discuss debts and dreams before saying “I do,” according to Northwestern Mutual’s “Marriage & Money” poll



MILWAUKEE, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — June and July are the most popular months for weddings according to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services¹. Before saying “I do,” 78 percent of couples say they discussed personal finances before marriage, according to a new Northwestern Mutual poll. Half (53%) of American couples say they talked about their personal financial situations prior to getting engaged and 25 percent had the conversation after their engagement, but before the wedding.

In a poll on Northwestern Mutual’s Facebook page, 1,003 respondents selected the point at which they discussed personal finances with their significant other. While the vast majority of respondents addressed personal finances with their partner before they were married, 12 percent waited until after marriage and 11 percent never had a formal conversation about financial planning, even after marriage.

“The topic of finances can be a sensitive subject between couples,” says Bill Taylor, Northwestern Mutual vice president – planning & sales. “However, there is great value in starting a financial plan early together. With honest discourse, a solid financial plan and an eyes-wide-open approach, couples can start their lives together with more confidence.”

Taylor recommends that couples consider some key items to ensure financially healthy relationships:

Should we combine assets or keep them separate?
Should we maintain a joint or separate bank account?
What are our joint financial goals?
What if an illness or injury prevents one of us from working?
What is our budget?

Taylor suggests that couples looking for additional guidance should consult a financial professional.

“Financial representatives can offer helpful, non-biased recommendations regarding financial planning and strategy, and help uncover solutions and compromises that helps to ensure the financial health of a relationship,” says Taylor.

About Northwestern Mutual
The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) – among the "World’s Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2012 according to FORTUNE® magazine – has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 155 years. As a mutual company with $1.2 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

###

¹ “National Vital Statistics Report, Volume 58, Number 25, Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths: Provisional Data for 2009.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_25.pdf.

For further information, contact:


Shawn Rolland
1-800-323-7033
mediarelations@northwesternmutual.com





Omoni Oboli, the Nollywood Actress with the Best Public Relations


Omoni Oboli leads the pack in Nollywood in excellent public relations.


Omoni Oboli, the Nollywood Actress with the Best Public Relations

Omoni Oboli has been rated the Nollywood actress with the best public relations and from informed knowledge, her husband Nnamdi is the secret behind her superb public relations and they have been married for 12 years and still waxing stronger as the most solid celebrity couple in Nollywood. She has also acknowledged the exemplary role of her husband in her successful professional life.

Public relations are not well appreciated in Nigeria, because many Nigerians do not appreciate the importance, relevance and significance of public relations in both private and public sectors. That is why Nigeria has a very terrible image in the global village, and Nigerians are being labeled as fraudsters and drug peddlers in the international community when only very few Nigerians are engaged in these crimes, because of our bad public relations. And unfortunately, the appropriate public officials in government and corporate affairs managers in private companies have not performed up to the expectations of the best practices of public relations.
Nigerian corporate Affairs managers don’t even know how to reply important emails or letters and their companies end up with bad public relations as can be seen in the common misunderstandings between them and their respective customers/clients in their host communities. Most of these corporate affairs managers or public relations officers forget that they are the public image of their companies. Many of them even lack basic company manners when compared to their foreign counterparts or peers. Therefore, it is really imperative to emphasize the urgency of this matter in our private and public lives and in particular where public relations would be of immense benefit to Nigeria and Nigerians locally and internationally such as in Nollywood the most popular Nigerian brand in the world which is seen as the mirror of Nigeria and Nigerians in the global village.


Famous Nollywood actor Ramsey Noah is highly rated for his remarkable public relations.

Millions of people in Africa and the rest of the world have come to know more about Nigeria and Nigerians through what they have seen in thousands of Nollywood movies circulated by legal and illegal distributors on the street and on the internet. Nollywood has been able to improve the international public relations of Nigeria with Nollywood stars being accorded celebrity status in many countries. Nollywood stars like Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Omoni Oboli, Ramsey Noah, Desmond Elliot and Jim Iyke have been received as VIPs by the governments of different African countries and welcomed like diplomatic ambassadors. But many of them have not been able to use their local and international celebrity status positively, because of their poor knowledge of public relations at home and abroad. In fact those who claim to have managers are not faring better than those without any. In most cases, their so called managers have little or no professional knowledge or expertise of public relations talk less of the best practices. So, majority of them have ended up with either poor or bad public relations over the years. But there are few of them who have been able to appreciate good public relations and have won more fans and patronage. Among them are Ramsey Noah and Omoni Oboli who have proved to have the best public relations so far. Their ratings have been based on the reports of their private and public interactions in Nigeria and abroad on and off the set of their movies.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Brad Pitt is the Biggest Big Daddy Of Them All!



Brad Pitt Wins Four "Big Daddy Awards" Including "Biggest Big Daddy Of Them All" for Receiving the Most Votes of Anyone; Other Winners Include Johnny Depp, Mark Wahlberg, Will Smith, Bruce Willis, David Beckham, LeBron James, President Obama, Brad Paisley and George Stephanopolous



THE FIRST-EVER 2012 "BIG DADDY AWARDS" ENCOURAGED FANS TO VOTE FOR THEIR TOP CELEBRITY DADS THROUGH FATHER'S DAY ON JUNE 17 TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR PROSTATE CANCER PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH


Big Daddy Brad Pitt with some of his children.

LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brad Pitt wins four awards including the "Biggest Big Daddy Of Them All" for receiving the most overall votes of all of the nominees in the "Big Daddy Awards," it was announced today. Pitt also won the "Current Movie Big Daddy," "Do-Gooder Big Daddy" and was voted one of three celebrities to be added to the "Movie Dad Hall of Fame." Johnny Depp, Mark Wahlberg, Will Smith, Bruce Willis, David Beckham, LeBron James, President Obama, Brad Paisley and George Stephanopoulos are among the winners in the online voting for the 2012 "Big Daddy Awards." Fans participated in the first annual "Big Daddy Awards," an awards show held exclusively online for top celebrity dad picks in 33 categories that encompass film, television, music, comedy, sports and more. Voting continued through Father's Day on Sunday, June 17 at www.bigdaddyawards.com.

In association with "On The Line," a national prostate cancer awareness campaign, the "Big Daddy Awards" honor celebrity fathers in fun and unique categories. Top celebrity dads who have won each award are listed below:

In association with "On The Line," a national prostate cancer awareness campaign, the "Big Daddy Awards" honor celebrity fathers in fun and unique categories. Top celebrity dads who have won each award are listed below:
  • "Current TV Dad Big Daddy"
    Dan Castellaneta/Homer Simpson
  • "Current Movie Dad Big Daddy"
    Brad Pitt/Moneyball
  • "All Time Reality TV Dad Big Daddy"
    Ozzy Osbourne
  • "Real TV Doctor Big Daddy"
    Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Oz
  • "Morning TV Show Big Daddy"
    George Stephanopoulos
  • "Late Night TV Host Big Daddy"
    Jimmy Kimmel
  • "Entertainment TV Talk Show Host Big Daddy"
    Mario Lopez
  • "Talk Radio Big Daddy"
    Howard Stern
  • "Country Big Daddy"
    Brad Paisley
  • "Hip Hop Big Daddy"
    Eminem
  • "Rock On Big Daddy"
    Jon Bon Jovi
  • "Top Pop Big Daddy"
    Patrick Monahan - Train
  • "Pro Hoops Big Daddy"
    LeBron James
  • "Pro Baseball Big Daddy"
    David Ortiz
  • "Pro Football Big Daddy"
    Drew Brees
  • "Golfing Big Daddy"
    Bubba Watson
  • "Racing Big Daddy"
    Jeff Gordon
  • "Father/Son of Sports Big Daddy"
    Peyton & Eli Manning – Archie Manning
  • "Coaching Big Daddy"
    Bela Karolyi
  • "Heartthrob Big Daddy"
    Johnny Depp
  • "Funny Man Big Daddy"
    Robin Williams
  • "Tough Guy Big Daddy"
    Mark Wahlberg
  • "Best Dressed Big Daddy"
    Will Smith
  • "Bald and Beautiful Big Daddy"
    Bruce Willis
  • "Iconic Big Daddy"
    Clint Eastwood
  • "Best Accent Big Daddy"
    David Beckham
  • "Hottest Thing in the Kitchen Big Daddy"
    Gordon Ramsay
  • "Business Mogul Big Daddy
    Bill Gates
  • "Do-Gooder Big Daddy"
    Brad Pitt
  • "Presidential Candidate Big Daddy"
    President Barack Obama
  • "ON THE LINE—Prostate Cancer Survivor Big Daddy"
    Robert De Niro
  • "Hall of Fame TV Dad"
    Bill Cosby as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show, Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show and Bob Saget as Danny Tanner on Full House
  • "Hall of Fame Movie Dad"
    Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball, Chevy Chase as Clark Griswald in National Lampoon's Vacation, and Will Smith as Chris Gardner in Pursuit of Happyness

Click here for the complete list.


Winners Announced For 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival


All is Well directed by Pocas Pascoal.

24 Jun 2012 21:00 Africa/Lagos

Winners Announced For 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival

Pocas Pascoal's All is Well and Everardo Gonzalez's Drought Win Jury Awards
Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild, Sara Lamm & Mary Wigmore's Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives and Malik Bendjelloul's Searching for Sugar Man Win Audience Awards

Best Performance, Short Film and Music Video Award Winners Also Revealed

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Spirit Awards, announced the jury and audience award winners for the 2012 Festival at the Awards Brunch, hosted by CHAYA Downtown for the third year. Actors Jon Heder and Ari Graynor were on hand to present the awards. The LA Film Fest, presented by Film Independent and Host Venue Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 and presenting media sponsor Los Angeles Times, ran from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 24 in downtown Los Angeles.

"Every single filmmaker in this year's Festival deserves kudos for their artistry and compelling stories. Our juries had such gems to choose from in each competition and the winners truly represent what we hold dear—diversity and uniqueness of vision," said Festival Director Stephanie Allain.

The two top juried awards of the Los Angeles Film Festival are the Narrative Award and Documentary Award, each carrying an unrestricted $15,000 cash prize, funded by Film Independent, for the winning film's director. The awards were established by the Festival to encourage independent filmmakers to pursue their artistic ambitions.

"In an extremely competitive year, our juries had hard choices to make. The winning films are wonderful examples of what the Festival celebrates: bold, fresh, personal visions that expand the horizons of independent cinema," said Artistic Director David Ansen.

The Narrative Award recognizes the finest narrative film in competition at the Festival and went to Pocas Pascoal for the North American Premiere of All is Well , with an Honorable Mention going to Dominga Sotomayor's Thursday Till Sunday . The Documentary Award recognizes the finest documentary film in competition at the Festival and went to Everardo Gonzalez for the US Premiere of Drought .

The award for Best Performance in the Narrative Competition went to Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, E.J. Bonilla and Aja Naomi King for their performances in the World Premiere of Joshua Sanchez's Four. Given to an actor or actors from an official selection in the Narrative Competition, this is the ninth year the award has been given at the Festival.

The LA Film Fest also awarded an unrestricted $5,000 cash prize to each short film category. The award for Best Narrative Short Film went to The Chair , directed by Grainger David. The award for Best Documentary Short Film went to Josh Gibson for Kudzu Vine . Joseph Pierce's The Pub won for Best Animated or Experimental Short Film.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives, directed by Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore . Searching for Sugar Man, directed by Malik Bendjelloul won the Audience Award for Best International Feature.

The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to Asad, directed by Bryan Buckley . Piranhas Club, directed by Lex Halaby won the Audience Award for Best Music Video.

The Narrative Feature Competition jury was comprised of actress Rachael Harris (Natural Selection, Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies), actor/writer/producer/director Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats) and film critic Sheri Linden (LAFCA, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times ). The Documentary Feature Competition jury was comprised of producer Heather Rae (Frozen River, The Dry Land), producer Karin Chien (Circumstance, The Exploding Girl) and director Mark Landsman (Thunder Soul). The Shorts Competition Jury was comprised of film critic and author Ernest Hardy (Blood Beats Vols. 1 and 2), cinematographer Nancy Schreiber (Your Friends and Neighbors, The Celluloid Closet) and writer/director/editor Javier Fuentes Leon (Contracorriente).

Now in its eighteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival is recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world. The 2012 Festival screened nearly 200 feature films, shorts and music videos, representing more than 30 countries.

The LA Film Fest kicked off on Thursday, June 14 with the North American Premiere of Woody Allen's To Rome With Love, sponsored by Virgin America, and will close tonight with the World Premiere of Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike, sponsored by Volkswagen of America. Gala Screenings included the World Premieres of Alex Kurtzman's People Like Us, Lorene Scafaria's Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, LA premieres of Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild and Ava DuVernay's Middle of Nowhere. The 2012 Guest Director was William Friedkin and Artists in Residence were composer Danny Elfman, sponsored by Regal Entertainment Group and IRIS from Cirque du Soleil®, musician Raphael Saadiq and chef Michael Voltaggio.

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the newest CHAYA combines urban chic and European sensibility with Japanese hospitality. CHAYA Downtown features a lively bar, lounge and sushi bar that sit off the main dining room and look out into the large garden patio. CHAYA Downtown is proud to return as sponsor and host of the Los Angeles Film Festival Awards Brunch for a third year and offer its delectable cuisine to filmmakers and VIPs.

Awards were given out in the following categories:

Narrative Award (for Best Narrative Feature)

Winner: All is Well directed by Pocas Pascoal
Producer: Luis Correia
Cast: Ciomara Morais, Cheila Lima, William Brandao, Vera Cruz

Film Description: (Portugal) Strangers in a strange land, two beautiful Angolan sisters fleeing a civil war in their homeland struggle to survive in Lisbon. Pocas Pascoal's deeply personal saga shows us the face of exile with quietly stunning power.

The Narrative Award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000 funded by Film Independent, offering the financial means to help filmmakers transfer their vision to the screen. The award recognizes the finest narrative film in competition, and is given to the director. A special jury selects the winner, and all narrative feature-length films screening in the Narrative Competition section were eligible.

In bestowing Pocas Pascoal with the Narrative Award, the Jury stated:

"All is Well, a Lisbon-set exploration of the immigrant experience and, especially, of the bond between siblings, is a work of striking visual eloquence and emotional honesty. As sisters navigating a new country, together and separately, Cheila Lima and Ciomara Morais deliver performances of searing intimacy. Filmmaker Pocas Pascoal has transformed her personal story of exile from Angola into a deeply affecting drama, whose cinematic power if particularly impressive in the work of a first-time feature director."

****

Honorable Mention (for Best Narrative Feature)

Film Title: Thursday till Sunday directed by Dominga Sotomayor
Producers: Gregorio Gonzalez, Benjamin Domenech
Cast: Santi Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld, Francisco Perez-Bannen, Paola Giannini

Film Description: (Chile) With uncommon beauty and style, this Chilean road movie finds a family at a crossroads, as the daughter slowly realizes the divide between the adults in the front seat and the kids in back.

In bestowing Dominga Sotomayor with an Honorable Mention, the Jury stated:

"Thursday Till Sunday masterfully uses landscape to convey interpersonal dynamics with keen sensitivity and insight. Unease and awakening are indelibly entwined in the film's deceptively simple family road trip, creating a nuanced and elegiac coming-of-age story. The debut feature of Chilean writer-director Dominga Sotomayor is evidence of an exciting new talent."

****

Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature)


Winner: Drought directed by Everardo Gonzalez
Producer: Martha Orozco

Film Description: (Mexico) Contrasting the lives of a cattle-ranching community with the arid northeastern Mexican landscape that surrounds them, this cinema verite documentary paints a poetic portrait of a community on the verge of distinction.

The Documentary Award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000 funded by Film Independent, offering the financial means to help filmmakers transfer their vision to the screen. The award recognizes the finest documentary film in competition, and is given to the director. A special jury selects the winner, and all documentary feature-length films screening in the Documentary Competition section were eligible.

In bestowing Everardo Gonzalez with the Documentary Award, the Jury stated:

"The jury found Drought to be a film of extraordinary caliber—epic in scope, keen and intimate in its observational perspective, beautifully filmed and edited with a sparse and affecting soundscape. Through this powerful film, the story of a remote Mexican community grappling with a growing drought becomes a universal parable and an alarming harbinger."

****

Best Performance in the Narrative Competition

Winner: Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, E.J. Bonilla and Aja Naomi King in Joshua Sanchez's Four.

Film Description: Over the course of a steamy 4th of July night, a father and daughter, each trapped in loneliness, reach out for sexual connection — he with a self-hating teenage boy, she with a smooth-talking wannabe homeboy — in this psychologically complex, beautifully acted drama.

In bestowing the actors with the Best Performance, the Jury stated:

"Commanding and utterly unforced, the ensemble cast of Joshua Sanchez's Four inhabit their characters with compelling specificity. At the same time, their pitch-perfect collaborative energy honors and deepens the tone of the material. As lonely individuals in various states of crisis, Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, E.J. Bonilla and Aja Naomi King are fearless in the vulnerability they bring to their roles."

****

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature

Winner: Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin
Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn
Cast: Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry

Film Description: This stunningly imaginative, boldly original film follows six-year-old Hushpuppy as she fights to protect her father and their unique way of life in a remote, dreamlike area of the Delta threatened by apocalyptic floods.

This award is given to the narrative feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select narrative feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Narrative Competition, International Showcase, Summer Showcase, Community Screenings and The Beyond.

****

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature


Winner: Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives, directed by Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore
Producers: Sara Lamm, Mary Wigmore, Kate Roughan, Zachary Mortensen
Featuring: Ina May Gaskin, Stephen Gaskin, Pamela Hunt, Farm Midwives past and present, Kristina Kennedy Davis

Film Description: Ina May Gaskin and the courageous midwives of the Farm commune inspired the modern midwifery movement. This beguiling documentary tells their empowering story with depth, intelligence and wit.

This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: Documentary Competition, International Showcase, Summer Showcase and Community Screenings.

****

Audience Award for Best International Feature

Winner: Searching for Sugar Man directed by Malik Bendjelloul
Producers: Simon Chinn, Malik Bendjelloul
Featuring: Rodriguez

Film Description: Years after facing into obscurity at home, the music of '70s U.S. singer/songwriter Rodriguez became an underground sensation in South Africa. Decades after his disappearance, two fans uncover the startling truth behind the legend.

This award is given to the international feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select international feature-length films, both narrative and documentary, screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best International Feature: Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, International Showcase, Summer Showcase and The Beyond.

****

Best Narrative Short Film

Winner: The Chair directed by Grainger David
Producers: Spencer Kiernan, Caroline Oliveira
Cast: Khari Lucas, King Hoey, Martha F. Brown

Description: A young boy questions the origins of a mysterious mold outbreak that threatens to destroy his town.

In bestowing Grainger David with the Best Narrative Short Film Award, the Jury stated:

"Grainger David's narrative short, The Chair, is a lyrical, gorgeous meditation on death, grief and resilience as filtered through a young boy's fluid memory. Set in the humid American south, and filmed on landscapes that are familiar, on one hand, and rendered as poetic dreamscapes, on the other, the short film is ultimately a moving coming-of-age film in which a family tragedy nudges its young protagonist to muse on matters that have concerned great minds throughout the ages — religion, family, morality, and the ways in which we are all connected."

****

Best Documentary Short Film


Winner: Kudzu Vine directed & produced by Josh Gibson

Description: This ode to the kudzu vine poetically highlights its ties to the history and the people of the South.

In bestowing Josh Gibson with the Best Documentary Short Film Award, the Jury stated:

"Quite often, documentary filmmakers take a literal, visually straightforward approach to their subject matter, sidestepping experimentation with the language of cinema. Director Josh Gibson's Kudzu Vine was not only filled with information on the sturdy kudzu vine —it's history; the many and unexpected uses for it — but employed a visual style perched somewhere between gothic and otherworldly. Hugely educational and wonderfully stylistic, Kudzu Vine is this year's winner for Best Documentary Short."

****

Best Animated/Experimental Short Film

Winner: The Pub directed by Joseph Pierce

Producer: Mark Grimmer

Description: (England) Life isn't easy behind the counter of a North London pub.

In bestowing Mark Grimmer with the Best Animated or Experimental Short Film Award, the Jury stated:

"The jury prize for best animated/experimental short goes to Joseph Pierce's The Pub, a haunting portrayal of everyday life in a bar in North London, seen through the eyes of a lonely bartender. At times, striking beautiful and at times, terrifyingly grotesque, the imaginative and exquisite use of animation gives the film its depth and opens up a door into the humanity of the regular characters of this joint — loners, drunks, old-timers — letting us peak for an instant into their souls and the demons that hover around them.

****

Audience Award for Best Short Film

Winner: Asad directed by Bryan Buckley
Producers: Bryan Buckley, Mino Jarjoura, Rafiq Samsodien, Matt Lefebvre, Kevin Byrne, Hank Perlman
Cast: Harun Mohammed, Ibrahim Moalim Hussein, Ali Mohammed, Abdiwale Mohmed Mohamed, Mariya Abdulle, Najah Abdi Abdullahi, Mustafa Olad Dirie, Mohamed Abdullahi Abdikher, Abdi, Sidow Farah, Sahied Nuur Mahamed, Ahmed Dhadane Jimale, Hussein Abdi Mohamed, Isa, Mohamed Abdul, Ikram Hassan, Yasmin Abdi Mohamed, Maymum Abdi Mohamed, Sadia Hassan, Meade Nichol

Description: A young boy in a war-torn Somalian village faces a moral dilemma.

Awarded to the short film audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, or International Showcase feature-length screenings were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Short Film.

****

Audience Award for Best Music Video


Winner: Piranhas Club directed by Lex Halaby
Music: Man Man

This award is given to the music video audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system.

To download images and clips from the winning films, please visit www.lafilmfest.com and click on Press, then Press Materials.

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
Now in its eighteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival, supported by L.A. LIVE and The Los Angeles Times, is widely recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to some of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world.

The Festival features unique signature programs including the Filmmaker Retreat, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks, Music Events and more. Additionally, the Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos.

Nearly 200 features, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, make up the main body of the Festival.

The Festival hosts juried cash awards for best narrative and documentary features, best narrative, documentary and animated short film, and a jury award for best performance in the narrative competition. Audience awards are also presented to best documentary, narrative and international feature, short film and music video.

The Los Angeles Film Festival is presented in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times, Premier sponsor Virgin America and Platinum sponsors Kodak, Stella Artois, Melrose MAC, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group and EFILM, HBO, Volkswagen of America, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Nokia and Dolby Laboratories, Inc. Special support is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and FOCUS FORWARD – a partnership between GE and CINELAN. The Official Screening Venue is Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14. Jameson® Irish Whiskey is the official spirit, Stella Artois is the official beer, vitaminwater is the official water and E&J Gallo Winery is the official wine purveyor. The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the Official Host Hotel and Virgin America is the Official Airline Partner. WireImage is the Official Photography Agency and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

More information can be found at www.LAFilmFest.com



ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a non-profit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent's Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.


SOURCE Film Independent


CONTACT: Elise Freimuth, Film Independent, +1-310-432-1287, efreimuth@filmindependent.org, or Gina Lang, Ginsberg/Libby, +1-323-645-6800, gina.lang@ginsberglibby.com

Web Site: http://www.filmindependent.org



Anne Enright, Robert K. Massie, first recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction



25 Jun 2012 05:00 Africa/Lagos



Anne Enright, Robert K. Massie, first recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction



ANAHEIM, Calif., June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Library Association (ALA) is proud to announce the first recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, funded through a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. Anne Enright's The Forgotten Waltz received the medal for fiction and Robert K. Massie's Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman received the nonfiction prize. The medals recognize the best in fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published the previous year in the United States. The selections were unveiled during the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.



This is the first time that the ALA, which sponsors the prestigious Youth Media Awards, including the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott Medals for children's literature, is offering single-book awards for adult trade fiction and nonfiction. Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction winners and finalists were selected based on the expert judgment and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers. This is a departure from most major book awards, which are judged by writers and critics.

In Enright's The Forgotten Waltz, published by W. W. Norton & Company, the vicissitudes of extramarital love and the obstructions to its smooth flow—including spouses, children, and the necessary secrecy surrounding an affair—are charted in sharp yet supple prose. In a year without a Pulitzer Prize in fiction, this award becomes even more meaningful for the literary community.

Massie's Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, published by Random House, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, is a compulsively readable biography of the fascinating woman who, through a combination of luck, personality, and a fine mind, rose from her birth as a minor German princess to become the Empress of all the Russias.

"Congratulations to Anne Enright, Robert K. Massie and our finalists," said Nancy Pearl, high-profile librarian, NPR commentator and chair of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction selection committee. "We are so excited to have such a talented and deserving group of authors for our inaugural awards."

The medals are made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York and are co-sponsored by ALA's Booklist magazine and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).

"In many ways, librarians are the first book critics many readers come into contact with, and hence we are deeply thankful for their insight and guidance," said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York and a former president of the New York Public Library. "The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction take that notion one step further and place the librarians' seal of approval on these wonderful books."

Enright and Massie each receives a medal and $5,000, and each finalist receives $1,500.

Nonfiction finalists include The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood, by James Gleick, published by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, Inc., and Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, by the late Manning Marable, published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA).

Fiction finalists include Lost Memory of Skin, by Russell Banks, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers and Swamplandia!, by Karen Russell, published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

For annotations and more information on the winners, finalists and the awards please visit http://www.ala.org/carnegieadult .

Members of the 2012 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction inaugural selection committee include: Chair, Nancy Pearl; A. Issac Pulver, director, Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) Public Library; Nonny Schlotzhauer, librarian, Collection Development/Social Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.; Danise Hoover, associate librarian, Public Services, Hunter College Library, New York; Brad Hooper, editor, Adult Books, Booklist, Chicago; Donna Seaman, senior editor, Adult Books, Booklist, Chicago; and Rebecca Vnuk, editor, Reference and Collection Management, Booklist, Chicago.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.

About Booklist
Booklist is the book review magazine of the American Library Association, considered an essential collection development and readers' advisory tool by thousands of librarians for more than 100 years. Booklist Online includes a growing archive of 135,000+ reviews available to subscribers as well as a wealth of free content offering the latest news and views on books and media.

About Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)
The Reference and User Services Association is responsible for stimulating and supporting excellence in the delivery of general library services and materials, and the provision of reference and information services, collection development, readers' advisory, and resource sharing for adults, in every type of library.

About the ALA
Established in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

SOURCE American Library Association

CONTACT: Brittnie Mabry, +1-212-260-3401, brittnie.mabry@widmeyer.com, or Macey Morales, Manager Media Relations, ALA, +1-312-280-4393, mmorales@ala.org

Web Site: http://www.ala.org