Dramatic Film

In the wake of lingering controversy over the refusal of about 100 public-television stations to air a documentary about the experiences of black homosexuals, PBS has canceled a program about gay activists and is backing away from a dramatic film about AIDS and homophobia. On Monday, the network pulled the plug on "Stop the Church," a short film about a 1989 demonstration against Catholic church policies on AIDS, just two weeks before it was to air as part of the series "P.O.V."

PARK CITY, Utah--"Fruitvale," a drama based on the real-life story of a young man shot to death at an Oakland BART station, took home the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday night. The movie also won the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film. The Grand Jury Prize for U.S. documentary went to "Blood Brother," Steve Hoover's look at his best friend, who moves to India to help children with HIV. The film also won the Audience Award for U.S. documentary. "Fruitvale" is the first feature-length film from USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate Ryan Coogler, 26. Actor Forest Whitaker served as a producer on the movie, which stars Michael B. Jordan.

PARK CITY, Utah--"Fruitvale," a drama based on the real-life story of a young man shot to death at an Oakland BART station, took home the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday night. The movie also won the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film. The Grand Jury Prize for U.S. documentary went to "Blood Brother," Steve Hoover's look at his best friend, who moves to India to help children with HIV. The film also won the Audience Award for U.S. documentary. "Fruitvale" is the first feature-length film from USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate Ryan Coogler, 26. Actor Forest Whitaker served as a producer on the movie, which stars Michael B. Jordan.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards, which are set to take place Sunday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. For those tuning in on TV, the Hollywood party/awards show will begin at 5 p.m. Pacific ( 8 p.m. Eastern ) on Sunday and will be aired live across the country on NBC. The red carpet officially starts at 2:30 p.m. Pacific ( 5:30 p.m. Eastern) and the pre-show will air on NBC at 4 p.m. Pacific ( 7 p.m. Eastern) . The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards, which are set to take place Sunday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. For those tuning in on TV, the Hollywood party/awards show will begin at 5 p.m. Pacific ( 8 p.m. Eastern ) on Sunday and will be aired live across the country on NBC. The red carpet officially starts at 2:30 p.m. Pacific ( 5:30 p.m. Eastern) and the pre-show will air on NBC at 4 p.m. Pacific ( 7 p.m. Eastern) . The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.

The National Organization for Women is praising a movie studio's decision to shelve a comedy concert film starring the foulmouthed comedian Andrew Dice Clay. The untitled concert film was listed as an Aug. 31 release from 20th Century Fox. The studio announced this week that it will not open the film next month, saying the release could jeopardize Clay's career as a dramatic film actor. "We've had a tremendous victory," the Los Angeles chapter of NOW said on its hot line Tuesday.

The critics may have felt that Ricky Gervais was defanged, but viewers apparently felt the Golden Globes still had enough bite. Ratings for the 69th annual Golden Globes on Sunday delivered an average of 16.8 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. That was essentially flat with last year's 17 million, when Gervais' hosting caused a sensation with the British comic's barbed jabs at celebrities. The Globes are the most-watched award show so far this season, beating out the Emmys and the American Music Awards.

"The Social Network" -- the drama about the founding of Facebook -- appears poised to garner a slew of nominations Tuesday morning when the 68th annual Golden Globe nominations are announced. The drama, directed by David Fincher, has been cleaning up this award season. It was named best film of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., the Boston Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle. It has also been honored by the American Film Institute as one of the 10 best films of the year.

It's Martin Scorsese vs. Steven Spielberg, and George Clooney going against himself -- that's one way to look at the nominations for best dramatic film at the 69th annual Golden Globes, where the rich visual epics "Hugo" and "War Horse" will vie for the prestigious trophy along with two films starring Clooney: "The Ides of March" and "The Descendants. " "The Help," an emotional tale set against the race and class backdrop of 1960s Mississippi, was also nominated in the category, along with "Moneyball," which stars Clooney's pal Brad Pitt as a maverick major league general manager but also serves as commentary on people finding their place in a culture where their value is unappreciated.

Spreading its praise between accessible, star-driven movies and a handful of challenging films, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. bestowed a leading seven Golden Globe nominations on Steven Spielberg's biography "Lincoln" while handing five nods apiece to Ben Affleck's international thriller, "Argo," and Quentin Tarantino's slavery revenge tale, "Django Unchained. " Even though HFPA voters nominated the demanding Osama bin Laden manhunt film "Zero Dark Thirty" in four categories on Thursday, including drama, they ignored the critically acclaimed Louisiana bayou drama "Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Spreading its praise between accessible, star-driven movies and a handful of challenging films, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. bestowed a leading seven Golden Globe nominations on Steven Spielberg's biography "Lincoln" while handing five nods apiece to Ben Affleck's international thriller, "Argo," and Quentin Tarantino's slavery revenge tale, "Django Unchained. " Even though HFPA voters nominated the demanding Osama bin Laden manhunt film "Zero Dark Thirty" in four categories on Thursday, including drama, they ignored the critically acclaimed Louisiana bayou drama "Beasts of the Southern Wild.

The critics may have felt that Ricky Gervais was defanged, but viewers apparently felt the Golden Globes still had enough bite. Ratings for the 69th annual Golden Globes on Sunday delivered an average of 16.8 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. That was essentially flat with last year's 17 million, when Gervais' hosting caused a sensation with the British comic's barbed jabs at celebrities. The Globes are the most-watched award show so far this season, beating out the Emmys and the American Music Awards.

It's Martin Scorsese vs. Steven Spielberg, and George Clooney going against himself -- that's one way to look at the nominations for best dramatic film at the 69th annual Golden Globes, where the rich visual epics "Hugo" and "War Horse" will vie for the prestigious trophy along with two films starring Clooney: "The Ides of March" and "The Descendants. " "The Help," an emotional tale set against the race and class backdrop of 1960s Mississippi, was also nominated in the category, along with "Moneyball," which stars Clooney's pal Brad Pitt as a maverick major league general manager but also serves as commentary on people finding their place in a culture where their value is unappreciated.

For some, the presence of Bill Nighy will be reason enough to tune into "Page Eight," a luxuriously low-boil thriller that premieres Sunday under the umbrella of PBS' "Masterpiece Contemporary. " It is a piece that brings Nighy's best qualities to the fore — his humor in the service of the serious, his power-in-repose, the sexy intelligence he only half reveals — and it has, notably, been written and directed by the playwright David Hare, his first original drama for television in two decades, and his first film as a director since the 1989 "Strapless.

Mark Wahlberg scored a knockout with the Golden Globes. Wahlberg received a nod as lead actor in a drama for his role as a struggling boxer at odds with his family in "The Fighter," which he also produced. The acclaimed drama nabbed a total of six Golden Globe nominations, including motion picture (drama). Meanwhile, Wahlberg's production company, Leverage, also landed a nomination for TV series (drama) for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," which is set in the underworld of Atlantic City during the 1920s.

"The Social Network" -- the drama about the founding of Facebook -- appears poised to garner a slew of nominations Tuesday morning when the 68th annual Golden Globe nominations are announced. The drama, directed by David Fincher, has been cleaning up this award season. It was named best film of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., the Boston Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle. It has also been honored by the American Film Institute as one of the 10 best films of the year.

Oscar-winning documentarian Kevin Macdonald ("One Day in September") hadn't been harboring a strong desire to do a dramatic film. "The pleasure of documentaries are in the spontaneity," he says. But after working with actors in his last film, the documentary reenactment "Touching the Void," and feeling the need to expand his technique, Macdonald decided to venture into the dramatic realm with "The Last King of Scotland," which opens Wednesday.

The night belongs to "Avatar." The sci-fi blockbuster -- the most expensive movie ever made and on track to become the highest-grossing film ever made – won the Golden Globe tonight for best dramatic film and best director for James Cameron. "Avatar" was Cameron's first film since 1997's phenomenon "Titanic," which also won Globes in those same categories. "It's sure an exciting evening," Cameron said, looking at the crowd. "This is the best job in the world."

MAGGIE Q wasn't supposed to play the brief but memorable role of Tina in Swiss director Marcel Langenegger's debut feature, "Deception." The Hawaiian native auditioned for the starring role -- the femme fatale who leads lonely, innocent Ewan McGregor down a decadent, double-crossing path, littered with deceit and strewed with murder. It's a steamy part, worthy of a Hitchcock heroine. But that role went to Michelle Williams.