Entertainment

LOS ANGELES—“The Artist” won five Academy Awards yesterday, including best picture, becoming the first silent film to triumph at Hollywood’s highest honours since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago.
Among other prizes for the black-and-white comic melodrama were best actor for Jean Dujardin and director for Michel Hazanavicius.

The “Heart of the Arts” benefit concert, auction, art exhibit, and market held last Thursday evening at Fort Frances High School was lauded by organizers as a success, highlighting the generosity displayed from all aspects of the community while bringing together people of diverse cultures and talents.

Observant residents will have noticed a handful of sculptures take shape over the past week as part of the Rainy River Arts Collective’s “Winter Sculpture Garden” project.
And now the public is encouraged to check out the creations at the Lions’ Millennium Park, Sorting Gap Marina, and water treatment plant, which will be left at their sites until nature takes its course.

District businesses and individuals will be in the spotlight tomorrow night at the 16th-annual Bell Business Awards gala dinner at the Adventure Inn here.
A total 66 nominees are up for this year’s awards, including some nominated in multiple categories.

LOS ANGELES—Adele made a triumphant return to the stage at the 54th Grammy Awards yesterday and left the gala with arms as full as her robust voice.
But it was another diva whose memory dominated the evening as a grieving industry came together to mourn the sudden death of Whitney Houston.

The “Heart of the Arts” benefit concert, auction, art exhibition, and market at the Townshend Theatre next Thursday (Feb. 16) has announced its entertainment lineup.
Main stage musicians will include Brittany Hayes, Sandra Allan, Charity Rose, Ericka Tymkin, Pat (Calder) Cupp, Abbey Calder, Allison Wannamaker, Larissa Desrosiers, and Intyrely Mac.

Due to too few entries, the Rainy River Arts Collective has changed its “Winter Sculpture Garden” from being a contest to a demonstration instead.
The RRAC needed to continue on with the project, despite only drawing a couple of entries, because so many people have worked so hard to make this happen so far, RRAC spokesperson Lindsay Hamilton said yesterday afternoon.

Alison Rose, who originally hails from Emo, is one of 27 individuals who recently were awarded the Order of Ontario.
The Toronto-based, award-winning independent documentary filmmaker and reporter, whose parents, Dan and Ruth Rose, currently live in Markdale, was invested by Lt.-Gov. David C. Onley at a ceremony Jan. 26 at Queen’s Park.

LONDON—He wrote about life in the modern city, with its lawyers and criminals, bankers and urchins, dreamers and clerks.
He created characters still known to millions: Ebeneezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim, Pip and Miss Havisham, Fagin and Oliver Twist.
And it made him a star, mobbed by fans on both sides of the Atlantic.

Quebec filmmaker Philippe Falardeau says he screamed and leapt into his producer’s arms when he learned his tender dramedy “Monsieur Lazhar” nabbed an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film today.