Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Extinction is forever. Orangutans need our help. Donate now for absolutely free with a click

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Extinction is forever.  Orangutans need our help.

Donate now for absolutely free with a click…

 

Jump on to Facebook and pledge your name in support of Trilogy’s campaign.  In return, they’ll donate $1* to the Borneo Orangutan Protection Foundation.  Pledge your name here, it takes seconds: http://bit.ly/Q2utJ1

 

Orangutans are one of our closest cousins, sharing over 98% of our DNA.  Like human babies, baby orangutans cry when they’re hungry, whimper when they’re hurt and smile at their mothers.

 

And they’re resourceful.  Did you know that orangutans make umbrellas out of leaves to shelter themselves from the rain?

 

Deforestation of the orangutan’s natural habitat means the leaves that form such an integral part of orangutan life are swiftly disappearing.  And our beautiful, intelligent cousins are rapidly heading towards extinction.

 

Trilogy has been supporting orangutans in South East Asia since 2009.   With your support, over $40,000 has been raised to help the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation continue their vital work.

 

This year, Trilogy wants to hit the $50,000 mark.  You can help – simply by pledging your name.

 

But don’t stop there.  Spread the word.  We’ll donate $1* for every person who pledges

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation works hard to rescue and rehabilitate orangutans from high-risk areas and release them into wild, protected rainforest habitats.   Your support will assist the Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary, which works hard to care for over 600 orangutans.

 

* New Zealand currency.  Maximum donation $10,000. Campaign will run until 30 September or until 10,000 pledges have been made.  Rest assured – we won’t share your name with third parties.  Ever.

Peter Aspden & Bettany Hughes debate luxury & culture at the V&A Museum

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 Thursday 6th September, 3.45pm
 V&A Museum
What does it take to create something of note? 

That is what Frost went to find out.  Arts & culture commentator Peter Aspden and award-winning historian Bettany Hughes were a great match together. The bounced off each other perfectly. Peter noted iconic moments in history – Elvis Presley singing Hound-dog to an actual hound dog, Michael Jackson – and Bettany, just back from a trip to Albania funded by Lord Rothschild,  certainly knows her stuff. Things I found out from her during the debate: it took 18 years to build the pyramids and they were made not by slaves as is popularly thought, but by citizens of Egypt for the gods.

While Peter said we should not be beholden to the past, Bettany said: “we live with the past, it is in everything we think and do”.

It was a lively debate with lots of good questions being asked. Chivas Brothers hosted the event at the beautiful Victoria & Albert museum. Chivas Brothers certainly know about good things taking time. Their whiskey takes 20 odd years to make. I saw one bottle which was thirty years old. They started making whiskey in the 1800s. They are now in the top 3 whiskey makers in the world.

The debate also raised the point that one of the reasons a 21-year-old whiskey is such a luxury is that the moment you drink it 21-years is gone.

If whiskey does not have an age statement then it is three years old, as whiskey has to be at least three years old.

Other things I learnt:

“Did you know that most of us only live for 800 months?” A.C Grayling.

The Taj Mahal took 25 years to build

Alcohol is an Arabic word.

Symposium  means “drinking together”.

What do you think?

Netflix hosts evening of Bollywood style and Cinema

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Netflix rolled out the red carpet for an evening of Bollywood Style and Movies in central London this week – celebrating the great range of Bollywood movies available on the service, and Frost Magazine went along to have some fun.  Indian actress Preeya Kalidas and rising UK film star Adam Deacon were amongst the guests to enjoy cocktails and watch preview clips from upcoming Bollywood movies.

We had delicious cocktails and I got a make up lesson from legendary make up artist Ruby Hammer. My favourite cocktail was the Ginger Dahling.

Netflix is the world’s leading internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows and features everything from blockbusters, classic movies to TV series and children’s programming.  It also features a range of great world cinema, including a great selection of of Bollywood movies to instantly watch on the service, including the below titles:

  • Delhi Belly
  • Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
  • Mohabbatein
  • Main Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara 
  • Silsila
  • Aaja Nachle
  • Hum Tum
  • Chakde!
  • Dhoom & Dhoom 2
  • Dil to Pagal Hai
  • Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

The night was hosted by Nihal who also entertained the crowd of Bollywood gliterratti, the fashion pack and media with a DJ set of Bollywood fusion music. Beauty and style press were also treated to a make up master class from Ruby Hammer – showcasing some of the most iconic looks from Bollywood’s history whilst food and drink drawing inspiration from Bollywood was served throughout the evening. Konnie Huq and Asian music producer Rishi Rich were also on hand to enjoy the style sessions and to sip Chai Collins and Ginger Dahling cocktails at the exposure Gallery, W1.

eBay & CFDA’s You Can’t Fake Fashion Debuts at Fashion Week

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eBay’s Alan Marks, CFDA’s Steve Kolb; The 2013 Tote; IMG’s Peter Levy, Chris Benz, Jauretsi, Alan Marks, Steven Kolb, and Ruffian’s Brian Wolk and Claude Morais; The Exhibit; Chris Benz; Ruffians Brian Wolk and Claude Morais

 

eBay and CFDA are collaborating for a third year to advance the YOU CAN’T FAKE FASHION campaign, to continue to raise awareness against counterfeit goods and celebrate original design within the fashion industry. To properly celebrate our third iteration of this important partnership, we’re previewing the new 2013 tote at an exclusive exhibit at Lincoln Center during MBFW as of yesterday.  If you are at London Fashion Week find some time between shows to stop by and check it out!

 

Following two consecutive sold-out collections, the 2013 collection will include a new version of the limited-edition standard tote bearing the signature tagline as well as one-of-a-kind designer totes, customized by nearly 100 of America’s foremost designers like CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg, Chris Benz, Ruffian, Tory Burch, Rachel Zoe, and Oliver Theyskens.

 

The entire collection will be available exclusively on eBay in March 2013, with all proceeds benefitting the CFDA Foundation. visit ebay.com/youcantfakefashion and be sure to include the hashtag #ebayfashion if you stop by the exhibit and share any photos on Instagram!

Morrisons Christmas Range: What To Buy For Christmas

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It may seem strange to see a Christmas article so early but there is a reason: most companies have their Christmas PR days in July. There is always a lead up needed for Christmas articles. It is the same in acting, you film the Christmas specials six months early. By the time Christmas comes I feel I have been celebrating it for at least half the year.

Morrisons has launched an excellent Christmas range. The food is well-selected, reasonably priced and sourced by professionals in their field. Here are some reasons why I think Morrisons is great for Christmas….

Morrisons source livestock straight from farmers. They also sell black summer truffles at £99.99 a kilo…which means you can buy your own truffles for £3 or £4.

In 2011 they pledged to have more than 50 promotions each week to make it cheaper for customers to get their 5 a day. They average 93 promotions a week.

None of their fruit or veg goes to waste, what is not good enough for customers is given to animals.

I was lucky enough to taste some food made by Neil Nugent who is Morrisons Executive Chef and Head of Innovation, Ray Craven, meat specialist and Martin Clayton, bakery specialist. I have picked out my highlights below from the UK’s fourth-largest grocer.

Mince Pie & Cream Flavoured Popcorn.
The acronym OMG was made for this popcorn. It just tastes divine. Available from October 15.

Morrisons Best Champagne Brut has won the Which? Best Champagne Award twice.
“I am very prod of our Morrisons Best Champagne Brut as I handpicked the blend myself. It is multi-award-winning and adds a certain elegance and style to any meal or celebration.” Arabella Woodrow, Wine Specialist. I have tasted a lot of champagne and this is now my favourite. It just tastes amazing. No wonder is has been voted Best Champagne twice.

Beetroot Smoked Salmon, Smoked Halibut and Smoked Salmon
This salmon is delicious. I really liked the Beetroot salmon. The halibut was good too. A tip from Morrisons is to buy your salmon in advance and freeze it. Salmon has a long shelf life.

Christmas Tree Tear and Share Bread
This tastes great and it looks fun too. Wrap uneaten piece in cling film to make them last longer.

Panettone
Freshly baked and with 15% more fruit this year. Morrisons makes good panettone. I will be buying this again for Christmas.

Other highlights: Soda bread by Bryn Williams, White Christmas Pudding created by Claire Clarke MBE, Crusted Turkey by Nigel Haworth and Rustic Country Pate created by Pierre Koffmann.

Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson to star in Frank

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Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave, Prometheus, Shame) and Domhnall Gleeson (True Grit, Harry Potter, Anna Karenina) are attached to star in Lenny Abrahamson’s next project Frank. Frank is written by Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare at Goats) and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Men Who Stare At Goats) and has been developed by Film4 who will also co-finance the film with the Irish Film Board.

Frank is a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon (Gleeson), who discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Fassbender).

The film is a co-production between Runaway Fridge and Element Pictures and will be produced by David Barron, Ed Guiney and Stevie Lee. Exec producers for Film4 are Tessa Ross and Katherine Butler and for Element Pictures, Andrew Lowe.

Protagonist Pictures are handling international sales. Abrahamson’s current film What Richard Did will premiere in Toronto 2012, and is also being handled by Protagonist Pictures.

Fassbender, who won Best Actor in Venice in 2011 for his performance in Steve McQueen’s Shame, is currently shooting Ridley Scott’s The Counselor alongside Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz, while Domhnall Gleeson recently finished shooting Richard Curtis’ new comedy About Time, and was recently named as one of Variety’s ’10 Actors to Watch’.

Abrahamson’s past features include Garage, which won the CICAE Cinema Prize at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes 2007, and Adam & Paul which played at the Berlinale Panorama in 2004 and won Best Director award at the Irish Film and TV Awards.

Frank is scheduled to commence principal photography late 2012.

Roman Abramovich Wins Court Battle

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The clash of the titans has finished and Roman Abramovich has come out on top, winning his legal battle against exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky.

The Chelsea FC owner was said “to be a truthful, and on the whole reliable, witness” by Mrs Justice Gloster.

Mr Berezovsky had said that Abramovich had intimidated him into selling his shares in Russian oil giant Sibneft and was claiming £3bn in damages. Mrs Justice Gloster said the 65-year-old had not been an “inherently unreliable” witness.

The judge said in her ruling “On my analysis of the entirety of the evidence, I found Mr Berezovsky an unimpressive, and inherently unreliable, witness, who regarded truth as a transitory, flexible concept, which could be moulded to suit his current purposes.”

She dismissed Berezovsky’s claims that 45-year-old Abramovich had broken a promise on a deal which involved the Russian aluminium company RusAl “in their entirety”.

Mr Berezovsky said he was “shocked” at the decision and that Mrs Justice Gloster had rewritten Russian history.

There was a certain amount of mud-slinging during the three-month trail with Berezovsky calling Abramovich a “gangster” and Abramovich saying Berezovsky was “something of a megalomaniac”.

Abramovich was not in court but in a statement issued on his behalf said: “There were many serious allegations made against Mr Abramovich by Mr Berezovsky, including attacks on Mr Abramovich’s honesty and integrity.

“We are pleased that the judge has firmly rejected all such allegations and has described Mr Abramovich as a truthful and frank witness who showed a responsible and honest approach when giving evidence in this case.”

At one point the Queen watched the trial and talked to Mrs Justice Gloster

Win A Copy Of Curse On DVD

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Frost has teamed up with Grayson Pictures to give away a DVD copy of Cursed.

Curse is releasing the rarely seen Singaporean military chiller on Sept 17, 2012.

Set in on the Island of Pulau Hantu in the south of Singapore. CURSE tells the
terrifying tale of a military squad sent to an island to investigate the mysterious
disappearance of a group of soldiers. Accidentally disturbing a burial site, they
unleash a terrifying supernatural curse…

Curse is directed by Esan Sivalinhgam who said of the shoot: “We expected it to
be one hell of an adventure but it turned out to be the adventure from hell”. Facing
torrential downpours, extreme temperatures, venomous reptiles plus censorship
issues and stumbling across a real burial site, it was a miracle the film was
completed in its fifteen-day schedule.

The stellar cast includes Adrian Psang, who starred in rge award-winning
SPIRALLING; SPYGAME, NIGHTWATCH and most recently BAIT 3D.

Curse is available on DVD from 17th of September]

CURSE will be the first release by newly-created Grayson Pictures. For a chance to win, follow @Frostmag on twitter and tweet “I want to win Curse DVD with @Frostmag” or subscribe to our newsletter.