Posts Tagged ‘Jay A. Fernandez’

Several weeks after the hiring was first announced by Anne Thompson, former Hollywood Reporter staffer Jay A. Fernandez has officially started today as Indiewire news editor and senior writer.

Per usual when it comes to these sorts of things, the Twitter welcome mat continues to be cast far and wide. Indiewire founder emeritus Eugene Hernandez welcomed Fernandez last Thursday to New York, where the latter has traveled to help cover the Tribeca Film Festival. Meanwhile, former THR colleague Daniel Miller returned a Fernandez weekend tweet-compliment by linking today to a review by the writer of a pair of Tribeca documentaries:

Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal introduced Sexy Baby Friday with the straightforward admonition that as the mother of two teenage girls, she feels this doc is “the scariest movie I watched” from the fest program. When some in the crowd chuckled, she added, “We can laugh about it, but it’s not funny.”

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First came the February 7 Hollywood Reporter article by Jay A. Fernandez. Followed today by a rip-roaring press release.

All that’s left are the have-fun-with-it headlines in connection with the news that actress Daryl Hannah is on board as executive producer of the upcoming documentary Greedy Lying Bastards. In production since 2009, the screed against the fossil fuels industry boasts a relatively large production budget of $1.5 million. From this morning’s announcement:

Author and political activist-turned filmmaker Craig Rosebraugh documents the impact of an industry that has continually put profits before people, waged a campaign of lies designed to thwart measures to combat climate change, used its clout to minimize infringing regulations and undermined the political process in the U.S. and abroad.

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Unlike some of the other prizes recently, SoCal newspapers are better represented in this morning’s announcement of Loeb finalists (the award is based out of Los Angeles, so we’d better be!).

Some of the local points of pride:

Finalists in the Breaking News category include Claudia Eller, Richard Verrier, Maria Elena Fernandez, Jay A. Fernandez, Meg James, John Horn and Joseph Menn for their LAT writers’ strike coverage.

In the Best Writing category, Lisa Girion is up for her story “Coverage Denied.”

Congratulations!

(photo of 2001 winners from the OC Register)

Diva SmackDown at the Tonys? Not even this titillating headline can get us to care about the Tonys. Sorry, Tom O’Neil.

Another Person Younger Than Us Has Just Made A Killing: According to Jay A. Fernandez: 28-year-old screenwriter Barry Schwartz has sold his original script Parents Weekend to Arnold Kopelson, “Oscar-winning producer of Platoon, The Fugitive and Se7en, for low-six figures against mid-six figures. Schwartz describes his R-rated comedy as ‘a life-event milestone movie, like Meet the Parents or Knocked Up, that takes place during the 48 hours when ‘the kids and the parents get to see each other as independent people for the first time ever.’” If you need us, just tap on the oven door.

Is George Stephanopoulos Sean Hannity’s Bitch? Probably not. But we can’t get enough of this story.

Best Story Of The Day: We don’t know when John M. Glionna was sent to China, but he dug up a great story there: a profile of the founder of Rural Women magazine, a women’s rights activist with an amazing tale.

Premature Speculation: The guys at The Envelope apparently don’t know what to do with themselves in these few weeks before awards season starts. So they’re planning for next year. Out loud.

Quiet On The Set: Columnist Jay A. Fernandez takes Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and other A-list celebs to task for staying silent about the WGA strike.

Indiana Jones: Raiders Of Spielberg’s iMac: Computers and photographs for the upcoming Indiana Jones sequel were stolen, according to DreamWorks Pictures SKG. Police have no suspects yet, but in related news, Sumner Redstone’s face has melted off.

BoingBoing Bounces Into Tiny TV: The world’s second-best blog is set to go small format today. Here’s the link — not that your inbox isn’t already filled with forwards to the site from your friends.

She’s Pretty. And She Can Fart, Too: Columnist Jay A. Fernandez falls head over heels in this profile of The Heartbreak Kid co-star Malin Akerman. You know a guy’s into you when he gives you a blurb-worthy gem like, “most unselfconscious performance by an actress in a comedy in recent memory.”

Hell To Pay: Costa Mesa evangelist Chuck Smith, founded a Christian radio empire. But he’s about to give it all up to the “devil.”

Hep Party Caterer Infected With Hep-A: Beyonce, Sports Illustrated models and other beautiful people are at risk for infection with hepatitis A after a Wolfgang Puck Catering prep cook was diagnosed with the disease. Good thing none of those people eat.

Jay Hearts Screenwriter: In his Scriptland column, Jay A. Fernandez calls the Oscars a triumph for screenwriters, saying “the ceremony was arguably the most screenwriter-friendly in modern history and, hopefully, a sign that their part in this great and glorious distraction is beginning to get its due recognition.” We’re sorry, Jay, we were distracted by Jennifer Hudson’s jacket. Did you say something?