Game Change, HBO’s much buzzed-about film based on the 2008 presidential election and the 2010 book of the same name, held its premiere party at Ziegfeld Theatre last night.

Just a few of the celebs FishbowlNY spotted in attendance and on the red carpet: Julianne Moore, who does a spot-on, yet subtle portrayal of Sarah Palin; Sarah Paulson, who plays senior McCain campaign adviser Nicolle Wallace; the film’s executive producer, Tom Hanks, and his wife Rita Wilson; Jeff Zucker; Arianna Huffington; Monster’s Ball producer Lee Daniels; and just about every political pundit in town.

Unlike the book, which focused on all the candidates in the election, the movie zeroes in on John McCain‘s choice (or should we say, his advisers’ decision) to pick Palin as his running mate. And, while many are praising Moore for the way she humanized the Alaskan governor, Ed Harris brought his A-game too. Everything from his mannerisms to his posture were so McCain-like, it was eerie.

Game Change premieres this Saturday, March 10 on HBO. If you don’t mind a spoiler, head over to our sister blog TVNewser for a full review and peep more photos from the event after the jump.

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Now this is hard to believe.

After a blissful one-year anniversary between AOL and Huffington Post, sources have told Business Insider that top executives at AOL, including CEO Tim Armstrong, have their hands full with Arianna Huffington, who is a “headache” to deal with because of nonexistent “operating experience.”

Even so, it’s being suggested that Armstrong can see past the frustration and complaints (including that she is attention-needy) to understand Huffington’s worth.

Business Insider reports: “The value of having her is huge from a recruiting standpoint. And she’s an earned media machine. [She brings] incredible value in being a leader [with] public credibility,” says this source.

It’s always about the big picture, right?

After five years promoting The Huffington Post Media Group and its many arms – which somehow seem to have something it wants publicized nearly daily – Mario Ruiz, senior VP, media relations is leaving to start his own agency.

Mario Ruiz Public Relations is being described as a “NYC-based, full service public relations agency maintaining practice areas in technology, new media, causes, corporate communications, and more.”

Ruiz told FishbowlNY, “I haven’t made my first hire yet, but I do have my logo.”

He also has his first heavyweight client: Huffington Post Media Group.

In a staff memo sent by Arianna Huffington about Ruiz’s departure, she wrote:

After five years at HuffPost, Mario is moving on to start his own agency – with the Huffington Post Media Group as his first client!  When Oak was doing its due diligence for our second round of financing, they came back to us wondering how come they couldn’t find the details on our marketing budget.  We told them it was because we didn’t have a marketing budget.  Mario was our PR, Marketing, and Communications departments all rolled into one – a one-man-band who handled everything from getting HuffPosters on TV to press releases to pulling off memorable events like our pre-inauguration party in 2008 (voted the top DC social event of the year), our Convention Oasis, and our annual Game Changers fete.  And that’s on top of fielding every press query – whether they came early in the morning or late on a weekend night.  I’m proud of him for spreading his wings, and look forward to working together for many, many years to come. Arianna

If you ask us, Ruiz is making a good move. Of course, though, no one has asked us.

Arianna Huffington made an appearance on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update.

This Huffington (played by Nasim Pedrad), who loves “to be on media things,” had lots to say about women’s issues, gay rights, the Smash television show, politics and even references 2Pac, all the while hitting on Seth Meyers.

Of course there was a plug for HuffPost, in SNL style:

“The New York Times has great coverage of this Seth, and you can read all of it on The Huffington Post, because we copied it and we pasted it.”

We’d say it was a pretty spot-on impersonation.

During Thursday’s media gathering at AOL Studios for an unveiling of HuffPost Streaming Network, Beet.TV caught Arianna Huffington on video describing the rather ambitious venture.

You can read our coverage of the network’s intended bells and whistles and decide whether or not it will be a game changer.

During today’s event to preview the forthcoming HuffPost Streaming Network, its head, Roy Sekoff, mentioned that the network will be a full division of the media company and equipped with at least 100 employees.

Arianna Huffington chimed in that they are actively hiring at every level in preparation for the summer launch.

Sekoff added that they are especially interested in people who are great with video.

Is that you?

Roy Sekoff, head of HuffPost Streaming Network

Today at the AOL Studios in New York, AOL and HuffPost execs assembled media pros for hors d’oeuvres – including, as one reporter put it, lobster bisque in a shot glass – a one-year anniversary celebration, and an unveiling of the HuffPost Streaming Network.

It was a year ago this week that AOL announced the purchase of Huffington Post. Where has the time gone?

For the HuffPost, time has gone to what seems like a launch every week. In the last year, it rolled out 44 new sections in addition to international expansion into France, Canada and the UK, with Quebec, Spain, and Italy editions forthcoming.

Overkill?

Let AOL CEO Tim Armstrong tell it, they just weren’t waiting for the wind to blow; instead, they were stepping out and taking chances.

Enter its streaming network. It’s headed by HuffPost founding editor, Roy Sekoff, who, regarding the network’s mix of live video, user engagement and off-the-fly programming, said passionately: “People don’t want to be told the news anymore.”

Arianna Huffington commented that the HuffPost Universe, it’s stories, reporters, and community will be the script for the network.

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The Huffington Post has hired Anne Sinclair, the wife of Dominique Strauss-Khan, to be the editor of Le Huffington Post, the French version of HuffPo. The New York Times reports that while this has not been made official, an invitation to a party unveiling the new site listed Sinclair as the “editorial director.”

Sinclair actually has some journalism experience; she was a host of a popular television interview show during the 1980s. But that hasn’t stopped the French media from lashing out against the hiring:

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What seems to be dominating headlines these days? War. Political mudslinging. Economic distress. Prejudice diatribes. Pure foolishness.

Does media need more feel-good stories?

Arianna Huffington thinks so.

So much so that today, The Huffington Post is getting into the good news arena.  Huff Post Good News is being billed as a one-stop shop for inspirational stories that will circumvent media’s tendency to focus on negativity and what sells (or captures eyeballs) versus highlighting people who are doing good in their communities.

This has been a passion project for Huffington. About its importance, she told FishbowlNY:

“There is obviously a lot that is dysfunctional and destructive in our world, but there are also millions of people doing amazing things, overcoming great odds, and facing real challenges with perseverance, creativity and grace. HuffPost Good News will be devoted to these stories, using a variety of storytelling tools to bridge the gap that separates the world as it is from the world as portrayed by the bulk of the media.”

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Nico Pitney, the Executive Managing Editor of The Huffington Post, is stepping down. Capital New York reports that Pitney is leaving for family reasons. Pitney has also served as HufPo’s Politics Editor, National Editor and Washington Bureau Chief, prior to his current position.

“After living in two different cities for the first year of their marriage, Nico and his wife have decided to move to San Francisco to be closer to their families, and to start a family of their own,” Arianna Huffington wrote in a memo announcing the move. “Sadly, as a result, Nico will be stepping down as managing editor on February 3rd. In a number of roles over the years, Nico has been an integral part of HuffPost’s growth and success, and played a key leadership role following the merger. I will miss him very much.”

Jimmy Soni, HuffPo’s 26-year-old Chief of Staff, is succeeding Pitney.