Take That will perform a second, more intimate concert in Dubai after their main open-air gig next month. The British boyband are already booked to perform to more than 10,000 people at Dubai Media Amphitheatre on October 30. Now a lucky few hundred of those fans will get a chance to see the boys again, up close and personal, with a follow-up gig a day later at Hard Rock Cafe Dubai in Festival City. The show is part of the venue’s Pinktober campaign, in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fans who registered for the advance sale of the first show will be invited to purchase a limited number of tickets for the extra show this week. See www.doneevents.com for more. – The National staff
Malala film to close Beirut film festival
He Named Me Malala, the documentary about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai – the Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner for women's rights who survived a Taliban assassination attempt – will have its Middle East premiere when it closes the Beirut International Film festival next month. The screenings, on October 15, follow the standing ovations the movie received at Telluride and Toronto International film festivals this month. Directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), He Named Me Malala is being released by Fox Searchlight Pictures, in association with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Participant Media and National Geographic Channel, and is being distributed by Empire International. Image Nation chief executive Michael Garin said: "We are honoured to be able to bring this incredible and inspiring story to global audiences and are excited to see how it is received in the Middle East." The film opens in the US on October 2 and in the UAE on November 5. – The National staff
Casting call for Emirati TV drama
The makers of a new Emirati TV drama have sent out a casting call to find hundreds of actors and extras. Image Nation Abu Dhabi this month announced it is producing 20 episodes of the as-yet-untitled Arabic-language TV drama, which will follow the lives of a young Emirati lawyer and her father. Several starring roles are available for Emiratis, with roles also available for other Arabs, Pakistanis and Indians. Image Nation production manager Alwiya Thani said: “We are particularly excited to have such strong female characters, especially our lead lawyer. These reflect the important roles women play across our society and provide unique opportunities for a host of female actors.” Actors interested in speaking roles must be fluent in Arabic (Gulf, Levant, or Egyptian dialect). Send CVs, a headshot, full length photo and if possible, a video show reel to adjcasting@imagenation.ae. Successful candidates will be contacted by email with details of the casting process. – The National staff
GT Academy set to film in capital
International motorsport TV programme GT Academy is coming to Abu Dhabi. The reality show – which gives professional videogamers a chance to compete for a real-life motorsports career – will host a week-long race camp in the capital next month, with scenes set to be filmed at locations including Yas Marina Circuit, Qasr Al Sarab, Nation Towers and Yas Waterworld. Twofour54 will provide support and production services, while producers will benefit from Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30 per cent rebate, which applies to production spending in Abu Dhabi. GT Academy was the second-most watched motorsport show in Europe last year and is broadcast in 120 countries. – The National staff
New dates for Hindi play
Performances of the award-winning Hindi play Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya have been postponed until October 24. The show by b Theatre – the arts and cultural arm of the Plan b Group in Dubai – was originally scheduled to be performed at Ductac on September 19, but was cancelled out of respect for the national mourning period following the death of Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed, the son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The theatre classic, written by Asgar Wajahat in the 1980s, explores the effects on people of the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. Tickets for the originally scheduled show will be valid for the new date at Ductac. Call the box office on 04 341 4777 for refunds and other queries. – The National staff
1D star flies his baby’s mother to London gig
One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson has fuelled rumours that he has reunited with American stylist Briana Jungwirth, after he flew her to London to watch the band perform. Jungwirth, who is pregnant with Tomlinson’s child, was spotted with the singer’s 17-year-old sister Lottie and his mother Johoannah Deakin backstage at the gig, femalefirst.co.uk reported. Tomlinson split from his girlfriend of four years, Eleanor Calder, in March and Jungwirth’s pregnancy was revealed in July. – IANS
Muhammad film to represent Iran at oscars
Director Majid Majidi's epic film Muhammad, which portrays the childhood of The Prophet, will represent Iran in next year's race for the best foreign film Academy Award. With a budget of nearly US$40 million (Dh147m), partly funded by the state, the film is the most expensive in the history of Iranian cinema. Majidi said has said he hopes the film will remove the "violent image" of Islam created by jihadist groups. Iran won the 2012 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with the A Separation by director Asghar Farhadi. The 88th Academy Awards will be held on February 28. – AFP
Aditya Chopra announces new film, Befikre
Aditya Chopra yesterday announced that he is to direct Befikre, his first film in seven years. He chose what would have been the 83rd birthday of his father – filmmaker Yash Chopra, who died in 2012 – to announce the project, which he calls his "riskiest" and "youngest" film yet. Aditya, whose last film was Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in 2008, said that Befikre will "probably not" have the potential to be as successful as his earlier films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Mohabbatein. – IANS
Rapper lands in hospital after motorbike crash
Fetty Wap has been injured in a motorcycle crash in his northern New Jersey hometown. Paterson Police director Jerry Speziale said the 25-year-old rapper was being treated at a hospital for after his motorcycle collided with a car on Saturday afternoon. No details of the injuries were given but they are not considered life-threatening. Wap, whose real name is Willie Maxwell, has enjoyed success in the past year with three US top-10 songs, including Trap Queen. His self-titled debut album was released on Friday. – AP
Big Bang Theory star to divorce
Kaley Cuoco, who stars as Penny in hit comedy The Big Bang Theory, is getting divorced from her husband, Ryan Sweeting, after less than two years of marriage. Cuoco's representative, Melissa Kates, said on Saturday that the actress and the tennis professional have "mutually decided to end their marriage". The couple wed during a New Year's Eve ceremony in 2013. The 29-year-old Cuoco has starred on CBS' The Big Bang Theory since it began in 2007, and the ninth season started in the United States last week. This year she also appeared on the big screen with Kevin Hart and Josh Gad in the film comedy The Wedding Ringer. – AP
