Actor Owen Wilson has spoken for the first time about his father's battle with Alzheimer's disease. He admitted it is tough, but he knows that there are things to be grateful for, including the fact that his father is being cared for at home and is surrounded by people who love him. "It is a rough thing," Wilson told the Dallas Morning News in his first public comment about his 74-year-old father's illness. "It's one of those things where if somebody had said 10 years ago, when my dad and I were joking around ... that this is the position your dad's going to be in, where he basically needs 24-hour care, you'd think: 'Gosh, I won't be able to handle that. That's just not possible,'" Wilson said. The actor, who grew up in Dallas, added: "You just have to do your best to deal with it. You've got no choice but to accept it." Wilson, 46, plays a father in his new movie No Escape, which is out on Thursday. It's a thriller about a businessman who unwittingly brings his wife and two young daughters to a country in which a coup takes place. – AP
Six chosen for AFS documentary programme
Six aspiring filmmakers have been chosen to take part in the second Arab Film Studio documentary programme. The lucky six, who saw off tough competition from what organisers described as a "large field of high-quality candidates" are: Emiratis Hind Abdullah, 23, and Nour Al Harmoodi, 22; Arkus, 29, from India; Alawi Shareef, 24, from Comoros; Rana Mohammad, 22, from Egypt; and Mohammad Sakkijha, 27, from Jordan. The inaugural documentaries section of the AFS programme, Image Nation's amateur short film competition, proved a huge success last year, with the participants' work showcased at film festivals around the world, and three of the candidates – Farah Diab, Tanya Daoud and winner Amena Al Nowais – moving on to projects at Image Nation. Image Nation chief executive Michael Garin said: "The UAE film industry is growing and it's important that we equip our young talent with the expertise to become the great filmmakers of the future. We received an overwhelming number of submissions this year and I think the overall calibre of this year's participants is the best we've seen so far." The 20-week AFS Docs course, created in association with twofour54 and Anasy Media Productions, includes practical demonstrations, screenings and round-table discussions. – The National staff
Whitaker set for Broadway debut
Award-winning American actor Forest Whitaker will make his Broadway debut in the spring as a drunken, small-time hustler in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's play Hughie. The Academy Award and Golden Globe winner will play Erie, who misses Hughie, the fleabag hotel's desk clerk who has just died, and tells his tale to a sympathetic soul in a rundown hotel lobby. Michael Grandage will direct. Whitaker's acclaimed movie career includes roles in Lee Daniels' The Butler, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and his Oscar-winning turn as Idi Amin in 2006's The Last King of Scotland. He follows in the footsteps of other famous actors who have played the role, including Jason Robards (1964), Ben Gazzara (1975) and Al Pacino (1996). Dates and theatre have yet to be announced. – AP
Jackman bringing musical story of his life to Oz
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman revealed yesterday he will return to the stage in a personal show in Australia inspired by his successful Broadway performances. The Aussie actor, best known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men movies, said Broadway to Oz would present an "intimate look at my life, the stuff that I love". "It's pretty much all about me," the 46-year-old Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony Award-winner said. "You are going to get to know the real me in that show. I will tell you what it's like being in my shoes." The show will be based on his 2011 Broadway show, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, and will trace his journey from Australia to Hollywood as well as paying tribute to classic musicals. The show will tour Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in November and December. – AFP
