News, comment, links and observations

Horses come to Storyville

Thoroughbred documentary Race Horses comes to BBC Four
Horses, Liz Mermin's "intensely strange" but bewitching documentary about a year in the life of a trio of Irish "horse athletes", has already been seen at the Sheffield Doc/Fest and at the ICA in London. Now, recut and retitled Race Horses, it comes to BBC Four's Storyville tonight (March 11) at 9pm. Read theartsdesk's interview with Liz Mermin here, and take a gallop with Joncol, Cuan na Grai and Ardalan.

Fiennes to direct himself as Coriolanus

Is this a good idea? It has been announced that Ralph Fiennes is to begin work as a director. Not that he is forsaking his more familiar job description in the mean time. For his debut behind the camera, he will also be in front of the camera in the modest, unchallenging part of Coriolanus. Yes, Fiennes is returning to a role that he first played on stage 10 years ago.

Variety spikes own critics

Venerable entertainment journal ruthlessly 'rationalises'

Variety, the most venerable entertainment trade journal in America, is sacking its chief film and theatre critics, including the man for whose film reviews many people read the magazine, Todd McCarthy.

Chinese photographer takes festival by storm

Zhang Xiao is a young documentary photographer from Chongqing, China, who was the most talked-about exhibitor at the 2009 FORMAT photography festival in Derby. He presented a grid of 20 colour photographs under the title of Shanxi,  a town he visited during a touring project to document vanishing traditions and customs viewed amongst the fast-changing lifestyles of the local people.

Udderbelly @ Southbank 2010

Udderbelly's 2010 season at London's Southbank has been announced and the line-up has some gems. American comic Rob Schneider, veteran of Saturday Night Live, will be the main overseas draw and The Wire fans will be rushing to An Evening With Clarke Peters. Irish comic Tommy Tiernan makes a rare UK appearance, while Sandi Toksvig returns to stand-up after a long absence and Alexei Sayle is doing a book reading and Q&A. Others appearing in the upturned purple cow are Ardal O'Hanlon, Alun Cochrane and Jack Whitehall.

Last year's launch season was a hit with comedy fans, as Udderbelly @ Southbank transported a bit of Edinburgh Fringe magic to its temporary Thames-side home, with several shows each evening and a large open-air bar and food area in front of the venue.

Udderbelly @ Southbank 13 May-18 July. Book here

Royals at Birmingham Royal Ballet

20th anniversary of Sadler's Wells Ballet move to Midlands honoured by Charles and Camilla

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 20th anniversary gala tomorrow night celebrating two decades in Birmingham for the company which was once Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet. The Prince of Wales is President of BRB and the Duchess is Patron of Elmhurst School of Dance, now Birmingham-based and associated with BRB. The move out of the capital made in 1990 by then director Peter Wright was seen as high-risk, but it was backed by Dame Ninette de Valois, then 92, who also approved of Wright’s succession by the young choreographer David Bintley.

The Hurt Locker wins the Best Picture Oscar

Kathryn Bigelow makes Hollywood history with her brilliant, low-budget Iraq war drama

Kathryn Bigelow made Hollywood history last night at the 82nd Academy Awards by becoming the first woman to be named Best Director for The Hurt Locker, which also won for Best Picture. Her brilliant, low-budget Iraq war drama was the big winner at the ceremony, bagging six statuettes as against three Oscars for the co-favourite, Avatar, the sci-fi extravaganza directed by Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron. The four acting awards were utterly unsurprising and it was a lean night indeed for the Brits, although the respected costume designer Sandy Powell - previously a laureate for Shakespeare in Love and The Aviator - won her third Oscar for The Young Victoria. A full list of nominees follows below.

The Big Libel Gig

theartsdesk has previously written about concerns felt by many about UK libel laws. Now comedian Robin Ince has organised a fundraising comedy gig (which he will host) to raise awareness about scientist and author Simon Singh, who is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association. It will be held at the Palace Theatre in London on Sunday 14 March and the line-up includes Dara Ó Briain, Tim Minchin, Marcus Brigstocke, Robin Ince, Ed Byrne and Shappi Khorsandi, while scientists Simon Singh and Dr Ben Goldacre will speak.

Funds raised from The Big Libel Gig will be donated to the Coalition for Libel Reform, established by the charities Index on Censorship, English PEN and Sense About Science. Buy tickets here

Winter Olympics pics - and why 2012 pictograms score badly

The Big Picture has a collection of some extraordinary photos of the Winter Olympics here. Below pic credit: Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images

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Meanwhile, the New York Times has posted a fascinating video piece (below) about Olympic signage and the designs of the pictograms used in differerent sports. From the Berlin Olympics of 1936 via the psychedelic design of the 1968 Mexico Olympics to London 2012. The Munich, Beijing and Athens Olympics all are rated highly for design. London's for 2012 aren't in the medals: "they look as if a child has done them. Primitive, perhaps - but not in a good way."

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Bird's Eye View festival

Bird’s Eye View 2010 - a festival celebrating women filmmakers - kicks off this Thursday at various venues around London. The sixth Bird's Eye View festival, which continues until 12 March, comes at a particularly auspicious time for female filmmakers as Kathryn Bigelow, only the fourth woman to be nominated for an Academy Award, is now the bookies’ favourite to win best director for The Hurt Locker at this Sunday’s ceremony in Los Angeles.

The festival will be showing features, short films and documentaries, and there will also be workshops. Among the highlights are Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It, starring Ellen Page; a masterclass from Danish director Susanne Bier; and a retrospective of iconic blondes on film, Blonde Crazy.

Details at www.birds-eye-view.co.uk
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