Reel News

This week's other film news in brief

Hollywood’s least profitable

More fun with lists. Forbesmagazine has just released its chart of the 10 most overpaid – or, more accurately, least profitable – stars in Hollywood.

At the top (bottom?) we find, perhaps surprisingly, the amiable Will Ferrell. The former box-office cert secures his position following the catastrophe that was Land of the Lost. Sadly, despite not even being in the top wage bracket, poor old Ewan McGregor comes in second. It seems that for every $1 the Scot is paid, his pictures earn just $3.75.

The list is completed by, in order, Billy Bob Thornton, Eddie Murphy, Ice Cube, Tom Cruise (yes!), Drew Barrymore (no!), Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson and Jim Carrey.

Bright sparks for film festival

Look west. Sean Walsh and his pals at the Ballina Arts Centre will host Oska Bright, a unique film festival run by and for people with disabilities, at the facility next Tuesday.

Now in its sixth year, the travelling festival (visiting Mayo for the first time) will present a spiffing array of short films, including animations, documentaries, a soap-opera and (would you believe?) a western. Other highlights include a screening of Tom and Maryby Scannán Technology, a group of learning-disabled film-makers based in Ballina. 096-73593, www. ballinaartscentre.com

Could Granny grab an Oscar? Another week, another distinction for Brown Bag Films. The Irish animation house discovered last week that their Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, another sly cracker, had been selected as one of the 10 films on the long-list for the best short film award at next year's Oscars.

Five films will be revealed as the actual nominees on February 2nd. As is often the case in this category, Pixar and Aardman Animation look like the teams to beat. The former are offering the splendid Up; the latter are flogging old chums Wallace and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death.

Twilight profits over the moon

Box-office news is often a bit if a bore, but it is worth noting that – despite the opprobrium of teenage boys – The Twilight Saga: New Moonbroke a whole slew of records last weekend. The film beat The Dark Knightfor the biggest-ever opening day in the US and went on to secure the third biggest opening weekend in its home territories.

The first Twilightunderperformed in the "rest of the world", but it looks as if we've caught up in the interim. The combined UK and Ireland total was the second biggest opening ever in this territory, only bettered by (really?) Quantum of Solace.

By the start of this week, New Moonhad already taken in well over a quarter of a billion dollars worldwide. Now, you do not, surely, accumulate that sort of loot by appealing solely to teenage girls. Do you?