Castle Douglas High School hold first awards ceremony since 2019

Fresh calls have been made to the Scottish Government to drop plans to label 10 per cent of the country’s seas Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs).

Daniel Albaladejo Robles Growing up on the island of Tenerife at a time when pursuing a career in animation and film was out of bounds, Albaladejo moved to Madrid to study both subjects at the Madrid Film School. His first jobs were on children’s series “Jelly Jamm,” “Pocoyo” and “The Amazing World of Gumball.” His VFX credits include “Game of Thrones” and “A Monster Calls” at El Ranchito in Madrid. “For the past few years, I have focused on storyboarding or animation, working as a freelancer for various studios, including Las Palmas-based Amuse,” he says. He recently worked on animated docu pic, “Mariposas Negras,” and is now collaborating on a U.K. series under wraps. AMDLF

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief German filmmaker Wim Wenders is to be the president of the jury that decides the main competition prizes later this year at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Wenders has frequent connections with the Japanese capital and last year shot his “Perfect Days” film in the city. The film recently appeared in competition in Cannes and earned Yakusho Koji the best actor prize. The Tokyo festival confirmed plans to host a celebration of Japanese director Ozu Yasujiro, who was born 120 years ago and died exactly 60 years later. Wenders previously shot 1985 documentary “Tokyo-ga” as a tribute to Ozu.

Ben Croll While France’s overall animation sector employed 7,790 staffers last year, local grandees hope to see those figures swell to 15,000 by 2030, and have thus made doubling the workforce the third key pillar of the wider Great Image Factory initiative. With nearly all the major animation studios and VFX houses developing outreach programs, partnering with existing schools, or offering mentorships, one studio is going to set up a brand new institution. Well, almost brand new. In 2018, TeamTO launched ECAS (Ecole Cartoucherie Animation Solidaire), a Valence-based, no-tuition animation school meant to give underprivileged youths 3D training and to offer them a leg-up into the industry. Running four years, and boasting a 98% success rate, the program would open for a nine-month term and then go dark again, with subsequent sessions sometimes in doubt.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) hopes ‘Pension Credit Week of Action’, an awareness campaign which runs until Friday, June 16, will encourage more older people to claim the passport benefit worth more than £3,500 a year.

Not one to mince her words, Kerry Katona, has decided that enough is enough and whilst she has "nothing against her" she really believes it's time for Holly Willoughby to hang up her hat and leave the hosting of This Morning to presenters better suited. And she has just the duo in mind. Kerry, 42, revealed last week how ITV failed to ask her is she "needed a doctor or any help" after her troubling 2008 sofa interview with Phillip and then-host, Fern Britton, and strongly believes that something has to change in wake of Phillip Schofield's shock scandal.

A Manchester restaurant that has only been open a matter of months has shot into a prestigious list of the very best restaurants in the UK. Higher Ground has placed at 51 in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 announced last night.

The Princess of Wales' dedication to furthering what we know about early years development has allowed for huge developments throughout the last decade. And it is clear that the Princess practices what she preaches as there have been several links drawn between her work and the way she and Prince William are raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. This extends to both the approach of slowly increasing their children's visibility within the Firm and the way the three young royals have and will continue to be educated.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Liu Jian’s “Art College 1994,” the critically acclaimed Chinese animated feature competing at this week’s Annecy festival, has been acquired by New York-based outfit Dekanalog for North American distribution. A poignant and vibrant portrait of on-campus youth at the Chinese Southern Academy of Arts in the early 1990s, the feature world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival as one of the rare animated movies that have vied for the Golden Bear. “Art College 1994” will open in North American theaters in 2024, following its release in China. “Art College 1994” is set against the backdrop of reforms opening China to the Western world and revolves around a group of college students who take their first steps into adulthood, where love and friendships are intertwined with artistic pursuits, ideals and ambitions. Caught between tradition and modernity, these young adults now have to choose who they want to become. The film, whose voice cast includes Venice Golden Lion-winning filmmaker Jia Zhangke, is filled with pop references and deadpan humor.

Amber Heard is headed back to the big screen. The 37-year-old actress, who has stepped away from the limelight since losing the 2022 defamation case brought by her ex-husband Johnny Depp, 60,  will appear in the upcoming thriller In The Fire, which is set to premiere at the 69th Taormina Film Festival in Italy. It will be the first time she has promoted a film since her court battle, reported Deadline.

Michael Clifford has announced that he is going to be a dad. The 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) guitarist announced via People that he and his wife, Crystal Leigh, are expecting their first baby together. “I’m filled with excitement and also nerves,” Michael, 27, told People.

Ezra Miller is speaking out in public for the first time since August 2022.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Ezra Miller made a public showing for the first time in nearly two years on Monday night, attending the Los Angeles premiere of DC Studios’ “The Flash.” The embattled actor spoke openly about misconduct allegations levied against them and various legal woes, addressing fans and many industry players at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Miller, who is non-binary and uses they and them pronouns, made a big show of acknowledging Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Film Group heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy and DC Studios stewards James Gunn and Peter Safran for “your grace and discernment and care in the context of my life. And in bringing this moment to fruition.”

Lea Michele had a busy night at the 2023 Tony Awards on Sunday (June 11) in New York City, but she still managed to pack in some meaningful reunions with special people from her past.

The Denver Nuggets have won their first NBA title in their franchise’s history besting the Miami Heat in Game 5. The new champions had a final score of 94 while their counterparts were held at 89.

There have been rumors for years that Jessica Chastain has a secret role in the movie The Flash and she just arrived for the film’s premiere. So, are the rumors true?!

Warner Bros. held the premiere for the long-awaited DC spinoff The Flash today in Hollywood with its star Ezra Miller, who has been the subject of several tabloid headlines from alleged assaults in Hawaii to unlawful trespassing at a neighbor’s house in Vermont, making their red carpet debut since such incidents.

The 2023 Tony Awards took place last night and there were so many moments that happened backstage that you didn’t get to see on TV.

Ezra Miller made their first public appearance in nearly two years at a photo call event for the upcoming superhero film, .The actor — who has faced a series of disturbing public allegations in recent years — appeared along co-stars like Ben Affleck at the event promoting the DC epic, which is out this Friday. Ezra stepped out in a white suit jacket, accented with metal lightning bolts, which he paired with black pants. The actor first spoke publicly about their ongoing personal struggles last August, releasing a statement through their representative to that said, «Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment.» The statement continued, «I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.»In June 2020, Miller was captured on video in Iceland, where the star was seen yelling at a woman outside a bar, «Do you wanna fight? Is that the deal?» The woman responded by putting her arms up as Miller approached her and appeared to grab her by the neck.

Rachel Bilson is continuing her battle against the stigma and taboo surrounding female sexuality. The actress is getting candid once again about her sex life and her experiences learning about her body and relationships.Sitting down with sex therapist Emily Morse in a new episode of Bilson's podcast,, the actress made sure to first clarify comments she made last month that she felt were «taken out of context.»While many headlines stated that she'd said she never had an orgasm until she was 38, Bilson explained, «That's not what I said and that's not true.» What she actually said was that she hadn't achieved an orgasm through penetrative sex until her 30s, but the distinction was lost on many.For Bilson, the frustration is that sex is «such a taboo topic» for women to discuss publicly, «which is so lame.»«So many women feel like they can't talk about if they're not having an orgasm or what's helping them have an orgasm,» Bilson said, adding that it is «so important» to diminish the taboo surrounding female sexuality.Later talking about her own experiences with orgasms unrelated to any partners, Bilson shared, «I didn't have a vibrator until I was in my mid-30s.»«I hadn't even tried a toy [until then], and it was given to me as a gift,» Bilson recalled.

Ezra Miller has stepped out on the red carpet for their first public appearance in years.