Rebel News - Independent News and Analysis

The Hurt Locker, a film following the fortunes of a bomb disposal team in Iraq, has received nine academy award nominations for an Oscar, including one for best picture and director, and is considered a favourite in both categories. While there has been no shortage of critical acclaim for the film, it has not had the same success at the box office. Making just $12m in the US and another $6m overseas, if the Hurt Locker wins an Oscar it would be one of the lowest-grossing winners ever. Al Jazeera's Cath Turner reports from Hollywood, Los Angeles. (7 March 2010)

"Milk of Sorrow" is an award-winning Peruvian film about the abuses suffered by women during a dark period in recent history. It happened during the 1980's, while the country was embroiled in a long armed conflict between government forces and the Shining Path, a pro-communist rebel group. Many hope that the movie will become Peru's first-ever film to win an Academy Award, which it is in the lineup for. The film's director says she hopes the movie will spread awareness and help "serve as a healing process" for the country. Al Jazeera's Barbara Benitez reports from Los Angeles, the home of the Oscars.

The Oscar-nominated film Ajami is centered on a neighborhood in Israel with the same name. It takes a snapshot of life in this rough Arab-Jewish neighborhood. The makers of the film find themselves in a real life drama when one of the producers Tony Copti, and his brother were arrested, beaten and later released without charge. Tony Copti says this has become a common phenomenon for many of Ajami's Arab residents. According to him Israel is trying to push Arabs out of Jaffa by using scare tactics due to increased property prices in the city. Sherine Tadros reports from Ajami, Jaffa.

As Oscar excitment builds in Hollywood where the annual event is set to take place on Sunday, many people are speculating what is in store for this year's awards ceremony. Avatar, which has raked in more than $2.5 billion in ticket sales worldwide making it the highest-grossing film of all time, is a contender for several honors including the coveted best picture and best director awards. Al Jazeera's Cath Turner reports on how its success has rival studios scrambling to cash in on the 3D phenomenon.

The director of a new Hollywood movie claims he is presenting an unbiased portrayal of the 2008 war in South Ossetia. But can it really be impartial or is it just another operation in the PR war against Russia? rt's Irina Galushka went to see.

A new report says that the number two source for news is not in black and white but ones and zeros. The internet has surpassed newspapers as the second most popular news source for Americans. Dana Loesch says there are many things that people can do with new media that traditional newspapers and magazines simply cannot and that is adding to their demise.

Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Ezzatollah Zarghami says the country plans to launch a Persian-language television station along with its two neighbors.

He said that Iran had agreed to launch a regional TV channel along with Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Georgia used to boast a free media - but now the government has tightened its grip on TV news, obstructing pro-opposition reporting. That's the finding of a US-based independent group seeking to protect press freedom worldwide.

Alex Jones is a familiar face here on RT, he hosts his own radio show in Austin, Texas and recently made a film called "Fall of the Republic, the Presidency of Barack Obama". The film criticizes Obama's administration, but when he went to sell it on google's shopping site, he was told he couldn't. Jones says that google wants to dominate the market and is being discriminatory.

This week on the Listening Post, we put the spotlight on a debate concerning the New York Times and its apparent conflict of interest in Israel. Also, we report on the tug of war for control of Kenya's media.