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The last two best picture Oscar-winners have premiered at Venice, part of a concerted bid to woo Hollywood that has revitalised the festival. LA-set musical La La Land, opening proceedings this year, is looking for the hat-trick

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As the summer ends, so begins the autumn film-festival season, more than ever inextricably linked with the end-of-year scrabble for awards that culminates in the Oscars in February 2017. The first shots have been fired, pundits are already talking up potential contenders, and the slow rollout of the actual films has begun. However, no single showcase has proved more talismanic in recent years than the Venice film festival, which has hosted the world premiere of the best picture Oscar winner for the last two years in succession - Spotlight and Birdman - and the biggest winner, numerically speaking, the year before that, with Gravity.

This year, Venice's big pitch for Oscar augury is La La Land, a Los Angeles-set musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and directed by Damien Chazelle as a follow-up to his remarkable jazz-class drama Whiplash; La La Land has been given the prestigious opening-gala slot. Described by the Venice film festival's director Alberto Barbera as "a wonderful film, a classical musical, and a marvellous tribute to American cinema from a contemporary perspective", La La Land would appear to have instantly surged into the front rank of awards season contenders. Barbera is diffident as to Venice's ability to confer automatic Oscar-statuette potential on to his picks - "I've been lucky for the last three years; I couldn't have imagined when I first saw Gravity or Birdman they would win all those Oscars" - but admits he has put considerable effort into attracting major Hollywood players in recent years.

"We want Venice to be an important launching pad, the opening of the season, the real beginning of the race for the Oscar." As well as making regular trips to New York and Los Angeles to chat up studio executives and preview material, Barbera says "we have invested a lot: we renovated the theatres, improved the quality of the screenings, as well as the general location and the services we are able to offer industry visitors." By the latter, he means such initiatives as a fully fledged film market, which has been operating since 2012, and which has morphed into a production and development programme called Venice Production Bridge, or a "gap-financing" platform for film-makers looking for extra investment.

Barbera's prescience has also proved crucial in Venice's increasingly effective ability to fight its corner against its direct competitors in the film festival calendar: the boutique event in Telluride, Colorado, which begins on 2 September, and the giant-scale Toronto film festival, which kicks off on 8 September. As recently as 2012, industry observers considered that Venice appeared to be lagging well behind, trading on its reputation as the world's oldest festival (having been founded in 1932) but struggling to attract the best films. But now the position is almost completely reversed, with Barbera making the case successfully to Hollywood producers that the extra expense of sending a film to Italy is worth it.

"Five years ago, the competition with Toronto and Telluride was very strong. For the American majors it was clear that it was easier, and cheaper, to take their films to Toronto. They could make the promotion for their domestic campaign for their films, and start their campaign for the Oscar." Venice's old-world glamour has been transformed into a potent weapon - "all the talent are happy to come to Venice, they like Cipriani's, the hotels, the food and so on, the red carpet here you cannot get with our competitors" - as well as its more selective programme based around the competition for the Golden Lion. "It's very different," says Barbera, "from arriving in Toronto in the middle of 300 films, where you risk getting lost in a huge lineup."

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Hundred-tissue weepie ... Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander in The Light Between Oceans. Photograph: Allstar/TOUCHSTONE PICTURES

Perhaps even more important than the intra-festival politicking over world premieres is the current wealth of American cinema in general, which means Venice's wooing of Hollywood is paying off. In Barbera's words: "This is a very strong period for American cinema - [there] are lot of big, big films around." La La Land will be joined on the Lido by the likes of The Light Between Oceans, the heartrending weepie starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, Terrence Malick's documentary Voyage of Time, Nocturnal Animals, the second film from fashion designer Tom Ford, and Arrival, a first-contact alien sci-fi thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Inevitably, other areas of the film-making universe appear relatively neglected, with Venice unable to command quite the same level of participation from the elite of international auteur directors as Cannes - though Barbera is emphatic he is not competing with the venerable French festival staged each May. "Cannes comes before us in the year. The studios don't like to show a film too far ahead of its release, so Venice is better for the American films that want to come out in the autumn. The films that are ready in the first half of the year go to Cannes: it is a matter of timing."

Festival fever: 40 films we predict will premiere at Venice, Toronto and Telluride

Perhaps more surprising is Venice's difficult relationship with its domestic industry. Not only do the most venerated contemporary Italian directors - Paolo Sorrentino, Nanni Moretti, Matteo Garrone - reserve their work primarily for Cannes, but those that do venture to Venice, such as Luca Guadagnino, can receive distinctly chilly receptions: Guadagnino's A Bigger Splash was booed at its premiere last year. Barbera is resigned to what he calls a "prejudice" on the part of the Italian film industry who are unwilling, he suggests, to grapple with a hostile press corps. On the other hand, he says he rejects numerous home films for "not being strong enough". A special screening of the first two episodes of Sorrentino's new TV drama The Young Pope, featuring Jude Law, may go some way to healing the breach.

Barbera may also be playing with fire by programming Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson's first film as director since a series of public controversies - including an antisemitic outburst during a DUI arrest in 2006 and accusations of abuse against his then-partner Oksana Grigorieva. Hacksaw Ridge is the story of Medal of Honor-winning conscientious objector Desmond T Doss, and Barbera says its inclusion is "a quality issue". "I was worried, of course, for all the reasons you expect, but when I saw the full film, I didn't have any doubts."

The Venice film festival runs from 31 August-10 September.

Five to watch
La La Land
Everybody has been talking about this for months: a Hollywood-set musical about a jazz musician (Ryan Gosling) and the aspiring performer (Emma Stone) he falls for. It's got Oscar potential written all over it; Venice will see whether the promise is reality.
Nocturnal Animals
Fashion magnate Tom Ford knocked many socks off with his impressive Christopher Isherwood adaptation A Single Man in 2009; after a seven-year break Ford is back with another literary adaptation, from the format-shuffling Tony and Susan by the late Austin Wright. Amy Adams stars as the woman who grapples with an all-too-personal book written by her ex-husband.
The Light Between Oceans
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander star in a hundred-tissue weepie about a lighthouse keeper and his wife in post-first world war Australia whose fertility difficulties appear solved when a dinghy washes with a living baby inside. Should they keep it, or try and reunite it with its mother? Derek Cianfrance directs.
The Journey
Few British films are making much awards impact this year, but this one is: a study of the unlikely friendship between erstwhile enemies Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, which underpinned Northern Ireland's transition away from the Troubles. Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney play Paisley and McGuinness; Nick Hamm directs.
Planetarium
This isn't a vintage Venice for women directors, but Grand Central's Rebecca Zlotowski has been selected for competition with this 1930s-set story of two spiritualist sisters who are hired to work on an ambitious film project. Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp play the sisters.
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Venice film festival: Hollywood looks to Italy for Oscars launchpad

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As the summer ends, so begins the autumn film-festival season, more than ever inextricably linked with the end-of-year scrabble for awards that culminates in the Oscars in February 2017. The first shots have been fired, pundits are already talking up potential contenders, and the slow rollout of the actual films has begun.

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Twin Hurricanes Head Toward Hawaii as Tropical Depression Threatens East Coast

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3 snacks to bring to work, for extra energy. Carrots, blueberries, and oranges to help with energy boost!

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Russia say that one of there airstrikes killed ISIS leader  Mohammad al-Adnani

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Parts of Florida's Gulf Coast under hurricane watch as storm spares Carolinas

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Tropical Storm Hermine formed in the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center announced, hours after officials issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for parts of Florida's Gulf coast.

Hermine packed maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, forecasters said. It was located roughly 415 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida Wednesday afternoon and was moving north near 2 mph. It could approach hurricane strength as it nears Florida Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center added.

The tropical storm warning, issued Wednesday morning, covers an area from Anclote River to the Walton County-Bay County line. Forecasters say they expect that system to turn to the northeast toward Florida.

Heavy rainfall was expected across much the state. Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning that the system will likely dump around 5 inches of rain on areas of central and north Florida. Some areas could see up to 15 inches of rain.

A tropical storm watch was also in effect for the southern half of Georgia's 100-mile coast and a stretch of north Florida's Atlantic region. It means tropical storm conditions are possible within 48 hours from south of Darien, Georgia, to St. Augustine, Florida. The hurricane center says coastal Georgia could get 4 to 7 inches of rain, with up to 10 inches possible in some areas.

Dare County, N.C. Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson wrote in an email that the tropical depression nearby resulted in "no impacts" on coastal areas such as Cape Hatteras.

A hotel manager on Ocracoke Island said residents and tourists experienced less than an inch of rain. Byron Miller, manager of The Ocracoke Harbor Inn, said in a telephone interview that "it's just a normal day." Early forecasts had indicated the system could drench the state with up to 5 inches of rain before it curved out to sea.

National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Lonka said the storm in the Gulf was forecast to move across northern Florida later this week toward the Atlantic. But he said it was likely to stay south of North Carolina. Still, he cautioned its path was difficult to predict days in advance.

Thousands of miles away, residents of Hawaii's Big Island were bracing for what could be the first Pacific hurricane to make landfall in that state in decades.

Forecasters said Hurricane Madeline weakened to a Category 1 storm Tuesday night. The forecaster said any shift in the storm's forecast track could mean it would hit land.

Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier said the last hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which hit Kauai Island.

A second Pacific hurricane called Lester is still far from Hawaii.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Tropical Storm Hermine forms in Gulf of Mexico; parts of Florida under hurricane watch

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Tropical Storm Hermine formed in the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center announced, hours after officials issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for parts of Florida's Gulf coast. Hermine packed maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, forecasters said.

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T-Pains niece stabbed to death at florida drugstore

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Gene Wilder died from Alzheimer, at 83 years old.

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A 31-year-old man was shot and killed outside of a North Las Vegas McDonald’s, reportedly after getting into an argument with a woman for not holding open the door for her.

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A man got shot for not holding the door open for a women at a McDonald's in Los Vegas.

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10 kayakers hit by ferry in NYC, and a one of the people has a partially severed arm after the incident.

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A man suffered a partially severed arm after a New York City ferry collided with a group of ten kayakers in the Hudson River Tuesday evening, injuring five.

Interested in New York?

Add New York as an interest to stay up to date on the latest New York news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

The ferry departed from Pier 79 near 39th Street in Manhattan and hit the kayakers just before 6 p.m. Officers pulled 10 people from the water, the NYPD confirmed.

The water taxi impacted two of the kayaks, sending multiple people into the water.

WABC

Five kayakers were taken to area hospitals, police said. Four people suffered minor injuries, while one person sustained a serious arm injury.

Police say they encountered the seriously injured man lying on top of a kayak in a pool of blood, in and out of consciousness with a serious gash on his arm that left the bone exposed.

Manhattan Kayak Company, the group in charge of the river excursion, confirmed that one of its employees sustained serious injuries in the incident. They refereed to the man as "a veteran guide who learned to paddle on the local waters here in NYC," and added, "we are extremely relieved to hear that he is in good spirits."

We believe as many as ten kayakers may have been hit by a departing ferry from Pier 79. Additional updates to follow from the scene.
- J. Peter Donald (@JPeterDonald) August 30, 2016

All 451 people on board the ferry were accounted for, according to an NYPD dispatch call. One of the injured had a "severe laceration" to his left arm, while another suffered an injury to his head, according to the call.

The Hudson River is used for both recreational and commercial vessels, according to the NYPD. Officials are looking into who had the right of way and whether the setting sun affected visibility on the water.

"Both parties are responsible to stay out of each other's way," said NYPD Inspector David Driscoll.

WABC

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation, and the skipper of the ferry is still being interviewed, police said. The ferry's captain blew a 0.00 for both the drug and alcohol test, police added.

It is not clear where the ferry was heading when it collided with the kayakers, police said.

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10 Kayakers Hit by Ferry in NYC, 5 Injured

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A man suffered a partially severed arm after a New York City ferry collided with a group of ten kayakers in the Hudson River Tuesday evening, injuring five. Add New York as an interest to stay up to date on the latest New York news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

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A man got shot outside of a McDonalds after getting into a argument with a women for not holding the door for her.

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Donald Trump is traveling to Mexico Wednesday to meet with the country's president just hours before he is set to deliver a speech focused on immigration policy.

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Chris Brown arrest adds to troubled history

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chris brown arrest adds to troubled history - cnn

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Chris Brown arrest adds to troubled history

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In 2009, Chris Brown was arrested for viciously beating his then-girlfriend, fellow singer Rihanna.

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Murder suspect's tweet could make him eligible for death penalty

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Severe turbulence rocked a Houston to London flight over the Atlantic and the plane took an emergency landing in Ireland and sent 12 people to the hospital

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Why are there flowers in space?Artist Makoto Azuma sent multiple bouquets of flowers 30,000 meters into space

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Chris Brown was arrested after a 14-hour stand off with the police at his house in Los Angeles. He was reportedly pointing a deadly weapon at Baylee Curran's face.

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Heavy rain from Typhoon Lionrock flooded towns across Japan's north and left at least 11 dead, most of them were elderly residents at a nursing home who could not escape rising floodwaters.

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Courts left turn, Federal judge picks change legal landscape ensure Obama's  legacy

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trumps going to meet with the president of mexico before immigration speech

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Hurricane warning in Hawaii up to 15 inches of rain and 25 feet waves 90 mi per hour winds schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

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Man smashes window to save a 4-month-old baby locked in hot car

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NYPD releases witness sketch in NYC jogger murder.

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New York City police have released a sketch of a witness they are looking to identify and speak to as they investigate the unsolved murder of a Queens jogger.

On Aug. 2, 30-year-old Karina Vetrano was strangled to death while jogging alone on a path where she and her father often ran together in Howard Beach, New York.

(karinavetrano/Instagram) This undated photo was posted to Karina Vetrano's Instagram account, who went for a jog Tuesday and was later found dead by her father.

Nearly one month later, about 85 tips have come in, but the case remains unsolved. The New York Police Department still has no hits from DNA recovered from the scene. Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Tuesday the killing is still believed to be a random attack. Police have talked to known shoplifters and panhandlers in the area and have traced all possible escape routes, but no suspect was recorded by any surveillance cameras.

Because nothing came of surveillance video, police are relying on witness recollection; they have been interviewing joggers and bicycle riders every day.

As police released the witness sketch today, Boyce emphasized that the witness is not a suspect or a person of interest but that he was allegedly in the area at the time of the murder and police want to speak to him.

The witness is described as a black man age 35 to 45 who was wearing a wool cap. He stands about 5 foot 10 and has a medium build.

The sketch was prepared by utility worker who was working in the area at the time.

Vetrano's devastated parents addressed the media on Aug. 18, pleading with their daughter's killer to own up to the crime.

"I know that you're tormented," her father, Phil Vetrano, said. "I know that you're being driven crazy. I know that you want to do the right thing."

"My little baby was brutalized by this person, by this evil coward," her mother, Cathy Vetrano, said. "Her last moments were horrible."

Cathy Vetrano then addressed the killer directly, saying, "Show someone that you care about that you're not as evil as the whole world thinks that you are. You can't run. It's just a matter of time."

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NYPD Releases Witness Sketch in NYC Jogger Murder

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New York City police have released a sketch of a witness they are looking to identify and speak to as they investigate the unsolved murder of a Queens jogger. On Aug. 2, 30-year-old Karina Vetrano was strangled to death while jogging alone on a path where she and her father often ran together in Howard Beach, New York.

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Clinton unpopularity at new high, on par with trump.

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Early life and education · · First lady of the United ... Other political affiliations: (before 1968) Children: Net worth: US$45 million (October 2015) Parents: ;

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Trump will travel to Mexico City to meet with Mexican president Enrique, just hours before he gives his speech in Arizona.

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Vikings trainers saved Bridgewater's 'leg and career'

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Mr. Kohl- A 31 yr old man was fatally shot in Las Vegas for not holding the door open at McDonald's for a woman. 

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Mr. Kohl- A 31 yr old man was fatally shot in Las Vegas for not holding the door open at McDonald's for a woman. 

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An argument outside a North Las Vegas McDonald's turned deadly for a 31-year-old man.

Family members of Mohammed Robinson say he died Saturday night after he mistakenly did not hold the door open for a woman.

UPDATE | Alonzo Perez robbed woman at ATM before killing man who didn't hold door for a woman

" It's horrible. I want my dad back and you took him away from me!" said the murder victim's daughter, Miniya Sampson.

14-year-old Miniya Sampson tries to understand the senseless murder of her father, 31-year-old Mohammad Robinson.

North Las Vegas police say Saturday night just before midnight a man shot Robinson outside the McDonalds near Pecos and Las Vegas Boulevard.

"It was a stupid reason honestly, irrelevant. It doesn't make any sense why would you actually take someone's life over not opening a door," said Sampson.

Sampson says her father's best friend witnessed the shooting.

The friend told Sampson, her father got into an argument with a woman that was upset that a door into the McDonald's was not held open for her. The woman notified a man she was with and that man pulled out a gun and shot Robinson.

The victim's girlfriend who did not want to show her face says Mohammed was a respectful man.

"He was the utmost respect for his elders. Yes, ma'am -- no sir. He's not confrontational even when we would argue he'd walk away," said Mohammad's girlfriend.

Sampson believes her father died because of a misunderstanding.

"My dad would open the door and hold it for the lady but he probably didn't hear her," said Sampson.

Sampson prays the murderer is caught soon. The 14-year-old tells us her heart will be forever broken.

"I love him. I wish he was still here," said Sampson.
If anyone would like to help the family with funeral donations, click here.

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Man shot and killed for not holding the door open for woman at a McDonald's

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An argument outside a North Las Vegas McDonald's turned deadly for a 31-year-old man.Family members of Mohammed Robinson say he died Saturday night after he mistakenly did not hold the door open for a woman.UPDATE | Alonzo Perez robbed woman at ATM before