The other film news stories of the week...

Leona to belt out Avatar tune

We’re not sure if Leona Lewis should be all that happy at being dubbed “the new Celine Dion”. At any rate, there was no avoiding this comparison when news emerged that the dreary

X Factorwarbler will sing the theme to James Cameron's upcoming Avatar. Like My Heart Will Go On, the soul-eviscerating accompaniment to Cameron's Titanic, I See You (Theme from Avatar)is written and produced by James Horner. Can't wait.

La dolce vita de Nina Rota

In honour of the 50th anniversary of Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita,the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival will join forces with the National Concert Hall to host a celebration of the great composer Nina Rota at next year's event.

Aside from his work with Fellini, Rota, who died in 1979, also scored such films as The Godfather, The Leopardand the Zeffirelli Romeo and Juliet. The concert, which takes place on February 22nd, promises to be lusher than lush.

Film animator ends residency

Today marks the end of John Canemaker's two-week residency at the National Film School (NFS) in Dún Laoghaire. Canemaker, professor of animation at New York University, won an Oscar in 2006 for his touching, innovative film The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation. He has also written some of the key academic works on the medium, including the standard text on Disney.

Apart from his daily masterclasses, to which other colleges were invited, there were open events for industry: an NFS Lecture on campus; screenings at the IFI; and an Animation Ireland evening at the Light House. Canemaker, whose visit was sponsored by the Irish Film Board and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was the first visiting fellow at the school.

Showing shorts from Joyce’s day

Next Thursday evening, the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, with the support of the IFI and Domino’s Pizza, will host the third ZeBBies Awards, a celebration of film, television, theatre and radio writing, at Dublin’s Sugar Club.

This year’s event will feature a screening of vintage short films that were first seen at Dublin’s Volta Cinema when James Joyce managed the venue. The silent pictures will be accompanied by music from the experienced septet 3epkano. Tickets are €10 and available online at www.script.ie .

We must have a death wish

We don't normally print corrections here, but Daniel Barber, director of Harry Brown, took the trouble to write to us directly about an error in last week's Ticket. Somehow or other, this writer credited Martin Ruhe, the cinematographer, as director at the head of the piece. We are happy to confirm that this fine vigilante flick is, indeed, Mr Barber's work.

In other Harry Brownnews, star Michael Caine caused a bit of a hullaballoo by saying that the social problems treated in the film could be alleviated by the reintroduction of national service. Kids today!