The network’s first Mandarin Original series, “The Teenage Psychic” received 2 nominations and its first returnable series, Halfworlds Season Two, received 1 nod.

“The Teenage Psychic” is nominated in the best actor category for Chen Muyi and best cinematographer while “Halfworlds” Season Two is also a nominee in best cinematography category.

The 22nd Asian Television Awards 2017 will be held in Singapore on December 1 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

“The Teenage Psychic” was HBO Asia’s first Chinese language series. A coming-of-age story, it revolves around a 16-year-old girl who just wants to lead a typical teenage high-school life. Born with the ability to see spirits, her life will never be normal. She must juggle the pressures of teenage life – first love, academic success and peer pressure – with the demands of the spirit world.

“Halfworlds” Season Two is the eight-part, hour-long dark action fantasy drama, marked HBO Asia’s very first returnable series. Helmed by Thai filmmaker Ekachai Uekrongtham, the series widens the universe established in the first season. Shifting from the back alleys of Jakarta, to the neon streets of Bangkok, it focuses on Juliet, a tenacious researcher trying to uncover the secret world of demons that live amongst us, while looking for an ancient artefact of great power. An ensemble cast of actors from Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines and Taiwan stars.

In 2017, HBO Asia also premiered 2 other Asian Original productions including “Sent”, the network’s first comedy drama series that premiered in September and The “Talwars: Behind Closed Doors” which is HBO Asia’s first original documentary series that kicks off later this month. Since 2012, HBO Asia has produced 10 Asian Originals, with more slated to premiere in the coming years. Other HBO Asia Original productions that have been recognised at the Asian Television Awards include “Serangoon Road”, “Grace” and “Halfworlds” Season One.

The suit, filed by “Jane Doe 1 and on behalf of all others similarly situated,” says the movie mogul assaulted the California actress as she auditioned for a role with Miramax, the studio co-founded by Weinstein and his brother Bob.

“During her audition, Jane Doe 1 was assaulted by Weinstein, threatened, falsely imprisoned, and suffered emotional and physical distress, and was injured in her property or livelihood as a result of Weinstein’s actions,” the suit alleges, without giving a date for the incident.

“Weinstein told Jane Doe 1 that if she refused his advances and his requests, he would ruin her, and he ultimately withdrew the offer he had given her for a part because she would not accede to his advances.”

The complainant’s lawyers appealed to other victims to join the action against the producer, The Weinstein Company and Miramax, now owned by the Qatari beIN Media Group, arguing that “hundreds of other female actors like her” have found themselves on his casting couch.

“Under the guise of meetings ostensibly to help further class members’ careers or hire them for roles, Weinstein isolated (the) plaintiff and the class members in an attempt to engage in unwanted sexual conduct that took many forms: flashing, groping, fondling, battering, sexual assault, attempted rape and/or completed rape,” the lawsuit states.

‘Massive strength’

It adds that victims who wanted careers in film or television “understood that Weinstein was a powerful force in the production world” and acted under duress and the threat of being blacklisted if they rejected him or complained.

The actress is the latest of more than 100 women who have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, ranging from harassment to rape, with high-profile accusers including stars Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The action follows a lawsuit filed against Weinstein and The Weinstein Company in Los Angeles on Tuesday by a single unidentified actress represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred.

The woman says she met the now infamous mogul at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in late 2015 to discuss being cast in the Netflix series “Marco Polo.”

Once there, however, Weinstein told the woman he wanted to masturbate in front of her and when she said “no” he proceeded to grasp her wrist with one hand and masturbate with the other, the suit alleges.

In the spring of the following year, Weinstein is alleged to have contacted her again as if nothing had happened, giving her the impression she had been cast in “Marco Polo.”

He invited her to meet him again at the Montage Hotel to celebrate and she agreed, according to the woman’s account.

During the meeting, he excused himself and returned in a bathrobe, but when she said she didn’t want to do anything sexual, he dragged her into the bedroom where he used his “massive strength and weight to force himself on her,” the suit alleges.

Battery

The woman said she fled the room as soon as she could break free.

The actress is seeking compensation and damages, claiming sexual battery, assault and negligence.

Weinstein’s representatives denied the latest allegations, as with all the other accusations of non-consensual sexual contact he has faced in recent weeks.

Meanwhile US actor Terry Crews publicly named high-powered agent Adam Venit as the man he claims groped him at a party last year and said he would “not be shamed” by the alleged assault.

“Back in February 2016, I was assaulted by Adam Venit, who is head of the motion picture department at William Morris Endeavor, one of the biggest agencies in the world, period,” Crews, 49, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“He’s connected to probably everyone I know in the business … I did not know this man. I have never had a conversation with him, ever.”

Venit has represented a host of stars, from Sylvester Stallone and Eddie Murphy to Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.

WME said in a statement to ABC News it had suspended Venit to look into the claims by Crews, a star of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

“The Magic Order” will appear as a comic book written by Millar with Marvel superstar Olivier Coipel selected as artist for the first volume. This series will be six issues long and the first will be released in the spring.

The Magic Order will be available for sale in print format through comic stores and other retail outlets and will also be available for digital purchase.

“We live in a world where we’ve never seen a monster and these people are the reason we sleep safely in our beds. Magic meets the mob in ‘The Magic Order’, as five families of magicians sworn to protect our world for generations must battle an enemy who’s picking them off one by one. By day they live among us as our neighbours, friends and co-workers, but by night they are the sorcerers, magicians and wizards that protect us from the forces of darkness…unless the darkness gets them first,” says Millar.

“We wanted to make a splash with our first book for Netflix and this is it. I love dark fantasy and there’s an enormous gap in the market for something like this. Netflix hiring Olivier has also made me the happiest guy alive. I’ve been after him for almost ten years so to finally have our names in the same book is an absolute honour” adds the president and chief creative officer of Millarworld, a subsidiary of Netflix.

Binge Racers are defined as members who completed a season of a TV show within 24 hours of its release on Netflix. Data accommodates for time zones and is reflective of a show’s launch within 24 hours of a country’s release.

Accomplishing in a day what takes others weeks to achieve, Binge Racers strive to be the first to finish by speeding through an entire season within 24 hours of its release1.

In total, 8.4 million members have chosen to Binge Race during their Netflix tenure, and the only thing faster than their rate of watching is the rate at which this behaviour continues to grow.

Between 2013 and 2016 the amount of launch-day finishers increased more than 20 times over.

“There’s a unique satisfaction that comes from being the first to finish a story – whether it’s the final page of a book or the last, climactic moments of your favorite TV show.” says Brian Wright, Vice President, Original Series. “Netflix allows you to watch in a way you never could before, and there’s nothing better than seeing a show engage our members and ignite a passion for viewing.”

Whether for the love of one show (five members in the US have raced through all five seasons of “House of Cards” the day they were released) or the love of many shows (a member in France has already raced through 30 shows this year alone), viewers are embracing this new form of fandom the world over. But exactly where Binge Racers live (hint: everywhere) and what they’re watching (hint: everything) may surprise you.

Shows of all shapes, sizes, genres and formats are revving watchers engines. Sure 30-minute comedies like “Master of None”, “GLOW” and “Dear White People” are raced with speed, but hour-long thrillers, like “Stranger Things”, “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black”, and anime, like “The Seven Deadly Sins”, are consumed with fervour as well.

“Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” garnered the most global racers in its 24-hour debut. But the top spot varies slightly by country: “Fuller House” reigns supreme in Ecuador, and “Marvel’s The Defenders” takes the cake (er, The Hand) in Thailand and Korea.

While Binge Racers are watching fast in pursuit of glory across the globe, Canada clocks in with the highest percentage of 24-hour finishers following with Untied States and Denmark. Thai viewers, however, are not in the top 20 but Netflix shows the most favourite Binge Raced Shows in Thailand turns to be “Marvel’s The Defenders” following with “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” and “Santa Clarita Diet”.

Thailand had the highest per cent of Binge Racers globally for “My Only Love Song”

Binge Racing behaviour grew from 200,000 members in 2013 to more than 5 million in 2017 (as of September). Top shows were identified as those with the largest number of Binge Racers globally. Binge Racing ranking has no relation to overall viewership. Top countries were identified as those with the highest percentage of members who are Binge Racers. Binge Race ranking has no relation to overall country membership.

The third “Thor” episode, boosted by the self-mocking humor of Chris Hemsworth as the powerful Norse god (alongside Cate Blanchett as Hela, goddess of death), has taken a total of $212.1 million since opening in North American cinemas — with global earnings reaching the $650 million mark.

In at number two this weekend was Paramount’s newly released “Daddy’s Home 2,” which took $29.7 million, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

A reminder that it’s that time of year already, the Christmas comedy stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as Brad and Dusty — who join forces to give their kids the perfect holiday, but have their efforts challenged when their own fathers show up.

Bagging third place was “Murder on the Orient Express,” the fourth television or cinema adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic detective novel, with earnings of $28.7 million.

The new Fox release was directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as part of an A-list cast featuring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench.

Slipping into fourth was “A Bad Moms Christmas,” from STX Entertainment, at $11.5 million.

The comedy stars three women — Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn — whose plans change when their mothers (Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon) drop in unexpectedly for the holidays.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s “Jigsaw,” which sees police investigate a string of horrific murders carried out in the style of supposedly long-dead killer Jigsaw, dropped this weekend from third to fifth place, taking $3.4 million.

Rounding out the top ten were:

“Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” ($2 million)

“Geostorm” ($1.6 million)

“Blade Runner: 2049 ($1.5 million)

“Happy Death Day” ($1.3 million)

“Lady Bird” ($1.2 million)

With a prize of 8,000 euros ($ 9331), the accolade is a boost for Assur’s first full-length feature film after success as a photographer.

Late veteran American actor Harry Dean Stanton was also honoured for one of his last appearances in “Lucky”.

The committee gave Stanton, who died in September aged 91, the festival’s special mention for his role.

The festival’s Silver Alexander, or Special Jury Award, went to Iranian director Vahid Jalilvand for his feature film “No Date, No Signature”.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published Friday, former model and actor Scott Brunton accused Takei, 80, of groping him while he was passed out from drinking at Takei’s home.

Takei, who was in his early forties when the alleged incident took place, Saturday morning posted on Twitter and Facebook that it “simply did not occur,” adding he did not remember Brunton, who was 23 at the time.

“Right now it is a he said / he said situation, over alleged events nearly 40 years ago,” Takei said. “But those that know me understand that non-consensual acts are so antithetical to my values and my practices, the very idea that someone would accuse me of this is quite personally painful.”

It came as actor Richard Dreyfuss, 70, was also accused of sexual misconduct Friday by writer Jessica Teich, 58.

She alleged the “Jaws” star harassed her over a period of two to three years in the mid-1980s, while she worked on a show he was producing. On one occasion, she said he exposed himself to her.

“He created a very hostile work environment, where I felt sexualized, objectified, and unsafe,” she told Vulture.

In a statement, Dreyfuss — whose son Harry last week accused Kevin Spacey of groping him in 2008 — told Vulture he denied exposing himself to Teich.

However, he said he had “flirted” with women, Teich included, acknowledging “how men have behaved toward women for eons is not OK.”

“I did flirt with her, and I remember trying to kiss Jessica as part of what I thought was a consensual seduction ritual that went on and on for many years,” he said.

“I am horrified and bewildered to discover that it wasn’t consensual. I didn’t get it. It makes me reassess every relationship I have ever thought was playful and mutual.”

Producer Gary Goddard, 63, also faced allegations of sexual misconduct toward a minor from “ER” and “Top Gun” actor Anthony Edwards.

Edwards, 55, published a blog post Friday alleging he was molested by Goddard — a mentor and manager during his early career — for “years” after meeting him aged 12.

“Gary is saddened by the false allegations,” a spokesman for the producer said, adding he denied Edwards’ account “unequivocally.”

The allegations are the latest in an intensifying scandal, sparked by accusations that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein had a decades-long history of sexual harassment and rape.

The revelations caused scores more women and men to speak out about Weinstein’s behavior and that of others in the entertainment industry, including “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey, director James Toback, comedian Louis C.K. and others.

Adopting the post-Suharto Reformasi movement in the late 1990s as a point of departure, the series of films being featured explores diverse trajectories within Indonesian independent cinema as a vibrant agent of change, through the dissemination of knowledge and engagement with social reality.

In this section, the first shorts programme, “Redefining Togetherness”, seeks to expand on the idea of collective gatherings, from revolutionary groups to the public observer, the people in unity. Among the selected short films to be screened are “The Nameless Boy” that was shot during one of the biggest demonstrations against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Jakarta’s former governor who was charged for blasphemy; and “Along the One Way”, depicting the run up to Election day and how the future leadership of Surakarta is at stake, especially with religious issues being propagated in certain circles.

The other part, Grassroots Cinema, showcases the building of the film community, empowering youths and telling the stories of the people. The feature films reflect the diverse regional and stylistic characteristics of the archipelago’s burgeoning new era. Among the films are “Trading Places”, “Mirror”, “The Tale of Urut Sewu”, and “Drowned Eyes”.

The 28th SGIFF, which runs from November 23 to December 3, will take place across various venues, including Marina Bay Sands, Shaw Theatres Lido, National Museum of Singapore, National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House, Filmgarde Bugis+, Objectifs and SCAPE

The pop star — real name Melanie Brown — filed for divorce on March 20, accusing Belafonte of physical and emotional abuse during the course of their 10-year marriage. She also claimed Belafonte threatened to publish explicit recordings of her.

As a result of the settlement, a hearing scheduled to be held in the Los Angeles Superior Court was set aside, and Judge Mark Juhas also cancelled a restraining order Mel B had against Belafonte.

According to Belafonte’s lawyer, Grace Jamra, the pair also reached an agreement regarding their daughter Madison, 6.

Meanwhile, they have three months to establish Belafonte’s visitation rights to Mel B’s 10-year-old daughter Angel, whose father is Eddie Murphy.

Mel B and her lawyers banned him from having contact with Angel and obtained a restraining order after the singer and “America’s Got Talent” judge accused him of being violent.

Belafonte claimed he had raised Angel since she was a baby and therefore could legitimately request access.

Mel B, 42, was present at Thursday’s hearing, but did not comment.

Portia de Rossi, the Arrested Development actress and wife of chat queen Ellen DeGeneres, accused the former martial arts expert and blues musician over an undated audition for a Seagal movie in his office.

“He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants,” the Australian-born actress tweeted late Wednesday.

“I ran out and called my agent. Unfazed, she replied, ‘well, I didn’t know if he was your type.'”

DeGeneres retweeted the post to her more than 75 million followers saying: “I’m proud of my wife.”

Seagal’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Actress Jenny McCarthy, who first accused Seagal in 1998, on Thursday revisited her encounter with the actor when auditioning for his 1995 movie “Under Siege 2” when he allegedly asked her twice to lower her dress.

Telling him she had been told there was no nudity, Seagal allegedly told her “there is off-camera nudity.” After she refused and ran to her car, McCarthy said he followed her outside and told her not to tell anyone “or else.”

“I thought about like, ‘I was the last girl that day. How many girls had to take off their clothes? How many girls had to do more?’ It just so grossed me out.”

– ‘Line gets crossed’ –

Seagal’s fame peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s with films such as “Under Siege” and “Above the Law,” although he remains popular in eastern Europe.

He was last year accorded Russian and Serbian citizenship, personally collecting his Russian passport from President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

Julianna Margulies last week recounted an unpleasant encounter with the 65-year-old star, with whom she appeared in the 1991 movie “Out for Justice.”

Margulies, who later shot to fame for her role in 1990s hit series “ER” and more recently in “The Good Wife,” said a female casting director told her Seagal wanted to go over a scene with her in his New York hotel room at night.

Margulies, 23 years at the time, said that when she arrived she found the actor alone. “He made sure that I saw his gun, which I had never seen a gun in real life,” she told Sirius XM. “I got out of there unscathed,” she said.

In a New York Times expose published on Thursday, five women accused comedian Louis C.K. of masturbating or asking to masturbate in front of them or on the telephone in separate incidents dating from the late 1990s to 2005.

On Thursday, the premiere of his new movie “I Love You, Daddy,” was abruptly cancelled, and the award-winner canceled an appearance on CBS comedy chat show “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the Times reported.

C.K.’s publicist, Lewis Kay, told the paper that the comedian would not respond. “Louis is not going to answer any questions,” he was quoted as having emailed.

The comedian’s accusers told the paper that his behavior was abusive.

“I think the line gets crossed when you take all your clothes off and start masturbating,” said Julia Wolov, one half of the Chicago comedy duo who both accused him of misappropriate behavior in his hotel room after their late-night show.