The silent movie "The Artist" and the moody thriller "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" lead the race for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars.
"The Artist" received 12 nominations and "Tinker" 11, with each film up for best picture and director, and best actor nominations for leading men Jean Dujardin and Gary Oldman.
The other best-film nominees, announced at a ceremony Tuesday by actors Daniel Radcliffe and Holliday Grainger, are "The Descendants," "Drive" and "The Help." In a diverse field not dominated by any single film, there were also multiple nominations for "Hugo," "My Week With Marilyn," "The Iron Lady" and "The Help."
Director nominees are Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Nicolas Winding Refn for "Drive," Martin Scorsese for "Hugo," Tomas Alfredson for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and Lynne Ramsay for "We Need to Talk About Kevin."
Good marks for LohanLindsay Lohan received her second favorable probation report in a row, and a Los Angeles judge told the actress that she appears to be on track to complete a strict program by the end of March. By all accounts, the rigid program has benefited Lohan, with Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner telling Lohan that she received favorable reports from probation officials and her community service program. Lohan is doing mandatory cleanup duty at the county morgue and attending psychotherapy sessions. Her problems began with a drunken driving arrest on Memorial Day weekend in 2007. She has struggled with the terms of her sentence since then, prompting judges to send Lohan to jail and rehab repeatedly.
U STEPS UP: The University of Minnesota grabbed two dance titles over the weekend at the 2012 College National Championship at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. The Gophers dance team captured the top spots Sunday in Division 1A for jazz and pom, the same categories the team won national championships in last year. To see Minnesota in the jazz competition, visit www.startribune.com/a953. The hip-hop national title went to the University of Memphis.
MORE GOOD NEWS: Samantha Garvey, the science whiz kid who had been living in a Long Island, N.Y., homeless shelter before her family recently moved into subsidized housing, will attend President Obama's State of the Union address next Tuesday, her congressman said. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., provided the ticket for Garvey, who is one of 300 national semifinalists in the Intel national science competition. Israel's office said he was moved by Garvey's inspirational story.
