Filmanthropy can be one of a number of things - helping those less fortunate to make films, helping in the preservation of the films and screening classic films for others. While this makes me realize that I am a filmanthropist in more ways than one, Variety has a great little report on some bigger named filmanthropists and their ventures.

My favorite filmanthropist on their list? Martin Scorsese:

Sometime in the late 1980s, Martin Scorsese learned that more than 75% of silent films had either deteriorated or disappeared completely. “It was even more disturbing to realize that 50% of all films made in America before 1950, sound and silent, were gone.”

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Woody Allen is back again and this time he’s taking us to Spain. He’s admitted that the reason he shot the film there was that they would fund it (he wrote a film set in Spain right after they told him they would give him the $.) Thus far what Vicky Cristina Barcelona is best known for is the fact that Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have a threesome.

How do you think it looks? Will it be a new Woody classic or another Woody dud?

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out our most popular articles of the week on a variety of subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Dean Karmen Shows Steven Colbert How To Filter Water

St Patricks Day Goes Green with Green Beer: Top 10 Eco Beers

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Nicole:

East Meets West at Dubai Art Fair, But Shadow of Migrant Labor Remains

TakePart’s “I Am Voting For” Campaign Wants You To Vote the Issues

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Giulia:

Simon Cowell Gives Big

Scarlett Johansson Dates For Charity

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Gina:

Top 10 Easter Films

Top 10 Films That Have Helped to Frame the War in Iraq

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Kerry:

Aqua Colbert Massage In a Bottle

Dakota the Mummified Duckbilled Dinosaur Gets Its Rocks Off

While there are tons of Christmas classics to tide us over cinematically in December, there are seemingly less films to keep us company during Easter weekend. However, below are ten films that either relate to Easter directly, happen around Easter time, feature an Easter scene or relate on a more philosophical level. No matter what mood you find yourself in this Easter weekend, one of the Top Ten Easter Films listed below is sure to please.

And in the spirit of Easter and learn how you and your family can spend Easter volunteering (before you watch a film of course).

1. The Passion of Joan of Arc : Carl Theodore Dreyer’s story of a young woman who sacrifices everything for her beliefs easily connects with the themes of forgiveness and sacrifice that define Easter:

With its stunning camerawork and striking compositions, Carl Th. Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc convinced the world that movies could be art. Renée Falconetti gives one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film, as the young maiden who died for God and France. Long thought to have been lost to fire, the original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981″”in a Norwegian mental institution. [Criterion]

Even the story of the films “rebirth” seems appropriate for the holiday.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Several topics really stood out this week, including the Oscars as social advocacy inspiration, civil rights and Black History Month, and lots of hot news on entertainment going Green. Check out our most popular posts of the week on these subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Happy Belated “Freedom to Marry” Week!

Rosa and Raymond Parks: Valiant Valentine #5

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Nicole:

Top 10 Oscar Picks to Inspire Social Action

Cornel West: Black Thoughts On Black History Month

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Giulia:

H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS”

Ed Begley Jr. Goes Green

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Gina:

Top 10 Best Picture Winners That Inspire

Remixing “Chicago 10″

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Kerry:

How To Set the World On Fire Without Burning Out

Eco-Brokers Cater to Green Homebuyers

This year Oscar turns 80 and with big show less than 5 days away I thought it might be nice to reflect on years past. Thus, I present to you the Top 10 Oscar Best Picture Winners That Inspire. Each title is listed along with the year it won.

Did I miss your favorite? Leave a comment with your pick for the most inspiring Best Picture winner and I’ll post the best comments next week on the Takepart Blog

1. Gandhi 1982 (directed by Richard Attenborough) - It makes sense that a biopic of one of the world’s most inspiring people would also be inspirational itself. Ben Kingsley gives an outstanding performance as Mahatma Gandhi, the lawyer turned activist and leader that confronted the British and urged for non-violent protest. In a way, I think it all comes down to this quote:

Gandhi: “Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always.”

and learn more about the teachings of Gandhi.

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The strike is settled and the writers are back at work today! Celebrate their return with these top 10 movies about screenwriting characters, courtesy of EW.com. Visit the Writers Guild website to learn more about the vote to lift their 100-day strike, which began on Novermber 5, 2007.
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1) THE WRITER: Mel Miller
PLAYED BY: Walter Matthau
IN: A Face in the Crowd (1957)

2) THE WRITER: Alfred Miller
PLAYED BY: Michael Murphy
IN: The Front (1976)

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3) THE WRITER: Dixon Steele
PLAYED BY: Humphrey Bogart
IN: In a Lonely Place (1950)

4) THE WRITER: Jerry Stahl
PLAYED BY: Ben Stiller
IN: Permanent Midnight (1980)

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The ongoing WGA strike looks to be taking a new direction - that is studio officials now want to move with their talks with the Director’s Guild of America, talks that were originally slated for after the writer’s strike was resolved and before the pay agreement they currently have expires in June.The studios hope that if they reach a deal with the directors, the deal with the WGA will eventually fall into place and they foresee it being much easier to reach a deal with the directors. With cable executives having to air reruns and reality TV and movie studios dealing with lackluster performance at the box office, they must be feeling a little anxious (although not willing to budge) - hopefully this will work in the writers and directors favor. For now, I just keep checking in the the WGA’s Speechless channel on YouTube (if they keep making content, they may be able to strike their own deal with YouTube for internet money!) And speaking of the relationship between writers and directors, my two favorite in their Speechless series are below :