[Chapter 456: Family Film Festival]
"Harvey is really rude. We talked to him, but he didn't respond."
Among the crowd, Kate Winslet glanced at Harvey as he walked away, her tone showing some displeasure.
"He's probably lost in thought," Link replied with a carefree smile.
"Link, be careful not to get too close to Harvey. He's got too many scandals; you don't want to get dragged into them," Jodie Foster said sternly. As a feminist, she held a strong dislike for people like Harvey, and she wouldn't even acknowledge him if he greeted her.
"Got it. My interactions with him are purely professional, no worries about getting involved," Link reassured her.
Link embraced both Jodie and Julianne Moore, savoring their captivating fragrance as he planted kisses on their cheeks.
Kate Winslet kept smiling gently at him, her eyes shimmering like spring waters.
...
After the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, Link returned to the island with his girlfriends. However, there was a new addition: Kate Winslet.
Upon seeing him again, Kate took the initiative to pursue him. With a little matchmaking from Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kate Beckinsale, Link accepted her.
Kate was a playful woman. Feeling his strength and status, she sought him out whenever she had free time. Whether in the gazebo, on the beach, by the pool, in the limousine, or aboard the yacht's deck, marks of their romance were everywhere.
---
Following the Golden Globes, the nominations for the 70th Academy Awards were announced.
Titanic led the pack with 14 nominations, making it the movie with the most nods that year.
Saving Private Ryan followed with 12 nominations, taking second place.
Guess Pictures' production L.A. Confidential received 9 nominations, ranking third.
Columbia Pictures' romantic comedy As Good as It Gets and Guess Pictures' Evita both earned 7 nominations, tied for third.
Additionally, 14 films produced by Guess Pictures, including Girl, Interrupted, The Legend of 1900, 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, The Rock, Boogie Nights, Out of Sight, Primal Fear, and My Best Friend's Wedding, were nominated.
Because Guess Pictures appeared so frequently on the list, many media outlets joked that the Oscars should be renamed the Guess Pictures Awards or Link Awards.
...
"Sounds fun, honey. Why don't you start a film award and call it that?" Diana suggested from the manor's living room, lounging in Link's arms, leafing through the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. Dressed in a printed casual gown, her soft golden hair framed her delicate, elegant face, making her look like a woodland fairy.
"Yes, Link. Like the Sundance Film Festival, you're quite famous now. Starting a film festival would definitely draw filmmakers," Sophia added with a smile.
"No thanks! Starting a festival or awards ceremony wastes time and energy. I don't have time for that. Besides, there are enough festivals and awards already," Link replied, sitting on the carpet playing with toys as some kids crawled around.
"You could create an internal award just for Guess Pictures films, selecting the best movie each year to give an award and cash prize. It might motivate the staff," Sophia suggested.
"Probably not. The best Guess Pictures movies are all directed by Link. Giving himself awards would be a joke," Lily commented.
"How about excluding Link's films and selecting from the rest?" Monica offered.
"Enough with all these ideas! I'm busy directing and running the company, I have no time for this. If you want fun, hold an awards ceremony at home to see who performs best in movies," Link stated.
"Great idea! I'm in!" Nicole Kidman raised her pale, slender arm enthusiastically.
"I'm against it! We have the most actors at home, only three directors: me, Jodie, and Link. If we can't vote, it's boring," Sophia retorted, glancing at Nicole Kidman.
"You three can be the judges," Sandra Bullock offered.
"Lily and I can also judge, five judges total -- just right," Diana smiled.
"Excellent idea! The best performer could earn special rewards, like a seven-day trip with Link, a best actress title, or leading roles," Lily added.
At Lily's mention of rewards, those initially uninterested jumped in, excitedly discussing how to hold a family film festival: timing, location, rules, and so on.
Hearing their serious plans, Link tried to dissuade them. Hosting a family film festival would add to his workload and might disrupt family harmony.
But the women had their reasons. It sounded fun, would enrich family life, encourage healthy competition at work, improve acting skills, and prevent complacency after success.
Link wanted to argue more, but they didn't give him a chance. They held a vote, with Link as the only dissenting vote, which was naturally overruled.
Without his opposition, the girlfriends eagerly drafted festival rules and decided to hold the first family film festival the following year.
Link sighed, admitting the house was livelier with so many women.
---
After the Oscar nominations, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, and British Academy Film Awards followed one after another.
Guess Pictures films won numerous awards.
At the SAG Awards, Jack Nicholson won Best Actor for As Good as It Gets, Winona Ryder won Best Actress for Girl, Interrupted, Edward Norton won Best Supporting Actor for Primal Fear, and Gloria Stuart from Titanic and Kim Basinger from L.A. Confidential shared Best Supporting Actress.
At the Critics' Choice Awards, Titanic won Best Picture, Saving Private Ryan took Best Director, Girl, Interrupted claimed Best Actress, My Best Friend's Wedding won Best Supporting Actress, and L.A. Confidential earned Best Adapted Screenplay.
At the BAFTA Awards, Titanic and Saving Private Ryan were surprisingly overshadowed.
The British film The Full Monty and Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo + Juliet were the biggest winners.
The Full Monty took Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, while Romeo + Juliet earned Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and Best Music.
Saving Private Ryan only won for Cinematography and Sound.
...
[T/N: By mid-February, Link traveled to Hong Kong with Kate Beckinsale, Joan Chen, Chen Hong, and others to attend the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards.
The film The Sino-Dutch War 1661 premiered in Hong Kong last February. At the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards, The Sino-Dutch War 1661 received 13 nominations and won 8, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor, becoming the biggest winner.
While attending the awards in Hong Kong, Joan Chen introduced Link to two newcomers -- Zhang Ziyi, and Li Bingbing. After watching their work, Link thought they had potential.
After the ceremony, Link stayed a few days in Hong Kong to accompany his girlfriends and the little ones Joan Chen had, while reviewing recent earnings reports for Kingsoft Investment Company.
Due to the Asian financial crisis, last year Kingsoft Investment profited over $500 million by trading Korean won, Thai baht, and Japanese yen.
In January, the Hong Kong financial crisis erupted. Kingsoft Investment partnered with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, mobilizing over $10 billion to confront international speculators like George Soros. In February, they successfully repelled the speculators, preserving the linked exchange rate system between the Hong Kong dollar and the U.S. dollar.
Kingsoft Investment earned over $600 million from this battle.
Currently, Kingsoft Investment holds assets totaling $4.5 billion, making it one of Hong Kong's most powerful financial firms.]
...
With business handled, Link returned to Los Angeles with his girlfriends to prepare for the upcoming 70th Academy Awards.
*****
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