As well as seeing filmmakers face their public, Amanda Palmer and the FPS team also talk to actors, directors, cinematographers, composers, costume and set designers – just about everyone involved in making interesting films.
Our features cover everything from world cinema, to experimenta, from the best of Hollywood to Nollywood, from shorts and music videos to documentary-style pieces that tell the stories of real people engaged in all levels of filmmaking.
Whether we're covering the latest glitzy Hollywood premiere, or the most moving personal story, The Fabulous Picture Show aims to apply rigorous journalistic standards, a critical contextualising eye and, where appropriate, an irreverent sense of humour.
Amanda Palmer conceived The Fabulous Picture Show concept series, and leads a talented team in producing the bi-monthly programme for Al Jazeera English's entertainment strand.
| Coming up on the next edition of The Fabulous Picture Show: |
Special Screening: 2007 Academy Award nominee Days of Glory
 |
Amanda with director Rachid
Bouchareb |
Hollywood announces its Academy Awards on February 25 and among the nominees for best foreign film is French director Rachid Bouchareb's Days of Glory.
Bouchareb and his co-writer Olivier Lorelle join The Fabulous Picture Show to discuss their acclaimed war-time drama, which pays homage to the Algerian soldiers who fought for their French 'fatherland' during World War II.
Beginning in a small Algerian village, a group of novice recruits soon learn of the injustice and racism they face as 'second-class soldiers', when they see their French counterparts promoted and given preferential treatment.
The film sparked widespread debate about the unequal treatment of French and North African war veterans. Jacques Chirac, the French president, and his wife Bernadette were reportedly so moved by Bouchareb's story, that the government changed its policy this year, increasing the pensions of North African veterans to bring them in line with those of French soldiers.
Ennio Morricone
 |
| Composer Ennio Morricone |
Also being honoured at this year's Oscars with a Lifetime Achievement award is the legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone, whose 45 year career has seen him compose some of the world's best loved and recognisable soundtracks, including The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Untouchables, Once Upon a Time in America and Cinema Paradiso. Amanda travels to Morricone's birth city of Rome to meet the 78 year old maestro.
Nollywood's Little People
 |
| Nollywood actress Christiana |
Away from Hollywood is Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry capital which is now the third biggest in the world, producing as many as 2000 films a year.
In Nollywood, small people - that's people with restricted growth - are big business. We meet Christiana, an actor whose disproportionate features used to see her regularly cast as a witch doctor in voodoo themed films. But today there are fewer roles for Christiana than ever before, because there are more people of small stature vying for roles.
This edition of The Fabulous Picture Show will air daily from Saturday 24th February 2007 at the following times:
Saturday 24th Feb – 21:30GMT; Sunday 25th Feb – 07:00 and 18:00GMT; Monday 26th Feb – 00:00 & 11:00GMT; Tuesday 27th Feb – 20:30GMT; Wednesday 28th Feb – 07:30GMT; Thursday 1st March – 05:30GMT; Friday 2nd March – 10:30GMT; Saturday 3rd March – 08:30GMT