MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has announced the appointment of Gautam Talwar to the newly created role of vice president business development - Asia. His appointment is effective immediately.

Based in Singapore and reporting to FME Asia Pacific CEO Jon Penn, Talwar will be responsible for establishing FME?s regional business development office. He will work with the existing FME team to architect and execute a plan to expand FME?s licensing, distribution, home entertainment and live event businesses in Asia.

Penn said, "We are thrilled to announce the addition of Gautam?s expertise to the thriving FME team in Asia at a pivotal time of growth for the business. We look forward to his valuable contribution as a thought leader and project manager on new products, partnerships and ventures in the region.?

Talwar has held roles in Asia-Pacific and the United States during his career in business development. He joins FME from Disney Media Distribution Hong Kong where he was employed as director of business development and digital media and was responsible for identifying new business opportunities to build Disney?s media business across platforms in the region.

Prior to this he was employed at Disney Media Networks, Los Angeles as senior manager media networks strategy where he managed long term strategy initiatives for Disney Media Networks, including ABC, ABC Family and SOAPnet and Disney Channel. He has also worked at Walt Disney Television where he managed the start up and launch of Disney channels in India.

MUMBAI: Zee Trendz is all set to unveil the latest season of The Bold and the Beautiful premiering on 16 January at 9 pm.

The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J Bell and Lee Phillip Bell.

Set in Los Angeles, California, the show centers upon the Forrester family and their fashion house business Forrester Creations. The program features an ensemble cast, headed by its longest-serving actors Susan Flannery as Stephanie Forrester, John McCook as Eric Forrester, Katherine Kelly Lang as Brooke Logan, Ronn Moss as Ridge Forrester.

The Bold and the Beautiful is also a sister show to the Bells? other soap opera The Young and the Restless, as several characters from each of the two shows have crossed over to the other since the early 1990s, and its title derived from Y&R.

The Bold and the Beautiful has won 31 Daytime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Drama Series in 2009 and again in 2010, as well as in 2011. On 7 September, 2011, the series switched to high definition.

MUMBAI: The 17th Annual Critics? Choice Movie Awards will be showcased live from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Zee Studio at 6:30 am on 13 January.

Films nominated for best picture are ?The Artist?, ?The Descendants?, ?Drive?, ?Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close?, ?The Help?, ?Hugo?, ?Midnight in Paris?, ?Moneyball?, ?The Tree of Life? and ?War Horse?.

200 film critics make up the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the largest film critics organisation in the US and Canada.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, commonly called the Critics? Choice Awards, are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honour cinematic achievement. Nominees are selected by written ballots in a week-long voting period, and were announced in December.

Actor/comedians Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer will host the 17th annual Critics? Choice Movie Awards. Fitz and The Tantrums will also participate in the Critics? Choice Movie Awards, taking the stage as the evening?s house band, performing between awards and commercials.

Sean Penn will receive the 2012 Joel Siegel Award at the 17th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards. Sean Penn has been chosen to receive the Joel Siegel Award at the 17th Annual Critics? Choice Movie Awards, with Oscar winner George Clooney tapped to present the award. Previous winners of the Joel Siegel Award include Matt Damon, Kevin Bacon, Richard Gere, and Don Cheadle.

The Joel Siegel Award honours the memory of the Good Morning America critic who lost his battle to cancer in 2007. It?s awarded each year in recognition of a celebrity who uses their fame to do good work for others.