LITTLE ROCK — The question that’s kept Oscar observers guessing since nominations were announced last month - Will Banksy show up? - remains unanswered. But the motion picture academy says the badboy British street artist is more than welcome to attend. The elusive graffiti star is up for best documentary feature for his directing debut, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Since he prefers to hide his face, it has seemed unlikely he would reveal himself before half a billion viewers worldwide on Hollywood’s biggest night.Even in his own film, he appears in shadows, wearing a hoodie and with his voice altered to make it unrecognizable. While publicists for the movie and for Banksy himself declined to comment on whether he’ll be at the Kodak Theatre with the rest of the nominees next Sunday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it would be happy to see him. “Banksy and his folks are keeping things very mysterious,” the academy’s executive director, Bruce Davis, said Friday. “We certainly are expecting the producer of the film to be with us, Jaimie D’Cruz, but I would not be surprised if Banksy were in the audience aswell - but I don’t think he’s going to be wearing a name tag, so it may not be clear.”
A jury in Florida paused in its deliberations Friday in the federal drug trial ofGrammywinning reggae singer Buju Banton. After deliberating for most of the day, the jury in Tampacould not reach a verdict. Jurors will reconvene Tuesday. Courts are closed Monday. The 37-year-old Banton is accused of conspiring with two other men in setting up a drug deal in December 2009. His album Before the Dawn won a Grammy last Sunday for best reggae album. This is Banton’s second trial. A jury deadlocked in his first trial last year. If convicted of all the charges, he faces up to life in prison.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 02/20/2011