Another exciting month kicks off on Rialto Channel this week, particularly for Francophiles and music lovers (of all types!).

In February Rialto Channel features a collection of compelling documentaries about a diverse group of musicians drawn from rock and roll, hip hop, funk and classical music. I’ll write about them more in my blog later in the week, but to set the mood for what follows Soul Boy screens tonight, Monday 30^th January, 8.30pm.

At 5am on Tuesday morning, members of the Academy, the press, film critics and publicists all gathered at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills to hear the most anticipated announcement of the entertainment year; the 2012 Academy Award nominations.

I’m not much of a betting girl, but one of the highlights of this week will be the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominees. I love sitting down and trying to assess the mood of Hollywood and who will take home the coveted golden statues. Inevitably I end up with two lists; the list featuring people I think should win, and the list featuring the people who probably will win. Make sure you pop back later in the week to check out the nominees.

What a civilised affair the Golden Globes were on Sunday evening (Monday afternoon our time). Ricky Gervais, hosting the awards for the third time, started the show with the quip “so, where were we”. Loved it.....

To a young girl obsessed with ballet Dame Margot Fonteyn was a legend, who thanks to her professional partnership with Rudolf Nureyev was regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time.

It’s apparent, after watching the BBC’s Margot (Monday 16^th January, 8.30pm), that Fonteyn’s life was a lot more complicated and scandalous than I’d been lead to believe aged seven. Amazingly, at 40 she experienced a career revival that turned her into a global star; at the same time as her turbulent personal life was falling apart. It’s a truly remarkable story.

This Sunday afternoon (L.A time, Monday afternoon for us) a who’s who of Hollywood, styled to within an inch of their lives, will step from their eco-friendly limos onto the red carpet for the first big award ceremony of the year, the 69^th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

He’s a funny little guy, Jools Holland, and yet anyone who has seen his concerts with the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra is blown away, and everyone who has seen his BBC2 music television show Later…with Jools Holland appreciates how good it is. Capturing a band’s music and doing them credit on live television is a very hard thing to do - I know, I spent years trying. While many bands are sceptical about appearing on live music shows because they’re concerned about sound issues I imagine no one turns down Jools Holland.

Well, here we go again! Another year has arrived and this January Rialto Channel has another superb line-up of films, including a collection of documentaries profiling creative innovators who changed the way we look at art and fashion.

Michael Haneke is a German born, Austrian filmmaker whose bold and bare style is filled with bleak carnage and disturbing imagery, making him one of the most interesting and challenging contemporary auteurs. Haneke sees himself as “the last modernist”, and his work is known for its non-linear narration and his ability to infuse his films with unbearable tension.

As January’s featured director in our Rialto Directors Showcase, Rialto Channel is presenting an unprecedented look at his remarkable body of award-winning work.