Filmmaker Kevin MacDonald was among the big winners at the ninth British Independent Film Awards in London on Wednesday night.

MacDonald was named Best Director for The Last King Of Scotland, a film about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. The film also won Best Technical Achievement for its Cinematography.

Scots-born MacDonald is the grandson of noted Hungarian filmmaker Emeric Pressburger who escaped Nazi persecution in Europe, and the brother of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later producer Andrew MacDonald,

The latest quarterly survey of British Jewish men and women and which celebrity Jew they would most like to go on a date has been revealed, and American Jews are beating the Brits when it comes to who British Jewish women want to date.

David Schwimmer has once again been voted by single Jewish women as the sexiest Jewish man alive according to the poll by dating site SomeoneJewish.com

Veteran Hollywood star Goldie Hawn is set to make a guest appearance in the Broadway hit Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.

The 61-year-old actress who last starred in The Banger Sisters in 2002 on screen is said to be excited about the one night only part.

The show, which opened in August to rave reviews, has featured special appearances from a string of celebrities by fellow members of the tribe, including Jerry Seinfeld, Bette Midler and Roseanne Barr.

Former star of Beverly Hills 90210 Tori Spelling has put her house up for sale, as well as selling her old clothes and other household items on eBay.

The daughter of the late TV producing legend Aaron Spelling has enlisted celebrity house clearer Sharon Yost to handle her sales.

Spelling, 33, who is pregnant by second husband Dean McDermott, is also set to star with him in their own reality series where they run a bed and breakfast.

Despite not being converted to Judaism, born into the faith or indeed recognised by anyone in the Jewish community as being Jewish, troubled comic Michael Richards insists he is Jewish.

But his Jewish association claim has been rebuffed by Jewish groups.

According to his publicist, the former Seinfeld star who verbally abused two black people at a LA comedy club earlier this month as well as previously insulting Jews is not a racist.

Hollywood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal has scooped best actress at the 17th Stockholm Film Festival.

The 29-year-old won the award for her portrayal of a mother returning home from prison in the gritty drama Sherrybaby.

Daughter of screenwriter Naomi Foner and sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal, she gave birth last month to her first child Ramona with fiance Peter Sarsgaard.

Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli is being sued for $300,000 by her former agent, who claims she ditched him after finding fame.

The 21-year-old, who is dating Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio, appeared at Tel Aviv Magistrates Court in Israel yesterday to answer the claims made by Rafi Agiv.

Agiv claims he was sacked by Rafaeli in 2005 after he had helped build her career up, following her marriage to an older man, a union she used to avoid compulsory military service in the Israeli Army.

Funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen, who has exceeded all expectations for his recent Borat movie by making over $100m within a month, could be treading the boards if Broadway and West End producers have their way.

A source told Jewtastic that Baron Cohen is top of the list among certain mega producers, who believe an up close and personal one man show by the former Habonim youth club member could be a hit, and want to get out their cheque book to sign him up.

Barely a day since revealing he would be defecting form the BBC and joining ITV, really bad jokes about Michael Grade have started to appear on Jewish humour sites.

The 63-year-old who will command a £825,000 a year plus bonus salary as executive chairman of ITV has become a firm favourite for crap Jewish jokers.

The cigar smoking, red socks wearing and Yiddish speaking TV executive aims to bring ITV back into being a major player.

Political journalist Daniel Finkelstein, the comment editor of The Times has turned his attention to the forthcoming festival of Chanukah and what suitable gifts to give to Jews who have an interest in politics.

The Danster says on his blog: “We’ve been scouring the internet looking for presents for the politically-obsessed Jew in your life so that you don’t have to.” And has come up with a present for every night of the festival of lights.

Legendary Fonz actor Henry Winkler received a rapturous response when he appeared on Channel 4 chat show The Paul O-Grady Show.

Guest host Melanie Sykes interviewed the star who is in London for his panto debut in Peter Pan.

Since arriving in the UK, the 61-year-old revealed his love for the country. “People are so lovely” he said. “They stop me in the street.”  He also said that he does his supermarket shopping at Sainsbury’s and had people recognise him in the aisles.

Barbra Streisand is back in the record books after setting new theatre bests at 14 of the 16 venues she played during her recent North American tour.

The Yentl singer’s 20 shows, which wrapped up in Los Angeles last week grossed a staggering $92.5 million and set records in almost all of the arenas she played.

And the only person who beat her at Madison Square Garden in New York and Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena was herself.

Hollywood legend Dustin Hoffman says he would love to star in sequels of the films that made him famous.

The veteran actor dreams of the opportunity to revisit old characters because he has so many inventive script ideas.

“I’d love to have done a sequel to everyone of ‘em. They just never happened for whatever reason,” he says. “Mike Nichols and I would talk about a sequel to The Graduate. What would Benjamin wind up doing? He probably would have stayed in LA and wound up directing commercials.”

Any controversy surrounding Mel Brooks’ The Producers and the portrayal of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich looks set to pale into insignificance as Mein Fuhrer: The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler, is released.

The German comedy, which portrays the esteemed Nazi leader as a bedwetter who has a problem getting an erect penis is being touted as a potential box office smash as well as Oscar material.

BBC chairman Michael Grade is jumping channels to become the new executive chairman of ITV in the New Year.

With over 30 years experience in TV, including being controller of BBC1 and chief executive of Channel 4, Grade is a major coup for the beleaguered TV network.

ITV, currently without a chief executive will have 63-year-old Grade as its most senior boss. While in his new role, Grade will be responsible for day-to-day management of the broadcaster and will also look to find a chief executive to join him.

Just as Borat passes the $100m mark at the US box office, so it seems Kazakhstan is being called to embrace the Jewish brain behind it – Sacha Baron Cohen.

The comedian has had his name suggested for a national award in Kazakhstan, despite lampooning the country in the film.

The movie was originally slammed by country officials for portraying Kazakhstan as a backward place that was intolerant to minorities, including Jews.

A play by Sir Tom Stoppard, set in Prague between the years 1968 and 1990, has won this year’s prestigious Best Play prize at the Evening Standard’s Theatre Awards. Rock’n'Roll also saw actor Rufus Sewell pick up the award for Best Actor.

Sir Tom, who is currently in New York for the opening of his play The Coast of Utopia, was unable to attend the ceremony, but spoke on film, saying, “This is not a good time for me to be 3000 miles away. I thank the Evening Standard and am honoured.

A 24-year-old singer/songwriter from Borehamwood in Hertfordshire has emerged as the winner of an X-Factor style competition to find the best new Jewish talent.

Yamit Mamo fought tough competition in the final competing against seven other Jewish performers to win the top prize of a day with her band in the recording studio of Guy Chambers. At the end of the day, Mamo will also be given a CD of their work.

British jazz singer Amy Winehouse has taken part in a charity gig in aid of Mencap and paid tribute to late soul legend Donny Hathaway by performing two of his hits - We’re Still Friends and I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know.

As well as the covers, Winehouse also performed material from her current album Back To Black at Islington’s Union Chapel in north London.

A new DVD that chronicles Jewish mothers in the UK is to be shown across the country as part of a permanent exhibition as well as touring.

The DVD features 50 Jewish women from various backgrounds and affiliations to Judaism from religious to secular and from famous to unknowns.

Made with Heritage Lottery Money, among the many women featured are actress Maureen Lipman and former politician Edwina Currie.

Orthodox Jewish boyband The Chevra had a massive hit a few years back with Lecha. 

Then, a nice Yeshiva boy David Lavon took the sound and reinterpreted it with his own homemade video that showed other Yeshiva boys just goofing around across the world including London, Israel and the States.

It was uploaded onto Google Video and You Tube to much acclaim.

Actor Jason Isaacs has said that he’s a big fan of pig.

“I like any part of the pig,” the 43-year-old told BBC’s Saturday Kitchen show.

According to Isaacs, his family cooking as a child consisted of stodgy food and he’s careful of what he eats due to his father having a double heart bypass.

Isaacs revealed his joy of eating pig ribs when he was filming The Patriot in the States and the way it was cooked.

Having been off the box during daytimes for a while, Vanessa Feltz has now been given her own daily one hour lunchtime slot on ITV and is back from tomorrow from Monday December 4.

Feltz fell from grace in February 1999 after the BBC was forced to admit that actors were booked to appear on the Vanessa show as genuine guests. A number of staff working on the show were dismissed following a BBC enquiry. By July 1999 Feltz’s show was axed.

Actor and director David Schwimmer was stunned when BBC TV chat show host Jonathan Ross revealed the former Friends star was voted the sexiest Jewish man alive according to Jewish dating site SomeoneJewish.com

When the Hollywood star was told, he modestly smiled and revealed that he was pleased to be considered in such esteem, though he did laugh when he pointed at the person below him coming in second was funnyman Woody Allen.

Jewish children and families charity Norwood is to be one of five charities to benefit from an album of duets recorded by former glam model Katie Price and her Aussie pop singer husband Peter Andre.

A Whole New World features 12 songs including The Best Things In Life Are Free, Endless Love and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.

Renowned Broadway lyricist Betty Comden has died of heart failure. In a career that spanned more than 60 years Comden, who was 89, was responsible with writing partner Adolph Green for some of the most memorable musicals on Broadway and in film.

Comden was born Elizabeth Cohen in Brooklyn, New York in 1919.

Orthodox reggae superstar Matisyahu has raised tens of thousands of dollars for a Jewish center in New York. The performer, who broke through to the mainstream in 2006 after years of cult status, played at New York’s Canal Room to benefit the Chabad Loft.

Tickets cost $150 in advance, while some people also paid $500 to get special VIP seating, as well as some personal time with Matisyahu.

Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, along with his wife and a number of other celebrities, have taken time to dish out Thanksgiving meals to the homeless in downtown Los Angeles.

The Spartacus star, who turns 90 next month, jo