AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 9:08 a.m. EDT

Belgian festival's decision to cancel a concert led by an Israeli conductor draws criticism

BERLIN (AP) — Belgium’s prime minister has traveled to neighboring Germany for a concert led by an Israeli conductor whose appearance was canceled by a Belgian festival. His gesture added to strong criticism of the decision. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in a social media post Sunday for his “strong signal of solidarity” after he attended the weekend concert given in Essen by the Munich Philharmonic and conducted by Lahav Shani. De Wever said he strongly condemns the cancellation of a concert in Ghent “solely on the basis of the origin of conductor Lahav Shani.”

Sean Astin, who starred in 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Rudy,' is elected as SAG-AFTRA's new president

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The union that represents tens of thousands of actors and other entertainer and media professionals has elected Sean Astin as its new president. On Friday, SAG-AFTRA elected Astin — who starred in “Rudy” and “The Lord of the Rings,” among other roles — to succeed Fran Drescher as its president. Astin is the son of the late Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke. He defeated Chuck Slavin in a 79% to 21% vote. Michelle Hurd was elected secretary-treasurer. SAG-AFTRA brings together Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, program hosts and others.

Where to stream some of this year's top Emmy-nominated shows and how long it will take to watch them

The 77th Primetime Emmy nominations have been announced, leaving roughly two months to get caught up on series before the trophies are handed out. Leading nominees include “Severance” on Apple TV+ with 27 nods, and HBO Max’s “The White Lotus.” HBO Max is the leading streaming service for Emmy nominees this year, with Netflix and Apple TV+ rounding out the top three. If you're feeling pressed for time, several series like “The Studio” and “Adolescence” can be streamed in five hours or less. Others like “The White Lotus,” “Andor” and “Matlock” are longer commitments.

With ‘The Grand Finale,’ ‘Downton Abbey’ is really coming to an end

Julian Fellowes has been saying goodbye to “Downton Abbey” for nearly as long as it has existed. The creators are really saying a final farewell with “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” which opens in theaters nationwide Friday. Fellowes said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that it is sad and that it has been a huge chunk of his life. “Downton Abbey” was conceived by producer Gareth Neame as a kind of spinoff to “Gosford Park.” It was in many ways an improbable hit. The first two features grossed more than $287 million at the worldwide box office.

Rare portraits of enslaved Mississippians displayed together at Mississippi Museum of Art

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Museum of Art now owns the only two known portraits of enslaved Mississippians that were painted before the Civil War. “Portrait of Frederick" joins “Portrait of Delia,” both hanging in the same museum together for the first time in history. Before coming to the museum, both portraits were owned by the descendants of the subjects' enslavers for more than 100 years. The portraits evoke questions about who Frederick and Delia were and what went through their minds as their faces were captured stroke by stroke. Museum Director Betsy Bradley said she hopes displaying the portraits will help humanize the story of slavery and inspire people to learn more about the past.

Christian Siriano transports New York Fashion Week attendees to the silver screen

NEW YORK (AP) — Designer Christian Siriano transformed a Macy's department store into a New York Fashion Week runway show for his latest collection. The designer was recently named creative director for I.N.C., a Macy's ready-to-wear brand, in celebration of the brand's 40th anniversary. Siriano pulled inspiration for his latest collection from actor Marlene Dietrich and old Hollywood. Like the evolution of cinema, Siriano said he wanted to play with the color palette of his collection from black and white to Technicolor. Like Dietrich, Siriano designs embraced both the masculine and feminine. Celebrities from Oprah to singer Lizzo sat front row at the Friday show.

Oscar-winning Palestinian director Basel Adra says his home in West Bank raided by Israeli soldiers

JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian Oscar-winning director Basel Adra has told The Associated Press that Israeli soldiers have conducted a raid at his home in the occupied West Bank. Adra says they were searching for him and going through his wife's phone Saturday. Adra says he wasn't home when troops entered. He was at the hospital assisting two brothers and one cousin injured by a settler attack on his village earlier in the day. Adra says soldiers arrived in the village while the attack was ongoing and sealed it off. Israel’s military says soldiers were in the village after Palestinians threw rocks and injured two Israeli civilians. The military says its forces were searching the area and questioning people.

Former poet laureate Ada Limón says artists must band together during 'dangerous times'

The 24th U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón says she encountered a surprising number of people who are writing and sharing poetry during her travels around the country. Limon's term as poet laureate ended in April and she has a new book, “Startlement: New and Selected Poems,” coming out Sept. 30. Limon told The Associated Press that artists have to hold true to what they believe in as they face “dangerous times” during the Trump administration that include efforts to review and rewrite museum exhibits and efforts to censor books.

Steven Spielberg celebrates 'awesome' 50th anniversary 'Jaws' exhibition at Academy Museum

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Jaws” is the subject of the first ever large-scale exhibit devoted to a single film at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. At a media preview, director Steven Spielberg and museum officials introduced the 50th anniversary show that opens Sunday and runs through July. Spielberg says at the time he was making the movie, he had no idea that any prop from it would be worth keeping, but he's glad others did. The exhibit includes the buoy that marks the film's ominous opening shark attack and the dorsal fin that struck terror in beachgoers in the film and moviegoers in theaters.