Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment:

• For those who made a New Year’s resolution to finally finish — or start — that novel, registration is open for Lit Youngstown’s ninth Winter Writing Camp on Feb 28.

The day-long camp offers writing activities led by regional writers and has dedicated tracks for children ages 5 and older and adult writers. No experience is required.

This year’s workshop leaders are Christopher Barzak, John Burroughs, Russell Brickey, JRW Case, Meghan Cliffel, Makenna Liller Dahman, Bella Davis, Teresa Leone, Isabella Moreno, Trennae Roe, Abby Vandiver, Shaunda Yancey and Kara M. Zone.

The camp will run 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, 305 Wick Ave., Youngstown.

The camp is free and includes a lunch catered by Aladdin’s Eatery, but it is limited to 100 participants.

The deadline for registration is Feb. 1 at lityoungstown.org/winter-writing-camp.

Adults registering children in kindergarten and first grade must attend and stay with them at times. Those registering children who are at least in second grade but younger than 10 years old must remain on site for the camp but are allowed to attend adult sessions and don’t have to be in the same room with their child.

• The Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus is accepting submissions through Feb. 14 for Ohio Shorts 2026.

This is the 30th year for the annual showcase for short films made in the state, and it is open to both first-time filmmakers and veteran creators as well as all genres, including narrative, documentary, animation and experimental film. Submissions must be at least 30 seconds long and no longer than 20 minutes and shot in Ohio.

This year’s juror is Hanif Abdurraqib, an award-winning writer and cultural critic.

The deadline for entries is Feb. 14, and submission information and guidelines are available at wexarts.org/film-video/ohio-shorts-2026-call-entries.

Those accepted for the in-person screening on May 2 will receive a $50 screening fee and be eligible to win the $500 jury award and $300 audience choice award.

• The Critics’ Choice Awards were last weekend, and the Actor (formerly SAG) Awards were announced Wednesday. The Golden Globes ceremony is Sunday, and the Oscar nominations will be announced Jan. 22.

There was a time when I would have spent the last month or so trying to see every possible Oscar contender before the nominations were announced. Now, I look at predicted Best Picture nominees, and I’ve seen two of 10 on Variety’s list and three on Gold Derby’s.

Of the two on both lists, I think “One Battle After Another” is somewhat overrated, and “Sinners” is vastly underrated.

With “One Battle,” sympathizing with its politics doesn’t make it a good movie. The first half hour or so is a mess, and Sean Penn’s character is a cartoon. It ultimately won me over, and I would give it an overall positive review, but the movie viewed as the frontrunner wouldn’t have made my top 10 most years.

“Sinners” is every bit as audacious and grandiose as “One Battle,” but writer-director Ryan Coogler doesn’t make a misstep in telling it, even if the horror elements will alienate many Oscar voters. Folks like to cite “Silence of the Lambs” as an example of a horror movie winning best picture, but serial killers and vampires are two very different genres, even if those vampires are used metaphorically in “Sinners” to tell a larger, more historically rooted story.

I also really liked “Bugonia,” which Gold Derby has just sneaking into one of 10 best picture slots and Variety leaves out. I really didn’t care forYorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things” (which was nominated for 10 Oscars and won four), and his “Bugonia” is equally divisive.

It’s a bonkers film with a “Twilight Zone” ending that viewers either will embrace or they’ll roll their eyes.

Maybe the timing of when I watched it had something to do with my reaction. The movie ended Saturday morning just in time to catch the second half of the press conference following the extraction / invasion / distraction in Venezuela. As crazy as “Bugonia” was, it was no more insane than what followed.

Andy Gray is the entertainment editor of Ticket. Write to him at agray@tribtoday.com.