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British actor Alan Bates has died of cancer at the age of 69. Bates starred in such films as Zorba the Greek, The Fixer and Georgy Girl. He was also a renowned Shakespearean actor who went on to win a Tony Award in 2002 for his role in Fortune's Fool on Broadway. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

The Sundance Film Festival kicks off in Park City, Utah. In the past few years, Sundance has become associated with Hollywood sightings, glamorous parties and celebrity skiing. This year, festival organizers are trying to take the event back to its independent roots by featuring more films from unknown directors. David D'Arcy reports.

The U.S. film industry reports a solid year at the box office, but most of the big money is tied to a few major successes, led by the Disney animated film Finding Nemo. Overall ticket sales are down a bit from 2002. NPR's Bob Edwards talks with Los Angeles Times movie critic Kenneth Turan.

Josh Roseman is a young trombonist who appreciates music with a groove. His band, the Josh Roseman Unit, has a new CD called Treats for the Nightwalker that blends styles of jazz, from funk to progressive. Music critic Jim Fusilli has a review.

In 1928, violinist Louis Kaufman became the first person to buy a painting by Milton Avery. A year later, The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., became the first museum to acquire a work by Avery. NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on a new exhibit at the Phillips that celebrates the long friendship between the two artists. See paintings and photos from the show.

Supporters say the measure empowers parents to have a say in what their children learn. Critics argue it will harm LGBTQ kids. President Biden slammed the bill, which has Gov. Ron DeSantis' support.

Sam Miltich is an 18-year-old who lives in the Minnesota woods and plays jazz guitar in the style of Django Reinhardt. He practiced for nine hours a day to become good enough to play in Amsterdam with one of Europe's hottest swing guitar groups -- and also at Lincoln Center. Chris Julin of Minnesota Public Radio reports.

Before Frank Sinatra sang "My Way" into the American musical lexicon, a French singer-songwriter had his own version of the ballad. Twenty-five years after his death, Claude Francois is still drawing fans to his former home, which has been turned into a museum. NPR's Nick Spicer reports.

The Village Voice releases its annual Pazz & Jop poll, which surveys the nation's rock critics on the best new music. Over the last three decades, the poll has developed a reputation for spotting emerging talent overlooked by the Grammys. NPR's Bob Edwards discusses this year's survey results with Village Voice music editor Robert Christgau.

Filipino poet Nick Carbó grew up in Manila, surrounded by American pop culture. He now writes about the oddness of being Asian in America. For Intersections, a Morning Edition series about artists and their inspirations, Carbó describes how John Wayne and other U.S. cultural icons helped shape his witty, often subversive point of view.