U.S. gymnast SIMONE BILES, actor and activist JANE FONDA, Dream C BRITTNEY GRINER and TV host PADMA LAKSHMI will be among the women delivering keynote speeches at the 5th Annual California Conference for Women in San Jose on Feb. 12. The event will see “some 5,000 female leaders in business, nonprofit and other organizations gather for the one-day event” at San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center. The day features a “line-up of speeches, panel discussions and other events on a range of topics, related to ‘connection, motivation, inspiration and skill-building’ for women of all ages and at all stages of their careers.” The conference begins at 8am PT and continues until 5pm at the convention center, with tickets $475 per person (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 2/11).
AT THE MOVIES: Actor MILES TELLER is set to play late Italian cyclist turned WWII hero GINO BARTALI in the biopic “BARTALI,” which “should be a strong proposition for buyers” at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin. Filmmakers E. CHAI VASARHELYI and JIMMY CHIN are aboard to direct the feature, which will “tell the impressive true story of Bartali, who became a national hero after winning the Tour de France in 1938 but whose career was put on hold for a decade following the outbreak of World War II.” Producing are Vasarhelyi and Chin’s Little Monster Films, along with producers LESLIE HOLLERAN, KAREN TENKHOFF and Teller. Tenkhoff also scripts the project. CAA Media Finance is repping domestic with north.five.six. handling international (DEADLINE, 2/11).
NAMES: MLS and LAFC on Sunday released a joint statement “condemning anti-Israel posts apparently re-shared” by club co-owner RUBEN GNANALINGAM on LinkedIn. Gnanalingam, who is also co-owner of EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers, “apologized for the posts” that evening (THE ATHLETIC, 2/10)....Space City Home Network analyst RYAN HOLLINS “went viral” for his description of a play in Sunday’s Raptors-Rockets game when Raptors G GRADEY DICK got hit in the face late in the first half. The three-second clip drew “more than 1.4 million views in 24 hours.” Although the entire thing “seemed fairly innocent,” Hollins “still felt the need to apologize on social media” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/10)....Incoming Baseball HOFer ICHIRO SUZUKI will throw the ceremonial first pitch on opening day at T-Mobile Park on March 27 against the A’s (SEATTLE TIMES, 2/10).
IN MEMORY: Former driver WILL CAGLE, nicknamed “The Tampa Terror,” died last week at 86 after falling at his home in Lutz, Fla. Cagle was part of the inaugural 1992 class of the Northeast Dirt Modified HOF, and he is enshrined in the N.Y. State Stock Car Association HOF and Eastern Motorsports Press Association HOF (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/10).
