Kino Lorber released the official trailer for Brighton 4, Georgia’s Official Submission to the 94th Academy Awards; and winner of Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor at 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Directed by Levan Koguashvil, the film tells the story of Kakhi, a Georgian ex-wrestler who travels from Tbilisi to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, to help his son Soso find a way out of a gambling debt.
The Jewish Museum and Film at Lincoln Center will present the 31st annual New York Jewish Film Festival (NYJFF) in person and virtually from January 12 through 25, 2022. The NYJFF lineup showcases 33 wide-ranging and exciting features and shorts (24 features and nine shorts), including the latest works by dynamic voices in international cinema, as well as the world premiere of a new 4K restoration of the 1984 film Kaddish by Steve Brand.
Johnny Depp stars as W. Eugene Smith, the American photographer who documented the effects of mercury poisoning on the citizens of Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan, in the film Minamata, directed by Andrew Levitas. Also starring in the film are Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Katherine Jenkins, Jun Kunimura, Lily Robinson, Ryo Kase, Akiko Iwase, Minami, and Bill Nighy.
Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast took Best Picture honors, and Branagh won for Best Director and Best Screenplay, in the Phoenix Film Critic’s Society’s 2021 awards. The film also captured awards for Ciaran Hinds for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and for Jude Hill for Best Performance by a Youth. With five wins, Belfast tied with Dune for the most honored film of the year.
The Power of the Dog was named the Best Picture of 2021 by the Southeastern Film Critics Association, along with Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jane Campion, Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee and Best Supporting Actress for Kirsten Dunst. This is the second time a film directed by Jane Campion has won Best Picture and Best Director as SEFCA also recognized her film The Piano in 1993.
“Belfast” along with “West Side Story” lead this year’s film contenders for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, earning eleven nominations each. In addition to Best Picture, “Belfast” racked up several acting nominations including Best Supporting Actor nods for both Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds, Best Supporting Actress for Caitríona Balfe, Best Young Actor/Actress for Jude Hill, and Best Acting Ensemble, while Kenneth Branagh could take home both the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay trophies. “Belfast” also earned nominations for Haris Zambarloukos for Best Cinematography, Jim Clay and Claire Nia Richards for Best Production Design, and Úna Ní Dhonghaíle for Best Editing.
The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle named Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog the Best Film of 2021 at its fifth annual year-end awards. The Power of the Dog received six award including Best Director and Best Script (both for Jane Campion), Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actor (for Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Best Soundtrack/Score (for Johnny Greenwood.)
Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog lead the nominations for the 79th Annual Golden Globe Awards, with seven nominations each, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director.
Woody Allen’s latest film, Rifkin’s Festival, starring Elena Anaya, Louis Garrel, Gina Gershon, Sergi López, Wallace Shawn, and Christoph Waltz will open in theaters and on digital platforms on January 28, 2022.
Saban Films released the official trailer for The Requin, the shark attack thriller film starring Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) and James Tupper (Big Little Lies). Directed by Le-Van Kiet (Furie), the film opens in theaters, on demand and digital on January 28, 2022.
MUBI will release Great Freedom (Große Freiheit), the Austrian submission for Best International Feature at 2022 Academy Awards, which received its World Premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival set to take place January 20–30, 2022, announced the films selected in the Feature Film, Indie Episodic, and New Frontier categories. The full slate of works announced includes 82 feature-length films representing 28 countries, and 39 of 92 (42%) feature film directors are first-time feature filmmakers.