After screening screened over 300 films from 63 countries, the 28th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), concluded with the closing-night awards presentation. “We Believe in Dinosaurs” directed by Clayton Brown & Monica Long Ross won the award for Best Documentary Feature and “Sorry We Missed You” directed by Ken Loach won the award for Best Narrative Feature. “Just Mercy” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton was voted Best Film by the audience.
The psychological social horror film Do Not Reply, created by son-father directing duo Daniel Woltosz and Walt Woltosz, will have its New York premiere at the New York City Horror Film Fest on December 6.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) revealed its 2020 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final voting process for the 31st Annual Producers Guild Awards. The Guild’s awards have been established as a bellwether for the Academy Awards, as PGA winners often predict the winners at the Oscars.
THE FAVOURITE dominated the first awards at this year’s 2019 European Film Awards in the technical categories – winning for CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING, COSTUME DESIGN and HAIR & MAKE-UP. Other winners include PAIN AND GLORY for PRODUCTION DESIGN; TWELVE-YEAR NIGHT for SOUND and ABOUT ENDLESSNESS for VISUAL EFFECTS
Documentary short Horse Riders won the inaugural Academy Awards qualifying Grand Prix Documentary Short Award at the 64th Cork Film Festival. The film, directed by Anna Gawlita, now joins the longlist for the Academy Awards in 2021.
The 39th edition of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) announced their Jury winners with the first ever Best Made In Hawai‘i Award going to MOLOKA‘I BOUND directed by Alika Maikau. The jurors also awarded a second place award to DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK IN WAIKĪKĪ, directed by Justyn Ah Chong. The jury also awarded an Honorable Mention to Ellsha Johnston for her role of Kiana in Chelsi Johnston’s film, DRIVING.
French artist and filmmaker Éric Baudelaire’s Un Film Dramatique which had its international premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in August and played the Toronto International Film Festival followed by New York Film Festival this fall was acquired by Cinema Guild for release in the U.S. In October, Baudelaire was announced as the winner of the Prix Marcel Duchamp, France’s biggest art prize. Cinema Guild will open the film in U.S. theaters in 2020.
Vertical Entertainment acquired English Speaking World rights to Neo-Noir Blood on Her Name starring Bethany Anne Lind (REPRISAL, OZARK), Will Patton, (REMEMBER THE TITANS, ARMAGEDDON), and Elizabeth Röhm (AMERICAN HUSTLE, JOY).
Apollo 11 took home the most prestigious award for Best Documentary Feature as well as Best Editing for Todd Douglas Miller, Best Score for Matt Morton, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Science/Nature Documentary at the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards earlier this week.
Brazil’s official entry for Oscars 2020 Best Foreign Film, the Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmão, will open the 11th annual Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival on Friday, November 15th. Directed by Karim Aïnouz and Produced by Rodrigo Teixeira (Ad Astra, Call Me By Your Name), the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year where it won the coveted Un Certain Regard Award.
LINDA RONSTADT: The Sound of My Voice, the 2019 Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards winner for Best Music Documentary about singer Linda Ronstadt’s life and musical journey, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, will premiere on CNN on Wednesday, New Year’s Day at 9:00pm ET and PT .
