The Spike Lee documentary, MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL, will make it’s television premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, February 5th at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary film which will World Premiere at the upcoming 2016 Sundance Film Festival, focuses on a rarely examined chapter of Jackson’s career as he evolves from the lead singer of Jackson 5 to a solo artist recording what will become his breakthrough, seminal 1979 pop record, Off The Wall.
Audiences will travel with the global superstar as he strikes a new path with CBS Records, first with his brothers as The Jacksons and then stepping out on his own to create his own music with his own team. This illuminating portrait traces how an earnest, passionate, hard-working young man becomes the “King of Pop.”
MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL contains a wealth of footage, including material from Michael’s personal archive, and in his own words. The documentary also includes interviews with prominent entertainment and sports stars including Lee Daniels, The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams, Kobe Bryant, Misty Copeland, Mark Ronson, John Legend, Questlove, L.A. Reid, and more, as well as his parents Katherine and Joe Jackson, and his brothers Jackie and Marlon Jackson. Off The Wall created a whole new category in pop music. Written by Michael Jackson, the first single from Off The Wall, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” earned Jackson his first Grammy(R) and was his first single to hit No. 1 in the U.S. and internationally as a solo artist. The album was an enormous commercial success; as of 2014 it is certified eight times platinum in the United States and has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Off The Wall not only “invented pop music as we know it,” wrote Rolling Stone, it transcended music and entertainment altogether, becoming an important moment in African-American history.Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Spike Lee Documentary MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL to Debut on Showtime
The Spike Lee documentary, MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL, will make it’s television premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, February 5th at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary film which will World Premiere at the upcoming 2016 Sundance Film Festival, focuses on a rarely examined chapter of Jackson’s career as he evolves from the lead singer of Jackson 5 to a solo artist recording what will become his breakthrough, seminal 1979 pop record, Off The Wall.
Audiences will travel with the global superstar as he strikes a new path with CBS Records, first with his brothers as The Jacksons and then stepping out on his own to create his own music with his own team. This illuminating portrait traces how an earnest, passionate, hard-working young man becomes the “King of Pop.”
MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL contains a wealth of footage, including material from Michael’s personal archive, and in his own words. The documentary also includes interviews with prominent entertainment and sports stars including Lee Daniels, The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams, Kobe Bryant, Misty Copeland, Mark Ronson, John Legend, Questlove, L.A. Reid, and more, as well as his parents Katherine and Joe Jackson, and his brothers Jackie and Marlon Jackson. Off The Wall created a whole new category in pop music. Written by Michael Jackson, the first single from Off The Wall, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” earned Jackson his first Grammy(R) and was his first single to hit No. 1 in the U.S. and internationally as a solo artist. The album was an enormous commercial success; as of 2014 it is certified eight times platinum in the United States and has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Off The Wall not only “invented pop music as we know it,” wrote Rolling Stone, it transcended music and entertainment altogether, becoming an important moment in African-American history.
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‘Carol’ Leads Nominations for BAFTA Awards
Carol along with Bridge of Spies lead the nominations for the 2016 BAFTA Awards with nine nominations. Carol is nominated for Best Film, Director for Todd Haynes, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design and Make Up & Hair. Cate Blanchett is nominated for Leading Actress and Rooney Mara is nominated for Supporting Actress.
Other indie films with multiple nods include Brooklyn was nominated six times, and The Danish Girl and Ex Machina receive five nominations.
Brooklyn is nominated for Outstanding British Film, Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design and Make Up & Hair, with two further nominations for Saoirse Ronan in Leading Actress and Julie Walters in Supporting Actress.
The Danish Girl is nominated for Outstanding British Film, Costume Design and Make Up & Hair, with Leading Actor and Leading Actress nominations for Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander respectively.
Ex Machina is nominated for Outstanding British Film and Special Visual Effects, with nominations for Alex Garland in Original Screenplay and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Alicia Vikander receives a further nomination for Supporting Actress.
Amy receives nominations for Outstanding British Film and Documentary, along with Cartel Land, He Named Me Malala, Listen to Me Marlon and Sherpa.
Theeb is nominated for Film Not in the English Language and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Naji Abu Nowar (Writer/Director) and Rupert Lloyd (Producer). Also nominated for Film Not in the English Language are The Assassin, Force Majeure, Timbuktu and Wild Tales.
The British Short Animation nominees are Edmond, Manoman and Prologue. The five nominations for British Short Film are Elephant, Mining Poems or Odes, Operator, Over and Samuel-613.
The nominees for the EE Rising Star Award are Bel Powley, Brie Larson, Dakota Johnson, John Boyega and Taron Egerton.
The EE British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday 14 February at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. The ceremony will be hosted by Stephen Fry.
The complete list of nominations for 2016 BAFTA Awards
Film | Outstanding British Film in 2016
The Danish Girl; Tom Hooper, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Anne Harrison, Gail Mutrux, Lucinda Coxon
Brooklyn; John Crowley, Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Nick Hornby
Ex Machina; Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich
Amy; Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees
45 Years; Andrew Haigh, Tristan Goligher
The Lobster; Yorgos Lanthimos, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Efthimis Filippou
Film | Documentary in 2016
Amy; Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees
Listen to Me Marlon; Stevan Riley, John Battsek, George Chignell, R.J. Cutler
He Named Me Malala; Davis Guggenheim, Walter Parkes, Laurie Macdonald
Sherpa; Jennifer Peedom, Bridget Ikin, John Smithson
Cartel Land; Matthew Heineman, Tom Yellin
Film | Film Not in the English Language in 2016
The Assassin; Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Theeb; Naji Abu Nowar, Rupert Lloyd
Force Majeure; Ruben Östlund
Timbuktu; Abderrahmane Sissako
Wild Tales; Damián Szifron
Film | British Short Film in 2016
Elephant; Nick Helm, Alex Moody, Esther Smith
Mining Poems or Odes; Callum Rice, Jack Cocker
Samuel-613; Billy Lumby, Cheyenne Conway
Operator; Caroline Bartleet, Rebecca Morgan
Over; Jörn Threlfall, Jeremy Bannister
Film | Animated Film in 2016
Shaun the Sheep Movie; Mark Burton, Richard Starzak
Minions; Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Inside Out; Pete Docter
Film | British Short Animation in 2016
Manoman; Simon Cartwright, Kamilla Kristiane Hodol
Prologue; Richard Williams, Imogen Sutton
Edmond; Nina Gantz, Emilie Jouffroy
Film | Director in 2016
Alejandro G. Iñárritu; The Revenant
Adam McKay; The Big Short
Steven Spielberg; Bridge of Spies
Ridley Scott; The Martian
Todd Haynes; Carol
Film | Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer in 2016
Sean Mcallister, Elhum Shakerifar; A Syrian Love Story
Naji Abu Nowar, Rupert Lloyd; Theeb
Debbie Tucker Green; Second Coming
Stephen Fingleton; The Survivalist
Alex Garland; Ex Machina
Film | Adapted Screenplay in 2016
The Big Short; Adam McKay, Charles Randolph
Steve Jobs; Aaron Sorkin
Brooklyn; Nick Hornby
Carol; Phyllis Nagy
Room; Emma Donoghue
Film | Original Screenplay in 2016
Inside Out; Josh Cooley, Pete Docter, Meg Lefauve
The Hateful Eight; Quentin Tarantino
Ex Machina; Alex Garland
Bridge of Spies; Matthew Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Spotlight; Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer
Film | Leading Actor in 2016
Leonardo DiCaprio; The Revenant
Eddie Redmayne; The Danish Girl
Michael Fassbender; Steve Jobs
Matt Damon; The Martian
Bryan Cranston; Trumbo
Film | Leading Actress in 2016
Maggie Smith; The Lady in the Van
Alicia Vikander; The Danish Girl
Cate Blanchett; Carol
Brie Larson; Room
Saoirse Ronan; Brooklyn
Film | Supporting Actor in 2016
Idris Elba; Beasts of No Nation
Christian Bale; The Big Short
Mark Rylance; Bridge of Spies
Benicio del Toro; Sicario
Mark Ruffalo; Spotlight
Film | Supporting Actress in 2016
Jennifer Jason Leigh; The Hateful Eight
Alicia Vikander; Ex Machina
Julie Walters; Brooklyn
Kate Winslet; Steve Jobs
Rooney Mara; Carol
Film | EE Rising Star in 2016
Taron Egerton
John Boyega
Dakota Johnson
Brie Larson
Bel Powley
Film | Make-Up And Hair in 2016
Brooklyn; Morna Ferguson, Lorraine Glynn
Carol; Jerry Decarlo, Patricia Regan
The Revenant; Sian Grigg, Duncan Jarman, Robert Pandini
Mad Max: Fury Road; Lesley Vanderwalt, Damian Martin
The Danish Girl; Jan Sewell
Film | Original Music in 2016
The Hateful Eight; Ennio Morricone
Bridge of Spies; Thomas Newman
The Revenant; Ryuichi Sakamoto, Carsten Nicolai
Star Wars: The Force Awakens; John Williams
Sicario; Jóhann Jóhannsson
Film | Cinematography in 2016
Mad Max: Fury Road; John Seale
The Revenant; Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario; Roger Deakins
Carol; Ed Lachman
Bridge of Spies; Janusz Kaminski
Film | Production Design in 2016
Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Rick Carter, Darren Gilford, Lee Sandales
Bridge of Spies; Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
Mad Max: Fury Road; Colin Gibson, Lisa Thompson
The Martian; Arthur Max, Celia Bobak
Carol; Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler
Film | Editing in 2016
The Big Short; Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road; Margaret Sixel
Bridge of Spies; Michael Kahn
The Revenant; Stephen Mirrione
The Martian; Pietro Scalia
Film | Sound in 2016
The Revenant; Lon Bender, Chris Duesterdiek, Martin Hernandez, Frank A. Montaño, Jon Taylor, Randy Thom
Mad Max: Fury Road; Scott Hecker, Chris Jenkins, Mark Mangini, Ben Osmo, Gregg Rudloff, David White
Star Wars: The Force Awakens; David Acord, Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, Matthew Wood, Stuart Wilson
Bridge of Spies; Drew Kunin, Richard Hymns, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom
The Martian; Paul Massey, Mac Ruth, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor
Film | Special Visual Effects in 2016
Ant-Man; Jake Morrison, Greg Steele, Dan Sudick, Alex Wuttke
Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Chris Corbould, Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, Neal Scanlan
Mad Max: Fury Road; Andrew Jackson, Dan Oliver, Tom Wood, Andy Williams
The Martian; Chris Lawrence, Tim Ledbury, Richard Stammers, Steven Warner
Ex Machina; Mark Ardington, Sara Bennett, Paul Norris, Andrew Whitehurst
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Films Featuring Tony Robbins, Pee-Wee Herman, Added to Lineup for 2016 SXSW Film Festival
Films featuring the return of Pee-wee, and an intimate behind-the-scenes experience with Tony Robbins, are among six newly added titles to the lineup for the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. SXSW Film 2016 will feature nine days of innovative and entertaining film screenings and five days of inspiring panels, hands-on workshops from March 11 to 19, 2016
New films added to lineup for 2016 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL
Beware the Slenderman
Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky
In this horrifyingly modern fairytale lurks an online Boogeyman and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. The entrance to the internet quickly leads to its darkest basement. How responsible are our children for what they find there? (World Premiere)
Chevalier (Greece)
Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari, Screenwriters: Efthimis Filippou, Athina Rachel Tsangari
Six men on a fishing trip on a luxury yacht decide to play a game to compete. Things will be compared. Things will be measured. Songs will be butchered, blood will be tested. Friends will become rivals and rivals will become hungry. Cast: Yorgos Kentros, Panos Koronis, Vangelis Mourikis, Makis Papadimitriou, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, Sakis Rouvas.
Midnight Special
Director/Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols
A father goes on the run to protect his young son and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers in the sci-fi thriller Midnight Special, a film as supernatural as it is intimately human. Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Sam Shepard. (North American Premiere)
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday
Director: John Lee, Screenwriters: Paul Reubens, Paul Rust
In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny. Cast: Paul Reubens, Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat, Stephanie Beatriz. (World Premiere)
Preacher
Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Screenwriter: Sam Catlin
Preacher is a supernatural, twisted and darkly comedic drama that follows a West Texas preacher named Jesse Custer, who – along with his ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy – is thrust into a crazy world, much bigger than he is. Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Ian Colletti, W. Earl Brown, Lucy Griffiths. (World Premiere)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru
Director: Joe Berlinger
Granted unprecedented access, Berlinger captures renowned life and business strategist Tony Robbins behind the scenes of his mega seminar Date with Destiny, pulling back the curtain on this life-altering and controversial event, the zealous participants and the man himself. (World Premiere)
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“The Assassin” “Death By Death” “The Birth of Saké” Among Winners of Palm Springs International Film Festival
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) held from January 1 to 11, 2016, announced this year’s juried award winners. The Oscar shortlisted The Assassin (Taiwan), directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. In 9th-century China, during a time of political unrest, a beautiful woman, trained in the arts of swordsmanship, is sent to her home province on a lethal mission. The jury presented the award, “As one of the best films of a master director, and an example of the martial arts genre which is elevated into the realm of art by its superb visual style.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bqNyl72eBw
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Rams (Iceland), directed by Grimur Hakonarson, and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Alena Mihulová from Home Care (Czech Republic), directed by Slávek Horák.
The New Voices/New Visions competition included 12 new international talents making their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution and are US premieres. The winner of the New Voices/New Visions award is Death By Death (Belgium/France), directed by Xavier Seron. The film is a tale about the relationship of anxious, part-time actor Michel and his ailing, overly attached mother, who has been told that she is living on borrowed time, but has no intention of dying. A special jury mention goes to Thithi (India/US).
The Birth of Saké (Japan), directed by Erik Shirai, received The John Schlesinger Award, which is presented to a first-time documentary filmmaker. The film is about a beautiful and immersive portrait of life at the 144-year old Yoshida Brewery, a producer of world class sake. With changing times ahead and new regime led by the 6th generation heir, this is a rarified look at the personal and professional intensity needed to create a revered product and the artisans behind it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOcLBK5Oay4
The HP Bridging the Borders Award is presented by Cinema Without Borders and Hewlett Packard, which honors the film that is most successful in exemplifying art that promotes bringing the people of our world closer together. Umrika (India), directed by Prashant Nair, received the award. The film traces the journey from mountain village innocence to big city experience of young Rama, who follows in his older brother’s footsteps to discover if he made it to the USA, or came to a sticky end in Mumbai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFP3XkhfCeI
The complete list of award winners are:
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
The Assassin (Taiwan), directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film
Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Rams (Iceland)
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film
Alena Mihulová from Home Care (Czech Republic)
New Voices/New Visions Award
Winner: Death By Death (Belgium/France), directed by Xavier Seron
Special Mention: Thithi (India/US), directed by Raam Reddy
The John Schlesinger Award
The Birth of Saké (Japan), directed by Erik Shirai
HP Bridging the Borders Award
Umrika (India), directed by Prashant Nair
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‘Amy’ ‘The Look of Silence’ ‘Brooklyn’ Among Nominees for Producers Guild Awards
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the nominations for the 27th Annual Producers Guild Awards. All 2016 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on Saturday, January 23, 2016.
This year, the Producers Guild will also present special honors to Jim Gianopulos (Milestone Award), Shonda Rhimes (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), David Heyman (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), THE HUNTING GROUND (Stanley Kramer Award), and Industrial Light & Magic (Visionary Vanguard Award).
The theatrical motion picture nominees are:
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
The Big Short
Producers: Brad Pitt & Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Bridge of Spies
Producers: Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger
Brooklyn
Producers: Finola Dwyer & Amanda Posey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15syDwC000k
Ex Machina
This film is in the process of being vetted for producer eligibility
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcB7T-C0g8
Mad Max: Fury Road
Producers: Doug Mitchell & George Miller
The Martian
Producers: Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer, Mark Huffam
The Revenant
Producers: Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon
Sicario
Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Edward L. McDonnell, Molly Smith
Spotlight
Producers: Michael Sugar & Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Blye Pagon Faust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgnrwwiIDlI
Straight Outta Compton
Producers: Ice Cube & Matt Alvarez, F. Gary Gray, Dr. Dre, Scott Bernstein
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
Anomalisa
Producers: Rosa Tran, Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman
The Good Dinosaur
Producer: Denise Ream
Inside Out
Producer: Jonas Rivera
Minions
Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
The Peanuts Movie
Producers: Craig Schulz, Michael J. Travers
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
Amy
Producer: James Gay-Rees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE
The Hunting Ground
Producer: Amy Ziering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBNHGi36nlM
The Look of Silence
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp1xT302VcY
Meru
Producers: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pZ1GzXPEO8
Something Better to Come
Producers: Sigrid Dyekjær, Hanna Polak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhx9Vzx3AcI
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National Society of Film Critics Picks ‘Spotlight’ As Best Film of 2015; ‘Amy’ ‘Timbuktu’ Win Awards
The National Society of Film Critics chose Spotlight directed by Tom McCarthy, as Best Picture of the Year 2015. Timbuktu directed by Abderrahmane Sissako won the award for Best Foreign Language Film and Amy directed by Asif Kapadia won the award for Best Non-Fiction Film.
Film Heritage Awards were given to the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the programmers Jake Perlin and Michelle Materre, for the series Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-1986; the Criterion Collection and L’Immagine Ritrovata for the restoration and packaging of the reconstructed version of The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray; and Association Chaplin for supervising the digital restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s Essanay Films
The Special Citation for a film awaiting American distribution went to One Floor Below, a Romanian film directed by Radu Muntean.
The complete list of 2015 National Society of Film Critics award winners
BEST ACTOR:
Michael B. Jordan (Creed)
BEST ACTRESS:
Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5cpiX18TA
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbVHlm7RcDs
BEST SCREENPLAY:
Spotlight (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgnrwwiIDlI
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Carol (Ed Lachman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4z7Px68ywk
PICTURE:
Spotlight (Tom McCarthy)
DIRECTOR:
Todd Haynes (Carol)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7YeoB5bSBY
BEST NON-FICTION FILM:
Amy (Asif Kapadia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE
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Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” Dominates Awards at Capri, Hollywood – The International Film Festival
Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” dominated the 2015 Capri, Hollywood – The International Film Festival; apart from acknowledging the film as ‘Best Movie,’ the festival also gave awards to Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and to the music score composed by Ennio Morricone.
Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh are considered the Best Leading Actor and Best Supporting Actress, for their roles in “The Hateful Eight”, a film produced by Bob & Harvey Weinstein, and distributed in Italy by Leone Group’s Andrea and Raffaella Leone, who were awarded as Capri’s ‘Producers of the Year’.
Here is a detailed list of the assigned awards: Cary Fukunaga is the Best Director for acclaimed “Beasts of No Nation.” He also deserved the Best Cinematography Award whereas performer Idris Elba won as Best Supporting Actor. The film about African children soldiers was produced and distributed by the Netflix platform.
Brie Larson (“Room”) is the festival’s Best Leading Actress. The Best Original Screenplay Award goes to David O. Russel’s “Joy”, which in Capri, Hollywood enjoyed its European premiere.
Todd Haynes’ “Carol” was awarded as Best Adapted Screenplay, written by Phyllis Nagy, and for the Best Production Design by Judy Becker. Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” received an award for its costumes created by three-time Oscar-winning designer Sandy Powell, who was also assigned the Legend Award and who in Capri exhibited the attires that she created for “Carol.” Pietro Scalia is the festival’s Best Editor for “The Martian.” Apart from acknowledging Ennio Morricone’s music score for “The Hateful Eight”, also “See You Again” – the song by Wiz Khalifa ft Charlie Puth, from “Fast and Furious 7” – won as Best Original Song.
The Best Animation Movie is “Inside Out”; The Best Documentary is Paolo Ruffini’s “Resilienza”, the Best Foreign Movie is “Labyrinth of Lies” by Giulio Ricciarelli, a filmmaker of Italian origin and German adoption, running for the Oscar and included in the Academy’s Short List. Enrico Iannaccone was elected by the festival as “Director of the Future” for “La Buona Uscita.”
The prestigious ‘Legend award’ went to Irish film director Jim Sheridan. Belgian performer Matthias Schoenaerts was awarded as “Revelation of the Year” for Hooper’s “The Danish Girl”. Oscar-winning screenwriter Bobby Moresco (“Crash”) – who in Capri announced his commitment to the Ambi Film-produced movie about Lamborghini – is the 2016 Italian-American Icon.
Other celebrities awarded at the 2015 Capri, Hollywood – The International Film Festival include Italian filmmakers Giuseppe M. Gaudino, Guido Chiesa, Marco Ponti, Massimiliano Bruno, Riccardo Milani; Actors Paola Cortellesi (Capri Award as Italian Actress of the Year); Alessandro Cremona (Exploit Award for “007-Spectre”); Alessandro Siani (Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni’s Special Telegatto for the 2015 Best Box Office Gross “Si accettano miracoli”) Francesco Pannofino, Giulia Elettra Gorietti, Federico R. Rossi; And pianist Giovanni Allevi for music.
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BASE Jumping Documentary ‘SUNSHINE SUPERMAN’ to Premiere on CNN | TRAILER
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, the immersive love story of Carl and Jean Boenish, the husband and wife team who invented BASE jumping – and their devotion to the freedom and beauty of foot-launched human flight – will make its global television premiere on CNN/U.S. Sunday, Jan. 17 at 9:00pm and 12:00am Eastern. The CNN Films broadcast will be presented with limited commercial interruption by Volkswagen.
Carl Boenish, a trained electrical engineer and experienced skydiver, as well as an innovator of film techniques and film technology, zealously chronicled the pioneering days of BASE in the early 1980’s in exquisitely beautiful 16mm film. Boenish sometimes mounted cameras to his head and the heads of his small band of fellow fliers in order to document a bird’s-eye view of their jumps. Director, writer, and producer Marah Strauch interweaves this archival footage along with new photography and reenacted events (recreated from the Boenishes’ personal audio diary recordings), for a visually stunning feature film debut. Strauch and producer / editor Eric Bruggemann, develop an intimate portrait of the Boenishes as risk-takers who passionately loved both each other and BASE.
BASE, which stands for “building,” “antenna,” “span,” and “earth” was, in its experimental early days, initially opposed by the U.S. Parachute Association. Those first jumps also brought inquisitive fame and attention to the novel sport – along with a risk of arrest. Phil Smith (BASE #1, the first person to ever successfully complete a series of jumps from all four types of objects – in Houston, TX), Phil Mayfield (BASE #2), and the Boenishes (BASE #3 and #4), describe first-person accounts in the film, adding insight into their preparation and collective genius. They also vividly recall their frustrations with the legal obstacles to their adventures, taking viewers on a thrilling emotional ride of beauty and suspense. Cameos of Phil Donahue, Pat Sajak, and Kathie Lee Johnson (later Gifford) yield a glimpse into the excitement of the followers and fans of BASE that some found difficult to understand.
At the pinnacle of Carl’s and Jean’s extraordinary achievements, they together broke the BASE jumping Guinness World Record in 1984 by jumping from Trollveggen, ‘Troll Wall,’ along the western coast of Norway’s Trolltindene mountain range. Incredibly, within hours, that astonishing triumph was followed by heartbreaking disaster.
“We want to feel like we’re astronauts walking on the Moon… .it just gives us a feeling of power, and of joy. And, we want to share it with the world… ,” says Carl Boenish in the film, describing the allure and exhilaration of BASE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TiG1swMbNM
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN had its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was produced by Scissor Kick Films, Flimmer Films, and Submarine Entertainment. It was executive produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and was exhibited nationally by Magnolia Pictures and internationally by Universal Pictures.
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“Heroin: Cape Cod, USA,” An Unvarnished Look at the Heroin Epidemic Sweeping America, to Debut on HBO
HEROIN: CAPE COD, USA described as a cinema-verité look at the heroin epidemic currently sweeping America’s small towns and communities, focusing on eight young heroin addicts in idyllic Cape Cod, Mass. Directed by Academy Award(R) winner Steven Okazaki (HBO’s “White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”), will debuts MONDAY, December 28 (9:00-10:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
There has been an alarming rise in opiate addiction in the U.S. recently. A startling 80% of heroin users started with prescription painkillers following an accident or surgery, and as more states legalize marijuana, Mexican drug cartels are replacing lost profits by pushing cheap, potent heroin into new markets.
Known for its quaint villages, lighthouses and beaches, the picturesque summer vacation destination of Cape Cod has been struck with an epidemic of young people hooked on affordable, easily acquired heroin. This harrowing film takes an unsparing look at the lives of eight heroin addicts in their early 20s, living a seemingly endless existence of getting high while cycling through stages of rehab, recovery and relapse.
Falmouth, Mass. is a typical community in a state that has lately seen an average of nearly four heroin deaths per day. The individuals spotlighted in HEROIN: CAPE COD, USA, all of whom live in the area, talk candidly about their heroin habit and their community, where, according to one of them, “either you work or you do drugs.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxpGYyHOtvc
Subjects featured in HEROIN: CAPE COD, USA:
Jessica, 21 years old, was severely injured when she was hit by a drunk driver at age 18, requiring 250 stitches to her face. Prescribed opiate pain medications, she soon became addicted to heroin, saying that when she gets high, her suicidal and depressed feelings disappear.
Ryan, 25, who prided himself on being anti-drug as an adolescent, was prescribed pain medication after a motorcycle accident. His mother says “everything changed” when he stopped receiving medication from the doctor and started obtaining pills illegally. Living with his parents, Ryan says that if they kicked him out of the house, he would “probably be doing a lot better than I am today,” although he feels they are scared he will die if they do.
Marissa, 22, was 14 years old when she tried her friend’s pain medication, which led to heroin addiction. While many addicts steal valuables to support their habit, Marissa said she was never the type to steal, but made money from prostitution and stripping, because she’d rather hurt herself than others. For years Marissa cheated death, thanks to Narcan, an opiate antidote that paramedics and other emergency workers can use to reverse the life-threatening effects of a heroin overdose, to which she ultimately succumbed.
Nicole (“Colie”), 25, admits herself to a detox center, deciding to get high first, noting, “Everyone gets high before they go to detox. It’s like a freebie.” Director Okazaki catches up with Colie after she has emerged from rehab and finds glimmers of hope in this story of devastation.
Daniel, 28, always had addictive tendencies, and started doing opiates for fun. Depressed about his life, which he finds repetitive, Daniel deals drugs to support his heroin habit, driving 160 miles to Boston every night to see his supplier.
Arianna, 23, was 12 or 13 when she first tried marijuana and alcohol. She lived in a sober house with her two young children, and said she went to many treatment centers. Arianna stopped using heroin when she found out she was pregnant and was clean for three years, but then suffered a fatal overdose.
Benjamin, 21, started doing heroin in high school. His family knew nothing until his brother discovered tracks on his arms after asking why he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in the summer heat. Now living in a sober house, Benjamin has been clean for 33 days, but has “drug dreams” and thinks about getting high every day.
Cassie, 24, was prescribed opiates after a soccer injury, which led to her heroin addiction. Her boyfriend Daniel, whom she describes as her “running partner,” is also an addict.
HEROIN: CAPE COD, USA visits the Parents Supporting Parents Group of Cape Cod, where parents describe raising their kids in happy homes, only to see everything change when their sons and daughters started abusing pain medication. Receiving invaluable support from other parents in the same situation, they share feelings of co-dependency and discuss the financial burden of having a child cycling in and out of detox.
“There are very few people I met in Massachusetts who didn’t have a connection to this crisis,” says director Steven Okazaki. “It has taken a very real, and wide toll in a way that I did not see 20 years ago. I think this documentary could have been made in many communities around New England and across the country.”
Steven Okazaki is the recipient of numerous honors, including an Academy Award(R) (Best Documentary Short Subject for “Days of Waiting,” 1991); three other Academy Award(R) nominations, for “Unfinished Business,” CINEMAX’s “The Mushroom Club” and HBO’s “The Conscience of Nhem En”; an Emmy(R) (Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking for HBO’s “White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” 2008); and a Peabody Award for “Days of Waiting.” Okazaki has produced and/or directed numerous other projects for HBO, including “Black Tar Heroin” and “Rehab.”
HEROIN: CAPE COD, USA is produced, directed and edited by Steven Okazaki; co-producers, Lise Balk King, Vanessa Carr; camera, Steven Okazaki, Vanessa Carr; additional camera, Greg Knowles, Lise Balk King; music by Thomas Carnacki. For HBO: senior producer, Sara Bernstein; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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Spanish Black Comedy MY BIG NIGHT Set for April 2016 Release Date in U.S.
Álex de la Iglesia’s (Witching & Bitching, The Last Circus) ensemble black comedy MY BIG NIGHT (MI GRAN NOCHE) will be released in the U.S. via Breaking Glass.
In MY BIG NIGHT, the backstage preparations for a New Year’s Eve TV spectacular become a FLASHPOINT for comic mayhem. Breaking Glass is planning a theatrical release for April 2016.
MY BIG NIGHT stars Spanish superstar Raphael, Mario Casas (Witching & Bitching, “The Boat”), Blanca Suarez (The Skin I Live In, I’m So Excited) and Hugo Silva (Witching & Bitching). MY BIG NIGHT premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. The film went on to play San Sebastian International Film Festival and Opening Night at Miami International Film Festival.
It’s only October, but the network’s annual black-tie New Year’s Eve spectacular has already been in production for a grueling week and a half, and setbacks continue to accumulate. A falling crane has just taken out an extra, and the show’s hosts are at each other’s throats. Oversexed pop sensation Adán (Mario Casas) discovers he’s been duped by a semen thief, while legendary divo Alphonso (real-life singer Raphael) is stalked by an armed and unstable would-be songwriter (Jaime Ordóñez) who’s disgruntled after years of rejection. Meanwhile, just outside the studio, riot police move in as demonstrators demand the arrest of the shows corrupt producer (Santiago Segura). My Big Night is a frenetic brew of Fellini, Altman and Almodóvar, building steadily toward a finale that’s a grand collapse into utter chaos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBahnqECT7o
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Julie Delpy’s French Romantic Comedy, ‘Lolo’, To Be Released in The U.S. | TRAILER
The French romantic comedy, Lolo, written and directed by and starring two-time Academy Award®-nominee Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise), will be released in the U.S. on March 11, 2016.
In Lolo, Violette (Delpy), a 40-year-old workaholic with a career in the fashion industry, falls for a provincial computer geek, Jean-Rene (acclaimed comedy actor Dany Boon, star of French box-office phenomenon Welcome to the Sticks), while on a spa retreat with her best friend. But Jean-Rene faces a major challenge: he must win the trust and respect of Violette’s teenage son, Lolo (Cesar Award-nominee Vincent Lacoste), who is determined to wreak havoc on the couple’s fledging relationship and remain his mother’s favorite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxqjG80VM1E
Lolo made its World Premiere at the 2015 Venice Film Festival and North American Premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
“I am beyond ecstatic that Lolo, a film that means so much to me, will be released theatrically in the U.S.,” said writer, director and star Julie Delpy. “As a filmmaker and actress, I have put my heart and soul into this film; I am so happy that I can share Lolo with American audiences.”
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“Ex Machina” Among 10 Films Still in Competition for Oscar for Visual Effects
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 88th Academy Awards®.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order:
“Ant-Man”
“Avengers: Age of Ultron”
“Ex Machina”
“Jurassic World”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“The Martian”
“The Revenant”
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
“Tomorrowland”
“The Walk”
The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 9, 2016. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.