Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain and Mary J Blige[/caption]
The 29th Palm Springs International Film Festival will present Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain, and Mary J. Blige with awards at its annual Film Awards Gala. They join previously announced 2018 honorees Timothée Chalamet, Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter, Allison Janney, Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell and The Shape of Water. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Tuesday, January 2nd at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2 to 15, 2018.
Saoirse Ronan will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress for her performance in Lady Bird. “Saoirse Ronan delivers one of the most outstanding performances of this year as an outspoken high school student growing up in Sacramento in the critically acclaimed film Lady Bird,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Following her exceptional performances in Atonement and Brooklyn, Ronan is sure to receive her third Academy Award nomination. It is our honor to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress to Saoirse Ronan.”
Ronan received the PSIFF International Star Award in 2016 for her performance in Brooklyn, going on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the same role. Additional past recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress include Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Naomi Watts.
In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig proves herself a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated, strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amid a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
For her role in the film, Ronan has already received Best Actress from the Gotham Independent Film Awards and is nominated for Best Female Lead from the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Jessica Chastain will receive the Chairman’s Award for Molly’s Game. “Jessica Chastain is an incredible actress who has continuously challenged herself with complex roles throughout her career,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her latest film, Molly’s Game, Chastain brings to life Molly Bloom’s story of a determined woman who goes from being an Olympic skier to making millions running an exclusive high-stakes poker game. It is our honor to present the Chairman’s Award to Jessica Chastain.”
Chastain received the PSIFF Spotlight Award in 2012, going on to receive an Academy Award® nomination for The Help. Past recipients of the Chairman’s Award include Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier who ran one of the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe. The film also stars Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Bill Camp, Chris O’Dowd and Brian d’Arcy James. Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal and Matt Jackson produced. STXfilms and the Mark Gordon Company’s Molly’s Game will open in select theaters nationwide December 25, 2017, and everywhere January 5, 2018.
The Festival will present Mary J. Blige with the Breakthrough Performance Award for her performance in Mudbound.
“Mary J. Blige is a global superstar in the world of music who continues to make her mark as an actress in both television and film,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her current film Mudbound, Blige gives a quiet yet fantastic performance as Florence Jackson, a strong woman supporting her sharecropper family in rural Mississippi. It is our honor to present the 2018 Breakthrough Performance Award to Mary J. Blige.”
Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Mahershala Ali, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Felicity Huffman, Brie Larson, Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike and Jeremy Renner. In the years they were honored, Ali, Cotillard, Hudson, Larson and Nyong’o went on to receive Academy Awards®, while Huffman, Pike and Renner received nominations.
Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’ Mudbound is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. Mudbound follows the McAllan family, newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis and unprepared for the harsh demands of farming. Despite the grandiose dreams of Henry (Jason Clarke), his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) struggles to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture. Meanwhile, Hap and Florence Jackson (Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige), sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations, struggle bravely to build a small dream of their own despite the rigidly enforced social barriers they face. The war upends both families’ plans as their returning loved ones, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), forge a fast but uneasy friendship that challenges the brutal realities of the Jim Crow South in which they live.Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain and Mary J Blige to Receive Awards at Palm Springs International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_25850" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain and Mary J Blige[/caption]
The 29th Palm Springs International Film Festival will present Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain, and Mary J. Blige with awards at its annual Film Awards Gala. They join previously announced 2018 honorees Timothée Chalamet, Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter, Allison Janney, Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell and The Shape of Water. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Tuesday, January 2nd at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2 to 15, 2018.
Saoirse Ronan will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress for her performance in Lady Bird. “Saoirse Ronan delivers one of the most outstanding performances of this year as an outspoken high school student growing up in Sacramento in the critically acclaimed film Lady Bird,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Following her exceptional performances in Atonement and Brooklyn, Ronan is sure to receive her third Academy Award nomination. It is our honor to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress to Saoirse Ronan.”
Ronan received the PSIFF International Star Award in 2016 for her performance in Brooklyn, going on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the same role. Additional past recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress include Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Naomi Watts.
In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig proves herself a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated, strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amid a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
For her role in the film, Ronan has already received Best Actress from the Gotham Independent Film Awards and is nominated for Best Female Lead from the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Jessica Chastain will receive the Chairman’s Award for Molly’s Game. “Jessica Chastain is an incredible actress who has continuously challenged herself with complex roles throughout her career,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her latest film, Molly’s Game, Chastain brings to life Molly Bloom’s story of a determined woman who goes from being an Olympic skier to making millions running an exclusive high-stakes poker game. It is our honor to present the Chairman’s Award to Jessica Chastain.”
Chastain received the PSIFF Spotlight Award in 2012, going on to receive an Academy Award® nomination for The Help. Past recipients of the Chairman’s Award include Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier who ran one of the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe. The film also stars Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Bill Camp, Chris O’Dowd and Brian d’Arcy James. Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal and Matt Jackson produced. STXfilms and the Mark Gordon Company’s Molly’s Game will open in select theaters nationwide December 25, 2017, and everywhere January 5, 2018.
The Festival will present Mary J. Blige with the Breakthrough Performance Award for her performance in Mudbound.
“Mary J. Blige is a global superstar in the world of music who continues to make her mark as an actress in both television and film,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her current film Mudbound, Blige gives a quiet yet fantastic performance as Florence Jackson, a strong woman supporting her sharecropper family in rural Mississippi. It is our honor to present the 2018 Breakthrough Performance Award to Mary J. Blige.”
Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Mahershala Ali, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Felicity Huffman, Brie Larson, Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike and Jeremy Renner. In the years they were honored, Ali, Cotillard, Hudson, Larson and Nyong’o went on to receive Academy Awards®, while Huffman, Pike and Renner received nominations.
Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’ Mudbound is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. Mudbound follows the McAllan family, newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis and unprepared for the harsh demands of farming. Despite the grandiose dreams of Henry (Jason Clarke), his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) struggles to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture. Meanwhile, Hap and Florence Jackson (Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige), sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations, struggle bravely to build a small dream of their own despite the rigidly enforced social barriers they face. The war upends both families’ plans as their returning loved ones, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), forge a fast but uneasy friendship that challenges the brutal realities of the Jim Crow South in which they live.
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THE SQUARE Sweeps 2017 European Film Awards, Wins Best Film, Best Director
[caption id="attachment_22898" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Square[/caption]
The Square written and directed by Ruben Östlund is the big winner at this year’s 2017 European Film Awards held today in Berlin, winning 6 major awards including Best Film, Best Comedy, Best Director and Best Director for Ruben Östlund; and Best Actor for Claes Bang.
2017 European Film Awards Winners
EUROPEAN FILM 2017 THE SQUARE WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ruben Östlund EUROPEAN COMEDY 2017 THE SQUARE WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ruben Östlund EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2017 – Prix FIPRESCI LADY MACBETH DIRECTED BY William Oldroyd WRITTEN BY Alice Birch EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2017 COMMUNION WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Anna Zamecka EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2017 LOVING VINCENT DIRECTED BY Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman WRITTEN BY Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman & Jacek Dehnel ANIMATION: Dorota Kobiela & Łukasz Mackiewicz EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2017 TIMECODE by Juanjo Giménez EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2017 Ruben Östlund for THE SQUARE EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2017 Alexandra Borbély in ON BODY AND SOUL EUROPEAN ACTOR 2017 Claes Bang in THE SQUARE EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2017 Ruben Östlund for THE SQUARE EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2017 – Prix CARLO DI PALMA Michail Krichman for LOVELESS EUROPEAN EDITOR 2017 Robin Campillo for BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2017 Josefin Åsberg for THE SQUARE EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2017 Katarzyna Lewińska for SPOOR EUROPEAN HAIR & MAKE-UP ARTIST 2017 Leendert van Nimwegen for BRIMSTONE EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2017 Evgueni & Sacha Galperine for LOVELESS EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER 2017 Oriol Tarragó for A MONSTER CALLS EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Aleksandr Sokurov EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA Julie Delpy EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2017 – Prix EURIMAGES Cedomir Kolar PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2017 for Best European Film STEFAN ZWEIG – FAREWELL TO EUROPE (VOR DER MORGENRÖTE) DIRECTED BY Maria Schrader WRITTEN BY Maria Schrader & Jan Schomburg
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World Premiere of Emilio Estevez’s THE PUBLIC to Open 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_25833" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Public[/caption]
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will open with the worldwide premiere of The Public at the Arlington Theatre on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. The Public, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, stars Estevez, Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Christian Slater, Taylor Schilling, Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Gabrielle Union, Jacob Vargas, Michael K. Williams, and Jeffrey Wright.
“I’ve long admired Emilio Estevez as an artist – actor – director. With the public – I feel he has done his most personal and fully realized work. the public speaks wonderfully about our current divided country – but it also does not preach – it keeps us cinematically immersed. I can honestly say this is the proudest choice for opening during my tenure at SBIFF. I cherish the friendship with Emilio and admire his accomplishment with the public,” stated Roger Durling, Executive Director of SBIFF.
The Public follows a group of homeless library patrons, who, after learning that emergency shelters are at capacity during a brutal Midwestern cold front, refuse to leave Cincinnati’s downtown public library at closing time.
In what begins as a nonviolent Occupy sit in and ragtag act of civil disobedience, quickly escalates into a stand-off with local riot police, a no-nonsense crisis negotiator, and a savvy DA with lofty political ambitions.
Amidst dropping temperatures and flaring tempers on both sides of the lockdown, uncertainty looms around how the situation can be resolved without resorting to violence, while law enforcement officials and local media spin the facts to serve their own political agendas.
This David versus Goliath story puts the spotlight on some of our nation’s most challenging issues: homelessness, mental illness, and drug addiction, and sets the drama inside one of our last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.
“I’m absolutely delighted, thrilled, and humbled to be chosen by Roger Durling for the great honor of kicking off SBIFF 2018 with the public. Roger’s long standing commitment of supporting independent filmmakers makes the Santa Barbara International Film Festival a vital showcase for artists. Once again, the festival will screen a wide and wonderful variety of distinguished films and our picture has indeed, found itself in some lovely company,” says Emilio Estevez.
The 33rd annual festival runs from Wednesday, January 31 through Saturday, February 10, 2018.
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Milwaukee Film Festival Announces 2018 Festival Dates
Celebrating a decade in the community, Milwaukee Film today announced that the 2018 Milwaukee Film Festival will take place from October 18 to November 1, 2018. The annual 15-day festival will include feature films, shorts programs, education screenings, post-film conversations, panels, and parties.
“We couldn’t have reached this incredible milestone without the warm embrace of the Milwaukee community,” states Jonathan Jackson, Executive and Artistic Director of Milwaukee Film. “Over the past ten years, we have strived to bring the best independent and international cinema to the city, and our amazing audience, members, donors, and sponsors have repaid us in kind, allowing for this period of unprecedented growth. We look forward to bringing the best in film to you for decades to come.”
Festival organizers hope the later dates will expand programming opportunities to gain access to premieres from such renowned festivals as the Toronto International Film Festival, Festival de Cannes, and Telluride Film Festival.
The Call for Entries for the 2018 Milwaukee Film Festival will open in January 2018.
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American Film Institute Announces AFI AWARDS 2017 – Top 10 Films of 2017
[caption id="attachment_24746" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Florida Project[/caption]
The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the Official Selections of AFI AWARDS 2017, celebrating the year’s most outstanding 10 films and 10 television programsdeemed culturally and artistically significant.
In addition to the 20 honorees, AFI also recognizes THE VIETNAM WAR with an AFI Special Award.
AFI AWARDS is a coveted honor for its noncompetitive celebration of collaboration. Honorees are selected based on works that advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike and make a mark on American society.
“At a time when the world seems defined by division, storytellers bring us together as one,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “AFI AWARDS is honored to celebrate this community of artists who challenge and inspire us, entertain and enlighten us — ultimately reminding us of our common heartbeat.”
Honorees will gather on January 5, 2018, for recognition at the annual AFI AWARDS private luncheon in Los Angeles, CA.
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
THE BIG SICK CALL ME BY YOUR NAME DUNKIRK THE FLORIDA PROJECT GET OUT LADY BIRD THE POST THE SHAPE OF WATER THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI WONDER WOMANAFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
BIG LITTLE LIES THE CROWN FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN GAME OF THRONES THE GOOD PLACE THE HANDMAID’S TALE INSECURE MASTER OF NONE STRANGER THINGS 2 THIS IS USAFI SPECIAL AWARD
THE VIETNAM WAR
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15 Documentary Feature Films Advance in Oscar Race
[caption id="attachment_23408" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Human Flow[/caption]
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected 15 films in the Documentary Feature category that will advance in the voting process for the 90th Academy Awards. One hundred seventy films were originally submitted in the category.
The Academy’s Documentary Branch will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles.
Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, Kartemquin Educational Films
and WGBH/FRONTLINE
“Chasing Coral,” Exposure Labs in partnership with The Ocean Agency & View Into the Blue
in association with Argent Pictures & The Kendeda Fund
“City of Ghosts,” Our Time Projects and Jigsaw Productions
“Ex Libris – The New York Public Library,” Ex Libris Films
“Faces Places,” Ciné Tamaris
“Human Flow,” Participant Media and AC Films
“Icarus,” Netflix Documentary in association with Impact Partners, Diamond Docs, Chicago
Media Project and Alex Productions
“An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” Paramount Pictures and Participant Media
“Jane,” National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions
“LA 92,” Lightbox
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Larm Film
“Long Strange Trip,” Double E Pictures, AOMA Sunshine Films and Sikelia
“One of Us,” Loki Films
“Strong Island,” Yanceville Films and Louverture Films
“Unrest,” Shella Films and Little by Little Films
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THE SHAPE OF WATER Leads with 14 Nominations for 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards
[caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption]
“The Shape of Water” leads the nominations for the 23rd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards with 14 nods including Best Picture, and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro. The winners will be revealed live at the star-studded Critics’ Choice Awards gala on Thursday, January 11, 2018 on the CW Network .
“Call Me By Your Name,” “Dunkirk,” “Lady Bird,” and “The Post” impressed with eight nominations each, and are all in the running for Best Picture and Best Director, among others. “Blade Runner 2049” earned seven nominations, followed by “The Big Sick” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” each with six, and “Get Out” and “I, Tonya” with five.
FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 23rd ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
The Big Sick Call Me by Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Florida Project Get Out Lady Bird The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriBEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name James Franco – The Disaster Artist Jake Gyllenhaal – Stronger Tom Hanks – The Post Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread Gary Oldman – Darkest HourBEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain – Molly’s Game Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Margot Robbie – I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird Meryl Streep – The PostBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project Armie Hammer – Call Me By Your Name Richard Jenkins – The Shape of Water Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Patrick Stewart – Logan Michael Stuhlbarg – Call Me by Your NameBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mary J. Blige – Mudbound Hong Chau – Downsizing Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Holly Hunter – The Big Sick Allison Janney – I, Tonya Laurie Metcalf – Lady Bird Octavia Spencer – The Shape of WaterBEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Mckenna Grace – Gifted Dafne Keen – Logan Brooklynn Prince – The Florida Project Millicent Simmonds – Wonderstruck Jacob Tremblay – WonderBEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Dunkirk Lady Bird Mudbound The Post Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriBEST DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk Luca Guadagnino – Call Me By Your Name Jordan Peele – Get Out Steven Spielberg – The PostBEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor – The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick Liz Hannah and Josh Singer – The Post Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Jordan Peele – Get OutBEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
James Ivory – Call Me by Your Name Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber – The Disaster Artist Dee Rees and Virgil Williams – Mudbound Aaron Sorkin – Molly’s Game Jack Thorne, Steve Conrad, Stephen Chbosky – WonderBEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins – Blade Runner 2049 Hoyte van Hoytema – Dunkirk Dan Laustsen – The Shape of Water Rachel Morrison – Mudbound Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Call Me By Your NameBEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeff Melvin – The Shape of Water Jim Clay, Rebecca Alleway – Murder on the Orient Express Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis – Dunkirk Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola – Blade Runner 2049 Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer – Beauty and the Beast Mark Tildesley, Véronique Melery – Phantom ThreadBEST EDITING
Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar – The Post Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos – Baby Driver Lee Smith – Dunkirk Joe Walker – Blade Runner 2049 Sidney Wolinsky – The Shape of WaterBEST COSTUME DESIGN
Renée April – Blade Runner 2049 Mark Bridges – Phantom Thread Jacqueline Durran – Beauty and the Beast Lindy Hemming – Wonder Woman Luis Sequeira – The Shape of WaterBEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Beauty and the Beast Darkest Hour I, Tonya The Shape of Water WonderBEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Wonder WomanBEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Breadwinner Coco Despicable Me 3 The LEGO Batman Movie Loving VincentBEST ACTION MOVIE
Baby Driver Logan Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Wonder WomanBEST COMEDY
The Big Sick The Disaster Artist Girls Trip I, Tonya Lady BirdBEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Steve Carell – Battle of the Sexes James Franco – The Disaster Artist Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Ragnarok Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick Adam Sandler – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Zoe Kazan – The Big Sick Margot Robbie – I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird Emma Stone – Battle of the SexesBEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE
Blade Runner 2049 Get Out It The Shape of WaterBEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BPM (Beats Per Minute) A Fantastic Woman First They Killed My Father In the Fade The Square ThelmaBEST SONG
Evermore – Beauty and the Beast Mystery of Love – Call Me By Your Name Remember Me – Coco Stand Up for Something – Marshall This Is Me – The Greatest ShowmanBEST SCORE
Alexandre Desplat – The Shape of Water Jonny Greenwood – Phantom Thread Dario Marianelli – Darkest Hour Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer – Blade Runner 2049 John Williams – The Post Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk
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DARKEST HOUR Starring Gary Oldman Wins Whistler Film Festival’s Audience Award
[caption id="attachment_25385" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
DARKEST HOUR[/caption]
Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, starring Gary Oldman and Lily James is the winner of the 2017 Whistler Film Festival’s Audience Award. Endorsed by Winston Churchill’s estate, the film tells the story of Churchill’s refusal to engage in peace treaty negotiations with Nazi Germany during WWII, and his determination to fight on against incredible odds.
The WFF Audience Award runner-ups were the Western Canadian premieres of I, TONYA, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie, about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, followed by TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE, from Oscar Winner Mike Van Diem with the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada co-production. The WFF Audience Award is a non-cash prize presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the audience.
“We were very fortunate to open this year’s fest with the Western Canadian premiere of DARKEST HOUR, a film we are convinced will be a major contender in this year’s awards season race,” said Paul Gratton, WFF Director of Programming. “The festival took off from there, with many sold out screenings, packed and newsworthy industry sessions, and almost 400 guests who made a point of trekking out to Whistler to support their films and talk business with the high-level movers and shakers also in attendance. 2017 represented another step forward towards establishing the Whistler Film Festival as the coolest film fest in the world.”
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TIFF Unveils Top Ten Canadian Films of 2017 + Top Ten Film Festival Lineup
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Adventures in Public School[/caption]
TIFF is toasting the end of Canada’s sesquicentennial with its list of 2017’s best Canadian films for the 17th Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival. The stellar lineup champions emerging directors, including Sadaf Foroughi for her award-winning, Tehran-set drama Ava; Wayne Wapeemukwa’s City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF, Luk’Luk’I; Kathleen Hepburn’s heartbreaking Never Steady, Never Still; Simon Lavoie’s striking The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond Of Matches; Kyle Rideout’s charming comedy Adventures in Public School; and, in another example Canada’s genre chops, Les Affamés, Robin Aubert’s unique take on the zombie allegory, which won the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF. Social issues are also dealt with directly in Charles Officer’s lyrical documentary Unarmed Verses, winner of Hot Docs’ Best Canadian Feature Documentary prize, and Catherine Bainbridge’s electrifying crowd-pleaser RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World.
The festival’s popular In Conversation With… series will feature intimate onstage discussions with remarkable talent, including master filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, who is also part of this year’s lineup with her latest feature, Our People Will Be Healed, a luminous, hopeful ode to the power of action-driven decolonization. The revered filmmaker, musician, and revolutionary artist has been a tireless advocate for Indigenous resistance and she continues to reinvigorate Canada’s Indigenous identities while advocating for truth and reconciliation in her latest feature. In Conversation With… Alanis Obomsawin is co-presented by The Directors Guild of Canada.
In addition, award-winning actor Evan Rachel Wood will discuss her career and role in the psychological thriller Allure, the highly anticipated feature debut from Montreal-based photographers Carlos and Jason Sanchez. Wood began her career as a child in the 1990s and went on to give acclaimed performances in Thirteen (2003) and The Wrestler (2008), before reaching new heights with HBO’s hit series Westworld (2016– ). She is a leading voice in the drive to create lasting change in the film industry, and her brilliant work in such Canadian independent features as Patricia Rozema’s Into the Forest (Canada’s Top Ten 2015) and this year’s Canada’s Top Ten selection Allure has cemented her status as one of the most versatile and adventurous actors working today.
The festival also offers audiences two special screenings: Phillip Borsos’ 1990 political saga Bethune: The Making of a Hero — starring Donald Sutherland as beloved Canadian hero Dr. Norman Bethune — as well as a Canadian Open Vault free screening of Daniel Cockburn’s TFCA Jay Scott Prize winner You Are Here (2010).
Filmgoers in Toronto will once again vote to crown the People’s Choice Award winner.
The Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival is complemented by the 2018 TIFF Industry Forum, a full day of programming on Friday, January 12 tailored exclusively for film professionals. The Forum opens with a special edition of Breakfast at TIFF that explores
programming ethics. In light of recent harassment allegations against prominent industry creatives, panellists will debate whether the art can ever truly be separated from the artist. Another session will celebrate the outstanding work of break-out feature directors and examine how the industry can best support them as they develop their second and third features. The Forum closes with a live onstage recording of the award-winning podcast TIFF Long Take, featuring Canadian film and television director Jeremy Podeswa. He is best known for directing the films The Five Senses (1999) and Fugitive Pieces (2007), and for his Emmy-nominated work on the HBO series Game of Thrones.
Established in 2001, the festival is one of the largest and longest-running showcases of Canadian film. From January 12 to 21, 2018 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, the 10-day event boasts a rich offering of public screenings, Q&A sessions and a special Industry Forum, followed by a nationwide tour stopping in Vancouver, Montreal, Regina, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Saskatoon.
The festival will tour select films to major cities across the country including stops at Vancouver’s The Cinematheque (January 12 to 21), Montreal’s PHI Centre (January 12 to 21), Winnipeg Film Group’s Cinematheque (January 12 to February 24), Edmonton’s Metro Cinema (January 26 to February 4), Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada (March 15 to 17), Regina’s RPL Film Theatre (April 12 to 15) and Saskatoon’s PAVED Arts in collaboration with the Roxy Theatre (dates TBC).
Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival features
Adventures in Public School, Kyle Rideout* .Opening Night Film. Allure Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez Ava Sadaf Foroughi Les Affamés Robin Aubert The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches Simon Lavoie Luk’Luk’I Wayne Wapeemukwa Never Steady, Never Still Kathleen Hepburn Our People Will Be Healed Alanis Obomsawin RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World Catherine Bainbridge Unarmed Verses Charles OfficerCanada’s Top Ten Film Festival shorts
The Argument (with annotations) Daniel Cockburn The Botanist Maude Plante-Husaruk, Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis The Crying Conch Vincent Toi The Drop In Naledi Jackson Flood Amanda Strong Milk Heather Young Pre-Drink Marc-Antoine Lemire Rupture Yassmina Karajah The Tesla World Light Matthew Rankin Threads Torill KoveCanada’s Top Ten Film Festival student shorts
Away Home Jana Stackhouse (Ryerson) Blindsided Flytrap Productions (Sheridan College) Hold My Hand Alexandre Lefebvre (Cinéma à l’Université du Québec à Montréal) If You Fall Tisha Deb Pillai (Emily Carr University of Art + Design: Animation) Leila Aziz Zoromba (Concordia University) Meddy Ted Sakowsky (York University) Mustard Seed Lina Roessler (York University) Nana Ali Kellner (Sheridan College) Quarters FIG House (Sheridan College) Waiting for Lou Katerine Martineau (Concordia University)
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VIDEO: Watch LGBTQ Musical Drama SATURDAY CHURCH Trailer, Opens in Theaters on Jan. 12
Here is the new trailer for LGBTQ musical drama Saturday Church, about a 14-year-old shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself becoming the“man of the house” after the death of his father. The film starring Luka Kain, winner-Best Actor at OUTFEST 2017 will open in theaters, on demand and on all digital platforms on January 12th, 2018.
Saturday Church, written and directed by Damon Cardasis, tells the story of 14-year-old Ulysses, a shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself coping with new responsibilities as “man of the house” after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother, younger brother, and conservative aunt, Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity. He finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music. Ulysses’ journey takes a turn for the better when he encounters a vibrant transgender community, who take him to “Saturday Church,” a program for LGBTQ youth. Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart; appeasing his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene, and voguing, until his double life is revealed. Ulysses must find the courage to be who he truly is, all while risking losing those he cares about most.
The film stars Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia, Kate Bornstein, and Jaylin Fletcher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAra4mxDRYs
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Nominations Announced for 45th Annie Awards, LOVING VINCENT, THE BREADWINNER and More…
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Loving Vincent[/caption]
The nominations were announced today for the 45th Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. Best Animated Feature-Independent, spotlighting features with a much smaller distribution footprint than major studio releases, include: In This Corner of the World, Loving Vincent, Napping Princess, The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales and The Breadwinner.
The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Feature-Independent, Special Productions, Commercials, Short Subjects, Student Films and Outstanding Individual Achievements, as well as the honorary Juried Awards.
The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
Best Animated Feature
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE Production Company: DreamWorks Animation CARS 3 Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios COCO Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios DESPICABLE ME 3 Production Company: Illumination THE BOSS BABY Production Company: DreamWorks AnimationBest Animated Feature-Independent
IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD Production Company: Taro Maki, GENCO, Inc. and Masao Maruyama, MAPPA Co., Ltd LOVING VINCENT Production Company: BreakThru Films, Production Company Trademark Films, Co-Production Company NAPPING PRINCESS Production Company: Nippon TV THE BIG BAD FOX & OTHER TALES Production Company: Folivari / Panique! / Studiocanal THE BREADWINNER Production Company: Cartoon Saloon / Aircraft Pictures / Melusine ProductionsBest Animated Short Subject
DEAR BASKETBALL Production Company: Glen Keane Productions, Kobe Studios, Believe Entertainment Group HEDGEHOG’S HOME Production Company: National Film Board of Canada, Bonobostudio NEGATIVE SPACE Production Company: IKKI Films / Manuel Cam Studio SCAVENGERS Production Company: Titmouse, Inc. // Adult Swim SON OF JAGUAR Production Company: Google Spotlight Stories, Reel FXBest Animated Special Production
IMAGINARY FRIEND SOCIETY “FEELING SAD” Production Company: Hornet OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios PIG: THE DAM KEEPER POEMS Production Company: Tonko House, Inc. REVOLTING RHYMES Production Company: Magic Light Pictures TANGLED BEFORE EVER AFTER Production Company: Walt Disney Television AnimationBest Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
BISCOTTI. UNA STORIA BUONA Production Company: Hornet JUNE Production Company: Broad Reach Pictures/Chromosphere/Lyft LEAGUE OF LEGENDS ‘LEGENDS NEVER DIE’ Production Company: Passion Animation Studios PLEASE THE CHEESE Production Company: Psyop SAINSBURY’S ‘THE GREATEST GIFT’ Production Company: Passion Animation StudiosBest Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
MICKEY AND THE ROADSTER RACERS Episode: Goofy Gas! Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation OCTONAUTS Episode: Operation Deep Freeze Production Company: Vampire Squid Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media company, in association with Brown Bag Films PEG + CAT, THE MARIACHI PROBLEM Episode: 220B, The Mariachi Problem Production Company: The Fred Rogers Company/ 100 Chickens Productions THE STINKY & DIRTY SHOW Episode: HaHaHigher / The Waiting Game Production Company: Amazon Studios THROUGH THE WOODS Episode: A Snowy Morning Production Company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, The Fred Rogers Company, PIP Animation ServicesBest Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children
BUDDY THUNDERSTRUCK Episode: To Protect and Swerve / Robo Truck of the Future Production Company: Stoopid Buddy and American Greetings for Netflix LOST IN OZ Episode: The Pearl of Pingaree Production Company: Amazon Studios NIKO AND THE SWORD OF LIGHT Episode: From the Cliffs of Catastrophe to the Pools of Destiny Production Company: Amazon Studios TANGLED: THE SERIES – Episode: Queen for a Day Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation WE BARE BEARS Episode: Panda’s Art Production Company: Cartoon Network Animation StudiosBest General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
BIG MOUTH Episode: Am I Gay? Production Company: Netflix BOJACK HORSEMAN Episode: Stupid Piece of Sh*t Production Company: Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix RICK AND MORTY Episode: 303 – “Pickle Rick” Production Company: Williams Street Productions ROBOT CHICKEN Episode: Freshly Baked: The Robot Chicken Santa Claus Pot Cookie Freakout Special: Special Edition Production Company: Stoopid Buddy Stoodios SAMURAI JACK Episode: XCIII Production Company: Adult SwimBest Student Film
CRADLE Studio Company: Devon Manney Students: Devon Manney ELSEWHERE Studio Company: Junyi Xiao Students: Junyi Xiao GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBUDS! Studio Company: Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg GmbH Students: Director: Benedikt Hummel, Sound Design & Mix: Lena Beck, Music: Andreas Pfeiffer, Producer: Stefan Michel ONCE A HERO Studio Company: XiaLi Students: Xia Li POLES APART Studio Company: Paloma Baeza Students: Director: Paloma Baeza, Producer: Ser En Low, All Student Crew
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“CALL ME BY YOUR NAME,” “FACES PLACES,” “BPM,” “LOVELESS” Win 2017 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Honors
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Call Me By Your Name[/caption]
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) voted Call Me By Your Name the Best Picture of 2017, along with Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet, and Best Director for Luca Guadagnino – a tie win with Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water. Best Documentary went to the Faces Places, and Best Foreign-Language Film was a tie win for BPM AND Loveless.
2017 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
BEST PICTURE
“CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” RUNNER-UP: “THE FLORIDA PROJECT”BEST DIRECTOR
GUILLERMO DEL TORO, “THE SHAPE OF WATER” AND LUCA GUADAGNINO, “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” (TIE)BEST ACTOR
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” RUNNER-UP: JAMES FRANCO (“THE DISASTER ARTIST“)BEST ACTRESS
SALLY HAWKINS “THE SHAPE OF WATER” RUNNER-UP: FRANCES MCDORMAND (“THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI“)BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WILLEM DAFOE “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” RUNNER-UP: SAM ROCKWELL (“THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI “)BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
LAURIE METCALF “LADY BIRD” RUNNER-UP: MARY J. BLIGE (” MUDBOUND“)BEST SCREENPLAY
JORDAN PEELE “GET OUT” RUNNER-UP: MARTIN MCDONAGH (“THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI“)BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
DENNIS GASSNER “BLADE RUNNER” RUNNER-UP: PAUL D. AUSTERBERRY (“THE SHAPE OF WATER“)BEST EDITING
LEE SMITH “DUNKIRK” RUNNER-UP: TATIANA S. RIEGEL (“I TONYA“)BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
DAN LAUSTSEN “THE SHAPE OF WATER” RUNNER-UP: ROGER DEAKINS (“BLADE RUNNER“)BEST MUSIC SCORE
JONNY GREENWOOD “PHANTOM THREAD” RUNNER-UP: ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (“THE SHAPE OF WATER“)BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
“BPM” AND “LOVELESS” (TIE)BEST DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM
“FACES PLACES” RUNNER-UP: “JANE”BEST ANIMATION
“THE BREADWINNER” RUNNER-UP: “COCO”NEW GENERATION
GRETA GERWIGDOUGLAS EDWARDS INDEPENDENT / EXPERIMENTAL FILM / VIDEO
LEE ANNE SCHMITT “PURGE THIS LAND”CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
MAX VON SYDOW