The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle announced the winners of their 2020 awards honoring their pick of the best films and performances of the year. Nomadland took the honor of Best Picture, along with Best Director and Best Editing for Chloé Zhao, along with Best Actress for Frances McDormand. Other big winners include Another Round for Best Foreign Language Film and Collective for Best Documentary.
Inspired by the late artist and curator David Driskell’s landmark exhibit, “Two Centuries of Black American Art,” the documentary Black Art: In the Absence of Light features several celebrated African American artists working today.
The St. Louis Film Critics Association crowned Nomadland the Best Film of 2020, along with honors of Best Director plus Best Editing for Chloé Zhao, and Best Cinematography for Joshua James Richards . Best Foreign Language Feature went to Another Round and Best Documentary Feature went to Collective.
The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle announced the winners of the fourth annual year-end awards, and the choice for Best Film of 2020 was director George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Nomadland was the choice for Best Director for Chloe Zhao and Best Cinematography for Joshua James Richards. Other awards including Best Foreign Film went to Jumbo directed by Zoé Wittock, and Best Documentary went to Time, directed by Garrett Bradley.
H.E.N.R.I. a science fiction film from award-winning Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) member, Guyanese born Canadian filmmaker, Ryan Singh, makes its world premiere at the Toronto Black Film Festival, February 10-21, 2021. Singh made H.E.N.R.I. a family affair including his six-year-old twins, Ava (Tall Boyz, Handmaid’s Tale) and Sebastian (Suits, Handmaid’s Tale, Silent) who helped write and also appear with their father in the short film. Being able to empower his children to have a voice, was a blessing for the filmmaker.
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, directed by Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht won the top prize for Best Feature at the 36th annual IDA Documentary Awards. The Netflix documentary film produced under Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions also won the ABC News VideoSource Award, which is given for the best use of news footage in a documentary.
The music documentary film Bleeding Audio by Chelsea Christer on the rise and fall story on the alternative punk band from Oakland “The Matches” has been selected to screen at Slamdance Film Festival 2021. The film is one of 25 features, one of 8 documentaries, and the ONLY music documentary in the festival lineup. The virtual festival will run February 12-25, 2021 with a two-night drive-in presentation in Joshua Tree, CA open to the public February 13-14, and closing in Los Angeles February 25, 2021.
The documentary short subject film Draw With Me tells the story of trans youth – Brendon Scholl – who despite life’s challenges used their art as an important tool to walk through life’s hurdles with their family. The documentary features a special introduction by their aunt Jennifer Lopez. The film, an official Oscar entry for Documentary Short Subject runs theatrically now at ArenaScreen through February 9th.
Carey Mulligan will be honored with the International Star Award at the the Palm Springs International Film Awards for her performance in Promising Young Woman.
Russian Film Week in New York rounds out its 2021 program with a final line-up from January 23 – 29, 2021. The festival will open with Tsoy by Alexey Uchitel, the road trip film reimagines the aftermath of rock star Viktor Tsoy’s death in Soviet-era Latvia.
Oscilloscope released the new trailer for Truth To Power, the documentary on Serj Tankian, the Grammy-winning lead singer of System Of A Down. Written, directed and produced by Garin K. Hovannisian, the documentary will be released in virtual cinemas and selected theaters on Friday February 19th, 2021.
Netflix released the trailer for the new documentary Strip Down, Rise Up from Academy Award–nominated director/producer Michèle Ohayon about women who come together to heal through sensual movement, specifically pole dance. The documentary featuring Sheila Kelley, Amy Bond, Jenyne Butterfly, Patricia Buck, and Evelyn Oshita, among others will debut on February 5, 2021.