Awards

“Ex Machina” is Big Winner of British Independent Film Awards; Wins Best British Independent Film

Ex Machina was the big winner at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards winning four awards, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Alex Garland and Outstanding Achievement in Craft for its Visual Effects, by Andrew Whitehurst. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcB7T-C0g8 Performance awards were spread across the board: Saoirse Ronan picked up Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy won Best Actor for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend. Olivia Colman won her third BIFA for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson made it two years in a row, winning Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette this year after taking away Best Actor for Calvary last year. Colin Farrell presented the Most Promising Newcomer award to Abigail Hardingham for her breakthrough performance in Nina Forever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IokJt_05co In the closely-fought Best Documentary category, Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance won out over Amy, How to Change the World, Palio and A Syrian Love Story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzA9Ct44oes Room was named Best International Independent Film and Jacob Tremblay, the young star of the film, collected the award with the team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Ci-pAL4eE Additionally, the Variety Award, which recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK, was presented to Kate Winslet. The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film was presented to Chiwetel Ejiofor. Complete list of winners of 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards Best British Independent Film Ex Machina Best Director Alex Garland, “Ex Machina” Best Actor Tom Hardy, “Legend” Best Actress Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn” Best Supporting Actor Brendan Gleeson, “Suffragette” Best Supporting Actress Olivia Colman, “The Lobster” Best Screenplay Alex Garland, “Ex Machina” Best Foreign Independent Film “Room” Best Debut Director (Douglas Hickox Award) Stephen Fingleton, “The Survivalist” Best Achievement in Craft Andrew Whitehurst (visual effects), “Ex Machina” Best Documentary “Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance” Most Promising Newcomer Abigail Hardingham, “Nina Forever” Producer of the Year Paul Katis and Andrew De Lotbiniere, “Kajaki: The True Story” Raindance Discovery Award “Orion: The Man Who Would Be King” Best Short Film “Edmond”
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Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Look of Silence” Wins IDA Best Documentary of 2015 Award

The Look of Silence, Joshua Oppenheimer’s companion piece to the Oscar-nominated film The Act Of Killing, is the winner of the (International Documentary Association) 2015 IDA Best Feature Award. The other finalist for the award included “Amy” directed by Asif Kapadia, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” directed by Stanley Nelson, “Listen to Me Marlon” directed by Stevan Riley, “The Russian Woodpecker” directed by Chad Gracia, and “What Happened, Miss Simone?” directed by Liz Garbus. Through Oppenheimer’s footage of perpetrators of the 1965 Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers how their son was murdered, as well as the identities of the killers. The documentary focuses on the youngest son, an optometrist named Adi, who decides to break the suffocating spell of submission and terror by doing something unimaginable in a society where the murderers remain in power: he confronts the men who killed his brother and, while testing their eyesight, asks them to accept responsibility for their actions. This unprecedented film initiates and bears witness to the collapse of fifty years of silence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp1xT302VcY 31st Annual IDA Awards Best Feature Award The Look of Silence (Winner) Director: Joshua Oppenheimer Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen DRAFTHOUSE FILMS AND PARTICIPANT MEDIA Best Short Award Last Day of Freedom (Winner) Directors: Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman Best Curated Series Award Independent Lens (Winner – TIE) Executive Producers: Sally Jo Fifer and Lois Vossen ITVS/PBS POV (Winner – TIE) Executive Producers: Simon Kilmurry and Chris White POV, PBS Best Limited Series Award The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (Winner) Executive Producer: Jason Blum Co-Executive Producer: Zac Stuart-Pontier Produced by: Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling HBO Best Episodic Series Award Chef’s Table (Winner) Executive Producers: David Gelb, Andrew Fried, and Brian McGinn NETFLIX Best Short Form Series Award Do Not Track (Winner) Executive Producer: Hugues Sweeney NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA, UPIAN, ARTE, AND BR David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award This award recognizes exceptional achievement in non-fiction film and video production at the university level and brings greater public and industry awareness to the work of students in the documentary field. The Archipelago (Winner) Director: Benjamin Huguet THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL Pare Lorentz Award The Pare Lorentz Award recognizes films that demonstrate exemplary filmmaking while focusing on the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems. How to Change the World Director: Jerry Rothwell ABC News VideoSource Award This award is given each year for the best use of news footage as an integral component in a documentary. Best of Enemies (Winner) Directors: Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville MAGNOLIA PICTURES AND INDEPENDENT LENS Creative Recognition Award Winners The Creative Recognition category recognizes special achievement in cinematography, editing, music and writing in films entered in the Feature Category. Best Cinematography The Russian Woodpecker Cinematography by: Artem Ryzhykov Best Editing Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Edited by: Joe Beshenkovsky and Brett Morgen Best Writing Listen to Me Marlon Written by: Stevan Riley Co-Writer: Peter Ettedgui Best Music Best of Enemies Original Score by: Jonathan Kirkscey 31st Annual IDA Awards Honorees Career Achievement Award Gordon Quinn The IDA will present its prestigious 2015 Career Achievement Award to Gordon Quinn, Founder and Artistic Director of Kartemquin Films. Quinn was integral to the creation of ITVS, public access television in Chicago, and the Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practice in Fair Use; and in forming the Indie Caucus to support diverse independent voices on Public Television. Over his 50 years at Kartemquin, Quinn has produced, directed, and/or been a cinematographer for over 55 films, and inspired and guided an immeasurable number of media makers whose films have left a lasting impact on millions of viewers. Pioneer Award Ted Sarandos The Pioneer Award is presented to acknowledge extraordinary contributions to advancing the nonfiction form and providing exceptional vision and leadership to the documentary community. This year, the Pioneer Award will be presented to Ted Sarandos, the Chief Content Officer at Netflix, in recognition of his leadership of Netflix’s game-changing and unwavering support of creating and showcasing nonfiction programming, which has greatly broadened its availability and popularity around the world. Amicus Award Tony Tabatznik and the Bertha Foundation Tony Tabatznik and the Bertha Foundation will receive the IDA’s Amicus Award in recognition of their work supporting the essential needs of the non-fiction media landscape. Founded in 2009, the Bertha Foundation’s vision was to connect activists, lawyers and storytellers to fight for fundamental social and economic change. The Bertha Foundation’s Media Program specifically aims to nurture global talent, expose relevant stories and connect them to audiences for powerful, positive social impact. Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe, directors of (T)ERROR, will receive IDA’s Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award, which recognizes the achievements of a filmmaker who has made a significant impact at the beginning of his or her career in documentary film. (T)ERROR received a grant from IDA’s Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund in 2013. Courage Under Fire Award Matthew Heineman Matthew Heineman will receive the IDA’s Courage Under Fire Award, in recognition of conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth. This award is presented to documentary filmmakers by their peers for putting freedom of speech – represented in the crafts of documentary filmmaking and journalism – above all else, even their own personal safety. Heineman’s gripping film, Cartel Land, documents two modern-day vigilante movements – Dr. José Mireles’s citizen-led uprising against a violent drug cartel wreaking havoc in Mexico and the Arizona Border Recon led by Tim “Nailer” Foley, which is working to prevent Mexico’s drug wars from crossing into the United States.
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Complete List + Trailers of 15 Documentary Feature Films Advancing in 2015 Oscar Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. One hundred twenty-four films were originally submitted in the category. The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Amy,” On the Corner Films and Universal Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE “Best of Enemies,” Sandbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzgfQvB2dvA “Cartel Land,” Our Time Projects and The Documentary Group https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vi9vWdUKEg “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” Jigsaw Productions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zllYkNu1sl4 “He Named Me Malala,” Parkes-MacDonald and Little Room https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ghiYve6k68 “Heart of a Dog,” Canal Street Communications https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v37BnyHefnY “The Hunting Ground,” Chain Camera Pictures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBNHGi36nlM “Listen to Me Marlon,” Passion Pictures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZlWjE_NJfI “The Look of Silence,” Final Cut for Real https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbPN8-juZUI “Meru,” Little Monster Films https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pZ1GzXPEO8 “3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets,” The Filmmaker Fund, Motto Pictures, Lakehouse Films, Actual Films, JustFilms, MacArthur Foundation and Bertha BRITDOC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_USf1UQIAYg “We Come as Friends,” Adelante Films (pictured in main image) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0uso3emlUg “What Happened, Miss Simone?,” RadicalMedia and Moxie Firecracker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moOQXZxriKY “Where to Invade Next,” Dog Eat Dog Productions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei747zi9iYY “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” Pray for Ukraine Productions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RibAQHeDia8 The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles. 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.
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“Spotlight” “Tangerine” “The Look of Silence” Win at 2015 Gotham Independent Film Awards | VIDEOS

Spotlight was the big winner at the 2015 Gotham Independent Film Awards, winning three awards including Best Feature, followed closely by Tangerine with two awards, including Audience Award. The Look of Silence won the award for Best Documentary. The 25th Gotham Independent Film Awards took place on November 30th, 2015 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Best Feature Spotlight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM3Y4cPEe9U Best Actress Bel Powley as Minnie Goetze The Diary of a Teenage Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SBSlrZFcN4 Breakthrough Series – Longform Mr. Robot Best Actor Paul Dano as Brian Wilson Love & Mercy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ45LMI26T0 Best Documentary The Look of Silence Director: Joshua Oppenheimer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVHj7LUI-Oc Audience Award Tangerine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETUhZjU82Dg The First Gotham Appreciation Award Ellen Cotter of Angelika Film Center Theaters Special Jury Award – Ensemble Performance Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, and Billy Crudup Spotlight Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Jonas Carpigano Mediterranea Breakthrough Series – Short Form Shugs & Fats Best Screenplay Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer Spotlight Breakthrough Actor Mya Taylor Tangerine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okgmHbTe3DA
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“Cemetery of Splendor” Wins Top Prize – Best Feature Film at Asia Pacific Screen Awards

Cemetery of Splendour from Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul won the 2015 Asia Pacific Screen Award (APSA) for Best Feature Film, considered the region’s highest accolade in film. Cemetery of Splendour is set in and around a hospital ward full of comatose soldiers. Attached to glowing dream machines, and tended to by a kindly volunteer (Jenjira Pongpas Widner) and a young clairvoyant (Jarinpattra Rueangram), the men are said to be waging war in their sleep on behalf of long-dead feuding kings, and their mysterious slumber provides the rich central metaphor: sleep as safe haven, as escape mechanism, as ignorance, as bliss.

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Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor to Receive Richard Harris Award at British Independent Film Awards

Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor will be honored with the Richard Harris Award at this year’s Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday December 6th, 2015. Chiwetel Ejiofor is being given the award “in recognition of his exceptional service to the film industry, not just here in the UK but internationally as an ambassador for British film.” Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, commented: “I am so happy this award is going to Chiwetel. Although the recipients of this award have all been embraced by the establishment, they all came from outside it, fought their way in on the strength of their talent, claimed their place and changed the status quo. A journey which describes Chiwetel’s career perfectly. His talent is immense, it has brought him deserved worldwide recognition, and he is in his prime! I hope this award inspires British filmmakers to take advantage of him and build films around his talent.”
In 1996, Chiwetel caught the attention of Stephen Spielberg who cast him in Amistad opposite Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins. In 2002, he was nominated for his first major awards: the BIFA for Most Promising Newcomer and for Best Actor, which he won, for his performance in Stephen Frears’ thriller Dirty Pretty Things. Chiwetel’s transatlantic career continued with roles in Richard Curtis’ Love Actually, Woody Allen’s Melinda and Melinda and Julian Jarrold’s Kinky Boots, which drew another BIFA nomination. Chiwetel has worked with a spectacular roll-call of directors in the UK and US including Ridley Scott (American Gangster, The Martian), David Mamet (Redbelt), Tom Hooper (Red Dust), Spike Lee (Inside Man), and Alfonso Cuarón in the Oscar nominated Children of Men. 2014 was a memorable year for Chiwetel and saw him star in Steve McQueen’s Oscar winning US-UK co-production Twelve Years a Slave. Chiwetel’s performance as Solomon Northup gained him Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG nominations and won him a Best Actor BAFTA. Later in the year Chiwetel also starred in Half of a Yellow Sun based on the highly acclaimed novel of the same title, the film also starred Thandie Newton and Joseph Mawle. This year Chiwetel was elevated from OBE to CBE for his services to drama and has seen him feature in a raft of acclaimed films and stage performances, including Everyman, Rufus Norris’ inaugural play as Artistic Director of The National Theatre. As well as that astonishing stage performance, 2015 has seen Chiwetel appear in blockbuster The Martian and the soon-to-be-released thriller Secret in Their Eyes with Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman as well as John Hillcoat’s heist crime thriller Triple Nine with Kate Winslet, Casey Affleck and Aaron Paul. He is currently shooting Marvel’s Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton.
The Richard Harris Award was introduced in 2002 in honor of Richard Harris and recognizes outstanding contribution to British film by an actor. Previous winners have been John Hurt, David Thewlis, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters and Emma Thompson in 2014.
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CAROL Leads Nominations for 2016 Spirit Awards

Carol directed by Todd Haynes lead nominations for the 2016 Spirit Awards with 6 nods including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Female Lead for both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Best Sreenplay and Best Cinematography. The other nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Spotlight and Tangerine. Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts. “Spotlight is a remarkable film that excels on every level, but the Nominating Committee thought it was especially deserving of the Robert Altman Award,” said Welsh. “The film is beautifully cast with every member of the ensemble working together to tell the story of the Boston Globe investigating allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church.” Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 27, 2016. 2016 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.) Anomalisa Producers: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman, Dino Stamatopoulos, Rosa Tran Beasts of No Nation Producers: Daniel Crown, Idris Elba, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Amy Kaufman, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker Carol Producers: Elizabeth Karlsen, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley Spotlight Producers: Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar Tangerine Producers: Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou BEST FIRST FEATURE – Award given to the director and producer. The Diary of a Teenage Girl Director: Marielle Heller Producers: Miranda Bailey, Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit James White Director: Josh Mond Producers: Max Born, Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Melody Roscher, Eric Schultz Manos Sucias Director: Josef Kubota Wladyka Producers: Elena Greenlee, Márcia Nunes Mediterranea Director: Jonas Carpignano Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Chris Columbus, Jon Coplon, Christoph Daniel, Andrew Kortschak, John Lesher, Ryan Lough, Justin Nappi, Alain Peyrollaz, Gwyn Sannia, Marc Schmidheiny, Victor Shapiro, Ryan Zacarias Songs My Brothers Taught Me Director/Producer: Chloé Zhao Producers: Mollye Asher, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Angela C. Lee, Forest Whitaker JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded. Advantageous Writer/Director/Producer: Jennifer Phang Writer/Producer: Jacqueline Kim Producers: Robert Chang, Ken Jeong, Moon Molson, Theresa Navarro Christmas, Again Writer/Director/Producer: Charles Poekel Heaven Knows What Directors: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie Writers: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie Producers: Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear McClard Krisha Writer/Director/Producer: Trey Edward Shults Producers: Justin R. Chan, Chase Joliet, Wilson Smith Out of My Hand Writer/Director: Takeshi Fukunaga Writer/Producer: Donari Braxton Producer: Mike Fox BEST DIRECTOR Sean Baker; Tangerine Cary Joji Fukunaga; Beasts of No Nation Todd Haynes; Carol Duke Johnson & Charlie Kaufman; Anomalisa; Tom McCarthy Spotlight; David Robert Mitchell It Follows BEST SCREENPLAY Charlie Kaufman; Anomalisa Donald Margulies; The End of the Tour Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer; Spotlight Phyllis Nagy; Carol S. Craig Zahler; Bone Tomahawk BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY Jesse Andrews; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Jonas Carpignano; Mediterranea Emma Donoghue; Room Marielle Heller; The Diary of a Teenage Girl John Magary, Story by Russell Harbaugh and Myna Joseph; The Mend BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Cary Joji Fukunaga; Beasts of No Nation Michael Gioulakis; It Follows Ed Lachman; Carol Reed Morano; Meadowland Joshua James Richards; Songs My Brothers Taught Me BEST EDITING Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie; Heaven Knows What Tom McArdle; Spotlight Nathan Nugent; Room Julio C. Perez IV; It Follows Kristan Sprague; Manos Sucias BEST FEMALE LEAD Cate Blanchett; Carol Brie Larson; Room Rooney Mara; Carol Bel Powley; The Diary of a Teenage Girl Kitana Kiki Rodriguez; Tangerine BEST MALE LEAD Christopher Abbott; James White Abraham Attah; Beasts of No Nation Ben Mendelsohn; Mississippi Grind Jason Segel; The End of the Tour Koudous Seihon; Mediterranea BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE Robin Bartlett; H. Marin Ireland; Glass Chin Jennifer Jason Leigh; Anomalisa Cynthia Nixon; James White Mya Taylor; Tangerine BEST SUPPORTING MALE Kevin Corrigan; Results Paul Dano; Love & Mercy Idris Elba; Beasts of No Nation Richard Jenkins; Bone Tomahawk Michael Shannon; 99 Homes ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. Spotlight Director: Tom McCarthy Casting Directors:Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee Ensemble Cast: Billy Crudup, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Brian d’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci BEST DOCUMENTARY – Award given to the director and producer. (T)ERROR Directors/Producers: Lyric R. Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe Producer: Christopher St. John Best of Enemies Directors/Producers: Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville Heart of a Dog Director/Producer: Laurie Anderson Producer: Dan Janvey The Look of Silence Director:Joshua Oppenheimer Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen Meru Directors/Producers: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Producer: Shannon Ethridge The Russian Woodpecker Director/Producer: Chad Gracia Producers: Ram Devineni, Mike Lerner BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM – Award given to the director. Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia); Director: Ciro Guerra Girlhood (France); Director: Céline Sciamma Mustang (France, Turkey); Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Sweden); Director: Roy Andersson Son of Saul (Hungary); Director: László Nemes 19th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 19th annual Producers Award, sponsored by Piaget, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget. Darren Dean Mel Eslyn Rebecca Green and Laura D. Smith 22nd ANNUAL KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 22nd annual Someone to Watch Award, sponsored by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851. God Bless the Child; Directors: Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck King Jack; Director: Felix Thompson Songs My Brothers Taught Me; Director: Chloé Zhao 21st TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 21st annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. Among the Believers; Directors: Mohammed Ali Naqvi and Hemal Trivedi Incorruptible; Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi A Woman Like Me; Directors: Elizabeth Giamatti and Alex Sichel
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“Tangerine” “Taxi” “The Tribe” Among 5 Films Nominated for 2016 Cinema Eye Heterodox Award

Five films have been nominated for the 2016 Cinema Eye Heterodox Award. The Heterodox Award honors a narrative fiction film that imaginatively incorporates nonfiction strategies, content and/or modes of production. The five films nominated the 2016 Cinema Eye Heterodox Award are: Arabian Nights: Volume One (The Restless One) directed by Miguel Gomes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yONovEHyvXo God Bless the Child directed by Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXAgEO4rMSw Tangerine directed by Sean Baker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSwWTb88ZU Taxi directed by Jafar Panahi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM2tblIkL4g The Tribe directed by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYO_EoHP0k This marks the sixth year for the Heterodox Award at Cinema Eye. Previous winners of the award were Matt Porterfield’s Putty Hill (2011), Mike Mills’ Beginners (2012), Jem Cohen’s Museum Hours (2013), Carlos Reygados’s Post Tenebras Lux (2014) and Richard Linklater’s Boyhood (2015). The Heterodox prize will be presented on Tuesday, January 12th in New York City at the 2nd annual Honors Lunch during Cinema Eye Week.
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BIFA Winner Richard Ayoade to Host 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards

BIFA-winning writer, director, presenter and actor Richard Ayoade will host the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards. Richard was nominated for two BIFAs and a BAFTA for his debut film Submarine and won the BIFA for Best Screenplay. He starred in The Watch with Jonah Hill and co-wrote and directed The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg. He won a BAFTA for playing Moss in The IT Crowd and featured in Nathan Barley, Time Trumpet and The Mighty Boosh, as well as Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place, which he also co-wrote and directed. His first book, Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey, was published by Faber & Faber in 2014. Richard said: “I have come to accept that I am now contracted to host this year’s Moët British Independent Film Awards, following in the esteemed footsteps of whoever dropped out. I’ve been told it’s been an outstanding year for British film, but I remember people saying very similar things last year. Let’s celebrate regardless.” BIFA said: “We are very excited that Richard will be hosting the Awards. He is funny, clever and a brilliant filmmaker. He also knows a spectacular amount about film. He’s the perfect host for the Awards and we’re really looking forward to the ceremony with him in charge.” The Moët British Independent Film Awards will take place on Sunday December 6, 2015, at Old Billingsgate.
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10 Live Action Short Films Advance in 2015 Oscar Race | TRAILERS

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. One hundred forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category. The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Ave Maria,” Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC7B8q6J9s4 “Bad Hunter,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEwVhi_iSl4 “Bis Gleich (Till Then),” Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films) (pictured in main image above) “Contrapelo (Against the Grain),” Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films) “Day One,” Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute) “Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut),” Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie Wien) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPrRmiJXTVY “The Free Man (Zi You Ren),” Quah Boon-Lip, director (Taipei National University of the Arts) “Shok,” Jamie Donoughue, director (Eagle Eye Films) “Stutterer,” Benjamin Cleary, director (Bare Golly Films) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnlBGQUn0tM “Winter Light,” Julian Higgins, director, and Josh Pence, producer (Innerlight Films and Prelude Pictures) Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December. 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.
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10 Animated Short Films Advance in 2015 Oscar Race | TRAILERS

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. Sixty pictures had originally qualified in the category. The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Bear Story (Historia De Un Oso),” Gabriel Osorio, director, and Pato Escala, producer (Punkrobot Animation Studio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUYg7WZSqc “Carface (Autos Portraits),” Claude Cloutier, director (National Film Board of Canada)(pictured in main image above) “If I Was God…,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAEQIK4pDvw “Love in the Time of March Madness,” Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, directors (High Hip Productions and KAPWA Studioworks) https://vimeo.com/89993508 “My Home,” Phuong Mai Nguyen, director (Papy3D Productions) https://vimeo.com/110398088 “An Object at Rest,” Seth Boyden, director (California Institute of the Arts) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmfk1Sz0gS4 “Prologue,” Richard Williams, director, and Imogen Sutton, producer (Animation Masterclass) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G78qA9oreNE “Sanjay’s Super Team,” Sanjay Patel, director, and Nicole Grindle, producer (Pixar Animation Studios) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJKwsTKFrY “We Can’t Live without Cosmos,” Konstantin Bronzit, director (Melnitsa Animation Studio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KQKYzgusFI “World of Tomorrow,” Don Hertzfeldt, director (Bitter Films) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdV1uFwtCpo Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December. 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.
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Jessica Chastain is Named Honorary Chair of 2016 Spirit Awards

Actress Jessica Chastain (The Martian, A Most Violent Year, Interstellar, Tree of Life) has been named Honorary Chair for the 2016 Spirit Awards. Chastain was nominated for a Spirit Award for her work in Take Shelter (2012) and A Most Violent Year (2015). Past Chairs include Kerry Washington, Tom Cruise, Benecio Del Toro, Angela Bassett, Jeremy Renner, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Robert Duvall, Jodie Foster, Danny Glover, Harvey Keitel, Nicole Kidman, Ang Lee, Julianne Moore, Martin Scorsese and John Travolta. Also announced, actors John Boyega (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Attack the Block, The Circle, Imperial Dreams) and Elizabeth Olsen (I Saw the Light, Old Boy, Silent House, Martha Marcy May Marlene) will present the 2016 nominees in a press conference at 10:00 am PT on Tuesday, November 24 at The W Hollywood. The 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast exclusively on IFC on February 27, 2016, LIVE at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET. “We’re so honored to have Jessica as our Honorary Chair at this year’s Spirit Awards,” said Welsh. “As a past Spirit Award nominee and someone whose work as an actor and producer embodies the qualities we celebrate at Film Independent, I can’t think of a more suitable Honorary Chair for this exciting celebration of artist-driven filmmaking. Our press conference hosts are also great friends of Film Independent. John Boyega’s Attack the Block had a Gala presentation at the LA Film Festival in 2011 and Olsen is a past Spirit Award nominee for Martha Marcy May Marlene (2012).”
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