VIMooZ

Actress, musician Rainey Qualley, and daughter of actress Andie McDowell, has been chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Miss Golden Globe 2012. “She is a talented and beautiful young woman,” said HFPA president Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly at the HFPA/InStyle Young Hollywood Party in West Hollywood. “We’re excited to have her as part of this year’s show.” Rainey, 21, recently appeared in the movie Mighty Fine and is writing songs and working on her […]

The Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking will present the 2012 Legacy Award to the landmark 1967 documentary, Titicut Follies, a stark and graphic portrayal of the conditions that existed at the State Prison for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will accept the award on behalf of the film at this year’s Cinema Eye ceremony. “It’s hard for me to believe that Titicut Follies was shot forty-six years ago,” said Wiseman.  […]

The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) this morning announced their 2011 winners, and the winner of Best Film went to the black-and-white, silent film homage “The Artist.” Splitting Best Film and Best Director, Martin Scorsese won top directing honors for “Hugo.”

Best Actor and Best Actress went to two former television stars, George Clooney (for his role as a grieving husband in “The Descendants”) and Michelle Williams (for channeling film icon Marilyn Monroe in “My Week with Marilyn”), respectively. Albert Brooks won Best Supporting Actor for his role as a cutthroat mobster in “Drive,” and Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for her role as an outspoken maid in “The Help.” The Best Acting Ensemble award went to the cast of the ribald comedy, “Bridesmaids.”

“The Descendants,” about a man who discovers his comatose wife had been cheating on him, also won Best Adapted Screenplay, while “50/50,” about a young man’s challenge to overcome cancer, secured Best Original Screenplay.

Best Animated Feature went to special effects juggernaut Industrial Light and Magic’s first animated film, “Rango;” Best Documentary went to Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” about the discovery of 30,000-year-old cave paintings in France; and Pedro Almod—var’s “The Skin I Live In” took home Best Foreign Language Film.

Best Art Direction went to Production Designer icon Dante Ferretti and Set Decorator Francesca Lo Schiavo for “Hugo.” Emmanuel Lubezki won Best Cinematography for his work on Terrence Malick’s contemplative “The Tree of Life.” Ludovic Bource won Best Score for his omnipresent work in “The Artist.”

The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association is comprised of 43 DC-VA-MD-based film critics from television, radio, print and the Internet. Voting was conducted from December 2-4, 2011.

THE 2011 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:  {jathumbnail off}

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood announced the nominations and award recipients for the 39th Annual Annie Awards. Chico & Rita will compete along with A Cat in Paris, Arrugas,  Arthur Christmas, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss In Boots, Rango, Rio, and Tintin for Best Animated Feature Film of 2011. Awards will be handed out at the 39th Annual Annie Awards scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2012 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California. {jathumbnail off}

Melancholia was awarded the Best Film Prize at the 24th European Film Awards. The film also picked up the Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award and the European Production Designer.  Director Lars von Trier did not attend but his wife Bente Froge accepted the award on his behalf.  He has taken a “vow of silence” after his Nazi remarks controversy at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Many of the films from last year’s Oscar continued their winning streak, including Susanne Bier which won Best Foreign film at last  year’s Oscars won best director for “In a Better World,” and “The King’s Speech,” which won the Oscar for Best Film picked up the Best Actor prize for Colin Firth. Tilda Swinton received the Best Actress prize for her performance in“We Need to Talk About Kevin.” {jathumbnail off}

The winners of the 14th Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced at the star-studded ceremony, held at Old Billingsgate in London, which was hosted by actor and comedian Chris O’Dowd.

Best British Independent Film was won by Tyrannosaur with Lynne Ramsay picking up Best Director for We Need to Talk About Kevin, Olivia Colman Best Actress for Tyrannosaur and Michael Fassbender Best Actor for Shame. Vanessa Redgrave won Best Supporting Actress for Coriolanus and Michael Smiley Best Supporting Actor for Kill List

Tyrannosaur won the most awards on the night, picking up three trophies for Best British Independent Film, Best Actress and Paddy Considine was awarded The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director. Weekend won two awards for Best Achievement in Production and Most Promising Newcomer for Tom Cullen

The Moët British Independent Film Awards winners for 2011:{jathumbnail off}

Nostalgia for the Light was awarded the Best Feature and Poster Girl won the Best Short at the 27th annual International Documentary Association Documentary Awards.

In Nostalgia for the Light, Chilean director Patricio Guzman travels 10,000 feet above sea level to the driest desert on earth. Here, the sky is described as being so translucent that it allows astronomers to see the boundaries of our universe. Yet the Atacama Desert climate also keeps human remains intact: pre-Columbian mummies; explorers and miners; and the remains of disappeared political prisoners.

In Poster Girl directed by Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block, former cheerleader and Army Magazine cover subject Robynn Murray deals with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder following her return from Iraq.

2011 IDA Documentary Awards {jathumbnail off}

The Peruvian film Octubre / October by Daniel and Diego Vega was the winner of the award for Best Feature Film of the Year, whilst Chilean film Nostalgia de la luz / Nostalgia for the Light by Patricio Guzmán was named Best Documentary Film at the 2nd Cinema Tropical Awards, which celebrates the best of the Latin American film production. October, the Vega brother’s debut feature film was the Jury Prize winner at the Un […]

Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” and Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” led the Satellite Awards nominations with seven nods each, including Best Picture and Best Director. The nominations included many small budget and independent studio releases, accounting for 6 of the 10 Best Picture nominations. Actress in a Motion PictureVera Farmiga     Higher Ground     Sony Pictures ClassicsMichelle WIlliams     My Week with Marilyn     The Weinstein CompanyEmily Watson     Oranges and Sunshine     Cohen Media GroupCharlize […]

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture nominees that will advance in the voting process for the 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The nominated films, listed below in alphabetical order, are: BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST   Television series nominations for the 2012 Producers Guild Awards will be announced December 7, 2011. All other nominations for the 2012 Producers Guild Award categories will […]

The U.S. National Board of Review announced its picks for the best films and performances of 2011 on Thursday, and awarded prize for top film to Hugo and Best Director to its director, Martin Scorsese.

The top 10 independent Films (in alphabetical order) included 50/50, Another Earth, Beginners, A Better Life, Cedar Rapids, Margin Call, Shame, Take Shelter, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and Win Win

The indie films Pariah and the documentary Crime After Crime were singled out to receive the NBR Freedom of Expression.

Awards for 2011:  {jathumbnail off}

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. Forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category. The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company: “Dimanche/Sunday,” Patrick Doyon, director (National Film Board of Canada) “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, directors (Moonbot Studios LA, […]