Awards

The 69th Golden Globes went down last night and The Artist and The Descendants were two of the night’s big winners. The Artist received the award for Best Motion Picture-Drama and The Descendants received the award for Best Motion Picture-Comedy Or Musical.

Michelle Williams won the award for BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL for her work in “My Week With Marilyn,”

 

[caption id="attachment_2245" align="alignnone" width="399"]Asghar Farhadi and Peyman Moaadi [/caption]

Asghar Farhadi and Peyman Moaadi accepted the Golden Globe for BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM, for their film “A Separation” (Iran), produced by The Country of Iran (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Asghar Farhadi; Sony Pictures Classics.

 

Christopher Plummer received the Golden Globe for BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE for his work in “Beginners”

The complete list of winners include:

FILM

MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA
The Descendants
Ad Hominem Enterprises; Fox Searchlight Pictures

ACTOR-MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
George Clooney, The Descendants

MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY OR MUSICAL
The Artist
A La Petite Reine – Studio 37 – La Classe Americaine – JD Prod- France3 Cinema – Jouror Production-uFilms co-production; The Weinstein Company

ACTRESS-MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

ACTOR-MOTION PICTURE COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jean Dujardin for The Artist

DIRECTOR-MOTION PICTURE
Martin Scorsese for Hugo

ACTRESS-MOTION PICTURE COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Michelle Williams for My Week With Marylin

SUPPORTING ACTRESS-MOTION PICTURE
Octavia Spencer for The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR-MOTION PICTURE
Christopher Plummer for Beginners

SCREENPLAY-MOTION PICTURE
Woody Allen for Midnight In Paris

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Separation
The Country of Iran
(Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Asghar Farhadi; Sony Pictures Classics

ANIMATED FILM
The Adventures Of Tintin
Paramount Pictures/Columbia Pictures/Hemisphere Capital/Amblin Entertainment/Wingnut Films Production/Kennedy/Marshall Production A Steven Spielberg Film; Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures

ORIGINAL SCORE-MOTION PICTURE
Ludovic Bource for The Artist

ORIGINAL SONG-MOTION PICTURE
“Masterpiece” from W.E.
Music & Lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry

 

TELEVISION

TELEVISION SERIES-COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Modern Family (ABC)
Twentieth Century Fox Television

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES-COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Matt LeBlanc for Episodes

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES-DRAMA
Claire Danes for Homeland

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Jessica Lange for American Horror Story

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Peter Dinklage for Game Of Thrones

ACTOR MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Idris Elba for Luther

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES-COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Laura Dern for Enlightened (HBO)

MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS) A Carnival/Masterpiece Co-production

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Kate Winselt for Mildred Pierce (HBO)

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES-DRAMA
Kelsey Grammer for Boss (Starz)

TELEVISION SERIES-DRAMA
Homeland (Showtime) SHOWTIME Presents, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet, Fox 21

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[caption id="attachment_2227" align="alignnone" width="550"]Heather Courtney, director of Where Soldiers Come From[/caption]

Film Independent announced the winners of its four Spirit Awards filmmaker grants on Saturday at its annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch hosted by Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson.

Mark Jackson, director of Without, received the Audi Someone to Watch Award, which recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award, which is in its eighteenth year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Audi of America. The finalists for the award included Simon Arthur for Silver Tongues and Nicholas Ozeki for Mamitas.

Heather Courtney, director of Where Soldiers Come From received the Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award, which is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its seventeenth year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Nokia. Danfung Dennis for Hell and Back Again and Alma Har’el for Bombay Beach were also finalists for the award.

Sophia Lin, producer of Take Shelter received the Piaget Producers Award, which honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The annual award, in its fifteenth year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget. Finalists were Chad Burris for Mosquita Y Mari and Josh Mond for Martha Marcy May Marlene.

Benjamin Murray and Alysa Nahmias for Unfinished Spaces received the second annual Jameson FIND Your Audience Award, which helps one low-budget independent film find a broader audience. The award included a $40,000 marketing and distribution grant, funded by Jameson® Irish Whiskey. The other finalists were Cara Marcous for On the Ice and Sheldon Larry for Leave It On The Floor. The nominating committee was composed of publicist and Film Independent Board Member Laura Kim, filmmaker Scott Macaulay and CrowdStarter’s Liz Ogilvie.

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[caption id="attachment_2225" align="alignnone"]Incendies[/caption]

The Artist won best film at the Lumière Awards, aka the French Golden Globes, and leading actress Bérénice Bejo received the award for Best Actress.

Poliss received two awards including Best Director for Maïwenn Le Besco, and Best Cinematography for Pierre Aim.  Best screenplay went to Jean-Louis Milesi and Robert Guediguian for The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

Denis Villeneuve received the prize for best Francophone picture from outside France for Incendies.

Omar Sy won Best Actor for his performance in Untouchable. Other acting awards include  Alice Barnole, Adèle Haenel and Céline Sallette shared the prize for most promising new female actress for their performances in Bertrand Bonello’s House of Tolerance and Denis Menochet won most promising new male actor for his performance in Les Adoptés.

The Lumière Awards were launched in 1995 under the initiative of the late producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier and American journalist Edward Behr.

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On Tuesday 17 January, actors Daniel Radcliffe and Holliday Grainger will join BAFTA’s Chairman Tim Corrie to announce the nominations for the 2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards.

BAFTA Chief Executive Amanda Berry, Chair of the Film Committee Nik Powell and Pippa Harris Deputy Chair of the Film Committee will also be in attendance.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards, hosted by Stephen Fry, will take place on Sunday 12 February 2012.

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[caption id="attachment_2221" align="alignnone"] Michael Fassbender – Shame[/caption]

The Irish Film and Television Academy announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards, which takes place on Saturday 11th February 2012 .

Academy CEO, Aine Moriarty stated that: “The Irish Film & Television Awards is Ireland’s showcase to the world of what our small but outstanding film and television community has to offer: excellent and challenging feature films and dramas; entertaining television and engaging factual content. The Irish industry consistently delivers world-class standards of work that is watched by a global audience. Ireland’s economic struggles have been well documented, but against this pressure it’s heartening to see how Ireland’s hard-working creative community continues to punch above its weight and really deliver.”

The features nominated for Best Film at IFTA 2012 are the period drama Albert Nobbs, Irish psychological thriller Charlie Casanova, black comedy The Guard, and rural drama Stella Days. Screenwriters for all four of the Best Film contenders – John Banville, Glenn Close & Gabriella Prekop , John Michael McDonagh, Terry McMahon and Antoine O’Flaherta – have been nominated for Script Film whilst McDonagh and McMahon join fellow debut director Rebecca Daly (The Other Side of Sleep) and IFTA winner Thaddeus O’Sullivan (Stella Days) in the category for Best Film Director.

In the feature film acting categories, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy star Ciaran Hinds receives an IFTA nomination alongside The Guard actor Brendan Gleeson. Michael Fassbender has been nominated for his performance in Steve McQueen’s drama Shame and Martin Sheen, an Irish citizen, has also been nominated for his role as Irish priest Fr. Daniel Barry in the Irish production Stella Days. Sheen’s Stella Days co-star Marcella Plunkett has also been nominated with Antonia Campbell Hughes (The Other Side of Sleep) included for the first time in the Lead Actress category following her Rising Star nomination in 2011. Newcomer Aoife Duffin is also nominated for her performance in Behold the Lamb. IFTA winning actress Saoirse Ronan has been IFTA nominated for her lead turn in Hanna. Albert Nobbs star Glenn Close and The Guard actor Don Cheadle have both been included in the International categories for their performances in these Irish features.

NOMINEES FOR THE 9TH ANNUAL IRISH FILM & TELEVISION AWARDS

FILM CATEGORIES

BEST FILM

Albert Nobbs- Alan Moloney, Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn and Glenn Close (Parallel Film Productions)
Charlie Casanova- Terry McMahon (Source Productions)
Stella Days- Jackie Larkin& Leslie McKimm (Newgrange Pictures)
The Guard- Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Chris Cark, Flora Fernandez Marengo (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)

DIRECTOR FILM

Rebecca Daly – The Other Side of Sleep (Fastnet Films)
John Michael McDonagh – The Guard (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)
Terry McMahon – Charlie Casanova (Source Productions)
Thaddeus O’Sullivan – Stella Days (Newgrange Pictures)

SCRIPT FILM

John Banville, Glenn Close & Gabriella Prekop  – Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)
John Michael McDonagh – The Guard (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)
Terry McMahon – Charlie Casanova (Source Productions)
Antoine O’Flaherta – Stella Days (Newgrange Pictures)

ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE IN A FEATURE FILM

Michael Fassbender – Shame (Momentum Pictures)
Brendan Gleeson – The Guard (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)
Ciarán Hinds – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Focus Features)
Martin Sheen – Stella Days (Newgrange Pictures)

ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE IN A FEATURE FILM

Aoife Duffin – Behold The Lamb (Dumbworld Productions)
Antonia Campbell Hughes – The Other Side of Sleep (Fastnet Films)
Marcella Plunkett – Stella Days (Newgrange Pictures)
Saoirse Ronan -Hanna (Focus Features)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A FEATURE FILM

Liam Cunningham – The Guard (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)
Brendan Gleeson – Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)
Ciarán Hinds – The Debt (Universal Pictures)
Chris O’Dowd – Bridesmaids (Universal Pictures)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A FEATURE FILM

Maria Doyle Kennedy – Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)
Fionnula Flanagan – The Guard (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)
Brenda Fricker – Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)
Amy Huberman – Stella Days (Newgrange Pictures)

GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AWARD

Bernadette; Notes on a Political Journey- Lelia Doolan, (Digital Quilts)
Knuckle- Ian Palmer, (RISE Films)
Men of Arlington- Enda Hughes, (Hotshot Films)
Off The Beaten Track- Dieter Auner, (Ikandi Productions)

SPECIAL IRISH LANGUAGE AWARD

Corp + Anam – Paddy Hayes (Magamedia)
Mobs Cheanada – Dathai Keane (Abú Media)
Ray McAnally – M’Athair – Brian Reddin (Dearg Films)
Seacht – Colin O’Donnell (Stirling Film & Television)

ANIMATION

23 Degrees 5 Minutes – Darragh O’Connell (Brown Bag Films)
The Boy in the Bubble – Kealan O’ Rourke (Igloo Films)
The Last Train – Alex Sherwood (Giant Creative)
Origin – James Stacey (Souljacker)

PHILIPS SHORT FILM AWARD

The Boy In The Bubble- Kealan O’ Rourke (Igloo Films)
Cluck- Michael Lavelle (Tilted Productions)
Downpour- Claire Dix (Zucca Films)
Foxes- Lorcan Finnegan (Lovely Productions)
The Shore- Terry George (All Ashore)

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

INTERNATIONAL FILM

Bridesmaids (Universal Pictures)
Drive (Eclipse Pictures)
Senna (Universal Pictures)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Focus Features)

INTERNATIONAL ACTOR

Don Cheadle – The Guard (Element Pictures / Reprisal Films)
Leonardo DiCaprio – J Edgar (Warner Bros Pictures)
Ryan Gosling – Drive (Eclipse Pictures)
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Focus Features)

INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Kirsten Wiig, Bridesmaids

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[caption id="attachment_2215" align="alignnone"]Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy[/caption]

The authors and screenwriters of A Dangerous Method; The Descendants; Jane Eyre; Moneyball; and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy have been named finalists for the 24th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award.

The 2012 finalists, in alphabetical order by film title, are: screenwriter Christopher Hampton for A Dangerous Method, adapted from the nonfiction book A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein by John Kerr and the 2002 stage play The Talking Cure by Hampton; screenwriters Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash for The Descendants, adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings’ novel (itself an expansion of her first published short story, “The Minor Wars”); screenwriter Moira Buffini for Jane Eyre, adapted from the 1847 book by Charlotte Brontë; screenwriters Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin for Moneyball, based on Michael Lewis’ book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game; and screenwriters Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan and author John le Carré for the thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Established by the Friends of the USC Libraries in 1988, Scripter honors the screenwriter(s) of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author(s) of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

The winning writers and screenwriters will be announced at a black-tie ceremony to be held Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Southern California. Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford return this year as honorary dinner chairs.

Paul Haggis—a 2005 Scripter winner for his screenplay for Million Dollar Baby and the recipient of two Oscars for his film Crash—will be honored with the 2012 USC Scripter Literary Achievement Award.

“I am deeply honored to be receiving this award,” said Haggis of his selection as the Scripter Literary Achievement honoree. “If I have a gift, a big part of it is in choosing great material to adapt, and being fortunate enough to collaborate with truly great filmmakers.”

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[caption id="attachment_1882" align="alignnone"]The Artist[/caption]

Guillaume Schiffman, AFC (The Artist), Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Robert Richardson, ASC (Hugo), Hoyte van Hoytema, FSF, NSC (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), and Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC (The Tree of Life) have been nominated in the feature film category of the 26th Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards. The winner will be announced at the ASC Awards celebration at the Hollywood and Highland Grand Ballroom on February 12.

“These five cinematographers have created works of art that serve the story and director’s vision in unique and engaging ways,” says ASC Awards Committee Chairman Richard Crudo. “Their talent for translating the script and performances to the screen demonstrates the phenomenal power of the visual image.”

This is the second consecutive ASC Award nomination for Cronenweth who was recognized last year for The Social Network.

Richardson earns his 10th nomination. He was previously acknowledged for Inglourious Basterds (2010), The Good Shepherd (2007), The Aviator (2005), Snow Falling on Cedars (2000), The Horse Whisperer (1999), Heaven & Earth (1994), A Few Good Men (1993), JFK (1992), and Born on the Fourth of July (1990).

Lubezki won the ASC Award in 2007 for Children of Men, and was also nominated in 2000 for Sleepy Hollow. 

Schiffman and van Hoytema are both first-time ASC nominees.

“Every year, the nominees in this category have expanded the boundaries of cinematography with their consummate artistry and their mastery of the technological tools required to achieve their vision,” says ASC President Michael Goi. “In an intensely competitive field, these are the best of the best.”

Last year, Wally Pfister, ASC, BSC won the ASC feature film award for Inception, and went on to take home the Oscar as well.

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[caption id="attachment_1882" align="alignnone"]The Artist[/caption]

The silent film “The Artist” won Best Picture, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Costume Design and Best Score at the 2012 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Other award winners included Best Suppporting Actor for Christopher Plummer in the “Beginners,” Best Foreign-Language Film for “A Separation” and Best Documentary Feature for the HBO film “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.”

The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement.

The Awards have closely match the Oscars for the last few years, with voters predicting four of the last five Best Picture winners, and correctly predicting every single acting winner for the last two years.

The 2012 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards winners:

Best Picture: “The Artist”

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius — “The Artist”

Best Actor: George Clooney — “The Descendants”

Best Actress: Viola Davis — “The Help”

Best Suppporting Actor: Christopher Plummer — “Beginners”

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer — “The Help”

Best Young Actor/Actress: Thomas Horn — “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

Best Acting Ensemble: The cast of “The Help”

Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen — “Midnight in Paris”

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian and Stan Chervin — “Moneyball”

Best Cinematography: (tie) “War Horse” and “The Tree of Life”

Best Animated Feature: “Rango”

Best Action Movie: “Drive”

Best Comedy: “Bridesmaids”

Best Foreign-Language Film: “A Separation”

Best Documentary Feature: “George Harrison: Living in the Material World”

Best Song: “Life’s a Happy Song” from “The Muppets”

Best Art Direction: “Hugo”

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Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences must return their completed Oscar nominations ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 13; ballots received after that deadline will not be counted.

The 5,783 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences must return their completed Oscar nominations ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 13. Ballots received after that deadline will not be counted.

In the majority of the categories, PwC will tabulate the ballots using the preferential voting system.

The 84th Academy Awards® nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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[caption id="attachment_2206" align="alignnone"]Jonathan Erland[/caption]

Visual effects technologist Jonathan Erland will receive the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 11, 2012.

Visual effects technologist Jonathan Erland has been voted the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The award – a medallion – will be presented at the Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on Saturday, February 11, at the Beverly Wilshire.

Erland began his professional training in the entertainment industry studying theater at the Central School in England and film at the London Film School. His knowledge of theater technology made him a desirable asset to the team building the audio-animatronic puppet theaters for the I.B.M. Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

After moving to Los Angeles, Erland maintained dual careers in both the entertainment and the industrial exhibit design fields. He joined the newly created Industrial Light & Magic to work on the visual effects for the 1977 film “Star Wars.” He continued in the burgeoning visual effects field as director of research and development for Apogee Productions, where he received patents for a reverse bluescreen traveling matte process, the Blue-Max flux projector and a method for making front projection screens. The innovations, along with the development of a digital traveling matte system, also earned Academy Scientific and Technical Awards.

In 2007 Erland received an Award of Commendation for “his leadership and efforts toward identifying and solving the problem of High-Speed Emulsion Stress Syndrome in motion picture film stock.”

An Academy member since 1984, Erland was instrumental in establishing Visual Effects as a separate Academy branch in 1995. He has served 11 years on the Academy’s Board of Governors and many years on the Executive Committees of both the Visual Effects Branch and the Scientific and Technical Awards. He also is a founding member of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council.

Named in honor of the late director of special projects at Warner Hollywood Studios, the John A. Bonner Medal is awarded for “outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards presentation will be included in the Oscar® ceremony.

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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[caption id="attachment_340" align="alignnone"]Bill Cunningham New York[/caption]

The Directors Guild of America announced the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries for the year 2011.

“The remarkable documentaries made by this year’s nominees take audiences on a journey, whether casting light on injustice or exploring the human condition in all of its nuance, cruelty, creativity and triumph,” said Hackford.  “Our nominees represent the best in documentary filmmaking and I congratulate each of them on a job well done.”

The winners will be announced at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2012 in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.  The DGA Awards will be hosted by director/actor/producer Kelsey Grammer.

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2011 are (in alphabetical order):

JOE BERLINGER & BRUCE SINOFSKY

[caption id="attachment_1633" align="alignnone"]JOE BERLINGER & BRUCE SINOFSKY – Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory[/caption]

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Radical Media, HBO Documentary Films

This is the third DGA Award nomination for Mr. Berlinger and Mr. Sinofsky and all in this category. They won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for Brother’s Keeper in 1992. They were also nominated for Paradise Lost in 1996.

STEVE JAMES
[caption id="attachment_1595" align="alignnone"]Steve James – The Interrupters[/caption]

The Interrupters
Kartemquin Films, WGBH/Frontline, The Independent Television Services, BBC Storyville, Rise Films

This is Mr. James’ third DGA Award nomination in this category. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary for Hoop Dreams in 1994. He was also nominated (along with Peter Gilbert) for At the Death House Door in 2008.

JAMES MARSH

[caption id="attachment_693" align="alignnone"]JAMES MARSH – Project Nim[/caption]

Project Nim
Red Box Films, Passion Pictures, HBO Documentary Films, Roadside Attractions, BBC Films, UK Film Council

This is Mr. Marsh’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for Man on Wire in 2008.

RICHARD PRESS

Bill Cunningham New York
First Thought Films, Zeitgeist Films

This is Mr. Press’ first DGA Award nomination.

MARTIN SCORSESE

[caption id="attachment_2204" align="alignnone"]MARTIN SCORSESE George Harrison: Living in the Material World[/caption]

George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Sikelia Productions, Spitfire Pictures, Grove Street Pictures

This is Mr. Scorsese’s tenth DGA Award nomination. He is also nominated this year in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film category for Hugo. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film in 2006 for The Departed, and was previously nominated in that category for Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), The Age of Innocence (1993), Gangs of New York (2002), and The Aviator (2004). Mr. Scorsese won the DGA Award last year for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Television for Boardwalk Empire. In 1999, Mr. Scorsese was presented with the Filmmaker Award at the inaugural DGA Honors Gala, and he was honored with the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

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Its official. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has changed the rules for the documentary and short films category for the 85th Academy Awards.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved documentary and short films rules for the 85th Academy Awards at its most recent meeting (December 6). The most significant changes expand members’ opportunities to view contending films, enabling more members to participate in the Academy’s voting processes in the Documentary Feature, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories.

In the Documentary Feature category, the entire Documentary Branch will now receive all eligible titles beginning in the first round of voting. To facilitate this change, filmmakers must submit 200 DVDs, an increase from the 30 that had been required in previous years. In the final round of voting in this category, members must still see all the nominated films, but the viewing of films on digital or DVD screeners will now be an option for satisfying this requirement.

A documentary feature film’s eligibility will continue to depend on completing seven-day qualifying runs in both New York and Los Angeles that are advertised in at least one major newspaper, as specified by Academy rules, in each city. For the 85th Academy Awards, however, a review by a movie critic in The New York Times and/or the Los Angeles Times will also be required.

In the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories, members will still have to see all the nominated films before casting their final ballots, but viewing the films on screeners will now be an option for satisfying this requirement. Films that are shown during their theatrical run in a non-standard format, such as IMAX, will have to be submitted to the Academy in a standard theatrical aspect ratio and in a format currently accepted for Academy exhibition to remain eligible. Producers may provide additional screenings of their films in non-standard formats, but members’ attendance at such screenings will not be required for voting purposes.

Other rules changes for the documentary and short films categories include normal date changes and minor “housekeeping” changes.

Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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