Awards

[caption id="attachment_1920" align="alignnone"]Ryan Gosling in Nicolas Winding Refn’s [/caption]

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 Picture
Vera Farmiga     Higher Ground     Sony Pictures Classics
Michelle WIlliams     My Week with Marilyn     The Weinstein Company
Emily Watson     Oranges and Sunshine     Cohen Media Group
Charlize Theron     Young Adult     Paramount Pictures
Glenn Close     Albert Nobbs     Roadside Attractions
Viola Davis     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Olivia Colman     Tyrannosaur     Strand Releasing
Michelle Yeoh     The Lady     Cohen Media Group
Elizabeth Olsen     Martha Marcy May Marlene     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Meryl Streep     The Iron Lady     The Weinstein Company

Actor in a Motion Picture
Leonardo DiCaprio     J. Edgar     Warner Bros.
Ryan Gosling     Drive     Filmdistrict
Michael Fassbender     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
George Clooney     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Brendan Gleeson     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics
Michael Shannon     Take Shelter     Sony Pictures Classics
Tom Hardy     Warrior     Lionsgate
Woody Harrelson     Rampart     Millennium Entertainment
Gary Oldman     Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy     Focus Features
Brad Pitt     Moneyball     Columbia

Actress in a Supporting Role
Janet McTeer     Albert Nobbs     Roadside Attractions
Octavia Spencer     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Jessica Chastain     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Vanessa Redgrave     Coriolanus     The Weinstein Company
Rachel McAdams     Midnight in Paris     Sony Pictures Classics
Carey Mulligan     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Lisa Feret     Mozart’s Sister     Music Box Films
Judy Greer     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Kate Winslet     Carnage     Sony Pictures Classics
Elle Fanning     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures

Actor in a Supporting Role
Albert Brooks     Drive     Filmdistrict
Viggo Mortensen     A Dangerous Method     Sony Pictures Classics
Hugo Weaving     Oranges and Sunshine     Cohen Media Group
Kenneth Branagh     My Week with Marilyn     The Weinstein Company
Colin Farrell     Horrible Bosses     New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.
Andy Serkis     Rise of the Planet of the Apes     20th Century Fox
Nick Nolte     Warrior     Lionsgate
Jonah Hill     Moneyball     Columbia
Christopher Plummer     Beginners     Sony Pictures Classics
Christoph Waltz     Carnage     Sony Pictures Classics

Foreign Film
Mexico     Miss Bala     Fox International
Iran     A Separation     Sony Pictures Classics
Belgium     The Kid with a Bike     Sundance Selects
Hungary     The Turin Horse     Cinema Guild
Argentina     Las Acacias     
Japan     13 Assassins     Magnet Releasing
France     Mozart’s Sister     Music Box Films
Portugal     Mysteries of Lisbon     Music Box Films
Finland     Le Havre     Janus Films
Russia     Faust

Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
Kung Fu Panda 2     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
The Muppets     Jim Henson Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Puss in Boots     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
Rango     ILM Animation, Paramount Pictures
Rio     20th Century Fox
The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn     Amblin, Columbia, Paramount Pictures

Motion Picture, Documentary
Project Nim     Roadside Attractions
The Interrupters     Cinema Guild
Senna     Universal
American: The Bill Hicks Story     Variance Films
My Perestroika     International Film Circuit
Cave of Forgotten Dreams     IFC Films
Under Fire: Journalists in Combat     Mercury Media
One Lucky Elephant     Own Documentaries
Pina     Sundance Selects
Tabloid     IFC Films

Director
Tate Taylor     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Alexander Payne     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Nicolas Winding Refn     Drive     Filmdistrict
Steven Spielberg     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Michel Hazanavicius     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
Martin Scorsese     Hugo     Paramount Pictures
John Michael McDonagh     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics
Tomas Alfredson     Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy     Focus Features
Woody Allen     Midnight in Paris     Sony Pictures Classics
Steve McQueen     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures

Screenplay: Original
Terrence Malick     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
John Michael McDonagh     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics
Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Rene Feret     Mozart’s Sister     Music Box Films
Paddy Considine     Tyrannosaur     Strand Releasing
Michel Hazanavicius     The Artist     The Weinstein Company

Screenplay: Adapted
From The Novel By Kathryn Stockett, Tate Taylor     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
From The Book By Michael Morpurgo, Lee Hall, Richard Curtis     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Based On The Story By George Moore, Glenn Close, John Banville, The Play By Gabriella Prekop     Albert Nobbs     Roadside Attractions
Adapted From The Work Of Herge, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Steven Moffat     The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn     Amblin, Columbia, Paramount Pictures
Alexander Payne, Based On The Novel By Kaui Hart Hemmings, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Story By Stan Chervin     Moneyball     Columbia

Original Score
Michael Giacchino     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures
Cliff Martinez     Drive     Filmdistrict
Alexandre Desplat     Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2     Warner Bros.
John Williams     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
James Newton Howard     Water For Elephants     20th Century Fox
Marco Beltrami     Soul Surfer     Tristar Pictures

Original Song
Lay Your Head Down     Albert Nobbs     
Man Or Muppet     The Muppets     
Gathering Stories     We Bought A Zoo     
Hello Hello     Gnomeo & Juliet     
Life Is A Happy Song     The Muppets     
Bridge Of Light     Happy Feet 2

Cinematography
Bruno Delbonnel     Faust     
Janusz Kaminski     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Emmanuel Lubezki     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Newton Thomas Sigel     Drive     Filmdistrict
Guillaume Schiffman     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
Robert Richardson     Hugo     Paramount Pictures

Visual Effects
Robert Legato     Hugo     Paramount Pictures
John Frazier, Matthew Butler, Scott Benza, Scott Farrar     Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
Dennis Muren, Kim Libreri, Paul Kavanagh, Russell Earl     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures
David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson, Tim Burke     Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2     Warner Bros.
Ben Morris     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Jeff Capogreco, Joe Letteri, R. Christopher White     Rise of the Planet of the Apes     20th Century Fox

Film Editing
Michael Kahn     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Mat Newman     Drive     Filmdistrict
Joe Walker     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Kevin Tent     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Aaron Marshall, John Gilroy, Matt Chesse, Sean Albertson     Warrior     Lionsgate
Chris Gill     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics

Sound (Editing & Mixing)
Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ben Burtt, Mark Ulano, Matthew Wood, Tom Johnson     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures
Christopher Scarabosio, Craig Berkey, Erik Aadahl, Jeremy Peirson, John Pritchett, Kirk Francis     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns, Stuart Wilson, Tom Johnson     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn, Gary Summers, Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin     Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
Dave Patterson, Lon Bender, Robert Fernandez, Victor Ray Ennis     Drive     Filmdistrict
Dave Patterson, Lon Bender, Robert Fernandez, Victor Ray Ennis     Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2     Warner Bros.

Art Direction and Production Design
Jack Fisk     Water For Elephants     20th Century Fox
Sebastian T. Krawinkel, Stephan O. Gessler     Anonymous     Sony Pictures Classics
Gregory S. Hooper, Laurence Bennett     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
Isabel Branco     Mysteries of Lisbon     Music Box Films
Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo     Hugo     Paramount Pictures
Jiri Trier, Yelena Zhukova     Faust

Costume Design
Lisy Christl     Anonymous     Sony Pictures Classics
Isabel Branco     Mysteries of Lisbon     Music Box Films
Michael O’Connor     Jane Eyre     Focus Features
Mark Bridges     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
Lidiya Kryukova     Faust     
Jacqueline West     Water For Elephants     20th Century Fox

Motion Picture
Moneyball     Columbia
The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Drive     Filmdistrict
The Artist     The Weinstein Company
Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy     Focus Features
Hugo     Paramount Pictures
War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
Midnight in Paris     Sony Pictures Classics

Mary Pickford Award
For Outstanding Artistic Contribution To The Entertainment Industry
Mitzi Gaynor

Nikola Tesla Award
In Recognition Of Visionary Achievement In Filmmaking Technology
Douglas Trumbull

Auteur Award
Peter Bogdanovich

Humanitarian Award
Tim Hetherington (1970-2011)

Best Ensemble, Motion Picture
The Help Dreamworks/Touchstone

Best First Feature
Paddy Considine, Tyrannosaur Strand Releasing

 

Read more

[caption id="attachment_1915" align="alignnone"]BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST [/caption]

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

[caption id="attachment_340" align="alignnone"]BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK [/caption]

[caption id="attachment_693" align="alignnone"]PROJECT NIM [/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1916" align="alignnone"]SENNA[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_902" align="alignnone"]THE UNION[/caption]

 

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 be announced January 3, 2012, along with the individual producers.

All 2012 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 21, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Producers Guild will also award special honors to Steven Spielberg, Leslie Moonves, Don Mischer, and Stan Lee, among others. The 2012 Producers Guild Awards co-chairs are Michael Manheim and Paula Wagner.

Read more

[caption id="attachment_774" align="alignnone"]Aasha Davis and Adepero Oduye in Pariah, NBR Freedom of Expression Winner [/caption]

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: 

Best Actor
George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Best Animated Feature
Rango

Best Director
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Documentary
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Best Ensemble
The Help

Best Film
Hugo

Best Foreign Language Film
A Separation

Best Original Screenplay
Will Reiser, 50/50

Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Breakthrough Performance
Felicity Jones, Like Crazy

Breakthrough Performance
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Debut Director
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call

NBR Freedom of Expression
Crime After Crime

NBR Freedom of Expression
Pariah

Special Achievement in Filmmaking
The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film

Spotlight Award
Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)

Top 10 Independent Films
(in alphabetical order)
50/50
Another Earth
Beginners
A Better Life
Cedar Rapids
Margin Call
Shame
Take Shelter
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Win Win

Top 5 Documentaries
(in alphabetical order)
Born to be Wild
Buck
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim, Senna

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(in alphabetical order)
13 Assassins
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Footnote
Le Havre
Point Blank

Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Ides of March, J. Edgar
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Read more

[caption id="attachment_1903" align="alignnone"]Wild Life[/caption]

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, LLC)
• “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat,” Matthew O’Callaghan, director and Sam Register, executive producer (Warner Bros. Animation Inc.)
• “La Luna,” Enrico Casarosa, director (Pixar Animation Studios)
• “Luminaris,” Juan Pablo Zaramella, director (JPZtudio)
• “Magic Piano,” Martin Clapp, director and Hugh Welchman, producer (BreakThru Films)
• “A Morning Stroll,” Grant Orchard, director and Sue Goffe, producer (Studio AKA)
• “Paths of Hate,” Damian Nenow, director (Platige Image)
• “Specky Four-Eyes,” Jean-Claude Rozec, director and Mathieu Courtois, producer (Vivement Lundi!)
• “Wild Life,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, directors (National Film Board of Canada)

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, and the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

 

Read more

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

The New York Film Critics Circle has spoken and they officially love The Artist, giving the film the awards for Best Picture of 2011, and Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius. The Tree of Life was also highly lauded, receiving awards for Best Actor for Brad Pitt, Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain and Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki.

2011 Awards

Best Picture – The Artist
Best Director – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Screenplay – Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
Best Actress – Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Actor – Brad Pitt, Moneyball, The Tree of Life
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter
Best Supporting Actor – Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Cinematographer – Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary) – Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best Foreign Film – A Separation
Best First Film – J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Special Award – Raoul Ruiz

Read more

[caption id="attachment_768" align="alignnone"]Take Shelter[/caption]

Take Shelter and The Artist lead the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations with 5 nods each including the nomination for Best Feature Film. Other nominees for Best Feature Film include 50/50, Beginners, and Drive.  Margin Call was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award.

“The Film Independent Spirit Awards recognize the finest artistic achievements across the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking—from emerging talent working on a shoestring budget to established auteurs,” said Film Independent Senior Director Sean Mc Manus. “The 2012 nominees tell their stories in such an authentic way and reflect the inclusive nature of the independent filmmaking community. We are delighted to support them and expand the audience for their work.”

2012 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
50/50
Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen
Beginners
Producers: Miranda de Pencier, Lars Knudsen, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Jay Van Hoy
Drive
Producers: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel
Take Shelter
Producers: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin
The Artist
Producer: Thomas Langmann
The Descendants
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Mike Mills
Beginners
Jeff Nichols
Take Shelter
Alexander Payne
The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn
Drive

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joseph Cedar
Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Tom McCarthy
Win Win
Mike Mills
Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Descendants

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Another Earth
Director: Mike Cahill
Producers: Mike Cahill, Hunter Gray, Brit Marling, Nicholas Shumaker
In the Family
Director: Patrick Wang
Producers: Robert Tonino, Andrew van den Houten, Patrick Wang
Margin Call
Director: J.C. Chandor
Producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Director: Sean Durkin
Producers: Antonio Campos, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Josh Mond
Natural Selection
Director: Robbie Pickering
Producers: Brion Hambel, Paul Jensen

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Mike Cahill, Brit Marling
Another Earth
J.C. Chandor
Margin Call
Patrick deWitt
Terri
Phil Johnston
Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser
50/50

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 listed
Bellflower
Writer/Director: Evan Glodell
Producers: Evan Glodell, Vincent Grashaw
Circumstance
Writer/Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Producers: Karin Chien, Maryam Keshavarz, Melissa M. Lee
Hello Lonesome
Writer/Director/Producer: Adam Reid
Pariah
Writer/Director: Dee Rees
Producer: Nekisa Cooper
The Dynamiter
Writer: Brad Inglesby
Director: Matthew Gordon
Producers: Kevin Abrams, Matthew Gordon, Merilee Holt, Art Jones, Mike Jones, Nate Tuck, Amile Wilson

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Lauren Ambrose
Think of Me
Rachael Harris
Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye
Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams
My Week with Marilyn

BEST MALE LEAD
Demián Bichir
A Better Life
Jean Dujardin
The Artist
Ryan Gosling
Drive
Woody Harrelson
Rampart
Michael Shannon
Take Shelter

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jessica Chastain
Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston
50/50
Janet McTeer
Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana
Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley
The Descendants

 

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Albert Brooks
Drive
John Hawkes
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer
Beginners
John C. Reilly
Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll
Midnight in Paris

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Joel Hodge
Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke
The Off Hours
Darius Khondji
Midnight in Paris
Guillaume Schiffman
The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron
The Dynamiter

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
An African Election
Director/Producer: Jarreth Merz
Bill Cunningham New York
Director: Richard Press
Producer: Philip Gefter
The Interrupters
Director/Producer: Steve James
Producer: Alex Kotlowitz
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Director/Producers: Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion
We Were Here
Director/Producer: David Weissman

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
A Separation
(Iran)
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Melancholia
(Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany)
Director: Lars von Trier
Shame
(UK)
Director: Steve McQueen
The Kid With a Bike
(Belgium/France/Italy)
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Tyrannosaur
(UK)
Director: Paddy Considine

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 15th annual Piaget Producers Award 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.
Chad Burris
Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin
Take Shelter
Josh Mond
Martha Marcy May Marlene

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 18th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.  The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
Simon Arthur
Silver Tongues
Mark Jackson
Without
Nicholas Ozeki
Mamitas

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 17th 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.
Heather Courtney
Where Soldiers Come From
Danfung Dennis
Hell and Back Again
Alma Har’el
Bombay Beach

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Margin Call
Director: J.C. Chandor

Casting Director: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey

Ensemble Cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci

Read more

[caption id="attachment_785" align="alignnone"]Beginners [/caption]

Beginners and Tree of Life tied for Best Films of 2011 at the 21st annual Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York City on Monday night.

From writer/director Mike Mills, and starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer, Beginners is a comedy/drama about a father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, comes out of the closet at age 75.

Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain is the story of a Midwestern family in the 1950’s.

Girlfriend, directed by Justin Lerner received the Gotham Independent Film Audience Award and Scenes of A Crime, from co-directors Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock received the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You Award.

The complete list of winners:

Best Feature – A Tie between: BEGINNERS directed by Mike Mills and TREE OF LIFE directed by Terrence Malick

Best Documentary – BETTER THIS WORLD directed and produced by Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega

Breakthrough Director Award – DEE REES Writer and director of Pariah

Breakthrough Actor Award – FELICITY JONES Actor in Like Crazy

Best Ensemble Performance Award – Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos  in BEGINNERS

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You Award – SCENES OF A CRIME Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock, Directors and Producers

Gotham Independent Film Audience Award – GIRLFRIEND Justin Lerner, Director

Produced by Jerad Anderson, Kristina Lauren Anderson, Justin Lerner, Shaun O’Banion The Audience Award was voted on line by filmgoers who love movies.

euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant – LUCY MULLOY for upcoming film UNA NOCHE

Read more

Asghar Farhadi’s Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation, Islamic Republic of Iran) won the Best Feature Film Award at the 5th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.  Asghar Farhadi, who wrote, produced and directed the film, accepted his Award at the APSA Ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia from 2011 APSA International Jury President, Hong Kong’s Nansun Shi.

Read more

[caption id="attachment_1857" align="alignnone"]Ralph Fiennes[/caption]

Ralph Fiennes will receive the coveted Richard Harris Award and Kenneth Branagh The Variety Award at the upcoming The Moët British Independent Film Awards ceremony on Sunday 4th December.

The Richard Harris Award was introduced in 2003 in honor of Richard Harris and recognizes outstanding contribution to British film by an actor.  Previous winners have included John Hurt, David Thewlis, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis and most recently Helena Bonham Carter in 2010.
[caption id="attachment_1858" align="alignnone"]Kenneth Branagh [/caption]

Kenneth Branagh will receive the Variety Award which recognizes an actor, director, writer or producer who has helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK.  The Variety Award was received last year by Liam Neeson and has previously been awarded to Sir Michael Caine, JK Rowling, Dame Helen Mirren, Richard Curtis, Michael Sheen and Keira Knightley to name a few.

Both Ralph Fiennes and Kenneth Branagh will be present to receive their awards.

Read more

[caption id="attachment_1842" align="alignnone"]Under Fire: Journalists in Combat[/caption]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. One hundred twenty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

“Battle for Brooklyn” (RUMER Inc.)
“Bill Cunningham New York” (First Thought Films)
“Buck” (Cedar Creek Productions)
“Hell and Back Again” (Roast Beef Productions Limited)
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” (Marshall Curry Productions, LLC)
“Jane’s Journey” (NEOS Film GmbH & Co. KG)
“The Loving Story” (Augusta Films)
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” (@radical.media)
“Pina” (Neue Road Movies GmbH)
“Project Nim” (Red Box Films)
“Semper Fi: Always Faithful” (Tied to the Tracks Films, Inc.)
“Sing Your Song” (S2BN Belafonte Productions, LLC)
“Undefeated” (Spitfire Pictures)
“Under Fire: Journalists in Combat” (JUF Pictures, Inc.)
“We Were Here” (Weissman Projects, LLC)

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, and the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Read more

Oliver Platt and Edie Falco will co-host the 21st annual Gotham Independent Film Awards ceremony scheduled to take place November 28th 2011 in New York.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be co-hosting this year’s Gotham Awards,” Platt and Falco said in a joint statement. “We look forward to an evening that celebrates outstanding independent film-making, brave and bold voices against the backdrop of this incredible city.”

Read more