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FILM REVIEW: THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES – intimate conversation from the past

[caption id="attachment_32736" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Eyes of Orson Welles[/caption] How do you write a letter to someone who has been dead for over 30 years? Mark Cousins’ answer is to look at their sketches that date back from their teenage years all the way their last and create profile through their eyes. The Eyes of Orson Welles has all the potential to be another self aggrandizing portrait of the filmmaker. Diving into the “genius” of the prolific man who has made his name in film, theatre, radio, as well visual art. His legacy could stand alone on having wrote/starred/directed Citizen Kane (1941), noted by many to be the greatest film ever made. However, Mark Cousins, having made a 900-minute comprehensive visual survey of all of cinema up to 2011, has made a film that is not really a film at all. Orson Welles is dead, he has been since October 10, 1985. But hearing Cousins’ rich cadence describe the Moroccan travels Welles took as a teenager does more than conciliate a certain intimacy in the viewer. There is never a moment that Cousins’ narration addresses anybody that isn’t Welles, the film is literally a letter. This letter structure does more to give a materiality not just in seeing papers that are worn and yellowing but also to make Welles a present kind of living person within the film. The next question to ask about this film is who is going to see it. Obviously those who are fans of Welles’ or Cousins’ work will get to a screening whenever possible. As Cousins’ opens the box he says “this never before seen” sketches have been dormant for however many years. Perhaps this film can be seen as an unearthing of a past history in a political/social life of filmmaker. Outside of the curiosity to see something new, there is not much for a person outside of niche of film culture. A film for film lovers. That is what I’ll say because The Eyes of Orson Welles says a lot more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh7PqV-259k
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FILM REVIEW: NORTH POLE, NY: A Fantasy Powered By Belief

[caption id="attachment_32505" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] North Pole, NY[/caption] By the halfway point of North Pole, NY — an hour-long exposé on the history and hardships of the theme park known as ‘Santa’s Workshop’ in upstate New York — one thing is undeniably clear: director Ali Cotterill, who also served as co-writer, editor, and camera operator, has an unyielding affection for her subject matter. And why shouldn’t she? After all, the citizens of Wilmington, New York—a sleepy tourist town snug in the Adirondacks—couldn’t be more endearing in their devotion to Santa’s Workshop, the holiday theme park upon which their idyllic community has grown and, ultimately, come to rely. It’s not all tinsel, though. The park, founded in the late 1940s by businessman Julian Reiss and later bequeathed to his son Bob, has been on a downward trajectory since the Eisenhower years, when theme parks and car trips were supplanted by the arrival of jet travel which took public interest elsewhere. These days Santa’s Workshop—which receives hundreds of letters to Kris Kringle each year—operates less as a commercial attraction and more as a gauzy piece of post-war nostalgia. See, in one particularly sobering sequence, as long-time park performer and historian Julie “Jingles” Robards drives her ’54 Dodge around Wilmington, pointing out what were once neighboring theme parks like “The Land of Make-Believe” but today resemble the sort of overgrown and decrepit structures you’d forbid your children from playing on. Cotterill knows better than to wallow. After all, there is plenty of good to focus on here: the jobs for local teenagers, the decades of tradition kept alive by returning visitors, and the overall feeling that yes, magic still exists in the world, even if it doesn’t pay well. Never do the scales tip to full-blown despair. There is a villain, businessman Greg Cunningham, whose brief ownership of the park in the late 1990s turned sour after tales of his past criminal misconduct came to light, but even his story (which takes up less than four minutes of screen time) plays like a curious detour in a bigger tale of indomitable community spirit. It’s the balance between the magical and melancholy that makes North Pole, NY such a compelling documentary. It operates on a two-fold illusion: the precious and short-lived one kids know as Santa Claus, and the existence of his workshop as a place of perpetual wonder in the face of bankruptcy, disinterest, and gentrification. Watching these awestruck children—whose interviews make up some of the funniest (and weirdest) parts of the film—react to a ‘talking’ tannenbaum or stand giddily in line for their moment with St. Nick, I found myself both moved by their innocence and depressed for the day when they’ll grow up and see behind the curtain. Ultimately that’s what rounds out North Pole, NY and gives it such an engaging air: the people. Some of them, like Jingles Robards, seem at times almost too sincere to really exist in 2018. Others, like park manager Matt Stanley, are palpable in their believability. As he makes the morning rounds repairing broken games and reading customer complaints his cell phone erupts into a rock rendition of “Carol of the Bells.” It’s a moment that in a fictional film might feel cheap or obvious, but here rings true. Despite the daily grind, this guy really, truly loves Christmas. That’s how, after seven decades, Santa’s Workshop continues to survive: on the selflessness of people who believe in it. The park, just like this splendid little film, is a labor of love. North Pole, NY premiered in New York on November 9th at IFC Center as part of DOC NYC.
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FILM REVIEW: Heart-Wrenching Story “ELEPHANT PATH/NJAIA NJOKU”

[caption id="attachment_32709" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Elephant Path: Njaia Njoku[/caption] Todd McGrain knows the importance of conservation. The artist turned filmmaker is best known for his Lost Bird Project, a series of larger-than-life sculptures dedicated to five extinct North American bird species. While this endeavor was chronicled in the 2012 film of the same name by Deborah Dickson, now McGrain himself has stepped behind the camera to bring us the story of another endangered species, one we might actually be able to save: the forest elephants of Bayanga, Central Africa. Elephant Path (or “Njaia Njoku” in the Bayaka language) has a lot going for it: a heart-wrenching story, impressive scope, engaging characters, and above all a sense of showmanship. McGrain’s storytelling approach is stylish and highly cinematic to the point where, by the end of the film’s 79 minute run-time, it’s a shock to realize how little has actually happened. The story of “Dzanga Bai” (“Elephant Village”) is presented through a quartet of characters. Andrea Turkalo, an American biologist, has spent three decades observing elephants in their natural habitat. Aiding her efforts in Bayanga is local tracker Sessely Bernard, a village elder named for the river from which he first drank. Keeping watch over the elephants is Zephirine Sosso Mbele, one of a handful of “Eco Guards” tasked with warding off poachers. Late in the film, the guards receive additional defense training from Nir Kalron, an Israeli ex-military security contractor with a soft spot for animals. Why the additional training? Because Bayanga, in fact the entire Central African Republic, is under siege by Séléka rebels and embroiled in a civil war. To the rebels, elephants are prime targets; the sale of ivory from their priceless tusks is how they fund their arsenal. At the start of the film they have not arrived at Dzanga, but from Turkalo’s foreboding narration we quickly gather it’s only a matter of time. Meanwhile, she and Sessely enjoy their work, the bulk of which is done from an observation deck and conducted via sketch pads and telephoto lenses, with minimal conversation. There is a sublime peace to this process. That peace, of course, does not last. Eventually the Séléka arrive, guns blazing, and the region is plunged into oppression and terror. Turkalo is forced to flee to America while Sessely and the Bayangan community retreat into the forest to avoid persecution. I won’t detail what follows from here on out, sufficeth to say the elephants do not fare well. In one particularly haunting scene set back in America, Turkalo and a colleague review audio recordings of the forest, where distant gunfire produces cries of animal distress. A short while later, rhythmic tapping is heard. “They’re chopping off the tusks,” Turkalo observes coldly. The human cruelty of Elephant Path is the film’s most striking element, despite the fact that none of it is ever shown happening. Early on, Sessely remarks to Turkalo how the behavior of elephants does not differ so much from that of humans; they flirt and fight, bathe each other, have children, play games. This salient observation returns with a vengeance when, in the aftermath of a Séléka poaching spree, Sessely inspects the demolished corpse of a slain elephant and angrily declares “This elephant was me.” One of the inherent dangers of documentary filmmaking is arriving at an anticlimax. For a film shot and edited with the gusto of a narrative film, Elephant Path comes to an abrupt, somewhat underwhelming conclusion. Again I won’t spoil, but for all of Nir Kalron’s efforts in training up the Eco Guards to combat the bigger, better-armed Séléka poachers, the resolution of said problem feels like a non-ending, at least to the viewer. Little can be done about this, I know, but McGrain and crew (in particular cinematographer Scott Anger) set up such palpable villains in the occupying rebels that you can’t help but feel a little cheated out of a proper showdown. There is hope at the end of Elephant Path, even if only a modest amount, and that must be our reward. The remaining elephants saunter into Dzanga Bai, as always, and hose themselves down. Life goes on. For the living, anyway.
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ROSIE and THE LONELY BATTLE OF THOMAS REID Win 2018 Irish Film Festival London Awards

[caption id="attachment_32697" align="aligncenter" width="1030"] Rosie by Paddy Breathnach[/caption] The Irish Film Festival London hosted the 2018 awards ceremony in celebration of Irish Film, honoring the Dublin-set drama Rosie with the award Best Feature Film and The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid with the award for Best Documentary Feature. Each November, in the lead up to the Irish Film Festival London, which takes place from 21st November to 25th November, IFL hosts an awards ceremony in celebration of Irish Film. These awards highlight and reward the talents of a select number of Irish film makers, whose work has shown great distinction, originality and passion.
2018 Irish Film Festival London Awards

Best Short Film
The Nominees Lint – 3 mins 15 secs / Dir: Lisa O’Sullivan Exploring the strange limbo state that we experience in the aftermath of a break up, Lint follows one person’s bizarre attempt at regaining some sense of normality. Winner: Early Days – 12 mins / Dir: Nessa Wrafter Though Kate knows she’s lucky to have become a mother, and her instincts toward her baby are fiercely protective, post-natal trauma and hallucinations make the world increasingly hard to bear. Can anything pull her back to reality – before it’s too late? Wren Boys – 11 mins / Dir: Harry Lighton On the day after Christmas, a Catholic priest from Cork drives his nephew to prison. Starring Lalor Roddy, Diarmuid Noyes and Fionn Walton.
Best Documentary
The Nominees Under the Clock -2018 / Documentary / 76 mins / Dir: Colm Nicell / Ire (U) This film tells the life-affirming stories of a generation of people whose relationships began under one of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks, Clerys clock. Be taken back in time to the days of the Dublin dance halls, courting, sneaking out to meet a fella, and the heart-racing times spent waiting, not knowing if they would turn up. Poc na nGael – 2017 / Documentary / 50 mins / Dir: Éamonn Ó Cualáin / Ire, (PG), Irish with English subtitles Starring: Ger Loughnane, Brendan Shanahan, Geraldine Heaney Irish hurling legend Ger Loughnane is on a mission to discover the Irish connections to ice hockey in Canada. He reveals how the Irish emigrants who settled there over 200 years ago, created the sport and played a key role in developing the game from its inception on a frozen pond in Nova Scotia to the modern arenas of today’s official championships. This is a poignant exploration of the incredible contribution of Irish immigrants in creating and developing a sport that went on to help define the new nation of Canada. Winner : The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid: 2018 / Documentary / 85 mins / Dir: Feargal Ward / Ire (12A) For years, the farmer Thomas Reid has been locked in a grueling battle with his neighbour, U.S. microchip manufacturer Intel. The multinational wants to expand and has its eye on Reid’s land. Eager to boost employment in the region, the Irish authorities are doing their utmost to force Reid into a sale. But the farmer has no intention of leaving his 300-year-old ancestral home, where he lives alone, surrounded by cows and chickens. Feargal Ward’s documentary shows this tenacious eccentric to be a formidable opponent of the system.
Best Feature Film
The Nominees Winner: Rosie – 2018 / Drama / 86 mins / Dir: Paddy Breathnach / Ire (15) Starring: Sarah Greene, Moe Dunford, Fiona Ashe, Lochlann O’Mearain, Toni O’Rourke Irish writer Roddy Doyle was compelled back to script-writing for this Dublin-set drama, which tells a story, inspired by too many true stories in modern Ireland, of Rosie, a devoted mother of four, over a period of 36 hours as she and her partner, John Paul, and their family tries to cope with unexpected homelessness. Grace and Goliath – 2018 / Family drama, comedy / 93 mins / Dir: Tony Mitchell / Ire (PG) Starring: Emy Aneke, Savanna Burney Keatings, Jo Donnelly, Ciarán McMenamin, Olivia Nash A Hollywood big shot, Josh Jenkins (Emy Aneke), sweeps into Belfast to make a movie, but before long, his world crashes and he loses everything. Lily (Olivia Nash), a hotel cleaner, invites him to stay with her crazy family and gradually the people of this ‘strange’ city manage to touch his heart. A powerful story of how one man’s Goliath ego is brought down by one single dose…of Grace. The Little Stranger – 2018 / Drama, thriller / 111 mins / Dir: Lenny Abrahamson / Ire (12A) Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter, Charlotte Rampling After a doctor is called to visit a crumbling manor, strange things begin to occur. The Little Stranger tells the story of Dr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson), the son of a housemaid, who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. During the long, hot summer of 1948, he is called to see a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked. The Hall has been home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries, but now it is in decline and its inhabitants – mother, son and daughter – are haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life. When he takes on his new patient, Faraday has no idea how closely, and how disturbingly, the family’s story is about to become entwined with his own.
Best Irish Music Video Award
The nominees 1/ Villagers – Fool – Director: Bob Gallagher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI46nPj_1Eo 2/ Kodaline – Head Held High – Director: James Fitzgerald https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jje2x1HP0c 3/ Daithí (feat The Sei) – In My Darkest Moments – Director: Lochlainn McKenna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yymDRYx5JwM 4/Winner: Pillow Queens – Favourite – Director: Bob Gallagher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyLuM7rIBsI 5/ Roisín Murphy (feat Ali Love) – Jacuzzi Rollercoaster – Director Roisín Murphy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmB80LrNXVI 6/ Jafaris – Found My Feet – Directors: Nathan Barlow & Stephanie Naughter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j83M-EDduOM 7/ Hot Cops – Decay – Director: Aaron Eccles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt-TVLH4I2o
Suil Eile Award
Under the Clock, received by director Colm Nicell. This film tells the life-affirming stories of a generation of people whose relationships began under one of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks, Clerys clock. Be taken back in time to the days of the Dublin dance halls, courting, sneaking out to meet a fella, and the heart-racing times spent waiting, not knowing if they would turn up… Ros Hubbard Award for Acting: Sarah Greene. The award was received by director Paddy Breathnach on behalf of actor Sarah Greene. The Festival Founder, Kelly O’Connor said, “It’s great to have so many of the filmmakers in attendance at the awards this year. It’s such a unique networking opportunity, rubbing shoulders with programmers from all the main exhibitors in London, not to mention producers, commissioners and international acting talent too. The Irish Embassy did a superb job of hosting us, and we are exceptionally lucky to have such a progressive and supportive Ambassador here in London to champion events like this as part of their busy schedule.”
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FILM REVIEW: ‘Call Her Ganda’: Justice For Jennifer

[caption id="attachment_29069" align="aligncenter" width="975"] CALL HER GANDA[/caption] Ganda [gʌn-daː] – meaning “beauty” in Tagalog On October 11, 2014, Jennifer Laude was last seen with a United States Marine and later found dead in a motel bathroom. This and the identity of the suspect is known to both the Philippines and the United States Government, yet their imperialistic relationship and preponderant transphobia in both countries has rendered the case gridlocked. Filipino-American director PJ Raval seeks justice for trans woman Jeffery “Jennifer” Laude as her homicide evolves far beyond her death and echoes a long-pondered question: what is the United States’ role in the Philippines? Call her Ganda is a poignant exploration of LGBT+ relations in a time of social media saturation and in an environment dominated by lingering post-colonialism. Raval and journalist Meredith Talusan unravels the red herring media coverage and social delusion regarding Laude’s family and the trans community as they struggle for authentic visibility. This documentary intimately examines the resulting Filipino nationalism after Laude’s tragic death as well as the first indictment of a U.S. serviceman on Philippines soil. Born Jeffery Laude, Jennifer was the breadwinner of her family and provided financial support to her mother. Though her main source of income was promiscuous, the viewer is asked to look beyond her sex-work, identity, and race to ultimately find humanity in someone that is most likely foreign to themselves. The film provides a glimpse into the misunderstood trans-culture of the Philippines and its relation to the nation’s prevailing poverty and corrupt political system. Testimony from her friends and family acquaints us with the bright and benevolent life Laude led while conversely probing us to question the immoral capabilities of United States servicemen. We feel her mother’s struggle for justice, recognize her fiancé’s pain as he tries to make sense of the tragedy, and understand the upheaval of the Filipino people in response U.S.’s intrusion in Filipino law. Raval inquires us to examine the relationship the Philippines has with its Western Subjugator and challenge documents such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that allow the U.S. to interfere in Filipino judicial processes under certain circumstances. Call Her Ganda makes it a point to remind us of media’s involvement in the proceedings following the incident and the interconnective soapbox that is social media. We see how opinions over the internet sustain widespread dogmatism over complex controversies and how media can contort the truth for political interest whenever convenient. Though Laude and Pemberton’s case may seem unambiguous to either side of the aisle due to predispositions of gender, race, and nationality, Talusan explores varying perspectives subsequently highlighting the numerous moral dilemmas that saturate both the events in question and the legal turbulence that follows. The film itself seeks “Justice for Jennifer,” yet rather than completely villainizing a single person or group, Talusan ventures toward understanding Pemberton’s perspective and widespread transphobia ultimately revaluating modern and western education of gender fluidity. Despite the film’s emphasis on social media’s tendency to polarize opinions, it doesn’t forget to demonstrate its power to bring people together under a meaningful cause. The film itself is a product of social support as it captures the united front that is transgender and Filipino pride. Joseph Scott Pemberton’s actions that night may have pained so many who knew and sympathized with Jennifer Laude, but this documentary makes it known that her death was not in vein. The anger and sadness that stems from mourning is galvanized into a passion for justice and social equality. Laude’s name stands as a reminder that trans people will continue to be marginalized and Filipinos overlooked if these moral dilemmas go unaddressed, unexamined, and uncontested. Call Her Ganda attempts to breed empathy regarding gender identity and race, ultimately breathing new life into Jennifer Laude by recognizing a deep desire shared by all humans: to unapologetically be one’s true self. Laude defined herself by who she knew she was and took pride in her identity making her truly Ganda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YwQtgBRhZQ
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WE THE ANIMALS, EIGHTH GRADE, FIRST REFORMED Lead Nominations for 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards

[caption id="attachment_30337" align="aligncenter" width="1228"] We the Animals[/caption] We the Animals leads the nominations for the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards with 5 nods including Best First Feature, but missed out on a nomination for Best Feature. Nominees for Best Feature are Eighth Grade, First Reformed, If Beale Street Could Talk, Leave No Trace and You Were Never Really Here. Suspiria 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. Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant and Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
2019 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.) Eighth Grade Producers: Eli Bush, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Lila Yacoub First Reformed Producers: Jack Binder, Greg Clark, Gary Hamilton, Victoria Hill, David Hinojosa, Frank Murray, Deepak Sikka, Christine Vachon If Beale Street Could Talk Producers: Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski Leave No Trace Producers: Anne Harrison, Linda Reisman, Anne Rosellini You Were Never Really Here Producers: Rosa Attab, Pascal Caucheteux, Rebecca O’Brien, Lynne Ramsay, James Wilson
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer) Hereditary Director: Ari Aster Producers: Kevin Frakes, Lars Knudsen, Buddy Patrick Sorry to Bother You Director: Boots Riley Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jonathan Duffy, Charles D. King, George Rush, Forest Whitaker, Kelly Williams The Tale Director/Producer: Jennifer Fox Producers: Sol Bondy, Lawrence Inglee, Mynette Louie, Oren Moverman, Simone Pero, Reka Posta, Laura Rister, Regina K. Scully, Lynda Weinman We the Animals Director: Jeremiah Zagar Producers: Andrew Goldman, Christina D. King, Paul Mezey, Jeremy Yaches Wildlife Director/Producer: Paul Dano Producers: Andrew Duncan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker, Oren Moverman, Ann Ruark, Alex Saks
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.) A Bread Factory Writer/Director/Producer: Patrick Wang Producers: Daryl Freimark, Matt Miller En el Séptimo Día Writer/Director/Producer: Jim McKay Producers: Alex Bach, Lindsey Cordero, Caroline Kaplan, Michael Stipe Never Goin’ Back Writer/Director: Augustine Frizzell Producers: Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston Sócrates Writer/Director/Producer: Alex Moratto Writer: Thayná Mantesso Producers: Ramin Bahrani, Jefferson Paulino, Tammy Weiss Thunder Road Writer/Director: Jim Cummings Producers: Natalie Metzger, Zack Parker, Benjamin Weissner
BEST DIRECTOR
Debra Granik Leave No Trace Barry Jenkins If Beale Street Could Talk Tamara Jenkins Private Life Lynne Ramsay You Were Never Really Here Paul Schrader First Reformed
BEST SCREENPLAY
Richard Glatzer (Writer/Story By), Rebecca Lenkiewicz & Wash Westmoreland Colette Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty Can You Ever Forgive Me? Tamara Jenkins Private Life Boots Riley Sorry to Bother You Paul Schrader First Reformed
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Bo Burnham Eighth Grade Christina Choe Nancy Cory Finley Thoroughbreds Jennifer Fox The Tale Quinn Shephard (Writer/Story By), Laurie Shephard (Story By) Blame
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ashley Connor Madeline’s Madeline Diego Garcia Wildlife Benjamin Loeb Mandy Sayombhu Mukdeeprom Suspiria Zak Mulligan We the Animals
BEST EDITING
Joe Bini You Were Never Really Here Keiko Deguchi, Brian A. Kates, Jeremiah Zagar We the Animals Luke Dunkley, Nick Fenton, Chris Gill, Julian Hart American Animals Anne Fabini, Alex Hall, Gary Levy The Tale Nick Houy Mid90s
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Glenn Close The Wife Toni Collette Hereditary Elsie Fisher Eighth Grade Regina Hall Support the Girls Helena Howard Madeline’s Madeline Carey Mulligan Wildlife
BEST MALE LEAD
John Cho Searching Daveed Diggs Blindspotting Ethan Hawke First Reformed Christian Malheiros Sócrates Joaquin Phoenix You Were Never Really Here
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Kayli Carter Private Life Tyne Daly A Bread Factory Regina King If Beale Street Could Talk Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie Leave No Trace J. Smith-Cameron Nancy
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Raúl Castillo We the Animals Adam Driver BLACKkKLANSMAN Richard E. Grant Can You Ever Forgive Me? Josh Hamilton Eighth Grade John David Washington Monsters and Men
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast Suspiria Director: Luca Guadagnino Casting Directors: Avy Kaufman, Stella Savino Ensemble Cast: Malgosia Bela, Ingrid Caven, Lutz Ebersdorf, Elena Fokina, Mia Goth, Jessica Harper, Dakota Johnson, Gala Moody, Chloë Grace Moretz, Renée Soutendijk, Tilda Swinton, Sylvie Testud, Angela Winkler
BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director and producer) Hale County This Morning, This Evening Director/Producer: RaMell Ross Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim Minding the Gap Director/Producer: Bing Liu Producer: Diane Quon Of Fathers and Sons Director: Talal Derki Producers: Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert On Her Shoulders Director: Alexandria Bombach Producers: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams Shirkers Director/Producer: Sandi Tan Producers: Jessica Levin, Maya Rudolph Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Director/Producer: Morgan Neville Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Nicholas Ma
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
(Award given to the director) Burning South Korea Director: Lee Chang-Dong The Favourite United Kingdom Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Happy as Lazzaro Italy Director: Alice Rohrwacher Roma Mexico Director: Alfonso Cuarón Shoplifters Japan Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
BONNIE AWARD
Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo joined American Airlines in 1973 at age 24, becoming the first female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline. In her honor, the second Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines. Debra Granik Tamara Jenkins Karyn Kusama PRODUCERS AWARD The 22nd annual 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. Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams Gabrielle Nadig Shrihari Sathe
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
The 25th 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. Alex Moratto Director of Sócrates Ioana Uricaru Director of Lemonade Jeremiah Zagar Director of We the Animals
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
The 24th 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. Alexandria Bombach Director of On Her Shoulders Bing Liu Director of Minding the Gap RaMell Ross Director of Hale County This Morning, This Evening
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Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE FAVOURITE Dominates Early 2018 British Independent Film Awards

[caption id="attachment_30991" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Favourite[/caption] Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite topped the first wave of awards for the 2018 British Independent Film Awards, winning five awards in the Craft category including Best Casting for Dixie Chassay, Best Cinematography for Robbie Ryan, Best Costume Design for Sandy Powell, Best Make Up & Hair Design for Nadia Stacey and Best Production Design for Fiona Crombie. You Were Never Really Here won Best Music for Jonny Greenwood and Best Sound for Paul Davies; Nick Fenton, Julian Hart and Chris Gill won the award for Best Editing for American Animals; and Early Man Visual Effects Supervisor Howard Jones was the winner of Best Effects. To better recognize the wealth of exceptional talent working on British independent films, BIFA introduced these nine award categories in 2017. The nominations and winners have been chosen by BIFA voters over the course of three rounds of viewing, discussion and voting. BIFA comments: “We are proud to celebrate the achievements of such a diverse group of Individuals who represent their craft at such a high level.”
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Felicity Jones to Receive Variety Award at British Independent Film Awards

[caption id="attachment_32649" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex[/caption] Actress Felicity Jones, who is earning raves for her portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsberg in On the Basis of Sex, will receive this year’s Variety Award at the British Independent Film Awards ceremony on Sunday December 2. The award recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helps to focus the international spotlight on the UK. Previous recipients of the award include Benedict Cumberbatch, Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Paul Greengrass, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Gary Oldman who was last year’s honouree. “When actress Felicity Jones first appeared on your radar, you probably knew she was destined for greatness but you probably didn’t know she would impact so forcefully on all sizes of screens in all kinds of projects,” says Steven Gaydos, Variety’s Vice President and Executive Editor. “She has infused the Star Wars juggernaut with feminine soul as well as womanly grit and she brought gravity and tenderness to the Oscar-winning Theory of Everything. Now she plays a brave woman whose life and achievements loom larger every day. On the Basis of Sex is a rallying cry for women’s rights in a time of political crisis, but in the hands of Felicity Jones, Ruth Bader Ginsberg becomes a woman we don’t simply admire, but we come to deeply understand her drives and relish the soul that sustains her commitment to justice and equality.” Felicity Jones: “It’s an incredible honor to receive this Award and, in doing so, to join such an illustrious and inspiring group of filmmakers and actors. To support the British film industry on the global stage is a huge privilege and something I feel very proud and lucky to be a part of.” BIFA comments: “BIFA and Variety have been honoring British talent on the world stage for 18 years; the award recipients have all had exceptional careers spanning award-winning independent films and the biggest of Hollywood blockbusters. Felicity Jones is no exception: she is a remarkable actress and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate her spectacular international achievements on home turf.” Felicity Jones has been performing on stage and screen since the age of 11. She has twice been nominated for British Independent Film Awards for her performances in Albatross and Ralph Fiennes’ The Invisible Woman. Felicity became a household name for her critically acclaimed performance in James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything which garnered her a Best Actress Nomination at the 87th Academy Awards. She then went on to star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which has grossed over one billion dollars worldwide. Jones’ most recent role is portraying the formidable Ruth Bader Ginsberg in Mimi Leder’s On the Basis of Sex. The biopic, which follows a young Ruth’s struggle for equal rights, will release in UK cinemas on February 22, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28dHbIR_NB4
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Amy Adams, Steve McQueen and Boots Riley to Receive Awards at 2018 SFFILM Awards

Amy Adams, Steve McQueen and Boots Riley will attend and accept honors at the 2018 SFFILM Awards Night (formerly Film Society Awards Night), its annual fundraising celebration honoring achievement in filmmaking craft. This year’s edition of the dinner and awards presentation event—leveraging its new position in the fall after a wildly successful move in 2017—takes place Monday, December 3 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts Exhibition Center. SFFILM Awards Night supports the organization’s various year-round initiatives, especially SFFILM Education, which will utilize funds raised to increase the number of Bay Area youth served by film screenings that promote media literacy and inspire meaningful social dialogue; gather student, family, and teacher feedback to build a national platform for sharing lesson plans for current films; and expand the organization’s family-oriented public programming. The guests of honor at SFFILM Awards Night will be the recipients of the organization’s prestigious awards for film craft: Amy Adams (Vice, Annapurna Pictures) will receive the Peter J. Owens Award for Acting; Steve McQueen (Widows, 20th Century Fox) will receive the Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction; and emerging breakthrough talent Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You, Annapurna Pictures) will receive the Kanbar Award for Storytelling. Celebrity presenters and additional awards will be announced in the coming weeks. “We are thrilled that Awards Night’s position in December has once again inspired such exceptional talent to join us,” said SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan. “These artists were selected because their work embodies the values of the Bay Area—in particular their role in championing innovative cinema, making the industry more diverse and inclusive, and actively participating in the social dialogue that is so desperately needed today. We hope that, by championing these artists and these values, SFFILM can have a positive effect on the awards conversations that dominate media this time of year.” One of San Francisco’s most highly anticipated film events and social gatherings, SFFILM Awards Night is taking place for the second time in December, further solidifying its new position in the city’s fall calendar after decades as part of April’s San Francisco International Film Festival and better leveraging the Bay Area’s increasing awards season relevance. Public screenings and onstage talks will accompany SFFILM Awards Night, with announcements to follow in the coming weeks.
Peter J. Owens Award for Acting: Amy Adams
The Peter J. Owens Award, named after the late local cultural benefactor and longtime SFFILM board member, honors an actor whose work exemplifies brilliance, independence and integrity. Past recipients include Kate Winslet (2017), Ellen Burstyn (2016), Richard Gere (2015), Jeremy Irons (2014), Harrison Ford (2013), Judy Davis (2012), Terence Stamp (2011), Robert Duvall (2010), Robert Redford (2009), Maria Bello (2008), and Robin Williams (2007). Five-time Academy Award nominated and two-time Golden Globe winning actress Amy Adams has built an impressive body of work, challenging herself with each new role. Adams can most recently be seen in HBO’s high-profile drama series Sharp Objects, in which she starred and executive produced with Jean-Marc Vallée at the helm as director; and in Adam McKay’s upcoming film Vice, starring as Lynne Cheney alongside Christian Bale and Steve Carell. She recently wrapped production on Woman in the Window, alongside Gary Oldman and Julianne Moore. Adams’ additional film credits include Denis Villenueve’s Arrival, for which she was named Best Actress by the National Board of Review; Zack Snyder’s Justice League Part One and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals; Tim Burton’s Big Eyes and David O. Russell’s American Hustle, both of which earned her Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy; Spike Jonze’s Her; Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master; Nora Ephron’s Julie and Julia; John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt; Kevin Lima’s Enchanted; and Phil Morrison’s Junebug, among many others.
Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction: Steve McQueen
The Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction is presented each year to one of the masters of world cinema and is given in memory the founder of the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1957. Past recipients include Kathryn Bigelow (2017), Mira Nair (2016), Guillermo del Toro (2015), Richard Linklater (2014) Philip Kaufman (2013), Kenneth Branagh (2012), Oliver Stone (2011), Walter Salles (2010), Francis Ford Coppola (2009), Mike Leigh (2008), Spike Lee (2007), and Werner Herzog (2006). Steve McQueen is a British artist and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, and the recipient of an OBE (2002) and a CBE (2011) from Queen Elizabeth II. In 2013, McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, adapted from Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir of the same name, dominated awards season, winning the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, PGA (joint winner), Independent Spirit, African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and the Black Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Picture. McQueen won the Independent Spirit, African-American Film Critics Association and Black Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Director and received Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and DGA nominations for directing. His second feature, Shame (2011), starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, received numerous awards and nominations. Shame ranks as one of the highest grossing NC-17-rated movies in US box office history. In 2008, McQueen’s critically-acclaimed first feature, Hunger, won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. McQueen received BAFTA’s Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer in addition to numerous other international awards and nominations. Hunger is one of the most awarded debut movies with 45 wins and 33 nominations. His latest film Widows, being released November 16, is a blistering, modern-day thriller about four women (Oscar® winner Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo) who take their fate into their own hands after being left in debt from their dead husbands’ criminal activities. McQueen resides in Amsterdam and London.
Kanbar Award for Storytelling: Boots Riley
The Kanbar Award acknowledges the critical importance that storytelling plays in the creation of outstanding films. The award is named in honor of Maurice Kanbar, a longtime member of the board of directors of SFFILM, a San Francisco film commissioner and a philanthropist with a particular interest in supporting independent filmmakers. Past recipients include Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (2017), Tom McCarthy (2016), Paul Schrader (2015), Stephen Gaghan (2014), Eric Roth (2013), David Webb Peoples (2012), Frank Pierson (2011), and James Schamus (2010). Activist, filmmaker, and musician, former FilmHouse resident and SFFILM grantee Boots Riley studied film at San Francisco State University before rising to prominence as the front man of hip-hop groups The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. His debut feature film Sorry to Bother You premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, was acquired by Annapurna Pictures, and was released in July to resounding box office success and widespread critical acclaim. The New York Post says, “Boots Riley ranks as some kind of genius.” Jeff Chang said, “he is one of the most influential poets and thinkers of this generation.” Stereogum says, “Boots Riley is a national treasure.” While Slavoj Zizek says “The very existence of a person like Boots Riley is a miracle.” His book of lyrics and anecdotes, Tell Homeland Security- We Are The Bomb, is out on Haymarket Press.
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15 Rising Filmmakers Win 2019 Sundance Ignite Fellowships

From a broad global pool of more than 1,200 applicants, Sundance Institute and Adobe selected fifteen 18-to-24-year-old filmmakers from three continents for the one-year 2019 Sundance Ignite Fellowship. For the fourth year, fellows were selected based on their one- to eight-minute original films, submitted through Adobe Project 1324, Adobe’s platform for young creators, along with their written applications. The finalists were selected based on their original voice, diverse storytelling and rigor in their filmmaking pursuits. In addition to their trip to the Festival, Sundance Ignite fellows are paired with a Sundance Institute alumni professional for a full year of guidance and development, gaining industry exposure and meaningful mentorship. This year’s new Sundance Ignite mentors include Heather Rae (Tallulah), Dee Rees (Mudbound) and Andrew Ahn (Spa Night). In addition to a personalized Festival experience and mentorship track, Sundance Ignite fellows gain unique access to workshops, internships, and work opportunities at Sundance Institute’s renowned Labs and artists programs supported by Adobe Project 1324. With Sundance Ignite as their launchpad, past fellows have springboarded into opportunities on the festival circuit, graduate film programs and beyond. Past Sundance Ignite Fellows include Sindha Agha, whose Sundance Ignite Short Film Challenge submission Birth Control Your Own Adventure was picked up by the New York Times’ Op-Docs and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; Charlotte Regan, who premiered her film Fry Up at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival; Emily Ann Hoffmann who also premiered her film Nevada at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and Gerardo Coello who participated in the Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Summit in 2018.
2019 Sundance Ignite Fellows
Daniel Antebi Daniel Antebi began art doing magic at the age of five. Yes, ‘Is this your card?’ kind of magic. He’s racialized as white and categorized as a cisgender-heterosexual male. However, he’s a Queer-Mexican-Jew whose normative appearance is deceiving. In his work, he hopes to reconcile opposing realities. Daniel makes films, dabbles in poetry and sculpture, but if you ask him, he’s still a magician. Naëmi Buchtemann Naëmi is studying Film Directing at the German Film and Television Academy of Berlin and working as an assistant director. She holds a Bachelors of Performing Arts from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, United Kingdom. Luna Carmoon Luna Carmoon is an SE, London-based filmmaker whose first short film “NOSEBLEED” premiered at the BFI London Film Festival this year also selected to be part of the LFF Network programme this year too. A self-taught writer-director, Luna was one of six filmmakers selected to make a film as part of the “ShortFLIX” initiative searching for underrepresented talent in the UK run by “Creative England” in partnership with “NYT” and “Sky Arts”. Her work is strange and surreal at times. Maya Cueva Maya Cueva is an award-winning multimedia producer, specializing in directing and audio producing for documentary films and radio. Her work has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Latino USA, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Cosmopolitan, and NBC’s Nightly News. Maya was awarded an Emmy from the College Television Awards and her films have screened internationally and across the U.S. She is also a Valentine & Clark Emerging Artist Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Kira Dane Kira Dane is a half-Japanese filmmaker, painter, and native New Yorker. She graduated New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in filmmaking. After graduating from NYU, Kira worked as an associate producer on Humans of New York: The Series, which was nominated for an Emmy award. She is currently an active member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. Embracing sincerity over irony, Kira sets out to tell unexpected and nuanced stories. Aaron Dunleavy Aaron Dunleavy is a filmmaker from Blackburn. His debut student short, Throw Me to the Dogs, won 10 awards on the festival circuit, screening at some of the most prestigious BAFTA and Oscar® qualifying festivals around the world. Aaron’s films explore stories of working class youth; with unscripted and improvised performances, street casting and non-professional young actors at the core of his filmmaking approach. Emily Gularte Emily Gularte is a Guatemalan writer and director. She is a film student at Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala. She has been the director and screenwriter of many short films, educational films, as well as commercials and music videos. She was a head writer on a children’s animated web series and was the director of the show’s voice-actors. Additionally, she has produced several videos for the Oslo Freedom Forum run by the Human Rights Foundation. Yusuf Kapadia A recent NYU Tisch graduate, Yusuf Kapadia is a skilled filmmaker forging a career in documentary. He is currently an Assistant Editor on Stanley Nelson’s Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (w.t.), and in post-production on his own film, a portrait of a family supporting their child on the autism spectrum. An avid cyclist, Yusuf spent his college years racing with the NYU cycling team. He enjoys riding mountain or road whenever he can. Kerry LeVielle Kerry LeVielle is a Hudson Valley based filmmaker. Her work explores the experience of women and the nuanced intimacy of their impassioned journeys to “come of age.” Kerry graduated from SUNY Purchase College in 2017. After graduating, she was a recipient of the Fall 2017 Valentine and Clark Emerging Artist Fellowship in the Creative Culture Fellowship Program at the Jacob Burns Film Center where she directed two short films, Niskyland and Playhouse. Rachael Moton Rachael Moton is a Philadelphia based writer and director. She attended Temple University where she graduated with a degree in Film and Media Arts. She is passionate about telling stories that center on women and people of color and wants to create work that promotes empathy. She currently works at a non-profit, The Creative Mind Group, as an administrative manager and program director. Lance Oppenheim Lance is a filmmaker whose work has been screened at over 65 film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, and featured by The New York Times (as three Op-Docs), the Smithsonian, The Atlantic, Vimeo (as five Staff Picks), Short of the Week, and PBS national broadcast. He received two nominations at the 2017 Cannes Young Director’s Award and is the youngest contributor to the New York Times Op-Docs. Lance attends Harvard University and is currently in post-production on his first feature-length documentary. Frida Perez Frida Pérez is a Dominican-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She’s a recent graduate of Brown University with an Honors Degree in Modern Culture and Media (Production Track) and Political Science. Frida currently works as an assistant at Point Grey Pictures. She previously worked at UTA and has held internships at Comedy Central, Women Make Movies, William Morris Endeavor, Pretty Matches Productions, in addition to working as an AC, AD, and PA on several independent shorts. Eli Salameh Eli Salameh is a film director born in Lebanon. He graduated with Honors from the Lebanese University Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture II in 2018 with a Master’s degree in Film Directing. He is now a Masters student in cinematography. His short academic films are “FLY MY LOVE,” “ARYAN” and “THE BOY WHO WORE THE SUN.” “EXIT BEIRUT” is his recent short film submitted to the Sundance Ignite Film Challenge. Cai Thomas Cai Thomas is a Liberty City native whose curiosity was born and nurtured in the “Moonlight” neighborhood. She’s a Chicago based filmmaker interested in stories at the intersection of identity, self-determination and location. She is a NextDoc 2018 Fellow and was a Berlin Capital Fulbright awardee in 2017. She spent two seasons as a production associate on CBS Sunday Morning. A graduate of Boston College, she was a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar. Aziz Zoromba Aziz Zoromba is a Canadian filmmaker of Egyptian descent. He is currently finishing his BFA at the Mel Hoppenheim Film School. His first short film, Leila (2017), which he wrote and directed, was selected and presented at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of Canada’s Top 10. His most recent short film, Amal (2018), premiered at the Festival du nouveau cinéma in October. Image: Top, L-R: Daniel Antebi, Naëmi Buchtemann, Luna Carmoon, Maya Cueva, Kira Dane. Middle, L-R: Aaron Dunleavy, Emily Gularte, Yusuf Kapadia, Kerry LeVielle, Rachael Moton. Bottom, L-R: Lance Oppenheim, Frida Perez, Eli Salameh, Cai Thomas, Aziz Zoromba.
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Polish Drama COLD WAR Leads Nominations for 31st European Film Awards

[caption id="attachment_29874" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] COLD WAR by Pawel Pawlikowski[/caption] The Polish drama Cold War (Zimna wojna) directed by Ali Abbasi leads the nominations for the 31st European Film Awards with 5 nods including Best European Film, Best Director, European Screenwriter along with Best Actress for Joanna Kulig as Zula, and Best Actor for Tomasz Kot as Wiktor. The more than 3,500 EFA Members will now vote for the winners who will be presented during the awards ceremony on December 15 in Seville.
31st European Film Awards Nominations

EUROPEAN FILM 2018
BORDER GRÄNS Sweden, Denmark DIRECTED BY Ali Abbasi WRITTEN BY Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCED BY Nina Bisgaard, Piodor Gustafsson & Petra Jönsson COLD WAR ZIMNA WOJNA Poland, UK, France WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Pawel Pawlikowski PRODUCED BY Ewa Puszczynska & Tanya Seghatchian DOGMAN Italy, France DIRECTED BY Matteo Garrone WRITTEN BY Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso PRODUCED BY Matteo Garrone, Jean Labadie, Jeremy Thomas & Paolo Del Brocco GIRL Belgium, Netherlands DIRECTED BY Lukas Dhont WRITTEN BY Lukas Dhont & Angelo Tijssens PRODUCED BY Dirk Impens [caption id="attachment_30997" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] HAPPY AS LAZARRO[/caption] HAPPY AS LAZZARO LAZZARO FELICE Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Alice Rohrwacher PRODUCED BY Carlo Cresto-Dina, Tiziana Soudani, Alexandra Henochsberg, Grégory Gajos, Arthur Hallereau, Pierre-François Piet, Michel Merkt, Michael Weber & Viola Fügen
EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2018
A WOMAN CAPTURED Hungary, Germany DIRECTED BY Bernadett Tuza-Ritter PRODUCED BY Julianna Ugrin & Viki Réka Kiss BERGMAN – A YEAR IN A LIFE BERGMAN – ETT ÅR, ETT LIV Sweden, Germany DIRECTED BY Jane Magnusson PRODUCED BY Cecilia Nessen, Fredrik Heinig & Mattias Nohrborg OF FATHERS AND SONS Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar DIRECTED BY Talal Derki PRODUCED BY Tobias Siebert, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme & Hans Robert Eisenhauer THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS Denmark, Finland, Sweden DIRECTED BY Simon Lereng Wilmont PRODUCED BY Monica Hellström, Tobias Janson & Sami Jahnukainen THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Spain, USA DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2018
Ali Abbasi for BORDER Matteo Garrone for DOGMAN Samuel Maoz for FOXTROT Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZARO
EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2018
Marie Bäumer as Romy Schneider in 3 DAYS IN QUIBERON Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as Halla / Ása in WOMAN AT WAR Joanna Kulig as Zula in COLD WAR Bárbara Lennie as Petra in PETRA Eva Melander as Tina in BORDER Alba Rohrwacher as Antonia old in HAPPY AS LAZZARO
EUROPEAN ACTOR 2018
Jakob Cedergren as Asger in THE GUILTY Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde in THE HAPPY PRINCE Marcello Fonte as Marcello in DOGMAN Sverrir Gudnason as Björn Borg in BORG/MCENROE Tomasz Kot as Wiktor in COLD WAR Victor Polster as Lara in GIRL
EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2018
[caption id="attachment_29152" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] GRÄNS (BORDER) by Ali Abbasi[/caption] Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist for BORDER Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso for DOGMAN Gustav Möller & Emil Nygaard Albertsen for THE GUILTY Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZARO
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165 Films Documentary Feature Films Submitted for 2018 Oscar Race

[caption id="attachment_28784" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption] One hundred sixty-six features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 91st Academy Awards®. Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. This year, for the first time, films that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the Foreign Language Film category as their country’s official selection, are also eligible in the category. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 17. Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture. Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are: “Above and Beyond: NASA’S Journey to Tomorrow” “Active Measures” “Amazing Grace” “American Chaos” “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” [caption id="attachment_25696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption] “Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco” “Avicii: True Stories” “Bali: Beats of Paradise” “Bathtubs over Broadway” “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché” “Believer” “Better Angels” “Bill Coors: The Will to Live” “Bisbee ’17” “The Bleeding Edge” “Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat” “Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine” “Call Her Ganda” “Charm City” “Chef Flynn” “The China Hustle” “Christian Audigier The Vif” “The Cleaners” “Communion” “Crime + Punishment” “Dark Money” “Daughters of the Sexual Revolution: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” “The Dawn Wall” “The Distant Barking of Dogs” “Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes” “Drug$” “Eating Animals” “Eldorado” “Fahrenheit 11/9” “Fail State” “Family in Transition” “Far from the Tree” “Filmworker” “The First Patient” “Foreign Land” “40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie” “Free Solo” “Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable” “Generation Wealth” “Ghost Hunting” “Ghosthunter” “The Gilligan Manifesto” “The Gospel According to André” “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” “Graves without a Name” “The Great Buster: A Celebration” “Hal” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” “Half the Picture” “The Heart of Nuba” “Hillbilly” “The Homeless Chorus Speaks” “Hondros” “Howard” “In Search of Greatness” “In the Land of Pomegranates” “Inventing Tomorrow” “Invisible Hands” “Itzhak” “Jane Fonda in Five Acts” “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” “The Judge” “Kangaroo: A Love Hate Story” “Killer Bees” “The King” “King in the Wilderness” “Kusama – Infinity” “The Last Race” “Leaning into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy” “Letter from Masanjia” “Licu, a Romanian Story” “Living in the Future’s Past” “Liyana” “Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle” “Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story” “Love, Cecil” “Love, Gilda” “Love Is Tolerance – Tolerance Is Love – Make Tolerance Great Again!” “Making The Five Heartbeats” “Maria by Callas” “Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.” “McQueen” “Minding the Gap” “Monrovia, Indiana” “The Most Unknown” “New Moon” “93Queen” “Nossa Chape” “Of Fathers and Sons” “Of Love & Law” “On Her Shoulders” “Opera about Poland” “The Opera House” “The Oslo Diaries” “The Other Side of Everything” “The Panama Papers” “Path of Blood” “People’s Republic of Desire” “Philosopher King – Lee Teng-hui’s Dialogue” “Pick of the Litter” “Piripkura” “Police Killing” “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” “The Price of Everything” “The Price of Free” “Qiu (Inmates)” “Quincy” “RBG” “The Rachel Divide” “The Raft” “Recovery Boys” “Restoring Tomorrow” “Reversing Roe” “The Road Movie” “Robin Williams: Come inside My Mind” “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name” “Samouni Road” “Saving Brinton” “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland” “Science Fair” “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” “Searching for Ingmar Bergman” “Seeing Allred” “The Sentence” “Shirkers” “Shot in the Dark” “The Silence of Others” “Sisters of the Wilderness” “A Son of Man” “Songwriter” “Stan” “Studio 54” “Summer in the Forest” “Tea with the Dames” “That Summer” “That Way Madness Lies…” “They Fight” “They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead” “This Is Congo” “This Is Home: A Refugee Story” “Three Identical Strangers” “To Be Continued” “Transformer” “Travel Ban” “The Trial” “Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace” “Trust Machine” “Under the Wire” “United Skates” “Unknown Distance” “Up Down and Sideways” “The Waldheim Waltz” “We Could Be Heroes” “Weed the People” “What Haunts Us” “What Lies Upstream” “Whitney” “Wonderful Losers: A Different World” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” “Yellow Is Forbidden” “Yellowing”
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