Call Me by Your Name leads the nominations for the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards with eight nods including Best Director and Best Feature.
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CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Leads Nominations for 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Call Me By Your Name
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9 Indie Film Projects Win Fall 2017 SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants
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Boots Riley – director of ‘Sorry to Bother You’[/caption]
Nine filmmaking teams have been selected to receive a total of $225,000 in funding in the Fall 2017 round of SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants to help with the next stage of their creative process, from screenwriting to post-production.
SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers whose narrative feature films will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community and/or meaningfully explore pressing social issues. More than $4.5 million has been awarded since the launch of this grant program in 2009, making the SFFILM, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the largest grant-maker to independent narrative films in the United States.
Additionally, SFFILM and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation launched a new discretionary loan program for filmmakers in post-production. Open to any previous recipient or alumnus following the first day of production, the first loan in the amount of $25,000 was presented to Sorry to Bother You by writer/director Boots Riley.
Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring 2018 round of SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants; the deadline to apply is February 2.
SFFILM, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, is the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. The SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grant program has funded more than 70 projects since its inception, including Geremy Jasper’s Sundance breakthrough Patti Cake$, which closed the 2017 Cannes Director’s Fortnight program, ahead of its summer release; Alex and Andrew Smith’s Walking Out starring Matt Bomer and Josh Wiggins, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival; Chloé Zhao’s Songs My Brothers Taught Me, which screened at Sundance and Cannes in 2015; Short Term 12, Destin Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest 2013; Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale Station, which won the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013; and Ben Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012 and earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture).
FALL 2017 SFFILM / RAININ FILMMAKING GRANT WINNERS
All About Nina Eva Vives, director; Natalie Qasabian, Eric Fleischman, Sean Tabibian, Eva Vives, producers – post-production – $25,000 Just as Nina Geld’s brilliant and angry stand up kicks her career into high gear, her romantic life gets complicated, forcing her to reckon with what it means to be creative, authentic, and a woman in today’s culture. American Babylon Yvan Iturriaga, writer/director – screenwriting – $12,000 A gripping tale of love and revolution set in the gritty streets of Oakland, California in the months leading up to 9/11. Fremont Babak Jalali, writer/director; Marjaneh Moghimi, producer; Carolina Cavalli, co-writer – development – $22,000 Troubled, edgy, unconventional Donya—an Afghani translator formerly working for the US military—now spends her days writing fortunes for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. As she struggles to put her life back in order, in a moment of sudden revelation, she sends out a message, wrapped in a fortune cookie—an act that sends her on an odyssey of deceit, mystery, and redemption. Jules of Light and Dark Daniel Laabs, writer/director; Jeff Walker, Liz Cardenas Franke, Russell Sheaffe, and Judd Myers, producers – post-production – $25,000 A young woman, Maya, struggles to rebuild her life after surviving a devastating car wreck with her girlfriend. The two are found and rescued by an oil worker, Freddy, who forges an unlikely friendship with Maya in this Texas-set drama. The Last Black Man in San Francisco Joe Talbot, writer/director; Khaliah Neal, Producer – production – $50,000 Jimmie Fails dreams of buying back the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Now living in the city’s last, dwindling Black neighborhood with his oddball best friend Prentice, the two misfits search for belonging in the rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. Me, My Mom and Sharmila Fawzia Mirza, writer/director; Terrie Samundra, producer/cowriter – screenwriting – $22,000 A queer, Pakistani teen, her Muslim immigrant mother, and a Bollywood heroine’s destinies intertwine in this bittersweet coming of age tale. Monsters and Men Reinaldo Marcus Green, director; Josh Penn, Elizabeth Lodge Stepp, Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, and Luca Borghese, producers – post-production – $25,000 Monsters and Men is an interwoven narrative about police violence, racial profiling, and the power of perspective. The story is told in three chapters, each shifting perspective to different protagonists who are from the same Brooklyn neighborhood: a man who captures an act of police violence on his cellphone, an African-American police officer working in the precinct, and a high-school baseball phenom. We follow the unspooling narrative as each is impacted by a violent episode. Mr. Rob Fawaz Al-Matrouk, writer/director – screenwriting – $22,000 The true story of Rob Lawrie, an ex-soldier who left his family in England to help migrants at the infamous Jungle refugee camp in France. Lawrie risked everything to rescue a four-year-old girl, entrusted to him by her father, but was arrested and charged with human smuggling. Raja Deepak Rauniyar, writer/director – screenwriting – $22,000 Raja is a socially-rooted police procedural, a race-against-time thriller, as well as a portrait of Nepal—a complex society on the edge of a new future. A new discretionary loan for filmmakers in post-production open to any previous recipient or alumnus following the first day of production was awarded to: Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley, writer/director; Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Charles King, George Rush, Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams, producers – post-production – $25,000 LOAN Sorry to Bother You tells the story of Cassius Green, a Black telemarketer who discovers a magical key to telemarketing success, propelling him into a macabre universe where he is selected to lead a species of genetically manipulated horse-people.
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Nick Kroll and John Mulaney Return to Co-Host 2018 Spirit Awards
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Nick Kroll and John Mulaney[/caption]
Nick Kroll (Big Mouth, Operation Finale, Uncle Drew) and John Mulaney (Kid Gorgeous, ‘Oh, Hello on Broadway’, Big Mouth) are returning for the second year in a row to co-host the 2018 Spirit Awards which will be broadcast live on IFC Saturday, March 3 at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry.
“The only thing better than having Nick Kroll and John Mulaney host the Spirit Awards is having them host the Spirit Awards twice,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “They did such an amazing job last year and we’re thrilled to have them back in 2018.”
“From the minute Nick and John opened last year’s show, which went instantly viral, we knew we wanted them back to host this year,” said Jennifer Caserta, President, IFC. “These two talented multi-hyphenates knocked it out of the park last year and we can’t wait to see what they have planned for this year.”
Nick Kroll is an actor, writer and producer. He most recently co-created and voices numerous roles on the Netflix smash hit animated series Big Mouth. He recently wrapped productions on MGM’s Operation Finale opposite Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingley and Lionsgate’s Uncle Drew. In January 2017, he wrapped his Broadway debut with the critical and financial hit ‘Oh, Hello on Broadway’ alongside John Mulaney. Recent film credits include Jeff Nichols’ critically acclaimed film Loving, Seth Rogen’s Sausage Party and Illumination’s Sing. Nick had his own Comedy Central sketch show Kroll Show and starred as Ruxin in the hit FX show The League.
John Mulaney is an Emmy Award winning writer and comedian. He is currently touring the United States with his most recent show, Kid Gorgeous. Previously, John starred in the Broadway hit, ‘Oh, Hello on Broadway’ alongside Nick Kroll. In 2015 Mulaney released his 3rd hour stand up special a Netflix Original titled The Comeback Kid. He began his career in New York’s East Village and has since toured around the world. In 2008, he began writing at Saturday Night Live where he appeared as a Weekend Update correspondent and co-created characters such as “Stefon” with Bill Hader. He currently writes for IFC’s Documentary Now and for Netflix’s Big Mouth on which he voices the character of Andrew. Mulaney’s first comedy album, The Top Part, was released in 2009. He released his second Comedy Central special and album New In Town in 2012.
Previously announced, Lily Collins (To The Bone, Rules Don’t Apply, Okja) and Tessa Thompson (Dear White People, Creed, Thor: Ragnarok) will co-host the press conference announcing the nominees of the Spirit Awards on Tuesday, November 21, at the Jeremy Hotel in West Hollywood.
This year marks the 33rd edition of the awards show that celebrates the best of independent film. Past Spirit Awards hosts have included Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani, Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell, Patton Oswalt, Andy Samberg, Joel McHale, Sarah Silverman, Samuel L. Jackson, Eddie Izzard, Queen Latifah and John Waters to name a few. The show, which will be held on the beach in Santa Monica, will be executive produced and directed by Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions for the fourth consecutive year. Shawn Davis returns as producer for his 16th year and Danielle Federico and Andrew Schaff also return as co-producers.
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Louis C.K. Admits “These stories are true”
Louis C.K. today released the following statement addressing the allegations of sexual misconduct that were published in yesterday’s New York Times article. In the wake of the report, the release of his upcoming film I Love You, Daddy was canceled by the distributor, The Orchard.
I want to address the stories told to the New York Times by five women named Abby, Rebecca, Dana, Julia who felt able to name themselves and one who did not.
These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my (penis) without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your (penis) isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.
I have been remorseful of my actions. And I’ve tried to learn from them. And run from them. Now I’m aware of the extent of the impact of my actions. I learned yesterday the extent to which I left these women who admired me feeling badly about themselves and cautious around other men who would never have put them in that position.
I also took advantage of the fact that I was widely admired in my and their community, which disabled them from sharing their story and brought hardship to them when they tried because people who look up to me didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t think that I was doing any of that because my position allowed me not to think about it.
There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for. And I have to reconcile it with who I am. Which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.
I wish I had reacted to their admiration of me by being a good example to them as a man and given them some guidance as a comedian, including because I admired their work.
The hardest regret to live with is what you’ve done to hurt someone else. And I can hardly wrap my head around the scope of hurt I brought on them. I’d be remiss to exclude the hurt that I’ve brought on people who I work with and have worked with who’s (sic) professional and personal lives have been impacted by all of this, including projects currently in production: the cast and crew of Better Things, Baskets, The Cops, One Mississippi, and I Love You Daddy (sic). I deeply regret that this has brought negative attention to my manager Dave Becky who only tried to mediate a situation that I caused. I’ve brought anguish and hardship to the people at FX who have given me so much The Orchard who took a chance on my movie and every other entity that has bet on me through the years.
I’ve brought pain to my family, my friends, my children and their mother.
I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen.
Thank you for reading.
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26 Animated Feature Films Submitted for 90th Academy Awards
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Loving Vincent[/caption]
Twenty-six features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 90th Academy Awards. Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.
Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales
Birdboy: The Forgotten Children
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie
Cars 3
Cinderella the Cat
Coco
Despicable Me 3
The Emoji Movie
Ethel & Ernest
Ferdinand
The Girl without Hands
In This Corner of the World
The Lego Batman Movie
The Lego Ninjago Movie
Loving Vincent
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
Moomins and the Winter Wonderland
My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea
Napping Princess
A Silent Voice
Smurfs: The Lost Village
The Star
Sword Art Online: The Movie – Ordinal Scale
Window Horses The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming
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The Orchard No Longer Releasing Louis C.K.’s I LOVE YOU, DADDY
The Orchard will has dropped Louis C.K.’s latest film I Love You, Daddy, after the publication of yesterday’s disturbing bombshell New York Times report where five women accuse the comedian of inappropriate behavior, including the disturbing allegation that he masturbated in front of them. Last night’s premiere, along with a scheduled appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was also canceled.
The distributor’s statement read: “The Orchard will not be moving forward with the release of I Love You, Daddy.”
I Love You, Daddy, written, directed, produced and starring Louis C.K., premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film was acquired by The Orchard for a reported $5 million and was scheduled to be released in theaters on November 17.
Shot on 35mm in black and white, Louis C.K.’s I Love You, Daddy was filmed entirely in secret.
“Everything that’s difficult,” Louis C.K. once said, “you should be able to laugh about.” Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Written, directed, and edited by the comic genius The New York Times called a “stand-up Houdini,” I Love You, Daddy features the deft, conceptual acrobatics C.K.’s fans know best, but also a dive into moral hot water guaranteed to raise the temperature of any film lover. This is an edgy comedy pitched partway between the sharp social observation of his Horace and Pete series and the gasp-inducing laughs of his stand-up. And the less you know going in, the better.
As with Horace and Pete, I Love You, Daddy was made in secret, entirely off the film industry grid of development meetings, international financiers, studio production notes, and test screenings. It is pure, unfiltered Louis C.K., and shows him to be a ruthless observer of showbiz behind the scenes and human nature behind the masks. In addition to taking a central role, he has brought together a dream cast that includes Chloë Grace Moretz, Helen Hunt, Edie Falco, Rose Byrne, Pamela Adlon, Charlie Day, Ebonee Noel, and, in a role that may become one of his signatures, John Malkovich.
I Love You, Daddy also shows C.K. to be quite a cinephile. In an old-school stroke, he shot the film on 35mm, but not just any 35mm. This up-to-the-minute satire was shot on rich, timeless black-and-white film, in a throwback to the classics that inspired it. We don’t see this kind of movie anymore. As for the actions of the characters on display here, we’ll continue to see them so long as artists pursue their visions, and people their desires. [ Toronto International Film Festival]
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BRIMSTONE AND GLORY , CITY OF GHOSTS and STRONG ISLAND Lead Cinema Eye Honors Nominations
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Brimstone & Glory[/caption]
Three films – Viktor Jakovleski’s Brimstone & Glory, Matthew Heineman’s City of Ghosts and Yance Ford’s Strong Island – lead the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors nominations with 4 apiece. Five films received three nominations: Yuri Ancarani’s The Challenge, Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral, Agnès Varda and JR’s Faces Places, Brett Morgen’s Jane and Jonathan Olshefski’s Quest.
City of Ghosts, Faces Places, Quest and Strong Island are joined in the Outstanding Nonfiction Feature category by Frederick Weisman’s Ex Libris: The New York Public Library and Feras Fayyad’s Last Men in Aleppo. Kitty Green (Casting Jon Benet) joins the aforementioned Yuri Ancarani, Yance Ford, Matthew Heineman, Agnés Varda and JR, and Frederick Wiseman as a nominee in the Outstanding Achievement in Direction category.
With his nomination, Frederick Wiseman becomes the first filmmaker in Cinema Eye history to be nominated three times for Outstanding Direction, having been previously nominated for La Danse – The Paris Opera Ballet and In Jackson Heights. He also received Cinema Eye’s 2012 Legacy Award for his 1967 classic Titicut Follies. Agnès Varda won the Outstanding Direction Award in 2010 for The Beaches of Agnés.
Outstanding Direction nominees Kitty Green and Yuri Ancarani were both previously nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Short, Green in 2016 for The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul and Ancarani was nominated twice for Il Capo (2012) and Da Vinci (2014).
Chasing Coral received three nominations, including a nod for Outstanding Cinematography for director Jeff Orlowski, an Honor he won in 2013 for Chasing Ice. Stefan Nadelman, nominated for his Graphic Design work on the Grateful Dead documentary Long Strange Trip, won the same award in 2016 for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.
Ten films were nominated for the annual Audience Choice Prize, which includes many of the year’s most popular and talked about nonfiction films, notably Brett Morgen’s Jane, Ceyda Torun’s Kedi, Amanda Lipitz’ Step, Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis’ Whose Streets? and Gethin Aldous and Jairus McLeary’s The Work. The winner in this category is voted on by the general public.
This year’s Broadcast Nonfiction Filmmaking category includes a number of notable filmmakers, among them a previous Cinema Eye winner and a nominee. Fisher Stevens, a winner for Outstanding Production and Feature for The Cove (2010), is nominated this year with his co-director Alexis Bloom for Bright Lights: Starring Carrie FIsher and Debbie Reynolds (HBO). Ryan White, who was nominated for Production in 2015 for The Case Against 8, is up this year for his Netflix series The Keepers. Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay received her first Cinema Eye nomination for her Netflix film 13th, while veteran filmmaker Kristi Jacobson gets her first nod for the HBO feature doc Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison.
This year’s winners will be announced at the 2018 Honors Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The ceremony will be hosted, for the third consecutive year, by award-winning nonfiction filmmaker Steve James (The Interrupters, Life Itself, Hoop Dreams), who is a Cinema Eye nominee this year for his latest film, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail.
2018 Cinema Eye Honors Award Nominations
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
City of Ghosts Directed and Produced by Matthew Heineman Ex Libris: The New York Public Library Directed and Produced by Frederick Wiseman Faces Places Directed by Agnès Varda and JR (Director) | Produced by Rosalie Varda Last Men in Aleppo Directed by Feras Fayyad | Produced by Kareem Abeed, Stefan Kloos and Søren Steen Jespersen Quest Directed by Jonathan Olshefski | Produced by Sabrina Schmidt Gordon Strong Island Directed by Yance Ford | Produced by Joslyn Barnes and Yance FordOutstanding Achievement in Direction
Kitty Green | Casting JonBenet Matthew Heineman | City of Ghosts Yuri Ancarani | The Challenge Frederick Wiseman | Ex Libris: The New York Public Library Agnès Varda and JR | Faces Places Yance Ford | Strong IslandOutstanding Achievement in Editing
Bill Morrison | Dawson City: Frozen Time Joe Beshenkovsky | Jane TJ Martin | LA92 Keith Fraase and John Walter | Long Strange Trip Lindsay Utz | Quest Francisco Bello, Daniel Garber and David Barker | The Reagan ShowOutstanding Achievement in Production
Nominees to be Determined | Brimstone and Glory Matthew Heineman | City of Ghosts Heino Deckert, Ai Weiwei and Chin-Chin Yap | Human Flow Kareem Abeed, Stefan Kloos and Søren Steen Jespersen | Last Men in Aleppo Brenda Coughlin, Yoni Golijov and Laura Poitras | RiskOutstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Tobias von dem Borne | Brimstone and Glory Yuri Ancarani, Luca Nervegna and Jonathan Ricquebourg | The Challenge Andrew Ackerman and Jeff Orlowski | Chasing Coral TBD | Human Flow Rodrigo Trejo Villanueva | MachinesOutstanding Achievement in Original Music Score
Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin | Brimstone and Glory Francesco Fantini and Lorenzo Senni | The Challenge Alex Somers | Dawson City: Frozen Time Philip Glass | Jane Dan Deacon | Rat Film Hildur Gudnadóttir and Craig Sutherland | Strong IslandOutstanding Achievement in Graphic Design or Animation
Chad Herschberger | 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene Matt Schultz and Shawna Schultz | Chasing Coral Grant Nellessen | Citizen Jane: Battle for the City Daniel Gies and Emily Paige | Let There Be Light Stefan Nadelman | Long Strange TripAudience Choice Prize
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail |Directed by Steve James City of Ghosts | Directed by Matthew Heineman Chasing Coral | Directed by Jeff Orlowski Faces Places | Directed by Agnès Varda and JR Jane | Directed by Brett Morgen Kedi | Directed by Ceyda Torun Quest | Directed by Jonathan Olshefski Step | Directed by Amanda Lipitz Whose Streets? | Directed by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis The Work | Directed by Gethin Aldous and Jairus McLearyOutstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film
Viktor Jakovleski | Brimstone and Glory Anna Zamecka | Communion Rahul Jain | Machines Theo Anthony | Rat Film Yance Ford | Strong IslandOutstanding Achievement in Broadcast Nonfiction Filmmaking
13th Directed by Ava DuVernay | Produced by Ava DuVernay & Howard Barish | For Netflix: Executive Producers Ben Cotner, Adam Del Deo and Lisa Nishimura Abortion: Stories Women Tell Directed and Produced by Tracy Droz Tragos | For HBO Documentary Films: Executive Producer Sheila Nevins, Senior Producer Sara Bernstein Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Directed by Alexis Bloom & Fisher Stevens | Produced by Alexis Bloom, Fisher Stevens, Julie Nives & Todd Fisher | For HBO Documentary Films: Executive Producer Sheila Nevins, Senior Producer Nancy Abraham Five Came Back Directed by Laurent Bouzereau | Produced by John Battsek & Laurent Bouzereau | For Netflix: Executive Producers Ben Cotner, Adam Del Deo and Lisa Nishimura The Keepers Directed by Ryan White | For Netflix: Executive Producers Ben Cotner, Jason Springarn-Koff and Lisa Nishimura Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison Directed and Produced by Kristi Jacobson | Produced by Katie Mitchell and Julie Goldman | For HBO Documentary Films: Executive Producer Sheila Nevins, Senior Producer Nancy AbrahamSpotlight Award
Donkeyote | Directed by Chico Pereira An Insignificant Man | Directed by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle | Directed by Gustavo Salmerón Plastic China | Directed by Jiuliang Wang Stranger in Paradise | Directed by Guido Hendrikx Taste of Cement | Directed by Ziad KalthoumOutstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking
Edith+Eddie | Directed by Laura Checkoway Heroin(e) | Directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon Little Potato | Directed by Wes Hurley and Nathan M. Miller Polonaise | Directed by Agnieszka Elbanowska The Rabbit Hunt | Directed by Patrick Bresnan Ten Meter Tower | Directed by Maximilien Van Aertryck & Axel DanielsonThe Unforgettables | Non-competitive Honor
Chanterelle Sung, Hwei Lin Sung, Jill Sung, Thomas Sung & Vera Sung |Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Bobbi Jene Smith | Bobbi Jene Abdalaziz Alhamza, Hamoud Almousa and Mohamad Almusari | For City of Ghosts Ola Kaczanowska | Communion Dolores Huerta | Dolores Dina Buno and Scott Levin | Dina Agnès Varda | Faces Places Daje Shelton | For Ahkeem Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov | Icarus Dr. Jane Goodall | Jane Jim Carrey | Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond Christine’a Rainey, Christopher “Quest” Rainey, PJ Rainey and William Withers | Quest Yance Ford | Strong Island Jennifer Brea | Unrest Brian, Charles, Chris, Dark Cloud, Kiki and Vegas | The Work
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ON BODY AND SOUL and THE SQUARE Lead Nominations for European Film Awards
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ON BODY AND SOUL[/caption]
Ildikó Enyedi’s ON BODY AND SOUL and Ruben Östlund’s social satire THE SQUARE, lead the nominations for the 30th European Film Awards with four nominations each, including Best European Film, Best European Director and Best European Screenwriter, as well actress Alexandra Borbély in ON BODY AND SOUL and actor Claes Bang in THE SQUARE.
Two films have garnered three nominations each: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s LOVELESS, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ family drama THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER. LOVELESS is nominated for European Film, as well as Zvyagintsev for directing and together with Oleg Negin as screenwriter. Yorgos Lanthimos is nominated for director and, shared with co-author Efthimis Filippou, as screenwriter. Colin Farrell is nominated as actor in the film.
Aki Kaurismäki’s refugee melodrama THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE is nominated for European Film and directing. The remaining film nominated for European Film is Robin Campillo’s AIDS drama BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE), actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart received a nomination as well.
Nominees for Best Documentary include AUSTERLITZ by Sergei Loznitsa (Germany); COMMUNION (Komunia) by Anna Zamecka (Poland); LA CHANA by Lucija Stojevic (Spain, Iceland, USA); STRANGER IN PARADISE by Guido Hendrikx (the Netherlands) and THE GOOD POSTMAN by Tonislav Hristov (Finland, Bulgaria).
The winners will be presented during the awards ceremony on December 9 in Berlin.
European Film Awards 2017 Nominations
EUROPEAN FILM 2017
BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) 120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE France 145 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Robin Campillo PRODUCED BY Marie-Ange Luciani & Hugues Charbonneau LOVELESS НЕЛЮБОВЬ (NELYUBOV) Russia, Belgium, Germany, France 127 min DIRECTED BY Andrey Zvyagintsev WRITTEN BY Oleg Negin & Andrey Zvyagintsev PRODUCED BY Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov & Gleb Fetisov ON BODY AND SOUL TESTRŐL ÉS LÉLEKRŐL Hungary 116 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ildikó Enyedi PRODUCED BY Mónika Mécs, András Muhi & Ernö Mesterházy THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE TOIVON TUOLLA PUOLEN Finland, Germany 100 min WRITTEN, DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY Aki Kaurismäki THE SQUARE Sweden, Germany, France, Denmark 145 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ruben Östlund PRODUCED BY Erik Hemmendorff & Philippe BoberEUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2017
AUSTERLITZ Germany 94 min WRITTEN, DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY Sergei Loznitsa COMMUNION KOMUNIA Poland 72 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Anna Zamecka PRODUCED BY Anna Wydra, Anna Zamecka, Zuzanna Krol, Izabela Lopuch & Hanka Kastelicová LA CHANA Spain, Iceland, USA 86 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Lucija Stojevic PRODUCED BY Lucija Stojevic, Greta Olafsdottir, Deirdre Towers & Susan Muska STRANGER IN PARADISE Netherlands 72 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Guido Hendrikx PRODUCED BY Frank van den Engel THE GOOD POSTMAN Finland, Bulgaria 80 min DIRECTED BY Tonislav Hristov WRITTEN BY: Tonislav Hristov, Lubomir Tsvetkov PRODUCED BY Kaarle Aho & Kai NordbergEUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2017
Ildikó Enyedi for ON BODY AND SOUL Aki Kaurismäki for THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE Yorgos Lanthimos for THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Ruben Östlund for THE SQUARE Andrey Zvyagintsev for LOVELESSEUROPEAN ACTRESS 2017
Paula Beer in FRANTZ Juliette Binoche in BRIGHT SUNSHINE IN Alexandra Borbély in ON BODY AND SOUL Isabelle Huppert in HAPPY END Florence Pugh in LADY MACBETHEUROPEAN ACTOR 2017
Claes Bang in THE SQUARE Colin Farrell in THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Josef Hader in STEFAN ZWEIG – FAREWELL TO EUROPE Nahuel Pérez Biscayart in BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) Jean-Louis Trintignant in HAPPY ENDEUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2017
Ildikó Enyedi for ON BODY AND SOUL Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou for THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Oleg Negin & Andrey Zvyagintsev for LOVELESS Ruben Östlund for THE SQUARE François Ozon for FRANTZ
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Lady Macbeth Leads with 15 Nominations for 2017 British Independent Film Awards | Complete List
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Lady Macbeth[/caption]
Lady Macbeth topped the list of nominations for the 2017 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with 15 nominations including Best British Independent Film. The Death of Stalin, I Am Not a Witch follow with 13 nominations each; and God’s Own Country and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri each nominated 11 times. Overall, debut features dominate the nominations list, with the first-time writers, producers and directors of Lady Macbeth, I Am Not a Witch and God’s Own Country all recognized in the three newcomer categories – Debut Screenwriter, Breakthrough Producer and The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director – as well as Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best British Independent Film.
Past BIFA winners Armando Iannucci and Martin McDonagh are the writer-directors of this year’s other two Best British Independent Film nominees, The Death of Stalin and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Both films have two nominees in the Best Supporting Actor category, with The Death of Stalin’s Simon Russell Beale and Steve Buscemi taking on Three Billboards’ Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. Frances McDormand is nominated for Best Actress for her performance in Three Billboards and Andrea Riseborough for Supporting Actress for The Death of Stalin. Both films also have nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay.
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool has four nominations including two for past BIFA winners Jamie Bell and Julie Walters, nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Gary Oldman will receive The Variety Award at the ceremony.The Variety Award recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK. Past winners include Kate Winslet, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Greengrass, Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Liam Neeson, Sir Michael Caine, Naomie Harris, Daniel Craig, Helen Mirren and Richard Curtis.
Winners will be announced by host Mark Gatiss at the British Independent Film Awards Ceremony on Sunday December 10 at Old Billingsgate.
Best British Independent Film
The Death of Stalin God’s Own Country I Am Not a Witch Lady Macbeth Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriBest International Independent Film
The Florida Project Get Out I Am Not Your Negro Loveless The SquareBest Director
Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin) Francis Lee (God’s Own Country) Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch) William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth)Best Screenplay
Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth) Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin (The Death of Stalin) Francis Lee (God’s Own Country) Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch)Best Actress
Emily Beecham (Daphne) Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Margaret Mulubwa (I Am Not a Witch) Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth) Ruth Wilson (Dark River)Best Actor
Jamie Bell (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool) Paddy Considine (Journeyman) Johnny Harris (Jawbone) Josh O’Connor (God’s Own Country) Alec Secareanu (God’s Own Country)Best Supporting Actress
Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth) Patricia Clarkson (The Party) Kelly MacDonald (Goodbye Christopher Robin) Andrea Riseborough (The Death of Stalin) Julie Walters (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)Best Supporting Actor
Simon Russell Beale (The Death of Stalin) Steve Buscemi (The Death of Stalin) Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Ian Hart (God’s Own Country) Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)Most Promising Newcomer sponsored by The London EDITION
Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth) Harry Gilby (Just Charlie) Cosmo Jarvis (Lady Macbeth) Harry Michell (Chubby Funny) Lily Newmark (Pin Cushion)The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)
Deborah Haywood (Pin Cushion) Francis Lee (God’s Own Country) Thomas Napper (Jawbone) Rungani Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch) William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth)Debut Screenwriter
Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth) Gaby Chiappe (Their Finest) Johnny Harris (Jawbone) Francis Lee (God’s Own Country) Rungani Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch)Breakthrough Producer
Gavin Humphries (Pin Cushion) Emily Morgan (I Am Not a Witch) Brendan Mullin, Katy Jackson (Bad Day For The Cut) Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly (Lady Macbeth) Jack Tarling, Manon Ardisson (God’s Own Country)The Discovery Award
Even When I Fall Halfway In Another Life Isolani R My Pure LandBest Documentary
Almost Heaven Half Way Kingdom Of Us Uncle Howard WilliamsBest British Short Film
1745 Fish Story The Entertainer Work Wren BoysBest Cinematography
Ben Davis (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) David Gallego (I Am Not a Witch) Tat Radcliffe (Jawbone) Thomas Riedelsheimer (Leaning Into the Wind) Ari Wegner (Lady Macbeth)Best Casting
Shaheen Baig (Lady Macbeth) Shaheen Baig, layla Merrick-Wolf (God’s Own Country) Sarah Crowe (The Death of Stalin) Sarah Halley Finn (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Debbie McWilliams (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)Best Costume Design
Dinah Collin (My Cousin Rachel) Suzie Harman (The Death of Stalin) Sandy Powell (How to Talk to Girls at Parties) Holly Rebecca (I Am Not a Witch) Holly Waddington (Lady Macbeth)Best Editing
Johnny Burke (Williams) David Charap (Jawbone) Jon Gregory (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Peter Lambert (The Death of Stalin) Joe Martin (Us And Them)Best Effects
Nick Allder, Ben White (The Ritual) Luke Dodd (Journeyman) Effects team (The Death of Stalin) Dan Martin (Double Date) Chris Reynolds (Their Finest)Best Make Up & Hair Design
Julene Paton (I Am Not a Witch) Jan Sewell (Breathe) Nadia Stacey (Journeyman) Nicole Stafford (The Death of Stalin) Sian Wilson (Lady Macbeth)Best Music
Carter Burwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Fred Frith (Leaning Into The Wind) Matt Kelly (I Am Not a Witch) Paul Weller (Jawbone) Christopher Willis (The Death of Stalin)Best Production Design
Jacqueline Abrahams (Lady Macbeth) Cristina Casali (The Death of Stalin) James Merifield (Final Portrait) Nathan Parker (I Am Not a Witch) Eve Stewart (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)Best Sound
Anna Bertmark (God’s Own Country) Maiken Hansen (I Am Not a Witch) Andy Shelley, Steve Griffiths (Jawbone) Joakim Sundström (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Sound team (Breathe)
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2017 Directors Guild of Canada Awards – “Luk’Luk’I” Wins Discovery Award
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Luk’Luk’I[/caption]
The 2017 Directors Guild of Canada Awards were presented last night in Toronto, and emerging filmmaker Wayne Mapeemukwa won the 2017 DGC Discovery Award for his film Luk’Luk’I.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV1734KZvIA
Bruce McDonald won the award for Best Feature Film director for his film the Weirdos; and Fred Peabody won the award for Best Documentary Film director and Best Picture Editing for All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception and the Spirit of I.F. Stone.
The Awards were presented at the annual event on Saturday, October 28, 2017, and all the presenters for the evening were all female directors working in the industry today.
“Part of the DGC’s mandate is to celebrate excellence,” stated Tim Southam, National President, DGC. “And these women and men have worked together to inspire and create exceptional works. It is especially important now to showcase Canada’s successes and I am proud to work side by side with these talented filmmakers.”
2017 Directors Guild of Canada Awards
DGC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Don Shebib DON HALDANE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Anne Sirois OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM Bruce McDonald – Weirdos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iXeBAw53X0 OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES Holly Dale – Mary Kills People OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES Helen Shaver – Vikings OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES Aleysa Young – Baroness Von Sketch Show OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FAMILY SERIES Dean Bennett – Heartland ALLAN KING AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN DOCUMENTARY All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception and the Spirit of I.F. Stone – Fred Peabody https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_cKC0_sGu0 BEST PICTURE EDITING – DOCUMENTARY Jim Munro – All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception and The Spirit of I.F. Stone BEST SHORT FILM (tie) Gatekeeper Tuesday 10:08 A.M. BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE FILM Awakening the Zodiac – Lisa Soper BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES Rob Gray – Cardinal BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – TELEVISION SERIES John Dondertman – Orphan Black, Human Raw Material BEST PICTURE EDITING – FEATURE FILM Ron Sanders/Sandy Pereira – Mean Dreams BEST PICTURE EDITING – MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES Teresa De Luca – Cardinal BEST PICTURE EDITING – TELEVISION SERIES Donald Cassidy – Vikings – In the Uncertain Hour Before the Morning BEST SOUND EDITING – FEATURE FILM Ratchet & Clank – Nelson Ferreira, J.R. Fountain, Dashen Naidoo, John D. Smith BEST SOUND EDITING – MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES Cardinal – Claire Dobson, Nelson Ferreira, Paul Germann, David McCallum, Jane Tattersall BEST SOUND EDITING – TELEVISION SERIES Vikings, The Last Ship – Claire Dobson, Andrew Jablonski, David McCallum, Steve Medeiros, Brennan Mercer, Dale Sheldrake, Jane Tattersall
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4 Animation Films and 4 Comedies Nominated for European Film Awards 2017
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Welcome to Germany[/caption]
The European Film Academy announced the four nominations for the award categories European Animated Film 2017 and European Comedy 2017.
The nominated films will soon be submitted to the more than 3,000 EFA Members to elect the winner.
The European Comedy 2017 and the European Animated Feature Film 2017 will then be presented at the 30th European Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, December 9, in Berlin.
FILMS NOMINATED FOR EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2017:
ETHEL & ERNEST UK, Luxembourg 94 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Roger Mainwood PRODUCED BY Camilla Deakin, Ruth Fielding & Stephan Roelants ANIMATION: Peter Dodd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1DXpgaN2zA LOUISE BY THE SHORE LOUISE EN HIVER France, Canada 75 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Jean-François Laguionie PRODUCED BY Jean-Pierre Lemouland & Galilé Gauvin-Marion ANIMATION: Lionel Chauvin & Joahanna Bessière https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni9k7b2aBVo LOVING VINCENT Poland, UK 94 min DIRECTED BY Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman WRITTEN BY Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman & Jacek Dehnel PRODUCED BY Hugh Welchman, Ivan Mactaggart & Sean Bobbitt ANIMATION: Piotr Kolski https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy0RVDM1sNA ZOMBILLÉNIUM France, Belgium 80 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord PRODUCED BY Henri Megalon & Léon Pérahia ANIMATION: David Nasser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fosbwa_zhb8FILMS NOMINATED FOR EUROPEAN COMEDY 2017:
KING OF THE BELGIANS Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria 94 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Jessica Woodworth & Peter Brosens PRODUCED BY Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth, François Touwaide, Frans van Gestel, Arnold Heslenfeld, Laurette Schillings, Mira Staleva & Stefan Kitanov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG9vmzUIOSk&t=10s THE SQUARE Sweden, Germany, France, Denmark 145 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ruben Östlund PRODUCED BY Erik Hemmendorff & Philippe Bober https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKDPrpJEGBY VINCENT AND THE END OF THE WORLD VINCENT Belgium, France 121 min DIRECTED BY Christophe van Rompaey WRITTEN BY Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem PRODUCED BY Dries Phlypo, Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, Emmanuel Giraud & Aurélie Bordier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XBZ7TTqNHg WELCOME TO GERMANY WILLKOMMEN BEI DEN HARTMANNS Germany 116 min WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Simon Verhoeven PRODUCED BY Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, Michael Verhoeven & Stefan Gärtner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RflLJPlq7SM
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Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s VR “CARNE y ARENA” Awarded Special Oscar
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s virtual reality installation, “CARNE y ARENA (Virtually Present, Physically Invisible),” has been given a Special Award – an Oscar statuette – in recognition of a visionary and powerful experience in storytelling.
“The Governors of the Academy are proud to present a special Oscar to ‘CARNE y ARENA,’ in which Alejandro Iñárritu and his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have opened for us new doors of cinematic perception,” said Academy President John Bailey. “‘CARNE y ARENA,’ Iñárritu’s multimedia art and cinema experience, is a deeply emotional and physically immersive venture into the world of migrants crossing the desert of the American southwest in early dawn light. More than even a creative breakthrough in the still emerging form of virtual reality, it viscerally connects us to the hot-button political and social realities of the U.S.-Mexico border.”
“CARNE y ARENA,” currently on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Fondazione Prada in Milan, and Tlatelolco Cultural Center in Mexico City, is a collaboration between Iñárritu, Lubezki, producer Mary Parent, Legendary Entertainment, Fondazione Prada, ILMxLAB, and Emerson Collective. Katie Calhoon executive produced.
In recognition of this achievement, an Oscar will be presented to “CARNE y ARENA” at the Academy’s 9th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 11, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center.