News

All the News.

20 FEET FROM STARDOM, THE LADY IN NUMBER 6: MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE Among 2014 Academy Award Oscar Winners

At the 86th Academy Awards held on Sunday night, he best documentary award went to 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, and Italy picked up it’s 11th best foreign film Oscar for THE GREAT BEAUTY. The documentary short Oscar went to THE LADY IN NUMBER 6: MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE, about 110-year-old Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz Sommer, who died just days before the ceremony.

The complete list of winners of 86th Academy Awards.

Best picture
12 YEARS A SLAVE – Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen and Anthony Katagas, Producers (WINNER)
AMERICAN HUSTLE – Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS – Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, Producers
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB – Robbie Brenner and Rachel Winter, Producers
GRAVITY – Alfonso Cuaron and David Heyman, Producers
HER – Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze and Vincent Landay, Producers
NEBRASKA – Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, Producers
PHILOMENA – Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan and Tracey Seaward, Producers
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – Nominees to be determined

Best performance by an actor in a leading role
Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (Focus Features) (WINNER)
Christian Bale, AMERICAN HUSTLE (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA (Paramount)
Leonardo DiCaprio, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (Paramount)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Fox Searchlight)

Best performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE (Sony Pictures Classics) (WINNER)
Amy Adams, AMERICAN HUSTLE (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Sandra Bullock, GRAVITY (Warner Bros.)
Judi Dench, PHILOMENA (The Weinstein Company)
Meryl Streep, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (The Weinstein Company)

Achievement in directing
GRAVITY, Alfonso Cuaron (WINNER)
AMERICAN HUSTLE, David O. Russell
NEBRASKA, Alexander Payne
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Steve McQueen
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Martin Scorsese

Original screenplay
HER, Spike Jonze (WINNER)
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
BLUE JASMINE, Woody Allen
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
NEBRASKA, Bob Nelson

Adapted screenplay
12 YEARS A SLAVE, John Ridley (WINNER)
BEFORE MIDNIGHT, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Billy Ray
PHILOMENA, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Terence Winter

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Let It Go” from FROZEN; Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (WINNER)
“Alone Yet Not Alone” from ALONE YET NOT ALONE; Music by Bruce Broughton; Lyrics by Dennis Spiegel
“Happy” from DESPICABLE ME 2; Music and Lyrics by Pharrell Williams
“The Moon Song” from HER; Music by Karen O; Lyrics by Karen O and Spike Jonze
“Ordinary Love” from MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM; Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; Lyrics by Paul Hewson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
GRAVITY, Steven Price (WINNER)
THE BOOK THIEF, John Williams
HER, William Butler and Owen Pallett
PHILOMENA, Alexandre Desplat
SAVING MR. BANKS, Thomas Newman

Achievement in production design
THE GREAT GATSBY, Production Design: Catherine Martin; Set Decoration: Beverley Dunn(WINNER)
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Heather Loeffler
GRAVITY, Production Design: Andy Nicholson; Set Decoration: Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard
HER, Production Design: K.K. Barrett; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Alice Baker

Achievement in film editing
GRAVITY, Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger (WINNER)
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
CAPTAIN Phillips, Christopher Rouse
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Joe Walker

Achievement in cinematography
GRAVITY, Emmanuel Lubezki (WINNER)
THE GRANDMASTER, Philippe Le Sourd
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Bruno Delbonnel
NEBRASKA, Phedon Papamichael
PRISONERS, Roger A. Deakins

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE (WINNER)
Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE
June Squibb, NEBRASKA
Julia Roberts, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Sally Hawkins, BLUE JASMINE

Achievement in sound editing
GRAVITY, Glenn Freemantle (WINNER)
ALL IS LOST, Steve Boeddeker and Richard Hymns
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Oliver Tarney
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, Brent Burge
LONE SURVIVOR, Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
GRAVITY, Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro (WINNER)
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith and Chris Munro
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick and Tony Johnson
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
LONE SURVIVOR, Andy Koyama, Beau Borders and David Brownlow

Best foreign-language film
THE GREAT BEAUTY, Italy (WINNER)
THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN, Belgium
THE HUNT, Denmark
THE MISSING PICTURE Cambodia
OMAR, Palestine

Best documentary feature
20 FEET FROM STARDOM,, Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen and Caitrin Rogers (WINNER)
THE ACT OF KILLING, Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
CUTIE AND THE BOXER, Zachary Heinzerling and Lydia Dean Pilcher
DIRTY WARS,Richard Rowley and Jeremy Scahill
THE SQUARE, Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer

Best documentary short subject
THE LADY IN NUMBER 6: MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE, Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed (WINNER)
CAVEDIGGER, Jeffrey Karoff
FACING FEAR, Jason Cohen
KARAMA HAS NO WALLS, Sara Ishaq
PRISON TERMINAL: THE LAST DAYS OF PRIVATE JACK HALL, Edgar Barens

Best live-action short film
HELIUM, Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson (WINNER)
AQUEL NO ERA YO (THAT WASN’T ME), Esteban Crespo
AVANT QUE DE TOUT PERDRE (JUST BEFORE LOSING EVERYTHING), Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras
PITAAKO MUN KAIKKI HOITAA? (DO I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING?), Selma Vilhunen and KirsikkaSaari
THE VOORMAN PROBLEM, Mark Gill and Baldwin Li

Achievement in visual effects
GRAVITY, Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould (WINNER)
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds
IRON MAN 3, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick
THE LONE RANGER, Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann and Burt Dalton

Best animated feature
FROZEN (WINNER)
THE CROODS
THE WIND RISES
DESPICABLE ME 2
ERNEST & CELESTINE

Best animated short film
MR. HUBLOT, Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares (WINNER)
FERAL, Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden
GET A HORSE!, Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim
POSSESSIONS, Shuhei Morita
ROOM ON THE BROOM, Max Lang and Jan Lachauer

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews (WINNER)
JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA, Stephen Prouty
THE LONE RANGER, Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

Achievement in costume design
THE GREAT GATSBY, Catherine Martin (WINNER)
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Michael Wilkinson
THE GRANDMASTER, William Chang Suk Ping
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, Michael O’Connor
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Patricia Norris

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role
Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (WINNER)
Barkhad Abdi, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Bradley Cooper, AMERICAN HUSTLE
Michael Fassbender, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Jonah Hill, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Read more
Guillaume Gallienne’s ME, MYSELF AND MUM is Big Winner at 39th César Awards

Guillaume Gallienne’s ME, MYSELF AND MUM

Guillaume Gallienne’s ME, MYSELF AND MUM was the big winner at the 39th César Awards in Paris, taking home five awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adaptation, Best First Film and Best Editing. Adapted from his one-man stage show, Guillaume Gallienne shows what it’s like to grow up as a boy when everyone is convinced that you’re really a girl – or should have been. Playing both himself and his frosty grande dame mother, Gallienne traces his life from childhood in an aristocratic family through adventures in Spain, ill-fated stints at boarding school and a hair-raising spa visit to the present, when he comes out as… well, simply as his own uncategorisable self.

The complete list of winners of the 39th Cesar Awards:

Best Picture: Me, Myself and Mum

Honorary Cesar: Scarlett Johansson

Best Director: Roman Polanski for La Vénus à la fourrure

Best Actor: Guillaume Gallienne for Me, Myself and Mum

Best Actress: Sandrine Kiberlain for 9 Month Stretch

Best Supporting Actor: Niels Arestrup for Quai d’Orsay

Best Supporting Actress: Adèle Haenel for Suzanne

Most Promising Actress (Newcomer): Adèle Exarchopoulos for Blue Is The Warmest Color

Most Promising Actor (Newcomer): Pierre Deladonchamps for Stranger by the Lake

Best Original Screenplay: Albert Dupontel for 9 Month Stretch

Best Foreign Film: The Broken Circle Breakdown by Felix van Groeningen

Best First Film: Me, Myself and Mum by Guillaume Gallienne

Best Costume: Pascaline Chavanne for Renoir

Best Original Score: Martin Wheeler for Michael Kohlhaas

Best Production Design: Stephane Rozenbaum for L’Ecume des Jours

Best Sound: Jean-Pierre Duret, Jean Mallet and Melissa Petitjean for Michael Kohlhaas

Best Documentary: Sur le Chemin de l’Ecole by Pascal Plisson

Best Adapted Screenplay: Me, Myself and Mum by Guillaume Gallienne

Best Animated Feature Film: Loulou l’Incroyable Secret by Eric Omond

Best Animated Short Film: Mademoiselle Kiki et les Montparnos by Amelie Harrault

Best Editing: Valerie Deseine for Me, Myself and Mum

Best Cinematography: Thomas Hardmeier for The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

Best Short Film: Avant Que de Tout Perdre by Xavier Legrand

via collider | film description via BFI
Read more
Zach Braff’s WISH I WAS HERE Sets Release Date

WISH I WAS HERE, directed by Zach Braff, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival to lukewarm reviews, will open in theaters July 18, 2014, in Los Angeles and New York, and then expanding to more markets on July 25 and August 1. WISH I WAS HERE, a followup to Braff’s indie breakout hit Garden State, is a comedy about a 30-something man (Braff) arriving a major crossroads that push him to examine his life, career, and his family.

Following his celebrated debut feature, GARDEN STATE, Zach Braff delivers a new postcard from the edge of existential crisis, this time playing a thirtysomething family man wrestling with a few minor hindrances—like his disapproving father, an elusive God, and yes, adult responsibility. Aidan Bloom is a pot-smoking actor whose last job, a dandruff commercial, was longer ago than he cares to admit. Pursuing his thespian dream has landed him and his wife in tough financial straits, so when his grumpy father can no longer pay for the kids to attend Jewish Yeshiva, Aidan opts for homeschooling. To the chagrin of his hyperdisciplined, religious daughter and the delight of his less-than-studious son, Aidan takes matters into his own imaginative hands, rather than sticking to the boring old traditional curriculum. | Sundance Film Festival

Read more
Winners Announced for 2014 Spirit Awards; FRUITVALE STATION, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, 12 YEARS A SLAVE Among Winners

The 29th Spirit Awards ceremony was held this afternoon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, with top honors going to 12 YEARS A SLAVE, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB and NEBRASKA. BLUE JASMINE, FRUITVALE STATION, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, SHORT TERM 12, THIS IS MARTIN BONNER and 20 FEET FROM STARDOM also received awards at the ceremony.

This year’s major category winners were 12 YEARS A SLAVE, which won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Female and Best Cinematography and DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, which won Best Supporting Male and Best Male Lead; FRUITVALE STATION which won Best First Feature and NEBRASKA, which won Best First Screenplay; BLUE JASMINE, which won Best Female Lead, SHORT TERM 12 which won Best Editing; THIS IS MARTIN BONNER, which won the John Cassavetes Award; BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, which won Best International Film and 20 FEET FROM STARDOM which won Best Documentary.

The following is the complete list of the winners:

Best Feature: 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Dede Gardner, Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Brad Pitt, Bill Pohlad

Best Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best First Feature: Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)
Director: Ryan Coogler, Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker

Best First Screenplay: Bob Nelson, Nebraska (Paramount Pictures)

John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000):
This is Martin Bonner (Monterey Media inc)
Writer/Director: Chad Hartigan, Producer: Cherie Saulter

Best Supporting Female: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Supporting Male: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Best Female Lead: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Male Lead: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club, (Focus Features)

Robert Altman Award: Mud (Roadside Attractions / Lionsgate)
Director: Jeff Nichols, Casting Director: Francine Maisler, Ensemble Cast: Joe Don Baker, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Tye Sheridan, Paul Sparks, Bonnie Sturdivant, Reese Witherspoon

Best Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Editing: Nat Sanders, Short Term 12 (Cinedigm)

Best International Film: Blue is the Warmest Color (France- IFC Films)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

Best Documentary: 20 Feet From Stardom (Radius-TWC)
Director/Producer: Morgan Neville, Producers: Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers
Read more
Kat Candler’s HELLION from Sundance Film Festival to Get a U.S. Release

Kat Candler’s HELLION which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, will be released in the U.S. by Sundance Selects. HELLION is written by Candler, based on her short film that screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and stars Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, and newcomer Josh Wiggins. Sundance Selects will release the film in theaters and on VOD later this year.

Writer/director Kat Candler’s HELLION paints the powerful portrait of a family on the brink of dissolution set against the haunting backdrop of the refineries of Southeast Texas.

Obsessed with heavy metal, dirt bike racing and partaking in the occasional act of vandalism with his band of delinquents, the behavior of 13-year-old Jacob Wilson (Josh Wiggins in his feature film debut) has begun to raise concerns around town, especially when it starts to involve his younger brother Wes (newcomer Deke Garner). While the boys’ father Hollis (two-time Emmy Award-winner Aaron Paul) loves his sons, he is still reeling from the loss of their mother, spending more time drowning his sorrows at the local bar and working on his damaged beach house than being an active parent.

When the local authorities catch wind of the increasingly volatile situation, Wes is taken into custody by his Aunt Pam (Academy Award nominee Juliette Lewis), leaving Jacob and Hollis to fend for themselves. In Wes’ absence, Jacob becomes increasingly obsessed with two things: winning a local motocross championship and getting his brother back. via Facebook
Read more
FRUITVALE STATION, WAR WITCH Among Winners of the 45th NAACP Image Awards

FRUITVALE STATION

The winners of the 45th NAACP Image Awards were announced this weekend, and “FRUITVALE STATION” won the award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture, and “WAR WITCH” won the Outstanding International Motion Picture award. “FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS” received the award for Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical), and RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC won the award for Outstanding Documentary – (Television).

Motion Picture Categories

Outstanding Motion Picture
“12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Forest Whitaker – “LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment,
Laura Ziskin Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – “BLACK NATIVITY” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/Mavin Pictures/Wonderful Films)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
David Oyelowo – “LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment,
Laura Ziskin Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Lupita Nyong’o – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Entertainer of the Year
Kevin Hart

Motion Picture Categories
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“FRUITVALE STATION” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG Project)

Outstanding International Motion Picture
“WAR WITCH” (Item 7)

Documentary Categories
Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical)
“FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS” (Codeblack Films/Lionsgate)

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC (Showtime)

Writing Categories
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Vincent Brown – “A.N.T. Farm” – InfluANTces (Disney Channel)

Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
Janine Sherman Barrois – “Criminal Minds” – Strange Fruit (CBS)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
John Ridley – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Directing Categories
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Millicent Shelton – “The Hustle” – Rule 4080 (FUSE)

Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
Regina King – “SouthLAnd” – Off Duty (TNT)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
Steve McQueen – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Read more
Noah Cowan Appointed Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society

Noah Cowan has been appointed Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society (SFFS), effective March 3. Cowan joins SFFS after five years as Artistic Director of TIFF Bell Lightbox, the landmark cinema museum space in Toronto and home of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

“The board and staff of the San Francisco Film Society are thrilled to have Noah Cowan join us to lead this organization into the future,” said David Winton, SFFS board president. “His intimate knowledge of the international film scene and his many achievements in Toronto make him the perfect person to continue building on the Film Society’s mission of showcasing the best in world cinema, promoting media literacy in our schools and supporting exceptional independent filmmakers.”

“I am grateful to the Board of Directors of the Film Society for providing this remarkable opportunity,” said Cowan. “The Bay Area has a storied relationship to cinema’s century-plus history and is currently home to the technology companies that will decisively influence the medium’s future. SFFS is uniquely positioned to work with filmmakers, educators and enthusiastic local audiences to embrace the dynamic and exciting changes taking place within the industry and continue to ensure that great cinema is made, seen and appreciated.”

Read more
Talking Revolution, Politics in Egypt and Global Uprising with The Square’s Director-Jehane Noujaim

THE SQUARE, a riveting documentary nominated for an Oscar this year, actually takes the audience into the turbulent, vibrant center of the Egyptian Revolution. THE SQUARE, directed by Jehane Noujaim, is an astonishing document of Egypt’s uprising, and a remarkable exercise in the power of witness.

The film begins in 2011 with the very first protests in the streets of Cairo and in Tahrir Square, and focuses on three unlikely comrades in arms: Khalid Abdalla is an Egyptian movie star, famous both in the US and abroad (he starred in such films as The Kite Runner), who gave up his busy actor’s life in London to join in the Revolution, becoming its unofficial spokesperson in the process; Ahmed Hassan -a smiling, self-deprecating young man- filled with both committed enthusiasm and undisguised joy at being a part of something much larger than himself; and Magdy Ashour , who is both conflicted by and compelled by the Revolution: A man who is “with” the Muslim Brotherhood, only to flip sides in 2011 and siding with those in Tahrir Square. His journey, as he mustmake decisions based on both his faith and the financial care of his family, only highlight the extraordinary complexities which currently plague so muchofMiddle Eastern politics today.

These truly gripping portraits, along with those of fellow activists Ragia, a human rights lawyer, Ramy Essam, who becomes a popular folksinger throughout the course of the film, and is also badly arrested and brutally beaten during the course of the film; and Aida, a young woman with a sharply keen sense of which way the political is blowing, searingly round out what is truly an unprecedented look into what makes a country decide they have simply had enough. Raw, funny and often edge-of-your seat intense and immediate, The Square is a spectacular, must-see document. We are right in the fray with the Egyptian protestors, through the ousting of both Mubarak and Morsi –Egyptian men and women of all ages, religious and social differences- putting it all aside in the struggle for freedom and a democratic state. We are seeing not political talking heads nor extreme Muslim Brotherhood members-but a courageous group, which by the end of the film has amassed into literally millions, of brave activists.

At the stormy center of the film and the Revolution itself were Noujaim and her tiny crew, risking their lives and often the film’s footage itself, (they slept right alongside their subjects right in Tahrir Square, tear gas and all). Charming and confident, born in Cairo and Harvard-educated,Noujaim has already won the TED Prize (in 2006) and directed such documentaries Control Room and Startup.com.I had the great pleasure of sitting down to speak with her a week before the Oscars:

FM: I just have to ask you: How did you all (your crew) keep yourselves safe during these often-violent protests at Tahrir Square? (both armies and police became considerably more agressive as regimes changed and the demonstrations continued). You are so brave.

Director Jehane Noujaim: Oh, I don’t think I’m brave. I mean, I may make films about heroes, but, honestly, we learned so much from them. It’s kind of like when you’re standing with people that are putting everything that they have on the line, to fight for what they believe in-they could be arrested, and they could be facing years in prison, you just, I don’t know…You just learn a great deal from them, and there’s a fearlessness that develops. You know, you’re identifying , at least, I do-I end up identifying with and to live the life of- the people I’m filming. And that’s’ why I get so close to them. We were all sleeping in the Square, with the tear gas (being thrown), taking the same kinds of risks. Although, of course, not as much, as I have an American passport, I have people that…If I’m imprisoned, I know that there’s going to be articles written about me, which, in a way, puts me in a much safer situation. I mean, you would think so, anyway. I do have a friend, an Al-Jazeera journalist, who has been in prison for two months now.

FM: So you felt some level of safety?

Director Jehane Noujaim: I would say there’s never 100% safety: For yourself, for your crew, for your characters, for your footage…But you can take precautions, and the precautions that I took were, the minute that I knew I had filmed something incredible, I’d immediately take out the video card, go back to the office, and download it. And we’d continue copying drives, and make sure that the drives were in different places, and then any time someone would leave the country, we would send the drives out.So, there was this kind of process. In terms of our personal safety, everyone on the team has at one time been tear gassed, been shot at, jailed…So, there was no such thing as hiring anyone to come onto this project. We all met in the Square. The film came out of The Square. But that’s also the only way that it could have happened, because, as I said, there’s no way I would have asked that of anyone, or taken on that kind of responsibility.(My crew) also felt that they were filming something that is not only a ‘film.’ We were filming this moment in history. People were filming as witnesses, and much of the footage has been used now at news stations, when newscasters were not there on the front lines. Or, it has been used in a court case, as well. This is where the camera really became the weapon…

FM: I love Ahmed’s line, “If you have a camera, you can have a revolution.”

Jehane Noujaim: A quarter of the film is his! A quarter of the film is his footage. That section where you really feel like you are about to be shot by the police or the army? All his.

FM: What have some of the international reactions been like to hear?

Jehane Noujaim: What has been amazing to see since releasing this online, if you go to #TheSquare (on Twitter), you see people requiting some of the lines, and translating them into many languages. And it’s amazing, because it’s young people seeing even lines in the film that didn’t even stick out for me; but when I see all of this reposting, people are seeing so much of this film in themselves, and their own struggles, which is really exciting to see. Ahmed’s line, “We’re not looking for a leader, as much as we’re looking for a conscious?” That line has been translated into Chinese, Portugese, Spanish, Ukranian…We had a screening of The Square in the Ukraine two weeks ago.

FM: You’re kidding?! Wow.

Jehane Noujaim: No, no, no, I’m serious! The protestors organized it, translated the film…Here, I’ll show you pictures.(She handily takes out her phone.) It was amazing. A friend of ours who we were working with-Stuart- he has these traveling, big blow-up screens, he showed the film, and he had to escape afterward! The authorities said, (in a mock rough voice) ‘There is a forbidden movie being shown, and there is an American Spy here showing it.” So, Stuart had to leave, but the protestors continued to show it, and they had Skype sessions with Ahmed! So, it was amazing…Now, the protestors in Venezuela want to do the same thing. There’s this interconnectedness that is happening in the world right now…

FM: You spoke on Piers Morgan last night about ‘bearing witness….’ How is Ahmed doing now?

Jehane Noujaim: He’s good! He is such a strong soul. I had called him because I was sad about a friend of mine being in jail, and he totally cheered me up! The youth have so much hope there. He said: ‘You know, you just don’t understand! There are people that are showing this film in coffee shops downtown, there are Facebook pages where a thousand people have signed up different events!” He said, Jehane, it’s like a football game… That people are talking about issues that have been silenced on the local news there…And so, to be able to see it, and talk about it, is so incredible. And he goes, ‘Send me more pictures of the screening in Mexico on the Plaza!” and “Send me more photos of the Ukraine,” and on and on, because that’s what motivates him, to know that regardless of the ups and downs that he’s going through in Egypt, that this is a global struggle-people trying to change their relationship with the government. And that it’s not just a lonely struggle.

Her thoughts on the American perspective of this struggle in Egypt:

Jehane Noujaim: We come from a country (The U.S.)which just has this legacy of people power, and marches being able to change things, mad how depressing it must have been- because it wasn’t covered anywhere. Imagine how hard it must have been- in the midst of all of that. Now, everything is changing…We have social media, and (the authorities) can no longer act with impunity. It is a different world now.

Stream The Square right now on Netflix this week before the Oscars, where Jehane Noujaim may very well pick up that little gold trophy for Best Documentary Feature.

Read more
Official Trailer and Poster for Eliza Hittman’s Debut Feature IT FELT LIKE LOVE

Check out the official trailer and poster for Eliza Hittman’s debut feature IT FELT LIKE LOVE. Variance Films will release IT FELT LIKE LOVE in New York on March 21st and Los Angeles on March 28th, 2014. “Eliza Hittman’s powerful debut feature tells the story of Lila (Gina Piersanti, in a stunning debut), a fourteen year old spending a hot summer in a blue-collar Brooklyn neighborhood far removed from the bustling city. Awkward, lonely, and often playing the third wheel, Lila is determined to emulate the sexual exploits of her more experienced best friend. She fixates on Sammy, a tough older guy, when she hears that “he’ll sleep with anyone.” Deluded in her romantic pursuit, Lila tries desperately to insert herself into Sammy’s gritty world, but in doing so she puts herself into a dangerously vulnerable situation.”

http://youtu.be/UrqcUMN4s8E
Read more
COMING SOON: Rachel Dratch, Wendy Moniz and Trevor St. John Among Cast of Patrick Wang’s Sophomore Feature Film THE GRIEF OF OTHERS

Director, Patrick Wang

Rachel Dratch, Wendy Moniz and Trevor St. John are among the cast members set for the upcoming feature film THE GRIEF OF OTHERS. THE GRIEF OF OTHERS is the sophomore film from Patrick Wang whose first film is the critically acclaimed IN THE FAMILY, which he wrote and directed. Based on the acclaimed novel by Leah Hager Cohen (New York Times notable book, finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize), the film is set to commence production in April 2014 in Nyack, New York.

In addition to Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Wendy Moniz (Betrayal, The Guardian), and Trevor St. John (One Life to Live, In the Family), additional key cast members include Oona Laurence, who won a Tony Award for her role as Matilda in Matilda the Musical, Jeremy Shinder who appeared in the international tour of The Addams Family, Sonya Harum who appeared in Gossip Girl and Blue Bloods, and Mike Faist who appeared on Broadway in Newsies.

THE GRIEF OF OTHERS follows the family of Ricky and John Ryrie who suffer a devastating loss: the death of a baby just fifty-seven hours after his birth. Without words to express their grief, the parents try to return to their previous lives and struggle to regain a semblance of normalcy for themselves and their two children Paul and Biscuit. Yet in the aftermath of the baby’s death, long-suppressed uncertainties about their relationship come roiling to the surface and a dreadful secret emerges with reverberations that reach far into their past and threaten their future.

Trevor St. John plays John Ryrie, Wendy Moniz plays Ricky Ryrie, and Oona Laurence and Jeremy Shinder play their children Biscuit and Paul. Sonya Harum appears as Jessica Safransky and Mike Faist plays Gordie Joiner. In a dramatic turn, Rachel Dratch appears as Madeleine Berkowitz, a colleague of John’s.

“We could not be more thrilled to secure the strong cast that this project deserves,” commented director Patrick Wang. “Leah Hager Cohen’s novel is a powerful story of how unexpected generosity and human connections help us navigate loss and grief. The tremendous talent and sensitivities of this cast will breathe life into these characters on the screen with the same gorgeous detail we find on the page.”
Read more
Film Society of Lincoln Center to Honor Director Rob Reiner with 41st Chaplin Award

Director Rob Reiner, will be honored at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala held at Lincoln Center i New York City on Monday, April 28, 2014. According to the Film Society of Lincoln Center, ‘The event will celebrate the range of Reiner’s work from the pure comedy of This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride to the intense drama of Stand By Me; the romantic comedy of When Harry Met Sally…, as well as his extensive on-screen work highlighted with the role of Michael “Meathead” Stivic in the landmark television series All in the Family.’
“The Board is very excited to have Rob Reiner as the next recipient of The Chaplin Award,” said Ann Tenenbaum, The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Board Chairman. “He has brought some of the most enduring and entertaining films of recent history to the screen, from iconic cult-classic comedies to powerful dramas that together illustrate an amazing range and body of work. As a director, writer, actor, and producer, we welcome him to the list of other master multi-hyphenates who have been prior recipients of the Chaplin Award Tribute.”
Read more
Complete List of Award Winners of 2014 BAFTAS, ACT OF KILLING Wins Documentary Award

ACT OF KILLING

The winners of the EE British Academy Film Awards were announced in London on Sunday night, and the GREAT BEAUTY won the award for Film Not in the English Language, the ACT OF KILLING received the Documentary award, and director and writer Kieran Evans received the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for his first feature film KELLY + VICTOR.

Sleeping with the Fishes won the British Short Animation award and the British Short Film award was presented to Room 8.

Best Picture
Winner: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

Best British Film
Winner: GRAVITY

Best Director
Winner: Alfonso Cuarón, GRAVITY

Best Actor
Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

Best Actress
Winner: Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Barkhad Abdi, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: AMERICAN HUSTLE, Eric Warren Singer, David O Russell

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: PHILOMENA, Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope

Best Foreign
Winner: THE GREAT BEAUTY, Paolo Sorrentino, Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima

Best Documentary
Winner: THE ACT OF KILLING, Joshua Oppenheimer

Best Animation
Winner: FROZEN, Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Best Cinematography
Winner: GRAVITY, Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Editing
Winner: RUSH, Dan Hanley, Mike Hill

Best Production Design
Winner: THE GREAT GATSBY, Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn

Best Costume Design
Winner: THE GREAT GATSBY, Catherine Martin

Best Make Up and Hair
Winner: AMERICAN HUSTLE, Evelyne Noraz, Lori McCoy-Bell

Best Sound
Winner: GRAVITY, Glenn Freemantle, Skip Lievsay, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri, Chris Munro

Best Original Music
Winner: GRAVITY, Steven Price

Best Special Visual Effects
Winner: GRAVITY, Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny

Best British Short Animation
Winner: SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES, James Walker, Sarah Woolner, Yousif Al-Khalifa

Best British Short Film
Winner: ROOM 8, James W. Griffiths, Sophie Venner

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
Winner: Keiran Evans (Director/Writer), KELLY + VICTOR

The EE Rising Star Award (voted for by public)
Winner: Will Poulter
Read more