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RIP: Oscar Nominee George Coe Director of THE DOVE Dead at 86. | VIDEO

Oscar-nominee George Coe died Saturday at the age of 86. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1968 comedy short film “The Dove,” which he co-directed as well as starred in. Coe served on the Screen Actors Guild’s National Board of Directors for more than a dozen years, covering the period of 1967-1973 and again in the early 2000s. Because of his union service, the Screen Actors Guild Hollywood Division honored Coe with its prestigious Ralph Morgan Award in 2009. “It is with heavy hearts that our SAG-AFTRA family says goodbye to George Coe,” said SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard. “He was a stalwart unionist and a tremendous presence in our union for many years. He served his fellow actors and the labor movement with conviction and pride. Our deepest condolences go out to his family.” Coe’s acting career includes more than 50 years of film, television, commercial and stage work; including the honor of being an original cast member of Saturday Night Live. Coe had a lengthy career as a commercial performer both on camera and voice over, including six years as the voice of Toyota. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X2QmLWWxq4
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Carol Burnett to be Honored with 2015 SAG Life Achievement Award

Carol Burnett – comedic trailblazer, actor, singer, dancer, producer and author – has been named the 52nd recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Burnett will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Burnett’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes multiple Emmys®, a special Tony®, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and both a Kennedy Center Honor and its Mark Twain Prize for Humor. Burnett’s film credits include playing Miss Hannigan in the film version of the musical, Annie, directed by John Huston; Noises Off, directed by Peter Bogdanovich; A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman; and Four Seasons, directed by Alan Alda. On Broadway she recently starred in A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters (2014), opposite Brian Dennehy, Fade Out, Fade In, with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with music by Jule Styne; Stephen Sondheim’s musical review Putting It Together;and Ken Ludwig’s farce Moon Over Buffalo, starring with Philip Bosco. She produced and starred in numerous television specials and guest starred on several television series, including Glee, Hot in Cleveland, Hawaii 5-0 and Law and Order: SVU. She also starred in the television series Fresno and Carol & Co., as well as the highly acclaimed made-for-television movies Friendly Fire, Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice. In 2005 she returned to her Once Upon a Mattress roots, appearing in a television special, this time playing the evil Queen Aggravain. image: Credit: Courtesy of Randee St. Nicholas | via kpbs
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332 Invited to Join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Finish Director Pirjo Honkasalo Rejects Invitation

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 322 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2015. “It’s gratifying to acknowledge the extraordinary range of talent in our industry,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “This year, our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization.” Update: Finnish film director Pirjo Honkasalo (pictured above) has reportedly dismissed an invitation to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reports thenewage.
Honkasalo told the biggest Finnish language daily that she would rather belong to organizations where she can influence decisions. She criticized the position of foreign films in the Oscar nominations. Honkasalo said that lobbyists and personal relations have too great a role in the Oscar process.
The 2015 invitees are: Actors Elizabeth Banks – “Love & Mercy,” “The Hunger Games” Choi Min-sik– “Lucy,” “Oldboy” Benedict Cumberbatch – “The Imitation Game,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” Martin Freeman – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Hot Fuzz” Heather Graham – “The Hangover,” “Boogie Nights” Tom Hardy – “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inception” Kevin Hart – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Ride Along” Felicity Jones – “The Theory of Everything,” “Like Crazy” Stephen Lang – “Avatar,” “The Men Who Stare at Goats” Jodi Long – “A Picture of You,” “Beginners” John Carroll Lynch – “Shutter Island,” “Zodiac” Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Beyond the Lights,” “Belle” Denis O’Hare – “Milk,” “Michael Clayton” Michael O’Neill – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Transformers” David Oyelowo – “Selma,” “A Most Violent Year” Dev Patel – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Slumdog Millionaire” Rosamund Pike – “Gone Girl,” “Pride & Prejudice” Chris Pine – “Into the Woods,” “Star Trek” Daniel Radcliffe – “Kill Your Darlings,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” Eddie Redmayne – “The Theory of Everything,” “Les Misérables” Jason Segel – “The Five-Year Engagement,” “The Muppets” J.K. Simmons – “Whiplash,” “Juno” Sonny Skyhawk – “Geronimo: An American Legend,” “Young Guns II” Song Kang-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “The Host” Emma Stone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Help” Casting Directors Lucy Bevan – “Cinderella,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey” Victoria Burrows – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “King Kong” Aisha Coley – “Selma,” “Beyond the Lights” Patricia DiCerto – “Blue Jasmine,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” Mary Hidalgo – “The Lego Movie,” “The Incredibles” Roger Mussenden – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Get Smart” Lucie Robitaille – “Incendies,” “The Barbarian Invasions” Luis San Narciso – “The Skin I Live In,” “The Sea Inside” April Webster – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek” Tricia Wood – “Woman in Gold,” “The Lincoln Lawyer” Cinematographers Christopher Blauvelt – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “The Bling Ring” Adriano Goldman – “August: Osage County,” “Jane Eyre” Ben Kasulke – “Laggies,” “Safety Not Guaranteed” Ryszard Lenczewski – “Ida,” “Margaret” Jody Lee Lipes – “Ballet 422,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene” Sharone Meir – “Whiplash,” “Mean Creek” Rachel Morrison – “Cake,” “Fruitvale Station” Tristan Oliver – “ParaNorman,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Hoyte Van Hoytema – “Interstellar,” “Her” Roman Vasyanov – “Fury,” “End of Watch” Łukasz Żal – “Ida,” “Joanna” Costume Designers Kasia Walicka Maimone – “Foxcatcher,” “Moonrise Kingdom” Francesca Livia Sartori – “Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy,” “When the Night” Jany Temime – “Gravity,” “Skyfall” Designers Ramsey Avery – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” Gae Buckley – “The Book of Eli,” “He’s Just Not That into You” Keith Brian Burns – “The Best Man Holiday,” “2 Fast 2 Furious” Lester W. Cohen – “Fading Gigolo,” “Cop Land” Suzie Davies – “Mr. Turner,” “The Children” John F. Fenner – “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” Darren Gilford – “Oblivion,” “Tron: Legacy” Derek R. Hill – “Southpaw,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” Bryn Imagire – “Cars 2,” “Up” Dina Lipton – “Baggage Claim,” “Love Hurts” Tatiana Macdonald – “The Imitation Game,” “The Invisible Woman” Dominic Masters – “Woman in Gold,” “Casino Royale” Doug Meerdink – “Jurassic World,” “Ocean’s Thirteen” Chris Spellman – “Paper Towns,” “This Is the End” Patrick Tatopoulos – “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Total Recall” Charlotte Watts – “Mr. Holmes,” “Mr. Turner” Directors Michael Binder – “Black or White,” “Reign over Me” Bong Joon-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “Mother” Niki Caro – “North Country,” “Whale Rider” Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench” Simon Curtis – “Woman in Gold,” “My Week with Marilyn” François Girard – “Silk,” “The Red Violin” F. Gary Gray – “The Italian Job,” “Friday” James Gunn – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Super” Im Kwon-taek – “Chi-Hwa-Seon (Painted Fire),” “Chunhyang” Stan Lathan – “Beat Street,” “Amazing Grace” Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man” Justin Lin – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Better Luck Tomorrow” François Ozon – “Young & Beautiful,” “Swimming Pool” Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love” Kelly Reichardt – “Meek’s Cutoff,” “Wendy and Lucy” Ira Sachs – “Love Is Strange,” “Keep the Lights On” Lynn Shelton – “Laggies,” “Your Sister’s Sister” Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako” Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation” Fernando Trueba – “Chico & Rita,” “Belle Epoque” Morten Tyldum – “The Imitation Game,” “Headhunters” Zaza Urushadze – “Tangerines,” “The Guardian” Wayne Wang – “Anywhere but Here,” “The Joy Luck Club” Edgar Wright – “The World’s End,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” Joe Wright – “Anna Karenina,” “Atonement” Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena” Documentary Richard Berge – “The Island President,” “The Rape of Europa” Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “The Invisibles” Emad Burnat – “5 Broken Cameras” Guy Davidi – “5 Broken Cameras,” “Interrupted Streams” Geralyn Dreyfous – “The Square,” “The Invisible War” Lewis Erskine – “Free Angela: And All Political Prisoners,” “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” Shana Hagan – “Misconception,” “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” Tony Hardmon – “Detropia,” “Semper Fi: Always Faithful” Leonard Retel Helmrich – “Position among the Stars,” “Shape of the Moon” Pirjo Honkasalo – “The 3 Rooms of Melancholia,” “Atman” Judy Irving – “Pelican Dreams,” “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” Robert Kenner – “Merchants of Doubt,” “Food, Inc.” Marc Levin – “Mr. Untouchable,” “The Last Party” Jesse Moss – “The Overnighters,” “Full Battle Rattle” Pratibha Parmar – “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth,” “A Place of Rage” Paula DuPre’ Pesmen – “Keep On Keepin’ On,” “The Cove” Gordon Quinn – “Life Itself,” “Hoop Dreams” Kim Roberts – “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” “Lost Boys of Sudan” Richard Rowley – “Dirty Wars,” “The Fourth World War” João Moreira Salles – “Santiago,” “Entreatos (Intermissions)” Ondi Timoner – “We Live in Public,” “Dig!” Executives Carolyn Blackwood Robbie Brenner Lia Buman Steve Burke David Fenkel Mellody Hobson Brian Keane Steven Paul O’Dell Jim Orr Mark Rachesky Ted Sarandos Jeff Shell Film Editors Craig Alpert – “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Pineapple Express” Mick Audsley – “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “Dirty Pretty Things” Pablo Barbieri – “Wild Tales,” “La Antena (The Aerial)” Nadia Ben Rachid – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako” Kristina Boden – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “Cake” Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “Run Lola Run” Julian Clarke – “Chappie,” “District 9” Douglas Crise – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Babel” Tom Cross – “Whiplash,” “Any Day Now” Jinx Godfrey – “The Theory of Everything,” “Man on Wire” Robert Grahamjones – “Brave,” “Ratatouille” Masahiro Hirakubo – “Virunga,” “The Duchess” Jarosław Kamiński – “Ida,” “Aftermath (Pokłosie)” William Kerr – “Bridesmaids,” “I Love You, Man” Nico Leunen – “Lost River,” “The Broken Circle Breakdown” Mike McCusker – “Get On Up,” “3:10 to Yuma” Tim Mertens – “Big Hero 6,” “Wreck-It Ralph” Barney Pilling – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “An Education” David Rennie – “22 Jump Street,” “Office Space” Gary D. Roach – “American Sniper,” “Prisoners” Michael L. Sale – “We’re the Millers,” “Bridesmaids” Stephen Schaffer – “Cars 2,” “WALL-E” Job ter Burg – “Borgman,” “Winter in Wartime” Peter Teschner – “St. Vincent,” “Horrible Bosses” Tara Timpone – “Friends with Kids,” “Bad Teacher” Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Frida S. Aradottir – “August: Osage County,” “A Serious Man” Victoria Down – “Big Eyes,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Frances Hannon – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The King’s Speech” Todd Kleitsch – “Run All Night,” “Black Swan” Dennis Liddiard – “Foxcatcher,” “Jobs” Jerry Popolis – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Noah” Janine Rath-Thompson – “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Bridesmaids” Johnny Villanueva – “The Gambler,” “The Fighter” David White – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “La Vie en Rose” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “An Education” Members-at-Large Andy Armstrong Wayne Billheimer Kevin Brownlow Simon Crane Debbie Denise Jeff Habberstad Andy Hendrickson Elissa M. Rashkin Loparco Guido Quaroni Nicole Scalise Steven J. Scott Leon D. Silverman Gregg Smrz Lynda Ellenshaw Thompson Steve Venezia Music Tyler Bates – “John Wick,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” Alex Gibson – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight” Jonny Greenwood – “Inherent Vice,” “The Master” Dave Grusin – “Skating to New York,” “The Firm” Alex Heffes – “Love and Honor,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” Lisa Jaime – “Annie,” “Rock of Ages” Jóhann Jóhannsson – “The Theory of Everything,” “Prisoners” Laura Karpman – “States of Grace,” “Black Nativity” Christopher Lennertz – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Horrible Bosses” Lonnie Lynn – “Selma,” “Freedom Writers” Chris McGeary – “Jersey Boys,” “RoboCop” Sergio Mendes – “Rio 2,” “Rio” Daniel Pinder – “Big Hero 6,” “Captain Phillips” Trent Reznor – “Gone Girl,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Atticus Ross – “Love & Mercy,” “The Social Network” John Stephens – “Selma,” “Django Unchained” Marc Streitenfeld – “Poltergeist,” “Prometheus” Erica Weis – “Spy,” “The Heat” Gary Yershon – “Mr. Turner,” “Another Year” Producers Caroline Baron – “Capote,” “Monsoon Wedding” Effie T. Brown – “Dear White People,” “Real Women Have Curves” Terence Chang – “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” “Face/Off” Wyck Godfrey – “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Twilight” Jeremy Kleiner – “Selma,” “12 Years a Slave” Pamela Koffler – “Still Alice,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Gina Kwon – “Camp X-Ray,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know” Dan Lin – “The Lego Movie,” “Sherlock Holmes” Eric Newman – “RoboCop,” “Children of Men” Bruna Papandrea – “Wild,” “All Good Things” Lydia Dean Pilcher – “Cutie and the Boxer,” “The Darjeeling Limited” Rebecca Yeldham – “On the Road,” “The Kite Runner” Public Relations Jennifer Allen Asad Ayaz Dawn Baillie Andrew Bernstein Liz Biber Mara Buxbaum Lee Ginsberg R. Jeff Hill Michelle Hooper Chris Libby Susan Norget Lewis Oberlander Gordon Paddison Elias Plishner David Pollick Weiman Seid LeeAnne Stables Ryan Stankevich Bonnie Voland Short Films and Feature Animation Alan Barillaro – “Brave,” “WALL-E” Kristine Belson – “The Croods,” “How to Train Your Dragon” Darlie Brewster – “Curious George,” “The Prince of Egypt” Roy Conli – “Big Hero 6,” “Tangled” Ronnie Del Carmen – “Up,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” Paul A. Felix – “Big Hero 6,” “Lilo & Stitch” Michael Fukushima – “Me and My Moulton,” “Dimanche/Sunday” Don Hall – “Big Hero 6,” “Winnie the Pooh” Talkhon Hamzavi – “Parvaneh,” “Taub” Hu Wei – “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” “Le Propriétaire” Jin Kim – “Big Hero 6,” “Bolt” Mat Kirkby – “The Phone Call,” “Hard to Swallow” David Kneupper – “Alex and Sylvia,” “The Civil War in 4 Minutes” Michael Lennox – “Boogaloo and Graham,” “The Back of Beyond” Fabio Lignini – “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “Puss in Boots” James Lucas – “The Phone Call” Patrick Osborne – “Feast,” “Paperman” Jerome Ranft – “Toy Story 3,” “Ratatouille” Jim Reardon – “Wreck-It Ralph,” “WALL-E” Kristina Reed – “Feast,” “Paperman” Jason Reisig – “Home,” “Shrek Forever After” Nicolas Schmerkin – “Habana,” “Logorama” Anthony Stacchi – “The Boxtrolls,” “Open Season” Isao Takahata – “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “Grave of the Fireflies” Michael Thurmeier – “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “No Time for Nuts” Marlon West – “Frozen,” “The Princess and the Frog” Sound Ray Beckett – “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Hurt Locker” Odin Benitez – “Frozen,” “Silver Linings Playbook” Ron Bochar – “Mortdecai,” “Moneyball” Jason Canovas – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” “World War Z” Thomas Curley – “Whiplash,” “The Spectacular Now” Michael Dressel – “American Sniper,” “Interstellar” Mary H. Ellis – “Vacation,” “Prisoners” Stephanie Flack – “Jupiter Ascending,” “Ender’s Game” Martín Hernández – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful” Dean Humphreys – “Taken 3,” “The Pianist” William Johnston – Vice President of Engineering, Formosa Group Shawn Jones – “Iron Man 3,” “Drive” Daniel Laurie – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6” David Lee – “Unbroken,” “The Matrix” Craig Mann – “Dope,” “Whiplash” Kyrsten Mate – “Tomorrowland,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” Shannon J. Mills – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6” Bryan K. Pennington – “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Promised Land” Juan P. Peralta – “Tomorrowland,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” John Ross – “Danny Collins,” “American Hustle” Peter Staubli – “San Andreas,” “Skyfall” Mark Taylor – “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Captain Phillips” Addison Teague – “Big Hero 6,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” Jon Title – “San Andreas,” “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” Thomas Varga – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Immigrant” Ben Wilkins – “Whiplash,” “Star Trek” Visual Effects Nicolas Aithadi – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “X-Men: First Class” Daniel Barrett – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” Stephane Ceretti – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Cloud Atlas” Paul Corbould – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” Tim Crosbie – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “The Wolverine” Dan DeLeeuw – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Iron Man 3” Sean Faden – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Let Me In” Joe Farrell – “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Hereafter” Scott R. Fisher – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight Rises” Chris Harvey – “Chappie,” “Fast & Furious 6” Alex Jaeger – “Tomorrowland,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” Matt Kutcher – “Focus,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Andrew Lockley – “Interstellar,” “Inception” Gray Marshall – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” Carl Miller – “Jurassic World,” “Elysium” David Nakabayashi – “Tomorrowland,” “Avatar” Rocco Passionino – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man 2” Lou Pecora – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Cary Phillips – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ellen Poon – “Frozen,” “Inception” Edwin Rivera – “22 Jump Street,” “Moneyball” Cameron Waldbauer – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Elysium” Erik Winquist – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avatar” Writers Armando Bo – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful” Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench” Álex de la Iglesia – “El Crimen Perfecto,” “The Day of the Beast” Rick Famuyiwa – “Dope,” “The Wood” Maya Forbes – “Infinitely Polar Bear,” “Monsters vs Aliens” E. Max Frye – “Foxcatcher,” “Something Wild” Nicolás Giacobone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful” Dan Gilroy – “Nightcrawler,” “The Bourne Legacy” Jorge Guerricaechevarría – “Cell 211,” “The Day of the Beast” Rita Hsiao – “Toy Story 2,” “Mulan” Simon Kinberg – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Sherlock Holmes” Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man” Christopher Markus – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” Stephen McFeely – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” Graham Moore – “The Imitation Game” Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love” Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako” Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation” Kessen Tall – “Timbuktu” Tyger Williams – “The Perfect Guy,” “Menace II Society” Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena” Associates Victoria Belfrage Josh Braun Wayne Fitterman Sharon Jackson Patricia Keighley Cliff Roberts Elyse Scherz James Toth Bart Walker Seven individuals (noted above by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches. These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership. Each year, each Academy member may sponsor one candidate for membership within their branch. New member application reviews take place in the spring. Applications for the coming year must be received by March 24, 2016. New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in September.
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45 YEARS, THE DIARY OF A TEENAGER GIRL Win Tops Awards at 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival

Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years (pictured above) won the top prize, the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, at the 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival. Described by the festival as “one of the best British films of the year”, 45 Years is about the fractured relationship between a couple, played by Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, as they head towards their 45th wedding anniversary party. Director Andrew Haigh commented, “This is a real honor and made even more special when you consider the list of British films that have won before. All you can hope for when you make a film is that it resonates with people and that is why receiving an award such as this feels so fantastic.” 45 Years’ lead actress Charlotte Rampling won the Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film, sharing it with James Cosmo for his performance in The Pyramid Texts. The Award for Best International Feature Fim was awarded to Marielle Heller’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl (USA) (pictured above), which received its UK Premiere at EIFF. Starring Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård and Kristen Wiig, the film takes place in 1970s San Francisco, where a young cartoonist Minnie (Bel Powley) can’t wait to grow up. Her mother’s (Kristen Wiig) no-holds-barred approach to partying colours her adolescent judgement, encouraging her to seek grown-up thrills anywhere she can. Instigating a liaison with her mother’s boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård), she begins a passionate affair with a man two decades her senior, and despite the age gap remains utterly in control. Special Mentions were given to Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment and J.Davis’ Manson Family Vacation. The Award for Best Documentary Feature Film was awarded to Crystal Moselle’s The Wolfpack (USA) (pictured above). The Jury commented “Out of a very strong field, the Jury has selected The Wolfpack as the best documentary in competition at the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival. Shot over five years, the director Crystal Moselle turned a chance encounter with six brothers into an intriguing, intimate portrait that shines a light on the warmth, humor and underlying tension of an extraordinary situation.” Scrapbook directed by Mike Hoolboom won The Award for Best Short Film, Stems by director Ainslie Henderson won the McLaren Award for Best New British Animation, and the Student Critics Jury Award went to Black Mountain Poets directed by Jamie Adams.
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African Filmmakers Selected for Talents Durban 2015 at Durban International Film Festival

The 36th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) announced the participants of the 8th edition of Talents Durban, presented in cooperation with the Berlinale Talents an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival. Talents Durban is a five day development programme made up of workshops and seminars for African filmmakers delivered by film professionals, academics and intellectuals. The Talents, who are selected through a rigorous application process, will also have the opportunity to attend screenings and events at the Festival. Talents Durban 2015 is one of the 6 Talents International programs formed by Berlinale Talents in Africa and around the world including Talents Beirut in Lebanon, Talents Buenos Aires in Argentina, Talents Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Talents Tokyo in Japan and Talents Guadalajara in Mexico. 40 filmmakers from 10 countries across the continent including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Zambia and Cameron will be in attendance. The following are the selected participants of Talents: Oluwakemi Adesoye (Nigeria), Ssenkumba Adnan (Uganda), Lawrence Agbetsise (Ghana), Isabella Akinseye (Nigeria), Kassim Braimah (Nigeria), Bentley Brown (Tunisia), Lucky Nhlanhla Cele (South Africa), Karien Cherry (South Africa), Joanne Corrigall (South Africa), Angeline Dimingo (Zimbabwe), Daniel Ecwalu (Uganda), Daniella Esua (Nigeria), Polani Fourie (South Africa), Mehluli Hikwa (Zimbabwe), Benjamin Johnson (South Africa), Njata Joseph (Rwanda), Andrew Kaggwa (Uganda), Joel Kapungwe (Zambia) Godisamang Khunou (South Africa), Trent Kok (South Africa), Makundi Lambani (South Africa), Sheetal Megan (South Africa), Theoline Maphutha (South Africa), Francisca Meyer (South Africa), Ali Mwangola (Kenya), Samantha Nell (South Africa), Simphiwe Ngcobo (South Africa), John Nyoka (South Africa), Roselidah Obala (Kenya), Agbor Obed (Cameroon), Temotope Ogun (Nigeria), Olawale Oluwadahunsi (Nigeria), Kennedy Omoro (Kenya),Osei Owusu Banahene (Ghana), Davashni Rajoo (South Africa), Charne Simpson (South Africa), Samson Ssenkaaba (Unganda), Tendai Charles Tshuma (South Africa), Amy Van Den Houten (South Africa), Mark Wambui (Kenya). Presented under the theme Start Motion, Talents Durban 2015 aims to boost the already rising flow of current filmmaking in Africa, and to encourage filmmakers on the continent to share their stories through their own cultured lens. Participants interact with over 600 delegates of DIFF and Durban FilmMart, the co-production and finance forum which takes place from July 17 to 20 at the festival. Selected participants get to be part of numerous project-oriented, hands on skills development programs. Practical development programmes within Talents Durban include Talent Press, Script Station and Doc Station. Script station is a script development programme for short films which pairs four writers with script editors who assist in clarifying story and getting to an advanced draft of their script. Our participants this year are John Nyoka, Mark Wambui, Quwakemi Adesoye and Polani Fourie. The mentors for the programme are Tracey Dearham-Rainers and Karima Effendi. Talent Press is presented in cooperation with Fipresci, an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world which lobbies for the promotion and development of film culture. The programme invites four critics to cover the films and events of the Durban International Film festival for online and print publication. Talent press has four participants and they are Andrew Kaggwa, Oluwale Oluwadahunsi, Isabella Akinseye and Kennedy Omoro. They will be mentored by film writers/reviewers Sarah Dawson, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo, Debashine Thangevelo and Shaibu Hussein. DOC station selects three documentary projects in development for coaching and mentoring towards participation in a public pitch at the DFM’s pitching forum, The African Pitch. Participants are given mentoring prior to the pitching and during preparations at the festival. Doc Station participants are Bentley Brown, Sheetal Megan and Tendayi Tshuma and the producer mentor is Odette Geldenhuys. They will receive additional mentorship from Andy Jones, Jihan El Tahri and Khalo Matabane.
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Hungary Picks Holocaust Drama SON OF SAUL As Foreign Language Oscar Entry

The Holocaust drama SON OF SAUL directed by Laszlo Nemes, has been selected by Hungary as its official entry in the foreign-language film category of the Academy Awards. Son of Saul which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, was reportedly considered a frontrunner for the Palme d’Or after being named best film in Cannes’ Competition by Fipresci, the International Federation of Film Critics, but instead won the Grand Prix. October 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul Ausländer is a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners isolated from the camp and forced to assist the Nazis in the machinery of large-scale extermination. While working in one of the crematoriums, Saul discovers the corpse of a boy he takes for his son. As the Sonderkommando plans a rebellion, Saul decides to carry out an impossible task: save the child’s body from the flames, find a rabbi to recite the mourner’s Kaddish and offer the boy a proper burial. [Cannes Film Festival]
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Ten Narratives Selected for 2015 Independent Filmmaker Labs

Ten narratives have been selected for the 2015 Independent Filmmaker Labs, IFP’s annual year-long fellowship for first-time feature directors. The creative teams of the selected films are currently attending the first week’s sessions – The Time Warner Foundation Completion Labs – taking place June 8-12 at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP (pictured above). Featuring a stylistically diverse slate of sci-fi, fantasy, drama, young adult, comedy, hybrid and horror, this year showcases films from filmmakers across the nation. 70% of the creative teams hail from outside of New York and Los Angeles. 90% films were shot outside of these hubs, in locations such as the Bahamas, Iceland, Mexico and the Amazon, as well as Georgia, Rhode Island and Florida. “The selected projects in year’s Narrative Labs reflect IFP’s commitment to all-inclusive content and is emblematic of the growing presence of personal stories told and made outside the two major U.S. hubs for filmmaking,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP. “We look forward to helping these talented filmmakers bring their visions to life.” Amy Dotson, IFP’s Head of Programming, added: “This year’s films are helmed by risk-takers pushing the boundaries of film and storytelling in exciting new directions. We are delighted to a take risk on them as well and assist in introducing their extraordinary and unique new voices to industry and audiences alike.” The selected projects for the 2015 IFP Narrative Lab and Lab Fellows are: Albion: Rise of the Danaan A twelve-year-old girl who has had to take care of her father is transported to the mystical world of Albion, where she discovers that she alone is the key to saving an entire race of people. Fellows: Castille Landon (Director, Writer), Dori Sperko (Producer) The Arbalest A famous, eccentric, recluse toy inventor agrees to his first interview after years of a self-imposed vow of silence to unveil his new invention. Fellows: Adam Pinney (Director, Writer, Editor), Alex Orr (Producer) Bokeh On a romantic getaway to Iceland, Riley and Jenai, a young American couple, suddenly discover everyone on earth has disappeared. As Riley struggles to survive and Jenai attempts to reconcile the mysterious event, they must reconsider everything they know about themselves and the world. Fellows: Andrew Sullivan (Director, Writer), Geoffrey Orthwein(Director, Writer), Kent Genzlinger (Producer) Donald Cried After Peter LaTang’s last living relative passes away, he returns to a small New England town where he grew up. When the bus arrives, he can’t find his wallet so he calls his childhood friend Donald Treeback for some help. What was supposed to be just a ride turns into a long day’s journey through their awkward past. Fellows: Kris Avedisian (Director, Writer), Jesse Wakeman (Writer, Producer), Kyle Martin (Producer) Hunky Dory A dive bar drag queen’s life takes a dramatic turn when his ex drops their 11-year-old son off at his apartment and vanishes. Fellows: Michael Curtis Johnson (Director, Co-Writer, Producer), Tomas Pais (Co-Writer, Producer, Lead Actor), Magela Crosignani (Director of Photography) Icaros: a vision By Matteo Norzi and Leonor Caraballo. An American woman with breast cancer travels to the Amazon in search of a miracle. Thanks to a young shaman who is losing his eyesight, she learns instead to confront her ‘susto’: the disease of fear. With the help of Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant medicine, and the Icaros, magical healing songs, they both gain a new vision of their destiny. Fellows: Matteo Norzi (Co-director, co- writer), Abou Farman (Producer), Elia Gasull Balada (Editor), Adella Ladjevardi (Co-Producer) Katie Says Goodbye Katie Says Goodbye is the story of a seventeen-year-old waitress who prostitutes herself to support her deadbeat mother, while saving for her dream of escaping to San Francisco. When she falls in love with an ex-convict, things quickly turn south, testing her determination for a better life. Fellows: Wayne Roberts (Director, Writer, Producer), Eric Schultz(Producer), Carlo Sirtori (Producer) Live Cargo A young couple mourning the death of their baby retreat to a remote Bahamian island where they become entangled in a turf war between a dangerous human trafficker, an aging island patriarch and an obsessive homeless youth. Fellows: Logan Sandler (Director, Writer), Thymaya Payne (Writer, Producer), Lauren Brady (Producer), Randolph Hearst Harris (Producer) Lupe Under the Sun Blurring the line between narrative and documentary, with a cast of non-actors, and set in the agricultural heartland of California’s Central Valley,Lupe Under the Sun takes inspiration from the director’s own grandfather to tell the story of an aging Mexican immigrant. Estranged from his family in Mexico, crushed by backbreaking work and poverty, Lupe struggles to come to terms with his life choices. Fellows: Rodrigo Reyes (Director, Writer), Su Kim (Producer), Manuel Tsingaris (Editor) Seeds When his increasingly depraved behavior spirals out of control, reclusive inventor Marcus Milton retreats to his family home along the New England coast. But instead of finding solace, Marcus is haunted by his darkest fears and deepest desires. Is he losing his mind or has something terrible burrowed deep within him? Incubating. Waiting until the climate is right. Fellows: Owen Long (Director, Writer), Steven Weisman (Writer, Producer), Chris Haney (Producer)
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SWEATY BETTY Wins Top Awards at 2015 Brooklyn Film Festival

Joseph Frank and Zachary Reed won the Best Feature Film award, as well as the Grand Chameleon Award for Sweaty Betty (pictured above) at the 2015 Brooklyn Film Festival which wrapped up on Sunday with a gala evening at new BFF venue, the Wythe Hotel. Alison Bagnall’s Funny Bunny nabbed two awards, best actor for Olly Alexander (shared with Ágúst Örn B. Wigum for Whale Valley) and Best Editing, for Kentucker Audley, David Barker, and Caleb Johnson. Wildlike nabbed three awards, including Best Actor (female) for Ella Purnell, Best Screenplay for director Frank Hall Green and Best Producer for Julie Christeas, Green, Joseph Stephans, and Schuyler Weiss while world premiere New York City film But Not For Me nabbed the Audience Award for Best Feature Narrative, as well as the Best Original Score award for Rafael Leloup with Ryan Carmichael, Marcus Carl Franklin, Quazzy Faffle and Elena Urioste. Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli’s Frame by Frame nabbed the festival’s Spirit Award for documentary and shared the Audience Award with Neal Broffman’s film Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi. “We’re so pleased with this year’s festival,” said Director of Programming Bryce J. Renninger. “The films, filmmakers, audiences and sponsors all truly exemplify the diversity and spirit of Brooklyn and we look forward to the BFF continuing to be a vibrant part of Brooklyn’s cultural landscape.” This year we brought more filmmakers with their first or second film to New York audiences than ever before. We staged the festival in all new venues and neighborhoods, and it proved to be a great success,” said Marco Ursino, BFF’s Executive Director. “After 18 years, the festival feels as fresh as ever.” This year’s event screened 108 features and shorts from 26 countries and over 70 filmmakers attended, performing Q&A sessions after their screenings, supporting the work of other artists, and attending the festival’s various panels and parties. Complete list of Winners: GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD Best Feature Film: Joseph Frank and Zachary Reed for Sweaty Betty BEST IN CATEGORY Best Animation: Sol Friedman for Day 40 Best Experimental film: Clayton Allis & Alfie Lee for In The Future Love Will Also Best Short Subject: Bartek Konopka for From Bed Thou Arose Best Short Documentary: Danya Abt for Eric, Winter To Spring Best Documentary: Florian Schewe and Katharina Von Schroeder for We Were Rebels Best Feature Film: Joseph Frank and Zachary Reed for Sweaty Betty AUDIENCE AWARDS Audience Award in the Animation Category: Bob Blevins & Bradly Werley for T.P. Audience Award in the Experimental Film Category: Clayton Allis & Alfie Lee for In the Future Love Will Also Audience Award in the Narrative Short Category: Daisy Zhou for How to Be a Black Panther Audience Award in the Short Documentary Category: Sean Ryon and Lea Scruggs for Born Into This Audience Award in the Documentary Category (tie): Neal Broffman for Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi and Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli for Frame by Frame Audience Award in the Feature Length Narrative Category: Ryan Carmichael for But Not for Me SPIRIT AWARDS | Festival’s Favorite Spirit Award in the Narrative Short Category: Graham Chychele Waterston for And It Was Good Spirit Award in the Exp. Film Category: Janna Kyllästinen & Anne-Katrine Hansen for Division Avenue Spirit Award in the Short Doc Category: Dir: Elizabeth Lo & Melissa Langer for Treasure Island Spirit Award in the Documentary Category: Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli for Frame by Frame Spirit Award in the Animation Category: Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano for Love in the Time of March Madness Spirit Award in the Feature Category: Vinko Moderndorfer for Inferno Best Brooklyn Project: Harvey Mitkas for Devil Town CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT Best Actor (male): Ágúst Örn B. Wigum for Whale Valley and Olly Alexander for Funny Bunny Best Actor (female): Ella Purnell for Wildlike Original Score: Rafael Leloup with Ryan Carmichael, Marcus Carl Franklin Quazzy Faffle and Elena Urioste for But Not for Me Best Editing Award: Kentucker Audley, David Barker, and Caleb Johnson for Funny Bunny Best Cinematography Award: Robert Machoian for God Bless the Child Best Screenplay Award: Frank Hall Green for Wildlike Best Producer Award: Julie Christeas, Frank Hall Green, Joseph Stephans, and Schuyler Weiss for Wildlike Best New Director Award: Robert Gregson for The Refrigerator
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Actress Sofia Vergara Receives Actors Inspiration Award at SAG Foundation LA Golf Classic

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation kicked off their 30th Anniversary festivities with the star-studded Los Angeles Golf Classic on June 8th, 2015, in Burbank, CA. The SAG Foundation awarded actress Sofia Vergara with its inaugural Actors Inspiration Award in honor of her commitment to giving back and her support of the Foundation and their children’s literacy programs. Vergara was honored to accept the award, saying, “[It’s] so lovely to be part of an organization that gives back as much as the SAG Foundation does. Currently, 80% of children in the United States that attend at-risk schools read below grade level. Many of these children are bilingual, but it’s not [just] important to be able to speak the two languages, it’s also important to be able to read and write in them.”
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Victoria Siegel, Daughter in QUEEN OF VERSAILLES Documentary, Found Dead

Victoria Siegel, the 18-year-old daughter of David and Jackie Siegel who were featured in the 2012 documentary Queen of Versailles, died Saturday after being found unresponsive in their Windermere home, Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Jeff Williamson said. Jackie Siegel posted on Facebook and Instagram on Sunday, “It is with great sadness that we ask you to respect our privacy during this tragic time and the loss of our beloved daughter, Victoria. Thank you all for your prayers and for your support. As more information comes out the family will share it, until that time there is no comment.”

It is with great sadness that we ask you to respect our privacy during this tragic time and the loss of our beloved daughter, Victoria. Thank you all for your prayers and for your support. As more information comes out the family will share it, until that time there is no comment.

A photo posted by Jackie Siegel (@jackiesiegelusa) on Jun 7, 2015 at 1:44pm PDT

Williamson said the medical examiner was still determining the cause and manner of death. The Queen of Versailles directed by Lauren Greenfield, is a character-driven documentary about a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis. With epic proportions of Shakespearean tragedy, the film follows two unique characters, whose rags-to-riches success stories reveal the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. The film begins with the family triumphantly constructing the largest privately-owned house in America, a 90,000 sq. ft. palace. Over the next two years, their sprawling empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis. Major changes in lifestyle and character ensue within the cross-cultural household of family members and domestic staff. According to the NY Times, in 2012, David Siegel sued Ms. Greenfield for defamation. His original complaint focused on the Sundance publicity materials, which inaccurately described his company as collapsing. But even after Ms. Greenfield and Sundance tweaked the language, Mr. Siegel didn’t drop the lawsuit. Instead he filed a broader complaint, alleging that “The Queen of Versailles” depicts Westgate Resorts “in an array of defamatory, derogatory and damaging. A year later, in 2013 Lauren Greenfield scored a big legal victory in Florida federal court. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYOnT3Gqe9U
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Award-Winning Actress Cicely Tyson to be Honored by “I Have A Dream” Foundation

Actress Cicely Tyson will be presented with the Eugene M. Lang Lifetime Achievement Award by the “I Have A Dream” Foundation (IHDF) at their annual Spirit of the Dream Gala. Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins will present the award. The 2015 Spirit of the Dream Gala will take place on June 9 at Gotham Hall in New York City. Through the creation of the Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts, Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson has played an enormous role in nurturing the artistic talents of low-income students. The beloved actress is most known for her award-winning roles in films including Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittmanand The Help as well as television programs including Roots and How to Get Away with Murder. “We are so pleased to recognize Cicely Tyson with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” commented “I Have A Dream” Foundation President and CEO Donna Lawrence. “Throughout her trail-blazing career, Ms. Tyson has inspired countless students to follow their artistic dreams, culminating in the foundation of her Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts. She is a perfect representative of the organization’s ideals and mission as established by Eugene Lang and is an inspiration to us all.” Founded by philanthropist Eugene M. Lang in 1981, the “I Have A Dream” Foundation works to address one of the most critical issues of our time – the harsh reality that over 16 million children in America are living in poverty. IHDF provides comprehensive support services to low-income students from elementary through high school, along with guaranteed tuition support for college. Since its launch, IHDF has helped level the playing field for America’s poor children by supporting more than 16,000 Dreamers (students) across the country. Ninety percent of the foundation’s Dreamers graduate high school and complete college at more than 2 times the rate of their low-income peers, enabling them to acquire the economic, social and cultural capital they need to realize their potential.
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Eight Indie Filmmakers Win Spring 2015 San Francisco Film Society Grants

Eight independent filmmakers are winners in the latest round of Spring 2015 San Francisco Film Society (SFFS) / Kenneth Rainin Foundation (KRF) Filmmaking Grants awards, and will receive funding to help with their next stage of their creative process, from screenwriting to production. The projects will receive a total of $300,000. The Film Society’s flagship SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers for narrative feature films that will have significant economic or professional impact on the San Francisco Bay Area filmmaking community. The SFFS / KRF program has funded more than 50 projects since its inception, including such success stories as Kat Candler’s Hellion and Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange, both of which premiered to strong reviews at Sundance 2014; 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 Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012 and earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture). SPRING 2015 SFFS / KRF FILMMAKING GRANT WINNERS The Fixer Ian Olds, writer/director; Caroline von Kuhn and Lily Whitsitt, producers — $75,000 for production An Afghan journalist is exiled from his war-torn country to a small bohemian community in Northern California. When he attempts to turn his menial job on the local police blotter into “Afghan-style” coverage of local crime he gets drawn into the backwoods of this small town-a shadow Northern California where sex is casual, true friendship is hard to come by, and an unfamiliar form of violence burbles up all around him. Jones Sally El Hosaini, writer/director — $25,000 for screenwriting When his father abandons him deep in the Guyanese jungle, the rebellious son of a narcissistic church leader discovers a new life of freedom. His utopia is soon shattered when “Dad” arrives with hundreds of followers. Driven by the universal need for a father’s love he becomes complicit in the depravity he previously rejected. Based on Stephan Jones’s true-life story. Mustang Laure de Clermont Tonnerre, writer/director — $25,000 for screenwriting Roman Coleman is halfway through serving an 11-year sentence for attempted murder when he is offered the chance to participate in an ongoing rehabilitation therapy program involving the training of recently captured wild mustangs. Through his struggle to communicate with the animals, trainers, and other inmates he is forced to face his past and must learn confront his inner demons. Oscillate Wildly Travis Mathews, writer/director; Andrew Carlberg, Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams, producers — $75,000 for production When a first love challenges his guarded sense of what’s possible, a hot-headed young gay man with mild cerebral palsy is forced to confront the disability he’s let consume and define him. travisdmathews.com Reza and the Refugees Aaron Douglas Johnston, writer/director; Charlotte Scott-Wilson, Trent Scott-Wilson and Laura Wagner, producers — $25,000 for screenwriting A ragtag team of Middle Eastern political refugees in Holland enters the Eurovision song contest in an effort to save their friend from deportation and certain death. Sorry To Bother You Boots Riley, writer/director; Jonathan Duffy, George Rush and Kelly Williams, producers — $25,000 for screenwriting A Black telemarketer discovers a magical way to make his voice overdubbed by a White actor, propelling him into the upper echelon of a macabre universe where he is selected to lead a species of genetically manipulated horse-people, called the Equisapiens. thisisthecoup.com Staring at the Sun Ryan Piers Williams, writer/director; Jason Michael Berman, America Ferrera and Caroline Kaplan, producers — $25,000 for screenwriting After a massive solar event knocks out the world’s technological infrastructure, healthcare becomes a vital commodity. An elite group of United Nations aid workers given access to the best healthcare are tasked to isolate the sick from the healthy and privileged. When a young aid worker finds himself in a forbidden love, he must choose between a life of solitude or an uncertain fate with the woman he loves. What Waits For Them In Darkness Stephen Dunn, writer/director — $25,000 for screenwriting 11-year-old Skipper gets separated from her family during the Newfoundland resettlement and stranded alone in her floating house on the high seas of the Atlantic where reality mixes with the rich folklore of Newfoundland for a dark fantasy adventure.
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