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Spirit Awards returns to its traditional Saturday afternoon

[caption id="attachment_2068" align="alignnone" width="550"]Andie Macdowell at Film Independent Spirit Awards[/caption]

The 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards returns to its traditional Saturday afternoon on February 25, 2012, in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, to air later that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on IFC. The 2012 Spirit Award nominees will be announced on Tuesday, November 29.

Last year’s host was comedian and actor Joel McHale, with major winners including Fox Searchlight’s Black Swan, which won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Female Lead, and Best Cinematography; Roadside Attractions’ Winter’s Bone, which won Best Supporting Female and Best Supporting Male; Focus Features’ The Kids Are All Right, which won Best Screenplay; Fox Searchlight’s 127 Hours, which won Best Male Lead; Weinstein Company’s The King’s Speech, which won Best Foreign Film; Sony Pictures Classic’s Get Low, which won Best First Feature; IFC Films’ Tiny Furniture, which won Best First Screenplay; Producers Distribution Agency’s Exit Through the Gift Shop, which won Best Documentary; and IFC Films’ Daddy Longlegs, which won the John Cassavetes Award.

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Actor Christian Bale Starring in Chinese Film The Flowers of War Roughed Up in China

[caption id="attachment_2066" align="alignnone"]Christian Bale in The Flowers of War[/caption]

Actor Christian Bale who is in China for the premiere of his latest movie, “The Flowers of War,” was reportedly roughed up by Chinese government-backed guards on Thursday when he tried to visit lawyer, Chen Guangcheng who has been imprisoned in his home by authorities, along with his wife and child, since his release from prison in September 2010.

The incident was captured by a CNN camera crew who accompanied Christian Bale on the eight-hour drive from Beijing to Dongshigu village, to visit Chen Guangcheng who is blind.

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“What I really wanted to do was to meet the man, shake his hand and say what an inspiration he is,” Mr. Bale said.

According to the NY Times, Mr. Chen, a self-taught lawyer, crossed Chinese authorities after he took on the case of thousands of local women who had been the victims of an aggressive family planning campaign that included forced sterilizations and abortions. In 2006, he was sentenced to four-and-a-half years during a trial that his legal defenders described as farcical. The charges included destroying property and organizing a crowd to block traffic, crimes allegedly orchestrated while he was under house arrest.

The whole incident may prove tricky for Chinese authorities as Christian Bale is currently starring in the Chinese film, The Flowers of War, which is also the Chinese official foreign film submission for the Academy Awards. Directed by Zhang Yimo, the film depicts Japanese atrocities during their 1937 occupation of Nanjing; and Christian Bale plays a Catholic priest who tries to save young Chinese women who have taken refuge in a Catholic boarding school during the Japanese invasion.

The film opens this week in China, and on December 23 in the United States and Europe.

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Werner Herzog 2 Docs Among 2012 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Nominess

[caption id="attachment_2064" align="alignnone"]Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives[/caption]

“The Tree of Life,” led the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards with seven nominations including Best Picture and nods for Malick for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor, Jessica Chastain for Best Supporting Actress, Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography and Hunter McCracken for Most Promising Performer.

Critics favorite, “The Artist,” garnered filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius nods for Director and Original Screenplay as well as nominations for Original Score and a Best Actor slot for star Jean Dujardin.

Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog received two nominations in the Best Documentary category for his 2011 films “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” and “Into the Abyss.” Other nominees include The Interrupters, Pina, Project Nim and Tabloid.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was nominated for Best Foreign Film, along with In a Better World, Incendies, A Separation and The Skin I Live In.

The winners of the CFCA Awards, now in their 23rd year, will be announced on the morning of December 19, 2011 and will be presented at a ceremony on January .

BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Hugo
The Tree of Life

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius (-) The Artist
Terrence Malick (-) The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne (-) The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn (-) Drive
Martin Scorsese (-) Hugo

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney (-) The Descendants
Jean Dujardin (-) The Artist
Michael Fassbender (-) Shame
Gary Oldman (-) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Michael Shannon (-) Take Shelter

BEST ACTRESS
Kirsten Dunst (-) Melancholia
Elizabeth Olsen (-) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Anna Paquin (-) Margaret
Meryl Streep (-) The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams (-) My Week With Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Albert Brooks (-) Drive
Nick Nolte (-) Warrior
Patton Oswalt (-) Young Adult
Brad Pitt (-) The Tree of Life
Christopher Plummer (-) Beginners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain (-) The Tree of Life
Melissa McCarthy (-) Bridesmaids
Carey Mulligan (-) Shame
Octavia Spencer (-) The Help
Shailene Woodley (-) The Descendants

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist (-) Michel Hazanavicius
Martha Marcy May Marlene (-) Sean Durkin
Midnight In Paris (-) Woody Allen
A Separation (-) Asghar Farhadi
The Tree of Life (-) Terrence Malick

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants (-) Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Drive (-) Hossein Amini
Hugo (-) John Logan
Moneyball (-) Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (-) Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Puss In Boots
Rango
Winnie the Pooh

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
The Interrupters
Into the Abyss
Pina
Project Nim
Tabloid

BEST FOREIGN FILM
In a Better World
Incendies
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Drive (-) Newton Thomas Sigel
Hugo (-) Robert Richardson
Melancholia (-) Manuel Alberto Claro
The Tree of Life (-) Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse (-) Janusz Kaminski

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Artist (-) Ludovic Bource
Drive (-) Cliff Martinez
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (-) Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Hanna (-) The Chemical Brothers
Hugo (-) Howard Shore

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Liana Liberato (-) Trust
Brit Marling (-) Another Earth
Hunter McCracken (-) The Tree of Life
Elizabeth Olsen (-) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Shailene Woodley (-) The Descendants

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
J.C. Chandor (-) Margin Call
Simon Curtis (-) My Week With Marilyn
Drake Doremus (-) Like Crazy
Sean Durkin (-) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Tate Taylor (-) The Help

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Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Name WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Best Cutting Edge Independent Film of 2011

[caption id="attachment_1389" align="alignnone"]WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN[/caption]

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, a group of 29 broadcast, print and online journalists from throughout North Texas, voted the comedy-drama THE DESCENDANTS as the best film of 2011, according to the results of its 18th annual critics’ poll released today.

Rounding out the composite list of the top 10 films of the year were THE ARTIST (2), EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (3), MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (4), THE TREE OF LIFE (5), HUGO (6), 50/50 (7), DRIVE (8), SHAME (9) and MONEYBALL (10).

For Best Actor, the association named George Clooney for THE DESCENDANTS. Runners-up included Jean Dujardin for THE ARTIST (2), Michael Fassbender for SHAME (3), Brad Pitt for MONEYBALL (4) and Michael Shannon for TAKE SHELTER (5).

Michelle Williams was voted Best Actress for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. Next in the voting were Tilda Swinton for WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2), Meryl Streep for THE IRON LADY (3), Charlize Theron for YOUNG ADULT (4) and Kirsten Dunst for MELANCHOLIA (5).

In the Best Supporting Actor category, the winner was Christopher Plummer for BEGINNERS. He was followed by Albert Brooks for DRIVE (2), Max von Sydow for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (3), Armie Hammer for J. EDGAR (4) and Kenneth Branagh for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (5).

For Best Supporting Actress, the association named Shailene Woodley for THE DESCENDANTS. Runners-up included Berenice Bejo for THE ARTIST (2), Octavia Spencer for THE HELP (3), Melissa McCarthy for BRIDESMAIDS (4) and Carey Mulligan for SHAME (5).

Alexander Payne was voted Best Director for THE DESCENDANTS. Next in the voting were Michel Hazanavicius for THE ARTIST (2), Terrence Malick for THE TREE OF LIFE (3), Martin Scorsese for HUGO (4) and Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (5).

The association voted A SEPARATION as the best foreign-language film of the year. Runners-up were THE SKIN I LIVE IN (2), INCENDIES (3), 13 ASSASSINS (4) and a tie between OF GODS AND MEN and CERTIFIED COPY (5).

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS won for Best Documentary over PROJECT NIM (2), THE INTERRUPTERS (3), PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES (4) and BUCK (5).

RANGO was named the best animated film of 2011, with THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN as runner-up. Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash won the Best Screenplay award for THE DESCENDANTS over Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

The award for Best Cinematography went to Emmanuel Lubezki for THE TREE OF LIFE, followed by Janusz Kaminski for WAR HORSE.

The association voted WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN as the winner of the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

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IFC Midnight to release thriller Rites Of Spring

IFC Midnight will release director Padraig Reynolds’ thriller Rites Of Spring. The film, with a screenplay also by Reynolds, stars A.J. Bowen, Anessa Ramsey, Sonny Marinelli, Katherine Randolf, Marco St. John, Hannah Bryan, Sarah Pachelli, James Bartz, Shanna Forestall, Skylar Burke, and Andrew Breland. No release date has been announced.

In Rites Of Spring, a group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school in the middle of the woods. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.

IFC Midnight is a sister division to IFC Films and Sundance Selects.

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12 Film Projects Selected for Sundance Institute January Screenwriters Lab

Sundance Institute has selected 12 projects for its annual January Screenwriters Lab, an immersive, five-day (January 13-18) writers’ workshop at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Participating independent screenwriters – drawn from around the world, including the United States, China, South Africa, and Europe – will have the opportunity to work intensely on their feature film scripts with the support of established writers in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking.

Michelle Satter, Director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, said, “We are very excited to support these filmmakers who are giving voice to a world in transition with a diverse range of stories, genres and contemporary themes. Fueled by their creativity and a deeply personal stake in these stories, the filmmakers are infusing their scripts with rich characters, authentic worlds and uniquely singular visions.”

The Fellows will work with a distinguished group of creative advisors, including Lab Artistic Director Scott Frank, Lisa Cholodenko, Geoffrey Fletcher, Naomi Foner, John Gatins, Susannah Grant, John Lee Hancock, Nicole Holofcener, Malia Scotch Marmo, Walter Mosley, Jessie Nelson, Martin Rejtman, Howard Rodman, Susan Shilliday, Zach Sklar, Dana Stevens, and Joachim Trier.

“Our Feature Film Program continues to build its legacy of identifying and supporting innovative artists, and each of these projects holds potential for contributing to that legacy in new and different ways,” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute. “The January Screenwriters Lab is the first step in a year-round program of creative and strategic support that has recently expanded to include a robust plan to help filmmakers connect to ever-increasing audiences.”

2012 January Screenwriters Lab Fellows and Projects:

Jonas Carpignano (writer/director) / A Chjàna (Italy/U.S.A.): After leaving his native Burkina Faso in search of a better life, Ayiva makes the perilous journey to Italy; though he finds compatriots along the way, they are unprepared for the intolerance facing immigrants in their newly-claimed home.

Jonas Carpignano is an Italian-American filmmaker currently based in New York City and Rome. While raised and educated in New York, he has spent periods of time in Italy where he began his career working as an assistant director. Since enrolling at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Carpignano has made several short films that have screened in numerous prestigious festivals throughout the world. Recently, he was awarded the Martin Scorsese Young Filmmaker Award, and his latest short film A Chjàna won the Controcampo Award for Best Short Film at the 68th Venice Film Festival.

Ioana Uricaru (writer/director) / After the Wedding (U.S.A./Romania): Mara, a Romanian immigrant with a young son, soon discovers her recent marriage to an American is not enough to secure their place in the country. As she learns more about the system, an unfamiliar culture, and her husband, she must decide how far she will go to preserve her new family.

Ioana Uricaru was born and raised in Romania, relocating to Los Angeles in 2001. She co-directed the Romanian omnibus Tales From the Golden Age (Official Selection, 2009 Cannes Film Festival) and her short film Stopover premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to After the Wedding, Uricaru is currently developing the feature Paperclip, which was a recipient of the 2011 Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant.

David Lowery (writer/director) / Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (U.S.A.): Embracing the atmosphere and tone of a modern-day Western, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints tells the story of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas countryside to reunite with his wife and the daughter he never met.

David Lowery is a filmmaker from Texas. His work, including the award-winning short film Pioneer, has screened and won awards at film festivals around the world, including Sundance, SXSW, Festival Internacional de Cortos FIB (Spain), and Ashland Independent Film Festival. Filmmaker Magazine named him one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2011.

Marielle Heller (writer/director) / Diary of a Teenage Girl (U.S.A.): In the haze of 1970’s San Francisco, a teenage artist with a brutally honest perspective tries to navigate her way through an affair with her mother’s boyfriend. Adapted from the graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner.

Marielle Heller is a New York based screenwriter, actor and playwright. Her theatrical production of The Diary of a Teenage Girl premiered in New York City in 2010 at 3LD in association with New Georges. Along with writing partner Caitlin Goldberg-Meehan, Heller has written a pilot for ABC titled The Big Apple, and is developing a movie for the Disney Channel. As an actor, she has performed in theatre all over the world, including at Berkeley Rep, The Barbican in London, Birmingham Rep, Soho Rep, San Diego Rep, and Magic Theater.

Ryan Coogler (writer/director) / Fruitvale (U.S.A.): Fruitvale is the true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.

A filmmaker from the Bay Area, Ryan Coogler spent most of his life dodging tackles on the football field before discovering a love for making movies in college. After earning a degree in Finance from Sacramento State, he headed south to attend USC’s MFA program, where he made several award-winning short films including Locks (Tribeca Film Festival, Dana and Albert Broccoli Award for Filmmaking Excellence), Gap (Jack Nicholson Award for Achievement in Directing), and Fig (HBO Short Filmmaking Award, DGA Student Filmmaker Award). After graduating, he returned home to Richmond, California, where he works as a guidance counselor for juvenile delinquents.

Chloé Zhao (writer/director) / Lee (U.S.A): As his two best friends plan to leave for college, a Lakota teen wonders if his future on the reservation is pre-ordained when a tragedy forces him to take dangerous action to protect his family.

Chloé Zhao is an MFA thesis candidate at NYU’s Graduate Film Program. Her short film Daughters premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won Best Student Live Action Short at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. Zhao was raised in China and England and currently lives in Brooklyn.

Susanna Fogel (co-writer/director) and Joni Lefkowitz (co-writer) / Life Partners (U.S.A.): A straight girl drunkenly promises her lesbian best friend she won’t get married until gay marriage is legal – a promise that becomes awkward when her boyfriend proposes and her friend remains a slacker who’s years away from even thinking about marriage.

Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz have co-written several scripts for film and television, most notably The Washingtonienne for HBO, What Was I Thinking? for New Line and Lynda Obst Productions, and an original web series for Warner Brothers entitled Joni and Susanna, which Lefkowitz produced and Fogel directed. They are currently developing an independent comedy It Is What It Is, which is set to star Evan Rachel Wood, Olivia Thirlby and Sigourney Weaver.

Daniel Mulloy (writer/director) / Mitrovica (Great Britan/Kosova): In post-war Kosova, an Albanian woman scavenges with her young son; when she is approached by a Serbian stranger, she doesn’t realize his offer of help will ultimately tear her life apart.

Daniel Mulloy’s short films, including Baby, Dad, and Antonio’s Breakfast, have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and between them won over ninety international awards, including several BAFTAs, a BIFA and a European Academy Award nomination. In addition to Mitrovica, Mulloy is currently developing the feature film A Cold Day with Focus Features; both films will star Arta Dobroshi.

Logan Kibens (co-writer/director) and Sharon Greene (co-writer) / Operator (U.S.A.): In this existential comedy, when a programmer is hired to create the ideal personality for an automated call center, his attempts to quantify what it means to be human throws his life into chaos.

Logan Kibens has written and directed over 50 short films. She was awarded the 2011 HBO/DGA Directing Fellowship and was selected as one of Film Independent’s 2011 Project:Involve fellows after completing her CalArts thesis film, Recessive. The short has screened nationally and internationally at film festivals including Outfest, Frameline, Reeling, and Zinegoak, among others. Kibens worked as a commercial editor for eight years, and is an award-winning projections designer for theatre and dance.

Sharon Greene is a Chicago playwright turned screenwriter. Her play, Fake Lake, was on the
Best Plays of 2008 list of both Time Out Chicago and The Chicago Tribune, and was supported by a grant from the NEA. A recent graduate of USC’s Writing for Screen and Television program, her original television pilot Cherryland was nominated for the Student Humanitas Prize for Drama.

Pengfei Song (writer/director) / Underground Fragrances (China): As Beijing races to keep up with China’s growth, and its poor are pushed underground to live in crude tunnels, a young migrant worker finds community and compassion, putting a human face on China’s rapid development.

Pengfei Song was born into a family of Peking Opera performers in Beijing. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris to study film directing at L’Institute International Image et du Son. Upon his return, he discovered a new China, which inspired him to develop Underground Fragrances to reflect the changing lives of the people of Beijing. The project, which will be his first feature, was selected for Cinemart and the TorinoFilmLab in 2011.

Etienne Kallos (writer/director) / Vrystaat (Free State) (South Africa): Set during the annual corn harvest in the Free State, Vrystaat explores the rites of passage into manhood for a new generation as they navigate identity and sexuality within the fractured realm of post-Colonial Africa.

Etienne Kallos is a Greek/South African filmmaker with an MFA in film directing from NYU. His work has screened at festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, and Telluride. His film Eersgeborene was the first Afrikaans-language film to be awarded a Lion for Best Short Film at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. He recently developed Vrystaat at the Cannes Cinefondation Residence program in Paris.

Adam Mansbach (writer) / We’re Entertainment (U.S.A.): On the Gulf Coast of Florida, a failed actress working as a children’s party entertainer shows the new guy the ropes; together they share a day that changes them both in unexpected ways.

Adam Mansbach’s most recent book, Go the Fuck to Sleep, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. His novels include The End of the Jews, winner of the California Book Award, and Angry Black White Boy, which is taught at more than a hundred universities. His work has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, GQ, Esquire, The Believer, and on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He has a graphic novel and two other novels forthcoming, as well as a sitcom in development at CBS.

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Tribeca Film to release Northeast

Tribeca Film will release Northeast, director Gregory Kohn’s film about a consummate NY playboy, Will (David Call), wrestling with the reality of getting older as he finds himself at an uninvited crossroads.

Starring David Call (Gossip Girl, Tiny Furniture), Eleonore Hendricks (The Pleasure of Being Robbed), Megan Tusing, Laura Ford, Lauren Shannon, Jason Selvig and Tate Ellington (Remember Me), Northeast will be available nationwide On Demand beginning December 26, 2011 with select theatrical January 2012.

Will (David Call), an unemployed and aimless playboy in Brooklyn, New York, has spent his 20’s skating on easy charm from one casual, distant affair to the next. Noticing his friends’ happiness as they gradually settle into steady jobs and committed relationships, Will decides to trade apathy for effort in order to find someone with whom he can start the next chapter of his life. Shot on 16mm with artful direction and honest performances, Northeast is a vividly natural portrayal of the pressure of impending adulthood.

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Lula, The Son of Brazil to open in NY on January 13

[caption id="attachment_2051" align="alignnone"]Lula, The Son of Brazil[/caption]

Lula, The Son of Brazil, directed by Oscar nominee Fábio Barreto (Quatrilho) and chosen as Brazil’s entry to the 2011 Academy Awards, will open in New York at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and Quad Cinemas on January 13, 2012. A national release will follow.

Based on the book by Denise Paraná, Lula, The Son of Brazil is a richly produced, deeply moving story of the early years of Brazil’s most beloved president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula). Not to be construed as a film about a politician, or a president, this is more to the point an incredible story of perseverance, family, love, honor, resilience, heroism… a story so fantastic, that it could work as fiction.

Born into extreme poverty in 1945, Lula was guided by a strong mother (Gloria Pires in an award-winning performance as Dona Lindu) who faced overwhelming obstacles to raise her children with the drive and courage to live life without fear. Lindu, who was abandoned by her husband just before Lula’s birth, never wavered from her strict commitment to seeing that her kids live a better life. She raised eight children on her own, and with an unbridled tenacity, she saw to it that each child lived life to the fullest.

Lula spent the better part of his childhood growing up just outside of Santos, Brazil. When he wasn’t in school, he helped support the family. He hustled – shining shoes, selling fruit, working as a delivery boy… Life was getting better and, as fate would have it, he was soon accepted to study at SENAI, a technical school from which he graduated in 1963. As a full-fledged member of the union, Lula found his path to a life in politics. However it wasn’t until he experienced an intense personal transformation following the startling death of his first wife and unborn son, that Lula found the courage and ambition he needed to take full control of his destiny. This “common man” who overcame incredible adversity would soon rise to become one of the world’s most extraordinary men.

By 2010, Time Magazine had declared Lula one of the “Most Influential People in the World” and Forbes ranked him as “One of the World’s Most Powerful People.” He was named the “Man of the Year” by Le Monde and El Pais, and Esquire hailed him as “One of the Most Influential People of the 21st Century.”

Celebrating its 50th year, L.C. Barreto has such a rich history that it can be said it gets mixed up with the history of Brazilian and Latin American Cinema. Since 1961, L.C. Barreto has produced more than 80 films according to the highest artistic and technical standards. Founders Luiz Carlos and Lucy Barreto produced two Academy Award nominees for Best Foreign Film: Quatrilho, in 1996, directed by their son Fábio Barreto (Lula, Son of Brazil) and 1998’s Four Days in September, directed by their eldest son, Bruno Barreto (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands).

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Filmmakers Ian Olds and Paul Felten Win $15,000 SFFS Hearst Screenwriting Grant

[caption id="attachment_2049" align="alignnone" width="530"]Ian Olds and Paul Felten with Advisor John Lee Hancock at Sundance (Image via Sundance)[/caption]

Ian Olds and Paul Felten have been selected to receive this year’s $15,000 San Francisco Film Society/Hearst Screenwriting Grant for the continuing development of their script The Western Habit. Additionally, Jason Cortland received an honorable mention commendation for his script Lumberjunkies.

“The SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant comes at a crucial moment in the life of our script The Western Habit,” noted cowriter Olds. “The film is at a tipping point and this grant will allow us the crucial time to develop and craft the best possible version of this story. Making independent films is such a slog at times, but the Film Society’s financial and moral support will galvanize us to finish the script and move it toward production.”

WINNERS
Ian Olds is a director of both narrative and documentary work. Most recently he directed Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshband, which was acquired by HBO and nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism. His credits include the Iraq war documentary Occupation: Dreamland, which was short-listed for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and won a 2006 Independent Spirit Award. Olds’ narrative short films have played numerous festivals around the world including Sundance and Rotterdam. He has received a Princess Grace Award and a Rockefeller Foundation Media Arts Fellowship, and was named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker magazine in 2009. Olds received his MFA from Columbia University’s film department and was a fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab in 2011. Olds began his career as the editor and cowriter of Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story. Olds is currently codirecting an experimental feature film with James Franco.

Paul Felten received his MFA from Columbia University’s film department and is a 2011 Sundance Screenwriting Fellow. His prose has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail and the anthology Before and After: Stories from New York. Felten and Olds have cowritten several scripts including the script for Olds’ short film Bomb, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

The Western Habit
An Afghan journalist is exiled from his war-torn home to a small, bohemian community in Northern California. He struggles to find a new life for himself while juggling a low-paying job on the local police blotter, a meddling avant-garde theater director and a sexually charged relationship with his roommate, who is also the town sheriff. For information visit fixerdoc.com.

HONORABLE MENTION
Jason Cortland studied writing and film at the University of Oregon and earned a Master’s degree in screenwriting at the University of Texas. In 1998 he was a postgraduate fellow at the James Michener Center for Writers. Since 1996, he has collaborated on writing and directing films, videos, and multi-channel installations with Julia Halperin. Their feature film Now, Forager has been profiled in the Village Voice and Indiewire, and will premiere in early 2012. Their short video Interstate (part one) screened at the Berlin Director’s Lounge and was featured in the Journal of Short Film, Volume 6. Cortlund’s work has been honored by Texas Commission on the Arts, Texas Filmmaker’s Production Fund, Austin Film Fund, Houston Film Commission, Hershey Foundation, City of Austin Cultural Contracts, Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association and Centrum Institute.

Lumberjunkies
In a small logging town in Northern Oregon, two brothers circumvent the decline of the timber industry by stealing trees off public lands at night. Following a series of accidents, they have a falling out. The youngest goes to work for their estranged father on a legitimate salvage logging crew. With loyalties shifted, a history of family betrayal leads to an explosion of violence.

The 2010 SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant was awarded to Eric Escobar for East County, a drama set in the economic downturn in which a deputy sheriff who is drowning in debt moonlights for his brother’s eviction agency.

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The Artist Tops 69th Golden Globes Awards nominations

[caption id="attachment_2043" align="alignnone" width="550"]The Flowers of War[/caption]

The Artist continues to dominate award season, snagging 6 nods when the 69th Golden Globes Awards nominations were announced this morning. Another Weinstein Company release, My Week With Marilyn, received 3 nominations. The Flowers of War, In The Land of Blood and Honey, The Kid With A Bike, A Separation, and The Skin I Live In all received 1 nomination for Best Foreign Film.

The 69th Golden Globes Awards nominations

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
HUGO
THE IDES OF MARCH
MONEYBALL
WAR HORSE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
GLENN CLOSE     ALBERT NOBBS
VIOLA DAVIS     THE HELP
ROONEY MARA     THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
MERYL STREEP     THE IRON LADY
TILDA SWINTON     WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
GEORGE CLOONEY     THE DESCENDANTS
LEONARDO DICAPRIO     J. EDGAR
MICHAEL FASSBENDER     SHAME
RYAN GOSLING     THE IDES OF MARCH
BRAD PITT     MONEYBALL

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
50/50
THE ARTIST
BRIDESMAIDS
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
JODIE FOSTER     CARNAGE
CHARLIZE THERON     YOUNG ADULT
KRISTEN WIIG     BRIDESMAIDS
MICHELLE WILLIAMS     MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
KATE WINSLET     CARNAGE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
JEAN DUJARDIN     THE ARTIST
BRENDAN GLEESON     THE GUARD
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT     50/50
RYAN GOSLING     CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.
OWEN WILSON     MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
CARS 2
PUSS IN BOOTS
RANGO

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE FLOWERS OF WAR     (CHINA)
(Jing Ling Shi San Chai)
IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY     (USA)
GK Films; FilmDistrict
THE KID WITH A BIKE     (BELGIUM)
(Le Gamin au Velo)
A SEPARATION     (IRAN)
(Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)
THE SKIN I LIVE IN     (SPAIN)
(La piel que habito)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
BERENICE BEJO     THE ARTIST
JESSICA CHASTAIN     THE HELP
JANET MCTEER     ALBERT NOBBS
OCTAVIA SPENCER     THE HELP
SHAILENE WOODLEY     THE DESCENDANTS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
KENNETH BRANAGH     MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
ALBERT BROOKS     DRIVE
JONAH HILL     MONEYBALL
VIGGO MORTENSEN     A DANGEROUS METHOD
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER     BEGINNERS

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
WOODY ALLEN     MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
GEORGE CLOONEY     THE IDES OF MARCH
MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS     THE ARTIST
ALEXANDER PAYNE     THE DESCENDANTS
MARTIN SCORSESE     HUGO

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
WOODY ALLEN     MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
GEORGE CLOONEY, HESLOV, BEAU WILLIMON     THE IDES OF MARCH
MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS     THE ARTIST
ALEXANDER PAYNE, NAT FAXON, JIM RASH     THE DESCENDANTS
STEVEN ZAILLIAN, AARON SORKIN     MONEYBALL

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
LUDOVIC BOURCE     THE ARTIST
ABEL KORZENIOWSKI     W.E.
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS     THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
HOWARD SHORE     HUGO
JOHN WILLIAMS     WAR HORSE

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“HELLO HELLO” — GNOMEO & JULIET
Music by: Elton John; Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin
“THE KEEPER” — MACHINE GUN PREACHER
Music & Lyrics by: Chris Cornell
“LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN” — ALBERT NOBBS
Music by: Brian Byrne; Lyrics by: Glenn Close
“THE LIVING PROOF” — THE HELP
Music by: Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr.; Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas
“MASTERPIECE” — W.E.
Music & Lyrics by: Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
Twentieth Century Fox Television
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
BOSS (STARZ)
Lionsgate Television in association with Grammnet NH Productions, Roya Productions and Old Friends Productions
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
Bighead, Littlehead, 360 Television, Grok and Generator Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
HOMELAND (SHOWTIME)
SHOWTIME Presents, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet, Fox 21

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
CLAIRE DANES     HOMELAND
MIREILLE ENOS     THE KILLING
JULIANNA MARGULIES     THE GOOD WIFE
MADELEINE STOWE     REVENGE
CALLIE THORNE     NECESSARY ROUGHNESS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
STEVE BUSCEMI     BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BRYAN CRANSTON     BREAKING BAD
KELSEY GRAMMER     BOSS
JEREMY IRONS     THE BORGIAS
DAMIAN LEWIS     HOMELAND

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ENLIGHTENED (HBO)
Ripcord Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
EPISODES (SHOWTIME)
SHOWTIME Presents, Hat Trick Productions, Crane Klarik Productions
GLEE (FOX)
Ryan Murphy Television in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Levitan-Lloyd Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
NEW GIRL FOX
Chernin Entertainment in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL
LAURA DERN     ENLIGHTENED
ZOOEY DESCHANEL     NEW GIRL
TINA FEY     30 ROCK
LAURA LINNEY     THE BIG C
AMY POEHLER     PARKS AND RECREATION

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ALEC BALDWIN     30 ROCK
DAVID DUCHOVNY     CALIFORNICATION
JOHNNY GALECKI     THE BIG BANG THEORY
THOMAS JANE     HUNG
MATT LEBLANC     EPISODES

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
CINEMA VERITE (HBO)
A Pariah Production in association with HBO Films
DOWNTON ABBEY (MASTERPIECE) (PBS)
A Carnival/Masterpiece Co-production
THE HOUR (BBC AMERICA)
Kudos Film and Television/BBC America co-production.
MILDRED PIERCE (HBO)
A Killer Films/John Wells Production in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and HBO Miniseries
TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO)
A Spring Creek and A Deuce Three Production in association with HBO Films

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
ROMOLA GARAI     THE HOUR
DIANE LANE     CINEMA VERITE
ELIZABETH MCGOVERN     DOWNTON ABBEY (MASTERPIECE)
EMILY WATSON     APPROPRIATE ADULT
KATE WINSLET     MILDRED PIERCE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
HUGH BONNEVILLE     DOWNTON ABBEY (MASTERPIECE)
IDRIS ELBA     LUTHER
WILLIAM HURT     TOO BIG TO FAIL
BILL NIGHY     PAGE EIGHT (MASTERPIECE)
DOMINIC WEST     THE HOUR

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JESSICA LANGE     AMERICAN HORROR STORY
KELLY MACDONALD     BOARDWALK EMPIRE
MAGGIE SMITH     DOWNTON ABBEY (MASTERPIECE)
SOFIA VERGARA     MODERN FAMILY
EVAN RACHEL WOOD     MILDRED PIERCE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
PETER DINKLAGE     GAME OF THRONES
PAUL GIAMATTI     TOO BIG TO FAIL
GUY PEARCE     MILDRED PIERCE
TIM ROBBINS     CINEMA VERITE
ERIC STONESTREET     MODERN FAMILY

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Take Shelter and The Tree of Life Top 2011 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards

[caption id="attachment_559" align="alignnone"]Mysteries of Lisbon[/caption]

The 2011 Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2011 awards were announced today and The Tree of Life and Take Shelter were the biggest winners. Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” won Best Picture, and Malick was named Best Director; and also honored with two TFCA awards was “Take Shelter”: Michael Shannon won Best Actor, and Jessica Chastain was named Best Supporting Actress.

The TFCA honored two films by Chilean directors: “Mysteries of Lisbon” was named Best Foreign-Language Film, and winning Best Documentary Feature was “Nostalgia for the Light”. British writer-director Joe Cornish’s “Attack the Block” won Best First Feature.

The full list of Toronto Film Critics Association Awards winners and runners-up:

BEST PICTURE
“The Tree of Life” (eOne Films)
Runners-up:
“The Artist” (Alliance Films)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

BEST ACTOR
Michael Shannon, “Take Shelter”
Runners-up:
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Michael Fassbender, “Shame”

BEST ACTRESS
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Runners-up:
Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Runners-up:
Albert Brooks, “Drive”
Patton Oswalt, “Young Adult”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, “Take Shelter”
Runners-up:
Jessica Chastain, “The Tree of Life”
Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

BEST DIRECTOR
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”
Runners-up:
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Nicolas Winding Refn, “Drive”

BEST SCREENPLAY
“Moneyball”, written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, story by Stan Chervin, based on the book by Michael Lewis
Runners-up:
“The Descendants”, written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings
“The Tree of Life”, written by Terrence Malick

BEST FIRST FEATURE
“Attack the Block”, directed by Joe Cornish
Runners-up:
“Margin Call”, directed by J.C. Chandor
“Martha Marcy May Marlene”, directed by Sean Durkin

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“The Adventures of Tintin” (DreamWorks Animation)
Runners-up:
“Puss in Boots” (DreamWorks Animation)
“Rango” (Paramount Pictures)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
“Mysteries of Lisbon” (Alfama Films)
Runners-up:
“Attenberg” (filmswelike)
“Le Havre” (filmswelike)
“A Separation” (Mongrel Media)

ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY AWARD
“Nostalgia for the Light” (Icarus Films)
Runners-up:
“Into the Abyss” (Mongrel Media)
“Project Nim” (Mongrel Media)

ROGERS CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS
“Café de Flore,” directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
“A Dangerous Method”, directed by David Cronenberg
“Monsieur Lazhar”, directed by Philippe Falardeau

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Project Nim and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Nominated for Phoenix Film Critics Society 2011 Annual Awards

[caption id="attachment_2039" align="alignnone"]Page One: Inside the New York Times[/caption]

The Phoenix Film Critics Society announced the nominees for the 2011 Annual Awards. The winner in each category will be announced on Tuesday, December 27, 2011.

The Artist, My Week With Marilyn had multiple nominations including Best Film. Incendies, Point Blank and The Skin I Live In were each nominated for Best Foreign Film; and African Cats, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Page One: Inside the New York Times, and Project Nim were nominated for Best Documentary.

Interesting category, The Overlooked Film of the Year saw nominations for A Better Life, The Conspirator, and Texas Killing Fields.

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2011 (in alphabetical order)
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Drive”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“My Week With Marilyn”
“Super 8”
“The Tree of Life”

BEST DIRECTOR
“Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
“Michael Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
“Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
“Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
“Tate Taylor, “The Help”

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
“George Clooney, “The Descendants”
“Jean Dujardin, “The Artist
“Michael Fassbender, “Shame”
“Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
“Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
“Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
“Viola Davis, “The Help”
“Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
“Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
“Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
“Albert Brooks, “Drive”
“John Hawkes, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
“Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
“Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
“Bryce Dallas Howard, “The Help”
“Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
“Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
“Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
“Bridesmaids”
“Contagion”
“Margin Call”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Super 8”

BEST SCREENPLAY – ORIGINAL
“The Artist”
“Beginners”
“Midnight in Paris”

BEST SCREENPLAY – ADAPTATION
“Descendants”
“The Help”
“Hugo”

BEST LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM
“Dolphin Tale”
“Hugo”
“The Muppets”
“We Bought a Zoo”

THE OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR
“A Better Life”
“The Conspirator”
“Texas Killing Fields”

BEST ANIMATED FILM
“The Adventures of Tintin”
“Rango”
“Winnie the Pooh”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Incendies”
“Point Blank”
“The Skin I Live In”

BEST DOCUMENTARY
“African Cats”
“The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”
“Page One: Inside the New York Times”
“Project Nim”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“I Believe In You, “Johnny English Reborn”
“Life’s a Happy Song, “The Muppets”
“The Living Proof, “The Help”
“Star Spangled Man, “Captain America”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“The Artist”
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
“Moneyball”
“Super 8”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Tree of Life”

BEST FILM EDITING
“The Artist”
“Super 8”
“Tree of Life”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Artist”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Hugo”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Hugo”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

BEST STUNTS
“Drive”
“Fast Five”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA
“Elle Fanning, “Super 8”
“Thomas Horn, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
“Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

BREAKTROUGH PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA
“Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“Michael Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
“Tate Taylor, “The Help”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – MALE
“Asa Butterfield, “Hugo”
“Joel Courtney, “Super 8”
“Thomas Horn, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – FEMALE
“Elle Fanning, “Super 8”
“Amara Miller, “The Descendants”
“Chloe Grace Moretz, “Hugo”
“Saoirse Ronan, “Hanna”

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