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  • Azazel Jacobs’ New Film “Terri” Will Win Your Heart

    “Terri,” the new film by Azazel Jacobs (“Momma’s Man”) starring John C. Reilly and newcomer Jacob Wysocki, is a wholly new and refreshing coming-of-age film.

    Wysocki plays the lead character Terri Thompson in “Terri” ( a pretty astonishing star turn), an overweight high school student who is abandoned by his parents to his mentally flagging Uncle James (Creed Bratton of “The Office,” doing a complete and memorable 180 from anything we’ve seen him in) in a small, wooded Midwestern town. Like a blown-out breeze of a kid, Terry shlumps into class wearing only his pajamas, and can barely muster up the effort to care about the itinerant teasing and badgering gently yet deftly inflicted upon him by his classmates. The weight on his shoulders seems undefined yet pretty dense. Wysocki’s performance defines the film as a new type of teen movie- a mainstream film with actual teenagers in it- not at one extreme of the adorable, sassy extreme, or the wicked-slash-drug-doing-slash classic indie film-versionized other. Wysocki’s “fat kid” portrayal here is neither jolly or wisecracking nor self-loathing and hell-bent on destruction. He appears to be, quite simply, tired and bored- like most teenagers historically represent themselves. He is deadpan funny and gracefully enlightening in this exacting, momentous performance.

    Jacobs has a keen way of filling us in on the details without telling us much- which is, quite happily for the audience, how one’s high school experience probably was for most of us. It works so very well here, his way of letting the film breathe, and just as we are getting a feeling of the movie’s off-kilter atmosphere, in strides John C. Reilly.

    Who doesn’t love him, first of all? He can do no wrong, it seems, and casting Reilly, as Vice Principal “Mr. Fitzgerald,” was the perfect complement to a cast of characters that is rounded out only by their own sense of feeling terribly lost. Mr. Fitzgerald is someone who wants to make a difference, and does this by befriending and trying to become a defacto mentor to all of the misfits in the school. Soon, Fitzgerald is inviting Terri into his office for malted milk balls and guy talk. What happens may sound predictable, but in the hands of Reilly and Wysocki, something truly beautiful develops: A real friendship, with genuine give and take, and the realization that everyone, always, is forever growing up.

    Bridger Zadina plays Chad- truly one of the sweetest, funniest and most oddball high school outcasts in recent cinematic history, and Olivia Crocicchia plays Heather, the object of first systematic lust, then derision, by the entire high school student body. Heather first comes across as every high school girl termed “slut” always does- oddly powerful and simultaneously powerless. The scene in the shed will leave many recalling how an innocent night can turn somehow oddly dangerous right after one hits puberty, and the turn the film takes is quickly brought back to life, just as soon as the characters sober up themselves. The film seems to have the steady heart of an actual life rhythm, and really is one of those films that leaves you guessing – is it Jacobs, the actors, the writing, or all three that pumps the life blood through it? Novelist Patrick DeWitt (author of “Ablutions” and “My Brothers Sisters”) turned in an amazing freshman effort here, and Jacobs himself told me that they were in constant communication as DeWitt turned in first pages. It all works perfectly well.

    Not formally perfect, stylized or over-produced in the least, Terri is a movie to watch, enjoy and revel in. We will hopefully be seeing much more of Azazel Jacobs work in the future. Go and see this film this weekend. Vimooz highly recommends it…

    Review by Francesca McCaffery

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  • Azazel Jacobs Talks About Directing His New Film “Terri” – Opening Today

     

    Hello! Azazel, you’re in town (in NYC) for the BAM Festival?Yeah! It feels really nice. It’s the best way to kind of kind of home. You know, I live in Los Angeles now- so, to come home to New York, where my folks and friends are, where I was raised, and to have a film that’s being well received, it’s been really important to me. And it’s summer here!

    Everyone is so curious about how you cast Jacob Wysocki (who plays Terri in the film), and how you found him. Was that pretty instantaneous?

    No. We were lucky enough to be able to hire Nicole Arbusto and Joy Dickson before we had any real money for the film. We knew it was going to be a really long search to find the right Terri. So, one of the very things we did was hire the casting directors to start them on our search. I saw SO many talented kids, really, some very, very strong possibilities- for different Terris, different Chads, different Heathers (all lead characters in “Terri.”) But Jacob just brought in a kind of confidence that I thought would be very hard for a director to manifest. I kept calling him back in to read with this Heather, or that Chad, and it became really clear that he was the one.

    He is pretty amazing in the film. Sort of a star turn, similar in a way to what “Rushmore” did for Jason Schwartzman.

    And can you imagine going up against John (John C. Reilly, star of “Terri”) in your first film? I mean, John was the most experienced person on the set, you know- crew included! And then here’s this kid on his first movie, on his day- sitting in a room with John. And I’m watching him, and watching them push each other, in different ways…

    Was Jacob a child actor?

    No! He was a side character in the TV series “Huge,” and this was actually I think his very first audition for a film.

    You originally planned to co-write this with the screenwriter Patrick DeWitt, who is also novelist?

    I planned on co-writing it, but I ended up writing up so much less, I took my name off the credit. He came to me with these pages about a long, eternal monologue of this kid who wears pajamas, and comes to school every day in his pajamas-all these different issues. So, the idea was that we’d turn it, together, into a screenplay. So, he’d send me the first few pages every other day or so, and I was adding series of commas! I was doing nothing! So, I just let him go, and he came up with the script. It was great. (Patrick’s novels include “Ablutions” and “The Brothers Sisters.”)

    Tell us about Creed Bratton, who plays Uncle James in “Terri.”

    Total surprise! He was somebody that I was just so excited to meet, and to just be able to audition! When I saw he was coming in to read for Uncle James, you know, I’m a huge fan of “The Office,” so I was so thrilled. But I didn’t think he’d be our Uncle James right away. But he transformed himself during that audition. This was one of the best auditions I’ve ever seen. It became really clear.

    Azazel, you have quite an interesting background. I know that your father is a pretty famous experimental filmmaker…

    Famous among four people! (laughs.) That’s what he used to say to me and my sister growing up. We’d say: “You seem like people know who you are,” and he’s like,” I’m famous among four people.”

    Was he a pretty profound influence on you growing up, as far as your artistic choices and leanings?

    Yeah, I grew up extremely, extremely wealthy- obviously not money-wise, but just in terms of what my parents have offered me. In terms of telling me that what I thought about things was important, that what you make is important, and it can be. That art itself can be very important.

    That’s pretty lucky…

    I know. It is lucky. It’s a good weight to have. It doesn’t allow me to come up with easy excuses to doing things I don’t believe in, you know? I mean, I’ve obviously had to make a living, and sometimes work on things that I don’t care for as much as my own stuff. But when it comes to my own work, it’s a nice pressure to have.

    That’s fantastic. As a little aside, I read that you were obsessed of Joe Strummer of the Clash?

    I was, and I am! If there’s any way I can steer this conversation to talking about Strummer, I’m all for it.

    Okay, I have an idea. The film is about, in a way, bullying in different forms. I heard you were a bit of a “punk rock bully” in high school. Is that true?

    (Laughs.) You know, well, I was one of those bullies that would hide behind other people, not start trouble or anything. But that really was my way into Terri. Because I know if Terri had gone to my school, I would have been one of those kids who would have just kind of seen him as something to make fun of. It sucks. I was a fucking idiot! But I feel for them (the bullies) as well. During those trying teenage years, you can’t control what’s going on, both internally or externally. It’s not an excuse, but it’s a reality.

    The one scene with Heather and Chad near the end is incredible. It reminds me of something strange that may actually happen to someone in high school, rather than what we normally see on film. Did that come from any direct experience?

    Absolutely! I mean, I felt like if there was anything that I could offer in making a coming-of-age movie, it would be a different depiction than what I’ve seen of those long, (high school era) nights depicted on film. I knew the movie as a whole, but I also know that when we get to that scene- that scene is something different. I thought, if everything that preceded it led me to this place (in the film), than there’s something really valuable here going on here.

    That’s also quite a delicate scene. How was that handled?

    Yeah, I was scared sick about that scene! Because it’s one of those scenes that you do not want to mess up. It’s so impossible to get the most skilled actors to depict being under the influence in any kind of honest way. And then to have these kids, who have all different varying degrees of experience. Bridger Zadina (who plays Chad in “Terri”) had to Google “being drunk” to even play it! He’d never drunk anything before! They were definitely all really stretching- these characters weren’t them at all. But we saved that scene for last. And it kind of gave us the ability to have built up a trust between all of us- with me as director, and each other as actors to director. The producers really gave us enough time. They gave us enough time to go into that shed, and to not emerge until we had that scene.

    Congratulations again on the film. It’s really wonderful.

    Thanks! Wait, did we figure out to get the Clash in?

    Go ahead!

    I’ll tell you this. I went to see him (Joe Strummer of the Clash) when I was nine. I slept overnight to see them in ’82. And it comes in waves (the obsession) . Now that the film is being released, and I need all the strength, and all the courage cause I went this film to go out and do well…. I’ve just been listening non, non-stop to the Clash! It’s been a great comfort.

    You can rest pretty easy, I think! Thank you so much, Azazel. it was a real pleasure.

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  • Russian Film ‘Silent Souls’ to open Sept. 16 in NYC; Releases Controversial Picture

    Silent Souls, a film by Russian director, Aleksei Fedorchenko, and an offficial Selection at 2010 New York, Toronto and Venice film festivals, will open at Angelika Film Center in New York on Friday, September 16, and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles at the end of September. Other cities will follow.



    When Miron’s beloved wife Tanya passes away, he asks his best friend Aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals of the Merja culture, an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe from Lake Nero, a picturesque region in West-Central Russia.  Although the Merja people assimilated into Russians in the 17th century, their myths and traditions live on in their descendants’ modern life.

    The two men set out on a road trip thousands of miles across the boundless land, with them, two small birds in a cage.  Along the way, as is custom for the Merjans, Miron shares intimate memories of his conjugal life.  But as they reach the banks of the sacred lake where they will forever part with the body, he realizes he wasn’t the only one in love with Tanya…

     

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  • False Evacuation at LA Film Festival’s Closing Night Screening of “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”- Starring Katie Holmes

    Guests at the LA Film Festival’s Closing Night Screening of co-writer/producer’s Guillermo del Toro’s new thriller “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, were scared by more than just the film itself: Festival-goers actually had to actually leave the screening briefly (during a pivotal point on the horror film!) after wailing alarms and a recording told them that it was an “emergency,” and they had to evacuate immediately.

    Del Toro was overheard to have been much more riled about the film’s R rating, although the film was, by all accounts, pretty scary. (A young girl is tortured by scary creatures in a scary house. Jeez!) Apparently, it was not Holmes’ acting, but rather, simply a glitch in poor Regal LA Live’s Theatre’s alarm system which drove the guests quickly into the theatre lobby.

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  • Dabangg (Fearless) is big winner at 12th International India Film Academy

    [caption id="attachment_678" align="alignnone" width="550"]Dabangg (Fearless)[/caption]

    Dabangg (Fearless) was the big winner at the 12th International India Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony held in Toronto, Canada on Saturday night.

    The Hollywood Reported, reported that Dabangg won for best film and took home three of the four major music awards: best male playback singer for Rahat Ali Fateh Khan for the song “Tere mast mast do nain,” best music director shared by Sajid Wajid and Lalit Pandit, and the best female playback singer trophy went to Mamta Sharma for the song “Munni badnam hui.” Also for Dabangg, the best screenplay trophy went to Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla, while Sonakshi Sinha earned the female debut award for her star-turn in the hit Bollywood film.

    The list of the winners of the 2011 IIFA Awards:

    Best Film
    Dabangg

    Best Direction
    Karan Johar (My Name Is Khan)

    Leading Role Male
    Shahrukh Khan (My Name Is Khan)

    Leading Role Female
    Anushka Sharma (Band Baaja Baaraat)

    Supporting Role Male
    Arjun Rampal (Raajneeti)

    Supporting Role Female
    Prachi Desai (Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai)

    Comic Role
    Riteish Deshmukh (Housefull)

    Negative Role
    Sonu Sood (Dabangg)

    Debut Male
    Ranveer Singh

    Debut Female
    Sonakshi Sinah (Dabangg)

    Best Story
    Shibani Bhatija (My Name Is Khan)

    Screenplay
    Dilip Shukla, Abhinav Kashyap (Dabangg)

    Dialogue
    Vishal Bhardwaj (Ishqiya)

    Music Direction
    Sajid – Wajid & Lalit Pandit (Dabangg)

    Lyrics
    Niranjan Iyengar (My Name Is Khan – Sajdaa)

    Playback Singer Male
    Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Dabangg – Tere Mast Mast Do Nain)

    Playback Singer Female
    Mamta Sharma (Dabangg – Munni Badnam)

    Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema
    Irrfan Khan

    Lifetime Achievement Award
    Asha Bhonsle

    Outstanding Contribution to Indian cinema
    Dharmendra (50 years in cinema)

    Outstanding Achievement in Indian cinema
    Sharmila Tagore

    Best On-Screen Jodi
    Anuksha Sharma and Ranveer Singh (Band Baaja Baaraat)

    Special ‘Green’ Award
    Priyanka Chopra

    Best Editing
    Namrata Rao
    Band Baaja Baaraat

    Best Sound Recording
    Pritam Das
    Love Sex aur Dhokha

    Best Sound Re-recording
    Leslie Fernandes
    Dabangg

    Best Special Effects
    V. Srinivas Mohan
    Robot

    Best Art Direction
    Sabu Cyril
    Robot

    Best Cinematography
    Sudeep Chatterjee
    Guzaarish

    Best Dialogue
    Vishal Bharadwaj
    Ishqiya

    Best Costume
    Niharika Khan
    Band Baaja Baaraat

    Best Make-up
    Banu
    Robot

    Best Screenplay
    Abhinav Kashyap, Dileep Shukla
    Dabangg

    Best Choreography
    Farah Khan
    Dabangg

    Best Action
    Master Vijayan
    Dabangg

    Best Story
    Shibani Bhattija
    My Name Is Khan

    Best Background Score
    Shankar Ehsaan Loy
    My Name Is Khan

    Best Music
    Sajid – Wajid
    Dabangg

    Best Lyrics
    Niranjan Iyengar
    My Name Is Khan

    Best Playback Singer (Male)
    Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
    Dabangg

    Best Playback Singer (Female)
    Mamta Sharma
    Dabangg

    Debutant Star Award (Male)
    Ranveer Singh
    Band Baaja Baaraat

    Debutant Star Award (Female)
    Sonakshi Sinha
    Dabangg

    Best Performance in a Comic Role
    Ritesh Deshmukh
    House Full

    Best Performance in a Negative Role
    Sonu Sood
    Dabangg

    Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Female)
    Prachi Desai |
    Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

    Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Male)
    Arjun Rampal
    Raajneeti

    Lifetime Achievement Award
    Dharmendra

    [via india-spicy]

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  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Extend Invitations to 178 New Membes

    [caption id="attachment_1471" align="alignnone" width="550"]Anthony Mackie in [/caption]

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.  Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy’s roster of members.

    “These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Tom Sherak.  “Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks.”

    The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them.  Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.

    In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.  Hetherington had been a 2010 nominee for his film “Restrepo,” but died prior to the Academy’s spring meetings to select new members.  The Documentary Branch proposed that Hetherington’s name be included among the year’s invitees.  The governors agreed.

    The 2011 invitees are:

    Actors
    Russell Brand – “Arthur,” “Get Him to the Greek”
    Gerard Butler – “The Ugly Truth,” “300”
    Vincent Cassel – “Black Swan,” “Eastern Promises”
    Robbie Coltrane – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” “Mona Lisa”
    Bradley Cooper – “Limitless,” “The Hangover”
    John Corbett – “Sex and the City 2,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
    Rosemarie DeWitt – “The Company Men,” “Rachel Getting Married”
    Peter Dinklage – “Find Me Guilty,” “The Station Agent”
    David Duchovny – “Things We Lost in the Fire,” “The X-Files”
    Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network,” “The Squid and the Whale”
    Jennifer Garner – “Arthur,” “Juno”
    John Hawkes – “Winter’s Bone,” “The Perfect Storm”
    Thomas Jane – “The Mist,” “The Thin Red Line”
    Nastassja Kinski – “An American Rhapsody,” “Tess”
    Beyonce Knowles – “Dreamgirls,” “Austin Powers in Goldmember”
    Mila Kunis – “Black Swan,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
    Jennifer Lawrence – “Winter’s Bone,” “The Burning Plain”
    Tea Leoni – “Ghost Town,” “Spanglish”
    Anthony Mackie – “The Hurt Locker,” “Million Dollar Baby”
    Lesley Manville – “Another Year,” “Topsy-Turvy”
    Rooney Mara – “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Social Network”
    Dominic Monaghan – “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
    Connie Nielsen – “Brothers,” “Gladiator”
    Ellen Page – “Inception,” “Juno”
    Wes Studi – “Avatar,” “The Last of the Mohicans”
    Mia Wasikowska – “Jane Eyre,” “The Kids Are All Right”
    Jacki Weaver – “Animal Kingdom,” “Cosi”

    Animators
    Geefwee Boedoe – “Let’s Pollute,” “Monsters, Inc.”
    Alessandro Carloni – “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Over the Hedge”
    Sylvain Chomet – “The Illusionist,” “The Triplets of Belleville”
    Jakob Hjort Jensen – “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Flushed Away”
    Biljana Labovic – “The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger,” “Idiots and Angels”
    Tomm Moore – “The Secret of Kells,” “Backwards Boy”
    Teddy Newton – “Day & Night,” “Ratatouille”
    Bob Peterson – “Up,” “Finding Nemo” (also invited to the Writers Branch)
    Javier Recio Gracia – “The Lady and the Reaper,” “The Missing Lynx”
    Andrew Ruhemann – “The Lost Thing,” “City Paradise”
    Kristof Serrand – “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas”
    Shaun Tan – “The Lost Thing,” “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!”
    Simon Wells – “Mars Needs Moms,” “The Prince of Egypt”

    Art Directors
    Anahid Nazarian – “The Virgin Suicides,” “The Godfather, Part III”
    Lauren E. Polizzi – “Cowboys & Aliens,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

    At-Large
    George Aguilar
    Barry Bernardi
    Christopher Dodd
    Ted Gagliano
    James L. Honore
    Dawn Hudson
    Beverly Pasterczyk
    Randall Poster
    Ric Robertson
    David Schnuelle
    Randy Spendlove
    Beverly Joanna Wood

    Casting Directors
    Nina Gold – “The King’s Speech,” “Jane Eyre”
    Jina Jay – “The Reader,” “Layer Cake”
    Lora Kennedy – “The Town,” “Syriana”

    Cinematographers
    Frank Byers – “Illegal Tender,” “Boxing Helena”
    Patrick Cady – “Lottery Ticket,” “Broken Bridges”
    Danny Cohen – “The King’s Speech,” “Pirate Radio”
    Lukas Ettlin – “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Middle Men”
    Steven Fierberg – “Love & Other Drugs,” “Secretary”
    Barry Markowitz – “Crazy Heart,” “Sling Blade”
    Charles Minsky – “Valentine’s Day,” “Pretty Woman”
    Lawrence Sher – “The Hangover,” “Garden State”
    Eric Steelberg – “Up in the Air,” “(500) Days of Summer”

    Costume Designers
    Odile Dicks-Mireaux – “An Education,” “The Constant Gardener”
    Sarah Edwards – “Salt,” “Michael Clayton”
    Danny Glicker – “Up in the Air,” “Milk”

    Directors
    Gregg Araki – “Kaboom,” “Nowhere”
    Susanne Bier – “In a Better World,” “After the Wedding”
    Neil Burger – “Limitless,” “The Illusionist”
    Lisa Cholodenko – “The Kids Are All Right,” “Laurel Canyon” (also invited to the Writers Branch)
    Debra Granik – “Winter’s Bone,” “Down to the Bone” (also invited to the Writers Branch)
    Tom Hooper – “The King’s Speech,” “The Damned United”
    John Cameron Mitchell – “Rabbit Hole,” “Shortbus”
    Yojiro Takita – “Departures,” “Himitsu”

    Documentary
    Jon Alpert – “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province,” “Lock-up: The Prisoners
    of Rikers Island”
    Amir Bar-Lev – “The Tillman Story,” “Fighter”
    Lesley Chilcott – “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” “It Might Get Loud”
    Carl Deal – “Capitalism: A Love Story,” “Trouble the Water”
    Charles Ferguson – “Inside Job,” “No End in Sight”
    Tim Hetherington – “Restrepo” (posthumous)
    Sebastian Junger – “Restrepo”
    Thomas Lennon – “The Warriors of Qiugang,” “The Blood of Yingzhou District”
    Diane Weyermann – “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” “Food, Inc.”
    Ruby Yang – “The Blood of Yingzhou District,” “The Warriors of Qiugang”

    Executives
    William J. Damaschke
    Richard M. Fay
    Donna Langley
    Leslie Moonves
    Vanessa L. Morrison
    Bill Pohlad
    Rich Ross
    Jeff Small
    Thomas Tull

    Film Editors
    Tariq Anwar – “The King’s Speech,” “American Beauty”
    Naomi Geraghty – “Limitless,” “Reservation Road”
    Jon Harris – “127 Hours,” “Layer Cake”
    Darren Holmes – “How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Iron Giant”
    Pamela Martin – “The Fighter,” “Little Miss Sunshine”
    Joel Negron – “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” “The Karate Kid”
    Terilyn A. Shropshire – “Jumping the Broom,” “Eve’s Bayou”
    Angus Wall – “The Social Network,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Andrew Weisblum – “The Black Swan,” “The Wrestler”

    Live Action Short Films
    Luke Matheny – “God of Love,” “Earano”

    Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
    Judy Chin – “Black Swan,” “Requiem for a Dream”
    Kathrine Gordon – “3:10 to Yuma,” “Ocean’s Eleven”
    Trefor Proud – “W.,” “Topsy-Turvy”
    Cindy Jane Williams – “Burlesque,” “Hancock”
    Wesley Wofford – “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son,” “A Beautiful Mind”

    Music
    Terence Blanchard – “Inside Man,” “Malcolm X”
    Fernand Bos – “Crazy Heart,” “Cold Mountain”
    Graeme Revell – “Darfur Now,” “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”

    Producers
    Iain Canning – “Oranges and Sunshine,” “The King’s Speech”
    Cean Chaffin – “The Social Network,” “Fight Club”
    Kevin Feige – “Thor,” “Iron Man”
    Gary Goetzman – “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Mamma Mia!”
    Sisse Graum Jorgensen – “In a Better World,” “After the Wedding”
    Jeffrey Levy-Hinte – “The Kids Are All Right,” “Laurel Canyon”
    Todd Lieberman – “The Fighter,” “The Proposal”
    Robert Lorenz – “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Mystic River”
    Celine Rattray – “The Kids Are All Right,” “Grace Is Gone”
    Emile Sherman – “The King’s Speech,” “Candy”
    Emma Thomas – “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”
    Gareth Unwin – “The King’s Speech,” “Exam”

    Production Designers
    Howard Cummings – “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” “John Grisham’s The Rainmaker”
    Therese DePrez – “Black Swan,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”
    Guy Hendrix Dyas – “Inception,” “The Brothers Grimm”
    Jess Gonchor – “True Grit,” “Capote”
    Jane Musky – “Something Borrowed,” “Finding Forrester”
    Eve Stewart – “The King’s Speech,” “Topsy-Turvy”

    Public Relations
    Susan Ciccone
    Alissa Grayson
    Jeffrey Hall
    Jill Ann Jones
    Mark Markline
    Carmelo Pirrone
    Ira Rubenstein
    David Schneiderman
    Loren Schwartz
    Lance Volland

    Set Decorators
    Judy Farr – “The King’s Speech,” “Death at a Funeral”
    Gene Serdena – “The Fighter,” “House of Sand and Fog”

    Sound
    Andrew DeCristofaro – “Hall Pass,” “Crazy Heart”
    Joe Dorn – “The Wolfman,” “Spider-Man 3”
    Marc Fishman – “Bridesmaids,” “Crash”
    Lora Hirschberg – “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”
    Chris Jargo – “Robin Hood,” “American Gangster”
    John Midgley – “The King’s Speech,” “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”
    Ed Novick – “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”
    Hammond Peek – “King Kong,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
    Brian Vessa – “Nemesis,” “Lambada”
    Mark Weingarten – “The Social Network,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

    Visual Effects
    Tim Alexander – “Rango,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
    Rob Bredow – “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “The Polar Express”
    Tim Burke – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” “Gladiator”
    Peter Chesney – “No Country for Old Men,” “Men in Black”
    Paul Franklin – “Inception,” “The Dark Knight”
    Kevin Tod Haug – “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “Quantum of Solace”
    Florian Kainz – “Mission: Impossible III,” “The Perfect Storm”
    Marshall Krasser – “Iron Man 2,” “Titanic”
    Sean Phillips – “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Polar Express”
    Peter G. Travers – “Watchmen,” “The Matrix Reloaded”
    Brian Van’t Hul – “Coraline,” “I, Robot”
    Mark H. Weingartner – “Sex and the City 2,” “Inception”

    Writers
    Stuart Blumberg – “The Kids Are All Right,” “Keeping the Faith”
    Lisa Cholodenko – “The Kids Are All Right,” “Laurel Canyon” (also invited to the Directors Branch)
    Debra Granik – “Winter’s Bone,” “Down to the Bone” (also invited to the Directors Branch)
    Karen McCullah Lutz – “The Ugly Truth,” “Legally Blonde”
    Aline Brosh McKenna – “27 Dresses,” “The Devil Wears Prada”
    Bob Peterson – “Up,” “Finding Nemo” (also invited to the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch)
    David Rabe – “The Firm,” “Casualties of War”
    Anne Rosellini – “Winter’s Bone”
    David Seidler – “The King’s Speech,” “The King & I”
    Scott Silver – “The Fighter,” “8 Mile”
    Kirsten Smith – “The Ugly Truth,” “Legally Blonde”
    Aaron Sorkin – “The Social Network,” “A Few Good Men”
    Daniel Waters – “Batman Returns,” “Heathers”

    Additionally, the Academy invited John Coffey, Risa Gertner and Robert C. Rosenthal to Associate membership. Associate members are not represented on the Board and do not have Academy Awards® voting privileges.

    source: AMPAS

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  • Academy Shakes Up Best Picture Rules Again

    The governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted on Tuesday (6/14) to add a new twist to the 2011 Best Picture competition, and a new element of surprise to its annual nominations announcement.  The Board voted to institute a system that will now produce anywhere between five and 10 nominees in the category.  That number won’t be announced until the Best Picture nominees themselves are revealed at the January nominations announcement.

    “With the help of PricewaterhouseCoopers, we’ve been looking not just at what happened over the past two years, but at what would have happened if we had been selecting 10 nominees for the past 10 years,” explained Academy President Tom Sherak, who noted that it was retiring Academy executive director Bruce Davis who recommended the change first to Sherak and incoming CEO Dawn Hudson and then to the governors.

    During the period studied, the average percentage of first place votes received by the top vote-getting movie was 20.5.  After much analysis by Academy officials, it was determined that 5% of first place votes should be the minimum in order to receive a nomination, resulting in a slate of anywhere from five to 10 movies.

    “In studying the data, what stood out was that Academy members had regularly shown a strong admiration for more than five movies,” said Davis.  “A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit.  If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn’t feel an obligation to round out the number.”

    If this system had been in effect from 2001 to 2008 (before the expansion to a slate of 10), there would have been years that yielded 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 nominees.

    The final round of voting for Best Picture will continue to employ the preferential system, regardless of the number of nominees, to ensure that the winning picture has the endorsement of more than half of the voters.

    Other rules changes approved by the Board include:

    In the animated feature film category, the need for the Board to vote to “activate” the category each year was eliminated, though a minimum number of eligible releases – eight – is still required for a competitive category.   Additionally, the short films and feature animation branch recommended, and the Board approved, refinements to the number of possible nominees in the Animated Feature category.  In any year in which eight to 12 animated features are released, either two or three of them may be nominated.  When 13 to 15 films are released, a maximum of four may be nominated, and when 16 or more animated features are released, a maximum of five may be nominated.

    In the visual effects category, the “bakeoff” at which the nominees are determined will expand from seven to 10 contenders.  The increase in the number of participants is related to a change made last year in which the number of films nominated in the visual effects category  was increased from three to five.

    Previously, the Board approved changes to the documentary feature and documentary short category rules that now put those categories’ eligibility periods in line with the calendar year and thus with most other awards categories.  The change means that for the 84th Awards cycle only, the eligibility period is more than 12 months; it is from September 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011.

    Other modifications of the 84th Academy Awards rules include normal date changes and minor “housekeeping” changes.

    Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees.  The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors for approval.

    The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

    Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

    [ press release via AMPAS ]

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  • Record Number of Entries in Academy’s 2011 Nicholl Screenwriting Competition

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition has received a record 6,730 entries for 2011, including a first-time entry from Ecuador.  The Academy will award up to five fellowships of $30,000 each in November.

    The Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to screenwriters who have not earned more than $5,000 writing for film or television.  Entry scripts must be feature length and the original work of a sole author or of exactly two collaborative authors.  The scripts must have been written originally in English.  Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible.

    This year, entries have come from all 50 states in the U.S., as well as from Argentina, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam.

    Since the program’s inception in 1985, 118 fellowships have been awarded, and a number of fellows have achieved considerable success.  Ehren Kruger, a 1996 fellow, wrote “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” opening later this month.  “The Details,” written and directed by 1998 fellow Jacob Aaron Estes, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.  Andrew W. Marlowe, a 1992 fellow, created and executive produces ABC’s “Castle,” for which Terri Miller, also a 1992 fellow, is a writer-producer.  Mike Rich, a 1998 fellow, wrote “Secretariat,” which opened last October.  Susannah Grant, a 1992 fellow, earned an Oscar® nomination in 2000 for her “Erin Brockovich” screenplay.

    Several other Nicholl fellows have had success in the film industry.

    Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year.  The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve itself commercially in any way with their completed scripts.

    [via AMPAS]

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  • The Weinstein Company to release “W.E.,” Madonna’s directorial debut

    [caption id="attachment_1460" align="alignnone" width="550"]Madonna on the set of W.E.[/caption]

    The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced yesterday that it will release “W.E.,” Madonna’s directorial debut of a feature film  in the U.S. W.E. is a romantic drama co-written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian. It stars Abbie Cornish (LIMITLESS), Oscar Isaac (DRIVE), James D’Arcy (MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD), Andrea Riseborough (NEVER LET ME GO), Natalie Dormer (“The Tudors”), Richard Coyle (PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME), James Fox (SHERLOCK HOLMES) and Laurence Fox (“Inspector Lewis”).

    Spanning six decades, W.E. juxtaposes a contemporary love story with that of King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson.

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  • Academy Honors 2011 Student Academy Award® Winners with Medals

    [caption id="attachment_1456" align="alignnone" width="560"]The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its 38th Annual Student Academy Awards® on Saturday, June 11, in Beverly Hills. Front row (left to right): Hallvar Witzø, Julian Higgins, Avner Geller, Stevie Lewis, Tal S. Shamir, Wonjung Bae and Soham Mehta. Back row (left to right): Theo Rigby, Anthony Weeks, Shawn Wines, Max Zähle, Karzan Kader, Zach Hyer, Bernardo Warman and Shaofu Zhang.[/caption]

    Fifteen students from colleges and universities around the world were honored last night (June 11) as winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 38th Annual Student Academy Awards® competition awards ceremony, which featured as presenters actress Jennifer Garner, Oscar®-nominated animator John Musker, and Academy Award-winning producer Edward Zwick alongside Academy President Tom Sherak at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

    The 2011 winners are:

    Alternative category
    Gold Medal*:   “The Vermeers,” Tal S. Shamir, The New School, New York
    * Only one medal was awarded in the Alternative category.

    Animation category
    Gold Medal (tie):   “Correspondence,” Zach Hyer, Pratt Institute, New York; and “Dragonboy,” Bernardo Warman and Shaofu Zhang, Academy of Art University, California
    Bronze Medal:       “Defective Detective,” Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis, Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida

    Documentary category
    Gold Medal:       “Vera Klement: Blunt Edge,” Wonjung Bae, Columbia College Chicago
    Silver Medal:      “Imaginary Circumstances,” Anthony Weeks, Stanford University
    Bronze Medal:   “Sin Pais (Without Country),” Theo Rigby, Stanford University

    Narrative category
    Gold Medal:     “Thief,” Julian Higgins, American Film Institute, California
    Silver Medal:    “High Maintenance,” Shawn Wines, Columbia University
    Bronze Medal:  “Fatakra,” Soham Mehta, University of Texas at Austin

    Foreign Student Film category
    Gold Medal:     “Tuba Atlantic,” Hallvar Witzo, The Norwegian Film School, Norway
    Silver Medal:    “Bekas,” Karzan Kader, Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts, Sweden
    Bronze Medal:  “Raju,” Max Zaehle, Hamburg Media School, Germany

    The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 43 Oscar nominations and have won or shared eight awards. At the 83rd Academy Awards earlier this year, 2010 Student Academy Award winner Luke Matheny took home the Oscar for Live Action Short Film for “God of Love.” Tanel Toom, another 2010 Student Academy Award winner, also was nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for “The Confession,” and John Lasseter, a 1979 and 1980 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Adapted Screenplay category for “Toy Story 3.”

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  • REVIEW: Steve Coogan Surprises and Delights in “The Trip”

     

    Conceptualized at first as a six-part television series for British television, director Michael Winterbottom’s “The Trip,” starring English comics Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, is a strange, delightfully bittersweet mid-life crisis film of sorts, which leaves you somehow feeling as if you’ve witnessed an actual epiphany happening as it is unfolding.

    Coogan plays himself, ostensibly, and the premise is that he is invited to do a driving restaurant tour of the gorgeous Northern English countryside to sample complicated haute cuisine for an upcoming article for the Observer. He invites along (rather grudgingly) his old friend Rob Brydon, after his girlfriend gets cold feet, and cancels. The two friends, again, playing “themselves,” and using their real names, argue, do countless, hilarious imitations of celebrities (trying to one up the other on who does the best, most pitch-perfect Michael Caine), and, generally, begin to rub each other gently, ever so slightly- the wrong way. Which is to say, Brydon’s simpler lifestyle and solid, sweet marriage start to make Coogan dwell upon his own, immediate life choices. Coogan’s interior ramblings become more vocal and rise to the surface, and Brydon’s contrasting satisfyingly placid private life begins to figure more prominently as the road trip wares on.

    As the mild-mannered and dry-witted Brydon witnesses Coogan chatting with his American girlfriend on the phone moment (they are taking a “break,” she in the U.S., he in England) then bedding down a sensual concierge the next, he chides him gently, while never for a moment becoming envious of Coogan’s far flashier life career and romantic life. Well, not really. Coogan, on the other hand, pines for some sort of more relevant stability- with his girlfriend and with his children-all who currently live apart from him, and within his own legit acting career.

    It is interesting to see such an accomplished, genuinely charismatic performer actually suffering over a dearth of opportunities to really sink his teeth into artistically. Yes, he makes fun of costume drama, but there is an intriguing, authentic feeling of longing experienced, the raw wish to experience genuine greatness, which is rarely glimpsed in our fame-obsessed, reality-TV based culture. This is really what “The Trip” is all about: Realizing what’s important to you, versus your life’s circumstances at the very moment. Cogan’s choice at the end is poignant and feels quite “real.” As he is shot behind the craggy, rolling hills of the sumptuous Yorkshire countryside, which appear to have been CGI-ed right in from “Wuthering Heights,” Coogan, quoting Keats and Shakespeare as if in a dream state, would make for a truly intense, romantic presence on-screen in a juicy period piece himself. Steve Coogan, get thee-self into a Merchant Ivory film! Vimooz says go see “The Trip.” Especially if you are on a staycation this season-this is a great, sweet, summer weekend matinee movie, one that will have you both laughing and thinking about how good or crappy you really have it- or both.

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  • 2011 Amsterdam Film Festival Announces Van Gogh Awards; The Secret Friend, Der Sandmann, Wish, and Happy Earn Grand Jury Awards

    [caption id="attachment_1447" align="alignnone" width="560"]Adam Bowers writes, directs and stars in the low-budget comedy ‘New Low[/caption]

    The 2011 Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards announced the winners of the prestigious Van Gogh Awards. The Grand Jury Prize was presented to four films – The Secret Friend directed by Flavio Alves (Brazil), Der Sandmann directed by Peter Luisi (Switzerland), Wish directed by Kyle Milardo (USA) and Happy directed by Roko Belic (USA).

    The De grote Prijs van de Jury was presented to New Low directed by Adam Bowers (USA); a film about a neurotic twentysomething struggling to figure out which girl he really belongs with: the best or the worst one he’s ever known.

    The Cinematic Vision Award was presented to The Greater Good directed by Chris Pilaro & Kendall Nelson (USA). The Greater Good looks behind the fear, hype and politics that have polarized the vaccine debate in America today. The film re-frames the emotionally charged issue and offers, for the first time, the opportunity for a rational and scientific discussion on how to create a safer and more effective vaccine program.

    The Van Gogh Award was presented to Bert’s Plan directed by Yair Shvartz (USA). Bert is a struggling middle-aged writer attempting to get his book published. Downtrodden and plagued with rejection, Bert comes up with a plan. In a twist of hilariously dark, ironic and serendipitous events, Bert’s original plan takes an unexpected turn.

    The Prodigy Auteur Prize was presented to Victim, directed by Leon Rowe (USA). Victim is a psychological thriller about a man who is plagued by guilt, anger and vengeance struggling with a decision that will change his life forever.

    2011 VAN GOGH AWARDS:

    De grote Prijs van de Jury: New Low directed by Adam Bowers
    Cinematic Vision Award: The Greater Good directed by Chris Pilaro & Kendall Nelson
    Van Gogh Award: Bert’s Plan directed by Yair Shvartz
    Prodigy Auteur Prize: Victim directed by Leon Rowe

    Grand Jury Prize: The Secret Friend directed by Flavio Alves
    Grand Jury Prize: Der Sandmann directed by Peter Luisi
    Grand Jury Prize: Wish directed by Kyle Milardo
    Grand Jury Prize: Happy directed by Roko Belic

    Best Director: The Story directed by Steve Bellamy
    Documentary Directing Award: Lift Up directed by Philip Knowlton & Huguens Jean
    Dramatic Directing Award: A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation directed by Stefan Leuchtenberg & Martin Wallner

    World Cinema Directing Award: Ronan’s Escape directed by A.J. Carter
    World Cinema Directing Award: Unravelling directed by Kuldip Powar

    Excellence in Cinematography Award: Out of the Darkness directed by Stefano Levi
    Excellence in Cinematography Award: Hipolito directed by Teodoro Ciampagna
    Excellence in Cinematography Award: Vous Etes Servis directed by Jorge Leon
    Excellence in Cinematography Award: The Big Uneasy directed by Harry Shearer

    World Cinema Cinematography Award: Protect The Nation directed by C. R. Reisser
    World Cinema Cinematography Award: Small Change directed by Cathy Brady
    World Cinema Cinematography Award: Beatboxing – The Fifth Element Of Hip Hop directed by Klaus Schneyder
    World Cinema Cinematography Award: The Girls in the Band  directed by Judy Chaikin

    Best Documentary Film Editing: I am Nancy directed by Arlene Marechal
    Best Dramatic Film Editing: Vicissitude directed by Will Jobe
    Best Feature Film Screenplay: Face to Face directed by Michael Rymer
    Best Short Film Screenplay: IFAKAT directed by Orhan  Tekeoglu

    World Cinema Documentary Film Editing Award: May I Be Frank directed by Gregg Marks, Conor Gaffney, Ryland Engelhart & Cary Mosier
    World Cinema Dramatic Film Editing Award: Vento directed by Marcio Salem
    World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Feature Film: Behind the Eight Ball directed by Mike Graveline
    World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Short Film: DILF directed by Geoff Edwards

    Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary: Sharkwise directed by Lieven Debrauwer
    Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Dramatic: Sofia directed by Shervin Kermani
    Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Short: Return directed by Cyd Chartier Cohn
    Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Student: Landlocked directed by Jerry Melichar
    Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Music Video: Corrupted Scene Behind the Stage directed by Ivan Mena Tinoco
    Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Animation: Los Estrandados directed by Derek Evanick
    Special Jury Prize, Dutch Documentary: Mila’s Journey directed by Annie Perkins & Rinku Kalsy
    Special Jury Prize, Dutch Dramatic: In Transit directed by Kees-Jan Husselman
    Special Jury Prize for Originality: How It Ended directed by Gabriel Nussbaum
    Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence: Streets of Flamenco directed by Marisa Lloreda Saez
    Special Jury Prize for Acting, World Cinema: Spinster directed by Pip Satchell
    Special Jury Prize for Acting: Sissy directed by Bonnie Root

    Jury Prize – Dutch Short Filmmaking: Riding Bikes with the Dutch directed by Michael Bauch
    Jury Prize – International Short Filmmaking: Falling Apart directed by Christopher Valori

    World Cinema – Experimental Film: Extincion II: La Cuadratura De Los Círculos directed by Fernando Usón Forniés
    World Cinema – Animated Film: Searching directed by Hyun Joo Cho
    World Cinema – Music Video: Stretch directed by Arturo Cubacub
    World Cinema – Student: Mezzanotte Obscura directed by    Lori Petchers
    World Cinema – First Time Director: I’m Just Saying directed by Brian Douglas

    Best Action Film: Slashimi directed by Anthony Powell
    Best Avant-Garde Film: Hallucination directed by Christian Jean
    Best Biography: Klondike’s Calling directed by Paola Rosà & Antonio Senter
    Best Children’s Film: Little Gobie directed by Tony Tang
    Best Comedy: The Winking Boy directed by Marcus Dineen
    Best Coming of Age Film: Een Kleine Duw directed by Philippe Verkinderen
    Best Crime Film: Una Calle Sin Salida directed by Robert Fernandez-Ferreira
    Best Drama: The Price of Sex directed by Mimi Chakarova
    Best Educational Film: Harvest of Loneliness directed by Adrian Salinas, Gilbert Gonzalez & Vivian Price
    Best Environmental Film: Liquid Amber directed by Maggi Payne
    Best Fantasy Film: A Complex Villainelle directed by Nathan Billington, Rebecca Forth, Bart Ovaitt & Ryan Porter
    Best Horror Film: Message directed by Lee Yat Fung
    Best Human Rights Film: Children in Exile directed by Chris Swider
    Best Mockumentary: Frontman directed by Ben Hyland
    Best Musical: Mr. Foley directed by D.A.D.D.Y.
    Best Personal Narrative: Beautiful Enough directed by Claire Oakley
    Best Romance: I Love My Woman directed by Otis Kriegel
    Best Romantic Comedy: Sombras Nada Mas directed by Max Valverde
    Best Sci-Fi Film: Cockpit:  The Rule of Engagement directed by Jesse Griffith
    Best Spiritual Film: The Time Machine directed by Mark Kendall
    Best Sports Film: One Revolution directed by Amanda Stoddard
    Best Student Film: Amanda directed by Michael Tanner Cusumano
    Best Urban Film: Storie Urgenti directed by Joseph Edward Rozzo

    SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS:

    Feature Screenplay Competition

    First Place: You’re Sick written by Donn Warr Lewis
    Second Place: Halfway Home written by David Schroeder
    Third Place: The Quarry written by Adam Ford-smith

    Short Screenplay Competition

    First Place: Push Bike written by Tracey Walker
    Second Place: Sunset Fire written by A. Wayne Carter
    Third Place: Born as Ghosts written by Mark Skinner

    Official Finalists

    American Trash written by David Kornfield
    Beyond the Horizon written by George Ferris
    Borderline written by Joshua Paolino
    Courting Death written by Heather Silvio
    Cradle of the Stars written by Joey Kent
    En Route written by Philip Howe
    Neon Cactus written by Philip Sedgwick
    Poetease written by Jeffrey Morin
    The Kiarsidia written by Bruce Golde
    The Only Living Man with a Hole in His Head written by Todd Colby Pliss
    There is a Season written by Stuart Creque
    Too Fat to Fly written by Anthony Amenta

    Honorable Mentions

    180 Proof written by Adam Sumner
    A Mind of Glass written by Louise Dautheribes McKerl
    China Girls written by Gary Riester
    Drosselbart written by Effie Bathen
    Eaglet written by Eugene Gavrilenko
    Ghost Light written by Philip Marcoccio
    God’s Architect written by Michael Mares
    Happiness in Pieces written by Krzysztof Rostek
    Hunting Paradise written by Craig Harwood
    Meet Jane Doe written by Jacqueline Gault
    Murder in the Lakelands written by Patrick Nash
    Pot Shop written by Judah Ray Neiditch
    The Parting Glass written by Philip Marcoccio
    T.W.I.N written by Malaika Langa
    Wrigly & King written by Cornelius Murphy

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