• Daniel Patrick Carbone’s HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES from 2013 Tribeca Film Festival Gets a March 2014 Release Date | VIDEO: Watch Trailer

    Daniel Patrick Carbone’s directorial debut HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES

    Daniel Patrick Carbone’s directorial debut HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES, which was recognized recently with the “Best Film Still Awaiting U.S. Distribution” from the National Society of Film Critics Awards will be released after all. Tribeca Film will release HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES beginning March 25, 2014 on cable/telco and satellite video-on-demand and digital platforms, followed by a theatrical release beginning March 28, 2014. Written and directed by Carbone, the film played to rave reviews when it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival, and received the New Directors Award at the Starz Denver Film Festival.

    A dreamlike portrait of adolescence, HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES explores rural American life through the distorted lens of youth. Unfolding over one hot, hazy summer, the film follows two young brothers — nine-year-old Tommy (Ryan Jones) and 14-year-old Eric (Nathan Varnson) — as they come to terms with the mysterious death of one of Tommy’s friends.

    http://youtu.be/BCni8utWHB8

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  • Italian Film THE GREAT BEAUTY Wins Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film

    Paolo Sorrentino's THE GREAT BEAUTY (LA GRANDE BELLEZZA)Paolo Sorrentino’s THE GREAT BEAUTY (LA GRANDE BELLEZZA)

    Paolo Sorrentino’s THE GREAT BEAUTY (LA GRANDE BELLEZZA), beat  France’s Blue is the Warmest Color; Denmark’s The Hunt; Iran’s The Past; and the Japanese animated film The wind Rises to win the award for Best Foreign Film at the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards.  Set in Rome, the 2013 THE GREAT BEAUTY follows Jep Gambardella, played by actor Toni Servillo, a hedonistic socialite who is forced to examine his party-filled life after his 65th birthday.

    http://youtu.be/fJfvX6zPAuQ

    Complete List of Winners of 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards

    MOTION PICTURES

    Picture, Drama: “12 Years a Slave.”

    Picture, Musical or Comedy: “American Hustle.”

    Actor, Drama: Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club.”

    Actress, Drama: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine.”

    Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity.”

    Actor, Musical or Comedy: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

    Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Adams, “American Hustle.”

    Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club.”

    Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle.”

    Foreign Language: “The Great Beauty.”

    Animated Film: “Frozen.”

    Screenplay: Spike Jonze, “Her.”

    Original Score: Alex Ebert, “All Is Lost.”

    Original Song: “Ordinary Love” (music by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and Brian Burton, lyrics by Bono), “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”

    TELEVISION

    Series, Drama: “Breaking Bad.”

    Actor, Drama: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad.”

    Actress, Drama: Robin Wright, “House of Cards.”

    Series, Musical or Comedy: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

    Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation.”

    Actor, Musical or Comedy: Andy Samberg, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

    Miniseries or Movie: “Behind the Candelabra.”

    Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Elisabeth Moss, “Top of the Lake.”

    Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Michael Douglas, “Behind the Candelabra.”

    Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jacqueline Bisset, “Dancing on the Edge.”

    Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan.”

    Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Woody Allen.

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  • Indian Documentary ALGORITHMS about Unknown World of Blind Chess to get U.S. Release | VIDEO: Watch Trailer

    ALGORITHMS, directed by Ian McDonald

    The Indian documentary ALGORITHMS, directed by Ian McDonald has been snapped up by New York based First Run Features for release in the U.S. The documentary which has screened at over twelve international film festivals and won four awards, including Best Film at Film SouthAsia in Kathmandu, follows three boys and a champion player turned pioneer over three years and uncovers the fascinating but largely unknown world of Blind Chess.

    http://youtu.be/pHVZD2yrb7k

    via dearcinema

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  • VIDEO: See Singer Lauryn Hill as Narrator in Trailer for CONCERNING VIOLENCE Set to Premiere at Sundance Film Festival

    ,
    Lauryn Hill
    Lauryn Hill, performing in New York’s Central Park
    CONCERNING VIOLENCE
    Concerning Violence

    Singer Lauryn Hill, is the narrator of a new documentary called CONCERNING VIOLENCE, “a bold, fresh, and compelling visual narrative about the African liberation struggles of the 1960s and 1970s,”  that is set to premiere at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival taking place Janaury 16 to 24, 2014.  Concerning Violence is directed by Göran Hugo Olsson, whose earlier film The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975 played in the World Cinema Documentary Competition in the 2011 festival.

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  • Sam Berns, Featured in LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM Documentary Dies at 17

    Sam Berns, Featured in LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM

    Sam Berns, who battled the rare and fatal genetic condition that accelerates the aging process and was the subject of the award winning documentary LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM, has died. He was 17. Berns died Friday due to complications from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, commonly known as progeria. Berns was diagnosed with progeria when he was 22 months old. 

    In the documentary LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM, directed by by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film explores Progeria, an extremely rare and fatal disease, exemplified by accelerated aging in the children who are afflicted by it. There is no treatment. There is no cure. Enter Doctors Leslie Gordon and Scott Berns. When their son, Sam, was diagnosed with progeria at age two, the prognosis was grim—the couple were simply told to enjoy the few years they had left with their only son—but they weren’t willing to give up that easily. They spearheaded a campaign to save Sam and the other children in the world who share this devastating illness. In a little more than a decade, their extraordinary advances have led not only to identifying the gene that causes progeria and testing the first experimental drug to treat it but also to the amazing discovery that it is linked to the aging process in all of us. 

    http://youtu.be/Z5hm44x7ICA

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  • Oscar Shortlisted THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN Wins Top Juried Award at 2014 Palm Springs International Film Festival

    THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWNTHE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN

    The 25th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announced this year’s juried award winners of the Festival, held from January 3 to13, 2014.  From the 46 of the 76 official Foreign Language submissions to the Academy Awards screened at this year’s Festival, the Oscar shortlisted THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN (Belgium), directed by Felix van Groeningen was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.  FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Mads Mikkelsen from THE HUNT (Denmark) directed by Thomas Vinterberg, which is on the Oscar shortlist, and Bérénice Bejo from THE PAST (Iran), directed by Asghar Farhadi, received the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film.  

    The New Voices/New Visions selected MEDEAS (USA) directed by Andrea Pallaoro.  The film is an archetypal tale of adultery, rendered with exquisite strokes in this slow burning rural psychodrama, the first feature from an Italian-born filmmaker working in the US.  The New Voices/New Visions competition included 12 new international talents making their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution. The jury presented a special mention to LEFT FOOT RIGHT FOOT (Switzerland), directed by Germinal Roaux.  

    The Cine Latino Award, was presented to two films HELI (Mexico), directed by Amat Escalante and LIVING IS EASY WITH EYES CLOSED (Spain) directed by David Trueba. Special Mention went to GLORIA (Chile). 

    FINDING VIVIAN MAIER (USA), directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, received The John Schlesinger Award, which is presented to a first-time documentary filmmaker.  The film is a compelling, eye-opening introduction to an anonymous and mysterious woman who recently found posthumous fame as a giant of 20th century photography. 

    WALESA. MAN OF HOPE (Poland), directed by Andrzej Wajda, received the HP Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders and Hewlett Packard, which honors the film that is most successful in exemplifying art that promotes bringing the people of our world closer together.  The Cinema Without Borders Special Jury Award went to PLOT FOR PEACE (South Africa) directed by Carlos Agulló and Mandy Jacobson.  

    The complete list of award winners are:

    Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
    TBA

    Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature 
    TBA

    FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
    THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN (Belgium), directed by Felix van Groeningen

    FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film 
    Mads Mikkelsen from THE HUNT (Denmark), directed by Thomas Vinterberg

    FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film 
    Bérénice Bejo from THE PAST (Iran), directed by Asghar Farhadi

    New Voices/New Visions Award
    MEDEAS (USA), directed by Andrea Pallaoro – Winner
    LEFT FOOT RIGHT FOOT (Switzerland), directed by Germinal Roaux – Special Mention

    Cine Latino Award
    HELI (Mexico), directed by Amat Escalante and LIVING IS EASY WITH EYES CLOSED (Spain), directed by David Trueba – Winner
    GLORIA (Chile), directed by Sebastian Lelio – Special Mention

    The John Schlesinger Award
    FINDING VIVIAN MAIER (USA), directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel – Winner

    HP Bridging the Borders Award
    WALESA. MAN OF HOPE (Poland), directed byAndrzej Wajda – Winner
    PLOT FOR PEACE (South Africa), directed by Carlos Agulló and Mandy Jacobson – Special Jury Award

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  • SF IndieFest Announces Sweet 16 Lineup; Opens With Ari Foleman’s THE CONGRESS, Closes with Cannes Film Festival Award-Winning Film BLUE RUIN

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    Ari Foleman’s THE CONGRESSAri Foleman’s THE CONGRESS

    The San Francisco Independent Film Festival (SF IndieFest) returns for its Sweet 16th year from February 6 to 20, 2014 at the Roxie and Brava Theaters in San Francisco and at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater. The festival launches its 2 weeks of film programs on Thursday, February 6th at the Brava Theater in San Francisco with director Ari Foleman’s THE CONGRESS, based on Stanislaw Lem’s classic sci-fi novel. This futuristic blend of animation and live action stars Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm and Paul Giamatti. 

    Matt Wolf’s TEENAGEMatt Wolf’s TEENAGE

    Matt Wolf’s latest film TEENAGE will screen as the festival’s Centerpiece film on Sunday, February 9th at the Roxie Theater. Based on the book by Jon Savage and narrated by actors Jena Malone, Ben Whishaw, Julia Hummer and Jessie Usher, TEENAGE looks at the birth of the iconic figure of the teenager using archival material, Super 8 recreations and diaries of actual mid-century teenagers, resulting in an unconventional pop historical film.

    BLUE RUINBLUE RUIN

    After two weeks and 78 films, SF IndieFest will close the Sweet 16 edition with a screening of the Cannes Film Festival award-winning film BLUE RUIN on Sunday, February 16th at the Roxie Theater. Director Jeremy Saulnier (SF IndieFest Alum, MURDER PARTY) is expected to be on hand for his dark comedy about revenge.

    Focus on Animated Films

    In addition to the Opening Night Film THE CONGRESS, SF IndieFest features some of the best independent animation films from around the globe. Canadian co-directors Shayne Ehman and Seth Scriver will be in attendance for a screening of their Toronto International Film Festival award winning, psychedelic animated road movie ASPHALT WATCHES; Bill Plympton’s new feature CHEATIN‘ offers a unique look at romance and jealousy; and AN ANIMATED WORLD, a shorts program of animated films featuring a wide range of styles and innovated new ideas, rounds out the diverse animated programming.

    Local Flavor

    Taping into the vast array of Bay Area filmmakers, SF IndieFest presents two local films.REMEMBER YOU’RE SPECIAL follows an aspiring rapper in Oakland and his best friend; a PhD student as they face adulthood with student debt, complicated relationships, and adjusted ambitions. Featuring a cast and crew of all local, first time filmmakers, REMEMBER YOU’RE SPECIAL make its World Premiere at the festival. Additionally, the latest short film from San Francisco based filmmaker Vincent Gargiulo, DELUTH IS HORRIBLE, a series of vignettes chronicling a few lonely people in Duluth, Minnesota, searching for a connection in a bleak winter,will also be making its World Premier.

    World Class Independent Cinema

    Year after year, SF IndieFest premiers some of the best independent foreign cinema from around the globe and the 2014 edition is no exception. This years selection features: the lively Chinese romantic comedy set in China during the 60’s and 70’s, THE LOVE SONGS FROM TIEDAN; Chad’s Foreign Language Oscar Entry GRIGRIS, an uplifting story of young man with dreams of becoming a dancer; and the Mexican film REZETA, about a carefree, young woman who’s lifestyle changes when she meets a young man cleaning her trailer during a commercial shoot.

    sf indiefest 2014

    Additional Highlights

    Other can’t miss films in this year’s SF IndieFest include: DOOMSDAYS, a self-proclaimed “pre-apocalyptic comedy,” with director Eddie Mullens expected to be in attendance; Joe Begos debut feature ALMOST HUMAN, about a man who returns to wreak havoc upon a small town; the West Coast Premiere of HANK: 5 YEARS FROM THE BRINK, the latest from Academy Award winning director Joe Berlinger, a riveting portrait of former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson; Kestrin Pantera’s LETS RUIN IT WITH BABIES, a exploration of relationships when they reach ‘That Point’; two adolescent brothers confront changing relationships, nature and their own mortality in Daniel Patrick Carbone’s HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES; and THE WAIT, from writer/director M. Blash, starring Jena Malone and Chloë Sevigny as two sisters who contemplate their mother’s resurrection following a mysterious phone call.

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  • Comedy LOVE & AIR SEX Gets A February 2014 Release Date and Launches 10 City Road Show | VIDEO: Watch Trailer

    Michael Stahl-David and Zach Cregger in LOVE & AIR SEX distributed by Tribeca Film.

    Bryan Poyser’s LOVE & AIR SEX (f/k/a The Bounceback) which world premiered at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival, is headed to theaters this February with a day-and-date VOD and Theatrical release that will begin on demand February 4th and in theaters beginning February 7th.   In LOVE & AIR SEX, when brokenhearted Stan (Michael Stahl-David, Cloverfield) flies to Austin for the weekend in hopes of “accidentally” running into his ex-girlfriend Cathy (Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism I & II), he arrives to find their best friends Jeff (Zach Cregger, “The Whitest Kids U Know”) and Kara (Sara Paxton, The Innkeepers) in the middle of their own vicious breakup. Before too long, battle lines are drawn – and with the Air Sex World Championships in town, anything can go down.

    Sara Paxton in LOVE & AIR SEX distributed by Tribeca Film.

    What is Air Sex? It’s Air Guitar meets karaoke meets mime meets perversion. Contestants get on stage and act out a wild sexual scenario to a song of their choosing, completely by yourself and (usually) completely clothed. Imported from Japan by Tim League and Henri Mazza at the Alamo Drafthouse Theaters, it’s since become a national phenomenon. It’s also a major plot point in Love & Air Sex, and the routines the characters come up with have to be seen to be believed.

    “We’ve had such a blast sharing this fun, raucous movie with festival audiences,” said director Bryan Poyser. “We’re thrilled to partner with Tribeca to bring the film to theaters, along with the ‘Air Sex’ competitions featured in the film, offering audiences an ‘expanded’ cinematic experience they won’t soon forget.”

    The film will also launch a 10-City “Air Sex” Road Show, featuring in-person appearances by filmmakers and cast, live “Air Sex” competitions, and shows by Austin bands featured in the film’s soundtrack.

    LOVE & AIR SEX ROAD SHOW TOUR DATES

  • February 7 – New York, NY: Opening at Cinema Village
    • Guests include stars Ashley Bell, Michael Stahl-David, Sara Paxton, director Bryan Poyser, producer Trace Sheehan, and Air Sex Emcee Chris Trew among others.

  • February 14 – Austin, TX: Opening at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Slaughter Lane
    • Guests include director Bryan Poyser and star Sara Paxton among others.

  • February 20 – Dallas, TX: Opening at Texas Theater (one night only)
    • Guests include director Bryan Poyser and writer Steven Walters among others.

  • February 21- San Francisco, CA: Opening at Roxie Theater
    • Guests include star Michael Stahl-David and director Bryan Poyser among others.

  • March 1 -Los Angeles, CA: Opening at Crest Theater (one night only)
    • Guests include stars Zach Cregger, Sara Paxton, Michael Stahl-David, director Bryan Poyser, and producer Trace Sheehan among others.

  • April 19 –Seattle, WA: Opening at SIFF Cinema Uptown (one night only)
    • Special guests TBA.

     http://youtu.be/2SSlMVumDRw

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  • VIDEO: Watch Trailer for THE UNKNOWN KNOWN featuring Interview with Controversial former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

    "THE UNKNOWN KNOWN," directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Errol Morris

    Check out the new trailer for the documentary film “THE UNKNOWN KNOWN,” directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Errol Morris which opens April 2, 2014. The film offers a mesmerizing portrait of Donald Rumsfeld, the former Secretary of Defense whose career will cast a long shadow over the 21st century. 

    Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris (The Fog of War, Standard Operating Procedure) continues his exploration of post-9/11 American imperialism with this riveting, feature-length interview with notorious former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.Donald Rumsfeld has never been at a loss for words. As the US Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006, Rumsfeld wielded words both to charm and to bully. His press conferences were lopsided battles where he controlled the flow of information and rarely left time for follow-up questions. In The Unknown Known, he gives in to a different kind of interview with the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris. Whether you think Rumsfeld is a patriot or a liar, he’s never less than mesmerizing. His dialogue with Morris is like a verbal duel, retracing controversial flashpoints such as the invasion of Iraq, accusations of torture, and the revelations of Abu Ghraib.

    “The unknown known” is a phrase that Rumsfeld defined in a memo as “things you think you know that it turns out you did not.” As a self-avowed “obsessive,” Morris has carefully studied Rumsfeld’s blizzard of memos (which he calls “snowflakes”) to ask: what did he know and when did he know it? He traces Rumsfeld’s career path from Illinois congressman to the youngest Secretary of Defense under Gerald Ford to the oldest Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush — a background critical to understanding the shaping of his alliances and ideology. Morris has the support of a first rate crew, including cinematographer Bob Chappell and composer Danny Elfman.

    Rumsfeld will go down in US history as one of the dominant figures of the twenty first century’s first decade. Now that we’re into the second decade, it’s incumbent upon us to reflect on what that period meant, and how it’s shaped us. In the words of Rumsfeld, “Everything seems amazing in retrospect.”  [ via Toronto International Film Festival ]

    http://youtu.be/qbz9I-x00RY

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  • Wayne Wang’s SOUL OF A BANQUET about Cecilia Chiang who Introduced America to Chinese Food, Gets a Late 2014 Release Date

    Wayne Wang’s documentary film SOUL OF A BANQUET

    Wayne Wang’s documentary film SOUL OF A BANQUET, is not yet completely finished but it has already been snapped up by Oscilloscope Laboratories for a late 2014 release. Wayne Wang is the director of more than 20 films that include THE JOY LUCK CLUB, MAID IN MANHATTAN and A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS.

    In SOUL OF A BANQUET, Director Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB) takes us into the world of Cecilia Chiang, the woman who introduced America to authentic Chinese food. Chiang opened her internationally renowned restaurant The Mandarin in 1961 in San Francisco and went on to change the course of cuisine in America. The film is equal parts a delectable showcase of gastronomy and a touching portrait of Chiang’s journey from a childhood in Beijing before the Cultural Revolution to accidental restaurateur on the west coast of the United States. SOUL OF A BANQUET features interviews with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, and Cecilia Chiang herself.

    Filmmaker Wayne Wang said, “Cecilia not only changed the face of American cuisine when she opened the Mandarin, she also made the very best potstickers when I arrived in San Francisco from Hong Kong. I’m looking forward to partnering with Oscilloscope to introduce Cecilia’s story and her sumptuous cooking to a new generation of foodies.”

    image l to r: Cecilia Chiang, Alice Waters in Soul of a Banquet via San Francisco Film Society

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  • 45th NAACP Image Awards Nominees; FRUITVALE STATION Gets Many Noms Including Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

    FRUITVALE STATIONFRUITVALE STATION

    The nominees for the 45th NAACP Image Awards were announced today and The Weinstein Company lead with 17 nominations, followed by Fox Searchlight Pictures with seven nominations. The awards will be presented during the two-hour TV One telecast on Saturday, February 22. Nominees include The Weinstein Company’s FRUITVALE STATION up for numerous awards include Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Independent Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Michael B. Jordan, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Octavia Spencer. Other films up for the award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture include BLUE CAPRICE,  DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT OF MISTER & PETE, and THE TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI.

    Following is a list of categories and nominees for the 45TH NAACP Image Awards:

    MOTION PICTURE

    Outstanding Motion Picture
    • “12 Years A Slave” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    • “Fruitvale Station” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG Project)
    • “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin Productions, Windy Hill
    Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (The Weinstein Company/Distant Horizon, Origin Pictures, Pathé, Videovision
    Entertainment)
    • “The Best Man Holiday” (Universal Pictures)

    Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
    • Chadwick Boseman – “42” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor – “12 Years A Slave” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    • Forest Whitaker – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • Idris Elba – “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom” (The Weinstein Company/Distant Horizon, Origin Pictures, Pathé,
    Videovision Entertainment)
    • Michael B. Jordan – “Fruitvale Station” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG
    Project)

    Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
    • Angela Bassett – “Black Nativity” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/Mavin Pictures/Wonderful Films)
    • Halle Berry – “The Call” (TriStar Pictures)
    • Jennifer Hudson – “Winnie Mandela” (Ma-Afrika Films (PTY) LTD and Equinoxe Films Inc.)
    • Kerry Washington – “Tyler Perry Presents Peeples” (Lionsgate)
    • Nicole Beharie – “42” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
    • Cuba Gooding Jr. – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • David Oyelowo – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • Morris Chestnut – “The Best Man Holiday” (Universal Pictures)
    • Terrence Howard – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • Terrence Howard – “The Best Man Holiday” (Universal Pictures)

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
    • Alfre Woodard – “12 Years A Slave” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    • Lupita Nyong’o – “12 Years A Slave ” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    • Naomie Harris – “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (The Weinstein Company/Distant Horizon, Origin Pictures, Pathé,
    Videovision Entertainment)
    • Octavia Spencer – “Fruitvale Station” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG Project)
    • Oprah Winfrey – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)

    Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
    • “Blue Caprice” (Sundance Selects)
    • “Dallas Buyers Club” (Focus Features)
    • “Fruitvale Station” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG Project)
    • “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete” (Codeblack Films/Lionsgate/iDeal Partners/State Street)
    • “The Trials of Muhammad Ali” (Kartemquin Films)

    Outstanding International Motion Picture
    • “Call Me Kuchu” (Lindy Hop Pictures LLC)
    • “High Tech, Low Life” (Argot Pictures)
    • “La Playa D.C.” (Burning Blue)
    • “Lion Ark” (ADI Films)
    • “War Witch” (Item 7)

    DOCUMENTARY

    Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical)
    • “20 Feet from Stardom” (Tremolo & Gil Friesen Productions)
    • “Call Me Kuchu” (Lindy Hop Pictures LLC)
    • “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” (Codeblack Films/Lionsgate)
    • “Girl Rising” (The Documentary Group)
    • “The New Black” (Promised Land Film)

    Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
    • “Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream” (HBO)
    • “Dark Girls” (OWN)
    • “Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic ” (Showtime)
    • “Venus Vs.” (ESPN)
    • “Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley” (HBO)

     WRITING

    Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
    • Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón – “Gravity” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    • Brian Helgeland – “42” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)
    • Danny Strong – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • John Ridley – “12 Years A Slave” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    • Ryan Coogler – “Fruitvale Station” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG Project)

     DIRECTING

    Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
    • Jono Oliver – “Home” (The Home Film Group)
    • Justin Chadwick – “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (The Weinstein Company/Distant Horizon, Origin Pictures,
    Pathé, Videovision Entertainment)
    • Lee Daniels – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment, Laura Ziskin
    Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)
    • Malcolm D. Lee – “The Best Man Holiday” (Universal Pictures)
    • Steve McQueen – “12 Years A Slave” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

    See full list of nominations here

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  • Jon Favreau’s New Indie Film CHEF to Kick Off 2014 SXSW + First 6 Films Announced

    VERONICA MARS starring Kristen Bell.VERONICA MARS starring Kristen Bell.

    The world premiere of CHEF, Jon Favreau’s new indie film, has been selected to open the South by Southwest Film Festival – SXSW Film 2014 set to take place March 7 to 15, 2014 in Austin, Texas. Favreau wrote, directed and stars in the comedy that also features Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo,Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey Jr. Favreau plays Carl, a chef who loses his job and decides to launch a food truck business, while attempting to reunite his estranged family.  Six additional films have been selected to premiere at the festival including VERONICA MARS starring Kristen Bell.

    The six additional premieres include:

    BREAK POINT (World Premiere / SXsports screening)
    Director: Jay Karas, Screenwriters: Gene Hong & Jeremy Sisto
    Two estranged brothers reunite to make an improbable run at a grand slam tennis tournament. The mismatched pair, with some unlikely help from a precocious 11-year-old boy, re-discover their game and their brotherhood.
    Cast: Jeremy Sisto, David Walton, Joshua Rush, J.K. Simmons, Amy Smart

    CREEP (World Premiere)
    Director: Patrick Brice, Screenwriter: Patrick Brice & Mark Duplass
    When a videographer answers a Craigslist ad for a one-day job in the outer-exurbs, he finds his client is not at all what he initially seems.
    Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

    COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY
    Director: Brannon Braga
    As with the legendary original series, FOX’s new COSMOS is the saga of how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. The series is hosted by renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and brings to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge, transporting viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest — and the smallest — scale. Executive Produced by Ann Druyan, Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga and Mitchell Cannold.

    DOC OF THE DEAD (World Premiere)
    Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
    The definitive zombie culture documentary, from the makers of The People vs. George Lucas. Doc of the Dead traces the rise and evolution of the zombie genre, its influence on pop culture, and investigates the possibility of an actual zombie outbreak.

    LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (World Premiere)
    Director: Christian Larson
    A documentary following the final tour of the hugely successful band Swedish House Mafia. The film depicts the EDM scene at its peak as well as telling a story of friendship and success. (United Kingdom)

    VERONICA MARS (World Premiere)
    Director: Rob Thomas, Screenwriters: Rob Thomas & Diane Ruggiero
    Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown, an ex-boyfriend with baggage, and an unraveling murder mystery.
    Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter, Francis Capra, Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen, Gaby Hoffman, Chris Lowell, Tina Majorino, Jerry O’Connell

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