The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has partnered with Funny Or Die to produce a trailer for the 84th Academy Awards. The trailer features host Billy Crystal and celebrity cameo appearances by Robin Williams, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, William Fichtner and Vinnie Jones. “We wanted to try something a little bit different this year instead of a traditional, clip-based piece,” said Academy Chief Marketing Officer Christina Kounelias. “The trailer has a fun twist […]
“Independent Lens” will celebrate Black History Month, February 2012, on public television with premieres of three new documentaries. “Independent Lens’s” Black History Month program kicks off on February 2, 2012 with the premiere of “Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock,” the story of a seven-year journey by filmmaker Sharon La Cruise to get to know the mostly-forgotten civil rights activist Daisy Bates. Beautiful, glamorous, and articulate, Bates was fearless in her quest for justice, […]
The Artist topped the Vancouver Film Critics Circle nominations, receiving nods for best picture, best actor, best director and best screenplay. The Vancouver Film Critics Circle which highlights Canadian films, nominated Café de flore, Small Town Murder Songs and Starbuck for best Canadian film, and Daydream Nation, People of a Feather and Sisters& Brothers for best British Columbia film. The nominees for the 2012 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards: BEST CANADIAN FILM Café de flore […]
The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival will open on February 9, 2012 with the world premiere of the period drama Les Adieux à la reine (Farewell My Queen) starring as Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Léa Seydoux (Midnight in Paris) and Virginie Ledoyen (Army of Crime). In a screen adaptation of Chantal Thomas’ prize-winning novel of the same name, French Director Benoît Jacquot (Tosca, Villa Amalia, Deep in the Woods, among others) portrays the first days […]
The 2012 BAFTA Film Awards Fellowship will be presented to Martin Scorsese at the Orange British Academy Film Awards ceremony, on 12 February. Awarded annually by BAFTA, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film. Previously honoured Fellows include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench and Vanessa Redgrave. Christopher Lee received […]
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 84th Academy Awards®. The films are listed below in alphabetical order: “Captain America: The First Avenger” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” “Hugo” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” “Real Steel” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” […]
Swiss director and screenwriter, Peter Luisi, will be honored in person with the Film Society’s Independent Award at the Opening Night of the 5th San Joaquin International Film Festival (SJIFF). The Opening Night film is Mr. Luisi’s “The Sandman.” The Independent Award honors a spirited innovator who empowers independent filmmaking through impactful creativity, exemplary talent and steadfast leadership. Mr. Luisi was born in 1975 in Zurich, Switzerland. He studied film production in North Carolina and […]
The Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking today announced the five nominees for its second annual Cinema Eye Heterodox Award, sponsored by Filmmaker Magazine. The 2012 Heterodox Award will be presented at the Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking on January 11 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, New York. The Cinema Eye Heterodox Award honors a narrative film that imaginatively incorporates nonfiction strategies, content and/or modes of production. These films […]
20 films have been confirmed for the Panorama section of the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival. The Panorama section with its Main Programme, Panorama Special and Panorama Dokumente series will screen some 50 films in all. Two works by European directors are opening the Panorama Special: Tony Gatlif is returning to Panorama with Indignados. Inspired by Stéphane Hessel’s bestseller “Time for Outrage!” this French film allows viewers, in both enacted scenes and real situations, to […]
The Artist, The Descendant, and Midnight In Paris were among the nominees for the 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards announced today by the Producers Guild of America (PGA).
All 2012 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 21, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Producers Guild will also award special honors to Leslie Moonves (Milestone Award), Steven Spielberg (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), Don Mischer (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Stan Lee (Vanguard Award), and IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY (The Stanley Kramer Award). The 2012 Producers Guild Awards co-chairs are Paula Wagner and Michael Manheim.
The theatrical motion picture nominees are:
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann
BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend
THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin
THE HELP
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green
HUGO
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese
THE IDES OF MARCH
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt
WAR HORSE
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg
The Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
Producers: Peter Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg
CARS 2
Producer: Denise Ream
KUNG FU PANDA 2
Producer: Melissa Cobb
PUSS IN BOOTS
Producers: Joe M. Aguilar, Latifa Ouaou
RANGO
Producers: John B. Carls, Gore Verbinski {jathumbnail off}
56 films have been selected to screen during the three day Derby City Film Festival held February 17th – 19th, 2012. The lineup includes 24 International films representing 16 countries as well as 8 World Premieres, 5 US Premieres, and 28 KY Premieres. Eight films were produced in the Bluegrass State and another 5 have ties to Kentucky. Opening night includes two feature films shot in Kentucky. At 7:00 PM on February 17th “Wid Winner and the Slipstream” will open the fest. “Winner”, which was directed by Kentucky native Alex O Gaynor, tells the story of two men who embark on a cross-country journey to face the past, change the future, and collect enough used-auto parts to build a time machine. The 8:00 PM film, “Sam Steele and the Crystal Chalice” is from New Albany filmmaker Tom Whitus and was shot in Downtown Louisville. The film stars Jacob Hays, Kevin Sorbo, Katherine McNamara & Dee Wallace. “Crystal Chalice” is the sequel to “Sam Steel and the Jr. Detective Agency” which screened at DCFF in 2010. The final film on Friday is the suspense film “Johnny’s Gone” from writer and actress LaDon Drummond. “Johnny’s Gone” tells the story of the unsettling but heartfelt relationship between Sarah and a two year-old she calls Johnny. Sarah hides a dark secret that will take them on a road trip across five states from California to Louisiana.
A full slate of workshops, panels, shorts, docs, and features also happen all day Saturday. Highlights include the world premieres of the feature films “Frames” & “Blind Turn”, Producer and Louisville native John Paul Rice’s latest film “Mother’s Red Dress”, the road trip documentary “Bailout”, four short film groups, and 2 International features, “Znikniecie” and “Meherjaan”. Saturday afternoon there will also be a Filmmaker Symposium and Awards Presentation at Clifton’s Pizza from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
Saturday night features 3 more films with Kentucky roots. Louisville natives, and Ballard High graduates, Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot bring the feature “It’s in the Blood” to their hometown. Featuring Lance Henriksen, Elliot & Rose Sirna, “Blood” tells the tale of a father and son who become stranded in the wild and must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives. However, this wilderness is not what it seems, and as they deteriorate, so to does their concept of reality: horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions, is it all in their heads, or could the truth be far more terrible? “It’s in the Blood” screens at 8:00 PM with the short film “Endless”.
At 10:00 PM on Saturday audiences will receive a double treat from Louisville filmmakers. First Kristofer Rommel premieres the short “Wireface: In the Beginning” starring Josh Loren, Cindy Maples & Joe Chrysler. “Wireface…” is a prequel film which details the slow decent into madness that turns a loving family man into the serial killer known as “Wireface”. Following the short is Matt Niehoff & Brian Cunningham’s feature film “Overtime”, which was shot in Louisville and features Al Snow, John Wells & Sebrina Siegel. “Overtime” follows two hitmen who find themselves caught up in a conspiracy they never imagined which includes alien zombies. Both films are included on one ticket.
Sunday February 19th features, among other films; the World Premiere of “Smells Like Community Spirit” from Cincinnati filmmaker Isaac Stambaugh, the controversial documentary “Israel vs. Israel” and “Legendary: When Baseball Came to the Bluegrass” from Lexington filmmaker Michael Crisp.
The closing film of the festival will be the Edward Furlong film “Below Zero”, which will screen at 6:00 PM on Sunday. “Zero” follows screenwriter Jack “The Hack” (Furlong) who, facing writer’s block and a crucial deadline, decides to remove himself from all distractions by locking himself in the freezer of an abandoned slaughterhouse, where fiction and reality blur. Inspired by true events, method writer Signe Olynyk’s BELOW ZERO is a twisty story within a story, within a real-life story. The film also stars Kristin Booth and Michael Berryman. “Zero” was directed by Justin Thomas Ostensen who’s film “By the Wayside” screened at the inaugural DCFF in 2008.
The following includes the full list of selected films for the 2012 Derby City Film Festival.{jathumbnail off}
Actress Meryl Streep will be awarded an Honorary Golden Bear at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. “We are delighted to be able to award the Honorary Golden Bear to such a terrific artist and world star. Meryl Streep is a brilliant, versatile performer who moves with ease between dramatic and comedic roles,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. On February 14, 2012, Meryl Streep will be awarded the Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at […]