• Indiana Film Journalists Association Pick The Artist as Best Film and Project Nim as Best Doc of 2011

    [caption id="attachment_2004" align="alignnone"]Best Foreign Language Film: The Skin I Live In[/caption]

    The Indiana Film Journalists Association also loved The Artist, naming the the film the Best Picture of 2011, and Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius.  Project Nim was named Best Documentary and The Skin I Live In, Best Foreign Language Film.

    Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards of 2011

    Best Picture: The Artist [Runner-up: The Descendants]
    Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) [Runner-up: Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)]
    Best Actor: Paul Giamatti (Win Win) [Runner-up: Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus)]
    Best Actress: Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) [Runner-up: Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)]
    Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners) [Runner-up: Albert Brooks (Drive)]
    Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis (The Help) [Runner-up: Amy Ryan (Win Win)]
    Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants [Runner-up: Moneyball]
    Best Original Screenplay: Win Win [Runner-up: Margin Call]
    Best Musical Score: The Artist [Runner-up: Hugo]
    Best Animated Film: Rango [Runner-up: Winnie the Pooh]
    Best Foreign Language Film: The Skin I Live In [Runner-up: 13 Assassins]
    Best Documentary: Project Nim [Runner-up: Into the Abyss]
    Original Vision Award: The Tree of Life [Runner-up: The Artist]
    Hoosier Award: Lindsay Goffman (Producer — Dumbstruck)

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  • Boston Society of Film Critics Picks The Artist as Best Film of 2011, Project Nim Wins Best Doc

    [caption id="attachment_693" align="alignnone"]Project Nim[/caption]

    The Boston Society of Film Critics also picked The Artist as the best film of 2011, but named the Project Nim as best documentary and Incendies as best foreign language film. Sean Durkin of Marcy May Marlene was awarded best new filmmaker.

    2011 Boston Society of Film Critic Winners

    Best Picture  –  The Artist
    Best Actor –  Brad Pitt for Moneyball
    Best Actress – Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
    Best Supporting Actor –  Albert Brooks for Drive
    Best Supporting Actress –  Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids
    Best Director –  Martin Scorsese for Hugo
    Best Screenplay –  Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin for Moneyball
    Best Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki for The Tree of Life
    Best Documentary –  Project Nim
    Best Foreign-Language Film –  Incendies
    Best Animated Film –  Rango
    Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer) – Christian Marclay for The Clock
    Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy) –  Sean Durkin for Martha Marcy May Marlene
    Best Ensemble Cast –  Carnage
    Best Use of Music in a Film  –  Tie: Drive and The Artist

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  • New York Film Critics Online Awards, The Artist Wins Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_2001" align="alignnone"]Attack the Block[/caption]

    The New York Film Critics Online named The Artist as the best film of 2011, and also awarded is director Michel Hazanavicius as best director and the film for its use of music. Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams snagged the best documentary award and The Iranian film A Separation which is emerging as the foreign film to beat, received the nod for best foreign language film of 2011. Joe Cornish, received the award for debut director for Attack the Block. a south London science fiction action film that pitches a gang of youths against an alien invasion.

    The New York Film Critics Online 2011 winners:

    Film – The Artist
    Actor – Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)
    Actress – Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
    Director – Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
    Supporting Actor – Albert Brooks (Drive)
    Supporting Actress – Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
    Breakthrough Performer – Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Coriolanus, Texas Killing Fields)
    Debut Director – Joe Cornish (Attack the Block)
    Ensemble Cast – Bridesmaids
    Screenplay – The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash)
    Documentary – Cave of Forgotten Dreams
    Foreign Language – A Separation
    Animated – The Adventures of Tintin
    Cinematography – The Tree of Life (Emmanuel Lubezki)
    Use of Music – The Artist (Ludovic Bource)

    TOP 10 FILMS OF 2011 (in alphabetical order)

    1 The Artist (The Weinstein Company)
    2 The Descendants (Fox Searchlight)
    3 Drive (FilmDistrict)
    4 The Help (DreamWorks Pictures)
    5 Hugo (Paramount)
    6 Melancholia (Magnolia Pictures)
    7 Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics)
    8 Take Shelter (Sony Pictures Classics)
    9 The Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight)
    10 War Horse (DreamWorks Pictures)

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  • AFI Picks it Top Films of 2011

    [caption id="attachment_1987" align="alignnone"]The Tree Of Life[/caption]

    The American Film Institute (AFI) announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2011 – its top 10 films and TV programs of 2011 – that records the year’s most outstanding achievements in film, television and other forms of the moving image arts. Surprisingly no indie films or documentaries made the list, but although foreign films were not eligible, the AFI did specially honor The Artist and The Harry Potter Series with AFI Special Awards.

    AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
    Bridesmaids
    The Descendants
    The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
    The Help
    Hugo
    J. Edgar
    Midnight In Paris
    Moneyball
    The Tree Of Life
    War Horse

    AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
    Breaking Bad
    Boardwalk Empire
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Game Of Thrones
    The Good Wife
    Homeland
    Justified
    Louie
    Modern Family
    Parks And Recreation

    AFI SPECIAL AWARDS
    The Artist
    The Harry Potter Series

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  • San Francisco Film Critics Circle Picks its Top Films of 2011, Gives Special Citation to The Mill and the Cross

    [caption id="attachment_1998" align="alignnone"]The Mill and the Cross[/caption]

    The San Francisco Film Critics Circle really went for the “The Tree of Life” naming it the Best Picture of 2011, its director Terrence Malick as Best Director and its lenser Emmanuel Lubezki as Best Cinematographer.

    “Certified Copy,” Abbas Kiarostami’s thought-provoking, emotionally wrenching examination of relationships, art, and existence received the award for Best Foreign Language Film ; with Best Documentary nod given to “Tabloid,” Errol Morris’ unique take on a stranger-than-fiction tale that must be seen to be disbelieved.

    A Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema singled out “The Mill and the Cross”—Lech Majewski’s distinctly original exploration of the inspiration for and creation of a Breugel painting—as an under-the-radar title deserving of attention.

    The full list of winners for the 2011 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards:

    Best Picture
    “The Tree of Life”

    Best Director
    Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

    Best Original Screenplay
    J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

    Best Actor
    Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

    Best Actress
    Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

    Best Supporting Actor
    Albert Brooks, “Drive”

    Best Supporting Actress
    Vanessa Redgrave, “Coriolanus”

    Best Animated Feature
    “Rango”

    Best Foreign Language Film
    “Certified Copy”

    Best Documentary
    “Tabloid”

    Best Cinematography
    Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”

    Special Citation for underappreciated independent cinema
    The Mill and The Cross

    Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community
    National Film Preservation Foundation—Since 1997, the San Francisco-based nonprofit’s fundraising and grant-giving programs have supported the restoration and preservation of hundreds of rare U.S. films. Led by director Annette Melville and assistant director Jeff Lambert, the NFPF makes this cinematic legacy available to the public through its “Treasures” DVD box sets, including the 2011 release “The West, 1898-1938.”

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  • Bill Morrison’s Spark of Being and George Clooney’s Descendants Win Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

    [caption id="attachment_1996" align="alignnone"]BEST DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM – Cave of Forgotten Dreams – Directed by Werner Herzog[/caption]

    “The Descendants” starring George Clooney as a father in Hawaii trying to take care of his daughters after his wife falls into an accident-induced coma, was named this year’s best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.  The family drama, The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt was named runner-up best film, and its director Terrence Malick received the award for best director of the year.

    Bill Morrison received the Doublas Edwards Independent/Experimental Award for his experimental film Spark of Being. Spark of Being is a an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s story using distressed and decaying images from old nitrate films, with the score from jazz musician Dave Douglas.

    Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the 3-D documentary film by Werner Herzog, about the Chauvet Cave in southern France, received the prize for best documentary and Clio Barnard’s The Arbor was named runner-up.

    Lu Chaun’s City of Life and Death was picked as best foreign film, and Asghar Farhadi, A Separation was named runner-up best foreign film. A Separation, Iran’s submission for the best foreign-language Oscar, did win for best screenplay.

    2011 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award Winners

    BEST PICTURE

    “The Descendants”

    Runner-up: “The Tree of Life”

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

    RUNNER-UP Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

    BEST ACTOR

    Michael Fassbender, “A Dangerous Method”, “Jane Eyre”, “Shame”, “X-Men: First Class.”

    Runner-up: Michael Shannon (“Take Shelter”)

    BEST ACTRESS

    YUn Jung-hee “Poetry”

    Runner-up: Kirsten Dunst (“Melancholia”)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Christopher Plummer,  “Beginners”

    Runner-up: Patton Oswalt (“Young Adult”)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Jessica Chastain, “Coriolanus”, “The Debt”, “The Help”, “Take Shelter”, “Texas Killing Fields”, “Tree of Life”

    Runner-up: Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”)

    BEST SCREENPLAY

    Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”

    Runner-up: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (“The Descendants”)

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”

    Runner-up: Cao Yu (“City of Life and Death”)

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN


    Dante Ferretti, “Hugo”

    Runner-up: Maria Djurkovic (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”)

    BEST MUSIC SCORE

    “HANNA” The Chemical Brothers

    Runner-up: “Drive”, Cliff Martinez


    BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

    “City of Life and Death” Directed by Chuan Lu

    Runner-up: “A Separation” Directed by Asghar Farhadi

    BEST DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM

    “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” Directed by Werner Herzog

    Runner-up: “The Arbor” directed by Clio Barnard


    BEST ANIMATION

    “Rango” Directed BY Gore Verbinski

    Runner-up: “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” directed by steven Spielberg

    NEW GENERATION

    Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Josh Mond and Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

    CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

    Doris Day


    THE DOUGLAS EDWARDS EXPERIMENTAL/INDEPENDENT FILM/VIDEO AWARD

    Bill Morrison, “Spark of Being”

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  • Cook County, Impressive Debut Film from Director David Pomes

    Cook County is a new independent film from first time writer/director David Pomes exploring a specific family and community in rural east Texas, reflecting an entire culture and drug world in America. The film presents the narrative through the eyes of Abe (Ryan Donowho), a teenager living with his meth-cooking and smoking uncle, Bump (Anson Mount). Abe goes day to day simply surviving with his dangerous caretaker, and  trying to protect his young cousin Deandra (Makenna Fitzsimmons) from a drug-addicted future. When Abe’s father, Sonny (Xander Berkeley), shows up after a stint in jail, he promises Abe that he’ll make their lives better. What begins as a promising plan to try to expose Bump and his dealers to the police, becomes more complicated, and more dangerous for Abe and Deandra as Bump spirals further out of control, haunted by paranoia and consumed by his addiction.

    David Pomes has made a film exploring a very real problem in much of America, and chose the location of Texas because he heralds from there. The cast and crew filmed in a rural town not far from Houston, and met real people who resembled the characters being portrayed. The film is sparsely made, with just a few main locations and simple yet affective camerawork. The focus is on the characters, and the harsh lives they lead. It is safe to say that Anson Mount steals many scenes (from the stirring opening to the disturbing climax) with his extremely physical and intense performance. As terrifying a person as Bump is, he is also fascinating, and it’s hard to take your eyes off of him.

    The film was shelved for the past two years, unable to find a distributor, and Mount’s rise in stardom, due to his role in the television show “Hell on Wheels,” helped it get the support and funds that was needed. It then won awards at South by Southwest, Dallas International Film Festival, and Nashville Film Festival. From these successes, Cook County is finally seeing distribution, and truly deserves it, as it is an impressive first feature, and a moving, as well as distressing, independent film.

    by Aria Chiodo

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  • First 10 Films Announced for 2012 Miami International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_1992" align="alignnone"]Blood of My Blood[/caption]

    The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the line-up of ten Ibero-American premieres  that will compete for $45,000  in jury prizes at its 29th annual event, March 2 – 11, 2012.

    The lineup includes four International/North American premieres and two U.S. premieres, including new films from acclaimed veteran directors Carlos Sorin, David Trueba and Andrés Wood.

    “As of today, only one of the films in the competition has U.S. distribution secured – Strand Releasing will be releasing Bonsai later in 2012,” noted MIFF’s executive director Jaie Laplante.  “It is our hope that U.S. buyers attending the Festival will discover many more riches– and see through our MIFF audiences how U.S. audiences respond to these amazing films.”

    2012 MIFF Knight Ibero-American Competition films:


    The Porcelain Horse (Mejor no hablar de ciertas cosas) (Ecuador, directed by Javier Andrade): In Javier Andrade’s startling debut, two brothers steal a porcelain horse from their parent’s home in order to buy drugs, leading to a fight that will haunt the family for the rest of their lives.  North American Premiere

    I’d Receive the Worst News From Your Beautiful Lips (Eu Receberia As Piores Notícias De Seus Lindos Lábios) (Brazil, directed by Beto Brant and Renato Ciasca): Set against a steamy Amazonian backdrop, a sensual melodrama of a beautiful woman caught in an unstable situation between two men. North American Premiere

    Blood of My Blood (Sangue do Meu Sangue) (Portugal, directed by João Canijo): Two  adult sisters struggle fiercely to hold their family together in the harsh world of a Lisbon slum, but the ticking time bomb of the situation is in grave danger of exploding. East Coast Premiere

    Pescador (Ecuador/Colombia, directed by Sebastián Cordero): After a drug shipment miraculously washes up on a beach, Blanquito (Andrés Crespo) has the opportunity to finally leave his small fishing village and go to the big city, in this major tonal new direction for acclaimed director Cordero. North American Premiere

    Bonsái (Chile/Argentina/Portugal/France, directed by Cristián Jiménez):  Based on the seminal novel by Chilean author Alejandro Zambra. Julio, a struggling writer, pens a book about his first experience with love, in order to keep up a lie he’s told his lover.  Bonsai marks director’s Cristián Jiménez second appearance in MIFF’s Iberoamerican competition. Florida Premiere

    Zoo (Zoológico) (Chile, directed by Rodrigo Marín): Set in an affluent Santiago suburb, a social commentary on today’s youth follows three teens (Alicia Rodríguez, Luis Balmaceda and Santiago de Aguirre) consumed in Americanized customs: malls, the Internet, pornography, skateboarding and angst. North American Premiere

    The Cat Vanishes (El gato desaparece) (Argentina, directed by Carlos Sorin): When Beatriz (Beatriz Spelzini) picks up her husband Luis (Luis Luque) from the sanatorium, she doesn’t quite believe the psychiatrist’s pronouncement that he is cured. But after the family cat vanishes, she questions her sanity as well as her husband’s in Sorin’s unsettling psychological mystery. U.S. Premiere

    Madrid, 1987 (Spain, directed by David Trueba): The balance of power and desire shift during the meeting of an older journalist (José Sacristán) and a young student (María Valverde) in a beautifully-written, dusk-to-dawn meditation on youth, age and the music of the spheres. East Coast Premiere

    Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se fue a los cielos) (Chile, directed by Andrés Wood): portrait of famed Chilean singer, folklorist and multifaceted artist Violeta Parra (Francisca Gavilán) filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. East Coast Premiere

    The Sleeping Voice (La voz dormida) (Spain, directed by Benito Zambrano): In Benito Zambrano’s portrayal of the dark days following the Spanish Civil War, two sisters (Maria Leon and Inma Cuesta) find themselves caught up in the frightening politics of the divided country. U.S. Premiere

    All 10 directors in MIFF’s Knight Ibero-American Competition are expected to attend the Festival and present their works to Miami audiences in person.

     

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  • Putin’s Kiss to be released in US by Kino Lorber

    “Putin’s Kiss” a film by Lise Birk Pedersen, was acquired by Kino Lorber at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), where it had its world premiere in the IDFA Feature Documentary competition.  It will be released theatrically after its North American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (in the World Cinema Documentary competition).



    “Putin’s Kiss” portrays contemporary life in Russia through the coming-of-age story of Masha, a middle-class, 19-year-old Russian girl and a member of Nashi, a political youth organization that is connected with the Kremlin. Extremely ambitious, the young Masha quickly ascends to the top of Nashi, which allows her to become the protégé of the Minister of Youth. She is rewarded for her loyalty with an apartment while attending Moscow State University.

    She begins to question her involvement with Nashi when she learns that a radical faction within the organization is supposedly responsible for attacks against anyone who criticizes Putin. This leads her to question the organization, and she meets a journalist, Oleg Khasin, with whom she becomes close friends despite their strongly opposing views. However, when Oleg is attacked, Masha finds herself at odds with Nashi, and realizes she must take a stand.

    “‘Putin’s Kiss’ exposes a ruling elite that places no value on a free press or free elections. Masha’s story is universal, she is intelligent, ambitious and proud of her country and does not want to see the dark side of Russia’s leadership, which has ostensibly brought security to a country wracked by political, economic and social upheaval.

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  • 15 Films Considered for Oscar for Visual Effects

    [caption id="attachment_1987" align="alignnone" width="550"]The Tree of Life[/caption]

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films have been selected for consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 84th Academy Awards®.

    The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

    “Captain America: The First Avenger”
    “Cowboys & Aliens”
    “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”
    “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
    “Sucker Punch”
    “Super 8”
    “Thor”
    “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
    “The Tree of Life”
    “X-Men: First Class”

    In early January, the members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, who selected the 15 films, will narrow the list to 10.

    All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Thursday, January 19.  Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

    The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, and the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

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  • Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams to Serve as Music Consultants for the 84th Academy Awards

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    [caption id="attachment_1985" align="alignnone" width="540"]image via neptunes[/caption]

    Oscar® -winning composer Hans Zimmer and Grammy® Award-winning songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams will serve as music consultants for the 84th Academy Awards, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today. This will be the first time the composers have worked on the Oscar show.

    “Hans is one of the most accomplished and creative film composers of our time, and Pharrell is a phenomenal songwriter with an amazing list of credits,” said Grazer and Mischer. “This is an exciting and prestigious collaboration that promises to take the audience on a musical journey.”

    “It is a great privilege to serve the Academy in this role and to help celebrate and honor this year’s incredible artistry,” stated Zimmer.

    “I am honored to work with my mentor and teacher, Hans Zimmer and I have wanted to collaborate with Brian Grazer on something for years,” said Williams. “I cannot believe I will be joining them and their teams on the most prestigious show of the year, the Academy Awards.”

    Zimmer won an Oscar in 1994 for Original Score for “The Lion King” and has received eight additional nominations for Original Score. His credits include “Rain Man,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Thelma & Louise,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “As Good as It Gets,” “The Thin Red Line,” “The Prince of Egypt,” “Gladiator,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Madagascar,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Sherlock Holmes” and “Inception.” His most recent credits include “Rango,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “Kung Fu Panda 2” and the upcoming “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Zimmer has earned 10 Grammy nominations and won four.

    Williams is a prolific producer-singer-songwriter who has also written for feature films. He has been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards and has won three. Williams’ songs have appeared on the soundtracks of such films as “Any Given Sunday,” “Kiss of the Dragon,” “Rush Hour 2,” “Zoolander,” “Bringing down the House,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” “50 First Dates,” “Hitch,” “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” “Date Movie” and “Knocked Up.” He wrote the original song score for “Despicable Me.”

    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.

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  • Rainey Qualley, daughter of actress Andie McDowell, is Miss Golden Globe 2012

    Actress, musician Rainey Qualley, and daughter of actress Andie McDowell, has been chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Miss Golden Globe 2012.

    “She is a talented and beautiful young woman,” said HFPA president Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly at the HFPA/InStyle Young Hollywood Party in West Hollywood. “We’re excited to have her as part of this year’s show.”

    Rainey, 21, recently appeared in the movie Mighty Fine and is writing songs and working on her first album.

    Miss Golden Globe is traditionally the child of a celebrity and assists during the Golden Globes awards ceremony, which will be held on January 15, 2012.

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