• 2011 Savannah Film Festival honors Oliver Stone, Ellen Barkin and Ray Liotta

    Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning writer/director Oliver Stone was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th annual Savannah Film Festival on Thursday, Nov. 3.  Stone dedicated his award to native Savannahian and well-known publicist Bobby Zarem, whom he has known for more than 30 years. “The memory of my achievement lies in Savannah, a city Bobby loves so much,” said the award-winning director. Stone ended with, “I got your back, Bobby.” 

     


    The Savannah Film Festival also honored actress Ellen Barkin with Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Awards.

    Actor Ray Liotta was also honored with Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Awards.

     

    Hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Savannah Film Festival, the 14th annual festival kicked off Saturday, Oct. 29 and runs through today, Saturday, Nov. 5, in historic Savannah, Ga.


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  • 10 finalists for the 6th round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants of more than $305,000

    [caption id="attachment_1681" align="alignnone" width="550"]San Francisco Film Society New People Cinema[/caption]

    Ten finalists made it to the sixth round of San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants of more than $305,000, to be given to one or more feature films that through plot, character, theme or setting significantly explore human and civil rights, discrimination, gender and sexual identity and other urgent social justice issues of our time. Winners of the fall 2011 SFFS/KRF Grants will be announced in mid-December.

    Finalists:

    Maris Curran
    Five Nights in Maine, development
    Unexpected tragedy brings an African American widower face-to-face with his estranged mother-in-law in rural Maine. For more information visit fivenightsinmaine.com.

    Jenny Deller, Kristin Fairweather
    Future Weather, postproduction
    When her single mom runs away to California, a passionate young environmentalist clings to her rural home and a carbon sequestration experiment. Her grandmother, a caustic nurse on the verge of moving in with her long-distance boyfriend, has other plans. Thrust into each other’s lives, the two relatives must learn to trust each other and leap into the unknown. For more information visit futureweathermovie.com.

    Lance Edmands, Kyle Martin
    Bluebird, production
    In the frozen woods of an isolated Maine logging town, one woman’s tragic mistake shatters the community balance, resulting in profound and unexpected consequences.

    Eric Escobar
    One Good Thing, development
    A jaded and bitter locksmith spends his days locking families out of their foreclosed homes. When a morning lockout turns up the abandoned children of a long-lost friend, his cynicism is put in check as he races to find the missing parents. For more information visit kontentfilms.com.

    Krisy Gosney
    Manhandled, development
    Set in the gritty, pre-dot-com Mission District of San Francisco, a lesbian couple’s world implodes as one of them transitions to male, testing the limits of unconditional love and their new identity as a straight couple.

    Ian Hendrie, Jyson McLean
    Mercy Road, screenwriting
    Based on true events, Mercy Road traces the political and spiritual odyssey of a small town Christian housewife as she slowly turns from a peaceful pro-life activist to an underground militant willing to commit violence and murder in the name of God.

    Chris Mason Johnson
    Test, production
    In 1985, while lurid newspaper headlines threaten a gay quarantine and antigay graffiti appears regularly, the naïve and frequently bullied new member of San Francisco’s contemporary ballet company begins a friendship with a brilliant lead dancer with a bad-boy reputation. The friends navigate a world alternately full of risk and promise. For more information visit thenewtwentymovie.com.

    Oden Roberts, Azura Skye
    Rosie Got Her Gun, production
    Following a series of arrests, a troubled young woman struggling to avoid prison time is visited by an opportunistic Army recruiter. For more information visit odenroberts.com.

    Alex Smith, Andrew Smith
    Winter in the Blood, postproduction
    Virgil First Raise embarks on a surreal and comedic odyssey to retrieve his renegade wife and the treasured rifle that she stole from him. For more information visit winterintheblood.com.

    Jessica Tanzer Conroy, Marianna Cherry
    Read My Lips, screenwriting
    In 1989 in San Francisco, as the AIDS epidemic breeds a new generation of activists, a struggling young artist on a journey of self-discovery becomes an unwitting hero of the cause.

     

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  • Melancholia Sweeps European Film Awards 2011 Nomination

     

    [caption id="attachment_1623" align="alignnone" width="550"]MELANCHOLIA[/caption]

    The nominations for the European Film Awards 2011 were announced at the Seville European Film Festival.  MELANCHOLIA, directed by Lars von Trier lead the nominations, with the film nominated in all the top categories including European Film, European Director, European Screenwriter, European Actress, Cinematography, Editor and Composer.  The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony on December 3rd, 2011, in Berlin.

    Nominated are: 

     


    EUROPEAN FILM 2011
    THE ARTIST, France
    WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Michel Hazanavicius
    PRODUCED BY: Thomas Langmann & Emmanuel Montamat

    LE GAMIN AU VELO (The Kid with a Bike), Belgium/France/Italy
    WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
    PRODUCED BY: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd & Andrea Occhipinti

    HÆVNEN (In a Better World), Denmark
    DIRECTED BY: Susanne Bier
    WRITTEN BY: Anders Thomas Jensen
    PRODUCED BY: Sisse Graum Jørgensen

    THE KING’S SPEECH, UK
    DIRECTED BY: Tom Hooper
    WRITTEN BY: David Seidler
    PRODUCED BY: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin

    LE HAVRE, Finland/France/Germany
    WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Aki Kaurismäki
    PRODUCED BY: Aki Kaurismäki & Karl Baumgartner

    MELANCHOLIA, Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany
    WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Lars von Trier
    PRODUCED BY: Meta Louise Foldager & Louise Vesth


    EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2011
    Susanne Bier for HÆVNEN (In a Better World)
    Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne for LE GAMIN AU VELO (The Kid with a Bike)
    Aki Kaurismäki for LE HAVRE
    Béla Tarr for A TORINOI LO (The Turin Horse)
    Lars von Trier for MELANCHOLIA


    EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2011:
    Kirsten Dunst in MELANCHOLIA
    Cécile de France in LE GAMIN AU VELO (The Kid with a Bike)
    Charlotte Gainsbourg in MELANCHOLIA
    Nadezhda Markina in ELENA
    Tilda Swinton in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


    EUROPEAN ACTOR 2011:
    Jean Dujardin in THE ARTIST
    Colin Firth in THE KING’S SPEECH
    Mikael Persbrandt in HÆVNEN (In a Better World)         
    Michel Piccoli in HABEMUS PAPAM      
    André Wilms in LE HAVRE

    EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2011:
    Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne for LE GAMIN AU VELO (The Kid with a Bike)           
    Anders Thomas Jensen for HÆVNEN (In a Better World)
    Aki Kaurismäki for LE HAVRE
    Lars von Trier for MELANCHOLIA

    CARLO DI PALMA EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER AWARD 2011:
    Manuel Alberto Claro for MELANCHOLIA
    Fred Kelemen for A TORINOI LO (The Turin Horse)
    Guillaume Schiffman for THE ARTIST
    Adam Sikora for ESSENTIAL KILLING

    EUROPEAN EDITOR 2011:
    Tariq Anwar for THE KING’S SPEECH
    Mathilde Bonnefoy for DREI (Three)
    Molly Malene Stensgaard for MELANCHOLIA

    EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2011:
    Paola Bizzarri for HABEMUS PAPAM     
    Antxón Gómez for LA PIEL QUE HABITO (The Skin I Live in)
    Jette Lehmann for MELANCHOLIA


    EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2011:
    Ludovic Bource for THE ARTIST
    Alexandre Desplat for THE KING’S SPEECH
    Alberto Iglesias for LA PIEL QUE HABITO (The Skin I Live in)
    Mihály Vig for A TORINOI LO (The Turin Horse)

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  • Tribeca Film to release French thriller Sleepless Night in the US

    Tribeca Film has acquired the thriller Sleepless Night from director Frédéric Jardin, which had its World Premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The film will be released in 2012 on VOD and theatrically.

    Sleepless Night tells the story of Vincent, a respected and dedicated police officer, or so it seems. After stealing a massive bag of cocaine from drug dealers that work for Marciano, a powerful mob boss/nightclub owner, Vincent quickly finds himself trapped in a situation that no parent would envy- his son has been kidnapped with the promise of being executed if he doesn’t immediately deliver the bag back to its rightful owner. As Vincent heads to the nightclub in the outskirts of Paris to trade the drugs for his son, he soon gets caught in an intense, claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game that quickly spirals into madness as the tables are constantly turned multiple times throughout the evening.  The night to come might not only be the longest but also the last one of his life… and his young son’s as well.

    Tomer Sisley (The Burma Conspiracy, Toi et Moi) stars as Vincent. The cast also includes Joey Starr (Polisse, Authentiques), Julien Boisselier (Gardiens de  l’ordre , Hendri 4), Serge Riaboukine (Anglel A, Look at Me), Laurent Stocker (Cyprien, Hunting and Gathering) and Birol Ünel (Soul Kitchen, Head-On). Sleepless Night is written by Frédéric Jardin, Nicolas Saada, and Olivier Douyère, and produced by Marco Cherqui and Lauranne Bourrachot, who also produced the Academy Award®-nominated A Prophet (Un prophète).

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  • 18 Films Submitted in the Animated Feature Film category for the 84th Academy Awards

     

    [caption id="attachment_1787" align="alignnone"]Chico & Rita[/caption]

    Eighteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®.

    The 18 submitted features are:

    “The Adventures of Tintin”

    “Alois Nebel”

    “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked”

    “Arthur Christmas”

    “Cars 2”

    “A Cat in Paris”

    “Chico & Rita”

    “Gnomeo & Juliet”

    “Happy Feet Two”

    “Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil”

    “Kung Fu Panda 2”

    “Mars Needs Moms”

    “Puss in Boots”

    “Rango”

    “Rio”

    “The Smurfs”

    “Winnie the Pooh”

    “Wrinkles”

    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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  • Shame, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Tyrannosaur lead British Independent Film Awards

    [caption id="attachment_1785" align="alignnone" width="550"]Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [/caption]

    Shame, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Tyrannosaur, led the nominations for the 14th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards with seven nods.  All three films are battling for the Best British Film Award, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor or Actress awards.  We Need to Talk About Kevin and Kill List each receive six nominations with Submarine following closely with five.

    Tilda Swinton received a nomination for Best Actress for her performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin, along with Rebecca Hall (The Awakening), Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre), MyAnna Buring (Kill List), and Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur). Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Neil Maskell (Kill List), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Peter Mullan (Tyrannosaur) were all nominated for Best Actor award.

    The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday 4 December at the Old Billingsgate in London.

    The Moët British Independent Film Awards announced the following nominees for this year’s awards:


    BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

    Sponsored by Moët & Chandon

    SENNA

    SHAME

    TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

    TYRANNOSAUR

    WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN



    BEST DIRECTOR

    Sponsored by The Creative Partnership

    Ben Wheatley – KILL LIST

    Steve McQueen – SHAME

    Tomas Alfredson – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

    Paddy Considine – TYRANNOSAUR

    Lynne Ramsay – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN



    THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

    Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

    Joe Cornish – ATTACK THE BLOCK

    Ralph Fiennes – CORIOLANUS

    John Michael McDonagh – THE GUARD

    Richard Ayoade – SUBMARINE

    Paddy Considine – TYRANNOSAUR



    BEST SCREENPLAY

    Sponsored by BBC Films

    John Michael McDonagh – THE GUARD

    Ben Wheatley, Amy Jump – KILL LIST

    Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen – SHAME

    Richard Ayoade – SUBMARINE

    Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN



    BEST ACTRESS

    Sponsored by M.A.C

    Rebecca Hall – THE AWAKENING

    Mia Wasikowska – JANE EYRE

    MyAnna Buring – KILL LIST

    Olivia Colman – TYRANNOSAUR

    Tilda Swinton – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN



    BEST ACTOR

    Brendan Gleeson – THE GUARD

    Neil Maskell – KILL LIST

    Michael Fassbender – SHAME

    Gary Oldman – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

    Peter Mullan – TYRANNOSAUR



    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Felicity Jones – ALBATROSS

    Vanessa Redgrave – CORIOLANUS

    Carey Mulligan – SHAME

    Sally Hawkins – SUBMARINE

    Kathy Burke – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY



    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Michael Smiley – KILL LIST

    Tom Hardy – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

    Benedict Cumberbatch – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

    Eddie Marsan – TYRANNOSAUR

    Ezra Miller – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN



    MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

    Sponsored by STUDIOCANAL

    Jessica Brown Findlay – ALBATROSS

    John Boyega – ATTACK THE BLOCK

    Craig Roberts – SUBMARINE

    Yasmin Paige – SUBMARINE

    Tom Cullen – WEEKEND



    BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

    Sponsored by Deluxe142

    KILL LIST

    TYRANNOSAUR

    WEEKEND

    WILD BILL

    YOU INSTEAD



    BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

    Chris King, Gregers Sall – Editing – SENNA

    Sean Bobbitt – Cinematography – SHAME

    Joe Walker – Editing – SHAME

    Maria Djurkovic – Production Design – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

    Seamus McGarvey – Cinematography – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN



    BEST DOCUMENTARY

    HELL AND BACK AGAIN

    LIFE IN A DAY

    PROJECT NIM

    SENNA

    TT3D: CLOSER TO THE EDGE



    BEST BRITISH SHORT

    0507

    CHALK

    LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

    RITE

    ROUGH SKIN



    BEST FOREIGN INDEPENDENT FILM

    ANIMAL KINGDOM

    DRIVE

    PINA

    A SEPARATION

    THE SKIN I LIVE IN



    THE RAINDANCE AWARD

    Sponsored by Exile Media

    ACTS OF GODFREY

    BLACK POND

    HOLLOW

    LEAVING BAGHDAD

    A THOUSAND KISSES DEEP



    THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)

    Sponsored by Working Title

    To Be Announced



    THE VARIETY AWARD

    To Be Announced



    THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

    Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 4 December.

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  • THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN to close 2011 AFI Fest

    Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures’ THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, directed by AFI Life Achievement Award recipient and Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg, will have its North American Premiere as the Closing Night Gala of AFI FEST 2011.

    The film is based on the internationally beloved and irrepressible characters created by Hergé and stars Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. It is produced by Academy Award® winners Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy. From a screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, the story follows the unquenchably curious young reporter Tintin and his fiercely loyal dog Snowy as they discover a ship carrying an explosive secret that may hold the key to vast fortune…and an ancient curse. Academy Award®-winning composer John Williams scored the film, with 2011 marking a collaboration between Spielberg and Williams that has enriched 25 of their films together.

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  • Aurélie Laflamme’s Diary and Ormie Win 2nd NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival

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    [caption id="attachment_1779" align="alignnone"]A scene from AURELIE LAFLAMME’S DIARY[/caption]

    The second NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival, wrapped a the three-day festival for kids ages 3 – 18 and their families on Sunday and announced the winners of the best feature film and the best short film, as selected by the audiences.

    Aurélie Laflamme’s Diary (Le journal d’Aurélie Laflamme, Canada 2010), Christian Laurence’s delightful story about a teenager navigating the strange conventions of adolescence on planet Earth, tipped the scale slightly ahead of Jean-Christophe Roger’s The Storytelling Show (France/Luxembourg 2010) in the audience voting for best feature film.

    Rob Silvestri’s Ormie (Canada 2010), the award-winning slapstick animation about a pig determinedly trying to reach a cookie jar on top of a fridge won the audience award for best short film. Gravity, directed by Renaud Hallée and The Lost Thing, directed by Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan were tied for second in the polling.

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  • “Jo For Jonathan” by Maxine Giroux Takes the Top Prize at 2011 Gotham Screen Fest

    [caption id="attachment_1777" align="alignnone" width="550"]Best Feature: Jo For Jonathan, directed by Maxime Giroux[/caption]

    The 5th Annual Gotham Screen International Film Festival (GSIFF) is over after ten days of screenings and events in downtown New York. Highlights of the festival included the world premiere of US drama “40 West,” Singaporean production “Sandcastle” and popular Indian movie “Shuttlecock Boys.”

    Festival director Michael Gunther said of the event, “We’re very proud of this year’s program, which featured no less than six world premieres, with films as diverse as US thriller ‘Occupant,’ Chinese documentary ‘He Film’ and indie road movie ‘Days Together.’ The move to the legendary Quad Cinema brought increased attendance and allowed us to dramatically broaden the program. We definitely feel at home in the new surroundings of Greenwich Village and hope to continue our growth, both creatively and audience-wise, in the next year.”

    Winners of 2011 GOTHAM SCREEN International Film Festival:

    Best Feature: “Jo For Jonathan,” directed by Maxime Giroux
    Best Actress: Erin Anderson as ‘Alex’ in “Days Together”
    Best Actor: Raphaël Lacaille as ‘Jonathan’ in “Jo For Jonathan”
    Best Cinematography: Sharon Loh, for “Sandcastle”
    Best Documentary: “The Cost Of Creativity,” directed by John Biddle
    Best Short Film: “I Am Not A Moose,” directed by Jessica Brickman — Winner of the $1,000 Circleframe Short Film Award, sponsored by Triboro Pictures.

    Audience Choice Awards:

    Feature Film: “Brief Reunion,” directed by John Daschbach
    Short Film: “Porn Masala,” directed by Ken Kwek

    Special Jury Mentions:

    Feature Film: “Sandcastle,” by Boo Jun Feng
    Documentary: “Fat Cows, Lean Cows,” by Meni Elias
    Short Film: “Lighthouse,” by Anthony Chen

    Winners of the 2011 GOTHAM SCREEN Screenplay Contest:
    Best Screenplay: “Auntie” (Thriller), by Deirdre Patterson — Winner of the $2,500 Circleframe Screenwriting Award, sponsored by Triboro Pictures.

    Best Action/Adventure: “April Fool,” by Yvonne Fein
    Best Comedy: “Saturday Night Club,” by Rob Nagle
    Best Drama: “The Song of Sampson Dale,” by Geoffrey Caple
    Best Horror: “Committed,” by Jeff Sussman
    Best Mystery: “Absolution,” by Michael R. Lupariello
    Best Romantic Comedy: “Alison Offline,” by Gordon Rayfield
    Best Sports / Biography: “Jackie,” by Jay S. Blumenkopf
    Best War / Drama: “Silent Courage,” by Max Kopelowicz

     

    The 2012 Gotham Screen festival will return in October, 2012.

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  • We Need To Talk About Kevin Wins Best Film at BFI London Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_1775" align="alignnone" width="550"]BEST FILM: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN[/caption]

    Tilda Swinton’s latest film, We Need To Talk About Kevin, took the top prize at The 55th BFI London Film Festival. The film adapted from Lionel Shriver’s popular 2003 novel is about an American woman, Eva (Tilda Swinton), suffering from the fallout of a terrible crime committed by her teenage son, Kevin (Ezra Miller).

    BEST FILM: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, directed by Lynne Ramsay
    On behalf of the jury John Madden (Chair) said: “This year’s shortlist for Best Film comprises work that is outstanding in terms of its originality and its stylistic reach. It is an international group, one united by a common sense of unflinching human enquiry and we were struck by the sheer panache displayed by these great storytellers. In the end, we were simply bowled over by one film, a sublime, uncompromising tale of the torment that can stand in the place of love. We Need to Talk About Kevin is made with the kind of singular vision that links great directors across all the traditions of cinema.”

    BEST BRITISH NEWCOMER: Candese Reid, actress, Junkhearts
    The award for Best British Newcomer was presented by Edgar Wright and Minnie Driver to Candese Reid, for her acting role in Junkhearts, a sophisticated, social drama about hope and the search for redemption. Starting acting at the age of nine, she joined Nottingham’s prestigious Television Workshop, and her role in Junkhearts, at the age of 18, was her first professional acting role.

    Chair of the Best British Newcomer jury, Andy Harries said, “Candese is a fresh, brilliant and exciting new talent. Every moment she was on screen was compelling.”

    SUTHERLAND AWARD WINNER: Pablo Giorgelli, director of LAS ACACIAS
    The long-standing Sutherland Award is presented to the director of the most original and imaginative feature debut in the Festival. This year, Argentinian director Pablo Giorgelli took the award for his film Las Acacias, a slow-burning, uplifting and enchanting story of a truck driver and his passengers. The director received his Star of London from film director Terry Gilliam.

    The jury commented: “In a lively and thoughtful jury room debate, Las Acacias emerged as a worthy winner, largely because of the originality of its conception. Finely judged performances and a palpable sympathy for his characters makes this a hugely impressive debut for director Pablo Giorgelli.”

    GRIERSON AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY: INTO THE ABYSS: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life directed by Werner Herzog
    The award is co-presented with the Grierson Trust, in commemoration of John Grierson, the grandfather of British documentary. Recognising outstanding feature length documentaries of integrity, originality, technical excellence or cultural significance, the jury was chaired by Adam Curtis and the award went to Werner Herzog’s coruscating study of the senselessness of violence and its consequences.

    BFI FELLOWSHIP:  Ralph Fiennes and David Cronenberg (as previously announced)

    Awarded to an individual whose body of work has made an outstanding contribution to film culture, the Fellowship is the highest accolade that the British Film Institute bestows and was awarded to Canadian auteur David Cronenberg whose film A Dangerous Method premiered at the Festival on Monday. The Fellowship was presented by Jeremy Thomas and Michael Fassbender.

    Ralph Fiennes, one of Britain’s pre-eminent actors, who has just made a bold and critically well received transition to film directing with his festival film Coriolanus, was also presented with a Fellowship, this time from fellow actor and personal friend Liam Neeson.

    Greg Dyke, Chair, BFI said: ‘The BFI London Film Festival Awards pay tribute to outstanding film talent, so we are delighted and honoured that both Ralph Fiennes, one of the world’s finest and most respected actors and David Cronenberg, one of the most original and ground-breaking film directors of contemporary cinema, have both accepted BFI Fellowships – the highest accolade the BFI can bestow. I also want to congratulate all the filmmakers and industry professionals here tonight, not only on their nominations and awards, but also for their vision, skill, passion and creativity.’

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  • Nine Finalists for $15,000 for SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant

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    [caption id="attachment_1773" align="alignnone" width="550"]Fanny, Annie & Danny, a film by finalist Chris Brown[/caption]

    The San Francisco Film Society announced today the nine finalists for the third SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant and the grant prize of $15,000.  The finalists were selected from 57 applicants, and the winner will be announced in early December.

    FINALISTS
    Chris Brown, San Franciscoland
    A young Iraqi war veteran is forced to turn to prostitution in order to survive in San Francisco. For information visit fannyannieanddanny.com.

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

    Mark Decena, The Martyr
    The apparent suicide of a peace activist has a galvanizing effect on global efforts to end war and conflict. When the activist unexpectedly turns up very much alive, his colleagues must decide whether the movement’s new momentum is more important than one man’s existence. For information visit kontentfilms.com.

    Gabriel Diani, Etta Devine, Sorry, Wrong Planet
    Sorry, Wrong Planet is a sci-fi comedy about an inept clone soldier named Dort who is accidentally teleported to Earth where he teams up with an illegal immigrant named Miguel to do day labor. He falls in love with a waitress who looks exactly like the empress he is genetically programmed to worship and saves Earth from an alien invasion. For information visit dianidevine.com.

    Joshua Malkin, Both Hands
    When Dora, an ambitious American college student studying in Montreal, spies on the mysterious tattoo artist next door, she ignites a passionate mutual obsession that threatens to destroy both their lives. For information visit smalldrama.com.

    Jonah Markowitz, Falling Home
    An urban and happily childless gay couple’s life is forever changed following a tragic accident. They become the caretakers of two teenagers and the owners of a rural family farm. Three cross-cultural, multigenerational families learn to carry on after extreme tragedy. For information visit logolite-ent.com/jmarkowitz.

    Jean-Louis Milesi, Inland Sea
    A group of kids survives on the streets in a country recently torn apart by a war. Among them is ten-year-old Mickey who never speaks and whose friends treat him like an idiot. While the others are focused only on finding food, Mickey has two goals in life: to find new batteries to light up the plastic blade of his light saber and to find, and kill, his father. For information visit jeanlouismilesi.com.

    Chioke Nassor, How to Follow Strangers
    A woman died alone in her apartment and a year later her body was found decomposing in a crisp Chanel suit. A young man becomes obsessed with this urban tragedy and disappears, wondering if anyone will notice. A young woman who shares his commuting schedule does notice, and when he resurfaces, she decides to follow him, setting off a chain of events that bind them together. For information visit chiokenassor.com.

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

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

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  • Complete List of 45 Films Eligible for 2011 European Film Academy Awards

    [caption id="attachment_1671" align="alignnone" width="550"]THE ARTIST by Michel Hazanavicius[/caption]

    European Film Academy announced the 45 films in this year’s EFA Selection, the list of films recommended for a nomination for the European Film Awards 2011. With 32 countries represented, from A(ustria) to U(nited Kingdom), the list also covers a wide range of genres and themes from comedies about love, friendship, immigration and kidnapping to dramas about childhood, dysfunctional families and national traumas, from portraits of flawed leaders, surrealist animation and historical epics to an almost silent film in black & white.

    The EFA Selection 2011


    ALMANYA – WILLKOMMEN IN DEUTSCHLAND / ALMANYA
    by Yasemin Samdereli
    Germany/Turkey, 101 min.

    AMÉRICA / AMERICA
    by João Nuno Pinto
    Portugal/Spain/Brazil/Russia, 111 min

    THE ARTIST
    by Michel Hazanavicius
    France, 100 min.

    AS IF I AM NOT THERE
    by Juanita Wilson
    Ireland/FYR Macedonia/Sweden, 109 min.

    ATTENBERG
    by Athina Rachel Tsangari
    Greece, 95 min.

    AVE
    by Konstantin Bojanov
    Bulgaria, 86 min.

    BALADA TRISTE DE TROMPETA / THE LAST CIRCUS
    by Alex de la Iglesia
    Spain, 107 min.

    BELI BELI SVET / WHITE WHITE WORLD
    by Oleg Novkovic
    Serbia/Germany/Sweden, 121 min.

    CIRKUS COLUMBIA
    by Danis Tanovic
    Bosnia & Herzegovina/France/UK/Germany/Slovenia/Belgium, 113 min.

    CIRKUS FANTASTICUS / SILENT SONATA
    by Janez Burger
    Slovenia/Ireland, 75 min.

    [DREI / THREE.intern] europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/fi…
    by Tom Tykwer
    Germany, 119 min.

    ELDFJALL / VOLCANO
    by Rúnar Rúnarsson
    Iceland/Denmark, 95 min.

    ????? / ELENA
    by Andrey Zvyagintsev
    Russia, 109 min.

    ESSENTIAL KILLING
    by Jerzy Skolimowski
    Poland/Norway/Ireland/Hungary, 84 min.

    LE GAMIN AU VÉLO / THE KID WITH A BIKE
    by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
    Belgium/France/Italy, 84 min.

    HABEMUS PAPAM
    by Nanni Moretti
    Italy/France, 104 min.

    HÆVNEN / IN A BETTER WORLD
    by Susanne Bier
    Denmark, 113 min.

    HALT AUF FREIER STRECKE / STOPPED ON TRACK
    by Andreas Dresen
    Germany, 110 min.

    HITGANVUT YEHIDIM / INFILTRATION
    by Dover Kosashvili
    Israel/France, 116 min.

    THE KING’S SPEECH
    by Tom Hooper
    UK, 118 min.

    LE HAVRE
    by Aki Kaurismäki
    Finland/France/Germany, 93 min.

    LIDICE
    by Petr Nikolaev
    Czech Republic, 123 min.

    LOVERBOY
    by Catalin Mitulescu
    Romania, 93 min.

    MAJKI / MOTHERS
    by Milcho Manchevski
    FYR Macedonia, 123 min.

    MELANCHOLIA
    by Lars von Trier
    Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany, 130 min.

    NEDS
    by Peter Mullan
    UK, 124 min.

    NOI CREDEVAMO / WE BELIEVED
    by Mario Martone
    Italy/France, 170 min.

    OSLO 31. AUGUST / OSLO, AUGUST 31st.intern]europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/fi…
    by Joachim Trier
    Norway, 95 min.

    ??C???? (OVSYANKI) / SILENT SOULS
    by Alexey Fedorchenco
    Russia, 75 min.

    PA NEGRE / BLACK BREAD
    by Agustí Villaronga
    Spain, 109 min.

    LA PETITE CHAMBRE / THE LITTLE ROOM
    by Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond
    Switzerland/Luxembourg, 87 min.

    LES PETITS MOUCHOIRS / LITTLE WHITE LIES
    by Guillaume Canet
    France, 154 min.

    LA PIEL QUE HABITO / THE SKIN I LIVE IN
    by Pedro Almodóvar
    Spain, 118 min.

    PLAY
    by Ruben Östlund
    Sweden, 113 min.

    PREŽÍT SVUJ ŽIVOT / SURVIVING LIFE
    by Jan Švankmajer
    Czech Republic/Slovakia, 109 min.

    RUNDSKOP / BULLHEAD
    by Michaël R. Roskam
    Belgium/the Netherlands, 123 min.

    SALA SAMOBÓJCÓW / SUICIDE ROOM
    by Jan Komasa
    Poland, 110 min.

    SVINALÄNGORNA / BEYOND
    by Pernilla August
    Sweden/Denmark/Finland, 96 min.

    TAMBIEN LA LLUVIA / EVEN THE RAIN
    by Icíar Bollaín
    Spain, 99 min.

    TILVA ROŠ
    by Nikola Ležaic
    Serbia, 95 min.

    TIRZA
    by Rudolf van den Berg
    The Netherlands, 102 min.

    TOMBOY
    by Céline Sciamma
    France, 84 min.

    A TORINÓI LÓ / THE TURIN HORSE
    by Béla Tarr
    Hungary/France/Switzerland/Germany, 146 min.

    DIE UNABSICHTLICHE ENTFÜHRUNG DER FRAU ELFRIEDE OTT / THE UNINTENTIONAL KIDNAPPING OF ELFRIEDE OTT
    by Andreas Prochaska
    Austria, 112 min.

    WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
    by Lynne Ramsay
    UK, 111 min.

     

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