The full list of nominees for the 2011 Orange British Academy Film Awards were announced today at BAFTA’s headquarters. The King’s Speech received 14 nominations including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. Tom Hooper is nominated for Director, Colin Firth is nominated for Leading Actor and co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush are nominated for Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor.
Following up its win at the Golden Globes for Best Actor (Colin Firth), and its buzz for the upcoming Oscars and BAFTAs, The King’s Speech was announced as the closing film for the 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam on Saturday 5 February.
Sundance Institute announced members of five juries awarding prizes at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival which runs January 20-30, 2011. The juries are comprised of 23 individuals spanning the global arts community. Juror photos and extended biographies, in addition to the complete Festival lineup and schedule, are available at www.sundance.org/festival.
The Berlin International Film Festival announced the films in the program of the 41st Berlinale Forum, with most of the films revolving around family, relationships and identity.
Zimbabwe International Film Festival Trust (ZIFFT) executive director Nakayi Zivayi Rose Matema was arrested in November last year after allegedly presenting a document with a forged signature of one of the signatories, Rachel Pfungwa Kupara, intending intending to withdraw $700 from the organization’s account reports Newsday Zimbabwe.
Prior to that Matema, had initially withdrew $2, 500 from the ZIFFT account in September last year after she had allegedly forged Kupara’s signature on a ZIFFT indemnity letter. Matema again allegedly attempted to withdraw $10,000 at the end of September but failed after an alert bank teller discovered that the second signatory signature purportedly by Kupara differed from the signature on file at bank.
“The Social Network”was the big winner at last night’s Golden Globes taking home the prizes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, along with Best Director – Motion Picture for its director, David Fincher, and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for its writer, Aaron Sorkin, Colin Firth was was awarded Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for “The King’s Speech” and Natalie Portman received the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance in Black Swan. Melissa Leo and Christian Bale took home the awards for Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture and Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for their performances in “The Fighter.”
The 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival held from January 6-17, 2011 announced this year’s award winners after screening 205 films from 69 countries, including 41 of the 65 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Awards®.
British actress Susannah York, one of the leading stars of British and Hollywood films in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has died in London at the age of 72. York reportedly died of cancer Saturday at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
The Bollywood Zee Cine Awards 2011 ceremony was recently held in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore and the film “Dabangg” was the big winner. The Bollywood film took home the top awards including Best Film, Most Promising Director, Best Music, Most Promising Debut Director and Best Screenplay.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently filmed a cameo in the independent film “Deep in the Heart”, a filmed based on the life of Richard Wallrath.
Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced the winners of its four filmmaker grant awards at the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant and Nominee Brunch held at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Sandra Oh and Terrence Howard hosted the casual event and handed out the honors.
The NAACP announced the nominees for the 42nd Annual Image Awards. Nominees for Outstanding Motion Picture include “For Colored Girls” (Lionsgate/34th Street Films), “Just Wright” (Fox Searchlight Pictures), “The Book of Eli” (Warner Bros. Pictures), “The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features) and “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?” (Lionsgate).