Lucy Walker’s ‘Waste Land’ took the top 2010 IDA Documentary Award, ‘IDA PARE LORENTZ AWARD’ as well as the the IDA Award for Best Documentary Feature. Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio. There, he photographs an eclectic band of catadores–self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with them, as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage, reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Waste Land offers stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.

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The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture nominees for the 22nd Annual Producers Guild Awards.

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The National Board of Review named The Social Network the 2010 Best Film of the Year.  Directed by David Fincher, this timeless drama explores the moment at which Facebook, the most revolutionary social phenomenon of the new century, was invented and the resulting lawsuits. The film was released on October 1st by Columbia Pictures.

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Sinking Sands written and directed by U-S based Ghanaian film maker Leila Dzansi, received a total of 13 nominations for the upcoming Ghana Movie Awards (MAGs), scheduled for December 25.  Ama Ghana, the most nominated local movie, received 12 nominations.

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Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock), from the People’s Republic of China, has won the Best Feature Film Award at the 4th annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), announced this evening at a stunning ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Chinese actor Chen Daoming received the Best Performance by an Actor award for the same film, which is the highest grossing domestic film of all time at the Chinese box office.

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“127 Hours” received nine, and “The King’s Speech” six, putting them among the top nominees in the this year’s Satellite Awards, which is given out annually by the International Press Academy. “Black Swan,” and “The Kids Are All Right,” were not too far behind with each receiving five nominations.

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