Johnny Depp stars as W. Eugene Smith, the American photographer who documented the effects of mercury poisoning on the citizens of Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan, in the film Minamata, directed by Andrew Levitas. Also starring in the film are Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Katherine Jenkins, Jun Kunimura, Lily Robinson, Ryo Kase, Akiko Iwase, Minami, and Bill Nighy.
Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast took Best Picture honors, and Branagh won for Best Director and Best Screenplay, in the Phoenix Film Critic’s Society’s 2021 awards. The film also captured awards for Ciaran Hinds for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and for Jude Hill for Best Performance by a Youth. With five wins, Belfast tied with Dune for the most honored film of the year.
The Power of the Dog was named the Best Picture of 2021 by the Southeastern Film Critics Association, along with Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jane Campion, Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee and Best Supporting Actress for Kirsten Dunst. This is the second time a film directed by Jane Campion has won Best Picture and Best Director as SEFCA also recognized her film The Piano in 1993.
“Belfast” along with “West Side Story” lead this year’s film contenders for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards, earning eleven nominations each. In addition to Best Picture, “Belfast” racked up several acting nominations including Best Supporting Actor nods for both Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds, Best Supporting Actress for Caitríona Balfe, Best Young Actor/Actress for Jude Hill, and Best Acting Ensemble, while Kenneth Branagh could take home both the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay trophies. “Belfast” also earned nominations for Haris Zambarloukos for Best Cinematography, Jim Clay and Claire Nia Richards for Best Production Design, and Úna Ní Dhonghaíle for Best Editing.
The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle named Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog the Best Film of 2021 at its fifth annual year-end awards. The Power of the Dog received six award including Best Director and Best Script (both for Jane Campion), Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actor (for Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Best Soundtrack/Score (for Johnny Greenwood.)
Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog lead the nominations for the 79th Annual Golden Globe Awards, with seven nominations each, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director.
The Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) loved Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, awarding the film top honors in an impressive 7 categories including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Campion, Best Cinematography, Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Best Supporting Actress for Kirsten Dunst.
Woody Allen’s latest film, Rifkin’s Festival, starring Elena Anaya, Louis Garrel, Gina Gershon, Sergi López, Wallace Shawn, and Christoph Waltz will open in theaters and on digital platforms on January 28, 2022.
The Bosnian war film Quo vadis, Aida? took the top prize for Best European Film at the 2021 European Film Awards hosted by German actress Annabelle Mandeng. The film also won Best European Director for Jasmila Žbanić and Best European Actress for Jasna Đuričić. The Danish animated documentary Flee directed Jonas Poher Rasmussen was also a big winner, taking the awards for European Documentary and European Animated Feature.
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the 2022 Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. Last year, producer Craig Foster was honored with the award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture for “My Octopus Teacher,” which documented a year spent by Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest.
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival announced the Short Film program well as the “From the Collection” program, a line-up of 40 short films that will screen online during the Festival to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the nonprofit Sundance Institute. The 2022 short films will all screen in programs or preceding features in-person in Utah, the majority of them will screen online along with the 40th collection, and a small collection will screen in person at seven Satellite Screens venues around the country during the Festival’s second weekend.. The Festival takes place from January 20-30, 2022.
Saban Films released the official trailer for The Requin, the shark attack thriller film starring Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) and James Tupper (Big Little Lies). Directed by Le-Van Kiet (Furie), the film opens in theaters, on demand and digital on January 28, 2022.