The New York Film Critics Circle named Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car, the Best Film of 2021, however, the Power of the Dog was the big winner taking the honor of Best Director for Jane Campion, Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch and Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee.
HBO documentary series, The Murders at Starved Rock, exploring the 1960 brutal murders of three women at Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle, Illinois and the decades of questions and doubts left in their wake, debuts with the first two episodes back-to-back Tuesday, December 14 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) and concludes with the final episode Wednesday, December 15 at (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT). From the producers of “McMillion$,” the three-part documentary series will air on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Sight and Sound, the BFI’s international film magazine, named Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II the Best Film of the Year. Hogg’s glorious follow up to The Souvenir (2019) stars Honor Swinton Byrne, alongside Richard Ayoade, Tilda Swinton, Jaygann Ayeh and Harris Dickinson in this semi-autobiographical portrait of the birth of a filmmaker. This is the second time Joanna Hogg has topped the Sight and Sound annual poll, following The Souvenir coming in first place in 2019 and the first time a woman has topped the Sight and Sound poll twice. This is the third year in a row where the poll has been topped by a British film.
HBO documentary Mr. Saturday Night, directed by John Maggio (HBO’s “A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks”) and executive produced by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons (HBO’s “Andre The Giant,” “Showbiz Kids”), chronicles the meteoric career of Australian entrepreneur Robert Stigwood, who gambled on a magazine article about the Brooklyn night club scene and turned it into the 1977 cultural touchstone “Saturday Night Fever,” making a global superstar out of John Travolta and reinvigorating disco with a platinum selling soundtrack anchored by four number-one hits from the Bee Gees.
The National Board of Review announced their 2021 honorees, with top awards including Licorice Pizza for Best Film; Paul Thomas Anderson for Best Director for Licorice Pizza; Will Smith for Best Actor for King Richard; and Rachel Zegler for Best Actress for West Side Story.
Directed by Kiwi Chow, the documentary Revolution of Our Times will have its theatrical premiere in New York at Stuart Cinema in Brooklyn (December 10-16) and at Laemmle Noho (December 10-16); the film will also screen at the Roxie in San Francisco on December 18th and 19th.
YouTube Originals unveiled the official trailer for “Home Courts” with Quavo — an all-new documentary special featuring the MIGOS rapper and basketball lover exploring the city of Atlanta through the lens of famous local basketball courts. With the help of local athletes and public figures who call the city home, including artist Killer Mike, Atlanta Dream Co-Owner and Vice President Renee Montgomery, former Mayors of Atlanta Andrew Young and Kasim Reed, and former NFL star Walter Stith, viewers will learn about the role basketball courts play for local communities at large, important historical locations centered around the city, as well as the little-known stories of the players who left the small swath of asphalt to go pro. “Home Courts” with Quavo premieres for free on Thursday, December 16 exclusively on MIGOS’ YouTube Channel.
Andrew Garfield will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor for his performance in tick, tick…BOOM! at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. The Film Awards will take place in-person on January 6, 2022 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running through January 17, 2022.
Oscar-nominated South African director, Angus Gibson, takes us back to the glitz and menace of 1958 Sophiatown in his stylish new film, Back Of The Moon. The film will get a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, December 3.
Due to the recent developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Film Awards will now take place in a completely hybrid form, with nominees and winners joining in various digital formats, pre-produced and live online.
Metrograph Pictures released the official trailer for Last and First Men, the feature debut and sole directorial effort of the late composer and musician Jóhann Jóhannsson and a visually arresting allegory for our times. The film will open in theaters and on digital exclusively at Metrograph on December 10.
Director Kenneth Branagh and cast of Belfast will be honored with the Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. The award is a group honor distinguishing a film’s cast and director in recognition of their collective work on an exceptional film project. The award will be presented to writer and director Kenneth Branagh and cast members Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill who are all expected to attend. The Film Awards will take place in-person on January 6, 2022 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running through January 17, 2022.