• THE SHAPE OF WATER Tops 75th Golden Globe Awards Nominations with 7 Nods | Complete List

    [caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Shape Of Water Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] The Shape of Water leads the nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards announced live this morning with 7 nods including Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Best Director for Guillermo Del Toro. Other big winners include Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with 6 nominations and Lady Bird with 4 nominations. The 75th Annual Golden Globe® Awards will air LIVE coast-to-coast on NBC Sunday, January 7, 2018, from 5-8PM PT/8-11PM ET from the Beverly Hilton Hotel with host Seth Meyers.

    75th Golden Globe Awards Nominations

    BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME b. DUNKIRK c. THE POST d. THE SHAPE OF WATER e. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. JESSICA CHASTAIN – MOLLY’S GAME b. SALLY HAWKINS – THE SHAPE OF WATER c. FRANCES MCDORMAND – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI d. MERYL STREEP – THE POST e. MICHELLE WILLIAMS – ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET – CALL ME BY YOUR NAME b. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – PHANTOM THREAD c. TOM HANKS – THE POST d. GARY OLDMAN – DARKEST HOUR e. DENZEL WASHINGTON – ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. THE DISASTER ARTIST b. GET OUT c. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN d. I, TONYA e. LADY BIRD BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. JUDI DENCH – VICTORIA & ABDUL b. HELEN MIRREN – THE LEISURE SEEKER c. MARGOT ROBBIE – I, TONYA d. SAOIRSE RONAN – LADY BIRD e. EMMA STONE – BATTLE OF THE SEXES BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. STEVE CARELL – BATTLE OF THE SEXES b. ANSEL ELGORT – BABY DRIVER c. JAMES FRANCO – THE DISASTER ARTIST d. HUGH JACKMAN – THE GREATEST SHOWMAN e. DANIEL KALUUYA – GET OUT BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED a. THE BOSS BABY b. THE BREADWINNER c. COCO d. FERDINAND e. LOVING VINCENT BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE a. A FANTASTIC WOMAN (CHILE) b. FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (CAMBODIA) c. IN THE FADE (GERMANY / FRANCE) d. LOVELESS (RUSSIA) e. THE SQUARE (SWEDEN / GERMANY / FRANCE) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE a. MARY J. BLIGE – MUDBOUND b. HONG CHAU – DOWNSIZING c. ALLISON JANNEY – I, TONYA d. LAURIE METCALF – LADY BIRD e. OCTAVIA SPENCER – THE SHAPE OF WATER BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE a. WILLEM DAFOE – THE FLORIDA PROJECT b. ARMIE HAMMER – CALL ME BY YOUR NAME c. RICHARD JENKINS – THE SHAPE OF WATER d. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER – ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD e. SAM ROCKWELL – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE a. GUILLERMO DEL TORO – THE SHAPE OF WATER b. MARTIN MCDONAGH – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI c. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – DUNKIRK d. RIDLEY SCOTT – ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD e. STEVEN SPIELBERG – THE POST BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE a. GUILLERMO DEL TORO, VANESSA TAYLOR – THE SHAPE OF WATER b. GRETA GERWIG – LADY BIRD c. LIZ HANNAH, JOSH SINGER – THE POST d. MARTIN MCDONAGH – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI e. AARON SORKIN – MOLLY’S GAME BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE a. CARTER BURWELL – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI b. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – THE SHAPE OF WATER c. JONNY GREENWOOD – PHANTOM THREAD d. JOHN WILLIAMS – THE POST e. HANS ZIMMER – DUNKIRK BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE a. “HOME” — FERDINAND Music by: Nick Jonas, Justin Tranter, Nick Monson Lyrics by: Nick Jonas, Justin Tranter b. “MIGHTY RIVER” — MUDBOUND Music by: Raphael Saadiq Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson c. “REMEMBER ME” — COCO Music by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez Lyrics by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez d. “THE STAR” — THE STAR Music by: Mariah Carey, Marc Shaiman Lyrics by: Mariah Carey, Marc Shaiman e. “THIS IS ME” — THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Music by: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul Lyrics by: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA a. THE CROWN – NETFLIX b. GAME OF THRONES – HBO c. THE HANDMAID’S TALE – HULU d. STRANGER THINGS – NETFLIX e. THIS IS US – NBC BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA a. CAITRIONA BALFE – OUTLANDER b. CLAIRE FOY – THE CROWN c. MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL – THE DEUCE d. KATHERINE LANGFORD – 13 REASONS WHY e. ELISABETH MOSS – THE HANDMAID’S TALE BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA a. JASON BATEMAN – OZARK b. STERLING K. BROWN – THIS IS US c. FREDDIE HIGHMORE – THE GOOD DOCTOR d. BOB ODENKIRK – BETTER CALL SAUL e. LIEV SCHREIBER – RAY DONOVAN BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. BLACK-ISH ABC b. THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL AMAZON c. MASTER OF NONE NETFLIX d. SMILF SHOWTIME e. WILL & GRACE NBC BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. PAMELA ADLON – BETTER THINGS b. ALISON BRIE – GLOW c. RACHEL BROSNAHAN – THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL d. ISSA RAE – INSECURE e. FRANKIE SHAW – SMILF BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. ANTHONY ANDERSON – BLACK-ISH b. AZIZ ANSARI – MASTER OF NONE c. KEVIN BACON – I LOVE DICK d. WILLIAM H. MACY – SHAMELESS e. ERIC MCCORMACK – WILL & GRACE BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. BIG LITTLE LIES – HBO b. FARGO – FX c. FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN – FX d. THE SINNER – USA NETWORK e. TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL – SUNDANCETV BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. JESSICA BIEL – THE SINNER b. NICOLE KIDMAN – BIG LITTLE LIES c. JESSICA LANGE – FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN d. SUSAN SARANDON – FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN e. REESE WITHERSPOON – BIG LITTLE LIES BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. ROBERT DE NIRO – THE WIZARD OF LIES b. JUDE LAW – THE YOUNG POPE c. KYLE MACLACHLAN – TWIN PEAKS d. EWAN MCGREGOR – FARGO e. GEOFFREY RUSH – GENIUS BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. LAURA DERN – BIG LITTLE LIES b. ANN DOWD – THE HANDMAID’S TALE c. CHRISSY METZ – THIS IS US d. MICHELLE PFEIFFER – THE WIZARD OF LIES e. SHAILENE WOODLEY – BIG LITTLE LIES BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. DAVID HARBOUR – STRANGER THINGS b. ALFRED MOLINA – FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN c. CHRISTIAN SLATER – MR. ROBOT d. ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD – BIG LITTLE LIES e. DAVID THEWLIS – FARGO

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  • THE FLORIDA PROJECT Producers Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri to Receive Miami Film Festival’s Precious Gem Award

    [caption id="attachment_25901" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Florida Project The Florida Project[/caption] Miami-based independent producing partners Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri, producers on Sean Baker’s The Florida Project, will receive the Precious Gem Award at the 2018 Miami Film Festival, to be held March 9 to 18, 2018. The Florida Project was released by A24 in October and is currently playing in theaters nationwide. The film was recently nominated for two Spirit Awards including Best Feature, winning Best Director and Best Supporting Actor accolades (Willem Dafoe) from New York Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actor and Best Picture (Runner-up) from Los Angeles Film Critics Circle and winning Top Ten Film and Best Supporting Actor from National Board of Review. Chinoy and Silvestri also worked on Baker’s previous features Starlet and Tangerine, as well as dozens of other projects, including the directorial debuts of women filmmakers including Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, Courteney Cox, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Biel, Eva Mendes, Alicia Keys, Kirsten Dunst, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rita Wilson, Trudie Styler, Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, Ashley Judd, Laura Dern, and Eva Longoria. “Kevin and Francesca’s association with Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival traces back a full decade, from their work to bring Kate Hudson to our 2008 Festival with her film ‘Cutlass’ and Demi Moore in 2009 with her film ‘Streak’”, said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “They are the behind-the-scenes heroes who we wish to put center stage and honor as the Precious Gems that they are – without their commitment and determination to bring original independent visions to realization, many of the films they have worked on might never have been made and enjoyed.” The Precious Gem Award presentation will be made at the Festival’s Awards Night Gala on March 17, 2018. Leading up to the ceremony, Chinoy and Silvestri will participate in a Producer’s Master Class at the Festival where they will candidly discuss the challenges and lessons from over 20 years of experience in the world of independent film production. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwQ-NH1rRT4

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  • Dee Rees’s MUDBOUND will Close 2017 Bahamas International Film Festival

    Mudbound The highly acclaimed drama Mudbound, directed by Dee Rees, will be the official closing night film at this year’s 2017 Bahamas International Film Festival. Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks and Jason Mitchell lead the ensemble cast of “Mudbound.” Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. Mudbound follows the McAllan family, newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis and unprepared for the harsh demands of farming. Despite the grandiose dreams of Henry (Jason Clarke), his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) struggles to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture. Meanwhile, Hap and Florence Jackson (Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige), sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations, struggle bravely to build a small dream of their own despite the rigidly enforced social barriers they face. The war upends both families’ plans as their returning loved ones, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), forge a fast but uneasy friendship that challenges the brutal realities of the Jim Crow South in which they live. The official closing night screening of “Mudbound” will take place on Sunday, December 17th at the Baha Mar in Nassau. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xucHiOAa8Rs The 2017 Bahamas International Film Festival takes place from December 10 to 13 in Harbour Island and December 14 to 17 in Nassau.

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  • 2017 IDA Documentary Awards – DINA Wins Best Feature

    ,
    [caption id="attachment_19891" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Dina Dina[/caption] Dina, directed by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini, about a love story between two people who have autism spectrum disorder, won Best Feature at the 33rd International Documentary Association awards ceremony on Saturday in Hollywood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4BSWA7pWuc Other winners at the IDA Documentary Awards include Edith+Eddie directed by Laura Checkoway snagging the prize for Best Short. The short film tells the story of America’s oldest interracial newlyweds.

    2017 IDA Documentary Award winners:

    Best Feature Dina Directors/Producers: Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles The Orchard Best Short Edith+Eddie Director: Laura Checkoway Producer: Thomas Lee Wright Kartemquin Films Best Cinematography Machines Cinematography by: Rodrigo Trejo Villanueva Kino Lorber Best Editing Dawson City: Frozen Time Edited by: Bill Morrison Kino Lorber Best Music Brimstone & Glory Original Score by: Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin Oscilloscope Laboratories Best Writing Donkeyote Written by: Chico Pereira, Manuel Pereira and Gabriel Molera Scottish Documentary Institute Pare Lorentz Award THE PARE LORENTZ AWARD RECOGNIZES FILMS THAT DEMONSTRATE EXEMPLARY FILMMAKING WHILE FOCUSING ON THE APPROPRIATE USE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, JUSTICE FOR ALL AND THE ILLUMINATION OF PRESSING SOCIAL PROBLEMS. Watani: My Homeland (Recipient) Director: Marcel Mettelsiefen Intent to Destroy (Special Mention) Director: Joe Berlinger ABC News VideoSource Award THIS AWARD IS GIVEN EACH YEAR FOR THE BEST USE OF NEWS FOOTAGE AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT IN A DOCUMENTARY. LA 92 Directors: Dan Lindsay & TJ Martin National Geographic Best Curated Series Award Independent Lens Executive Producers: Lois Vossen and Sally Jo Fifer PBS Best Limited Series The Defiant Ones Executive Producers: Allen Hughes, Doug Pray, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Laura Lancaster, Jerry Longarzo, Michael Lombardo, and Gene Kirkwood HBO Best Episodic Series Award Planet Earth II Executive Producer: Michael Gunton BBC AMERICA/BBC Worldwide Best Short Form Series Award The New York Times Op-Docs Executive Producer: Kathleen Lingo The New York Times David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN NON-FICTION FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL AND BRINGS GREATER PUBLIC AND INDUSTRY AWARENESS TO THE WORK OF STUDENTS IN THE DOCUMENTARY FIELD. Man on Fire Director: Joel Fendelman Producer: James Chase Sanchez University of Texas, Austin Career Achievement Award Lourdes Portillo Amicus Award Abigail Disney Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award Yance Ford Courage Under Fire Award The filmmaking teams and subjects of: City of Ghosts Cries from Syria Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS Last Men in Aleppo

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  • THE FLORIDA PROJECT, FACES PLACES, BPM Among 2017 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Winners

    Faces Places
    Faces Places

    THE FLORIDA PROJECT, Sean Baker’s coming-of-age film about little rascals growing up in the shadow of Disney World, was named Best Picture of 2017 by San Francisco Film Critics Circle

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  • Toronto Film Critics Association Names THE FLORIDA PROJECT Best Film of 2017

    [caption id="attachment_23729" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Florida Project THE FLORIDA PROJECT[/caption] The Florida Project, Sean Baker’s drama about kids growing up fast in a welfare motel in the shadow of Disney World, was named the year’s Best Picture winner by the Toronto Film Critics Association. Willem Dafoe was chosen Best Supporting Actor for his role as the empathetic motel manager. Greta Gerwig was named Best Director for her coming-of-age comedic drama, Lady Bird, while the film’s co-star Laurie Metcalf, was chosen Best Supporting Actress. The TFCA chose Frances McDormand as Best Actress for her portrayal of a driven and tormented mother in Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Faces Places, a whimsical journey through France directed by Agnès Varda and muralist JR, was given the Allan King Documentary Film Award. Art-world satire The Square, directed by Ruben Östlund, was chosen Best Foreign-Language film. Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner, based on Canadian author Deborah Ellis’ award-winning novel about an 11-year-old Afghan girl who provides for her family in difficult times, was named Best Animated Feature. The membership also chose the three finalists for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award: Hello Destroyer directed by Kevan Funk, Werewolf directed by Ashley McKenzie and Wexford Plaza directed by Joyce Wong. The winner will be named at the 21st TFCA awards gala, to be held in Toronto, on January 9, 2018, hosted by Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. Other awards include the 2017 recipient of the Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award is Inuk director, producer and writer Zacharias Kunuk. Kunuk has earned international acclaim for his dramatic work, including winning the prestigious Caméra d’Or for Best First Feature at Cannes 2001 for Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. He has chosen Montreal-based Inuk filmmaker and visual artist Isabella Weetaluktuk to receive $50,000 worth of services from Technicolor. She will accept the award at the gala. Weetaluktuk, a graduate of NSCAD University in Halifax, premiered her short Three Thousand, her first film with the National Film Board, at the 18th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in October.

    2017 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards winners and runners-up:

    BEST PICTURE “The Florida Project” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Fox Searchlight) BEST ACTOR Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) Runners-up Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name” (Mongrel Media) Gary Oldman “Darkest Hour” (Focus Features) BEST ACTRESS Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Fox Searchlight) Runners-up Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water” (Fox Searchlight) Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird” (Elevation Pictures) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Willem Dafoe “The Florida Project” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Fox Searchlight) Michael Stuhlbarg, “Call Me By Your Name” (Mongrel Media) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Laurie Metcalf “Lady Bird” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” (VVS Films) Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) BEST DIRECTOR Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up Paul Thomas Anderson, “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) Jordan Peele, “Get Out” (Universal Pictures) BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL “Get Out” by Jordan Peele (Universal Pictures) Runners-up “Lady Bird” by Greta Gerwig (Elevation Pictures) “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” by Martin McDonagh (Fox Searchlight) BEST FIRST FEATURE “Get Out” directed by Jordan Peele (Universal Pictures) Runners-up “Lady Macbeth” directed by William Oldroyd (D Films) “Werewolf,” directed by Ashley McKenzie (grassfire films) BEST ANIMATED FEATURE “The Breadwinner” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up “Coco” (Disney/Pixar) “Window Horses” (Mongrel Media) BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM “The Square” (The Archive of Film Inc.) Runners-up “Faces Places” (Cohen Media Group) “Loveless” (Mongrel Media) ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD “Faces Places” (Cohen Media Group) Runners-up “Jane” (National Geographic) “Kedi” (Blue Ice Docs) ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS “Hello Destroyer” directed by Kevan Funk (Northern Banner) “Werewolf” directed by Ashley McKenzie (grassfire films) “Wexford Plaza” directed by Joyce Wong (LevelFILM)

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  • GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, LADY MACBETH Win Big at 2017 British Independent Film Awards

    [caption id="attachment_19901" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]God's Own Country God’s Own Country[/caption] The 2017 British Independent Film Awards took place today in London and God’s Own Country was awarded the top prize Best British Independent Film. The film also walked with awards for Best Actor for Josh O’Connor, Debut Screenwriter for Francis Lee and Best Sound. Other big winners include Lady Macbeth which snagged the awards for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Screenplay, Most Promising Newcomer for Naomi Ackie, and Best Actress for Florence Pugh.

    2017 British Independent Film Awards Winners

    Best Casting SARAH CROWE for The Death of Stalin Best Cinematography sponsored by Blackmagic Design ARI WEGNER for Lady Macbeth Best Costume Design HOLLY WADDINGTON for Lady Macbeth Best Editing JON GREGORY for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Effects NICK ALLDER and BEN WHITE for The Ritual Best Make Up & Hair Design NICOLE STAFFORD for The Death of Stalin Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group CARTER BURWELL for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Production Design CRISTINA CASALI for The Death of Stalin Best Sound ANNA BERTMARK for God’s Own Country Debut Screenwriter FRANCIS LEE for God’s Own Country The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) RUNGANO NYONI for I Am Not A Witch Best Documentary ALMOST HEAVEN, dir: Carol Salter Breakthrough Producer EMILY MORGAN for I Am Not A Witch Best International Independent Film GET OUT, dir: Jordan Peele Best British Short Film FISH STORY Most Promising Newcomer NAOMI ACKIE for Lady Macbeth Best Screenplay ALICE BIRCH for Lady Macbeth Best Actress FLORENCE PUGH for Lady Macbeth Best Actor JOSH O’CONNOR for God’s Own Country Best Director RUNGANO NYONI for I Am Not A Witch Best British Independent Film GOD’S OWN COUNTRY

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  • Bahamas International Film Festival Opens Today with Sean Baker’s THE FLORIDA PROJECT

    [caption id="attachment_24746" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Florida Project The Florida Project[/caption] The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), celebrating its 14th edition this year, kicks off today Sunday, December 10th with Sean Baker’s drama “The Florida Project” starring Willem Dafoe.  BIFF 2017 will run through Sunday, December 17th. For the sixth consecutive year, BIFF will be headed to Harbour Island on December 10-13 and concluding in Nassau from December 14-17, showcasing more than 82 films from 28 different countries including twelve world premiere, 4 international premieres, 57 Caribbean premieres, and all are Bahamian premieres. The four competition categories at BIFF are Spirit of Freedom: Narrative; Spirit of Freedom: Documentary; New Visions; and Short Film. Additional categories out of competition are World Cinema; Special Screenings; Environmental and Oceans Spotlight and non-Jury Short Films.

    2017 Bahamas International Film Festival Lineup:

    SPIRIT OF FREEDOM (NARRATIVE)

    ALINA / Director: Ben Behernholtz AT EYE LEVEL / Directors: Evi Goldbrunner & Joachim Dollhopf LANE 1974 / Director: Chiro LIYANA / Directors: Aaron Kopp & Amanda Kopp THE DRAWER BOY /Director: Arturo Perez Torres THE HUDSON TRIBES / Director: John Marco Lopez TINKER /Director: Sonny Marler

    SPIRIT OF FREEDOM (DOCUMENTARY)

    BY ALL MEANS: A ROCK ‘N ROLL STORY / Director: Patrick Hewlett DELICATE BALANCE  / Director: Guillermo Garcia Lopez I AM SHAKESPEARE / Director: Stephen Dest MY ENEMY, MY BROTHER / Director: Ann Shin SACRED WATER / Director: Olivier Jourdain SHINGALI, WHERE ARE YOU? / Director: Angelos Rallis THE GOLDEN AGE / Director: Justin Connor

    NEW VISIONS – JURY FILMS

    7X7 / Director: Liam Hughes ALASKA IS A DRAG / Director: Shaz Bennett BEAUTY MARK / Director: Harris Doran BLANK 13 / Director: Takumi Saito DIM THE FLORESCENTS / Director: Daniel Warth DR. BRINKS & DR. BRINKS / Director: Josh Crockett GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER / Director: Michael Mooleedhar INTERLUDE / Director: Bernard Tanguy JUGGERNAUT / Director: Daniel DiMarco MILLION LOVES IN ME / Director: Sampson Yuen NOBLE EARTH / Director: Ursula Grisham THE DEFINITES / Directors: Hannah Cheesman & Mackenzie Donaldson THE DUNNING MAN / Director: Michael Clayton THE LINES / Director: Kiku Ohe TISAY / Director: Alfonso Torre TOURNAMENTS OF LOVE / Director: Caroline Jules

    OCEAN & ENVIRONMENT THEME

    AN OCEAN MYSTERY THE MISSING CATCH (USA, Bahamas) / Director: Alison Barrat CUT BAIT (USA, Bahamas) / Director: Robert Walkine EARTHY ENCOUNTERS (UK) / Director: Sam Johnson LA PESCA (Columbia) / Director: Pablo Alvarez LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE (USA) / Director: Cynthia Neal STRAWS (USA) / Director: Linda Booker VIRE (Guadeloupe) / Director: Hugo Rousselin

    SHORT FILM Narrative Short Jury Films

    ANOTHER GIRL (USA) / Director: Austin Kase ASLEEP (Canada) / Director: Mak Abdelhai BAD NEWS (Italy) / Director: Matteo Petrelli CASSANDRA (France) / Director: Joffrey Renambatz CATFISH (Iran) / Director: Sourena Bayramloo COMFORT AND JOY (UK) / Directors: Will Jeffs & AJ Simmons COWBOY & INDIAN (USA) / Director: Sujata Day DEVILS LUCK (USA) / Director: Robert C. Eaton EARTHY ENCOUNTERS (UK) / Director: Sam Johnson EAST (USA) / Director: Dana Marisa S Choenfeld FOREVER NOW (Denmark) / Director: Kristin Håskjold JC (USA) / Director: Matt Boatright-Simon LACRIMOSA (Austria) / Director: Tanja Mairitsch LAWMAN (USA) / Director: Matthew Gentile LEO JOHNSON (USA) / Director: Evan Bluestein LIFE IN OTHER WORDS (Bangladesh) / Director: Abrar Athar LIMBO (Greece) / Director: Konstantina Kotzamani MACKENZIE (USA) / Director: Sofia Astrom OUTSIDE THE LINES (USA) / Director: Joshua Jacobs OWEN (USA) / Director: Kelly Pike PRIA (Indonesia) / Director: Yudho Aditya RETOUCH (Iran) / Director: Kaveh Mazaheri ROSARIO (Mexico) / Director: Marlen Ríos-Farjat ROSELYN (Bahamas) / Director: Jason Evans SHORT DROP (Trinidad and Tobago) / Director: Maya Cozier SILENT NIGHTS (Denmark) / Director: Aske Bang THE ADVENTURES OF SELIKA (UK) / Director: Sybil Mair THE ASPEN PROJECT (USA) / Director: Chino Maurice THE DARKNESS OF THE MOOR (USA) / Director: James Everett THE GIRLS WERE DOING NOTHING (UK) / Director: Dekel Berenson THE LIFE OF MARIE (Germany) / Director: Rolf Kasteleiner THE REAL THING (USA) / Director: Brandon Kelley TOFFEE (India) / Director: Tahira Kashyap WHAT REMAINS OF YOU (France) / Director: Kevin Dresse YOURS SINCERELY, LOIS WEBER (USA) / Director: Svetlana Cvetko

    OUT OF COMPETITION

    LOGGERHEAD SEAT TURTLE (USA) / Director: Cynthia Neal STRAWS (USA) / Director: Linda Booker VIRE (Guadeloupe) / Director: Hugo Rousselin LA PESCA (Columbia) / Director: Pablo Alvarez CUT BAIT (USA, Bahamas) / Director: Robert Walkine GUAVA DUFF (Bahamas) / Director: Anaya and Santia Dean

    WORLD CINEMA (DOCUMENTARY)

    BAREFOOT RASTA (Germany, Ethiopia, Canada)) / Director: Andy Siege BETWEEN 2 SHORES (Guadeloupe) / Director: Mariette Monpierre I DO? (USA) / Director: Joe Brandmeier REBELS ON POINTE (Canada) / Director: Bobbi Jo Hart SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP (USA) / Directors: Anthony Caronna & Alexander Smith

    SPECIAL SCREENING

    SLIM AARONS: THE HIGH LIFE (USA) / Director: Fritz Mitchell STUDENT FILM WORKSHOP (Bahamas) / Five Films by Students JUNOD (Japan) / Director: Shinichiro KIMURA JOHN “CHIPPIE” CHIPMAN (Bahamas) / Director: Thriston & Verline Ewing

    OPENING NIGHT FILM

    THE FLORIDA PROJECT (USA) / Director: Sean Baker

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  • South Asian International Film Festival in NYC Unveils Lineup, Opens with LONG LIVE BRIJ MOHAN

    [caption id="attachment_25859" align="aligncenter" width="1108"]Long Live Brij Mohan Long Live Brij Mohan[/caption] The 2017 South Asian International Film Festival in New York City is celebrating its 14th year by showcasing the very best in South Asian independent cinema.  The festival throws open its doors with the opening night world premiere of Long Live Brij Mohan, before going on to showcase its centerpiece film Na Maloom Afraad 2 and will close with the New York premiere of Ribbon. The 14th Annual South Asian International Film Festival presented by HBO runs from Wednesday, December 13, 2017, to Sunday, December 17, 2017, in New York City. All screenings taking place at Landmark Sunshine Theater at 143 East Houston Street in the East Village, New York City. OPENING NIGHT FILM: Long Live Brij Mohan Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat / 2017 / India / In Hindi (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / World Premiere / 105 mins. Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. Brij Mohan, a hosiery shop owner in a busy middle-class market in Delhi, is fed up with his ball-crusher wife and mounting debts. In a desperate attempt to escape his wretched life, he changes his appearance and adopts a new identity as Amar Sethi … but in the process, ends up committing a botched-up murder. He then runs off with his younger girlfriend, hopeful of making a new beginning. But instead, as luck would have it, he finds himself trapped in a web of his own karma. CENTERPIECE FILM: Na Maloom Afraad 2 Directed by Nabeel Qureshi / 2017 / Pakistan / In Urdu (with English subtitles). Narrative Feature / North American Premiere / 118 mins. Saturday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. Na Maloom Afraad 2 is an upcoming sequel to the 2014 Pakistani hit thriller film Na Maloom Afraad. The leading cast returning includes Fahad Mustafa, Javed Sheikh, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Urwa Hocane, along with Hania Amir in the lead and Marina Khan in her debut performance. The film is a hysterical comedy of errors when an extravagant Sheikh arrives in Cape Town with his precious and infamous “Gold Pot” – a toilet bowl made of gold! The Pot mistakenly finds its way to the three misfits – who call themselves Na Maloom Afraad – and are clueless about what to do with it. The movie unfolds as the South African police, smugglers and the Sheikh’s entourage start looking for the Gold Pot as the three misfits do their best to escape unscathed. CLOSING NIGHT FILM: Ribbon Directed by Rakhee Sandilya / 2017 / India / In Hindi (with English subtitles). Narrative Feature / New York Premiere / 105 mins. Sunday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m. After a sudden pregnancy, a young urban couple is overwhelmed by their baby girl and discover that parenthood comes with its own challenges. And it takes more than just love to stick through all of life’s curveballs.

    SAIFF 2017’s Feature Competition line-up:

    Mona Darling Directed by Shashi Sudigala / India / 2017 / In Hindi (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / International Premiere / 111 mins. In English We Say Directed by Harish Vyas / India / 2017 / In Hindi (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / World Premiere / 104 mins. Half Widow Directed by Danish Renzu / India / 2017 / In Urdu (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / World Premiere / 91 mins. Maacher Jhol Directed by Pratim D. Gupta / India / 2017 / In Bengali and French (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / New York Premiere / 108 mins. Code Name Abdul Directed by Eshwar Gunturu / India / 2017 / In Hindi (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / North American Premiere / 114 mins.

    SAIFF 2017’s Feature Spectrum line-up:

    Azad Directed by Rehan Sheikh / Pakistan / 2017 / In Urdu (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / World Premiere / 121 mins. Coma Café Directed by Avi Vasu / India / 2017 / In English and Hindi (with English subtitles) Narrative Feature / North America Premiere / 104 mins.

    SAIFF 2017’s Short Film & HBO Competitors line-up:

    Please Don’t Call The Cops Directed by Kartikye Gupta / United States / 2017 / In Hindi (with English subtitles) Narrative Short / World Premiere / 15 mins. Safeword (HBO Competitor) Directed by Mukesh Vidyasagar / United States / 2017 / English Narrative Short / World Premiere / 3 mins. Cobbler’s Dream (HBO Competitor) Directed by Sydney Chandrasekara / Sri Lanka / 2017 / In Sinhalese (with English subtitles) Narrative Short / World Premiere / 15 mins. Diwal’oween (HBO Competitor) Directed by Shilpa Mankikar / United States / 2017 / English Narrative Short / World Premiere / 33 mins. The Pits (HBO Competitor) Directed by Shetu Modi / Canada / 2017 / English Narrative Short / New York Premiere / 6 mins. The Language of the Ball (HBO Competitor) Directed by Ramón Rodríguez / United States / 2017 / English Narrative Short / New York Premiere / 9 mins.

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  • Grace Jones to Receive Career Achievement Award at Bahamas International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_23395" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami[/caption] Iconic actress, singer, songwriter, supermodel, and record producer Grace Jones will be honored with the prestigious Career Achievement Award at this year’s Bahamas International Film Festival, taking place December 10 to 17, 2017. Serving as the Festival’s most prestigious symbol of recognition, awarded in appreciation of the lifetime achievements of an actor, BIFF’s Career Achievement Award will be bestowed to Jones on the evening of Friday, December 15th at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas. In addition to receiving BIFF’s Career Achievement Award, Jones will present her latest film, “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” – the acclaimed documentary from director Sophie Fiennes. Said Vanderpool, “Grace’s trademark charisma has fueled memorable performances for decades, but in watching her amazing body of work, the depth of her performances is unmistakable and equally as memorable. Having Grace in The Bahamas to receive the Career Achievement Award and present the highly acclaimed ‘Bloodlight and Bami’ is a huge honor for the festival and the audiences who will share in the experience. Grace is an legend, an icon and we are extremely thrilled to recognize her amazing career at the Bahamas International Film Festival.” Filmed over the course of a decade, the documentary, “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami”, from director Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology) offers a stylish and unconventional look at the Jamaican-born model, singer, and New Wave icon. Grace Jones, the statuesque Jamaican model-turned-singer, actress and icon has made a career performing versions of herself. But who is the real Grace Jones behind the masks and makeup? This film moves between her personae onstage and off. Don’t expect a traditional music biography with sit-down interviews and archival footage. This treatment is as stylish and unconventional as its subject. In the subtitle, “bloodlight” refers to the studio signal for recording and “bami” is a Jamaican flatbread. They stand for art and life. Filmmaker Sophie Fiennes has previously made films about a philosopher, a dancer, and an artist. Each time, she conjures a fresh style for the material. (One of her early documentaries, Hoover Street Revival, profiled Jones’ brother Noel, the Los Angeles preacher). With Grace Jones, filmed over 10 years, we gain entry to her private spaces: her family in Jamaica, in the studio with long-time collaborators Sly & Robbie, and in Paris with her one-time image maker and lover, Jean-Paul Goude. In negotiations glimpsed on camera, she demonstrates that you wouldn’t want to go against her. “Sometimes you have to be a high-flying bitch.” Yet we also catch her in sweet and vulnerable moments. Interspersed throughout the film are performances from a 2016 concert staged for Fiennes’ camera. Strutting the stage like an Amazon in heels, Jones performs songs such as “Slave to the Rhythm,” “Love is the Drug” and “Amazing Grace” with multiple costume changes. This might be the first documentary with a credit for Corset Designer. Whatever mysteries she conceals, one thing is for certain: we can’t take our eyes off her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLxtZ0ElBss The Bahamas International Film Festival will showcase more than 82 films from 28 countries, including 12 world premieres, 4 international premieres and 57 Caribbean premieres. All of the films will be Bahamian premieres. BIFF 2017 takes place from December 10-13 in Harbour Island and December 14-17 in Nassau. The Festival’s opening night in Harbour Island will begin with a screening of Sean Baker’s critically acclaimed drama ‘The Florida Project’ starring Willem Dafoe.

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  • Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain and Mary J Blige to Receive Awards at Palm Springs International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_25850" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain and Mary J Blige Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain and Mary J Blige[/caption] The 29th Palm Springs International Film Festival will present Saoirse Ronan, Jessica Chastain, and Mary J. Blige with awards at its annual Film Awards Gala.  They join previously announced 2018 honorees Timothée Chalamet, Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter, Allison Janney, Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell and The Shape of Water. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Tuesday, January 2nd at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2 to 15, 2018. Saoirse Ronan will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress for her performance in Lady Bird. “Saoirse Ronan delivers one of the most outstanding performances of this year as an outspoken high school student growing up in Sacramento in the critically acclaimed film Lady Bird,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Following her exceptional performances in Atonement and Brooklyn, Ronan is sure to receive her third Academy Award nomination. It is our honor to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress to Saoirse Ronan.” Ronan received the PSIFF International Star Award in 2016 for her performance in Brooklyn, going on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the same role. Additional past recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress include Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Naomi Watts. In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig proves herself a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated, strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amid a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home. For her role in the film, Ronan has already received Best Actress from the Gotham Independent Film Awards and is nominated for Best Female Lead from the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Jessica Chastain will receive  the Chairman’s Award for Molly’s Game. “Jessica Chastain is an incredible actress who has continuously challenged herself with complex roles throughout her career,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her latest film, Molly’s Game, Chastain brings to life Molly Bloom’s story of a determined woman who goes from being an Olympic skier to making millions running an exclusive high-stakes poker game. It is our honor to present the Chairman’s Award to Jessica Chastain.” Chastain received the PSIFF Spotlight Award in 2012, going on to receive an Academy Award® nomination for The Help. Past recipients of the Chairman’s Award include Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier who ran one of the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans, and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe. The film also stars Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Bill Camp, Chris O’Dowd and Brian d’Arcy James. Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal and Matt Jackson produced. STXfilms and the Mark Gordon Company’s Molly’s Game will open in select theaters nationwide December 25, 2017, and everywhere January 5, 2018. The Festival will present Mary J. Blige with the Breakthrough Performance Award for her performance in Mudbound. “Mary J. Blige is a global superstar in the world of music who continues to make her mark as an actress in both television and film,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In her current film Mudbound, Blige gives a quiet yet fantastic performance as Florence Jackson, a strong woman supporting her sharecropper family in rural Mississippi. It is our honor to present the 2018 Breakthrough Performance Award to Mary J. Blige.” Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Mahershala Ali, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Felicity Huffman, Brie Larson, Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike and Jeremy Renner. In the years they were honored, Ali, Cotillard, Hudson, Larson and Nyong’o went on to receive Academy Awards®, while Huffman, Pike and Renner received nominations. Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’ Mudbound is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. Mudbound follows the McAllan family, newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis and unprepared for the harsh demands of farming. Despite the grandiose dreams of Henry (Jason Clarke), his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) struggles to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture. Meanwhile, Hap and Florence Jackson (Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige), sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations, struggle bravely to build a small dream of their own despite the rigidly enforced social barriers they face. The war upends both families’ plans as their returning loved ones, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), forge a fast but uneasy friendship that challenges the brutal realities of the Jim Crow South in which they live.

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  • THE SQUARE Sweeps 2017 European Film Awards, Wins Best Film, Best Director

    [caption id="attachment_22898" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Square Ruben Ostlunds The Square[/caption] The Square written and directed by Ruben Östlund is the big winner at this year’s 2017 European Film Awards held today in Berlin, winning 6 major awards including Best Film, Best Comedy, Best Director and Best Director for Ruben Östlund; and Best Actor for Claes Bang.

    2017 European Film Awards Winners

    EUROPEAN FILM 2017 THE SQUARE WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ruben Östlund EUROPEAN COMEDY 2017 THE SQUARE WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Ruben Östlund EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2017 – Prix FIPRESCI LADY MACBETH DIRECTED BY William Oldroyd WRITTEN BY Alice Birch EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2017 COMMUNION WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Anna Zamecka EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2017 LOVING VINCENT DIRECTED BY Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman WRITTEN BY Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman & Jacek Dehnel ANIMATION: Dorota Kobiela & Łukasz Mackiewicz EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2017 TIMECODE by Juanjo Giménez EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2017 Ruben Östlund for THE SQUARE EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2017 Alexandra Borbély in ON BODY AND SOUL EUROPEAN ACTOR 2017 Claes Bang in THE SQUARE EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2017 Ruben Östlund for THE SQUARE EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2017 – Prix CARLO DI PALMA Michail Krichman for LOVELESS EUROPEAN EDITOR 2017 Robin Campillo for BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2017 Josefin Åsberg for THE SQUARE EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2017 Katarzyna Lewińska for SPOOR EUROPEAN HAIR & MAKE-UP ARTIST 2017 Leendert van Nimwegen for BRIMSTONE EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2017 Evgueni & Sacha Galperine for LOVELESS EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER 2017 Oriol Tarragó for A MONSTER CALLS EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Aleksandr Sokurov EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA Julie Delpy EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2017 – Prix EURIMAGES Cedomir Kolar PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2017 for Best European Film STEFAN ZWEIG – FAREWELL TO EUROPE (VOR DER MORGENRÖTE) DIRECTED BY Maria Schrader WRITTEN BY Maria Schrader & Jan Schomburg

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