Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Directed by Ava DuVernay
Starring Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker
Genre(s) Documentary Film
Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winner Ava DuVernay will executive produce and narrate One Perfect Shot, a half-hour unscripted series, inspired by a popular Twitter account of the same name. The new docuseries celebrating iconic movie moments guided by Hollywood’s most exhilarating cinematic voices will debut on HBO Max.
Netflix is making many of its documentary features and series available on the Netflix US YouTube channel for free. This is in response to teachers’ requests for access to documentaries which Netflix has previously allowed for screening in their classrooms but not possible with schools being closed.
The Fugitive[/caption]
The Fugitive directed by Andrew Davis, and starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, will open this year’s 20th anniversary celebration of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as ‘Ebertfest.” The Fugitive celebrates its 25th anniversary of release having opened in theaters on August 6, 1993.
“We like to start the festival with a bang and Andy Davis’s award winning film The Fugitive will do just that as our projectionist, James Bond, lights it on our huge screen at the beautiful movie palace, the Virginia Theater,” said co-founder Chaz Ebert. “And that is just for starters. We are really going to celebrate Roger and cinema and the filmmakers and our guests and all that we have shared over these last twenty years. It will be glorious and joyful.”
Additionally, Ebertfest reavealed that 13TH (d. Ava DuVernay), BELLE (d. Amma Asante) and DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (d. Julie Dash) as the initial films in this year’s slate. The remaining schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
“What an honor to have these Three Queens of Cinema grace our festival,” said Chaz Ebert. “Ava DuVernay first met Roger outside of the practice arena for the Academy Awards when she was 8 years old. She was accompanied by her aunt whose death later inspired Ava’s poignant independent film, I WILL FOLLOW that Roger gave Thumbs Up. Now she is directing a 100 million dollar movie. But why I am especially thrilled to have her at our 20th anniversary is because of all of the good work she is doing in Hollywood to assure that women and people of color are having opportunities that were not available before. She didn’t stop at her own success, she reached out and invited others to come along.”
Special guests Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) Director, Writer and Producer Ava DuVernay (13TH), Director Amma Asante (BELLE) and Director Julie Dash (DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST) will be in attendance and participate in Q&As following their screenings.
The 20th Anniversary of Ebertfest will be held April 18 to 22, 2018 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL with related talks and panel discussions to be held at the Hyatt Place in Champaign and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This year’s event will be dedicated to its namesake and co-founder, Roger Ebert, and to the festival’s cherished friend, Mary Frances Fagan.
The Fugitive (1993) – Opening Night Film
Directed by Andrew Davis, 130 mins
Special Guest Andrew Davis will be in attendance
Wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find her killer and clear his name. Pursuing him is a team of U.S. marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), a determined detective who will not rest until Richard is captured. As Richard leads the team through a series of intricate chases, he discovers the secrets behind his wife’s death and struggles to expose the killer before it is too late.
In his 4-star review, Roger Ebert called the film “one of the best entertainments of the year, a tense, taut and expert thriller that becomes something more than that, an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him.”
13TH (2016)
Directed by Ava DuVernay, 100 Mins, DCP
Special Guest Ava DuVernay will be in attendance
The title of Ava DuVernay’s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” The progression from that second qualifying clause to the horrors of mass criminalization and the sprawling American prison industry is laid out by DuVernay with bracing lucidity. With a potent mixture of archival footage and testimony from a dazzling array of activists, politicians, historians, and formerly incarcerated women and men, DuVernay creates a work of grand historical synthesis.
In his 4 star review on RogerEbert.com, Odie Henderson wrote that 13TH is “an unflinching, well-informed and thoroughly researched look at the American system of incarceration, specifically how the prison industrial complex affects people of color.”
BELLE (2014)
Directed by Amma Asante, 102 Mins, DCP
Special Guest Amma Asante will be in attendance
BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing. While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
“Amma Asante did something that no one ever thought possible, bringing a Jane Austen sensibility to historical issues of race in England in her film ‘Belle’,” said Chaz Ebert. “I can’t wait to welcome her to Ebertfest.”
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (1991)
Directed by Julie Dash, 112 Mins
Special Guest Julie Dash will be in attendance
At the dawn of the 20th century, a family in the Gullah community of coastal South Carolina — former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions — suffers a generational split. Young Haagar (Kaycee Moore) wants to move to the mainland away from tradition-bound matriarch Nana (Cora Lee Day). Former prostitute Yellow Mary (Barbara-O) gets a cold shoulder when she returns to the island with her female lover, especially from her sister Viola (Cheryl Lynn Bruce).
Roger Ebert called the film “a tone poem of old memories, a family album in which all of the pictures are taken on the same day” in his 3 star review. He went on to say that “at certain moments we are not sure exactly what is being said or signified, but by the end we understand everything that happened — not in an intellectual way, but in an emotional way.”
Brimstone & Glory[/caption]
Three films – Viktor Jakovleski’s Brimstone & Glory, Matthew Heineman’s City of Ghosts and Yance Ford’s Strong Island – lead the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors nominations with 4 apiece. Five films received three nominations: Yuri Ancarani’s The Challenge, Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral, Agnès Varda and JR’s Faces Places, Brett Morgen’s Jane and Jonathan Olshefski’s Quest.
City of Ghosts, Faces Places, Quest and Strong Island are joined in the Outstanding Nonfiction Feature category by Frederick Weisman’s Ex Libris: The New York Public Library and Feras Fayyad’s Last Men in Aleppo. Kitty Green (Casting Jon Benet) joins the aforementioned Yuri Ancarani, Yance Ford, Matthew Heineman, Agnés Varda and JR, and Frederick Wiseman as a nominee in the Outstanding Achievement in Direction category.
With his nomination, Frederick Wiseman becomes the first filmmaker in Cinema Eye history to be nominated three times for Outstanding Direction, having been previously nominated for La Danse – The Paris Opera Ballet and In Jackson Heights. He also received Cinema Eye’s 2012 Legacy Award for his 1967 classic Titicut Follies. Agnès Varda won the Outstanding Direction Award in 2010 for The Beaches of Agnés.
Outstanding Direction nominees Kitty Green and Yuri Ancarani were both previously nominated for Outstanding Nonfiction Short, Green in 2016 for The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul and Ancarani was nominated twice for Il Capo (2012) and Da Vinci (2014).
Chasing Coral received three nominations, including a nod for Outstanding Cinematography for director Jeff Orlowski, an Honor he won in 2013 for Chasing Ice. Stefan Nadelman, nominated for his Graphic Design work on the Grateful Dead documentary Long Strange Trip, won the same award in 2016 for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.
Ten films were nominated for the annual Audience Choice Prize, which includes many of the year’s most popular and talked about nonfiction films, notably Brett Morgen’s Jane, Ceyda Torun’s Kedi, Amanda Lipitz’ Step, Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis’ Whose Streets? and Gethin Aldous and Jairus McLeary’s The Work. The winner in this category is voted on by the general public.
This year’s Broadcast Nonfiction Filmmaking category includes a number of notable filmmakers, among them a previous Cinema Eye winner and a nominee. Fisher Stevens, a winner for Outstanding Production and Feature for The Cove (2010), is nominated this year with his co-director Alexis Bloom for Bright Lights: Starring Carrie FIsher and Debbie Reynolds (HBO). Ryan White, who was nominated for Production in 2015 for The Case Against 8, is up this year for his Netflix series The Keepers. Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay received her first Cinema Eye nomination for her Netflix film 13th, while veteran filmmaker Kristi Jacobson gets her first nod for the HBO feature doc Solitary: Inside Red Onion State Prison.
This year’s winners will be announced at the 2018 Honors Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The ceremony will be hosted, for the third consecutive year, by award-winning nonfiction filmmaker Steve James (The Interrupters, Life Itself, Hoop Dreams), who is a Cinema Eye nominee this year for his latest film, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail.
The Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF) kicks off its 43rd season on June 28 at the Newark Museum with 13th, Ava DuVernay’s exploration of the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Youth Cinema, the accompanying summer-long series of free children’s features and short films, debuts on July 3 at The Newark Public Library and July 5 at the Museum.
Since its introduction by the Museum in 1974, the NBFF has provided a forum for emerging writers, directors, producers, performers that highlight the work and history of African Americans and the African Diaspora that reflect the diversity of viewpoints, from documentaries to the avant-garde. Screenings are followed by a Q&A session.
Screenings are free, but reservations are strongly suggested.
NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
All screenings begin at 7 pm in the Newark Museum BJ Auditorium, unless otherwise noted.
June 28: 13th
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Opening Reception: 5:30 pm
Speakers: Khalil Muhammad, Prof. of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; and Lawrence Hamm, People Organization for Progress
Host: Gloria Hopkins Buck
July 5: Queen of Katwe – Family Night in the Museum Garden
Living in the slum of Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes when she meets a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.
Enjoy pre-film activities at 7 pm with the Newark Chess Club, a mentorship program that teaches strategic theory and thought, through chess. Screening will follow at 8 pm.
Speaker and Host: Darryl Scipio, Newark Chess Club
July 12: Steps
A young attorney left traumatized after an armed robbery becomes an alcoholic, loses everything and spends 14 years on the streets. After he befriends a local pastor, his story shifts to one of redemption and love in this Indie film set in Jersey City.
Speakers: Eddie Harris, filmmaker/writer; and Penwah, actress/producer/comedian
Host: Richard Wesley, screenwriter/educator
July 19: Shashamane
This documentary, set in Shashamane, Ethiopia, tells the story of Africans returning to their homeland, after generations of slavery and oppression, to reclaim their African identity.
Speakers: Giulia Amati, Producer, Karl Courtenay Phillpotts, President, The Shashamane Settlement Community Development Foundation and Jake Homiak, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives.
Host: Akil Khalfani, Director of Africana Institute, Essex County College
July 26: Millie & The Lords
Milagros Baez, a young Puerto Rican woman, has her life changed for the better when she learns about the Young Lords Party who fought for social justice in Spanish Harlem in the 1960s.
Speakers: Jennica Carmona, writer/director and Jessica Carmona, co-producer and plays the role of Millie
Host: TBD
August 2: John Lewis: Get in the Way
A portrayal of John Lewis’ personal journey of courage, disappointments and hard-won triumphs. Over decades, he has inspired others to stand up and seek justice for the marginalized.
Speaker: Kathleen Dowdey, producer/director
Host: TBD
NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL YOUTH CINEMA SCHEDULE
Youth Cinema will be held on Mondays at The Newark Public Library at 10:30 am and at the Newark Museum on Wednesdays at 1 pm.
Monday, July 3, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday July 5, Newark Museum
Tell Me Who I Am – A princess from Timbuktu and her magical friend take a journey in a time-travel ship into the 21st century.
George Washington Carver – Learn how Mr. Carver became one of the world’s foremost experts in agriculture and horticulture.
Adventures in Odyssey: Race to Freedom – With the help of friends, a young boy helps slaves escape through the Underground Railroad.
Monday, July 10, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, July 12, Newark Museum
The Proud Family Movie – A young girl and her family go on vacation, only to be captured by a mad scientist.
Monday, July 17, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, July 19, Newark Museum
Meltrek: Exploring Ancient Africa – Learn history, culture and contributions of various African civilizations.
Zarafa – In this African fable, a boy and a baby giraffe take a hot air balloon on an adventure from Africa to Europe.
Monday, July 24, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, July 26, Newark Museum
Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness – Adventures of neighborhood kids of different racial cultures.
Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks – A young girl who wants to learn the meaning of a proverb seeks guidance from the proverb detective.
The Honest-to-Goodness Truth – Libby tries not to lie–she’s been taught that it’s good to be honest– sometimes the truth can be hard.
Monday, July 31, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, August 2, Newark Museum
Mrs. Katz and Tush – Lamel, a young African-American boy, and Mrs. Katz, an elderly Jewish woman, develop an unusual friendship through their concern for a cat named Tush.
You’re Beautiful – 11-year-old Shola truly knows the internal conflict she faces and the pressures of dealing with school.
White Water – A boy in the Deep South discovers that no matter the fountain, water is water.
Monday, August 7, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, August 9, Newark Museum
Queen of Katwe – Living in the slum of Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes when she meets a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.
Moonlight[/caption]
With some of the biggest names in film, television and music in attendance, the winners of the 48th NAACP Image Awards were announced over the weekend. Moonlight was one of the night’s biggest winners, taking home the awards for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture along with Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Mahershala Ali. 13TH directed by Ava Duvernay won the award for Outstanding Documentary.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
Below are all of the winners for the 48th NAACP Image Awards.
Motion Picture Categories
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight” (A24)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis – “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Moonlight” (A24)
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Washington – “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Taraji P. Henson – “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
Entertainer of the Year
Dwayne Johnson
Documentary Categories
Outstanding Documentary – (Film)
“13TH” (Netflix)
Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“Roots: A New Vision” (History)
Writing Categories
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Kenya Barris – “`black-ish” – Hope (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Ava DuVernay – “Queen Sugar” – First Things First (OWN)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Charles Murray – “Roots” – Night 3 (History)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight” (A24)
Directing Categories
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover – “Atlanta” – Value (FX)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
John Singleton – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” – The Race Card (FX)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Rick Famuyiwa – “Confirmation” (HBO)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight” (A24)
Animated or Computer Generated Image (CGI) Category
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)
Idris Elba – “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
Television Categories
Outstanding Comedy Series
“`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Drama Series
“Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown – “This Is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Taraji P. Henson – “Empire” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Laurence Fishburne – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Tichina Arnold – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jussie Smollett – “Empire” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Naturi Naughton – “Power” (Starz)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special
“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special
Courtney B. Vance – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special
Regina King – “American Crime” (ABC)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
“BET Love and Happiness White House Special” (BET)
Outstanding Talk Series
“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
“2016 Black Girls Rock” (BET)
Outstanding Children’s Program
“An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win”(Amazon)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)
Marsai Martin – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety Program (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Roland S. Martin – “NewsOne Now with Roland S. Martin”(TV One)
Recording Categories
Outstanding New Artist
Chance the Rapper (Chance the Rapper)
Outstanding Male Artist
Maxwell (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“Freedom” – Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment)
Outstanding Jazz Album
“Latin American Songbook” – Edward Simon (Sunnyside)
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
“One Way” – Tamela Mann (Tillymann, Inc.)
Outstanding Music Video
“Formation” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records/ParkwoodEntertainment)
Outstanding Song – Traditional
“I See A Victory” – Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams (I Am Other/Columbia Records)
Outstanding Album
“Lemonade” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records/ParkwoodEntertainment)
Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“Freedom” – Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment)
Literature Categories
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“The Book of Harlan” – Bernice L. McFadden (AkashicBooks)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
“Hidden Figures” – Margot Lee Shetterly (HarperCollinsPublishers/William Morrow)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” –Trevor Noah (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” –Trevor Noah (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage” – Daymond John (Author), Daniel Paisner (With), (Crown Business/The Crown Publishing Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Collected Poems: 1974-2004” – Rita Dove (W. W. Norton & Company)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas” – Gwendolyn Hooks (Author), Colin Bootman(Illustrator) (Lee & Low Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“As Brave As You” – Jason Reynolds (Simon & Schuster (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books))
La La Land was named Best Film at the EE British Academy Film Awards aka 2017 BAFTA Awards, with Damien Chazelle winning Director and Emma Stone receiving the award for Leading Actress. Linus Sandgren won for Cinematography and Justin Hurwitz won Original Music.
Ava DuVernay’s film, exploring race in the US criminal justice system, 13th, won the award for Documentary. Kubo and the Two Strings took the award for Animated Film, and Film Not in the English Language was won by Hungarian holocaust drama, Son of Saul.
Outstanding British Film was won by I, Daniel Blake, directed by Ken Loach.
Writer/director Babak Anvari and producers Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill and Lucan Toh received the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Under the Shadow.
Home won the British Short Film award, while the BAFTA for British Short Animation was won by A Love Story.
The EE Rising Star Award, voted for by the public, went to Tom Holland.
The Special Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema was presented to film distributor and exhibitor Curzon for its work in bringing art house and foreign language cinema to British audiences.
Nathan Lane, Simon Pegg and HRH The Duke of Cambridge, President of BAFTA, presented the Academy’s highest honour, the Fellowship, to writer, director, actor and producer Mel Brooks.
The winners of the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2017
2016 NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS
(presented in 2017)
FELLOWSHIP
MEL BROOKS
OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA
CURZON
BEST FILM
ARRIVAL Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, David Linde, Aaron Ryder
I, DANIEL BLAKE Rebecca O’Brien
LA LA LAND Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Steward, Kevin J. Walsh
MOONLIGHT Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
AMERICAN HONEY Andrea Arnold, Lars Knudsen, Pouya Shahbazian, Jay Van Hoy
DENIAL Mick Jackson, Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff, David Hare
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM David Yates, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Wigram
I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney, Mike Brett, Jo-Jo Ellison, Steve Jamison
UNDER THE SHADOW Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
The Girl With All the Gifts: MIKE CAREY (Writer), CAMILLE GATIN (Producer)
The Hard Stop: GEORGE AMPONSAH (Writer/Director/Producer), DIONNE WALKER (Writer/Producer)
Notes on Blindness: PETER MIDDLETON (Writer/Director/Producer), JAMES SPINNEY (Writer/Director/Producer), JO-JO ELLISON (Producer)
The Pass: JOHN DONNELLY (Writer), BEN A. WILLIAMS (Director)
Under the Shadow: BABAK ANVARI (Writer/Director), EMILY LEO, OLIVER ROSKILL, LUCAN TOH (Producers)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DHEEPAN Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
JULIETA Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar
MUSTANG Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Charles Gillibert
SON OF SAUL László Nemes, Gábor Sipos
TONI ERDMANN Maren Ade, Janine Jackowski
DOCUMENTARY
13th Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Howard Barish
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK- THE TOURING YEARS Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Scott Pascucci, Nigel Sinclair
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss
NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney
WEINER Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg
ANIMATED FILM
FINDING DORY Andrew Stanton
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Travis Knight
MOANA Ron Clements, John Musker
ZOOTROPOLIS Byron Howard, Rich Moore
DIRECTOR
ARRIVAL Denis Villeneuve
I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach
LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
HELL OR HIGH WATER Taylor Sheridan
I, DANIEL BLAKE Paul Laverty
LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan
MOONLIGHT Barry Jenkins
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ARRIVAL Eric Heisserer
HACKSAW RIDGE Andrew Knight, Robert Schenkkan
HIDDEN FIGURES Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder
LION Luke Davies
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford
LEADING ACTOR
ANDREW GARFIELD Hacksaw Ridge
CASEY AFFLECK Manchester by the Sea
JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nocturnal Animals
RYAN GOSLING La La Land
VIGGO MORTENSEN Captain Fantastic
LEADING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Arrival
EMILY BLUNT The Girl on the Train
EMMA STONE La La Land
MERYL STREEP Florence Foster Jenkins
NATALIE PORTMAN Jackie
SUPPORTING ACTOR
AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON Nocturnal Animals
DEV PATEL Lion
HUGH GRANT Florence Foster Jenkins
JEFF BRIDGES Hell or High Water
MAHERSHALA ALI Moonlight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
HAYLEY SQUIRES I, Daniel Blake
MICHELLE WILLIAMS Manchester by the Sea
NAOMIE HARRIS Moonlight
NICOLE KIDMAN Lion
VIOLA DAVIS Fences
ORIGINAL MUSIC
ARRIVAL Jóhann Jóhannsson
JACKIE Mica Levi
LA LA LAND Justin Hurwitz
LION Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Abel Korzeniowski
CINEMATOGRAPHY
ARRIVAL Bradford Young
HELL OR HIGH WATER Giles Nuttgens
LA LA LAND Linus Sandgren
LION Greig Fraser
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Seamus McGarvey
EDITING
ARRIVAL Joe Walker
HACKSAW RIDGE John Gilbert
LA LA LAND Tom Cross
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Jennifer Lame
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Joan Sobel
PRODUCTION DESIGN
DOCTOR STRANGE Charles Wood, John Bush
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock
HAIL, CAESAR! Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh
LA LA LAND David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Shane Valentino, Meg Everist
COSTUME DESIGN
ALLIED Joanna Johnston
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Colleen Atwood
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS Consolata Boyle
JACKIE Madeline Fontaine
LA LA LAND Mary Zophres
MAKE UP & HAIR
DOCTOR STRANGE Jeremy Woodhead
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS J. Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips
HACKSAW RIDGE Shane Thomas
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Donald Mowat, Yolanda Toussieng
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Amanda Knight, Neal Scanlan, Lisa Tomblin
SOUND
ARRIVAL Sylvain Bellemare, Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl
DEEPWATER HORIZON Dror Mohar, Mike Prestwood Smith, Wylie Stateman, Renee Tondelli, David Wyman
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp
HACKSAW RIDGE Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright
LA LA LAND Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow, Andy Nelson
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
ARRIVAL Louis Morin
DOCTOR STRANGE Richard Bluff, Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, David Watkins
THE JUNGLE BOOK Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Neil Corbould, Hal Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, Nigel Sumner
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
THE ALAN DIMENSION Jac Clinch, Jonathan Harbottle, Millie Marsh
A LOVE STORY Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King
TOUGH Jennifer Zheng
BRITISH SHORT FILM
CONSUMED Richard John Seymour
HOME Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy, Scott O’Donnell
MOUTH OF HELL Bart Gavigan, Samir Mehanovic, Ailie Smith, Michael Wilson
THE PARTY Farah Abushwesha, Emmet Fleming, Andrea Harkin, Conor MacNeill
STANDBY Jack Hannon, Charlotte Regan
EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
ANYA TAYLOR-JOY
LAIA COSTA
LUCAS HEDGES
RUTH NEGGA
TOM HOLLAND
Moonlight[/caption]
Moonlight was voted Best Film of 2016 by the Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC); Barry Jenkins was also named Best Director for Moonlight.
Recognizing achievements in theatrical motion pictures, the BFCC awarded prizes in 13 categories including best picture, best director, original and adapted screenplay, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best animated feature, best independent film, best documentary feature, best foreign film and best ensemble. Special signature awards are also given to industry pioneers and rising stars.
“This has been a year of progress to cinema of color” says co-president, Mike Sargent. “Though politically it may seem we may be moving backwards.” “The recent announcement from BAFTA and the changes behind the scenes in Hollywood and the Global film industry have been represented in this years slate if films.” Their successes at the box office and acknowledgement by fellow Awards organizations denote the significance of the global black experience as captured on film.” “Congratulations to all the winners.”
The complete list of 2016 Black Film Critics Circle award winners include:
Best Film: Moonlight
Best Director: Barry Jenkins
Best Actor: Denzel Washington, Fences
Best Actress: Ruth Negga, Loving
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences
Best Original Screenplay: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Best Adapted Screenplay: August Wilson, Fences
Best Cinematography: James Laxton, Moonlight
Best Foreign Film: Elle from France
Best Documentary: 13th
Best Animated Film: Zootopia
Best Ensemble: Fences
BFCC Signature Awards include:
Pioneer Award – Mahershala Ali
This year’s BFCC Pioneer Award is given to Mahershala Ali, for contributions in TV/Film this year with ‘House of Cards’, ‘Luke Cage’, ‘Free State of Jones’, ‘Kicks’, ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Hidden’Figures’. Mahershala has proved that perseverance; artistic integrity and an unerring commitment to excellence will always yield remarkable results. Since his Acting Debut as a series regular on TV shows such as ‘Crossing Jordan’ and ‘Threat Matrix’ before his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the science-fiction series ‘The 4400’. To his His first major film role in the 2008’s ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. Mahershala continue to expand the boundaries of what black actors can achieve and embodies the very essence of the word Pioneer.
Rising Star Award – Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae’s acting work in ‘Moonlight’and ‘Hidden Figures’ shows that beyond her artistic achievements as a singer-songwriter she is a wonderful storyteller and excels in any part of that creative process. The integrity and honesty she brings to her characters and performances shows she will truly be an acting force to be reckoned with in the years ahead.
Special Mention – I Am Not Your Negro
Special Mention goes to the documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” By Director Raoul Peck. Based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript ‘Remember This House’ and narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, the film explores the history of race relations in the United States through Baldwin’s reminiscences of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.. The film is both heartbreaking, powerful and vividly illustrates America’s history of racism, injustice, violence, exploitation of Black Americans. This is truly a film we felt needed special recognition.
Black Film Critics Circle Top Ten Films of 2016
Top 10
1. Moonlight
2. Fences
3. La La Land
4. Hidden Figures
5. Arrival
6. Manchester By The Sea
7. Hell or High Water
8. Miss Sloane
9. Eye In The Sky
10. Miss Sharon Jones!
La La Land[/caption]
Here are the winners of the International Press Academy’s 21st Annual Satellite Awards, La La Land and Manchester by the Sea won the award for Best Film. La La Land was the big winner of the night, winning in addition to the aforementioned Best Film, also grabbed the awards for Original Score, Original Song and ‘Art Direction and Production Design’.
Special Achievement Award Recipients
Mary Pickford Award
Edward James Olmos
Tesla Award
John Toll
Auteur Award
Tom Ford
Humanitarian Award
Patrick Stewart
Best First Feature:
Russudan Glurjidze “House of Others”
Best Ensemble: Motion Picture
Hidden Figures
Best Ensemble: Television
Outlander
MOTION PICTURES
Actress in a Motion Picture (major and independent)
Ruth Negga
Loving
Focus Features
Isabelle Huppert
Elle
Sony Picture Classics
Actor in a Motion Picture (major and independent)
Viggo Mortensen
Captain Fantastic
Bleecker Street
Andrew Garfield
Hacksaw Ridge
Lionsgate
Actress in a Supporting Role
Naomi Harris
Moonlight
A24
Actor in a Supporting Role
Jeff Bridges
Hell or High Water
CBS Films
Motion Picture (major & independent)
La La Land
Lionsgate
Manchester by the Sea
Amazon/Roadside Attraction
Motion Picture, International Film
The Salesman
Iran
Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
My Life As a Zucchini
GKIDS
Motion Picture, Documentary
13th
Netflix
Director
Kenneth Lonergan
Manchester by the Sea
Amazon/Roadside Attraction
Screenplay, Original
Barry Jenkins
Moonlight
A24
Screenplay, Adapted
Kieran Fitzgerald, Oliver Stone
Snowden
Open Road
Original Score
Justin Hurwitz
La La Land
Lionsgate
Original Song
“City of Stars”
La La Land
Lionsgate
Cinematography
Bill Pope
The Jungle Book
Disney
Visual Effects
The Jungle Book
Disney
Film Editing
John Gilbert
Hacksaw Ridge
Lionsgate
Sound (Editing and Mixing)
Hacksaw Ridge
Lionsgate
Art Direction and Production Design
David Wasco
La La Land
Lionsgate
Costume Design
Madeline Fontaine
Jackie
Fox Searchlight
TELEVISION
Miniseries/Motion Picture Made for Television
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
FX
Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Sarah Paulson
The People v. O.J. Simpson:, FX
Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Bryan Cranston
All the Way, HBO
Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture made for Television
(TIE) Olivia Colman
The Night Manager, AMC
Rhea Seehorn
Better Call Saul, AMC
Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture made for Television
Ben Mendelsohn
Bloodline, Netflix
Television Series, Drama
The Crown
Netflix
Television Series, Genre
Outlander
Starz
Actress in a Series, Drama / Genre
Evan Rachel Wood
Westworld, HBO
Actor in a Series, Drama / Genre
Dominic West
The Affair, Showtime
Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Silicon Valley
HBO
Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical
Taylor Schilling
Orange is the New Black, Netflix
Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical
William H. Macy
Shameless, Showtime
BLU-RAY DVD’S
BEST OVERALL
Outlander
Starz
YOUTH
Zootopia
Disney
VIDEO GAMES
SPORTS/RACING GAME
NHL 17
EA
ACTION/ADVENTURE GAME
Dark Souls III
From Software
MOBILE GAME
Mini Metro
Dinosaur Polo Club Moonlight[/caption]
Moonlight is the big winner in this year’s 10th Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) EDA Awards, winning awards in seven categories. AWFJ voters show love for director/activist Ava DuVernay with three EDAs, followed by Manchester By The Sea won two.
In the ‘Best Of’ section, this year’s big winner is Moonlight, garnering EDA Awards in seven categories, including Best Film, Best Director for Barry Jenkins, Best Screenplay (Adapted) for Jenkins, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Mahershala Ali, Best Ensemble Cast for Casting Director Yesi Ramirez, Best Cinematography for James Laxton and Best Editing for Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders.
Manchester By the Sea won EDA Awards for Best Actor for Casey Affleck and Best Screenplay (Original) for Kenneth Lonergan.
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay won three EDAs for Best Documentary for 13th, Best Female Director for 13th and Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry for 13th and for raising awareness about the need for diversity and gender equality in Hollywood
The 2016 AWFJ EDA Awards reflect the organizations commitment to greater gender parity and diversity in the movie industry.
AWFJ EDA BEST OF AWARDS
These awards are presented to women and/or men without gender consideration.
Best Film: Moonlight
Best Director: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Best Screenplay, Original: Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan
Best Screenplay, Adapted: Moonlight – Barry Jenkins
Best Documentary: 13th – Ava DuVernay
Best Animated Film: Zootopia – Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Best Actress: Ruth Negga – Loving
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis – Fences
Best Actor: Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
Best Ensemble Cast – Casting Director: Moonlight – Yesi Ramirez
Best Cinematography: Moonlight – James Laxton
Best Editing: Moonlight – Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders
Best Non-English-Language Film: The Handmaiden – Park Chan-Wook, South Korea
EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS
These awards honor WOMEN only.
Best Woman Director: Ava DuVernay – 13th
Best Woman Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt – Certain Women
Best Animated Female (tie): Judy in Zootopia – Ginnifer Goodwin; and Moana in Moana – Auli’i Cravalho
Best Breakthrough Performance: Ruth Negga – Loving
Outstanding Achievement by A Woman in The Film Industry:
Ava DuVernay – For 13th and raising awareness about the need for diversity and gender equality in Hollywood
EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Actress Defying Age and Ageism (tie): Annette Bening – 20th Century Women; and Isabelle Huppert – Elle and Things to Come
Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Lead and The Love Interest Award: Rules Don’t Apply – Warren Beatty (b. 1937) and Lily Collins (b. 1989)
Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent: Jennifer Aniston – Mother’s Day and Office Christmas Party
Bravest Performance: Isabelle Huppert – Elle
Remake or Sequel That Shouldn’t have been Made: Ben Hur
AWFJ Hall of Shame Award: Sharon Maguire and Renee Zellwegger for Bridget Jones’s Baby