Film Independent announced the winners of its four filmmaker grants at the annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch hosted by director and Project Involve Fellow Jon M. Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) and actor and Spirit Award nominee Alfre Woodard (Clemency). Winners for the remaining categories will be revealed at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 8. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 5:00 pm ET / 2:00 pm PT.
The Lighthouse and Uncut Gems lead the nominations for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards with 5 nominations each. The Lighthouse is nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Male Lead, and Best Supporting Male; and Uncut Gems is nominated for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Feature, Best Male Lead, and Best Screenplay. Other nominees for Best Feature included A Hidden Life, Clemency, The Farewell, and Marriage Story. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Santa Monica beach-adjacent award show.
American Factory, the latest verite documentary feature from Oscar-nominated filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, and Apollo 11, Todd Douglas Miller’s recounting of the US space program through previously undiscovered archival footage, led 2020 Cinema Eye Honors nominations with 5 apiece, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature.
The 20th annual Woodstock Film Festival came to a close with the annual Maverick Awards Ceremony where the top jury prizes went to Swallow, by Carlo Mirabella-Davis for Best Narrative Feature, and 17 Blocks, directed by Davy Rothbart for Best Documentary Feature. The Ultra Indie Award went to Seneca, directed by Jason Chaet.
Sound of Metal by Darius Marder was awarded the Golden Eye for Best International Feature Film at the 15th Zurich Film Festival. The film tells the story of a heavy-metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) who starts to lose his hearing and consequently begins to re-evaluate his place in the world.
The Heartland International Film Festival announced the official selections for its 28th edition, taking place October 10-20. Marielle Heller’s Tom Hanks’ starrer A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD was chosen as the Opening Night Gala film, and Destin Daniel Cretton’s JUST MERCY will screen as the Closing Night Gala selection. Noah Baumbach’s MARRIAGE STORY is set to be the Centerpiece Screening, and Fernando Meirelles’ THE TWO POPES will be the Showcase Screening.
The Woodstock Film Festival will celebrate its landmark 20th Anniversary, from October 2 to 6, 2019 in the historic Hudson Valley towns of Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Saugerties, and Rosendale. This year’s festival lineup will showcase more than 50 features from around the world, as well as many short films, and will include panels, live performances, and other special events.
Traverse City Film Festival released the 2019 program marking the 15th Anniversary Year with a “Cinema Saves The World” theme, and featuring over 200 films and events. The Festival opens with BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON; AFTER THE WEDDING as Centerpiece; and closes with BLINDED BY THE LIGHT.
The documentary competition at the 54th Karlovy Vary IFF will feature eight world and three European premieres. The selection includes Marc Schmidt’s In the Arms of Morpheus and Todd Douglas Miller’s Apollo 11, compiled using unique archival footage from the first mission to the Moon’s surface. The renewed festival interest in Chinese cinema is illustrated by two films about the transformation of Chinese society: While The Fading Village shows the decline of the countryside, Confucian Dream focuses on the urban population’s exaggerated return to traditional ways of life.
The 5th Annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (MLFF) announced this year’s juried and audience award winners with the top jury awards going to A Great Lamp for Best North American Narrative Feature, and to Best 17 Blocks for North American Documentary Feature. The Jury Award for Best International Narrative Feature went to Cat Sticks, and to Clean Hands for Best International Documentary Feature.
AFI DOCS has revealed its full slate of films for the 2019 festival with women dominating selections – 68% of slate features female producers, and 48% directors. The 17th edition will showcase 72 films representing 17 countries and runs June 19 to 23 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.
Burning Cane, directed and written by teen filmmaker Phillip Youmans won the top honor at the 18th Annual Tribeca Film Festival – the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature. The film also won the prizes for Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Wendell Pierce. Other top awards went to House of Hummingbird (Beol-sae) for Best International Narrative Feature, and Scheme Birds for Best Documentary Feature.