Ex Machina (2014)

  • YOUTH, THE LOBSTER Leads Nominations for 28th European Film Awards

    Youth, Paolo Sorrentino Youth directed by Paolo Sorrentino, lead the nominations for the 28th European Film Awards with 6 nominations, including Best European Film 2015, European Director for Paolo Sorrentino , European Actress for Rachel Weisz, European Actor for Michael Caine, European Screenwriter for Paolo Sorrentino. Starring Academy Award winner Michael Caine as Fred and Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel as Mick, Paolo Sorrentino’s YOUTH explores the lifelong bond between two friends vacationing in a luxury Swiss Alps lodge as they ponder retirement. While Fred has no plans to resume his musical career despite the urging of his loving daughter Lena (Academy Award Winner Rachel Weisz), Mick is intent on finishing the screenplay for what may be his last important film for his muse Brenda (Academy Award winner Jane Fonda). And where will inspiration lead their younger friend Jimmy (Paul Dano), an actor grasping to make sense of his next performance? Set against a sprawling landscape of unforgettable sights and intoxicating music, YOUTH asks if our most important and life-changing experiences can come at any time – even late — in life. Fox Searchlight will release the film on December 4, 2015. Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER Other films with multiple nominations, include The Lobster directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, with 4 nods, including Best European Film 2015, European Director for Yorgos Lanthimos, European Actor for Colin Farrell and European Screenwriter for Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou. In the very near future, society demands that we live as couples. Single people are rounded up and sent to a seaside compound—part resort and part minimum-security prison—where they are given a finite number of days to find a match. If they don’t succeed, they will be “altered” and turned into an animal. The recently divorced David (Colin Farrell) arrives at The Hotel with his brother, now a dog; in the event of failure, David has chosen to become a lobster… because they live so long. When David falls in love, he’s up against a new set of rules established by another, rebellious order: for romantics, there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Welcome to the latest dark, dark comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth), creator of absurdist societies not so very different from our own. With Léa Seydoux as the leader of the Loners, Rachel Weisz as David’s true love, John C. Reilly, and Ben Whishaw. An Alchemy release. EUROPEAN FILM 2015 A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE EN DUVA SATT PÅ EN GREN OCH FUNDERADE PÅ TILLVARON Sweden, France, Germany, Norway, 96 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Roy Andersson PRODUCED BY: Pernilla Sandström https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7pna4laaAk MUSTANG France, Germany, Turkey, 100 min. DIRECTED BY: Deniz Gamze Ergüven WRITTEN BY: Deniz Gamze Ergüven & Alice Winocour PRODUCED BY: Charles Gillibert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU9JAN8LtIk RAMS HRÚTAR Iceland, Denmark, 93 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Grímur Hákonarson PRODUCED BY: Grímar Jónsson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWOFWaltGRw THE LOBSTER UK, Ireland, Greece, France, Netherlands, 118 min. DIRECTED BY: Yorgos Lanthimos WRITTEN BY: Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou PRODUCED BY: Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Ceci Dempsey & Yorgos Lanthimos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z069ldsumxA VICTORIA Germany, 138 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Sebastian Schipper PRODUCED BY: Jan Dressler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp8wcV3GjW0 YOUTH YOUTH – LA GIOVINEZZA Italy, France, UK, Switzerland, 118 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Paolo Sorrentino PRODUCED BY: Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima & Carlotta Calori https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJNxQ8Wzr2I EUROPEAN COMEDY 2015 A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE EN DUVA SATT PÅ EN GREN OCH FUNDERADE PÅ TILLVARON Sweden, France, Germany, Norway, 96 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Roy Andersson PRODUCED BY: Pernilla Sandström THE BÉLIER FAMILY LA FAMILLE BELIER France, 106 min. DIRECTED BY: Eric Lartigau WRITTEN BY: Eric Lartigau, Victoria Bedos, Stanislas Carre de Malberg & Thomas Bidegain PRODUCED BY: Eric Jehelmann, Philippe Rousselet & Stéphane Celerier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9p0qnj4OC4 THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT LE TOUT NOUVEAU TESTAMENT Belgium, France, Luxembourg, 114 min. DIRECTED BY: Jaco Van Dormael WRITTEN BY: Jaco Van Dormael & Thomas Gunzig PRODUCED BY: Jaco Van Dormael, Olivier Rausin & Daniel Marquet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9jEA8uzHwQ EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2015 A SYRIAN LOVE STORY UK, 76 min. DIRECTED BY: Sean McAllister PRODUCED BY: Elhum Shakerifar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30JqnWtLvlU AMY UK, 127 min. DIRECTED BY: Asif Kapadia PRODUCED BY: James Gay-Rees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE DANCING WITH MARIA Italy, Argentina, Slovenia, 75 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Ivan Gergolet PRODUCED BY: Igor Princic, David Rubio & Miha Cernec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHW5kOLRVP4 THE LOOK OF SILENCE Denmark, Norway, Indonesia, 99 min. DIRECTED BY: Joshua Oppenheimer PRODUCED BY: Signe Byrge Sørensen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp1xT302VcY TOTO AND HIS SISTERS TOTO SI SURORILE LUI Romania, Hungary, 93 min. WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Alexander Nanau PRODUCED BY: Valeriu Nicolae, Hanka Kastelicova, Alexander Nanau, Catalin Mitulescu & Marcian Lazar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXtjJbB1Oh4 EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2015 Roy Andersson for A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE Yorgos Lanthimos for THE LOBSTER Nanni Moretti for MY MOTHER Sebastian Schipper for VICTORIA Paolo Sorrentino for YOUTH Małgorzata Szumowska for BODY EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2015 Margherita Buy in MY MOTHER Laia Costa in VICTORIA Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS Alicia Vikander in EX MACHINA Rachel Weisz in YOUTH EUROPEAN ACTOR 2015 Michael Caine in YOUTH Tom Courtenay in 45 YEARS Colin Farrell in THE LOBSTER Christian Friedel in 13 MINUTES Vincent Lindon in THE MEASURE OF A MAN EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2015 Roy Andersson for A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE Alex Garland for EX MACHINA Andrew Haigh for 45 YEARS Radu Jude & Florin Lazarescu for AFERIM! Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou for THE LOBSTER Paolo Sorrentino for YOUTH

    Read more


  • THE LOBSTER Leads Nominations for 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards

    Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER The Lobster topped the list of nominations for the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards with 7 nominations, including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay andProducer of the Year. Colin Farrell is nominated for Best Actor and Olivia Colmanand Ben Whishaw for their supporting roles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR_NcqD-Gfs 45 Years and Macbeth received six nominations each, including Best British Independent Film and Best Director. 45 Years also has nominations for its screenplay, for Producer of the Year, and for its stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillardare nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress and Macduff, Sean Harris, for Best Supporting Actor. The film’s Cinematography also gets a nod. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5cpiX18TA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqHhKuCQmoY Asif Kapadia’s Amy Winehouse documentary, Amy, has five nominations, for Director, Documentary, Producer of the Year, for its Editing and for Best British Independent Film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE Completing the Best British Independent Film line up is Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, which is nominated for Director and Screenplay. The film’s Production Design and Visual Effects are also recognised. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bggUmgeMCdc Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne-Marie Duff are all nominated for their performances in Suffragette. Alicia Vikander is nominated for Best Actress for her performance in The Danish Girl. Tom Hardy is nominated (just once) for Best Actor for his performance as both Kray twins in Legend. Father and son Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson are both nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette and Brooklyn, respectively. Brooklyn’s other nominations come for Nick Hornby’s Screenplay and for Best Actress Saoirse Ronanand Best Supporting Actress Julie Walters. The film’s Casting is also nominated, in the Outstanding Achievement in Craft category. Amy Jump’s Screenplay for High-Rise, adapted from the novel by JG Ballard, is nominated. The film’s cast are recognised too: Tom Hiddleston is nominated forBest Actor, Sienna Miller for Supporting Actress and Luke Evans for Supporting Actor. There are five first-time performance nominees this year (Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay, Tom Hiddleston, Marion Cotillard and Luke Evans) and nine past winners: Tom Hardy, Brendan Gleeson Anne-Marie Duff, Olivia Colman, Michael Fassbender, Helena Bonham Carter, Julie Walters and Ben Whishaw, who was BIFA’s Most Promising Newcomer in 2001. This year’s Most Promising Newcomers are Agyness Deyn for Sunset Song, Mia Goth for The Survivalist, Abigail Hardingham for Nina Forever, Milo Parker for Mr Holmes and Bel Powley for A Royal Night Out. Nina Forever and The Survivalist are both nominated for The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director for directors The Blaine Brothers and Stephen Fingleton. The other first-time directors nominated are John Maclean for Slow West, Corin Hardy for The Hallow and Paul Katis for Kajaki: The True Story, which is also nominated for Producer of the Year.The Violators is also nominated for Producer of the Year. Nominated for Best Documentary along with Amy, are Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance, How to Change the World, Palio and A Syrian Love Story. The nominations for the new Discovery Award, which recognises innovation and vision in lower-budget films, are Aaaaaaaah!, Burn Burn Burn, Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, The Return and Winter. The Variety Award, which recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK, will be presented to Kate Winslet. The winners will be announced at The Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 6 December at Old Billingsgate. 2015 MOËT BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS NOMINATIONS Best British Independent Film sponsored by Moët & Chandon 45 YEARS Tristan Goligher, Andrew Haigh AMY James Gay-Rees, Asif Kapadia EX MACHINA Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland THE LOBSTER Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos MACBETH Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Laura Hastings-Smith, Todd Louiso, Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, Justin Kurzel Best Director 45 YEARS Andrew Haigh AMY Asif Kapadia EX MACHINA Alex Garland THE LOBSTER Yorgos Lanthimos MACBETH Justin Kurzel Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films 45 YEARS Andrew Haigh BROOKLYN Nick Hornby EX MACHINA Alex Garland HIGH-RISE Amy Jump THE LOBSTER Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou Best Actress sponsored by MAC MARION COTILLARD Macbeth CAREY MULLIGAN Suffragette CHARLOTTE RAMPLING 45 Years SAOIRSE RONAN Brooklyn ALICIA VIKANDER The Danish Girl Best Actor sponsored by Movado TOM COURTENAY 45 Years COLIN FARRELL The Lobster MICHAEL FASSBENDER Macbeth TOM HARDY Legend TOM HIDDLESTON High-Rise Best Supporting Actress HELENA BONHAM CARTER Suffragette OLIVIA COLMAN The Lobster ANNE-MARIE DUFF Suffragette SIENNA MILLER High-Rise JULIE WALTERS Brooklyn Best Supporting Actor LUKE EVANS High-Rise BRENDAN GLEESON Suffragette DOMHNALL GLEESON Brooklyn SEAN HARRIS Macbeth BEN WHISHAW The Lobster Most Promising Newcomer sponsored by The London Edition AGYNESS DEYN Sunset Song MIA GOTH The Survivalist ABIGAIL HARDINGHAM Nina Forever MILO PARKER Mr Holmes BEL POWLEY A Royal Night Out The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by 3 Mills Studios THE HALLOW Corin Hardy KAJAKI: THE TRUE STORY Paul Katis NINA FOREVER Chris & Ben Blaine SLOW WEST John Maclean THE SURVIVALIST Stephen Fingleton The Discovery Award sponsored by Raindance AAAAAAAAH! Andrew Starke, Steve Oram BURN BURN BURN Daniel-Konrad Cooper, Tim Phillips, Charlie Covell, Chanya Button ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING Jeanie Finlay THE RETURN Oliver Nias WINTER Tilly Wood, Paula Crickard, Heidi Greensmith Best Documentary AMY James Gay-Rees, Asif Kapadia DARK HORSE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF DREAM ALLIANCE Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD Bous De Jong, Al Morrow, Jerry Rothwell PALIO James Gay-Rees, John Hunt, Cosima Spender A SYRIAN LOVE STORY Elhum Shakerifar, Sean McAllister Producer of the Year TRISTAN GOLIGHER 45 Years JAMES GAY-REES Amy PAUL KATIS, ANDREW DE LOTBINIERE Kajaki: The True Story CECI DEMPSEY, ED GUINEY, YORGOS LANTHIMOS, LEE MAGIDAY The Lobster DAVID A HUGHES, DAVID MOORES The Violators Outstanding Achievement in Craft ADAM ARKAPAW Cinematography – Macbeth MARK DIGBY Production Design – Ex Machina CHRIS KING Editing – Amy FIONA WEIR Casting – Brooklyn ANDREW WHITEHURST Visual Effects, Ex Machina Best British Short Film BALCONY Tom Kimberly, Ali Mansuri, Toby Fell-Holden CRACK Joseph Taussig, Peter King EDMOND Emilie Jouffroy, Nina Gantz LOVE IS BLIND Lizzie Brown, Dan Hodgson MANoMAN Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl, Simon Cartwright Best International Independent Film CAROL Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Christine Vachon, Phyllis Nagy, Todd Haynes FORCE MAJEURE Erik Hemmendorff, Marie Kjellson, Philippe Bober, Ruben Östlund GIRLHOOD Bénédicte Couvreur, Céline Sciamma ROOM Ed Guiney, David Gross, Emma Donoghue, Lenny Abrahamson SON OF SAUL Gábor Sipos, Gábor Rajna, Cara Royer, László Nemes

    Read more


  • Russell Brand Documentary to Open 2015 SXSW

    Russell BrandRussell Brand

    The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival will open with the world premiere of Ondi Timoner’s BRAND: A Second Coming, a documentary on comedian, author and activist Russell Brand, on Friday, March 13, 2015.

    SXSW also divulged a handful of titles to premiere at the 2015 event, showcasing the diverse range of spirited, inspiring topics and filmmaking styles SXSW is known for. Additional films announced include Michael Showalter’s savvy comedy, Hello, My Name is Doris, starring Sally Field, award-winning filmmaker Karyn Kusama’s taut thriller, The Invitation, Jessica Edwards’ Mavis!, a roof-raising celebration of legendary singer Mavis Staples, Grantland Features’ first film, Son of the Congo, following NBA star Serge Ibaka’s return to his homeland and directed by Adam Hootnick, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story from director Sara Hirsh Bordo tracing Lizzie’s journey from cyberbullying victim to influential activist, and the North American premiere of Alex Garland’s eagerly-awaited directorial debut, Ex Machina, starring Oscar Isaac.

    The 2015 SXSW Film Festival will feature:

    BRAND: A Second Coming (World Premiere)
    Director: Ondi Timoner
    BRAND: A Second Coming follows comedian/author Russell Brand’s evolution from addict & Hollywood star to unexpected political disruptor & newfound hero to the underserved. Brand is criticized for egomaniacal self-interest as he calls for revolution.

    A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story (World Premiere)
    Director: Sara Hirsh Bordo
    From the producers of the most viewed TEDWomen event of 2013 comes A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, a documentary following the inspiring journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist.

    Ex Machina (North American Premiere)
    Director/Screenwriter: Alex Garland
    Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller Ex Machina, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander

    Hello, My Name is Doris (World Premiere)
    Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Michael Showalter, Laura Terruso
    An isolated 60-year-old woman is motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker, causing her to stumble into the spotlight of the Brooklyn hipster social scene. Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs

    The Invitation (World Premiere)
    Director: Karyn Kusama, Screenwriters: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
    A reunion of old friends turns into a nightmare when one guest, a haunted man whose ex-wife is among the hosts, begins to fear that the night is part of a terrifying agenda. Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lindsay Burdge

    Mavis! (World Premiere)
    Director: Jessica Edwards
    Her family group, the Staple Singers, inspired millions and helped propel the civil rights movement with their music. After 60 years of performing, legendary singer Mavis Staples’ message of love and equality is needed now more than ever.

    Son of the Congo (World Premiere / SXsports screening)
    Director/Screenwriter: Adam Hootnick
    Serge Ibaka’s improbable journey has taken him from the violence of Congo to the top of the NBA. In Son of the Congo, Ibaka returns home, hoping his basketball success can help rebuild a country and inspire a new generation to dream of a better life.

    Read more