• Peruvian film Octubre Wins Best Film of the Year at 2nd Cinema Tropical Awards

    [caption id="attachment_1922" align="alignnone" width="551"]Best Feature Film – OCTUBRE [/caption]

    The Peruvian film Octubre / October by Daniel and Diego Vega was the winner of the award for Best Feature Film of the Year, whilst Chilean film Nostalgia de la luz / Nostalgia for the Light by Patricio Guzmán was named Best Documentary Film at the 2nd Cinema Tropical Awards, which celebrates the best of the Latin American film production.

    October, the Vega brother’s debut feature film was the Jury Prize winner at the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival 2010, and has been selected to represent Peru in the upcoming Academy Awards in the Foreign Language Film category. The film tells the story of a shabby pawnbroker whose life drastically changes when an infant is abandoned in his bed.

    Mexican film El lugar más pequeño / The Tiniest Place by Tatiana Huezo won two awards for Best First Film and Best Director, Documentary Film; and Michael Rowe, also from Mexico, was awarded as Best Director, Feature Film for Año bisiesto / Leap Year.

    Best Feature Film:
    OCTUBRE / OCTOBER (Daniel and Diego Vega, Peru)

    Best Documentary Film:
    NOSTALGIA DE LA LUZ / NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT (Patricio Guzmán, Chile)

    Best Director, Feature Film:
    Michael Rowe, AÑO BISIESTO / LEAP YEAR (Mexico)

    Best Director, Documentary Film:
    Tatiana Huezo, EL LUGAR MÁS PEQUEÑO / THE TINIEST PLACE (Mexico)

    Best First Film:
    EL LUGAR MÁS PEQUEÑO / THE TINIEST PLACE (Tatiana Huezo, Mexico)


     

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  • War Horse and Drive Lead Satellite Awards nominations

    [caption id="attachment_1920" align="alignnone"]Ryan Gosling in Nicolas Winding Refn’s [/caption]

    Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” and Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” led the Satellite Awards nominations with seven nods each, including Best Picture and Best Director.

    The nominations included many small budget and independent studio releases, accounting for 6 of the 10 Best Picture nominations.

    Actress in a Motion Picture
    Vera Farmiga     Higher Ground     Sony Pictures Classics
    Michelle WIlliams     My Week with Marilyn     The Weinstein Company
    Emily Watson     Oranges and Sunshine     Cohen Media Group
    Charlize Theron     Young Adult     Paramount Pictures
    Glenn Close     Albert Nobbs     Roadside Attractions
    Viola Davis     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Olivia Colman     Tyrannosaur     Strand Releasing
    Michelle Yeoh     The Lady     Cohen Media Group
    Elizabeth Olsen     Martha Marcy May Marlene     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Meryl Streep     The Iron Lady     The Weinstein Company

    Actor in a Motion Picture
    Leonardo DiCaprio     J. Edgar     Warner Bros.
    Ryan Gosling     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Michael Fassbender     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    George Clooney     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Brendan Gleeson     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics
    Michael Shannon     Take Shelter     Sony Pictures Classics
    Tom Hardy     Warrior     Lionsgate
    Woody Harrelson     Rampart     Millennium Entertainment
    Gary Oldman     Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy     Focus Features
    Brad Pitt     Moneyball     Columbia

    Actress in a Supporting Role
    Janet McTeer     Albert Nobbs     Roadside Attractions
    Octavia Spencer     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Jessica Chastain     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Vanessa Redgrave     Coriolanus     The Weinstein Company
    Rachel McAdams     Midnight in Paris     Sony Pictures Classics
    Carey Mulligan     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Lisa Feret     Mozart’s Sister     Music Box Films
    Judy Greer     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Kate Winslet     Carnage     Sony Pictures Classics
    Elle Fanning     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures

    Actor in a Supporting Role
    Albert Brooks     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Viggo Mortensen     A Dangerous Method     Sony Pictures Classics
    Hugo Weaving     Oranges and Sunshine     Cohen Media Group
    Kenneth Branagh     My Week with Marilyn     The Weinstein Company
    Colin Farrell     Horrible Bosses     New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.
    Andy Serkis     Rise of the Planet of the Apes     20th Century Fox
    Nick Nolte     Warrior     Lionsgate
    Jonah Hill     Moneyball     Columbia
    Christopher Plummer     Beginners     Sony Pictures Classics
    Christoph Waltz     Carnage     Sony Pictures Classics

    Foreign Film
    Mexico     Miss Bala     Fox International
    Iran     A Separation     Sony Pictures Classics
    Belgium     The Kid with a Bike     Sundance Selects
    Hungary     The Turin Horse     Cinema Guild
    Argentina     Las Acacias     
    Japan     13 Assassins     Magnet Releasing
    France     Mozart’s Sister     Music Box Films
    Portugal     Mysteries of Lisbon     Music Box Films
    Finland     Le Havre     Janus Films
    Russia     Faust

    Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
    Kung Fu Panda 2     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
    The Muppets     Jim Henson Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
    Puss in Boots     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
    Rango     ILM Animation, Paramount Pictures
    Rio     20th Century Fox
    The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn     Amblin, Columbia, Paramount Pictures

    Motion Picture, Documentary
    Project Nim     Roadside Attractions
    The Interrupters     Cinema Guild
    Senna     Universal
    American: The Bill Hicks Story     Variance Films
    My Perestroika     International Film Circuit
    Cave of Forgotten Dreams     IFC Films
    Under Fire: Journalists in Combat     Mercury Media
    One Lucky Elephant     Own Documentaries
    Pina     Sundance Selects
    Tabloid     IFC Films

    Director
    Tate Taylor     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Alexander Payne     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Nicolas Winding Refn     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Steven Spielberg     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Michel Hazanavicius     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
    Martin Scorsese     Hugo     Paramount Pictures
    John Michael McDonagh     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics
    Tomas Alfredson     Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy     Focus Features
    Woody Allen     Midnight in Paris     Sony Pictures Classics
    Steve McQueen     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures

    Screenplay: Original
    Terrence Malick     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    John Michael McDonagh     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics
    Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Rene Feret     Mozart’s Sister     Music Box Films
    Paddy Considine     Tyrannosaur     Strand Releasing
    Michel Hazanavicius     The Artist     The Weinstein Company

    Screenplay: Adapted
    From The Novel By Kathryn Stockett, Tate Taylor     The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    From The Book By Michael Morpurgo, Lee Hall, Richard Curtis     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Based On The Story By George Moore, Glenn Close, John Banville, The Play By Gabriella Prekop     Albert Nobbs     Roadside Attractions
    Adapted From The Work Of Herge, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Steven Moffat     The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn     Amblin, Columbia, Paramount Pictures
    Alexander Payne, Based On The Novel By Kaui Hart Hemmings, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Story By Stan Chervin     Moneyball     Columbia

    Original Score
    Michael Giacchino     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures
    Cliff Martinez     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Alexandre Desplat     Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2     Warner Bros.
    John Williams     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    James Newton Howard     Water For Elephants     20th Century Fox
    Marco Beltrami     Soul Surfer     Tristar Pictures

    Original Song
    Lay Your Head Down     Albert Nobbs     
    Man Or Muppet     The Muppets     
    Gathering Stories     We Bought A Zoo     
    Hello Hello     Gnomeo & Juliet     
    Life Is A Happy Song     The Muppets     
    Bridge Of Light     Happy Feet 2

    Cinematography
    Bruno Delbonnel     Faust     
    Janusz Kaminski     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Emmanuel Lubezki     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Newton Thomas Sigel     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Guillaume Schiffman     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
    Robert Richardson     Hugo     Paramount Pictures

    Visual Effects
    Robert Legato     Hugo     Paramount Pictures
    John Frazier, Matthew Butler, Scott Benza, Scott Farrar     Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
    Dennis Muren, Kim Libreri, Paul Kavanagh, Russell Earl     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures
    David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson, Tim Burke     Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2     Warner Bros.
    Ben Morris     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Jeff Capogreco, Joe Letteri, R. Christopher White     Rise of the Planet of the Apes     20th Century Fox

    Film Editing
    Michael Kahn     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Mat Newman     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Joe Walker     Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Kevin Tent     The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Aaron Marshall, John Gilroy, Matt Chesse, Sean Albertson     Warrior     Lionsgate
    Chris Gill     The Guard     Sony Pictures Classics

    Sound (Editing & Mixing)
    Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ben Burtt, Mark Ulano, Matthew Wood, Tom Johnson     Super 8     Amblin, Paramount Pictures
    Christopher Scarabosio, Craig Berkey, Erik Aadahl, Jeremy Peirson, John Pritchett, Kirk Francis     The Tree of Life     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns, Stuart Wilson, Tom Johnson     War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn, Gary Summers, Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin     Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon     Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures
    Dave Patterson, Lon Bender, Robert Fernandez, Victor Ray Ennis     Drive     Filmdistrict
    Dave Patterson, Lon Bender, Robert Fernandez, Victor Ray Ennis     Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2     Warner Bros.

    Art Direction and Production Design
    Jack Fisk     Water For Elephants     20th Century Fox
    Sebastian T. Krawinkel, Stephan O. Gessler     Anonymous     Sony Pictures Classics
    Gregory S. Hooper, Laurence Bennett     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
    Isabel Branco     Mysteries of Lisbon     Music Box Films
    Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo     Hugo     Paramount Pictures
    Jiri Trier, Yelena Zhukova     Faust

    Costume Design
    Lisy Christl     Anonymous     Sony Pictures Classics
    Isabel Branco     Mysteries of Lisbon     Music Box Films
    Michael O’Connor     Jane Eyre     Focus Features
    Mark Bridges     The Artist     The Weinstein Company
    Lidiya Kryukova     Faust     
    Jacqueline West     Water For Elephants     20th Century Fox

    Motion Picture
    Moneyball     Columbia
    The Descendants     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Drive     Filmdistrict
    The Artist     The Weinstein Company
    Shame     Fox Searchlight Pictures
    Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy     Focus Features
    Hugo     Paramount Pictures
    War Horse     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    The Help     Dreamworks, Touchstone Pictures
    Midnight in Paris     Sony Pictures Classics

    Mary Pickford Award
    For Outstanding Artistic Contribution To The Entertainment Industry
    Mitzi Gaynor

    Nikola Tesla Award
    In Recognition Of Visionary Achievement In Filmmaking Technology
    Douglas Trumbull

    Auteur Award
    Peter Bogdanovich

    Humanitarian Award
    Tim Hetherington (1970-2011)

    Best Ensemble, Motion Picture
    The Help Dreamworks/Touchstone

    Best First Feature
    Paddy Considine, Tyrannosaur Strand Releasing

     

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  • Kinyarwanda, Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Audience Award Winner, In Theaters Today

    Kinyarwanda, winner of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Audience Award opens in theaters today.

    During the Rwandan genocide, when neighbors killed neighbors and friends betrayed friends, some crossed lines of hatred to protect each other.

    At the time of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the Mufti of Rwanda, the most respected Muslim leader in the country, issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from participating in the killing of the Tutsi. As the country became a slaughterhouse, mosques became places of refuge where Muslims and Christians, Hutus and Tutsis came together to protect each other. Kinyarwanda is based on true accounts from survivors who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrassa of Nyanza. It recounts how the Imams opened the doors of the mosques to give refuge to the Tutsi and those Hutu who refused to participate in the killing.

    Directed by Alrick Brown, Kinyarwanda interweaves six different tales that together form one grand narrative that provides the most complex and real depiction yet presented of human resilience and life during the genocide. With an amalgamation of characters, we pay homage to many, using the voices of a few.

    {youtube}PeqaDYK8NbY{/youtube}

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  • Five Documentaries to Compete for Producers Guild of America Award

    [caption id="attachment_1915" align="alignnone"]BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST [/caption]

    The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture nominees that will advance in the voting process for the 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards.

    The nominated films, listed below in alphabetical order, are:

    BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

    [caption id="attachment_340" align="alignnone"]BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK [/caption]

    [caption id="attachment_693" align="alignnone"]PROJECT NIM [/caption]

    [caption id="attachment_1916" align="alignnone"]SENNA[/caption]


    [caption id="attachment_902" align="alignnone"]THE UNION[/caption]

     

    Television series nominations for the 2012 Producers Guild Awards will be announced December 7, 2011. All other nominations for the 2012 Producers Guild Award categories will be announced January 3, 2012, along with the individual producers.

    All 2012 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 21, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Producers Guild will also award special honors to Steven Spielberg, Leslie Moonves, Don Mischer, and Stan Lee, among others. The 2012 Producers Guild Awards co-chairs are Michael Manheim and Paula Wagner.

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  • Happy-Go-Lucky Director Mike Leigh to be Jury President of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival

    British film director Mike Leigh of Happy-Go-Lucky fame will be the Jury President of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.

    Leigh who has directed more than 20 films, made his directorial debut in 1972 with Bleak Moments, which went on to win the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. In Cannes he won the Best Director Award in 1993 for Naked, and the Palme d’Or in 1996 for Secrets and Lies, which in itself received a total of five Oscar nominations. In 2004, Vera Drake, his highly regarded study of society whose characters display an extraordinary depth, was awarded the Golden Lion in Venice.

    Mike Leigh has been invited to the Berlin International Film Festival to present Meantime (Forum 1984), the short film The Short and Curlies (Panorama 1988) and Life is sweet (Panorama 1991). His latest contribution was to the Competition in 2008: his social comedy Happy-Go-Lucky featured Sally Hawkins, who won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Another Year is Leigh’s most recent movie. It screened in competition at Cannes in 2010 and went on to be nominated for an Oscar.

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  • Drafthouse Films to release documentary on The Wild Untold Stories of Cannon Films

    [caption id="attachment_1911" align="alignnone"]CANNON FILMS release Enter the Ninja (1981)[/caption]

    Drafthouse Films will release Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story Of Cannon Films in the U.S. From acclaimed cult film documentarian Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood, Machete Maidens Unleashed), the film centers on the story of two Israeli-born, movie-obsessed cousins, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who in pursuit of the “American dream” launched an indie studio that would produce over 120 exploitation films from 1979-1989 turning a renegade outfit into the proclaimed “seventh Hollywood major.” The film is currently in pre-production in Australia. A theatrical release is being planned for late 2012 to coincide with a traveling roadshow retrospective of Cannon’s seminal films.

    While best known for their explosive ’80s action fare (Missing In Action, Death Wish sequels, Academy Award® Nominated Runaway Train), Cannon Films’ diverse and ambitious production output also included body-count slashers (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), musicals and comedies (The Apple, Breakin’), science fiction and fantasy epics (Masters of The Universe, LifeForce), martial arts classics (American Ninja series, Kickboxer), neo-noir crime thrillers (52 Pick-Up, 10 To Midnight), art-house dramas (Barfly, John Cassavetes’ Love Streams, Jean-Luc Godard’s King Lear), in addition to launching the careers of many future genre superstars like Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. “No other production organization in the world today,” proclaimed Roger Ebert in 1987, “has taken more chances with serious, marginal films than Cannon.”

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  • National Board of Review Picks its Best Films of 2011

    [caption id="attachment_774" align="alignnone"]Aasha Davis and Adepero Oduye in Pariah, NBR Freedom of Expression Winner [/caption]

    The U.S. National Board of Review announced its picks for the best films and performances of 2011 on Thursday, and awarded prize for top film to Hugo and Best Director to its director, Martin Scorsese.

    The top 10 independent Films (in alphabetical order) included 50/50, Another Earth, Beginners, A Better Life, Cedar Rapids, Margin Call, Shame, Take Shelter, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and Win Win

    The indie films Pariah and the documentary Crime After Crime were singled out to receive the NBR Freedom of Expression.

    Awards for 2011: 

    Best Actor
    George Clooney, The Descendants

    Best Actress
    Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

    Best Animated Feature
    Rango

    Best Director
    Martin Scorsese, Hugo

    Best Documentary
    Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

    Best Ensemble
    The Help

    Best Film
    Hugo

    Best Foreign Language Film
    A Separation

    Best Original Screenplay
    Will Reiser, 50/50

    Best Supporting Actor
    Christopher Plummer, Beginners

    Best Supporting Actress
    Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

    Breakthrough Performance
    Felicity Jones, Like Crazy

    Breakthrough Performance
    Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

    Debut Director
    J.C. Chandor, Margin Call

    NBR Freedom of Expression
    Crime After Crime

    NBR Freedom of Expression
    Pariah

    Special Achievement in Filmmaking
    The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film

    Spotlight Award
    Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)

    Top 10 Independent Films
    (in alphabetical order)
    50/50
    Another Earth
    Beginners
    A Better Life
    Cedar Rapids
    Margin Call
    Shame
    Take Shelter
    We Need To Talk About Kevin
    Win Win

    Top 5 Documentaries
    (in alphabetical order)
    Born to be Wild
    Buck
    George Harrison: Living in the Material World
    Project Nim, Senna

    Top 5 Foreign Language Films
    (in alphabetical order)
    13 Assassins
    Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
    Footnote
    Le Havre
    Point Blank

    Top Films
    (in alphabetical order)
    The Artist
    The Descendants
    Drive
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
    The Ides of March, J. Edgar
    The Tree of Life
    War Horse

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  • Bollywood actor, filmmaker, and activist Puneet Issar Tackles Discrimination in I Am Singh

    I Am Singh, a new film directed by a veteran Bollywood actor, Puneet Issar, opens today in 50 theaters across North America. It explores the untold story of Sikhs in the post-9/11 U.S. who were subject to discrimination and violence, and targeted as possible terrorists. It is Issar’s second film as director, and he also acts in it. The film does not have a Bollywood star-studded cast, like his first film had. The actor/director told glamsham.com that he wanted his subject to be the star of the film.

    I Am Singh focuses on a young Sikh named Ranveer Singh (Gulzar Chahal) who lives in India. His brothers are citizens of the U.S., and when he learns that one of them has suddenly died, the other gone missing, and his father seriously injured, he takes a journey to find what the cause was. He is met with elusive answers and frustrating excuses from authorities and governmental officials. Without any help from local authorities, he teams up with a Pakistani, Rizwan Haider (Rizwan Hyder), who is an American citizen, as well as Fateh Singh (Puneet Issar) a LAPD police officer. He also eventually finds two American attorneys, Amy Washington (Amy Rasimas), a Senior Attorney, and Amelia White (Brooke Johnston), a human rights activist, to fight for his case. With the help of this diverse group of citizens, Ranveer Singh battles injustice while still having faith in the American judicial system to help his family and his people who have been wronged by a country paranoid with fear of outsiders.

    This is an important and intriguing new Bollywood film, exploring the ignored story of Sikhs living in post 9/11 America, told from their own point of view.

    by Aria Chiodo

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  • 2012 Student Academy Awards Competition Now Accepting Entries

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for its 2012 Student Academy Awards competition. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with cash prizes, may be presented to student filmmakers in the following categories: Alternative, Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Foreign Student Film.

    The rules and online application forms are available at: http://www.oscars.org/saa.

    The U.S. competition is open to all full-time college and university students at accredited institutions, whose films are made within the curricular structure of a film program or class at their respective schools. For 2012, the Academy has limited the list of accepted accreditation agencies for U.S. institutions to the following: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. U.S. entries must be submitted by Monday, April 2, 2012.

    In the Foreign Student Film category entries are accepted only from full-time college and university students attending schools that are members of the international film school organization known as CILECT (cilect.org), and located outside the borders of the United States. The deadline to submit a foreign student film for consideration is Friday, March 23, 2012.

    The 39th Annual Student Academy Awards presentation will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2012, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

    The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 43 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards. At the 83rd Academy Awards earlier this year, 2010 Student Academy Award winner Luke Matheny took home the Oscar for his Live Action Short Film “God of Love.”  Tanel Toom, another 2010 Student Academy Award winner, also was nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for “The Confession,” and John Lasseter, a 1979 and 1980 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Adapted Screenplay category for “Toy Story 3.”

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  • New Director and Staff for Sarasota Film Festival

    Tom Hall, who has served the festival as Director of Programming (2004-2009) and Artistic Director (2009-2011), has been named Director of The Sarasota Film Festival. In addition, Magida Diouri will be the new Programmer and Veronica Pastore the new Associate Director of Marketing for the 2012 Festival.  

    Former SFF Director of Programming Holly Herrick will remain with the SFF as Director of SFF Women, a program designed to promote independent filmmaking, collaboration, awareness and film education among women and girls of all ages.

    “I think it is important that The Sarasota Film Festival continue to thrive. We are committed to serving our core mission of celebrating the art of film continuing the tradition of serving both Sarasota and the international filmmaking community. I look forward to continuing my work with The SFF Board, our artists, audiences, sponsors and the tremendous staff at The SFF as we prepare for the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival,” Hall said.

    “As the Sarasota Film Festival continues to grow, we recognize the importance of our staff as being critical to the continued success of our organization,” said Chairman of the Board and President of the Sarasota Film Festival Mark P. Famiglio. “The Board looks forward to working with our outstanding team to move The Sarasota Film Festival forward into our 14th year.”

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  • 10 Animated Shorts in Race for 2011 Oscar

    [caption id="attachment_1903" align="alignnone"]Wild Life[/caption]

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. Forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.

    The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

    • “Dimanche/Sunday,” Patrick Doyon, director (National Film Board of Canada)
    • “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, directors (Moonbot Studios LA, LLC)
    • “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat,” Matthew O’Callaghan, director and Sam Register, executive producer (Warner Bros. Animation Inc.)
    • “La Luna,” Enrico Casarosa, director (Pixar Animation Studios)
    • “Luminaris,” Juan Pablo Zaramella, director (JPZtudio)
    • “Magic Piano,” Martin Clapp, director and Hugh Welchman, producer (BreakThru Films)
    • “A Morning Stroll,” Grant Orchard, director and Sue Goffe, producer (Studio AKA)
    • “Paths of Hate,” Damian Nenow, director (Platige Image)
    • “Specky Four-Eyes,” Jean-Claude Rozec, director and Mathieu Courtois, producer (Vivement Lundi!)
    • “Wild Life,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, directors (National Film Board of Canada)

    Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.

    The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, and the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

     

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  • 2012 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films to Screen in Out-of-Competition

    [caption id="attachment_1900" align="alignnone" width="550"]I AM NOT A HIPSTER [/caption]

    The Sundance Film Festival today announced the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition sections Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT and New Frontier at the 2012 festival to take place from January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “In many ways, the extremes of the Festival’s program are most readily apparent in our out-of-competition sections, which showcase the wildest comedies, the most terrifying horror films and uncompromised visions from singular voices springing up from around the country and the world. We hope audiences experiment with their film selections to an equal degree as these filmmakers have experimented with their storytelling.”

     


    SPOTLIGHT
    Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.

    Corpo Celeste / Italy (Director and screenwriter: Alice Rohrwacher) — After moving back to southern Italy with her mother and older sister, 13-year-old Marta struggles to find her place, restlessly testing the boundaries of an unfamiliar city and the catechism of the Catholic church. Cast: Yle Vianello, Salvatore Cantalupo, Anita Caprioli, Renato Carpentiere.

    Declaration Of War / Belgium (Director: Valérie Donzelli, Screenwriters: Jérémie Elkaïm, Valérie Donzelli) — A young couple embark upon a painful, enlightening journey when they discover that their newborn child is very ill. Cast: Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm, César Desseix. North American Premiere.

    Elena / Russia (Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev, Screenwriter: Oleg Negin) — A meditative, modern-noir tale about an older woman, Elena, who marries the wealthy business man for whom she worked and, when his health fails, is forced to deal with his estranged daughter who threatens her inheritance. Cast: Andrey Smirnov, Nadezhda Markina, Elena Lyadova, Alexey Rozin.

    Monsieur Lazhar / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Philippe Falardeau) — An elegant reflection on loss and death focused on an Algerian immigrant teacher who brings emotional stability to a Montreal middle school class shaken by the suicide of their well-liked teacher. Cast: Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart.

    The Orator (O le Tulafale) / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Tusi Tamasese) — A Samoan villager must defend his land and family when they are threatened by powerful adversaries. Cast: Fa’afiaula Sagote, Tausili Pushparaj, Salamasina Mataia, Ioata Tanielu.

    The Raid / Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Gareth Evans) — All hell breaks loose when an elite SWAT team, given orders to raid a run-down Jakarta apartment building that houses the city’s most notorious crime boss, is forced to fight their way to freedom or die trying. Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah. U.S. Premiere.

    Where Do We Go Now? / France, Lebanon, Italy, Egypt (Director: Nadine Labaki, Screenwriters: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Rodney Al Haddad, with the collaboration of Thomas Bidegain) — A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village. Cast: Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki, Yvonne Maalouf, Antoinette Noufaily. U.S. Premiere

    Wuthering Heights / United Kingdom (Director: Andrea Arnold, Screenwriters: Andrea Arnold, Olivia Hetreed) — A freshly conceived retelling of Emily Bronte’s classic novel about Heathcliff and Cathy, two teenagers whose passionate love for each other creates a storm of vengeance. Cast: Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Solomon Glave, Shannon Beer, Steve Evets. U.S. Premiere

    Your Sister’s Sister / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — While still mourning the recent death of his brother, a bereft and confused man finds love and direction in a most unexpected place. Cast: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass. U.S. Premiere

    PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
    From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake. Each is a world premiere.

    Black Rock / U.S.A. (Director: Katie Aselton, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass) — Three childhood friends set aside their personal issues and reunite for a girls’ weekend on a remote island off the coast of Maine. One wrong move turns their weekend getaway into a deadly fight for survival. Cast: Katie Aselton, Lake Bell, Kate Bosworth.

    Excision / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Richard Bates, Jr.) — A disturbed and delusional high school student with aspirations of a career in medicine goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother. Cast: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, John Waters.

    Grabbers / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Jon Wright, Screenwriter: Kevin Lehane) — When the residents of an idyllic Irish fishing village are attacked by mysterious, blood-sucking sea creatures, a high blood alcohol content could be the only thing that gets them through the night. Cast: Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, Russell Tovey, Bronagh Gallagher.

    The Pact / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicholas McCarthy) — As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother’s death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Cast: Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien.

    SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / United Kingdom (Directors: Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace) — A documentary that follows LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy over a crucial 48-hour period, from the day of their final gig at Madison Square Garden to the morning after, the official end of one of the best live bands in the world.

    Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim) — After two guys are given a billion dollars to make a movie, their Hollywood dreams run off course and they decide to rehabilitate a run-down shopping mall in an attempt to make the money back. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim.

    V/H/S / U.S.A. (Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence, Screenwriters: Simon Barrett, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence) — When a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for. Cast: Joe Swanberg, Calvin Reeder, Adam Wingard, Sophia Takal, Kate Lyn Sheil.

    NEXT
    NEXT encompasses a selection of pure, bold works by promising filmmakers distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling. Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Each is a world premiere.

    COMPLIANCE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Craig Zobel) — When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unscathed. Based on true events. Cast: Ann Dowd, Pat Healy, Dreama Walker, Bill Camp, Philip Ettinger.

    AM NOT A HIPSTER / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton) — Set in the indie music and art scene, this is a character-driven story exploring themes of love, loss and what it means to be creative in the face of tragedy. Cast: Dominic Bogart, Alvaro Orlando, Brad William Henke, Tammy Minoff, Kandis Erickson, Lauren Coleman.

    KID-THING / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Zellner) — A rebellious girl whose existence is devoid of parental guidance, spends her time roaming the land, shoplifting, and vandalizing. Her routine is broken one day while playing in the woods when she hears a woman calling from a mysterious hole in the ground, asking for help. Cast: Sydney Aguirre, Susan Tyrrell, Nathan Zellner, David Zellner.

    Mosquita y Mari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Aurora Guerrero) — A friendship between two 15-year-old Latinas becomes complex as they struggle to recognize the sexual undercurrent in their relationship. Cast: Fenessa Pineda, Venecia Troncoso, Joaquín Garrido, Laura Patalano, Dulce Maria Solis.

    My Best Day / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Erin Greenwell) — Karen’s life as a small-town receptionist is turned upside down when the father she never knew calls for a refrigerator repair. That day she encounters a sister addicted to off track betting, a brother struggling with grade school heartache and bullies, and a load of fireworks. Cast: Rachel Style, Ashlie Atkinson, Raúl Castillo, Jo Armeniox, Robert Salerno, Harris Doran.

    Pursuit of Loneliness / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Laurence Thrush) — An elderly patient dies in a county hospital leaving no known next of kin. Over the next 24 hours, four central characters try to find a family member to contact regarding the death of this anonymous individual. Cast: Joy Hille, Sandra Escalante, Sharon Munfus, Kirsi Toivanen, Natalie Fouron.

    [caption id="attachment_1901" align="alignnone" width="550"] Sleepwalk With Me[/caption]

    Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Co-directors: Mike Birbiglia and Seth Barrish, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti.

    That’s What She Said / U.S.A. (Director: Carrie Preston, Screenwriter: Kellie Overbey) — Armed with nothing but their addictions and lots of personal baggage, two best friends and a mysterious young interloper battle a series of misadventures on their quest for love in New York City. Cast: Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, Alia Shawkat.

    TWENTY-EIGHT HOTEL ROOMS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Ross) — Seen only as fragments in the secret world of hotel rooms, a long-term affair becomes perhaps the most significant relationship of a couple’s lives. Cast: Chris Messina, Marin Ireland.

    NEW FRONTIER
    With media installations, multimedia performances, transmedia experiences, panels, film screenings, and more, New Frontier highlights work that celebrates experimentation and the expansion of cinema culture through the convergence of film, art, and new media technology. These films complement the previously announced installations and performances in the New Frontier venue at the Festival.

    Bestiaire / Canada, France (Director: Denis Côté) — The boundaries we place around animals are provocatively and formally explored in this meditation on the relationship between nature and humanity. World Premiere

    An Oversimplification of Her Beauty / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Terence Nance) — A quixotic young man humorously courses live action and various animated landscapes as he tries to understand himself after a mystery girl stands him up. Cast: Terence Nance, Namik Minter, Chanelle Pearson. World Premiere

    THE PERCEPTION OF MOVING TARGETS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Weston Currie) — A segmenting journey into the dreams of four neighbors. Cast: Brighid Thomas, Cherie Blackfeather, Gerald Casey, Tom Wood, Jin Camou.

    Room 237 / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — This experimental documentary explores the numerous theories about the real meaning of Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. World Premiere

    whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir / U.S.A., Kazakhstan (Directors: Eve Sussman | Rufus Corporation, Screenwriters: Eve Sussman, Kevin Messman, Jeff Wood) — A computer program assembles raw elements of music, dialogue, sound and footage shot in Kazakhstan into a generative noir mystery film in this live algorithmic performance. Cast: Jeff Wood, Marina Fedorenko.

     

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