• Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Names ROMA Best Film of 2018

    [caption id="attachment_33001" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Roma Roma[/caption] “Roma” the Mexico-set period drama dedicated to director Alfonso Cuarón’s real-life childhood nanny, triumphed with four wins when the Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) announced their 2018 honorees.    “Roma” won Best Film and Best Director, as well as Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography for its sweeping black-and-white lensing. Best Documentary kudos went to the lovely, feel-good “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” The film centers on the life and philosophy of the late Fred Rogers, host of long-running, often groundbreaking children’s program “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC, given each year in honor of one of WAFCA’s cherished late members, went to Adam McKay’s offbeat Dick Cheney biopic “Vice.” The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association comprises 60 DC-VA-MD-based film critics from television, radio, print and the Internet.

    2018 Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award Winners

    Best Film: Roma Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) Best Actor: Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) Best Actress: Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Green Book) Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) Best Acting Ensemble: The Favourite Best Youth Performance: Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade) Best Voice Performance: Bryan Cranston (Isle of Dogs) Best Motion Capture Performance: Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) Best Original Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (The Favourite) Best Adapted Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) Best Animated Feature: Isle of Dogs Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Best Foreign Language Film: Roma Best Production Design: Production Designer: Hannah Beachler; Set Decorator: Jay Hart (Black Panther) Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) Best Editing: Tom Cross, ACE (First Man) Best Original Score: Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk) The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC: Vice

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  • Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE FAVOURITE Wins a Record 10 Awards at 2018 British Independent Film Awards

    [caption id="attachment_32995" align="aligncenter" width="1199"]THE FAVOURITE Emma Stone and Olivia Colman in the film THE FAVOURITE. Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos.ʩ 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation[/caption] The Favourite was clearly that at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) in London winning a record ten awards including Best British Independent Film and Best Director for Yorgos Lanthimos.  Other major awards include Evelyn won for Best Documentary, Ray & Liz‘s Richard Billingham won The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director, and Roma won for Best International Independent Film.

    2018 British Independent Film Awards Winners

    Best British Independent Film

    THE FAVOURITE Yorgos Lanthimos, Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday

    Best Director

    YORGOS LANTHIMOS The Favourite

    Best Screenplay

    DEBORAH DAVIS, TONY McNAMARA The Favourite

    Best Actress

    OLIVIA COLMAN The Favourite

    Best Supporting Actress

    RACHEL WEISZ The Favourite

    Best Actor

    JOE COLE A Prayer Before Dawn

    Best Supporting Actor

    ALESSANDRO NIVOLA Disobedience

    Most Promising Newcomer

    JESSIE BUCKLEY Beast

    The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director)

    RICHARD BILLINGHAM Ray & Liz

    Debut Screenwriter

    BART LAYTON American Animals

    Breakthrough Producer

    JACQUI DAVIES Ray & Liz

    The Discovery Award

    VOYAGEUSE May Miles Thomas

    Best Documentary

    EVELYN Orlando von Einsiedel, Joanna Natasegara

    Best British Short Film

    THE BIG DAY Dawn Shadforth, Kellie Smith, Michelle Stein

    Best International Independent Film

    ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Nicolás Celis, Gabriela Rodriguez

    Best Casting

    DIXIE CHASSAY The Favourite

    Best Cinematography supported by Blackmagic Design

    ROBBIE RYAN The Favourite

    Best Costume Design

    SANDY POWELL The Favourite

    Best Editing

    NICK FENTON, JULIAN HART, CHRIS GILL American Animals

    Best Effects

    HOWARD JONES Early Man

    Best Make Up & Hair Design

    NADIA STACEY The Favourite

    Best Music

    JONNY GREENWOOD You Were Never Really Here

    Best Production Design

    FIONA CROMBIE The Favourite

    Best Sound

    PAUL DAVIES You Were Never Really Here

    The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Film

    Judi Dench

    The Special Jury Prize

    Horace Ové CBE

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  • THE FAVOURITE Leads Nominations for 2018 Washington DC Area Film Critics Award

    [caption id="attachment_30991" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Favourite The Favourite[/caption] The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) which comprises of 60 DC-based film critics from the District, Maryland and Virginia announced their nominees for the 2018 awards. The Favourite lead with 10 nominations  including Best Film and Best Director for Yorgos Lanthimos.  Other films nominated for Best Film include A Star Is Born, Green Book, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Roma. The nominees for Best Documentary are Free Solo, RBG, Science Fair, Three Identical Strangers and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  The nominees for Best Foreign Film are Burning, Capernaum, Cold War, Roma and Shoplifters. The nominees for the special category The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC are The Front Runner, RBG and Vice. The 2018 WAFCA Award winners will be announced on Monday, December 3, 2018.

    2018 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) AWARD NOMINEES

    Best Film:

    The Favourite Green Book If Beale Street Could Talk Roma A Star Is Born

    Best Director:

    Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk) Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)

    Best Actor:

    Christian Bale (Vice) Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) Ethan Hawke (First Reformed) Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)

    Best Actress:

    Glenn Close (The Wife) Toni Collette (Hereditary) Olivia Colman (The Favourite) Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

    Best Supporting Actor:

    Mahershala Ali (Green Book) Timothée Chalamet (Beautiful Boy) Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born) Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther)

    Best Supporting Actress:

    Cynthia Erivo (Bad Times at the El Royale) Nicole Kidman (Boy Erased) Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) Emma Stone (The Favourite) Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)

    Best Acting Ensemble:

    Black Panther The Favourite If Beale Street Could Talk Vice Widows

    Best Youth Performance:

    Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade) Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie (Leave No Trace) Milly Shapiro (Hereditary) Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place) Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give)

    Best Voice Performance:

    Bryan Cranston (Isle of Dogs) Holly Hunter (Incredibles 2) Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) Sarah Silverman (Ralph Breaks the Internet) Ben Whishaw (Paddington 2)

    Best Motion Capture Performance:

    Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One) Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story)

    Best Original Screenplay:

    Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade) Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (The Favourite) Paul Schrader (First Reformed) Nick Vallelonga & Brian Currie & Peter Farrelly (Green Book) Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

    Best Adapted Screenplay:

    Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman) Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther) Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk) Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters (A Star Is Born)

    Best Animated Feature:

    Incredibles 2 Isle of Dogs Mirai Ralph Breaks the Internet Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

    Best Documentary:

    Free Solo RBG Science Fair Three Identical Strangers Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

    Best Foreign Language Film:

    Burning Capernaum Cold War Roma Shoplifters

    Best Production Design:

    Production Designer: Hannah Beachler; Set Decorator: Jay Hart (Black Panther) Production Designer: Fiona Crombie; Set Decorator: Alice Felton (The Favourite) Production Designer: Nathan Crowley; Set Decorator: Kathy Lucas (First Man) Production Designer: John Myhre; Set Decorator: Gordon Sim (Mary Poppins Returns) Production Designer: Eugenio Caballero; Set Decorator: Bárbara Enríquez (Roma)

    Best Cinematography:

    Robbie Ryan, BSC (The Favourite) Linus Sandgren, FSF (First Man) James Laxton (If Beale Street Could Talk) Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) Matthew Libatique, ASC (A Star Is Born)

    Best Editing:

    Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ACE (The Favourite) Tom Cross, ACE (First Man) Alfonso Cuarón, Adam Gough (Roma) Jay Cassidy, ACE (A Star Is Born) Joe Walker, ACE (Widows)

    Best Original Score:

    Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther) Justin Hurwitz (First Man) Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk) Thom Yorke (Suspiria) Hans Zimmer (Widows)

    The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:

    The Front Runner RBG Vice

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  • A COLONY Sweeps Borsos Awards, Wins Best Canadian Feature at 2018 Whistler Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_32983" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]A Colony (Une colonie) by Geneviève Dulude De Celles A Colony (Une colonie) by Geneviève Dulude De Celles[/caption] Geneviève Dulude-De Celles first feature A COLONY, a touching and heartbreaking coming of age story, swept the Borsos Awards of the 18th annual Whistler Film Festival with three wins including Best Canadian Feature,  Best Director in a Borsos Film for Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, and Best Performance in a Borsos Film for Emilie Bierre taking the $15,000 cash prize and $15,000 post production prize. The jury stated: “We awarded A COLONY the Borsos awards for its strength of vision and raw authenticity. The Borsos Award for Best Screenplay went to Robert Budreau, writer and director of STOCKHOLM, for the complex emotional clockwork that balances action, suspense and romance. Best Cinematography in a Borsos Film went to cinematographer Michel La Veaux for his work in THE FIREFLIES ARE GONE. The jury said they presented this to the movie that they felt showed an elegant authenticity and strong visual storytelling through classic use of framing color and choreography. The World Documentary Award went to MOMENTUM GENERATION. The jury stated that “This documentary provides unparalleled access to the events that shaped its iconic subjects, presenting a powerful story of the bond between friends throughout profound personal struggle. An uplifting coming of age film that nails its slick and engaging execution, our award winner delivers undeniable audience impact and critical potential. The Jury awards the World Documentary Award to this memorable tribute to hardship and friendship, MOMENTUM GENERATION” directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist. The jury also gave an honorable mention to Jordan Manley, director of TREELINE, ”for its original choice of subject matter, striking imagery and masterful visual storytelling, the Jury wishes to recognize this film for its poetic approach to filmmaking and ability to open our minds to a world never before seen.” The Best Mountain Culture Film Award went to FREE SOLO directed by Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi. The Jury stated “ It’s pretty incredible when a film has you totally gripped from beginning to end, despite already knowing the ending. FREE SOLO did just that and we chose it as our Mountain Culture winner for many reasons. Its ability to deeply humanize a character who is quantifiably “crazy” by most definitions, its technical filmmaking commitment and prowess, and its ability to open the sport of climbing to a wider audience in a relatable way. We felt its storytelling and entertaining portrayal of this unparalleled athletic achievement embodied the Mountain Culture award.“ The $1,000 Canadian ShortWork Award went to BROTHERHOOD, directed by Meryam Joobeur; the International ShortWork Award went to MISS WORLD, directed by Georgia Fu; and the $500 ShortWork Student Award went to THE BUS STOP directed by Kama Sood.  The MPPIA Short Film Award, presented by MPPIA and Creative BC, was awarded to Alayna Silverberg for B-SIDE. The award consists of a $15,000 cash award plus up to $100,000 in services. The completed project will have its world premiere screening at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival. Jen Araki with her “Slip Into Darkness” project won the WFF Power Pitch $41,000 prize package that included a $1,000 cash prize and a $40,000 production package featuring a $10,000 post production credit from Encore Vancouver, and a $10,000 studio credit, $10,000 lighting and grip credit and a $10,000 camera credit from Sim. WFF’s Power Pitch had seven Canadian producers with feature projects in development participating in the program designed to set them up for success by fine-tuning their project packages and pitching skills. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists presented this year’s EDA Award for Best Female-directed Feature to two films, HONEY BEE directed by Rama Rau and FAMILY FIRST directed by Sophie Dupuis; and the EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Short Film to BROTHERHOOD directed by Meryam Joobeur. “The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is honored and proud to partner with the Whistler Film Festival for the 5th consecutive year to present EDA awards recognizing women filmmakers. WFF, in our experience, has a uniquely successful record in programming women’s films, not only for screenings, but also in programs that open opportunities for women,” said Jennifer Merin, President of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. “We applaud Shauna Hardy Mishaw for her singular efforts in this regard. This year’s nominees were extraordinarily good, and it was difficult for us to single out one in each category.”

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  • 7 Indie Films Awarded $240,000 in Fall 2018 SFFILM Rainin Grants

    Fall 2018 SFFILM Rainin Grants Seven indie narrative films will receive a total of $240,000 in funding in the latest round of SFFILM Rainin Grants to support the next stage of their creative process, from screenwriting to post-production.  SFFILM Rainin Grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers whose narrative feature films will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community and/or meaningfully explore pressing social issues. SFFILM, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, is the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. The SFFILM Rainin Grant program has awarded over $5 million to more than 100 projects since its inception, including Boots Riley’s indie phenomenon Sorry to Bother You, which was released in theaters nationwide this summer; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Monsters and Men, which won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year; Geremy Jasper’s Sundance breakthrough Patti Cake$, which closed the 2017 Cannes Director’s Fortnight program; Chloé Zhao’s Songs My Brothers Taught Me, which screened at Sundance and Cannes in 2015; Short Term 12, Destin Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at SXSW 2013; Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale Station, which won the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013; and Ben Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012 and earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture). The jury noted in a statement: “We are thrilled to support these seven ambitious projects and the voices—both lyrical and incisive—of these talented filmmakers. This cohort of SFFILM Rainin grantees are grappling beautifully with questions of how we define ourselves and our homes in a world that is constantly changing. We very much look forward to playing a part in elevating their visions in the months ahead.”

    FALL 2018 SFFILM RAININ GRANT WINNERS

    18+ Ceylan Özgün Özçelik, writer/director/producer; Armagan Lale, producer — screenwriting – $25,000 On the feast of the sacrifice, a family gathering of women turns into a tragicomic night of bloody vengeance. all dirts roads taste of salt Raven Jackson, writer/director; Maria Altamirano, producer — screenwriting – $25,000 In lyrical, non-linear portraits evoking the texture of memories, all dirt roads taste of salt viscerally and experientially explores the life of a Black woman in the American South, from her youth to her older years. Cicada Matthew Fifer, writer/co-director; Kieran Mulcare, co-director; Jeremy Truong and Ramfis Myrthil, producers — post-production – $40,000 Some things are worth waiting 17 years for, others should have come out sooner. Colewell Tom Quinn, writer/director; Craig Shilowich, Alexandra Byer, and Matthew Thurm, producers — post-production – $50,000 For 35 years, Nora Pancowski has been the postmaster of Colewell, Pennsylvania. She runs the office out of her home and has become the center of this community, which has no other common space. When Nora receives word that her office will be closed, she must decide whether to relocate and take a new job or face retirement in Colewell. Freeland Kate McLean and Mario Furloni, writer/directors; Laura Heberton, producer — post-production – $50,000 Aging pot farmer Devi suddenly finds her world shattered as she races to bring in what could be her final harvest. KEE-kay Pedro González Kuhn, director; Rodrigo Ordoñez, writer; Vanessa Perez and Laura Irene Arvizu, producers — development – $25,000 Enrique is deported to Mexico, a country he has never called home. As he struggles to integrate, survive, and force his way back to the US, he meets Rita, who provides shelter and protection that he has never had before, which makes him question where home really is. Sandy Song, The High Priestess of Souls Pete Lee, writer/director — screenwriting – $25,000 Sandy Song, a grumpy middle-aged grifter, becomes the sole defender of Oakland’s Chinatown in a battle against loan sharks, white saviors, and demons.

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  • Northern Banner Releasing to Release THIS IS NORTH PRESTON Documentary

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    This is North Preston This Is North Preston, the remarkable documentary film by Jaren Hayman which will have its world premiere at Whistler Film Festival on Friday November 30, will be released in Canada by Northern Banner Releasing. Northern Banner will have a limited theatrical release in Canada starting in the new year, and the film has been picked up in the US by Virgil Films, who will release digitally, also in the new year. North Preston is the largest black community in the country and started as a safe haven for escaped slaves but has more recently been painted as one of the biggest hubs of pimping & human trafficking in the nation. This Is North Preston explores how the town of 4,000 has dealt with generations of pimp culture, violence, economic struggle, and constant systemic racism through the eyes of the pimps, trafficking victims, politicians, police, and community members looking to change the narrative. This Is North Preston not only tells a truly unique story, but also an incredibly important one. While the community has several deep rooted issues it’s facing including an accepted pimp culture and high levels of gun violence, the film explores how and why this is now a reality. The movie also looks at the decades of systemic racism that the town has experienced and continues to experience.

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  • EIGHTH GRADE, THE RIDER, TRANSMILITARY Among Finalists for 44th HUMANITAS Prize

    [caption id="attachment_27753" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]EIGHTH GRADE EIGHTH GRADE[/caption] The HUMANITAS Prize which honors film and television writers whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family, has named fifty-eight film and television writers as finalists for the 44th Annual HUMANITAS Prize.  All Prize winners will be announced at The 44th Annual HUMANITAS Prize event on Friday, February 8, 2019 at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Six college students have also been named as finalists for The David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Fellowship and The Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Fellowship. The winning writers in each category will be awarded $20,000 in prize money. HUMANITAS will also honor Marta Kauffman with The Kieser Award and Kenya Barris with the VOICE FOR CHANGE Award. Marta Kauffman is a critically acclaimed writer/director/producer. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for Friends, a series she co-created. She also co-created HBO’s Dream On, was the co-producer for NBC’s Veronica’s Closet, and is the co-creator of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. Kenya Barris is also a critically acclaimed writer/producer and the creator of ABC’s Black-ish and Grown-ish. He won The HUMANITAS Prize for Black-Ish: “Hope” in 2017. He won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 2016/17. He has received three nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Since its inception in 1974, The HUMANITAS Prize has awarded over $3.5 million to more than 360 deserving television and motion picture writers whose work examines what it means to be a fully realized human being in a world struggling with racism, terrorism, sexism, ageism, anti-Semitism, political polarization, religious fanaticism, extreme poverty, violence, and unemployment. By deeply exploring the cultures, lifestyles, sexual orientations, political views, and religious beliefs of people who are very different from ourselves, we can dissolve the walls of ignorance and fear that separate us from one another. All winners, except for those in the Independent Feature Film and College Fellowship categories, designate a non-profit focused on nurturing the next generation of writers to receive their earnings. Past recipients have included Young Storytellers, Film2Future, P.S. Arts, The Heidelberg Project, Rosie’s Theatre Kids, International Documentary Association, and Inside Out Writers. “HUMANITAS enjoyed an embarrassment of riches this year,” said HUMANITAS President Ali LeRoi, “There were so many incredible submissions from such gifted writers.”

    44th Annual HUMANITAS Prize Finalists

    Drama Feature Film Category

    BLACK PANTHER Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole, Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby BOY ERASED Screenplay by Joel Edgerton, Based on the memoir Boy Erased by Garrard Conley ON THE BASIS OF SEX Written by Daniel Stiepleman WHAT THEY HAD Written and Directed by Elizabeth Chomko

    Comedy Feature Film Category

    BOUNDARIES Written and Directed by Shana Feste CRAZY RICH ASIANS Screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, Based on the Novel Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan EIGHTH GRADE Written and Directed by Bo Burnham LOVE, SIMON Screenplay by Elizabeth Berger & Isaac Aptaker, Based on the Novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

    Family Feature Film Category

    CHRISTOPHER ROBIN Screenplay by Alex Ross Perry and Tom McCarthy and Allison Schroeder, Story by Greg Brooker and Mark Steven Johnson, Based on the characters created by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard INCREDIBLES 2 Written and Directed by Brad Bird ISLE OF DOGS Screenplay by Wes Anderson, Story by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Kunichi Nomura MARY POPPINS RETURNS Screenplay by David Magee, Screen Story by David Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca, Based upon the Mary Poppins stories by P.L. Travers

    Independent Feature Film Category

    BRIAN BANKS Written by Doug Atchison LAUGH OR DIE Screenplay by Heikki Kujanpää and Mikko Reitala SORRY TO BOTHER YOU Written and Directed by Boots Riley THE GRIZZLIES Written by Moira Walley-Beckett and Graham Yost THE RIDER Written and Directed by Chloé Zhao

    Documentary Category

    TRANSMILITARY Concept by Fiona Dawson, Written by Jamie Coughlin and Gabriel Silverman, Directed by Gabriel Silverman, Co-Directed by Fiona Dawson STOLEN DAUGHTERS: KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM Written and Produced by Karen Edwards, Directed by Gemma Atwal THE FOURTH ESTATE, “Part 3: American Carnage” Directed by Liz Garbus and Jenny Carchman, Produced by Liz Garbus, Jenny Carchman, Justin Wilkes THE PRICE OF FREE Story by Davis Guggenheim, Derek Doneen, Sarah Anthony, Directed by Derek Doneen, Produced by Davis Guggenheim and Sarah Anthony

    60-minute Drama Category

    GOD FRIENDED ME, “Pilot” Written by Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, “Be Free” Written by Brian Chamberlayne THE GOOD DOCTOR, “More” Written by David Shore & Lloyd Gilyard Jr. THIS IS US, “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life” Written by Kay Oyegun

    30-minute Comedy Category

    DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, “Volume 2: Chapter VIII” Written by Jack Moore ONE DAY AT A TIME, “Hello, Penelope” Written by Michelle Badillo & Caroline Levich THE GOOD PLACE, “Jeremy Bearimy” Written by Megan Amram THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL, “Mid-way to Mid-town” Written and Directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino

    Children’s Teleplay Category

    ALEXA & KATIE, “Winter Formal, Part 2” Written by Matthew Carlson MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC, “Surf and/or Turf” Written by Brian Hohlfeld MUPPET BABIES, “You Say Potato, I Say Best Friend” Written by Laura Sreebny Z-O-M-B-I-E-S Written by David Light & Joseph Raso, Based on Zombies & Cheerleaders Written by David Light & Joseph Raso

    The David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Fellowship

    BAND OF MOTHERS – Sabrina Brennan (USC) FERNANDO – Adam Lujan (NYU) HEAD CASE – Ellie Goodman (Northwestern University)

    The Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Fellowship

    RUE PIGALLE – Jessica Shields (Columbia University) THE BARGEMAN – Joe Hemphill (Boston University) WILCOX PARK – Omar Willis (USC)

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  • ESPN Films Next 30 for 30 is “42 to 1” on Buster Douglas 1990 Victory Over Mike Tyson

    ESPN Films 30 for 30 - "42 to 1" on Buster Douglas 1990 Victory Over Mike Tyson ESPN Films Next 30 for 30 is “42 to 1”, the documentary on Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson for the 1990 Heavyweight Championship of the World. The documentary “42 to 1”, co-directed by Jeremy Schaap and Ben Houser, premieres Tuesday, December 11th at 9:00p.m. ET on ESPN If you were a sports fan in 1990, you’ll never forget where you were when you heard about Tyson-Douglas. Because, after all, it was impossible. In sports, we’re used to seeing the improbable. But the impossible is another matter entirely. And on February 11, 1990, while the odds were technically 42-1, it was very much the impossible that happened in a boxing ring in Tokyo, Japan, when James “Buster” Douglas defeated Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship of the world. The 30 for 30 documentary “42-1” tells the story of just how incredibly unlikely it was. It starts in Columbus, Ohio, where Douglas grew up the son of a boxer, who trained and guided him to become a top-10 heavyweight contender in the mid 1980’s. Of course, it was all in the shadow of the rise of “Iron” Mike Tyson, who became a worldwide phenomenon in a remarkable undefeated run to the undisputed title. And by the time their fight was set, Douglas was lightly regarded, merely a stepping stone for bigger fights for the champion. But on the day they met, a series of extraordinary circumstances led to an unimaginable result. Featuring rare footage and never before seen images, this is a film about how Douglas pulled off a victory that changed the course of sports history, channeling the absolute best version of himself, if only for one fight, when it mattered most and no one thought it was possible. Co-Directed by 11-time Emmy Award winner Jeremy Schaap (E:60, The Sporting Life) & 17-time Emmy award and 4-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner Ben Houser (E:60 docs Owen & Haatchi, The Number, Leaf). Image via YouTube

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  • 30th Anniversary Screening of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY to Kick Off 10th TCM Classic Film Festival

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    [caption id="attachment_32960" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]WHEN HARRY MET SALLY WHEN HARRY MET SALLY[/caption] Who would believe it’s 30 years already – the 30th anniversary screening of the seminal romantic comedy When HARRY Met Sally… with stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan and director/producer Rob Reiner in attendance, will kick off the 10th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 11th Celebrated director Rob Reiner had no idea he would strike such a chord with audiences by posing the simple question: “can men and women really be friends?” The charming and TIMELESS film explores this idea by following the characters of HARRY (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) over the course of twelve years through a series of chance encounters. When HARRY Met Sally… was an instant hit with audiences and critics alike: the film grossed more than $90 million at the box office and Nora Ephron’s taut, hilarious script garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Orginal Screenplay. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were also both nominated for Golden Globes for their performances, along with director Rob Reiner. “There are romantic comedies – and then there’s When HARRY Met Sally…” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “The chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan makes them part of a legacy that includes the greats of classic movies: Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn; Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell; and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. And Rob Reiner – utilizing Nora Ephron’s word-perfect screenplay – follows in the rarefied air of the filmmaking giants who made those earlier pictures.” The 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival, held in the heart of Hollywood Thursday, April 11 – Sunday, April 14, 2019, marks the 10th annual celebration of classic films on the big screen from TCM. The TCM network will also celebrate its 25th anniversary on closing night of the festival. TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz will serve as official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The festival’s official hotel and central gathering point for the tenth consecutive year will be The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will also offer special rates for festival attendees. Screenings and events during the festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre, as well as other Hollywood venues.

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  • ROMA Named Best Film, EIGHTH GRADE, FIRST REFORMED Win 2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards

      [caption id="attachment_30917" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]ROMA ROMA[/caption] The New York Film Critics Circle announced its 2018 award winners live on Twitter this morning, naming Roma the Best Film of 2018, along with awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography for Alfonso Cuarón.  First Reformed won awards for Best Screenplay: Paul Schrader and Best Actor for Ethan Hawke. Minding the Gap directed by Bing Liu won for Best Documentary, Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War won for Best Foreign Language Film, and Eighth Grade director Bo Burnham won the award for Best First Film.

    2018 New York Film Critics Award Winners

    Best Picture: Roma Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma Best Screenplay: Paul Schrader, “First Reformed” Best Actress: Regina Hall, Support the Girls Best Actor: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed Best Supporting Actress: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Best Cinematography: Roma, Alfonso Cuaron Best Non-fiction Film: Minding the Gap, director Bing Liu Best Foreign Language Film: “Cold War,” director Pawel Pawlikowski Best Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Best First Film: Eighth Grade, director Bo Burnham Special Award For Career Achievement: David Schwartz, Chief Film Curator at Museum of the Moving Image for 33 years Special Award: Kino Classics Box Set Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers

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  • Brian Welsh’s BEATS to World Premiere at 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam

    [caption id="attachment_32953" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Beats, a film by Brian Welsh Beats, a film by Brian Welsh[/caption] Beats, a film by Brian Welsh about an unlikely friendship set against a backdrop of illegal raves in the 90s will world premiere at the 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Beats is part of IFFR’s Limelight program, which features the cinematic highlights of the year. Emmy Award-winning fimmaker Clara van Gool’s The Beast in the Jungle and Martin de Vries’s Camino, A Feature-length Selfie also world premiere within Limelight. Beats is a raw, black-and-white portrait of a bankrupt United Kingdom in which music and drugs are the only things of interest. In summer 1994, with rave culture on the rise in a Scottish village, teens Johnno and Spanner have a final night out together before each going their own way in life. In addition to Beats, IFFR’s Limelight program boasts two other world premieres, both by Dutch filmmakers: The Beast in the Jungle by Clara van Gool is a poetic adaptation of Henry James’s 1903 novella with a major role for dance and movement; and Camino, a Feature-length Selfie is Martin de Vries’s account of his hike to Santiago de Compostela. Four Limelight titles were previously supported by IFFR: A Land Imagined by Yeo Siew Hua, Rojo by Benjamín Naishtat and Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu were supported by IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund and Birds of Passage by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra was presented at IFFR’s CineMart. Other confirmed Limelight titles include Gaspar Noé’s Climax, Brady Corbet’s Vox Lux, Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro and Hamaguchi Ryūsuke’s Asako I & II. All confirmed 2019 International Film Festival RotterdamLimelight titles to date Un amour impossible/An Impossible Love, Catherine Corsini, 2018, France Asako I & II, Hamaguchi Ryūsuke, 2018, Japan/France Ash Is Purest White, Jia Zhangke, 2018, China/France The Beast in the Jungle, Clara van Gool, 2019, Netherlands/Luxembourg, world premiere Beats, Brian Welsh, 2019, UK, world premiere Birds of Passage, Cristina Gallego/Ciro Guerra, 2018, Colombia/Denmark/Mexico Camino, een feature-length selfie/Camino, A Feature-length Selfie, Martin de Vries, 2019, Netherlands, world premiere Capharnaüm/Capernaum, Nadine Labaki, 2018, LebanonClimax, Gaspar Noé, 2018, France Donbass, Sergei Loznitsa, 2018, Germany/Ukraine/France/Netherlands/Romania A Land Imagined, Yeo Siew Hua, 2018, Singapore/France/Netherlands Lazzaro felice/Happy as Lazzaro, Alice Rohrwacher, 2018, Italy/Switzerland/France/Germany Leto/Summer, Kirill Serebrennikov, 2018, Russia/France Rafiki, Wanuri Kahiu, 2018, Kenya/South AfricaRojo, Benjamín Naishtat, 2018, Argentina/Brazil/France/Netherlands/Germany Vox Lux, Brady Corbet, 2018, USA

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  • Watch Final Trailer + New Poster for Barry Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

    [caption id="attachment_31277" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]If Beale Street Could Talk If Beale Street Could Talk[/caption] Annapurna Pictures released the final trailer for If Beale Street Could Talk a timeless and moving love story set in early-1970s Harlem. Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight is If Beale Street Could Talk, his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel – the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. The film opens in theaters on December 14, 2018. Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.

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