New York Film Critics Online Awards, The Artist Wins Best Film

New York Film Critics Online Awards, The Artist Wins Best Film

The New York Film Critics Online named The Artist as the best film of 2011, and also awarded is director Michel Hazanavicius as best director and the film for its use of music. Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams snagged the best documentary award and The Iranian film A Separation which is emerging as the foreign film to beat, received the nod for best foreign language film of 2011. Joe Cornish, received the award for […]

AFI Picks it Top Films of 2011

AFI Picks it Top Films of 2011

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2011 – its top 10 films and TV programs of 2011 – that records the year’s most outstanding achievements in film, television and other forms of the moving image arts. Surprisingly no indie films or documentaries made the list, but although foreign films were not eligible, the AFI did specially honor The Artist and The Harry Potter Series with AFI Special Awards. AFI […]

San Francisco Film Critics Circle Picks its Top Films of 2011, Gives Special Citation to The Mill and the Cross

San Francisco Film Critics Circle Picks its Top Films of 2011, Gives Special Citation to The Mill and the Cross

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle really went for the “The Tree of Life” naming it the Best Picture of 2011, its director Terrence Malick as Best Director and its lenser Emmanuel Lubezki as Best Cinematographer.

“Certified Copy,” Abbas Kiarostami’s thought-provoking, emotionally wrenching examination of relationships, art, and existence received the award for Best Foreign Language Film ; with Best Documentary nod given to “Tabloid,” Errol Morris’ unique take on a stranger-than-fiction tale that must be seen to be disbelieved.

A Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema singled out “The Mill and the Cross”—Lech Majewski’s distinctly original exploration of the inspiration for and creation of a Breugel painting—as an under-the-radar title deserving of attention.

The full list of winners for the 2011 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards: {jathumbnail off}

Bill Morrison’s Spark of Being and George Clooney’s Descendants Win Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

Bill Morrison’s Spark of Being and George Clooney’s Descendants Win Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

“The Descendants” starring George Clooney as a father in Hawaii trying to take care of his daughters after his wife falls into an accident-induced coma, was named this year’s best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.  The family drama, The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt was named runner-up best film, and its director Terrence Malick received the award for best director of the year. Bill Morrison received the Doublas Edwards Independent/Experimental Award […]

Cook County, Impressive Debut Film from Director David Pomes

Cook County, Impressive Debut Film from Director David Pomes

Cook County is a new independent film from first time writer/director David Pomes exploring a specific family and community in rural east Texas, reflecting an entire culture and drug world in America. The film presents the narrative through the eyes of Abe (Ryan Donowho), a teenager living with his meth-cooking and smoking uncle, Bump (Anson Mount). Abe goes day to day simply surviving with his dangerous caretaker, and  trying to protect his young cousin Deandra […]

First 10 Films Announced for 2012 Miami International Film Festival

First 10 Films Announced for 2012 Miami International Film Festival

The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the line-up of ten Ibero-American premieres  that will compete for $45,000  in jury prizes at its 29th annual event, March 2 – 11, 2012.

The lineup includes four International/North American premieres and two U.S. premieres, including new films from acclaimed veteran directors Carlos Sorin, David Trueba and Andrés Wood.

“As of today, only one of the films in the competition has U.S. distribution secured – Strand Releasing will be releasing Bonsai later in 2012,” noted MIFF’s executive director Jaie Laplante.  “It is our hope that U.S. buyers attending the Festival will discover many more riches– and see through our MIFF audiences how U.S. audiences respond to these amazing films.”

2012 MIFF Knight Ibero-American Competition films: {jathumbnail off}

Putin’s Kiss to be released in US by Kino Lorber

Putin’s Kiss to be released in US by Kino Lorber

“Putin’s Kiss” a film by Lise Birk Pedersen, was acquired by Kino Lorber at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), where it had its world premiere in the IDFA Feature Documentary competition.  It will be released theatrically after its North American premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (in the World Cinema Documentary competition). “Putin’s Kiss” portrays contemporary life in Russia through the coming-of-age story of Masha, a middle-class, 19-year-old Russian girl and a member […]

15 Films Considered for Oscar for Visual Effects

15 Films Considered for Oscar for Visual Effects

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films have been selected for consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 84th Academy Awards®. The films are listed below in alphabetical order: “Captain America: The First Avenger”“Cowboys & Aliens”“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”“Hugo”“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”“Real Steel”“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”“Sucker Punch”“Super 8”“Thor”“Transformers: Dark of […]

Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams to Serve as Music Consultants for the 84th Academy Awards

Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams to Serve as Music Consultants for the 84th Academy Awards

  Oscar® -winning composer Hans Zimmer and Grammy® Award-winning songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams will serve as music consultants for the 84th Academy Awards, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today. This will be the first time the composers have worked on the Oscar show. “Hans is one of the most accomplished and creative film composers of our time, and Pharrell is a phenomenal songwriter with an amazing list of credits,” said Grazer […]

Rainey Qualley, daughter of actress Andie McDowell, is Miss Golden Globe 2012

Rainey Qualley, daughter of actress Andie McDowell, is Miss Golden Globe 2012

Actress, musician Rainey Qualley, and daughter of actress Andie McDowell, has been chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Miss Golden Globe 2012. “She is a talented and beautiful young woman,” said HFPA president Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly at the HFPA/InStyle Young Hollywood Party in West Hollywood. “We’re excited to have her as part of this year’s show.” Rainey, 21, recently appeared in the movie Mighty Fine and is writing songs and working on her […]

IFFR unearths São Paulo’s ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s low-budget film culture

IFFR unearths São Paulo’s ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s low-budget film culture

In the Signals section’s theme programme ‘The Mouth of Garbage: Sub Culture and Sex in São Paulo’, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will present a vast panorama of features and shorts from São Paulo’s so-called ‘Boca do Lixo’ (Mouth of Garbage), the nickname for the working class neighborhood in the center of the Brazilian metropolis. These quick and dirty productions frequently highlighted the sleazy underbelly of Brazilian society using established genres such as noir, […]

5 Film Projects Win San Francisco Film Society Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants

5 Film Projects Win San Francisco Film Society Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants

The San Francisco Film Society and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation today announced the five winning projects in the sixth round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants. The grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers for narrative feature films with social justice themes that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. Between 2009 and 2013 the SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants will award nearly $2.5 million, including more than $1 million awarded in the […]