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‘The Artist’ wins Best Picture at Critics Choice Awards

LOS ANGELES, CA. – January 13, 2012 – The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced the winners of the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards earlier this evening. Hosted by comedians Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel, the star-studded ceremony was held at the Hollywood Palladium and aired live on VH1. “The Artist” was named the year’s Best Picture and Michael Hazanavicius won Best Director honors for the film.

Other big winners of the night included George Clooney, who took Best Actor for his role in “The Descendants” and Viola Davis, who won Best Actress for her role in “The Help.” Also honored was Christopher Plummer with the Best Supporting Actor award and Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actress both for her work in “The Help.”

Additional awards included a tie for Best Cinematography, going to both “The Tree of Life” and “War Horse.” Best Art Direction went to “Hugo” and Best Editing went to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” “The Help” was honored with Best Acting Ensemble and Best Original Screenplay honors went to Woody Allen for “Midnight in Paris.” Best Young Actor/Actress went to Thomas Horn for “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.” “Rango” won Best Animated Feature and Best Comedy went to “Bridesmaids.”
 
Academy Award winner, film director and humanitarian Sean Penn was honored with the fifth annual Joel Siegel Award, presented by George Clooney.  The BFCA created this award to honor those in the film community whose actions demonstrate that the greatest value of celebrity is the ability to do good work for others.   This award pays homage to beloved “Good Morning America” film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his struggle with cancer in June, 2007.

The 17th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards also included a special nod to “Hugo” director Martin Scorsese, who received the Critics’ Choice Music+Film Award, presented by Leonardo DiCaprio and Olivia Harrison in addition to a special musical tribute from Bob Dylan. The Critics’ Choice Music+Film Award was created to honor a single filmmaker who has not only inspired moviegoers with his cinematic storytelling, but has heightened the impact of film through the brilliant use of source and soundtrack music.

Nominees in attendance included: Berenice Bejo, Kenneth Branagh, Albert Brooks, Asa Butterfield, Jessica Chastain, George Clooney, Stephen Daldry, Viola Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jean Dujardin, Elle Fanning, Judy Greer, Michael Hazanavicius, Ellie Kemper, Nick Krause, Thomas Horn, Matthew Lillard, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Penelope Ann Miller, Nick Nolte, Elizabeth Olsen, Patton Oswalt, Alexander Payne, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Maya Rudolph, Andy Serki, Octavia Spencer, Steven Spielberg, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Tilda Swinton, Charlize Theron, Michelle Williams, Evan Rachel Wood and Shailene Woodley

Presenters at the gala included: Vin Diesel, Kirsten Dunst, Donald Glover, Dustin Hoffman, Mindy Kaling, Ben Kingsley, Diane Kruger, Elizabeth Olsen, Patton Oswalt, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, Jason Segel, Owen Wilson and Robin Wright.
 
The show featured Fitz and The Tantrums as this year’s house band. Bob Dylan also performed “Blind Willie McTell” during the Critic’s Choice Music+Film Award tribute to Martin Scorsese.

Since its inception in 1995, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards has been a star-studded bellwether event of the movie awards season.  Historically, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. Last year, for example, all four of the acting category winners at the Oscars – Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo – first accepted their awards in the same categories at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.  In all, 18 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars were first Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominees.

About The Broadcast Film Critics Association:
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics.  BFCA members are the primary source of information for today’s film going public.  The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

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WINNERS OF THE 17TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS
 
BEST PICTURE    
“The Artist”
 
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
 
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis – “The Help”
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
 
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
 
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
“The Help”
 
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
 
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen
 
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (TIE)
“The Tree of Life”
AND
“War Horse”
 
BEST ART DIRECTION
“Hugo”
 
BEST EDITING
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
 
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Artist”
 
BEST MAKE-UP
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
 
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
 
BEST SOUND
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
 
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Rango”
 
BEST ACTION MOVIE
“Drive”
 
BEST COMEDY
“Bridesmaids”
 
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“A Separation”
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“George Harrison: Living in the Material World”
 
BEST SONG
“Life’s a Happy Song” – The Muppets
Performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter
Written by Bret McKenzie and The Muppets
 
BEST SCORE
“The Artist”
 
JOEL SIEGEL AWARD
Sean Penn
 
CRITICS’ CHOICE MUSIC+FILM AWARD
Martin Scorsese

What’s Your Number?

Clooney to honor Sean Penn at Critics Choice Awards

(SANTA MONICA, CA – January 9, 2012) — The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced today that renowned actor and humanitarian Sean Penn will be presented with the fifth annual Joel Siegel Award at the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The award will be presented by fellow actor and 13-time Critics’ Choice Award nominee George Clooney. The ceremony will air live on VH1 on Thursday, January 12 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.
 
Given annually, this special award pays homage to beloved “Good Morning America” film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his long struggle with cancer in June 2007. It seeks to honor those who understand, as Joel did, that the greatest value of celebrity is as an enhanced platform to do good works for others.
 
Sean Penn founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization in the immediate aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. Since then J/P HRO has led the effort to raise money and awareness in response to the disaster, which took more than 200,000 lives. Led by Penn, J/P HRO is dedicated to saving lives and bringing sustainable programs to the Haitian people quickly and effectively.
 
“We are extremely proud to be able to make this presentation to Sean on this night in particular, exactly two years after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti,” says BFCA President Joey Berlin. “While it was heartening to see such an outpouring of support and aid for the Haitian people in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the long-term commitment made by Sean and his organization is particularly notable. The Joel Siegel Award was created to spotlight such above and beyond efforts by the leading lights of our industry and its spirit is truly personified by Sean Penn.”
 
Penn has been nominated for seven Critics’ Choice Awards throughout his career, including two wins in the Best Actor category, for “Mystic River” and “Milk.” His five additional nominations included Best Actor for “I Am Sam,” Best Acting Ensemble for “Mystic River” and “Milk,” Best Director for “Into the Wild” and Best Writer for “Into the Wild.” In 2011, Penn starred in “The Tree of Life,” a Critics’ Choice Best Picture nominee.
 
The evening will also honor Martin Scorsese with the Critics’ Choice Music+Film Award.　In addition to this honor, Scorsese’s film “Hugo” is nominated for 11 Critics’ Choice Awards and he directed the Best Documentary Feature nominee “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.”　Hosts for the star-studded awards gala will be comedians Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel.
 
The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics.　BFCA members are the primary source of information for today’s film going public.　Eligible films were released in 2011. The accounting firm of CMM, LLP tallied the written ballots.
 
Since its inception in 1995, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards has been a star-studded bellwether event of the movie awards season.　Historically, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. Last year, for example, all four of the acting category winners at the Oscars – Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo – first accepted their awards in the same categories at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.　In all, 18 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars were first Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominees.
 
Final ballots for the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards will be sent to BFCA members on January 8, 2012 with a deadline for returning final ballots on January 10, 2012. For more information about the show visit CriticsChoice.VH1.com, “Like” VH1 on Facebook, and follow @VH1 on Twitter and use the hashtag #CCMA to talk about the awards!

Nolan fixes Bane issues on ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Several weeks ago, we reported in detail on the presentation by director Christopher Nolan‘s first six minutes of ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘. The proposal of the video was to begin shooting before the screening of ‘Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol‘ in IMAX. The biggest complaint we critics, and audiences in general, was to understand the dialogue of the villain Bane (Tom Hardy).

This immediately came to the ears of Nolan, who said he would not improve the scenes with him. Then the survey asked the director to please help them with the subject which Nolan said he would consider “alter sounds a little bit.” Apparently, it was exactly what he did, because a new sound clip was sent to theaters . According to sources, lowered the background noise of the plane and other things, the Bane‘s dialogue sounds clearer and more understandable.

They were then asked audience members if they had trouble understanding Bane. All said they had no problem to understand and added that Bane dialogue is not yet clear as the dialogue of other characters, but much better.

‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ will premiere in the U.S. on July 20.