02.20.2014 | By Mariana Dussan |
For decades the creative minds of the people behind sci-fi film and television have inspired real-life inventions like: full body security scans (“Total Recall”), video calls (“Blade Runner”) and universal translators (“Star Trek”). In 2015 Nike is making yet another sci-fi dream come true, which was inspired by the 1989 film “Back to the Future II.” Read More
12.11.2011 | By Jack Rico |
The digital film organization that I am a member of, the NYFCO (New York Film Critics Online), voted today for the best of the best in film for 2011.
There were some surprises for me, in particular, the animated category. I voted for Rango as the best, but the rest of my collegues felt strongly for Spielberg’s Tintin. I agree that on a visual, Tintin is extraordinary, but as a whole movie, the film dragged to point of boredom. Rango was intellectual, funny, unique, and had very adult themes.
Also interesting was Michael Shannon for ‘Take Shelter’ in the Best Actor category. He wasn’t a favorite, but nevertheless, I’m happy he took the award as opposed to undeserved Clooney. Shannon is one hell of an actor. He was excellent in Revolutionary Road and was the best part of The Runaways. He should’ve been nominated for Best Supporting actor at the Oscars in 2010.
So many more deserved and surprising moments such as Melissa McCarthy for ‘Bridesmaids’ over Octavia Spencer from ‘The Help’ in the Supporting Actress category. Read on and enjoy the beauty that is film criticism during award season.
BEST FILM
“The Artist”
TOP PICTURES OF 2011 (alphabetical)
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
“Drive” (Film District)
“The Help” (Walt Disney Pictures)
“Hugo” (Paramount Pictures)
“Melancholia” (Magnolia Pictures)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Take Shelter” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Tree of Life” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
“War Horse” (Dreamworks Pictures)
DIRECTOR
Michael Hazanavicius for “The Artist”
ACTOR
Michael Shannon for “Take Shelter”
ACTRESS
Meryl Streep for “The Iron Lady”
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Albert Brooks for “Drive”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Melissa McCarthy for “Bridesmaids”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki
SCREENPLAY
“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
“A Separation”
DOCUMENTARY
“Cave of Forgotten Dreams”
ANIMATED FEATURE
“The Adventures of Tin Tin”
USE OF MUSIC
“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource
BREAKOUT PERFORMER
Jessica Chastain for “The Tree of Life, “The Help,”The Debt,” “Take Shelter”
DEBUT AS DIRECTOR
Joe Cornish for “Attack the Block”
ENSEMBLE CAST
“Bridesmaids”
05.24.2011 | By Jack Rico |
New York, NY (May 24, 2011) – The Tony Awards today announced presenters for the 65th Annual Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The 2011 Tony Awards will air live on CBS, on Sunday, June 12th 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay) and are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
Hosted by Emmy winner Neil Patrick Harris, the evening will feature appearances by: Daniel Radcliffe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, Kelsey Grammer, Viola Davis, Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones, Harry Connick, Jr., Christie Brinkley, David Hyde Pierce, Marg Helgenberger, Matthew Broderick, Angela Lansbury, Jim Parsons, Joel Grey, Patrick Wilson, Robert Morse and many others.
The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.
For more information on the Tony Awards, please visit www.TonyAwards.com. Follow us on Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards & Twitter.com/TheTonyAwards.
05.9.2011 | By Jack Rico |
New York, NY (May 3, 2011) – Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing’s 65th Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards® were announced today by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM. The nominees were selected by an independent committee of 22 theatre professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The 2011 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. (The list of nominations follows.)
Marking 65 years of excellence on Broadway, The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre on CBS, Sunday, June 12th, 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay).
Legitimate theatrical productions opening in any of the 40 eligible Broadway theatres during the current season may be considered for Tony nominations. The 2010/2011 eligibility season began April 30, 2010 and ended April 28, 2011. The Tony Awards will be voted in 26 competitive categories by 824 members of the theatrical community.
As previously announced, the 2011 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to playwright Athol Fugard and Philip J. Smith, Chairman of the Shubert Organization. The Isabelle Stevenson Award will be presented V-Day founder and artistic director, Eve Ensler. The 2011 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to William Berloni, The Drama Book Shop and Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts.
The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.
Nominations for the 2011 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing
Best Play
Good People
Author: David Lindsay-Abaire
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove
Jerusalem
Author: Jez Butterworth
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Royal Court Theatre Productions, Beverly Bartner/Alice Tulchin, Dede Harris/Rupert Gavin, Broadway Across America, Jon B. Platt, 1001 Nights/Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber/Richard Willis, Jacki Barlia Florin/Adam Blanshay
The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
Producers: Scott Rudin, Stuart Thompson, Public Theater Productions, Oskar Eustis, Joey Parnes, Labyrinth Theater Company, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O’Donnell, Yul Vázquez, Danny Feldman, Fabula Media Partners LLC, Jean Doumanian, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Jon B. Platt, Tulchin Bartner/Jamie deRoy
War Horse
Author: Nick Stafford
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, National Theatre of Great Britain, Nicholas Hytner, Nick Starr, Bob Boyett, War Horse LP
Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Producers: Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Important Musicals LLC, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions, Stuart Thompson
Catch Me If You Can
Producers: Margo Lion, Hal Luftig, Stacey Mindich, Yasuhiro Kawana, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, The Rialto Group, The Araca Group, Michael Watt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Pittsburgh CLO, Elizabeth Williams, Johnny Roscoe Productions/Van Dean, Fakston Productions/Solshay Productions, Patty Baker/Richard Winkler, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Warren Trepp, Remmel T. Dickinson, Paula Herold/Kate Lear, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jamie deRoy, Barry Feirstein, Rainerio J. Reyes, Rodney Rigby, Loraine Boyle, Amuse Inc., Joseph & Matthew Deitch/Cathy Chernoff, Joan Stein/Jon Murray, The 5th Avenue Theatre
The Scottsboro Boys
Producers: Barry and Fran Weissler, Jacki Barlia Florin, Janet Pailet/Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner, Nederlander Presentations, Inc./The Shubert Organization, Beechwood Entertainment, Broadway Across America, Mark Zimmerman, Adam Blanshay/R2D2 Productions, Rick Danzansky/Barry Tatelman, Bruce Robert Harris/Jack W. Batman, Allen Spivak/Jerry Frankel, Bard Theatricals/Probo Productions/Randy Donaldson, Catherine Schreiber/Michael Palitz/Patti Laskawy, Vineyard Theatre
Sister Act
Producers: Whoopi Goldberg & Stage Entertainment, The Shubert Organization and Disney Theatrical Productions
Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys
David Thompson
Sister Act
Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Book of Mormon
Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys
Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek
Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Roger Berlind, Stephanie P. McClelland, Scott M. Delman, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Disney Theatrical Group, Robert G. Bartner, Olympus Theatricals, Douglas Smith, Janine Safer Whitney
The Importance of Being Earnest
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy
The Merchant of Venice
Producers: The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Andrew D. Hamingson, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Debbie Bisno & Eva Price, Amy Nederlander, Jonathan First, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Merritt Forrest Baer, The Araca Group, Broadway Across America, Joseph & Matthew Deitch, JK Productions, Terry Allen Kramer, Cathy Chernoff/Jay & Cindy Gutterman, Mallory Factor/Cheryl Lachowicz, Joey Parnes, The Shubert Organization
The Normal Heart
Producers: Daryl Roth, Paul Boskind, Martian Entertainment, Gregory Rae, Jayne Baron Sherman/Alexander Fraser
Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Producers: Broadway Across America, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Joseph Smith, Michael McCabe, Candy Spelling, Takonkiet Viravan/Scenario Thailand, Hilary A. Williams, Jen Namoff/Fakston Productions, Two Left Feet Productions/Power Arts, Hop Theatricals, LLC/Paul Chau/Daniel Frishwasser/Michael Jackowitz, Michael Speyer-Bernie Abrams/Jacki Barlia Florin-Adam Blanshay/Arlene Scanlan/TBS Service
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon
Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice
Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can
Tony Nominations by Production
The Book of Mormon – 14
The Scottsboro Boys – 12
Anything Goes – 9
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – 8
The Merchant of Venice – 7
Jerusalem – 6
The Motherf**ker with the Hat – 6
The Normal Heart – 5
Sister Act – 5
War Horse – 5
Catch Me If You Can – 4
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo – 3
The Importance of Being Earnest – 3
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – 3
Arcadia – 2
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – 2
Born Yesterday – 2
Brief Encounter – 2
Good People – 2
La Bête – 2
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – 2
Baby It’s You! – 1
Driving Miss Daisy – 1
The House of Blue Leaves – 1
Lombardi – 1
The People in the Picture – 1
www.TonyAwards.com
02.28.2011 | By Jack Rico |
The big night for cinema, The 83rd edition of the Oscars, was a big bore with even more boring hosts – James Franco and Anne Hathaway. The show was very predictable and perhaps Tom Hooper’s win was as shocking as it got. The jokes were bad and Billy Crysrtal‘s appearance made it the more drastic because one could compare how disastrous this Oscar telecast was.
Nevertheless, here are the complete winners of the night wit the winners in bold:
BEST PICTURE:
* The King’s Speech
* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* Inception
* The Kids Are All Right
* 127 Hours
* The Social Network
* Toy Story 3
* True Grit
* Winter’s Bone
DIRECTING:
* The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)
* Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
* The Fighter (David O. Russell)
* The Social Network (David Fincher)
* True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
* Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
* Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
* Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
* Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
* James Franco (127 Hours)
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
* Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
* Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
* Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
* Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
* Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
* Christian Bale (The Fighter)
* John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
* Jeremy Renner (The Town)
* Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
* Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
* Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
* Amy Adams (The Fighter)
* Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)
* Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
* Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
* The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
* 127 Hours (Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy)
* Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
* True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
* Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
* The King’s Speech (David Seidler)
* Another Year (Mike Leigh)
* The Fighter (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson)
* Inception (Christopher Nolan)
* The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
* In a Better World (Denmark)
* Biutiful (Mexico)
* Dogtooth (Greece)
* Incendies (Canada)
* Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) (Algeria)
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
* Toy Story 3
* How to Train Your Dragon
* The Illusionist
ART DIRECTION:
* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
* Inception
* The King’s Speech
* True Grit
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
* Inception (Wally Pfister)
* Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
* The King’s Speech (Danny Cohen)
* The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)
* True Grit (Roger Deakins)
COSTUME DESIGN:
* Alice in Wonderland
* I Am Love
* The King’s Speech
* The Tempest
* True Grit
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
* Inside Job
* Exit Through the Gift Shop
* Gasland
* Restrepo
* Waste Land
FILM EDITING:
* The Social Network
* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* The King’s Speech
* 127 Hours
MAKEUP:
* The Wolfman
* Barney’s Version
* The Way Back
ORIGINAL SCORE:
* The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)
* How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
* Inception (Hans Zimmer)
* The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
* 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
ORIGINAL SONG:
* We Belong Together (Toy Story 3)
* Coming Home (Country Strong)
* I See the Light (Tangled)
* If I Rise (127 Hours)
SOUND MIXING:
* Inception
* The King’s Speech
* Salt
* The Social Network
* True Grit
SOUND EDITING:
* Inception
* Toy Story 3
* Tron: Legacy
* True Grit
* Unstoppable
VISUAL EFFECTS:
* Inception
* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
* Hereafter
* Iron Man 2
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:
* Strangers No More
* Killing in the Name
* Poster Girl
* Sun Come Up
* The Warriors of Qiugang
ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
* The Lost Thing
* Day and Night
* The Gruffalo
* Let’s Pollute
* Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
* God of Love
* The Confession
* The Crush
* Na Wewe
* Wish 143
01.26.2011 | By Jack Rico |
The 83rd edition of the Oscar Awards ceremony is almost here. It will be held on February 27, 2011 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, to reward the best of the Hollywood film industry during 2010 year.
The nominations were announced recently and we are following that up by giving you a look at the 4 new official Oscar posters.
From the looks of it, the proposed marketing plan is ‘anticipation’. Each poster, culminating with the Oscar standing tall, builds a crescendo starting with the red carpet where all the stars will parade their attire, the anxious moment when the presenter announces the winner on stage, until the very conclusion those words will change their lives forever.
The Oscars, the most prestigious film awards in the world, are awarded annually each February or March by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, Hollywood, California.
Below are the four posters. What do you think? Do they suck or are they right on the money? Leave your comments in the section below.
01.25.2011 | By Jack Rico |
The Academy Award nominations, announced this morning in Los Angeles, mostly stuck to the script that Oscar-season observers expected. “The King’s Speech” led the field with 12 nominations, including nods for best picture and director, while “True Grit” galloped close behind with a healthy 10 nominations. “The Social Network” also landed its expected best picture nomination, along with seven other nods.
The official list of 2011 Oscar nominations indicate who will attend the 83rd annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood, to be held on February 27, 2011.
Best Picture
• “Black Swan”
• “The Fighter”
• “Inception”
• “The Kids Are All Right”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”
• “Toy Story 3”
• “True Grit”
• “Winter’s Bone”
Directing
• “Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
• “The Fighter” David O. Russell
• “The King’s Speech” Tom Hooper
• “The Social Network” David Fincher
• “True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Actor in a Leading Role
• Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
• Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
• Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
• Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
• James Franco in “127 Hours”
Actor in a Supporting Role
• Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
• John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
• Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
• Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”
Actress in a Leading Role
• Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
• Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
• Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
• Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
• Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”
Actress in a Supporting Role
• Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
• Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
• Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
• Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
• Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”
Animated Feature Film
• “How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
• “The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
• “Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich
Art Direction
• “Alice in Wonderland” Production Design: Robert Stromberg;
Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Production Design: Stuart Craig;
Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• “Inception” Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas;
Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
• “The King’s Speech” Production Design: Eve Stewart;
Set Decoration: Judy Farr
• “True Grit” Production Design: Jess Gonchor;
Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
Cinematography
• “Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
• “Inception” Wally Pfister
• “The King’s Speech” Danny Cohen
• “The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
• “True Grit” Roger Deakins
Costume Design
• “Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
• “I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
• “The King’s Speech” Jenny Beavan
• “The Tempest” Sandy Powell
• “True Grit” Mary Zophres
Documentary (Feature)
• “Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
• “Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
• “Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
• “Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
• “Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
Documentary (Short Subject)
• “Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
• “Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
• “Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
• “Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
• “The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
Film Editing
• “Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
• “The Fighter” Pamela Martin
• “The King’s Speech” Tariq Anwar
• “127 Hours” Jon Harris
• “The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Foreign Language Film
• “Biutiful” Mexico
• “Dogtooth” Greece
• “In a Better World” Denmark
• “Incendies” Canada
• “Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria
Makeup
• “Barney’s Version” Adrien Morot
• “The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques,
Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• “The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Music (Original Score)
• “How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
• “Inception” Hans Zimmer
• “The King’s Speech” Alexandre Desplat
• “127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
• “The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Music (Original Song)
• “Coming Home” from “Country Strong”
Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
• “I See the Light”
from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
• “If I Rise”
from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
• “We Belong Together”
from “Toy Story 3″ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Short Film (Animated)
• “Day & Night” Teddy Newton
• “The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
• “Let’s Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
• “The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
• “Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)”
Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
• “The Confession” Tanel Toom
• “The Crush” Michael Creagh
• “God of Love” Luke Matheny
• “Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
• “Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite
Sound Editing
• “Inception” Richard King
• “Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
• “Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
• “True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
• “Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger
Sound Mixing
• “Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “The King’s Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
• “Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
• “The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
• “True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
Visual Effects
• “Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
• “Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
• “Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
• “Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
• “127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
• “The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
• “Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt;
Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
• “True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Winter’s Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
Writing (Original Screenplay)
• “Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
• “The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
• “Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
• “The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
• “The King’s Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler
01.17.2011 | By Jack Rico |
In what had to be one of the most bizarre and most controversial acceptance speeches in the history of the Golden Globes, legendary thespian Robert De Niro, who was awarded the honorary ‘Cecil B. DeMille’ award for his lifetime work, quipped, in what seemed bad taste, about the deportation of HFPA organizers, waiters, including Spanish actor and Oscar winner Javier Bardem.
“More Hollywood Foreign Press members would have been here, but they were deported just before the show. Along with most of the waiters… and Javier Bardem,” De Niro said after being presented the award by Matt Damon, earning grumbles from the Hollywood crowd.
“And I hope you all have your papers in order, because Homeland Security will be checking them right after they finish full-body scans of Megan Fox,” De Niro added.
The atmosphere in the Beverly Hilton became cold and dour which left many in the audience puzzled.
When asked backstage what the intention of the jokes were, De Niro said, “I thought this would be more fun for this kind of night.” He obviously raised eyebrows with his ‘humor’.
Robert De Niro squandered a great opportunity to use the forum to thank all those who contributed to his artistic career and inspire a new generation of actors. But instead, the star of classic films such as ‘The Godfather II’ and ‘Taxi Driver,’ used his time on stage to include coarse remarks about immigrants.
I get that Ricky Gervais’ whole comedy repertoire has been built on being malicious and cruel, but what significance did it have for Robert De Niro? For anyone who has ever spoken to him, you know he’s a man of few words. He does not like interviews and barely says anything. So what in heaven’s name was that speech all about?
The aforementioned parts of his speech seemed out of place with what the moment represented and the environment he was in. It was supposed to be special. I wanted to be roused, inspired and galvanized by the man who had built a body of work that will most likely never be repeated again for generations. All I ended up getting was a befuddled look while I winced, squirmed and grimaced at the marring of De Niro, the Hollywood icon.
It was uncomfortable and at moments painful to listen to, but if he keeps on making films like ‘Little Fockers,’ then redemption is a deed that will never arrive.
12.13.2010 | By Jack Rico |
(Los Angeles, CA – December 13, 2010) – The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced the nominees for the 16th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The winners will be announced at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards ceremony on Friday, January 14, 2011 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. This year’s event will again take place at the Hollywood Palladium. This is the fourth year in a row that VH1 will broadcast the gala live on the network and the first year the show will also be broadcast internationally.
“Black Swan” received an unprecedented 12 nominations for the 16th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, garnering nods for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Sound and Best Score. “True Grit” and “The King’s Speech” followed close behind with 11 nominations each, while “Inception” received 10 nominations and “The Social Network” garnered 9.
“Toy Story 3” was honored in the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature categories while two Best Picture nominees, “Inception” and “The Town,” were also recognized in the Best Action Movie category. “127 Hours,” “The Fighter” and “Winter’s Bone” also scored multiple nominations, including Best Picture.
Nicole Kidman received her record seventh acting nomination for Best Actress in “Rabbit Hole.” She won the first Critics’ Choice Award as Best Actress 15 years ago for “To Die For.” Later Kidman was nominated for Best Actress in “Cold Mountain,” “The Hours” and “Moulin Rouge,” in addition to being part of the nominated Acting Ensembles in “Nine” and “The Hours.”
Amy Adams will be seeking her second Critics’ Choice Award as a Best Supporting Actress nominee in “The Fighter.” Adams previously won the category for “Junebug” and has received three other nods from the BFCA, including one for Best Actress in “Enchanted.”
Twenty-year-old Jennifer Lawrence earned nods in both the Best Actress and Best Young Actor/Actress categories, among the four nominations for “Winter’s Bone,” while fourteen-year-old Hailee Steinfeld earned nods as both Best Supporting Actress and Best Young Actor/Actress for “True Grit,” contributing to its 11 nominations. Thirteen-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz was nominated in the Best Young Actor/Actress category twice for “Let Me In” and “Kick-Ass.”
Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen continue to be Critics’ Choice favorites, nominated jointly for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for “True Grit.” Previously they had shared Best Director honors for “No Country For Old Men,” and were nominated as writers of “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “A Serious Man” and “No Country For Old Men.” “No Country For Old Men” and “Fargo” also won Critics’ Choice Awards as Best Picture.
The 250 members of the BFCA, the largest film critics’ organization in the United States and Canada, representing television, radio and online critics, selected nominees in each of 25 categories. The awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Eligible films were released in 2010. The accounting firm of Gregory A. Mogab tallied the written ballots.
Historically, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. All four major acting category winners at the Academy Awards in 2010 were first Critics’ Choice Movie Awards winners in the same categories and were present at the January 15, 2010 ceremony to graciously give their first acceptance speeches of the awards season. The BFCA also recognized “The Hurt Locker” for Best Picture and Kathryn Bigelow as Best Director, making her the first female to win the award. “The Hurt Locker” and Bigelow also went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director, but were both overlooked at the Golden Globes.
Today, VH1 also announces the launch of its Critics’ Choice Movie Awards site at CriticsChoice.VH1.com. The site offers movie fans detailed information about the show and this year’s nominees, VH1.com’s Award Season Twitter Tracker, where users can see the awards show buzz that’s happening on Twitter in real time, and Quick Critic, an opportunity to share short film reviews for a prize that includes a trip for two to next year’s Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Additionally, interviews with many of the acting nominees can be found on the BFCA’s site CriticsChoice.com.
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 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.
NOMINATIONS FOR THE 16th ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges – “True Grit”
Robert Duvall – “Get Low”
Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network”
Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”
James Franco – “127 Hours”
Ryan Gosling – “Blue Valentine”
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening – “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman – “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”
Noomi Rapace – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Michelle Williams – “Blue Valentine”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale – “The Fighter”
Andrew Garfield – “The Social Network”
Jeremy Renner – “The Town”
Sam Rockwell – “Conviction”
Mark Ruffalo – “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush – “The King’s Speech”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter – “The King’s Speech”
Mila Kunis – “Black Swan”
Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver – “Animal Kingdom”
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – “Somewhere”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Winter’s Bone”
Chloe Grace Moretz – “Let Me In”
Chloe Grace Moretz – “Kick-Ass”
Kodi Smit-McPhee – “Let Me In”
Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit”
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
The Town
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky – “Black Swan”
Danny Boyle – “127 Hours”
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “True Grit”
David Fincher – “The Social Network”
Tom Hooper – “The King’s Speech”
Christopher Nolan – “Inception”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Another Year” – Mike Leigh
“Black Swan” – Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin
“The Fighter” – Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson (Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson)
“Inception” – Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” – Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg
“The King’s Speech” – David Seidler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“127 Hours” – Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle
“The Social Network” – Aaron Sorkin
“The Town” – Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Sheldon Turner
“Toy Story 3” – Michael Arndt (Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
“True Grit” – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter’s Bone” – Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“127 Hours” – Anthony Dod Mantle
“Black Swan” – Matthew Libatique
“Inception” – Wally Pfister
“The King’s Speech” – Danny Cohen
“True Grit” – Roger Deakins
BEST ART DIRECTION
“Alice in Wonderland” – Stefan Dechant
“Black Swan” – Therese DePrez and Tora Peterson
“Inception” – Guy Hendrix Dyas
“The King’s Speech” – Netty Chapman
“True Grit” – Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh
BEST EDITING
“127 Hours” – Jon Harris
“Black Swan” – Andrew Weisblum
“Inception” – Lee Smith
“The Social Network” – Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Alice in Wonderland” – Colleen Atwood
“Black Swan” – Amy Westcott
“The King’s Speech” – Jenny Beavan
“True Grit” – Mary Zophres
BEST MAKEUP
Alice in Wonderland
Black Swan
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
True Grit
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
Tron: Legacy
BEST SOUND
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
BEST ACTION MOVIE
Inception
Kick-Ass
Red
The Town
Unstoppable
BEST COMEDY
Cyrus
Date Night
Easy A
Get Him to the Greek
I Love You Phillip Morris
The Other Guys
BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Pacific
Temple Grandin
You Don’t Know Jack
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
I Am Love
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
BEST SONG
“I See the Light” – performed by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi/written by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater – Tangled
“If I Rise” – performed by Dido and A.R. Rahman/music by A.R. Rahman/lyrics by Dido Armstrong and Rollo Armstrong – 127 Hours
“Shine” – performed and written by John Legend – Waiting for Superman
“We Belong Together” – performed and written by Randy Newman – Toy Story 3
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me Yet” – performed by Cher/written by Diane Warren – Burlesque
BEST SCORE
“Black Swan” – Clint Mansell
“Inception” – Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech” – Alexandre Desplat
“The Social Network” – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“True Grit” – Carter Burwell
NOMINEES BY PICTURE FOR
THE 16th ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS
127 HOURS – 8 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor/James Franco
Best Director/Danny Boyle
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound
Best Song/“If I Rise”
ALICE IN WONDERLAND – 4 Nominations
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup
Best Visual Effects
ANIMAL KINGDON – 1 Nomination
Best Supporting Actress/Jacki Weaver
ANOTHER YEAR – 1 Nomination
Best Original Screenplay
BIUTIFUL – 1 Nomination
Best Foreign Language Film
BLACK SWAN – 12 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actress/Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actress/Mila Kunis
Best Director/Darren Aronofsky
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup
Best Sound
Best Score
BLUE VALENTINE – 2 Nominations
Best Actor/Ryan Gosling
Best Actress/Michelle Williams
BURLESQUE – 1 Nomination
Best Song/“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me Yet”
CONVICTION – 1 Nomination
Best Supporting Actor/Sam Rockwell
CYRUS – 1 Nomination
Best Comedy
DATE NIGHT – 1 Nomination
Best Comedy
DESPICABLE ME – 1 Nomination
Best Animated Feature
EASY A – 1 Nomination
Best Comedy
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP – 1 Nomination
Best Documentary Feature
GET HIM TO THE GREEK – 1 Nomination
Best Comedy
GET LOW – 1 Nomination
Best Actor/Robert Duvall
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 – 2 Nominations
Best Makeup
Best Visual Effects
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – 1 Nomination
Best Animated Feature
I AM LOVE – 1 Nomination
Best Foreign Language Film
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS – 1 Nomination
Best Comedy
INCEPTION – 10 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director/Christopher Nolan
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Sound
Best Action Movie
Best Score
INSIDE JOB – 1 Nomination
Best Documentary Feature
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK – 1 Nomination
Best Documentary Feature
KICK-ASS – 2 Nominations
Best Young Actress/Chloe Grace Moretz
Best Action Movie
LET ME IN – 2 Nominations
Best Young Actress/Chloe Grace Moretz
Best Young Actor/Kodi Smit-McPhee
RABBIT HOLE – 1 Nomination
Best Actress/Nicole Kidman
RED – 1 Nomination
Best Action Movie
RESTREPO – 1 Nomination
Best Documentary Feature
SOMEWHERE – 1 Nomination
Best Young Actor/Actress/Elle Fanning
TANGLED – 2 Nominations
Best Animated Feature
Best Song/“I See the Light”
TEMPLE GRANDIN – 1 Nomination
Best Picture Made for Television
THE FIGHTER – 6 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor/Christian Bale
Best Supporting Actress/Amy Adams
Best Supporting Actress/Melissa Leo
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Original Screenplay
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – 2 Nominations
Best Actress/Noomi Rapace
Best Foreign Language Film
THE ILLUSIONIST – 1 Nomination
Best Animated Feature
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT – 4 Nominations
Best Actress/Annette Bening
Best Supporting Actor/Mark Ruffalo
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Original Screenplay
THE KING’S SPEECH – 11 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor/Colin Firth
Best Supporting Actor/Geoffrey Rush
Best Supporting Actress/Helena Bonham Carter
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director/Tom Hooper
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Score
THE OTHER GUYS – 1 Nomination
Best Comedy
THE PACIFIC – 1 Nomination
Best Picture Made for Television
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – 9 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor/Jesse Eisenberg
Best Supporting Actor/Andrew Garfield
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director/David Fincher
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Editing
Best Sound
Best Score
THE TILLMAN STORY – 1 Nomination
Best Documentary Feature
THE TOWN – 5 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor/Jeremy Renner
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Action Movie
TOY STORY 3 – 5 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Sound
Best Animated Feature
Best Song/“We Belong Together”
TRON: LEGACY – 1 Nomination
Best Visual Effects
TRUE GRIT – 11 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor/Jeff Bridges
Best Supporting Actress/Hailee Steinfeld
Best Young Actress/Hailee Steinfeld
Best Director/ Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup
Best Score
UNSTOPPABLE – 1 Nomination
Best Action Movie
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN – 2 Nominations
Best Documentary Feature
Best Song/“Shine”
WINTER’S BONE – 4 Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actress/Jennifer Lawrence
Best Young Actress/Jennifer Lawrence
Best Adapted Screenplay
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK – 1 Nomination
Best Picture Made for Television
11.30.2010 | By Mack Chico |
LOS ANGELES (November 30, 2010) – Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations this morning for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner served as presenters and 2011 Spirit Awards host Joel McHale was also on hand. Nominees for Best Feature include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter’s Bone.
Please Give was selected for the Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
“The artistic side of independent film is stronger than ever, and it’s especially impressive to see the developed craft of extraordinary independent filmmakers who have only gotten better over the years. Past nominees such as Darren Aronofsky, Noah Baumbach, Danny Boyle, Lisa Cholodenko, Debra Granik, Nicole Holofcener and John Cameron Mitchell continue to create original and compelling films that move and amaze us.” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson.
Selected from 220 submissions, this year’s winners will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. on the beach in Santa Monica. The 26th annual awards show will air exclusively that night on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Winners of the Filmmaker Grants will be highlighted during the Spirit Awards and announced at the 2011 Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch celebration on Saturday, January 15th at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.
On Wednesday, February 23, a selection of Spirit Award nominees will discuss their films and their craft at Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up, a 5-week series that features conversations with directors and their collaborators.
The Jameson FIND Your Audience Award, a new filmmaker grant, was established this year to help make it possible for one Spirit Award-nominated film to find a broader audience. Spirit Award-nominated films in need of expanding their marketing and distribution efforts will be considered. The award includes a $50,000 marketing and distribution grant, funded by Jameson Irish Whiskey. The grant was designed to meet independent filmmakers’ biggest challenge today: How to get their films out into the marketplace. A blue-ribbon committee will determine the winner.
2011 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
| 127 Hours | Producers: Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson |
| Black Swan | Producers: Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver |
| Greenberg | Producers: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin |
| The Kids Are All Right | Producers: Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg |
| Winter’s Bone | Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini |
BEST DIRECTOR
| Darren Aronofsky | Black Swan |
| Danny Boyle | 127 Hours |
| Lisa Cholodenko | The Kids Are All Right |
| Debra Granik | Winter’s Bone |
| John Cameron Mitchell | Rabbit Hole |
BEST SCREENPLAY
| Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko | The Kids Are All Right |
| Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini | Winter’s Bone |
| Nicole Holofcener | Please Give |
| David Lindsay-Abaire | Rabbit Hole |
| Todd Solondz | Life During Wartime |
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
| Everything Strange and New | Director: Frazer Bradshaw
Producers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia |
| Get Low | Director: Aaron Schneider Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck |
| Night Catches Us | Director: Tanya Hamilton Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons |
| The Last Exorcism | Director: Daniel Stamm Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth |
| Tiny Furniture | Director: Lena Dunham Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering |
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
| Diane Bell | Obselidia |
| Lena Dunham | Tiny Furniture |
| Nik Fackler | Lovely, Still |
| Bob Glaudini | Jack Goes Boating |
| Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener | Monogamy |
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not listed
| Daddy Longlegs | Writer/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott |
| Lbs. | Director: Matthew Bonifacio
Writer/Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti |
| Lovers of Hate | Writer/Director: Bryan Poyser
Producer: Megan Gilbride |
| Obselidia | Writer/Director: Diane Bell
Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin |
| The Exploding Girl | Writer/Director: Bradley Rust Gray
Producers: Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim |
BEST FEMALE LEAD
| Annette Bening | The Kids Are All Right |
| Greta Gerwig | Greenberg |
| Nicole Kidman | Rabbit Hole |
| Jennifer Lawrence | Winter’s Bone |
| Natalie Portman | Black Swan |
| Michelle Williams | Blue Valentine |
BEST MALE LEAD
| Ronald Bronstein | Daddy Longlegs |
| Aaron Eckhart | Rabbit Hole |
| James Franco | 127 Hours |
| John C. Reilly | Cyrus |
| Ben Stiller | Greenberg |
| Ashley Bell | The Last Exorcism |
| Dale Dickey | Winter’s Bone |
| Allison Janney | Life During Wartime |
| Daphne Rubin-Vega | Jack Goes Boating |
| Naomi Watts | Mother and Child |
| John Hawkes | Winter’s Bone |
| Samuel L. Jackson | Mother and Child |
| Bill Murray | Get Low |
| John Ortiz | Jack Goes Boating |
| Mark Ruffalo | The Kids Are All Right |
| Adam Kimmel | Never Let Me Go |
| Matthew Libatique | Black Swan |
| Jody Lee Lipes | Tiny Furniture |
| Michael McDonough | Winter’s Bone |
| Harris Savides | Greenberg |
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)
| Exit Through the Gift Shop | Director: Banksy |
| Marwencol | Director: Jeff Malmberg |
| Restrepo | Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger |
| Sweetgrass | Directors: Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor |
| Thunder Soul | Director: Mark Landsman |
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
| Kisses (Ireland) |
Director: Lance Daly |
| Mademoiselle Chambon (France) |
Director: Stéphane Brizé |
| Of Gods and Men (Morocco) |
Director: Xavier Beauvois |
| The King’s Speech
(United Kingdom) |
Director: Tom Hooper |
| Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand) |
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul |
ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 17th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.
| Hossein Keshavarz | Dog Sweat |
| Laurel Nakadate | The Wolf Knife |
| Mike Ott | Littlerock |
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 14th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.
| In-Ah Lee | Au Revoir Taipei |
| Adele Romanski | The Myth of the American Sleepover |
| Anish Savjani | Meek’s Cutoff |
AVEENO® TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 16th annual AVEENO® Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by AVEENO®.
| Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor | Sweetgrass |
| Jeff Malmberg | Marwencol |
| Lynn True, Nelson Walker | Summer Pasture |
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
| Please Give | Director: Nicole Holofcener |
| Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy | |
| Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele |
