MIMI AT THE MOVIES

Nine Movies Nominated for Oscar, Only Five Directors? With Criticism.

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:16:00 +0000

Actress Jennifer Lawrence

Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced yesterday (Tuesday, January 24) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and 2010 Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo in 3-D received the most nominations, 11, and Scorsese received a director nod. The Artist, a black and white silent movie about movies, scored 10. However, Hugo received no best actor or actress nominations, and that could hamper it's chances for best picture because the Screen Actors Guild is the largest voting block in the Academy.

The Artist's Jean Dujardin was nominated for best actor, and Bérénice Bejo for best supporting actress. Director Michel Hazanavicius joined Scorsese with an achievement in directing nomination.

J. Edger did not receive a best motion picture nod, nor did Leonardo DiCaprio who portrayed the former FBI Director. Now, that qualifies as a snub.

On the other hand, actress Meryl Streep, who portrays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, received her 17th Oscar nomination, keeping her lead as the actress who has received the most Oscar nominations to date, but The Iron Lady received only one other nomination, achievement in makeup.

The closest rival for Streep is probably Glenn Close lead actress in Albert Nobbs, who is also nominated for best actress.

The award for best achievement in makeup also may come down to a dual between the makeup artists for The Iron Lady: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, and the makeup artists for Albert Nobbs: Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle.

In the weeks between now and the Oscar telecast, I shall have more to say about each category nominations. But, for now, here are all the nominees.

Best motion picture of the year with director, if nominated: **

    The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
    The Descendants, Alexander Payne
     Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
     The Help
     Hugo, Martin Scorsese
     Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
     Moneyball
     The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
     War Horse

** It seems unfair to me that nine motion pictures were nominated for best motion picture and only five directors were nominated for achievement in directing. I think they should have been even, because it has been my experience after tabulating this for many years, that if the director is not nominated the motion picture does not win the category. We shall see how it goes this year. I could be wrong, but I think that here is the list from which the winner will come: The Artist, The Descendants, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, The Tree of Life. It pains me that the other movies nominated in the category may not win because the directors could not be nominated.

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
    Demián Bichir, A Better Life
        George Clooney, The Descendants
    Jean Dujardin, The Artist
    Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
    Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
    Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
    Jonah Hill, Moneyball
    Nick Nolte, Warrior
    Christopher Plummer, Beginners
    Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Performance by an actress in a leading role:
    Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
    Viola Davis, The Help
    Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
    Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
    Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
    Jessica Chastain, The Help
    Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
    Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
    Octavia Spencer, The Help
Achievement in directing:
    The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
    The Descendants, Alexander Payne
    Hugo, Martin Scorsese
    Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
    The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
Achievement in cinematography:
    The Artist, Guillaume Schiffman
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jeff Cronenweth
    Hugo, Robert Richardson
    The Tree of Life, Emmanuel Lubezki
    War Horse, Janusz Kaminski
Achievement in film editing:
    The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius;
    The Descendants, Kevin Tent;
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall;
    Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker;
    Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen.
Achievement in visual effects:
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
    Hugo
    Real Steel
    Rise of the Planet of the Apes
    Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Adapted screenplay with credited writers:
    The Descendants, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash;
    Hugo, John Logan;
    The Ides of March, George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon;
    Moneyball, Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin;
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan.
Original screenplay with credited writers:
    The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius;
    Bridesmaids, Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig;
    Margin Call, J.C. Chandor;
    Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen;
    A Separation, Asghar Farhadi.
Best animated feature film of the year:
      A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat), Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, France;
     Chico and Rita, Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando, Spain;
     Kung Fu Panda 2, Jennifer Yuh;
     Puss in Boots, Chris Miller;
    Rango, Gore Verbinski.
Best foreign language film of the year with (original title), country, director, W=writer, (also, known for):

    Bullhead (Rundskop), Belgium, Michael R. Roskam, W;
    Footnote (Hearat Shulayim), Israel, Joseph Cedar, W, (Beaufort, 07);

In Darkness, Poland, Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa, 90, and Three Colors: Blue, 93);

Monsieur Lazhar, Canada, Philippe Falardeau, W;
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin ), Iran, Asghar Farhadi, W, (About Elly, 09).

Best documentary feature with director(s):

Hell and Back Again, Danfung Dennis;
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman;

    Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky;
    Pina (Sundance Selects), Wim Wenders, a "Sundance Select";
    Undefeated, Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) with composer:

    The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
    The Artist, Ludovic Bource
    Hugo, Howard Shore
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
    War Horse, John Williams

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song): ****

    “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie;
    “Real in Rio” from Rio, Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett.

**** There were 39 original songs submitted to the Academy this year for Oscar consideration, and they only nominated two?

See the submissions and listen to some here. I shall soon have a link on the right sidebar for these Oscar-worthy submissions.

Achievement in art direction:

    The Artist, Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould;
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan;
    Hugo, Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo;
    Midnight in Paris, Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil;
    War Horse. Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Achievement in costume design:

    Anonymous, Lisy Christl
    The Artist, Mark Bridges
    Hugo, Sandy Powell
    Jane Eyre, Michael O'Connor
    W.E., Arianne Phillips

Achievement in makeup:

    Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle;
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin;
    The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland.

Achievement in sound editing:

    Drive, Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Ren Klyce
    Hugo, Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
    Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
    War Horse, Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Achievement in sound mixing:

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson;
    Hugo, Tom Fleischman and John Midgley;
    Moneyball, Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick;
    Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin;
    War Horse, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson.

Best live action short film with director(s) and country, if known:

    Pentecost, Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane, Ireland;
    Raju, Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren, Germany;    The Shore, Terry George and Oorlagh George;
    Time Freak, Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey, USA;
    Tuba Atlantic, Hallvar Witzø, Norway.

Best animated short film:

    Dimanche/Sunday (National Film Board of Canada);
    The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Moonbot Studios);
    La Luna (Walt Disney / Pixar Animation);
    A Morning Stroll (Studio AKA);
    Wild Life (National Film Board of Canada).

Best documentary short subject with director(s):

    The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin;
    God Is the Bigger Elvis, Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson;
    Incident in New Baghdad, James Spione;
    Saving Face, Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy; ***
    The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen.

*** Junge is Dutch. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is Pakisrani. She and I are members of the Facebook Group, "Pakistani Feminist Group."

Jennifer Lawrence, who was nominated last year for an Academy Award for her lead performance in Winter’s Bone, announced with Sherak the nominees in 10 of the 24 Award categories at a 5:38 a.m. PT, live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Lists of nominations in all categories were then distributed to the media in attendance and online via the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the guild branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. However, in the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominations are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Nominations ballots were mailed to the 5,783 voting members in late December and were returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members this weekend at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Members may vote in all the nominated categories, although in five of them – Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject and Foreign Language Film – members may vote only if they have seen all of the nominated films in those categories.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 4 p.m. PT, and 7 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Oscar Nominations Announced Tomorrow Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:36:00 +0000

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live tomorrow (Tuesday), January 24th, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills. They should be broadcast live on the early shows airing on the major networks, but especially on ABC, which will air the Academy Awards presentation to be broadcast Sunday, February 26th.

For more details about this event, scroll down to my Wednesday, January 11th post, "Lawrence and Sherak to Announce Oscar Nominations." Also, I welcome comments on this blog!

Short List for Best Foreign Language Film

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:07:00 +0000

The short list for the Best Motion Picture in the Foreign Language Category was released this morning by the Academy, the final short list in this category. These are the nine films from which the final five nominated films will be chosen in the next round of voting for the 84th Academy Awards. I note that the Golden Globe winning Iranian motion picture, A Separation, made the cut. There were 63 motion pictures in the original qualifying list. For that original list, see link on right sidebar of this blog.

Here is the short list from which the nominated films will come, listed in alphabetical order by country with director:

Belgium -- Bullhead, Michael R. Roskam;
Canada -- Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau;
Denmark -- Superclásico, Ole Christian Madsen;
Germany -- Pina, Wim Wenders;
Iran -- A Separation, Asghar Farhadi;
Israel -- Footnote, Joseph Cedar;
Morocco -- Omar Killed Me, Roschdy Zem;
Poland -- In Darkness, Agnieszka Holland;
Taiwan -- Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, Wei Te-sheng.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2011 are again being determined in two phases:

A. Phase I. A committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 63 eligible films between mid-October and January 13. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

B. Phase 2. The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, with actress Jennifer Lawrence assisting Academy President Tom Sherak.

Academy Awards for outstanding motion picture achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and broadcast world-wide to 225 countries, on ABC in the U.S.

Visit the fantastic new Oscars Website by clicking the title of this post. Watch for the new 84th Academy Awards trailer at your local theater.

__________________

All information in this post is copy written, and is posted on this copy written bog with permission from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Winners of 69th Golden Globes

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:29:00 +0000

GOLDEN GLOBES 2011

The 69th Golden Globe Awards - Sunday, January 15, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, NBC.


Morgan Freeman, recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award

WINNERs

Best Picture, Drama:

The Descendants

The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Picture, Comedy/Musical:

The Artist

Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week With Marilyn
50/50

Best Actress, Drama:

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Actor, Drama:

George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Best Actress, Comedy:

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Actor, Comedy:

Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Director, Motion Picture:

Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michael Hazavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best Screenplay, Motion Pictures:

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Michael Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

Best Supporting Actor, Drama:

Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Best Supporting Actress, Drama:

Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Animated Motion Picture:

The Adventures of Tintin
Puss and Boots
Winnie the Pooh
Arthur Christmas

Rango

Best Foreign Language Motion Picture:

A Separation (Iran)
The Flowers of War (China)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA)
The Kid with Bike (Belgium)
The Skin I Live In (Spain)

Best Score, Motion Picture:

Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Howard Shore, Hugo

John Williams, War Horse

Best Original Song, Motion Picture:
"Masterpiece" (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), W.E.
"Hello Hello" (music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin), Gnomeo & Juliet
"The Keeper" (music and lyrics by Chris Cornell), Machine Gun Preacher
"Lay Your Head Down" (music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close), Albert Nobbs
"The Living Proof" (music by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr., lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas), The Help

Best Mini-series, TV:

Downton Abbey (PBS)
Cinema Verite (HBO)
The Hour (BBC America)
Mildred Pierce (HBO)
Too Big to Fail (HBO)

Best TV Series, Drama:
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland

Best TV Series, Comedy:
Enlightened (HBO)
Episodes (Showtime)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
New Girl (FOX)

Best Actor, TV Drama:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Actress, TV Drama:
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best Actor, TV Comedy:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Actress, TV Comedy:
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl

Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laira Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Supporting Actor, TV:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actress, TV:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly MacDonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Oscar Nominations for Best Foreign Language and Short Docs

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:01:00 +0000


Spain submits Agusti Villaronga's Black Bread for Oscar Consideration

1. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 84th Academy Awards has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar nominations.

Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 35 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for tabulation. The eight films are listed below in alphabetical order by title:

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement;

God Is the Bigger Elvis;

In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution;

Incident in New Baghdad;

Pipe Dreams;

Saving Face;

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom;

Witness.

2. Sixty-three countries, including first-time entrant New Zealand, have submitted feature films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards. More will be written about some of the submissions, but here's the list in alphabetical order by country with director:

Albania, Amnesty, Bujar Alimani;

Argentina, Aballay, Fernando Spiner;

Austria, Breathing, Karl Markovics;

Belgium, Bullhead, Michael R. Roskam;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belvedere, Ahmed Imamovic;

Brazil, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, José Padilha;

Bulgaria, Tilt, Viktor Chouchkov, Jr;

Canada, Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau;

Chile, Violeta Went to Heaven, Andrés Wood;

*China, The Flowers of War, Zhang Yimou;

Colombia, The Colors of the Mountain, Carlos César Arbeláez;

Croatia, 72 Days, Danilo Serbedzija;

Cuba, Havanastation, Ian Padrón;

Czech Republic, Alois Nebel, Tomás Lunák;

Denmark, Superclásico, Ole Christian Madsen;

Dominican Republic, Love Child, Leticia Tonos;

Egypt, Lust, Khaled el Hagar;

Estonia, Letters to Angel, Sulev Keedus;

Finland, Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki;

France, Declaration of War, Valérie Donzelli;

Georgia, Chantrapas, Otar Iosseliani;

*Germany, Pina, Wim Wenders;

Greece, Attenberg, Athina Rachel Tsangari;

Hong Kong, A Simple Life, Ann Hui;

Hungary, The Turin Horse, Béela Tarr;

Iceland, Volcano, Rúnar Rúnarsson;

India, Abu, Son of Adam, Salim Ahamed;

Indonesia, Under the Protection of Ka'Bah, Hanny R. Saputra;

*Iran, A Separation, Asghar Farhadi;

Ireland, As If I Am Not There, Juanita Wilson;

Israel, Footnote, Joseph Cedar;

Italy, Terraferma, Emanuele Crialese;

Japan, Postcard, Kaneto Shindo;

Kazakhstan, Returning to the ‘A’, Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky;

*Lebanon, Where Do We Go Now? Nadine Labaki;

Lithuania, Back to Your Arms, Kristijonas Vildziunas;

Macedonia, Punk Is Not Dead, Vladimir Blazevski;

Mexico, Miss Bala, Gerardo Naranjo;

Morocco, Omar Killed Me, Roschdy Zem;

Netherlands, Sonny Boy, Maria Peters;

New Zealand, The Orator, Tusi Tamasese;

Norway, Happy, Happy, Anne Sewitsky;

Peru, October, Diego Vega and Daniel Vega;

Philippines, The Woman in the Septic Tank, Marlon N. Rivera;

Poland, In Darkness, Agnieszka Holland;

Portugal, José and Pilar, Miguel Gonçalves Mendes;

Romania, Morgen, Marian Crisan;

Russia, Burnt by the Sun 2: The Citadel, Nikita Mikhalkov***;

Serbia, Montevideo: Taste of a Dream, Dragan Bjelogrlić;

Singapore, Tatsumi, Eric Khoo;

Slovak Republic, Gypsy, Martin Sulík;

South Africa, Beauty, Oliver Hermanus;

South Korea, The Front Line, Jang Hun;

Spain, Black Bread, Agusti Villaronga*;

Sweden, Beyond, Pernilla August;

Switzerland, Summer Games, Rolando Colla;

*Taiwan, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, Wei Te-sheng;

Thailand, Kon Khon, Sarunyu Wongkrachang;

*Turkey, Once upon a Time in Anatolia, Nuri Bilge Ceylan;

United Kingdom, Patagonia, Marc Evans;

Uruguay, The Silent House, Gustavo Hernández;

Venezuela, Rumble of the Stones, Alejandro Bellame Palacios;

Vietnam, The Prince and the Pagoda Boy, Luu Trong Ninh.

* Directors Mimi follows.

*** According to the IMBd there is a controversy in Russia about this movie being selected by Russia as the official entry: "A move is underway in Russia to overhaul the committee that nominates the film to represent the country in the best foreign language competition at the annual Oscar race. It follows widespread controversy over the selection of Nikita Mikhalkov’s Burnt by the Sun: The Citadel, as this year’s entry despite the fact that the film received a drubbing from critics and flopped at the box office. Daily Variety reported today (Monday) that a new union of filmmakers, Kino Soyuz, is lobbying for a transparent nomination process from a committee drawn from the ranks of previous Oscar nominees or winners. Several Russian critics have noted that Mikhalkov has close ties to the country’s power elite and is a close friend of Vladimir Putin. Russia’s Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper described the selection of Citadel for the Oscar competition as a triumph of 'cronyism' over,'common sense'.”

There is a link with this list on the right sidebar of this blog and it will remain there until about October next year. The nomination ballots are now at PwC to be tabulated. The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Actress Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) will assist the Academy President.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

See previous post below for other happenings at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

New Rules for Docs and Short Films Approved by Academy Board

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:36:00 +0000

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved documentary and short film rules for the 85th Academy Awards in 2013 at its most recent meeting on December 6, 2011.

The purpose of the new rules is to offer members more opportunities to view the films vying for an Oscar nomination, and/or win. Thus, more members will be able to vote in the categories of Documentary Feature, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film.

However, now that all motion pictures from now on will be made using digital photography, the designation of a Documentary Feature, and an animated or live-action short, really should not be "film." Film is the out-dated process. Now, digital photography is the process, but a motion picture is still the product, as well as the medium of motion picture communication.

In the Documentary Feature category, the entire Documentary Branch will now receive all eligible titles beginning in the first round of voting. To facilitate this change, producers must submit 200 DVDs, an increase from the 30 that had been required in previous years. In the final round of voting in this category, members must still see all the nominated films, but the viewing of films on a digital screener will now be an option for satisfying this requirement.

A documentary feature's eligibility will continue to depend on completing seven-day qualifying runs in both New York and Los Angeles that are advertised in at least one major newspaper, as specified by Academy rules, in each city.
For the 85th Academy Awards in 2013, however, a review by a movie critic in The New York Times and/or the Los Angeles Times will also be required. The Academy specifically specified implementation of this rule for the 85th Academy Awards in 2013. Does this leave open a door to review this controversial rule for a published review before 2014?

As with the final voting for the best documentary feature, members will still be required to see all the motion pictures in the Animated Short and Live Action Short categories before voting for a winner, but viewing them on a digital screener will now be an option for satisfying this requirement as well.

When it comes to non-standard format, such as IMAX, the producers must submit the motion picture to the Academy in a standard theatrical aspect ratio and in a format currently accepted for Academy exhibition to remain eligible. They may provide additional screenings in non-standard formats, but members’ attendance at such screenings will not be required for voting purposes. The Academy only mentioned IMAX, so does this rule apply to RealD 3D, and Dolby 3D as well? Confused?See Article.

Other rule changes for the documentary and short motion picture categories include normal date changes and minor "housekeeping" changes. Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.

Lawrence and Sherak to Announce Oscar Nominations

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:35:00 +0000

Poster available to order for free. See below.

Academy member, and Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence (above, Winter's Bone), will join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak to announced the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards Tuesday, January 24th. Together, they will unveil the nominations in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:30 a.m. PT news conference at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California.

Last year at the 83rd Academy Awards, Lawrence received a nomination for her lead performance in Winter's Bone. She will be seen next in The Hunger Games and recently completed work on The Silver Linings Playbook. Her other film credits include The Burning Plain, Like Crazy, The Beaver and X-Men: First Class.

Nomination information in all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance, expected to number in the hundreds from around the world. Also, information will be distributed simultaneously via the Internet on the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Official 84th Academy Award's Poster is available free for order in many different sizes. Information and order

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

Writers Guild Oscar Nominations, and Short List for Visual Effects

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Download this official poster in many sizes for free!

Interesting that The Tree of Life is on the current visual effects list and not on the Writers Guilds' list. Here are the nominees from the Writers Guild:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

50/50, written by Will Reiser;

Bridesmaids, written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig;

Midnight in Paris, written by Woody Allen;
Win Win, screenplay by Tom McCarthy; story by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni;
Young Adult, written by Diablo Cody.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants, screenplay by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash; based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming;
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, screenplay by Steven Zaillian; based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts;
The Help, screenplay by Tate Taylor; based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett;
Hugo, screenplay by John Logan; based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick;
Moneyball, screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; based on the book by Michael Lewis.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Better This World, written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega;
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek;
Nostalgia for the Light, written by Patricio Guzmán;
Pina, screenplay by Wim Wenders;
Position Among the Stars, script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich;
Senna, written by Manish Pandey.

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There are now 10 motion pictures are on the short list in the 84th Academy Awards Visual Effects (VFX) category awaiting a possible Oscar nomination. They are listed below in alphabetical order:

Captain America: The First Avenger

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

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The Tree of Life

X-Men: First Class

All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Thursday, January 19. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

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The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

What Happens to the Academy Awards If Kodak Files Bankruptcy?

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Rumors are flying that the Eastman Kodak Company, founded by the late George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932) may file for bankruptcy. If the company does, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences could lose it's Oscar home over the last 10 years in the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the company based in Rochester, N.Y., agreed to pay $75 million over 20 years for their name on the theater, owned by the CIM Group. With that agreement, Kodak, aligned its company identity each year with the biggest motion picture event in Hollywood.

However, according to sources, if an Academy move does happen, it's not likely until after the 2013 broadcast. Apparently, there are certain clauses in the contract that representatives for Kodak and the Academy are now studying. My former colleagues employed in the accounting offices at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), will probably stay busy at the Academy after this year's awards.

Believe it or not, but the Academy may have outgrown the Kodak Theatre (seats 3,332), and other larger venues have opened in downtown Los Angeles, such as the Nokia Theatre (seats 7,100). On Wall Street, Kodak shares are no longer offered in dollars. At today's close, the price per share was 47 cents. Consequently, Kodak has apparently been warned by the New York Stock Exchange that its stock will be delisted if the price remains below $1 per share for the next six months.

Eastman Kodak has played a vital role in the development of motion pictures in America, helping to set the standard of 35 mm film, and introducing the 16 mm film format for home movies use and low-budget commercial films. Anyone remember Kodacolor, Kodachrome, and Technicolor in three colors?

But their biggest achievement was when the company introduced its first motion picture film designed especially for making sound motion pictures. If anyone knows anything much about American movies, they know that it was cooperation between George Eastman and Harry Warner of Warner Brothers Studios, that made the first synchronized sound, or "talkie," possible. Eastman Kodak's first sound system for motion pictures was known as Vitaphone.

The movie wasn't a total talkie, but consisted of synchronized sound sequences dispersed within the 1927 black and white movie, The Jazz Singer, which had about 15 minutes of Al Jolsen singing. For more on Eastman Kodak's contribution, for which they have been awarded a number of Academy Awards, click.

Here is an appeal: If you are a investor, i.e., gambler, on Wall Street, please take a gamble on Eastman Kodak. Let's get those share prices up to at least $l.00!

Meryl Streep, Star of 'The Iron Lady', Racks Up Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:15:00 +0000

Meryl Streep as Thatche

Actress Meryl Streeps' new starer, The Iron Lady, premiered Tuesday, December 13, at the Ziegfeld Theater, NYC, to much praise, especially for the actress on the verge of assuming the title of the current gran dame of Hollywood actresses. Streep, wearing a big-hair red wig, remarkably resembles the former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as does Streep's voice. Oscar buzz for Meryl Streep has been growing for almost a month, and The Iron Lady, scheduled to open January 13, hasn't opened at the time of this post.

Shortly after the movie's premiere, Streep received the Kennedy Center Honor for her achievements in acting and humanitarian causes. In October, she won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for her role in The Iron Lady, while their best picture award went to the black and white move, The Artist.

Streep was recently nominated for a best actress Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award, and a Golden Globe in the same category. Now comes word she will receive an honorary life-time achievement Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, which will run February 9-19 in Berlin, Germany. The 69th annual Golden Globes will be broadcast live in HD on NBC Sunday, January 15, 2012, and the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are scheduled for Sunday, January 29, 2012, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

The Berlin International Film Festival presentation ceremony for Streep is scheduled for February 14, and, of course, a screening of The Iron Lady will follow. As a further homage to Streep, the festival will also screen some of her best-known films, among them: Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa and The Bridges of Madison County. Which is your favorite among these? For more on the tribute, click the title of this post.

And, there are more honors for Streep, currently 62. She is on the cover of the January issue of Vogue Magazine. The headline? "Meryl Streep: Force of Nature," a fitting title since she is a shareholder in the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) organization, a.k.a. Local Harvest, and has been working for safe, organic and ecologically sustainable food for more than a decade.

She is also a supporter of the campaign for a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. So far, this exists as a virtual entity with a nice Web site (nwhm.org), but campaigners have been working to get an actual, physical museum “Right Here. Right Now” (as their literature puts it) on a property on, or adjacent to, the National Mall.

Since this is federal land, Congress must pass legislation to authorize the purchase, even though the museum will not cost the taxpayers anything, because it will be privately funded. Of course, Congress, especially the House, does as little as possible, so the project remains on hold.

I agree with Streep and the others. It's time the contribution of women to the U.S.A. had a "residence" on the National Mall along with the gents.

According to the IMDb, Meryl Streep has been nominated for an Academy Award 16 times. She has won only twice: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Sophie's Choice (1982). It's time she added a third statuette to her fireplace mantel before all the Academy will present her is an honorary Oscar for her life's work.

You go, girl!

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Poster for 84th Academy Awards Available for Download

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:13:00 +0000

This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the 84th Academy Awards official poster. Nothing unusual about that, but what is unusual this year is the Academy is inviting the public to download the poster in multiple sizes, from a full-sized poster, to a size useful as a profile picture in social networking sites.

The art features the iconic Oscar statuette alongside memorable images of eight films spanning eight decades: Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1943), Giant (1956), The Sound of Music (1965), The Godfather (1972), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Forrest Gump (1994) and Gladiator (2000). All the films featured on the poster won the Academy Award for Best Picture, except Giant, but George Stevens won the Oscar for Directing.

Actor James Dean was killed in an automobile accident in September 1955, but he was still nominated for best actor in Giant, along with his costar Rock Hudson. Yul Brynner in The King and I received the best actor Oscar that year.

The best picture was Around the World in Eighty Days, produced by Mike Todd, who was then husband of actress Elizabeth Taylor. Tragically, Todd was killed two years later in a plane crash. But, I digress. Back to the poster.

The Oscar poster's tagline "Celebrate the movies in all of us," and its over-all design, is meant to evoke the emotional connections we all have with the movies. The public is encouraged to download the poster image to use as wallpaper and profile icons, and to share with friends, available on the Academy's website, www.oscars.org/poster.

The artwork was created by award-winning graphic designer Anthony Goldschmidt, and Mark and Karen Crawford of the design firm Blood and Chocolate. Posters will be available to theaters in the U.S., and internationally, on January 6th, along with a theatrical trailer.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and broadcast on ABC's Good Morning America.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Oscar Nomination Ballots for 2012 in the Mail

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:52:00 +0000

How many feature motion pictures will be nominated this year?

Nomination ballots for the 84th Academy Awards on February 26th of next year, were mailed yesterday to the 5,783 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers (Pwc) by Friday, January 13, 2012, and by 5 p.m., PT, that day. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. I can personally attest to that.

Meanwhile, my readers are asking, "How many feature films will be nominated for best picture this year?" A very good question.

Last year, there were 10 feature motion pictures and many of my readers, as well as myself, feel that was too many. Because of the extra five movies, the Academy had to cut some of the more enjoyable features of previous broadcasts. In exchange we got, in essence, five more movie commercials, which we had already seen multiple times. The Academy did not see a spike in viewership because of the additional nominations, either.

So how many this year? It's up in the air. As I understand it, PwC will tabulate the results as usuL, but they will have a bit more work to do this year.

Each Academy voter will number their preferences for the nominations for the best feature motion picture from one to five, and the PWC tabulation will determine the results by determining the movies that have the most votes. They will choose the top five, perhaps the top seven, ten? Who knows?

The rules state that no more than ten motion pictures, and no less than five, shall be nominated for the Best Picture of 2011. So, wait for the surprise Tuesday, January 24th, when the 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater at 5:30 a.m. PT. Check your local national network television stations for broadcast times in your area. ABC's "Good Morning America" on that date is the best bet.

Nominations and final-awards ballots are tabulated by PwC to ensure that all aspects of the balloting process are conducted with fairness and accuracy. Prior to mailing any ballots, the PwC staff administers a thorough verification process to ensure that there are no duplicate ballots and that none are missing. In addition to being counted and sorted, the ballots are numbered to guarantee that each one is addressed to the appropriate Academy voter.

The final Oscar ballots, by which the winners will be determined, will be mailed Wednesday, February 2nd. The best motion picture of 2011 winner will be determined by the nominated feature picture that has the most Academy members marking that motion picture as number one on their final ballot. There are no runner-ups in this contest.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Composer Thomas Newman Leads with Most Original Music Scores Eligible for Oscar Nomination

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:46:00 +0000

Ninety-seven scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures are in competition for nominations in the Original Score category for the 84th Academy Awards.

Composer Thomas Newman

Composer Thomas Newman has the most original scores eligible for nomination. He has four: The Adjustment Bureau, The Debt, The Help, and The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep. One, or more of these feature motion pictures will get a best picture nod.

Thomas Newman, has exemplary musical pedigree, being the son of composer Alfred Newman; nephew of Lionel Newman and Emil Newman; and cousin of Randy Newman. An accomplished pianist, Newman almost always plays piano on his own scores, typically during slow, moody passages.

He has been nominated for nine best score Oscars, but has never won, not even for such motion pictures as Finding Nemo, Road to Perdition, Little Women, American Beauty, and The Shawshank Redemption. I think 2012 may be this Newman's year.

Composer Alexandre Desplat is not nominated for The Tree of Life. It could be because much of the music for that movie consists of vintage recordings, and that movie score was disqualified. Desplat is nominated for three other scores: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Ides of March.

A possible cousin of mine, one of the James among many in the Horner family, this one known as James Roy and an Oscar-winning composer (Titanic, Avatar, Braveheart, etc.), is not nominated this year, either.

The venerable John Williams is nominated for The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse, both collaborations with Steven Spielberg. They have worked together going back to Jaws. Williams won Oscars for Jaws, ET, and Shindler's List. See his full music composition repertoire.

The eligible scores along with the composer(s) are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:

The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
African Cats, Nicholas Hooper
Albert Nobbs, Brian Byrne
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Mark Mothersbaugh
Anonymous, Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser
Another Earth, Phil Mossman and Will Bates
Answers to Nothing, Craig Richey
Arthur Christmas, Harry Gregson-Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
@urFRENZ, Lisbeth Scott
Atlas Shrugged Part, Elia Cmiral
Battle: Los Angeles, Brian Tyler
Beastly, Marcelo Zarvos
The Big Year, Theodore Shapiro
Captain America: The First Avenger, Alan Silvestri
Cars 2, Michael Giacchino
Cedar Rapids, Christophe Beck
Conan the Barbarian, Tyler Bates
The Conspirator, Mark Isham
Contagion, Cliff Martinez
Coriolanus, Ilan Eshkeri, composer
DAM999, Ousepachan, composer
The Darkest Hour, Tyler Bates
The Debt, Thomas Newman
Dolphin Tale, Mark Isham
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Dream House, John Debney
The Eagle, Atli Orvarsson
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Alexandre Desplat
Fast Five, Brian Tyler
The First Grader, Alex Heffes
The Flowers of War, Qigang Chen
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
The Greatest Miracle, Mark McKenzie
Green Lantern, James Newton Howard
Hanna, Tom Rowlands
Happy Feet Two, John Powell
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Alexandre Desplat
The Help, Thomas Newman
Hop, Christopher Lennertz
Hugo, Howard Shore
I Don’t Know How She Does It, Aaron Zigman
The Ides of March, Alexandre Desplat
Immortals, Trevor Morris
In Search of God, Rupam Sarmah
In the Land of Blood and Honey, Gabriel Yared
In Time, Craig Armstrong
Insidious, Joseph Bishara
The Iron Lady, Thomas Newman
J. Edgar, Clint Eastwood Jane Eyre, Dario Marianelli
The Lady, Eric Serra
Like Crazy, Dustin O’Halloran
Margaret, Nico Muhly
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Michael Giacchino
Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Rolfe Kent
Moneyball, Mychael Danna
Monte Carlo, Michael Giacchino
New Year’s Eve, John Debney
Norman, Andrew Bird
One Day, Rachel Portman, composer
Puss in Boots, Henry Jackman
Rampart, Dickon Hinchliffe
Real Steel, Danny Elfman
Rebirth, Philip Glass
Red Riding Hood, Alex Heffes and Brian Reitzell
Restless, Danny Elfman
Rio, John Powell
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Patrick Doyle
The Rite, Alex Heffes
The Rum Diary, Christopher Young
Sanctum, David Hirschfelder
Sarah’s Key, Max Richter
Senna, Antonio Pinto
Shame, Harry Escott
The Skin I Live In, Alberto Iglesias
The Smurfs, Heitor Pereira
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Rachel Portman
Super 8, Michael Giacchino
Take Shelter, David Wingo
The Thing, Marco Beltrami
Thor, Patrick Doyle
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
Tower Heist, Christophe Beck
W.E., Abel Korzeniowski
War Horse, John Williams
Warrior, Mark Isham
Water for Elephants, James Newton Howard
The Way, Tyler Bates
We Bought a Zoo, Jon Thor Birgisson
We Need to Talk about Kevin, Jonny Greenwood
Win Win, Lyle Workman
Winnie the Pooh, Henry Jackman
X-Men: First Class, Henry Jackman
Young Adult, Rolfe Kent
Your Highness, Steve Jablonsky

A Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.

To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer will not be eligible.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.

265 Feature Motion Pictures Eligible for Best Picture Oscar

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:08:00 +0000

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that 265 feature motion pictures are eligible for the 2012 Academy Awards in the Best Feature Motion Picture of 2011 category. All winners will be announced in February at the 84th Academy Awards Gala.

To be eligible for 84th Academy Awards consideration, feature motion pictures must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature motion pictures that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category.

The link to the “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 84th Academy Awards” has been placed on the right sidebar and will remain there until the 2012 winners list is posted, and you may also click the title of this post to access it.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Thirty-nine Original Songs Compete For Oscar Nominations

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:06:00 +0000

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday that 39 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures will vie for nominations in the Original Song category for the 84th Academy Awards in February. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, the list below is in alphabetical order of film titles - on the right:

"Lay Your Head Down" from Albert Nobbs
"Star Spangled Man" from Captain America: The First Avenger
"Collision of Worlds" from Cars 2
"Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu" from DAM999
"DAM999 Theme Song" from DAM999
"Mujhe Chod Ke" from DAM999
"Rainbird" from Dirty Girl
"Keep On Walking" from The First Grader
"Where the River Goes" from Footloose
"Hello Hello" from Gnomeo and Juliet
"Love Builds a Garden" from Gnomeo and Juliet
"Bridge of Light" from Happy Feet Two
"The Mighty Sven" from Happy Feet Two
"Never Be Daunted" from happythankyoumoreplease
"Hell and Back" from Hell and Back Again
"The Living Proof" from The Help
"Coeur Volant" from Hugo
"It's How We Play" from I Don't Know How She Does It
"When the Heart Dies" from In the Land of Blood and Honey
"Ja Nao Estar" from José and Pilar
"The Keeper" from Machine Gun Preacher
"Life's a Happy Song" from The Muppets
"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets
"Pictures in My Head" from The Muppets
"Summer Song" from The Music Never Stopped
"Imaginary Friends" from Olive
"Sparkling Day" from One Day
"Taking You with Me" from Our Idiot Brother
"The Greatest Song I Ever Heard" from POM Wonderful
Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
"Hot Wings" from Rio
"Let Me Take You to Rio" from Rio

"Real in Rio" from Rio
"Shelter" from Take Shelter
"Gathering Stories" from We Bought a Zoo
"Pop" from White Irish Drinkers
"Think You Can Wait" from Win Win
"The Backson Song" from Winnie the Pooh
"So Long" from Winnie the Pooh

On Thursday, January 5th, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the Music Branch in Los Angeles. Following the screenings, members will determine the nominees by an averaged point system of voting.

If no song receives an average score of 8.25 or more, there will be no nominees in the category. If only one song achieves that score, it and the song receiving the next highest score shall be the two nominees. If two or more songs (up to five) achieve that score, they shall be the nominees.

A DVD copy of the song clips will be made available to those branch members who are unable to attend the screening and who request it for home viewing. A mail-in ballot will be provided.

Under Academy rules, a maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film. If more than two songs from a film achieve a score of 8.25 or more, the two songs with the highest scores will be the nominees.

To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.>/div>

According to IndiWire, viewers may expect, depending upon songs ultimately nominated, to hear either Elton John or Lady Gaga or both (Gnomeo and Juliet), Luciano Pavarotti (In the Land of Blood and Honey), Pink (Happy Feet Two), Chris Cornell (Machine Gun Preacher), Brad Paisley (Cars 2), Sinead O'Connor (Albert Nobbs), or The Muppets. For more from IndiWire, click title of this post.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

‘The Artist’ tops 69th Golden Globe Nominations

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:27:00 +0000

The Golden Globe nominations were announced the middle of last week. In the race for best motion picture The Artist, a silent black-and-white movie about an actor at the time of the transition to talkies, led the pack with six Golden Globe nominations. It is nominated for best picture in the musical or comedy category.

George Clooney's two movies each received a nod for best picture, drama. The Descendants seems to be favored over The Ides of March. The former received five nominations, including best feature movie in the drama category, and a best actor nomination for Clooney.

But Ides of March was not slighted by the HFPA. Clooney, Heslov, and Beau Willimon are nominated for best screenplay and Clooney has a best director nomination.

Not nominated? The Tree of Life. Not enough "T and A" in the movie, perhaps, or was the Cannes winner's Transcendental premise over their heads? There is more about the actual nominations but, first, a digression.

I caution you, dear reader, to be aware where the Oscar race is concerned that the Golden Globe Awards are sponsored and the recipients chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). That is the association of credentialed reporters, etc., from outside the USA, who follow and report on the American entertainment industry. Some live here, some don't. The Globes give awards to both the movie and television industries.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the sponsor of the Academy Awards (Oscars). The membership of the Academy (AMPAS) consists of people who work in the movie industry, and who are card caring members of an industry guild. Every member must be invited to join. Only members of the Academy can nominate and vote, and awards are only given to the motion picture industry.

I know some people still call these awards, and festivals, "film," but it is a misnomer now because movies are not photographed on film and projectors don't project film, they are all digital in the USA. So, now we should call them the best picture, best motion picture, best movie, best feature, best short motion picture, etc. Technically there is no longer a best film in any category.

Besides, when I was in cinema school, I was taught that film is the medium whereby motion pictures, sometimes called by their shortened slang name, movies, are made. Motion Pictures are the products, one product medium that comprises The Media. Get the picture? If so, enjoy the motion picture festivals and watch lots of movies at your local picture show, as they were originall called. Of course today they are shown in a movie theater, or cinema!

But, quick, amend that. We don't even need to go out to see a movie anymore. We can get it on demand from a provider server There's TV, cable, satellite, or watch it on our computer. On demand, when we want it. Wow! The method of delivering movies has come a long way, indeed.

Many critics and writers will indicate that the Globe winners predict the Oscars. They do not. What they do is bring the movies before the general public, and probably do cause some Academy members to consider, or reconsider, some movie they have either previously overlooked or dismissed.

For instance, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last chose the same best picture in 2009, when director Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire won both. I picked that movie for best picture in October when it won best picture at the Toronto Festival. After I saw it, I knew I had made the best choice.

Not only do the Globes honor television shows and actors, but they have two categories for best picture: musical or comedy, and drama, as well as the same two categories for best and supporting actors and actresses. The Academy makes the same distinction for actors and actresses, but there is only one best picture, and comedy usually gets the short piece of the wishbone when it comes to the Academy Awards.

The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will be held Sunday, January 15th, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, and broadcast live on NBC. Ricky Gervaise will host them again this year.

The Oscar nominations will be announced January 24th at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills.The 84th Academy Awards gala will be broadcast by ABC February 26th, and Billy Crystal will host.

NOMINATIONS FOR BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

The Descendants, starring George Clooney.
The Ides of March - George Clooney wrote, directed and stars in the Ides of March. To me, it is basically Clooney's take on politics. Of course, it is a liberal-progressive one, so I like that. Tagline: An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

The Help, received nine nominations. Three actresses in the movie were nominated, but not Emma Stone who played Skeeter. These were: Viola Davis (Aibileen) for best actress, Jessica Chastain (Celia) and Octavia Spencer (Minny) for an actress in a supporting role.

Hugo (Paramount), Martin Scorsese's animated movie is not nominated in the animation category, but for best motion picture. The other Paramount animated movie, Rango, is nominated in the animation category.

Moneyball, an excellent baseball movie starring Brad Pitt, and costarring Jonah Hill, is for those who love the allure of baseball statistics, and a baseball movie that is all heart, at the same time. Pitt received a best actor nomination for his role as real-life manager Billy Beane, but Jonah Hill did not receive a best-supporting nod.

War Horse, the latest horse opera. This one is set in World War One, and is directed by Steven Spielberg. Take Kleenex.

Click the title of this post to see the full list of nominations, and much more, on the HFPA's Official Site. Please come back here after the first of the year for some more unique takes on the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

Screen Actors Guild's Surprise Best Actor SAG Nomination, and Mary Tyler Moore

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Demián Bichir

18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards honoring the Years outstanding performances will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS, Sunday, January 29, 2012, from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. Of all the industry guilds, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has the most voting members of any guild in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Van Dyke and Moore

Actress Mary Tyler Moore will receive the SAG Life Achievement Award. Dick Van Dyke, Moore's former co-star on The Dick Van Dyke Show, will present her with the award next month.

Moore's breakout role was on The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1961. For that role, she won two Emmy Awards. Next, she played Mary as star of her own show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, co-starring the likes of Ed Asner and Betty White. The show won 29 Emmys during its seven-year run (1970 - 1977).

She was nominated for an Oscar in 1980 for her role as Beth Jarrett in Robert Redford's directorial debut Ordinary People.

When the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announces its annual nominations in movies and television, those in the industries, and fans take serious note. When it comes to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and (AMPAS), SAG members comprise the biggest voting block in AMPAS. Therefore, it natually follows that the SAG Awards are often predictors of Oscar winners.

There was one nomination for 2012 that took me most by surprise, and that was the best actor actor nomination of actor Demián Bichir (Che, part 2, 2008, and Weeds on TV), for his role in the independent movie, A Better Life, directed by Chris Weitz, (Twilight: New Moon, 2009, and About a Boy, 2002).

Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, a hardworking undocumented worker in East Los Angles, who works as a gardener and landscaper for another undocumented immigrant. Carlos is raising his 15-year-old, American-born son Luis alone, because the mother left the family. Luis (Jose Julian) is wrestling with joining a gang to gain respect among his peers while showing little respect for his hard-working father, who comes home sweaty and exhausted every day of the week.

The movie is available for instant view now, or buy DVD, either for $3.99, from Amazon Instant Video. Support independent movies, click graphic:

The other actors nominated with Bichir for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role, are:

GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King - The Descendants
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. Edgar Hoover - J. Edgar
JEAN DUJARDIN / George - The Artist
BRAD PITT / Billy Beane - Moneyball

The entire nomination list is long, so access it by clicking the title of this post. Remember, SAG does not nominate "Best Picture," or "Best TV Show," because for them it is all about the acting! I'll work in more about the SAG member's nomination choices in upcoming posts.

'The Tree of Life' Wins San Francisco Critics Best Picture, and Sundance News

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:07:00 +0000

The San Francisco Critics Circle rallied around the Cannes' winner, The Tree of Life on Sunday, naming it the best picture of the year, and giving the best director award to Terrence Malick. The critics also singled out the movie's Emmanuel Lubezki for best cinematography.

Watch featurette of The Tree of Life star Jessica Chastain, also with Brad Pitt, and producers Dede Gardner and Grant Hill.
VIDEO

Comprised of 31 Bay Area film critics the organization, voted Gary Oldman best actor for his portrayal of a British intelligence officer in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Tilda Swinton

They hailed Tilda Swinton as best actress for portraying the mother of a severely troubled boy in We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Supporting actor went to Albert Brooks for Drive,

Vanessa Redgrave

and supporting actress to Vanessa Redgrave for Coriolanus.

Fiennes and Chastain

Ralph Fiennes not only stars in the Coriolanus, he makes his directorial debut in this lesser-known Shakespearean tragedy.

Also in Coriolanus, Chastain shows her best Shakespearean acting chops.
VIDEO

Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan took the best adapted screenplay prize for Tinker, while J.C. Chandor received the best original screenplay prize for Margin Call, which revolves around the key people at a investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis, and stars Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci and Kevin Spacey.

Rango was named best animated feature, again beating out Scorsese's Hugo.

Certified Copy (France, starring Juliette Binoche, William Shimell and Jean-Claude Carrière) garnered best foreign language film.

Tabloid(UK)was named best documentary. For more on the awards, click title of this post.

~~~~~~ SUNDANCE ~~~~~~
~~~~~~~

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival online film guide is up and running, and it is in html. Search now to learn more about this year’s films, and the new ones for 2012, make a must-see list, and share on your social networks. The Festival opens January 19 and runs though the 29th in Park City, Utah.

Ticket registration closes at 5 p.m. MST on December 19. Register for tickets today! Get Park City’s best digs and deals when you book your accommodations online through the Sundance Institute.

NY Film Critics Online Announce 12th Annual Awards, Plus AFI's Top 10

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:38:00 +0000

Melissa McCarthy

The New York Film Critics Online have followed in the footsteps of the New York Film Critics Circle and the Boston Film Critics Association by naming The Artist Best Picture of 20ll. Bridesmaids, however, was clearly a favorite, honoring the entire cast as best ensemble, plus Melissa McCarthy for best supporting actress.

Michael Shannon

McCarthy's win, along with Michael Shannon's win for best actor in Take Shelter, were high moments in the evening. The date and place for presenting their 12th annual awards have not been announced.

Here are the major honorees:

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE LIST:

Best Picture, The Artist
Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actor Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Best Actress Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actor, Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Supporting Actress, Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Best Screenplay Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Best Ensemble Cast, Bridesmaids
Best Foreign Language Film, A Separation
Best Documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best Animated Film, The Adventures of Tintin
Breakthrough Performer, Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields, Coriolanus
Best Cinematography, Emmanuel Lubezski, The Tree of Life
Best Use of Music, Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best Debut Director, Joe Cornish, Attack the Block

For more, click the title of this post.

Meanwhile, The American Film Institute's top 10 included The Descendants, starring George Clooney; Martin Scorsese’s Hugo; Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris; Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, opening Christmas Day - be sure to take plenty of Kleenex; J.Edger, starring Leonardo DiCaprio; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, first English version of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series trilogy; The Help, life in a 1950's Mississippi small town; Moneyball, the baseball movie that may win Brad Pitt the Oscar, and The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick's poetic look at family life back when. The AFI awards pretty much cover most of the top Oscar contenders. AFI Official Site.

On the record, I have seen the Swedish movie version of The Girl With the Golden Tattoo. I am anxious to compare it with the English version. I will say, I found the Swedish version course, brutal and often viscous. The original Swedish title means, "Men who Hate Women." Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Boston Society of Film Critics Choose 'The Artist' as Best Film of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:35:00 +0000

THE ARTIST

This past weekend, the Boston Society of Film Critics chose to name the black and white movie The Artist recipient of their top prize for 2011. The actual awards will be presented February 4, 2012 at the Brattle Theater in Boston.

BOSTON FILM CRITICS' List:

Best Picture - The Artist
Best Actor - Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Best Actress - Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor - Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Supporting Actress - Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Best Director - Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Screenplay - Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Best Documentary - Project Nim
Best Foreign-Language Film - - Incendies
Best Animated Film - Rango
Best Film Editing - Christian Marclay, The Clock
Best New Filmmaker - Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Best Ensemble Cast - Carnage
Best Use of Music in a Film - Tie: Drive and The Artist

For more, click the title of this post.

Labels at the bottom of a post, if clicked, will bring up other posts that relate to the same subject. Try clicking one. To follow foreign language films, click the label that is the name of the country that interests you.

L.A. Film Critics Choose The Descendants as Best Film

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:34:00 +0000


The Descendants

Doris Day

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association announced their 37th Annual Awards for what they consider the best of 2011. Doris Day will receive the Career Achievement Award, and

David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001) will receive the best film of the decade award. The actual awards will be presented at a dinner in January.

The Descendants, a drama directed by Alexander Payne about a family in Hawaii undergoing a crisis, was named best film of the year. The Fox Searchlight release prevailed over another Searchlight release, The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick, which was runner-up, and Malick was named best director for Tree. Martin Scorsese, earned runner-up status for directing Hugo, but Rango was awarded the best animated film prize.

The best actress award went to South Korean actress Yun Jung-Hee, who portrays a woman confronting Alzheimer's in Poetry. Michael Fassbender was named best actor for his four films: Shame, A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre and X-Men: First Class.

Likewise, Jessica Chastain was named best supporting actress for the six films in which she appeared this year: The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, Take Shelter, Coriolanus and Texas Killing Fields.

Christopher Plummer was named best supporting actor for his turn as a widower, who in Focus Film's Beginners admits late in life that he is a homosexual.

A Separation, the Iranian submission for the best foreign-language Oscar, earned the screenplay award for Asghar Farhadi, who also directed the film. In the Los Angeles Film Critic's foreign film category, though, A Separation was runner-up. That category award went to Lu Chaun's City of Life and Death. See the previous post (Monday, December 05) for more about A Separation and Farhadi.

The cinematography award went to Emmanuel Lubeski for Terrence Malick's almost otherworldly The Tree of Life, released by Fox Searchlight. The Chemical Brother's score for the thriller Hanna was named best score.

In Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the director's 3D study looks at prehistoric cave paintings in the real caves, and it was chosen best documentary.

Here are the most popular awards with runners-up:

BEST PICTURE
Winner: The Descendants
Runner-Up: The Tree of Life

BEST ANIMATION
Winner: Rango
Runner-Up: The Adventures of Tintin

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Runner-Up: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Michael Fassbender. See above for four films.
Runner-Up: Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Yun Jung-Hee, Poetry
Runner-Up: Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia

BEST INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL
Winner: Spark of Being

BEST DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION
Winner: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Runner- Up: The Arbor

BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Runner-Up: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Runner-Up: Patton Oswalt, Young Adult

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Jessica Chastain. See six films above.
Runner-Up: Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Runner-Up: Cao Yu, City of Life and Death

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner: Dante Ferretti, Hugo
Runner-Up: Maria Djurkovic, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

BEST MUSIC/SCORE
Winner: The Chemical Brothers, Hanna
Runner-Up: Cliff Martinez, Drive

For full list, lots of pictures and related articles, click the title of this post. For more see the LAFCA Official Web Site.

Labels at the bottom of a post, if clicked, will bring up other posts that relate to the same subject. Try clicking one. To follow foreign language films, click the label that is the name of the movie, or the country the movie represents. Key words may be searched as well.

Fifteen Features Queue for a Visual Effects (VFX) Oscar

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:04:00 +0000

Yesterday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films have been selected for consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects (VFX, and formerly known as special 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 the Moon
    The Tree of Life
    X-Men: First Class

In early January, the members of the Academy's Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, who selected the 15 films, will narrow the list to 10.

All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Thursday, January 19. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m., PT, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and broadcast on ABC TV.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

I note that the press releases used to say "more than 200 countries," now their are more than 225? Is that splitting hairs, or what?

National Board of Review and NY Film Critics Circle Award Their "Best Of" for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Three Breakout Movies

Last week, both the National Board of Review (NBR) and the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) voted the Iranian movie A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Best Foreign Film. Few outside the movie industry hear about the NBR or the NYFCC awards, but I post them because I rely upon them when making my Oscar picks.

A Separation, written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, was awarded the Golden Bear for best film and the Silver Bear for best acting ensemble at the Berlin Film Festival this year. In addition it won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Riga Film Forum in Latvia, along with many festival nominations and awards from various countries around the world.

I hope A Separation receives better treatment by the Academy this year than Farhadi's 2009 film, About Elly. For a list of films submitted and accepted for a run for and Oscar as Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards this coming February, see the link on the right sidebar.

Farhadi has a long list of awards beginning with his first movie, Dancing in the Dust in 2003, through his most previous film, About Elly. Unfortunately, his films have not received a single Oscar nomination. His internationally acclaimed About Elly was submitted to the Academy by Iran, but did not make the first cut. This year, A Separation was submitted by Iran. I hope the cultural, religious and political divides between the USA and Iran will not handicap this movie's chance for an Academy Award.

So far, there is hope for a first-time nomination for Farhadi. A Separation is about a married couple faced with a difficult decision. Should they move to another country to improve the life of their child, or stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's? For more on A Separation, click the title of this post.

The NY Film Critics Circle bestowed its Best Picture award for 2011 to Michel Hazanavicius’ black-and-white silent film The Artist, along with the Best Director award. I predict good things for this movie at the 84th Academy Awards. Here is the NYFCC's winner's list:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life)
Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball)
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Foreign-Language Film: A Separation
Best Actor: Brad Pitt (Moneyball, The Tree Of Life)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain (The Tree Of Life, The Help and Take Shelter)
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks (Drive)
Best Nonfiction Film: Cave Of Forgotten Dreams
Best First Feature: Margin Call
2011 Special Award: Raoul Ruiz (posthumous).

The National Board Of Review Named Hugo Best Film, and Martin Scorsese Best Director for the animated movie. I also predict good things for this movie at the Academy Awards. Here is is the NBR's winner's list:

Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Official Site

Movie Awards Season is Officially Open

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:39:00 +0000

Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor in Beginners

In an unprecedented tie, Beginners and The Tree of Life shared the prize for best feature at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, one of the two major awards given to independent film. The Gotham Independent Film Awards, were presented last night in New York City, and the Official Movie Awards' Season in the USA is now open!

Beginners, starring Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller and Keegan Boos, won the best ensemble performance award. Also, Beginners has been nominated for the Film Independent Spirit award. Scroll down.

Here is the list:

Best Feature: Beginners and The Tree of Life (tie)
Best Documentary: Better This World **
Best Ensemble Performance: Beginners (Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos)
Breakthrough Director: Dee Rees, Pariah
Breakthrough Actor: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: Scenes of a Crime
Audience Award: Girlfriend
Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream , and Grant: Lucy Mulloy, Una Noche (One Night)

**Documentary did not make the short list for an Oscar nomination.

For more on The Gotham Awards visit their Web Site.

The Tree of Life won the Palme d'Or at Cannes earlier this year. Directed by Terrence Malick (Badlands, The Thin Red Line, The New World), it stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain (The Help).

There are only two organizations in the U.S. that solely specialize in recognizing independent film, The Gotham Independent Film Awards, and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which is bigger and better known than The Gotham Awards. However, The Gotham's are presented earlier, traditionally mark the opening of the film awards season, are very respected, and every bit as prestigious as the Spirit Awards.

The Film Independent Spirit nominations were announced today, Tuesday, in Los Angeles. Take Shelter and the black-and-white silent film, The Artist, both with five nominations each, are the top nominees for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Both are nominated for the best feature award.

Others nominated in the the best feature category are: Beginners, 50/50, The Descendants and Drive.

Films receiving four nominations each are: Beginners, Drive, The Descendants and Martha Marcy May Marlene. For all Independent Spirit Film nominations, click the title of this post, which links to a PDF file.

Winners of the 27th annual award will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, California. The premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on IFC. Visit the FIS Awards Web Site.

15 Documentaries Still in the Run for Oscar

noreply@blogger.com (Mimi Fink) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:29:00 +0000

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards. One hundred twenty-four pictures originally qualified in the category.

The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on this shortlist.

Harry Belafonte, subject of Sing Your Song

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with the production company:

    Battle for Brooklyn (RUMER Inc.)
    Bill Cunningham New York (First Thought Films)
    Buck (Cedar Creek Productions)
    Hell and Back Again (Roast Beef Productions Limited)
    If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (Marshall Curry Productions, LLC)
    Jane's Journey (NEOS Film GmbH & Co. KG)
    The Loving Story (Augusta Films)
    Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (@radical.media)
    Pina (Neue Road Movies GmbH)
    Project Nim (Red Box Films)
    Semper Fi: Always Faithful (Tied to the Tracks Films, Inc.)
    Sing Your Song (S2BN Belafonte Productions, LLC)
    Undefeated (Spitfire Pictures)
    Under Fire: Journalists in Combat (JUF Pictures, Inc.)
    We Were Here (Weissman Projects, LLC)

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.