The trailer for Lance Hammer's "Ballast"

November 17, 2008

AWARDS WATCH '08 | Academy Shortlists 15 for Best Doc Race

by Brian Brooks (November 17, 2008)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have named 15 films that made the short-list in the Documentary Feature category for the 81st Academy Awards, whittling the number down from a record 94 that had originally qualified. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist. The Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and the awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 10 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

November 14, 2008

AWARDS WATCH '08 | Back and Forth: Buzzing Best Picture, Underdogs

by Eugene Hernandez and Peter Knegt (November 14, 2008)

Continuing this year's awards season coverage in indieWIRE, editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez and assistant editor Peter Knegt chatted yesterday via instant message about the ever-evolving race. Topics for this installment include a look at emerging best picture contenders, from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to "Milk," and potential dark horses that might play a larger role in this race than people are expecting.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

November 10, 2008

iW NEWS | 16 Animated Titles Make Oscar Short List

Fourteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 81st Academy Awards. The films include: "Bolt," "Delgo," "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!," "Dragon Hunters," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Igor," "Kung Fu Panda," "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," "$9.99," "The Sky Crawlers," "Sword of the Stranger," "The Tale of Despereaux," "WALL-E" and "Waltz with Bashir." Bolt," "Delgo," "Dragon Hunters," "$9.99," "The Sky Crawlers," "The Tale of Despereaux" and "Waltz with Bashir" have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Under the rules for this category, a maximum of 3 films can be nominated in a year in which the field of eligible entries numbers at least 8 but fewer than 16. The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. [Brian Brooks]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

November 8, 2008

AWARDS WATCH | With "Gomorrah" and "Il Divo," Italy In Spotlight at 21st European Film Award Nominations

by Eugene Hernandez (November 8, 2008)

Matteo Garrone's "Gomorrah" and Paolo Sorrentino's "Il Divo," both from Italy, lead the nominations for the 21st European Film Awards which were announced this morning at the Seville European Film Festival. Each film received five nominations today. The complete list of nominees is available now. Winners will be chosen by the 1,800 members of the European Film Academy and announced December 6th in Copenhagen, Denmark.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

October 30, 2008

iW NEWS | Mandvi To Host Gothams

"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" correspondent and budding filmmaker Aasif Mandvi has been announced as the host of the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards on December 2nd in New York City. "We're thrilled to have Aasif hosting The 18th Annual Gotham Awards," said Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP, in a statement. "He's wildly funny, and now with his upcoming debut as writer, star and producer of "7 To The Palace," he's an indie filmmaker. We couldn't think of a better person to host this year's show." IFP also announced an initial list presenters at this year's awards including Amy Adams, Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Clarkson, Mira Nair, Richard Jenkins, and Melissa Leo. Additional presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Events ]

October 29, 2008

iW NEWS | Bleiberg To Give "Adam" Qualifying Run

Bleiberg Entertainment will release Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected" in New York and Los Angeles for a qualifying run in December. Starring Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe, the film is based on the novel by Israeli author Yoram Kaniuk. "'Adam Resurrected' has long been a passion project for Werner Wirsing and I, and it was incredibly important for us to release this film in theaters for awards consideration," said producer Ehud Bleiberg. "Paul Schrader and [screenwriter] Noah Stollman tackled a very complex story about survival and psychological healing, and Jeff Goldblum's raw performance will truly blow audiences away." "Adam" premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and will next be seen at the 2008 AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles, where it screens November 8 and 9. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Releases ]

iW NEWS | "Hunger," "Bruges" Lead British Indie Noms

Steve McQueen's "Hunger" and Martin McDonagh's "In Bruges" led the 11th British Independent Film Award nominations with seven nods apiece. Both were nominated for Best British Independent Film, alongside "Man on Wire," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Somers Town." McQueen and McDonagh both received nods for Best Debut Director, while McQueen also got a best director nod, competing against "Slumdog"'s Danny Boyle, "Somers"' Shane Meadows, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"' Mark Herman and "Son of Rambow"'s Garth Jennings. Among the acting nominees were "Hunger"'s Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham, "Bruges"' Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, and "Happy-Go-Lucky's Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman and Eddie Marsan. The awards, hosted by John Nesbitt, will take place on November 30 in London. For a full list of nominations, check out the awards' website. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

iW NEWS | "Dark Knight" Leads Hollywood Awards

The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival's Hollywood Awardsceremony was held Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" was chosen as "Hollywood Movie of the Year" by public voting, while previously determined honorees included Josh Brolin, Kirstin Scott Thomas, Marisa Tomei, James Franco, Sally Hawkins and Robert Pattinson for acting, Clint Eastwood and John Patrick Shanley for directing, and Shanley and Dustin Lance Black for screenwriting. The ceremony also saw the announcement of winners from the film festival's Discovery Awards competition. The winners included David Pomes' "Cook County" for best feature film and Dilip Mehta's "The Forgotten Woman" for best documentary. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Festivals, Honors ]

October 28, 2008

"Kassim," "Wire," "Stranded," "Waltz" and "Young" Compete for IDA Honors

by Brian Brooks (October 28, 2008)

The five feature film nominations were announced today for the International Documentary Association's 2008 IDA Documentary Awards competition. "Kassim The Dream," "Man On Wire," "Stranded: I Have Come From A Plane That Crashed On the Mountains," "Waltz With Bashir" and "Young @ Heart" will compete for the group's Distinguished Documentary Achievement nod. Winners will be feted on December 5th at the Directors Guild, in a ceremony hosted by Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Documentary, Lead Story ]

iW NEWS | Santa Barbara To Fete Scott Thomas

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Kristin Scott Thomas with the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 24th edition of the Fest, which runs January 22-February 1, 2009. "A masterful performance by a British actress in a French film and a triumphant Broadway debut in Chekhov in the same year - Kristin Scott Thomas is in a league by herself and an artistic force to be reckoned with," said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling in a statement. The award was created "in recognition of an actor who has forged his/her own path - taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film." Formally known as The Independent Award, it was bestowed last year to Ryan Gosling. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

October 22, 2008

iW NEWS | Shearer To Host Britannia Awards

Harry Shearer has been announced as the host of the 17th Annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts Britannia Awards on November 6, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Ben Affleck, Annette Bening, Jack Black, Patricia Clarkson, Anjelica Huston, Hugh Laurie and Paul Thomas Anderson have been confirmed as presenters at this year's event. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Events ]

October 21, 2008

iW NEWS | "Rene" Doc Winner For European Film Awards

Helena Trestikoba's "Rene" has been announced as the winner of the European Film Academy's documentary award. The recipient of the award is chosen by an independent jury and this year's jury was made up of Danish producer Karoline Leth, Finnish programme director of the Moscow Film Festival, Kirsi Tykkylaeinen, and British producer Alan Hayling. "This is a film which tells a powerful story," said the jury in a statement. "Filmed over 20 years, about an extraordinary character on the edge of society. It is a longitual documentary of outstanding quality. The jury found its examination of the relationship between subject and filmmaker fascinating and thought-provoking." The award will be presented during the 21st European Film Awards ceremony in Copenhagen on December 6, 2008. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

October 20, 2008

AWARDS WATCH '08 | Back and Forth: Chatting About the Gotham Award Nods

by Eugene Hernandez and Peter Knegt (October 20, 2008)

Awards seasons continues to emerge, with today's announcement of the Gotham Independent Film Award nominations... indieWIRE offers new latest back and forth, featuring editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez and assistant editor Peter Knegt talking today via instant messenger about this morning's Gotham Award nominations.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch ]

AWARDS WATCH '08 | "Ballast" Leads Gotham Awards With Four Nominations

by Peter Knegt (October 20, 2008)

Lance Hammer's "Ballast" led the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award nominations, which were announced this morning by IFP. "Ballast" garnered four nods, including Best Feature, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Breakthrough Director, and Best Breakthrough Actor. The other films feted for Best Feature were Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River," Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor," and Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler."
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

October 17, 2008

67 Foreign Language Oscar Submissions Tops Last Year, Sets New Record

by indieWIRE (October 17, 2006)

A whopping 67 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category at the 81st Oscars, topping last year's record of 63 countries. Announcing the list today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences noted that Jordan has submitted its first entry. The nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009 and the Oscars will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

AWARDS WATCH '08 | Back and Forth: Guessing the Gothams, Buzzing About the Actors

by Eugene Hernandez and Peter Knegt (October 17, 2008)

As awards season continues to shift and take shape, films are in and films are out...indieWIRE offers its latest back and forth. Editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez and assistant editor Peter Knegt chatted yesterday via instant message about the looming Gotham Award nominations, speculation about the hot performances, and buzz about the foreign language film race.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

October 16, 2008

iW NEWS | European Film Awards Announce Doc Nods

The European Film Academy have announced the nominations for European Film Academy Documentary 2008 - Prix Arte. The ten nominees are Nino Kirtadze's "Durakovo - Le Village Des Fous," Carlos Saura's "Fados," Thomas Heise's "Kinder. Wie Die Zeit Vergeht," Antoine Cattin and Pavel Kostomarov's "Le Mere," Gonzalo Arijon's "Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains," Pavel Koteck and Miroslav Janek's "Citizen Havel," Arto Halonen's "Shadow of the Holy Book," Helena Trestikova's "Rene" and Klaartje Quirijns' "The Dictator Hunter." This year's documentary jury will now convene in Berlin to screen the nominated films and decide on the winner. The winner will be presented at the 21st European Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, 6 December, in Copenhagen. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Documentary, Honors ]

October 14, 2008

iW NEWS | Hoffman, Brolin, Scott Thomas Added To Hollywood Fest Honor Roll

The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards have announced additional honorees who will be recognized for their achievements at the festival's Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony, which will take place on October 27, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Dustin Hoffman will be honored with the "Hollywood Career Achievement Award," actor Josh Brolin with the "Hollywood Actor of the Year Award," and actress Kristin Scott Thomas with the "Hollywood Actress of the Year Award." [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

iW NEWS | ASC To Honor Liu, Mankofsky

Robert F. "Bobby" Liu, ASC and Isidore Mankofsky, ASC will be honored at the 23rd Annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awardson February 15, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Liu will receive the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award and Mankofsky will receive the ASC Presidents Award. "Bobby Liu and Isidore Mankofsky have earned the respect of their peers with their achievements as cinematographers and devotion to advancing the art form," said ASC President Daryn Okada in a statement. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

iW NEWS | Santa Barbara Fest To Honor Cruz

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced that it will honor Penelope Cruz with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the 24th edition of the Fest, which runs January 22-February 1, 2009. "There are few actresses who can today be described as international movie goddesses, and this year, with her exceptional work in 'Elegy' and 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' Penelope Cruz has earned that description," said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling in a statement. Cruz will receive the award on Saturday, January 31, at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara. Previous recipients include Angelina Jolie (2008), Helen Mirren (2007), and Heath Ledger (2006). [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

AWARDS WATCH '08 | Foreign Language Oscar Race May Offer Fewer Surprises and Acquisitions

by Anthony Kaufman (October 14, 2008)

From Bangladesh to Vietnam, nearly 100 countries were invited to submit films for this year's foreign-language Oscar race. (The official list of titles will come out this week.) Notoriously, the category is one of the most unpredictable - last year, leading contenders "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days" and "Persepolis" were shafted, while entries from Poland, Israel and Russia surprisingly made the final cut. If this year's race may be one of the widest open in years, it may also turn out to be one of the most predictable due to a radical change in Academy regulations as a result of last year's "embarrassment," as one industry insider called it.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story, Trends ]

October 8, 2008

iW NEWS | Academy Announces Doc Short Shortlist

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that the field of Documentary Short Subject entries for the 81st Academy Awards has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar nominations. The eight films are: "The Conscience of Nhem En," "David McCullough: Painting with Words," "Downstream," "The Final Inch," "Smile Pinki," "Tongzhi in Love," "Viva La Causa," and "The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306." [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Documentary, Honors ]

October 6, 2008

iW NEWS | Stiller, Tomei, "Bees" Cast Among Hollywood Fest Honorees

The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards have announced additional honorees who will be recognized at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony, which will take place on October 27, 2008, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Ben Stiller will be honored with the "Hollywood Comedy of the Year Award," Marisa Tomei with the "Hollywood Supporting Actress of the Year Award," the cast of Fox Searchlight's "The Secret Life of Bees" with the "Hollywood Ensemble Acting of the Year Award" and newcomer Robert Pattinson with the "New Hollywood Award." [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

October 2, 2008

iW NEWS | Danish Anchorman Bertelsen To Host European Film Awards

When the guests at the European Film Awards ceremony take their seats at Copenhagen's Forum on December 6, 2008, the host of the evening will be popular Danish journalist, anchorman and TV-host Mikael Bertelsen. On stage with him will be the Danish Radio Big Band, Denmark's most popular jazz orchestra. Among the evening's announced guests are Dame Judi Dench, this year's recipient of the European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Danish Dogma brothers Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, Kristian Levring, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg who will receive the award European Achievement in World Cinema 2008. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Events ]

September 30, 2008

iW NEWS | European Film Awards Announce Discovery Nods

The European Film Awards have announced the nominees of this year's European Discovery Award, given to "young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film." This year's nominees are Steve McQueen's "Hunger," Aida Begic's "Snijeg," Seyfi Teoman's "Tatil Kitabi," and Sergey Dvortsevoy's "Tulpan." The winner will be announced at the 21st annual ceremony, December 6, 2008 in Copenhagen. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

September 25, 2008

iW NEWS | Mark and Condon To Guide 81st Oscars

Producer Laurence Mark has been announced as the producer of the 81st Annual Academy Awards telecast, while writer/director Bill Condon has been tapped to executive produce. It will be their first involvement in the production of an Oscar show. "Larry and Bill are fresh thinkers who will bring a unique perspective to the Oscar show," said Academy President Sid Ganis in a statement. "That fact, joined with their enormous collective talent and enthusiasm, will serve the 81st awards proceedings perfectly." The 81st Academy Awards presentation will be take place Sunday, February 22, 2009. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Industry Moves ]

AWARDS WATCH '08 | Back and Forth: Are the Fall Fests Telling Us Anything?

by Eugene Hernandez and Peter Knegt (September 25, 2008)

Kicking off this year's awards season coverage in indieWIRE, editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez and assistant editor Peter Knegt chatted yesterday via instant message about the opening moments of awards race. Topics for this first installment include a look at what we've learned from the film festivals, and speculation about some of the season's frontrunners and dark horse contenders.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

September 24, 2008

iW NEWS | Nolan, Shanley Tapped For Hollywood Awards

The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards, have announced that producers Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven and Emma Thomas will be honored with the "Hollywood Producers of the Year Award" for their work on "The Dark Knight," and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley will receive the "Hollywood Screenwriter of the Year Award" for "Doubt." The awards will be handed out at the festival's Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on October 27, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

September 22, 2008

iW NEWS | European Film Award Announce Short Nominees

The 21st European Film Awards, to be held in Copenhagen on December 6, 2008, have announced the full list of nominees for their short film award. The nominees are Hanro Smitsman's "Raak," James Lees' "The Apology Line," Cyril Paris' "Un Bisou pour le monde," Johnny Kelly's "Procrastination," Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy's "Joy," Darren Thornton's "Frankie," Luis Cook's "The Pearce Sisters," Marc Reisbig's "Time is Running Out," Laila Pakalnina's "Uguns," Runar Runarsson's "Smafuglar," Sam Taylor-Wood's "Love You More," Ivan Ramadan's "Tolerantia," Koen Dejaegher's "De Onbaatzuchtigen," and Laszlo Nemes' "Tuerelem." [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors, Shorts ]

iW NEWS | IFP to Honor Nevins

Sheila Nevins, president of HBO Documentary Films, will be honored with a Gotham Award Tribute at the IFP's 18th Annual Gotham Awards on Tuesday, December 2nd in New York. "Sheila has unquestionably been one of the most influential forces in documentary filmmaking," said IFP's Michelle Byrd, in a statement. "She is almost singlehandedly responsible for bringing documentaries into mainstream popular culture. Her work has not only changed the documentary landscape, it's opened minds and spurred change." Over the summer, Nevins spoke about her life and career at a special "Evening with Sheila Nevins" event at the Los Angeles Film Festival. [Eugene Hernandez]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

September 19, 2008

BBC | Cannes winner submitted for Oscar

"The Class," winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, has been named as France's official entry for the 2009 foreign language film Oscar.

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Movies ]

September 16, 2008

iW NEWS | Franco, Hawkins Among Hollywood Fest Honorees

The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards have announced honorees who will be recognized at the festival's Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony. Actor James Franco will receive the "Hollywood Breakthrough Actor of the Year Award," actress Sally Hawkins will be honored with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Actress of the Year Award," director John Patrick Shanley will receive the "Hollywood Breakthrough Director of the Year Award," screenwriter Dustin Lance Black will be honored with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Screenwriter of the Year Award," "WALL-E," will get the "Hollywood Animation of the Year Award," and "Iron Man" and visual effects supervisors John Nelson and Ben Snow will receive the "Hollywood Visual Effects of the Year Award." The gala ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 27, 2008. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

September 13, 2008

VAR | 'Silence' is golden for Romania

Nae Caranfil's "The Rest Is Silence," which debuted at last year's Locarco fest and screened this month at the Telluride Film Festival, has been tapped to represent Romania in the foreign language category at the upcoming Academy Awards, Variety reported this week. indieWIRE covered the film at the recent Telluride fest.

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

September 5, 2008

iW NEWS | Jordan Joins Oscar Race With "Raed"

For the first time, the country fo Jordan is officially joining the race for the Academy Awards with the submission of Amin Matalqa's "Captain Abu Raed." An independent submission committee, recently constituted by the Royal Film Commission - Jordan according to the rules set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, convened on August 31, 2008 and selected the "Raed" to represent Jordan at the 81st Annual Academy Awards, due to be held on February 22, 2009. "These are exciting times. The mere fact that a Jordanian film will be submitted for the first time is an indication that the film industry in Jordan has matured," said Munir Nassar, Chairman of the Oscar Submission Committee for Jordan in a statement. "Raed" won Dramatic World Cinema Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

September 4, 2008

iW NEWS | European Film Awards Announce 44 Finalists

The European Film Academy and EFA Productions gGmbH have announced the titles of the 44 films on this year's selection list, the list of films recommended for a nomination for the 2008 European Film Awards. Twenty-seven countries are represented on the list. Films include Joe Wright's "Atonement," Dany Boon's "Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis," Arnaud Desplechin's "Un Conte de Noel," Paolo Sorrentino's "Il Divo," Laurent Cantet's "The Class," Matteo Garrone's "Gomorra," Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky," Steve McQueen's "Hunger," Sergei Bodrov's "Mongol," Bent Hamer's "O'Horten" and Ari Folman's "Waltz With Bashir." Check out the full list here. In the next few weeks, the 1,800 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the different award categories. The nominations will then be announced on November 8, 2008 at the Sevilla European Film Festival in Spain. The awards will take place on December 6, 2008 in Copenhagen. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

August 28, 2008

iW NEWS | Academy Doc Deadline Approaches

Next Tuesday, September 2nd is the deadline for filmmakers to submit their short subject and feature documentaries to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the 81st Academy Awards. To be eligible, documentary features must have completed a seven-day commercial run in at least one theater in both Los Angeles County and in the Borough of Manhattan in New York, between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2008. Documentary short subjects must have completed the same in either Los Angeles County or in the Borough of Manhattan in New York, between those dates. The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Official Info ]

August 19, 2008

iW NEWS | Gotham Awards To Honor Cruz

The IFP has announced that Penelope Cruz will be presented with a Gotham Award Tribute at the 18th Annual Gotham Awards. Cruz currently stars in both "Elegy" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." "Penelope's body of work embodies what is exciting and vibrant about filmmaking today, in particular independent filmmaking" said Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP, in a statement. "Her performances working with internationally acclaimed directors and her choice of roles are dynamic, vivacious and varied. IFP is especially pleased to salute her still very young career this year as she delivers knockout performances in two extremely different and winning films presently in theaters." Additional Tribute recipients will be announced next week. Nominees for the awards will be announced on October 20th, 2008, and winners will be honored at a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on December 2nd. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

July 11, 2008

Reuters: Oscar buzz mounts for late Heath Ledger

Actor Heath Ledger won rave reviews from Australian critics on Friday for his final performance as the Joker in the new Batman movie, fuelling speculation of a rare posthumous Oscar. Belinda Goldsmith reports.

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, People ]

July 7, 2008

iW NEWS | Gotham Awards Move To Wall Street

IFP announced that the 18th Annual Gotham Awards will move to its new home, Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, on Tuesday, December 2nd. The Gotham Awards honor "independently-distributed American feature films made with an economy of means." Past winners include "Junebug," "Half Nelson" and "Juno." "New York is the home of independent film, so it's exciting to bring the Gotham Awards to a classic New York venue like Cipriani Wall Street," said Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP, in a statement. "It will provide a spectacular setting for celebrating the best in independent film." [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Industry Moves ]

July 3, 2008

VAR | Oscar candidates lagging this year

An early look at awards season from Variety: "At least on paper, this year looks like a return to the old days, when the majors dominated awards and most of the nominees bowed late in the year -- in contrast with recent history, when the Oscar charge was led by specialty divisions and fall launches."

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

May 16, 2008

iW NEWS | Student Academy Awards Announced

Eleven students from eight colleges and universities have been named winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 35th Annual Student Academy Awards competition. They will participate in a week of industry-related activities and social events, culminating in the awards ceremony on June 7 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The winners in the "Alternative" category are "Circles of Confusion" (Phoebe Tooke, San Francisco State University), and "Viola: The Traveling Rooms of a Little Giant" (Shih-Ting Hung, University of Southern California); in the "Animation" category, Oscars went to "Simulacra" (Tatchapon Lertwirojkul, The School of Visual Arts), "The Visionary" (Evan Mayfield, Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida), and "Zoologic" (Nicole Mitchell, California Institute of the Arts); the "Documentary" category winners were "As We Forgive" (Laura Waters Hinson, American University, Washington, D.C.), "If a Body Meet a Body" (Brian Davis, University of Southern California), and "Unattached"( J.J. Adler, Columbia University); and in the "Narrative" category, winners were "A Day's Work" (Rajeev Dassani, University of Southern California), "Pitstop" (Melanie McGraw, University of Southern California), and "The State of Sunshine" (Z. Eric Yang, Florida State University). The "Honorary Foreign Film" award went to "On the Line (Auf der Strecke)" (Reto Caffi, Academy of Media Arts, Cologne, Germany). While the U.S. winners know they will each receive an award, their placement - Gold, Silver or Bronze - will not be revealed until the June 7 ceremony. In addition to a trophy, Gold Medal winners receive $5,000, Silver Medal winners receive $3,000 and Bronze Medal winners receive $2,000. The Honorary Foreign Film winner receives $1,000 in addition to a trophy. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

May 9, 2008

iW NEWS | Golden Trailer Awards Announced

Thursday night at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, the 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards were handed out in a ceremony hosted by comedian Sinbad. The upcoming "The Dark Knight" won best action trailer, while "Iron Man" won the best overall for summer 2008. "In Bruges" was named the most original, while "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" won for best music and best voice-over, respectively. "No Country For Old Men" was awarded the best dramatic trailer, "Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?" best documentary, and "Day Night Day Night" for best independent. The awards will be televised on May 26, 2008 on MyNetworkTV, which will include the winner of the publicly voted "trailer of the year." All other winners were deciphered by a jury that included Joss Whedon, Jonathan D. Krane, Morgan Spurlock, Eli Roth, Gary Meyet and Claudia Puig. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

April 14, 2008

iW NEWS | AMPAS Releases Dates for 81st Oscars

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced key dates for its 81st edition of the Academy Awards. Academy President Sid Ganis noted that the ceremony will take place Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and will be televised by ABC. Other dates include the mailing of nomination ballots on December 26, 2008, the nomination announcement on January 22, 2009 a the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and final polls closing at 5pm PT on February 17, 2009. The dates coincide with those since the move of the Oscars from March to February, with exception of a move of nomination announcement from a Tuesday to a Thursday, to avoid conflicting with the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. [Peter Knegt]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

March 27, 2008

iW NEWS | Tarantino to be Honored at Provincetown Fest

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino will be honored with the 2008 Filmmaker on the Edge Award at the 10th annual Provincetown International Film Festival, running from June 18 - 22 in Provincetown, MA. Previous award recipients, all of whom have been invited back for the fest's anniversary are John Waters, Christine Vachon, Ted Hope, James Schamus, Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes, Jim Jarmusch, Mary Harron, Gregg Araki, and Todd Solondz. For more information, please visit the festival website. [Eugene Hernandez]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Festivals ]

March 26, 2008

iW NEWS | MMI to Honor Schamus, Blank

The Museum of the Moving Image will honor Focus Features CEO James Schamus and Showtime Networks CEO Matt Blank at the organization's annual black-tie benefit, to be held on April 30th at The St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. [Eugene Hernandez]

[permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

March 18, 2008

"Manda Bala" Wins Big at First Cinema Eye Awards

by Eugene Hernandez (March 18, 2008)

Born out of anger, to use the words of filmmaker Jason Kohn, the inaugural Cinema Eye Honors for documentary films awarded three prizes to "Manda Bala (Send A Bullet)" on Tuesday night in New York City. Kohn's doc, nominated in six of the nine Cinema Eye categories, was honored as best picture and also received awards for cinematography and editing.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 7 comments ] [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Documentary, Lead Story ]

February 27, 2008