Jeanette Maus, an acting teacher and actress who appeared in the Lynn Shelton films My Effortless Brilliance and Your Sister’s Sister, has died after an eight-month battle with colon cancer. She was 39.
Maus died Sunday night, the West Hollywood drama school John Rosenfeld Studios said in an Instagram post. She also had Crohn’s disease and contracted Covid-19, according to a GoFundMe campaign that had been set up to help her with medical expenses.
Maus taught at John Rosenfeld Studios for nearly a decade and mentored such young actors as Kerri Medders, Charlie Bushnell, Cameron Gellman, Quinn Lozar, Maggie Budzyna and Lisette Alexis....
Maus died Sunday night, the West Hollywood drama school John Rosenfeld Studios said in an Instagram post. She also had Crohn’s disease and contracted Covid-19, according to a GoFundMe campaign that had been set up to help her with medical expenses.
Maus taught at John Rosenfeld Studios for nearly a decade and mentored such young actors as Kerri Medders, Charlie Bushnell, Cameron Gellman, Quinn Lozar, Maggie Budzyna and Lisette Alexis....
- 1/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Lynn Shelton, a leading voice of the new American independent cinema movement who directed the intimate darlings Humpday, Your Sister's Sister and My Effortless Brilliance, died Friday at 54.
Following the news of her death, Hollywood filmmakers, showrunners and stars paid tribute to Shelton, who was also a prolific television director who worked on series including Mad Men, Glow, Little Fires Everywhere and The Morning Show.
Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Liz Tigelaar and the rest of the Little Fires Everywhere cast and crew shared in a statement their "hearts are broken today for the loss of our beloved director, friend, mentor and collaborator, Lynn Shelton."...
Following the news of her death, Hollywood filmmakers, showrunners and stars paid tribute to Shelton, who was also a prolific television director who worked on series including Mad Men, Glow, Little Fires Everywhere and The Morning Show.
Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Liz Tigelaar and the rest of the Little Fires Everywhere cast and crew shared in a statement their "hearts are broken today for the loss of our beloved director, friend, mentor and collaborator, Lynn Shelton."...
- 5/16/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Lynn Shelton, a leading voice of the new American independent cinema movement who directed the intimate darlings Humpday, Your Sister's Sister and My Effortless Brilliance, has died. She was 54.
Shelton died Friday in Los Angeles as a result of a previously unidentified blood disorder, her longtime publicist Adam Kersh announced.
A prominent face on the Seattle arts and culture scene, Shelton also was a prolific television director who worked on series including Mad Men, Glow, Little Fires Everywhere and The Morning Show.
Her films were known for naturalistic acting, often-improvised dialogue and a focus on interpersonal relationships.
On Twitter,...
Shelton died Friday in Los Angeles as a result of a previously unidentified blood disorder, her longtime publicist Adam Kersh announced.
A prominent face on the Seattle arts and culture scene, Shelton also was a prolific television director who worked on series including Mad Men, Glow, Little Fires Everywhere and The Morning Show.
Her films were known for naturalistic acting, often-improvised dialogue and a focus on interpersonal relationships.
On Twitter,...
- 5/16/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Duplass brothers, Jay and Mark, put together a list of their top nine favorite films available on Sundance Now, the streaming service with award winning films, documentaries and TV series. Their curated collection features the early works of directors like Barry Jenkins, Andrea Arnold and Andrew Haigh, among others.
Since it’s a list for Sundance Now, the brothers recommended movies that in their mind are “quintessentially Sundancian” and have a “rawness of emotion.”
“In my mind, these films have a surprising number of specific elements in common: pin-pointed specific point of view from the director, a first or early film, non-professional actors, an uncontrolled documentary style, low budget, rawness of emotion, and performances that make your subconscious wonder at times if it’s a documentary,” said Jay Duplass. “More than anything, the films feel like they have been made by someone very specific, and you get the feeling...
Since it’s a list for Sundance Now, the brothers recommended movies that in their mind are “quintessentially Sundancian” and have a “rawness of emotion.”
“In my mind, these films have a surprising number of specific elements in common: pin-pointed specific point of view from the director, a first or early film, non-professional actors, an uncontrolled documentary style, low budget, rawness of emotion, and performances that make your subconscious wonder at times if it’s a documentary,” said Jay Duplass. “More than anything, the films feel like they have been made by someone very specific, and you get the feeling...
- 12/15/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
It's exciting at the moment to see some of the names who broke out of the independent scene in the middle of last decade -- the filmmakers often lazily grouped under "mumblecore," people like Mark and Jay Duplass, Joe Swanberg, Ry Russo-Young, et al. -- getting to play on bigger canvases with big name actors and more robust budgets than when they were starting out. And it's particularly exciting when it comes to Lynn Shelton. The filmmaker has been a promising talent ever since her 2006 debut "We Go Way Back," and over three other subsequent features -- "My Effortless Brilliance," "Humpday" and "Your Sister's Sister" -- has won more and more fans, and wider and wider audiences. Her latest, "Touchy Feely," is the most star-studded to date, toplining Rosemarie DeWitt, Josh Pais, Ellen Page, Scoot McNairy, Allison Janney and Ron Livingston, and in many ways feels like a continuation of her earlier work,...
- 5/2/2013
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Following last year's Park City hit "Your Sister's Sister," starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Emily Blunt, and Mark Duplass, Lynn Shelton is back this year with the U.S. Dramatic contender "Touchy Feely." Shelton’s hit film "Humpday" won a Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the John Cassavetes Award at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards. Her first narrative feature, "We Go Way Back," won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance in 2006. Her second film, "My Effortless Brilliance," earned her the Someone to Watch Award at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards. "Touchy Feely" reunites her with her "Sister" star DeWitt, and also stars Ellen Page and Allison Janney. What It's About: "Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt) is a massage therapist who finds she is incapable of doing her job any more after developing a mysterious and unsettling aversion to skin. Meanwhile, the flagging dental practice...
- 1/11/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
As Your Sister’s Sister prepares for its cinematic release – this coming Friday, June 29 – HeyUGuys’ Stefan Pape caught up with the director Lynn Shelton to discuss the naturalistic romantic comedy.
Shelton, whose previous directing credits include Humpday and My Effortless Brilliance, has teamed up once more with starring role Mark Duplass, who plays Jack – caught up in a twisted three way relationship with sisters Iris (Emily Blunt) and Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt).
Having both written and directed Your Sister’s Sister, this is very much a passion project of Shelton’s, who discusses working alongside Duplass, how the idea for the film was first conceived, and the benefits to working on a film that is mostly improvised…
So how did the idea for Your Sister’s Sister first come about?
Mark Duplass called me with the kernel of the film, he said he had this idea of a film he was...
Shelton, whose previous directing credits include Humpday and My Effortless Brilliance, has teamed up once more with starring role Mark Duplass, who plays Jack – caught up in a twisted three way relationship with sisters Iris (Emily Blunt) and Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt).
Having both written and directed Your Sister’s Sister, this is very much a passion project of Shelton’s, who discusses working alongside Duplass, how the idea for the film was first conceived, and the benefits to working on a film that is mostly improvised…
So how did the idea for Your Sister’s Sister first come about?
Mark Duplass called me with the kernel of the film, he said he had this idea of a film he was...
- 6/27/2012
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Chicago – The characters in a Lynn Shelton movie live relatively content lives until an unexpected event ruptures their sense of self. A self-absorbed writer awakens to the fact that he’s been a terrible friend in “My Effortless Brilliance.” Two heterosexual buddies test the boundaries of their relationship by attempting to film a porno together in “Humpday.”
In Shelton’s latest film, “You Sister’s Sister,” three close friends threaten to destroy their close bond when the truth proves to be difficult to accept. As in “Brilliance,” “Sister” takes place in a remote location. Jack (Mark Duplass) is still reeling from the death of his brother when he’s invited by his best friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), to stay at her family’s remote cabin. There he meets Iris’ half-sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), a lesbian who isn’t above experimenting beyond her sexual boundaries, especially after a few drinks.
Just...
In Shelton’s latest film, “You Sister’s Sister,” three close friends threaten to destroy their close bond when the truth proves to be difficult to accept. As in “Brilliance,” “Sister” takes place in a remote location. Jack (Mark Duplass) is still reeling from the death of his brother when he’s invited by his best friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), to stay at her family’s remote cabin. There he meets Iris’ half-sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), a lesbian who isn’t above experimenting beyond her sexual boundaries, especially after a few drinks.
Just...
- 6/11/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
There are many pleasures to be had in watching Your Sister's Sister, the fourth feature by writer/director Lynn Shelton (We Go Way Back, My Effortless Brilliance, Humpday), one of the great highlights of Tribeca 2012. For example, there is the nuanced and lived-in feel of the performances; the way each scene is meticulously mined for maximum comic/dramatic value; and the burnished cinematography that makes great use of the overcast atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest to envelop everything we see in its moody embrace. But beyond all this, there is the great pleasure of seeing Shelton so beautifully build and expand on her already impressive achievements, delivering (as always) the laughs that come from her characters being placed in rather uncomfortable situations, but adding an emotional...
- 4/19/2012
- Screen Anarchy
In 2009 Lynn Shelton won Spirit Award honors as “Someone to Watch” for My Effortless Brilliance. A year later she won the John Cassavetes Award for Humpday. Shelton returns now with...
- 4/18/2012
- by Sasha Stone
- AwardsDaily.com
With Your Sister’s Sister, writer/director Lynn Shelton brings a top-flight cast (Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass and Mike Birbiglia) to an isolated island cabin on Puget Sound for a tale of grief, romance, and sibling rivalry. Duplass plays Jack, still reeling over the death of his brother a year earlier. Iris (Blunt), his best friend and dead brother’s ex, suggests he get his bearings at her father’s cabin, and there he’s unexpectedly confronted by Hannah (DeWitt). Needless to say, things get complicated in this latest from one of independent film’s most compelling new auteurs.
Shelton’s film is one of Toronto’s highly anticipated premieres. Via email we asked her about quick schedules, isolated places and, of course, sisters.
Filmmaker: Like your second film, My Effortless Brilliance, this feature takes your characters to a removed location, where their dramas unfold. What attracts you to this kind of set-up,...
Shelton’s film is one of Toronto’s highly anticipated premieres. Via email we asked her about quick schedules, isolated places and, of course, sisters.
Filmmaker: Like your second film, My Effortless Brilliance, this feature takes your characters to a removed location, where their dramas unfold. What attracts you to this kind of set-up,...
- 9/11/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Presented By Los Angeles Times
Stéphane Lafleur.s Familiar Ground and Beverly Kopf & Bobbie Birleffi.s Wish Me Away Win Jury Awards Joe Cornish.s Attack the Block, Michael Rapaport.s Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest and Asif Kapadia.s Senna Win Audience Awards
Best Performance, Short Film and Music Video Award Winners Also Announced
Los Angeles (June 26, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times and supported by L.A. Live, announced the jury and audience award winners for the 2011 Festival at the Awards Brunch, sponsored and hosted by Chaya Downtown for the second year, and sponsored by Dove® Hair Care. Allison Janney and John C. Reilly were on hand to present the awards. The Los Angeles Film Festival ran from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 26 in downtown Los Angeles. (See list Here).
.David, Doug and the team continue to...
Stéphane Lafleur.s Familiar Ground and Beverly Kopf & Bobbie Birleffi.s Wish Me Away Win Jury Awards Joe Cornish.s Attack the Block, Michael Rapaport.s Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest and Asif Kapadia.s Senna Win Audience Awards
Best Performance, Short Film and Music Video Award Winners Also Announced
Los Angeles (June 26, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times and supported by L.A. Live, announced the jury and audience award winners for the 2011 Festival at the Awards Brunch, sponsored and hosted by Chaya Downtown for the second year, and sponsored by Dove® Hair Care. Allison Janney and John C. Reilly were on hand to present the awards. The Los Angeles Film Festival ran from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 26 in downtown Los Angeles. (See list Here).
.David, Doug and the team continue to...
- 6/26/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Los Angeles Film Festival's 2011 narrative competition jurors include director Lynn Shelton (Humpday, My Effortless Brilliance; pictured), Eric Nakamura (Head/Founder of Giant Robot), and screenwriter Daniel Waters (Heathers, Batman Returns). The documentary jury boasts director Jeff Malmberg (Marwencol; pictured), Michael Lumpkin (exec director of the International Documentary Association) and Slate Magazine co-editor Laurie Ochoa. The shorts jury is comprised of casting director Margery Simkin, fllm critic Alonso Duralde and actress Lisa Gay Hamilton. "What unites them," says fest artistic director David Ansen, "is their singular passion for movies.” The jurors will hand out cash rewards, as listed below. The competition and audience awards will be announced ad the awards brunch on June 26, hosted by actors Alisson Janney and John C. Reilly. Unrestricted cash ...
- 6/15/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Rachel Weisz and Emily Blunt are set to star as sisters in the latest project directed by indie wunderkind Lynn Shelton, according to Weisz’s reps. There’s not much else they’re revealing – no title, no plot – only the promise that the acting will be “semi-improvised,” and shot over a few weeks this coming fall. So let’s try our hand at guessing what it’s all about, shall we?
Shelton’s three previous films all feature two characters in intimate congress. In her January 2009 release, Humpday, a pair of old college buddies explore the implications of having sex...
Shelton’s three previous films all feature two characters in intimate congress. In her January 2009 release, Humpday, a pair of old college buddies explore the implications of having sex...
- 10/7/2010
- by Mallika Rao
- EW.com - PopWatch
Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard in Humpday Lynn Shelton’s Humpday, about two guys who decide to have sex with one another so they can take part in an amateur porn competition, won the John Cassavetes Award "given to the best feature made for under $500,000" at the 2010 Spirit Awards ceremony in downtown Los Angeles. Last year, Shelton won the Spirits’ Someone to Watch Award for My Effortless Brilliance. “We’re not gonna be at the Oscars," Shelton explained in the press room. "So having a forum at this event … is really awesome.” Photo: Humpday (Magnolia)...
- 3/6/2010
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Lynn Shelton recently won the Acura Someone to Watch Award at the 2009 Spirit Awards. She continued her lucky streak with the much-lauded Sundance premiere of her latest film, Humpday, which was picked up for distribution by Magnolia Films. The actors starring in Humpday, including Shelton herself, improvised all the dialogue, and the result is a candid and hilarious tale of two straight men who decide to have sex with each other in the name of art.
By Carolyn Cohagan
Our members love to hear the logistics of how a film gets made. Can you tell me about your shooting schedule and budget?
The budget was very lean. It was under half a million. No one got anything up front. I pulled it together with a lot of in-kind donations. I gave everyone back-end (points) so that when I made money, they made money. I've worked with these guys over the...
By Carolyn Cohagan
Our members love to hear the logistics of how a film gets made. Can you tell me about your shooting schedule and budget?
The budget was very lean. It was under half a million. No one got anything up front. I pulled it together with a lot of in-kind donations. I gave everyone back-end (points) so that when I made money, they made money. I've worked with these guys over the...
- 10/2/2009
- by maint
- Film Independent
Magnolia Pictures just sent us the release locations for the comedy “Humpday” by writer/director Lynn Shelton, director of My Effortless Brilliance and recipient of the “Someone to Watch Award” at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards, expertly mines the biggest ironies of the male ego to hilarious effect. “Humpday” starring Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard and Alycia Delmore is a buddy movie gone wild. “Humpday” opens tomorrow 8/7/2009 in these locations: Tempe, Az: Valley Art 1 Theatre Palm Desert, CA: Cinemas Palme D’Or Sacramento, CA: Crest Theatre Santa Barbara, CA: Plaza De Oro Santa Cruz, CA: Nickelodeon Theatres Hartford, Ct: Cinema City 4 New Haven, Ct: Criterion Cinemas 7 University City, Mo: Tivoli Theatre Montclair, NJ: Clairidge Cinemas 3 Manhasset, NY: Manhasset Cinemas [...]...
- 8/7/2009
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Talk about testing a friendship. In Lynn Shelton’s Humpday, two college buddies are reunited and soon, via a drunken dare, decide to film themselves having sex, though both men are straight and no latent attraction exists between them. Hilarity ensues, right? Well, yes and no.
While the plot of Humpday is undeniably titillating, its themes and observations are utterly serious—and seriously funny. Writer/Director Shelton (who also appears in a small but pivotal role) scored critical points with last year’s My Effortless Brilliance, another Indie of the "Mumblecore" variety that examined male friendship. For whatever reason, she’s really nailed (pardon the pun) this particular corner of the relationship universe. Shelton’s observations about male bonding rituals and their attending insecurities are of a rare quality; in short, they feel totally true. She’s able to capture that truth in beautifully awkward, small moments, without obvious gags or punchlines.
While the plot of Humpday is undeniably titillating, its themes and observations are utterly serious—and seriously funny. Writer/Director Shelton (who also appears in a small but pivotal role) scored critical points with last year’s My Effortless Brilliance, another Indie of the "Mumblecore" variety that examined male friendship. For whatever reason, she’s really nailed (pardon the pun) this particular corner of the relationship universe. Shelton’s observations about male bonding rituals and their attending insecurities are of a rare quality; in short, they feel totally true. She’s able to capture that truth in beautifully awkward, small moments, without obvious gags or punchlines.
- 8/6/2009
- CinemaSpy
Chicago – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two run-of-engagement tickets to the new comedy “Humpday” with Mark Duplass (the writer of “Baghead”), Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton and Trina Willard from director Lynn Shelton.
“Humpday” opens in Chicago on July 24, 2009. To win your “Humpday” pass courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is tell us your best dare story in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
“Humpday” stars Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard from director Lynn Shelton.
Image credit: Magnolia Pictures
Here is the synopsis for “Humpday”:
It has been a decade since Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife and home. Andrew took the alternate route...
“Humpday” opens in Chicago on July 24, 2009. To win your “Humpday” pass courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is tell us your best dare story in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
“Humpday” stars Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard from director Lynn Shelton.
Image credit: Magnolia Pictures
Here is the synopsis for “Humpday”:
It has been a decade since Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife and home. Andrew took the alternate route...
- 7/16/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
If Seattle-based filmmaker Lynn Shelton had an actual career hump to get over, she has most certainly done so on the strength of her third feature, the hilariously perceptive Humpday. Since its premiere at this year's Sundance, the officially too-often-cited "mumblecore bromance" was picked up by Magnolia Pictures after a six-company bidding war, played a handful of renowned fests including SXSW and Cannes, and in the interim, had its buzz cranked a few more decibels when Shelton won the 2009 "Someone to Watch" Spirit Award for last year's My Effortless Brilliance. And that title's a fine turn of phrase for the success she's receiving from her deceptively simple new comedy: It's been a decade since Ben (actor-filmmaker Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife, and home. Andrew took the alternate route as a vagabond artist,...
- 7/9/2009
- GreenCine Daily
What do you do if you’re making a movie about making a porn flick? You do your freaking research obviously, which is the position “Humpday” star Josh Leonard found himself in when gearing up to shoot the indie movie about two straight college buddies who reunite in their 30s to make a gay porn in the somewhat misguided name of art.
“I started researching porn on the Internet about ten, twelve years ago, because I knew I would use it for something,” he joked with MTV News during a recent interview. “I thought it was important to be an aficionado. You’ve heard how Daniel Day-Lewis researches his roles – he goes deep. I’m following that template.”
The idea behind “Humpday” is pure farce, but from the beginning writer/director Lynn Shelton (”My Effortless Brilliance”) put the focus on deriving a naturalistic, character-driven story out of the absurdist high concept.
“I started researching porn on the Internet about ten, twelve years ago, because I knew I would use it for something,” he joked with MTV News during a recent interview. “I thought it was important to be an aficionado. You’ve heard how Daniel Day-Lewis researches his roles – he goes deep. I’m following that template.”
The idea behind “Humpday” is pure farce, but from the beginning writer/director Lynn Shelton (”My Effortless Brilliance”) put the focus on deriving a naturalistic, character-driven story out of the absurdist high concept.
- 7/9/2009
- by Eric Ditzian
- MTV Movies Blog
Experimental-turned-narrative filmmaker Lynn Shelton makes the films she wants to make with the people she wants to make them with. A Seattle native who studied acting, painting, and photography, Lynn has spent the last decade with experimental and documentary filmmaking. In her most recent two films—My Effortless Brilliance, a drama about a novelist trying to mend a friendship with his oldest friend; and her latest, Humpday, a bromantic comedy set in Seattle about two best friends who resolve to film themselves having sex for a local porn festival—Shelton holds on to her experimental roots and instead of a script, uses a sketched out story where the actors improvise the dialogue.
Adam Shulman: So tell me about the inception of Humpday. You approach your films in a very particular way.
Lynn Shelton: Well, I started to fantasize about having a completely actor-centered set and thinking about how I would achieve that.
Adam Shulman: So tell me about the inception of Humpday. You approach your films in a very particular way.
Lynn Shelton: Well, I started to fantasize about having a completely actor-centered set and thinking about how I would achieve that.
- 7/6/2009
- Interview Magazine
Experimental-turned-narrative filmmaker Lynn Shelton makes the films she wants to make with the people she wants to make them with. A Seattle native who studied acting, painting, and photography, Lynn has spent the last decade with experimental and documentary filmmaking. In her most recent two films—My Effortless Brilliance, a drama about a novelist trying to mend a friendship with his oldest friend; and her latest, Humpday, a bromantic comedy set in Seattle about two best friends who resolve to film themselves having sex for a local porn festival—Shelton holds on to her experimental roots and instead of a script, uses a sketched out story where the actors improvise the dialogue.
Adam Shulman: So tell me about the inception of Humpday. You approach your films in a very particular way.
Lynn Shelton: Well, I started to fantasize about having a completely actor-centered set and thinking about how I would achieve that.
Adam Shulman: So tell me about the inception of Humpday. You approach your films in a very particular way.
Lynn Shelton: Well, I started to fantasize about having a completely actor-centered set and thinking about how I would achieve that.
- 7/6/2009
- Interview Magazine
This year’s Sundance sensation Humpday is finally making its way into a limited release. The comedy, billed as the bromance to end all bromances, is the third feature from Mumblecore veteran Lynn Sheldon (following My Effortless Brilliance). The story revolves around two old college buddies decide (after lots of booze) to enter an amateur porn contest and have sex on camera together. Issues arise in the fact that they are totally strait and one is happily married. Many critics are predicting that this could be the first breakout hit of the new indie genre. The film opens in limited release on July 10th and stars Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore and Lynn Sheldon herself.
- 7/3/2009
- by Anthony Nicholas
- SoundOnSight
Title: Humpday Directed by: Lynn Shelton (My Effortless Brilliance) Actors: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard and Alycia Delmore. Scores: Technical: 75, Story: 95, Acting: 95, Overall: 88 Forget what you think you know about “bromances” from major studio movies, such as Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Hangover, even though it was number one at the box office for two weeks. Humpday, the new comedy that was written, produced and directed by Lynn Shelton and is part of the independent mumblecore movement (movies that usually focus on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, have improvised scripts and feature mostly non-professional actors), was expertly made to show what old, partying college friends really do when they get back together. The [...]...
- 6/26/2009
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Apple.com just released an exclusive new HD movie trailer from the upcoming Magnolia Pictures comedy “Humpday” by writer/director Lynn Shelton, director of My Effortless Brilliance and recipient of the “Someone to Watch Award” at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards, expertly mines the biggest ironies of the male ego to hilarious effect. “Humpday” starring Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard and Alycia Delmore is a buddy movie gone wild. Click Here to watch the trailer in HD over at Apple.com. Synopsis: It’s been a decade since Ben (Duplass) and Andrew (Leonard) were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife, and home. Andrew took the alternate route [...]...
- 5/7/2009
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Magnolia Pictures just sent us the first official movie poster from the upcoming comedy “Humpday” by writer/director Lynn Shelton, director of My Effortless Brilliance and recipient of the “Someone to Watch Award” at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards, expertly mines the biggest ironies of the male ego to hilarious effect. “Humpday” starring Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard and Alycia Delmore is a buddy movie gone wild. Synopsis: It’s been a decade since Ben (Duplass) and Andrew (Leonard) were the bad boys of their college campus. Ben has settled down and found a job, wife, and home. Andrew took the alternate route as a vagabond artist, skipping the globe from Chiapas to Cambodia. [...]...
- 4/28/2009
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Voters at the 24th Annual Spirit Awards christened "The Wrestler" as the Best Picture of the year! Mickey Rourke beat out "Milk's" Sean Penn for the Best Actor trophy!
But "Milk's" screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black took home the trophy for the Best First Screenplay award, and James Franco won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Harvey Milk's lover, Scott Smith.
I am also loving Miss Melissa Leo's win for Best Female Lead for "Frozen River." If you guys haven't seen that film yet, please watch it, I love Leo's performance in it!
Here's the complete list of the 24th Annual Spirit Awards winners:
Supporting male
James Franco "Milk"
First screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
First feature
Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York"
Supporting female
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
John Cassavetes Award given to the best feature made for less than $500,000
Alex Holdridge's "In...
But "Milk's" screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black took home the trophy for the Best First Screenplay award, and James Franco won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Harvey Milk's lover, Scott Smith.
I am also loving Miss Melissa Leo's win for Best Female Lead for "Frozen River." If you guys haven't seen that film yet, please watch it, I love Leo's performance in it!
Here's the complete list of the 24th Annual Spirit Awards winners:
Supporting male
James Franco "Milk"
First screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
First feature
Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York"
Supporting female
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
John Cassavetes Award given to the best feature made for less than $500,000
Alex Holdridge's "In...
- 2/22/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Chicago – “The Wrestler” was the big winner at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, as Darren Aronofsky’s film took home the prize for Best Picture and Mickey Rourke won for Best Actor. Other big winners included Melissa Leo for Best Actress for “Frozen River,” James Franco for Best Supporting Actor for “Milk,” and Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”.
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight
Mickey Rourke gave the most entertaining speech of the day, taking time to note that friend Eric Roberts should get the same kind of career comeback that he has had with “The Wrestler” and becoming emotional when speaking about his recently deceased close friend, his dog Loki. Like a lot of people, he was clealry having a blast
Rourke gave one of the most heartfelt, fun, and generally entertaining speeches in years, a part of a ceremony that always...
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight
Mickey Rourke gave the most entertaining speech of the day, taking time to note that friend Eric Roberts should get the same kind of career comeback that he has had with “The Wrestler” and becoming emotional when speaking about his recently deceased close friend, his dog Loki. Like a lot of people, he was clealry having a blast
Rourke gave one of the most heartfelt, fun, and generally entertaining speeches in years, a part of a ceremony that always...
- 2/22/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Rourke Steals The Show At The Independent Spirit Awards
Mickey Rourke added to his award season haul and stole the show at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday with a hilarious and rambling acceptance speech.
A starstudded crowd at the Santa Monica, California ceremony gave the 56-year-old actor a standing ovation when he stepped onstage to collect the Best Male prize for his role as a washed-up grappler in The Wrestler.
During a bizarre speech, he dedicated the award to his beloved pet dog Loki, who died this week (15Feb); threatened to beat up comedian Rainn Wilson, who had impersonated him in an earlier skit; forgot the name of his The Wrestler co-star Marisa Tomei; and broke his microphone.
He said, "That little blond dude who did that thing (Wilson), I'm going to beat your ass when I get out of here... I've got thousands of letters about my dog that died six days ago. Loki, Loki, this is for you baby."
And he needed help from the audience when he forgot to thank Tomei, who played a stripper in the film. He said, "My memory ain't that good. I want to thank....." and paused, prompting the crowd to yell "Marisa". He responded by saying, "Melissa? Marisa? Marisa Tomei. She had to do all this bare-a**ed. Not many girls can climb the poll. She climbed the poll and she did it well."
The Wrestler also lifted the Best Feature award and the Best Cinematography prize for Maryse Alberti.
There were also big wins for Best Female Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Female Penelope Cruz, Best Supporting Male James Franco and Best Director Tom McCarthy.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Best Feature: The Wrestler
Best Director: Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
Best First Feature: Synecdoche, New York
Best Screenplay: Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best First Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
Best Female Lead: Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
Best Male Lead: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Supporting Female: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best Supporting Male: James Franco (Milk)
Best Cinematography: Maryse Alberti (The Wrestler)
Best Documentary: Man On Wire
Best Foreign Language Film: The Class
Robert Altman Award: Director Charlie Kaufman and the ensemble cast of Synecdoche, New York
Someone To Watch Award: Lynn Shelton (My Effortless Brilliance)
Truer Than Fiction Award: Margaret Brown (The Order Of Myths)
Producers Award: Heather Rae (Frozen River and Ibid)...
A starstudded crowd at the Santa Monica, California ceremony gave the 56-year-old actor a standing ovation when he stepped onstage to collect the Best Male prize for his role as a washed-up grappler in The Wrestler.
During a bizarre speech, he dedicated the award to his beloved pet dog Loki, who died this week (15Feb); threatened to beat up comedian Rainn Wilson, who had impersonated him in an earlier skit; forgot the name of his The Wrestler co-star Marisa Tomei; and broke his microphone.
He said, "That little blond dude who did that thing (Wilson), I'm going to beat your ass when I get out of here... I've got thousands of letters about my dog that died six days ago. Loki, Loki, this is for you baby."
And he needed help from the audience when he forgot to thank Tomei, who played a stripper in the film. He said, "My memory ain't that good. I want to thank....." and paused, prompting the crowd to yell "Marisa". He responded by saying, "Melissa? Marisa? Marisa Tomei. She had to do all this bare-a**ed. Not many girls can climb the poll. She climbed the poll and she did it well."
The Wrestler also lifted the Best Feature award and the Best Cinematography prize for Maryse Alberti.
There were also big wins for Best Female Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Female Penelope Cruz, Best Supporting Male James Franco and Best Director Tom McCarthy.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Best Feature: The Wrestler
Best Director: Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
Best First Feature: Synecdoche, New York
Best Screenplay: Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best First Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
Best Female Lead: Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
Best Male Lead: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Supporting Female: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best Supporting Male: James Franco (Milk)
Best Cinematography: Maryse Alberti (The Wrestler)
Best Documentary: Man On Wire
Best Foreign Language Film: The Class
Robert Altman Award: Director Charlie Kaufman and the ensemble cast of Synecdoche, New York
Someone To Watch Award: Lynn Shelton (My Effortless Brilliance)
Truer Than Fiction Award: Margaret Brown (The Order Of Myths)
Producers Award: Heather Rae (Frozen River and Ibid)...
- 2/22/2009
- WENN
Fox Searchlight's "The Wrestler" was named best feature at the 2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards. It also scored trophies for actor Mickey Rourke and cinematograper Maryse Alberti.
"The thing I love about the Spirit Awards is every film here is a passion piece; we all bled to get to this room," director-producer Darren Aronofksy said as he accepted the award with fellow producer Scott Franklin at the free-wheeling ceremony held Saturday in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
"I realized while doing special effects on a space movie that I really loved working with actors more than anything else," Aronofsky said about his decision to make a movie about a washed-up wrestler trying to reclaim his life.
In the weekend's first showdown between Rourke and "Milk's" Sean Penn, it was Rourke who triumphed as best male lead.
In a raucous acceptance speech, in which he freely lobbed...
"The thing I love about the Spirit Awards is every film here is a passion piece; we all bled to get to this room," director-producer Darren Aronofksy said as he accepted the award with fellow producer Scott Franklin at the free-wheeling ceremony held Saturday in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
"I realized while doing special effects on a space movie that I really loved working with actors more than anything else," Aronofsky said about his decision to make a movie about a washed-up wrestler trying to reclaim his life.
In the weekend's first showdown between Rourke and "Milk's" Sean Penn, it was Rourke who triumphed as best male lead.
In a raucous acceptance speech, in which he freely lobbed...
- 2/21/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Alison Willmore
If there were a prize for most outrageous premise at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, Lynn Shelton's "Humpday" would be ahead of the pack. The film follows Ben ("The Puffy Chair"'s Mark Duplass) and Andrew ("The Blair Witch Project"'s Joshua Leonard), two hetero friends who on a drunken night out come up with a plan to shoot themselves having sex with each other as a submission to their local alt-weekly's annual amateur porn festival -- it's art, you see, and neither is willing to be the one to back down when sobered up the next day. For now, though, "Humpday" will have to settle for being Sundance's early buzz film, its mix of squirmingly uncomfortable comedy, painfully realistic dialogue and bittersweet exploration of the ins and outs of male friendship and adult relationships winning the love of audiences and potential distributors alike. I sat down with the Seattle-based Shelton,...
If there were a prize for most outrageous premise at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, Lynn Shelton's "Humpday" would be ahead of the pack. The film follows Ben ("The Puffy Chair"'s Mark Duplass) and Andrew ("The Blair Witch Project"'s Joshua Leonard), two hetero friends who on a drunken night out come up with a plan to shoot themselves having sex with each other as a submission to their local alt-weekly's annual amateur porn festival -- it's art, you see, and neither is willing to be the one to back down when sobered up the next day. For now, though, "Humpday" will have to settle for being Sundance's early buzz film, its mix of squirmingly uncomfortable comedy, painfully realistic dialogue and bittersweet exploration of the ins and outs of male friendship and adult relationships winning the love of audiences and potential distributors alike. I sat down with the Seattle-based Shelton,...
- 1/19/2009
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
Director Lynn Shelton's follow-up to My Effortless Brilliance, Sundance Dramatic Competition entry stars Mark Duplass (HumpdayThe Puffy Chair) and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) as two college friends who meet up a decade later and somehow end up pacting to make a boy-on-boy sex tape together. Answering our 4 Questions We Ask Everyone, Shelton declared her love for The Princess Bride, named the crew member she poached from Medicine for Melancholy, and explained her philosophy of low expectations. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. Humpday is like <a href="h ...
- 1/15/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
Director Lynn Shelton's follow-up to My Effortless Brilliance, Sundance Dramatic Competition entry stars Mark Duplass (HumpdayThe Puffy Chair) and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) as two college friends who meet up a decade later and somehow end up pacting to make a boy-on-boy sex tape together. Answering our 4 Questions We Ask Everyone, Shelton declared her love for The Princess Bride, named the crew member she poached from Medicine for Melancholy, and explained her philosophy of low expectations. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. Humpday is like <a href="h ...
- 1/15/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
A favorite on these pages for her clever 08' SXSW hit My Effortless Brilliance, a sort of comedic cousin to fellow Northwesterner Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy featuring former Harvey Danger frontman Sean Nelson (not the kid in Fresh and American Buffalo), Lynn Shelton will be back on the fest circuit in 09'. Her new film Humpday, which will bow at next month's Sundance Film Festival, goes right back into the breach of examining the follies of male companionship. We caught up with Lynn to disc ...
- 12/29/2008
- by Brandon Harris
- Spout
A favorite on these pages for her clever 08' SXSW hit My Effortless Brilliance, a sort of comedic cousin to fellow Northwesterner Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy featuring former Harvey Danger frontman Sean Nelson (not the kid in Fresh and American Buffalo), Lynn Shelton will be back on the fest circuit in 09'. Her new film Humpday, which will bow at next month's Sundance Film Festival, goes right back into the breach of examining the follies of male companionship. We caught up with Lynn to discuss steal ...
- 12/29/2008
- by Brandon Harris
- Spout
Family drama "Rachel Getting Married", border-smuggling saga "Frozen River" and struggling mother tale "Ballast" have shown their domination on the run for the 2009 Spirit Awards. Upon the announcement of the awards' nominees on Tuesday, December 2, it has been revealed that those three films have collected six counts each.
From all of the nominations "Rachel", "Frozen" and "Ballast" received, the three will have to go head-to-head for best feature title along with "Wendy and Lucy" and "The Wrestler". Their directors, Jonathan Demme, Courtney Hunt and Lance Hammer, will also compete for the best director prize which also lists Ramin Bahrani of "Chop Shop" and Tom McCarthy of "The Visitor" as the competitors.
On the performer categories, it is uncovered that Javier Bardem of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", Sean Penn of "Milk" and Mickey Rourke of "The Wrestler" are among the contenders for best male lead. Additionally, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams have...
From all of the nominations "Rachel", "Frozen" and "Ballast" received, the three will have to go head-to-head for best feature title along with "Wendy and Lucy" and "The Wrestler". Their directors, Jonathan Demme, Courtney Hunt and Lance Hammer, will also compete for the best director prize which also lists Ramin Bahrani of "Chop Shop" and Tom McCarthy of "The Visitor" as the competitors.
On the performer categories, it is uncovered that Javier Bardem of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", Sean Penn of "Milk" and Mickey Rourke of "The Wrestler" are among the contenders for best male lead. Additionally, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams have...
- 12/3/2008
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
By Stephen Saito
Jason Bateman and Sandra Oh braved the early call time this morning in Los Angeles to announce this year's nominees for the Spirit Awards. The awards will take place on February 21st, and will be broadcast live and uncut on IFC at 5pm Et/2pm PT. Here are the nominees:
Best Feature
"Ballast"
Producers: Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
"Frozen River"
Producers: Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
"Rachel Getting Married"
Producers: Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc Platt
"Wendy and Lucy"
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
"The Wrestler"
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
Best Director
Ramin Bahrani, "Chop Shop"
Jonathan Demme, "Rachel Getting Married"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Thomas McCarthy, "The Visitor"
Best First Feature
"Afterschool"
Director: Antonio Campos
Producers: Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
"Medicine for Melancholy"
Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Justin Barber
"Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producers: Per Melita, Benjamin Odell
"Sleep Dealer"
Director: Alex Rivera
Producer: Anthony Bregman
"Synechdoce, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
"In Search of a Midnight Kiss"
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy
"Prince of Broadway"
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Darren Dean
Producer: Darren Dean
"The Signal"
Writer/Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Producers: Jacob Gentry and Alexander Motiagh
"Take Out"
Writer/Directors/Producers: Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou
"Turn the River"
Writer/Director: Chris Eigeman
Producer: Ami Armstrong
Best First Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Jonathan Levine, "The Wackness"
Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, "Sugar"
Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York"
Howard A. Rodman, "Savage Grace"
Christopher Zalla, "Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil, "Towelhead"
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Tarra Riggs, "Ballast"
Michelle Williams, "Wendy and Lucy"
Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Best Supporting Female
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Rosemarie DeWitt, "Rachel Getting Married"
Rosie Perez, "The Take"
Misty Upham, "Frozen River"
Debra Winger, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Supporting Male
James Franco, "Milk"
Anthony Mackie, "The Hurt Locker"
Charlie McDermott, "Frozen River"
JimMyron Ross, "Ballast"
Haaz Sleiman, "The Visitor"
Best Cinematography
Maryse Alberti, "The Wrestler"
Lol Crowley, "Ballast"
James Laxton, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Harris Savides, "Milk"
Michael Simmonds, "Chop Shop"
Best Documentary
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
Director: Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
"Encounters at the End of the World"
Director: Werner Herzog
"Man on Wire"
Director: James Marsh
"The Order of Myths"
Director: Margaret Brown
"Up the Yangtze"
Director: Yung Chang
Best Foreign Film
"The Class" (France)
Director: Laurent Cantet
"Gomorrah" (Italy)
Director: Matteo Garrone
"Hunger" (UK/Ireland)
Director: Steve McQueen
"Secret of the Grain" (France)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
"Silent Light" (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast)
"Synecdoche, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
Someone to Watch Award
Barry Jenkins, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Nina Paley, "Sita Sings the Blues"
Lynn Shelton, "My Effortless Brilliance"
Truer Than Fiction Award
Margaret Brown, "The Order of Myths"
Sacha Gervasi, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil"
Darius Marder, "Loot"
Producers Award
Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, "Treeless Mountain" and "I'll Come Running"
Jason Orans, "Goodbye Solo" and "Year of the Fish"
Heather Rae, "Frozen River" and "Ibid"...
Jason Bateman and Sandra Oh braved the early call time this morning in Los Angeles to announce this year's nominees for the Spirit Awards. The awards will take place on February 21st, and will be broadcast live and uncut on IFC at 5pm Et/2pm PT. Here are the nominees:
Best Feature
"Ballast"
Producers: Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
"Frozen River"
Producers: Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
"Rachel Getting Married"
Producers: Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc Platt
"Wendy and Lucy"
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
"The Wrestler"
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
Best Director
Ramin Bahrani, "Chop Shop"
Jonathan Demme, "Rachel Getting Married"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Thomas McCarthy, "The Visitor"
Best First Feature
"Afterschool"
Director: Antonio Campos
Producers: Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
"Medicine for Melancholy"
Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Justin Barber
"Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producers: Per Melita, Benjamin Odell
"Sleep Dealer"
Director: Alex Rivera
Producer: Anthony Bregman
"Synechdoce, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
"In Search of a Midnight Kiss"
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy
"Prince of Broadway"
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Darren Dean
Producer: Darren Dean
"The Signal"
Writer/Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Producers: Jacob Gentry and Alexander Motiagh
"Take Out"
Writer/Directors/Producers: Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou
"Turn the River"
Writer/Director: Chris Eigeman
Producer: Ami Armstrong
Best First Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Jonathan Levine, "The Wackness"
Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, "Sugar"
Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York"
Howard A. Rodman, "Savage Grace"
Christopher Zalla, "Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil, "Towelhead"
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Tarra Riggs, "Ballast"
Michelle Williams, "Wendy and Lucy"
Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Best Supporting Female
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Rosemarie DeWitt, "Rachel Getting Married"
Rosie Perez, "The Take"
Misty Upham, "Frozen River"
Debra Winger, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Supporting Male
James Franco, "Milk"
Anthony Mackie, "The Hurt Locker"
Charlie McDermott, "Frozen River"
JimMyron Ross, "Ballast"
Haaz Sleiman, "The Visitor"
Best Cinematography
Maryse Alberti, "The Wrestler"
Lol Crowley, "Ballast"
James Laxton, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Harris Savides, "Milk"
Michael Simmonds, "Chop Shop"
Best Documentary
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
Director: Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
"Encounters at the End of the World"
Director: Werner Herzog
"Man on Wire"
Director: James Marsh
"The Order of Myths"
Director: Margaret Brown
"Up the Yangtze"
Director: Yung Chang
Best Foreign Film
"The Class" (France)
Director: Laurent Cantet
"Gomorrah" (Italy)
Director: Matteo Garrone
"Hunger" (UK/Ireland)
Director: Steve McQueen
"Secret of the Grain" (France)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
"Silent Light" (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast)
"Synecdoche, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
Someone to Watch Award
Barry Jenkins, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Nina Paley, "Sita Sings the Blues"
Lynn Shelton, "My Effortless Brilliance"
Truer Than Fiction Award
Margaret Brown, "The Order of Myths"
Sacha Gervasi, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil"
Darius Marder, "Loot"
Producers Award
Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, "Treeless Mountain" and "I'll Come Running"
Jason Orans, "Goodbye Solo" and "Year of the Fish"
Heather Rae, "Frozen River" and "Ibid"...
- 12/2/2008
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
With six nominations each, "Ballast," a drama about survival in the Mississippi Delta, "Frozen River," a portrait of two single moms on the Canadian border, and "Rachel Getting Married," the account of a dysfunctional family wedding, led the nominees for Film Independent's Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday morning.
All three films were nominated for best feature along "Wendy and Lucy" and "The Wrestler."
Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," a twisty, M.C. Escher-like film, was singled out as the winner of the group's Robert Altman Award, give to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast. Kaufman will share the award with casting director Jeanne McCarthy and his actors Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, and Michelle Williams when the Spirit Awards are handed out Feb. 21.
"Synecdoche" also figure in the best first feature lineup, along with Antonio Campos' "Afterschool,...
All three films were nominated for best feature along "Wendy and Lucy" and "The Wrestler."
Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," a twisty, M.C. Escher-like film, was singled out as the winner of the group's Robert Altman Award, give to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast. Kaufman will share the award with casting director Jeanne McCarthy and his actors Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, and Michelle Williams when the Spirit Awards are handed out Feb. 21.
"Synecdoche" also figure in the best first feature lineup, along with Antonio Campos' "Afterschool,...
- 12/2/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lynn Shelton's My Effortless Brilliance (which I reviewed at SXSW) has its New York premiere tonight at Rooftop Films in Williamsburg, before heading to IFC VOD later this summer and DVD later this year. The film was co-written by and stars Harvey Danger singer Sean Nelson, who has given Ann Powers a recap of how he's spent the last ten years since his band's one massive hit for her LA Times blog. "10 years ago (pretty much exactly), we had the number one song on KROQ, and sold out the Troubadour, The Roxy and The Viper Room during the summer," he writes. "Next week we'll play in front of 60 people [at LA's Largo]. And we're happy." More from Nelson, including details on the "exaggeratedly autobiographical" nature of the character he plays in ...
- 8/1/2008
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
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