A snapshot of the most exciting voices working in American and international cinema today––and with a strong focus on newcomers––the Museum of the Moving Image’s First Look festival returns this week, taking place March 13-17.
As always, the annual festival brings together a varied, eclectic lineup of cinema from all corners of the world––including a number of films still seeking distribution, making this series perhaps one of your only chances to see these works on the big screen. Check out our top picks below, along with the exclusive premiere of the festival trailer.
Arthur&Diana (Sara Summa)
A lo-fi siblings road trip movie shot with a mix of MiniDV, Betacam, and 16mm, Sara Summa’s Arthur&Diana marks an interesting, mostly successful gamble of personal storytelling, in which Summa stars alongside her-real brother, Robin Summa. Jared Mobarak said in his TIFF review, “As such, we glean...
As always, the annual festival brings together a varied, eclectic lineup of cinema from all corners of the world––including a number of films still seeking distribution, making this series perhaps one of your only chances to see these works on the big screen. Check out our top picks below, along with the exclusive premiere of the festival trailer.
Arthur&Diana (Sara Summa)
A lo-fi siblings road trip movie shot with a mix of MiniDV, Betacam, and 16mm, Sara Summa’s Arthur&Diana marks an interesting, mostly successful gamble of personal storytelling, in which Summa stars alongside her-real brother, Robin Summa. Jared Mobarak said in his TIFF review, “As such, we glean...
- 3/11/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
An Emmy-nominated documentary cinematographer with credits including “Procession” and “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Robert Kolodny puts his expert eye for shooting nonfiction to playful narrative use in his feature directing debut “The Featherweight.” A meticulously designed, gutsily played biopic of world champion featherweight boxer Guglielmo Papaleo, better known as Willie Pep — covering not his 1940s glory days but his faltering attempt at a comeback two decades later — the film is convincingly fashioned as a candid all-access documentary, a promotional puff piece curdling before our eyes into an unintended study of mental breakdown.
So convincingly, in fact, that uninformed viewers chancing upon “The Featherweight” on the festival circuit may wonder exactly what it is they’re watching, not least if — in a realization of Pep’s own glumly stated fears — they have no idea who this once-celebrated sportsman was. Kolodny puts nary a foot wrong in his precise replication...
So convincingly, in fact, that uninformed viewers chancing upon “The Featherweight” on the festival circuit may wonder exactly what it is they’re watching, not least if — in a realization of Pep’s own glumly stated fears — they have no idea who this once-celebrated sportsman was. Kolodny puts nary a foot wrong in his precise replication...
- 9/20/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
††† (Crosses), the duo featuring Deftones singer Chino Moreno and producer/multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez, have released a fresh, remixed version of their recent EP, Permanent.Radiant.
The new release, titled Permanent.Radiant.Remixed, is available to listen now via the players below. The collection features remixes from electronic mainstays such as Hudson Mohawke, Suicideyear, Machinedrum, and Away.
Crosses got their start in 2011 and released their self-titled debut album three years later. The duo made a splash in late 2021 by releasing their first bit of music in seven years with a surprise cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.” After a couple of stand-alone singles, the duo released Permanent.Radiant late last year.
Recently, Crosses were announced as part of the lineup for the inaugural Darker Waves festival, taking place November 18th in Huntington Beach, California, and also featuring New Order, Tears for Fears, and many more acts (tickets available here). As of now,...
The new release, titled Permanent.Radiant.Remixed, is available to listen now via the players below. The collection features remixes from electronic mainstays such as Hudson Mohawke, Suicideyear, Machinedrum, and Away.
Crosses got their start in 2011 and released their self-titled debut album three years later. The duo made a splash in late 2021 by releasing their first bit of music in seven years with a surprise cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.” After a couple of stand-alone singles, the duo released Permanent.Radiant late last year.
Recently, Crosses were announced as part of the lineup for the inaugural Darker Waves festival, taking place November 18th in Huntington Beach, California, and also featuring New Order, Tears for Fears, and many more acts (tickets available here). As of now,...
- 7/7/2023
- by Anne Erickson
- Consequence - Music
Kaouther Ben Hania’s heartbreaking Four Daughters (Les filles d’Olfa) pulls you in with a question: Who is Olfa Hamrouni?
She rose to international fame in 2016 when she criticized the Tunisian government for not preventing her daughters from joining the Islamic State in Libya. In interviews from those years, Hamrouni is a bereaved mother. Her voice aches with pain as she recounts the loss of her two eldest daughters, and it shakes with anger when she speaks of the government’s listless response.
The Olfa of Ben Hania’s docu-fiction strikes a more relaxed pose. She has traded her pink hijabs for a black scarf, tightly woven around her head. She’s freer with her laughs and more pointed with her asides. Grief still undergirds her anecdotes, but so does a palpable willingness to share. She eagerly explains how she believes a movie about her life will help spread an...
She rose to international fame in 2016 when she criticized the Tunisian government for not preventing her daughters from joining the Islamic State in Libya. In interviews from those years, Hamrouni is a bereaved mother. Her voice aches with pain as she recounts the loss of her two eldest daughters, and it shakes with anger when she speaks of the government’s listless response.
The Olfa of Ben Hania’s docu-fiction strikes a more relaxed pose. She has traded her pink hijabs for a black scarf, tightly woven around her head. She’s freer with her laughs and more pointed with her asides. Grief still undergirds her anecdotes, but so does a palpable willingness to share. She eagerly explains how she believes a movie about her life will help spread an...
- 5/19/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A royal coronation is still a consequential and historic event for the British people. All the ceremony and tradition the United Kingdom can muster will be on display on Saturday, May 6 when King Charles III is coronated at Westminster Abbey. Coverage will be offered by most of the major cable news outlets in the United States. The crowning of a new British monarch is still one of the most newsworthy events in the world, and you can watch it from start to finish with a 5-Day Free Trial of Directv Stream.
How to Watch Coronation of King Charles III When: Saturday, May 6, check below for individual network start times TV: ABC, BBC America, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax, PBS Stream: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of Directv Stream for the most coverage or with a 7-Day Free Trial to Philo for the cheapest live TV streaming option. 5-Day Free Trial $74.99 / month directv.
How to Watch Coronation of King Charles III When: Saturday, May 6, check below for individual network start times TV: ABC, BBC America, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax, PBS Stream: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of Directv Stream for the most coverage or with a 7-Day Free Trial to Philo for the cheapest live TV streaming option. 5-Day Free Trial $74.99 / month directv.
- 5/3/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
The Telluride Film Festival’s emphasis on documentary has not wavered in recent years. But the prominence of nonfiction fare at the 49th edition has arguably made this year’s Telluride the autumn Sundance, where some of the biggest buzz is for docs.
The lineup, kept under wraps until the eve of the fest’s opening on Sept. 2, includes 16 docs from novice and veteran documentarians, including Steve James (“A Compassionate Spy”), Matthew Heineman (“Retrograde”), Chris Smith (“Sr.”) Ondi Timoner (“Last Flight Home”) and Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”). (Additional “secret” screenings have yet to be announced.)
The rising level of documentaries at the Colorado fest is largely due to the influence of Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger.
“This year, there is almost parity with the narrative features in the [main feature] program,” says Huntsinger, who co-directs Telluride with Tom Luddy. “It’s not us actively seeking it. For lack of a better word,...
The lineup, kept under wraps until the eve of the fest’s opening on Sept. 2, includes 16 docs from novice and veteran documentarians, including Steve James (“A Compassionate Spy”), Matthew Heineman (“Retrograde”), Chris Smith (“Sr.”) Ondi Timoner (“Last Flight Home”) and Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”). (Additional “secret” screenings have yet to be announced.)
The rising level of documentaries at the Colorado fest is largely due to the influence of Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger.
“This year, there is almost parity with the narrative features in the [main feature] program,” says Huntsinger, who co-directs Telluride with Tom Luddy. “It’s not us actively seeking it. For lack of a better word,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The 18th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, kicking off Sept. 15, will feature a handful of award-contending documentaries fresh off showings at Telluride and the Toronto film festivals. The Maine-based festival will unfold in a hybrid format, with both in-person events over a three-day period concluding Sept. 18, and online screenings available from Sept. 15 to Sept. 25 to audiences across North America.
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
- 8/22/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
On April 13 the Peabody Board of Jurors announced the 60 nominees for the 82nd Annual Peabody Awards honoring the best and most impactful work in media in 2021, including everything from news to entertainment to podcasts. A jury of 19 unanimously selected these nominees from more than 1,200 entries. Out of these nominees, 30 will eventually be selected as winners, to be announced during virtual events from June 6 through June 9. Scroll down for the complete list.
SEEWill ‘Yellowjackets’ finally bring Showtime back to the drama series Emmy race?
Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones said in a statement, “Following yet another turbulent year, Peabody is proud to honor an array of stories that poignantly and powerfully help us make sense of the challenges we face as a nation and world. Demonstrating the immense power of stories, these nominees exposed our societal failures and celebrated the best of the human spirit. They are all worthy of recognition,...
SEEWill ‘Yellowjackets’ finally bring Showtime back to the drama series Emmy race?
Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones said in a statement, “Following yet another turbulent year, Peabody is proud to honor an array of stories that poignantly and powerfully help us make sense of the challenges we face as a nation and world. Demonstrating the immense power of stories, these nominees exposed our societal failures and celebrated the best of the human spirit. They are all worthy of recognition,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The 37th Annual Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday, returning to an in-person format following last year’s virtual ceremony. Many of the biggest names in the independent film community made the trek out to the beach in Santa Monica with the hopes of taking home the most coveted prizes in indie film. While the Spirit Awards typically take place the week before the Oscars, this year’s unique Covid-influenced awards season calendar meant that they were held nearly a month in advance. Hollywood couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally served as emcees of the proceedings.
This year’s class of nominees draws from films largely shut out from the Oscars, with indie hits like Oscar nominee “The Lost Daughter,” “C’mon C’mon,” and “Zola” racking up the most nominations. “The Lost Daughter” cleaned up, with three wins for Netflix including Best Feature and Best Director Maggie Gyllenhaal. Oscar no-show...
This year’s class of nominees draws from films largely shut out from the Oscars, with indie hits like Oscar nominee “The Lost Daughter,” “C’mon C’mon,” and “Zola” racking up the most nominations. “The Lost Daughter” cleaned up, with three wins for Netflix including Best Feature and Best Director Maggie Gyllenhaal. Oscar no-show...
- 3/7/2022
- by Christian Zilko and Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Almost 2,000 Gold Derby readers have made their Indie Spirit predictions in advance of Sunday’s ceremony. Scroll down to see our official odds in all 13 movie categories based on those combined predictions. Our projected winners are highlighted in gold.
SEEOscars 2022: 20 movie reunions we would love to see happen on the ceremony, including ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Titanic,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and more
The Indie Spirit Awards winners are voted on by members of Film Independent. Membership is open to any movie fans who pay $95 in yearly dues, which often leads to the highest-profile Oscar contenders winning top prizes against less widely publicized films. But this year Film Independent snubbed many of the Oscar front-runners; this is only the second time in the last 13 years that there are no Best Picture Oscar nominees among the Spirit contenders for Best Feature.
The black comedy “Zola” led the nominations with seven including Best Feature, Best...
SEEOscars 2022: 20 movie reunions we would love to see happen on the ceremony, including ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Titanic,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and more
The Indie Spirit Awards winners are voted on by members of Film Independent. Membership is open to any movie fans who pay $95 in yearly dues, which often leads to the highest-profile Oscar contenders winning top prizes against less widely publicized films. But this year Film Independent snubbed many of the Oscar front-runners; this is only the second time in the last 13 years that there are no Best Picture Oscar nominees among the Spirit contenders for Best Feature.
The black comedy “Zola” led the nominations with seven including Best Feature, Best...
- 3/4/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The Oscar-nominated “Flee” took home the top prize at the 15th annual Cinema Eye Honors on Tuesday evening at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York.
Going into the evening, Neon and Participant Media’s “Flee” led the field with a total of seven nominations, while “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” followed with six.
Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye also received the organization’s legacy award during the ceremony. The director was honored for her landmark 1996 independent feature “The Watermelon Woman.” After accepting the legacy award on stage, Dunye presented the category of audience choice prize.
See the full list of film winners and nominees below.
Outstanding Nonfiction Feature
“Ascension”
“Faya Dayi” (Directed and produced by Jessica Beshir)
“Flee” (Winner)
“The Rescue”
“Summer of Soul”
“The Velvet Underground”
Outstanding Direction
“Ascension”
“Faya Dayi”
“Flee”
“In the Same Breath”
“Procession” (Winner)
“Summer of Soul”
Outstanding...
Going into the evening, Neon and Participant Media’s “Flee” led the field with a total of seven nominations, while “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” followed with six.
Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye also received the organization’s legacy award during the ceremony. The director was honored for her landmark 1996 independent feature “The Watermelon Woman.” After accepting the legacy award on stage, Dunye presented the category of audience choice prize.
See the full list of film winners and nominees below.
Outstanding Nonfiction Feature
“Ascension”
“Faya Dayi” (Directed and produced by Jessica Beshir)
“Flee” (Winner)
“The Rescue”
“Summer of Soul”
“The Velvet Underground”
Outstanding Direction
“Ascension”
“Faya Dayi”
“Flee”
“In the Same Breath”
“Procession” (Winner)
“Summer of Soul”
Outstanding...
- 3/2/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary “Flee” has been named the best nonfiction film of 2021 at the 15th annual Cinema Eye Honors, which were presented on Tuesday night in New York City. “The Rescue,” about the efforts to retrieve a Thai youth soccer team from a flooded cave, won the Audience Choice Prize.
The Neon release “Flee,” which uses animation to give anonymity to a young gay man who escaped Afghanistan as a teenager and made his way to Denmark, also won the award for graphic design and animation. It is nominated for Oscars in the documentary, animated-feature and international-feature categories.
Robert Greene won the directing award for “Procession,” while Matthew Heineman, Jenna Millman and Leslie Norville took the producing prize for “The First Wave.”
Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” won the most Cinema Eye awards, three, taking the prizes for debut feature, cinematography and score.
Other winners included “Summer of Soul...
The Neon release “Flee,” which uses animation to give anonymity to a young gay man who escaped Afghanistan as a teenager and made his way to Denmark, also won the award for graphic design and animation. It is nominated for Oscars in the documentary, animated-feature and international-feature categories.
Robert Greene won the directing award for “Procession,” while Matthew Heineman, Jenna Millman and Leslie Norville took the producing prize for “The First Wave.”
Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” won the most Cinema Eye awards, three, taking the prizes for debut feature, cinematography and score.
Other winners included “Summer of Soul...
- 3/2/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
This year’s documentary Academy Award feature race is historical on many fronts. Four of the five nominated films were directed by people of color; Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” made history by scoring three Oscar nominations: not only the doc feature category but also in the animated feature and international feature categories; Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing With Fire” became the first feature doc from India to earn a nom in the race; and four of the six nominated helmers are first-time feature docu directors.
But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this year’s nonfiction feature Oscar race is the dominance of nascent doc distributors and production units.
Paramount Plus, Showtime Documentary Films and Music Box Films each received their inaugural Oscar nomination in the documentary feature category Feb. 8 for: Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount Plus), Stanley Nelson’s “Attica” (Showtime Documentary Films) and...
But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this year’s nonfiction feature Oscar race is the dominance of nascent doc distributors and production units.
Paramount Plus, Showtime Documentary Films and Music Box Films each received their inaugural Oscar nomination in the documentary feature category Feb. 8 for: Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount Plus), Stanley Nelson’s “Attica” (Showtime Documentary Films) and...
- 2/26/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Reconstruction in documentary filmmaking is an eternally divisive technique: What some deem vivid and immediate, others find distancing and artificial, cloaking and blurring reality in the language of fiction cinema. Yet what if the reconstructions don’t just feature the documentary’s real-life subjects, but are expressly conceived and realized by them — not recreating reality so much as their lingering, haunted memories thereof? That’s a different proposition entirely, as is “Procession,” a risky, wrenching film in which celebrated docmaker Robert Greene frequently surrenders the directorial reins to his subjects and collaborators: six middle-aged, middle-American men living with the trauma of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic Church priests and clergymen.
With each of these survivors given the means and support to make an interpretive short film rooted in their decades-old experience, “Procession” is intricately woven from the amateur filmmakers’ original work, alongside Greene’s patient, empathetic observation of their creative process.
With each of these survivors given the means and support to make an interpretive short film rooted in their decades-old experience, “Procession” is intricately woven from the amateur filmmakers’ original work, alongside Greene’s patient, empathetic observation of their creative process.
- 2/8/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
The academy released the 2022 Oscars shortlists in 10 categories on Tuesday, December 21. The hopefuls in a wide range of races found out if they remain in contention for the 94th annual Academy Awards. Among these are the marquee categories for Best International Feature Film (which was pared down to 10 films from the 92 submitted) and Best Documentary Feature (which went from 138 to 15).
Both music awards – Best Original Song and Best Original Score — were winnowed down to just 15 contenders from 84 and 137 submissions respectively. Likewise for the three awards for shorts – animated, documentary and live-action. The Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects races were culled from dozens of entries to 10 apiece.
Documentary Feature
One hundred and thirty-eight films were eligible for consideration; there are 15 on the shortlist. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Ascension...
Both music awards – Best Original Song and Best Original Score — were winnowed down to just 15 contenders from 84 and 137 submissions respectively. Likewise for the three awards for shorts – animated, documentary and live-action. The Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects races were culled from dozens of entries to 10 apiece.
Documentary Feature
One hundred and thirty-eight films were eligible for consideration; there are 15 on the shortlist. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Ascension...
- 1/27/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Predicting the winner of the Best Documentary Feature Oscar became a lot easier on December 21 when the academy announced the 15 films that made the shortlist. Those semi-finalists are culled from the 138 titles that qualified this year for consideration. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2022 Oscars predictions for Best Documentary Feature.)
To winnow these down to a manageable number, the academy adds newly eligible documentary feature to a virtual screening room available to all 500 plus members of the documentary branch. While all members are encouraged to watch as many of these as they can, one-fifth of the voters are assigned each title. In the new year, each branch member will submit a preferential ballot listing their top 15 choices.
All of these ballots were collated to determine the 15 semi-finalists. Branch members were encouraged to watch those films on this list that they haven’t seen yet before casting another preferential ballot on...
To winnow these down to a manageable number, the academy adds newly eligible documentary feature to a virtual screening room available to all 500 plus members of the documentary branch. While all members are encouraged to watch as many of these as they can, one-fifth of the voters are assigned each title. In the new year, each branch member will submit a preferential ballot listing their top 15 choices.
All of these ballots were collated to determine the 15 semi-finalists. Branch members were encouraged to watch those films on this list that they haven’t seen yet before casting another preferential ballot on...
- 1/24/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
A total of 15 documentaries were shortlisted for a 2022 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature and the subjects documented in them range in topics all over the documentary spectrum. Five of those filmmakers joined our recent Meet the Experts panel, with subjects such as America’s most infamous prison riot, the rise of a young female singer who becomes one of the biggest stars on the planet, how a group of adult survivors of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church use drama therapy to process their trauma, how a bunch of recreational divers pulled off an incredible rescue mission in Thailand and the stories of five families that have been displaced by a perilous civil war.
In our roundtable conversation, we hear what the directors behind these highlighted docs think about making the shortlist for this year’s Academy Awards. Gold Derby recently discussed this and more with Stanley Nelson...
In our roundtable conversation, we hear what the directors behind these highlighted docs think about making the shortlist for this year’s Academy Awards. Gold Derby recently discussed this and more with Stanley Nelson...
- 1/23/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
In the past decade, the inclusion of streaming services in the documentary market has made it increasingly harder for smaller docus struggling with funding to break into the nonfiction feature Oscar race. But in spite of the deep pockets they are up against, a number of cash-strapped docs inevitably make it onto the shortlist every year. This year was no exception.
Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi”, Camilla Nielsson’s “President” (Greenwich Entertainment) and Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing with Fire” (Music Box Films) are three films on this year’s feature doc shortlist that are up against competitors with multi-million-dollar campaign budgets being paid by media and tech conglomerates including Apple, Netflix, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia.
As the field narrows and lobbying and marketing takeover, it’s clear that money and brand recognition are key factors in the race for Oscar gold, which makes “Faya Dayi,...
Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi”, Camilla Nielsson’s “President” (Greenwich Entertainment) and Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing with Fire” (Music Box Films) are three films on this year’s feature doc shortlist that are up against competitors with multi-million-dollar campaign budgets being paid by media and tech conglomerates including Apple, Netflix, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia.
As the field narrows and lobbying and marketing takeover, it’s clear that money and brand recognition are key factors in the race for Oscar gold, which makes “Faya Dayi,...
- 1/20/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2021, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
After over 14 months of no cinema-going, 2021 finally marked a return to theaters. The first film back––something every cinephile will forever have etched in their memory––was not a movie I heavily anticipated but one that thoroughly entertained: Guy Ritchie’s delightfully nasty B-movie Wrath of Man.
While the rest of the movie-going year had its ups and downs (the uncertain future of the arthouse marketplace as they attempt to find a footing in Disneyfied world), 2021’s cinematic output certainly wasn’t lacking for quality.
Looking back at the new releases, there’s a number of films that narrowly missed my top 15, including The French Dispatch, What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?, Days, The Beatles: Get Back, Annette, West Side Story, Siberia, Procession,...
After over 14 months of no cinema-going, 2021 finally marked a return to theaters. The first film back––something every cinephile will forever have etched in their memory––was not a movie I heavily anticipated but one that thoroughly entertained: Guy Ritchie’s delightfully nasty B-movie Wrath of Man.
While the rest of the movie-going year had its ups and downs (the uncertain future of the arthouse marketplace as they attempt to find a footing in Disneyfied world), 2021’s cinematic output certainly wasn’t lacking for quality.
Looking back at the new releases, there’s a number of films that narrowly missed my top 15, including The French Dispatch, What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?, Days, The Beatles: Get Back, Annette, West Side Story, Siberia, Procession,...
- 1/14/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Seven top documentary filmmakers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Academy Awards and guild contenders. Each person from these films is now on the Oscar shortlist. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Wednesday, January 19, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series throughout January and February. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 awards contenders:
“Attica:” Traci Curry, Stanley Nelson
Synopsis: Shedding new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system,...
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series throughout January and February. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 awards contenders:
“Attica:” Traci Curry, Stanley Nelson
Synopsis: Shedding new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system,...
- 1/12/2022
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
For almost half a century, the National Society of Film Critics (Nsfc) , which was founded in 1966, rarely previewed the Oscar winner for Best Picture, doing so only five times in 49 years. But it has done just that four times in the last six years: “Spotlight” (2016), “Moonlight” (2017), “Parasite” (2020) and “Nomadland.”
That stat bodes well for the Oscar hopes of “Drive My Car,” which dominated this year’s awards with wins on January 8 for Best Picture, Director (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), Actor (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and Screenplay. The Japanese film has already been feted by both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association this awards season.
The three-hour film tells the story of a grieving theater director (Hidetoshi Nishijima), who is assigned a young woman (Toko Miura) as his chauffeur when he helms a production of “Uncle Vanya.” It debuted at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Screenplay,...
That stat bodes well for the Oscar hopes of “Drive My Car,” which dominated this year’s awards with wins on January 8 for Best Picture, Director (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), Actor (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and Screenplay. The Japanese film has already been feted by both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association this awards season.
The three-hour film tells the story of a grieving theater director (Hidetoshi Nishijima), who is assigned a young woman (Toko Miura) as his chauffeur when he helms a production of “Uncle Vanya.” It debuted at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Screenplay,...
- 1/8/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
“Drive My Car” has won best picture from this year’s edition of the National Society of Film Critics, continuing its streak of major prizes from major critics groups. The organization announced its honors on Saturday.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s sweeping drama also won top honors from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and New York Film Critics Circle.
Along with best picture, “Drive My Car” also won for director, screenplay and best actor for Hidetoshi Nishijima. “West Side Story,” “The Power of the Dog” and “Petite Maman” made frequent appearances across various runner-up slots.
A prestigious organization known for its highbrow taste, National Society of Film Critics (N.S.F.C.) boasts members from across top entertainment publications — including Variety‘s own chief film critics Peter Debruge and Owen Gleiberman — as well as notable freelancers. The L.A. Times’ Justin Chang serves as chair of the organization.
Any film that opened in the U.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s sweeping drama also won top honors from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and New York Film Critics Circle.
Along with best picture, “Drive My Car” also won for director, screenplay and best actor for Hidetoshi Nishijima. “West Side Story,” “The Power of the Dog” and “Petite Maman” made frequent appearances across various runner-up slots.
A prestigious organization known for its highbrow taste, National Society of Film Critics (N.S.F.C.) boasts members from across top entertainment publications — including Variety‘s own chief film critics Peter Debruge and Owen Gleiberman — as well as notable freelancers. The L.A. Times’ Justin Chang serves as chair of the organization.
Any film that opened in the U.
- 1/8/2022
- by Ethan Shanfeld and J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
“Drive My Car” racked up several wins from the National Society of Film Critics January 8, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor. As “Drive My Car” won Best Picture, the organization’s rules determined that there would not be a separate Best Foreign-Language Film category.
The winners were a distinctly international affair, with Penélope Cruz winning Best Actress for “Parallel Mothers,” Hidetoshi Nishijima as Best Actor for “Drive My Car,” and Anders Danielsen Lie scoring Best Supporting Actor for “The Worst Person in the World.” Ruth Negga picked up Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Passing.”
The critics group convened in New York and Los Angeles to vote January 8 using a weighted scoring system, choosing winners and runners up across a variety of categories. Hidetoshi Nishijima received the the highest weighted score of any single award winner for his Best Actor prize.
Prior to the start of voting,...
The winners were a distinctly international affair, with Penélope Cruz winning Best Actress for “Parallel Mothers,” Hidetoshi Nishijima as Best Actor for “Drive My Car,” and Anders Danielsen Lie scoring Best Supporting Actor for “The Worst Person in the World.” Ruth Negga picked up Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Passing.”
The critics group convened in New York and Los Angeles to vote January 8 using a weighted scoring system, choosing winners and runners up across a variety of categories. Hidetoshi Nishijima received the the highest weighted score of any single award winner for his Best Actor prize.
Prior to the start of voting,...
- 1/8/2022
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Heading into the 2022 Oscars, Netflix has a lot to prove. The streaming giant has already won a total of 15 trophies through the years, and they should be adding significantly to that number. After all, Netflix kept the proverbial lights on for the movie industry during the Covid-19 pandemic as theaters around the country shut down. “Roma” is the company’s biggest winner to date with three Oscars, followed by “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mank” with two apiece. In terms of major categories, Alfonso Cuarón claimed Best Director for “Roma” while Laura Dern took home Best Supporting Actress for “Marriage Story.” Scroll through our photo gallery above to see all of the historical Netflix Oscar movies, beginning with the most recent winners.
SEEOscar history in the making: ‘The Power of the Dog’ would be 3rd film to win 3 acting races
So far the streamer has yet to win Best Picture,...
SEEOscar history in the making: ‘The Power of the Dog’ would be 3rd film to win 3 acting races
So far the streamer has yet to win Best Picture,...
- 1/7/2022
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
At last year’s Oscars, Netflix trounced the competition by winning seven of the night’s 23 trophies, including double victorious for both “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mank.” That brought the company’s historical tally to 15 total Oscars (see the list below). This year, thanks to the juggernaut that is “The Power of the Dog,” Gold Derby’s official odds predict the streamer will find success in six categories and be competitive in many more. Is Netflix about to win more Oscars than ever before?
“The Power of the Dog” is forecasted by Gold Derby to win five statuettes: Best Picture, Best Director (Jane Campion), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst), Best Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Campion). In addition, the Western psychological drama is in second place for Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Cinematography and Best Score. If all eight categories come to fruition, that would single-handedly...
“The Power of the Dog” is forecasted by Gold Derby to win five statuettes: Best Picture, Best Director (Jane Campion), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst), Best Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Campion). In addition, the Western psychological drama is in second place for Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Cinematography and Best Score. If all eight categories come to fruition, that would single-handedly...
- 1/6/2022
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2021, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
As 2021 careens recklessly to a close, it seems mentally beneficial to emphasize the positives.
On a personal level, the opportunity to return to cinemas, especially with my children, felt wondrous. And while I was unable to attend the Toronto International Film Festival in person for the second-straight year, having the chance to virtually cover TIFF, Sundance, SXSW, Hot Docs, Tribeca, New York, and Chicago in the last twelve months was a genuine pleasure. It was through these festivals that I saw many of the films on the list below.
Just outside my top fifteen are a number of films that delighted and enthralled me: Joel Coen’s marvelous Tragedy of Macbeth; Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s triumphant Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and Drive My Car; Edgar Wright’s...
As 2021 careens recklessly to a close, it seems mentally beneficial to emphasize the positives.
On a personal level, the opportunity to return to cinemas, especially with my children, felt wondrous. And while I was unable to attend the Toronto International Film Festival in person for the second-straight year, having the chance to virtually cover TIFF, Sundance, SXSW, Hot Docs, Tribeca, New York, and Chicago in the last twelve months was a genuine pleasure. It was through these festivals that I saw many of the films on the list below.
Just outside my top fifteen are a number of films that delighted and enthralled me: Joel Coen’s marvelous Tragedy of Macbeth; Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s triumphant Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and Drive My Car; Edgar Wright’s...
- 1/3/2022
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Voting has only just begun for select nominees at the 2022 WGA Awards. Drama series, comedy series and new series votes will be taken until Jan. 5, while voting doesn’t even open for original and adapted screenplays until Jan. 12 (with a deadline of Jan. 26). Nominations for the television categories, as well as new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing awards will be announced on Jan. 13, with screenplay nominations announced Jan. 27. Final voting for all takes place between Feb. 2 and Feb. 16, with the winners being announced at the 74th annual ceremony on March 20.
Although it is still very early days for some of these categories, Variety breaks down where select series, scripts and categories stand so far.
Original Screenplay
The contenders in the original screenplay field are dominated by repeat WGA and Academy Award nominees with a few breakthrough tyro scribes in the mix. “King Richard,” penned by Zach Baylin (who...
Although it is still very early days for some of these categories, Variety breaks down where select series, scripts and categories stand so far.
Original Screenplay
The contenders in the original screenplay field are dominated by repeat WGA and Academy Award nominees with a few breakthrough tyro scribes in the mix. “King Richard,” penned by Zach Baylin (who...
- 12/30/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano and Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s 10 Oscar shortlists are voted on by six branches of the Academy — Music, Documentary, Animation and Shorts, VFX, Makeup and Hairstyling and, for the first time, Sound — as well as willing members from all over the world able to watch a minimum of a dozen qualifying international features. Parsing these shortlists reveals the strengths and weaknesses of Oscar contenders heading into the final round of voting for the final five nominations, which begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and ends on February 1, 2022. Nominations are announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
With the calendar back to normal, more Oscar voters went out to screenings and theaters, although many made their selection from a wide range of movies available on the Academy portal. Back in the mix were such postponed movies as Denis Villeneuve’s day-and-date success “Dune” and Steven Spielberg’s success d’estime “West Side Story,” along with a smattering of arthouse and streaming fare.
With the calendar back to normal, more Oscar voters went out to screenings and theaters, although many made their selection from a wide range of movies available on the Academy portal. Back in the mix were such postponed movies as Denis Villeneuve’s day-and-date success “Dune” and Steven Spielberg’s success d’estime “West Side Story,” along with a smattering of arthouse and streaming fare.
- 12/21/2021
- by Anne Thompson and Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
This year’s 10 Oscar shortlists are voted on by six branches of the Academy — Music, Documentary, Animation and Shorts, VFX, Makeup and Hairstyling and, for the first time, Sound — as well as willing members from all over the world able to watch a minimum of a dozen qualifying international features. Parsing these shortlists reveals the strengths and weaknesses of Oscar contenders heading into the final round of voting for the final five nominations, which begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and ends on February 1, 2022. Nominations are announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
With the calendar back to normal, more Oscar voters went out to screenings and theaters, although many made their selection from a wide range of movies available on the Academy portal. Back in the mix were such postponed movies as Denis Villeneuve’s day-and-date success “Dune” and Steven Spielberg’s success d’estime “West Side Story,” along with a smattering of arthouse and streaming fare.
With the calendar back to normal, more Oscar voters went out to screenings and theaters, although many made their selection from a wide range of movies available on the Academy portal. Back in the mix were such postponed movies as Denis Villeneuve’s day-and-date success “Dune” and Steven Spielberg’s success d’estime “West Side Story,” along with a smattering of arthouse and streaming fare.
- 12/21/2021
- by Anne Thompson and Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Bond film No Time to Die and Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune led in craft recognition today when the Academy’s shortlists for the 2022 Oscars were unveiled.
The former secured slots in the areas of Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound and Visual Effects, with the latter preparing to compete in all of the same categories apart from Song.
Four additional studio films snagged slots in Score and Song, including Adam McKay’s Netflix satire Don’t Look Up, Jared Bush and Byron Howard’s Disney animated pic Encanto, Jeymes Samuel’s Netflix Western The Harder They Fall and Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Warner Bros. drama King Richard.
Jane Campion’s Netflix Western The Power of the Dog, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical Focus pic Belfast and and Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story all scored additional slots in the Sound category,...
The former secured slots in the areas of Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound and Visual Effects, with the latter preparing to compete in all of the same categories apart from Song.
Four additional studio films snagged slots in Score and Song, including Adam McKay’s Netflix satire Don’t Look Up, Jared Bush and Byron Howard’s Disney animated pic Encanto, Jeymes Samuel’s Netflix Western The Harder They Fall and Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Warner Bros. drama King Richard.
Jane Campion’s Netflix Western The Power of the Dog, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical Focus pic Belfast and and Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story all scored additional slots in the Sound category,...
- 12/21/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The two Oscar frontrunners for Best Documentary Feature are safely through to the next round of voting.
Summer of Soul and Flee earned spots on the Oscar doc feature shortlist announced today, as Documentary Branch voters whittled the list of contending films from 138 qualifiers to 15 [see full lists below].
Flee, the Neon release directed by Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen, not only made the doc feature shortlist, but the shortlist for Best International Film as well, representing Denmark. That rare shortlist double was accomplished last Oscar season by the Romanian documentary Collective, and a year earlier by the North Macedonian film Honeyland (both Collective and Honeyland went on to score Oscar nominations in both categories). Flee remains in the running in a third Oscar category, Animated Feature.
Flee and Summer of Soul,...
Summer of Soul and Flee earned spots on the Oscar doc feature shortlist announced today, as Documentary Branch voters whittled the list of contending films from 138 qualifiers to 15 [see full lists below].
Flee, the Neon release directed by Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen, not only made the doc feature shortlist, but the shortlist for Best International Film as well, representing Denmark. That rare shortlist double was accomplished last Oscar season by the Romanian documentary Collective, and a year earlier by the North Macedonian film Honeyland (both Collective and Honeyland went on to score Oscar nominations in both categories). Flee remains in the running in a third Oscar category, Animated Feature.
Flee and Summer of Soul,...
- 12/21/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 94th Oscars ceremony.
The shortlist voting concluded on Dec. 15, and the remaining ones will move on to the official phase one voting. Nominations voting begins on Thursday, Jan. 27, and ends on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The official credits and nominees for all the films will be announced, with the rest of the Oscar nominations on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Check out the list of the films and categories below:
Original Song
“So May We Start?” from “Annette” (Amazon Studios)
Ron Mael, Russell Mael (Sparks) “Down To Joy” from “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Van Morrison “Right Where I Belong” from “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road” (Screen Media Films)
Brian Wilson, Jim James “Automatic Woman” from “Bruised” (Netflix)
H.E.R. (other songwriters to be added) “Dream Girl” from “Cinderella” (Amazon Studios)
Idina Menzel, Laura Veltz “Beyond The Shore” from...
The shortlist voting concluded on Dec. 15, and the remaining ones will move on to the official phase one voting. Nominations voting begins on Thursday, Jan. 27, and ends on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The official credits and nominees for all the films will be announced, with the rest of the Oscar nominations on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Check out the list of the films and categories below:
Original Song
“So May We Start?” from “Annette” (Amazon Studios)
Ron Mael, Russell Mael (Sparks) “Down To Joy” from “Belfast” (Focus Features)
Van Morrison “Right Where I Belong” from “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road” (Screen Media Films)
Brian Wilson, Jim James “Automatic Woman” from “Bruised” (Netflix)
H.E.R. (other songwriters to be added) “Dream Girl” from “Cinderella” (Amazon Studios)
Idina Menzel, Laura Veltz “Beyond The Shore” from...
- 12/21/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The long journey to the March 27 Academy Awards just got a little bit shorter with the announcement of 10 shortlists for the following categories: International Feature Film, Documentary, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Live-Action Short Film, Documentary Short Subject, and Animated Short Film, with Sound added to the mix this year. As in previous years, members of the Academy will select from these reduced lists of contenders in each category to pick the nominees for the 2022 Oscars. This year marked the fourth in a row the Academy released the full lineup of its shortlists on the same day.
Oscar nominations voting begins 9 a.m. Pt on Thursday, January 27. Voting ends the next week at 5 p.m. Pt on Tuesday, February 1, with nominations announced on the morning of Tuesday, February 8. At that point, we’ll see a reduction in these contenders and have the final five in each category.
Oscar nominations voting begins 9 a.m. Pt on Thursday, January 27. Voting ends the next week at 5 p.m. Pt on Tuesday, February 1, with nominations announced on the morning of Tuesday, February 8. At that point, we’ll see a reduction in these contenders and have the final five in each category.
- 12/21/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Oscars Shortlists Out: ‘No Time To Die’ And ‘Dune’ Lead Mentions; France’s Palme D’Or Winner Snubbed
The 25th James Bond film, No Time to Die, made a strong showing the shortlists released Tuesday for the 94th Oscars, with mentions in five categories to lead all films. Dune, with four mentions in the same categories except Song was close behind.
The Oscars shortlists cover 10 categories overall including Documentary Feature; International Film; Animated, Live Action, and Documentary Shorts; Makeup and Hairstyling; Music Score; Original Song; Sound; and Visual Effects.
Denmark’s Flee made the cut for both Documentary Feature and International Film. It is also eligible for Animated Feature (not a shortlisted category) this year, and should it eventually score final nominations in all three categories it will set an Oscar record for that triple play.
See all the lists below.
Although there weren’t many surprises this morning, for some the most shocking omission will likely be in International Feature,...
The Oscars shortlists cover 10 categories overall including Documentary Feature; International Film; Animated, Live Action, and Documentary Shorts; Makeup and Hairstyling; Music Score; Original Song; Sound; and Visual Effects.
Denmark’s Flee made the cut for both Documentary Feature and International Film. It is also eligible for Animated Feature (not a shortlisted category) this year, and should it eventually score final nominations in all three categories it will set an Oscar record for that triple play.
See all the lists below.
Although there weren’t many surprises this morning, for some the most shocking omission will likely be in International Feature,...
- 12/21/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association voted Saturday on the best films and performances of 2021, with Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Japanese Oscar entry Drive My Car taking Best Picture and Best Screenplay, and earning Hamaguchi Runner-Up in the race for Best Director.
The Power of the Dog‘s Jane Campion prevailed in the latter category, with Red Rocket‘s Simon Rex taking Best Actor and Parallel Mothers‘ Penélope Cruz claiming Best Actress. The award for Best Documentary went to Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer of Soul, with the prize for Best Animation going to Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated Neon pic, Flee, and that for Best Film Not in the English Language going to Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association is a group made up of L.A. area print and digital journalists, which today deliberated on winners and runners-up in a total of 14 categories. Last year,...
The Power of the Dog‘s Jane Campion prevailed in the latter category, with Red Rocket‘s Simon Rex taking Best Actor and Parallel Mothers‘ Penélope Cruz claiming Best Actress. The award for Best Documentary went to Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer of Soul, with the prize for Best Animation going to Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated Neon pic, Flee, and that for Best Film Not in the English Language going to Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association is a group made up of L.A. area print and digital journalists, which today deliberated on winners and runners-up in a total of 14 categories. Last year,...
- 12/19/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The voting for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s (Lafca) best films and best performances of 2021 took place virtually on Saturday. The awards were announced via the group’s Twitter account. throughout the day. The top prizes went to Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” for Best Picture, plus Best Director, Best Actor Simon Rex (“Red Rocket”), and Best Actress Penelope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”). See the full list below.
Other top winners of the awards included Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” which took runner-up in several categories, as well as the music documentary, “Summer of Soul.”
Last year’s top prize for Best Picture went to Steve McQueen’s omnibus film “Small Axe,” with eventual Best Picture Oscar winner “Nomadland” as the runner-up. Carey Mulligan won Best Actress for “Promising Young Woman,” Chadwick Boseman won Best Actor for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Youh-jung Youn won Best Supporting Actress for “Minari,...
Other top winners of the awards included Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” which took runner-up in several categories, as well as the music documentary, “Summer of Soul.”
Last year’s top prize for Best Picture went to Steve McQueen’s omnibus film “Small Axe,” with eventual Best Picture Oscar winner “Nomadland” as the runner-up. Carey Mulligan won Best Actress for “Promising Young Woman,” Chadwick Boseman won Best Actor for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Youh-jung Youn won Best Supporting Actress for “Minari,...
- 12/19/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio and Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (Lafca) announced the winners of their 47th annual awards on Sunday (Dec. 20). These California-based reviewers are the second major critics group to reveal their list of winners, as their New York counterparts went first last Friday (Dec. 3). The Gotham critics named the Japanese import “Drive My Car” as Best Picture and the Cali crew concurred. Directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car” tells the story of a stage actor and director who is happily married to a playwright, who mysteriously disappears.
Last year the west coasters opted to award their top prize to a TV series: “Small Axe,” a 5-part anthology series that streamed on Amazon. In 2019, Lafca previewed the Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards when it went with “Parasite.” Prior to that the L.A. critics had lined up with the Oscars in both 2016 and 2017, when they foretold the upsets by...
Last year the west coasters opted to award their top prize to a TV series: “Small Axe,” a 5-part anthology series that streamed on Amazon. In 2019, Lafca previewed the Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards when it went with “Parasite.” Prior to that the L.A. critics had lined up with the Oscars in both 2016 and 2017, when they foretold the upsets by...
- 12/18/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (Lafca) voted on the best achievements in film in 2021 on Saturday, announcing its award winners through its Twitter account.
The organization named Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s breakout drama “Drive My Car” as the best film of the year, with “The Power of the Dog” taking the runner-up slot. Lafca flipped the two in the category of best director, awarding “Power of the Dog” helmer Campion with Hamaguchi as the runner-up. With its best picture win, “Drive My Car” has become one of fourteen films to win the top prize from the Lafca and New York Film Critics Circle. Each of these films has gone on to become a best picture nominee.
Other big winners included Simon Rex in “Red Rocket” for best actor, Penélope Cruz in “Parallel Mothers” for best actress and Ariana DeBose in “West Side Story” for best supporting actress. Best supporting actor...
The organization named Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s breakout drama “Drive My Car” as the best film of the year, with “The Power of the Dog” taking the runner-up slot. Lafca flipped the two in the category of best director, awarding “Power of the Dog” helmer Campion with Hamaguchi as the runner-up. With its best picture win, “Drive My Car” has become one of fourteen films to win the top prize from the Lafca and New York Film Critics Circle. Each of these films has gone on to become a best picture nominee.
Other big winners included Simon Rex in “Red Rocket” for best actor, Penélope Cruz in “Parallel Mothers” for best actress and Ariana DeBose in “West Side Story” for best supporting actress. Best supporting actor...
- 12/18/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld and J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
The Film Independent Spirit Awards moved up three weeks this year, to March 6, in part to give contenders a boost in the run-up to Oscars March 27. However, few of its nominees will be in the Oscar running. Those who complained that the Indie Spirits overlap too much with the Academy Awards need not worry this year.
Film Independent’s always-idiosyncratic hand-picked juries shed light on some deserving movies, including four A24 titles that have yet to register with other awards groups: Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” leads the field with seven nods including Best Director, Screenplay, Female Lead Taylour Paige, and Editing), Mike Mills’ “C’mon, C’mon”, Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” (acting nods for Simon Rex and Suzanna Son), and Steven Karam’s “The Humans” (cinematography).
Titles ineligible due to a $22.5 million budget cap include Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” “Tick, Tick, Boom,” “Don’t Look Up,...
Film Independent’s always-idiosyncratic hand-picked juries shed light on some deserving movies, including four A24 titles that have yet to register with other awards groups: Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” leads the field with seven nods including Best Director, Screenplay, Female Lead Taylour Paige, and Editing), Mike Mills’ “C’mon, C’mon”, Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” (acting nods for Simon Rex and Suzanna Son), and Steven Karam’s “The Humans” (cinematography).
Titles ineligible due to a $22.5 million budget cap include Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” “Tick, Tick, Boom,” “Don’t Look Up,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Film Independent Spirit Awards moved up three weeks this year, to March 6, in part to give contenders a boost in the run-up to Oscars March 27. However, few of its nominees will be in the Oscar running. Those who complained that the Indie Spirits overlap too much with the Academy Awards need not worry this year.
Film Independent’s always-idiosyncratic hand-picked juries shed light on some deserving movies, including four A24 titles that have yet to register with other awards groups: Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” leads the field with seven nods including Best Director, Screenplay, Female Lead Taylour Paige, and Editing), Mike Mills’ “C’mon, C’mon”, Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” (acting nods for Simon Rex and Suzanna Son), and Steven Karam’s “The Humans” (cinematography).
Titles ineligible due to a $22.5 million budget cap include Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” “Tick, Tick, Boom,” “Don’t Look Up,...
Film Independent’s always-idiosyncratic hand-picked juries shed light on some deserving movies, including four A24 titles that have yet to register with other awards groups: Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” leads the field with seven nods including Best Director, Screenplay, Female Lead Taylour Paige, and Editing), Mike Mills’ “C’mon, C’mon”, Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” (acting nods for Simon Rex and Suzanna Son), and Steven Karam’s “The Humans” (cinematography).
Titles ineligible due to a $22.5 million budget cap include Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” “Tick, Tick, Boom,” “Don’t Look Up,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The 2022 Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced Tuesday, December 14. So who made the cut at these kudos, which celebrate the best in American independent films? Scroll down to see the full 2022 Indie Spirits nominations list. Remember, only American-made movies with budgets under $20 million were eligible for consideration.
These Spirit contenders were decided by nominating committees that included film critics, film programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, actors, past nominees and winners, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors. Winners will be chosen by all of Film Independent’s eligible members, including industry insiders and any movie fans who sign up for membership starting at $95 per year.
These awards have come to be a significant preview of the Oscars as the motion picture academy embraces more independent films. Six of the last 10 Spirit champs for Best Feature went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture including last year’s double dipper “Nomadland,...
These Spirit contenders were decided by nominating committees that included film critics, film programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, actors, past nominees and winners, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors. Winners will be chosen by all of Film Independent’s eligible members, including industry insiders and any movie fans who sign up for membership starting at $95 per year.
These awards have come to be a significant preview of the Oscars as the motion picture academy embraces more independent films. Six of the last 10 Spirit champs for Best Feature went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture including last year’s double dipper “Nomadland,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Last year, IndieWire’s annual critics survey was a squeaker, with two equally beloved films vying neck-and-neck for the top spot. In 2021, though, the final result has been anything but a photo finish. With 187 critics and journalists voting on the best films and performances in this year’s survey, Jane Campion’s Western character study “The Power of the Dog” was the landslide victor, winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance (for Benedict Cumberbatch), and Best Cinematography. It’s the second time in the history of this poll, and the second year in a row following “Nomadland,” that a film directed by a woman topped the list, and it also topped IndieWire’s own staff list of the The Best Movies of 2021. Staffers from IndieWire, Variety, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Entertainment Weekly voted, as well as freelance and staff writers for newspapers, websites, radio, and TV from across Europe,...
- 12/13/2021
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
The Oscar shortlists hit Hollywood on Dec. 21, with filmmakers and artisans alike waiting to see if their pics have made it. It’s another Covid-challenged year, with theaters still not running at full capacity and screening links de rigueur even as widespread vaccinations boost the confidence in getting back in a cinema. The films below have been gaining traction on the awards circuit so far, but given the contours of kudos campaigns, surprises can and will emerge. Critics groups are beginning to weigh in and some guild nominations are imminent. Oscar nominations will be announced Feb. 8, with the ceremony taking place March 27.
Documentary Feature
This category once again offers up an embarrassment of riches, with films such as Denmark’s “Flee” leading the pack — the Sundance winner recently won a Gotham award. “Flee” can also grab noms in animation and international feature. NatGeo’s lineup includes John Hoffman and Janet Tobias’ “Fauci,...
Documentary Feature
This category once again offers up an embarrassment of riches, with films such as Denmark’s “Flee” leading the pack — the Sundance winner recently won a Gotham award. “Flee” can also grab noms in animation and international feature. NatGeo’s lineup includes John Hoffman and Janet Tobias’ “Fauci,...
- 12/11/2021
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
“And the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature goes to… My Octopus Teacher… to American Factory… to Icarus.”
The Motion Picture Academy has enveloped Netflix nonfiction features with love again and again in recent years, rewarding the streamer with three trophies since 2018, not to mention half a dozen nominations overall.
But the story this year seems less Netflix and more National Geographic.
In a typical year, Netflix might easily boast five contenders. But this time around it’s Nat Geo with a quintet of competitors: Torn, The First Wave, Playing with Sharks, The Rescue—directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin—and Becoming Cousteau, the film about celebrated French marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau directed by two-time Oscar nominee Liz Garbus.
“Nat Geo has taken the scene by storm,” Garbus concurs. “The films are really, one and all, so different and so beautiful.”
When Disney acquired most of the Fox assets...
The Motion Picture Academy has enveloped Netflix nonfiction features with love again and again in recent years, rewarding the streamer with three trophies since 2018, not to mention half a dozen nominations overall.
But the story this year seems less Netflix and more National Geographic.
In a typical year, Netflix might easily boast five contenders. But this time around it’s Nat Geo with a quintet of competitors: Torn, The First Wave, Playing with Sharks, The Rescue—directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin—and Becoming Cousteau, the film about celebrated French marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau directed by two-time Oscar nominee Liz Garbus.
“Nat Geo has taken the scene by storm,” Garbus concurs. “The films are really, one and all, so different and so beautiful.”
When Disney acquired most of the Fox assets...
- 12/9/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In the middle of an extraordinary year — 2020 — they were at work on films that charted other resonant histories. In Becoming Cousteau, Liz Garbus, 51, chronicles an emerging environmentalist; in Summer of Soul, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, 50, confronts the erasure of Black stories; in The Rescue, which he directed with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, 48, depicts the challenge faced by a group of unlikely heroes; in The Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes, 60, chronicles a literal band of outsiders; in Procession, Robert Greene, 45, enables a group of trauma survivors to reenvision their own backstories; in Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, 40, animates a refugee’s tale; and in Julia and My Name Is Pauli Murray, both of which she directed with Julie Cohen, Betsy West,...
- 12/2/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In the middle of an extraordinary year — 2020 — they were at work on films that charted other resonant histories. In Becoming Cousteau, Liz Garbus, 51, chronicles an emerging environmentalist; in Summer of Soul, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, 50, confronts the erasure of Black stories; in The Rescue, which he directed with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, 48, depicts the challenge faced by a group of unlikely heroes; in The Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes, 60, chronicles a literal band of outsiders; in Procession, Robert Greene, 45, enables a group of trauma survivors to reenvision their own backstories; in Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, 40, animates a refugee’s tale; and in Julia and My Name Is Pauli Murray, both of which she directed with Julie Cohen, Betsy West,...
- 12/2/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the November 30, 2021 episode of /Film Daily, /Film senior writer Ben Pearson is joined by senior writer and chief film critic Chris Evangelista to talk about what they've been up to at the virtual water cooler.
Opening Banter:
At The Water Cooler:
What we've been Doing:
Ben spent about a month interviewing sound editors, mixers, and designers for a big article about dialogue in movies.
What we've been Watching:
Chris watched The Beatles: Get Back, West Side Story, The French Dispatch, Procession.
Ben watched Spencer, Pig, The French Dispatch, Procession, and Coda.
Also mentioned:
All the other...
The post Daily Podcast: Mini-Water Cooler: The Beatles: Get Back, The French Dispatch, West Side Story, and More appeared first on /Film.
Opening Banter:
At The Water Cooler:
What we've been Doing:
Ben spent about a month interviewing sound editors, mixers, and designers for a big article about dialogue in movies.
What we've been Watching:
Chris watched The Beatles: Get Back, West Side Story, The French Dispatch, Procession.
Ben watched Spencer, Pig, The French Dispatch, Procession, and Coda.
Also mentioned:
All the other...
The post Daily Podcast: Mini-Water Cooler: The Beatles: Get Back, The French Dispatch, West Side Story, and More appeared first on /Film.
- 11/30/2021
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Everyone thinks they know, generally, what a director does, but what is something that’s part of the job that that people might not be aware of? For one, what a group effort making a film is, regardless if it’s a narrative feature, animated film or documentary, Matthew Heineman (“The First Wave”), Mike Rianda (“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”), Robert Greene (“Procession”) and Liesl Tommy (“Respect”) share during our Meet the Experts: Film Directors panel. Watch the exclusive group roundtable video above. Click each name to watch that person’s individual interview.
“I think people think, like, Walt Disney just sort of popped up and was like, ‘I got an idea for a picture. It’s ‘Bambi.’ And here’s the beginning, the middle and the end. I did it. Goodbye! I’m Walt Disney,'” Rianda quips. “And the movies end up being so wonderfully collaborative where I...
“I think people think, like, Walt Disney just sort of popped up and was like, ‘I got an idea for a picture. It’s ‘Bambi.’ And here’s the beginning, the middle and the end. I did it. Goodbye! I’m Walt Disney,'” Rianda quips. “And the movies end up being so wonderfully collaborative where I...
- 11/30/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
“Procession,” the Netflix documentary directed and edited by Robert Greene, focuses on six men who were abused by Catholic priests who are now trying to heal from their trauma. But instead recounting their stories in a standard talking-head style format, the men reenact their trauma through scripted short films as a form of drama therapy. It’s a unique form of therapy that Greene himself wasn’t sure they would all be on board with — and he was ready to wrap at any point in the process.
“The first meeting you see in the film when we’re talking through ideas, it’s not just like, ‘Hey, I have an idea and would like to do this.’ It was very much, ‘Should we do this?'” Greene tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Film Directors panel (watch above). “We were prepared that that was going to be the...
“The first meeting you see in the film when we’re talking through ideas, it’s not just like, ‘Hey, I have an idea and would like to do this.’ It was very much, ‘Should we do this?'” Greene tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Film Directors panel (watch above). “We were prepared that that was going to be the...
- 11/30/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The 31st annual edition of the Gotham Independent Film Awards, taking place Nov. 29, will feature a variety of updates, including acting awards that are not defined by gender, a kudo for breakthrough nonfiction series and the inclusion of international documentaries in the doc feature category.
The third new rule allowed for two European-based documentaries to be nominated in Gotham’s feature nonfiction category: Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” and Camilla Nielsson’s “President.” Rounding out the Gotham category are three U.S.-based docus — Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi,” Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s debut, “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”
The decision to include international nonfiction into the doc feature category came to fruition this year for various reasons according to Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of the Gotham Film and Media Institute.
“In this continuing movement towards inclusion we wanted...
The third new rule allowed for two European-based documentaries to be nominated in Gotham’s feature nonfiction category: Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” and Camilla Nielsson’s “President.” Rounding out the Gotham category are three U.S.-based docus — Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi,” Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s debut, “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”
The decision to include international nonfiction into the doc feature category came to fruition this year for various reasons according to Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of the Gotham Film and Media Institute.
“In this continuing movement towards inclusion we wanted...
- 11/29/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
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