NEGROMANCER 2.0: Indie

Showing posts with label Indie. Show all posts

Sunday, December 4, 2016

2016 British Independent Film Awards Announced; "American Honey" Dominates

Raindance created the British Independent Film Awards (in 1998) to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking. The awards also honor new talent and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.

On Tuesday, November 1, 2016, the nominations for the 2015/19th Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced in London. The winners were announced at The Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday, December 4, 2016 at Old Billingsgate. The event was hosted by Jennifer Saunders.

The 2016 / 19th Moët British Independent Film Awards winners:

BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
AMERICAN HONEY Andrea Arnold, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, Pouya Shahbazian, Alice Weinberg, Thomas Benski, Lucas Ochoa

INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
MOONLIGHT Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner

DIRECTOR
ANDREA ARNOLD American Honey

SCREENPLAY
BABAK ANVARI Under the Shadow

ACTRESS
SASHA LANE American Honey

ACTOR
DAVE JOHNS I, Daniel Blake

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AVIN MANSHADI Under the Shadow

SUPPORTING ACTOR
BRETT GOLDSTEIN Adult Life Skills

DOCUMENTARY
NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney, Mike Brett, Jo-Jo Ellison, Steve Jamison, Alex Usborne

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CRAFT
ROBBIE RYAN Cinematography – American Honey

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD (DEBUT DIRECTOR)
BABAK ANVARI Under the Shadow

DEBUT SCREENWRITER
RACHEL TUNNARD Adult Life Skills

BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCER
CAMILLE GATIN The Girl With All the Gifts

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
HAYLEY SQUIRES I, Daniel Blake

THE DISCOVERY AWARD
THE GREASY STRANGLER Jim Hosking, Toby Harvard, Daniel Noah, Andrew Starke, Ant Timpson, Josh C Waller, Elijah Wood

BRITISH SHORT
JACKED Rene Pannevis, Ashish Ghadiali, Jennifer Eriksson

The BIFA Variety Award:
Naomie Harris
(The Variety Award recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK.)

The Richard Harris Award:
Alison Steadman
(The Richard Harris Award was introduced in 2002 in honour of Richard Harris and recognises outstanding contribution to British film by an actor.)

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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

National Board of Review Names "Manchester by the Sea" Best Film of 2016

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, which is made up of film enthusiasts, academics, students, and filmmakers, historically launches the movie awards season.

The 2016 version of the organization’s Annual Gala will be held on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 with NBC’s Willie Geist set to return as host.

The National Board of Review has named Manchester by the Sea 2016’s Best Film of the Year. That was announced Tuesday, November 29, 2016, along with the organization’s other year-end honors.

2016 National Board of Review award winners:

Best Film: Manchester by the Sea

Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress: Amy Adams, Arrival

Best Supporting Actor: Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Best Supporting Actress: Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Best Original Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese, Silence

Best Animated Feature: Kubo and the Two Strings

Breakthrough Performance (Male): Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

Breakthrough Performance (Female): Royalty Hightower, The Fits

Best Directorial Debut: Trey Edward Shults, Krisha

Best Foreign Language Film: The Salesman

Best Documentary: O.J.: Made in America

Best Ensemble: Hidden Figures

Spotlight Award: Creative Collaboration of Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Cameraperson

2016 Top Films
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hail, Caesar!
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Moonlight
Patriots Day
Silence
Sully

2016 Top 5 Foreign Language Films
Elle
The Handmaiden
Julieta
Land of Mine
Neruda

2016 Top 5 Documentaries
De Palma
The Eagle Huntress
Gleason
Life, Animated
Miss Sharon Jones!

2016 Top 10 Independent Films
20th Century Women
Captain Fantastic
Creative Control
Eye in the Sky
The Fits
Green Room
Hello, My Name is Doris
Krisha
Morris from America
Sing Street

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Gotham Awards Names "Moonlight" Best Feature Film of 2016

Thursday, November 3, 2016

2016 Gotham Award Nominations Announced

Honoring independent films, the Gotham Awards are the first major awards of the film awards season. The Gotham Awards are presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), an organization which helps independent filmmakers by connected artists with resources at all stages of film development and distribution.

This year, the 2016 Gotham Awards kicks off the 2016-17 American movie awards season. The nominations were announced Thursday, October 20, 2016. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 28, 2016 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Nominees for 2016 / 26th Annual IFP Gotham Awards:

Best Feature

Certain Women
Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani, producers (IFC Films)

Everybody Wants Some!!
Richard Linklater, director; Megan Ellison, Ginger Sledge, Richard Linklater, producers (Paramount Pictures)

Manchester by the Sea
Kenneth Lonergan, director; Kimberly Steward, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck, Kevin J. Walsh, producers (Amazon Studios)

Moonlight
Barry Jenkins, director; Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, producers (A24)

Paterson
Jim Jarmusch, director; Joshua Astrachan, Carter Logan, producers (Amazon Studios)

Best Documentary

Cameraperson
Kirsten Johnson, director; Marilyn Ness, producer (Janus Films)

I Am Not Your Negro
Raoul Peck, director; Rémi Grellety, Raoul Peck, Hébert Peck, producers (Magnolia Pictures, Independent Lens)

O.J.: Made in America
Ezra Edelman, director; Caroline Waterlow, Ezra Edelman, Tamara Rosenberg, Nina Krstic, Deirdre Fenton, Erin Leyden, producers (ESPN Films)

Tower
Keith Maitland, director; Keith Maitland, Megan Gilbride, Susan Thomson, producers (Kino Lorber, Independent Lens)

Weiner
Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg, directors and producers (Sundance Selects and Showtime Documentary Films)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Robert Eggers for The Witch (A24)
Anna Rose Holmer for The Fits (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert for Swiss Army Man (A24)
Trey Edward Shults for Krisha (A24)
Richard Tanne for Southside with You (Roadside Attractions and Miramax)

Best Screenplay
Hell or High Water, Taylor Sheridan (CBS Films)
Love & Friendship, Whit Stillman (Amazon Studios)
Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan (Amazon Studios)
Moonlight, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney; Screenplay by Barry Jenkins (A24)
Paterson, Jim Jarmusch (Amazon Studios)

Best Actor*
Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea (Amazon Studios)
Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water (CBS Films)
Adam Driver in Paterson (Amazon Studios)
Joel Edgerton in Loving (Focus Features)
Craig Robinson in Morris from America (A24)

Best Actress*
Kate Beckinsale in Love & Friendship (Amazon Studios)
Annette Bening in 20th Century Women (A24)
Isabelle Huppert in Elle (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ruth Negga in Loving (Focus Features)
Natalie Portman in Jackie (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor*
Lily Gladstone in Certain Women (IFC Films)
Lucas Hedges in Manchester by the Sea (Amazon Studios)
Royalty Hightower in The Fits (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Sasha Lane in American Honey (A24)
Anya Taylor-Joy in The Witch (A24)

* The 2016 Best Actor/Best Actress and Breakthrough Actor nominating panels also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award for ensemble performance to Moonlight, “in which actors at all levels of experience give outstanding performances that speak eloquently to one another both within and across each chapter of the story.” The awards will go to actors Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Rhodes, and Ashton Sanders.

Breakthrough Series – Long Form

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rachel Bloom & Aline Brosh McKenna, creators; Marc Webb, Rachel Bloom, Aline Brosh McKenna, Erin Ehrlich, executive producers (The CW)

The Girlfriend Experience, Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, creators; Steven Soderbergh, Philip Fleischman, Amy Seimetz, Lodge Kerrigan, Jeff Cuban, Gary Marcus, executive producers (Starz)

Horace and Pete, Louis C.K., creator; M. Blair Breard, Dave Becky, Vernon Chatman, Dino Stamatopoulos, executive producers (louisck.net)

Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Melissa Rosenberg, creator; Melissa Rosenberg, Liz Friedman, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Dan Buckley, Jim Chory, Jeph Loeb, Howard Klein, executive producers (Netflix)

Master of None, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, creators; Michael Schur, David Miner, Dave Becky, executive producers (Netflix)

Breakthrough Series – Short Form
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, Brian Jordan Alvarez, creator (YouTube)

Her Story, Jen Richards and Laura Zak, creators (herstoryshow.com)

The Movement, Darnell Moore, Host (Mic.com)

Sitting in Bathrooms with Trans People, Dylan Marron, creator (Seriously.TV)

Surviving, Reagan Gomez, creator (YouTube)

Gotham Independent Film Audience Award

IFP members will determine the Gotham Independent Film Audience Award with nominees comprised of the 15 nominated films in the Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award categories. All IFP current, active members at the Individual Level and above will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place online from November 16th at 12:01 AM EST and conclude on November 23rd at 5:00 PM EST. In addition, IFP will be scheduling screenings of the nominated films for IFP members in the theater at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Brooklyn. These screenings will take place from November 9-15. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Gotham Awards Ceremony on November 28, 2016.

Sponsors

The Premier Sponsor of the 2016 Gotham Awards is The New York Times, and the Platinum Sponsors are deep euphoria Calvin Klein and Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Office of Film, Music and Entertainment.

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Thursday, June 2, 2016

Overground Comics Announces New Comic Book, "Primordium"

Overground Comics seeks to find out if aliens do walk among us in Primordium.

Buffy star Cliff Richards joins the new comic book series.

Overground Comics, the originator of unique comic book properties such as Plus Ultra, Absent Captain, Graduate, and Tinker, announced that they will be publishing a new science fiction series called, Primordium. The books combine the creative team of Cliff Richards, Gene Espy and Christopher Hill.

Story Description
Sometime during the week of July 7th, 1947, something crashed deep within the New Mexico desert. The army claimed they had found a flying saucer only to redact that announcement and replace it with a weather balloon. For the next half century, people debated over what really happened between Roswell and Corona, New Mexico. Only a handful of people really know the truth.

Ryan Spencer is the key to unlocking the story of the century, but he only knows that his life is not going how he had planned. The term Primordium indicates a beginning and throughout this series Ryan and an odd collection of individuals, all with their own agendas, begin to unravel the fog of the past to discover not only what happened on that fateful night over the skies of New Mexico, but also to see how that day has shaped every day after.

Overground Comics Quote
Michael Bornstein, Overground Comics owner commented, “This book is part of our spotlight series where we highlight unique stories and fantastic talent. We love bringing our fans stories with action and depth then couple that with fantastic visuals. For Primordium, we finally see “if they walk among us.”

Release Details
Primordium is currently in the June Previews book (Page 393 STL011647), on sale now. The comic is being published by Overground Comics and distributed nationwide by Diamond Distributers.

Creative Team
Cliff Richards – The Brazilian native’s extensive career has taken him across the comic book landscape. Recognized for his highly detailed and stylized techniques, he is best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Dark Horse. He has continued developing pages for various Buffy spinoffs since. All totaled, Cliff has contributed to over 70 Buffy related books. For Marvel he has drawn for the New Avengers, Rogue, Iron-Man and the X-men among others. With DC, he was noted for his work on Birds of Prey, The Huntress, as well as issues of Batman, Titans, Wonder Woman and Superman. He was also the artist for the 2010 graphic novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel published by Del Rey / Random House. In 2016, that novel was adapted to film in the movie of the same name.

Christopher Hill – Christopher began his comic book career writing custom comic books for Marvel and Triple-A Baseball. Since then, he has developed books for ESPN, Disney, the Armed Forces Bowl, and the Houston Zoo. In 2015, he created a comic book for those suffering from the disease Chiari Malformation. This year, he has been hired to produce a series on cancer for MD Anderson Cancer Center (the largest cancer hospital nationwide) and Chevrolet. In addition to this series, later this year he will be releasing another series called Monsterwood and has a children’s novel, Wishing Wells Through Waterfalls, debuting in the spring.

Gene Espy – Known on the convention circuit for his impressive detail and mood setting, Gene utilized his gauche painted pages in Primordium as a unique way to tell the flashback stories in the series. This will be Gene’s first published title followed by Monsterwood with Christopher Hill.

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

Review: Halle Berry Stellar in "Frankie & Alice"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2016) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Frankie & Alice (2010)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for some sexual content, language and drug use
DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Sax
WRITERS: Cheryl Edwards, Marko King, Mary King, Jonathan Watters, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse; from a story by Oscar Janiger, Philip Goldberg, and Cheryl Edwards
PRODUCERS: Halle Berry, Vincent Cirrincione, Simon DeKaric, and Hassain Zaidi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Newton Thomas Sigel (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: David M. Richardson
COMPOSER: Andrew Lockington
Golden Globe nominee

DRAMA/BIOPIC

Starring: Halle Berry, Stellan Skarsgard, Phylicia Rashad, Chandra Wilson, Alex Diakun, Joanne Baron, Brian Markison, Matt Frewer, and Scott Lyster

Frankie & Alice is a 2010 Canadian drama from director Geoffrey Sax and starring Halle Berry. The film received a limited theatrical release in 2010 in order to qualify for the 2010-2011 movie awards season. It did receive a wider theatrical release in August 2014. Frankie & Alice follows a go-go dancer with multiple personality disorder and the psychotherapist who tries to help her.

Frankie & Alice opens in Los Angeles in 1973 where we meet Francine “Frankie” Lucinda Murdoch (Halle Berry), an African-American female go-go dancer. During an attempted sexual encounter, Frankie experiences a personality change that throws her life into chaos. Eventually her manic episodes land her in a mental care facility. Frankie meets Dr. Joseph “Joe” Oswald (Stellan Skarsgard), a.k.a. “Dr. Oz.”

Dr. Oswald believes that Frankie suffers from multiple personality disorder (now known as “dissociative identity disorder”). He identifies that Frankie has two other personalities: “Genius,” a seven-year-old child; and “Alice,” a Southern racist White woman. “Genius” and “Alice” are aware of each other, but Alice wants control of Frankie. In order to discover a way to help Frankie, Dr. Oswald must uncover a terrible trauma in Frankie's past that is either forgotten or kept secret.

Halle Berry had apparently been trying to get Frankie & Alice produced since the 1990s. Serious movement began on the film around 2004, apparently, but it was another six years before the film saw even a limited theatrical release. That was reportedly almost two years after the film had finished production. That is a shame really, because Frankie & Alice is a good movie. In this film, Berry gives one of the best performances of her career, one that I think is on par with her Oscar-winning turn in 2001's Monster's Ball.

As a film, Frankie & Alice is not a fancy, big, prestige biographical drama in the tradition of such films as A Beautiful Mind and The King's Speech. However, it is not quite one of those infamous disease-of-the-week made-for-television movies. In some ways, the film is similar to a two-actor stage drama, focusing on the characters that Berry and Stellan Skarsgard portray. Although he delivers a nice performance, Dr. Oswald is not close to Skarsgard's best work, and that is mainly because the character is not that well developed. The movie gives us glimpses into him, but that is as far as that goes.

Watching the film and trying to follow its story, it is easy to see that eight different writers worked on it over the course of many years. Frankie & Alice does have a patchwork feel to it. There are so many other good characters with small roles, like Frankie's mother, Edna (Phylicia Rashad), and sister, Maxine (Chandra Wilson). These two characters could have enriched both their stories and Frankie's.

Still, Halle Berry, of whom I am a huge fan, is so good here. She carries this movie in a way that engages the audience with Frankie, but also with the characters, “Genius” and “Alice.” Quite frankly, Berry should get credit for giving three excellent performances. Her turn as the troubled and brittle “Alice” is superb; she sells that character as genuine, but she makes you believe that “Alice” could be a menace to Frankie. Her turn as the sweet, but fearful “Genius” is heartbreaking and borders on brilliant.

Berry does not give one of those showy performances that cries out for an Oscar nomination, which she deserved, but did not get for this film. She honestly plies her craft as an actor, and delivers a brilliant performance as an artist. In fact, whatever faults it has, Frankie & Alice is still a quality drama because Berry is at its center delivering stellar work.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, December 19, 2015

NOTES:
2011 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Halle Berry)

2011 Image Awards: 2 wins: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Halle Berry) and “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture;” 2 nominations: “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (Mary King, Jonathan Watters, Cheryl Edwards, Joe Shrapnel, Marko King, and Anna Waterhouse), and “Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (Geoffrey Sax)

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

2016 Spirit Awards Announced; "Spotlight" Dominates

Friday, February 26, 2016

2016 Black Reel Awards Announced; Creed Leads with 5 Wins

The Black Reel Awards annually honor African-Americans in feature, independent, and television film. The awards also take notice of the work in film by people of color throughout the African Diaspora. The awards were launched in 2000, and this is the 16th year the awards will be handed out. The Black Reel Awards are now given out by the Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF).

The Black Reel Awards are comprised of more than 80 voters across the country. The voters annually select and spotlight films and performances featuring African-Americans, as well as people of color throughout the African Diaspora. The 16th Annual Black Reel Awards were held on Thursday, February 18, 2016.

16th Annual Black Reel Award Winners:

FILM

Outstanding Film
Creed
Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, Robert Chartoff, William Chartoff, Kevin King-Templeton, Producers

Outstanding Actor
Michael B. Jordan | Creed

Outstanding Actress
Teyonah Parris | Chi-Raq

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Idris Elba | Beasts of No Nation

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Tessa Thompson | Creed

Outstanding Director
Ryan Coogler | Creed

Outstanding Screenplay
Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington | Creed

Outstanding Documentary
What Happened, Miss Simone | Liz Garbus

Outstanding Ensemble
Straight Outta Compton | Victoria Thomas and Cindy Tolan

Outstanding Foreign-Language Film
Girlhood | Céline Sciamma (France)

Outstanding Score
Joseph Trapanese | Straight Outta Compton

Outstanding Original Song
“See You Again” | Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth (Furious 7)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
Abraham Attah | Beasts of No Nation

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
Kiersey Clemons | Dope

Outstanding Voice Performance
Rihanna | Home

INDEPENDENT

Outstanding Independent Film
Tangerine | Sean Baker

Outstanding Independent Documentary
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Blues | Carol Bash

Outstanding Independent Short
Addiction | Danny Dzhurayev

TELEVISION

Outstanding TV Documentary or Special
The Wiz Live! | Kenny Leon

Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series
Bessie | Ron Schmidt, Producer

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series
David Oyelowo | Nightingale

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series
Dana Owens (Queen Latifah) | Bessie

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series
Bokeem Woodbine | Fargo

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series
Regina King | American Crime

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Limited Series
Dee Rees | Bessie

Outstanding Screenplay, TV Movie or Limited Series
John Ridley | American Crime

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Thursday, February 4, 2016

16th Annual Black Reel Award Nominations - Complete List

The Black Reel Awards are comprised of more than 80 voters across the country. The voters annually select and spotlight films and performances featuring African-Americans, as well as people of color throughout the African Diaspora. The 16th Annual Black Reel Awards winners will be announced on Thursday, February 18, 2016.

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture

Beasts of No Nation | Amy Kaufman, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown, Idris Elba (Netflix)
Chi-Raq | Spike Lee (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)
Concussion | Ridley Scott, Larry Shuman, Elizabeth Cantillon, Giannina Scott, David Wolthoff (Columbia Pictures)
Creed | Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, Robert Chartoff, William Chartoff, Kevin King-Templeton (Warner Bros.)
Straight Outta Compton | F. Gary Gray, Ice Cube, Matt Alvarez, Scott Bernstein (Universal)

Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture

Abraham Attah | Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)

Chiwetel Ejiofor | Z for Zachariah (Roadside Attractions)

Samuel L. Jackson | The Hateful Eight (The Weinstein Company)

Michael B. Jordan | Creed (Warner Bros.)

Will Smith | Concussion (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture

Viola Davis | Lila & Eve (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

Teyonah Parris | Chi-Raq (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Zoe Saldana | Infinitely Polar Bear (Sony Pictures Classics)

Karidja Toure | Girlhood (Pyramide Distribution)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

Chiwetel Ejiofor | The Martian (20th Century Fox)

Idris Elba | Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)

Corey Hawkins | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Jason Mitchell | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Forest Whitaker | Southpaw (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Angela Bassett | Chi-Raq (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Zoe Kravitz | Dope (Open Road Films)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Concussion (Columbia Pictures)

Mya Taylor | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Tessa Thompson | Creed (Warner Bros.)

Outstanding Director, Motion Picture

Ryan Coogler | Creed (Warner Bros.)

Rick Famuyiwa | Dope (Open Road Films)

Antoine Fuqua | Southpaw (The Weinstein Company)

F Gary Gray | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Spike Lee | Chi-Raq (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Screenplay (Adapted or Original), Motion Picture

Chi-Raq | Spike Lee & Kevin Willmont (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Creed | Ryan Coogler & Aaron Covington (Warner Bros.)

Dope | Rick Famuyiwa (Open Road Films)

Outstanding Ensemble

Chi-Raq | Kim Coleman (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Concussion | Lindsay Graham & Mary Vernieu (Columbia Pictures)

Creed | Francine Maisler (Warner Bros.)

Dope | Kim Coleman (Open Road Films)

Straight Outta Compton | Victoria Thomas & Cindy Tolan (Universal)

Outstanding Foreign Film

Freetown | Garrett Batty (Liberia) (Purdie Distribution)

Girlhood | Celine Sciamma (France) (Pyramide Distribution)

Honeytrap | Rebecca Johnson (UK) (Defiant Films Entertainment)

Mediterranea | Jonas Carpignano (Italy) (Sundance Selects)

My Friend Victoria | Jean-Paul Civeyrac (France) (Zeitgeist Films)

Samba | Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano (France) (Gaumont)

Outstanding Documentary

The Amazing Nina Simone | Jeff L. Lieberman (Re-Emerging Films)

A Ballerina’s Tale | Nelson George (Sundance Selects)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution | Stanley Nelson (Dogwoof Productions)

Sweet Micky for President | Ben Patterson (Prasperity Productions)

What Happened, Miss Simone? | Liz Garbus (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male

Abraham Attah | Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)

R.J. Cyler | Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

O’Shea Jackson, Jr. | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Jason Mitchell | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Shameik Moore | Dope (Open Road Films)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female

Kiersey Clemons | Dope (Open Road Films)

Chanel Iman | Dope (Open Road Films)

Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Assa Sylla | Girlhood (Pyramide Distribution)

Mya Taylor | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Outstanding Voice Performance

Rihanna | Home (20th Century Fox)

Maya Rudolph | Strange Magic (Walt Disney Studios)

Marleik “Mar Mar” Walker | The Peanuts Movie (20th Century Fox)

Quvenzhane Wallis | Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (GKids)

Jeffrey Wright | The Good Dinosaur (Pixar)

Outstanding Original Score

Beasts of No Nation | Dan Romer (Netflix)

Chiraq | Terence Blanchard (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Creed | Ludwig Goransson (Warner Bros.)

Dope | Germaine Franco (Open Roads)

Straight Outta Compton | Joseph Trapanese (Universal)

Outstanding Original Song

“Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey | Performed by: The Weeknd; Written by: The Weekend, Stephan Moccio , Jason Quenneville, Ahmad Balshe (Universal)
“Grip” from Creed | Performed by: Tessa Thompson; Written by: Tessa Thompson, Ludwig Goransson, Sam Dew (Warner Bros.)
“See You Again” from Furious 7 | Performed by: Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth; Written by: Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Andrew Cedar, DJ Frank E (Universal)
“Talking to My Diary” from Straight Outta Compton | Performed by: Dr. Dre; Written by: Dr. Dre, Russell “Silk” Brown, Camille “Choc” Clerc, Francois de Roubaix (Universal)
“Waiting for My Moment” from Creed | Performed by: Childish Gambino, Vince Staples, Jhene Aiko; Written by: Ryan Coogler, Vince Staples, Donald Glover, Ludwig Goransson (Warner Bros.)

INDEPENDENT CATEGORIES

Outstanding Independent Feature

Blackbird | Patrik-Ian Polk

Knucklehead | Ben Bowman

Somewhere in the Middle | Lanre Olabisi

Tangerine | Sean Baker

The Man in 3B | Trey Haley

Outstanding Independent Documentary

Adina Howard 20 : A Story of Sexual Liberation | Gezus Zaire

Be Known | Dwayne Johnson-Cochran

Cody High: A Life Remodeled Project | Walter V. Marshall

Mary Lou Williams : The Lady Who Swings the Blues | Carol Bash

Romeo is Bleeding | Jason Zeldes

Outstanding Independent Short

Addiction | Danny Dzhurayev

David’s Reverie | Neil Creque Williams

Sacred Heart | Jennia Fredrique & Sol Aponte

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Outstanding TV Documentary or Special

3 ½ Minutes | Marc Silver (HBO)

Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church | Clay Cane (BET)

Kareem: Minority of One | Clare Lewins (HBO)

Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life: An All-Star Grammy Tribute | Leon Knoles (CBS)

The Wiz Live! | Kenny Leon (NBC)

Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series

American Crime | Lori-Etta Taub & Ed Tapla (ABC)

Bessie | Ron Schmidt (HBO)

The Book of Negroes | Damon D’Oliveira & Clement Virgo (BET)

Luther | Marcus Wilson (BBC America)

Show Me a Hero | Gail Mutrux (HBO)

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series

Steve Harris | Let the Church Say Amen (BET)

James Earl Jones | “Great Performances: Driving Miss Daisy” (PBS)

Amin Joseph | Stock Option (TV One)

David Oyelowo | Nightingale (HBO)

Michael K. Williams | The Spoils Before Dying (IFC Channel)

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series

YaYa DaCosta | Whitney (Lifetime)

Aunjanue Ellis | The Book of Negroes (BET)

Regina Hall | With This Ring (Lifetime)

Queen Latifah | Bessie (HBO)

Shanice Williams | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series

Charles S. Dutton | Bessie (HBO)

Cuba Gooding Jr. | The Book of Negroes (BET)

David Alan Grier | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Michael K. Williams | Bessie (HBO)

Bokeem Woodbine | Fargo (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series

Angela Bassett | American Horror Story: Hotel (FX)

Mary J. Blige | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Regina King | American Crime (ABC)

Mo’Nique | Bessie (HBO)

Amber Riley | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Limited Series

Angela Bassett | Whitney (Lifetime)

Dee Rees | Bessie (HBO)

Regina King | Let the Church Say Amen (BET)

John Ridley | American Crime (ABC)

Clement Virgo | The Book of Negroes (BET)

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), TV Movie or Limited Series

Stacey A. Littlejohn | American Crime: Episode Seven (ABC)

John Ridley | American Crime: Episode One (ABC)

Dee Rees, Bettina Gilois & Christopher Cleveland | Bessie (HBO)

Clement Virgo | The Book of Negroes (BET)

Lisa Belkin, David Simon & William F. Zorzi | Show Me a Hero (HBO)

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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

2016 Sundance Film Festival Awards; "Birth of a Nation" Wins Top Prizes

Actor and filmmaker Robert Redford founded the Sundance Institute, a non-profit organization, in 1981. The Sundance Institute actively advances the work of filmmakers and storytellers worldwide. Through its offices in Park City, Los Angeles, and New York City, the organization provides creative and financial support to emerging and aspiring filmmakers, directors, producers, film composers, screenwriters, playwrights, and theater artists via a series of Labs and Fellowships

The 2016 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 21 to Jan 31, 2016.

2016 Sundance Film Festival Awards:

U.S. DRAMATIC

Audience Award
Birth Of A Nation - Nate Parker

Grand Jury Prize
Birth Of A Nation - Nate Parker

Directing
Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan - Swiss Army Man

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
Chad Hartigan - Morris From America

Special Jury Award – Individual Performance
Melanie Lynskey - The Intervention

Special Jury Award – Individual Performance
Craig Robinson - Morris from America

Special Jury Award – Breakthrough Performance
Joe Seo - Spa Night

Special Jury Award
As You Are - Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

U.S. DOCUMENTARY

Grand Jury Prize
Weiner - Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman

Audience Award
Jim: The James Foley Story - Brian Oakes

Directing
Roger Ross Williams - Life, Animated

Special Jury Award – Vérité Filmmaking
The Bad Kids - Keith Fulton, Lou Pepe

Special Jury Award – Writing
Kate Plays Christine - Robert Greene

Special Jury Award – Social Impact Filmmaking
Trapped - Dawn Porter

NEXT Audience Award
First Girl I Loved - Kerem Sanga

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC

Audience Award
Between Sea and Land / Colombia - Directors: Manolo Cruz, Carlos del Castillo

Sand StormGrand Jury Prize
Sand Storm / Israel - Director: Elite Zexer

Directing Award
Belgica / Belgium-France-Netherlands - Felix van Groeningen

Special Jury Award – Unique Vision and Design
The Lure / Poland - Director: Agnieszka Smoczyńska

Special Jury Award – Screenwriting
Mi Amiga Del Parque / Argentina-Uruguay - Screenwriters: Inés Bortagaray, Ana Katz

Special Jury Award – Acting
Vicky Hernandéz, Manolo Cruz - Between Sea and Land / Colombia

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY

Grand Jury Prize
Sonita / Germany-Iran-Swizerland - Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami

Directing
All These Sleepless Nights / Poland - Michal Marczak

Special Jury Award – Best Editing
We Are X / UK-U.S.-Japan - Editors: Mako Kamitsuna, John Maringouin

Special Jury Award – Best Cinematography
The Land Of The Enlightened / Belgium - DP: Pieter-Jan De Pue

Special Jury Award – Best Debut Feature
When Two Worlds Collide / Peru - Directors: Mathew Orzel, Heidi Brandenburg

Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize (announced Wednesday – January 27th)
Embrace of the Serpent - Directed by Ciro Guerra

SHORT FILM PRIZES
(announced Wednesday – January 27th)

Short Film Grand Jury Prize
Thunder Road / U.S. - Director and screenwriter: Jim Cummings

Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction
The Procedure / U.S. - Director and screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder

Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction
Maman(s) / France - Director and screenwriter: Maïmouna Doucouré

Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction
Bacon & God’s Wrath / Canada - Director: Sol Friedman

Short Film Jury Award: Animation
Edmond / UK - Director and screenwriter: Nina Gantz

Short Film Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance
Grace Glowicki - Her Friend Adam

Short Film Special Jury Award for Best Direction
Peacock / Czech Republic - Director: Ondřej Hudeček, Screenwriters: Jan Smutny, Ondřej Hudeček

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Monday, February 1, 2016

2016 Image Award Nominations - Television and Motion Picture Categories

The NAACP Image Award an award bestowed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The award honors outstanding achievements by people of color in film, television, music, and literature. The awards are voted on by members of the NAACP.

The NAACP announced nominees for its 47th annual Image Awards, which celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in Television, Recording (Music), Literary (Books), Motion Picture, Documentary (film and television), Writing (for film and television), Directing (for film and television), and Animated/CGI (for film and television). Winners will be announced February 5, 2016 during a ceremony airing live on TV One.

2016 / 47th NAACP Image Awards nominees - Television, Motion Picture, and Animation Categories:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Michael B. Jordan
Misty Copeland
Pharrell Williams
Shonda Rhimes
Viola Davis

TELEVISION

Outstanding Comedy Series
“black-ish” (ABC)
“House of Lies” (Showtime)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
“Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC)
Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Dwayne Johnson – “Ballers” (HBO)
RonReaco Lee – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Gina Rodriguez – “Jane The Virgin” (The CW)
Loretta Devine – “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC)
Uzo Aduba – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game” (BET)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
David Alan Grier – “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)
Mike Epps – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)
Terry Crews – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Anna Deavere Smith – “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
Danielle Brooks – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Laverne Cox – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
Tichina Arnold – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Drama Series
“Being Mary Jane” (BET)
“Empire” (FOX)
“How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
“Power” (Starz)
“Scandal” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
LL Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS)
Morris Chestnut – “Rosewood” (FOX)
Omari Hardwick – “Power” (Starz)
Terrence Howard – “Empire” (FOX)
Wesley Snipes – “The Player” (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Gabrielle Union – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
Kerry Washington – “Scandal” (ABC)
Nicole Beharie – “Sleepy Hollow” (FOX)
Taraji P. Henson – “Empire” (FOX)
Viola Davis – “How to Get Away With Murder” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alfred Enoch – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Bryshere Y. Gray – “Empire” (FOX)
Guillermo Diaz – “Scandal” (ABC)
Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
Jussie Smollett – “Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Cicely Tyson – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Danai Gurira – “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
Grace Gealey – “Empire” (FOX)
Naturi Naughton – “Power” (Starz)
Regina King – “American Crime” (ABC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
“American Crime” (ABC)
“Bessie” (HBO)
“Luther” (BBC America)
“The Book of Negroes” (BET)
“The Wiz Live!” (NBC)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Cuba Gooding, Jr. – “The Book of Negroes” (BET)
David Alan Grier – “The Wiz Live!” (NBC)
David Oyelowo – “Nightingale” (HBO)
Idris Elba – “Luther” (BBC America)
Michael Kenneth Williams – “Bessie” (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Angela Bassett – “American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX Networks)
Aunjanue Ellis – “The Book of Negroes” (BET)
Jill Scott – “With this Ring” (Lifetime)
LaTonya Richardson Jackson – “Show Me a Hero” (HBO)
Queen Latifah – “Bessie” (HBO)

Outstanding News/ Information – (Series or Special)
“Katrina: 10 Years After the Storm” (ABC)
“News One Now” (TV One)
“Oprah Prime: Celebrating Dr. King and the Selma Marches 50 Years Later” (OWN)
“Oprah: Where Are They Now?- Civil Rights Special” (OWN)
“Unsung” (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
“Melissa Harris-Perry” (MSNBC)
“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
“The Talk” (CBS)
“The Wendy Williams Show” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“Welcome to Sweetie Pies” (OWN)

Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
“Black Girls Rock!” (BET)
“Family Feud” (Syndicated)
“Oprahs Master Class” (OWN)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
“The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Children’s Program
“Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
“Dora and Friends” (Nickelodeon)
“K.C. Undercover” (Disney Channel)
“Little Ballers” (Nickelodeon)
“Project MC2” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Mini-series)
Hudson Yang – “Fresh Off The Boat” (ABC)
Marcus Scribner – “black-ish” (ABC)
Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)
Skai Jackson – “Jessie” (Disney Channel)

Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or
“Family Feud” – Steve Harvey (Syndicated)
“Melissa Harris-Perry” – Melissa Harris-Perry (MSNBC)
“Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel ” – Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” – Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
“The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” – Larry Wilmore (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand” (PBS)
“Belief” (OWN)
“Kareem: Minority of One” (HBO)
“Light Girls” (OWN)
“Muhammad Ali: The Peoples Champ” (BET)

ANIMATED/CGI

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – (Television or Film)
Aisha Tyler – “Archer” (FX Networks)
Audra McDonald – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
Jeffrey Wright – “The Good Dinosaur” (Disney/Pixar)
Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Channel)
Wanda Sykes – “Penn Zero” (Disney XD)

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
“Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
“Concussion” (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
“Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
“Dope” (Open Road Films)
“Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Abraham Attah – “Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “Secret in Their Eyes” (STX Entertainment)
Michael B. Jordan – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
Michael Ealy – “The Perfect Guy” (Screen Gems)
Will Smith – “Concussion” (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Lauren ‘Keke’ Palmer – “Brotherly Love” (Flavor Unit)
Sanaa Lathan – “The Perfect Guy” (Screen Gems)
Teyonah Parris – “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
Viola Davis – “Lila and Eve” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Zoe Saldana – “Infinitely Polar Bear” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “The Martian” (20th Century Fox)
Corey Hawkins – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
Forest Whitaker – “Southpaw” (The Weinstein Company)
Idris Elba – “Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
O’Shea Jackson, Jr. – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Concussion” (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Jennifer Hudson – “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
Phylicia Rashad – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
Tessa Thompson – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
“Brotherly Love” (Flavor Unit)
“Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
“Infinitely Polar Bear” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Secret in Their Eyes” (STX Entertainment)

Outstanding Documentary – (Film)
“Amy” (A24)
“Dreamcatcher” (Rise Films, Green Acres Films & Vixen Films in association with Impact Partners and Artemis Rising Foundation)
“In My Fathers House” (Break Thru Films)
“The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” (PBS Distribution/Firelight Films)
“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (A Radical Media Production in Association with Moxie Firecracker for Netflix)

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand” (PBS)
“Belief” (OWN)
“Kareem: Minority of One” (HBO)
“Light Girls” (OWN)
“Muhammad Ali: The Peoples Champ” (BET)

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Monday, January 25, 2016

2015 Houston Film Critics Society Award Nominations - Complete List

Houston Film Critics Society is a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organizaton of print, broadcast, and internet film critics based in the Greater Houston metropolitan area that meet its membership criteria. According its website, the group was founded in 2007 by Nick Nicholson and Danny Minton and helps to organize and coordinate the local area film critics community.

The nominees for the 9th annual Houston Film Critics Society Awards were announced, December 13, 2015. The winners were announced January 9, 2016.

2015 / 9th Houston Film Critics Society nominees:

BEST PICTURE:
The Big Short, Paramount
Ex Machina, A24 Films
Inside Out, Disney/PIXAR
Mad Max: Fury Road, Warner Bros.
The Martian, 20th Century Fox
The Revenant, 20th Century Fox
Room, A24 Films
Sicario, Lionsgate
Spotlight, Open Road Films
Steve Jobs, Universal

BEST DIRECTION OF A MOTION PICTURE:
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Brian Cranston, Trumbo
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Matt Damon, The Martian
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Tom Hardy, Legend

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Brie Larsen, Room
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Tom Hardy, The Revenant

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Rooney Mara, Carol

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs
Drew Goddard, The Martian
Emma Donaghu, Room
Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
Anomalisa, Paramount
The Good Dinosaur, Disney/PIXAR
Inside Out, Disney/PIXAR
The Peanuts Movie, 20th Century Fox
Shaun the Sheep, StudioCanal

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Dariusz Wolski, The Martian
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road
Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
Roger Deakins, Sicario

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Amy, Altitude Film Distribution
Best of Enemies, Magnolia
Cartel Land, IFC Films
The Look of Silence, Drafthouse Films
Where to Invade Next, IMG Films

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
The Assassin, Well Go USA
Goodnight Mommy, Radius/TWC
Son of Saul, Sony Pictures Classic
The Tribe, Drafthouse Films
White God, Magnolia

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Ennio Moriccone, The Hateful Eight
Michael Giacchino, Inside Out
Junkie XL, Mad Max: Fury Road
Daniel Pemberton, Steve Jobs
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto & Bryce Dessner, The Revenant

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
“Love Me Like You Do,” music & lyrics by Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Tove Lo, Max Martin & Ali Payami, 50 Shades of Grey
“One Kind of Love,” music & lyrics by Brian Wilson & Scott Bennett, Love & Mercy
“See You Again,” music & lyrics by Wiz Khalifa, DJ Frank E, Charlie Puth & Andrew Cedar, Furious 7
“Simple Song #3,” music & lyrics by David Lang, Youth
“Writing’s on the Wall,” music & lyrics by Sam Smith & Jimmy Napes, Spectre

TEXAS INDEPENDENT FILM AWARD:
6 Years
7 Chinese Brothers
Last Man on the Moon
Results
Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove

BEST POSTER
Carol – Theatrical Poster
Ex Machina – Theatrical Poster
It Follows – Rear Window Alternate
Mad Max: Fury Road – ‘What A Lovely Day’ Alternate
Sicario – Theatrical Poster
The Walk – IMAX Alternate

WORST FILM OF THE YEAR:
Aloha, Columbia
The Boy Next Door, Universal
Fantastic Four, 20th Century Fox
Mortdecai, Lionsgate
Pixels, Columbia

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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Review: "Da Sweet Blood of Jesus" is Strange and Beautiful

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review originally appeared on Patreon.]

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2014)
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – R for brief violence, language and a disturbing situation
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
WRITERS: Spike Lee and Bill Gunn
PRODUCERS: Spike Lee and Chiz Schultz
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Daniel Patterson
EDITOR: Randy Wilkins
COMPOSERS: Bruce Hornsby

FANTASY with elements of drama and romance

Starring: Stephen Tyrone Williams, Zaraah Abrahams, Rami Malek, Elvis Nolasco, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Joie Lee, Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, Katherine Borowitz, Donna Dixon, Cinqué Lee, Jeni Perillo, Chiz Schultz, and Naté Bova

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a 2014 African-American vampire drama and romance from director Spike Lee. Lee financed the film using the crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter. A number of fellow filmmakers and celebrities gave money to Lee's crowdfunding campaign, and each of their contributions was large enough ($10,000, I think) to earn a film credit as an “associate producer.” Some these associate producers include Oscar-winning director, Steven Soderbergh; owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban; NBA star, Joakim Noah; and CNN's Soledad O'Brien, among others. The film was released to select theaters and VOD (video-on-demand) by Gravitas Ventures.

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is an unofficial remake and homage to Bill Gunn's 1973 film, Ganja and Hess. Lee's film focuses on a wealthy anthropologist who becomes a vampire after being stabbed to death with an ancient African dagger.

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus introduces Dr. Hess Greene (Stephen Tyrone Williams), a wealthy, young African-American anthropologist. A collector of African art and artifacts, Hess has recently acquired a mysterious dagger originating in the ancient Ashanti Empire. Hess shares his find with Lafayette Hightower (Elvis Nolasco), a colleague from the Museum of the Republic of Brooklyn.

After a brutal confrontation, Hess discovers that his body is invulnerable to physical harm, and that he also has an insatiable need for blood. However, the manner in which he must satisfy his thirst is complicated and messy. When Hightower's estranged wife, Ganja (Zaraah Abrahams), comes looking for her husband, Hess believes that he has found someone with whom to share his new life.

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a strange, melancholy film with wild shifts in mood. One might even call it bipolar. Even when one considers the oddities that are sprinkled throughout Spike Lee's filmography (Bamboozled and She Hate Me – to name a few), Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is the oddest. Still, I found this movie quite watchable, in a weird way; it was as if I could not stop following this film's nonsensical narrative. I think watching Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is like being ensnared by the alluring gaze of a vampire.

Lee sometimes has a problem unifying the messages and themes he presents in his films in a way that forms a coherent whole. Lee has described this film as being about humans that are addicted to love and as being a new kind of love story. Da Sweet Blood of Jesus offers themes of addiction, of HIV/AIDS, and of violence against women. At one point in the film, Hess tells Ganja that people can be addicted to anything. However, Hess' vampirism seems like a metaphor for addiction to crack, and his violence acts of women spread his affliction as if were spreading HIV/AIDS.

On the other hand, maybe Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is mostly Lee's tribute to the late Bill Gunn and his film, Ganja and Hess. I have not seen that movie (and don't plan to), but Lee reportedly reproduces certain sections of the 1973 film shot-for-shot in Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. If this is true, it would be fitting. The misunderstood Spike Lee toasting another, perhaps misunderstood filmmaker.

Whatever the case, this unconventional, stubborn, obtuse movie impressed me. I am always looking for a fresh take on vampires, and this detached, but gruesome, not-quite-a-fantasy film is bloody refreshing. Also, fans of Lee's film, Red Hook Summer, will find that it is connected to Da Sweet Blood of Jesus via the Lil’ Peace of Heaven Church.

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus has a lovely piano score by Bruce Hornsby and an invigorating and imaginative soundtrack featuring songs mostly performed by recording artists who are unsigned to major record labels or by music corporations. One can enjoy this film's opening credit sequence in which dancer, Charles “Lil Buck” Riley, dances to the opening strains of Hornsby's lovely score. The use of music in Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is indeed sweet.

7 of 10
B+

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Monday, December 7, 2015

"Ex Machina" Dominates 2015 British Independent Film Awards

In 1998, Raindance created the British Independent Film Awards to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking. The awards also honor new talent and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.

The 2015/18th Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced in London. The winners were announced in a ceremony on Sunday, December 6, 2015 at Old Billingsgate. The event was live streamed on www.bifa.film.

The 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards winners:

Best British Independent Film sponsored by Moët & Chandon
EX MACHINA - Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland

Best Director
EX MACHINA - Alex Garland

Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films
EX MACHINA - Alex Garland

Best Actress sponsored by MAC
SAOIRSE RONAN - Brooklyn

Best Actor sponsored by Movado
TOM HARDY - Legend

Best Supporting Actress
OLIVIA COLMAN - The Lobster

Best Supporting Actor
BRENDAN GLEESON - Suffragette

Most Promising Newcomer sponsored by The London Edition
MIA GOTH - The Survivalist

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
THE SURVIVALIST - Stephen Fingleton

The Discovery Award sponsored by Raindance
ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING - Jeanie Finlay

Best Documentary
DARK HORSE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF DREAM ALLIANCE - Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond

Producer of the Year
PAUL KATIS, ANDREW DE LOTBINIERE - Kajaki: The True Story

Outstanding Achievement in Craft
ANDREW WHITEHURST - Visual Effects, Ex Machina

Best British Short Film:
EDMOND - Emilie Jouffroy, Nina Gantz

Best International Independent Film:
ROOM (Canada, Ireland) - Ed Guiney, David Gross, Emma Donoghue, Lenny Abrahamson

The Variety Award:
Kate Winslet
(The Variety Award recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK.)

The Richard Harris Award:
Chiwetel Ejiofor
(The Richard Harris Award was introduced in 2002 in honour of Richard Harris and recognizes outstanding contribution to British film by an actor.)

Special Jury Prize:
Chris Collins
(A BFI executive who died late last year.)

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

2016 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations - Complete List

Film Independent’s Spirit Awards (formerly known as the Independent Spirit Awards) were founded in 1984 and are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Film Independent is the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and also the Los Angeles Film Festival.

The 2016 / 31st Film Independent Spirit Award winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 27, 2016. The awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. The show will broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET.

2016 / 31st FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS:

BEST FEATURE – Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.

Anomalisa
Producers: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman, Dino Stamatopoulos, Rosa Tran

Beasts of No Nation
Producers: Daniel Crown, Idris Elba, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Amy Kaufman, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker

Carol
Producers: Elizabeth Karlsen, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley

Spotlight
Producers: Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar

Tangerine
Producers: Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou

BEST FIRST FEATURE - Award given to the director and producer.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Director: Marielle Heller
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit

James White
Director: Josh Mond
Producers: Max Born, Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Melody Roscher, Eric Schultz

Manos Sucias
Director: Josef Kubota Wladyka
Producers: Elena Greenlee, Márcia Nunes

Mediterranea
Director: Jonas Carpignano
Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Chris Columbus, Jon Coplon, Christoph Daniel, Andrew Kortschak, John Lesher, Ryan Lough, Justin Nappi, Alain Peyrollaz, Gwyn Sannia, Marc Schmidheiny, Victor Shapiro, Ryan Zacarias

Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Director/Producer: Chloé Zhao
Producers: Mollye Asher, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Angela C. Lee, Forest Whitaker

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.

Advantageous
Writer/Director/Producer: Jennifer Phang
Writer/Producer: Jacqueline Kim
Producers: Robert Chang, Ken Jeong, Moon Molson, Theresa Navarro

Christmas, Again
Writer/Director/Producer: Charles Poekel

Heaven Knows What
Directors: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie
Writers: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
Producers: Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear McClard

Krisha
Writer/Director/Producer: Trey Edward Shults
Producers: Justin R. Chan, Chase Joliet, Wilson Smith

Out of My Hand
Writer/Director: Takeshi Fukunaga
Writer/Producer: Donari Braxton
Producer: Mike Fox

BEST DIRECTOR
Sean Baker - Tangerine
Cary Joji Fukunaga - Beasts of No Nation
Todd Haynes - Carol
Duke Johnson & Charlie Kaufman - Anomalisa
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell - It Follows

BEST SCREENPLAY
Charlie Kaufman- Anomalisa
Donald Margulies- The End of the Tour
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer - Spotlight
Phyllis Nagy - Carol
S. Craig Zahler - Bone Tomahawk

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Jesse Andrews - Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jonas Carpignano - Mediterranea
Emma Donoghue - Room
Marielle Heller - The Diary of a Teenage Girl
John Magary, Story by Russell Harbaugh and Myna Joseph - The Mend

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Cary Joji Fukunaga - Beasts of No Nation
Michael Gioulakis - It Follows
Ed Lachman - Carol
Reed Morano - Meadowland
Joshua James Richards - Songs My Brothers Taught Me

BEST EDITING
Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie - Heaven Knows What
Tom McArdle - Spotlight
Nathan Nugent - Room
Julio C. Perez IV - It Follows
Kristan Sprague - Manos Sucias

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Brie Larson - Room
Rooney Mara - Carol
Bel Powley - The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez - Tangerine

BEST MALE LEAD
Christopher Abbott - James White
Abraham Attah - Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn - Mississippi Grind
Jason Segel - The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon - Mediterranea

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Robin Bartlett - H.
Marin Ireland - Glass Chin
Jennifer Jason Leigh - Anomalisa
Cynthia Nixon - James White
Mya Taylor - Tangerine

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Kevin Corrigan - Results
Paul Dano - Love & Mercy
Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation
Richard Jenkins - Bone Tomahawk
Michael Shannon - 99 Homes

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

Spotlight
Director: Tom McCarthy
Casting Directors:Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee
Ensemble Cast: Michael Cyril Creighton, Billy Crudup, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Brian d’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci

BEST DOCUMENTARY - Award given to the director and producer.

(T)ERROR
Directors/Producers: Lyric R. Cabral & David Felix Sutcliffe
Producer: Christopher St. John

Best of Enemies
Directors/Producers: Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville

Heart of a Dog
Director/Producer: Laurie Anderson
Producer: Dan Janvey

The Look of Silence
Director:Joshua Oppenheimer
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen

Meru
Directors/Producers: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Producer: Shannon Ethridge

The Russian Woodpecker
Director/Producer: Chad Gracia
Producers: Ram Devineni, Mike Lerner

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM - Award given to the director.
Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia)
Director: Ciro Guerra

Girlhood (France)
Director: Céline Sciamma

Mustang (France, Turkey)
Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Sweden)
Director: Roy Andersson

Son of Saul (Hungary)
Director: László Nemes

19th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 19th annual Producers Award, sponsored by Piaget, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

Darren Dean
Mel Eslyn
Rebecca Green and Laura D. Smith

22nd ANNUAL KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 22nd annual Someone to Watch Award, sponsored by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851.

God Bless the Child
Directors: Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck

King Jack
Director: Felix Thompson

Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Director: Chloé Zhao

21st TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 21st annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Among the Believers
Directors: Mohammed Ali Naqvi and Hemal Trivedi

Incorruptible
Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

A Woman Like Me
Directors: Elizabeth Giamatti and Alex Sichel

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2016 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations Announced

31st FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

$75,000 IN GRANTS TO BE AWARDED TO FILMMAKERS

SPIRIT AWARDS TO BE BROADCAST LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON IFC, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA, announced nominations for the 2016 Spirit Awards this morning. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen presenting the nominations. Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight, and Tangerine.

“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”

Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts.

“Spotlight is a remarkable film that excels on every level, but the Nominating Committee thought it was especially deserving of the Robert Altman Award,” said Welsh. “The film is beautifully cast with every member of the ensemble working together to tell the story of the Boston Globe investigating allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church.”

Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 27, 2016. The awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. The show will broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET.

Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be highlighted during the awards ceremony and announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants and Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 9, 2016, at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 362 submissions this year and applied the following guidelines in determining the nominations: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation) and percentage of financing from independent sources. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals.

In addition to celebrating the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking, the Spirit Awards is also the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry. To learn more about table sales, attendance and donations please contact jmurby@filmindependent.org or 310.432.1253.

The 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 27, 2016. The awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. The show will broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET.

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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Gotham Awards Names "Spotlight" as the "Best Feature" of 2015

Honoring independent films, the Gotham Awards are the first major awards of the film awards season. The Gotham Awards are presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), an organization which helps independent filmmakers by connected artists with resources at all stages of film development and distribution.

This year, the 2015 Gotham Awards kicks off the 2015-16 season. The Gotham Awards ceremony was held on Monday, November 30, 2015 at Cipriani Wall Street.

The 2015 IFP Gotham Independent Film Award winners:

Best Feature
Spotlight
Tom McCarthy, director; Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Blye Pagan Faust, producers (Open Road Films)

Best Documentary
The Look of Silence
Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge Sørensen, producer (Drafthouse Films)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Jonas Carpignano for Mediterranea (Sundance Selects)

Best Screenplay
Spotlight, Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Open Road Films)

Best Actor*
Paul Dano in Love & Mercy (Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and River Road Entertainment)

Best Actress*
Bel Powley in The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Sony Pictures Classics)

Breakthrough Actor
Mya Taylor in Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

* The 2015 Best Actor/Best Actress nominating panel also voted to award a special “Gotham Jury Award” jointly to Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, and Brian d’Arcy James for their ensemble work in Spotlight. (Open Road Films).

Spotlight on Women Directors ‘Live the Dream’ Grant
For the sixth consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Directors ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs or IFP’s Screen Forward Lab. In 2015, Screen Forward Lab directors have been included in this opportunity for the first time. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film or episodic series. The nominees are:

Chanelle Aponte Pearson, director, 195 Lewis - WINNER

Gotham Independent Film Audience Award
IFP members will determine the 7th Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award with nominees comprised of the 14 nominated films in the Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award categories. All IFP current, active members at the Individual Level and above will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place online from November 18th at 12:01 AM EST and conclude on November 25th at 5:00 PM EST. In addition, IFP will be scheduling screenings of the nominated films for IFP members in the theater at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Brooklyn. These screenings will take place from November 4-11. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Gotham Awards Ceremony on November 30, 2015.

Tangerine
Sean Baker, director; Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou, Marcus Cox & Karrie Cox, producers (Magnolia Pictures) - WINNER

Gotham Appreciation Award
A Gothams Appreciation Award is given to Ellen Cotter for her contribution to theatrical distribution, including leadership of the Angelika Film Centers.

Breakthrough Series – Longform :
A continuing or limited series with episodes running 30 minutes or longer.  

Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail, creator (USA Network)  (WINNER)
Breakthrough Series – Shortform:
A continuing or limited-series new digital media programming comprising five or more episodes with the majority under 20 minutes.   

Shugs and Fats, Nadia Manzoor and Radhika Vaz, creators (ShugsandFats.TV) (WINNER)

Gotham Tributes
The Gotham Independent Film Awards, selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that IFP does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.

The "Film Tribute Awards" went to Steve Golin; Todd Haynes; Helen Mirren; and Robert Redford

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Monday, November 23, 2015

2015 Gotham Award Nominations Announced; Winners Announced Nov. 30th

Honoring independent films, the Gotham Awards are the first major awards of the film awards season. The Gotham Awards are presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), an organization which helps independent filmmakers by connected artists with resources at all stages of film development and distribution.

This year, the 2015 Gotham Awards kicks off the 2015-16 season. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 30, 2015 at Cipriani Wall Street. For information on attending: http://gotham.ifp.org

The 2015 IFP Gotham Independent Film Award nominations:

Best Feature

Carol
Todd Haynes, director; Elizabeth Karlsen, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley, producers (The Weinstein Company)

The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Marielle Heller, director; Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit, Miranda Bailey, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Heaven Knows What
Josh and Benny Safdie, directors; Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear-McClard, producers (RADiUS)

Spotlight
Tom McCarthy, director; Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Blye Pagan Faust, producers (Open Road Films)

Tangerine
Sean Baker, director; Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou, Marcus Cox & Karrie Cox, producers (Magnolia Pictures)

Best Documentary

Approaching the Elephant
Amanda Rose Wilder, director; Jay Craven, Robert Greene, Amanda Rose Wilder, producers (Kingdom County Productions)

Cartel Land
Matthew Heineman, director; Matthew Heineman, Tom Yellin, producers (The Orchard and A&E IndieFilms)

Heart of a Dog
Laurie Anderson, director; Dan Janvey, Laurie Anderson, producers (Abramorama and HBO Documentary Films)

Listen to Me Marlon
Stevan Riley, director; John Battsek, RJ Cutler, George Chignell, producers (Showtime Documentary Films)

The Look of Silence
Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge Sørensen, producer (Drafthouse Films)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Desiree Akhavan for Appropriate Behavior (Gravitas Ventures)
Jonas Carpignano for Mediterranea (Sundance Selects)
Marielle Heller for The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Sony Pictures Classics)
John Magary for The Mend (Cinelicious Pics)
Josh Mond for James White (The Film Arcade)

Best Screenplay
Carol, Phyllis Nagy (The Weinstein Company)
The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Marielle Heller (Sony Pictures Classics)
Love & Mercy, Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner (Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and River Road Entertainment)
Spotlight, Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Open Road Films)
While We’re Young, Noah Baumbach (A24)

Best Actor*
Christopher Abbott in James White (The Film Arcade)
Kevin Corrigan in Results (Magnolia Pictures)
Paul Dano in Love & Mercy (Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and River Road Entertainment)
Peter Sarsgaard in Experimenter (Magnolia Pictures)
Michael Shannon in 99 Homes (Broad Green Pictures)

Best Actress*
Cate Blanchett in Carol (The Weinstein Company)
Blythe Danner in I’ll See You in My Dreams (Bleecker Street)
Brie Larson in Room (A24 Films)
Bel Powley in The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Sony Pictures Classics)
Lily Tomlin in Grandma (Sony Pictures Classics)
Kristen Wiig in Welcome to Me (Alchemy)

Breakthrough Actor
Rory Culkin in Gabriel (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Arielle Holmes in Heaven Knows What (RADiUS)
Lola Kirke in Mistress America (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)
Mya Taylor in Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

* The 2015 Best Actor/Best Actress nominating panel also voted to award a special “Gotham Jury Award” jointly to Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, and Brian d’Arcy James for their ensemble work in Spotlight. (Open Road Films).

Spotlight on Women Directors ‘Live the Dream’ Grant

For the sixth consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Directors ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs or IFP’s Screen Forward Lab. In 2015, Screen Forward Lab directors have been included in this opportunity for the first time. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film or episodic series. The nominees are:

Claire Carré, director, Embers
Deb Shoval, director, AWOL
Chanelle Aponte Pearson, director, 195 Lewis
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Gotham Independent Film Audience Award

IFP members will determine the 7th Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award with nominees comprised of the 14 nominated films in the Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award categories. All IFP current, active members at the Individual Level and above will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place online from November 18th at 12:01 AM EST and conclude on November 25th at 5:00 PM EST. In addition, IFP will be scheduling screenings of the nominated films for IFP members in the theater at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Brooklyn. These screenings will take place from November 4-11. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Gotham Awards Ceremony on November 30, 2015.

Gotham Appreciation Award

A Gothams Appreciation Award will be given to Ellen Cotter for her contribution to theatrical distribution, including leadership of the Angelika Film Centers.

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