Showing posts with label International Cinema News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label International Cinema News. Show all posts

Friday, December 24, 2021

93 Countries Competing for Five International Feature Film Oscar Nominations at 94th Oscars

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS ELIGIBLE FOR 94TH OSCARS® ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced feature films eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 94th Academy Awards®.  Eligibility lists by category can be viewed at Oscars.org/94thFeatureEligibility.  Complete 94th Academy Awards rules can be found at Oscars.org/rules.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Ninety-three countries have submitted films that are eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 94th Academy Awards.  Some of the films have not yet had their required qualifying release and must fulfill that requirement and comply with all the category’s other qualifying rules to advance in the voting process.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track.  Somalia is a first-time entrant.

Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.  The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on Tuesday, December 21, 2021.

94TH ACADEMY AWARDS® ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM CATEGORY:

Listed in alphabetical order by country:

Albania, “Two Lions to Venice”
Algeria, “Heliopolis”
Argentina, “The Intruder”
Armenia, “Should the Wind Drop”
Australia, “When Pomegranates Howl”
Austria, “Great Freedom”
Azerbaijan, “The Island Within”
Bangladesh, “Rehana”
Belgium, “Playground”
Bhutan, “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”
Bolivia, “The Great Movement”
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “The White Fortress”
Brazil, “Private Desert”
Bulgaria, “Fear”
Cambodia, “White Building”
Cameroon, “Hidden Dreams”
Canada, “Drunken Birds”
Chad, “Lingui, The Sacred Bonds”
Chile, “White on White”
China, “Cliff Walkers”
Colombia, “Memoria”
Costa Rica, “Clara Sola”
Croatia, “Tereza37”
Czech Republic, “Zátopek”
Denmark, “Flee”
Dominican Republic, “Holy Beasts”
Ecuador, “Submersible”
Egypt, “Souad”
Estonia, “On the Water”
Finland, “Compartment No. 6”
France, “Titane”
Georgia, “Brighton 4th”
Germany, “I’m Your Man”
Greece, “Digger”
Haiti, “Freda”
Hong Kong, “Zero to Hero”
Hungary, “Post Mortem”
Iceland, “Lamb”
India, “Pebbles”
Indonesia, “Yuni”
Iran, “A Hero”
Iraq, “Europa”
Ireland, “Shelter”
Israel, “Let It Be Morning”
Italy, “The Hand of God”
Japan, “Drive My Car”
Jordan, “Amira”
Kazakhstan, “Yellow Cat”
Kenya, “Mission to Rescue”
Kosovo, “Hive”
Kyrgyzstan, “Shambala”
Latvia, “The Pit”
Lebanon, “Costa Brava, Lebanon”
Lithuania, “Isaac”
Luxembourg, “Io Sto Bene”
Malawi, “Fatsani: A Tale of Survival”
Malaysia, “Hail, Driver!”
Malta, “Luzzu”
Mexico, “Prayers for the Stolen”
Montenegro, “After the Winter”
Morocco, “Casablanca Beats”
Netherlands, “Do Not Hesitate”
North Macedonia, “Sisterhood”
Norway, “The Worst Person in the World”
Palestine, “The Stranger”
Panama, “Plaza Catedral”
Paraguay, “Nothing but the Sun”
Peru, “Powerful Chief”
Poland, “Leave No Traces”
Portugal, “The Metamorphosis of Birds”
Romania, “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”
Russia, “Unclenching the Fists”
Saudi Arabia, “The Tambour of Retribution”
Serbia, “Oasis”
Singapore, “Precious Is the Night”
Slovakia, “107 Mothers”
Slovenia, “Sanremo”
Somalia, “The Gravedigger’s Wife”
South Africa, “Barakat”
South Korea, “Escape from Mogadishu”
Spain, “The Good Boss”
Sweden, “Tigers”
Switzerland, “Olga”
Taiwan, “The Falls”
Thailand, “The Medium”
Tunisia, “Golden Butterfly”
Turkey, “Commitment Hasan”
Ukraine, “Bad Roads”
United Kingdom, “Dying to Divorce”
Uruguay, “The Broken Glass Theory”
Uzbekistan, “2000 Songs of Farida”
Venezuela, “The Inner Glow”
Vietnam, “Dad, I’m Sorry”

Nominations for the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

The 94th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland® in Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.


ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

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Monday, February 22, 2021

93 Nations Submitted Entries for the "International Film" Oscar at 93rd Academy Awards

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS ELIGIBLE FOR 93RD OSCARS® ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced feature films eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards®.  Eligibility lists by category can be viewed at Oscars.org/93rdFeatureEligibility.  Complete 93rd Academy Awards rules can be found at Oscars.org/rules.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Ninety-three countries have submitted films that are eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track.  Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants.

Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to expand the shortlist from 10 to 15 films.  Academy members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.  The shortlist of 15 films was announced on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

93RD ACADEMY AWARDS® ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM CATEGORY:

Listed in alphabetical order by country:
Albania, “Open Door”
Argentina, “The Sleepwalkers”
Armenia, “Songs of Solomon”
Austria, “What We Wanted”
Bangladesh, “Sincerely Yours, Dhaka”
Belgium, “Working Girls”
Bolivia, “Chaco”
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
Brazil, “Babenco - Tell Me When I Die”
Bulgaria, “The Father”
Cambodia, “Fathers”
Cameroon, “The Fisherman’s Diary”
Canada, “14 Days, 12 Nights”
Chile, “The Mole Agent”
China, “Leap”
Colombia, “El Olvido Que Seremos (Memories of My Father)”
Costa Rica, “Land of Ashes”
Croatia, “Extracurricular”
Cuba, “Buscando a Casal”
Czech Republic, “Charlatan”
Denmark, “Another Round”
Dominican Republic, “A State of Madness”
Ecuador, “Emptiness”
Egypt, “When We’re Born”
Estonia, “The Last Ones”
Finland, “Tove”
France, “Two of Us”
Georgia, “Beginning”
Germany, “And Tomorrow the Entire World”
Greece, “Apples”
Guatemala, “La Llorona”
Honduras, “Days of Light”
Hong Kong, “Better Days”
Hungary, “Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”
Iceland, “Agnes Joy”
India, “Jallikattu”
Indonesia, “Impetigore”
Iran, “Sun Children”
Ireland, “Arracht”
Israel, “Asia”
Italy, “Notturno”
Ivory Coast, “Night of the Kings”
Japan, “True Mothers”
Jordan, “200 Meters”
Kazakhstan, “The Crying Steppe”
Kenya, “The Letter”
Kosovo, “Exile”
Kyrgyzstan, “Running to the Sky”
Latvia, “Blizzard of Souls”
Lebanon, “Broken Keys”
Lesotho, “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection”
Lithuania, “Nova Lituania”
Luxembourg, “River Tales”
Malaysia, “Roh”
Mexico, “I’m No Longer Here”
Mongolia, “Veins of the World”
Montenegro, “Breasts”
Morocco, “The Unknown Saint”
Netherlands, “Buladó”
Nigeria, “The Milkmaid”
North Macedonia, “Willow”
Norway, “Hope”
Pakistan, “Circus of Life”
Palestine, “Gaza Mon Amour”
Panama, “Operation Just Cause”
Paraguay, “Killing the Dead”
Peru, “Song without a Name”
Philippines, “Mindanao”
Poland, “Never Gonna Snow Again”
Portugal, “Vitalina Varela”
Romania, “Collective”
Russia, “Dear Comrades!”
Saudi Arabia, “Scales”
Senegal, “Nafi’s Father”
Serbia, “Dara of Jasenovac”
Singapore, “Wet Season”
Slovakia, “The Auschwitz Report”
Slovenia, “Stories from the Chestnut Woods”
South Africa, “Toorbos”
South Korea, “The Man Standing Next”
Spain, “The Endless Trench”
Sudan, “You Will Die at Twenty”
Suriname, “Wiren”
Sweden, “Charter”
Switzerland, “My Little Sister”
Taiwan, “A Sun”
Thailand, “Happy Old Year”
Tunisia, “The Man Who Sold His Skin”
Turkey, “Miracle in Cell No. 7”
Ukraine, “Atlantis”
Uruguay, “Aleli”
Venezuela, “Once upon a Time in Venezuela”
Vietnam, “Dreamy Eyes”

All dates and rules for the 93rd Academy Awards are subject to change based on national guidelines, state-mandated government orders and Academy-determined best practices.

Nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, March 15, 2021.

The 93rd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

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Thursday, February 11, 2021

27 Animated Films Eligible for 93rd Academy Awards

ANIMATED, FEATURE FILMS ELIGIBLE FOR 93RD OSCARS® ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the feature films eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards®.  Eligibility lists by category can be viewed at Oscars.org/93rdFeatureEligibility.  Complete 93rd Academy Awards rules can be found at Oscars.org/rules.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Twenty-seven features are eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  Some of the films have not yet had their required qualifying release and must fulfill that requirement and comply with all the category’s other qualifying rules to advance in the voting process.

To determine the five nominees, members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote in the category.  Academy members outside of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are invited to opt in to participate and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.  Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

93RD ACADEMY AWARDS®ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE ANIMATED FEATURE FILM CATEGORY:

“Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus”

“Bombay Rose”

“Calamity”

“The Croods: A New Age”

“Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba-The Movie: Mugen Train”

“Dreambuilders”

“Earwig and the Witch”

“Kill It and Leave This Town”

“Lupin III: The First”

“Mosley”

“My Favorite War”

“Nos Ili Zagovor Ne Takikh”

“No.7 Cherry Lane”

“On-Gaku: Our Sound”

“Onward”

“Over the Moon”

“Red Shoes and theSeven Dwarfs”

“Ride Your Wave”

“Scoob!”

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”

“Soul”

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”

“Terra Willy”

“Trolls World Tour”

“A Whisker Away”

“The Willoughbys”

“Wolfwalkers”

All dates and rules for the 93rd Academy Awards are subject to change based on national guidelines, state-mandated government orders and Academy-determined best practices.

Nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, March 15, 2021.

The 93rd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
 
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Thursday, January 7, 2021

"Golden Elm Flower Awards" Announces Its First Slate of Winners; "One Second" Named Best Picture

2021 First Chinese Film Awards: The First Golden Elm Flower Awards From the Aollywood Film Critics Association Released the Winners in Macau, China

MACAU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Jan 5th, 2021, the first Chinese film awards of 2021, the first Golden Elm Flower Awards from the Aollywood Film Critics Association, released the winners of each award category in 2020 in Macau, China. "One Second" directed by Zhang Yimou won Best Motion Picture, Guan Hu won Best Director for "The Eight Hundred", Pema Tseden won Best Screenplay for "Balloon", Zhang Yi won Best Actor for "One Second", and Gong Li won Best Actress for “Leap”.

Fan Wei won Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance in the movie "One Second". In fact, his role as the village teacher Fan in the "Last Lesson" unit of film "My People, My Hometown" also impressed the audience. He is the well-deserved best supporting actor in the Chinese films in 2020. Elaine Jin won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ji Minglan in the film "Spring Tide". Her wonderful performance won the recognition of most judges.

Actress Liu Haocun, who is only 20 years old, is a shining star emerging in the Chinese films in 2020. With her stunning performance in "One Second" and "A Little Red Flower", she won the award for Best Newcomer without any surprise.

Among several technical awards, Cao Yu won Best Cinematography for "The Eight Hundred", Zhang Yibo won Best Film Editing for "Leap", and Lin Mu won Best Production Design for "The Eight Hundred".

The first Golden Elm Flower Awards - Complete list of winners for 2020 Chinese films:

Best Motion Picture
“One Second”

Best Documentary
“Tough Out”

Best Director
Guan Hu, “The Eight Hundred”

Best Screenplay
Pema Tseden, “Balloon”

Best Actor
Zhang Yi, “One Second”

Best Actress
Gong Li, “Leap”

Best Supporting Actor
Fan Wei, “One Second”

Best Supporting Actress
Elaine Jin, “Spring Tide”

Best Newcomer
Liu Haocun, “One Second”, “A Little Red Flower”

Best Cinematography
Cao Yu, “The Eight Hundred”

Best Film Editing
Zhang Yibo, “Leap”

Best Production Design
Lin Mu, “The Eight Hundred”

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Monday, December 7, 2020

Amblin Television and HBO Max Developing Series Inspired by the Film, "Rashomon"

Amblin Television and HBO Max Sign Development Deal for an Original Series Inspired by Rashomon

The modern take on the groundbreaking classic will be written by Oscar® nominees Billy Ray and Virgil Williams

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amblin Television and HBO Max announced that they have entered into a deal to develop a show inspired by the acclaimed Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon, with Oscar® nominees Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games, The Comey Rule) and Virgil Williams (Mudbound, A Journal for Jordan) writing.

    Amblin Television and HBO Max sign development deal for an original series inspired by Rashomon. The modern take on the groundbreaking classic will be written by Oscar nominees Billy Ray and Virgil Williams.

Amblin Partners’ Co-Presidents of Television Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (The Americans, Haunting of Hill House) will executive produce, along with Mark Canton (Power, 300) of Atmosphere Entertainment, Leigh Ann Burton of Opus7 Entertainment, and David Hopwood (Den of Thieves, Immortals). Todd Cohen, SVP Television Development, will oversee the day-to-day development of the project for Amblin, with Frank and Falvey.

In 2018, Amblin announced that they had secured the blessing of the Kurosawa family to create a new series inspired by the iconic 1950 film, after Burton and Canton approached them with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was Burton who successfully navigated the complex negotiation, to close the deal.

The series will not be an adaptation but will retain the key plot device of the groundbreaking Kurosawa film – a drama centering around a grisly sexual assault and murder, and the unraveling mystery seen through multiple characters’ competing narratives – to explore the themes of truth and subjective point of view, in a modern setting. Each episode will present the perceived truth of an individual character – putting each, in turn, at the center of the story and telling the events surrounding the murder from their unique, self-serving point of view.

"I am delighted to work with Amblin Partners and HBO Max to reimagine Rashomon for today’s audience. I am excited to see my dad’s vision through this inspirational story kept alive and made accessible to a new generation,” said Hisao Kurosawa.

“Truth has become increasingly fractured in this age of cable news and social media’s 'say it and it’s true' culture,” said Frank and Falvey. “Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece was not just a murder mystery; it was a revolution in storytelling, as cinema’s most impactful and influential early exploration of subjective points of view and flawed narration. Seventy years after the film’s release, the legacy of Rashomon is indisputable and its central themes more relevant than ever. Our series will honor the impact of the original work and explore the age-old concept of objective truth versus subjective perspective in our modern times.”

“It takes a lot of hard work to make the stars align and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to create an original take on Rashomon – a masterpiece from a true genius of cinema – for new audiences, with the full support and blessing of the Kurosawa family,” said Canton. “Not only that, but to be doing so in partnership with my friends and colleagues at Amblin Television, as well as the brilliantly talented Billy Ray and Virgil Williams, is truly the convergence of hard work and good fortune that every producer hopes for.”

“We are excited to work with Amblin Partners and our incredible writing team. Everyone involved understands the caliber and cache of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon and his legacy,” said Burton.

“Our partnership on Rashomon is based on our mutual pledge to make every single episode, every scene, and every character of this show a loving homage to Kurosawa’s talent as an artist. That’s our true north,” said Williams and Ray.

Virgil Williams is represented by Craig Brody of Map Point Management and John Meigs Jr. of Hansen, Jacobson, et. al.

Billy Ray is represented by Peter Nichols of Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark.


About Amblin Television:
Amblin Television, a long-time leader in quality programming, is a division of Amblin Partners, a content creation company led by Steven Spielberg. Amblin Television’s co-presidents, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, oversee all development, production and programming for the company. Amblin Television currently has eight projects in various stages of production and release, including The Haunting of Bly Manor – the follow-up chapter to acclaimed series The Haunting of Hill House – for Netflix, Animaniacs for Hulu, a third season of Roswell, New Mexico for The CW, Brave New World from Peacock, Halo for Showtime, Masters of the Air for Apple, Gremlins for HBO Max, and Resident Alien for SYFY.

Some of Amblin Television’s previous credits include the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning drama The Americans for FX, Emmy-nominated HBO movie All The Way starring Bryan Cranston, Smash for NBC, Under the Dome for CBS, Falling Skies for TNT, The Borgias and The United States of Tara for Showtime, and Las Vegas for NBC.

http://www.amblin.com

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Tuesday, November 10, 2020

"Getter Robot Arc" Anime is Due Summer 2021

“Getter Robot Arc" Finally Becomes an Anime!

The last "Getter Robot" by Ken Ishikawa is going through an era of stagnation and chaos!

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The hit manga series "Getter Robot" by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, which has been running since 1974, is now in its 46th year. The final chapter of the series, "Getter Robot Arc", has finally been made into an anime! A teaser visual and the first PV have been released.
“Getter Robot Arc” is the final installment in the "Getter Robot Saga" manga series by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, which began in 1974.

What is "Getter Robot Saga"?

“Getter Robot Saga” is the generic term for the Getter Robot series, which began with “Getter Robot”.  The original “Getter Robot” was a milestone in the history of coalescing robots. After that, the spirit of "transformation" was inherited in many other work.  “Getter Robot” was followed by "Getter Robot G" (1975~), "Getter Robot Go" (1991~), "Shin Getter Robot" (1997~), and "Getter Robot Arc" started to be serialized in Futabasha's “Super Robot Magazine”, an extra issue of Action Pizzazz, in 2001.  After that, Ken Ishikawa passed away suddenly. Both "Getter Robot Arc" and "Getter Robot Saga" became unfinished masterpieces.

Finally, "Getter Robot Arc" is coming to life!

The anime to be produced this time is a work that reflects the characteristics of the original work more strongly.  The teaser visual depicts the story's main character, Takuma Nagare, the main Robot, Getter Arc, and Hayato Jin, the first pilot of Getter Robot, who is also deeply involved in the series.  In the first PV, the song 'HEATS' by Hironobu Kageyama, that is very popular in the OVA "Getter Robot - The Last Day", is newly recorded in the new version 'HEATS 2021', and you can see the Getter Arc in action.

The animation will be produced by Bee∙Media, the creator of the OVA "Getter Robot Series", and will be directed by Jun Kawagoe, who has worked on "Getter Robot - The Last Day", "Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo", and “New Getter Robo”.  It has been 46 years since the series was born. The Getter Robot's exuberant "hot spirit" will break through the current stagnation and chaos.  Don't miss it!

Animation ”Getter Robot Arc”
Animated in summer, 2021

Staff:
Original work: Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa
Director: Jun Kawagoe
Animation Production: Bee∙Media

Official Website:
“Getter Robot Arc” Official Website: getterrobot-arc.com

“Getter Robot Arc” ©Go Nagai-Ken Ishikawa/DynamicPlanning-Shin Saotome Labo

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

CBS All Access Canada Now Streaming "Console Wars" Documentary

CBS All Access’ First Feature-Length Documentary “CONSOLE WARS” Now Available in Canada

From Legendary Television and CBS Studios, the Documentary Film Provides a Front Row Seat to the Iconic ‘90s Battle Between Video Game Companies Sega and Nintendo

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced that its feature-length documentary CONSOLE WARS is available to stream on the service in Canada starting, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. CONSOLE WARS is currently available to stream for CBS All Access subscribers in the United States and marks the first feature-length documentary for both the service and Legendary Television.

An Official Selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, CONSOLE WARS takes viewers back to 1990 when Sega, a fledgling arcade company, assembled a team of underdogs to take on the greatest video game company in the world, Nintendo. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pit brother against brother, kids against grownups, Sonic against Mario and American’s unique brand of capitalism against centuries-old Japanese tradition. For the first time ever, the men and women who fought on the front lines for Sega and Nintendo discuss this battle that defined a generation.

CONSOLE WARS is produced and directed by Jonah Tulis and Blake J. Harris, author of the bestselling book of the same name, and also produced by Legendary Television and CBS Studios. Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, James Weaver, Josh Fagen (Point Grey Pictures) and Scott Rudin and Eli Bush (Scott Rudin Productions) are executive producers, and Julian Rosenberg (Circle of Confusion), Doug Blush (MadPix Films) and Katie Mustard produced the film.

About CBS All Access Canada:
CBS All Access is ViacomCBS’ direct-to-consumer digital subscription video-on-demand and live streaming service. For $5.99 CAD, CBS All Access offers Canadian viewers more than 8,500 commercial-free episodes on demand, spanning full current seasons of select CBS series, entire previous seasons and classic shows, as well as the ability to live stream CBSN, CBS News’ 24/7 streaming news service. CBS All Access is available in Canada at cbsallaccess.ca, on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, and connected device platforms including Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku devices. In addition, the service is now available on the newly launched Apple TV Channels.


To sign up for CBS All Access in Canada, visit: cbsallaccess.ca

About Legendary Television:
Legendary Television is a leading global full-service television studio specializing in financing, developing and producing quality genre and character-driven projects for multiple platforms. Championing compelling auteur-driven storytelling featuring renowned talent, Legendary’s Television roster includes: the reboot of the classic family adventure series LOST IN SPACE, for Netflix; CARNIVAL ROW, a fantasy noir drama starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, for Amazon; and PACIFIC RIM, an original anime series expanding the story of the first two live action movies, for Netflix. Upcoming projects include: DUNE: THE SISTERHOOD, based on one of the most popular science fiction franchises of all time, for HBO Max; PAPER GIRLS, based on Brian K. Vaughan’s best-selling graphic novel, for Amazon; and DEBRIS, the sci-fi drama from J.H. Wyman and starring Jonathan Tucker and Riann Steele, for NBC. To learn more visit: www.legendary.com.
 
About CBS Studios:CBS Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio’s expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing “Star Trek” universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.
 
A review of Console Wars the original book is here.
 
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Thursday, July 2, 2020

Academy Invites 819 to Membership - Directors and Writers

ACADEMY SURPASSES GOAL TO DOUBLE NUMBER OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED ETHNIC/RACIAL COMMUNITIES BY 2020

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 819 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.  The 2020 class is 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% international from 68 countries.  There are 75 Oscar® nominees, including 15 winners, and five recipients of Scientific and Technical Awards.  Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2020.

“The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences.  We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now,” said Academy President David Rubin.

In 2016, the Academy set specific inclusion goals as part of its A2020 initiative to double the number of women and underrepresented ethnic/racial communities by 2020.  Through dedicated and intentional work by the Board of Governors and members on the branch executive committees, the Academy has surpassed both these goals.

The Academy recently announced the next phase of its equity and inclusion initiative, Academy Aperture 2025, which will further the organization’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusion in the entertainment industry and increase representation within its membership and the greater film community.  The initial phase of Academy Aperture 2025 outlined specific goals for the Oscars® and Academy governance, membership, and workplace culture.

“We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one.  We are committed to staying the course.  I cannot give enough thanks to all our members and staff who worked on the A2020 initiative and to our head of Member Relations and Awards, Lorenza Muñoz, for her leadership and passion in guiding us through to this point and helping to set the path going forward.  We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

Eight individuals (noted by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches.  These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.

Additionally, the membership status of all Artists’ Representatives (agents) will change from Associates to Members-at-Large.  As Members-at-Large, agents will now have Oscars voting privileges.

The 2020 invitees are:

Directors:
Ali Abbasi – “Border,” “Shelley”
Levan Akin – “And Then We Danced,” “The Circle”
Francesca Archibugi – “A Question of the Heart,” “Tomorrow”
Ari Aster – “Midsommar,” “Hereditary”
Icíar Bolláin – “Even the Rain,” “Take My Eyes”
Kat Candler – “Hellion,” “Jumping off Bridges”
Felipe Cazals – “El Año de la Peste,” “Canoa: A Shameful Memory”
Cristina Comencini – “Latin Lover,” “Don’t Tell”
Sebastián Cordero – “Europa Report,” “Crónicas”
Terence Davies – “The House of Mirth,” “The Long Day Closes”
Sophie Deraspe – “Antigone,” “A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile”
Mati Diop* – “Atlantics,” “A Thousand Suns”
Robert Eggers – “The Lighthouse,” “The Witch”
Luis Estrada – “The Perfect Dictatorship,” “Herod’s Law”
Sydney Freeland – “Deidra & Laney Rob a Train,” “Drunktown’s Finest”
Bette Gordon – “Handsome Harry,” “Variety”
Maggie Greenwald – “Sophie and the Rising Sun,” “The Ballad of Little Jo”
Megan Griffiths – “Sadie,” “The Night Stalker”
Alma Har’el – “Honey Boy,” “Bombay Beach”
Sterlin Harjo – “Mekko,” “Barking Water”
Kathleen Hepburn – “The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open,” “Never Steady, Never Still”
Jan Komasa – “Corpus Christi,” “Warsaw ’44”
Tamara Kotevska* – “Honeyland”
Alejandro Landes – “Monos,” “Porfirio”
John H. Lee – “Operation Chromite,” “71: Into the Fire”
Ladj Ly* – “Les Misérables”
Victoria Mahoney – “Yelling to the Sky”
Samira Makhmalbaf – “At Five in the Afternoon,” “The Apple”
Mai Masri – “3000 Nights,” “33 Days”
Akin Omotoso – “Vaya,” “Tell Me Sweet Something”
Matt Reeves – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Cloverfield”
Ljubo Stefanov* – “Honeyland”
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers – “The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open,” “ćəsnaʔəm, the city before the city”
Maria Tognazzi – “Me, Myself & Her,” “A Five Star Life”
Jorge Alí Triana – “Bolívar Soy Yo,” “A Time to Die”
Matthew Vaughn – “Kick-Ass,” “Layer Cake”
Lulu Wang* – “The Farewell,” “Posthumous”
Wash Westmoreland – “Still Alice,” “Quinceañera”
Andrés Wood – “Araña,” “Violeta Went to Heaven”

Writers:
Narges Abyar – “Breath,” “Track 143”
Lucy Alibar – “Troop Zero,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
David Berenbaum – “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “Elf”
Jez Butterworth – “Ford v Ferrari,” “Edge of Tomorrow”
John-Henry Butterworth – “Ford v Ferrari,” “Edge of Tomorrow”
Shane Carruth – “Upstream Color,” “Primer”
Jérémy Clapin* – “I Lost My Body”
Sabrina Dhawan – “Kaminey,” “Monsoon Wedding”
Mati Diop* – “Atlantics,” “A Thousand Suns”
Susanna Fogel – “Booksmart,” “The Spy Who Dumped Me”
Michel Franco – “Chronic,” “After Lucia”
Giordano Gederlini – “Les Misérables,” “The Invader”
Han Jin Won – “Parasite”
Julia Hart – “Fast Color,” “Miss Stevens”
Gregory Allen Howard – “Harriet,” “Ali”
Amy Jump – “A Field in England,” “Sightseers”
Ladj Ly* – “Les Misérables”
Alexis Manenti – “Les Misérables”
Stella Meghie – “The Photograph,” “Jean of the Joneses”
Najwa Najjar – “Between Heaven and Earth,” “Eyes of a Thief”
Tyler Nilson – “The Peanut Butter Falcon”
Mateusz Pacewicz – “Suicide Room: Hater,” “Corpus Christi”
Pamela Pettler – “Monster House,” “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride”
Michael Schwartz – “The Peanut Butter Falcon”
Lulu Wang* – “The Farewell,” “Posthumous”
Krysty Wilson-Cairns – “1917”
Wally Wolodarsky – “Trolls World Tour,” “Monsters vs Aliens”

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Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Academy Invites 819 to Membership - Actors

ACADEMY SURPASSES GOAL TO DOUBLE NUMBER OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED ETHNIC/RACIAL COMMUNITIES BY 2020

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 819 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.  The 2020 class is 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% international from 68 countries.  There are 75 Oscar® nominees, including 15 winners, and five recipients of Scientific and Technical Awards.  Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2020.

“The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences.  We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now,” said Academy President David Rubin.

In 2016, the Academy set specific inclusion goals as part of its A2020 initiative to double the number of women and underrepresented ethnic/racial communities by 2020.  Through dedicated and intentional work by the Board of Governors and members on the branch executive committees, the Academy has surpassed both these goals.

The Academy recently announced the next phase of its equity and inclusion initiative, Academy Aperture 2025, which will further the organization’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusion in the entertainment industry and increase representation within its membership and the greater film community.  The initial phase of Academy Aperture 2025 outlined specific goals for the Oscars® and Academy governance, membership, and workplace culture.

“We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one.  We are committed to staying the course.  I cannot give enough thanks to all our members and staff who worked on the A2020 initiative and to our head of Member Relations and Awards, Lorenza Muñoz, for her leadership and passion in guiding us through to this point and helping to set the path going forward.  We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

Eight individuals (noted by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches.  These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.

Additionally, the membership status of all Artists’ Representatives (agents) will change from Associates to Members-at-Large.  As Members-at-Large, agents will now have Oscars voting privileges.

The 2020 invitees are:

Actors:
Yalitza Aparicio – “Roma”
Awkwafina – “The Farewell,” “Crazy Rich Asians”
Zazie Beetz – “Joker,” “High Flying Bird”
Alia Bhatt – “Gully Boy,” “Raazi”
Bobby Cannavale – “The Irishman,” “The Station Agent”
Choi Woo-Shik – “Parasite,” “The Divine Fury”
Zendaya Coleman – “Spider-Man: Far from Home,” “The Greatest Showman”
Tyne Daly – “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming”
Mackenzie Davis – “Terminator: Dark Fate,” “Tully”
Ana de Armas – “Knives Out,” “Blade Runner 2049”
Kaitlyn Dever – “Booksmart,” “Detroit”
Cynthia Erivo* – “Harriet,” “Widows”
Pierfrancesco Favino – “The Traitor,” “Rush”
Beanie Feldstein – “Booksmart,” “Lady Bird”
Zack Gottsagen – “The Peanut Butter Falcon”
David Gyasi – “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” “Interstellar”
Adèle Haenel – “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” “BPM (Beats Per Minute)”
Kelvin Harrison Jr. – “Waves,” “Luce”
Brian Tyree Henry – “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Widows”
Huang Jue – “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” “The Lady in the Portrait”
Jang Hye-Jin – “Parasite,” “Poetry”
Jo Yeo-Jeong – “Parasite,” “The Target”
Udo Kier – “The Painted Bird,” “Shadow of the Vampire”
Lee Jung-Eun – “Parasite,” “Okja”
Eva Longoria – “Overboard,” “Harsh Times”
Natasha Lyonne – “Honey Boy,” “American Pie”
Tzi Ma – “The Farewell,” “Arrival”
George MacKay – “1917,” “Captain Fantastic”
Tim McGraw – “Country Strong,” “The Blind Side”
Thomasin McKenzie – “Jojo Rabbit,” “Leave No Trace”
Ben Mendelsohn – “Ready Player One,” “Animal Kingdom”
Rob Morgan – “Just Mercy,” “Mudbound”
Niecy Nash – “Downsizing,” “Selma”
Genevieve Nnaji – “Lionheart,” “Road to Yesterday”
Park So-Dam – “Parasite,” “The Priests”
Teyonah Parris – “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Chi-Raq”
Florence Pugh – “Little Women,” “Lady Macbeth”
Hrithik Roshan – “Super 30,” “Jodhaa Akbar”
James Saito – “Always Be My Maybe,” “Big Eyes”
Alexander Siddig – “Cairo Time,” “Syriana”
Lakeith Stanfield – “Knives Out,” “Sorry to Bother You”
Yul Vazquez – “Gringo,” “Last Flag Flying”
John David Washington – “BlacKkKlansman,” “Monsters and Men”
Olivia Wilde – “Meadowland,” “Rush”
Constance Wu – “Hustlers,” “Crazy Rich Asians”
Wu Jing – “The Wandering Earth,” “Wolf Warrior”
Zhao Tao – “Ash Is Purest White,” “Mountains May Depart”

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Sony Pictures to Release "The Broken Hearts Gallery" to Theaters July 10th

Sony Pictures Announces First Major Studio Wide Release Of The Summer

The Studio Has Acquired Natalie Krinsky’s Directorial Debut, ‘The Broken Hearts Gallery’, For Theatrical Release July 10, 2020

The Romantic Comedy Stars Geraldine Viswanathan And Dacre Montgomery, From Producers No Trace Camping And Executive Producer Selena Gomez

Culver City, CA – Sony Pictures will roll out the first major studio wide release of the summer beginning July 10, 2020 -- in theaters only -- as cinemas in the U.S. begin to safely reopen. In a competitive situation, Sony Pictures Worldwide AcquisitionsStage 6 Films acquired worldwide rights to writer/director Natalie Krinsky’s directorial debut, The Broken Hearts Gallery, from producer and financier No Trace Camping. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.

The romantic comedy stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo, Suki Waterhouse, Arturo Castro, Ego Nwodim, Taylor Hill and Bernadette Peters.

“Hearing from more female writers and directors is very much needed. Natalie is a wonderful talent and I am happy to be a part of her debut film. I understand people’s concerns regarding returning to activities we all loved prior to COVID-19. I hope everyone will listen to scientists’ recommendations and consider others’ health and safety while enjoying the movie theater experience,” said Executive Producer Selena Gomez

“Now more than ever, The Broken Hearts Gallery will resonate with audiences ready for a feel-good moviegoing experience this summer,” said Josh Greenstein, Motion Picture Group President. “We have faith in a theatrical rebound, and we look forward to being there right out of the gate with our exhibition partners’ anticipated reemergence, as -- and when -- state-by-state safety guidelines are met.”

“I am beyond thrilled Sony has defined our relationship by bringing The Broken Hearts Gallery into the world,” said writer/director Natalie Krinsky. “Getting a film made -- especially your first -- is like finding a soulmate: years of heartbreak and (maybe) ultimate triumph. In this moment of distance it feels good to fall in love. I can't wait for audiences to (safely) see it in theatres.”

What if you saved a souvenir from every relationship you’ve ever been in? The Broken Hearts Gallery follows the always unique Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan), a 20-something art gallery assistant living in New York City, who also happens to be an emotional hoarder.  After she gets dumped by her latest boyfriend, Lucy is inspired to create The Broken Heart Gallery, a pop-up space for the items love has left behind.  Word of the gallery spreads, encouraging a movement and a fresh start for all the romantics out there, including Lucy herself.

The film is produced and financed by No Trace Camping’s David Gross and executive produced by Selena Gomez, Mandy Teefey, Jesse Shapira, Jeff Arkuss, Josh Clay Phillips, Mason Novick and Michelle Knudsen. Produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates.

Endeavor Content and Jamie Feldman of LGNAFC negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.


About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html

About No Trace Camping
No Trace Camping is an independent feature film financier and production company based in Toronto and Los Angeles. Its principals are Jesse Shapira, David Gross and Jeff Arkuss. Founded in 2008, the company produced the Academy Award®-winning Room, as well as the films Goon, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, What If and Kin.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

COVID-19 Pandemic Initiates Rules Changes for 93rd Oscars

AWARDS RULES AND CAMPAIGN REGULATIONS APPROVED FOR 93RD OSCARS®

For This Awards Year Only, Streamed Films To Be Eligible for Oscars®

Sound Mixing and Sound Editing Awards Combined into One Sound Category

The Academy’s Board of Governors has approved rules and campaign regulations for the 93rd Academy Awards®.

The devastating COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of all Los Angeles County movie theaters as of Monday, March 16, 2020.  Current Academy Awards rules (under Rule Two, Eligibility) require that a film be shown in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily.  Until further notice, and for the 93rd Awards year only, films that had a previously planned theatrical release but are initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify in the Best Picture, general entry and specialty categories for the 93rd Academy Awards under these provisions:

  •     The film must be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site within 60 days of the film’s streaming or VOD release;
  •     The film must meet all other eligibility requirements.

On a date to be determined by the Academy, and when theaters reopen in accordance with federal, state and local specified guidelines and criteria, this rules exemption will no longer apply.  All films released thereafter will be expected to comply with the standard Academy theatrical qualifying requirements.

“The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater.  Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering.  Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules.  The Academy supports our members and colleagues during this time of uncertainty.  We recognize the importance of their work being seen and also celebrated, especially now, when audiences appreciate movies more than ever,” said Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson.

For films to more easily meet theatrical exhibition requirements when theaters reopen, the Academy also will expand the number of qualifying theaters beyond Los Angeles County to include venues in additional U.S. metropolitan areas: the City of New York; the Bay Area; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia.  The Awards and Events Committee will evaluate all matters of rules and eligibility.

Film festivals that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may provide films online through either a transactional pay wall or password-protected entry, which will not affect the films’ eligibility for future Academy Awards qualification.  The Academy will allow an exemption for those films that are released online through an impacted festival’s online platform, provided that proof of inclusion in the festival is submitted.  With these provisions, films will be expected to comply with all other eligibility requirements for the 93rd Academy Awards.

The Board of Governors also announced rules changes in the Sound, Music and International Feature Film categories.

  •     The two Sound categories, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, have been combined into one award for best achievement in Sound that emphasizes the team effort.  The number of Oscar® statuettes remains the same; up to six statuettes may be awarded.  Eligible recipients may include one production sound mixer, two supervising sound editors and three rerecording mixers.
    
  •     In the Music (Original Score) category, for a score to be eligible, it must comprise a minimum of 60% original music.  Additionally, for sequels and franchise films, a score must have a minimum of 80% new music.
    
    In a procedural change in the International Feature Film category, all eligible Academy members will now be invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting.  For the first time, film submissions will be made available through the Academy Screening Room streaming platform to those members who opt-in.  These members of the International Feature Film Preliminary Voting committee must meet a minimum viewing requirement in order to be eligible to vote in the category.

The following campaign regulations were also approved:

  •     The regulation prohibiting quotes or comments by Academy members not directly associated with the film in any form of advertising in any medium, including online and social media, was eliminated.  Academy governors and Awards and Events Committee members, however, are still prohibited from participating in such activity.
    
  •     All screeners will be required to include closed captioning.
    
  •     After nominations, film companies will be allowed to send mailings announcing the availability of song and bake-off materials on the Academy’s streaming platform.
    
  •     As part of the Academy’s sustainability effort, the 93rd Awards season will be the final year DVD screeners will be allowed to be distributed; these mailings will be discontinued starting in 2021 for the 94th Academy Awards.  Access to the Academy Screening Room will continue to be made available for all eligible releases.  The distribution of physical music CDs, screenplays and hardcopy mailings, including but not limited to paper invites and screening schedules, will also be discontinued next year.  Digital links to materials will be permitted.

Due to the shifting landscape surrounding the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, all matters of rules and eligibility for the 93rd Academy Awards are subject to change based on national guidelines, state-mandated government orders and Academy-determined best practices.

Additional adjustments to Academy rules, eligibility requirements and scheduling may be required.  As previously announced, the 93rd Oscars telecast is scheduled to air Sunday, February 28, 2021, on ABC.  Any updated information about the show will be shared at a later time.

For the complete 93rd Academy Awards rules, visit oscars.org/rules.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 9,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Skydance Media Forms "Skydance Animation Madrid"

Skydance Media Acquires Animation Unit of Madrid-Based Ilion Studios

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance Media, the diversified global media company founded by David Ellison in 2010, announced it has acquired the animation unit of Madrid-based Ilion Studios, a world leader in state-of-the-art animation production, to form Skydance Animation Madrid. This strategic acquisition combines the creative capital of Skydance with Ilion’s best-in-class talent, ensuring Skydance Animation’s full oversight of all production aspects guaranteeing quality control throughout the life cycle of every project.

    “This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”

With a combined workforce of almost 500 employees across two continents, Skydance Animation now has the expanded creative capability, scale and leverage to deliver on its goal of becoming an industry-leading producer of high-end animated films and television series for audiences around the world.

Led by animation visionary John Lasseter and industry veteran Holly Edwards, Skydance Animation has rapidly grown to support a robust development and expanded production slate. Since its inception, Skydance Animation’s roster of creatives has grown to include an array of award-winning talent, including Vicky Jenson, director of the first ever Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature, Shrek; Peggy Holmes; Nathan Greno; Kiel Murray; Lauren Hynek; Elizabeth Martin and Tony Award-nominee and Writers Guild of America West’s Animation Writers Caucus lifetime achievement honoree Linda Woolverton.

“The world is going through an unprecedented and uncertain time. Today’s acquisition marks the culmination of many months of work to build one studio across two continents, with the goal of creating the highest-quality animation, led by best-in-class talent from around the world,” said David Ellison, chief executive officer of Skydance Media. “The addition of Skydance Animation Madrid to our portfolio of businesses underlines my passion and commitment to bringing iconic animated stories and characters to life from some of the most talented artists and voices in the industry.”

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Skydance Animation and to further collaborate with Skydance founder David Ellison and elite talent like John Lasseter and Holly Edwards,” said Ignacio Pérez Dolset, founder, president and chief creative officer of Ilion. “This is a phenomenal growth opportunity for our team in Spain and we’re proud to be an integral part of Skydance’s exciting future.”

Skydance Animation’s upcoming feature slate includes:

    Luck
        Directed by Peggy Holmes (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning) and written by Kiel Murray (Cars, Cars 3) and Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (the Kung Fu Panda series).
        When the unluckiest girl alive stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck, she must join together with magical creatures to uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.

    Spellbound (working title)
        Directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek, Shark Tale) and written by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin (Mulan [2020]) and Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King).
        A musical fantasy set in a world of magic where a young girl sets out to break the spell that has split her kingdom in two.

    Pookoo (working title/currently in development)
        Written and directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled) and produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook (The Princess and the Frog).

In addition, Skydance Animation has a slate of soon-to-be-announced high-end television series in various stages of development.

Ilion Animation Studios creates state-of-the-art computer animated feature films of the highest level, combining cutting-edge technology with top artistic quality. Ilion’s animation unit has become a model studio on a global basis, capable of attracting talented individuals who create best-in-class animation production.

Latham & Watkins LLP (Los Angeles and Madrid) acted as legal adviser to Skydance Media and Loyra Abogados (Madrid) provided counsel to Ilion in this transaction.

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Friday, April 3, 2020

Jamie Foxx Developing Faith-Based Film, "When We Pray"

Fight to Fame Films to Finance "When We Pray" Developed with Jamie Foxx

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fight to Fame Films and Cinema Libre Studio have agreed to finance “When We Pray,” a faith-based feature film, developed for Jamie Foxx to direct.

    Fight to Fame Films and Cinema Libre Studio have agreed to finance “When We Pray,” a faith-based feature film, developed for Jamie Foxx to direct.

“When We Pray” is about two brothers who become pastors at different churches in the same community. One brother develops his church into a modern, high-tech congregation that uses digital devices and ATM machines. The other brother follows a humbler path but soon finds his church in decline and in need of financial help.

The screenplay is written by Foxx and Donald Ray "Speedy" Caldwell, who has collaborated with Foxx previously. The two are currently polishing the script with production scheduled to start before the end of the year.

Cinema Libre Studio will produce in collaboration with Jamie Foxx as well as in conjunction with Fight to Fame Films, which will finance.

The deal was negotiated by Philippe Diaz, founder and Chairman of Cinema Libre Studio, who also serves as President of the Fight to Fame film committee, with the involvement of Rodney Mason from Fast Mouse Films who will serve as Executive Producer.

Diaz says “It’s a great honor to work with such a talented and passionate man as Jamie Foxx and I’m pleased to have our new, Fight to Fame partners onboard which will give Jamie the total freedom to make this film which is close to his heart, thus launching this new unique collaboration.”

Carrie Wang, Chairman of Hong Kong-based Fight to Fame Films says, "Jamie Foxx is a Hollywood superstar--but audiences around the world love him as well. Our strong relationships in China and other Asian countries will ensure that "When We Pray" will be enthusiastically received by Asian moviegoers."


About Fight to Fame Films
Fight to Fame Films is a financing entity part of the Fight to Fame group, which is comprised of international investors, including Chinese partners. The group organizes combat sport tournaments around globe to identify the next generation of action movie stars regardless of skin color, language or religion. Fight to Fame Films will finance several films a year, from low to high budget, with a focus on developing action film franchises in which this new generation of action stars will act.

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

Yen Press Announces New Manga and Books for August 2020

Acquisition Announcement – Yen Press Acquires Seven New Titles for August 2020

NEW YORK, NY – Yen Press, LLC announced its latest acquisitions today, including a novel adaptation of Makoto Shinkai’s The Garden of Words, the Konosuba light novel spinoff Konosuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! Bonus Story: We are the Megumin Bandits and five manga series: Last Round Arthurs, Majo Raba Majo Reba, Yoshi no Zuikara: The Frog in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean, ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department P.S. and Puella Magi Madoka Magica Omnibus Edition. All seven titles will release in August 2020.

The Garden of Words
Story by Makoto Shinkai

From director Makoto Shinkai comes the novel adaptation of his award-winning 2013 film Garden of Words, a moody drama about two lonely souls who meet in the garden of Shinjuku during rainy season and help each other “learn to walk again” in life.

From Makoto Shinkai, the prolific storyteller responsible for critically-acclaimed films such as your name. and Weathering With You, comes a novel adaptation of The Garden of Words, a visually stunning and touching film from 2013 that is currently streaming on Netflix.

Konosuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! Bonus Story: We are the Megumin Bandits
Story by Natsume Akatsuki
Illustration by Kasumi Morino

The right magic words can stir a person’s soul. For Megumin, those words are “vigilante justice.” Join everyone’s favorite one-trick wizard, as well as Iris the Headstrong, Cecily the Problematic, and Yunyun…as they get a taste of the righteous bandit lifestyle! Evil aristocrats beware!

“For the sake of justice, there’s no line I won’t cross! No criminal act I won’t commit!”

An ongoing bonus series that ties into the light novel spinoff Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!, which features the beloved arch-wizard Megumin as the protagonist, Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Bonus Story: We are the Megumin Bandits is a laugh-out-loud series filled with vigilante justice and plenty of Megumin!

Last Round Arthurs
Story by Taro Hitsuji
Art by Yuzuriha
Original Illustration by Kiyotaka Haimura

In all honesty, Rintarou's life is boring as hell. If you ask him, he was born into this world with too much talent. Everything goes too according to plan. His way of having fun? Joining forces with the weakest candidate, Luna Artur, in the upcoming battle to become King Arthur's successor—and save the world from impending doom.

The only problem? She's the scummiest of scum, pawning off her sacred sword and forcing her knight, Sir Kay, into some seriously skeevy cosplays! Or so he thinks—until a close encounter with death, when her true power astonishes all. Make way for an unexpected take on the age-old legends of King Arthur!

A manga adaptation of the Last Round Arthurs light novel series by Taro Hitsuji, the writer of Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor. The first volume of the Last Round Arthurs light novel is currently available from Yen Press.

Majo Raba Majo Reba
Story and Art by Sakurai Ato

Haruka Kuse sees Maruna Rinjou as his savior—he owes his life to her blood transfusion, after all. But what he never knew is that she’s actually a witch! Haruka wants to repay the favor somehow, and the answer is…crossdressing to help Maruna pass her magic exams?!

Ato Sakurai, author of Today’s Cerberus, brings a fiery new magical romance! Combining cute artwork with a hilarious hijinks, Majo Raba Majo Reba is a must-read for fans of shonen comedy.

Yoshi no Zuikara: The Frog in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean
Story and Art by Yoshino Satsuki

A new story about one man’s creative struggles arrives courtesy of Satsuki Yoshino, author of Barakamon! Can a ten-year manga artist with experience only in the fantasy genre pivot to drawing a down-to-Earth story about regular folks? It’s sink-or-swim for Naruhiko Toono and his career!

From Satsuki Yoshino, creator of Barakamon and Handa-kun, comes a new series involving the subject of mangaka and the artistic process. The series stands out as an intriguing read for fans of slice-of-life stories as well as fans of series focusing on the manga industry, such as Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun and Bakuman.

ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department P.S.
Story and Art by Natsume Ono

Dive back into Natsume Ono’s world of clandestine intrigue and delectable eats! This spin-off puts the spotlight on the supporting characters seen throughout the original series—including the five chief officers of ACCA, Nino, and Mauve! Discover closely guarded secrets, hidden thoughts, and true feelings in the Dowa Kingdom.

A two-volume spin-off of Natsume Ono’s ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Department, a sophisticated tale of espionage that was adapted into an anime in 2017. All six volumes of the original ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Department manga are available from Yen Press.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Omnibus Edition
Story by Magica Quartet
Art by Hanokage

When a new girl joins her class, Madoka Kaname feels she recognizes the mysterious, dark-haired transfer student from one of her dreams...a dream where she is approached by a cat-like creature who offers Madoka an opportunity to change destiny. Madoka had always thought magic was the stuff of fantasy...until she sees the transfer student fighting with the very cat-being from her dream! And just like in Madoka's dream, the cat gives her a choice: Will Madoka become a Puella Magi in exchange for her dearest desire? What will be the cost of having her wish come true?

A collection of the three-volume Puella Magi Madoka Magica manga series published by Yen Press into a single omnibus volume. Puella Magi Madoka Magica retells the story of the iconic animated series from Gen Urobuchi, a series which has stood out as one of the most beloved anime of the past decade.


About Yen Press, LLC
­­Yen Press, LLC is a joint venture between Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. Founded in 2006, Yen Press has quickly risen to become one of the largest and most prolific publishers of manga and original graphic novels in the North American marketplace and a driving force in the introduction of light novels and Japanese literature to new readers through its Yen On imprint. For more information, visit www.yenpress.com.

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Thursday, January 23, 2020

Warner Bros. to Release "Detective Chinatown 3" in the U.S. and Canada

Warner Bros. Pictures to Kick Off Chinese New Year with North American Theatrical Release of “Detective Chinatown 3”

Latest installment of the blockbuster franchise, starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran, to debut in U.S. and Canada, day-and-date with China release.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In celebration of the Chinese New Year, Warner Bros. Pictures will invite audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada to experience the newest chapter in the hugely popular international franchise with the domestic theatrical release of “Detective Chinatown 3.” The action-comedy-mystery sequel is set to open in more than 150 theaters and limited IMAX engagements in major cities across North America, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Vancouver, on Friday, January 24, 2020, day-and-date with the film’s much-anticipated release in China by Wanda Pictures. “Detective Chinatown 3” is one of the widest releases among all Mandarin language films in North America in recent years.

Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran reprise their roles as a mismatched crime-solving duo in the film, again written and directed by Chen Sicheng (“Detective Chinatown,” “Detective Chinatown 2”). Set in Tokyo, where the pair embarks on their latest misadventure, the film also features Thai martial arts superstar Tony Jaa (“Furious 7,” the “Ong Bak” movies) and Japanese actors Satoshi Tsumabuki (“Detective Chinatown 2,” “Paradise Next”) and Tadanobu Asano (“Midway,” “Thor: Ragnarok”). “Detective Chinatown 3” is subtitled in Chinese and English. Click here to view the trailer.

Chinatown detectives Tang Ren (Wang Baoqiang) and Qin Feng (Liu Haoran) head to Tokyo to join Japanese investigator Noda Hiroshi (Satoshi Tsumabuki) on a high-profile case involving the murder of a powerful businessman… and the prime suspect is the president of the lethal Black Dragon Gang. But they’re not the only ones taking on the challenge, as detectives from “CRIMASTER World Detective Rankings” also converge in Tokyo to help catch the killer. The appearance of the number one-ranked super-sleuth “Q” on the scene raises the stakes and makes the case even more suspicious for Tang Ren and Qin Feng, who are plunged headlong into the ultimate challenge as the strongest detectives in Asia join forces and fight it out to crack the case.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in association with Wanda Media Co., Ltd., As One Pictures (Bei Jing) Co., Ltd., and China Film Co., Ltd., “Detective Chinatown 3,” starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran. Written and directed by Chen Sicheng, the film also stars Satoshi Tsumabuki, Tony Jaa, Masami Nagasawa, Shota Sometani, Honami Suzuki, Eiji Okuda, Tadanobu Asano, Tomokazu Miura and Shang Yuxian, with special appearances by Xiao Yang, Zhang Zifeng, Roy Chiu, Ning Chang, Janice Man, Zhang Yibai and Clara Lee. “Detective Chinatown 3” is being distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Warner Bros. Pictures, and in China by Wanda Pictures. The film is rated R for brief violence/bloody images.

The first “Detective Chinatown” opened in China in 2015, quickly becoming a surprise hit and turning Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran into bona fide box office stars. Set in Thailand, the film successfully blended the action comedy and mystery thriller genres, delighting audiences across the world. Its sequel, which relocated the action to New York, opened in China and across the globe during the 2018 Chinese New Year period, including North America, where it was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, and went on to earn an astounding $544 million worldwide. “Detective Chinatown 2” is currently ranked No. 6 on the list of highest-grossing films in China.

Warner Bros. Pictures will release “Detective Chinatown 3” in the following markets on January 24, 2020.

United States:

    Albany
    Atlanta
    Austin
    Baltimore
    Boston
    Champaign
    Charlotte, NC
    Chicago
    Cleveland
    Columbus, GA
    Columbus, OH
    Dallas
    Denver
    Detroit
    Eugene, OR
    Honolulu
    Houston
    Indianapolis
    Kansas City
    Lafayette, IN
    Lansing
    Las Vegas
    Los Angeles
    Madison
    Miami
    Minneapolis
    New Haven
    New Orleans
    New York
    Orlando
    Philadelphia
    Phoenix
    Pittsburgh
    Portland, OR
    Raleigh-Durham, NC
    Sacramento
    San Diego
    San Francisco
    Seattle
    St. Louis
    Syracuse
    Tampa Bay
    Tulsa

Canada:

    Calgary
    Edmonton
    Halifax
    Montreal
    Ottawa
    Toronto
    Vancouver
    Winnipeg

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Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Nominations for the 2020 / 92nd Academy Awards Announced

92ND OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Actor-producer John Cho and producer-actress-writer Issa Rae announced the 92nd Oscars® nominations Monday, January 13, 2020, live from the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, opening later this year, via a global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the Academy’s digital platforms, an international satellite feed and broadcast media.

Cho and Rae announced the nominees in 8 categories at 5:18 a.m. PT, and the remaining 16 categories at 5:30 a.m. PT. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscars website, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and International Feature Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 24 categories beginning Thursday, January 30 through Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. "Oscars: Live on the Red Carpet" will air at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Nominations for the 2020 / 92nd Academy Awards:

Best motion picture of the year
  •     "Ford v Ferrari" Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers
  •     "The Irishman" Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
  •     "Jojo Rabbit" Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi, Producers
  •     "Joker" Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
  •     "Little Women" Amy Pascal, Producer
  •     "Marriage Story" Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, Producers
  •     "1917" Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers
  •     "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
  •     "Parasite" Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role
    Antonio Banderas in "Pain and Glory"
    Leonardo DiCaprio in "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood"
    Adam Driver in "Marriage Story"
    Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker"
    Jonathan Pryce in "The Two Popes"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
    Tom Hanks in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"
    Anthony Hopkins in "The Two Popes"
    Al Pacino in "The Irishman"
    Joe Pesci in "The Irishman"
    Brad Pitt in "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood"

Performance by an actress in a leading role
    Cynthia Erivo in "Harriet"
    Scarlett Johansson in "Marriage Story"
    Saoirse Ronan in "Little Women"
    Charlize Theron in "Bombshell"
    Renée Zellweger in "Judy"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
    Kathy Bates in "Richard Jewell"
    Laura Dern in "Marriage Story"
    Scarlett Johansson in "Jojo Rabbit"
    Florence Pugh in "Little Women"
    Margot Robbie in "Bombshell"

Best animated feature film of the year
    "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold
    "I Lost My Body" Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice
    "Klaus" Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román
    "Missing Link" Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight
    "Toy Story 4" Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera

Achievement in cinematography
    "The Irishman" Rodrigo Prieto
    "Joker" Lawrence Sher
    "The Lighthouse" Jarin Blaschke
    "1917" Roger Deakins
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Robert Richardson

Achievement in costume design
    "The Irishman" Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
    "Jojo Rabbit" Mayes C. Rubeo
    "Joker" Mark Bridges
    "Little Women" Jacqueline Durran
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Arianne Phillips

Achievement in directing
    "The Irishman" Martin Scorsese
    "Joker" Todd Phillips
    "1917" Sam Mendes
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Quentin Tarantino
    "Parasite" Bong Joon Ho

Best documentary feature
    "American Factory" Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert
    "The Cave" Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær
    "The Edge of Democracy" Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tiago Pavan
    "For Sama" Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
    "Honeyland" Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska and Atanas Georgiev

Best documentary short subject
    "In the Absence" Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
    "Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)" Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
    "Life Overtakes Me" John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson
    "St. Louis Superman" Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
    "Walk Run Cha-Cha" Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt

Achievement in film editing
    "Ford v Ferrari" Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
    "The Irishman" Thelma Schoonmaker
    "Jojo Rabbit" Tom Eagles
    "Joker" Jeff Groth
    "Parasite" Yang Jinmo

Best international feature film of the year
    "Corpus Christi" Poland
    "Honeyland" North Macedonia
    "Les Misérables" France
    "Pain and Glory" Spain
    "Parasite" South Korea

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
    "Bombshell" Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
    "Joker" Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
    "Judy" Jeremy Woodhead
    "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White
    "1917" Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
    "Joker" Hildur Guðnadóttir
    "Little Women" Alexandre Desplat
    "Marriage Story" Randy Newman
    "1917" Thomas Newman
    "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" John Williams

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
  •     "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from "Toy Story 4" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  •     "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from "Rocketman" Music by Elton John; Lyric by Bernie Taupin
  •     "I'm Standing With You" from "Breakthrough" Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
  •     "Into The Unknown" from "Frozen II" Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
  •     "Stand Up" from "Harriet" Music and Lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo
Achievement in production design
    "The Irishman" Production Design: Bob Shaw; Set Decoration: Regina Graves
    "Jojo Rabbit" Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopková
    "1917" Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
    "Parasite" Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

Best animated short film
    "Dcera (Daughter)" Daria Kashcheeva
    "Hair Love" Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
    "Kitbull" Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson
    "Memorable" Bruno Collet and Jean-François Le Corre
    "Sister" Siqi Song

Best live action short film
    "Brotherhood" Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon
    "Nefta Football Club" Yves Piat and Damien Megherbi
    "The Neighbors' Window" Marshall Curry
    "Saria" Bryan Buckley and Matt Lefebvre
    "A Sister" Delphine Girard

Achievement in sound editing
    "Ford v Ferrari" Donald Sylvester
    "Joker" Alan Robert Murray
    "1917" Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Wylie Stateman
    "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" Matthew Wood and David Acord

Achievement in sound mixing
    "Ad Astra" Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
    "Ford v Ferrari" Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow
    "Joker" Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
    "1917" Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano

Achievement in visual effects
    "Avengers: Endgame" Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
    "The Irishman" Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli
    "The Lion King" Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman
    "1917" Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
    "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

Adapted screenplay
    "The Irishman" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian
    "Jojo Rabbit" Screenplay by Taika Waititi
    "Joker" Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
    "Little Women" Written for the screen by Greta Gerwig
    "The Two Popes" Written by Anthony McCarten

Original screenplay
    "Knives Out" Written by Rian Johnson
    "Marriage Story" Written by Noah Baumbach
    "1917" Written by Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Written by Quentin Tarantino
    "Parasite" Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

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Thursday, December 19, 2019

"Malignant," James Wan's Upcoming Horror Flick, Has Finished Shooting

James Wan’s Original Horror/Thriller “Malignant” Wraps Production

Independently Financed by Starlight Media and Midas Innovation, a Presentation of Atomic Monster, Starlight Media and New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures set for Global Distribution, Excluding China

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shooting has wrapped in Los Angeles on Atomic Monster’s “Malignant,” the latest creation from “Conjuring” universe architect James Wan (“Aquaman,” “Furious 7”). The film marks director Wan’s return to his roots with this new original horror thriller.

“Malignant” stars Annabelle Wallis (“The Loudest Voice,” “The Mummy,” “Annabelle”), Maddie Hasson (YouTube Originals’ “Impulse,” “Novitiate,” “I Saw the Light”), George Young (“A Bread Factory” Parts 1 & 2, “Containment,” HBO Asia’s horror mini-series “Grace”), Michole Briana White (“Lila and Eve,” “She Hate Me,” “Encino Man”), Jake Abel (“Another Life,” “Dirty John,” “Love & Mercy”), Jacqueline McKenzie (Netflix series “Pine Gap,” “Halifax: Retribution,” “Romper Stomper: Next Gen”), and Ingrid Bisu (“The Nun,” “Toni Erdmann”).

Wan directed from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (“M3GAN,” “The Nun 2”) and JT Petty, story by James Wan & Ingrid Bisu. Plot details are being kept under wraps. The film is produced by Wan and Michael Clear, with Richard Brener, Eric McLeod, Bisu, Judson Scott and Starlight Media’s Peter Luo serving as executive producers. The film is being independently financed through Starlight Media and Midas Innovation.

Behind the scenes, Wan was joined by his frequent collaborators, director of photography Don Burgess and editor Kirk Morri (“Aquaman,” “The Conjuring 2”) and production designer Desma Murphy (art director, “Aquaman,” “Furious 7”), as well as costume designer Lisa Norcia (“Insidious: The Last Key”).

Scheduled for release on August 14, 2020, “Malignant” is a presentation of Wan’s banner, Atomic Monster, Starlight Media and New Line Cinema, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, and in China by Starlight Media.

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Monday, December 2, 2019

92nd Academy Awards Has 159 Documentary Feature Suitors

159 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES SUBMITTED FOR 2019 OSCAR® RACE

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.  Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Advocate”
“After Parkland”
“The All-Americans”
“Always in Season”
“The Amazing Johnathan Documentary”
“American Dharma”
“American Factory”
“American Relapse”
“Angels Are Made of Light”
“The Apollo”
“Apollo 11”
“Aquarela”
“Ask Dr. Ruth”
“At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal”
“Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable”
“The Biggest Little Farm”
“The Black Godfather”
“Blink of an Eye”
“Blowin’ Up”
“Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes”
“The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story”
“Bridges of Time”
“The Brink”
“Broken Dreams”
“The Bronx USA”
“Bruno Sammartino”
“Buddha in Africa”
“Call Me Intern”
“Carmine Street Guitars”
“The Cave”
“Chasing Einstein”
“Cinema Morocco”
“Citizen K”
“The Cold Blue”
“Cold Case Hammarskjold”
“Combat Obscura”
“The Cordillera of Dreams”
“Cracked Up”
“Cunningham”
“David Crosby: Remember My Name”
“Debut”
“Diego Maradona”
“The Disappearance of My Mother”
“Don’t Be Nice”
“Echo in the Canyon”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“The Elephant Queen”
“Emanuel”
“Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops”
“Fantastic Fungi”
“#Female Pleasure”
“Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles”
“Fiddlin’”
“Finding Farideh”
“Finding the Way Home”
“5B”
“For Sama”
“For the Birds”
“Foster”
“The Fourth Kingdom. The Kingdom of Plastics”
“Framing John DeLorean”
“Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened”
“The Game Changers”
“Gay Chorus Deep South”
“Gaza”
“Ghost Fleet”
“The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash”
“The Gospel of Eureka”
“The Great Hack”
“Hail Satan?”
“Halston”
“Hate among Us”
“Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel”
“Heimat Is a Space in Time”
“Hesburgh”
“Honeyland”
“Hope Frozen”
“The Hottest August”
“Humberto Mauro”
“I Had a Dream”
“Immortal”
“The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley”
“It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It”
“Janani’s Juliet”
“Jawline”
“Jay Myself”
“Jim Allison: Breakthrough”
“Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People”
“The Kingmaker”
“Knock Down the House”
“Letter to the Editor”
“Liberty: Mother of Exiles”
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”
“Love, Antosha”
“M for Malaysia”
“Maiden”
“Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound”
“Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love”
“Meeting Gorbachev”
“Midnight Family”
“Midnight Traveler”
“Mike Wallace Is Here”
“Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool”
“Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements”
“The Most Dangerous Year”
“Mosul”
“Moti Bagh”
“My Home India”
“My Name Is Daniel”
“On the President’s Orders”
“One Child Nation”
“Pavarotti”
“The Proposal”
“Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz”
“Q Ball”
“The Quiet One”
“Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins”
“Reason/Vivek”
“Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project”
“Reinventing Rosalee”
“The Rememberer”
“The River and the Wall”
“Roll Red Roll”
“Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese”
“Running with Beto”
“The Russian Five”
“Satan & Adam”
“Scandalous”
“Sea of Shadows”
“Serendipity”
“The Serengeti Rules”
“Shooting the Mafia”
“16 Bars”
“16 Shots”
“The Spy behind Home Plate”
“Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken”
“Talking about Trees”
“Tell Me Who I Am”
“Tesla Nation”
“This Changes Everything”
“This One’s for the Ladies”
“Tigerland”
“To Be of Service”
“Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am”
“True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality”
“A Tuba to Cuba”
“Walking on Water”
“Watson”
“Western Stars”
“What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael”
“What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?”
“When Lambs Become Lions”
“When Tomatoes Met Wagner”
“Where’s My Roy Cohn?”
“Who Will Write Our History”
“Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation”
“Wrestle”
“XY Chelsea”
“Ximei”

Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection are also eligible in the category.  A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 16, 2019.

Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Friday, November 22, 2019

32 Animated Films Compete For Five Spots in 2019 / 92nd Oscar Race

32 ANIMATED FEATURES SUBMITTED FOR 2019 OSCAR RACE

Thirty-two features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards®.

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Abominable”
“The Addams Family”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Another Day of Life”
“Away”
“Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles”
“Children of the Sea”
“Dilili in Paris”
“Frozen II”
“Funan”
“Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’ – Tales of Savagery”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
“The Last Fiction”
“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”
“Marona’s Fantastic Tale”
“Missing Link”
“Ne Zha”
“Okko’s Inn”
“Pachamama”
“Promare”
“Rezo”
“The Secret Life of Pets 2”
“Spies in Disguise”
“The Swallows of Kabul”
“This Magnificent Cake!”
“The Tower”
“Toy Story 4”
“Upin & Ipin: The Lone Gibbon Kris”
“Weathering with You”
“White Snake”

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles seven-day qualifying run.  Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the nominations voting process.  To determine the five nominees, members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote in the category.  Academy members outside of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are invited to opt-in to participate and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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