USC Libraries Announce Finalists for 27th-Annual "Scripter Award"

USC LIBRARIES NAME FINALISTS FOR 27TH-ANNUAL SCRIPTER AWARD

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries have named the authors and screenwriters of Gone Girl, The Imitation Game, Inherent Vice, The Theory of Everything, and Wild as finalists for the 27th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award. Scripter honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author or authors of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.


The finalists are, in alphabetical order by film title:

--Gillian Flynn, author and screenwriter of Gone Girl

--For The Imitation Game, author Andrew Hodges, who wrote the book Alan Turing: The Enigma, and screenwriter Graham Moore

--Novelist Thomas Pynchon and screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson for Inherent Vice

--Jane Hawking, author of Travelling To Infinity: My Life With Stephen, and screenwriter Anthony McCarten for The Theory of Everything

--Screenwriter Nick Hornby for Wild, adapted from Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail


The Friends of the USC Libraries established Scripter in 1988. Previous Scripter winners include the screenwriters and authors of 12 Years a Slave, The Social Network, A Beautiful Mind, and The English Patient.

Chaired by USC professor and vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Howard Rodman, the 2015 Scripter selection committee selected the five finalists from a field of 97 eligible adaptations.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin, Anne Thompson and Kenneth Turan; authors Michael Chabon, Michael Ondaatje and Mona Simpson; screenwriters John Ridley, Erin Cressida Wilson and Steve Zaillian; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts, Madeline Puzo of the School of Dramatic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

The studios distributing the finalist films and the publishers of the original stories are:

    Gone Girl—Twentieth Century Fox and Crown Publishers
    The Imitation Game—Weinstein Company and Princeton Univ. Press (film tie-in edition)
    Inherent Vice—Warner Bros. and Penguin Books
    The Theory of Everything—Focus Features and Alma Books
    Wild—Fox Searchlight and Vintage Books (film tie-in edition)

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University Park campus of the University of Southern California. Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford will serve as honorary dinner chairs.

Celebrated mystery and crime writer Walter Mosley—the author of more than 40 books, including the Easy Rawlins series—will receive the USC Libraries Literary Achievement Award. Mosley is currently working on a Broadway version of his novel Devil in a Blue Dress, a film adaptation of which appeared in 1995, starring Denzel Washington.

Current silent auction donors and other event sponsors include Academy of Magical Arts and Ted Ushirogata, Alexander Denk, Allison Samon, American Eye Institute, Anchor Distilling Company, AOC, At Your Side Private Exercise, Bacara Resort & Spa, Badgley Mischka, Benjamin Salon, Bennett Farms, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Bouchon Bistro, Burton Morris, Carol Muske Dukes, Christine Ofiesh, Cynthia Baseman, Daryle Ann and Mark Giardino, David Lebovitz, David St. John, Faith and Flower, Flathead Lake Lodge, Fred Kayne and Terravant Wine Company, Gearys Beverly Hills, Geffen Playhouse, Glenn Sonnenberg, Gloria Kaplan, Hang Zhang, Hayley Kaplan, Hotel Del Coronado, Hotel Indigo, San Diego Del Mar, Hotel Kabuki, Howard Rodman, Jack Lindquist, Jar, Joel Prell, Jon Summers, KFK Jewelers, Kimber Modern, LACMA, Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, Laura Kasner, Left Brain Travel, Lisa Barkett, Lisa Dixon, Loews Regency Hotel, Los Angeles Dodgers, M. Kantor & Associates, Mark Danielewski, Mark Goldstein and Actuant Corporation, Mark Koenig, Matthew Kenney Cuisine, Maureen Furniss, Montage Hotels, Motif Seattle, Oheka Castle Hotel and Estate, New York, Oliverio at Avalon Hotel, One of A Kind Glass Designs and Patsy Dewey, Orin Swift Cellars, Osteria Mozza, Piel Skin Care, Porto Via, Pro Sup Shop, Sandra Tsing Loh, Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) San Diego, Seattle Seahawks, Shelley Berman, Silver King, South Beverly Grill, Stephen's Hay and Grain, Steven Travers, T.C. Boyle, Tank Town USA, The Belvedere at the Peninsula Hotel, The Kitchen For Exploring Foods, The LA Chamber Orchestra, The LA Opera, The LA Phil, The Rosenzweig Company, The St. Regis San Francisco Hotel, 20th Century Fox, The Voice, Toni Solorzano, U.S. Senator Dean Heller, USC Athletics, Vindy Lee, and Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

For more information about Scripter—including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities, and an up-to-date list of sponsors—please email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu.

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San Francisco Film Critics Name "Boyhood" as 2014's Best Picture

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC) was founded in 2002 and is comprised of critics from Bay Area publications.  Its membership includes film journalists from the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the Oakland Tribune, the Contra Costa Times, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, the East Bay Express, KRON-TV, Variety, and RottenTomatoes.com, among others.

2014 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards:

Best Picture
    BIRDMAN
    WINNER – BOYHOOD
    THE IMITATION GAME
    UNDER THE SKIN
    WHIPLASH

    Best Director
    Wes Anderson, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
    Jonathan Glazer, UNDER THE SKIN
    Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, BIRDMAN
    Mike Leigh, MR. TURNER
    WINNER – Richard Linklater, BOYHOOD

    Best Actor
    Benedict Cumberbatch, THE IMITATION GAME
    Jake Gyllenhaal, NIGHTCRAWLER
    WINNER – Michael Keaton, BIRDMAN
    Eddie Redmayne, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
    Timothy Spall, MR. TURNER

    Best Actress
    Marion Cotillard, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
    Essie Davis, THE BABADOOK
    Scarlett Johansson, UNDER THE SKIN
    WINNER – Julianne Moore, STILL ALICE
    Reese Witherspoon, WILD

    Best Supporting Actor
    Ethan Hawke, BOYHOOD
    Gene Jones, THE SACRAMENT
    WINNER – Edward Norton, BIRDMAN
    Mark Ruffalo, FOXCATCHER
    J.K. Simmons, WHIPLASH

    Best Supporting Actress
    WINNER – Patricia Arquette, BOYHOOD
    Jessica Chastain, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
    Agata Kulesza, IDA
    Emma Stone, BIRDMAN
    Tilda Swinton, SNOWPIERCER

    Best Screenplay, Original
    WINNER – BIRDMAN, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu; Nicolas Giacobone; Alexander Dinelaris; Armanso Bo
    BOYHOOD, Richard Linklater
    THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, Wes Anderson; Hugo Guinness
    MR. TURNER, Mike Leigh
    A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, J.C. Chandor
    WHIPLASH, Damien Chazelle

    Best Screenplay, Adapted
    GONE GIRL, Gillian Flynn
    THE IMITATION GAME, Graham Moore
    WINNER - INHERENT VICE, Paul Thomas Anderson
    SNOWPIERCER, Joon-ho Bong; Kelly Masterson
    WILD, Nick Hornby

    Best Cinematography
    BIRDMAN, Emmanuel Lubezki
    THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, Robert D. Yeoman
    WINNER – IDA, Lukasz Zal; Ryszard Lenczewski
    MR. TURNER, Dick Pope
    UNDER THE SKIN, Daniel Landin

    Best Production Design
    BIRDMAN, Kevin Thompson
    WINNER – THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, Adam Stockhausen
    INHERENT VICE, David Crank
    MR. TURNER, Suzie Davies
    SNOWPIERCER, Ondrej Nekvasil

    Best Editing
    WINNER – BOYHOOD, Sandra Adair
    BIRDMAN, Douglas Crise; Stephen Mirrione
    INHERENT VICE, Leslie Jones
    UNDER THE SKIN, Paul Watts
    WHIPLASH, Tom Cross

    Best Animated Feature
    BIG HERO 6
    THE BOXTROLLS
    HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
    WINNER – THE LEGO MOVIE
    THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA

    Best Foreign Language Picture
    A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT
    FORCE MAJEURE
    WINNER – IDA
    TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
    WILD TALES

    Best Documentary
    WINNER – CITIZENFOUR
    FINDING VIVIAN MAIER
    JODOROWSKY’S DUNE
    LIFE ITSELF
    THE OVERNIGHTERS

Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community:
Joel Shepard Longtime Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Film & Video curator Joel Shepard’s idiosyncratic and innovative programming has embraced everything from experimental and exploitation showcases to burgeoning national film cultures, such as the annual New Filipino Cinema festival.

Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema:
THE ONE I LOVE Charlie McDowell’s relationship opus cracks open the intricacies of a crumbling union in the most effective way imaginable: by turning it into a mind-bending Twilight Zone episode.

"A Most Violent Year" is the Best of the Year, According to National Board of Review

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 National Board of Review revealed its 2014 awards on Tuesday, December 9, 2014.  The NBR is first group to name, A Most Violent Year as the best film, although the film won't have a theatrical release until December 31, 2014 (which will be a limited release).  Written and directed by Oscar-nominee, J.C. Chandor, A Most Violent Year is set during what was statistically the worst year in New York City for violent crimes.

2014 National Board of Review of Motion Picture awards:

Best Film:  A Most Violent Year

Best Director:  Clint Eastwood – American Sniper

Best Actor (TIE):

• Oscar Isaac – A Most Violent Year
• Michael Keaton – Birdman

Best Actress: Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Best Supporting Actor:  Edward Norton – Birdman

Best Supporting Actress:  Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year

Best Original Screenplay:  Phil Lord & Christopher Miller – The Lego Movie

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Paul Thomas Anderson – Inherent Vice

Best Animated Feature:  How to Train Your Dragon 2

Breakthrough Performance:  Jack O’Connell – Starred Up & Unbroken

Best Directorial Debut:  Gillian Robespierre – Obvious Child

Best Foreign Language Film:  Wild Tales

Best Documentary:  Life Itself

William K. Everson Film History Award:  Scott Eyman

Best Ensemble:  Fury

Spotlight Award:  Chris Rock for writing, directing, and starring in – Top Five

NBR Freedom of Expression Award:  Rosewater

NBR Freedom of Expression Award:  Selma

Top Films:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Fury
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Lego Movie
Nightcrawler
Unbroken

Top 5 Foreign Language Films:
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem
Leviathan
Two Days, One Night
We Are the Best!

Top 5 Documentaries:
Art and Craft
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Keep On Keepin’ On
The Kill Team
Last Days in Vietnam

Top 10 Independent Films:
Blue Ruin
Locke
A Most Wanted Man
Mr. Turner
Obvious Child
The Skeleton Twins
Snowpiercer
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
Starred Up
Still Alice

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http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of September 21st to September 27th, 2014 - Update #16

NEWS:

From YahooTV:  Information about some of the characters in the still-in-development Walking Dead spinoff.

From YahooCelebrity: George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin today, Saturday, September 27, 2014, in Italy.  The marriage will be made official in a civil ceremony on Monday.

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From YahooTV:  "Gilligan's Island" is 50-years-old today.

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From YahooScreen:  Apparently, there will be a third installment of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.  I don't like this movie, but strangely, I really loved Evan Dorkin's comic book adaptation of the film for Marvel Comics.

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From InsideMovies:  Famously (infamously) reclusive writer, Thomas Pynchon, may make a cameo in Paul Thomas Anderson's film adaptation of his novel, Inherent Vice.

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From CinemaBlend:  "Taken 3" gets a new title, Tak3n... seriously.

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From CinemaBlend:  A story about Kenan Thompson of "Saturday Night Live" and "What Up With That?"

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From YahooNews:  Will Smith posts cute birthday pic of he and and wife, Jada.

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From UPI:  Oscar-nominated actress, Kate Hudson, claims that she and mother, Oscar-winning legend, Goldie Hawn, can see ghosts.

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From YahooCelebrity:  Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame, delivers a stirring speech on gender equality before the United Nations on Saturday, September 20, 2014.

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From TheHollywoodReporter:  New release, The Maze Runner, wins the September 19th to 21st, 2014 weekend box office with an estimated take of $32.5 million.

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From the HuffingtonPost:  Idris Elba's tale of the vampire Nic Cage.


COMICS BOOKS - Books and Films:

From TheMotleyFool:  Five things you might not know about "Batman Vs. Superman."

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From Inquisitr:  "Batman vs. Superman" cast member, Henry Lennix, says that fans of Frank Miller's seminal Batman graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, will be pleased about the 2016 film.

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From Vulture:  Bryan Singer will direct "X-Men: Apocalypse" and an update on his legal trouble.

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From CinemaBlend:  If he is in "Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice," what will Aquaman look like.

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From YahooTV:  TV Guide on what works and doesn't work in "Gotham" (FOX affiliates - 8 Eastern/7Central, but check your local listings).


STAR WARS:

From Inquisitr:  Episode 7 concept art reveals a light sabre duel in a snowy forest

From CinemaBlend:  Storm Troopers may have a new look in Episode 7.

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From IBTimes:  Five villains who may be in Episode 7.

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From /Film:  Roger Moore, James Bond and The Saint, talks about his Star Wars Episode 7 set visit.


INTERVIEWS and REVIEWS:

From The Hollywood Reporter via YahooMovies:  Richard Gere talks about playing a homeless man in "Time Out of Mind.

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From YahooTV:  A review of Episode 1 of Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 22

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From TheVillageVoice:  An interview of Terry Gilliam for the release of his new film, Zero Theorem.


TRAILERS:

From 20th Century Fox:  New trailer for Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Kansas City Film Critics Obeyed "The Master" in 2012

by Leroy Douresseaux

I complete today's 2012 film awards season catch-up with the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. The group named The Master as the "Best Film of 2012," and they matched Ang Lee's best director Oscar for Life of Pi by also honoring him.

Founded in 1967, The Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) says that it is the "second oldest professional film critics" association in the United States" (behind the New York Film Critics Circle). The organization is composed of media film critics in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The KCFCC’s awards are named for the group’s founder, James Loutzenhiser, who died in November 2001.

2012 Loutzenhiser Awards:
(Announced December 16, 2012)

Best Film: The Master

Robert Altman Award for Best Director:
Ang Lee - Life of Pi

Best Actress:
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Best Supporting Actress:
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Best Supporting Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Chris Terrio - Argo

Best Original Screenplay:
Paul Thomas Anderson - The Master

Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour - (Austria/France)

Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: The Cabin in the Woods

Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie

Best Documentary: The Imposter

Review: "The Master" Piece

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Master (2012)
Running time: 144 minutes (2 hours, 24 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexual content, graphic nudity and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson
PRODUCERS: Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, Daniel Lupi, and JoAnne Sellar
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mihai Malaimare Jr.
EDITORS: Leslie Jones and Peter McNulty
COMPOSER: Jonny Greenwood

DRAMA

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek, Laura Dern, and Kevin J. O’Connor

The Master is a 2012 film drama from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood). The film follows a World War II Naval veteran who returns to America unsettled and uncertain of his future – until he is tantalized by a new religion and its charismatic leader. The Master is also noted for its similarities to the life of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

The Master opens with a brief look at Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) and his service during World War II. After the war, Freddie is sex-obsessed and an alcoholic, and he struggles to adjust to post-war life. Early in 1950, Freddie is jobless and drifting, when he stows away on the yacht of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the founder and leader of a philosophical movement called “The Cause.”

Seeing something in Freddie, Dodd takes him into the movement, and Freddie travels with Dodd along the East Coast, spreading the teachings of The Cause. Freddie’s erratic and violent behavior, however, makes Dodd’s followers, especially Dodd’s wife, Peggy (Amy Adams), suspicious of him.

First, let me say, The Master is a film overflowing with quality. The cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. is some of the best that I’ve ever seen. The colors practically pulse with enchantment. Every so often, I come across a film score that affects me in ways that just seem to inspire me to better things. Jonny Greenwood, the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band, Radiohead, delivers such a score for The Master.

Yada, yada, yada: do I have to say that Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams deliver stellar performances? Of course, they do; it’s some of the best work these three actors have ever done.

Anderson takes what he gets from his collaborators and delivers a vibrant, uncompromising film in The Master. It is a trip down the piss-gold, yellow brick road into the American heart of darkness, delving into themes of master-disciple relationships, the yearning for success, and our urge to uncover each other’s secrets. The Master is challenging and frustrating, but for serious movie audiences, it is simply a gift.

Greenwood’s score, which Anderson uses to maximum effect, makes me think that, in some ways, The Master is a science fiction film. As much as the film delves into the past, it is about where the characters are going – their futures. At times, The Master looks like a weird science fiction film made in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The Master seems out of time, a movie that belongs to a time over a half-century ago, and it was trying to predict what the psychological state of affairs would be like after “The Cause” took over the world.

Anderson refuses to settle the matters of the characters by the end of this film –sorry for that semi-spoiler. However, The Master is the kind of movie that proves that film is indeed an art form and not merely a commercial endeavor for people and corporations that want fame and money.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2013 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Amy Adams)

2013 BAFTA Awards: 4 nominations: “Leading Actor” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Original Screenplay” (Paul Thomas Anderson), “Supporting Actor” (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and “Supporting Actress” (Amy Adams)

2013 Golden Globes, USA: 3 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Amy Adams)

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

National Society of Film Critics Names "Amour" Top Film of 2012

by Leroy Douresseaux

More 2012 awards clean up.  I covered The National Society of Film Critics last year, so I feel that I need to do so this year.  They went with the hot Austrian film, Amour, and named its star, Emmanuelle Riva, "Best Actress" and its writer/director, Michael Haneke, "Best Director."

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in New York City in 1966 and is currently made of 60 of the country’s most prominent movie critics. Known for their highbrow tastes, these critics form one of the most prestigious film groups on the United States. Current members include some of my favorite film critics: Roger Ebert, David Edelstein, and J. Hoberman, among others. The society has produced several anthologies about movies, including the must-have for film fans, Produced and Abandoned: The Best Films You’ve Never Seen (1990).

The National Society of Film Critics voted Michael Haneke’s “Amour” as the “Best Picture” of 2012. Below is the full list of the awards, with the winner designated by an asterisk and the first and second runners-up listed with the number of votes each received.

47th Annual (2012) National Society of Film Critics Awards (* denotes winner):

BEST PICTURE
*1. Amour – 28
2. The Master – 25
3. Zero Dark Thirty – 18

BEST ACTOR
*1. Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) – 59
2. Denis Lavant – 49
2. Joaquin Phoenix – 49

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Emmanuelle Riva (Amour) – 50
2. Jennifer Lawrence – 42
3. Jessica Chastain– 32

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
*1. Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike, Bernie) – 27
2. Tommy Lee Jones – 22
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman – 19

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
*1. Amy Adams (The Master) – 34
2. Sally Field – 23
3. Anne Hathaway – 13

BEST DIRECTOR
*1. Michael Haneke (Amour) – 27
2. Kathryn Bigelow – 24
2. Paul Thomas Anderson – 24

BEST NONFICTION
*1. The Gatekeepers – 53
2. This Is Not a Film – 45
3. Searching for Sugar Man – 23

BEST SCREENPLAY
*1. Lincoln (Tony Kushner) – 59
2. The Master (P.T. Anderson)– 27
3. Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell) – 19

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
*1. The Master (Mihai Malaimare, Jr.) – 60
2. Skyfall– 30
3. Zero Dark Thirty – 21

EXPERIMENTAL: This Is Not a Film (Jafar Panahi)

FILM HERITAGE
• To Laurence Kardish, Senior Film Curator at MoMA, for his extraordinary 44 years of service, including this year’s Weimar Cinema retrospective.

• To Milestone Film & Video for their ongoing Shirley Clarke project.

DEDICATION: This year’s awards are dedicated to the late Andrew Sarris, one of the most original and influential American film critics as well as a founding member of the Society

http://www.nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/

Toronto Film Critics Choose Paul Thomas Anderson and Sarah Polley

by Leroy Douresseaux

The Toronto Film Critics Association named The Master as the "Best Picture of 2012" with the film's director, Paul Thomas Anderson, winning "Best Director."  Sarah Polley's film, Stories We Tell,won two honors, as best documentary and as best Canadian film, the latter of which came with a $100,000 prize.

The Toronto Film Critics Association was established in 1997 and is comprised of Toronto based journalists and broadcasters who specialize in film criticism and commentary. All major dailies, weeklies and a variety of other print and electronic outlets are represented.

Under the TFCA’s guidelines, contenders eligible for the awards include films released in Canada in 2012 plus films that qualify for the 2012 Oscars and have Canadian distribution scheduled by the end of February 2013.

The full list of Toronto Film Critics Association Awards winners and runners-up:

BEST PICTURE
“The Master” (eOne)

Runners-up:
“Amour” (Mongrel Media)
“Zero Dark Thirty” (Alliance Films)

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, “The Master”

Runners-up:
Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Leos Carax, “Holy Motors”

BEST ACTOR
Denis Lavant, “Holy Motors”

Runners-up:
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”

BEST ACTRESS
Rachel Weisz, “The Deep Blue Sea”

Runners-up:
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”

Runners-up:
Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Gina Gershon, “Killer Joe”

Runners-up:
Amy Adams, “The Master”
Ann Dowd, “Compliance”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserable”

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL
“The Master”, written by Paul Thomas Anderson

Runners-up:
“Lincoln”, written by Tony Kushner, based on the book “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin
“Zero Dark Thirty”, written by Mark Boal

BEST FIRST FEATURE - TIE
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”, directed by Benh Zeitlin
“Beyond the Black Rainbow”, directed by Panos Cosmatos

Runner-up:
“The Cabin in the Woods”, directed by Drew Goddard

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“ParaNorman” (Alliance Films)

Runners-up:
“Brave” (Disney*Pixar)
“Frankenweenie” (Disney)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
“Amour”(Mongrel Media) from Austrai

Runners-up:
“Holy Motors” (Mongrel Media) from France
“Tabu” (filmswelike) from Portugal

ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY AWARD
“Stories We Tell” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up:
“The Queen of Versailles” (Mongrel Media)
“Searching for Sugar Man” (Mongrel Media)

ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD:
“Stories We Tell”, directed by Sarah Polley ($100,000 prize)

The other finalists:
“Bestiaire”, directed by Denis Côté ($5,000 prize)
“Goon”, directed by Michael Dowse ($5,000 prize)

www.torontofilmcritics.com

Jordan Flaherty Names "Beasts of the Southern Wild" as 2012's Best Film

One of my favorite writers is journalist Jordan Flaherty, who is also a staffer with the Louisiana Justice Institute.  If there is a better journalist in Louisiana than Flaherty, he or she isn't better by much.  He has written a must-read piece on the year in movies for Truthout, "Best Films of 2012: Top Ten Picks From a Bumper Crop of Bold Creations."

You can read it here, but I am cheating and printing here, "Jordan Flaherty's Top Ten Movies for the Year 2012:"

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild

2. The Central Park Five

3. United in Anger: A History of ACT-UP

4. Middle of Nowhere

5. The Master

6. Red Hook Summer

7. Moonrise Kingdom

8. 5 Broken Cameras

9. Killing Them Softly

10. The Paperboy

2013 WGA Screenplay Nominations Announced

by Leroy Douresseaux

The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.

There are several categories, but I only focus on the film categories. I sometimes list the winners from other categories when they are announced.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) recently announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during the year 2012. The winners in the following categories will be honored at the 2013 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 17, 2013, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.

2013 Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominations:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Flight, Written by John Gatins; Paramount Pictures

Looper, Written by Rian Johnson; TriStar Pictures

The Master, Written by Paul Thomas Anderson; The Weinstein Company

Moonrise Kingdom, Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola; Focus Features

Zero Dark Thirty, Written by Mark Boal; Columbia Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Argo, Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman; Warner Bros. Pictures

Life of Pi, Screenplay by David Magee; Based on the novel by Yann Martel; 20th Century Fox

Lincoln, Screenplay by Tony Kushner; Based in part on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin; DreamWorks Pictures

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Screenplay by Stephen Chbosky; Based on his book; Summit Entertainment

Silver Linings Playbook, Screenplay by David O. Russell; Based on the novel by Matthew Quick; The Weinstein Company

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY:
The Central Park Five, Written by Sarah Burns and David McMahon and Ken Burns; Sundance Selects

The Invisible War, Written by Kirby Dick; Cinedigm Entertainment Group

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Written by Alex Gibney; HBO Documentary Films

Searching for Sugar Man, Written by Malik Bendjelloul; Sony Pictures Classics

We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, Written by Brian Knappenberger; Cinetic Media

West of Memphis, Written by Amy Berg & Billy McMillin; Sony Pictures Classics

Austin Film Critics Name "Zero Dark Thirty" As Best Film of 2012

The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) named Zero Dark Thirty as the "Best Film of 2012," but gave "Best Director" to Paul Thomas Andrson for The Master.

The AFCA describes itself as “a group dedicated to supporting the best in film, whether at the international, national, or local level.” The group includes Austin-based members who write for such publications, television media, and websites as Ain't It Cool News, the Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Chronicle, CNN, Fandango, Film.com, Film School Rejects, Fox News, MSN Movies, Movies.com, among others.

2012 AFCA Awards:

Best Film
"Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Master"

Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Argo"

Best Original Screenplay
"Looper"

Best Cinematography
"The Master"

Best Score
"Cloud Atlas"

Best Animated Film
"Wreck-It Ralph"

Best Foreign Language Film
"Holy Motors" (France/Germany)

Best Documentary
"The Imposter"

Best First Film
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Best Austin Film
"Bernie"

Breakthrough Artist Award
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Special Honorary Award
Matthew McConaughey, "Bernie," "Killer Joe," "Magic Mike" and "The Paperboy"


Top 10:
1. "Zero Dark Thirty"

2. "Argo"

3. "Moonrise Kingdom"

4. "Django Unchained"

5. "Cloud Atlas"

6. "Holy Motors"

7. "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

8. "The Master"

9. "Silver Linings Playbook"

10. "Looper"

L.A. Film Critics in Love with "Amour"

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is a professional organization of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media. Since 1975, LAFCA members vote on the year's Achievement Awards each December, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera.

38th Annual (2012) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:

BEST PICTURE: "Amour"
Runner-up: "The Master"

BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Master"
Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty")

BEST ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Runner-up: Denis Lavant ("Holy Motors")

BEST ACTRESS: (tie)
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook and Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Dwight Henry, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Runner-up: Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "The Master"
Runner-up: Anne Hathaway ("The Dark Knight Rises" and "Les Miserables")

Best Screenplay: Chris Terrio, “Argo"
Runner-up: David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins, "Skyfall"
Runner-up: Mihai Malaimare Jr ("The Master")

Best Production Design: Jack Fisk and David Crank, "The Master"
Runner-up: Adam Stockhausen ("Moonrise Kingdom")

Best Editing: Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Runner-up: William Goldenberg ("Argo")

Best Music Score: "Beasts of the Southern wild" by Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin
Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood ("The Master")

Best Foreign-Language Film: "Holy Motors" (from France) - Directed by Leos Carax
Runner-up: "footnote" (from Israel) directed by Joseph Cedar

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: "The Gatekeepers" - directed by Dror Moreh
Runner-up: "Searching for Sugar Man" by Malik Bendjelloul

Best Animation: "Frankenweenie" – directed by Tim Burton
Runner-up: "It's Such a Beautiful Day" directed by Don Hertzfeldt

New Generation: Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Career Achievement: Frederick Wiseman

The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: "Leviathan"

http://www.lafca.net/

San Diego Film Critics Choose "Argo" as 2012 Best Film

The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) announced their top films list.  So far, Kathryn Bigelow and her film, Zero Dark Thirty, has been dominating critics' awards.  San Diego Critics, however, have gone with Argo, naming it tops in four categories, including the "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.

San Diego Film Critics Society Top Films of 2012 Winners:

BEST FILM –
ARGO

BEST DIRECTOR –
Ben Affleck, ARGO

BEST ACTRESS –
Michelle Williams, TAKE THIS WALTZ

BEST ACTOR –
Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
Emma Watson, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –
Christoph Waltz, DJANGO UNCHAINED

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY –
Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY –
Chris Terrio, ARGO

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –
THE KID WITH A BIKE (from Belgium)

BEST DOCUMENTARY –
THE INVISIBLE WAR

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY –
Claudio Miranda, LIFE OF PI

BEST ANIMATED FILM –
PARANORMAN

BEST EDITING –
William Goldenberg, ARGO

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN –
Hugh Bateup and Uli Hanisch, CLOUD ATLAS

BEST SCORE –
Jonny Greenwood, THE MASTER

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE–
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BODY OF WORK FOR 2012–
Greig Fraser (cinematographer: ZERO DARK THIRTY, KILLING THEM SOFTLY, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN)

KYLE COUNTS AWARD–
Dan Bennett, Member Emeritus SDFCS, North County Times Film Critic, International Children’s Film Festival

http://www.sdfcs.org/

2012 Gotham Awards Nominations Announced

The Gotham Awards is an annual film awards ceremony that honors independent films. The Gotham Awards are part of The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers. The Gotham Awards also signal the kick-off to the film awards season.

Nominees are selected by groups of distinguished film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final Gotham Award recipients.

Today, (Thursday, October 18, 2012), the IFP announced the nominees for the 22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 26, 2012 at Cipriani Wall Street. Actors Marion Cotillard and Matt Damon, director David O. Russell, and Participant Media founder Jeff Skoll will each be presented with a career tribute. Twenty-one writers and programmers participated in the 2012 nomination process, considering 211 eligible submissions for six competitive categories.

22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards:

Best Feature

Bernie
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, producers (Millennium Entertainment)

The Loneliest Planet
Julia Loktev, director; Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Helge Albers, Marie Therese Guirgis, producers (Sundance Selects)

The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson, director; Joanne Sellar, Daniel Lupi, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, producers (The Weinstein Company)

Middle of Nowhere
Ava DuVernay, director; Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, producers (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Focus Features)

Best Documentary

Detropia
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors; Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Craig Atkinson, producers (Loki Films)

How to Survive a Plague
David France, director; Howard Gertler, David France, producers (Sundance Selects)

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
Matthew Akers, director; Jeff Dupre, Maro Chermayeff, producers (HBO Documentary Films and Music Box Films)

Room 237
Rodney Ascher, director; Tim Kirk, producer (IFC Midnight)

The Waiting Room
Peter Nicks, director; Peter Nicks, Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch, producers (International Film Circuit)

Best Ensemble Performance

Bernie
Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Millennium Entertainment)

Moonrise Kingdom
Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban (Focus Features)

Safety Not Guaranteed
Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Film District)

Silver Linings Playbook
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher (The Weinstein Company)

Your Sister’s Sister
Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass (IFC Films)

Breakthrough DirectorZal Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for Francine (Factory 25 and The Film Sales Company)

Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for Now, Forager (Argot Pictures)

Antonio Méndez Esparza for Aquí y Allá (Here and There) (Torch Films)

Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor
Mike Birbiglia in Sleepwalk with Me (IFC Films)

Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On (Music Box Films)

Melanie Lynskey in Hello, I Must Be Going (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You

Kid-Thing
David Zellner, director; Nathan Zellner, Producer

An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
Terence Nance, director; Terence Nance, Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, producers

Red Flag
Alex Karpovsky, director; Alex Karpovsky, Michael Bowes, producers

Sun Don’t Shine
Amy Seimetz, director; Kim Sherman, Amy Seimetz, producers

Tiger Tail in Blue
Frank V. Ross, director; Adam Donaghey, Drew Durepos, producers


The Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant is a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. 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.

The nominees are:
Leah Meyerhoff, director, I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS

Stacie Passon, director, CONCUSSION

Visra Vichit Vadakan, KARAOKE GIRL

The 3rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award will be voted on by an independent film community of 230,000 film fans worldwide. To be eligible, a U.S. film must have won an audience award at one of the top 50 U.S. or Canadian film festivals from November 2011 through October 2012. Voting begins today at http://gotham.ifp.org/audience_award for the 31 films on the eligibility list. The nominees will be announced November 5th, and the winner will be revealed at the Gotham Awards ceremony.

The recipient of the “Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You” award is determined by the editorial staff of Filmmaker Magazine, a publication of IFP, and a curator from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). All of these nominees will also be screened for the public at MoMA from November 16-19, 2012.

For more information: www.ifp.org

Winners at the 69th Venice Film Festival Announced

Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" Wins, Then Loses the "Golden Lion"

Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" Wins the Golden Lion

Founded in 1932, the Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world.  The 69th edition just ended... with some controversy.

Apparently, there is a new rule for the festival's film awards.  The film that wins the "Golden Lion," which is the Venice Film Festival's top prize, cannot win other awards.  The jury (with Michael Mann as this year's President of the jury) initially awarded the Golden Lion to Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, which focuses on an L. Ron Hubbard-like figure.  The jury had also awarded the film other awards.  In order to give The Master several trophies, the jury had to reconsider the Golden Lion, so they gave it to Pieta, a film by Korean director, Kim Ki-duk.

Official Awards of the 69th Venice Film Festival

• VENEZIA 69

GOLDEN LION for Best Film to PIETA by Kim Ki-duk (Republic of Korea)

SILVER LION for Best Director to THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to Paradies: Glaube by Ulrich Seidl (Austria, Germany, France)

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in the film THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress Hadas Yaron in the film LEMALE ET HA’CHALAL by Rama Bursthein (Israel)

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best New Young Actor or Actress to Fabrizio Falco in the films BELLA ADDORMENTATA by Marco Bellocchio (Italy) and È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprí (Italy)

AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to Olivier Assayas for the film APRES MAI by Olivier Assayas (France)

AWARD FOR THE BEST TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY) to Daniele Ciprì for the film È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprì (Italy)


• LION OF THE FUTURE – “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to KÜF (MOLD) by Ali Aydin (Turkey, Germany) VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS’ WEEK as well as a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer

• ORIZZONTI ("Horizons" - honors new trends)

ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM (full-length films) to SAN ZIMEI by Wang Bing (France, Hong Kong)

SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE (full-length films) to TANGO LIBRE by Frédéric Fonteyne (France, Belgium, Luxembourg)

ORIZZONTI YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to CHO-DE by Yoo Min-young (South Korea)

EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2012-EFA to TITLOI TELOUS by Yorgos Zois (Greece)


GOLDEN LION FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT 2012 to Francesco Rosi

JAEGER-LECOULTRE GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER AWARD to Spike Lee

PERSOL AWARD to Michael Cimino

L’ORÉAL PARIS PER IL CINEMA AWARD to Giulia Bevilacqua