2012 Writers Guild Award Nominations Announced

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. However, I may list the winners from all categories when they are announced (Sunday, February 19, 2012).

2012 WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA SCREENPLAY NOMINEES NOMINATIONS:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

50/50, Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment

Bridesmaids, Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Pictures

Midnight in Paris, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

Win Win, Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight

Young Adult, Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants, Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures

The Help, Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures

Hugo, Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures

Moneyball, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Better This World, Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures

Nostalgia for the Light, Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films

Pina, Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects

Position Among the Stars, Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Documentary Films

Senna, Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

Art Directors Guild Announces Nominations; Harry Potter Honored

The Art Directors Guild (ADG) is an American labor union and also a branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) that represents motion picture and television professionals. Among the ADG’s sponsored activities are a film society and the Annual ADG Awards.

The ADG has announced the nominations for their 16th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards. The ceremony announcing winners will take place Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Paula Poundstone will serve as host for the third consecutive year.

16th Annual (2012) Excellence in Production Design Awards nominations:

Period Film:
THE ARTIST Production Designer: Laurence Bennett
HUGO Production Designer: Dante Ferretti
THE HELP Production Designer: Mark Ricker
ANONYMOUS Production Designer: Sebastian Krawinkel
TINKER TAYLOR SOLDIER SPY Production Designer: Maria Djurkovic

Fantasy Film
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 Production Designer: Stuart Craig
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER Production Designer: Rick Heinrichs
THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN: THE SECRET UNICORN Production Designer: TBD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Production Designer: John Myhre
COWBOYS & ALIENS Production Designer: Scott Chambliss

Contemporary Film
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt
THE DESCENDANTS Production Designer: Jane Anne Stewart
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE Production Designer: K.K. Barrett
DRIVE Production Designer: Beth Mickle
BRIDESMAIDS Production Designer: Jefferson Sage

In addition, the guild will

• present a lifetime achievement award to Tony Walton

• induct Robert Boyle, William Darling and Alfred Junge into its hall of fame

This year's Art Directors Guild Cinematic Imagery Award will be presented to the principal team behind the Harry Potter films, including producers David Heyman and David Barron; director David Yates; creator and author J.K. Rowling; screenwriter Steve Kloves; production designer Stuart Craig; art director Neil Lamont; and set decorator Stephenie McMillan.

Phoenix Film Critics Shine on "The Artist"

Phoenix Film Critics Society 2011 Awards:

BEST PICTURE
"The Artist"

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2011 (in alphabetical order)
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Drive"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"My Week With Marilyn"
"Super 8"
"The Tree of Life"

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Albert Brooks, "Drive"

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
"Super 8"

BEST SCREENPLAY - ORIGINAL
"The Artist"

BEST SCREENPLAY - ADAPTATION
"The Help"

BEST LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM (Rated G or PG)
"The Muppets"

THE OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR
"A Better Life"

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Rango"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Skin I Live In"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"Page One: Inside the New York Times"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Life's a Happy Song, "The Muppets"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"The Artist"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Tree of Life"

BEST FILM EDITING
"The Artist"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
"Hugo"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
"The Artist"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"Hugo"

BEST STUNTS
"Drive"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA
Thomas Horn, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

BREAKTROUGH PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA
Michael Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – MALE
Thomas Horn, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – FEMALE
Saoirse Ronan, "Hanna"

"The Artist" Dominates San Diego Film Critics Awards

The members of San Diego Film Critics Society write and/or broadcast for a San Diego County based outlet. The society’s mission statement is “to provide diverse critical opinion about movies, advance film education and awareness, and recognize excellence in cinema.”

2011 San Diego Film Critics winners:

BEST FILM –
WINNER: THE ARTIST

Nominees:
DRIVE
HUGO
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
THE TREE OF LIFE

BEST DIRECTOR –
Winner: Nicolas Winding Refn, DRIVE

Nominees:
Martin Scorsese, HUGO
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Terrence Malick, THE TREE OF LIFE
Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

BEST ACTRESS –
Winner: Brit Marling, ANOTHER EARTH

Nominees:
Elizabeth Olsen, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
Michelle Williams, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Tilda Swinton, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Viola Davis, THE HELP

BEST ACTOR –
Winner: Michael Shannon, TAKE SHELTER

Nominees:
Brad Pitt, MONEYBALL
Brendan Gleeson, THE GUARD
George Clooney, THE DESCENDANTS
Jean Dujardin, THE ARTIST

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
Winner: Shailene Woodley, THE DESCENDANTS

Nominees:
Bérénice Bejo, THE ARTIST
Carey Mulligan, SHAME
Jessica Chastain, THE HELP
Mélanie Laurent, BEGINNERS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –
Winner: Nick Nolte, WARRIOR

Nominees:
Albert Brooks, DRIVE
Andy Serkis, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Christopher Plummer, BEGINNERS
Max von Sydow, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY –
Winner: Woody Allen, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Nominees:
Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Mike Mills, BEGINNERS
Thomas McCarthy, WIN WIN
Will Reiser, 50/50

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY –
Winner: Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, MONEYBALL

Nominees:
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, THE DESCENDANTS
Hossein Amini, DRIVE
John Logan, HUGO
Steve Kloves, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –
Winner: LE QUATTRO VOLTE

Nominees:
A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN
HAPPY HAPPY
OF GODS AND MEN
THE DOUBLE HOUR


BEST DOCUMENTARY –
Winner: PROJECT NIM

Nominees:
BUCK
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
INTO THE ABYSS
PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY –
Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, THE TREE OF LIFE

Nominees:
Adam Stone, TAKE SHELTER
Guillaume Schiffman, THE ARTIST
Newton Thomas Sigel, DRIVE
Robert Richardson, HUGO

BEST ANIMATED FILM –
Winner: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

Nominees:
HAPPY FEET TWO
KUNG FU PANDA 2
RANGO
WINNIE THE POOH

BEST EDITING –
Winner: Oliver Bugge Coutté, BEGINNERS

Nominees:
Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST
Hank Corwin, Jay Rabinowitz, Daniel Rezende, Billy Weber, & Mark Yoshikawa, THE TREE OF LIFE
Mat Newman, DRIVE
Thelma Schoonmaker, HUGO

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN –
Winner: Dante Ferretti, HUGO

Nominees:
Anne Seibel, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Jack Fisk, THE TREE OF LIFE
Laurence Bennett, THE ARTIST
Stuart Craig, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

BEST SCORE –
Winner: Alexandre Desplat, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

Nominees:
Alexandre Desplat, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Alexandre Desplat, THE TREE OF LIFE
Howard Shore, HUGO
Ludovic Bource, THE ARTIST

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE –
Winner: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

Nominees:
CARNAGE
MARGIN CALL
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
THE HELP

BODY OF WORK FOR 2011
Winner: Jessica Chastain

KYLE COUNTS AWARD
Lee Ann Kim, San Diego Asian Film Foundation

2011 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award Nominations - Complete List

The Phoenix Film Critics Society announced the slate of nominees for their 2011 Annual Awards. The winner in each category will be announced on Tuesday, December 27, 2011. The Best Picture will be chosen from the Top Ten Films of 2011.

Phoenix Film Critics Society 2011 Award Nominations:

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2011 (in alphabetical order)
"The Artist”
"The Descendants"
"Drive"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"My Week With Marilyn"
"Super 8"
"The Tree of Life"

BEST DIRECTOR
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Michael Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Tate Taylor, "The Help"

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist
Michael Fassbender, “Shame”
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
Albert Brooks, "Drive"
John Hawkes, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Bryce Dallas Howard, "The Help"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
"Bridesmaids"
"Contagion"
"Margin Call"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Super 8"

BEST SCREENPLAY – ORIGINAL
"The Artist"
"Beginners"
"Midnight in Paris"

BEST SCREENPLAY – ADAPTATION
"Descendants"
"The Help"
"Hugo"

BEST LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM
"Dolphin Tale"
"Hugo"
"The Muppets"
"We Bought a Zoo"

THE OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR
"A Better Life"
"The Conspirator"
"Texas Killing Fields"

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"The Adventures of Tintin"
"Rango"
"Winnie the Pooh"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Incendies"
"Point Blank"
"The Skin I Live In"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"African Cats"
"The Greatest Movie Ever Sold"
"Page One: Inside the New York Times"
"Project Nim"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"I Believe In You, "Johnny English Reborn"
"Life's a Happy Song, "The Muppets"
"The Living Proof, "The Help"
"Star Spangled Man, "Captain America"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"The Artist"
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"
"Moneyball"
"Super 8"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Tree of Life"

BEST FILM EDITING
"The Artist"
"Super 8"
"Tree of Life"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

BEST STUNTS
"Drive"
"Fast Five"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA
Elle Fanning, "Super 8"
Thomas Horn, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"
Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

BREAKTROUGH PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA
Sean Durkin, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Michael Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Tate Taylor, "The Help"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – MALE
Asa Butterfield, “Hugo"
Joel Courtney, "Super 8"
Thomas Horn, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – FEMALE
Elle Fanning, "Super 8"
Amara Miller, "The Descendants"
Chloe Grace Moretz, "Hugo"
Saoirse Ronan, "Hanna"

2011 London Film Critics' Circle Nominations - Complete List

The London Film Critics’ Circle (if I understand correctly) is part of a larger organization, The Critics’ Circle, which makes an annual award for Services to the Arts. This circle is comprised of the five sections: dance, drama, film, music, and visual arts.

On its website, The Circle says that its aims are “to promote the art of criticism, to uphold its integrity in practice, to foster and safeguard members’ professional interests, to provide opportunities to meet, and to support the advancement of the arts.” Currently there are 430 members of the Circle, mostly from the UK, and the majority of them write regularly for national and regional newspapers and magazines. Membership is by invitation.

The 32nd London Critics’ Circle Film Awards will be presented Thursday, January 19, 2012, at BFI Southbank.

The 32nd London Critics’ Circle Film Awards nominations:

FILM OF THE YEAR
The Artist (Entertainment)
Drive (Icon)
A Separation (Artificial Eye)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
The Tree of Life (Fox)

 

The Attenborough Award: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
The Guard (StudioCanal)
Kill List (StudioCanal)
Shame (Momentum)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)

 

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Mysteries of Lisbon (New Wave)
Poetry (Arrow)
Le Quattro Volte (New Wave)
A Separation (Artificial Eye)
The Skin I Live In (Fox/Pathé)

 

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Picturehouse)
Dreams of a Life (Dogwoof)
Pina (Artificial Eye)
Project Nim (Icon)
Senna (Universal)

 

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Asghar Farhadi - A Separation (Artificial Eye)
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist (Entertainment)
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life (Fox)
Lynne Ramsay - We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
Nicolas Winding Refn - Drive (Icon)

 

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Asghar Farhadi - A Separation (Artificial Eye)
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist (Entertainment)
Kenneth Lonergan - Margaret (Fox)
Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash - The Descendants (Fox)

 

The Virgin Atlantic Award: BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER
Richard Ayoade - Submarine (StudioCanal)
Paddy Considine - Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal)
Joe Cornish - Attack the Block (StudioCanal)
Andrew Haigh - Weekend (Peccadillo)
John Michael McDonagh - The Guard (StudioCanal)

 

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
George Clooney - The Descendants (Fox)
Jean Dujardin - The Artist (Entertainment)
Michael Fassbender - Shame (Momentum)
Ryan Gosling - Drive (Icon)
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)

 

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia (Artificial Eye)
Anna Paquin - Margaret (Fox)
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé)
Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn (Entertainment)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Simon Russell Beale - The Deep Blue Sea (Artificial Eye)
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn (Entertainment)
Albert Brooks - Drive (Icon)
Christopher Plummer - Beginners (Universal)
Michael Smiley - Kill List (StudioCanal)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Sareh Bayat - A Separation (Artificial Eye)
Jessica Chastain - The Help (Disney)
Vanessa Redgrave - Coriolanus (Lionsgate)
Octavia Spencer - The Help (Disney)
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom (StudioCanal)

 

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Tom Cullen - Weekend (Peccadillo)
Michael Fassbender - A Dangerous Method (Lionsgate), Shame (Momentum)
Brendan Gleeson - The Guard (StudioCanal)
Peter Mullan - Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal), War Horse (Disney)
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)

 

The Moët & Chandon Award: BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Olivia Colman - The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé), Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal)
Carey Mulligan - Drive (Icon), Shame (Momentum)
Vanessa Redgrave - Anonymous (Sony), Coriolanus (Lionsgate)
Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
Rachel Weisz - The Deep Blue Sea (Artificial Eye)

 

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
John Boyega - Attack the Block (StudioCanal)
Jeremy Irvine - War Horse (Disney)
Yasmin Paige - Submarine (StudioCanal)
Craig Roberts - Submarine (StudioCanal)
Saoirse Ronan - Hanna (Universal)

The Sky 3D Award: TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

• Manuel Alberto Claro, cinematography - Melancholia (Artificial Eye)
• Paul Davies, sound design - We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
• Maria Djurkovic, production design - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
• Dante Ferretti, production design - Hugo (Entertainment)
• Alberto Iglesias, original score - The Skin I Live In (Fox/Pathé)
• Chris King & Gregers Sall, editing - Senna (Universal)
• Joe Letteri, visual effects - Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Fox)
• Cliff Martinez, original score - Drive (Icon)
• Robert Richardson, cinematography - Hugo (Entertainment)
• Robbie Ryan, cinematography - Wuthering Heights (Artificial Eye)

 

The Dilys Powell Award: EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Nicolas Roeg

 

2011 St. Louis Film Critics' Awards Nominations - Complete List

St. Louis Film Critics is an association of professional film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois. Founded in late 2004, the group’s goals (according to the website) are to serve the interests of local film critics, and to promote an appreciation for cinema both as an art form and for its societal, cultural and historical context and impact.

2011 St. Louis Film Critics’ Awards nominations:

Best Film
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
My Week With Marilyn
Tree of Life

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Terrence Malick for Tree of Life
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
David Fincher for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive

Best Actor
Ryan Gosling for Drive
George Clooney for The Descendants
Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Michael Fassbender for Shame
Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Best Actress
Viola Davis for The Help
Rooney Mara for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Saoirse Ronan for Hanna
Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor
John Hawkes for Martha Marcy May Marlene
Albert Brooks for Drive
John Goodman for The Artist
Alan Rickman for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Jonah Hill for Moneyball

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett for Hanna
Octavia Spencer for The Help
Shailene Woodley for The Descendants
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist
Jessica Chastain for Tree Of Life

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Terrence Malick for Tree Of Life
Woody Allen for Midnight In Paris
Seth Lochhead and David Farr for Hanna
Will Reiser for 50/50
Thomas McCarthy and Joe Tiboni for Win Win

Best Adapted Screenplay
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin and Michael Lewis (book) for Moneyball
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash and Kaui Hart Hemmings (novel) for The Descendants
Tate Taylor and Kathryn Stockett (novel) for The Help
Hossein Amini and James Sallis (book) for Drive
Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller and Jim Henson (characters) for The Muppets

Best Cinematography
Newton Thomas Sigel for Drive
Emmanuel Lubezki for Tree Of Life
Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist
Janusz Kaminski for War Horse
Jeff Cronenweth for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Best Visual Effects
Tree Of Life
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Super 8
Captain America

Best Music
The Artist
Drive
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Muppets
Tree of Life

Best Foreign-Language Film
13 Assassins
Point Blank
I Saw The Devil
Trollhunter
Winter in Wartime

Best Documentary
Being Elmo
The Interrupters
Tabloid
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
Buck

Best Comedy
The Muppets
Midnight In Paris
Bridesmaids
Rango
Paul
Crazy, Stupid, Love

Best Animated Film
Rango
Kung Fu Panda 2
The Adventures of Tin Tin
Puss In Boots
Rio

Best Art-House or Festival Film
- for excellence in art-house cinema, limited to films that played at film festivals or film series here or those that had a limited-release here, playing one or two cinemas.

We Need To Talk About Kevin
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Win Win
Beginners
Tucker and Dale vs Evil

Best Scene (for favorite movie scene or sequence):

Drive: the elevator beating scene
Drive: opening get-away scene
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: opening credits
The Artist: dance scene finale
Melancholia: the last scene
Hanna: Hanna’s escape from captivity sequence

http://www.stlfilmcritics.org/

"The Descendants" Wins Satellite Awards "Best Picture"

The International Press Academy (IPA) is an entertainment media association with voting members worldwide who represent domestic and foreign markets via print, television, radio, blogs, and other content platforms for virtually every notable outlet.

Each year the IPA honors artistic excellence in the areas of Motion Pictures, Television, Radio, and New Media via the Satellite® Awards.  However, Negromancer is only concerned about the "Motion Picture" categories.

Motion Picture: The Descendants, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Nominees:
Moneyball, Columbia
Drive, Filmdistrict
The Artist, The Weinstein Company
Shame, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Focus Features
Hugo Paramount Pictures
War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
The Help DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Midnight in Paris, Sony Pictures Classics

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive, Filmdistrict

Nominees:
Tate Taylor The Help DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Alexander Payne The Descendants Fox Searchlight Pictures
Steven Spielberg War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Michel Hazanavicius The Artist The Weinstein Company
Martin Scorsese Hugo Paramount Pictures
John Michael McDonagh The Guard Sony Pictures Classics
Tomas Alfredson Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Focus Features
Woody Allen Midnight in Paris Sony Pictures Classics
Steve McQueen Shame Fox Searchlight Pictures

Actress in a Motion Picture: Viola Davis for The Help; DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures

Nominees
Vera Farmiga Higher Ground Sony Pictures Classics
Michelle WIlliams My Week with Marilyn The Weinstein Company
Emily Watson Oranges and Sunshine Cohen Media Group
Charlize Theron Young Adult Paramount Pictures
Glenn Close Albert Nobbs Roadside Attractions
Viola Davis The Help DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Olivia Colman Tyrannosaur Strand Releasing
Michelle Yeoh The Lady Cohen Media Group
Elizabeth Olsen Martha Marcy May Marlene Fox Searchlight Pictures
Meryl Streep The Iron Lady The Weinstein Company

Actor in a Motion Picture: Ryan Gosling for Drive, Filmdistrict

Nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio J. Edgar Warner Bros.
Ryan Gosling Drive Filmdistrict
Michael Fassbender Shame Fox Searchlight Pictures
George Clooney The Descendants Fox Searchlight Pictures
Brendan Gleeson The Guard Sony Pictures Classics
Michael Shannon Take Shelter Sony Pictures Classics
Tom Hardy Warrior Lionsgate
Woody Harrelson Rampart Millennium Entertainment
Gary Oldman Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Focus Features
Brad Pitt Moneyball Columbia

Actress in a Supporting Role: Jessica Chastain for The Tree of Life, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Nominees:
Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs Roadside Attractions
Octavia Spencer The Help DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Jessica Chastain The Tree of Life Fox Searchlight Pictures
Vanessa Redgrave Coriolanus The Weinstein Company
Rachel McAdams Midnight in Paris Sony Pictures Classics
Carey Mulligan Shame Fox Searchlight Pictures
Lisa Feret Mozart's Sister Music Box Films
Judy Greer The Descendants Fox Searchlight Pictures
Kate Winslet Carnage Sony Pictures Classics
Elle Fanning Super 8 Amblin, Paramount Pictures

Actor in a Supporting Role: Albert Brooks for Drive, Filmdistrict

Nominees:
Viggo Mortensen A Dangerous Method Sony Pictures Classics
Hugo Weaving Oranges and Sunshine Cohen Media Group
Kenneth Branagh My Week with Marilyn The Weinstein Company
Colin Farrell Horrible Bosses New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.
Andy Serkis Rise of the Planet of the Apes 20th Century Fox
Nick Nolte Warrior Lionsgate
Jonah Hill Moneyball Columbia
Christopher Plummer Beginners Sony Pictures Classics
Christoph Waltz Carnage Sony Pictures Classics

Foreign Film: Mysteries of Lisbon from Portugal, Music Box Films

Nominees:
Mexico - Miss Bala Fox International
Iran - A Separation Sony Pictures Classics
Belgium - The Kid with a Bike Sundance Selects
Hungary - The Turin Horse Cinema Guild
Argentina - Las Acacias
Japan - 13 Assassins Magnet Releasing
France - Mozart's Sister Music Box Films
Finland - Le Havre Janus Films
Russia - Faust

Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media: The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn; Amblin, Columbia, Paramount Pictures

Nominees:
Kung Fu Panda 2 DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures
The Muppets Jim Henson Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Puss in Boots DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures
Rango ILM Animation, Paramount Pictures
Rio 20th Century Fox

Motion Picture, Documentary: Senna, Universal

Nominees:
Project Nim Roadside Attractions
The Interrupters Cinema Guild
American: The Bill Hicks Story Variance Films
My Perestroika International Film Circuit
Cave of Forgotten Dreams IFC Films
Under Fire: Journalists in Combat Mercury Media
One Lucky Elephant Own Documentaries
Pina Sundance Selects
Tabloid IFC Films

Screenplay: Original: Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Nominees:
John Michael McDonagh The Guard Sony Pictures Classics
Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen Shame Fox Searchlight Pictures
Rene Feret Mozart's Sister Music Box Films
Paddy Considine Tyrannosaur Strand Releasing
Michel Hazanavicius The Artist The Weinstein Company

Screenplay: Adapted: Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon for The Descendants; Based On The Novel By Kaui Hart Hemmings, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Nominees:
From The Novel By Kathryn Stockett, Tate Taylor The Help DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
From The Book By Michael Morpurgo, Lee Hall, Richard Curtis War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Based On The Story By George Moore, Glenn Close, John Banville, The Play By Gabriella Prekop Albert Nobbs Roadside Attractions
Adapted From The Work Of Herge, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Steven Moffat The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn Amblin, Columbia, Paramount Pictures
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Story By Stan Chervin Moneyball Columbia

Original Score: Marco Beltrami for Soul Surfer, Tristar Pictures

Nominees:
Michael Giacchino Super 8 Amblin, Paramount Pictures
Cliff Martinez Drive Filmdistrict
Alexandre Desplat Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Warner Bros.
John Williams War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
James Newton Howard Water For Elephants 20th Century Fox

Original Song: Lay Your Head Down from Albert Nobbs

Nominees:
Man Or Muppet The Muppets
Gathering Stories We Bought A Zoo
Hello Hello Gnomeo & Juliet
Life Is A Happy Song The Muppets
Bridge Of Light Happy Feet 2

Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski for War Horse, DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures

Nominees:
Bruno Delbonnel Faust
Emmanuel Lubezki The Tree of Life Fox Searchlight Pictures
Newton Thomas Sigel Drive Filmdistrict
Guillaume Schiffman The Artist The Weinstein Company
Robert Richardson Hugo Paramount Pictures

Visual Effects: Robert Legato for Hugo, Paramount Pictures

Nominees:
John Frazier, Matthew Butler, Scott Benza, Scott Farrar Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures
Dennis Muren, Kim Libreri, Paul Kavanagh, Russell Earl Super 8 Amblin, Paramount Pictures
David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson, Tim Burke Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Warner Bros.
Ben Morris War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Jeff Capogreco, Joe Letteri, R. Christopher White Rise of the Planet of the Apes 20th Century Fox

Film Editing: Chris Gill for The Guard, Sony Pictures Classics

Nominees:
Michael Kahn War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Mat Newman Drive Filmdistrict
Joe Walker Shame Fox Searchlight Pictures
Kevin Tent The Descendants Fox Searchlight Pictures
Aaron Marshall, John Gilroy, Matt Chesse, Sean Albertson Warrior Lionsgate

Sound (Editing & Mixing): Dave Patterson, Lon Bender, Robert Fernandez, Victor Ray Ennis for Drive, Filmdistrict

Nominees:
Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ben Burtt, Mark Ulano, Matthew Wood, Tom Johnson Super 8 Amblin, Paramount Pictures
Christopher Scarabosio, Craig Berkey, Erik Aadahl, Jeremy Peirson, John Pritchett, Kirk Francis The Tree of Life Fox Searchlight Pictures
Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns, Stuart Wilson, Tom Johnson War Horse DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn, Gary Summers, Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures
Adam Scrivener, James Mather, Mike Dowson, Stuart Hilliker, Stuart Wilson Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Warner Bros.

Art Direction and Production Design Gregory S. Hooper, Laurence Bennett for The Artist, The Weinstein Company

Nominees:
Jack Fisk Water For Elephants 20th Century Fox
Sebastian T. Krawinkel, Stephan O. Gessler Anonymous Sony Pictures Classics
Isabel Branco Mysteries of Lisbon Music Box Films
Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo Hugo Paramount Pictures
Jiri Trier, Yelena Zhukova Faust

Costume Design: Jacqueline West for Water For Elephants, 20th Century Fox

Nominees:
Lisy Christl Anonymous Sony Pictures Classics
Isabel Branco Mysteries of Lisbon Music Box Films
Michael O’Connor Jane Eyre Focus Features
Mark Bridges The Artist The Weinstein Company
Lidiya Kryukova Faust

New Media:
Best Extra Features: Star Wars: The Complete Saga, 20th Century Fox

Youth Release:
The Lion King: Two-Disc Diamond Edition, Walt Disney Pictures

Classic Release
West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Edition, 20th Century Fox

Best Overall Blu-Ray Disc:
Three Colors: Blue, White, Red, Criterion

Special Achievement
Best First Feature: Paddy Considine Tyrannosaur Strand Releasing

Best Ensemble: The Help, DreamWorks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures

2011 Chicago Film Critics Awards Nominations Complete List

2011 Chicago Film Critics Awards Nominees:

BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Hugo
The Tree of Life

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius (-) The Artist
Terrence Malick (-) The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne (-) The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn (-) Drive
Martin Scorsese (-) Hugo

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney (-) The Descendants
Jean Dujardin (-) The Artist
Michael Fassbender (-) Shame
Gary Oldman (-) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Michael Shannon (-) Take Shelter

BEST ACTRESS
Kirsten Dunst (-) Melancholia
Elizabeth Olsen (-) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Anna Paquin (-) Margaret
Meryl Streep (-) The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams (-) My Week With Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Albert Brooks (-) Drive
Nick Nolte (-) Warrior
Patton Oswalt (-) Young Adult
Brad Pitt (-) The Tree of Life
Christopher Plummer (-) Beginners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain (-) The Tree of Life
Melissa McCarthy (-) Bridesmaids
Carey Mulligan (-) Shame
Octavia Spencer (-) The Help
Shailene Woodley (-) The Descendants

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist (-) Michel Hazanavicius
Martha Marcy May Marlene (-) Sean Durkin
Midnight In Paris (-) Woody Allen
A Separation (-) Asghar Farhadi
The Tree of Life (-) Terrence Malick

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants (-) Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Drive (-) Hossein Amini
Hugo (-) John Logan
Moneyball (-) Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (-) Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Puss In Boots
Rango
Winnie the Pooh

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
The Interrupters
Into the Abyss
Pina
Project Nim
Tabloid

BEST FOREIGN FILM
In a Better World
Incendies
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Drive (-) Newton Thomas Sigel
Hugo (-) Robert Richardson
Melancholia (-) Manuel Alberto Claro
The Tree of Life (-) Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse (-) Janusz Kaminski

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Artist (-) Ludovic Bource
Drive (-) Cliff Martinez
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (-) Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Hanna (-) The Chemical Brothers
Hugo (-) Howard Shore

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Liana Liberato (-) Trust
Brit Marling (-) Another Earth
Hunter McCracken (-) The Tree of Life
Elizabeth Olsen (-) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Shailene Woodley (-) The Descendants

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
J.C. Chandor (-) Margin Call
Simon Curtis (-) My Week With Marilyn
Drake Doremus (-) Like Crazy
Sean Durkin (-) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Tate Taylor (-) The Help

http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/

Dallas and North Texas Film Critics Raise "The Descendants"

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association is also known as the DFW Film Critics Association. The group describes itself as a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organization of print, broadcast and internet film critics based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and greater North Texas who meet its membership criteria. The DFW Film Critics Association currently consists of 29 broadcast, print, and online journalists from throughout North Texas.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association 18th Annual Critics’ Poll:

Best Film: THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-ups:
2. THE ARTIST
3. EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
4. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
5. THE TREE OF LIFE
6. HUGO
7. 50/50
8. DRIVE
9. SHAME
10. MONEYBALL

Best Director: Alexander Payne for THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-ups:
Michel Hazanavicius for THE ARTIST
Terrence Malick for THE TREE OF LIFE
Martin Scorsese for HUGO
Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Best Actor: George Clooney for THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-ups:
Jean Dujardin for THE ARTIST
Michael Fassbender for SHAME
Brad Pitt for MONEYBALL
Michael Shannon for TAKE SHELTER (5).

Best Actress: Michelle Williams for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.

Runner-ups:
Tilda Swinton for WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Meryl Streep for THE IRON LADY
Charlize Theron for YOUNG ADULT
Kirsten Dunst for MELANCHOLIA

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer for BEGINNERS

Runner-ups:
Albert Brooks for DRIVE
Max von Sydow for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Armie Hammer for J. EDGAR
Kenneth Branagh for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley for THE DESCENDANTS

Runners-up:
Berenice Bejo for THE ARTIST
Octavia Spencer for THE HELP
Melissa McCarthy for BRIDESMAIDS
Carey Mulligan for SHAME

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year: A SEPARATION

Runners-up:
THE SKIN I LIVE IN
INCENDIES
13 ASSASSINS
Tie: OF GODS AND MEN and CERTIFIED COPY

Best Documentary: CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

Runners-up:
PROJECT NIM
THE INTERRUPTERS
PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES
BUCK

Best Animated Film: RANGO

Runner-up:
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

Best Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-up:
Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for THE TREE OF LIFE

Runner-up:
Janusz Kaminski for WAR HORSE.

The association voted WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN as the winner of the Russell Smith Award. Named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic, this honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

Detroit Film Critics' Nominations Favor "The Help" and "The Artist"

The Detroit Film Critics Society was founded in Spring 2007 and currently consists of a group of 22 Michigan film critics who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, Michigan.

Each critic submitted his or her top 5 picks in 10 categories. From these submissions, each entry was given a point value and the top 5 in each category have been placed on the final ballot.

This year, one category, “Best Ensemble,” has a tie with 6 nominees. The 2011 winners will be announced on December 16th, 2011.  I'll keep you updated.

The Detroit Film Critics Society Nominations for 2011 (in alphabetical order):

1. BEST PICTURE
THE ARTIST
THE DESCENDANTS
HUGO
TAKE SHELTER
THE TREE OF LIFE

2. BEST DIRECTOR
MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS – THE ARTIST
TERRENCE MALICK – THE TREE OF LIFE
JEFF NICHOLS – TAKE SHELTER
MARTIN SCORSESE– HUGO
NICHOLAS WINDING REFN – DRIVE

3. BEST ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY– THE DESCENDANTS
JEAN DUJARDIN – THE ARTIST
MICHAEL FASSBENDER – SHAME
BRAD PITT – MONEYBALL
MICHAEL SHANNON – TAKE SHELTER

4. BEST ACTRESS
VIOLA DAVIS – THE HELP
FELICITY JONES – LIKE CRAZY
MERYL STREEP – THE IRON LADY
CHARLIZE THERON – YOUNG ADULT
MICHELLE WILLIAMS – MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
KENNETH BRANAGH – MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
ALBERT BROOKS – DRIVE
RYAN GOSLING – CRAZY STUPID LOVE
PATTON OSWALT – YOUNG ADULT
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER – BEGINNERS

6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
BERENICE BEJO – THE ARTIST
JESSICA CHASTAIN – TAKE SHELTER
CAREY MULLIGAN - SHAME
VANESSA REDGRAVE – CORIOLANUS
OCTAVIA SPENCER – THE HELP

7. BEST ENSEMBLE
CARNAGE
CEDAR RAPIDS
CRAZY STUPID LOVE
THE HELP
MARGIN CALL
WIN WIN

8. BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
JESSICA CHASTAIN – THE HELP/TAKE SHELTER/THE TREE OF LIFE
FELICITY JONES – LIKE CRAZY
MELISSA MCCARTHY – BRIDESMAIDS
ELIZABETH OLSEN –MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
SHAILENE WOODLEY– THE DESCENDANTS

9. BEST SCREENPLAY
50/50 – WILL REISER
THE ARTIST – MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS
BEGINNERS – MIKE MILLS
MONEYBALL – AARON SORKIN & STEVEN ZAILLIAN
TAKE SHELTER– JEFF NICHOLS

10. BEST DOCUMENTARY
INTO ETERNITY
INTO THE ABYSS
MARWENCOL
TABLOID
WE WERE HERE

http://detroitfilmcritics.com/Home_Page.html

"The Artist" and "Hugo" Dominate 2011 Critics' Choice Award Nominations

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced the nominees for the 17th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The winners will be announced at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards ceremony on Friday, January 12, 2012.

BEST PICTURE

Nominees:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

BEST ACTOR

Nominees:
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
Michael Fassbender – “Shame”
Ryan Gosling – “Drive”
Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees:
Viola Davis – “The Help”
Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”
Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn”
Albert Brooks – “Drive”
Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Andrew Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nominees:
Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
Carey Mulligan – “Shame”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Nominees:
Asa Butterfield – “Hugo”
Elle Fanning – “Super 8”
Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Ezra Miller – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Saoirse Ronan – “Hanna”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Nominees:
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March

BEST DIRECTOR

Nominees:
Stephen Daldry – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Alexander Payne – “The Descendants”
Nicolas Winding Refn – “Drive”
Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”
Steven Spielberg – “War Horse”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius
“50/50” – Will Reiser
“Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen
“Win Win” – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
“Young Adult” – Diablo Cody

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Nominees:
“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” – Eric Roth
“The Help” – Tate Taylor
“Hugo” – John Logan
“Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Guillaume Schiffman
“Drive” – Newton Thomas Sigel
“Hugo” – Robert Richardson
“The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki
“War Horse” – Janusz Kaminski

BEST ART DIRECTION

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” – Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo” – Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“The Tree of Life” – Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank
“War Horse” – Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales

BEST EDITING

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion
“Drive” – Matthew Newman
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“Hugo” – Thelma Schoonmaker
“War Horse” – Michael Kahn

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Mark Bridges
“The Help” – Sharen Davis
“Hugo” – Sandy Powell
“Jane Eyre” – Michael O’Connor
“My Week With Marilyn” – Jill Taylor

BEST MAKEUP

Nominees:
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
My Week With Marilyn

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
The Tree of Life

BEST SOUND

Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Super 8
The Tree of Life
War Horse

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Nominees:
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Nominees:
Drive
Fast Five
Hanna
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8

BEST COMEDY

Nominees:
Bridesmaids
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Horrible Bosses
Midnight in Paris
The Muppets

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Nominees:
In Darkness
Le Havre
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Where Do We Go Now

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Nominees:
Buck
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Page One: Inside the New York Times
Project Nim
Undefeated

BEST SONG

Nominees:
“Hello Hello” – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – Gnomeo & Juliet
“Life’s a Happy Song” – performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets
“The Living Proof” – performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. – The Help
“Man or Muppet” – performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets
“Pictures in My Head” – performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman – The Muppets

BEST SCORE

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource
“Drive” – Cliff Martinez
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
“Hugo” – Howard Shore
“War Horse” – John Williams


About The Broadcast Film Critics Association:
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing 250 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public. The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

AFI Names Its Top 10 Films and TV Series of 2011

The American Film Institute (AFI) describes itself as “America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.” Their awards focus on American feature films and television programs.

AFI’s Ten Films of 2011:
BRIDESMAIDS

THE DESCENDANTS

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE HELP

HUGO

J. EDGAR

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

MONEY BALL

THE TREE OF LIFE

WAR HORSE

AFI’s Ten TV Programs of 2011:
Breaking Bad

Boardwalk Empire

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Game of Thrones

The Good Wife

Homeland

Justified

Louie

Modern Family

Parks and Recreation

AFI gave special awards to the film, The Artist, and the entire “Harry Potter” film series.

"The Help" Passes $200 Million in Worldwide Box Office

DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media’s “The Help” Surpasses $200M Worldwide

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Pictures announced Dec. 8 that its empowering film “The Help” has surpassed $200 million in worldwide ticket sales. “The Help,” directed and written for the screen by Tate Taylor, is based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett.

“The Help” has resonated with audiences around the globe, sparking conversation and comments across all media platforms from such notables as Oprah, Scott Fujita, Tyler Perry, Russell Simmons, Katy Perry, Diane Sawyer, Jason Whitlock, Jackie Jackson and others.

“The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. Also starring Bryce Dallas Howard (“Hereafter”), Allison Janney (“Juno”), Academy Award®–winner Sissy Spacek (“In the Bedroom,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) and Jessica Chastain (“Tree of Life”), “The Help” is deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope—a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

Rounding out the cast are Ahna O’Reilly (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), Cicely Tyson (“Sounder,” “Fried Green Tomatoes”), Chris Lowell (“Up in the Air”), Mike Vogel (“Blue Valentine”), Aunjanue Ellis (“Ray”) and Mary Steenburgen (“Did You Hear About the Morgans?”).

From DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment, in association with Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi, “The Help” was produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan.

“The Help” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for July 28, 2011

Here's a roundup of stuff that interests me or may interest you, dear reader:

Apparently, some people feel that Oscar-nominated actress Viola Davis has to defend her role in The Help.  I don't.  I think that people who are uncomfortable with the subject matter of the film and the book upon which it is based should just avoid the film, which I may do.

Anyway, BET cribbed some quotes from an interview she gave to another website.  Here, is a good one:

Davis: “I feel one of the most revolutionary things you could do [in film] is to humanize the Black woman. And what I mean by that is that is… there is no way that I’m going to believe that if Meryl Streep or a Jodie Foster or any number of fabulous Caucasian actresses were sitting in front of you that anyone would ask them why they did a role if there was something about that character that they didn’t feel was politically correct...

_________________________

Yep, it's been 20 years.  John Singleton talks to BET.com about the Oscar-nominated Boyz N the Hood, which is 20 years old this year.

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Deadline: New York has an exclusive.  J.J. Abrams is ready to begin work on the sequel to his 2009 smash hit reboot, Star Trek (the first Trek flick to win an Oscar).  But the film will not meet its June 29 2012 release date, so Paramount Pictures is giving that release date to G.I. Joe: Retaliation.  Currently, Star Trek 2 does not even have a script. Egads!

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More from Deadline:  Paramount has moved Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol from December 16th to Dec. 21st.  Meanwhile, the next Tom Cruise franchise, based upon the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child, is set to launch in February 2013.

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We love Simon Pegg.  Word is out about a new movie, "A Fantastic Fear of Everything," which has him playing, "a children’s author turned crime novelist whose research into the lives of Victorian serial killers turns him into a paranoid wreck, especially when a Hollywood executive decides he wants to make a film out of his findings."

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Movieline has the lineup for the 68th Venice Film Festival, which runs from August 31st to September 10th.

Mary J. Blige Pens and Records Song for "The Help"

Super-Star Mary J. Blige Records Original Song for DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media’s “The Help”

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Pictures and Geffen Records announced today that multiple Grammy® Award–winning recording artist Mary J. Blige wrote and recorded an original song for the soundtrack of DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media’s THE HELP, a film based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, opening in theaters August 12, 2011. “The Help” soundtrack - music from the Motion picture, will feature the original song from Mary J. Blige “The Living Proof.” The soundtrack, from Interscope Records, will be available Tuesday, July 26 at select Starbucks locations.

The song, “The Living Proof,” was written and recorded by Blige especially for THE HELP after she saw a screening of the film, which takes place in 1960s-era Mississippi and chronicles the journey of three very different women who come together and embark on a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. “The beautiful thing about these women is that they were very smart,” says Blige. “They chose to walk in love and forgiveness.”

The film really celebrates the courage to inspire change, “To speak to so many women with this song means a lot to me,” says Blige. “I wanted to be involved with this film, because I think we need to encourage each other more, we are here to tell a story.”

Blige has received 9 Grammy® Awards and four American Music Awards as well as recorded eight multi-platinum albums. Mary J. Blige has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and her next album "My Life Too....The Journey Continues" will be released Sept 20, 2011.


ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

From DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media, “The Help” is directed by Tate Taylor and produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, with screenplay by Tate Taylor. “The Help” releases in theaters August 12, 2011.

THE HELP Mary J Blige VNR is also available at http://www.epk.tv/

Dreamworks Gets "The Help"

In an exclusive story EW.com reveals that DreamWorks Pictures has now acquired the movie rights to Kathryn Stockett's hot novel, The Help.

The book is set in the 1960s and follows the lives of a group of Southern white women and their black housekeepers.  Filming may begin this summer in Mississippi.