GOLDEN GLOBE 2013 NOMINATIONS and SBIFF

Golden Globe nominations, and much more, courtesy of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's "film geek Confidential" blog:

http://www.sbiff.org/blog2/

 The Golden Globes ceremony, the 70th in the history of the awards show, will be held on Sunday, January 13, 2013. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will co-host. The Golden Globes awards are brought to you by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), and broadcast on MSN.

 

The 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will be held in Santa Barbara, California, from January 24th to February 3rd. Passes and tickets are now on sale. SBIFF takes place among the beautiful California coastal area that is considered the American Riviera™ I have been there many times and it is one of my favorite film festivals. Official Website

To All my Readers:

and

Mimi

Twitter:
@MimiattheMovies 

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MimiattheMovies?ref=hl

#

Santa Barbara Festival Pass-Sale Ending

The 28th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival opens January 24, 2013 and runs through February 03, 2013. Purchase of discount pass packages ends August 31st. http://www.sbiff.org

Santa Barbara Film Festival Winners

SERIES: Major Film Festivals

ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE wins Best Documentary Film and another major award.

The winners of the 25th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) were announced yesterday. The festival, which celebrated its Silver Anniversary beginning 4 February, announced the winners of the 2010 festival competition at a Press Conference and Sunday morning brunch at the famed Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, Sunday, 14 February.

The winning films are as follows:


The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, given to a unique independent feature that has been made outside mainstream Hollywood, went to EXAM (US Premiere), directed by Stuart Hazeldine, and starring Luke Mably, Nathalie Cox.

The Best International Film Award went to LETTERS to FATHER JACOB (Postia pappi Jaakobille) from Finland, and directed by Klaus Härö. [Submitted for Oscar® consideration for Best Foreign Language Film (BFLF), but not nominated. It is, however, receiving praises for cinematography such as, "If you want to see cinematographic art at its finest, see this movie."]

The Nueva [New] Vision Award for the best Spanish/Latin American film was awarded to THE WIND JOURNEYS (Los viajes del viento, Columbia, US Premiere), directed by Ciro Guerra and starring Marciano Martínez, Yull Núñez. [Submitted for Oscar consideration for BFLF, but not nominated.]

Best East Meets West Cinema Award went to South Korea’s MOTHER (Madeo), directed by Joon-ho Bong, about a mother who desperately searches for the killer that framed her son for a horrific murder. [Submitted for Oscar consideration for BFLF, but not nominated.]

Best Eastern Bloc Award went to KATALIN VARGA (Romania/UK, US Premiere), directed by Peter Strickland.

Best Documentary Film Award went to ENEMIES of the PEOPLE from UK/Cambodia and directed by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath. The film is about the Khmer Rouge slaughter of nearly two million people in the late 1970s, yet the killing fields of Cambodia remain unexplained.

Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes went to ANA'S PLAYGROUND, directed by Eric D. Howell. Film depicts just another day for children surrounded by armed conflict.

Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film went to UTS, directed by Moritz Mayerhofer.

The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award Sponsored by The Fund for Santa Barbara for a documentary film that addresses social justice issues also went to ENEMIES of the PEOPLE, the Best Documentary winner.

The festival closed tonight with the World Premiere of MIDDLE MEN,” directed by George Gallo. Starrin Giovanni Ribisi, Luke Wilson, James Caan, Kelsey Grammer and Kevin Pollack, the film chronicles Jack Harris, one of the pioneers of internet commerce, as he wrestles with his morals and struggles not to drown in a sea of conmen, mobsters, drug addicts, and pornstars.

Read more about the winners by clicking this title of this post. For honorary awards at the SBIFF, scroll down to previous post under the title, " Major Film Festivals in February 2010".

Major Film Festivals in February 2010

SERIES: Major Film Festivals

1. 60th Berlin IFF Opens Today - - 2. 25th Santa Barbara IFF Ready for Awards.

2. 60th BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Berlinale), Berlin, Germany 11 - 21 February 2010.

APART TOGETHER (Tuan Yuan)

The Berlinale (BIFF) is the first major European film festival on the calendar each year, as Sundance is the first major U.S. Festival. The BIFF is considered second only to Cannes as a prestigious film showcase in world cinema along with Venice, the oldest film festival. The first BIFF I attended was in July, and many events were held outside under the stars or in tents. Now, it takes place in February. Brrrrr!

The International Jury, presided over by Werner Herzog, will decide who will take home the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears, as well as the Alfred Bauer Prize in the Competition Section of the Berlinale 2010. Texas-born Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger will join President Herzog and other members of the Jury.

The Jury for the Best First Feature Award will be headed by Michael Verhoeven, one of the formative personalities in what is known as New German Film. He presented his feature film debut, THE DANCE OF DEATH, at the 1967 Festival. Debut feature films from the sections Competition, Panorama, Generation Kplus and 14plus as well as debut films from the Forum will compete for the award. The winners will be announced at the official award ceremony in the Berlinale Palast on 30 February.

American actor Ben Foster (X-MEN: The Last Stand, 3:10 TO YUMA and ALPHA DOG) will join Verhoeven and other Jury members. He was a guest at the 2009 Berlinale Competition with his lead role in the acclaimed drama THE MESSENGER.

The winner of the Golden Bear 2009, MILK OF SORROW (La Teta Asustada) by Claudia Llosa from Peru, and AJAMI by Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti (Israel) were both funded by the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund, and they are both nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category for 2009.

Opening Movie: The World Premiere of APART TOGETHER (Tuan Yuan, People's Republic of China, 2009) director, Wang Quan'an, in Shanghainese and Mandarin. Section: Competition. Cast: Lisa Lu, Ling Feng, Xu Caigen, Monica Mo, Ma Xiaoqing. Wang's TUYA'S MARRIAGE won the Golden Bear in 2007.

Closing Movie: The Festival's award winning feature film will be screened 20 February in the Zoo Palast 1, at 3:00 p.m., with the awards gala beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the CinemaxX 3.

The Festival is a sponsor of the second edition of the Talent Campus Guadalajara for up-and-coming filmmakers and professionals from Central America and the Caribbean, which will take place from 11-15 March 2010. New this year in Guadalajara: a brand new hands-on training program for film critics, the Talent Press. Sorry, the applications have closed./b>

Also, the full screening schedule for Berlin is available for download, but only in German. For more information, click the title of this post to access the Festival's Official Website

1. 25th SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Santa Barbara, California. Thursday, 4 February - Sunday, 14 February 2010.

Santa Barbara's festival has all the glitz and glam of Palm Springs while, at the same time, offering a roster of films worthy of following Sundance. This year is SBIFF's silver anniversary, and they deserve hearty congratulations for offering an exhilarating festival year after year. I know because I have attended a number of them.

The 25th edition features 200 films including 18 World Premieres, 28 U.S. Premieres and a vast selection of films representing 45 countries. The motto this year is "11 Amazing Days, 10 Starry Nights".

The Festival opened with a gala screening at the downtown historic Arlington Theatre featuring the world premiere screening of FLYING LESSONS, directed by Derek Magyar, in his directorial debut. The movie stars Christine Lahti, Maggie Grace, Jonathan Tucker, Cary Elwes, Joanna Cassidy and Hal Holbrook. The gala evening concluded with a party at Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara.

Closing Night will feature the world premiere screening of MIDDLE MEN, directed by George Gallo and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Luke Wilson, James Caan, Kelsey Grammar and Kevin Pollack. The director and cast will attend. Closing Night festivities also take place at the Arlington Theatre.

Actress Emily Blunt received the Chopin Virtuoso Award - in recognition of this years emerging film talent - Sunday, 7 February. Also, receiving the Chopin Virtuosos 2010 Award were Carey Mulligan (AN EDUCATION), Saoirse Ronan (THE LOVELY BONES) and Michael Stuhlbarg (A SERIOUS MAN).

Actress Sandra Bullok received The American Riviera Award, 5 February, and director James Cameron received the esteemed Lucky Brand™ Modern Master Award 6 February.

Continuing the annual tradition of highlighting a guest director, SBIFF selected Kathryn Bigelow as the Outstanding Director of the Year. Monday, 8 February the Festival began the day with a retrospective of Bigelow’s films: NEAR DARK, POINT BREAK, and STRANGE DAYS. Following a conversation with the director, there was a special screening of her latest movie, the Oscar nominated, THE HURT LOCKER, and Bigelow is nominated for an Oscar for directing the movie.

David Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Filmmaking will be awarded to THE COVE, Wednesday, 10 February, at the Lobero Theatre. The award-winning documentary is one of he favorites in the Oscar's Best Documentary Feature of 2009 category.

Actor Colin Firth will receive the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award for his role as 'George' in A SINGLE MAN, Thursday, 11 February at the Arlington Theatre. Also, Actress Julianne Moore will receive the Montecito Award. The evening will be moderated by SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.

Friday, 12 February, at the Lobero Theatre, Durling will moderate the evening when the Cinema Vanguard Awards will be presented to Vera Farmiga (UP IN THE AIR), Peter Sarsgaard (AN EDUCATION), Stanley Tucci (THE LOVELY BONES) and Christoph Waltz (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) in recognition of artists who have forged their own path by taking artistic risks.Also, actress Gabourey Sidibe, (PRECIOUS) will receive the Chopin Virtuoso Award.

Santa Barbara celebrates one of their own with Jeff Bridges Day. Sunday, 14 February, will start early with screenings of Bridges’ Oscar-nominated films: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, THUNDERBOLT and LIGHTFOOT, STARMAN, and THE CONTENDER. Bridges will appear for a Conversation, followed by a screening of CRAZY HEART. Bridges is nominated for best actor in the leading role for his role in the movie as Bad Blake, a broken-down hard-living former country singer.

Link for the Festival's Official Website.

Coming up first in March is the Miami International Film Festival, presented by the Miami Film Society and Miami Dade College, followed by SXSW, and the 25th Guadalajara International Film Festival, 12 - 19 March. More on those and others later.

This week, I received information from the Venice IFF and the San Sebastián IFF. Neither will open until much later this year, but I will be adding newsflashes to the bottom of these posts to incorporate the latest from the best film festivals when I receive information that I think is "hot".

Major Film Festivals in January 2010

SERIES: Major Film Festivals

Twenty-First PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (PSIFF), Palm Springs, California, 5 - 17 JANUARY 2010. http://www.psfilmfest.org/

About Elly, Iran, 2009. In years past, this festival was a big party in the desert for the celebrity crowd but last year the PSIFF goers chose Japan's DEPARTURES by director Yojiro Takita as the Audience Award winner. It went on to win the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film, and this festival's standing among U.S. festivals was immediately elevated. This year, the Festival offers 41 foreign films, including the acclaimed ABOUT ELLY, submitted by Iran for Oscar nomination consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category. See full list. Will this year's audience award be an Oscar portend?

The PSIFF opened last Tuesday, 5 January, with an awards gala, usually held the last night of a festival. As do the people in Utah's Sundance FF, they do things differently in Palm Springs.

The festival will close 17 January with another gala and the screening of THE LIGHTKEEPERS, directed by Daniel Adams, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, Tom Wisdom, Bruce Dern and Mamie Gummer. The next day, the Festival will screen "The Best of the Fest." The list will be announced on the 17th.

Yesterday was Australian Film Day but if you missed it, there will be repeat screenings of new Australian films throughout the festival. http:// www.australia-week.com. Also, there will be more about the festival on this blog as news from the PSIFF warrants.

Twenty-Sixth SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL (SFF), Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah, 21 - 31 January 2010, sponsored by the Sundance Institute.
http://www.sundance.org/festival/

I'M PAT, director: Amir Bar-Lev, screenplay: Mark Monroe, USA, 2009. In the U.S., Sundance is the first festival of prominence at the beginning of each year. Sorry, Palm Springs, it is a fact. It is also one of the best showcases for independent movies and documentaries in the U.S.

With an emphasis on feature documentaries as well as being a launching pad for independent art-house titles, it has always focused on filmmaking outside the commercial mainstream. The festival's commitment to documentary has been driven by the personal connection that President and Founder Robert Redford feels for the genre.

First of all, there are passes still for sale, but you better hurry! Second there's an iPhone App for Sundance. It is available through iTunes Store for $4.99+.

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will open with our annual celebration as filmmakers and festival friends reunite or meet for the first time, Thursday, 21 January 2010, 10:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m., Legacy Lodge,1310 Lowell Ave. The opening screening will be director Aaron Schneider's GET LOW, and will be held in Salt Lake City, Friday, 22 January 22, 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, and screening tickets required.

Closing Night Screening, 29 January, director Joel Schumacher's TWELVE, 9:30 p.m., Eccles Theatre.

Awards Ceremony, Saturday, 30 January 30, Time TBA, Park City Racquet Club, 1200 Little Kate Rd. Among the most anticipated, the Audience Awards, which are decided by the festival attendees and awarded to films in each of the four competition categories. The ceremony will be followed with the closing night gala party.

Here's access to the festival film guide:

If widget doesn't work for you, download (PDF) Competition Film Guide, and other guides: http://festival.sundance.org/2010/boxoffice/.

There will be more about the festival on this blog as news from the SIFF warrants. The last week of this month watch for SERIES: Major Film Festivals, "Major Film Festivals in February," with the upcoming Santa Barbara IFF (SBIFF) as lead festival.