Monday, January 16, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Oscar Nominations for Best Foreign Language and Short Docs
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| Spain submits Agusti Villaronga's Black Bread for Oscar Consideration |
1. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 84th Academy Awards has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar nominations.
Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 35 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for tabulation. The eight films are listed below in alphabetical order by title:
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement;
God Is the Bigger Elvis;
In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution;
Incident in New Baghdad;
Pipe Dreams;
Saving Face;
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom;
Witness.
2. Sixty-three countries, including first-time entrant New Zealand, have submitted feature films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards. More will be written about some of the submissions, but here's the list in alphabetical order by country with director:
Albania, Amnesty, Bujar Alimani;
Argentina, Aballay, Fernando Spiner;
Austria, Breathing, Karl Markovics;
Belgium, Bullhead, Michael R. Roskam;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belvedere, Ahmed Imamovic;
Brazil, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, José Padilha;
Bulgaria, Tilt, Viktor Chouchkov, Jr;
Canada, Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau;
Chile, Violeta Went to Heaven, Andrés Wood;
*China, The Flowers of War, Zhang Yimou;
Colombia, The Colors of the Mountain, Carlos César Arbeláez;
Croatia, 72 Days, Danilo Serbedzija;
Cuba, Havanastation, Ian Padrón;
Czech Republic, Alois Nebel, Tomás Lunák;
Denmark, Superclásico, Ole Christian Madsen;
Dominican Republic, Love Child, Leticia Tonos;
Egypt, Lust, Khaled el Hagar;
Estonia, Letters to Angel, Sulev Keedus;
Finland, Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki;
France, Declaration of War, Valérie Donzelli;
Georgia, Chantrapas, Otar Iosseliani;
*Germany, Pina, Wim Wenders;
Greece, Attenberg, Athina Rachel Tsangari;
Hong Kong, A Simple Life, Ann Hui;
Hungary, The Turin Horse, Béela Tarr;
Iceland, Volcano, Rúnar Rúnarsson;
India, Abu, Son of Adam, Salim Ahamed;
Indonesia, Under the Protection of Ka'Bah, Hanny R. Saputra;
*Iran, A Separation, Asghar Farhadi;
Ireland, As If I Am Not There, Juanita Wilson;
Israel, Footnote, Joseph Cedar;
Italy, Terraferma, Emanuele Crialese;
Japan, Postcard, Kaneto Shindo;
Kazakhstan, Returning to the ‘A’, Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky;
*Lebanon, Where Do We Go Now? Nadine Labaki;
Lithuania, Back to Your Arms, Kristijonas Vildziunas;
Macedonia, Punk Is Not Dead, Vladimir Blazevski;
Mexico, Miss Bala, Gerardo Naranjo;
Morocco, Omar Killed Me, Roschdy Zem;
Netherlands, Sonny Boy, Maria Peters;
New Zealand, The Orator, Tusi Tamasese;
Norway, Happy, Happy, Anne Sewitsky;
Peru, October, Diego Vega and Daniel Vega;
Philippines, The Woman in the Septic Tank, Marlon N. Rivera;
Poland, In Darkness, Agnieszka Holland;
Portugal, José and Pilar, Miguel Gonçalves Mendes;
Romania, Morgen, Marian Crisan;
Russia, Burnt by the Sun 2: The Citadel, Nikita Mikhalkov***;
Serbia, Montevideo: Taste of a Dream, Dragan Bjelogrlić;
Singapore, Tatsumi, Eric Khoo;
Slovak Republic, Gypsy, Martin SulÃk;
South Africa, Beauty, Oliver Hermanus;
South Korea, The Front Line, Jang Hun;
Spain, Black Bread, Agusti Villaronga*;
Sweden, Beyond, Pernilla August;
Switzerland, Summer Games, Rolando Colla;
*Taiwan, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, Wei Te-sheng;
Thailand, Kon Khon, Sarunyu Wongkrachang;
*Turkey, Once upon a Time in Anatolia, Nuri Bilge Ceylan;
United Kingdom, Patagonia, Marc Evans;
Uruguay, The Silent House, Gustavo Hernández;
Venezuela, Rumble of the Stones, Alejandro Bellame Palacios;
Vietnam, The Prince and the Pagoda Boy, Luu Trong Ninh.
* Directors Mimi follows.
*** According to the IMBd there is a controversy in Russia about this movie being selected by Russia as the official entry: "A move is underway in Russia to overhaul the committee that nominates the film to represent the country in the best foreign language competition at the annual Oscar race. It follows widespread controversy over the selection of Nikita Mikhalkov’s Burnt by the Sun: The Citadel, as this year’s entry despite the fact that the film received a drubbing from critics and flopped at the box office. Daily Variety reported today (Monday) that a new union of filmmakers, Kino Soyuz, is lobbying for a transparent nomination process from a committee drawn from the ranks of previous Oscar nominees or winners. Several Russian critics have noted that Mikhalkov has close ties to the country’s power elite and is a close friend of Vladimir Putin. Russia’s Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper described the selection of Citadel for the Oscar competition as a triumph of 'cronyism' over,'common sense'.”
There is a link with this list on the right sidebar of this blog and it will remain there until about October next year. The nomination ballots are now at PwC to be tabulated. The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Actress Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) will assist the Academy President.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
See previous post below for other happenings at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Thursday, January 12, 2012
New Rules for Docs and Short Films Approved by Academy Board
The purpose of the new rules is to offer members more opportunities to view the films vying for an Oscar nomination, and/or win. Thus, more members will be able to vote in the categories of Documentary Feature, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film.
However, now that all motion pictures from now on will be made using digital photography, the designation of a Documentary Feature, and an animated or live-action short, really should not be "film." Film is the out-dated process. Now, digital photography is the process, but a motion picture is still the product, as well as the medium of motion picture communication.
In the Documentary Feature category, the entire Documentary Branch will now receive all eligible titles beginning in the first round of voting. To facilitate this change, producers must submit 200 DVDs, an increase from the 30 that had been required in previous years. In the final round of voting in this category, members must still see all the nominated films, but the viewing of films on a digital screener will now be an option for satisfying this requirement.
A documentary feature's eligibility will continue to depend on completing seven-day qualifying runs in both New York and Los Angeles that are advertised in at least one major newspaper, as specified by Academy rules, in each city.
For the 85th Academy Awards in 2013, however, a review by a movie critic in The New York Times and/or the Los Angeles Times will also be required. The Academy specifically specified implementation of this rule for the 85th Academy Awards in 2013. Does this leave open a door to review this controversial rule for a published review before 2014?
As with the final voting for the best documentary feature, members will still be required to see all the motion pictures in the Animated Short and Live Action Short categories before voting for a winner, but viewing them on a digital screener will now be an option for satisfying this requirement as well.
When it comes to non-standard format, such as IMAX, the producers must submit the motion picture to the Academy in a standard theatrical aspect ratio and in a format currently accepted for Academy exhibition to remain eligible. They may provide additional screenings in non-standard formats, but members’ attendance at such screenings will not be required for voting purposes. The Academy only mentioned IMAX, so does this rule apply to RealD 3D, and Dolby 3D as well? Confused?See Article.
Other rule changes for the documentary and short motion picture categories include normal date changes and minor "housekeeping" changes. Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Lawrence and Sherak to Announce Oscar Nominations
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| Poster available to order for free. See below. |
Academy member, and Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer
Lawrence (above, Winter's Bone), will join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom
Sherak to announced the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards Tuesday,
January 24th. Together, they will unveil the nominations in 10 of the
24 categories at a 5:30 a.m. PT news conference at the Academy's Samuel
Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California.
Last year at the 83rd Academy Awards, Lawrence received a
nomination for her lead performance in Winter's Bone. She will be
seen next in The Hunger Games and recently completed work on The
Silver Linings Playbook. Her other film credits include The
Burning Plain, Like Crazy, The Beaver and X-Men: First Class.
Nomination
information in all categories will be distributed simultaneously to
news media in attendance, expected to number in the hundreds from around the world. Also, information will be
distributed simultaneously via the
Internet on the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will
be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at
Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC
Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live
in more than 200 countries worldwide.
The Official 84th Academy Award's Poster is available free for order in many different sizes. Information and order
ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Writers Guild Oscar Nominations, and Short List for Visual Effects
Interesting that The Tree of Life is on the current visual effects list and not on the Writers Guilds' list. Here are the nominees from the Writers Guild:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
50/50, written by Will Reiser;
50/50, written by Will Reiser;
Bridesmaids, written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig;
Midnight in Paris, written by Woody Allen;
Win Win, screenplay by Tom McCarthy; story by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni;
Young Adult, written by Diablo Cody.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants, screenplay by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash; based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming;
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, screenplay by Steven Zaillian; based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts;
The Help, screenplay by Tate Taylor; based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett;
Hugo, screenplay by John Logan; based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick;
Moneyball, screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; based on the book by Michael Lewis.
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Better This World, written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega;
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek;
Nostalgia for the Light, written by Patricio Guzmán;
Pina, screenplay by Wim Wenders;
Position Among the Stars, script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich;
Senna, written by Manish Pandey.
Win Win, screenplay by Tom McCarthy; story by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni;
Young Adult, written by Diablo Cody.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants, screenplay by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash; based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming;
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, screenplay by Steven Zaillian; based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts;
The Help, screenplay by Tate Taylor; based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett;
Hugo, screenplay by John Logan; based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick;
Moneyball, screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; based on the book by Michael Lewis.
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Better This World, written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega;
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek;
Nostalgia for the Light, written by Patricio Guzmán;
Pina, screenplay by Wim Wenders;
Position Among the Stars, script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich;
Senna, written by Manish Pandey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are now 10 motion pictures are on the short list in the 84th Academy Awards
Visual Effects (VFX) category awaiting a possible Oscar nomination. They are listed below in alphabetical
order:
Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The Tree of Life
X-Men: First Class
All
members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute
excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Thursday, January 19.
Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films
for final Oscar consideration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live
on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn
Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film
achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the
Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised
live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be
televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
What Happens to the Academy Awards If Kodak Files Bankruptcy?
According to Entertainment Weekly, the company based in Rochester, N.Y., agreed to pay $75 million over 20 years for their name on the theater, owned by the CIM Group. With that agreement, Kodak, aligned its company identity each year with the biggest motion picture event in Hollywood.
However, according to sources, if an Academy move does happen, it's not likely until after the 2013 broadcast. Apparently, there are certain clauses in the contract that representatives for Kodak and the Academy are now studying. My former colleagues employed in the accounting offices at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), will probably stay busy at the Academy after this year's awards.
Believe it or not, but the Academy may have outgrown the Kodak Theatre (seats 3,332), and other larger venues have opened in downtown Los Angeles, such as the Nokia Theatre (seats 7,100). On Wall Street, Kodak shares are no longer offered in dollars. At today's close, the price per share was 47 cents. Consequently, Kodak has apparently been warned by the New York Stock Exchange that its stock will be delisted if the price remains below $1 per share for the next six months.
Eastman Kodak has played a vital role in the development of motion pictures in America, helping to set the standard of 35 mm film, and introducing the 16 mm film format for home movies use and low-budget commercial films. Anyone remember Kodacolor, Kodachrome, and Technicolor in three colors?
But their biggest achievement was when the company introduced its first motion picture film designed especially for making sound motion pictures. If anyone knows anything much about American movies, they know that it was cooperation between George Eastman and Harry Warner of Warner Brothers Studios, that made the first synchronized sound, or "talkie," possible. Eastman Kodak's first sound system for motion pictures was known as Vitaphone.
The movie wasn't a total talkie, but consisted of synchronized sound sequences dispersed within the 1927 black and white movie, The Jazz Singer, which had about 15 minutes of Al Jolsen singing. For more on Eastman Kodak's contribution, for which they have been awarded a number of Academy Awards, click.
Here is an appeal: If you are a investor, i.e., gambler, on Wall Street, please take a gamble on Eastman Kodak. Let's get those share prices up to at least $l.00!
Monday, January 02, 2012
Meryl Streep, Star of 'The Iron Lady', Racks Up Awards
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| Meryl Streep as Thatche |
Actress Meryl Streeps' new starer, The Iron Lady, premiered Tuesday, December 13, at the Ziegfeld Theater, NYC, to much praise, especially for the actress on the verge of assuming the title of the current gran dame of Hollywood actresses. Streep, wearing a big-hair red wig, remarkably resembles the former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as does Streep's voice. Oscar buzz for Meryl Streep has been growing for almost a month, and The Iron Lady, scheduled to open January 13, hasn't opened at the time of this post.
Shortly after the movie's premiere, Streep received the Kennedy Center Honor for her achievements in acting and humanitarian causes. In October, she won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for her role in The Iron Lady, while their best picture award went to the black and white move, The Artist.
Streep was recently nominated for a best actress Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award, and a Golden Globe in the same category. Now comes word she will receive an honorary life-time achievement Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, which will run February 9-19 in Berlin, Germany. The 69th annual Golden Globes will be broadcast live in HD on NBC Sunday, January 15, 2012, and the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are scheduled for Sunday, January 29, 2012, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.
The Berlin International Film Festival presentation ceremony for Streep is scheduled for February 14, and, of course, a screening of The Iron Lady will follow. As a further homage to Streep, the festival will also screen some of her best-known films, among them: Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa and The Bridges of Madison County. Which is your favorite among these? For more on the tribute, click the title of this post.
And, there are more honors for Streep, currently 62. She is on the cover of the January issue of Vogue Magazine. The headline? "Meryl Streep: Force of Nature," a fitting title since she is a shareholder in the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) organization, a.k.a. Local Harvest, and has been working for safe, organic and ecologically sustainable food for more than a decade.
She is also a supporter of the campaign for a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. So far, this exists as a virtual entity with a nice Web site (nwhm.org), but campaigners have been working to get an actual, physical museum “Right Here. Right Now” (as their literature puts it) on a property on, or adjacent to, the National Mall.
Since this is federal land, Congress must pass legislation to authorize the purchase, even though the museum will not cost the taxpayers anything, because it will be privately funded. Of course, Congress, especially the House, does as little as possible, so the project remains on hold.
I agree with Streep and the others. It's time the contribution of women to the U.S.A. had a "residence" on the National Mall along with the gents.
According to the IMDb, Meryl Streep has been nominated for an Academy Award 16 times. She has won only twice: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Sophie's Choice (1982). It's time she added a third statuette to her fireplace mantel before all the Academy will present her is an honorary Oscar for her life's work.
You go, girl!
The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center, and televised live at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
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