AWARDS WATCH

May 16, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Student Academy Awards Announced

Eleven students from eight colleges and universities have been named winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 35th Annual Student Academy Awards competition. They will participate in a week of industry-related activities and social events, culminating in the awards ceremony on June 7 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The winners in the "Alternative" category are "Circles of Confusion" (Phoebe Tooke, San Francisco State University), and "Viola: The Traveling Rooms of a Little Giant" (Shih-Ting Hung, University of Southern California); in the "Animation" category, Oscars went to "Simulacra" (Tatchapon Lertwirojkul, The School of Visual Arts), "The Visionary" (Evan Mayfield, Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida), and "Zoologic" (Nicole Mitchell, California Institute of the Arts); the "Documentary" category winners were "As We Forgive" (Laura Waters Hinson, American University, Washington, D.C.), "If a Body Meet a Body" (Brian Davis, University of Southern California), and "Unattached"( J.J. Adler, Columbia University); and in the "Narrative" category, winners were "A Day's Work" (Rajeev Dassani, University of Southern California), "Pitstop" (Melanie McGraw, University of Southern California), and "The State of Sunshine" (Z. Eric Yang, Florida State University). The "Honorary Foreign Film" award went to "On the Line (Auf der Strecke)" (Reto Caffi, Academy of Media Arts, Cologne, Germany). While the U.S. winners know they will each receive an award, their placement - Gold, Silver or Bronze - will not be revealed until the June 7 ceremony. In addition to a trophy, Gold Medal winners receive $5,000, Silver Medal winners receive $3,000 and Bronze Medal winners receive $2,000. The Honorary Foreign Film winner receives $1,000 in addition to a trophy. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

May 9, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Golden Trailer Awards Announced

Thursday night at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, the 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards were handed out in a ceremony hosted by comedian Sinbad. The upcoming "The Dark Knight" won best action trailer, while "Iron Man" won the best overall for summer 2008. "In Bruges" was named the most original, while "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" won for best music and best voice-over, respectively. "No Country For Old Men" was awarded the best dramatic trailer, "Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?" best documentary, and "Day Night Day Night" for best independent. The awards will be televised on May 26, 2008 on MyNetworkTV, which will include the winner of the publicly voted "trailer of the year." All other winners were deciphered by a jury that included Joss Whedon, Jonathan D. Krane, Morgan Spurlock, Eli Roth, Gary Meyet and Claudia Puig. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

April 14, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | AMPAS Releases Dates for 81st Oscars

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced key dates for its 81st edition of the Academy Awards. Academy President Sid Ganis noted that the ceremony will take place Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and will be televised by ABC. Other dates include the mailing of nomination ballots on December 26, 2008, the nomination announcement on January 22, 2009 a the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and final polls closing at 5pm PT on February 17, 2009. The dates coincide with those since the move of the Oscars from March to February, with exception of a move of nomination announcement from a Tuesday to a Thursday, to avoid conflicting with the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

March 27, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Tarantino to be Honored at Provincetown Fest

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino will be honored with the 2008 Filmmaker on the Edge Award at the 10th annual Provincetown International Film Festival, running from June 18 - 22 in Provincetown, MA. Previous award recipients, all of whom have been invited back for the fest's anniversary are John Waters, Christine Vachon, Ted Hope, James Schamus, Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes, Jim Jarmusch, Mary Harron, Gregg Araki, and Todd Solondz. For more information, please visit the festival website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Festivals ]

March 26, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | MMI to Honor Schamus, Blank

The Museum of the Moving Image will honor Focus Features CEO James Schamus and Showtime Networks CEO Matt Blank at the organization's annual black-tie benefit, to be held on April 30th at The St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. [Eugene Hernandez]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

March 18, 2008

"Manda Bala" Wins Big at First Cinema Eye Awards

Born out of anger, to use the words of filmmaker Jason Kohn, the inaugural Cinema Eye Honors for documentary films awarded three prizes to "Manda Bala (Send A Bullet)" on Tuesday night in New York City. Kohn's doc, nominated in six of the nine Cinema Eye categories, was honored as best picture and also received awards for cinematography and editing.
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 7 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Documentary, Lead Story ]

February 27, 2008

iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Spirits: Erik, Elektra, Friend

More from the Spirits: Celebrating a successful IFC TV bash at Shutters, on the beach in Santa Monica, are (left to right) IFC's Erik Batt and Elektra Gray , with Raquel Bruno from Drive Entertainment.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Spirits: Smith & Sehring

At this year's IFC party, immediately following the Spirit Awards, nominee Chris Smith ("The Pool") with IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Spirits: Nein, Kevin, Patricof

More from the Spirits: Hanging out at the IFC Party: Sundance Film Festival programmer John Nein, Kevin Iwashina, and producer Jamie Patricof.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Spirits: Zobel & Bronstein

More from the Spirits: Inside the tent on Saturday, Spirit Award nominees Craig Zobel ("Great World of Sound") and Ronnie Bronstein. ("Frownland").
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]

February 26, 2008

iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Spirits: Cassidy/Battsek

More from the Spirits: This duo from Miramax had plenty to celebrate on awards weekend in Los Angeles. Pictured at the Spirit Awards on Saturday are marketing EVP Jason Cassidy with the company's president, Daniel Battsek. Later that night, Miramax held a swanky party in West Hollywood to celebrate its nominees and a best picture prize for "No Country For Old Men" followed on Sunday.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Spirits: Outdoor group

More from the Spirit Awards: Hanging outside the tent before the rains came on Spirit Awards Saturday are (left to right): Samuel Goldwyn's Meyer Gottleib, Lakeshore's David Dinerstein, Variety's Madelyn Hammond and Landmark Theaters' Ted Mundorff.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Champagne and a Yacht

More from awards weekend: Hanging out at the Women in Film bash -- presented by Perrier-Jouet -- at Peter Guber's house over the weekend are "Tanghi Argentini" producer Anja Daelemans and director Guido Thys, sipping the tasty champagne and enjoying the run up to the Academy Awards, where they were nominated for live action short film.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
BUZZAP: Oscars are a TV ratings dud

The Oscars are a ratings dud. Nielsen Media Research says preliminary ratings for the 80th annual Academy Awards telecast are 14 percent lower than the least-watched ceremony ever. AP reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 25, 2008

BUZZAWARDS WATCH '08 | And the winners are...

The Oscars and Spirit Awards were presented this weekend in Southern California. "No Country for Old Men" won best picture from AMPAS (see indieWIRE article), while "Juno" won best feature from Film Independent (see indieWIRE article). Meanwhile iPOP offers photos from awards weekend in Los Angeles. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]
BUZZBBC: Lohan and Murphy dominate Razzies

Lindsay Lohan and Eddie Murphy have both been crowned the worst actors of 2007 at the Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, which spoof the Oscars. BBC reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 24, 2008

BUZZAWARDS WATCH '08 | The Spirit Award Winners...

The Spirit Awards from Film Independent were presented yesterday in Santa Monica, CA. indieWIRE's dispatch includes all the winners, while iPOP offers photos from awards weekend in Los Angeles. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]
AWARDS WATCH | The Oscars: "No Country" Wins Best Picture; Coens Named Best Director

Ethan Coen and Joel Coen's "No Country For Old Men" was the winner of four big Oscars at the 80th Academy Awards tonight in Southern California. The film was named best picture of the year and the Coens won awards for directing and their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, while Javier Bardem won the best supporting actor Oscar. The Academy Award for best foreign language film went to Stefan Ruzowitzky's "The Counterfeiters" from Austria and the Oscar for best documentary was presented tonight to Alex Gibney's "Taxi To the Darkside."
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 1 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH | Spirits: Kilik and Lawson

Inside the tent, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" producer Jon Kilik chats up Miramax acquisitions exec Peter Lawson. The company swiftly nabbed the film in Cannes last year and quickly put it on track for an awards season release, garnering heaps of kudos along way. Accepting his best director award last night, filmmaker Julian Schnabel praised Kilik on stage, saying he doesn't make a movie without the veteran producer.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH | Spirits: Sloss, Vachon, Pugliese

Outside the Spirit Awards on Saturday, before the rain came, Cinetic's John Sloss (center) escorts Killer Films' Christine Vachon (right) and Charles Pugliese (left). The group collaborated on this year's Robert Altman Award winner, "I'm Not There."
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
AWARDS WATCH | Coen Brothers Poised For Big Oscar Night

With their "No Country Old Men" nominated for 8 Academy Awards, 4 of which are for themselves, Joel and Ethan Coen are heading into Sunday's ceremony in an unlikely position: the overwhelming front runners. Having won a slew of critics awards, the DGA, the PGA, the SAG ensemble and an assortment of BAFTAs and Golden Globes, "No Country" -- which debuted last year at the Cannes Film Festival -- seems like a tough choice to bet against. Twenty-three years and twelve features after they debuted with "Blood Simple," it seems Hollywood is ready to give quite the embrace to the brothers Coen.
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch ]

February 23, 2008

AWARDS WATCH '08 | "Juno" Leads Spirit Awards; "Diving Bell," "I'm Not There," "Savages" Each Win Two

Jason Reitman's "Juno" led this afternoon's Spirit Awards, presented by Film Independent, taking home awards for best feature film, best female lead Ellen Page and best first screenplay for Diablo Cody. The ceremony took place in Santa Monica, CA, inside a tent along the beach, and was hosted by Rainn Wilson, while Oscar nominee Javier Bardem was this year's honorary chair. Joining "Juno" in the winner's circle were double winners "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "I'm Not There" and "The Savages."
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Cynthia and Stacie

Oscar nominee Cynthia Wade ("Freeheld") with Stacie Andree, one of her film's subjects, at the Women in Film celebration in Los Angeles on Friday (co hosted by Perrier-Jouet). The film received a finishing grant from the organization before debuting at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH '08 | Bart, Tamara, Dana, and Batman...

At the Women in Film/Perrier-Jouet bash celebrating the women nominated for Oscars this year, Cinetic's Bart Walker, "The Savages" writer/director Tamara Jenkins, and actress Dana Delaney smile alongside Batman in host Peter Guber's office.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
AWARDS WATCH | Indie Spirit: Cassavetes Nominees "August Evening," Owl and the Sparrow," "Quiet City," "Shotgun Stories," "The Pool"

The five nominees for the John Cassavetes Award at this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards are a diverse lot representing five very different films: Chris Eska's "August Evening," Stephane Gauger's "Owl and the Sparrow," Aaron Katz's "Quiet City," Jeff Nichols' "Shotgun Stories" and Chris Smith's "The Pool." indieWIRE spoke with each of the nominees about their acclaimed films, their backgrounds, and their future plans. The prize honors the best of the low-budget films produced each year, singling out five films each made for under $500,000.
[ read more in People ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Lead Story, Profiles ]

February 22, 2008

VIDEOAWARDS WATCH '08 | And the nominees are...

At Casa del Mar in Santa Monica last night (Thursday), Film Independent celebrates the annual Spirit Awards, with the 2008 nominees introducing themselves. Meet the nominees from films including "August Evening," "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead," "Four Sheets to the Wind," "Great World of Sound," "Helvetica," "I'm Not There," "Juno," "A Mighty Heart," "The Monastery," "The Namesake," "Owl and the Sparrow," Paranoid Park," "Ping Pong Playa," "Police Beat," "Quiet City," "The Savages," "Shotgun Stories," "Starting Out in the Evening," "The Unforeseen," and "Vanaja". The full list of nominees is available at indieWIRE. com. More in our special Awards Watch section.  
[ filed under Awards Watch ]
BUZZAWARDS WATCH '08 | "Grain" Wins Big at French Cesar Awards

Abdellatif Kechiche's "The Secret of the Grain" (La Graine et le mulet) was the big winner at French's Cesar Awards tonight. The film won the prizes for best picture, director and original screenplay at the ceremony. Mathieu Amalric won the award for best actor for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Le scaphandre et le papillon) and Marion Cotillard won the best actress award for "La Vie en Rose" (La Mome). The award best first film and adapted screenplay went to Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis." The complete list of winners is available on the Cesar's website, while Variety published a dispatch from the event tonight. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]
BUZZReuters: Snubs, omissions taint Oscar foreign film award

No matter which movie wins the Oscar for best foreign language film on Sunday, critics and fans may remember this year for work that was snubbed or disqualified by Academy Award voters. Mary Milliken reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 21, 2008

iPOPiPopAWARDS WATCH | IDA Celebrates Doc Shorts Nominees

Pictured at Wednesday's International Documentary Association's celebration for documentary Oscar nominees are short film nominees, left to right: Tim Sternberg ("Salim Baba"), Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega ("La Corona"), Cyntia Wade ("Freeheld"), and James Longley ("Sari's Mother"). Filmmakers screened clips from their films and celebrated their success with food and drinks at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Independent Spirit Awards & Oscar Weekend ]
DISPATCH FROM AWARDS SEASON | Docs in the Spotlight: Oscar Nominee Michael Moore Calls for Distribution Reform

Oscar nominee Michael Moore stirred members of the doc community on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, laying out a plan to create a new theatrical distribution outlet for non-fiction film. On stage at the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Moore rallied attendees at the annual International Documentary Association (IDA) celebration for feature and short film doc Oscar nominees. "We have to correct this situation with documentary films," Moore said of the challenges that have recently faced theatrically distributed documentaries. "This cannot go on any longer."
[ read more in On The Scene ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Documentary, Lead Story, Trends ]
BUZZHR: "Away From Her" earns film award in Canada

Canadian actress-turned-director Sarah Polley won the best film prize for her Oscar-nominated debut feature "Away From Her" at the inaugural Canadian Indie Awards in Ottawa Wednesday. Etan Vlessing reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 20, 2008

BUZZAFP: Host Jon Stewart ready to provide Oscars laughs

Television comedian Jon Stewart will be injecting some stinging satire into the Oscars here Sunday, giving a political flavor to the Hollywood extravaganza in a presidential election year. Tangi Quemener reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, People ]
BUZZAP: Michael Moore: Bring Fidel to the Oscars

"Sicko" director Michael Moore jokes that Fidel Castro would be a "ratings grabber" at Sunday night's Academy Awards show. Moore's Oscar-nominated documentary on the health-care industry concludes with a trip to Cuba, where he seeks care for a group of 9/11 responders who have experienced health problems. Marcela Isaza reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, People ]
SHORTS COLUMN | Oscar-Nominated Short Film Directors Bask in the Spotlight

On Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Curtis Hanson hosted the Academy's pre-ceremony screening of the nominated live action and animated short films. With directors and producers of eight of the ten films in attendance, the sold-out event was a rare opportunity for the filmmakers to see each other's work and for the audience to hear what inspired these Oscar-caliber stories. The one-time-only gathering also drove home the point that none of this year's honorees are from the United States, and only one producer and one director have ever been nominated before. "We are seeing the future," announced Hanson in his opening remarks to the program, which lasted over four hours, including two panel discussions and an intermission.
[ read more in Movies ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Lead Story, Monthly Short Film Column, Shorts ]

February 19, 2008

BUZZAFP: There will be blood as Oscars turn 80

Violent movies are tipped to carve up the top honors when the red carpet is rolled out for the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday, reflecting Oscar voters' increasing willingness to honor darker fare. Rob Woollard reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 18, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | "Bourne", "Sweeney", "Sicko" Take ACE Eddies

The American Cinema Editors handed out their 58th annual ACE Eddie awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Sunday night. In the film categories, Christopher Rouse won for his work on "The Bourne Ultimatum" in the dramatic category, Chris Lebenzon won in the comedic category for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," while Geoffrey Richman, Chris Seward and Dan Swietlik won for "Sicko" in he documentary category. One of the narrative winners usually goes on to win the Academy Award for best editing, with only one instance (in 2001, when "Gladiator" won the Eddie and "Traffic" won the Oscar) in the past decade in which this didn't occur. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

February 16, 2008

BUZZHR: Full steam ahead for Oscar telecast

With the threat of picketing writers having passed, Oscar organizers on Thursday unveiled presenters and performers for their upcoming telecast. Host Jon Stewart and his writing team are expected to arrive in Hollywood on Saturday for some intensive Oscar prep before the February 24 ceremony. Gregg Kilday and Paul J. Gough report
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 14, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Oscars Announce Presenters, Performers

Academy Awards producer Gil Cates and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis announced the presenters and performers of this year's February 24th telecast Thursday. Included are all four of last year's acting winners, Alan Arkin, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker, as well as a long list of others including Amy Adams, Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett, Josh Brolin, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Penelope Cruz, Miley Cyrus, Patrick Dempsey, Cameron Diaz, Colin Farrell, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Garner, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl, Jonah Hill, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, James McAvoy, Queen Latifah, Seth Rogen, Martin Scorsese, Hilary Swank, John Travolta, Denzel Washington and Renee Zellweger. Additionally, Amy Adams will perform the song "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted." The other two songs will be performed by Kristen Chenoweth and Marlon Saunders ("That's How You Know") and Jon McLaughlin ("So Close"). "Once's Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova will perform their song "Falling Slowly," while Jamia Simone Nash will perform "Raise it Up" from "August Rush." Jon Stewart and his team of writers Hal Kanter, Buz Kohan, Jon Macks and Bruce Vilanch, are currently working on the show itself, which airs one week from this upcoming Sunday. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 13, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Bardem Named Honorary Chair For Spirits

Film Independent announced that Javier Bardem will serve as the Honorary Chair at the 2008 Spirit Awards, to be held on February 23, 2008 in Santa Monica. As Honorary Chair, Bardem will be a presenter at the ceremony, which is being hosted this year by Rainn Wilson. Bardem, who won a Spirit Award for "Before Night Falls," joins a list of previous chairs that includes last year's co-chairs Maggie Gyllenhaal and Terrence Howard, as well as Halle Berry, Ang Lee, Martin Scorcese, Nicole Kidman and Jodie Foster. Honorary Chairs are selected for their outstanding achievements in film as well as their commitment to Film Independent's overall mission to celebrate the wide spectrum of independent filmmaking. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

February 10, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | "Atonement" Wins BAFTA's Best Film Award

Joe Wright's "Atonement" was awarded best film at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in London Sunday night. Though the film also picked up an award for best production design, it was not the leader in terms of total awards. "La Vie En Rose" led an unusually spread out group of winners, taking awards for best actress (Marion Cotillard), best makeup, best music and best costume design. Following "Rose" was Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country For Old Men," which won three awards for best director, best supporting actor (Javier Bardem) and best cinematography (Roger Deakins). Other notable winners were Daniel Day-Lewis for best actor for his performance in "There Will Be Blood," surprise winner Tilda Swinton for best supporting actress in "Michael Clayton and "Juno"'s Diablo Cody for best original screenplay. And despite winning best film overall, "Atonement" lost the best british film award to "This Is England." For a complete list of winners, please visit BAFTA's website. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

February 9, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | WGA Award Cody, Coens, Gibney

For the 60th anniversary of their annual awards, the Writers Guild of America announced their winners Saturday night. Diablo Cody won for best original screenplay for "Juno," Joel and Ethan Coen won for their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country For Old Men," while Alex Gibney won in the documentary category for "Taxi To The Dark Side." [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

February 7, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Oscar Nominated Short Programs Open February 15

Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International will release the ten Academy Award-nominated short films in two separate programs (live action and animated) nationwide on Friday, February 15, 2008. The nominated live action shorts are "At Night," "Il Supplente" (The Substitute), "Le Mozart Des Pickpockets" (The Mozart of Pickpockets), "Tanghi Argentini" and "The Tonto Woman," while animated nominees include "I Met The Walrus," "Madame Tutli-Putli," "Meme Les Pigeons Vont Au Paradis" (Even Pigeons Go To Heaven), "My Love" and "Peter and the Wolf." There will be separate admission for each program. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Events ]
BUZZiW NEWS | Golden Trailers Set For May

The 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards gala, which honors movie promotion, will take place on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Established in 1999, the Golden Trailer Awards have become a coveted mark of achievement in the industry, and are awarded in 55 categories covering domestic and foreign movie trailers, video game trailers, movie posters, TV spots and overall marketing campaigns for title releases. This year's call for entries will be issued officially to the industry today, with March 27, 2008 set as the deadline for general submissions. Applications are available at their website
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]
BUZZNYT: Ganis Urges Nominees To Attend Oscars

"It would be such a terrible shame if, through no fault of yours and no fault of ours, the current conditions prevented us from shining that brightest possible light," said Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis at the annual nominee luncheon. Michael Cieply reported on the event, suggesting that "the usually congenial Mr. Ganis gave the assembled actors and filmmakers something of a lecture."  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 6, 2008

BUZZAP: Vanity Fair cancels annual Oscar party

It's typically the hottest party in town on Oscar night -- but not this year. Vanity Fair has canceled its annual Academy Awards party, the magazine announced Tuesday. Sandy Cohen reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 5, 2008

BUZZAP: Oscar nominees hopeful show will go on

Optimism was in the air among Academy Awards nominees -- both on their films' prospects and the chances that Hollywood's crippling writers strike will end in time for the Oscars show to go on as planned. David Germain reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

February 3, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | "No Country" For PGA

Joel and Ethan Coen furthered their Oscar frontrunner status Saturday night by winning the Producer's Guild of America for "No Country For Old Men." Scott Rudin as well as Ethan and Joel Coen were given the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award. The film was released by Miramax/Paramount Vantage. This adds to key awards from the DGA and SAG. In other categories, Michael Moore's "Sicko" took the best documentary feature award while Brad Bird's "Ratatouille" took best animated feature. Last year's recipient of the feature film award was "Little Miss Sunshine." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 31, 2008

BUZZBBC: Oscars team prepares back-up show

A contingency plan for the Oscars has been put in place in case the traditional red carpet event is cancelled due to the writers' strike. The back-up show would include a history of the Oscars and film clips. BBC reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]
BUZZAFP: Oscars ballots mailed to voters as awards near

Final ballots to pick the winners of the movie industry's most sought-after awards -- the Oscars -- were sent to voters on Wednesday, four weeks out from Hollywood's biggest night of the year. The ballots, sent to 5,829 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, list nominees in 19 categories for the Oscars, which will be announced on February 24. AFP reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

January 22, 2008

AWARDS WATCH | "Blood" and "Country" Lead 80th Annual Academy Award Nominations

Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country For Old Men" and Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" led the nominations for the 80th annual Academy Awards with eight apiece. In Los Angeles early Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis and Kathy Bates announced the nominees, including for best picture of the year:Joe Wright's "Atonement," Jason Reitman's "Juno," Tony Gilroy's "Michael Clayton," "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood." "Into The Wild" was the most shocking omission, receiving just two nominations, neither for writer-director Sean Penn. The complete list of nominees is available below.
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

January 21, 2008

BUZZAP: Lohan, Murphy lead Razzie worst-of noms

Advice for actors looking to get nominated for worst performance: multiple roles help. Lindsay Lohan and Eddie Murphy scored multiple nominations Monday for the Razzies, which sort out the worst that Hollywood dredged up the previous year. David Germain reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 20, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Cinema Eye Honors Announces Inaugural Nominees

Nominations for the inaugural Cinema Eye Honors For NonFiction Filmmaking were announced today by 2008 Award Co-Chairs Thom Powers, Documentary Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival, and filmmaker AJ Schnack, director of "Kurt Cobain About A Son." Films nominated for best picture include: Philip Groenin's "Into Great Silence," Tony Kaye's "Lake of Fire," Jason Kohn's "Manda Bala (Send A Bullet)", Pernille Rose Gronkjaer's "The Monastery - Mr. Vig and the Nun," and Charles Ferguson's "No End In Sight." "Into Great Silence" and "Manda Bala" lead with six nominations each, while "Lake of Fire" has five. The full nomination list is available on the indieWIRE Insider blog. The Cinema Eye Honors, named for the revolutionary group of young filmmakers led by pioneering documentarian Dziga Vertov, will be awarded on March 18, 2008 at a ceremony at the IFC Center in New York City. The event will be presented by IndiePix [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Documentary, Honors ]

January 16, 2008

BUZZAFP: "Atonement" gets 14 BAFTA nominations

"Atonement," the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's award-winning novel about life and love in World War II, on Wednesday received 14 nominations at Britain's showpiece film awards, the BAFTAs. Elsewhere, Joel and Ethan Coen's bleak "No Country for Old Men" and Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood," starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a ruthless oil baron, each received nine nominations. AFP reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 15, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Academy Announces 9 Foreign Finalists; "Persepolis," "4 Months" Snubbed

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nine films selected as finalists in the foreign-language film category. The finalists are: Stefan Ruzowitzky's "The Counterfeiters," from Austria; Cao Hamburger's "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation," from Brazil; Denys Arcand's "Days of Darkness," from Canada; Joseph Cedar's "Beaufort," from Israel; Giuseppe Tornatore's "The Unknown," from Italy; Sergei Bodrov's "Mongol," from Kazakhstan; Andrzej Wajda's "Katyn," from Poland; Nikita Mikhalkov's "12," from Russia; and Srdan Golubovic's "The Trap," from Serbia. The Academy's dismissal of heavily favored duo "Persepolis," from France, and "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," from Romania, is sure to cause considerable criticism. Nominations for the 80th Academy Awards, including the five nominees in this category, will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at 5:30 a.m. PST in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

January 14, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | PGA Announces Annual Film Award Nominations

The Producers Guild of America announced nominations in its film categories this morning in Los Angeles. The nominated films for the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award are "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Juno," "Michael Clayton," "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood." Awards are also handed out to the producers of animated films and documentaries. "Bee Movie," "Ratatouille" and "The Simpsons Movie" were the animated nominees, while "Body of War," "Hear and Now," "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song," "Sicko" and "White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" were the documentary nominees. Winners will be announced Saturday, February 2, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. [Peter Knegt]] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 13, 2008

AWARDS WATCH | "Atonement" & "Sweeney Todd" Win Best Picture at Golden Globes

At a press conference tonight in Los Angeles, the winners of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globes were announced. There was no real "leader" as four films led with two Globes a piece: "Atonement" won best drama motion picture and best score, "No Country For Old Men" took best supporting actor for Javier Bardem and best screenplay for the Coen Brothers, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" took best director for Julian Schnabel and best foreign language film, and Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" won best comedy/musical picture and best comedy/musical actor for star Johnny Depp. "There Will Be Blood," "Into The Wild," "Ratatouille," "Away From Her," "La Vie En Rose" and "I'm Not There" each garnered a single award.
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]

January 10, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Writers Guild Calls off the Show

The Writers Guild of America said Thursday evening it will be announcing its 2008 Writers Guild Awards winners on February 9. In a statement, the union said, "There will be no Writers Guild of America, West show until the strike is over." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

January 8, 2008

iPOPiPopNYFCC | Burnett with Doros, Heller...

Among the most critically acclaimed films of 2007 was a student film directed by Charles Burnett some thirty years ago. Chatting with indieWIRE during a cocktail party at Sunday's New York Film Critics Circle event, Burnett (pictured, second from right), explained that he felt a bit awkward amidst all the attention his film has received. On stage, he was equally humble in accepting the special critics prize from Ruby Dee. Burnett is pictured with Dennis Doros of Milestone Films(left), producer Carolyn Hays (second from left), and Amy Heller (right).
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, NYC Parties & Events 2008 ]
iPOPiPopNYFCC | Demme & Bernard Salute Satrapi

Filmmaker Jonathan Demme (left) poses for a photo with "Persepolis" filmmaker Marjane Satrapi (center) and Sony Pictures Classics' co-president Tom Bernard. Smiliing broadly while accepting the award for best animated feature from the New York Film Critics Circle on stage later in the evening, Satrapi quipped that she had always heard that film critics were "tough bastards," graciously noting that as such, she tremendously appreciated their support of her film. She and co-director Vincent Paronnaud recently spoke with indieWIRE about the movie in an interview with Erica Abeel.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, NYC Parties & Events 2008 ]
iPOPiPopNYFCC | Adams, Polley & Dukakis

US Weekly critic Thelma Adams (right) poses for a photo with the New York Film Critics Circle's best first film honoree Sarah Polley ("Away From Her") and the film's co-star, Olympia Dukakis (right). Introducing the actress-turned-director during the ceremony, Dukakis called Polley, "fierce," and Polley accepted the award noting that when she made the movie, she was, "very certain that nobody would see it," adding that she thought it might play for just one week in a theater somewhere. Acquired at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, the film opened in theaters last Spring and was a hit for Lionsgate. During an interview with indieWIRE at the time, Polley explained, "About eight years ago, I decided on a whim to make a short film and discovered that I knew almost nothing about the process of actually putting a film together, and that I had never been so challenged or rewarded by anything in my life. I knew then that I never wanted to stop."
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, NYC Parties & Events 2008 ]
iPOPiPopNYFCC | Bowles & Ferguson

Charles Ferguson (right), director of the acclaimed "No End In Sight" -- winner of the best documentary award from the New York Film Critics Circle -- poses for a quick photo with Magnolia Pictures president Eamonn Bowles during the event's cocktail party on Sunday night.
[ read more in iPOP ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, NYC Parties & Events 2008 ]
BUZZiW NEWS | "No Country" Wins Critics Choice Best Picture

The Broadcast Film Critics Association awarded its annual Critics Choice prize for best picture to "No Country For Old Men" and the best director award to Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, during a ceremony Monday night that was televised on VH1 this evening. With a number of SAG actors in attendance, the organization honored Julie Christie from "Away From Her" (best actress), Daniel Day Lewis for "There Will Be Blood" (best actor), Javier Bardem for "No Country For Old Men" (best supporting actor), Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone" (best supporting actress), Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada for "The Kite Runner" (best young actor), and Nikki Blonsky for "Hairspray" (best young actress). Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly" won the best foreign language film, while Michael Moore's "Sicko" was named best documentary. Other winners included "Juno" (best comedy), "Enchanted" (best family film), "Hairspray" (acting emsemble), Jonny Greenwood for "There Will Be Blood" (best composer), "Falling Slowly" from "Once" (best song), and "Ratatouille" (best animated film). [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 7, 2008

BUZZiW NEWS | Golden Globes Ceremony Cancelled

The 25 award categories of the 65th annual Golden Globe Awards will be revealed during an hour-long press conference at the Beverly Hilton, which will be covered live by NBC News beginning at 6:00pm PST on January 13, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Monday. The "65th Annual Golden Globe Awards NBC telecast and champagne dinner at the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, CA is officially cancelled, according to a statment released by HFPA. Rumors began circulating last week that the traditional format of the event would be scrapped after the Screen Actors Guild's earlier announcement that actors would honor the Writers Guild strikers, which were set to picket the event. "We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007's outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television," commented Jorge Camara, President of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association in a statement. "We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year's Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]
15 Documentaries Named to New Shortlist; Festival Programmers, Doc Insiders Unveil New Nonfiction Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' recent announcement of the short list of films competing for the best documentary Oscar stirred frustration among a community of filmmakers and insiders back in November. Fueled by online discussion via blogs, a coalition within the nonfiction and film festval community is launching a new outlet to celebrate the best documentary films of the year. Seeking to challenge the results of other institutions, filmmaker AJ Schnack, a vocal critic of the Oscar list, has enlisted the support of online independent film distributor IndiePix and the opinions of a host of North American film festival programmers to launch a new nonfiction filmmaking awards event, set for March 18, 2008 at IFC Center in New York City.
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 8 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Documentary, Lead Story ]

January 5, 2008

AWARDS WATCH | "There Will Be Blood" Leads National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Cinematography

"There Will Be Blood" dominated the National Society of Film Critics forty-second annual awards on Saturday in New York City, voted best picture while filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was named best director by the group. The association of 61 leading American film critics also honored Daniel Day-Lewis as best actor and singled out Robert Elswit as the best cinematographer of the year. The news followed the film also being selected the best movie winning the same awards it two other national surveys of U.S. film critics.
[ read more in Biz ]   [ 0 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Season, Awards Watch, Lead Story ]
BUZZIW NEWS | Golden Globes Facing Show Without Stars

The Screen Actors Guild said Friday night that its members would not attend the annual Golden Globe Awards on January 13th, supporting action against the event as part of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which runs the event, said tonight it hopes to announce a resolution to the situation on Monday. The complete SAG, HFPA and WGA statements are available via indieWIRE Insider. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 4, 2008

BUZZINSIDE WORD | "Full Grown Men" Wins $100,000 Undiscovered Gems Prize

The Gem of 2007... "You all know that distribution is in crisis," said Emerging Pictures' Ira Deutchman on Thursday afternoon in Manhattan, "And anything we can do to get all these films to some sort of audience is better than nothing." The remarks came moments before the company announced David Munro's "Full Grown Men" as the winner of the winner of the 2007 indieWIRE: Undiscovered Gems audience award, sponsored by Sundance Channel and presented by The New York Times and Emerging Pictures. The film will get theatrical distribution through Emerging Pictures, backed by $50,000 in P&A plus a $50,000 license fee for the exclusive broadcast on Sundance Channel. Accepting the prize, Munro told the luncheon guests, "I am sure we have a story like all the films in this seris, we were left for dead. We had a great festivasl run and a lot of people like our movie and a lot of buyers said they liked our movie. And yet, its stil our movie..." Get the latest in a recent iW Video Clip. [Eugene Hernandez]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, inside word ]

January 3, 2008

BUZZ"Atonement," "Wild," "Country," "Blood," and "Zodiac" Nominated for Scripter Prize

The nominees have been announced for the 2008 USC Libraries Scripter Award, a prestigious annual screenwriting prize for adaptations. Selected by a 39-member committee are Christopher Hampton for "Atonement" (based on the novel by Ian McEwan), Sean Penn for "Into the Wild" (based on the book by Jon Krakauer), Joel & Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men" (based on the novel Cormac McCarthy), Paul Thomas Anderson for "There Will Be Blood" (based on the book Oil by Upton Sinclair), and James Vanderbilt for "Zodiac" (an adaptation of the work of Robert Graysmith). [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

January 2, 2008

BUZZLAT: 2008 Oscar Bait

With awards season pundits already declaring the 2007 race a bust (blame those Iraq war films, a lack of big hits like "Titanic" and the ongoing writers strike), maybe it's time to consider who might be on stage next year at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Los Angeles Times reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Movies ]
BUZZAP: Lens pioneer Grafton to receive Oscar

David A. Grafton, a designer of lenses used for optical effects, will receive an Academy Award. The Gordon E. Sawyer Award, presented to Hollywood technological innovators, will be given to Grafton Feb. 9 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' dinner to honor scientific and technical achievements. AP reports
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

December 31, 2007

CRITICS' POLL '07 | "There Will Be Blood" Hailed as Best of 2007 in iW Poll of 100+ Critics; "No End In Sight," "Away From Her" Singled Out

Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" (which opened in two theaters over the weekend) recently dominated indieWIRE's annual survey of more than 100 North American film critics. The exceptional fifth feature by P.T. Anderson was named best film of the year in indieWIRE's poll of 106 film critics. Notably, the film topped five categories: Anderson was singled out for best director and best screenplay, while Daniel Day-Lewis' role as oil man Daniel Plainview was named the best performance of 2007 and Robert Elswit was singled out for best cinematography. Charles Ferguson's "No End in Sight" was voted the best documentary of the year and in the category of best first film, Canadian actress turned director Sarah Polley, with her debut feature "Away From Her," edged out fellow thespian Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone."
[ read more in Movies ]   [ 1 comments ]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Critics' Poll, Lead Story ]

December 27, 2007

BUZZiW NEWS | Academy Ballots Sent

Nomination ballots for the 80th Academy Awards were mailed Wednesday to the 5,829 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Completed ballots must be returned to Pricewaterhouse Coopers by 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2008. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. The 80th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at 5:30 a.m. PST. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

December 23, 2007

BUZZNY TIMES | "4 Months" & "Ratatouille" for Scott, "Blood" & "Zodiac" for Dargis as Best of '07

"Everyone knows that this is an arbitrary and subjective exercise -- that's part of the fun of it -- but this year I've found it especially difficult to commit to so narrow and exclusive a list," notes New York Times critic A.O. Scott in declaring Cristian Mungiu's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" and Brad Bird's "Ratatouille" the top two films of the year. Meanwhile, colleague Manohla Dargis said, "Top 10 lists are artificial exercises, assertions of critical ego, capricious and necessarily imperfect...More than anything they are a public ritual, which is their most valuable function." She picked Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood," and David Fincher's "Zodiac" as her top films. She noted, "These aren't necessarily the year's best (impossible to determine given the glut of films), just the two that matter most to me, that dug in the deepest and rearranged my own givens...I'm still intact (more or less), but these films shook up my world in the best possible way." 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awa