2016 Sundance Film Festival Awards Winners

Last night the Sundance film festival had their awards ceremony and to my surprise the ceremony was streamed live but started when the SAG awards were still on, so watched very little. Nevertheless decided to include the winners as there are some films that I'm sure will travel the fest circuit during 2016 and will end-up with honors in the 2016-2017 awards season.

The ceremony is the culmination of the 2016 edition, which presented 123 feature-length and 72 short films -selected from 12,793 submissions- to independent film-loving audiences.

Jury prizes were awarded by six groups of film and culture leaders, who screened all films in their respective sections and jointly decided which standout artistic and story elements to recognize. This year’s jurors were: Simon Kilmurry, Jill Lepore, Shola Lynch, Louie Psihoyos, Amy Ziering, Mark Adams, Lena Dunham, Jon Hamm, Avy Kaufman, Franklin Leonard, Randall Poster, Fernanda Solórzano, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Mila Aung-Thwin, Tine Fischer and Asif Kapadia. In addition, Festival audiences voted for their favorite films to receive five Audience Awards in each of the U.S. and World Competitions and NEXT.

Will share most of the official press release as there is a list of winners but also some info about each film; if you wish to read only the list of winners at the official site go here.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Louis Psihoyos to: Weiner / U.S.A. (Directors: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg) — With unrestricted access to Anthony Weiner's New York City mayoral campaign, this film reveals the human story behind the scenes of a high-profile political scandal as it unfolds, and offers an unfiltered look at how much today's politics is driven by an appetite for spectacle.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Franklin Leonard to: The Birth of a Nation / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nate Parker) — Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Asif Kapadia to: Sonita / Germany, Iran, Switzerland (Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami) — If 18-year-old Sonita had a say, Michael Jackson and Rihanna would be her parents and she'd be a rapper who tells the story of Afghan women and their fate as child brides. She finds out that her family plans to sell her to an unknown husband for $9,000.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Apichatpong Weerasethakul to: Sand Storm / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Elite Zexer) — When their entire lives are shattered, two Bedouin women struggle to change the unchangeable rules, each in her own individual way. Cast: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Hitham Omari, Khadija Alakel, Jalal Masrwa.

The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented by Matt Ross to: Jim: The James Foley Story / U.S.A. (Director: Brian Oakes) — The public execution of American conflict journalist James Foley captured the world’s attention, but he was more than just a man in an orange jumpsuit. Seen through the lens of his close childhood friend, Jim: The James Foley Story moves from adrenaline-fueled front lines and devastated neighborhoods of Syria into the hands of ISIS.

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented by Matt Ross to: The Birth of a Nation / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nate Parker) — Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Rose McGowan to:Sonita / Germany, Iran, Switzerland (Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami) — If 18-year-old Sonita had a say, Michael Jackson and Rihanna would be her parents and she'd be a rapper who tells the story of Afghan women and their fate as child brides. She finds out that her family plans to sell her to an unknown husband for $9,000.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Rose McGowan to: Between Sea and Land / Colombia (Director: Carlos del Castillo, Screenwriter: Manolo Cruz) — Alberto, who suffers from an illness that binds him into a body that doesn’t obey him, lives with his loving mom, who dedicates her life to him. His sickness impedes him from achieving his greatest dream of knowing the sea, despite one being located just across the street. Cast: Manolo Cruz, Vicky Hernandéz, Viviana Serna, Jorge Cao, Mile Vergara, Javier Sáenz.

The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented by Taika Waititi to: First Girl I Loved / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kerem Sanga) — Seventeen-year-old Anne just fell in love with Sasha, the most popular girl at her L.A. public high school. But when Anne tells her best friend, Clifton—who has always harbored a secret crush on her—he does his best to get in the way. Cast: Dylan Gelula, Brianna Hildebrand, Mateo Arias, Jennifer Prediger, Tim Heidecker, Pamela Adlon.

The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Amy Ziering to: Roger Ross Williams for his film Life, Animated/ U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who could not speak for years, slowly emerged from his isolation by immersing himself in Disney animated movies. Using these films as a roadmap, he reconnects with his loving family and the wider world in this emotional coming-of-age story.

The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Mark Adams to: Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan for their film Swiss Army Man / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan) — Hank, a hopeless man stranded in the wild, discovers a mysterious dead body. Together the two embark on an epic journey to get home. As Hank realizes the body is the key to his survival, this once-suicidal man is forced to convince a dead body that life is worth living. Cast: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Mila Aung Thwain to: Michal Marczak for his film All These Sleepless Nights / Poland (Director: Michal Marczak) — What does it mean to be awake in a world that seems satisfied to be asleep? Kris and Michal push their experiences of life and love to a breaking point as they restlessly roam the city streets in search of answers, adrift in the euphoria and uncertainty of youth.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Randall Poster to: Belgica / Belgium, France, Netherlands (Director: Felix van Groeningen, Screenwriters: Felix van Groeningen, Arne Sierens) — In the midst of Belgium's nightlife scene, two brothers start a bar and get swept up in its success. Cast: Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Hélène De Vos.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Lena Dunham to: Chad Hartigan for Morris from America / U.S.A, Germany (Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Thirteen-year-old Morris, a hip-hop loving American, moves to Heidelberg, Germany, with his father. In this completely foreign land, he falls in love with a local girl, befriends his German tutor-turned-confidant, and attempts to navigate the unique trials and tribulations of adolescence. Cast: Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, Jakub Gierszał, Levin Henning.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented by Jill Lepore to: Penny Lane and Thom Stylinski for NUTS! / U.S.A. (Director: Penny Lane) — The mostly true story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire with his goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio station. Animated reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and one seriously unreliable narrator trace his rise from poverty to celebrity and influence in 1920s America.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for For Social Impact Filmmaking was presented by Simon Kilmurry to: Trapped / U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — American abortion clinics are in a fight for survival. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws are increasingly being passed by states that maintain they ensure women’s safety and health, but as clinics continue to shut their doors, opponents believe the real purpose of these laws is to outlaw abortion.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Writing was presented by Shola Lynch to: Kate Plays Christine / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Greene) — This psychological thriller follows actor Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to play the role of Christine Chubbuck, a Florida television host who committed suicide on air in 1974. Christine’s tragic death was the inspiration for Network, and the mysteries surrounding her final act haunt Kate and the production.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Vérité Filmmaking was presented by Shola Lynch to: The Bad Kids / U.S.A. (Directors: Keith Fulton, Lou Pepe) — At a remote Mojave Desert high school, extraordinary educators believe that empathy and life skills, more than academics, give at-risk students command of their own futures. This coming-of-age story watches education combat the crippling effects of poverty in the lives of these so-called "bad kids."

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award was presented by Lena Dunham to: As You Are / U.S.A. (Director: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Screenwriters: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Madison Harrison) — As You Are is the telling and retelling of a relationship between three teenagers as it traces the course of their friendship through a construction of disparate memories prompted by a police investigation. Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Heaton, Amandla Stenberg, John Scurti, Scott Cohen, Mary Stuart Masterson.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance was presented by Avy Kaufman to: Joe Seo for Spa Night/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Ahn) — Los Angeles’s Korean spas serve not only as meeting places but also as a bridge between past and future for generations of immigrant families. Spa Night explores one Korean American family’s dreams and realities as each member struggles with the overlap of personal desire, disillusionment, and sense of tradition. Cast: Joe Seo, Haerry Kim, Youn Ho Cho, Tae Song, Ho Young Chung, Linda Han.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance was presented by Jon Hamm to: Melanie Lynskey in The Intervention / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Clea DuVall) — A weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when one of the couples discovers the entire trip was orchestrated to host an intervention on their marriage. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Alia Shawkat, Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne, Ben Schwartz.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance was presented by Jon Hamm to: Craig Robinson in Morris from America / U.S.A., Germany (Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Thirteen-year-old Morris, a hip-hop loving American, moves to Heidelberg, Germany, with his father. In this completely foreign land, he falls in love with a local girl, befriends his German tutor-turned-confidant, and attempts to navigate the unique trials and tribulations of adolescence. Cast: Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, Jakub Gierszał, Levin Henning.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Debut Feature was presented by Asif Kapadia to: Heidi Brandenburg and Mathew Orzel for their film When Two Worlds Collide / Peru (Directors: Heidi Brandenburg, Mathew Orzel) — An indigenous leader resists the environmental ruin of Amazonian lands by big business. As he is forced into exile and faces 20 years in prison, his quest reveals conflicting visions that shape the fate of the Amazon and the climate future of our world.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented by Mila Aung Thwain to: Director and cinematographer Pieter-Jan De Pue for his film The Land of the Enlightened / Belgium (Director: Pieter-Jan De Pue) — A group of Kuchi children in Afghanistan dig out old Soviet mines and sell the explosives to child workers in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming of an Afghanistan after the American withdrawal, Gholam Nasir and his gang control the mountains where caravans are smuggling the blue gemstones.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented by Asif Kapadia to: Mako Kamitsuna and John Maringouin for We Are X / United Kingdom, U.S.A., Japan (Director: Stephen Kijak) — As glam rock's most flamboyant survivors, X Japan ignited a musical revolution in Japan during the late '80s with their melodic metal. Twenty years after their tragic dissolution, X Japan’s leader, Yoshiki, battles with physical and spiritual demons alongside prejudices of the West to bring their music to the world.

A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting was presented by Fernanda Solórzano to: Vicky Hernandéz and Manolo Cruz in Between Sea and Land / Colombia (Director: Carlos del Castillo, Screenwriter: Manolo Cruz) — Alberto, who suffers from an illness that binds him into a body that doesn’t obey him, lives with his loving mom, who dedicates her life to him. His sickness impedes him from achieving his greatest dream of knowing the sea, despite one being located just across the street. Cast: Manolo Cruz, Vicky Hernandéz, Viviana Serna, Jorge Cao, Mile Vergara, Javier Sáenz.

A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting was presented by Randall Poster to: Ana Katz and Inés Bortagaray in Mi Amiga del Parque / Argentina, Uruguay (Director: Ana Katz, Screenwriters: Ana Katz, Inés Bortagaray) — Running away from a bar without paying the bill is just the first adventure for Liz (mother to newborn Nicanor) and Rosa (supposed mother to newborn Clarisa). This budding friendship between nursing mothers starts with the promise of liberation but soon ends up being a dangerous business. Cast: Julieta Zylberberg, Ana Katz, Maricel Álvarez, Mirella Pascual, Malena Figó, Daniel Hendler.

A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Unique Vision and Design was presented by Fernanda Solórzano to: Agnieszka Smoczyńska for The Lure / Poland (Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska, Screenwriter: Robert Bolesto) — Two mermaid sisters, who end up performing at a nightclub, face cruel and bloody choices when one of them falls in love with a beautiful young man. Cast: Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszanska, Jakub Gierszal, Kinga Preis, Andrzej Konopka, Zygmunt Malanowicz.

The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:

Short Film Awards
Jury prizes and honorable mentions in short filmmaking were presented at a ceremony in Park City, Utah on January 27.
The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to: Thunder Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Cummings).
The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Procedure / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder).
The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to: Maman(s) / France (Director and screenwriter: Maïmouna Doucouré ).
The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to: Bacon & God's Wrath / Canada (Director: Sol Friedman).
The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to: Edmond / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Nina Gantz).
A Short Film Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance was presented to: Grace Glowicki for her performance in Her Friend Adam.
A Short Film Special Jury Award for Best Direction was presented to: Peacock / Czech Republic (Director: Ondřej Hudeček, Screenwriters: Jan Smutny, Ondřej Hudeček).

The Short Film jurors were star and co-creator of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele, Keegan-Michael Key; development executive at Amazon Studios, Gina Kwon; and chief film critic for MTV, Amy Nicholson. The Short Film program is presented by YouTube.

Global Filmmaking Awards
The winning directors and projects of the 2016 Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Awards in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are:<

August (Cuba) / Writer-Director: Armando Capo
In August 1994, Carlos comes of age during the Cuban Raft Exodus. He loses his first love, his friends leave the country, he discovers sex, and for the first time feels afraid about his future.

Insha' Allah (India) / Writer-Director: Geetu Mohandas
11 year old Mullakoya, tired of living in the shadow of the colorful, magical-realist folklore that surrounds his missing older brother, sets off on a treacherous journey from the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea to the Indian mainland to search for him.

Sicilian Ghost Story (Italy) / Writer-Directors: Antonio Piazza, Fabio Grassadonia
When a local Mafia don’s son is kidnapped, a young Sicilian girl refuses to accept the sudden disappearance of the boy she loves. Based on real life events at the height of the Mafia’s reign in Palermo, Sicilian Ghost Story is a striking and unique look at the power that love has to survive in the darkest of worlds.

The Treasure (Morocco) / Writer-Director: Abdellah Taia
Janine, a French woman born in Morocco, accompanied by her building manager, Mohamed, set out on an adventure in search of a hidden treasure in the mountains of Atlas. The journey into her past becomes an exploration of post-colonial identity in Morocco.

Sloan Science in Film Awards
The 2016 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, presented to an outstanding feature film about science or technology, was presented to Embrace of the Serpent directed by Ciro Guerra. The film received a $20,000 cash award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Sundance Institute - Amazon Studios Producers Awards
The recipients of the the 2016 Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Awards are Sara Murphy and Adele Romanski, producers of Morris From America and Julie Goldman, executive producer of Weiner and Life, Animated.  The award recognizes bold vision and a commitment to continuing work as a creative producer in the independent space.

Check the video with the complete awards ceremony.

22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Winners

The show started very-well with wins in TV categories that absolutely approve (lol); then came the first film category, one that had 2 outstanding lead performances that for whatever reasons (we know them, don't we?) ended up as supporting actresses, the one that I was still wondering what could happen and the one where I was rooting for any of the 2 lead actresses to win.

The climax came when Alicia Vikander won for her remarkable lead performance in The Danish Girl and I was very glad, as glad as if Rooney Mara had won. Sigh. After came what was called "big surprise", which I don't think is a suprise as Idris Elba gave an extraordinary performance in Beasts of No Nation, the surprise was AMPAS choosing Stallone instead of Elba, but SAG put the supporting actor into the right context.



While kept being pleased with TV winners, things turned amok with the film categories as was still hoping SAG didn't fall for the DiCaprio and Brie trend but yes, they did. Last, there was no great choice for the ensemble and the actors guild selected to agree with film critics and honor Spotlight. Sigh.

SAG wins tell me that Alicia Vikander most likely will have an Oscar in her future, Oscar supporting actor is an open race, DiCaprio and Larson locked their Oscars plus there could be a race between The Big Short and Spotlight for the top Oscar. Honestly lost Oscars top award interest when Carol was not nominated. Sigh.

To check winners in all categories go official site here. Winners are in *BLUE.

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12/9/15
A few moments ago the Screen Actors Guild announced the nominations for outstanding performances in 2015 in five (5) film and eight (8) television categories, as well as the honors for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles.

My spontaneous reactions after the first and the largest guild nominations (most are Academy members and voters) is that there are too many surprises and not happy that both Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander went to Supporting instead of Lead. Most are talking about the absence of Oscar front-runners in the Cast category, believe that Spotlight and The Big Short were already contenders and yes perhaps those missing are films like The Martian, Mad Max: Fury Road, and more I can't recall right now.

The most incredible snubs for me are Jennifer Lawrence in Joy and Kristen Stewart in Clouds of Sils Maria. Then it's an incredible achievement and surprise to find Helen Mirren with two nominations, one for Lead and another for Supporting.  Will not deny that I highly enjoy her performance in Woman in Gold, so shouldn't be a surprise but there was no reliable buzz that could predict this honor. Then Sarah Silverman instead of Lily Tomlin or Blythe Danner, for example, is quite incomprehensible for me.  Also with two (2) nominations Mark Rylance, one from TV and the other in Film.

Trumbo leads with three (3) nominations

Theatrical Motion Pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Beasts of No Nation: Abraham Attah, Kurt Egyiawan, and Idris Elba

The Big Short: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Melissa Leo, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Marisa Tomei, and Finn Wittrock

*Spotlight: Billy Crudup, Brian D'Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, John Slatery, and Stanley Tucci

Straight Outta Compton: Neil Brown, Paul Giamatti, Corey Hawkins, Aldis Hodge, O'Shea Jackson Jr., and Jason Mitchel

Trumbo: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Louis C. K., Bryan Cranston, David James Elliot, Elle Fanning, John Goodman, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Alan Tudyk

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett in Carol
*Brie Larson in Room
Helen Mirren in Woman in Gold
Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn
Sarah Silverman in I Smile Back

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Rooney Mara in Carol
Rachel McAdams in Spotlight
Helen Mirren in Trumbo
*Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston in Trumbo
Johnny Depp in Black Mass
*Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in The Big Short
*Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon in 99 Homes
Jacob Tremblay in Room

Carol Burnett – comedic trailblazer, actor, singer, dancer, producer and author – has been named the 52nd recipient of SAG-AFTRA's highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Burnett is known for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film and Broadway, most notably The Carol Burnett Show. She counts multiple Emmys®, a special Tony®, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honor and the Mark Twain Prize for Humor among her preeminent industry and public honors.

To check nominations for TV and Stunts go to the official site here. Have to comment that is quite remarkable that Mad Max: Fury Road got NO major nomination in the main categories and the only nod is in the Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, sigh.

Nevertheless undoubtedly this awards season will be interesting to follow as nothing makes sense up to this moment and we are almost in mid-December. Let's see what happens tomorrow with the Golden Globes nominations maybe we could start to see some clarity into this mess.

The Program

5th AACTA International Awards Winners

As I really like the winners, here is the official press release for the awards where we find great Mad Max: Fury Road plus the outstanding performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol honored by the Australian Film Institute (AFI) and the Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) in the 2016 edition of their international awards.

Some of the world’s biggest names in film joined their Australian peers in Hollywood last night to honor big-screen excellence from the last year at the 5th AACTA International Awards.

Rachel Griffiths and Daniel MacPherson opened the show, which will broadcast exclusively in Australia on Foxtel tomorrow night. Abbie Cornish, Miranda Otto, Angus Sampson, Jonathan LaPaglia, Radha Mitchell, Luke Bracey, Anna Torv and Phillip Noyce were among those who presented at the star-studded event, held at the historic Avalon Hollywood.

George Miller’s dystopian road war Mad Max: Fury Road stepped up its Oscars campaign, taking home two AACTA International Awards - Best Film and Best Direction. Competition was strong, with The Big Short and Carol also competing in both categories, alongside last year’s Best Film and Best Direction recipient, Alejandro González Iñárritu, who was this year nominated for The Revenant.

These wins follow an outstanding run for Mad Max: Fury Road at AACTA’s domestic Awards in Sydney last month, where the film received a total of eight Awards, including Best Film and Best Direction.

Set in sumptuous 1950s New York, Carol also received two AACTA International Awards tonight, with Rooney Mara awarded for Best Supporting Actress, and Cate Blanchett awarded for Best Lead Actress; performances which see both nominated for tomorrow night’s SAG Awards, and next month’s BAFTA's and Oscars. This marks Blanchett’s seventh AFI or AACTA Award over the past 19 years, including an AACTA International Award for her performance in Bkue Jasmine.

Bride of Spies, The Revenant and Spotlight received one award each tonight, seeing a total of five films awarded across seven categories - Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

Competition in the Best Lead Actor category was fierce, with Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) taking home the Award over Matt Damon (The Martian), past AACTA International Award nominees Steve Carell (The Big Short) and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl), and past winner Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs).

The win marks Leonardo DiCaprio’s second award from the Australian Academy, following a Best Lead Actor Award for The Great Gatsby in 2014, and adds to an outstanding awards season for the powerhouse performer, including a Golden Globe Award, as well as Oscar, BAFTA and SAG Award nominations.

The AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor went to Mark Rylance for his portrayal of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg’s Cold War thriller Bridge of Spies; a performance which also sees Rylance nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA and SAG Award.

Spotlight, the true story of The Boston Globe’s role in uncovering the massive scandal of child abuse and cover up by the Catholic Church, won the AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay, following strong competition from Carol, Ex Machina, The Martian and Steve Jobs.

AFI | AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella, said: "The fifth year of the AACTA International Awards has again seen a dynamic mix of international and Australian achievement honored, celebrating some of the world’s biggest names in film, behind and in front of the camera. This year marks the first time we’ve seen an Australian film, Mad Max: Fury Road, win at our domestic Awards in Sydney and then again at our International Awards in LA, and we’re delighted to see our US and British counterparts also recognize this excellence with Oscar and BAFTA nominations.

Over the past five years we’ve seen AACTA International Award winners go on to win 16 BAFTAs and 14 Oscars, and we look forward with great anticipation to seeing if this trend again continues this year. We congratulate all winners, and wish them every success as we head towards the pointy end of this competitive Awards season.”

The AACTA International Awards will be telecast in Australia exclusively on Foxtel. The full show will be telecast on Sunday 31 January at 7:30pm on Foxtel Arts, and at 9:30pm on Arena, after which time it also be available on Australian online streaming service, Presto, until 29 February.

To read the press release with all the film categories nominees and winners go to the official site here.

In photo: Mad Max: Fury Road director, George Miller and Margaret Sixel the editor who last night also got the ACE Eddie top award.

66th Annual ACE EDDIE Awards Winners

Last night the American Cinema Editors had their award ceremony and can't say that was a surprise that the Eddie for Best Edited Feature Film Dramatic went to Mad Max: Fury Road or finding a movie that is no comedy -and is the top runner for the Best Film Oscar- won in the comedy or musical category.

Imagine that Mad Max has become the front runner in AMPAS Best Film Editing category but the guild is not one of the largest and wonder what will happen when all qualifying voters vote in this category. Nevertheless past years stats suggests that the category winner could be the film directed by George Miller and edited by Margaret Sixel.

To check winners in TV and other categories go official site here. Winners are in *BLUE.

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1/2/16
Today the American Cinema Editors announced their nominations for the EDDIE Awards and there are some surprises but the biggest undoubtedly is the absence of Spotlight which many pundits expected to be included in most guilds nominations.

Worth mentioning that in 9 of the past 12 years, the winner of the Eddie for best edited dramatic feature has gone on to win the Oscar in film editing; so chances are that some EDDIE nominees could also get an Oscar nomination.

Awards ceremony will be on January 29 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Best Edited Drama
*Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road
Pietro Scalia for The Martian
Stephen Mirrione for The Revenant
Joe Walker for Sicario
Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Edited Comedy or Musical
Dan Lebental and Colby Parker Jr. for Ant-Man
*Hank Corwin for The Big Short
Jay Cassidy, Alan Baumgarten, Christopher Tellefsen and Tom Cross for Joy
David Tracktenberg for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
William Kerr and Paul Zucker for Trainwreck

Best Edited Animated Film
Garret Elkins for Anomalisa
*Kevin Nolting for Inside Out
Stephen Schaffer for The Good Dinosaur

Best Edited Documentary
*Chris King for Amy
Joe Beshenkovsky and Brett Morgen for Cobain: Montage of Heck
Andy Grieve for Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Greg Finton, Brian Johnson and Brad Fuller for He Named Me Malala
Claire Scanlon for The Wrecking Crew

To read the announcement at the official site and to learn the Television categories go here but they haven't post date yet. To fast check go news here.

27th Annual Producers Guild Awards Winners

Last night the first guild had their awards ceremony and the industry started to let us know who do they like -it was film critics/press until now-. Inevitable is to comment that when the climax of the night was Lady Gaga singing (some tweets say was "a very awkward" moment) then there is something wrong with this group as the top news this morning should be about the movie that won and not about the entertainment.

But going back to the movies industry press is "surprised" -check most headlines- as seems press journalists have another year when they really believe industry will behave like them. But as it happens every single year, AMPAS members do not behave like press critics.

The Zanuck trophy is voted by 7,000 PGA members and the producers branch of the Academy constitutes about 8% of the AMPAS membership. So seems we have to wait until next Saturday (SAG Awards) to gather a better idea of what the industry likes this year, as when you add PGA and SAG Academy membership grows to the largest group of Oscars voters.

The top award winners were Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gadner and Brad Pitt for producing The Big Short. Seems that they were also surprised as had no apparent prepared remarks and Pitt was not in attendance (oops!). Bye the way is the second PGA win for the trio, their first was for 12 Years a Slave.

If top award was a surprise for many, animation and documentary winners were not with the Oscars top contenders winning both feature film categories. Inside Out won animation and Amy won documentary.

To check winners in TV and other categories go official site here. Winners are in *BLUE.

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1/5/16
I'm getting quite upset learning how bizarre are the nominees in the two guilds that announced today as not only seems guilds will not agree with critics (nothing new here, still had to comment) but now the Producers also snubbed Carol. Inexplicable a s film is one of the best this year for the outstanding cinematography, actors performances, the director and amazing tech specs. Are the guilds reacting to the story? I do not know, but it's a big omission in this list.

Yes, for the past eight years, the Producers Guild's choice for Best Picture went on to claim the top prize at the Oscars so Mad Max: Fury Road, Brooklyn and Straight Outta Compton received much needed boost while Carol, Room and The Hateful Eight were snubbed and if we believe stats then also probably their chances for winning Oscars top honor has diminished to nilch. Still I wish that Guilds and the Academy members behave different and next week we will learn if my wish will or will not be reality.

Theatrical Motion Picture

The Darry F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
*The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
*Inside Out
Minions
The Peanuts Movie

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
*Amy
The Hunting Ground
The Look of Silence
Meru
Something Better to Come

To check nominees in non-movies categories go official site here. The awards ceremony will be on Saturday, January 23 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

This year, the Producers Guild will present special honors to Jim Gianopulos (Milestone Award), Shonda Rhimes (Norman Lear Achivement Award in Television), David Heyman (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), The Hunting Ground (Stanley Kramer Award) and Industrial Light & Magic (Visionary Vanguard Award).

2016 Guldbagge Awards Winners

Tonight was the awards ceremony and to the surprise of many the show centerpiece was a performance by David Hasselhoff! Nevertheless The Here After won two top awards, Best Film and Best Director, but is Drifters the film that got more awards (5) even when was not nominated for Best Film.

Most interesting is to find than from the great films in the foreign film category the winner is none other than Leviathan by Andrei Zvjagintsev.

Winners are in *BLUE. To check winners in all categories go official site here, available in Swedish but soon will also have an English article.  Winners in English can be found here.

A nice photo from tonight's show and awards ceremony.



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1/4/16
Today the Swedish Film Institute announced the nominations for the 52nd Annual Guldbagge Awards and even when is not nominated for Best Film, Tjuvheder leads the pack with six (6) nominations along with En man som heter Ove that also has six nods but one is a Best Film nom. Follow with five nominations each, Min lilla syster and Det vita folket (The Deposit) by Lisa Aschan.

Awards ceremony will be on January 18 at Cirkus in Stockholm.

Best Film
*Efterskalv (The Here After), Magnus von Horn
En man som heter Ove (A Man Called Ove), Hannes Holm
Min Lilla Syster (My Skinny Sister), Sanna Lenken

Best Director
*Magnus von Horn for Efterskalv (The Here After)
Peter Grönlund for Tjuvheder (Drifters)
Sanna Lenken for Min Lilla Syster (My Skinny Sister)

Best Actress
Felice Jankell in Unga Sophie Bell (Young Sophie Bell)
*Malin Levanon in Tjuvheder(Drifters)
Shima Niavarani in She's Wild Again Tonight

Best Actor
Filip Berg in Odödliga (Eternal Summer)
*Rolf Lassgård in En man som heter ove (A Man Called Ove)
Ulrik Munther in Efterskalv (The Here After)

To read nominees in other categories go official site here. If you wish to read nominations in English go here. Most interesting is the foreign film category as can you chose between Carol by Todd Haynes, Leviathan by Andrei Zvjagintsev and Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako? Me, can't select one as believe those are three excellent movies with very different storytelling styles, each a winner in my book.

6th My French Film Festival

The most famous online festival in the net opens today with a lineup of French films that -for the first time- find extremely interesting (finally!). Ten (10) feature films and ten shorts are in the competition section but there are more films in the selection.

The festival runs for a month, from January 18 to February 18 and is available around the world via VOD in the festival site or in 90 countries via iTunes. Also films will be available in theaters near you (check website for locations) and on airplanes.

Festival as a competition has gained more credibility with the addition of the filmmakers jury plus award for the three different juries. Now the awards are the Chopard Filmmakers Prize, the Lacoste Audience Award and the International Press Prize. The juries for the Chopard Filmmakers' Prize and the International Press Prize will meet in Paris during the festival to elect the winning films. The prize-winning films will be screened on Air France flights for a period of 6 months starting in July 2016.

As in the previous editions, all of the short films can be viewed free of charge in all countries and will offer feature films free viewing in Latin America, India, Poland, Russia, Africa, and Romania.

Most interesting are the educational support the fest provides to teachers of French as a foreign language. In this edition there are materials for 8 films and if you're interested in improve your French go here to download the materials.

The Selection this year is presented by sections and no, it's not clearly stated which films are in competition as in the film sections there are 12 films with no specific info. Then we can see that one, the restored version has to be out of competition; while another, the one produced in 2013, suspect it's also not in competition, which leaves us with 10 films in competition. Maybe I'm right but there is no way yet to confirm it.

Update: Today, January 19, 2016 this photo-composition was published, and assume that these are the 10 films in competition.



Feature Films

French Kiss
Even if nobody knows whether or not the French kiss was invented in France, we do know that it has been refined to a certain level of perfection. A kiss shared by two or even three people, between women, between lovers... there's something to please all tastes!

À trois on y va (All About them), Jérôme Bonnell, France and Bellgium, 2015
La Belle Saison (Summertime), Catherine Corsini, France and Belgium, 2015
Les Châteaux de sable (Sand Castles), Olivier Jahan, France, 2015
Henri Henri, Martin Talbot, Canada, 2014

In Your Face
Through the years, French-language cinema has always managed to reinvent itself through an exploration of transgressive themes and aesthetic approaches. The "In Your Face" Section will knock you out!

Alléluia (Alleluia), Fabrice du Welz, Belgium and France, 2015
Un Français (French Blood), Diastème, France, 2015

Paris Comedy
Paris is by no means a sleepy museum city, nor is it just a town for tourists. No way! The true Parisians, the artists, intellectuals, and even the grouchy locals fall in love in stunning apartments, in the streets, at the theater, or when visiting museums... How French is that?

20 ans d'écart (It Boy), David Moreau, France, 2013
Caprice, Emmanuel Mouret, France, 2015
Un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément (Blind Date), Clovis Cornillac, France 2015

Crime Scene
If France is the land of lovers and artists, it is also the theater of terrifying crimes. Deep in the countryside in the midst of a heat wave or in Paris in the dark of night, danger is in every direction.

L'Affaire SK1 ( SK1), Frédéric Tellier, France, 2014
Coup de chaud (Heatwave), Raphaël Jacoulot, France and Belgium, 2015
*Ascenseur pour l'échafaud - version restaurée (Elevator to The Gallows - restored version), Louis Malle, France, 1957

*Cinemas, Cinemas
A documentary on what actors and directors from around the world think about French cinema, another one about the status of women in movie-making today… two highly instructive and refreshing documentaries are on the program this year!

Cinéast(e)s, Mathieu Busson y Julie Gayet, France, 2014
French Cinema mon amour, Damien Cabrespines y Anne-Solen Douguet, France, 2015

*Out of Competition

Check the outstanding Filmmakers' Jury for this edition
President: Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark
David Robert Mitchell, USA
Felix van Groeningen, France
Marjani Satrapi, France
Valérie Donzelli, France

Short Films

Animation
If there's one country in the world whose animated films are taking the world by storm at this time, it's France! This year, to illustrate French animated filmmakers' savoir faire, we present a selection of the best animated shorts to be seen right now.

Le Repas dominical (Sunday Lunch), Céline Devaux
H recherche F (M Seeking W), Marina Moshkova
Dernière Porte au sud (Last Door South), Sacha Feiner

Lost Generation
While young French filmmakers are often overflowing with talent and promise, they sometimes portray a sad reality: that of an aimless and tormented youth… a lost generation.

Errance (The Wanderer), Peter Dourountzis
Essaie de mourir jeune (Try to Die Young), Morgan Simon
Toutes des connes (Life's a Bitch), François Jaros

Women's Tales
Not only are women more and more active behind the camera nowadays, but they are also even more present in front of the lens. 5 short films showcase 5 portraits of women today.

Belle Gueule (Summer of Sarah), Emma Benestan
Au sol (Grounded), Alexis Michalik
La Fin du dragon (The Dragon's Demise), Marina Diaby
Les Filles (Girls), Alice Douard
Jeunesse des loups garous (Monsters turn into Lovers), Yann Delattre

To check info about each of the films go here but will do a brief analysis to help you chose what to see.

First let me share that each year what I watch first are the short films, all in one sitting, not only they're free but in previous editions short films have been a lot better than feature films in the selection. Then comes the careful selection of what to see as most of you know my deep love for French cinema BUT it's not for all French cinema as I like French cinema that can be labeled as auteurs cinema, art-house cinema, great cinema or simply the good non-commercial cinema (lol!).

Current edition has some interesting films but none as interesting and must-be-seen as La Belle Saison by Catherine Corsini with Cécile De France, film premiered at 2015 Locarno fest where won the Variety Piazza Grande Award and had the North American premiere at Toronto fest. Film has 5 nominations at Les Lumières and I expect will also get some César nominations.

Next we have Alléluia by Fabrice Du Welz with none other than Lola Dueñas. Film premiered at 2014 Cannes Directors' Fortnight and not sure if will enjoy it (suspect will be not-easy-to-watch), but definitively will give it a chance. The third must-be-seen film is the 2015 Cannes in competition for a Palm d'Or short film by Céline Devaux, Les Repas Dominical (Sunday Lunch) that won the Silver Hugo for Best Animated Short at 2015 Chicago fest.

Because highly enjoy lead actress performances have to see À trois on y va by Jérôme Bonnell starring none other than Anaïs Demoustier. Film premiered at 2015 Moscow fest, was at 2015 Karlovy Vary and recently was at Göteborg fest. Believe film could be light but since when a three-way French film is light? LOL! Yes, must-be-seen for me. Then there is another film with Anaïs Demoustier, Caprice by Emmanuel Mouret but it's a comedy so not really sure if will watch it (yes, highly dislike French comedies).

Last but not least, MyFrenchFilmFestival (MyFFF) is also on the following places.

Website: http://www.myfrenchfilmfestival.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/myfrenchfilmfestival
Twitter: @myfff  http://twitter.com/myfff  with hashtag #myFFF2016
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyFrenchFilmFestival
DailyMotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/Myfrenchfilmfestival

The very silly official trailer

21st Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards Winners

So last night was the broadcast of the BFCA awards and show was alright, nothing especial but yes, I fall asleep! Now I'm wonder if will not happen the same at the Oscars show, perhaps is the winners that put me to sleep... Maybe was that most of the top winners were not even there, which always is a bummer for any awards show. Then there was no broadcast red carpet (lol) which we all know is the indispensable awards show companion for merely entertainment purposes.

The best twitter from last night is one that said something like this: "winners thanks critics for their reviews that viewers read, none of the reviews people read come from critics" (lol); somehow believe reflects a constant changing truth, that's the power of internet nowadays!

Going back to the show, the best moment for me undoubtedly was when Jacob Tremblay won Best Young Actor/Actress as strongly believe he's the only lead in Room (Larson is supporting him) and yes, also believe he gave the most adorable/charming/entertaining/good-television acceptance speech. Bravo! and hope to see much more from him. The second great moment was Alicia Vikander going up to the stage twice!

Most hideous trend of the awards season? Outstanding Carol leaving empty handed and BFCA awards were no exception. Sigh.  Mad Max was the big winner of the night with seven (7) awards out of the 13 nominations it had.

Winners are in *BLUE. To check winners in TV categories go here

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12/14/15
The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 300 television, radio and online critics. Each year BFCA honors the finest achievement in filmmaking with their Critics' Choice Movie Awards and today they announced their nominees.

The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony, which will broadcast live on A&E from the Hollywood Palladium on January 17th at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will be hosted by T. J. Miller. Red carpet broadcast will be during one hour before the show begins.  The awards show will air simultaneously on A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

Mad Max: Fury Road leads the nominations with 13 and finally Charlize Theron has a nomination, as a matter of fact she has 2, one for Best Actress and another for Best Actress in an Action Movie.  Carol, The Martian and The Revenant follow with 9 nominations each; Spotlight has 8, The Big Short 7, and The Hateful Eight with 6.

Remarkable is that Jennifer Lawrence has three nominations for her work in Joy and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2; then with 2 nominations Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy and Rachel McAdams.

Best Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
*Spotlight

Best Foreign Language Film
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
Mustang
The Second Mother
*Son of Saul

Best Documentary
*Amy
Cartel Land
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
He Named Me Malala
The Look of Silence
Where to Invade Next

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett in Carol
*Brie Larson in Room
Jennifer Lawrence in Joy
Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn
Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara in Carol
Rachel McAdams in Spotlight
Helen Mirren in Trumbo
*Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston in Trumbo
Matt Damon in The Martian
Johnny Depp in Black Mass
*Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dano in Love & Mercy
Tom Hardy in The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight
Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon in 99 Homes
*Sylvester Stallone in Creed

Best Young Actor/Actress
Abraham Attah in Beasts of No Nation
RJ Cyler in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Shameik Moore in Dope
Milo Parker in Mr. Holmes
*Jacob Tremblay in Room

Best Acting Ensemble
The Big Short
The Hateful Eight
*Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo

Best Director
Todd Haynes for Carol
Alejandro González Iñárritu for The Revenant
Tom McCarthy for Spotlight
*George Miller for Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott for The Martian
Steven Spielberg for Bridge of Spies

Best Original Screenplay
Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen for Bridge of Spies
Alex Garland for Ex Machina
Quentin Tarantino for The Hateful Eight
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley for Inside Out
*Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy for Spotlight

Best Adapted Screenplay
*Charles Randolph and Adam McKay for The Big Short
Nick Hornby for Brooklyn
Drew Goddard for The Martian
Emma Donoghue for Room
Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs

Best Cinematography
Ed Lachman for Carol
Robert Richardson for The Hateful Eight
John Seale for Mad Max: Fury Road
Dariusz Wolski for The Martian
*Emmanuel Lubezki for The Revenant
Roger Deakins for Sicario

Best Production Design
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo for Bridge of Spies
François Séguin, Jennifer Oman and Louise Tremblay for Brooklyn
Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler for Carol
Eve Stewart, Michael Standish for The Danish Girl
*Colin Gibson for Mad Max: Fury Road
Arthur Max, Celia Bobak for The Martian

Best Editing
Hank Corwin for The Big Short
*Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road
Pietro Scalia for The Martian
Stephen Mirrione for The Revenant
Tom McArdle for Spotlight

Best Costume Design
Odile Dicks-Mireaux for Brooklyn
Sandy Powell for Carol
Sandy Powell for Cinderella
Paco Delgado for The Danish Girl
*Jenny Beavan for Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Hair & Makeup
Black Mass
Carol
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
*Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Jurassic World
*Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
The Walk

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
*Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best Action Movie
Furious 7
Jurassic World
*Mad Max: Fury Road
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Sicario

Best Actress in an Action Movie
Emily Blunt in Sicario
Rebecca Ferguson in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Bryce Dallas Howard in Jurassic World
Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
*Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Actor in an Action Movie
Daniel Craig in Spectre
Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
*Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road
Chris Pratt in Jurassic World
Paul Rudd in Ant-Man

Best Comedy
*The Big Short
Inside Out
Joy
Sisters
Spy
Trainwreck

Best Actress in a Comedy
Tina Fey in Sisters
Jennifer Lawrence in Joy
Melissa McCarthy in Spy
*Amy Schumer in Trainwreck
Lily Tomlin in Grandma

Best Actor in a Comedy
*Christian Bale in The Big Short
Steve Carell in The Big Short
Robert De Niro in The Intern
Bill Hader in Trainwreck
Jason Statham in Spy

Best Sci-fi/Horror Movie
*Ex Machina
It Follows
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian

Best Song
Love Me Like You Do from Fifty Shades of Grey
*See You Again from Furious 7
Til It Happens To You from The Hunting Ground
One Kind of Love from Love & Mercy
Writing’s on the Wall from Spectre
Simple Song #3 from Youth

Best Score
Carter Burwell for Carol
*Ennio Morricone for The Hateful Eight
Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto for The Revenant
Johann Johannsson for Sicaro
Howard Shore for Spotlight

There are too many categories and some are really ridiculous if you check listed nominees, but if you concentrate only in top categories then maybe we have something interesting.  But most remarkable will be the clash of egos IF all nominees attend the TV show, especially the male nominees ...  the likes of Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Sylvester Stallone, Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Robert De Niro, Jason Statham, plus all the male actors from TV shows! (lol).

To check the announcement at the official site go here.  Also announced today by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, the nominees in the Television categories. To check the TV categories go official site here.

30th Teddy Awards News

The Teddy Award is being presented for the 30th time on February 19th, 2016 at the Berlin International Film Festival. Over the past 29 years of its existence it has become an important and respected emancipation award.  There are many news so post it's long, enjoy!

As some of my friends had doubts about why is the 30th time believe that the following will clear the doubts and if not, please dear friends be so kind as to count with your fingers (lol!) to realized that 2016 will be the 30th time.

A Brief History

When the first TEDDY was awarded in 1987, there was not even a ceremony.

Mini-sized teddy bears from a department store were placed in envelopes and sent to the then unknown directors Pedro Almodóvar in Spain and Gus Van Sant in the USA.

Neither of them has forgotten this and they both remain loyal friends of the TEDDY. And this was the beginning of the success story of a film prize that, despite all initial homophobic accusations, has developed into one of the Berlinale’s largest events over the years.

The TEDDY evolved out of the meetings of festival-organizers from gay-lesbian film festivals worldwide who had been getting together in Berlin ever since the Berlinale’s Panorama section (first called the "Info-Schau") was founded in 1980. The goal of Manfred Salzgeber, then director of the Panorama, was to end the isolation of gay-lesbian cinema and give it a platform where it could not be overlooked by the film industry and the public. It was these ideas that Wieland Speck, who was Salzgeber’s right hand man from 1982 onward and is today’s Panorama director, had in mind when establishing the TEDDY – Queer Film Award.

Since then films with gay, lesbian or transgender content have been integrated in all sections of the Berlinale. Every year, these 40 or so films compete for the three TEDDY statues. The international nine-member TEDDY Jury chooses the best short film, feature film and documentary. The cash prizes accompanying the awards are raised by the TEDDY e. V. staff, who work on a voluntary basis, and its supporters.

Past prize-winners include Derek Jarman, Rosa von Praunheim, Nan Goldin, Constantine Giannaris, Francois Ozon, Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss, as well as Todd Haynes, Stanley Kwan, Heiner Carow, Lukas Moodysson, Tilda Swinton, Peggy Rajski, later Oscar-winners Rob Ebstein and Jeffrey Friedman.

Since 1997 the TEDDY is a bronze bear on top of a cobblestone, two symbols of Berlin, designed by world-famous cartoonist Ralf König.

Special Teddy Award for Producer Christine Vachon at Anniversary Edition

With her company, Killer Films, Christine Vachon has been producing movies for over 20 years. Without these works both queer and US-independent cinema would be hard to imagine – a dozen of these films have been shown in Berlinale programs.

In the early 1980s, as a student at Brown University, she met Todd Haynes, whose debut film, Poison (Teddy Award 1991), became the first feature film she produced. Ever since they have been an effective team. Vachon also produced the Academy Award-winning films Boys Don’t Cry (Best Actress, Hilary Swank 2000) and Still Alice (Best Actress, Julianne Moore 2015); and last year, once more for Todd Haynes, Carol with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

Christine Vachon will be honored with the Special Teddy at this year’s award ceremony. She will be a guest of the Queer Academy Summit and present, as part of the Teddy30 anniversary program, the Killer Films production Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell, which won the Teddy Award in 2001.

On other news ...

The only official LGBTIQ (in short, queer) film prize at an A-festival in the world is celebrating its 30th anniversary: the Teddy Award. An offshoot of the Panorama, the prize has been awarded since 1987 in the categories Short Film, Documentary and Feature to works relevant to queer culture. Eligible every year are films from all of the Berlinale sections. Meanwhile, the award has achieved international significance. This year’s anniversary program will present a total of 17 films.

In 1987, before the still unknown directors Gus Van Sant (Best Short Films: Five Ways to Kill Yourself and My New Friend) and Pedro Almodóvar (Best Feature: Law of Desire) could be awarded the first Teddys, a number of filmmakers had already proven the existence of a cinematic culture that went far beyond the heteronormative mainstream.

They included female directors, such as Ulrike Ottinger, Greta Schiller or Chantal Akerman, who is now deeply missed; and male directors, such as the Spaniard Agustí Vilaronga, the Israeli Dan Wolman or Lothar Lambert, who has contributed innumerable films to the Berlinale (not to mention the well-known greats of a distinctively gay cinema, such as Rosa von Praunheim, Werner Schroeter, Rainer Werner Fassbinder or Derek Jarman).

For 2016 the Teddy has put together an anniversary program of rarely seen works, some of which had been made before the award came into existence, and were also why it was established in the first place.

In this context, the Panorama will be presenting a special screening, the world premiere of the restoration of Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others, Germany 1919). This film by Richard Oswald was the first gay film in cinematic history. Its restoration has been carried out by the Outfest Legacy Project / UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles and underscores the need to archive films on 35mm, at present the only reliable storage medium.

To check other films in the anniversary special program go to here.

The TEDDY jury of 2016

As every year, organizers collected interesting film-people from all over the world who are involved in the LGBT-Community, for the TEDDY Jury. Here we want to introduce them to you

Augustas Čičelis, Lithuania

Augustas Čičelis comes from Vilnius, Lithuania, and is the Director and Programmer of Vilnius LGBT* Festival “Kreivės”.

He has an academic background in gender studies and has been involved in LGBT* activism and wider human rights movement for about a decade. Augustas has started to combine his passion for activism and cinema in 2012, joining an LGBT* film festival in Vilnius, which then developed into “Kreivės” – a wider annual cultural festival.

Building on earlier and cooperating with current other queer initiatives, it provides a unique space for film screenings, events and community building. The upcoming festival will be a part of the “Baltic Pride 2016″ which will take place in Vilnius this June.

Alexandra Carastoian, Bucharest

Alexandra Carastoian has studied Cinematography at the University of Theater Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest, Romania (UNATC) and she is a filmmaker, a photographer and a human rights activist.

In 2015, Alexandra won the “Young Talent GOPO Cinematography Award” for the film “It Takes Two to Fence”. She started as a volunteer by organizing support groups for women in order to build up a community and facilitating LGBT groups, as well as organizing cultural events.

She works in film festivals and has been part of the team who is organizing the two main annual festivals: “LGBT History Month” and “Bucharest Pride”. She is a founding member of the first NGO in Romania which supports trans* individuals and the director of the first Feminist and Queer International Film Festival in Bucharest, Romania, which took place for the first time in November 2015.

Alice Royer, USA

Alice Royer is a film and media scholar, archivist, and programmer living in Los Angeles.

She is the Legacy Project Manager at “Outfest”, where she oversees the “Outfest UCLA Legacy Project”, the only program in the world exclusively dedicated to protecting and preserving LGBT film. She is also an Assistant Programmer at “Outfest”, and has screened films for “AFI FEST” and the “Los Angeles Film Festival”.

In addition to her film festival work, Alice is a PhD Candidate in Cinema & Media Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she previously earned an MA in Moving Image Archive Studies.

Dagmar Brunow, Germany

Dagmar Brunow is one of the programmers at the “International Queer Film Festival Hamburg”.

As a film scholar she teaches Film Studies and Gender Studies in Sweden. Dagmar has been working for the “Women’s Music Centre (fmz)” in Hamburg and has been one of the initiators of “Ladyfest” Hamburg. She regularly contributes to the journal testcard. Beiträge zur Popgeschichte and is a longstanding member of the radio collective “Freies Sender Kombinat” in Hamburg.

After publishing an edited collection on Stuart Hall (Ventil Verlag 2015), she is currently co-editing the first German-language volume on Queer Film Studies.

Adán Salinas Alverdi, Mexico

Adán Salinas Alverdi studied philosophy at the FFyL-UNAM, CU campus.

He is CEO of “ACGIC, Global Cooperation Agency for Cultural Exchange”; “MICGénero, International Film Festival with Gender Perspective and Bestiario Films”.

He works as curator, artistic director, programmer, researcher and museographer in different museums and associations such as “Museo de la Ciudad de México”; “Museo Soumaya Plaza Carso”; “Museo Tamayo”; “Circo 2.12″; “AMAPCiA A.C”. and “MANIFIESTA. Foro de resiliencia civil”.

He is currently preparing a map’s exposition “Scenarios of modernity” in co-production with SIGSA, GIS and UNAM, and other NGOs working in the field of postcolonial studies.

Nosheen Khwaja, Scotland

Nosheen Khwaja is a Glasgow School of Art graduate and many things.

Her main role is as the artistic director of “GLITCH” – Europe’s first 10 day, free, QTIPoC film festival and also the chair & leading tech tutor of the “Digital Desperados 2″ month filmmaking course for Women of Colour.

Aside from a devotion to film she is also a practicing multimedia artist, designer, filmmaker, jewellery maker and audio-visual tech & problem solver. She has run workshops, co-curated cabaret nights & screenings, exhibited artwork and performed in Hamburg, Berlin, Montreal, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, New York and the UK.

Serubiri Moses, Uganda

Serubiri Moses is an independent art writer, photographer, and curator.

His interests lie in coloniality, language and cultural space. His research experience has been through writing essays and academic papers on contemporary art and culture, published in different magazines, websites and books; as well as through curating exhibitions and panel discussions.

His research includes, ‘Life mu City’ (2014), a research project on protest language and local Hip Hop in Kampala, presented at the Goethe-Zentrum Kampala; the “biennial contemporary art festival, KLA ART 014 (2014)” on urban mapping and social classification in Uganda’s cities. As a research intern for “Contemporary And – C& website” in 2014, he produced biographical notes on contemporary artists, collectors, institutions, and curators from Africa and its diaspora.

In 2015, Serubiri has received the “City Writer fellowship” from the University of Bayreuth and curatorial fellowship from the “Kadist Art Foundation” in Paris.

Xiaogang Wei, China

Xiaogang Wei was born and raised in Xinjiang, China. He was trained as an actor at the drama department of the Xinjiang Arts Institute in Urumqi and at the Shanghai Drama Academy. Having a passion for community work and a drive to contribute to social change, Xiaogang has continually searched for meaningful ways to share his drama skills with others and to use them in socially relevant ways. After finishing his studies, he has been volunteered for a few NGOs based in Beijing, and has been a consultant for UNICEF since 2005.

During recent years he started to engage himself on the production side of various film- and other productions benefiting different social movements in China. In 2007, he founded the LGBT webcast “Queer Comrades”, for which he hosted and directed more than 50 half-hour episodes. Some of his recent directing feats include “Cures that Kill” (Queer Comrades, 2011), a documentary focusing on the “curing homosexuality” practices in China, and “Strong” (Queer Comrades, 2012), a documentary focusing on bullying faced by LGBT students. Since 2010, he’s the executive director of the NGO Beijing Gender Health Education Institute (BGHEI) which houses the webcast “Queer Comrades”. Founded in 2002, it constitutes one of the first Chinese NGOs to focus on issues of gender, sexuality and sexual health, thus fulfilling a pioneering role in Chinese society. Together with the BGHEI, he launched a series of groundbreaking events in China, including the “China AIDS Walk”, the “China Rainbow Awards” and the “China LGBT Community Leader Conference”. Xiaogang is the Co-curator of the “Beijing Queer Film Festival” and a board member of the “Beijing LGBT Centre”.

Jay Lin, Taiwan

Jay Lin (Taiwan) is the CEO of “Portico Media”, Chairman of the “Taiwan International Media and Education Association (TIMEA)”, and Director of the “Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF)”.

In 2015, “TIQFF” successfully completed its second year with festival venues in three major Taiwan cities as well as a country-wide road-show. During the 2nd annual “TIQFF”, Jay spearheaded efforts to create a pan-Asian queer film festival alliance.

“Portico Media” distributes TV channels and programming from around the world and produces a broad range of original content including LGBT-related programming. Portico productions have won numerous awards, including the prestigious “Golden Horse Award”.

Good Links

Suggest to watch the video "Teddy - How it all began. A short introduction by Panomrama curator Wieland Speck". Actually is an excerpt from the panel "As Queer as it Gets" at Berlinale Talent Campus 2011. To watch short version go here.

In the same link you have to check the photos from the 30 years of Teddy, some are truly outstanding; click the foto to open the gallery and will be able to see who are in each photo plus a comment on why they got the Teddy.