43rd Telluride Film Festival Lineup

Tomorrow the most prestigious non-competitive film festival in the USA will once again open for the screening of a selection that includes most of "the best of the best" from World cinema. Among the surprises is the expected Cristian Mungiu's latest against the omission of Cristi Puiu's film that will represent Romania at the 2017 Oscars or the expected Pablo Larrain's Neruda against the absence of Biennale in competition Jackie. But in general believe that selection has no big surprises as most films were expected to be in this year's selection.

Here is the copy/paste of the official announcement that you can read at fest site here.

Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, announces its official program selections for the 43rd edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s annual celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over seventy feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-two countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, September 2 - Monday, September 5, 2016.

43rd Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program:
· ARRIVAL (d. Denis Villeneuve, U.S., 2016)
· THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY (d. Errol Morris, U.S., 2016)
· BLEED FOR THIS (d. Ben Younger, U.S., 2016)
· CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER (d. Doug Nichol, U.S., 2016)
· CHASING TRANE (d. John Scheinfeld, U.S., 2016)
· THE END OF EDEN (d. Angus Macqueen, U.K., 2016)
· FINDING OSCAR (d. Ryan Suffern, U.S., 2016)
· FIRE AT SEA (d. Gianfranco Rosi, Italy/France, 2016)
· FRANTZ (d. François Ozon, France, 2016)
· GENTLEMAN RISSIENT (d. Benoît Jacquot, Pascal Mérigeau, Guy Seligmann, France, 2016)
· GRADUATION (d. Cristian Mungiu, Romania/France/Belgium, 2016)
· INTO THE INFERNO (d. Werner Herzog, U.K./Austria, 2016)
· THE IVORY GAME (d. Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani, Austria/U.S., 2016)
· LA LA LAND (d. Damien Chazelle, U.S., 2016)
· LOST IN PARIS (d. Fiona Gordon, Dominique Abel, France/Belgium, 2016)
· MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (d. Kenneth Lonergan, U.S., 2016)
· MAUDIE (d. Aisling Walsh, Canada/Ireland, 2016)
· MEN: A LOVE STORY (d. Mimi Chakarova, U.S., 2016)
· MOONLIGHT (d. Barry Jenkins, U.S., 2016)
· MY JOURNEY THROUGH FRENCH CINEMA (d. Bertrand Tavernier, France, 2016)
· NERUDA (d. Pablo Larraín, Chile/Argentina/France/Spain, 2016)
· NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER (d. Joseph Cedar, U.S./Israel, 2016)
· SNAPSHOTS: EYES ON THE WORLD – three nonfiction short films including EXTREMIS (d. Dan Krauss, U.S., 2016); REFUGEE (d. Joyce Chen, Emily Moore, U.S., 2016); - · THE WHITE HELMETS (d. Orlando von Einsiedel, U.K., 2016)
· SULLY (d. Clint Eastwood, U.S., 2016)
· THINGS TO COME (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany, 2016)
· THROUGH THE WALL (d. Rama Burshtein, U.S./Israel, 2016)
· TONI ERDMANN (d. Maren Ade, Germany/Austria, 2016)
· UNA (d. Benedict Andrews, U.K., 2016)
· WAKEFIELD (d. Robin Swicord, U.S., 2016)

The 2016 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor Casey Affleck (TO DIE FOR, GOOD WILL HUNTING, OCEAN’S ELEVEN), starring in TFF selection MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; Oscar nominated, Golden Globe winning actress Amy Adams (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, THE FIGHTER, AMERICAN HUSTLE) starring in TFF selection, ARRIVAL; and Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín (Oscar nominated NO, FUGA, POST MORTEM) debuting his latest film, NERUDA. Each program will include a selection of clips of the artist’s work, the presentation of the Silver Medallion, an on-stage interview and a screening of the aforementioned new film, shown in its entirety.

“The joy of putting together the festival program is dwarfed by the incredible enthusiasm both our audience and filmmaking guests experience over Labor Day weekend in Telluride,” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “There is nothing quite like discovering the very best of cinema at almost 10,000 feet. There is nowhere else like it in the world. And the films of TFF 43 are as beautiful as the scenery. We are the luckiest people on earth for 3 1/2 days!”

Guest Director Volker Schlöndorff, who serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s program, presents the following revival programs:
· THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA (d. Joseph Mankiewicz, U.S., 1954)
· THE FIRE WITHIN (d. Louis Malle, France, 1963)
· I WAS NINETEEN (d. Konrad Wolf, East Germany, 1968)
· IT WAS THE MONTH OF MAY (d. Marlen Khutsiev, U.S.S.R., 1970)
· LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES (d. Jean-Pierre Melville, France, 1950)
· SPIES (d. Fritz Lang, Germany, 1928)

Additional film revival programs include THE PAGNOL TRILOGY: MARIUS (d. Alexander Korda, France, 1931), FANNY (d. Marc Allégret, France, 1932), and CÉSAR (d. Marcel Pagnol, France, 1936); and VARIETY (d. Ewald André Dupont, Germany, 1925) with the Alloy Orchestra.

Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following programs:
· BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT (d. María José Cuevas, Mexico, 2016)
· BERNADETTE LAFONT, AND GOD CREATED THE FREE WOMAN (d. Esther Hoffenberg, France, 2016)
· BRIGHT LIGHTS (d. Alexis Bloom, Fisher Stevens, U.S., 2016)
· COOL CATS (d. Janus Køster-Rasmussen, Denmark, 2015)
· THE FAMILY WHISTLE (d. Michele Salfi Russo, U.S./Italy, 2016)
· A FANATIC HEART – BOB GELDOF ON WB YEATS (d. Gerry Hoban, Ireland, 2016)
· GULAG (d. Angus Macqueen, U.K., 2000)
· I CALLED HIM MORGAN (d. Kasper Collin, Sweden/U.S., 2016)
· JERRY LEWIS: THE MAN BEHIND THE CLOWN (d. Gregory Monro, France, 2016)
· MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI (d. Steven Okazaki, U.S., 2015)

Telluride Film Festival’s SHOWcase for Shorts features four short films chosen to precede select feature films; Filmmakers of Tomorrow includes three programs: Student Prints, Great Expectations, and Calling Cards from sixteen emerging filmmakers.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including a Poster Signing at Brigadoon with 2016 poster artist Yann Legendre; the Elsa Dorfman Gallery; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Exhibit; and a special outdoor screening of THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (d. Otto Bell, U.K/Mongolia/U.S., 2016) will play on Friday evening.

Corporate support at Telluride Film Festival plays a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is privileged to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. Julie Huntsinger said: “The festival could not be more proud of our incredible partners whose unique contributions enhance and add sparkle to our festival experience. We are exceptionally grateful to our long-term relationships with Turner Classic Movies, EY, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and excited to welcome new sponsors Amazon Studios, Delta Air Lines, Argent Pictures and Participant Media to the mix. We also welcome back the sleek, fast, all-electric Tesla to town. A fleet will be on display and available to test drive during the festival.”

We are extremely proud of our committed relationships, each of which are aligned with a unique feature of the festival and contribute to enhancing the festival experience, including Signature Sponsors: Turner Classic Movies, EY, National Endowment for the Arts and Meyer Sound; Major Sponsors: Amazon Studios, Universal Studios, Delta Air Lines, Participant Media, Telluride Ski & Golf Resort, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Américas Film Conservancy and Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association; Festival Sponsors: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Argent Pictures, Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media, Dolby, Dell and Boston Light and Sound; and our wonderful Hospitality Partners: Telluride Alpine Lodging, The London West Hollywood, New Sheridan Hotel, The Chatwal New York and The Lambs Club, plus Canon, Colorado Creative Industries, Spectrum, Novo Coffee, the Town of Telluride, among others.

89th Academy Awards Foreign Language Film Submissions

Finally today, August 5, we have the first submission to #Oscars2017 and to my surprise came from Switzerland that for the first time announces its selection at the festival; which by-the-way makes sense as Locarno is one of the most famous festivals in the world and gets a lot more attention than the previous fest were the Swiss submission was announced. Great.

Will not hide my approval as the Swiss film was premiered in Cannes and more interesting was written by one of my most favorite contemporary directors Céline Sciamma!

As most of you know been commenting about fresh news from several countries and the links are in my Pinterest, now most of the info will be in this post, but will continue to leave links at Pinterest. Yes, links take you to several languages news; my best suggestion is to use Chrome for auto-translation.

The deadline for submissions this year is October 3, 2016. Female directors are in Blue.

Armenia: երկրաշարժ Zemletryasenie (Earthquake), Sarik Andreasyan
Australia: Tanna, Martin Butler and Bentley Dean (2015 Biennale-Settimana della Critica)
Austria: Vor der Morgenröte (Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe), Maria Schrader (Locarno)

Belgium: D'Ardennen (The Ardennes), Robin Pront
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Smrt u Sarajevu (Death in Sarajevo), Danis Tanović (Berlinale)

Croatia: S One Strane (On the Other Side), Zrinko Ogresta, Croatia and Serbia (Berlinale Panorama)
Cuba: El Acompañante (The Companion), Pavel Giroud

Egypt: اشتباك Eshtebak (Clash), Mohamed Diab (Cannes UCR)

Finland: Hymyilevä mies (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki), Juho Kuosmanen (Cannes UCR)

Georgia: სხვისი სახლი (The House of Others), Rusudan Glurdjidze (Karlovy Vary)
Germany: Toni Erdmann, Maren Ade (Cannes)

Hungary: Tiszta szívvel (Kills on Wheels), Attila Till (Karlovy Vary)

Iraq: El Clásico, Halkawt Mustafa (Tribeca)

Japan: 母と暮せば Haha to Kuraseba (Living with My Mother), Yôji Yamada

Nepal: कालो पोथी Kalo Pothi (The Black Hen), Min Bahadur Bham (2015 Biennale Settimana)
Netherlands: Tonio, Paula van der Oest

Romania: Sieranevada, Cristi Puiu (Cannes)

Saudi Arabia: بركة يقابل بركة Barakah yoqabil Barakah (Barakah Meets Barakah), Mahmoud Sabbagh,  (Berlinale Forum)
Serbia: Dnevnik mašinovođe (Train Driver's Diary), Miloša Radovića (MoscowIFF)
South Korea: 밀정 Miljung (The Age of Shadows), Kim Jee-Woon (Biennale)
Spain: Julieta, Pedro Almodóvar (Cannes)
Sweden: En man som heter Ove (A Man Called Ove), Hannes Holm
Switzerland: Ma Vie de Courgette (My Life as a Courgette), Claude Barras (Cannes)

Tunisia: زهرة حلب La Fleur d'Alep (The Flower of Aleppo), Ridha Béhi

Venezuela: Desde Allá (From Afar), Lorenzo Vigas (2015 Biennale)

Check info and trailers here.
Check submitted films posters here.

News

Argentina: Registration deadline was August 1st.
Brazil: Announcement on Monday, September 12 at 11:00am local time.
Canada: Will make a decision in September and announce the results by October 1st.
Chile: Deadline for inscriptions was yesterday, August 4. No news about announcement date.
Colombia: Shortlist on September 2; Selection on September 12.
Costa Rica: Registration deadline is September 9.
Denmark: Shortlist with three (3) films. Check films here. Selection on September 19.
France: Announcement on September 26. Shortlist on Sept 13???
Israel: Ophir Awards nominations are out, Best Film winner will represent Israel. There are five films that you can check here.
Italy: Deadline is September 15.
Kosovo: Considering Home Sweet Home and Engjujt janë larg; expect one more by deadline on September 10.
Lithuania: Announcement on September 20.
Mexico: Announcement on September 14.
Montenegro: Application deadline September 15.
Norway: Will select its entry from 3 films. Announcement on September 7.
Pakistan: Deadline is August 22nd. Announcement on September 16.
Slovenia: Deadline is August 31.
Ukraine: Announcement on September 9.
Uruguay: Announcement on or after September 15.

#Cannes2016 Wish List - Part Five American Directors

Have not doubt that this year American cinema journalists are the ones that speculate the most with the films that could be in Cannes this year, specially with the ones that could make it to the competition. There is more press coverage from UK, France, Germany and more European countries, but if something they tend to agree is that 2016 will bring to Cannes more than the usual share of American films.

Perhaps the reason why so many American movies have a significant degree of opportunity to make it is based on the filmmaker and well, the "stars" that hopefully give good performances in film. The bad news is that speculation claims that Derek Cianfrance's The Light Between Oceans will not be ready as well as Terrence Malick doc Voyage of Time, Martin Scorsese's Silence and Oliver Stone's Snowden; soon enough we will find if they rush to make Cannes or not, but no matter what, obviously those are films that will watch as Cianfrance's film stars none other than the IN couple Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.

Talking about Fassbender makes me think about the other film by Terrence Malick that is "completed" according to IMDb, Weightless, so let's start with this director and film.

Terrence Malick with Weightless

Not a Malick recent movies fan but who can resist a film with Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Holly Hunter, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer, Benicio del Toro and more? Not me, even when now I wonder if will like Malick's version of 2 love triangles set in the music scene in Austin, Texas. Alright admit no one is talking about this film an Cannes but gee, wouldn't be nice to have Cate and Rooney walking the red carpet again this year? Sigh.

Jeff Nichols with Loving

I see everything with Jeff Nichols and I love his filmmaking style and his storytelling style, so I'm looking forward to see his 2016 Berlinale in competition Midnight Special and wouldn't be nice for him to be also in Cannes competition with Loving? Oh, yes!

Film distribution rights were acquired by Focus Features upon seeing some assembled footage at the European Film Market; so distribution is assured and we (pundits and me) hope make it to Cannes and to the competition. Story has to be impact-full as tells about an interracial couple sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for getting married.

Tom Ford with Nocturnal Animals

Tom Ford has a second movie and distributors went crazy at 2015 Cannes market battling for distribution rights. Focus Features won by paying $20 million for what was then more a project than a film. That's the power of incipient director and acclaimed Fashion Designer after his AWESOME (yes, with capital letters) 2009 A Single Man that opened in Venice and went to win the Queer Lion and Colin Firth the Volpi Cup.

No, Tom Ford hasn't been in Cannes and believe that he graduated to be part of the mother of all festivals, but know that if film doesn't open in Cannes will do in Venice. Sigh.

So let's be positive as film has an interesting cast lead by Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Isla Fisher and more in a story that screams "festival" (lol) all over: A story inside a story -about a book manuscript called Nocturnal Animals- which is give to Susan by her ex-husband, a man she left 20-years earlier. So one story is about Susan and the inside story (the other story) is about the manuscript. Story is based on Austin Wright novel called "Tony and Susan".

If something I do not question are film production values that imagine will have the almost perfect esthetics of his debut film. Can't wait to see this film.

Damien Chazelle with La La Land

If you wonder who Chazelle is because you forgot or lost info in you so-full-of-info brain, think Whiplash that opened in Sundance, went to 2014 Cannes Quinzaine and got multiple accolades during the fest and award circuit of that year, including multiple Oscar nominations and a win. Now think another movie with a stellar cast that includes Emma Stone, Ryan gosling, J. K. Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt, John Legend and more; you know film has good credentials for festival opening.

Film release is set to "Oscar-friendly" December 2 for limited and December 16 for general release. Dates make me wonder if a Venice fest opening is more strategic than Cannes. Sigh.

Sean Penn with The Last Face

Penn used to be one of the many, cinema L'Enfant Terrible, so absolutely he knows Cannes both as an actor as well as a director; so makes sense that his latest film done after nine years of directorial absence, will find place in Cannes and buzz plus gossip place film in the Official Selection, but wonder if will be out or in competition.

Film has a stellar cast with Charlize Theron, Javier Bardem, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Jean Reno, and one actor that I was not aware of: the son of Sean Penn and Robin Wright, Hopper Penn. Interesting. Film tells about a director (Charlize Theron) of an international aid agency in Africa who meets a relief aid doctor (Javier Bardem) amidst a political/social revolution, and together face tough choices surrounding humanitarianism and life through civil unrest.

Besides the obvious reason of highly enjoying seeing Charlize Theron walking the red carpet again this year, now along Bardem and Exarchopoulos, film has the right quality for attending top festival and if we believe American press "insiders" then film will be in Cannes -no matter what! lol.

Jodie Foster with Money Monster

Will this be the opening film, I do not know but American pundits say is a "fact" film will be in Cannes this year and well, besides Jodie Foster being a true darling in France and French cinema (even do she hasn't done many French films), her film has a cast that will assure lots of press and photographers on the opening night as everyone's love George Clooney and Julia Roberts! (lol)

Alright, film also has an actress I highly enjoy in her TV performances, Irish Caitriona Balfe plus Dominic West, Jack O'Connell and more; all in a story that screams Oscars more than festival, about a financial advice show host who's taken hostage by a man trying to find out how he lost his money following the financial collapse.

Woody Allen with Café Society

Allen's untitled project has a name and social media went crazy as film stars none other than Kristen Stewart. If this film and Assaya's film make it to Cannes Official Selection, Stewart will walk the red carpet twice this year, which for a young actress is quite a career achievement. Still, has to happen, but if buzz is true, then it will.

Lately I'm not so sure about Allen movies, as some I highly enjoy but others are forgettable. Know he's back into full production, almost one film or more a year, but wish he would prefer quality to quantity (sigh). Nevertheless he's a legend and yes, his films open in festivals -not in competition as he doesn't like to compete- but surely out-of-competition.

Of course I'm dying to see film but more for the actress that finally is getting the attention as a serious actress she has been since she was a kid.

Ang Lee with Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

This USA, UK and China co production have low Cannes buzz, but since was talking about Kristen Stewart, couldn't skip the latest Ang Lee film where she has lead female role along Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund, Steve Martin, and more. Tells about a company that survive a harrowing battle that's captured by news cameras and brought home for promotional tour.

No, film is NOT what it seems as we have to recall who the director is, so there are chances that Stewart will stay for the whole fest (lol -I'm kidding). Wonder if distributor will allow Cannes opening as release date has been set for US Veteran's Day, November 11, 2016.

Now let's talk ab it about not American directors doing American Films

Denis Villeneuve with Story of Your Life

After Sicario, Villeneuve goes Sci-fi with a film starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Foris Whitaker, and telling about an expert linguist with the task to determine if alien crafts that landed around the world, come in peace or not. (lol)

I now story seems silly, but again we have to consider WHO the director is and well, think Sicario and more important think his early Canadian films like Polytechnique and surely we all imagine the storytelling and filmmaking style he will impregnate to story, to hopefully making a lot more interesting than a suggested synopsis.

Still, two years in a row in Cannes competition are not usual for any director and definitively if it happens will be an extraordinary achievement for the director.

Alexandros Avranas with True Crimes

Have to admit that in paper this film looks odd/strange to be nice but when we consider that Avranos won the Silver Lion for Best Director for 2013 Miss Violence and film stars none other than Charlotte Gainsbourg, Agata Kulesza plus (here comes my surprise) Jim Carrey, and telling about a murder investigation of a slain business man turning to clues found in an author's book about an eerily similar crime, then we know there has to be something different in this film.

From the few film stills was able to imagine spectacular cinematography that goes to the darkish/absence-of-light/dark-tinted visuals, which obviously attracts me to film beyond me watching everything with Charlotte Gainsbourg. By-the-way this is an USA, Poland and UK production.  Not sure if film will make it to Cannes, but if not, most likely will be in Venice.

David Michôd with War Machine

The director of infamous Animal Kingdom (soon to be an American TV series) has a new film, an USA production, with a star that opens doors with his name, Brad Pitt and a story that yes, screams festival (!) as is a satire of America's war with Afghanistan with a focus on the people running the campaign. Film is produced by Netflix, so know film will not be blocked to open in Cannes just because a late-2016 USA release.

Not much Cannes buzz for film but the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner has pay his dues and believe graduated to any of the 3 major film festivals. If not Cannes, then could be Venice but will depend on when Netflix plans stream release.

Nicolas Winding Refn with The Neon Demon

We know where horror has its place in Cannes as most horror films end up in the Midnight Screenings of the Official Selection. Film has been labeled Horror and Thriller so wonder how much thriller or horror really has to deserve a spot at that Cannes section or maybe in other competitive or not section.

But a new Nicolas Winding Refn film is always news no matter if it is for all audiences or not; to be more factual, most of his films definitively are NOT for all audiences (lol) but I have enjoy them, even the darkest ones.

I'm curious about this film that does not star his regular Ryan Gosling but the surprising Keanu Reeves (yes I like him) plus Christina Hendricks, Elle Fanning, Jena Malone and more. Tells about aspiring model Jesse who moves to Los Angeles only to find her youth and vitality devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.

Was reading an interview with the cinematographer, Natasha Braier and will share what she said about working with Nicolas Winding Refn: "I think working with Nicolas Winding Refn is a gift for any cinematographer, because he is interested in visual story telling, in poetry, in suggesting rather than narrating." Very well put and yes, tells about some of the reasons why I enjoy his films.

Wish List Series Epilogue

Believe it or not, there are more American productions made or not by American Directors as list is really long.  Highly doubt many will made it to Cannes, but it's a fact that 2016 and early 2017 will be a great time to watch extraordinary American films and in my book, those are great news!

Will remind you that there is a very long list in post here with many more films from all over the world.

The wait is not too long as in less than a month we will learn the films in all Cannes sections, the not-so-good news is that as of tomorrow I'll be traveling, so coverage goes back to minimum for a long while. Sigh.

#Cannes2016 Wish List - Part 2 Prominent Diversity

Usually I do not spontaneously think about independent cinema but I was reminded that in Cannes there is an important showcase of world independent cinema that's looking forward to find distribution, I'm talking about ACID. It's not easy to talk about world cinema as usually feels more like underground cinema than anything closer to mainstream, but that's why sections like ACID are crucial to learn about newcomers and become a vehicle to help their films be seen by audiences.  I find this Cannes section to be highly unpredictable as there are not many sites that specialize in independent world cinema.

One of best sites to read their Cannes predictions is Wask, unfortunately is available only in French but nevertheless if you don't understand French, consider that film names and directors are easy to identify and then go elsewhere to read more about them. Up to this moment Wask has only the prologue of what's coming and they promise five different posts with what I imagine 20 films each. Soon we will learn what the site will do this year, check it here.

Will share with you all a copy and paste of Article 3 from the Festival de Cannes Rules & Regulations 2016 as will clarify to many -including me- if film has the conditions to receive an invitation to the Official Selection (Competition, Out of Competition and Un Certain Regard).

Article 3
The Board of Directors chooses and invites the films which will be presented in Competition, Out of Competition or for Un Certain Regard. Each film invited to be part of the Official Selection by the Board of Directors will receive a Certificate of Participation. Only films that meet the following conditions may be chosen for invitation in the Official Selection:

Films that have been produced during the twelve months preceding the Festival;
Films that have not been released anywhere other than their country of origin;
Films that have not been presented at any other international motion picture event;
If the film (feature or short) has been selected in an international section (competitive or not) of a festival, it becomes ineligible for the Festival de Cannes. A selection is international if it presents films from different countries;
Films that have not been exhibited on the Internet;
Films that respect the aims of the Festival as defined in Article 1;
If participating in the "short film" category, films that do not exceed 15 minutes in length, including credits.

The second part of my wish list covers many of my most interesting directors, some have films ready while others I'm not sure they will have a finish version; some will premiere film in Cannes, while others suggest will open film before the festival. No matter what, they have new films that absolutely are must be seen for me.

Most Interesting Directors

Pedro Almodóvar with Julieta

It was called to my attention that Almodóvar tends to premiere his films in Spain before going to Cannes and if we check his films records we find that it's true for 3 films out of the four he has had in competition. As we can see in article 3, filmmakers can premiere their films in the country of origin and still be eligible for the Official selection. So, yes, Almodóvar latest film, Julieta, will premiere in Spain on April 8, 2016 and could be eligible; BUT if we believe IMDb then we see that on April 21 will premiere in Portugal and on May 6 in Mexico, so IF true, then film will NOT be in Cannes, no matter if France release is scheduled to May 18 as becomes not eligible.

Still, let's hope IMDb is not accurate and film still is Cannes eligible as is time he returns to Cannes with a strong drama in the female universe as Julieta suggests to be. Film international sales are handled by FilmNation and already has been sold to Sony Pictures Classics for North American rights. Film expectations are so HIGH that American cinema pundits are already speculating that film is a strong contender for the 2017 Oscars (!). Please recall that he has an Oscar and was not for a foreign-language film but for Talk to Her original screenplay. Yes film has extremely good credentials for Oscar and to be in the mother of all festivals.

Originally was called Silencio (Silence) but director decided to change name to Julieta so will not be confused with Scorsese's film. But the original name is crucial to learn about film as there is very little info about film plot; yes, I imagine is about silence and the main character, about something that happened when she was young and that will emerge when she's older.



Semih Kaplanoğlu with Grain

Kaplanoğlu's trilogy Yumurta (Egg), Süt (Milk) and Bal (Honey) is one of the most visually impacting cinema that I have seen, with a particular storytelling style -telling the story backwards- and outstanding performances. So waiting for a new Kaplanoğlu film has been a very long wait that finally is over, BUT my huge surprise is to discover that he's doing a film in the English-language even do is a Turkish, German, French and Swedish co production. Still the use of that language probably has something to do with the filming in Detroit, Michigan -plus Central Turkey, Cappadocia and Germany- and story is related to ecological science-fiction set in an indefinite near future, where existence of sustainable life is threatened, where a genetics expert and a general chaos scientist join forces in the Dead Lands to find fresh seeds, changing everything they thought they knew in the process.

International cast includes French-American Jean-Marc Barr, awesome Belgian Lubna Azabal and more actors from B&H, Russia, among other countries. Have no doubt that cinematography has to be with spectacular use of light and shadows as film is in black and white. Not sure what to expect of film but nevertheless because of his magnificent previous films, movie is must be seen for me no matter if makes it to Cannes or not. The Match Factory picked up international rights at 2015 Toronto fest where was promoted to buyers, so seems film is ready for

Andrea Arnold with American Honey

She came to my attention with her outstanding raw/realistic 2009 Cannes Jury Prize winner Fish Tank -wish was the second film with Michael Fassbender I've seen-; then her Wunthering Heights version that opened at 2011 Venice fest did not touch me, so I'm looking forward to her latest, American Honey that many expect to be ready for Cannes.

This UK and USA co production has a not-easy to watch story with a cast that includes troubled -but great performer- Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keogh among many not-known (to me) actors. Yes, story seems not really the kind I enjoy in film as tells about a teenage girl, Star, with nothing to lose who gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love; but hope that Arnold's Fish Tank filmmaking style is present as will make story and film go up to a different -unique- level.

Film already sold to  A24, which has USA rights; film was introduced in Cannes 2014 by Protagonist Pictures.

Ken Loach with I, Daniel Blake
Seem Loach much announced retirement is over -or never happened-, great!!!  His very particular social storytelling style is one that shouldn't be silenced, ever -not even by him.  Add very raw, direct filmmaking style and we have some of the best films in British Contemporary Cinema.  Highly enjoy his films so very glad that he didn't retire and very curious about his latest films.  This time seems he will explore state welfare as tells about a middle aged carpenter who requires state welfare after injuring himself, and is joined by a single mother in a similar scenario.



Cristian Mungiu with Fotografii de familie (Family Photos aka Recycling Feelings)

Four years after outstanding Beyond the Hills, Mungiu has a new film and yes, I'm already "dying" to see it even when is Mungiu's first feature focusing on a male character, as he became famous with his female-characters stories. Still, film is a family drama about parenting set in a small Romanian town where everybody knows everyone, main character is a doctor.

Most surprising he didn't work with long time collaborator cinematographer Oleg Mutu, so I wonder how the look in this film will be and IF will be as breathtaking as in Beyond the Hills or as disturbing as in 4 months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.  Not sure if film is ready for Cannes, but filming closed on August 2015, so should be ready for the fest even when official production site, Mobra Films has no info yet about movie, nor the other co production companies like Why Not Productions.  The only place where found basic info was in Dardenne Brothers' production company Les Films du Fleuve.

Derek Cianfrance with The Light Between the Oceans

Cianfrance's fabulously darkish Blue Valentine opened in 2010 Cannes Un Certain Regard, so there are chances this film could also go to Cannes specially now, after the 2015 awards seasons as film leads are none other than Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender and Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, which obviously will bring some glamour and buzz to Cannes red carpet but more interesting, film Cannes presence will assure the quality of the film and actors performances.

A USA and New Zealand co production tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from an adrift rowboat.  Trailer suggests film feels/looks "different" to Cianfrance's previous films and maybe it is, as recent films he had sort of a claustrophobic atmosphere in  indoors scenes; but here thanks to breathtaking outdoors scenes and use of light, there could be an absence of his previous atmospheric treatment.

Have seen everything with  Alicia Vikander, including early Swedish films, so obviously film is must be seen for me, plus yes, also see and love everything with Michael Fassbender; "dying" to see them together, hope film will not disappoints me, as do not wish to see a melodrama -story could easily go that way- but an intense human drama with great performances and a masterful director. Cinematography is by Adam Arkapaw, fresh off working with Justin Kurzel and Michael Fassbender on Macbeth.



Cate Shortland with Berlin Syndrome

After Somersault and Lore, Shortland brings us a movie that seems could catapult her to an upper echelon in her filmmaker career as only from reading fantastic synopsis (by Memento Films) all my senses were stimulated and became very curious about film. Take a look.

While holidaying in Berlin, Australian photojournalist, Clare, meets Andi, a charismatic local man and there is an instant attraction between them. A night of passion ensues. But what initially appears to be the start of a romance suddenly takes an unexpected and sinister turn when Clare wakes the following morning to discover Andi has left for work and locked her in his apartment. An easy mistake to make, of course, except Andi has no intention of letting her go again. Ever.

Film is based on Melanie Joosten novel with the same name with a script by Shaun Grant who wrote Justin Kurzel highly disturbing The Snowtown Murders, so film has the right credentials to travel the 2016 festival circuit and good chances that trip could start in Cannes.

Emir Kusturica with On the Milky Road

Will long-awaited film be finally released this year?  Seems finally film will see audiences this year; but could be in Cannes or in Venice?  Don't know but many pundits speculate that has to be Cannes, to give him the opportunity of a third Palme d'Or.  Besides being a Kusturica film, movie has him acting in a leading role along with Monica Bellucci in the female lead role, so that's something that I have to see no matter what (!).  Been waiting for this film for the past 2-3 years, so let's hope Wild Bunch will release the film that just this morning announced in its 2016 lineup. Sigh.



Next installment will be about Latin American directors, then Asian directors, and will end with American directors.

88th Academy Awards Winners

Think will be whining every single year, just like I did this year, as with all my whining was able to really lower my expectations to a minimum and yes (!) was able to enjoy the Oscars show! Not only did I enjoy the show but, surprise, was able to stay awake until the end. Why? Why something so unexpected happen?

Producers changed the show!

Yes, the show was VERY different. First decided to present awards as the film process happens and started with the script awards, where is exactly where any film starts, developing an idea into something more tangible. Alright there were some acting awards spread along the process that had nothing to do with it, but imagine that the more visible awards for viewers are the ones they actually are familiar with, the actors. Can't complain about the sequence, the order of presentation as believe allowed show to flow seamless. Take a look how the order came.




Second was VERY fast. Seems producer opted for a very fast flowing show, sometimes it felt too fast for me, but in the end that's what also help me to stay awake. But perhaps the biggest change was that show host actually was a host. In previous years host was like a comic relief that appeared more in the beginning of the show with an opening monologue and some dumb jokes along the first hour, then disappeared into oblivion. Sigh. Wish Ellen year would have her doing the host thing like this year, would have been a hilarious show!

Just 2 days before the Oscars was watching France's Academy awards, the Cesar and was wondering why the American show was not similar with a host that actually was a host along the complete show. Also think BAFTA's, the host is the host all the way to the end with frequent appearances. So, SURPRISE, finally the Oscars are doing the effort to have a host that hosts the awards ceremony! Good, hope they keep it for future editions.

Alright I'm one that enjoyed some of Chris Rock interventions, some were funny and some simply dumb or inconsequential to the show. Do not want to confuse anybody but let's be clear, I do approve the new format for show host, but I did wish they had the old format where we see Rock much less than what we did (lol).

So after all 2016 show was not that bad, especially when my favorite began to win awards! (lol). Yes, that also helped a lot. First almost jump when Alicia Vikander won best supporting actress; then couldn't help to notice and approve that Mad Max: Fury Road started and went all the way to win almost all tech awards (congratulations!), in the middle of tech awards El Chivo (sorry but it's true, he really looks like a goat!) won Cinematography for the third time in a row and Mexico went to twitter to let the world know how proud they are of their cinematographer, now a true cinema legend.

What followed was an extraordinary surprise when a small budget film won the Oscar for Visual Effects, an achievement that grows exponentially when you consider that was competing with very high budget studio films!  Everyone lost their office pool bet as no one was expecting outstanding Ex Machina to win an Oscar!  Another big surprise, when Chile won their first Oscar and yes, Chileans exploded twitter with their happiness. Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala animation short film took Latin America incipient animation to a different level. Great.

By now started to notice that not many Americans had won Oscars as most winners are from South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Chile, UK ... (after winners came from Pakistan, Hungary, more UK, Canada, Italy, etc -you see my point). Then we arrive to where the Academy members redeemed themselves to me, Mark Rylance won Best Supporting Actor! (lol) Yes, was a great surprise for many that were expecting a "sentimental" winner, but as someone said, quality prevailed above emotions. Great.

In brief, most glad Amy won as well as Saul Fia and most of all, Ennio Morricone who finally won a well-deserving Oscar for an Original Score after so many nominations, he already has an Honorary Oscar, but this one is really his first. Yay!!! After Morricone's win everything went amok (LOL).

Is true, had a great time Sunday night even when great movies were not honored with a nomination or an award, but you can't have it all in an industry that right now has many questioning issues about equal pay, race, gender, minorities, etc. I wish we could go back to filmmakers making GREAT (non-commercial) movies and have organizations honoring their efforts as we know, audiences do not have wide access to them. Sigh.

The BIG winner of the night was Mad Max: Fury Road with 6 Oscars making it the most successful Australian film ever -as many press headlines read. Some regret that film didn't win the awards that "matter" but I say that craft/tech awards are as important to filmmaking as any other category that Oscars honors. Yeah!

Then we have a HUGE surprise winner; the most surprising winner is Thierry Fremaux!!! Yes he definitively has a fantastic eye for films as four Cannes Selection films: Saul Fia, Inside Out, Mad Max: Fury Road and Amy won 9 Oscars in total.  Can't wait for this year Cannes! (LOL).

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

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

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
O Menino e o Mundo (Boy and the World)
*Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Omoide no Mânî (When Marnie Was There)

Best Documentary Feature
*Amy
Cartel Land
Look of Silence
What Happened Miss Simone
Winter on Fire

Best Foreign Language Film
El Abrazo de la Serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent), Ciro Guerra, Colombia
Krigen (A War), Tobias Lindholm, Denmark
Mustang, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, France
*Saul Fia (Son of Saul), László Nemes, Hungary
ذيب‎ Theeb (Wolf), Naji Abu Nowar, Jordan

Achievement in Directing
Lenny Abrahamson for Room
*Alejandro González Iñárritu for The Revenant
Tom McCarthy for Spotlight
Adam McCay for The Big Short
George Miller for Mad Max: Fury Road

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett in Carol
*Brie Larson in Room
Jennifer Lawrence in Joy
Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara in Carol
Rachel McAdams in Spotlight
*Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston in Trumbo
Matt Damon in The Martian
*Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in The Big Short
Tom Hardy in The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight
*Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone in Creed

Best Adapted Screenplay
*Charles Randolph and Adam McKay for The Big Short
Nick Hornby for Brooklyn
Phyllis Nagy for Carol
Drew Goddard for The Martian
Emma Donoghue for Room

Best Original Screenplay
Matt Charmanm Ethan Coen and Joel Coen for Bridge of Spies
Alex Garland for Ex Machina
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley; Original story by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, for Inside Out
*Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy for Spotlight
Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; Story by S. Leigh Savidge, Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff, for Straight Outta Compton

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

Best Film Editing
Hank Corwin for The Big Short
*Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road
Stephen Mirrione for The Revenant
Tom McArdle for Spotlight
Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Production Design
Adam Stockhausen (Production Design); Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Henrich (Set Decoration), for Bridge of Spies
Eve Stewart (Production Design); Michael Standish (Set Decoration), for The Danish Girl
*Colin Gibson (Production Design); Lisa Thompson (Set Decoration), for Mad Max: Fury Road
Arthur Max (Production Design); Celia Bobak (Set Decoration), for The Martian
Jack Fisk (Production Design); Hamish Purdy (Set Decoration), for The Revenant

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
*Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin for Mad Max: Fury Road
Love Larson and Eva von Bahr for Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared)
Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini for The Revenant

Best Costume Design
Sandy Powell for Carol
Sandy Powell for Cinderella
Paco Delgado for The Danish Girl
*Jenny Beavan for Mad Max: Fury Road
Jacqueline West for The Revenant

Best Visual Effects
*Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett for Ex Machina
Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver and Andy Williams for Mad Max: Fury Road
Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence and Steven Warner for The Martian
Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith and Cameron Waldbauer for The Revenant
Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Editing
*Mark Mangini and David White for Mad Max: Fury Road
Oliver Tarney for The Martian
Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender for The Revenant
Alan Robert Murray for Sicario
Matthew Wood and David Acord for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing
Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Drew Kunin for Bridge of Spies
*Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo for Mad Max: Fury Road
Paul Massey, Mark Taylor and Mac Ruth for The Martian
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Randy Thom and Chris Duesterdiek for The Revenant
Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Original Score
Thomas Newman for Bridge of Spies
Carter Burwell for Carol
*Ennio Morricone for The Hateful Eight
Jóhann Jóhannsson for Sicario
John Williams for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Original Song
“Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey (Music and Lyric by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio)
“Manta Ray”  from Racing Extinction (Music by J. Ralph and Lyric by Antony Hegarty)
“Simple Song #3” from Youth (Music and Lyric by David Lang)
“Til it Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga)
*“Writing’s on the Wall” from Spectre (Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith)

Short Films

Best Animated Short
*Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos
World of Tomorrow

Best Documentary Short
Body Team 12
Chau, Beyond the Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
*A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Last Day of Freedom

Best Live Action Short
Ave Maria
Day One
Alles Wird Gut (Everything Will Be Okay)
Shok
*Stutterer

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members on Saturday, January 23, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings also will be held at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 24 categories. The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

The nominations video



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1/14/16

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Guillermo del Toro, John Krasinski and Ang Lee announced the 88th Academy Awards nominations today (January 14).

Del Toro and Lee announced the nominees in 11 categories at 5:30 a.m. PT, followed by Boone Isaacs and Krasinski for the remaining 13 categories at 5:38 a.m. PT, at the live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives.

Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

So that's enough of official blah, blah; truth is I was, I am and I will be in next days very disappointed with the nominations. Can't understand, can't accept, can't believe Academy members dared to snub a female-centered movie with a lesbian story. On second thought, now that I read what I wrote think that is easy to speculate why they left out Carol, as obviously it has to do with women (straight, lesbian or whatever); is not about the same sex story as would be extremely ironic when Academy members accepted and widely honored a two men gay story (Brokeback Mountain) that got 8 nominations and won 3, including one to the director Ang Lee, whom by-the-way was reading the nominations this morning! Grrr... No Best Picture and/or Best Director is a MAJOR snub for an outstanding film that is clearly better than at least four or five of the eight nominated for Best Picture and Todd Haynes work is better than at least three of the five nominees in the Directing category. Upsetting.

Alright there were other snubs but no other omission is as big as Carol left out of two major categories. Period. There were no positive surprises and perhaps the best so-so surprise is Tom Hardy's nomination in Best Supporting Actor category for insufferable The Revenant.

As the nominations were coming, early, very-early noticed that The Revenant had a nomination in most tech categories and dared to speculate that will be the film with most noms.  I was right.The Revenant leads the pack with  twelve (12) nominations followed by Mad Max: Fury Road with 10, The Martian with 7, and with 6 each Bridge of Spies, Spotlight and Carol.

Will do another post with more interesting data about the nominations, so will keep this post cleaner with the list.

Red Carpet Photo Gallery

Director and Cannes 2016 Jury President George Miller and his wife Academy Award Winner Margaret Sixel

The most beautiful couple in the red carpet (lol!)

Love black&white photos - some BEAUTIFUL photos from Oscars Night. 

63rd Annual MPSE Golden Reel Awards Winners

Yesterday night the last industry group had their awards ceremony and to the surprise of many, there was a tie (!?) in the best feature sound editing FX and Foley, which is unusual.

Yes, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenat got entangled in a tie for the main sound category. Other winners are Bridge of Spies, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Love & Mercy, Inside Out, Kurt Corbain: Montage of Heck  and Saul Fia.  In a way wealth was spread among several movies which I believe is also unusual.

To check winners at official site go here but they haven't post them yet, but group official facebook page here has all the winners.

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1/28/16
A couple of days back the Motion Picture Sounds Editors announced their nominations for the current edition of the Golden Reel Awards. Nominees represent the work of the world’s most talented sound artists and their contributions to the past year’s most outstanding feature film, television, animation and computer entertainment productions.

“This year’s Golden Reel nominees have produced an outstanding body of work encompassing motion pictures, television, documentaries, gaming and other mediums,” said MPSE president Frank Morrone. “Our members continue to impress with their ability to develop new techniques and find creative ways to employ sound as a means of enriching storytelling. We congratulate all of this year’s nominees for their achievements.”

The MPSE Golden Reel Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sound editing in 24 categories encompassing feature films, television, animation, computer entertainment and student work. The 63rd MPSE Golden Reel Awards will be held February 27, 2016 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles.

The MPSE Filmmaker Award this year goes to Sam Raimi and the MPSE Career Achievement Award to Richard King.

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects & Foley in a Feature Film (tie)
Shannon Mills and Daniel Laurie for Ant-Man
Al Nelson and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle for Jurrasic World
*Mark Mangini and Scott Hecker for Mad Max - Fury Road
Alan Murray for Sicario
Mandell Winter for Southpaw
Matthew Wood for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Oliver Tarney for The Martian
*Lon Bender, Randy Thom, and Martin Hernandez for The Revenant

Best Sound Editing: Feature English Language - Dialogue and ADR

*Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
Room
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Straight Outta Compton
The Martian
The Revenant

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue & ADR in an Animation Feature Film
Aaron Glacock and Christopher S. Aud for Anomalisa
Geoffrey Rubay for Hotel Transylvania 2
*Shannon Mills and Ren Klyce for Inside Out
Dennis Leonard for Minions
Anthony Bayman and Adrian Rhodes for Shaun The Sheep Movie
Shannon Mills for The Good Dinosaur
Gwendolyn Yates Whittleand Randy Thom for The Peanuts Movie

Best Sound Editing: Music Score in a Feature Film
Ronald Webb for Creed
Paul Apelgren for Jupiter Ascending
Paul Apelgren for Jurassic Wold
Bob Badami for Mad Max: Fury Road
John Finklea for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
*Paul Apelgren for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Tony Lewis for The Martian
Martin Hernandez for The Revenant

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature Film
*Nicholas Renbeck for Love & Mercy
Amanda Goodpaster for Pitch Perfect 2
Jason Ruder for Straight Outta Compton

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue & ADR in a Foreign Feature Film
Frederick Le Louet and Enrique Greiner for Días de Gracia
Markus Glunz and Peter Staubli for Northmen - A Viking Saga
*Tamas Zanyi for Saul Fia (Son of Saul)
Resul Pookutty, MPSE and Amrit Pritam Dutta for Unfreedom

Best Sound Editing: Documentary Feature Film
Mark Stoeckinger and Luke Gibleon for A Faster Horse
Andy Shelley and Stephen Griffiths for Amy
Pete Horner for Best of Enemies
*Cameron Frankley for Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck
Tim Nielsen and Christopher Barnett for Racing Extinction
Bob Bronow for The Wrecking Crew
Tony Volante for What Happened to Miss Simone
Oleg Kulchytskyi for Winter On Fire: Ukraine's Fight For Freedom

To check nominees in TV categories go official site here or official facebook post here.

31st Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners

Yesterday early afternoon the last independent cinema group had their awards ceremony and I almost miss it as imagined was going to be at the usual 8pm ET but no, was at 2pm PT or 5pm ET!!! Bet you was because many of those attending had to go to parties that night. Yes, there have been lots of parties since last Thursday and the biggest ones will be tonight.

Spirit Awards ceremony was funny and informal thus very entertaining even when movies I didn't care for started to win the awards (lol!) so yes, saw it until the end and gee, was glad as camera decided to go to Carol table and we were able to watch a spirited (not really but the adjective fits the awards) conversation between Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. But not only that moment was Carol related as enjoyed when Ed Lachman won for cinematography -the only award for Carol- and the most spectacular moment undoubtedly was when Cate an Rooney presented Carol and well, yes Cate went for Rooney boob! (lol!) Too cliché but what the heck, it work nicely as both actresses have a nice in front of cameras rapport. Take a look.



Then you have the parodies, there are two one for Room and one for Carol, bot are funny with lots of American style humor, that I do not enjoy much, but for an unknown reason both clips made me laugh -perhaps I like the comedy of Kate McKinnon. At the end of the post you will find both clips.

Besides Lachman winning there were other awards that make me believe that American awards groups still grant honors to deserving films. The two awards for Beasts of No Nation make this raw outstanding film relevant again and if you haven't watch it, suggest you do it fast.  Glad Saul Fia won as well as The Look of Silence, both deserve the honors and most likely the first will win an Oscar while the second probably not as Amy not only has a great story but an outstanding storyteller.

No doubt that Film Independent members like Spotlight as was the film that won most awards, in this sense independent cinema people behaved very similar to film critics/journalist this year.

If you wish to read the press release go official site here. Winners are in *BLUE.

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11/24/15
A few moments ago Film Independent had the press conference where Elizabeth Olsen and John Boyega announced the nominations for the 2015 Spirit Awards and can't deny that I'm very pleased with Carol by Todd Haynes leading the pack with six (6) nominations closely followed by Tom McCarthy's Spotlight and Cary Joji Fukunaga's Beasts of no Nation with five (5) each.

There are many omissions but for me most notorious is the absence of a movie I was hoping could make it to the American Indie awards, Clouds of Sils Maria by Olivier Assayas.  Know that I'm not alone as many seem to have huge deception with the film snub.

The best news come from the Best Female Lead as BOTH Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara have a nomination, which means that some (hope ALL) award organizers recognize both actresses as lead in Carol.

Best Feature
Anomalisa, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson
Beasts of No Nation, Cary Joji Fukunaga
Carol, Todd Haynes
*Spotlight, Tom McCarthy
Tangerine, Sean Baker

Best First Feature
*The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Marielle Heller
James White, Josh Mond
Manos Sucias, Josef Kubota Wladyka
Mediterranea, Jonas Carpignano
Songs My Brothers Taught Me, Chloé Zhao

Best Director
Sean Baker for Tangerine
Cary Joji Fukunaga for Beasts of No Nation
Todd Haynes for Carol
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson for Anomalisa
*Tom McCarthy for Spotlight
David Robert Mitchell for It Follows

Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman for Anomalisa
Donald Margulies for The End of the Tour
Phyllis Nagy for Carol
*Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer for Spotlight
S. Craig Zahler for Bone Tomahawk

Best First Screenplay
Jesse Andrews for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jonas Carpignano for Mediterranea
*Emma Donoghue for Room
Marielle Heller for The Diary of a Teenage Girl
John Magary, Russell Harbaugh and Myna Joseph for The Mend

Best Female Lead
Cate Blanchett in Carol
*Brie Larson in Room
Rooney Mara in Carol
Bel Powley in The Diary of A Teenage Girl
Kitana Kiki Rodriquez in Tangerine

Best Supporting Female
Robin Bartlett in H.
Marin Ireland in Glass Chin
Jennifer Jason Leigh in Anomalisa
Cynthia Nixon in James White
*Mya Taylor in Tangerine

Best Male Lead
Christopher Abbott for James White
*Abraham Attah for Beasts of No Nation
Ben Mendelsohn for Mississippi Grind
Jason Segel for The End of the Tour
Koudous Seihon for Mediterranea

Best Supporting Male
Kevin Corrigan in Results
Paul Dano in Love & Mercy
*Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation
Richard Jenkins in Bone Tomahawk
Michael Shannon in 99 Homes

Best Documentary
(T)error, Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe
Heart of Dog, Laurie Anderson
*The Look of Silence, Joshua Oppenheimer
Meru, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
The Russian Woodpecker, Chad Gracia

Best International Film
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, Roy Andersson
Embrace the Serpent, Ciro Guerra
Girlhood, Céline Sciamma
Mustang, Deniz Gamze Ergüven
*Son of Saul, László Nemes

Best Cinematography
Cary Joji Fukunaga for Beasts of No Nation
*Ed Lachman for Carol
Michael Gioulakis for It Follows
Reed Morano for Meadlowland
Joshua James Richards for Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Best Editing
Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie for Heaven Knows What
Julio C. Perez IV for It Follows
Kristian Sprague for Manos Sucias
Nathan Nuget for Room
*Tom McArdle for Spotlight

John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Under $500,000)
Advantageous, Jennifer Phang
Christmas, Again, Charles Poekel
Heaven Knows What, Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
*Krisha, Trey Edward Shults
Out of My Hand, Takeshi Fukunaga

Robert Altman Award Honors this year the Director Tom McCarthy, Casting Director Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee, and Ensemble Cast of Spotlight
Ensemble Cast: Billy Crudup, Brian d'Arcy James, Paul Guilfoyle, Neal Huff, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Sheridan, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci.

Filmmaker Grants

Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award
Chloe Zhoa for Songs My Brothers Taught Me
*Felix Thompson for King Jack
Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck for God Bless the Child

Piaget Producers Award
Darren Dean
*Mel Eslyn
Rebecca Green and Laura D. Smith

Truer than Fiction Award
Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti for A Woman Like Me
*Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi for Incorruptible
Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi for Among the Believers

Awards ceremony will be on February 27, 2016; will be broadcast exclusively on IFC live at 2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET. Jessica Chastain is the Honorary Chair for this year's Spirit Awards.  If you wish to check info about each of the above films at the official site go here.