Ip Man: Kung Fu Master is the latest film to portray the legendary grandmaster of Wing Chun Kung Fu, Ip Man, the real life teacher of Bruce Lee who lived from 1983 to 1972. All the films have been heavily fictionalized, and the Ip Man film franchise is far from unified. There have been multiple actors, directors and filmmakers featuring Ip Man, and this new film is independent from all of those, although confusingly enough, it’s very connected.
The most prominent Ip Man franchise stars Donnie Yen. It began in 2008 with Ip Man and retained the same core team for four installments: directed by Wilson Yip, produced by Raymond Wong, and written by Edmond Wong.
Yip and Yen collaborated in some previous critically acclaimed martial arts films like Kill Zone (aka Spl: Sha Po Lang), Dragon Tiger Gate, and Flashpoint – all of which were well regarded for their high octane...
The most prominent Ip Man franchise stars Donnie Yen. It began in 2008 with Ip Man and retained the same core team for four installments: directed by Wilson Yip, produced by Raymond Wong, and written by Edmond Wong.
Yip and Yen collaborated in some previous critically acclaimed martial arts films like Kill Zone (aka Spl: Sha Po Lang), Dragon Tiger Gate, and Flashpoint – all of which were well regarded for their high octane...
- 12/11/2020
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
If you’re wondering where the next Damien Chazelle will come from, look no further than the 2017 Sundance Film Festival short film lineup.
Sundance has a long history of discovering the next generation of acclaimed filmmakers by first championing their short films. Chazelle made his first big splash by winning the 2013 Grand Jury Prize for “Whiplash” (the short). Last year, Jim Cummings won that prize for “Thunder Road,” and he’s back this year with a new short. Also generating a lot of pre-festival buzz is Kristen Stewart, making her writing/directing debut with the short “Come Swim.”
Before the Sundance Film Festival commences on January 19, 2017, here’s a briefing on Cummings’ “The Robbery,” Stewart’s “Come Swim” and eight other buzzworthy shorts (two of which are viewable online).
IndieWire reached out to the filmmakers to ask about their inspiration, production challenges and future projects. Check out our list below,...
Sundance has a long history of discovering the next generation of acclaimed filmmakers by first championing their short films. Chazelle made his first big splash by winning the 2013 Grand Jury Prize for “Whiplash” (the short). Last year, Jim Cummings won that prize for “Thunder Road,” and he’s back this year with a new short. Also generating a lot of pre-festival buzz is Kristen Stewart, making her writing/directing debut with the short “Come Swim.”
Before the Sundance Film Festival commences on January 19, 2017, here’s a briefing on Cummings’ “The Robbery,” Stewart’s “Come Swim” and eight other buzzworthy shorts (two of which are viewable online).
IndieWire reached out to the filmmakers to ask about their inspiration, production challenges and future projects. Check out our list below,...
- 1/10/2017
- by Kim Adelman
- Indiewire
Academy invitee Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything.' Academy invites 322 new members: 'More diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered membership to 322 individuals "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." According to the Academy's press release, "those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2015." In case all 322 potential new members say an enthusiastic Yes, that means an injection of new blood representing about 5 percent of the Academy's current membership. In the words of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (as quoted in the press release), in 2015 "our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization." In recent years, the Academy membership has...
- 7/1/2015
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
©Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©Studio Pali Fekete architects/©A.M.P.A.S.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.
“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”
“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.
“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”
“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...
- 6/27/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Strangely dropping a press release on a historic day where the nation's attention is elsewhere, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their annual list of new member invitees this morning. For those who criticize the makeup of the Academy there was some good news and the stark realization the organization still has a long way to go. The Academy has spent the last eight to 10 years attempting to diversify its membership and this year's class mostly reflects that. There are significantly more invitees of Asian and African-American descent, but the male to female disparity is still depressing. Out of the 25 potential new members of the Actor's Branch only seven are women. And, no, there isn't really an acceptable way for the Academy to spin that sad fact. Additionally, It's important to realize the 322 people noted in the release have only been invited to join Hollywood's most exclusive club.
- 6/26/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
The 87th Academy Awards full list of winners (and nominees).Oscars 2015Birdman wins best film, directorREACTION: What the winners saidCOMMENT: Birdman claws victory from BoyhoodBLOG: As it happened
By The Numbers
4 - Birdman4 - The Grand Budapest Hotel3 - Whiplash1 - American Sniper, Boyhood, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Selma, Still Alice, The Theory of EverythingBEST Motion Picture Of The Year
Birdman: Alejandro G Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, producers
BoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplashPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Leading Role
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory Of Everything
Steve Carell, FoxcatcherBradley Cooper, American SniperBenedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation GameMichael Keaton, BirdmanPERFORMANCE By An Actress In A Leading Role
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One NightFelicity Jones, The Theory Of EverythingRosamund Pike, Gone GirlReese Witherspoon, WildPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Supporting Role
Jk Simmons, Whiplash
Robert Duvall, The JudgeEthan Hawke, BoyhoodEdward Norton, BirdmanMark Ruffalo...
By The Numbers
4 - Birdman4 - The Grand Budapest Hotel3 - Whiplash1 - American Sniper, Boyhood, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Selma, Still Alice, The Theory of EverythingBEST Motion Picture Of The Year
Birdman: Alejandro G Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, producers
BoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplashPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Leading Role
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory Of Everything
Steve Carell, FoxcatcherBradley Cooper, American SniperBenedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation GameMichael Keaton, BirdmanPERFORMANCE By An Actress In A Leading Role
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One NightFelicity Jones, The Theory Of EverythingRosamund Pike, Gone GirlReese Witherspoon, WildPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Supporting Role
Jk Simmons, Whiplash
Robert Duvall, The JudgeEthan Hawke, BoyhoodEdward Norton, BirdmanMark Ruffalo...
- 2/23/2015
- ScreenDaily
A memorable 87th annual Academy Awards for Fox Searchlight saw Birdman claim best film, director and two other statuettes to tie with The Grand Budapest Hotel’s four-strong haul.
Boyhood, which entered the evening on six nominations and had been expected to push Birdman in several of the senior categories on Sunday night, won a sole best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.
The film’s time in the Oscar ceremony spotlight will not be forgotten, however, as Arquette paid tribute to her “Boyhood family” and made an impassioned plea for wage equality that spread like wildfire across social media.
Eddie Redmayne from The Theory Of Everything prevailed in a tight best actor contest to deny Michael Keaton another success for Birdman. The popular victory had the British actor jumping with excitement on stage at the Dolby Theatre.
Julianne Moore finally converted her fifth Academy Award nomination into a win for her performance in Still Alice in what...
Boyhood, which entered the evening on six nominations and had been expected to push Birdman in several of the senior categories on Sunday night, won a sole best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.
The film’s time in the Oscar ceremony spotlight will not be forgotten, however, as Arquette paid tribute to her “Boyhood family” and made an impassioned plea for wage equality that spread like wildfire across social media.
Eddie Redmayne from The Theory Of Everything prevailed in a tight best actor contest to deny Michael Keaton another success for Birdman. The popular victory had the British actor jumping with excitement on stage at the Dolby Theatre.
Julianne Moore finally converted her fifth Academy Award nomination into a win for her performance in Still Alice in what...
- 2/23/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Oscars are over and so here is the full list of winners from The 87th Oscars.
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Costume Design
Milena Canonero – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges – Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood – Into The Woods
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive – Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran – Mr. Turner
Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher – Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
Guardians Of The Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White
Foreign Language Film
Ida – Poland; Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Leviathan – Russia; Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Tangerines – Estonia; Directed by Zaza Urushadze
Timbuktu – Mauritania; Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
Wild Tales – Argentina; Directed by Damián Szifron
Short Film (Live Action)
Aya – Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
Boogaloo And Graham – Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak...
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Costume Design
Milena Canonero – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges – Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood – Into The Woods
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive – Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran – Mr. Turner
Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher – Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
Guardians Of The Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White
Foreign Language Film
Ida – Poland; Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Leviathan – Russia; Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Tangerines – Estonia; Directed by Zaza Urushadze
Timbuktu – Mauritania; Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
Wild Tales – Argentina; Directed by Damián Szifron
Short Film (Live Action)
Aya – Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
Boogaloo And Graham – Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak...
- 2/23/2015
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
Oscar 2015 winners (photo: Chris Pratt during Oscar 2015 rehearsals) The complete list of Oscar 2015 winners and nominees can be found below. See also: Oscar 2015 presenters and performers. Now, a little Oscar 2015 trivia. If you know a bit about the history of the Academy Awards, you'll have noticed several little curiosities about this year's nominations. For instance, there are quite a few first-time nominees in the acting and directing categories. In fact, nine of the nominated actors and three of the nominated directors are Oscar newcomers. Here's the list in the acting categories: Eddie Redmayne. Michael Keaton. Steve Carell. Benedict Cumberbatch. Felicity Jones. Rosamund Pike. J.K. Simmons. Emma Stone. Patricia Arquette. The three directors are: Morten Tyldum. Richard Linklater. Wes Anderson. Oscar 2015 comebacks Oscar 2015 also marks the Academy Awards' "comeback" of several performers and directors last nominated years ago. Marion Cotillard and Reese Witherspoon won Best Actress Oscars for, respectively, Olivier Dahan...
- 2/22/2015
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
All the winners from Sunday’s 87th Academy Awards.
Show host Harris signs off with a chirpy, “Buenos noches!”
Sean Penn walks on. It’s time for the big one. Best film. Will it be Birdman or Boyhood? It’s Birdman! The movie ends the night tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel on four Oscars. Inarritu, referring to his pal Alfonso Cuaron who enjoyed success with Gravity at last year’s show, says, “Two Mexicans in a row. That’s suspicious, I guess.” Slightly more seriously, Agi also calls on his fellow Mexicans to help build a strong future for his beloved country. Wow, a good night for Birdman and a surprisingly barren one for Boyhood. Pirates indeed, Ethan Hawke, but glorious pirates.
And now Matthew McConaughey saunters on stage to announce best actress. Julianne Moore, five times a nominee at the Oscars is the favourite. Will she get it this time for Still Alice? Yes she’s got...
Show host Harris signs off with a chirpy, “Buenos noches!”
Sean Penn walks on. It’s time for the big one. Best film. Will it be Birdman or Boyhood? It’s Birdman! The movie ends the night tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel on four Oscars. Inarritu, referring to his pal Alfonso Cuaron who enjoyed success with Gravity at last year’s show, says, “Two Mexicans in a row. That’s suspicious, I guess.” Slightly more seriously, Agi also calls on his fellow Mexicans to help build a strong future for his beloved country. Wow, a good night for Birdman and a surprisingly barren one for Boyhood. Pirates indeed, Ethan Hawke, but glorious pirates.
And now Matthew McConaughey saunters on stage to announce best actress. Julianne Moore, five times a nominee at the Oscars is the favourite. Will she get it this time for Still Alice? Yes she’s got...
- 2/22/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This year's Oscar-nominated Live Action Shorts feature a range of topics from the madness of family life to culture shock to chance encounters to desiring what we don't have, but all are are indeed emotional, heartwarming watches. Read More: The Year's Best Live Action Short Films, Plus Our Pick to Win Oscar Get a glimpse of all five nominees in the trailer below, followed by individual videos that highlight the films' directors who provide a bit more insight. All of the nominated shorts are now available on VOD. Live Action Shorts Trailer "Aya," Dirs. Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun "Boogaloo and Graham," Dir. Michael Lennox "Butter Lamp" ("La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak"), Dir. Hu Wei "Parvaneh," Dir. Talkhon Hamzavi "The Phone Call," Dr. Mat Kirkby Read More: Watch: Get to Know This Year's Oscar-Nominated Short Documentary Directors...
- 2/20/2015
- by Jena Keahon
- Indiewire
When the first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, 1929, at an Academy banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, movies had just begun to talk. The attendance was 270 and guest tickets cost $5. It was a long banquet, filled with speeches, but presentation of the statuettes was handled expeditiously by Academy President Douglas Fairbanks.
The suspense that now touches most of the world at Oscar time was not always a characteristic of the Awards presentation. That first year, the award recipients were announced to the public three months ahead of the ceremony.
Today, Oscar pundits and fans alike avidly watch the precursor and guild awards to ultimately make their predictions in the 24 categories. Academy members have cast their ballots, so now it’s our turn for our Oscar picks.
Need some help in that office Oscar pool or at the party you’re throwing at home? Wamg is here to help.
The suspense that now touches most of the world at Oscar time was not always a characteristic of the Awards presentation. That first year, the award recipients were announced to the public three months ahead of the ceremony.
Today, Oscar pundits and fans alike avidly watch the precursor and guild awards to ultimately make their predictions in the 24 categories. Academy members have cast their ballots, so now it’s our turn for our Oscar picks.
Need some help in that office Oscar pool or at the party you’re throwing at home? Wamg is here to help.
- 2/19/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
©A.M.P.A.S.
By Melissa Thompson, Gary Salem and Michelle McCue
Oscar Week 2015 has arrived. The week kicked off with the filmmakers of the Oscar nominated short films.
Actor Sean Astin hosted the Academy’s “Oscar Celebrates: Shorts” event on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Astin was a perfect choice. His short film Kangaroo Court was nominated for an Oscar back in 1995, and its quite obvious he has a passion for the genre.
He spoke about what it was like when he was nominated in that category and being excited about the possibility of winning (It was actually a tie between 2 shorts that year, and his film was not one of them). Said Astin wryly, “I told myself we probably came in 3rd.”
He was very engaging in Q&A panel and asked the perfect smart and brief questions to keep things moving along.
By Melissa Thompson, Gary Salem and Michelle McCue
Oscar Week 2015 has arrived. The week kicked off with the filmmakers of the Oscar nominated short films.
Actor Sean Astin hosted the Academy’s “Oscar Celebrates: Shorts” event on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Astin was a perfect choice. His short film Kangaroo Court was nominated for an Oscar back in 1995, and its quite obvious he has a passion for the genre.
He spoke about what it was like when he was nominated in that category and being excited about the possibility of winning (It was actually a tie between 2 shorts that year, and his film was not one of them). Said Astin wryly, “I told myself we probably came in 3rd.”
He was very engaging in Q&A panel and asked the perfect smart and brief questions to keep things moving along.
- 2/18/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Take a sigh of relief, the Oscars are finally upon us. How many months will we squeeze out of 2015 before pundits start incessantly chattering about Awards Season again?
With any luck, 2016 will not be as contentious and as close of a race for Best Picture as it was this year. It has created a lot of excitement and confidence that the winner will be a strong one, but it has also created a lot of controversy and bile and disappointment.
My predictions for 2015 reflect the consensus of what will happen, not what should. But then with this year, anything can happen.
Best Picture
American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Imitation Game The Grand Budapest Hotel Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash
After almost near sweeps of critic prizes and the dominant film on Best of the Year lists by a wide margin, Boyhood may very well lose the Oscar for Best Picture on Sunday night.
With any luck, 2016 will not be as contentious and as close of a race for Best Picture as it was this year. It has created a lot of excitement and confidence that the winner will be a strong one, but it has also created a lot of controversy and bile and disappointment.
My predictions for 2015 reflect the consensus of what will happen, not what should. But then with this year, anything can happen.
Best Picture
American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Imitation Game The Grand Budapest Hotel Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash
After almost near sweeps of critic prizes and the dominant film on Best of the Year lists by a wide margin, Boyhood may very well lose the Oscar for Best Picture on Sunday night.
- 2/18/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
With the Oscars just around the corner, it’s time to lay down my predictions for all 24 categories. While, as usual, most categories seem like a pretty solid lock, there’s always the possibility of a surprise or two, so let’s get right to it.
Best Animated Short Film
“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove
“A Single Life” Joris Oprins
Best Live Action Short Film
“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry
“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz
“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski...
Best Animated Short Film
“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove
“A Single Life” Joris Oprins
Best Live Action Short Film
“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry
“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz
“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski...
- 2/18/2015
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
ShortsHD is once again bringing the wildly popular Oscar Nominated Short Film program (Live Action, Animation, and Documentary) to theaters everywhere.
The theatrical release of The Oscar Nominated Short Films has met enthusiastic audiences ever since its launch 10 years ago giving people around the world an opportunity to see the nominated films prior to the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 22.
Below are the Live Action nominees’ reactions to their nominations.
Live Action
Aya
Israel & France / 39 mins
Directors: Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun
Producers: Yael Abecassis, Hilel Rozman, Pablo Mehler
Co-writer: Tom Shoval
Production: Cassis Films (Israel), Divine Productions (France)
Two strangers unexpectedly meet at an airport. He mistakenly assumes her to be his assigned driver. She, enchanted by the random encounter, does not hurry to prove him wrong.
Boogaloo And Graham
UK / 14 mins
Director: Michael Lennox
Producer: Brian J. Falconer
Writer: Ronan Blaney
Jamesy and Malachy are over the moon...
The theatrical release of The Oscar Nominated Short Films has met enthusiastic audiences ever since its launch 10 years ago giving people around the world an opportunity to see the nominated films prior to the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 22.
Below are the Live Action nominees’ reactions to their nominations.
Live Action
Aya
Israel & France / 39 mins
Directors: Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun
Producers: Yael Abecassis, Hilel Rozman, Pablo Mehler
Co-writer: Tom Shoval
Production: Cassis Films (Israel), Divine Productions (France)
Two strangers unexpectedly meet at an airport. He mistakenly assumes her to be his assigned driver. She, enchanted by the random encounter, does not hurry to prove him wrong.
Boogaloo And Graham
UK / 14 mins
Director: Michael Lennox
Producer: Brian J. Falconer
Writer: Ronan Blaney
Jamesy and Malachy are over the moon...
- 2/14/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Butter Lamp
Written & Directed by Hu Wei
France & China, 2013
For the nomad yak herders who live in Tibet, iconic Chinese images like Tiananmen Square, a scene from the Beijing Olympics, and the cartoon faces at China’s Disneyland, are simply part of the “outside world” and seem to have little to do with their lives. “They are not familiar with those cultures at all,” said Chinese Director Wei Hu. “However it does not mean that the two are separated.”
In Wei’s short film Butter Lamp, these locals come face to face with these images, posing in family photographs in front of tourist trap locales while the glorious mountains of their home lay ignored in the background, captured in the film’s remarkable final shot.
Tibet’s culture is slowly vanishing, with “globalization and deterritorilization”, as Wei argues, gradually changing the nomadic lifestyle and the families who live in the region.
Written & Directed by Hu Wei
France & China, 2013
For the nomad yak herders who live in Tibet, iconic Chinese images like Tiananmen Square, a scene from the Beijing Olympics, and the cartoon faces at China’s Disneyland, are simply part of the “outside world” and seem to have little to do with their lives. “They are not familiar with those cultures at all,” said Chinese Director Wei Hu. “However it does not mean that the two are separated.”
In Wei’s short film Butter Lamp, these locals come face to face with these images, posing in family photographs in front of tourist trap locales while the glorious mountains of their home lay ignored in the background, captured in the film’s remarkable final shot.
Tibet’s culture is slowly vanishing, with “globalization and deterritorilization”, as Wei argues, gradually changing the nomadic lifestyle and the families who live in the region.
- 2/9/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Of the five live action shorts nominated for an Academy Award this year, Chinese filmmaker Hu Wei’s “Butter Lamp” (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak) is the most unconventional cinematic statement. Shot in a single location and with an entire cast of non-professional actors, the film captures a fictional moment in time in the fast-changing lives of a real community. The events are scripted; the individuals recreating them are truly part of this world.
Nameless people from all walks of life within a Tibetan community take advantage of the rare opportunity to get their picture taken against an array of backgrounds that range from holy sites to the busy city streets. Through the interactions between the traveling photographer and the Tibetan nomads, we learn about the subtle but irreversible clash between their traditional lifestyle and the ravaging hunger of the modern world. The latter is eager to eradicate all that is considered obsolete.
Cell phones, a motorbike, and Western-style clothing are all signs of this voracious transformation that has no boundaries. Homogenizing all aspects of human life, even in remote areas of the planet, is eradicating ancient practices that contribute to our rich diversity.
Subtly and with a unique format, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker expresses his concern regarding this in his enthralling 15-minute short. Hu Wei is in Los Angeles partaking in all the Oscar-related events and met with us for a conversation about his unexpectedly successful work.
Aguilar: “Butter Lamp” feels like it exists in a place between documentary and fiction. Why did you opt for the latter? Was making it a non-fiction film a possibility you considered?
Hu Wei: Firs of all, there cannot be a documentary about these events or these stories because such practice of people taking photos against backgrounds like these doesn’t exist in Tibet. However, it’s very popular in Mainland China. Also, from the very beginning this film was always conceived as fiction. It cannot be a documentary. It has to be a narrative.
Aguilar: Was the entire cast made of non-professional actors?
Hu Wei: They were non-actors, but the scenes were rehearsed. This is my third short film and I’ve never worked with professional actors. I prefer to work with non-professionals because what I want to get across can only be express by these people.
Aguilar: Globalization seems to be changing the way these people live even if it’s subtle. Is this clash between tradition and modernity something that concerns you?
Hu Wei: What I wanted to express in the film is that there are already changes happening among the Tibetan people. You can see things like the motorbike or the cell phones that everyone uses. This is an ever-changing process in which people are changing by globalization and modernization happening around the world everyday. The Tibetan people are included in this process. Everyday is different than the one before, so what I wanted to do was to capture the current state, which might vanish very soon. I wanted to encompass all the changes that are happening right now in this 15-minute short film. That’s why I used the photographs as main element in the film.
Aguilar: How did you get involved with the Tibetan people and why did you feel photography had to be the central element in the film?
Hu Wei: For me a taking photograph is similar to how one preserves a mummy. Everything that happens in the film is vanishing, so maybe the things we see there, which existed when I was making the film, have already disappeared. What inspired me to create this film in the first place was my experience in university from 2004 to 2006. During these three years I visited Tibet three times, once each year.
When I was there the first time I visited this little village and there were about 20 Tibetan nomad families living there in this vast land. I lived there with one of these families, and I took photographs for them as well as for their neighbors and other families in the village. The following year when I returned to the same village there were only about 10 households left. I had brought back the photographs I took of them because I had promised to give them to them because they had never had their phonograph taken. Sadly, the family I had stayed with the first time was now gone as well as some of the other families. I was very upset.
Then, the third year when I went back to this village, there were only 3 households left. I was wondering were all those people went and I learned that they left because of a new Socialist countryside program, which offered free housing in new buildings for these nomad people to give up their traditional lifestyle. It was just like what happens in the film, when the chief of the village announces that there will be visitors in charge this new program. This is why these people are moving away from their villages and why these changes are taking place.
Aguilar: By getting their photographs taken are these people preserving their identity? Was this something you thought about while developing the film?
Hu Wei: After I finished university in China I went to France in 2008, and I was a foreign student there. During the years I lived in France I thought a lot about the issue of identity. Being there made me rethink this. I’m originally from China, but how much of my Chinese cultural tradition did I carry with me while I was there? I feel that when I was in France I was in an isolated island. I was neither French nor Chinese at that moment. This developed a certain anxiety regarding identity.
At the same time I thought about my experiences in Tibet. What these people feel is similar to what I was experiencing in France. While there, I went to an art exhibit in Paris and I saw a photograph from Michael Nash called Warsaw, 1946. I was really touched by it. What I studied in Paris was painting, installation art, and photography. Paintings and photographs are 2D mediums, and what I had studied in China was filmmaking, which is tridimensional. They are quite different mediums but I still found this photograph intriguing.
What really attracted me to this photograph was the attitude of this old lady, she is smiling, which reminded me of the optimistic people living in Tibet. Even if this woman just lost her home because of the war, she is taking a photograph against this artificial background. She is very optimistic.
Aguilar: In your film another interesting element is the clothing that the photographer puts on these people. Jackets, sunglasses, and other Western-style garments. But there is one young guy that refuses to take the photograph because he doesn’t want to change his clothes. Tell me about the significant of these elements.
Hu Wei: What this particular character was wearing is the traditional Tibetan clothing, but in fact many of the Tibetan youth don’t’ want to wear the traditional outfit anymore. They want to look like everyone else in the world. In the case of my character, his mother made the leather jacket he wears, and after she died he decided not to take it off, even if it’s pretty hot during that time.
Because other young people are no longer wearing traditional clothes, he is now the one who is different. At the end of the film he brings this butter lamp for the photographer to take to Potala Palace. It’s for the monks to burn in order to mourn his mother. But to me it’s not just about his mother, it’s also about mourning the culture and traditions that are dying and disappearing.
Aguilar: When the photographer is ready to leave, we see this unfinished bridge in the background. It’s a powerful image that shows us how rapidly the urban sprawl is advancing.
Hu Wei: This image is a metaphor. The bridge you see in the background wasn’t really there. It was done through VFX. The bridge we see is still in construction and it represents the road towards modernity. This town is on a plateau, which is about 5000 meters above sea level. The geographical location preserved their tradition for a long time, but today even a place as isolated as this is subjected to changes.
Aguilar: How did you get involved with the project Julien?
Julien Féret : We met in Paris when he was studying there. He told me he had this idea and I read the script. I thought it was a very particular project. It took us a long time to make it, although it didn't take us long to get the financing because we had the chance to be funded by the French National Center for Cinematography and a French TV Channel. It was very complicated to make it happen and to shoot out there in Tibet with the local people.
Aguilar: How was the process of finding the specific people you needed to tell such particular story?
Hu Wei: Before we started shooting we went to a lot of different locations and we met with many Tibetan nomads. We went around the households in the area asking people if they wanted to be part of the film. Of course, some did accept and others would say no. With the ones who were willing to participate we rehearsed for five days before shooting. Then we took one day off, and then we shot the film for five days.
Aguilar: Given that the film takes place in a single location why did you decide to shoot on location in Tibet? Could you have done it anywhere else?
Hu Wei: At the beginning Julien and other people suggested we should make the film in France. There are a lot of Tibetan people there who could make it happen, but the most important thing for me was the authenticity. I felt that I could only find people in this particular state of mind or situation in the actual place: Tibet. These are people who had never had their photograph taken, much less being filmed, and they have a unique attitude towards things. They were all really excited.
Aguilar: The Academy Award nomination might be the culminating point for “Butter Lamp,” but the film has had a long journey to get to this point.
Hu Wei: "Butter Lamp" was first screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013, and from that point on it has been selected by over 300 film festivals. I'm very glad that I've been able to share this 15-minute short with people from different countries, backgrounds, and religions.
Aguilar: Tell me about your Oscar experience
Hu Wei: I was quite surprised because I feel like "Butter Lamp" is not your typical Oscar-nominated short film. I’m very happy we are nominated.
Aguilar: Your film has connected with an incredible amount of people during its festival run. Why do you think people have found it so appealing even if they don’t know anything about this part of the world?
Hu Wei: I created this film based on my own experience. For me it’s like looking into a mirror. When I look at these Tibetan people I also look at myself and how I've changed because of globalization and modernization. I also think about where these changes are leading us. Maybe other people felt the same way when watching it. The film also uses a quite unique format and that might also be part of why people where drawn to it.
Aguilar: What are you working on now, a feature film perhaps?
Hu Wei: Right now I'm writing a script for a feature and I'm working on another short film about one person living alone in a tropical forest. Throughout the whole film there is no dialogue. We are still deciding where we are going to shoot it.
Nameless people from all walks of life within a Tibetan community take advantage of the rare opportunity to get their picture taken against an array of backgrounds that range from holy sites to the busy city streets. Through the interactions between the traveling photographer and the Tibetan nomads, we learn about the subtle but irreversible clash between their traditional lifestyle and the ravaging hunger of the modern world. The latter is eager to eradicate all that is considered obsolete.
Cell phones, a motorbike, and Western-style clothing are all signs of this voracious transformation that has no boundaries. Homogenizing all aspects of human life, even in remote areas of the planet, is eradicating ancient practices that contribute to our rich diversity.
Subtly and with a unique format, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker expresses his concern regarding this in his enthralling 15-minute short. Hu Wei is in Los Angeles partaking in all the Oscar-related events and met with us for a conversation about his unexpectedly successful work.
Aguilar: “Butter Lamp” feels like it exists in a place between documentary and fiction. Why did you opt for the latter? Was making it a non-fiction film a possibility you considered?
Hu Wei: Firs of all, there cannot be a documentary about these events or these stories because such practice of people taking photos against backgrounds like these doesn’t exist in Tibet. However, it’s very popular in Mainland China. Also, from the very beginning this film was always conceived as fiction. It cannot be a documentary. It has to be a narrative.
Aguilar: Was the entire cast made of non-professional actors?
Hu Wei: They were non-actors, but the scenes were rehearsed. This is my third short film and I’ve never worked with professional actors. I prefer to work with non-professionals because what I want to get across can only be express by these people.
Aguilar: Globalization seems to be changing the way these people live even if it’s subtle. Is this clash between tradition and modernity something that concerns you?
Hu Wei: What I wanted to express in the film is that there are already changes happening among the Tibetan people. You can see things like the motorbike or the cell phones that everyone uses. This is an ever-changing process in which people are changing by globalization and modernization happening around the world everyday. The Tibetan people are included in this process. Everyday is different than the one before, so what I wanted to do was to capture the current state, which might vanish very soon. I wanted to encompass all the changes that are happening right now in this 15-minute short film. That’s why I used the photographs as main element in the film.
Aguilar: How did you get involved with the Tibetan people and why did you feel photography had to be the central element in the film?
Hu Wei: For me a taking photograph is similar to how one preserves a mummy. Everything that happens in the film is vanishing, so maybe the things we see there, which existed when I was making the film, have already disappeared. What inspired me to create this film in the first place was my experience in university from 2004 to 2006. During these three years I visited Tibet three times, once each year.
When I was there the first time I visited this little village and there were about 20 Tibetan nomad families living there in this vast land. I lived there with one of these families, and I took photographs for them as well as for their neighbors and other families in the village. The following year when I returned to the same village there were only about 10 households left. I had brought back the photographs I took of them because I had promised to give them to them because they had never had their phonograph taken. Sadly, the family I had stayed with the first time was now gone as well as some of the other families. I was very upset.
Then, the third year when I went back to this village, there were only 3 households left. I was wondering were all those people went and I learned that they left because of a new Socialist countryside program, which offered free housing in new buildings for these nomad people to give up their traditional lifestyle. It was just like what happens in the film, when the chief of the village announces that there will be visitors in charge this new program. This is why these people are moving away from their villages and why these changes are taking place.
Aguilar: By getting their photographs taken are these people preserving their identity? Was this something you thought about while developing the film?
Hu Wei: After I finished university in China I went to France in 2008, and I was a foreign student there. During the years I lived in France I thought a lot about the issue of identity. Being there made me rethink this. I’m originally from China, but how much of my Chinese cultural tradition did I carry with me while I was there? I feel that when I was in France I was in an isolated island. I was neither French nor Chinese at that moment. This developed a certain anxiety regarding identity.
At the same time I thought about my experiences in Tibet. What these people feel is similar to what I was experiencing in France. While there, I went to an art exhibit in Paris and I saw a photograph from Michael Nash called Warsaw, 1946. I was really touched by it. What I studied in Paris was painting, installation art, and photography. Paintings and photographs are 2D mediums, and what I had studied in China was filmmaking, which is tridimensional. They are quite different mediums but I still found this photograph intriguing.
What really attracted me to this photograph was the attitude of this old lady, she is smiling, which reminded me of the optimistic people living in Tibet. Even if this woman just lost her home because of the war, she is taking a photograph against this artificial background. She is very optimistic.
Aguilar: In your film another interesting element is the clothing that the photographer puts on these people. Jackets, sunglasses, and other Western-style garments. But there is one young guy that refuses to take the photograph because he doesn’t want to change his clothes. Tell me about the significant of these elements.
Hu Wei: What this particular character was wearing is the traditional Tibetan clothing, but in fact many of the Tibetan youth don’t’ want to wear the traditional outfit anymore. They want to look like everyone else in the world. In the case of my character, his mother made the leather jacket he wears, and after she died he decided not to take it off, even if it’s pretty hot during that time.
Because other young people are no longer wearing traditional clothes, he is now the one who is different. At the end of the film he brings this butter lamp for the photographer to take to Potala Palace. It’s for the monks to burn in order to mourn his mother. But to me it’s not just about his mother, it’s also about mourning the culture and traditions that are dying and disappearing.
Aguilar: When the photographer is ready to leave, we see this unfinished bridge in the background. It’s a powerful image that shows us how rapidly the urban sprawl is advancing.
Hu Wei: This image is a metaphor. The bridge you see in the background wasn’t really there. It was done through VFX. The bridge we see is still in construction and it represents the road towards modernity. This town is on a plateau, which is about 5000 meters above sea level. The geographical location preserved their tradition for a long time, but today even a place as isolated as this is subjected to changes.
Aguilar: How did you get involved with the project Julien?
Julien Féret : We met in Paris when he was studying there. He told me he had this idea and I read the script. I thought it was a very particular project. It took us a long time to make it, although it didn't take us long to get the financing because we had the chance to be funded by the French National Center for Cinematography and a French TV Channel. It was very complicated to make it happen and to shoot out there in Tibet with the local people.
Aguilar: How was the process of finding the specific people you needed to tell such particular story?
Hu Wei: Before we started shooting we went to a lot of different locations and we met with many Tibetan nomads. We went around the households in the area asking people if they wanted to be part of the film. Of course, some did accept and others would say no. With the ones who were willing to participate we rehearsed for five days before shooting. Then we took one day off, and then we shot the film for five days.
Aguilar: Given that the film takes place in a single location why did you decide to shoot on location in Tibet? Could you have done it anywhere else?
Hu Wei: At the beginning Julien and other people suggested we should make the film in France. There are a lot of Tibetan people there who could make it happen, but the most important thing for me was the authenticity. I felt that I could only find people in this particular state of mind or situation in the actual place: Tibet. These are people who had never had their photograph taken, much less being filmed, and they have a unique attitude towards things. They were all really excited.
Aguilar: The Academy Award nomination might be the culminating point for “Butter Lamp,” but the film has had a long journey to get to this point.
Hu Wei: "Butter Lamp" was first screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013, and from that point on it has been selected by over 300 film festivals. I'm very glad that I've been able to share this 15-minute short with people from different countries, backgrounds, and religions.
Aguilar: Tell me about your Oscar experience
Hu Wei: I was quite surprised because I feel like "Butter Lamp" is not your typical Oscar-nominated short film. I’m very happy we are nominated.
Aguilar: Your film has connected with an incredible amount of people during its festival run. Why do you think people have found it so appealing even if they don’t know anything about this part of the world?
Hu Wei: I created this film based on my own experience. For me it’s like looking into a mirror. When I look at these Tibetan people I also look at myself and how I've changed because of globalization and modernization. I also think about where these changes are leading us. Maybe other people felt the same way when watching it. The film also uses a quite unique format and that might also be part of why people where drawn to it.
Aguilar: What are you working on now, a feature film perhaps?
Hu Wei: Right now I'm writing a script for a feature and I'm working on another short film about one person living alone in a tropical forest. Throughout the whole film there is no dialogue. We are still deciding where we are going to shoot it.
- 2/9/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
ShortsHD, the Short Movie Channel, and Magnolia Pictures are partnering to release 2015’s Oscar-nominated Short Films in a record 450+ theaters in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America on Friday, January 30. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2015 will showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short film nominees as three separate theatrical events. This will be the only theatrical screening for the films prior to the 87th Academy Awards on February 22. This year’s release includes the following nominated short films:
Live Action Short Film Nominees
Aya
Directors: Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
Synopsis: A young woman waiting at an airport has an unexpected encounter with an arriving passenger.
Countries of origin: France, Israel
Trt: 39:50
Language: Hebrew, English
Boogaloo and Graham
Directors: Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
Synopsis: Jamesy and Malachy are presented with two baby chicks to raise by their soft-hearted father.
Country of origin: UK
Trt: 14:...
Live Action Short Film Nominees
Aya
Directors: Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
Synopsis: A young woman waiting at an airport has an unexpected encounter with an arriving passenger.
Countries of origin: France, Israel
Trt: 39:50
Language: Hebrew, English
Boogaloo and Graham
Directors: Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
Synopsis: Jamesy and Malachy are presented with two baby chicks to raise by their soft-hearted father.
Country of origin: UK
Trt: 14:...
- 1/19/2015
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
Seven Oscar nominations represent the diversity and richness of French cinema today, a genuine melting pot with a global vision and an amazing capacity to combine cultural influences and innovative style.
Marion Cotillard in the Best Actress category for her role in "Two Days, One Night" by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Sundance Selects)
"Timbuktu" by Abderrahmane Sissako (Cohen Media Group) in the Best Foreign Film category representing Mauritania
"The Salt of the Earth" by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro SalgadoJuliano Ribeiro Salgado (Sony Pictures Classics) in the Best Documentary Category
Alexandre Desplat in the Best Score category for the films "The Imitation Game" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Song of the Sea" by Tom Moore (Gkids), a French minority co-production running for Best Animated Film
"The Butter Lamp" by Hu Wei and Julien Féret in the Best Short Film category
Congratulations to Unifrance and to its U.S. Representative, Adeline Monzier who coincidently also is in charge of U.S. In Progress, the twice yearly event held in Poland in November and Paris in June which awards U.S. Indies post-production services while introducing the filmmakers to European distributors, sales agents and festival programmers!
Marion Cotillard in the Best Actress category for her role in "Two Days, One Night" by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Sundance Selects)
"Timbuktu" by Abderrahmane Sissako (Cohen Media Group) in the Best Foreign Film category representing Mauritania
"The Salt of the Earth" by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro SalgadoJuliano Ribeiro Salgado (Sony Pictures Classics) in the Best Documentary Category
Alexandre Desplat in the Best Score category for the films "The Imitation Game" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Song of the Sea" by Tom Moore (Gkids), a French minority co-production running for Best Animated Film
"The Butter Lamp" by Hu Wei and Julien Féret in the Best Short Film category
Congratulations to Unifrance and to its U.S. Representative, Adeline Monzier who coincidently also is in charge of U.S. In Progress, the twice yearly event held in Poland in November and Paris in June which awards U.S. Indies post-production services while introducing the filmmakers to European distributors, sales agents and festival programmers!
- 1/19/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
It’s going to be another fabulous year at the Oscars, and this morning (January 15) the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled their nominees for the 87th Academy Awards.
All in all, there were no real surprises, with Steve Carell, Bradley Cooper, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton and Benedict Cumberbatch all scoring nods for Best Actor. And predictably the Best Actress hopefuls include Felicity Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Rosamund Pike, Marion Cotillard and Julianne Moore (however, Jennifer Aniston missed out!).
As far as the Best Picture nominees, “Whiplash,” “The Theory of Everything,” “Selma,” “The Imitation Game,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Boyhood,” “Birdman,” and “American Sniper” are all in the running. The 87th Academy Awards will go live on February 22nd. And the nominees are…
Best Picture
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
Birdman
The Theory of Everything
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Whiplash
Selma
American Sniper
Best Actress
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Reese Witherspoon,...
All in all, there were no real surprises, with Steve Carell, Bradley Cooper, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton and Benedict Cumberbatch all scoring nods for Best Actor. And predictably the Best Actress hopefuls include Felicity Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Rosamund Pike, Marion Cotillard and Julianne Moore (however, Jennifer Aniston missed out!).
As far as the Best Picture nominees, “Whiplash,” “The Theory of Everything,” “Selma,” “The Imitation Game,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Boyhood,” “Birdman,” and “American Sniper” are all in the running. The 87th Academy Awards will go live on February 22nd. And the nominees are…
Best Picture
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
Birdman
The Theory of Everything
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Whiplash
Selma
American Sniper
Best Actress
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Reese Witherspoon,...
- 1/15/2015
- GossipCenter
Good Morning Oscar fans! Today is nomination day!
Wamg was in the thick of nomination morning fever at the home of the Oscars – the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Prior to the announcement, A.M.P.A.S. and the show’s producing team, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, gave the press assembled in the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre a first look at the new Oscar promo featuring host Neil Patrick Harris, titled “Anything Can Happen,” and given what went down this morning, that’s certainly the case.
Let’s get right to the big shockers – No Lego Movie for Best Animated Feature or Life Itself in Best Documentary Feature.
Also missing among the presumed nominees were Ava DuVernay (Selma, directing), Clint Eastwood (American Sniper, directing), Jennifer Aniston (Cake, best actress), David Oyelowo (Selma, best actor), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, best actor), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, best actor), Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl,...
Wamg was in the thick of nomination morning fever at the home of the Oscars – the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Prior to the announcement, A.M.P.A.S. and the show’s producing team, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, gave the press assembled in the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre a first look at the new Oscar promo featuring host Neil Patrick Harris, titled “Anything Can Happen,” and given what went down this morning, that’s certainly the case.
Let’s get right to the big shockers – No Lego Movie for Best Animated Feature or Life Itself in Best Documentary Feature.
Also missing among the presumed nominees were Ava DuVernay (Selma, directing), Clint Eastwood (American Sniper, directing), Jennifer Aniston (Cake, best actress), David Oyelowo (Selma, best actor), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, best actor), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, best actor), Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl,...
- 1/15/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The nominations for the 87th Academy Awards are in! 2014 was packed full of lots of great movies, and all the films and actors that have been nominated are deserving of it.
Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman and leading the pack and are tied with nine nominations. The Imitation Game comes in third with seven, followed by Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, each with six. All five of these movies have received Best Picture nominations along with three other films — Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash.
Neil Patrick Harris is set to host The 87th Annual Academy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 22nd, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood and will air on ABC.
I'm pretty happy with the nominations this year, although I am a little disappointed that Guardians of the Galaxy...
Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman and leading the pack and are tied with nine nominations. The Imitation Game comes in third with seven, followed by Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, each with six. All five of these movies have received Best Picture nominations along with three other films — Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash.
Neil Patrick Harris is set to host The 87th Annual Academy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 22nd, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood and will air on ABC.
I'm pretty happy with the nominations this year, although I am a little disappointed that Guardians of the Galaxy...
- 1/15/2015
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has just finished announcing their nominees for the 87th Annual Academy Awards, with Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel leading the way with nine nominations apiece, followed by The Imitation Game with eight. As usual, there were plenty of surprises to be found this morning, so let’s take a look at a few:
Selma ended up not making as grand a showing as many thought it would, nabbing only two nominations (Best Picture and Best Original Song). In a shocking turn of events, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl has been snubbed from Best Adapted Screenplay after being the leader throughout awards season, making it a wide-open category. Bennett Miller made a completely surprising appearance in Best Director for Foxcatcher, while Steve Carell managed to squeeze into the incredibly crowded Best Actor category. Bradley Cooper has also managed to sneak into Best Actor for American Sniper.
Selma ended up not making as grand a showing as many thought it would, nabbing only two nominations (Best Picture and Best Original Song). In a shocking turn of events, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl has been snubbed from Best Adapted Screenplay after being the leader throughout awards season, making it a wide-open category. Bennett Miller made a completely surprising appearance in Best Director for Foxcatcher, while Steve Carell managed to squeeze into the incredibly crowded Best Actor category. Bradley Cooper has also managed to sneak into Best Actor for American Sniper.
- 1/15/2015
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
Full list of nominations for the 87th Academy Awards.Oscars 2015The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman lead chargeTimothy Spall, David Oyelowo among shutoutsNominees reactionsBest Film nominees in detail
Comment: Jeremy Kay reflects on who’s in and outGALLERIES: Films / ActorsVIDEO: Nominations announcement2014 Nominations
(presented in 2015)Best motion picture of the year“American Sniper” Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers“Boyhood” Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers“The Imitation Game” Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers“Selma” Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers“The Theory of Everything” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers“Whiplash” Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, ProducersPerformance by an actor in a leading roleSteve Carell in “[link...
Comment: Jeremy Kay reflects on who’s in and outGALLERIES: Films / ActorsVIDEO: Nominations announcement2014 Nominations
(presented in 2015)Best motion picture of the year“American Sniper” Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers“Boyhood” Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers“The Imitation Game” Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers“Selma” Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers“The Theory of Everything” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers“Whiplash” Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, ProducersPerformance by an actor in a leading roleSteve Carell in “[link...
- 1/15/2015
- ScreenDaily
After months of speculation and predictions, the nominees for the 2015 Academy Awards are here! Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel lead in nominations -- both receiving nine -- while American Sniper surprises with six nominations, leaving Selma being recognized in only two main categories.
As expected, Boyhood took six nominations and The Imitation Game landed a whopping eight. Meanwhile, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash and Foxcatcher all have five nominations each.
During a live announcement by Chris Pine, Academy president Cheryl Boone and directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams on Wednesday, the potential winners were revealed to the public.
Video: The Best and Worst Dressed at the 2014 Oscars
Getty Images
Check out the complete list of nominees, below:
Best motion picture of the year
• American Sniper
• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash
Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Steve Carell in [link...
As expected, Boyhood took six nominations and The Imitation Game landed a whopping eight. Meanwhile, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash and Foxcatcher all have five nominations each.
During a live announcement by Chris Pine, Academy president Cheryl Boone and directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams on Wednesday, the potential winners were revealed to the public.
Video: The Best and Worst Dressed at the 2014 Oscars
Getty Images
Check out the complete list of nominees, below:
Best motion picture of the year
• American Sniper
• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash
Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Steve Carell in [link...
- 1/15/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards. One hundred forty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)
“Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)
“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions)
“Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)
“My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)
“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)
“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films)
“Slr,” Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson,...
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)
“Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)
“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions)
“Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)
“My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)
“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)
“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films)
“Slr,” Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson,...
- 11/20/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Academy has whittled down 141 submissions to a shortlist of ten films in the running for the 87th Academy Awards.
The films in alphabetical order by title are:
Aya, dirs Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis;
Baghdad Messi, dir Sahim Omar Kalifa, pdr Kobe Van Steenberghe;
Boogaloo And Graham, dir Michael Lennox, wr Ronan Blaney;
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak), Hu Wei, director, pdr Julien Féret;
Carry On, dir Yatao Li;
My Father’s Truck, dir Maurício Osaki;
Parvaneh, dir Talkhon Hamzavi, pdr Stefan Eichenberger;
The Phone Call, dir Mat Kirkby, dir wr James Lucas;
Slr, dir Stephen Fingleton, pdr Matthew James Wilkinson;
Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol), dirs Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon.
The Academy’s short films and feature animation branch reviewing committee viewed all the eligible entries.
The branch will now select three to five nominees following a series of screenings in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The...
The films in alphabetical order by title are:
Aya, dirs Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis;
Baghdad Messi, dir Sahim Omar Kalifa, pdr Kobe Van Steenberghe;
Boogaloo And Graham, dir Michael Lennox, wr Ronan Blaney;
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak), Hu Wei, director, pdr Julien Féret;
Carry On, dir Yatao Li;
My Father’s Truck, dir Maurício Osaki;
Parvaneh, dir Talkhon Hamzavi, pdr Stefan Eichenberger;
The Phone Call, dir Mat Kirkby, dir wr James Lucas;
Slr, dir Stephen Fingleton, pdr Matthew James Wilkinson;
Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol), dirs Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon.
The Academy’s short films and feature animation branch reviewing committee viewed all the eligible entries.
The branch will now select three to five nominees following a series of screenings in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The...
- 11/20/2014
- ScreenDaily
The Academy has announced the 10 live-action short films that have advanced in this year's Oscar race. Five nominees will be announced along with all other categories on Jan. 15, 2015. Potential nominees come from across the globe, qualifying with either a short theatrical run or acceptance in a competitive festival. 141 pictures had originally qualified in the category. Recent winners include familiar names like Terry George, Martin McDonagh, and Andrea Arnold. A full list of the nominees below: “Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films) “Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions) “Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit) “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions) “Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology) “My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes) “Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director,...
- 11/20/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films) “Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions) “Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit) “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions) “Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology) “My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes) “Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts) “The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films) “Slr,” Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson, producer (Stigma Films) “Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol),” Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon, directors (GREENproductions)The Academy’s Short Films and Feature...
- 11/20/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Los Angeles, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards®. One hundred forty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)
“Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)
“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions)
“Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)
“My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)
“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)
“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films)
“Slr,” Stephen Fingleton,...
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)
“Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)
“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)
“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions)
“Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)
“My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)
“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)
“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films)
“Slr,” Stephen Fingleton,...
- 11/20/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
Top Croatian winners are Number 55, The Reaper and Happy Endings; Concrete Night wins international competition.
The 61st Pula Film Festival handed out its awards in the city’s stunning amphitheatre last night (July 26), with Kristijan Milić’s Number 55 winning best Croatian Film.
The jury said its award went to “the film produced according to highest professional standards and the film that achieves an authentic and emotional presentation of a true event from the Croatian War of Independence.”
The winning packages includes €10,000 worth of post production services from Teleking.
The film swept a number of prizes in the Croatian competition, including best screenplay and best director.
Set in 1991, Number 55 is based on a true story of a small group of Croatian soldiers who are ambushed while on patrol and have to hide from rebel Serbs, the Yugoslav Army and Serbian Special Forces.
The Reaper, about a lonely man coming to terms with his past crimes, won the two...
The 61st Pula Film Festival handed out its awards in the city’s stunning amphitheatre last night (July 26), with Kristijan Milić’s Number 55 winning best Croatian Film.
The jury said its award went to “the film produced according to highest professional standards and the film that achieves an authentic and emotional presentation of a true event from the Croatian War of Independence.”
The winning packages includes €10,000 worth of post production services from Teleking.
The film swept a number of prizes in the Croatian competition, including best screenplay and best director.
Set in 1991, Number 55 is based on a true story of a small group of Croatian soldiers who are ambushed while on patrol and have to hide from rebel Serbs, the Yugoslav Army and Serbian Special Forces.
The Reaper, about a lonely man coming to terms with his past crimes, won the two...
- 7/27/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Top Croatian winners are Number 55, The Reaper and Happy Endings; Concrete Night wins international competition.
The 61st Pula Film Festival handed out its awards in the city’s stunning amphitheatre last night, with Kristijan Milić’s Number 55 winning best Croatian Film. The jury said its award went to “the film produced according to highest professional standards and the film that achieves an authentic and emotional presentation of a true event from the Croatian War of Independence.” The winning packages includes €10,000 worth of post production services from Teleking.
The film swept a number of prizes in the Croatian competition, including best screenplay and best director.
Number 55 is based on a true story in 1991, when a small group of Croatian soldiers on patrol are ambushed and have to hide from rebel Serbs, the Yugoslav Army and Serbian Special Forces.
The Reaper, about a lonely man coming to terms with his past crimes, won the two...
The 61st Pula Film Festival handed out its awards in the city’s stunning amphitheatre last night, with Kristijan Milić’s Number 55 winning best Croatian Film. The jury said its award went to “the film produced according to highest professional standards and the film that achieves an authentic and emotional presentation of a true event from the Croatian War of Independence.” The winning packages includes €10,000 worth of post production services from Teleking.
The film swept a number of prizes in the Croatian competition, including best screenplay and best director.
Number 55 is based on a true story in 1991, when a small group of Croatian soldiers on patrol are ambushed and have to hide from rebel Serbs, the Yugoslav Army and Serbian Special Forces.
The Reaper, about a lonely man coming to terms with his past crimes, won the two...
- 7/27/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
A re-energised Pula Film Festival, the biggest film festival in Croatia, will welcome top guests including Roger Michell, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Gyorgi Palfi, Tudor Giurgiu and Mike Cahill.
Fridriksson [pictured] will serve on a jury and be the subject of a retrospective including his films Rock in Reykjavik, Children of Nature, Devil’s Island, Angels Of The Universe, and Falcons.
The Pula Pro Industry section will include masterclasses from PR expert Charles MacDonald, marketing veteran John Durie, sound expert Ray Gillon of G-Minor and Nik Powell of the UK’s National Film and Television School (Nfts).
The festival boasts a new artistic team of Mike Downey, Hrvoje Puksec and Tanja Milicic, who took over in April.
The Pula Cinematheque section, under special advistor Rajko Grlic, will focus on the year 1965.
One new strand at the festival will be Dizalica, aimed at cinephiles aged 16-21; selections include We Are The Best! and Bitch Hug. This is added...
Fridriksson [pictured] will serve on a jury and be the subject of a retrospective including his films Rock in Reykjavik, Children of Nature, Devil’s Island, Angels Of The Universe, and Falcons.
The Pula Pro Industry section will include masterclasses from PR expert Charles MacDonald, marketing veteran John Durie, sound expert Ray Gillon of G-Minor and Nik Powell of the UK’s National Film and Television School (Nfts).
The festival boasts a new artistic team of Mike Downey, Hrvoje Puksec and Tanja Milicic, who took over in April.
The Pula Cinematheque section, under special advistor Rajko Grlic, will focus on the year 1965.
One new strand at the festival will be Dizalica, aimed at cinephiles aged 16-21; selections include We Are The Best! and Bitch Hug. This is added...
- 7/2/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Man From Reno, a Kickstarter-backed movie about a Japanese crime novelist investigating a murder mystery in San Francisco, won the Best Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival. “Its exploration of barriers of age, language and success set against a noir plot line infuses a pop energy into the well observed portrayal of its unique characters,” the jury stated, awarding director Dave Boyle the $5,000 prize. The film stars Ayako Fujitani as the novelist as well as Pepe Serna (Scarface) and Kazuki Kitamura (The Raid 2).
Stray Dog, Debra Granik’s first film since Winter’s Bone, won the festival prize for Best Documentary Feature.
Stray Dog, Debra Granik’s first film since Winter’s Bone, won the festival prize for Best Documentary Feature.
- 6/20/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Top brass at the Los Angeles Film Festival unveiled the winners of jury and audience awards as the festival came to a close.
Dave Boyle earned the Narrative Award for Man From Reno, Debra Granik’s Stray Dog took documentary honours and the inaugural La Muse Award was presented to Damian John Harper for Los Ángeles.
Each award carried an unrestricted $5,000 cash prize for the winning director.
Winners of the short film awards each received a $1,500 cash prize.
Best Narrative Short Film went to The Runaway by Jean-Bernard Marlin, while Best Documentary Short Film went to The Queen by Manuel Abramovich. The Award for Best Animated or Experimental Short Film went to Hu Wei’s Butter Lamp.
In the audience awards, best narrative feature went to Kerem Sanga’s The Young Kieslowski and Geeta V Patel and Ravi V Patel’s Meet The Patels prevailed in the documentary strand.
Someone You Love by Pernille Fischer Christensen won the...
Dave Boyle earned the Narrative Award for Man From Reno, Debra Granik’s Stray Dog took documentary honours and the inaugural La Muse Award was presented to Damian John Harper for Los Ángeles.
Each award carried an unrestricted $5,000 cash prize for the winning director.
Winners of the short film awards each received a $1,500 cash prize.
Best Narrative Short Film went to The Runaway by Jean-Bernard Marlin, while Best Documentary Short Film went to The Queen by Manuel Abramovich. The Award for Best Animated or Experimental Short Film went to Hu Wei’s Butter Lamp.
In the audience awards, best narrative feature went to Kerem Sanga’s The Young Kieslowski and Geeta V Patel and Ravi V Patel’s Meet The Patels prevailed in the documentary strand.
Someone You Love by Pernille Fischer Christensen won the...
- 6/19/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sudabeh Mortezai’s Macondo won the Firebird Award in the Young Cinema Competition of this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff), while Tetsuichiro Tsuta’s The Tale Of Iya took the Jury Prize.
The jury praised Macondo, an Austrian drama centring on an 11-year-old Chechnyan refugee, for its “simplicity and humanity [which] show great sensitivity to universal human problems”. Ayumi Sakamoto’s Forma received a special mention in the Young Cinema Competition.
The Firebird Award in the Documentary Competition went to Farida Pacha’s My Name Is Salt, while the Jury Prize went to Gu Tao’s The Last Moose Of Aoluguya and Bernard Bloch’s Meat And Milk received a special mention.
Hu Wei’s The Butter Lamp, about Tibetan nomads, won the Firebird Award in the Short Film Competition. The Jury Prize went to Leo Woodhead’s Cold Snap, while Janie Geiser’s Kriminalistik won the Internet Audience Award and Reka Bucsi’s [link...
The jury praised Macondo, an Austrian drama centring on an 11-year-old Chechnyan refugee, for its “simplicity and humanity [which] show great sensitivity to universal human problems”. Ayumi Sakamoto’s Forma received a special mention in the Young Cinema Competition.
The Firebird Award in the Documentary Competition went to Farida Pacha’s My Name Is Salt, while the Jury Prize went to Gu Tao’s The Last Moose Of Aoluguya and Bernard Bloch’s Meat And Milk received a special mention.
Hu Wei’s The Butter Lamp, about Tibetan nomads, won the Firebird Award in the Short Film Competition. The Jury Prize went to Leo Woodhead’s Cold Snap, while Janie Geiser’s Kriminalistik won the Internet Audience Award and Reka Bucsi’s [link...
- 4/8/2014
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
(Yak) Butter Lamp
Impulsively created Chinese documentary The Questioning won the Bill Douglas Award in the Glasgow Short Film Festival awards ceremony tonight, with a special mention going to Robin McKay's How To Abandon Ship. The International Audience Award winner was (Yak) Butter Lamp and the Euroshort prize went to Matus Vizar's Pandas.
Hu Wei was unable to attend as he is currently working on his next film in Beijing. He did send a message re-played at the awards ceremony, describing himself as "very, very excited and happy" to have won an award he described as "a great honour". He dedicated it to "the people working for freedom in China", describing it as "a very important award for [himself] and [his] friends".
Robin McKay was in attendance, describing herself as "humbled by the calibre of the work" being screened at the Festival. The international jury were effusive in their praise describing that.
Impulsively created Chinese documentary The Questioning won the Bill Douglas Award in the Glasgow Short Film Festival awards ceremony tonight, with a special mention going to Robin McKay's How To Abandon Ship. The International Audience Award winner was (Yak) Butter Lamp and the Euroshort prize went to Matus Vizar's Pandas.
Hu Wei was unable to attend as he is currently working on his next film in Beijing. He did send a message re-played at the awards ceremony, describing himself as "very, very excited and happy" to have won an award he described as "a great honour". He dedicated it to "the people working for freedom in China", describing it as "a very important award for [himself] and [his] friends".
Robin McKay was in attendance, describing herself as "humbled by the calibre of the work" being screened at the Festival. The international jury were effusive in their praise describing that.
- 2/16/2014
- by Jennie Kermode and Andrew Robertson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Prizes to Bulgaria, China and Canada as Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival draws to a close.Scroll down for full list of winners
This year’s Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival has wrapped with an outlook that juxtaposes the gloomy with the optimistic.
During the closing night ceremony of the world’s biggest shorts festival, Jean-Claude Saurel - the president of organiser Sauve qui peut le Court Métrage - took the opportunity to lament the continuing cuts in budgets for French culture and cultural organisations and urged people to help protest against the current policies of the French administration.
However, with audiences for the festival at approximately 160,000 (up more than 5,000 from the previous year), there was still a sense of cautious celebration for the state of short film in France and beyond.
The festival’s International Grand Prix went to Bulgarian/German co-production Pride, Pavel Vesnakov’s powerfully acted story about a retired grandfather who finds...
This year’s Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival has wrapped with an outlook that juxtaposes the gloomy with the optimistic.
During the closing night ceremony of the world’s biggest shorts festival, Jean-Claude Saurel - the president of organiser Sauve qui peut le Court Métrage - took the opportunity to lament the continuing cuts in budgets for French culture and cultural organisations and urged people to help protest against the current policies of the French administration.
However, with audiences for the festival at approximately 160,000 (up more than 5,000 from the previous year), there was still a sense of cautious celebration for the state of short film in France and beyond.
The festival’s International Grand Prix went to Bulgarian/German co-production Pride, Pavel Vesnakov’s powerfully acted story about a retired grandfather who finds...
- 2/12/2014
- ScreenDaily
Chicago – The 2013 49th Annual Chicago International Film Festival and Michael Kutza – Festival Founder and Artistic Director – announced the competition award winners at a ceremony in the ‘W’ Hotel City Center on October 18th. The Gold Hugo for Best Film went to “My Sweet Pepper Land,” from Iraq, France and Germany.
Kutza made the announcements along with Mimi Plauché, Head of Programming, Programmers Alex Kopecky and Penny Bartlett, plus members of the various juries who worked evaluating the competition. The W Hotel City Center is near Chicago’s financial district and the Sears (now Willis) Tower. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named for the mythical God of Discovery.
International Feature Film Competition
’My Sweet Pepper Land’
Photo Credit: © Chicago International Film Festival
The Gold Hugo for Best Film: “My Sweet Pepper Land” (Iraq/France/Germany), directed by Hiner Saleem
The Silver Hugo – Special Jury Prize: “The Verdict...
Kutza made the announcements along with Mimi Plauché, Head of Programming, Programmers Alex Kopecky and Penny Bartlett, plus members of the various juries who worked evaluating the competition. The W Hotel City Center is near Chicago’s financial district and the Sears (now Willis) Tower. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named for the mythical God of Discovery.
International Feature Film Competition
’My Sweet Pepper Land’
Photo Credit: © Chicago International Film Festival
The Gold Hugo for Best Film: “My Sweet Pepper Land” (Iraq/France/Germany), directed by Hiner Saleem
The Silver Hugo – Special Jury Prize: “The Verdict...
- 10/20/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Uberto Pasolini’s Still Life to open this year’s Warsaw Film Festival (Wff) tonight, which will close with Roman Polanski’s Venus In Fur on Oct 20.
The number of world, international and European premieres in the Wff line-up have never been as high as this year, with the selection of no less than 22 world premieres, 21 international premieres and 22 European premieres.
The world premieres include six titles in the festival’s main International competition:
Romanian film-maker Anca Damian’s English-language feature debut A Very Unsettled Summer, her first film since Crulic
Estonian Ilmar Raag’s unusual love story in a small village Love Is Blind
Zaza Urushadze’s Estonian-Georgian co-production Tangerines, which has also been invited to festivals in Mannheim-Heidelberg and Cottbus
Iranian director Amir Toodehroosta’s Paat where dogs go underground in Tehran
Zdeňek Tyc’s moving drama Like Never Before about an oddball painter approaching death in his country home
In addition, there will be...
The number of world, international and European premieres in the Wff line-up have never been as high as this year, with the selection of no less than 22 world premieres, 21 international premieres and 22 European premieres.
The world premieres include six titles in the festival’s main International competition:
Romanian film-maker Anca Damian’s English-language feature debut A Very Unsettled Summer, her first film since Crulic
Estonian Ilmar Raag’s unusual love story in a small village Love Is Blind
Zaza Urushadze’s Estonian-Georgian co-production Tangerines, which has also been invited to festivals in Mannheim-Heidelberg and Cottbus
Iranian director Amir Toodehroosta’s Paat where dogs go underground in Tehran
Zdeňek Tyc’s moving drama Like Never Before about an oddball painter approaching death in his country home
In addition, there will be...
- 10/11/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The European Film Academy has announced this year's nominations for Best European Short Film. At 15 participating film festivals, an independent jury presented one European short film in competition with a nomination in the short film category of the European Film Awards. The winner will be announced December 7th in Berlin. The nominated short films are: Vila do Conde Short Film Nominee Cut directed by Christoph Girardet & Matthias Mueller Germany 2013, experimental, 12 min Valladolid Short Film Nominee Dood Van Een Schaduw (Death of a Shadow) directed by Tom Van Avermaet Belgium/France 2012, 20 min, fiction Venice Short Film Nominee Houses With Small Windows directed by Bülent Öztürk Belgium 2013, fiction, 15 min Drama Short Film Nominee La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak (Butter Lamp) directed by Hu Wei France/China 2013, fiction, 15 min Krakow Short Film Nominee Letter directed by Sergei Loznitsa Russia 2012, documentary, 20 min Berlin Short Film Nominee Misterio...
- 10/7/2013
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
As hard it is to predict, the sidebar section all the way at the other end of the Croisette contains a trio of titles that were tipped to show up at the fest by Cannes insiders (we had Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza’s Salvo (here), David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (here), Katell Quillévéré Suzanne – (here) in our predictions list) and out of the 1200 films submitted, six first films and four sophomore films were selected by Artistic Director Charles Tesson and his committee. The closing night film will be announced a little bit later. Here’s the complete selection below:
Opening film
Suzanne, Katell Quillévéré (France)
Special Screenings
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery (USA)
You and the Night, Yann Gonzalez (France)
Feature films competition
Salvo Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza (Italy/France)
The Lunchbox, Ritesh Batra (India/France/Germany)
For Those in Peril, Paul Wright (UK)
The Dismantlement,...
Opening film
Suzanne, Katell Quillévéré (France)
Special Screenings
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery (USA)
You and the Night, Yann Gonzalez (France)
Feature films competition
Salvo Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza (Italy/France)
The Lunchbox, Ritesh Batra (India/France/Germany)
For Those in Peril, Paul Wright (UK)
The Dismantlement,...
- 4/22/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
I have been adding titles that will play the 2013 Cannes Film Festival to the database periodically since they were first announced last week as well as updating the complete line-up as more and more titles have been added. Last week it was announced Ari Folman's The Congress would serve as the opening night film for the Directors' Fortnight selection and today the fest organizers announced the complete Critics' Week (Semaine de la Critique) line-up, which will open on May 16 with Katell Quillevere's Suzanne and a selection largely made up of names I'm not personally familiar with. The most notable name is Sundance stand-out Ain't Them Bodies Saints from director David Lowery. Personally I expected this film to be among the Un Certain Regard selection after the love it received at Sundance, but its inclusion is a welcome one as Rooney Mara's performance is one that's been much talked...
- 4/22/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
This morning the official 2013 Cannes Film Festival line-up was announced from Paris, France. The committee saw 1,858 films submitted this year and while additional titles will continue to be announced, this morning we got the full Competition and Un Certain Regard lineup and it looks amazing so far. Among the films announced In Competition so far, many were expected including Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives, Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra, Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur, Asghar Farhadi's The Past and Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis. Additionally James Gray's once titled Lowlife starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner will play, but under the name The Immigrant and Takashi Miike's cop thriller Wara No Tate (Straw Shield) has also made the competition list. However, the biggest "surprise" is the inclusion of Alexander Payne's black-and-white film Nebraska, which is sure to be a big attention getter,...
- 4/18/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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