If you’re looking for something new to watch on HBO Max, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ve assembled a curated selection of some of the best new movies streaming this month, from artful family films to smart monster movies to goofy comedies and beyond. So eliminate the need to scroll through HBO Max’s library and check out one of these fine films below.
Coraline
Spooky, sweet and wholly unique, “Coraline” is a stop-motion animated gem that marked the beginning of the road for animation studio Laika. Hailing from “Nightmare Before Christmas” director Henry Selick, the film is an adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novella of the same name and follows a young girl who discovers a parallel universe with sinister versions of her parents. Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher and Keith David lead the voice cast. This one’s a treat for kids and adults alike,...
Coraline
Spooky, sweet and wholly unique, “Coraline” is a stop-motion animated gem that marked the beginning of the road for animation studio Laika. Hailing from “Nightmare Before Christmas” director Henry Selick, the film is an adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novella of the same name and follows a young girl who discovers a parallel universe with sinister versions of her parents. Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher and Keith David lead the voice cast. This one’s a treat for kids and adults alike,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Spring is finally here, though you wouldn't know it from the snow flurries currently battering my house. Fortunately, there are plenty in the way of options to choose from, should you find yourself, like me, looking for something you can stream from the comfort of your home while you wait for the weather to get its act together. Or perhaps you don't really do the whole "leaving the house" thing very much, even when it is nice and sunny outside. Believe me, I get it, my fellow creatures of the dark.
In case you need further incentive to chill at home: HBO Max will be streaming the final season of "Succession" throughout April and it sounds as though the trainwreck that is the Roy family civil war remains as entertaining as ever, judging by Shania Russell's rapturous review of season 4 for /Film. The "Doctor Who" special "The Power of...
In case you need further incentive to chill at home: HBO Max will be streaming the final season of "Succession" throughout April and it sounds as though the trainwreck that is the Roy family civil war remains as entertaining as ever, judging by Shania Russell's rapturous review of season 4 for /Film. The "Doctor Who" special "The Power of...
- 3/24/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
To mark the release of Tangerine on limited edition Blu-ray on 19th December, we’ve been given a copy of the box set to give away to 1 winner.
Shot on an iPhone and starring outstanding performances from its previously unknown lead stars, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, this is a hugely entertaining, beautifully shot, funny and original piece of filmmaking that makes for a slick, attention grabbing alternative Christmas watch.
It’s Christmas Eve on the streets of LA. We meet Sin-Dee Rella a transgender sex worker who – fresh from a short stint in prison – finds out from her best friend Alexandra (Taylor) that the pimp she’s in love with has cheated on her while she was away. The wronged Sin-Dee Rella declares war and sets off on one hell of a mission with Alexandra in tow, with only one thing on their mind, to find the cheat...
Shot on an iPhone and starring outstanding performances from its previously unknown lead stars, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, this is a hugely entertaining, beautifully shot, funny and original piece of filmmaking that makes for a slick, attention grabbing alternative Christmas watch.
It’s Christmas Eve on the streets of LA. We meet Sin-Dee Rella a transgender sex worker who – fresh from a short stint in prison – finds out from her best friend Alexandra (Taylor) that the pimp she’s in love with has cheated on her while she was away. The wronged Sin-Dee Rella declares war and sets off on one hell of a mission with Alexandra in tow, with only one thing on their mind, to find the cheat...
- 12/7/2022
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
With the so-called streaming wars in full swing, the key to staying competitive is for platforms to have quality content on constant rotation. Judging by this month’s movie titles, Amazon Prime Video is up for the challenge. May’s collection has something for everyone, whether it be big-hearted comedies, classic ‘90s dramas or critically-acclaimed indies. There’s even a special collection of films to keep you in the Mother’s Day spirit all month long.
Here are some of the best movies streaming on Amazon Prime in May 2022.
Lady Bird (2017) A24
From “Mamma Mia” to “Freaky Friday,” Amazon’s Mother’s Day Collection is a crowded field, but nothing tops “Lady Bird.” Greta Gerwig’s beloved coming-of-age film stars Laurie Metcalf and Saoirse Ronan as a tough-loving mother-daughter duo. Lady Bird (Ronan) dreams of leaving her native Sacramento to go to college in a big city, while her mother...
Here are some of the best movies streaming on Amazon Prime in May 2022.
Lady Bird (2017) A24
From “Mamma Mia” to “Freaky Friday,” Amazon’s Mother’s Day Collection is a crowded field, but nothing tops “Lady Bird.” Greta Gerwig’s beloved coming-of-age film stars Laurie Metcalf and Saoirse Ronan as a tough-loving mother-daughter duo. Lady Bird (Ronan) dreams of leaving her native Sacramento to go to college in a big city, while her mother...
- 5/15/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Times are rough right now under self-quarantine, so maybe it’s time to stop begging for scraps from Disney and watch some fantastic Lgbtqia+ cinema instead. Why not watch some smaller films that haven’t been talked to death by every pop culture website on the planet?
The purpose of this list is to cheer people up, especially during a time when people really can’t go out and decompress. All we can do right now is curl up under our blankets with a libation or two and try to forget our troubles by streaming movies nonstop.
Queer cinema is not a monolith, but I do prefer to prioritize the films that depict queer life as it is. This is a list big on laughs, keeping the sadness to a minimum. There are some recognizable titles in here, mixed in with lesser-known gems that deserve public attention. Luckily, film critics...
The purpose of this list is to cheer people up, especially during a time when people really can’t go out and decompress. All we can do right now is curl up under our blankets with a libation or two and try to forget our troubles by streaming movies nonstop.
Queer cinema is not a monolith, but I do prefer to prioritize the films that depict queer life as it is. This is a list big on laughs, keeping the sadness to a minimum. There are some recognizable titles in here, mixed in with lesser-known gems that deserve public attention. Luckily, film critics...
- 3/20/2020
- by Jourdain Searles
- Variety Film + TV
Whether a curse or a blessing, “May you live in interesting times” certainly applies to the Lgbtq community — the past decade saw the legalization of same-sex marriages and the end of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, but every advancement has been met with pushback and threats to overturn equal protections under the law. Trans characters got their largest public spotlight on television shows like “Pose” and “Transparent,” while at the same time they remain the targets of violence and of hysterical and reactionary lawmakers. Whatever triumphs and travails the community faced in day-to-day life, their lives and loves continued to be reflected on the big screen; here are some of the decade’s greatest examples, listed alphabetically.
Runners-Up: “1985,” “Appropriate Behavior,” “Booksmart,” “Bpm,” “Cola de Mono,” “Drunktown’s Finest,” “Kiki,” “Love, Simon,” “Paris 05:59 Théo & Hugo,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
“Call Me By Your...
Runners-Up: “1985,” “Appropriate Behavior,” “Booksmart,” “Bpm,” “Cola de Mono,” “Drunktown’s Finest,” “Kiki,” “Love, Simon,” “Paris 05:59 Théo & Hugo,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
“Call Me By Your...
- 12/13/2019
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
So far, the big breakthroughs have all been on the younger end of the spectrum: the first transgender winner of an Indie Spirit award for acting arrived in 2015, the first transgender person to be nominated for an acting-centric Primetime Emmy dates back to 2014, and there’s still never been a transgender actor nominated for an Oscars. For many of them, getting any kind of role in Hollywood is worth celebrating, but it’s rarer still for them to lock down a seemingly obvious next step: getting cast as a transgender person.
Few trans-centric stories have made it to the screen over the years, and the vast majority of them have seen pivotal roles go to cisgender actors, from Elle Fanning to Matt Bomer, Eddie Redmayne to Hilary Swank. The tide, however, is starting to turn. Here are a dozen talented transgender actors who have also played transgender roles on the screen,...
Few trans-centric stories have made it to the screen over the years, and the vast majority of them have seen pivotal roles go to cisgender actors, from Elle Fanning to Matt Bomer, Eddie Redmayne to Hilary Swank. The tide, however, is starting to turn. Here are a dozen talented transgender actors who have also played transgender roles on the screen,...
- 1/31/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
It’s a paradox: Acting without artifice is so often the aim, but the craft of performance is typically enhanced by study and training. In short, being a good actor isn’t easy, but making it look easy is key. It’s a sink-or-swim proposition for all new actors, but especially those who enter into the field without formal training or are tossed into their first feature before even tacitly deciding that they even want to be actors. But the rewards can be huge, and this year has proven that in spades, from star turns from newcomers like Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinaite in Sean Baker’s festival favorite (and major awards contender) “The Florida Project” to rodeo rider Brady Jandreau, cast as himself in Chloe Zhao’s Cannes breakout “The Rider.”
Read More:‘The Florida Project’ First Trailer: Sean Baker and Willem Dafoe Deliver One of the Year’s Best Indies
But Prince,...
Read More:‘The Florida Project’ First Trailer: Sean Baker and Willem Dafoe Deliver One of the Year’s Best Indies
But Prince,...
- 10/3/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Duplass Brothers have vowed in recent years to use their platform as indie film influencers to shine a light on important social issues. It’s a mantra that led them to executive produce Sean Baker’s “Tangerine,” starring transgender actresses Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, and it’s also what has brought them to Dartmouth College senior Lauren Budd.
Read More: ‘Transparent’ Star Jay Duplass on Why He Loves Acting More than Directing
Budd spent her winter term interning at Duplass Brothers Productions where she decided that using her storytelling skills to elevate the voices of Planned Parenthood patients, providers and supporters would be a worthwhile endeavor. Mark and Jay agreed, and they helped her make the four-and-a-half-minute short documentary “Protect Our Access,” which is embedded below. The video tells the personal stories of Alaskans who rely on Planned Parenthood, but their thoughts speak to America as a whole.
Read More: ‘Transparent’ Star Jay Duplass on Why He Loves Acting More than Directing
Budd spent her winter term interning at Duplass Brothers Productions where she decided that using her storytelling skills to elevate the voices of Planned Parenthood patients, providers and supporters would be a worthwhile endeavor. Mark and Jay agreed, and they helped her make the four-and-a-half-minute short documentary “Protect Our Access,” which is embedded below. The video tells the personal stories of Alaskans who rely on Planned Parenthood, but their thoughts speak to America as a whole.
- 7/20/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
A24 has acquired North American distribution rights to Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project,” an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap. The film about a homeless family is the follow-up to Baker’s “Tangerine,” which was shot entirely on iPhone and netted two Gotham Awards. It starred Mya Taylor, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Karren Karagulian, and was released in 2015. “The Florida Project,” starring Willem Dafoe, Caleb Landry Jones and newcomers Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinaite, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar. Also Read: Stx Wins Amy Schumer's 'I Feel Pretty'...
- 5/26/2017
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Sean Baker is going south. The lauded indie filmmaker of such La-centric offerings as “Starlet” and his breakout “Tangerine” has turned his attentions to the magical, weird, and magically weird environs of Florida for his newest film, appropriately titled “The Florida Project.”
The film will make its debut later this month at Cannes as part of the Directors’ Fortnight section, a starry berth for Baker’s follow-up to the boundary-busting (shot on an iPhone!) Indie Spirit award-winning “Tangerine.” The film is one of the few hot titles available for North American buyers at this year’s festival.
Read More: Willem Dafoe Goes to Disney World: Sean Baker Reveals Details and Photos of ‘The Florida Project’ — Exclusive
When we spoke to Baker last year for an exclusive first look at the project, the filmmaker clarified the meaning of the film’s title, as our Chris O’Falt explained, “The film is not,...
The film will make its debut later this month at Cannes as part of the Directors’ Fortnight section, a starry berth for Baker’s follow-up to the boundary-busting (shot on an iPhone!) Indie Spirit award-winning “Tangerine.” The film is one of the few hot titles available for North American buyers at this year’s festival.
Read More: Willem Dafoe Goes to Disney World: Sean Baker Reveals Details and Photos of ‘The Florida Project’ — Exclusive
When we spoke to Baker last year for an exclusive first look at the project, the filmmaker clarified the meaning of the film’s title, as our Chris O’Falt explained, “The film is not,...
- 5/15/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“Tangerine” director Sean Baker has wrapped production on his new film, “The Florida Project,” and checked in with IndieWire to give us an exclusive sneak peek.
Read More: Willem Dafoe Cast in Sean Baker’s ‘The Florida Project,’ the Writer/Director’s Follow-Up to ‘Tangerine’
The film is not, as many believed, Sean Baker’s “Untitled Florida Project.” The official title is “The Florida Project,” and it refers to Florida’s Disney World. When Disney first started buying up land and planning Disney World, they referred to it as “The Florida Project.”
Baker joked that title confusion even spilled over to the cast and crew; toward the end of the shoot, he realized they still thought the film was untitled.
Presumedly, Disney World is in some way a backdrop to Baker’s script, which he co-wrote with Chris Bergoch (“Tangerine” and “Starlet”) and tells the story of a precocious six...
Read More: Willem Dafoe Cast in Sean Baker’s ‘The Florida Project,’ the Writer/Director’s Follow-Up to ‘Tangerine’
The film is not, as many believed, Sean Baker’s “Untitled Florida Project.” The official title is “The Florida Project,” and it refers to Florida’s Disney World. When Disney first started buying up land and planning Disney World, they referred to it as “The Florida Project.”
Baker joked that title confusion even spilled over to the cast and crew; toward the end of the shoot, he realized they still thought the film was untitled.
Presumedly, Disney World is in some way a backdrop to Baker’s script, which he co-wrote with Chris Bergoch (“Tangerine” and “Starlet”) and tells the story of a precocious six...
- 9/22/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
When Tangerine was released in 2015, much of the press attention focused on the fact that it was shot entirely on an iPhone 5s. Though that technical feat is impressive, the raw beauty of the film is equally striking. Set on Christmas Eve, Tangerine follows transgender sex workers and best friends Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) on an odyssey through various Los Angeles subcultures. At Fandor Keyframe, a new video essay (above) by Lj Frezza examines the film’s unique aesthetic and how director Sean Baker and Dp Radium Cheung found beauty from a position of marginalization.
- 6/14/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Sean Baker's "Tangerine" won big at the GLAAD Media Awards last night, taking home the award for Outstanding Film — Limited Release. Shot on three iPhones and starring transgender actresses Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, the film concerns two sex workers in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. Among the rest of the winners were Robert De Niro (Excellence in Media Award) and Mariah Carey (Ally Award). Avail yourself of the full list below. Read More: Sundance Review: 'Tangerine' is a Charming Buddy Comedy About Transgender Prostitutes in L.A. Excellence in Media Award: Robert De Niro (presented by Jennifer Lawrence) Ally Award: Mariah Carey (presented by Lee Daniels) Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine: "Bruce Jenner: The Interview" from "20/20" (ABC) Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: "Interview with Jim Obergefell" from Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN) Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: Cosmopolitan Outstanding Film – Limited Release:...
- 5/15/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
To mark the release of Tangerine on 28th March, we’ve been given a signed poster and copy on DVD to give away to 1 winner, with 2 DVD copies available for runner up. It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend
The post Win Tangerine signed poster and DVD appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Win Tangerine signed poster and DVD appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 3/21/2016
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The night before it would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars, Spotlight wound up having a great night at the Spirit Awards. Yes, Tom McCarthy’s film all but swept the Spirits, beating back what originally seemed like a strong challenge from Todd Haynes’ Carol, not to mention Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation. Personally, I’m thrilled that Spotlight won here, but it appeared originally like it was an awards show tailor made for Carol. Go figure. It was a night that would mirror the Academy in more ways than one ultimately, so let’s take a look… Obviously, it was a very good night for Spotlight, perhaps its best all season long. Not only did it take Best Feature, but McCarthy won Best Director as well as Best Screenplay, which he of course shares with Josh Singer. The film...
- 3/1/2016
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Yay! My favorite film of 2015 was the big winner at the recently concluded Film Independent Spirit Awards taking home the best feature, director (Tom McCarthy), screenplay, and editing. It was previously announced that the film was the winner of the prestigious Robert Altman Award (ensemble) as well.
Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.
Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.
Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
*** "Spotlight" (Winner)
"Tangerine"
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell,...
Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.
Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.
Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
*** "Spotlight" (Winner)
"Tangerine"
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell,...
- 2/28/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The 31st Independent Spirt Awards took place this Saturday, February 27 with the fiendishly talented and hilarious Kate McKinnon & Kumail Nanjiani co-hosting the event. Take a look at their parody of one of this year’s best films Room below. The show, as in years past, aligned with the Academy Awards in some moments, but also served to do what the Oscars can’t, or won’t in others. Perhaps that’s just as it should be. Brie Larson won for Best Female Lead for Room, and is very likely to win the Academy Award for Best Actress tomorrow night. However, Spotlight, which won Best Feature, Director, and Screenplay at the Spirit Awards is in a three way race with The Revenant and The Big Short for the top prize at the Oscars. Though it’s likely to take Best Screenplay there as well. Typically, the Academy favors flashier films, so...
- 2/28/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
On Sunday, movie fans will find out if Eddie Redmayne wins Best Actor for his performance as trans woman Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl. Should Redmayne be victorious, he'd not only score back-to-back Oscars but he would also become the latest in a long line of actors who have courted Oscar attention by playing the opposite sex, playing a trans person or in some other way playing a character whose gender differs than the one of which the actors themselves identify. Not that it comes without some criticism, of course. Also up for an Oscar this year is the...
- 2/25/2016
- by Drew Mackie, @drewgmackie
- PEOPLE.com
Todd Haynes' "Carol" was the big winner at the recently announced Dorian Awards from the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association. And yes, I'm a proud voting member! And yes, I voted for "Carol." Because I love the movie! It's the 4th on my list of the Top 10 Best Movies of 2015!
"Carol" won Best Picture with Haynes taking home the Best Director trophy. The film also received the Best Actress award for Blanchett, Lgbtq film of the year, and Screenplay for Phyllis Nagy.
Wow! What a whirlwind weekend! First, we have the Critics' Choice Awards which I also vote for, and then the Dorian Awards!
Can't wait what's in store for the rest of the year, but for now, here are the Galeca 2015/16/Dorian Awards Winners (Bolded):
Film Of The Year
The Big Short / Paramount, Regency
Brooklyn / Fox Searchlight
. Carol / The Weinstein Company
Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros.,...
"Carol" won Best Picture with Haynes taking home the Best Director trophy. The film also received the Best Actress award for Blanchett, Lgbtq film of the year, and Screenplay for Phyllis Nagy.
Wow! What a whirlwind weekend! First, we have the Critics' Choice Awards which I also vote for, and then the Dorian Awards!
Can't wait what's in store for the rest of the year, but for now, here are the Galeca 2015/16/Dorian Awards Winners (Bolded):
Film Of The Year
The Big Short / Paramount, Regency
Brooklyn / Fox Searchlight
. Carol / The Weinstein Company
Mad Max: Fury Road / Warner Bros.,...
- 1/20/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Slifr Movie Treehouse (the acronym stands in for the title of my blog, Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule) is a place where I like to gather a few of my movie-writing pals and exchange long e-mails on the way the movies shaped up for us in the year just left behind. It’s been a few years since I’ve undertaken this project, but the time felt right again, so I invited the very talented critical voices of Brian Doan, Odie Henderson, Marya Murphy and Phil Dyess-Nugent to take part, and to my great happiness they all agreed. (Bios for each writer can be found at the conclusion of each of their individual posts, which can be accessed by clicking below on the title of each post.)
What follows here are samples from the 16 posts we submitted over the week of January 11-17, and we’ll start...
What follows here are samples from the 16 posts we submitted over the week of January 11-17, and we’ll start...
- 1/19/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
The Gay and Lesbian Critics Association (Galeca), of which I'm a proud voting member, has announced the nominees of the 2016 Dorian Awards! As expected, Todd Haynes' fantastic lesbian romance drama "Carol" led the pack with 7 nominations including Film of the Year, Director, Actress noms for both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Lgbtq Film of the Year, Screenplay, and Visually Striking Film of the Year.
Here's the coolest part, we didn't forget Tom Hardy's dual role in "Legend" playing the notorious mobsters the Kray Twins. And I'm very happy that Sean Baker who gave us "Tangerine," was included in the Best Director nominees.
Dorian winners will be revealed on January 19th! And I promise to join in on the fun for our annual toast!
The group.s annual, Hasty Pudding-esque Winners Toast is set for Sunday, March 6, in Los Angeles, and "any nominees or victors who care to join...
Here's the coolest part, we didn't forget Tom Hardy's dual role in "Legend" playing the notorious mobsters the Kray Twins. And I'm very happy that Sean Baker who gave us "Tangerine," was included in the Best Director nominees.
Dorian winners will be revealed on January 19th! And I promise to join in on the fun for our annual toast!
The group.s annual, Hasty Pudding-esque Winners Toast is set for Sunday, March 6, in Los Angeles, and "any nominees or victors who care to join...
- 1/13/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
ICM Partners has signed Mya Taylor, a star of the indie pic Tangerine that has been garnering attention this awards season. Taylor and the film’s co-star Kitana Kiki Rodriguez are in the midst of the first Oscar campaign for trans actors via distributor Magnolia Pictures and executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass. ICM Partners, which also reps the Duplass brothers and Tangerine writer-producer Sean Baker, will rep Taylor for film and TV acting and producing…...
- 1/6/2016
- Deadline TV
ICM Partners has signed Mya Taylor, a star of the indie pic Tangerine that has been garnering attention this awards season. Taylor and the film’s co-star Kitana Kiki Rodriguez are in the midst of the first Oscar campaign for trans actors via distributor Magnolia Pictures and executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass. ICM Partners, which also reps the Duplass brothers and Tangerine writer-producer Sean Baker, will rep Taylor for film and TV acting and producing…...
- 1/6/2016
- Deadline
Mya Taylor has signed with ICM Partners after her breakout performance in Sean Baker's "Tangerine," for which she received and Indie Spirit nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also won the award for Breakthrough Actor at this year's Gotham Awards. Read More: "What the Indie Spirit Nominations Tell Us About the Oscars" ICM Partners will represent her for film and television acting and producing projects, which include a semi-autobiographical television show about her coming-out and transition, currently in development. Taylor, along with "Tangerine" co-star Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, is part of the first-ever Oscar campaign for trans actors, being mounted by the film's distributor Magnolia Pictures, and executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass. The deadline for Oscar nomination ballots is this Friday, January 8. ...
- 1/6/2016
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Transgender “Tangerine” star Mya Taylor has signed with ICM Partners, which will represent her for film and television projects as an actress and producer. Taylor made waves in 2015 with her performance in Sean Baker’s “Tangerine,” her first film. She won an Ifp Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor and has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress, while the film itself landed on many high-profile year-end best-of lists. Along with her “Tangerine” co-star Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Taylor is making history as part of the first-ever Oscar campaign for trans actors, which is being mounted by the film’s.
- 1/6/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
If the films of 2015 have a common denominator it’s the fearlessness with which filmmakers approached the medium and took it in new directions proving that innovation is still possible and that not everything, both in content and form, has been explored. From a comedy shot entirely on an iPhone starring transgender actresses, to a film in sign language designed to be screened without subtitles, to a stop-motion animated feature that emanates more humanity than most live-action efforts, to a new immersive vision of the Holocaust from an emerging auteur, or a Brazilian hand-drawn musical odyssey about the dangers of the modern world, all granted us experiences unlike anything we've previously seen.
It’s hard to tell how many films I watched this year but I’m sure they were many. From that vast pool of cinematic works the 30 films below are the ones that stood out the most and remained ingrained in my memory as rewarding, delightful, moving, and even harrowing accomplishments. There were also films that simply didn't connect as strongly with me as they did with other journalists and audiences, thus they don't appear here. This is after all, like all of them, a very personal and subjective list of the films I loved.
Even with such an extensive list there are still other great films that deserve to be mentioned such as "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet," "Christmas, Again," "Mistress America," "Entertainment," "Felix and Meira," "Victoria," "Mustang," "The Wolfpack," "Xenia," Estonia's Oscar-nominated "Tangerines," "Buzzard," "The Salt of the Earth," "Guidance," "Cheatin'," "Black Souls,""The Mend," "Shaun The Sheep Movie," or "'71." One can only hope audiences will discover them and be compelled by their singular perspectives.
What were your favorite films of 2015?
Special Mention: "World of Tomorrow"
Don Hertzfeldt's thought-provoking and visionary Sundance-winning short "World of Tomorrow" is easily the best short film of the year, animated or otherwise. This 17-minute science fiction journey is a mind-bending study on the essence of humanity and how technology’s ferocious advances to know and control it all endanger our ability to notice what’s truly meaningful.
Read More: 'The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows' is One of the Most Profound Cinematic Experiences of 2015
30. "It Follows"
The best horror film of the year proves that an intriguing premise embedded into an intelligently written screenplay can bring a refreshing point of view absent in most studio productions. Director David Robert Mitchell takes classic genre conventions and twists them into a terrifying tale with morally ambiguous undertones.
29. "The Gift"
Wearing multiple hats Joel Edgerton demonstrated his storytelling and acting talents in an unpredictable psychological thriller that’s as unassuming as it’s disconcerting. An old friend reappears in a married man’s life apparently seeking to rekindle their past bond, but soon enough his good intentions will unveil much more sinister motives that makes us question who the real villain is. A stunning and perversely brilliant film that thrives on its misguiding simplicity.
28. "Heaven Knows What"
An accomplishment both in technique and emotional power, “Heaven Knows What” is an eye-opening experience brimming with unflinching truth. From the streets to the screen, the unbelievable story of Arielle Holmes is a fascinating example of the rare occurrence when cinema and reality blend almost seamlessly.
Read More: 'Heaven Knows What' Directors Josh and Benny Safdie Are Addicted to the Truth
27. "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet"
Spearheaded by producer Salma Hayek, director Roger Allers and 8 of the world's most talented independent animators took Gibran's timeless poems and assembled a cinematic out-of-body experience that deconstructs our existential yearnings and translates them into mesmerizing animated wisdom.
Read More: Why 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet' is a Cinematic Out-Of-Body Experience Brimming with Animated Wisdom
Read More: Salma Hayek on 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet': 'His Poetry Talks About the Simple Things in Life That Unite Us All'
26. "James White"
This emotionally devastating character study put Josh Mond in the director’s chair for the first time and allowed Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon to delve into career-defining roles as a mother and a son struggling to accept each other’s shortcomings in the face of impending tragedy. Mond’s debut is an unforgettable portrait of unconditional love
25. "The Big Short"
The financial crisis and the white-collar criminals behind it are examined in an outrageously humorous and dynamically constructed adaptation of Michael Lewis's book. Director Adam McKay crafted his own visual language to paint a picture of capitalism in America that’s as brutally honest as it’s infuriating. His entire cast, in particular Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell, play along in this satirical exposé.
24. "The Second Mother"
Anna Muylaert’s crowd-pleasing, yet thematically complex gem delves into the intricacies of class in Brazilian society through the eyes of an endearing live-in maid. Regina Casé, in an Oscar-worthy performance, becomes Val, a diligent and humble housekeeper that has worked with the same wealthy family in Sao Paulo for many years and who only questions her role within this environment when her strange daughter comes to visit.
Read More: Anna Muylaert on Why the Protagonist of 'The Second Mother' is a Super Hero
23. "Kumiko The Treasure Hunter"
Losing grip on reality Kumiko, a solitary Japanese woman, leaves her monotonous and life and her adorable bunny Bunzo behind to search for the money Steve Buscemi’s character hides in the Cohen Brothers’ film “Fargo.” Knowing very little English and with no American contacts, she ventures in the Minnesotan wilderness. Armed with Rinko Kikuchi ’s outstanding performance, David Zellner and Nathan Zellner managed to create an endearing and poignant adventure at the intersection between fiction and reality.
22. "When Marnie Was There"
Notably current while still unequivocally timeless, Studio Ghibli’s latest film was confected with equal doses of heart-rending drama and life-affirming beauty. More than just a visually delightful tearjerker, "When Marnie Was There" is an animated lullaby that reassures our broken hearts will eventually heal- even from the most indomitable tricks of fate.
Read More: Review: Wondrous 'When Marnie Was There' is One of Ghibli's Most Profoundly Moving Works
21. "The Hateful Eight"
Sharp dialogue and the search for violent retribution are Tarantino staples, and in his latest Western the revered director channels these through a group of deceitful characters confined to a single location. Race relations are examined via the peculiar interactions of the murderous bunch - each with their ulterior motives and frightening reputation. With a magnificent score by Ennio Morricone, impeccable cinematography by Robert Richardson, and tonally perfect performances by the ensemble cast, in which Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell are the highlights, “The Hateful Eight” is a highly entertaining addition to Tarantino's selective filmography.
20. "What We Do in the Shadows"
This masterful mockumentary capitalizes on the general public’s obsession with reality shows and the allure of vampirism and its promise of eternal life. Four ancient bloodsuckers share a house in Wellington, New Zealand and decide to let a crew film their day-to-day routines as vampires living in the modern world. What ensues are a series of intelligently written occurrences that transform every known convention about these creatures of the night into hysterical gags.
19. "The Revenant"
To say Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest is breathtaking would be an understatement. Emmanuel Lubezkii’s work is absolutely astonishing. No other film this year captured this much beauty in every single frame. The Mexican-born Oscar-winning director has reached a new level of artistry here. Leonardo DiCaprio, in one of the best performances of his career, plays Hugh Glass, a man who escapes death to take revenge on the man who killed his son.
18. "Inside Out"
Pixar ventured into the difficult task of decoding the complexity of the human psyche in one of their best features to date. Emotions take on humanoid form in the brain of a young girl adjusting to life in anew city. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust must work together to shape her blossoming personality. “Inside Out” also gifted us Bing Bong, who will go down as one of the most memorable animated characters to ever grace the screen.
17. "Ex Machina"
Artificial intelligence crosses the boundaries of mere functionality to become self-aware and to replicate the behaviors of mortals in Alex Garland “Ex Machina.” The provocative screenplay evolves into a fascinating and often unsettling dissection of what it means to be a human being and the seemingly godlike power that comes from creating technology that resembles such qualities. Alicia Vikander is riveting as Ava - a mysterious female A.I.
16. "The Diary of a Teenager Girl"
Bel Powley is this year’s acting revelation and Marielle Heller the woman behind this charming, uncompromising, and original coming of age film, is one of most exciting new directors to emerge in recent memory. Burgeoning female sexuality is treated without moral judgment or shame, and it’s instead embraced in an empowering manner that overflows with truthfulness and charisma. Both Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård are outstanding in substantial supporting roles.
15. "Taxi"
Despite being banned from filmmaking by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi continues to bravely expose the political and social problems of his home country with films shot in secrecy. “Taxi” takes the director through the streets of Tehran as he picks up an array of passengers with distinct concerns, beliefs, and opinions on the Islamic nation’s current situation: a young girl trying to make a “distributable” film, a guy who considers selling pirated films a cultural campaign, or a pair of elderly women whose fate depends on the survival of a couple fish. Though scripted, each encounter exudes honesty.
14. "The Duke of Burgundy"
Intoxicatingly atmospheric and full of evocative imagery, Peter Strickland’s follow up to his similarly unusual debut “Berberian Sound Studio” looks at the psychology of sexual desires with a seductive gaze. The line dividing power and submission is blurred and interchangeable between two lovers whose turbulent relationship is juxtaposed with the nature of butterflies. Eroticism derived from degradation and punishment is elegantly approached that suggest more than it explicitly shows.
13. "Phoenix"
The final sequence in this new collaboration between writer/director Christian Petzold and actress Nina Hoss is one of the best conclusions ever written. It’s subtle, yet strikingly revelatory. Departing from a Hitchcockian mistaken identity plot from the point of view of a concentration camp survivor, Petzold delves into Germany’s post war sentiments of guilt and the beginning of the long road to rebuild a superficially and morally shattered nation. “Phoenix” is also a love story coated in betrayal and the harsh realization that, when tested, even the strongest bond can be destroyed. Hoss gives an awards-deserving, restrained and perfectly nuanced performance.
Read More: Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix' is a Deeply Moving Film About Survivors Rebuilding Their Lives
12. "Timbuktu"
Today, perhaps more than ever, a film like Abderrahmane Sissako’s spellbinding “Timbuktu” is imperative. Capturing some of the most beautiful African landscapes ever seen on film and delicately arranging his stories to create a tapestry of human experiences, Sissako’s latest doesn’t abide by any political or religious dogma. Instead, his vision preaches openness and denounces the terrifying absurdity of the world according to extremist.
Read More: Promoting Tolerance: Abderrahmane Sissako on 'Timbuktu' and a Different Kind of Islam
11. "The Voices"
Playing Jerry, the most charming serial killer you’ll ever meet, Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in Marjane Satrapi’s wonderfully insane horror comedy. Adding to his already outstanding work as the lovable, if unstable young man, Reynolds also voices both of his character's opinionated pets. Stay tuned after the film for one of the most ridiculous credit sequences ever.
Read More: Too Insane To Ignore: Marjane Satrapi On Her Fascinating Sundance Horror-Comedy 'The Voices'
10. "Güeros"
Using one of the most cosmopolitan and complex cities in the world as his canvas, Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios delivered an audaciously original story that delves into many unique aspects of Mexican society wrapped up into a road trip adventure that helps two estrange brothers reconnect.
It’s a revitalizing work, and one of the best Mexican films of the last decade.
Read More: In 'Güeros' Dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios Rediscovered Mexico City Via a Unique Road Trip
9. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Read More: How Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Used Determinación to Go From a Small Town to Nyu to Sundance
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Sundance champion is a tonally nuanced and visually inventive work that ingeniously beguiles you to fall in love with every instant of its strangely imaginative magic. This tragicomedy invokes tropes from a familiar realm and deconstructs or tailors them to the uniquely poignant circumstances of it's characters. It's nothing short of a cinephile's dream come true.
Read More: This is the Review That Tells You Why 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' is a Cinephile's Dream Come True
8. "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence"
Constructed of gorgeously understated vignettes, which guide us through the grandeur of life by methodically focusing on the smallest but most resonant instants of it, "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" by Swedish writer/director Roy Andersson won the Golden Lion at last’s year’s Venice Film Festival. Delving into a wide range of quotidian dilemmas via darkly comedic exploits, this episodic tour de force is as insightful as it’s blissfully entertaining and distinctively stylized.
Read More: 7 Reasons Why Roy Andersson's Latest Film is a Must-See Philosophical Wonder
7. "Tangerine"
Sean Baker's riotous and perfectly acted latest film shot on an iPhone “Tangerine” centers on Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), two transgender sex workers on Santa Monica Boulevard who struggle to get by while dealing with heartbreak, revenge, and their dreams.
Baker captured an unseen side of Los Angeles through the eyes of two equally underrepresented characters who get a chance to showcase their comedic brilliance.
Read More: How Sean Baker Used Beautiful Accidents and New Talent to Deliver one of the Best Films of the Year
6. "The Look of Silence"
For “The Look of Silence,” the indispensable companion piece to "The Act of Killing," director Joshua Oppenheimer focused on the survivors, specifically on a brave family that persevered through the immeasurable pain that quietly permeates Indonesian society even half a century after the genocide. The subjects here are often quiet and contemplative, but their anguish transcends even when words fail to describe their tumultuous sentiments.
Read More: 12 Things Joshua Oppenheimer Wants You to Know About 'The Look of Silence'
5. "Anomalisa"
In "Anomalisa," a delicately melancholic observation on loneliness and the flawed human condition, acclaimed writer-director Charlie Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson use stop-motion animation to tell a story of small proportions and big ideas. These existential observations include our fears, failures, insecurities and our desperate need to be loved by someone who can look pass our conspicuous scars.
Read More: Human at the Seams: Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson Make Yearning Tangible in 'Anomalisa'
4. "The Tribe"
“The Tribe,” by Ukrainian debutant Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, is a film that communicates with its audience in a non-verbal manner. There are no subtitles or any other way to know exactly what the characters on screen are saying, but that’s never an issue for it to powerfully make its message heard. It’s the purest form of cinema because it can be shown anywhere in the world without modification, and the devastating result would be the same.
Read More: Interviewing Yana Novikova, Star of 'The Tribe,' Was a One-of-a-Kind Experience
3. "Boy and the World"
Alê Abreu’s “Boy and the World” is unequivocally the best animated film of the year. Drawn with the finest ends of an artist's heartstrings and painted with the colorful essence of undefeatable hope, Abreu’s utterly lyrical, visually captivating, musically driven, and extraordinarily sophisticated treasure is the animated equivalent of a childhood dream that thrives on sweet innocence and the pure ability to see the world truthfully for its dazzling beauty and its man-made dangers. As it continues to spellbind the globe with its unconventional artistry and thought-provoking observations, an Oscar nomination would be a more than deserved crown jewel.
Read More:Review: Why Alê Abreu's Sublime 'Boy and the World' is the Best Animated Film of the Year
Read More: How "Boy and the World" Director Alê Abreu Handcrafted His Heartfelt & Dazzling Animated Masterpiece
2. "Carol"
Exquisitely photographed and fueled by the two best performances of the year, Todd Haynes “Carol” depicts an ethereal and ravishing romance that’s sure to take your breath away. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett play two women from opposite worlds that meet serendipitously and fall madly in love for each other in a time yet unwilling to accept them. Carol (Blanchett) is a wealthy mother and wife whose desires are used against her threatening to stripped her of what she loves the most. On the other hand Therese (Mara) is a working class girl discovering herself and who finds the strength to follow her true instincts in Carol. Heartbreak has rarely been portrayed with such a delicate touch, thoughtfulness, and sincerity. Beneath the glossy Christmas-tinted frames is a story as universal as it is particular in which a single pleading look disarms you. Few films will make you feel such tangible and pure yearning to connect with another soul as Haynes masterwork does.
1. "Son of Saul"
First-time director László Nemes decided to look at the terrifying apparatus behind the Holocaust from the perspective of the Sonderkommando, a group of men whose experience was exponentially more harrowing than that of the average victim. Nemes focuses on a particular man, Saul (Géza Röhrig), a fictional character created from the limited information available on this special group and the filmmaker’s artistic sensibilities.“Son of Saul” is not only the best film of the year, but also the most ambitious debut in ages. Both conceptually and visually, the dynamic, yet organically contemplative vision of one man’s ordeal as he walks through the gates the hell is the work of a master auteur.
Read More: 12 Things Director László Nemes and Star Géza Röhrig Want You to Know About 'Son of Saul'...
It’s hard to tell how many films I watched this year but I’m sure they were many. From that vast pool of cinematic works the 30 films below are the ones that stood out the most and remained ingrained in my memory as rewarding, delightful, moving, and even harrowing accomplishments. There were also films that simply didn't connect as strongly with me as they did with other journalists and audiences, thus they don't appear here. This is after all, like all of them, a very personal and subjective list of the films I loved.
Even with such an extensive list there are still other great films that deserve to be mentioned such as "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet," "Christmas, Again," "Mistress America," "Entertainment," "Felix and Meira," "Victoria," "Mustang," "The Wolfpack," "Xenia," Estonia's Oscar-nominated "Tangerines," "Buzzard," "The Salt of the Earth," "Guidance," "Cheatin'," "Black Souls,""The Mend," "Shaun The Sheep Movie," or "'71." One can only hope audiences will discover them and be compelled by their singular perspectives.
What were your favorite films of 2015?
Special Mention: "World of Tomorrow"
Don Hertzfeldt's thought-provoking and visionary Sundance-winning short "World of Tomorrow" is easily the best short film of the year, animated or otherwise. This 17-minute science fiction journey is a mind-bending study on the essence of humanity and how technology’s ferocious advances to know and control it all endanger our ability to notice what’s truly meaningful.
Read More: 'The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows' is One of the Most Profound Cinematic Experiences of 2015
30. "It Follows"
The best horror film of the year proves that an intriguing premise embedded into an intelligently written screenplay can bring a refreshing point of view absent in most studio productions. Director David Robert Mitchell takes classic genre conventions and twists them into a terrifying tale with morally ambiguous undertones.
29. "The Gift"
Wearing multiple hats Joel Edgerton demonstrated his storytelling and acting talents in an unpredictable psychological thriller that’s as unassuming as it’s disconcerting. An old friend reappears in a married man’s life apparently seeking to rekindle their past bond, but soon enough his good intentions will unveil much more sinister motives that makes us question who the real villain is. A stunning and perversely brilliant film that thrives on its misguiding simplicity.
28. "Heaven Knows What"
An accomplishment both in technique and emotional power, “Heaven Knows What” is an eye-opening experience brimming with unflinching truth. From the streets to the screen, the unbelievable story of Arielle Holmes is a fascinating example of the rare occurrence when cinema and reality blend almost seamlessly.
Read More: 'Heaven Knows What' Directors Josh and Benny Safdie Are Addicted to the Truth
27. "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet"
Spearheaded by producer Salma Hayek, director Roger Allers and 8 of the world's most talented independent animators took Gibran's timeless poems and assembled a cinematic out-of-body experience that deconstructs our existential yearnings and translates them into mesmerizing animated wisdom.
Read More: Why 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet' is a Cinematic Out-Of-Body Experience Brimming with Animated Wisdom
Read More: Salma Hayek on 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet': 'His Poetry Talks About the Simple Things in Life That Unite Us All'
26. "James White"
This emotionally devastating character study put Josh Mond in the director’s chair for the first time and allowed Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon to delve into career-defining roles as a mother and a son struggling to accept each other’s shortcomings in the face of impending tragedy. Mond’s debut is an unforgettable portrait of unconditional love
25. "The Big Short"
The financial crisis and the white-collar criminals behind it are examined in an outrageously humorous and dynamically constructed adaptation of Michael Lewis's book. Director Adam McKay crafted his own visual language to paint a picture of capitalism in America that’s as brutally honest as it’s infuriating. His entire cast, in particular Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell, play along in this satirical exposé.
24. "The Second Mother"
Anna Muylaert’s crowd-pleasing, yet thematically complex gem delves into the intricacies of class in Brazilian society through the eyes of an endearing live-in maid. Regina Casé, in an Oscar-worthy performance, becomes Val, a diligent and humble housekeeper that has worked with the same wealthy family in Sao Paulo for many years and who only questions her role within this environment when her strange daughter comes to visit.
Read More: Anna Muylaert on Why the Protagonist of 'The Second Mother' is a Super Hero
23. "Kumiko The Treasure Hunter"
Losing grip on reality Kumiko, a solitary Japanese woman, leaves her monotonous and life and her adorable bunny Bunzo behind to search for the money Steve Buscemi’s character hides in the Cohen Brothers’ film “Fargo.” Knowing very little English and with no American contacts, she ventures in the Minnesotan wilderness. Armed with Rinko Kikuchi ’s outstanding performance, David Zellner and Nathan Zellner managed to create an endearing and poignant adventure at the intersection between fiction and reality.
22. "When Marnie Was There"
Notably current while still unequivocally timeless, Studio Ghibli’s latest film was confected with equal doses of heart-rending drama and life-affirming beauty. More than just a visually delightful tearjerker, "When Marnie Was There" is an animated lullaby that reassures our broken hearts will eventually heal- even from the most indomitable tricks of fate.
Read More: Review: Wondrous 'When Marnie Was There' is One of Ghibli's Most Profoundly Moving Works
21. "The Hateful Eight"
Sharp dialogue and the search for violent retribution are Tarantino staples, and in his latest Western the revered director channels these through a group of deceitful characters confined to a single location. Race relations are examined via the peculiar interactions of the murderous bunch - each with their ulterior motives and frightening reputation. With a magnificent score by Ennio Morricone, impeccable cinematography by Robert Richardson, and tonally perfect performances by the ensemble cast, in which Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell are the highlights, “The Hateful Eight” is a highly entertaining addition to Tarantino's selective filmography.
20. "What We Do in the Shadows"
This masterful mockumentary capitalizes on the general public’s obsession with reality shows and the allure of vampirism and its promise of eternal life. Four ancient bloodsuckers share a house in Wellington, New Zealand and decide to let a crew film their day-to-day routines as vampires living in the modern world. What ensues are a series of intelligently written occurrences that transform every known convention about these creatures of the night into hysterical gags.
19. "The Revenant"
To say Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest is breathtaking would be an understatement. Emmanuel Lubezkii’s work is absolutely astonishing. No other film this year captured this much beauty in every single frame. The Mexican-born Oscar-winning director has reached a new level of artistry here. Leonardo DiCaprio, in one of the best performances of his career, plays Hugh Glass, a man who escapes death to take revenge on the man who killed his son.
18. "Inside Out"
Pixar ventured into the difficult task of decoding the complexity of the human psyche in one of their best features to date. Emotions take on humanoid form in the brain of a young girl adjusting to life in anew city. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust must work together to shape her blossoming personality. “Inside Out” also gifted us Bing Bong, who will go down as one of the most memorable animated characters to ever grace the screen.
17. "Ex Machina"
Artificial intelligence crosses the boundaries of mere functionality to become self-aware and to replicate the behaviors of mortals in Alex Garland “Ex Machina.” The provocative screenplay evolves into a fascinating and often unsettling dissection of what it means to be a human being and the seemingly godlike power that comes from creating technology that resembles such qualities. Alicia Vikander is riveting as Ava - a mysterious female A.I.
16. "The Diary of a Teenager Girl"
Bel Powley is this year’s acting revelation and Marielle Heller the woman behind this charming, uncompromising, and original coming of age film, is one of most exciting new directors to emerge in recent memory. Burgeoning female sexuality is treated without moral judgment or shame, and it’s instead embraced in an empowering manner that overflows with truthfulness and charisma. Both Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård are outstanding in substantial supporting roles.
15. "Taxi"
Despite being banned from filmmaking by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi continues to bravely expose the political and social problems of his home country with films shot in secrecy. “Taxi” takes the director through the streets of Tehran as he picks up an array of passengers with distinct concerns, beliefs, and opinions on the Islamic nation’s current situation: a young girl trying to make a “distributable” film, a guy who considers selling pirated films a cultural campaign, or a pair of elderly women whose fate depends on the survival of a couple fish. Though scripted, each encounter exudes honesty.
14. "The Duke of Burgundy"
Intoxicatingly atmospheric and full of evocative imagery, Peter Strickland’s follow up to his similarly unusual debut “Berberian Sound Studio” looks at the psychology of sexual desires with a seductive gaze. The line dividing power and submission is blurred and interchangeable between two lovers whose turbulent relationship is juxtaposed with the nature of butterflies. Eroticism derived from degradation and punishment is elegantly approached that suggest more than it explicitly shows.
13. "Phoenix"
The final sequence in this new collaboration between writer/director Christian Petzold and actress Nina Hoss is one of the best conclusions ever written. It’s subtle, yet strikingly revelatory. Departing from a Hitchcockian mistaken identity plot from the point of view of a concentration camp survivor, Petzold delves into Germany’s post war sentiments of guilt and the beginning of the long road to rebuild a superficially and morally shattered nation. “Phoenix” is also a love story coated in betrayal and the harsh realization that, when tested, even the strongest bond can be destroyed. Hoss gives an awards-deserving, restrained and perfectly nuanced performance.
Read More: Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix' is a Deeply Moving Film About Survivors Rebuilding Their Lives
12. "Timbuktu"
Today, perhaps more than ever, a film like Abderrahmane Sissako’s spellbinding “Timbuktu” is imperative. Capturing some of the most beautiful African landscapes ever seen on film and delicately arranging his stories to create a tapestry of human experiences, Sissako’s latest doesn’t abide by any political or religious dogma. Instead, his vision preaches openness and denounces the terrifying absurdity of the world according to extremist.
Read More: Promoting Tolerance: Abderrahmane Sissako on 'Timbuktu' and a Different Kind of Islam
11. "The Voices"
Playing Jerry, the most charming serial killer you’ll ever meet, Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in Marjane Satrapi’s wonderfully insane horror comedy. Adding to his already outstanding work as the lovable, if unstable young man, Reynolds also voices both of his character's opinionated pets. Stay tuned after the film for one of the most ridiculous credit sequences ever.
Read More: Too Insane To Ignore: Marjane Satrapi On Her Fascinating Sundance Horror-Comedy 'The Voices'
10. "Güeros"
Using one of the most cosmopolitan and complex cities in the world as his canvas, Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios delivered an audaciously original story that delves into many unique aspects of Mexican society wrapped up into a road trip adventure that helps two estrange brothers reconnect.
It’s a revitalizing work, and one of the best Mexican films of the last decade.
Read More: In 'Güeros' Dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios Rediscovered Mexico City Via a Unique Road Trip
9. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Read More: How Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Used Determinación to Go From a Small Town to Nyu to Sundance
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Sundance champion is a tonally nuanced and visually inventive work that ingeniously beguiles you to fall in love with every instant of its strangely imaginative magic. This tragicomedy invokes tropes from a familiar realm and deconstructs or tailors them to the uniquely poignant circumstances of it's characters. It's nothing short of a cinephile's dream come true.
Read More: This is the Review That Tells You Why 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' is a Cinephile's Dream Come True
8. "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence"
Constructed of gorgeously understated vignettes, which guide us through the grandeur of life by methodically focusing on the smallest but most resonant instants of it, "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" by Swedish writer/director Roy Andersson won the Golden Lion at last’s year’s Venice Film Festival. Delving into a wide range of quotidian dilemmas via darkly comedic exploits, this episodic tour de force is as insightful as it’s blissfully entertaining and distinctively stylized.
Read More: 7 Reasons Why Roy Andersson's Latest Film is a Must-See Philosophical Wonder
7. "Tangerine"
Sean Baker's riotous and perfectly acted latest film shot on an iPhone “Tangerine” centers on Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), two transgender sex workers on Santa Monica Boulevard who struggle to get by while dealing with heartbreak, revenge, and their dreams.
Baker captured an unseen side of Los Angeles through the eyes of two equally underrepresented characters who get a chance to showcase their comedic brilliance.
Read More: How Sean Baker Used Beautiful Accidents and New Talent to Deliver one of the Best Films of the Year
6. "The Look of Silence"
For “The Look of Silence,” the indispensable companion piece to "The Act of Killing," director Joshua Oppenheimer focused on the survivors, specifically on a brave family that persevered through the immeasurable pain that quietly permeates Indonesian society even half a century after the genocide. The subjects here are often quiet and contemplative, but their anguish transcends even when words fail to describe their tumultuous sentiments.
Read More: 12 Things Joshua Oppenheimer Wants You to Know About 'The Look of Silence'
5. "Anomalisa"
In "Anomalisa," a delicately melancholic observation on loneliness and the flawed human condition, acclaimed writer-director Charlie Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson use stop-motion animation to tell a story of small proportions and big ideas. These existential observations include our fears, failures, insecurities and our desperate need to be loved by someone who can look pass our conspicuous scars.
Read More: Human at the Seams: Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson Make Yearning Tangible in 'Anomalisa'
4. "The Tribe"
“The Tribe,” by Ukrainian debutant Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, is a film that communicates with its audience in a non-verbal manner. There are no subtitles or any other way to know exactly what the characters on screen are saying, but that’s never an issue for it to powerfully make its message heard. It’s the purest form of cinema because it can be shown anywhere in the world without modification, and the devastating result would be the same.
Read More: Interviewing Yana Novikova, Star of 'The Tribe,' Was a One-of-a-Kind Experience
3. "Boy and the World"
Alê Abreu’s “Boy and the World” is unequivocally the best animated film of the year. Drawn with the finest ends of an artist's heartstrings and painted with the colorful essence of undefeatable hope, Abreu’s utterly lyrical, visually captivating, musically driven, and extraordinarily sophisticated treasure is the animated equivalent of a childhood dream that thrives on sweet innocence and the pure ability to see the world truthfully for its dazzling beauty and its man-made dangers. As it continues to spellbind the globe with its unconventional artistry and thought-provoking observations, an Oscar nomination would be a more than deserved crown jewel.
Read More:Review: Why Alê Abreu's Sublime 'Boy and the World' is the Best Animated Film of the Year
Read More: How "Boy and the World" Director Alê Abreu Handcrafted His Heartfelt & Dazzling Animated Masterpiece
2. "Carol"
Exquisitely photographed and fueled by the two best performances of the year, Todd Haynes “Carol” depicts an ethereal and ravishing romance that’s sure to take your breath away. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett play two women from opposite worlds that meet serendipitously and fall madly in love for each other in a time yet unwilling to accept them. Carol (Blanchett) is a wealthy mother and wife whose desires are used against her threatening to stripped her of what she loves the most. On the other hand Therese (Mara) is a working class girl discovering herself and who finds the strength to follow her true instincts in Carol. Heartbreak has rarely been portrayed with such a delicate touch, thoughtfulness, and sincerity. Beneath the glossy Christmas-tinted frames is a story as universal as it is particular in which a single pleading look disarms you. Few films will make you feel such tangible and pure yearning to connect with another soul as Haynes masterwork does.
1. "Son of Saul"
First-time director László Nemes decided to look at the terrifying apparatus behind the Holocaust from the perspective of the Sonderkommando, a group of men whose experience was exponentially more harrowing than that of the average victim. Nemes focuses on a particular man, Saul (Géza Röhrig), a fictional character created from the limited information available on this special group and the filmmaker’s artistic sensibilities.“Son of Saul” is not only the best film of the year, but also the most ambitious debut in ages. Both conceptually and visually, the dynamic, yet organically contemplative vision of one man’s ordeal as he walks through the gates the hell is the work of a master auteur.
Read More: 12 Things Director László Nemes and Star Géza Röhrig Want You to Know About 'Son of Saul'...
- 12/31/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
"I have a weak bladder when it comes to this sort of stuff, so be careful," "Tangerine" director Sean Baker warns at the beginning of his trip inside the Criterion closet, and though he doesn't get that excited, his enthusiasm is infectious nonetheless. As Magnolia mounts pathbreaking Oscar campaigns for transgender stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez (for Best Actress) and Mya Taylor (for Best Supporting Actress), his choices are a reminder than his sun-kissed L.A. adventure, shot on an iPhone, is rooted in the vernacular of the art film. Read More: "How Sean Baker Shot 'Tangerine' on an iPhone and Invented a New Cinema (Exclusive Video)" Funnily enough, of the growing pile of Blu-rays and DVDs he selects, it's Mike Leigh's "Life Is Sweet" (1990) and "Naked" (1993) that Baker says influenced "Tangerine." We learn that his father's favorite movie is René Clair's 1942 romantic comedy...
- 12/31/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Mya Taylor, star of indie smash hit, “Tangerine,” found a leader for her Oscar campaign in reality TV star and former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner. The fellow transgender woman is poised to lead the charge in making history by helping Taylor become the first transgender person nominated for an Oscar. To mark the start of the push, Jenner is screening the film, which also stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez as fellow trans streetwalker, Sin-Dee, for Academy members on Jan. 4, and will be following it up with a reception featuring Taylor, director Sean Baker, and executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass. The vivacious film follows two prostitutes (Taylor and Rodriguez) as they scour all of Los Angeles on the hunt for their two-timing pimp, Chester (James Ransone), on Christmas Day. Despite the film’s critical acclaim, there’s trepidation over the likelihood of Taylor’s nomination. But with actors such as Laverne Cox...
- 12/29/2015
- backstage.com
Ja from Mnpp here christening 2015's final episode of "Beauty vs Beast" with one of my favorite movies of ever, which is celebrating it's 15th anniversary this week - E. Elias Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire, which fictionalized the filming of F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu by adding in some actual behind-the-scenes bloodsucking, was released on December 29th, 2000 -- I have strangely fixed memories of seeing this film for the first time, from the dreamy Art Deco opening credits on down; anyway it left a mark, so don't ask me what the hell happened to Merhige after this. He's only made one more feature-length film since, the 2004 serial killer thriller Suspect Zero with Ben Kingsley.
As for Shadow of the Vampire it didn't do great box-office-wise but it did manage to score two Oscar nominations - one for Make-Up and a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe, playing...
As for Shadow of the Vampire it didn't do great box-office-wise but it did manage to score two Oscar nominations - one for Make-Up and a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe, playing...
- 12/28/2015
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Read More: Exclusive: 'Tangerine' and the Duplass Brothers are Giving Back to the Lgbt Community in a Big Way Sean Baker's vibrant Hollywood odyssey "Tangerine" has been the gift that keeps on giving this year. First dazzling audiences at the Sundance Film Festival back in January and then earning some of the largest indie summer buzz upon its July release, "Tangerine" now finds itself as one of the biggest underdog contenders in the 2015-16 awards race. Starring first-time actresses Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, the comedy-drama follows Alexandra and Sin-Dee Rella, two transgender prostitutes, as they roam the streets of Hollywood on Christmas Eve looking for the latter's cheating pimp boyfriend. Their journey brings them into contact (and chaos) with a host of memorable street characters, including the boyfriend's new prostitute girlfriend. As wacky as the plot gets, Baker keeps the script focused tight on the bond between the two.
- 12/22/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Read More: Attention, Filmmakers, This Filmmaker is Giving You Free Music for Your Soundtrack It’s impossible to imagine the Spirit Award-nominated "Tangerine" without its thumping soundtrack of trap music, accompanied by detours into the sounds of Beethoven and Moroccan belly dance. The film invites the audience into the world of Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) — two transgender prostitutes on the trail of a cheating boyfriend-pimp on Christmas Eve in Hollywood — and the film's music plays a big role in bringing their unique world to life. "What the soundtrack does is capture the energy of Santa Monica and Highland, where we shot," director Sean Baker explained in an interview with Indiewire. "As an outsider I had to immerse myself into this world, and there was an energy that I felt and that forced itself onto my camera and later forced itself into the edit. There's this hyperactivity,...
- 12/22/2015
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Set in the world of trans sex-workers in Hollywood, Tangerine follows Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez as their characters, Sin-Dee and Alexandra, track down a cheating boyfriend. Using an...
- 12/21/2015
- by Jazz Tangcay
- AwardsDaily.com
Jason from Mnpp here, wishing you and yours a Ha Ha Happy Holidays with a Ho Ho Ho in your heart -- since it's Christmas Week I figured what better way to celebrate the festive mood than with the hilarious and heartfelt brand new Christmas classic, right up there with Batman Returns and Eyes Wide Shut, that is Sean Baker's Tangerine. Like Keiran argued recently my favorite character in the film is also Alexandra (played by a lovely Mya Taylor), but for "Beauty vs Beast" purposes its gotta be Sin-dee (the very funny Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) versus her pimp-snatching rival and "real fish girl" Dinah (Mickey O'Hagan's hilarious performance should be getting more attention too)...
Previously Two weeks ago we looked back at the 25th anniversary of The Grifters and set two of Tfe's fave actresses against each other in a con-woman cage-match -- well repeating history it...
Previously Two weeks ago we looked back at the 25th anniversary of The Grifters and set two of Tfe's fave actresses against each other in a con-woman cage-match -- well repeating history it...
- 12/21/2015
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Nina Hoss in 'Phoenix': 'Village Voice' Critics' Best Actress runner-up. 'Village Voice' Best of 2015: Offbeat picks include Géza Röhrig, runner-up Nina Hoss The Best of 2015 choices of the Village Voice film critics will not influence the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, or the SAG Awards. No matter. If you're interested in movies to watch or performances to check out, then you should pay close attention to those smaller critics' lists. More so, in fact, than the lists of academies, guilds, and press/critics associations with televised awards shows – or even critics groups worried about their “Oscar relevance.” In their case, buzz easily (and usually) trumps quality. 'Mad Max: Fury Road' tops The top three slots of the Village Voice critics went to expected, English-language fare: George Miller's female-centered actioner Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy. Todd Haynes' female-centered romantic drama Carol,...
- 12/16/2015
- by Mont. Steve
- Alt Film Guide
New Indie: Over the years, Los Angeles has been captured on film as everything from a paradise to a hellhole, but no film has ever shot the city quite like the acclaimed Tangerine (Magnolia Home Entertainment), which follows trans sex worker Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) around various parts of the city as she tracks down her man, who cheated on her while she spent a month in prison. (To add insult to injury, she got locked up in the first place for taking the blame on his behalf.) Followed around by best pal Alexandra (Maya Taylor, a brilliant comic foil), Sin-Dee gets herself into one scrape after another in an orange-hued City of Angels. Director Sean Baker (Starlet, Prince of Broadway) shot the entire movie on an iPhone, but the results are a lot more richly cinematic than...
Read More...
Read More...
- 12/11/2015
- by Alonso Duralde
- Movies.com
We're hoping against all hope at Tfe HQ that Tangerine will somehow place in the Golden Globe Comedy or Musical categories in the morning. Not only because it's hugely deserving but because wouldn't that be a kick to see Sean Baker, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor at the Globes? It would take a (good) miracle but we're due one after the (bad) miracles of SAG Nomination Morning, don'cha think? Great movies are their own awards though. So even if it never gets nominated for or wins another prize, cherish it. It's streaming on Netflix so if you haven't yet seen it, invite friends over (comedies are better with a crowd), serve donuts, turn out the lights and be amazed. You Will have a good time.
The night before the Globe nominations what are you dreaming of and what are You predicting. I'll share mine after the jump -- because...
The night before the Globe nominations what are you dreaming of and what are You predicting. I'll share mine after the jump -- because...
- 12/10/2015
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight" was the big winner at the 25th Gotham Independent Film Awards. The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the child molestation in the Catholic church took home the Best Feature and Screenplay trophies. I love this film! It's ripe for melodrama but McCarthy wisely avoided that!
Another film I love that won big at the Gotham Awards is Sean Baker's "Tangerine." It took home the Audience award with Mya Taylor winning the Breakthrough Actor trophy.
Here's the complete list of nominees and winners of the 25th Gotham Independent Film Awards:
Best Feature
"Carol"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Spotlight" -- Winner
"Tangerine"
Best Documentary
"Approaching the Elephant"
"Cartel Land"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Listen to Me Marlon"
"The Look of Silence" -- Winner
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Desiree Akhavan for "Appropriate Behavior"
Jonas Carpigano for "Mediterranea" -- Winner
Marielle Heller...
Another film I love that won big at the Gotham Awards is Sean Baker's "Tangerine." It took home the Audience award with Mya Taylor winning the Breakthrough Actor trophy.
Here's the complete list of nominees and winners of the 25th Gotham Independent Film Awards:
Best Feature
"Carol"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Spotlight" -- Winner
"Tangerine"
Best Documentary
"Approaching the Elephant"
"Cartel Land"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Listen to Me Marlon"
"The Look of Silence" -- Winner
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Desiree Akhavan for "Appropriate Behavior"
Jonas Carpigano for "Mediterranea" -- Winner
Marielle Heller...
- 12/1/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The first of the year’s award ceremonies — a full month before 2015 even ends — Gotham Independent Film Awards were held last night. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Tom McCarthy‘s journalism drama Spotlight picked up top honors of Best Feature (as well as Screenplay, and the pre-determined Ensemble award).
While Carol unfortunately came up empty-handed, The Diary of a Teenage Girl‘s Bel Powley surprised with Best Actress and Paul Dano took home Best Actor for Love & Mercy. Also featuring Tangerine‘s Mya Taylor as Best Breakthrough Actor, check out the full list of winners below in red.
Best Feature
Carol
Todd Haynes, director; Elizabeth Karlsen, Tessa Ross, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley, producers (The Weinstein Company)
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Marielle Heller, director; Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit, Miranda Bailey, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
Heaven Knows What
Josh and Benny Safdie, directors; Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear-McClard,...
While Carol unfortunately came up empty-handed, The Diary of a Teenage Girl‘s Bel Powley surprised with Best Actress and Paul Dano took home Best Actor for Love & Mercy. Also featuring Tangerine‘s Mya Taylor as Best Breakthrough Actor, check out the full list of winners below in red.
Best Feature
Carol
Todd Haynes, director; Elizabeth Karlsen, Tessa Ross, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley, producers (The Weinstein Company)
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Marielle Heller, director; Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit, Miranda Bailey, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
Heaven Knows What
Josh and Benny Safdie, directors; Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear-McClard,...
- 12/1/2015
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Here are the nominees! I'm hoping "Carol" will get lots of love!
Best Feature
"Carol"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Spotlight"
"Tangerine"
Best Documentary
"Approaching the Elephant"
"Cartel Land"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Listen to Me Marlon"
"The Look of Silence"
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Desiree Akhavan for "Appropriate Behavior"
Jonas Carpigano for "Mediterranea"
Marielle Heller for "The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
John Magary for "The Mend"
Josh Mond for "James White"
Best Screenplay
"Carol," Phyllis Nagy
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Marielle Heller
"Love & Mercy," Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner
"Spotlight," Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer
"While We.re Young," Noah Baumbach
Best Actor
Christopher Abbott in "James White"
Kevin Corrigan in "Results"
Paul Dano in "Love & Mercy"
Peter Sarsgaard in "Experimenter"
Michael Shannon in "99 Homes"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett in "Carol"
Blythe Danner in "I.ll See You in My Dreams...
Best Feature
"Carol"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Spotlight"
"Tangerine"
Best Documentary
"Approaching the Elephant"
"Cartel Land"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Listen to Me Marlon"
"The Look of Silence"
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Desiree Akhavan for "Appropriate Behavior"
Jonas Carpigano for "Mediterranea"
Marielle Heller for "The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
John Magary for "The Mend"
Josh Mond for "James White"
Best Screenplay
"Carol," Phyllis Nagy
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Marielle Heller
"Love & Mercy," Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner
"Spotlight," Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer
"While We.re Young," Noah Baumbach
Best Actor
Christopher Abbott in "James White"
Kevin Corrigan in "Results"
Paul Dano in "Love & Mercy"
Peter Sarsgaard in "Experimenter"
Michael Shannon in "99 Homes"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett in "Carol"
Blythe Danner in "I.ll See You in My Dreams...
- 12/1/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Todd Haynes is in the running for best director and both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are in contention for best female lead alongside Room’s Brie Larson as Carol earned six 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Scroll down for full list of nominations
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly...
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly...
- 11/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Todd Haynes is in the running for best director and both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are in contention for best female lead alongside Room’s Brie Larson as Carol earned six 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly impressed critics.
Magnolia Pictures earned...
Close behind were Spotlight and Beasts Of No Nation on five apiece, followed by indie darling Tangerine and Anomalisa on four each.
Not even a glitch that saw the list of nominees temporarily appear on the Film Independent website prior to the official announcement could spoil what turned out by and large to be a recognition of independent film in its myriad forms.
Besides the more predictable contenders like Carol, Spotlight and Room, there was plenty of love for Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, and Beasts Of No Nation from Netflix, whose day-and-date release (and what that portends) infuriated large swathes of the exhibition sector but has clearly impressed critics.
Magnolia Pictures earned...
- 11/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the La Film Festival and Film Independent at Lacma, announced nominations for the 2016 Spirit Awards this morning. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at W Hollywood, with actors John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen presenting the nominations.
Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.
“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”
Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...
Nominees for Best Feature included Anomalisa, Beasts of No Nation, Carol, Spotlight and Tangerine.
“This year’s nominees are a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “It’s an astonishingly strong group of films and performances this year and we look forward to celebrating them all at the Spirit Awards.”
Spotlight was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman...
- 11/24/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Todd Haynes' "Carol" is shaping up to be the movie to beat this awards season. Based on Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, the romantic drama stars Cate Blanchett as an older, married woman who is developing some strong feelings towards a seasonal shopgirl played by Rooney Mara. And the actresses may have to prepare their acceptance speeches! "Carol" leads the pack of nominees for the 31st Independent Spirit Awards!
I'm also very happy that "Tangerine" by Sean Baker received 4 nods for Best Feature, Director, Female Lead (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), and Supporting Female for Mya Taylor. shot mostly on iPhone, this small-budget wonder is truly what the Independent Spirit is all about!
Some of my few gripes are not a whole lot of love for the fantastic "Room" (just screenplay, female lead for Brie Larson, and editing -- what about the awesome child actor Jason Tremblay?), and that...
I'm also very happy that "Tangerine" by Sean Baker received 4 nods for Best Feature, Director, Female Lead (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), and Supporting Female for Mya Taylor. shot mostly on iPhone, this small-budget wonder is truly what the Independent Spirit is all about!
Some of my few gripes are not a whole lot of love for the fantastic "Room" (just screenplay, female lead for Brie Larson, and editing -- what about the awesome child actor Jason Tremblay?), and that...
- 11/24/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Looks like Carol is the movie to beat this year. The Cate Blanchett-fronted movie picked up the most Spirit Awards nominations, a total of six, for the 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards. Carol, Spotlight, Beasts of No Nation, the animated Anomalisa and Tangerine all received best feature nominations. Blanchett, her Carol co-star Rooney Mara, Bel Powley of The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Room star Brie Larson and Tangerine's Kitana Kiki Rodriguez were all nominated for Best Female Lead. Familiar names like former Girls star Christopher Abbot, Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Idris Elba also picked up nominations. See the full list below. The Film Independent Spirit Awards will be handing out on...
- 11/24/2015
- E! Online
In its 31st year, the Film Independent Spirt Awards showcase the best that modest (and, occasionally, lower budget) filmmaking has to offer annually. This year, it’s little surprise the the stellar Carol is leading the pack with six nominations, while Spotlight and Beasts of No Nation are close behind with five each. On the actual smaller scale of productions, the iPhone-shot drama Tangerine picked up a heft four nominations, a film that, alongside Anomalisa and the aforementioned titles, rounds out their Best Feature category.
Ahead of a ceremony on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5Pm Est, check out the full list of nominations below, which also recognize It Follows, Bone Tomahawk, The End of the Tour, Room, The Mend, James White, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Heaven Knows What, and more.
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
“Anomalisa”
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“Spotlight...
Ahead of a ceremony on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 5Pm Est, check out the full list of nominations below, which also recognize It Follows, Bone Tomahawk, The End of the Tour, Room, The Mend, James White, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Heaven Knows What, and more.
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
“Anomalisa”
“Beasts of No Nation”
“Carol”
“Spotlight...
- 11/24/2015
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Todd Haynes' "Carol" led the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations with six, including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and two nods for Best Female Lead (Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara), the most of any film. "Spotlight," about the Boston Globe investigative team that exposed the Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal, and Netflix's child-soldier drama "Beasts of No Nation" were close behind with five apiece. Among the other highlights, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson's adult-oriented animated feature, "Anomalisa," nabbed four nominations, alongside Sean Baker's iPhone-shot L.A. odyssey "Tangerine," including groundbreaking nominations for transgender stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. Read the full list of nominees below: Best Feature "Anomalisa" "Beasts of No Nation" "Carol" "Spotlight" "Tangerine" Best Female...
- 11/24/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
The 2016 Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations for this year with some surprising and excellent choices all across the board.
While expected awards heavyweights like "Carol," "Room," and "Spotlight" are here, numerous genre and niche titles like "It Follows," "Tangerine," "Bone Tomahawk," "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," "James White," "The End of the Tour," and "Anomalisa" have scored multiple nominations along with Netflix's "Beasts of No Nation".
Both "Carol" and 'Beasts' scored six nominations each, followed by "Spotlight," "Tangerine" and "Anomalisa" with four and "It Foll ows" with three. The 2016 Independent Spirit Awards will air on February 27th.
Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson – Anomalisa
David Robert Mitchell – It Follows
Sean Baker – Tangerine
Todd Haynes – Carol
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
Best Female Lead
Bel Powley – The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Brie Larson...
While expected awards heavyweights like "Carol," "Room," and "Spotlight" are here, numerous genre and niche titles like "It Follows," "Tangerine," "Bone Tomahawk," "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," "James White," "The End of the Tour," and "Anomalisa" have scored multiple nominations along with Netflix's "Beasts of No Nation".
Both "Carol" and 'Beasts' scored six nominations each, followed by "Spotlight," "Tangerine" and "Anomalisa" with four and "It Foll ows" with three. The 2016 Independent Spirit Awards will air on February 27th.
Best Feature
Anomalisa
Beasts of No Nation
Carol
Spotlight
Tangerine
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson – Anomalisa
David Robert Mitchell – It Follows
Sean Baker – Tangerine
Todd Haynes – Carol
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
Best Female Lead
Bel Powley – The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Brie Larson...
- 11/24/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Winners will be announced on November 30th. Here's the complete list of nominees for the 25th Ifp Gotham Independent Film Awards:
Best Feature
"Carol"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Spotlight"
"Tangerine"
Best Documentary
"Approaching the Elephant"
"Cartel Land"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Listen to Me Marlon"
"The Look of Silence"
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Desiree Akhavan for "Appropriate Behavior"
Jonas Carpigano for "Mediterranea"
Marielle Heller for "The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
John Magary for "The Mend"
Josh Mond for "James White"
Best Screenplay
"Carol," Phyllis Nagy
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Marielle Heller
"Love & Mercy," Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner
"Spotlight," Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer
"While We.re Young," Noah Baumbach
Best Actor
Christopher Abbott in "James White"
Kevin Corrigan in "Results"
Paul Dano in "Love & Mercy"
Peter Sarsgaard in "Experimenter"
Michael Shannon in "99 Homes"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett in "Carol"
Blythe Danner...
Best Feature
"Carol"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Heaven Knows What"
"Spotlight"
"Tangerine"
Best Documentary
"Approaching the Elephant"
"Cartel Land"
"Heart of a Dog"
"Listen to Me Marlon"
"The Look of Silence"
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director
Desiree Akhavan for "Appropriate Behavior"
Jonas Carpigano for "Mediterranea"
Marielle Heller for "The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
John Magary for "The Mend"
Josh Mond for "James White"
Best Screenplay
"Carol," Phyllis Nagy
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Marielle Heller
"Love & Mercy," Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner
"Spotlight," Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer
"While We.re Young," Noah Baumbach
Best Actor
Christopher Abbott in "James White"
Kevin Corrigan in "Results"
Paul Dano in "Love & Mercy"
Peter Sarsgaard in "Experimenter"
Michael Shannon in "99 Homes"
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett in "Carol"
Blythe Danner...
- 11/17/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Could Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor become the first transgender actresses to be nominated for Oscars? In the critically acclaimed drama “Tangerine,” they play best friends and sex workers Sin-Dee and Alexandra. Indie Spirit winner Sean Baker ("Starlet") directed and co-wrote (with Chris Bergoch) the film, which was shot entirely on three iPhone 5s. Over the course of its 88 minutes, Sin-Dee searches for the pimp who broke her heart while Alexandra gets ready for her stage show. Their personal dramas are set against the backdrop of Christmas in Hollywood. -Break- Subscribe to Gold Derby Breaking News Alerts & Experts’ Latest Oscar Predictions After debuting at Sundance, "Tangerine" played other festivals around the country and then had a limited release by Magnolia Pictures this summer. Critics embraced the film and it scored a staggering 95 on Rotten Tomatoes (which scores...
- 11/16/2015
- Gold Derby
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