It’s one thing to come up with a top 10 list of the best movies in any given year. The best movies of the decade is even harder. But the best movies of a century? Ok, when it comes to the new millennium, that’s just a decade and a half. Still, it’s no easy task to consider the highlights from 16 years of viewing — but that’s part of what makes it such a compelling challenge.
Recently, BBC polled a large group of critics, including IndieWire’s Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich, for their lists of the best achievements of the 21st century. (The full results will run in mid-to-late August.) The results of the poll have yet to run, but as countless participants have begun sharing their results, we felt compelled to weigh in. Of course, lists are highly subjective and almost always omit some major titles, so...
Recently, BBC polled a large group of critics, including IndieWire’s Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich, for their lists of the best achievements of the 21st century. (The full results will run in mid-to-late August.) The results of the poll have yet to run, but as countless participants have begun sharing their results, we felt compelled to weigh in. Of course, lists are highly subjective and almost always omit some major titles, so...
- 6/25/2016
- by Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Dailies is a round-up of essential film writing, news bits, videos, and other highlights from across the Internet. If you’d like to submit a piece for consideration, get in touch with us in the comments below or on Twitter at @TheFilmStage.
See the full list of the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Spotlight, Room, Beasts of No Nation, Tangerine, and more.
Watch Martin Scorsese discuss the restoration of Rocco and His Brothers:
Paul Schneider on his top 10 Criterion films:
I saw Blue for the first time when I was in film school. I checked out a VHS tape from the library and watched it on a twelve-inch TV/Vcr. The movie finished and I sat staring at the dark screen while the tape auto-rewound. When it reached the beginning, I pressed “Play” and watched it a second time. When it stopped the second time, I turned everything off,...
See the full list of the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Spotlight, Room, Beasts of No Nation, Tangerine, and more.
Watch Martin Scorsese discuss the restoration of Rocco and His Brothers:
Paul Schneider on his top 10 Criterion films:
I saw Blue for the first time when I was in film school. I checked out a VHS tape from the library and watched it on a twelve-inch TV/Vcr. The movie finished and I sat staring at the dark screen while the tape auto-rewound. When it reached the beginning, I pressed “Play” and watched it a second time. When it stopped the second time, I turned everything off,...
- 2/29/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Close-Up is a column that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Sweetgrass is playing on Mubi in the Us February 9 through March 9, 2016.Sweetgrass (2009) opens with a shot of a snowy Montana mountain scene, devoid of motion save for tall grasses succumbing to the wind. The following shots zero in on a rusted antique car, a metal shed or trailer, and then a large herd of sheep standing idly in the snow and staring at the cameraman, or just staring blankly as sheep seem to do. The film, directed by Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, documents a family of Montana sheepherders who were among the last ranchers to graze their animals in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness near Yellowstone National Park. Sweetgrass follows a long line of documentary films focused on cultural practices on the decline in a world of global capital and accelerated technological development. But through thoughtful cinematography and sound design,...
- 2/23/2016
- by Matthew Harrison Tedford
- MUBI
Well folks, after a rather long and brutal winter (at least for me here in Buffalo), we are finally heading into the wonderful warmth of summer, but with that blast of sunshine and steamy humidity comes the mid-year drought of major film fests. After the Sheffield Doc/Fest concludes on June 10th and AFI Docs wraps on June 21st, we likely won’t see any major influx in our charts until Locarno, Venice, Telluride and Tiff announce their line-ups in rapid succession. In the meantime, we can look forward to the intriguing onslaught of films making their debut in Sheffield, including Brian Hill’s intriguing examination of Sweden’s most notorious serial killer, The Confessions of Thomas Quick, and Sean McAllister’s film for which he himself was jailed in the process of making, A Syrian Love Story, the only two films world premiering in the festival’s main competition.
- 6/1/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
With this week's Sound and Visions series, Vulture explores the future of movies and the movie industry. We hope you’ll plug us directly into your cerebral cortex. The most exciting documentary films being made today come not from a brand-name auteur or even some up-and-coming, Sundance-anointed visionary. Rather, they come from a place called the Harvard Sensory Ethnography Lab, which sounds more like somewhere an ophthalmologist might send you than a source of great filmmaking. Less a lab and more a collection of like-minded individuals, the Sensory Ethnography Lab’s (Sel) first widely distributed release was the experimental documentary Sweetgrass, an observational, immersive, quietly lyrical portrait of a 150-mile journey involving a group of Montana cowboys and a massive herd of sheep, directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash. The film didn’t contextualize; it didn’t feature talking heads; it didn’t try to inform, as so many nonfiction films try to do.
- 12/10/2014
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
Birthed by the brilliant minds at Harvard’s increasingly influential Sensory Ethnography Lab, Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez’s Manakamana takes in the sights and sounds of the mountainous Nepalese wildness from the bird’s eye view of a sky-bound Austrian engineered cable car that transports Hindu pilgrims and worldly tourists alike to a temple atop the rugged ridge, yet the film does not explain this simple fact. Rather, taking visual cues from the structuralist filmmakers of the 60s and 70s, their 16mm camera sits statically across from various lift passengers on their way to and from the mountain top temple, documenting their 10 minute trip in whole 400 foot reels of film as the lush landscape passes them by like some kind of nostalgic scrolling rear projection effect. In theory, the film sounds like a heady slog of documentary slow cinema, but the resulting two hour feature is a charming bit...
- 8/27/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Thanks to the increase in access to small scale non-fiction films through the barrage of streaming services viewers now have access to – Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Mubi, Vudu, etc – people are watching more documentaries than ever before. You can literally turn on any web ready device of your choosing and be watching any number of top quality docs within a number of seconds. It’s nothing short of incredible. But, with ease of access comes an over saturation of content used to fill in the curatorial gaps. For every Marwencol, Senna, Gimme Shelter or The Act of Killing, there are heaps of ordures cinéma clogging up precious bandwidth. And let’s not forget, cinemas themselves are enjoying a renewed trust in the non-fiction form, exhibiting over 100 documentaries on the silver screen last year and banking over $50 Million at the box office in the process, not including the hundreds of...
- 7/28/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Manakamana – Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez
NYC Release – April 18th
Distributor: The Cinema Guild
Awards & Fests: Winner of a trio of Locarno Film Fest awards (the Golden Leopard for Special Jury Prize in Filmmakers of the Present, Special Mention for Best First Feature Film and the Independent International Film Critics’ Award for Best First Feature ), this was showcased at Tiff & Nyff.
What the critic’s are saying?: Receiving thumbs up from Variety’s Scott Foundas (“manage to craft a vast and revealing portrait of both their chosen locale and the people who pass through it“) and hailed as an achievement and an audience-testing item via IndieWire’s Eric Kohn (“Manakamana” says as much about the erosion of patience as it does about the value of holding onto it”), decidedly, as Cinema Scope’s Jay Kuehner points out in a lengthy analysis, there is sweet offerings in the “field report from...
NYC Release – April 18th
Distributor: The Cinema Guild
Awards & Fests: Winner of a trio of Locarno Film Fest awards (the Golden Leopard for Special Jury Prize in Filmmakers of the Present, Special Mention for Best First Feature Film and the Independent International Film Critics’ Award for Best First Feature ), this was showcased at Tiff & Nyff.
What the critic’s are saying?: Receiving thumbs up from Variety’s Scott Foundas (“manage to craft a vast and revealing portrait of both their chosen locale and the people who pass through it“) and hailed as an achievement and an audience-testing item via IndieWire’s Eric Kohn (“Manakamana” says as much about the erosion of patience as it does about the value of holding onto it”), decidedly, as Cinema Scope’s Jay Kuehner points out in a lengthy analysis, there is sweet offerings in the “field report from...
- 4/1/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
This year’s quintessential art doc, Leviathan is the latest feature from Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, the duo behind Sweetgrass and the driving force behind Harvard’s experimental Sensory Ethnography Lab. With a myriad of weather-proof digital cameras strapped to a North American trolling ship, the film documents the grotesque nature of commercial fishing with the grainy high-contrast visuals of a shipwrecked acrobat. We slosh about the deck bathed in the blood of countless sea creatures and watch weathered men be pelted by an ever present downpour as hungry gulls flutter against a black sky hoping to score a scrap of remains. This is Deadliest Catch without the embellishments of competition, personality or theme music – a purely guttural experience to be had.
Never before has the objective of the Sensory Ethnography Lab been brought to life with such direct and brutal eloquence as within. Certainly documenting the hard-knock lives...
Never before has the objective of the Sensory Ethnography Lab been brought to life with such direct and brutal eloquence as within. Certainly documenting the hard-knock lives...
- 10/29/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
As Moore’s Law has continued to raise the quality and lower the cost of Av equipment, and more fledgling filmmakers have dipped their feet in the fountain of non-fiction, there’s been much talk about us being in the midst of a new golden age of documentary filmmaking. Now, lofty statements like these generally wind up being little more than buzzword attractions meant to set the blogosphere aflame, but this year has undoubtedly been a stellar year for the non-fiction form. From politically shattering investigations to form flexing art films to immensely personal portraits, not only are documentaries making a major impact on the ol’ festival circuit – Sundance, Tribeca, Hot Docs, SXSW, AFI Docs – many fest favorites from last year have had considerable success this year in art house theatres, not just in NYC & La, but in some cases nationwide – not an easy feat.
Of the lengthy list of...
Of the lengthy list of...
- 7/29/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Dogwoof has acquired all UK rights for documentary Leviathan, directed by Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor.
The deal was negotiated between Oli Harbottle, Head of Distribution for Dogwoof, and Paravel and Castaing-Taylor. Dogwoof already released Castaing-Taylor’s Sweetgrass in 2011.
The film immerses the viewer in the world of commercial fishing. It won the Michael Powell Award at the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Leviathan will be the second film of Castaing-Taylor’s to be released by Dogwoof in the UK, after the company released Sweetgrass in 2011.
Oli Harbottle said: “Leviathan is a completely unique cinema experience, and it has been great to see it getting the critical acclaim that such filmmaking warrants. We are so happy to be working with Lucien and Véréna after releasing the previous film Sweetgrass, and there are some fun alternative ideas already in the pipeline for an Autumn release.”
Castaing-Taylor and Paravel added: “We’re delighted to be working with Dogwoof; their track record...
The deal was negotiated between Oli Harbottle, Head of Distribution for Dogwoof, and Paravel and Castaing-Taylor. Dogwoof already released Castaing-Taylor’s Sweetgrass in 2011.
The film immerses the viewer in the world of commercial fishing. It won the Michael Powell Award at the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Leviathan will be the second film of Castaing-Taylor’s to be released by Dogwoof in the UK, after the company released Sweetgrass in 2011.
Oli Harbottle said: “Leviathan is a completely unique cinema experience, and it has been great to see it getting the critical acclaim that such filmmaking warrants. We are so happy to be working with Lucien and Véréna after releasing the previous film Sweetgrass, and there are some fun alternative ideas already in the pipeline for an Autumn release.”
Castaing-Taylor and Paravel added: “We’re delighted to be working with Dogwoof; their track record...
- 7/15/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Leviathan
Written by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
Directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
France, UK, USA, 2012
We’re cast right into the clanging of metal and the harsh winds of the North Atlantic. Though ostensibly advertised as an immersive look into the commercial fishing industry, our viewing lens is at first murky and dim. This sort of visceral thrust is at once foreign and familiar, a transporting non-linear journey keen on the laborious modes of living at sea. Though our location and proximity are known, this particular wordless Maritime milieu couldn’t be any more obscure. This is Leviathan, a new experimental documentary from filmmakers Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel. The former last made 2009’s Sweetgrass, a documentary that followed modern-day shepherds as they lead their flocks of sheep into the mountains of Montana. This time, the summer pastures of Sweetgrass are substituted with the unforgiving waters that man boldly traverses.
Written by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
Directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
France, UK, USA, 2012
We’re cast right into the clanging of metal and the harsh winds of the North Atlantic. Though ostensibly advertised as an immersive look into the commercial fishing industry, our viewing lens is at first murky and dim. This sort of visceral thrust is at once foreign and familiar, a transporting non-linear journey keen on the laborious modes of living at sea. Though our location and proximity are known, this particular wordless Maritime milieu couldn’t be any more obscure. This is Leviathan, a new experimental documentary from filmmakers Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel. The former last made 2009’s Sweetgrass, a documentary that followed modern-day shepherds as they lead their flocks of sheep into the mountains of Montana. This time, the summer pastures of Sweetgrass are substituted with the unforgiving waters that man boldly traverses.
- 5/24/2013
- by Ty Landis
- SoundOnSight
News.
Above: Filmmaker Andrei Ujică in conversation with Dennis Lim.
Dennis Lim is the new year-round Cinematheque programmer for the Film Society at Lincoln Center. Not too long ago we reported Robert Koehler had taken the position, but due to family health issues, he has stepped down. We congratulate Dennis Lim and our thoughts are with Robert Koehler. He may not be a household name, but he meant a lot to those who knew him: Ric Menello passed away at the age of 60 last week. Menello is known for co-writing Two Lovers and Lowlife with James Gray, and for directing this. Take a look at the Ditmas Park Corner blog's remembrance of Menello.
Editor of The Chiseler and Notebook contributor Daniel Riccuito has a new book coming out, and it's a humdinger: The Depression Alphabet Primer, with illustrations by Tony Millionaire. You can find a sample of the delights...
Above: Filmmaker Andrei Ujică in conversation with Dennis Lim.
Dennis Lim is the new year-round Cinematheque programmer for the Film Society at Lincoln Center. Not too long ago we reported Robert Koehler had taken the position, but due to family health issues, he has stepped down. We congratulate Dennis Lim and our thoughts are with Robert Koehler. He may not be a household name, but he meant a lot to those who knew him: Ric Menello passed away at the age of 60 last week. Menello is known for co-writing Two Lovers and Lowlife with James Gray, and for directing this. Take a look at the Ditmas Park Corner blog's remembrance of Menello.
Editor of The Chiseler and Notebook contributor Daniel Riccuito has a new book coming out, and it's a humdinger: The Depression Alphabet Primer, with illustrations by Tony Millionaire. You can find a sample of the delights...
- 3/6/2013
- by Adam Cook
- MUBI
Nature documentaries tend to be relegated to a format that conforms to National Geographic standards; not "Leviathan." A collaborative effort by filmmakers Verena Paravel ("Foreign Parts") and Lucien Castaing-Taylor ("Sweetgrass"), the movie is exclusively composed of frantic, powerful and often disturbing images shot with tiny cameras onboard (and sometimes just off-board) a fishing vessel off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The movie is a mesmerizing testament to the capacity for lightweight digital cameras to allow for more innovative filmmaking approaches, a lyrical ode to life at sea, a cautionary tale about life at sea, a blurring of the line between man, nature and fish. Cameras drift beneath the waves and assume the perspectives of the creatures swarming below, but they also capture that same haunting Pov from the deck of the ship when the animals are deceased. Crewmembers are glimpsed in heat of brutal physical labor but rarely speak.
- 3/1/2013
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Columbia, Missouri's True/False Film Fest was founded in 2004 and has since become one of the most reknowned documentary-centric festivals currently active. This year's slate provides plenty of buzzed about-docs, with Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Véréna Paravel, co-directors of the gripping, haunting commercial fishing doc "Leviathan" being presented with the annual True Vision award. Castaing-Taylor's previous film, the sheephearding doc "Sweetgrass," is also playing at the festival. Other must-sees include the controversial Sundance pic "After Tiller" form Martha Shane & Lana Wilson, Dror Moreh's Oscar nominated "The Gatekeepers" about Israel's intelligence service, and Sarah Polley's beautiful and inventive "Stories We Tell." The festival has a few non-documentary offerings as well, with Andrew Bujalski's Sloan award winning comedy "Computer Chess" playing, as...
- 2/8/2013
- by Mark Lukenbill
- Indiewire
"Mind-blowing." Cinema Guild has released a trailer for what is being called one of the "most anticipated" documentaries this year, called Leviathan, directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel, of the docs Sweetgrass and Foreign Parts. It's set aboard a "hulking fishing vessel" hailing from New England, chronicling the commercial fishing world with some of the most raw visuals you'll see. THR's fest review describes it as "a wordless montage of footage filmed on small digital cameras from every dark corner of the boat." This is a fitting trailer for such an interesting and experimental doc, which may just be worth seeing. Watch the official trailer for Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel's doc Leviathan, from Apple: Leviathan is a thrilling, immersive documentary that takes viewers deep inside the dangerous world of commercial fishing. Set aboard a hulking fishing vessel as it navigates the treacherous waves off the New England coast—the...
- 2/8/2013
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Cinema Guild has released the trailer for Lucien Castaing-Taylor ("Sweetgrass") and Verena Paravel's ("Foreign Parts") festival favorite doc "Leviathan." The film is nominated for the Indie Spirit's Truer Than Fiction award and will be released theatrically March 1 at NYC's IFC Center, followed by a national rollout. Check out the trailer and synopsis below: Leviathan is a thrilling, immersive documentary that takes you deep inside the dangerous world of commercial fishing. Set aboard a hulking fishing vessel as it navigates the treacherous waves off the New England coast–the very waters that once inspired Moby Dick– the film captures the harsh, unforgiving world of the fishermen in starkly haunting, yet beautiful detail. Employing an arsenal of cameras that pass freely from film crew to ship crew, and swoop from below sea level to astonishing bird’s-eye views, Leviathan is unlike anything you have ever seen; a purely...
- 2/7/2013
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Today, the True/False Film Festival announced that Sebastian Junger's "Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life & Time of Tim Hetherington" will receive the 2013 True Life Fund award. Junger made the film about his "Restrepo" co-director, the photojournalist Tim Hetherington, who was killed while working in Libya. The Fund, set up by festival sponsor The Crossing, a local church, donates money to the subjects of a deserving documentary film. This year, the fund will go to Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues (Risc) and the Milton Margai School for the Blind in Sierra Leone, two organizations chosen by the people behind the Hetherington film. Lucien Castaing-Taylor ("Sweetgrass") and Verena Paravel ("Foreign Parts"), who directed "Leviathan," which will screen at the festival, will receive the festival's True Vision Award, given to filmmakers whose work "shows a dedication to the creative...
- 2/7/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Check out the poster for the documentary Leviathan from Cinema Guild helmed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor (Sweetgrass) and Verena Paravel of Foreign Parts. Leviathan is a thrilling, immersive documentary that takes you deep inside the dangerous world of commercial fishing. Set aboard a hulking fishing vessel as it navigates the treacherous waves off the New England coast–the very waters that once inspired Moby Dick– the film captures the harsh, unforgiving world of the fishermen in starkly haunting, yet beautiful detail. Employing an arsenal of cameras that pass freely from film crew to ship crew, and swoop from below sea level to astonishing bird’s-eye views, Leviathan is unlike anything you have ever seen; a purely visceral, cinematic experience. Leviathan opens on March 1st at the IFC Center in New York City, followed by a national release at a later date.
- 1/29/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out the poster for the documentary Leviathan from Cinema Guild helmed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor (Sweetgrass) and Verena Paravel of Foreign Parts. Leviathan is a thrilling, immersive documentary that takes you deep inside the dangerous world of commercial fishing. Set aboard a hulking fishing vessel as it navigates the treacherous waves off the New England coast–the very waters that once inspired Moby Dick– the film captures the harsh, unforgiving world of the fishermen in starkly haunting, yet beautiful detail. Employing an arsenal of cameras that pass freely from film crew to ship crew, and swoop from below sea level to astonishing bird’s-eye views, Leviathan is unlike anything you have ever seen; a purely visceral, cinematic experience. Leviathan opens on March 1st at the IFC Center in New York City, followed by a national release at a later date.
- 1/29/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
10. Leviathan
Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel’s follow-up to their fascinating depiction of traveling sheep herders in Sweetgrass, is this year’s quintessential art doc. With a myriad of weather-proof digital cameras strapped to a North America trolling ship, the film documents the grotesque nature of the commercial fishing profession on a very physical level. We slosh about the deck bathed in the blood of countless sea creatures while we watch weathered men be pelted by an ever present downpour as hungry gulls flutter against a black sky hoping to score some remains. This is Deadliest Catch without the embellishments of competition, personality or theme music and it is a purely guttural experience to be had.
9. Post Tenebras Lux
Carlos Reygadas’s latest is the only film on the list that debuted at Cannes this year that I’ve managed to see (I’m still patiently awaiting Holy Motors, Amour,...
Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel’s follow-up to their fascinating depiction of traveling sheep herders in Sweetgrass, is this year’s quintessential art doc. With a myriad of weather-proof digital cameras strapped to a North America trolling ship, the film documents the grotesque nature of the commercial fishing profession on a very physical level. We slosh about the deck bathed in the blood of countless sea creatures while we watch weathered men be pelted by an ever present downpour as hungry gulls flutter against a black sky hoping to score some remains. This is Deadliest Catch without the embellishments of competition, personality or theme music and it is a purely guttural experience to be had.
9. Post Tenebras Lux
Carlos Reygadas’s latest is the only film on the list that debuted at Cannes this year that I’ve managed to see (I’m still patiently awaiting Holy Motors, Amour,...
- 12/31/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Leviathan
Directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
France/UK/USA, 2012
It’s impossible to discuss the documentary Leviathan without comparing it to co-director Lucien Castaing-Taylor’s previous film, Sweetgrass. Sweetgrass was a documentary about sheep herders in Montana, but it eschewed all of the typical tropes of a documentary: no talking heads, no narration, no soundtrack. It was simply still camera shots of the herd and herders, sometimes several minutes long, presented without commentary. Leviathan is the same concept, but this time applied to the commercial fishing industry, which is a less interesting subject to be seen in this form.
The purpose of this style is to show, without being strident or preachy, the intrusion of modernity into nature. There’s no more amazing shot in Sweetgrass than the one of a sheep herder standing on a magnificent hilltop, complaining into his cell phone to an unknown family member...
Directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
France/UK/USA, 2012
It’s impossible to discuss the documentary Leviathan without comparing it to co-director Lucien Castaing-Taylor’s previous film, Sweetgrass. Sweetgrass was a documentary about sheep herders in Montana, but it eschewed all of the typical tropes of a documentary: no talking heads, no narration, no soundtrack. It was simply still camera shots of the herd and herders, sometimes several minutes long, presented without commentary. Leviathan is the same concept, but this time applied to the commercial fishing industry, which is a less interesting subject to be seen in this form.
The purpose of this style is to show, without being strident or preachy, the intrusion of modernity into nature. There’s no more amazing shot in Sweetgrass than the one of a sheep herder standing on a magnificent hilltop, complaining into his cell phone to an unknown family member...
- 10/4/2012
- by Mark Young
- SoundOnSight
Dear Fern,
I'm glad you caught Oliveira's Gebo and the Shadow too, and inadvertently placed it next to To the Wonder. I felt like those were inverse films of each other: one constantly floating, the other firmly rooted; one whose spoken words are all offscreen, the other who's words are all stringently, theatrically on camera; the Malick repeating abstractions on light and love, the Oliveira on loss and misery. And each resolutely, repetitiously dedicated to these methods of presentation, fluid, searching philosophy in flitting figures vs. the concrete weight of bodies, age, poverty. Gebo, based on a play by Raul Brandão, saves its magic for outside of its single setting house, a glimpse of a Virgin Mary on a street corner, the flat, computer generated harbor you mention that opens the film, hands coming out of the shadows to grasp at the audience like the gunfighter who ends Edwin S. Porter...
I'm glad you caught Oliveira's Gebo and the Shadow too, and inadvertently placed it next to To the Wonder. I felt like those were inverse films of each other: one constantly floating, the other firmly rooted; one whose spoken words are all offscreen, the other who's words are all stringently, theatrically on camera; the Malick repeating abstractions on light and love, the Oliveira on loss and misery. And each resolutely, repetitiously dedicated to these methods of presentation, fluid, searching philosophy in flitting figures vs. the concrete weight of bodies, age, poverty. Gebo, based on a play by Raul Brandão, saves its magic for outside of its single setting house, a glimpse of a Virgin Mary on a street corner, the flat, computer generated harbor you mention that opens the film, hands coming out of the shadows to grasp at the audience like the gunfighter who ends Edwin S. Porter...
- 9/16/2012
- MUBI
Crustaceans & Coruscations: Castaing-Taylor and Paravel Pairing Offer Hyper-Stimulated Sound and Mounted Moving Camera Experience
The antithesis of a Jacques Cluzaud nature doc, Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel’s sublime, non-commentary type of documentary with horror film like qualities. Detailing humanities’ appetite for destruction in segmented work-shift tasks you’d find on the deck of a fishing vessel, Leviathan is a rare, nightmarish beautifully composed hybrid of the sound and affixed moving camera aesthetic that will remain with you, hook, line and sinker.
The appropriately titled 87 minuter could easily allude to the monstrous-looking vessel platform that robs the ocean floors of precious life, or on the flip side/below the bottom deck could symbolize some of the shapes and forms that are the make-up of the blackness of the sea, or in a larger craftier sense of the meaning, could symbolize the how human civilization was built on a mixture of hard labor and ugly,...
The antithesis of a Jacques Cluzaud nature doc, Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel’s sublime, non-commentary type of documentary with horror film like qualities. Detailing humanities’ appetite for destruction in segmented work-shift tasks you’d find on the deck of a fishing vessel, Leviathan is a rare, nightmarish beautifully composed hybrid of the sound and affixed moving camera aesthetic that will remain with you, hook, line and sinker.
The appropriately titled 87 minuter could easily allude to the monstrous-looking vessel platform that robs the ocean floors of precious life, or on the flip side/below the bottom deck could symbolize some of the shapes and forms that are the make-up of the blackness of the sea, or in a larger craftier sense of the meaning, could symbolize the how human civilization was built on a mixture of hard labor and ugly,...
- 9/12/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
As I mentioned in the preface to the first part of my Wavelengths preview (the one focusing on the short films), there are significant changes afoot in 2012. Until last year, the festival had a section known as Visions, which was the primary home for formally challenging cinema that nevertheless conformed to the basic tenets of arthouse and/or “festival” cinema (actors, scripting, 70+minute running time, and, once upon a time, 35mm presentation). This year, Wavelengths is both its former self, and it also contains the sort of work that Visions most likely would have housed. While in some respects this can seem to result in a kind of split personality for the section, it also means that Wavelengths, which has often been described as a sort of “festival within the festival,” has moved front and center. Films that would’ve occupied single slots in the older avant-Wavelengths model, like the...
- 9/12/2012
- MUBI
Out of the hundreds of films that screen at the Toronto International Film Festival, there’s a chance you’ll only be able to eventually a portion of them in the near future. Thankfully, the marketplace this year seems to in a buying frenzy, as things only kicked off a few days ago and we’ve got lots to report.
Update: The Wrap reports that Focus Features turned out to be the victor and have picked up the Us distribution rights for The Place Beyond the Pines for around $2.5 million and will release in 2013. We’ve got no more info than that for now, but hopefully we’ll see it by the end of the year. Check out the original story below.
First up isn’t even confirmation of an acquisition, but it surrounds one of the most sought-after titles. Our positive review will be coming shortly, but Derek Cianfrance...
Update: The Wrap reports that Focus Features turned out to be the victor and have picked up the Us distribution rights for The Place Beyond the Pines for around $2.5 million and will release in 2013. We’ve got no more info than that for now, but hopefully we’ll see it by the end of the year. Check out the original story below.
First up isn’t even confirmation of an acquisition, but it surrounds one of the most sought-after titles. Our positive review will be coming shortly, but Derek Cianfrance...
- 9/8/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The Cinema Guild has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel’s epic exploration of fishing, “Leviathan.” The film, which is set to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival next week, will receive a theatrical release in early 2013. “Leviathan” is the collective result of footage shot on a dozen cameras passed between filmmakers and fishermen while at sea. The film had its world premiere in August at the Locarno Film Festival and will have its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival in October. Read More: Locarno Review: Masterful Fishing Doc 'Leviathan' Presents a Fresh Take on the Nature Documentary Form “‘Leviathan’ is unlike any film we have ever seen,” said Ryan Krivoshey of the Cinema Guild, which also released Castaing-Taylor’s 2009 film “Sweetgrass.” “It is a bracing, daring and highly original work that demands...
- 9/7/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Leviathan is yet another rich project hailing from the Harvard Sensory Ethnography Lab, which has brought us fascinating, anthropologically-driven experimental work since its inception in 2007, including award-winning films like Sweetgrass (2009) and Foreign Parts (2010). The lab was formed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor, who co-directs Leviathan with Véréna Paravel. The film takes place on a fishing boat, shot on cheap, tiny digital cameras that are attached to fishermen, dead fish and even thrown overboard on tethers. Just as Abbas Kiarostami's Five was a film that somehow articulated the essence of Yasujiro Ozu with its patient observation of the slow and beautiful ebb and flow of life, Leviathan does the same, though unconsciously, for the late Tony Scott with its kinetic, often aesthetically stunning visual noise. It is a film that evades description with its originality, something which is brought up in the following exchange I had with Véréna Paravel at the Locarno Film Festival,...
- 8/29/2012
- MUBI
Amour
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the main slate of selections for the 50th New York Film Festival (September 28-October 14) including such notable directors as Olivier Assayas, Noah Baumbach, Leos Carax, Brian De Palma, Michael Haneke, Abbas Kiarostami, Ang Lee, Cristian Mungiu, Sally Potter, Alain Resnais, Raul Ruiz and Robert Zemeckis.
Regarding the line up of 32 films comprising the main slate for the 50th anniversary of Nyff Richard Peña, Selection Committee Chair & Program Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, said, .The films making up the main slate of this year’s Nyff, have in common a general quality of fearlessness” that unites otherwise very disparate works. These are films that go all the way, works willing to take the risk or chance that by doing so they may be bringing audiences to places they might rather not go..
Award winners that will be presented for...
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the main slate of selections for the 50th New York Film Festival (September 28-October 14) including such notable directors as Olivier Assayas, Noah Baumbach, Leos Carax, Brian De Palma, Michael Haneke, Abbas Kiarostami, Ang Lee, Cristian Mungiu, Sally Potter, Alain Resnais, Raul Ruiz and Robert Zemeckis.
Regarding the line up of 32 films comprising the main slate for the 50th anniversary of Nyff Richard Peña, Selection Committee Chair & Program Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, said, .The films making up the main slate of this year’s Nyff, have in common a general quality of fearlessness” that unites otherwise very disparate works. These are films that go all the way, works willing to take the risk or chance that by doing so they may be bringing audiences to places they might rather not go..
Award winners that will be presented for...
- 8/16/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
After Venice and Toronto unveiled their strong assembly of titles, the 50th annual New York Film Festival have released this year’s primary lineup. Short answer: We won’t be left out in the cold this fall.
Though not necessarily on the same massive scale as last year, the Film Society of Lincoln Center look to be offering some of world cinema’s finest options for 2012. The biggest title would, unquestionably, have to be Michael Haneke‘s Palme d’Or winner, Amour, while “the rest,” if you’re so callous as to call it that, include some of our favorite Cannes selections — including Abbas Kiarostami‘s Like Someone in Love, or Leos Carax‘s Holy Motors. Sure, maybe Beyond the Hills was a flat bore that didn’t live up to its director’s last effort, but at least I get to find out for myself.
Past those obvious picks,...
Though not necessarily on the same massive scale as last year, the Film Society of Lincoln Center look to be offering some of world cinema’s finest options for 2012. The biggest title would, unquestionably, have to be Michael Haneke‘s Palme d’Or winner, Amour, while “the rest,” if you’re so callous as to call it that, include some of our favorite Cannes selections — including Abbas Kiarostami‘s Like Someone in Love, or Leos Carax‘s Holy Motors. Sure, maybe Beyond the Hills was a flat bore that didn’t live up to its director’s last effort, but at least I get to find out for myself.
Past those obvious picks,...
- 8/16/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
While Cannes’ Quinzaine struggles to reframe its identity, its former artistic director Olivier Père continues to impress in his new job at the Locarno Film Festival. On Wednesday, he and his programming team unveiled a lineup that is absolutely salivatory, a who’s who for high-minded cinephiles. Perhaps most impressive of all, he has managed to once again nudge the festival’s selection aesthetic even deeper into esoteric ‘experimental’ territory without seeming all that radical. More than any other festival, Locarno is the home for the edgy projects that are too sophisticated for Cannes, whose cold shoulder to avant-garde narrative filmmaking becomes more glaring with each passing year. Check out the complete line-up at the bottom of this page.
In their International Competition, in which films compete for the increasingly prestigious Golden Leopard, we have a collaboration between João Pedro Rodrigues and his partner João Rui Guerra da Mata called...
In their International Competition, in which films compete for the increasingly prestigious Golden Leopard, we have a collaboration between João Pedro Rodrigues and his partner João Rui Guerra da Mata called...
- 7/13/2012
- by Blake Williams
- IONCINEMA.com
David Redmon and Ashley Sabin made their documentary "Downeast" as the first of a four part series. The film follows a year-and-a-half in a small lobstering village that faces tough times because of the economic crisis. They cite Ilisa Barbash's sheep-herding documentary "Sweetgrass" as an influence on their film. "'Sweetgrass' inspired us to expand our understanding of storytelling and our visual and experiential sensibilities," said the directors. "Yet, our film 'Downeast' ended up as a partial opposite of Ilisa and Lucien's remarkable movie." "Downeast" is premiering at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and the other three parts are in various stages of production. "Part 2 is much more experimental, experiential, and sensory-based (similar to 'Sweetgrass,' but not an imitation of it)," they said. "Part 3 is complete - it's a 70 minute, one-shot movie of the...
- 4/11/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
We've already had today's major television event (as covered by the lovely Courtney over here and thank god for that because I got a nauseous feeling every time I read about that case so I just didn't and would have been no good at talking about it) which is excellent because it means tonight's line up will be less disappointing. In the sense that you're all TV'ed and righteous indignation-ed out right? Especially after a long holiday weekend where you all (Canadians and Americans, anyway) ate more meat than was advisable, drank more than was wise, and were subjected to shit blowing up either willingly or unwillingly and mostly tonight you'd just like to head to bed early instead of watching tv, right? Because... yeah, there's no good reason to watch TV tonight. Sorry. Here's your Tuesday night TV.
8:00pm: "America's Got Talent" on NBC
"Cupcake Wars" on Food Network...
8:00pm: "America's Got Talent" on NBC
"Cupcake Wars" on Food Network...
- 7/5/2011
- by Intern Rusty
Arthur (12A)
(Jason Winer, 2011, Us) Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Luis Guzmán. 110 mins
You can see what they were thinking: "it worked for one difficult-to-market English comic, so let's try it again". But somewhere between the moon and New York City this romcom seems to have lost some of its spirit and spontaneity. There are some snappy lines and funny moments, but Brand's overprivileged wastrel is nowhere near as cuddly as Dudley Moore's was – or as convincingly drunk. Sometimes, hair of the dog isn't the answer.
How I Ended This Summer (12A)
(Aleksei Popogrebsky, 2010, Rus) Grigory Dobrygin, Sergei Puskepalis. 130 mins
Spare and distinctive two-hander set in remote Arctic Russia, where the endless daylight, monotonous work, some terrible news and a touch of radiation exacerbate generational differences to deadly levels.
Pina (U)
(Wim Wenders, 2011, Ger/Fra/UK) 104 mins
A 3D tribute to the work, rather than the life,...
(Jason Winer, 2011, Us) Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Luis Guzmán. 110 mins
You can see what they were thinking: "it worked for one difficult-to-market English comic, so let's try it again". But somewhere between the moon and New York City this romcom seems to have lost some of its spirit and spontaneity. There are some snappy lines and funny moments, but Brand's overprivileged wastrel is nowhere near as cuddly as Dudley Moore's was – or as convincingly drunk. Sometimes, hair of the dog isn't the answer.
How I Ended This Summer (12A)
(Aleksei Popogrebsky, 2010, Rus) Grigory Dobrygin, Sergei Puskepalis. 130 mins
Spare and distinctive two-hander set in remote Arctic Russia, where the endless daylight, monotonous work, some terrible news and a touch of radiation exacerbate generational differences to deadly levels.
Pina (U)
(Wim Wenders, 2011, Ger/Fra/UK) 104 mins
A 3D tribute to the work, rather than the life,...
- 4/22/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Ballet drama "Black Swan" triumphed at the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards and won for Best Feature, Best Director for Darren Aronofsky, Best Female Lead for Natalie Portman, and Best Cinematography for Matthew Libatique.
Oscar nominee Natalie Portman added this victory to her impressive collection of awards she took home this season, including a Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award for Best Actress. Best Supporting Female went to Dale Dickey for "Winter's Bone."
15 Facts about Natalie Portman!
Oscar nominee Natalie Portman added this victory to her impressive collection of awards she took home this season, including a Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award for Best Actress. Best Supporting Female went to Dale Dickey for "Winter's Bone."
15 Facts about Natalie Portman!
- 2/27/2011
- Extra
With all the "Black Swan" hoopla, am I the only one who thinks that the film, while well-made, is not deserving of all these hyper-crazed adulations? Portman was good, but I prefer Annette Bening's understated performance in "The Kids Are All Right." Or heck, Jennifer Lawrence's "Winter's Bone" performance could easily outdance Portman's delusional ballerina portrayal any day.
And "Winter's Bone," celebrating its true independent spirit, was virtually snubbed at last night's Independent Spirit Awards. Sure, the excellent supporting cast was honored with Dale Dickey winning Best Supporting Female and John Hawkes for Best Supporting Male, but the engaging and deeply haunting Debra Granik movie (with the most nominations totaling to seven nods) lost out to...you guessed it, Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan." (Check out my "Winter's Bone" movie review right here)
And yes, I do admire Aronofsky, I thought "The Wrestler" was one of his personal...
And "Winter's Bone," celebrating its true independent spirit, was virtually snubbed at last night's Independent Spirit Awards. Sure, the excellent supporting cast was honored with Dale Dickey winning Best Supporting Female and John Hawkes for Best Supporting Male, but the engaging and deeply haunting Debra Granik movie (with the most nominations totaling to seven nods) lost out to...you guessed it, Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan." (Check out my "Winter's Bone" movie review right here)
And yes, I do admire Aronofsky, I thought "The Wrestler" was one of his personal...
- 2/27/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Well, every year the Independent Spirit Awards are handed out the night before the Oscars, and every year, it seems that they are honouring a completely different set of films, despite having a number of overlapping nominees. At this point, it almost seems like you don't want to win a Spirit Award because if you do, it means you won't end up winning the Oscar. Assuming history repeats itself, James Franco's chances of winning Best Actor for 127 Hours just got a little worse (not that he really had a shot in the first place), and Natalie Portman might not be the lock that everyone thinks she is. Black Swan also ended up taking home Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, while John Hawkes and Dale Dickey took home Supporting Actor and Actress awards for Winter's Bone. The Kids Are All Right ended up getting Best Screenplay, while Exit Through the Gift Shop...
- 2/27/2011
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
I went 10/13 with my predictions of the Indie Spirits today -- my misfires came in the Best Picture and Best Actress categories thinking that Winter's Bone had the edge over Black Swan. Not that Winter's Bone didn't have a good night (it won in the Best Supporting categories - I thought that Bill Murray had the edge over John Hawkes is where I flubbed as well) but it was indeed a Black Swan event -- with additional wins for Directing (Darren Aronofsky) and Cinematography (Matthew Libatique). You can find the winners in bold below. Best Feature 127 Hours Black Swan Greenberg The Kids Are All Right Winter's Bone Best Director Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan Danny Boyle, 127 Hours Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right Debra Granik, Winter's Bone John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole Best Screenplay Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Winter's Bone Nicole Holofcener,...
- 2/27/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
The 2011 Independent Spirit Awards were handed out a few hours ago and Black Swan won in all four categories it was nominated in including Best Picture, Best Director (Darren Aronofsky), Best Actress (Natalie Portman) and Best Cinematography (Matthew Libatique). Winter's Bone earned the most nominations at seven and dominated the supporting categories with wins for both Dale Dickey and John Hawkes, of the two only Hawkes earned an Oscar nomination, but he'll be facing off against both Christian Bale and Geoffrey Rush tomorrow night so I'm not counting on two awards in two days, though his performance in that film is one to remember.
Elsewhere, James Franco won Best Actor for 127 Hours, though he wasn't facing the stiffest of competition when it comes to most talked about performances of the year as he is the only one of the five nominees to also be nominated for an Oscar. Exit Through the Gift Shop...
Elsewhere, James Franco won Best Actor for 127 Hours, though he wasn't facing the stiffest of competition when it comes to most talked about performances of the year as he is the only one of the five nominees to also be nominated for an Oscar. Exit Through the Gift Shop...
- 2/27/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: The day before the annual Academy Awards ceremony belongs to the Spirit Awards, when Hollywood’s independent film community – which currently reflects the Oscar community thanks to double-dipping films like “Black Swan,” “Winter’s Bone” and “The Kids Are All Right” – takes to the sands in Santa Monica for what host Joel McHale calls “the coolest awards show, because it’s casual, in a tent on a beach, and people are drinking, and vomiting.”
Let’s hope there isn’t as much throw up as McHale predicts. We wouldn’t want 2011 Spirit Awards nominees Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Ben Stiller or John C. Reilly slipping in someone else’s vomit on the way to the stage.
All kidding aside, the Spirit Awards are a laid-back affair, a lighter appetizer to the glamorous Oscars. The ceremony will be televised in IFC beginning at 10 p.
Hollywoodnews.com: The day before the annual Academy Awards ceremony belongs to the Spirit Awards, when Hollywood’s independent film community – which currently reflects the Oscar community thanks to double-dipping films like “Black Swan,” “Winter’s Bone” and “The Kids Are All Right” – takes to the sands in Santa Monica for what host Joel McHale calls “the coolest awards show, because it’s casual, in a tent on a beach, and people are drinking, and vomiting.”
Let’s hope there isn’t as much throw up as McHale predicts. We wouldn’t want 2011 Spirit Awards nominees Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Ben Stiller or John C. Reilly slipping in someone else’s vomit on the way to the stage.
All kidding aside, the Spirit Awards are a laid-back affair, a lighter appetizer to the glamorous Oscars. The ceremony will be televised in IFC beginning at 10 p.
- 2/26/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
With all the emerging talent on display at this year's Spirit Awards, it's easy to get caught up in what's new and next in terms of the films we'll be seeing in the future, but what's often overlooked is the surfeit of new places and experiences that has been on display in independent cinema over the course of the past year. Actors routinely take audiences into emotional terrain where they haven't been before, but in 2010, it was often the surroundings that shared the spotlight.
In "Winter's Bone," director Debra Granik showed off a side of America that's rarely seen onscreen with the poverty-stricken rural community that exists as its own insular world in the mountains of Missouri and Best First Feature nominee "Get Low" showed the majesty of Tennessee during the '30s. "The Kids Are All Right" and "Greenberg" reveled in both sides of Los Angeles, demonstrating the way...
In "Winter's Bone," director Debra Granik showed off a side of America that's rarely seen onscreen with the poverty-stricken rural community that exists as its own insular world in the mountains of Missouri and Best First Feature nominee "Get Low" showed the majesty of Tennessee during the '30s. "The Kids Are All Right" and "Greenberg" reveled in both sides of Los Angeles, demonstrating the way...
- 2/25/2011
- by IFC
- ifc.com
As a way of celebrating this year's nominees for the Spirit Awards in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, we reached out to as many as we could in an effort to better understand what went into their films, what they've gotten out of the experience, and where they've found their inspiration, both in regards to their work and other works of art that might've inspired them from the past year. Their answers will be published on a daily basis throughout February.
Netflix describes "Sweetgrass" as a film that's "raunchy, understated." On its face, this is ridiculous statement: how could any movie be both raunchy and understated? But if any movie could fit those descriptors, it's "Sweetgrass," a quiet meditation on the last gasp of agrarianism in the American West and an unflinching look at some potty-mouthed cowboys. Some scenes do indeed combine verbal raunch and visual understatement. In one unforgettable sequence,...
Netflix describes "Sweetgrass" as a film that's "raunchy, understated." On its face, this is ridiculous statement: how could any movie be both raunchy and understated? But if any movie could fit those descriptors, it's "Sweetgrass," a quiet meditation on the last gasp of agrarianism in the American West and an unflinching look at some potty-mouthed cowboys. Some scenes do indeed combine verbal raunch and visual understatement. In one unforgettable sequence,...
- 2/18/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Best Documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" It's hard to know whether street artist Banksy's feature documentary is what it claims to be—a doc about an obsessive man who falls in love with the world of street art (where artists place their work in public, risking arrest for vandalism), fashioning himself as the most financially successful street artist in history—or is Banksy's best prank to date. The film follows the life of buffoonish French expatriate Thierry Guetta, a happy-go-lucky proprietor of an overpriced hipster-wear store in West Hollywood with the curious habit of videotaping everything that happens to him. Guetta persuades his cousin, a street artist known as Space Invader, to become the subject of a "documentary," which leads Guetta to other street artists like Obama icon-maker Shepard Fairey and ultimately to the white whale of street artists: the ultra-secretive Banksy (interviewed in silhouette, of course...
- 1/20/2011
- backstage.com
hollywoodnews.com: Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced the winners of its four filmmaker grant awards at the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grant and Nominee Brunch held at Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Sandra Oh and Terrence Howard hosted the casual event and handed out the honors.
Winners for the additional categories will be revealed at the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Santa Monica beach on Saturday, February 26, 2011. The ceremony will air exclusively on IFC at 10:00 p.m. Et/Pt, and as previously announced, actor and comedian Joel McHale will serve as host.
“This is the 18th year we have given out these grant awards, and they have now helped 47 emerging artists share their work with a larger audience, pay bills for their film, or get them started on their next project,” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson.
Winners for the additional categories will be revealed at the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Santa Monica beach on Saturday, February 26, 2011. The ceremony will air exclusively on IFC at 10:00 p.m. Et/Pt, and as previously announced, actor and comedian Joel McHale will serve as host.
“This is the 18th year we have given out these grant awards, and they have now helped 47 emerging artists share their work with a larger audience, pay bills for their film, or get them started on their next project,” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson.
- 1/16/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
With 2010 only a week over, it already feels like best-of and top-ten lists have been pouring in for months, and we’re already tired of them: the ranking, the exclusions (and inclusions), the rules and the qualifiers. Some people got to see films at festivals, others only catch movies on video; and the ability for us, or any publication, to come up with a system to fairly determine who saw what when and what they thought was the best seems an impossible feat. That doesn’t stop most people from doing it, but we liked the fantasy double features we did last year and for our 3rd Writers Poll we thought we'd do it again.
I asked our contributors to pick a single new film they saw in 2010—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they saw in 2010 to create a unique double feature.
I asked our contributors to pick a single new film they saw in 2010—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they saw in 2010 to create a unique double feature.
- 1/10/2011
- MUBI
Film critics by definition are contrarians, so naturally, if you gather seven in a room, there will be few points of agreement. So it is with Top 10 Films of 2010 as drawn up by seven film critics for "The Hollywood Reporter," six U.S.-based and one overseas reviewer who keeps up with domestic releases.No film made everyone's list. There was only limited agreement over the No. 1 film. Three fingered Christopher Nolan's strikingly original "Inception." Two others picked David Fincher's Facebook tale, "The Social Network."The remaining votes were divided between Olivier Assayas' "Carlos," about the infamous terrorist known by that moniker, and Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech," a film many pundits see as an Oscar frontrunner.The closest area of agreement came with "The Social Network." It made six out of seven Best 10 lists.
- 12/24/2010
- Filmicafe
Every year, the Spirit Awards celebrate the best in independent film.
The nominees were announced for the 26th Annual Spirits, to be handed out on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 10pm Et/Pt, live on the Independent Film Channel (IFC).
After winning the top prize at the Gotham Awards, Winter’s Bone leads with seven nominations.
Winter’s Bone was nominated for Best Film, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography.
The Best Film nominees also include 127 Hours, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Black Swan.
The Kids Are All Right had five nominations while Black Swan, Greenberg and Rabbit Hole each landed four.
127 Hours, Jack Goes Boating and Tiny Furniture found three each.
Rabbit Hole received nominations for its performances from Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart playing grieving parents, as well as a director’s nod for John Cameron Mitchell, best known...
The nominees were announced for the 26th Annual Spirits, to be handed out on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 10pm Et/Pt, live on the Independent Film Channel (IFC).
After winning the top prize at the Gotham Awards, Winter’s Bone leads with seven nominations.
Winter’s Bone was nominated for Best Film, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography.
The Best Film nominees also include 127 Hours, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Black Swan.
The Kids Are All Right had five nominations while Black Swan, Greenberg and Rabbit Hole each landed four.
127 Hours, Jack Goes Boating and Tiny Furniture found three each.
Rabbit Hole received nominations for its performances from Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart playing grieving parents, as well as a director’s nod for John Cameron Mitchell, best known...
- 12/2/2010
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
The nominations of 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced on Tuesday, November 30 in Los Angeles by Jeremy Renner and Eva Mendes. And some movies which have received Oscar buzz such as "127 Hours" and "Black Swan" are touted for Best Feature at the upcoming Spirit Awards.
For this title, the two movies will fight against "Greenberg", "The Kids Are All Right" and "Winter's Bone". The latest mentioned flick, which is fresh from grabbing two kudos at Gotham Independent Film Awards, has a chance to be a big winner at Spirits Awards since it takes the most nods.
The drama leads Debra Granik to be a contender for Best Director prize. She will face a tight competition with Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle in addition to Lisa Cholodenko and John Cameron Mitchell for this title.
The cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Dale Dickey and John Hawkes are additionally up for Best Female Lead,...
For this title, the two movies will fight against "Greenberg", "The Kids Are All Right" and "Winter's Bone". The latest mentioned flick, which is fresh from grabbing two kudos at Gotham Independent Film Awards, has a chance to be a big winner at Spirits Awards since it takes the most nods.
The drama leads Debra Granik to be a contender for Best Director prize. She will face a tight competition with Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle in addition to Lisa Cholodenko and John Cameron Mitchell for this title.
The cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Dale Dickey and John Hawkes are additionally up for Best Female Lead,...
- 12/1/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Natalie Portman is going to get a stiff competition from Jennifer Lawrence at 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. The nominees for the annual awards dedicated to independent filmmakers have been announced on Tuesday, November 30, and both actresses were unraveled to be among those up for Best Female Lead.
29-year-old Natalie received the nomination for her portrayal of a ballet dancer in "Black Swan", while 20-year-old Jennifer got her nod for her role as a teen on a desperate search to find her missing father in "Winter's Bone". Both of them were nominated along with Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams.
In addition to Natalie's acting nom, her psychological thriller "Black Swan" has nabbed three other nods. It is vying for Best Feature along with "Winter's Bone", "127 Hours", "Greenberg" and "The Kids Are All Right". Additionally, it also collected nomination for its director Darren Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique.
Jennifer's "Winter's Bone", in the meantime,...
29-year-old Natalie received the nomination for her portrayal of a ballet dancer in "Black Swan", while 20-year-old Jennifer got her nod for her role as a teen on a desperate search to find her missing father in "Winter's Bone". Both of them were nominated along with Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams.
In addition to Natalie's acting nom, her psychological thriller "Black Swan" has nabbed three other nods. It is vying for Best Feature along with "Winter's Bone", "127 Hours", "Greenberg" and "The Kids Are All Right". Additionally, it also collected nomination for its director Darren Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique.
Jennifer's "Winter's Bone", in the meantime,...
- 12/1/2010
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
The 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominees have been announced, and there are a lot of great films that are being recognized. Winter's Bone racked up seven nominations after it won Best Feature at the Gotham Awards. Other films on the list include, 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, and The Kids Are All Right.There's some great competition this year, 127 Hours, Black Swan, and Winter's Bone are three of the best movies I've seen this year, but I think Winter's Bone will take the win on this one.
These nominations are only given to films which were produced for under $20 million. The awards will be handed out on February 26 live on IFC with host Joel McHale.
Check out the nominee list below and let us know what you think! Who would you like to see win?
Best Feature (Award given to the Producer)
127 Hours
Black Swan
Greenberg
The Kids Are All Right...
These nominations are only given to films which were produced for under $20 million. The awards will be handed out on February 26 live on IFC with host Joel McHale.
Check out the nominee list below and let us know what you think! Who would you like to see win?
Best Feature (Award given to the Producer)
127 Hours
Black Swan
Greenberg
The Kids Are All Right...
- 11/30/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
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