Category Archives: Indie

“Shoplifters” Wins Palm Springs’ Best Foreign Language

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By Creative Media Times

Aoi Pro, Inc.

“Shoplifters,” Japanese film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda was named Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at Palm Springs International Film Festival. The jury award winners were announced today at the Riviera Palm Springs, California.

The film premiered at Cannes last year and won the top prize Palme d’Or, highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It is also on the Academy Awards’ shortlist for a Best Foreign Language category.

The family drama, which was also scripted and edited by Kore-eda, tells the story of an impoverished Japanese family who reply on shoplifting to cope with their life.

Other announced winners include Marcello Fonte, star of Italy’s Dogman and Joanna Kulig, of Poland’s Cold War, took top honors in the foreign language acting categories.

The Audience Awards for is set to be announced tomorrow, which includes Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature.

The 30th Annual Palm Springs Film Festival screened 226 films from 78 countries. The festival is held from January 3-14, 2019.

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“The Favorite”, “A Star Is Born” Lead BAFTA Nominations

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Warner Bros. Pictures

True to its appellation, “The Favorite” is the BAFTA’s favorite film of the year, leading the list of nominees for 2019 BAFTA Film Awards, announced today. The film received nods for best film, outstanding British film and lead actress for Olivia Colman.

Bradley Cooper might have walked away empty-handed empty handed at last Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, but he’s making history over at the BAFTAs, where he earned five nominations across multiple disciplines, a record in the organization’s 72-year history.

Cooper earned nominations in best film, actor, director, adapted screenplay and original music categories for his film “A Star Is Born.” In total, the musical drama earned seven nominations.

Giving Cooper a run for his money is director Alfonso Cuaron, who also earned five nominations for best film, director, original screenplay, editing and cinematography for his black and white Netflix drama “Roma.” The film earned seven nods, including best foreign-language film.

BAFTA Awards show is set to take place at the Royal Albert Hall on Feb. 10, with actress Joanna Lumley returning as host.

Here is the complete list of nominations:

Best Film
BlackkKlansman
The Favourite
Green Book
ROMA
A Star Is Born

Outstanding British Film
Beast
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
McQueen
Stan & Ollie
You Were Never Really Here

Leading Actor
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Christian Bale, Vice
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Steve Coogan, Stan & Ollie
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Leading Actress
Glenn Close, The Wife
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Viola Davis, Widows
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“The Rider” Chosen As Best Picture Of 2018 By The National Society of Film Critics

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By Creative Media Times

Sony Pictures Classics

The National Society of Film Critics has chosen Chloe Zhao’s contemporary western drama “The Rider,” as best picture of 2018, the film critic organization announced on Saturday.

“The Rider” has received near universal acclaim since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2017, where it won Art Cinema Award. The film had since had a successful run at Telluride and at Sundance last January, and received nominations at Independent Spirit Awards including best feature, director, editing and cinematography.

Drawing inspiration from its actors’ real life experiences, the docu-fiction tells the story of a young, Native-American cowboy and professional horse trainer Brady Blackburn (played by a real-life rider Brady Jandreau), his physical and emotional struggles after a near-fatal rodeo competition accident left him with steel plate in his head.

Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron’s black-and-white “Roma” was the best picture runner-up, and also won for best cinematography, best foreign-language film and best director for Cuaron.

Roma’s win is considered a big boost for its path to the Academy Awards where the film is considered to be one of top contenders to win the big prize.

[ Film Spotlight: Chloé Zhao’s “The Rider” >> ]

On the acting front, Olivia Colman won best actress in “The Favourite,” while Ethan Hawke as best actor for “First Reformed.”

See below for the full list of winners:

Best Picture: The Rider, dir. Chloé Zhao
Runners-up: Roma (dir. Alfonso Cuarón), Burning (dir. Lee Chang-dong)

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Runners-up: Lee Chang-dong (Burning), Chloé Zhao (The Rider)

Best Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Runners-up: Regina Hall (Support the Girls), Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Best Actor: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
Runners-up: Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Ben Foster (Leave No Trace), John C. Reilly (The Sisters Brothers and Stan & Ollie)

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The Museum Of Modern Art Showcases Preserved And Restored Films

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Ők Ketten (The Two of Them). 1977. Hungary. Directed by Márta Mészáros.

The Museum of Modern Art’s “To Save and Project” the 16th edition of it’s annual international film festival with a diverse set of cinematic treasures.

The film festival, which runs from Friday January 4 until the end of the month, “celebrates newly preserved and restored films from archives, studios, distributors, foundations, and independent filmmakers”

Barbet Schroeder is set to kick things off with a retrospective of all his documentary films which he described as the “trilogy of evil”. This includes “General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait” (1974), “Terror’s Advocate” (2007), and the weeklong New York theatrical run of “The Venerable W.”

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for 1990’s “Reversal of Fortune”, a film which won Jeremy Irons an Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role, Schroeder is known for directing boxoffice hit thrillers “Single White Female” and the Sandra Bullock starrer “Murder by Numbers.”

There’s plenty of surprise highlights in this year’s lineup, which features 50 features and shorts from around the globe, some receiving their first US screening since their original release. To get a full list of events, go to moma.org.

The 16th MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation is organized by Joshua Siegel, Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.

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“Becoming Iconic” Worldwide Release on Digital HD, DVD and VOD

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Indie film leader Random Media proudly announces the highly-anticipated Digital HD, DVD and VOD debut of filmmaker Jonathan Baker’s fascinating Hollywood documentary, BECOMING ICONIC: JONATHAN BAKER, beginning December 4, 2018.

Featuring some of the industry’s most iconic directors, including Jodie Foster, Taylor Hackford, Adrian Lyne, Nicolas Cage, John Badham and Warren Beatty, the one-of-a-kind film explores the process of directing a big-budget feature, from the ground up, through the eyes of top directors as they tell their own stories.

A must-see for movie lovers and anyone who has ever dreamed helming a big-budget, Hollywood feature, BECOMING ICONIC: JONATHAN BAKER was created in tandem with Baker’s preparation for and production of his own directorial debut of INCONCEIVABLE, starring Nicolas Cage, Gina Gershon and Faye Dunaway. The documentary is directed by Neal Thibedeau.

Including fascinating, candid stories on topics ranging from the pressures of financing and working with top talent, to the ultimate challenge of making sure to stay true to the film’s vision, the documentary chronicles the inspirational “first time” stories of these celebrated directors, combined with the very personal story of Baker’s dream of making it big in Hollywood.

Becoming Iconic Official Trailer from Random Media on Vimeo.

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“The Dark” From Dark Sky Films Coming To DVD on 1/15

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THE DARK, the biggest hit of 2018 for Dark Sky Films, is now the horror DVD of the year.

On the outskirts of a small town lies Devil’s Den, a mysterious tract of woods where many have entered but no one has ever left. The local legend is that the spirit of a girl who was horrifically murdered there haunts – and hunts in – this dense forest, brutally slaying anyone who dares to step into her terrain. When a young man with a dark past crosses her path, a series of events are set in motion that may lead to redemption for two tragically tortured souls.

Part gothic fairytale and part chilling horror, director Justin P. Lange’s debut feature balances rich imagery with a brutal and bloody story of unlikely kindred spirits who must defend themselves against the villainous powers of the “normal” world.

Starring rising actors Nadia Alexander (USA’s The Sinner) and Toby Nichols (Netflix’s Iron Fist), THE DARK has been called “an ingenious reworking of the zombie genre” by Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry.

Horror Society’s critic MGDSQUAN praised it as “one of the best horror films of the year – 10 out of 10.”

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Golden Globe 2019 Nominations Announced

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By Creative Media Times

Annapurna Pictures

76th annual Golden Globe Awards nominees were announced on Thursday morning live from Beverly Hilton Hotel, with biographical comedy-drama “Vice” leading the list six nominations.

Also doing well are historical period comedy-drama “The Favorite” from Fox Searchlight Pictures, comedy-drama set in the 1960s deep south “Green Book” from Universal Pictures, and musical romantic drama film “A Star Is Born” from Warner Bros. Pictures, each of which scoring 5 nominations.

The Golden Globe Awards recognizes excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign and are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh will hosting the 76th Golden Globe Awards. The event is set to be held on Jan. 6, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“A Star Is Born”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Glenn Close (“The Wife”)
Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”)
Nicole Kidman (“Destroyer”)
Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)
Rosamund Pike (“A Private War”)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”)
Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”)
Lucas Hedges (“Boy Erased”)
Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”)
John David Washington (“BlacKkKlansman”)

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
“Crazy Rich Asians”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Vice”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Emily Blunt (“Mary Poppins Returns”)
Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”)
Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”)
Charlize Theron (“Tully”)
Constance Wu (“Crazy Rich Asians”)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale (“Vice”)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Mary Poppins Returns”)
Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”)
Robert Redford (“The Old Man & the Gun”)
John C. Reilly (“Stan & Ollie”)
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Satellite Awards 2018 Nominations

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By Creative Media Times

The International Press Academy (IPA) has announced the nominations for the 23rd annual Satellite Awards, which honors outstanding films, performers, tv shows, home video and interactive media.

IPA is a global media association of domestic and foreign entertainment journalists in print, TV, radio, broadcast, and online outlets; including critics, interviewers, reviewers, bloggers, and photographers.

Winners are set to be handed out on February 17, 2019.

Here is a full list of this year’s Satellite Awards nominations.

Motion Picture, Drama (Major)
Black Panther – Walt Disney
First Man – Universal
Hereditary – A24
If Beale Street Could Talk – Annapurna Pictures
Mary Queen of Scots – Focus Features
Widows – Twentieth Century Fox

Motion Picture (Independent)
BlackKklansman – Focus Features
Eighth Grade – A24
First Reformed – A24
Leave No Trace – Bleecker Street Media
Private Life – Netflix
A Private War – Aviron Pictures

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical (Major, Independent or International)
Crazy Rich Asians – Warner Bros
The Favourite – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Green Book – Universal Pictures
Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney
Nico, 1988 – Magnolia Pictures
A Star is Born – Warner Bros

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“The Rider”, “First Reformed” Win Big At Gotham Independent Film Awards

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Sony Pictures Classics

Independent entertainment company A24 was also a big winner of the night, taking home five trophies including for “First Reformed”, “Eight Grade” and “Hereditary”. The 28th Annual 28th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards was held Monday night in New York City, kicking off the awards season.

Toni Colette took home Best Actress for Hereditary, while a special Jury Prize was given to the cast of The Favorite including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz.

But the big surprise is “The Rider,” the little film that could with no major Hollywood studio names attached and a cast of actors playing versions of themselves, winning Best Feature.

Director Paul Greengrass, actors Willem Dafoe and Rachel Weisz, and producer Jon Kamen all received tribute awards.

Here is the complete list of winners:
Best Feature
The Rider

Best Actor
Ethan Hawke in First Reformed (A24)

Best Actress
Toni Collette in Hereditary (A24)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade (A24)

Breakthrough Series – Long Form
Killing Eve

Breakthrough Series – Short Form
195 Lewis

Breakthrough Actor
Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade (A24)

Best Screenplay
First Reformed, Paul Schrader (A24)

Best Documentary
Hale County This Morning, This Evening–winner

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From The Director Of Stalingrad Comes “Attraction”

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The internationally successful action blockbuster from the director of ‘Stalingrad’
comes to digital platforms, blu-ray and DVD on December 4, 2018.

ATTRACTION is a big sci-fi action spectacle with state-of-the-art effects and production design, a film that stands alongside such blockbuster favorites as Independence Day, Pacific Rim and District 9. It is the latest film from renowned Russian filmmaker and actor Fedor Bondarchuk (Stalingrad, Dark Planet). He is currently filming a sequel for release in 2019.

Here’s the film’s synopsis:

A sinister unidentified flying object plummeting to Earth changes our view of humanity and life beyond our planet in the thrilling new sci-fi spectacular ATTRACTION. The film will be available across all digital platforms beginning December 4, 2018 along with a blu-ray and DVD release day and date.

Moscow finds itself on the brink of destruction after a mysterious spaceship crash-lands in the center of the city. While the government seeks to find out what the ship’s passengers want and how to protect the local population, the rest of the city residents break into conflicting factions. Some view the aliens as a threat that should be extinguished, while others hope that the visitors are peaceful and offer an opportunity to learn more about the world beyond.

When a young woman finds herself torn between her seemingly normal life and the alluring promise offered by one of the all-too-human extraterrestrials, the fate of the entire world is left hanging in the balance.

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