News

Read More: Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2016 Competition Lineup The 2016 Slamdance Film Festival is putting the final touches on their 22nd edition by revealing the 2016 jury members and the Digital Bolex Fearless Filmmaking Lineup. The juries this year include high-profile names behind films like "William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe" and  "Curfew," plus festivals like the Montclair Film Festival and the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. "We are fortunate to have such acclaimed industry members and alumni join our juries and we welcome the Digital Bolex fearless filmmakers to round out our festival program," said Peter Baxter Co-Founder and President of the Slamdance Film Festival. Digital Bolex's Fearless Filmmaking Lineup is a block of shorts shot on the D16 camera that bring together the Slamdance and Digital Bolex filmmaking communities in Park City for festival audiences.The 90-minute showcase features the work of 14...

Hunger Games DoP Tom Stern and 12 Years a Slave cinematographer Sean Bobbitt among those chosen for jury duty.

The 21st Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 16-23), has revealed the competition jurors who will judge entries at this year’s event in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Jury members of the main competition jury are:

Tom Stern, cinematographer (Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, The Hunger Games);Ed Lachman, cinematographer (Erin Brockovich, The Virgin Suicides, I’m Not There);Todd McCarthy, journalist and film critic;Denis Lenoir, cinematographer (Paris, je t’aime, Righteous Kill, 88 Minutes);Adam Holender, cinematographer (Midnight Cowboy, Smoke, Fresh);Timo Salminen, cinematographer (The Man Without a Past, La Havre, The Match Factory Girl);Franz Lustig, cinematographer (Don’t Come Knocking, Land of Plenty, Palermo Shooting);Jeffrey Kimball, cinematographer (Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, The Expendables).Polish Films Competition

Jost Vacano, the cinematographer behind several Paul Verhoeven films including Total Recall, RoboCop and [link...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off Part Two of its 30th annual “Contemporary Documentaries” screening series with the 2010 Oscar®-nominated feature “Exit through the Gift Shop” and “Catfish” on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is free.

“Exit through the Gift Shop” follows a videographer named Thierry Guetta, who attempts to document the work of some of the world’s best-known guerrilla street artists. When the artist known only as Banksy questions Guetta’s intentions, however, and seizes control of the film, the roles of filmmaker and subject are reversed. Directed by Banksy and produced by Jaimie D’Cruz, “Exit through the Gift Shop” earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature.

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project,...

I like this title, so I found the news.

During our recent interview with Ellis Perez, the Director General of the Dominican Republic's film organization DGCine which you can read tomorrow, he mentioned an interesting factoid about Dr. Aside from its being the site of Christopher Columbus' second landing in 1492 and his naming the country Hispanola, its being the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, its sharing 1/3 of the island with Haiti, and its reign of terror by the dictator Trujillo from 1930 until his assassination in 1961, there was one good act performed by El Jefe. That was his open-door policy which accepted Jewish refugees from Europe, Japanese migration during the 1930s, and exiles from Spain following its civil war. In 1939 Trujillo took in German and Austrian Jewish refugees and gave them a safe haven in Puerto Plata province's town Sosua where many still live or have returned after being educated abroad. Another coincidental connection of the Dr to the Jews is that the current President Leonel Fernandez spent most of his childhood and teenaged years in Washington Heights during its transition from being a German Jewish neighborhood to becoming the Dominican neighborhood it is today.

And speaking of New York, here is a second Jews in the News item which also includes a doc about Sosua!

The New York-based Foundation for Jewish Culture has granted finishing funds to six documentaries.

Finishing funds ranging between $12,000 and $40,000 have recently been granted to six documentaries. The funds are designed to enable the filmmakers to pay licence fees for music and archival footage, complete additional editing and shooting and build audience awareness through outreach and engagement strategies.

The grants fall under the Foundation’s Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Jewish Documentary Film which supports projects expanding understanding of the Jewish experience. 80 projects made applications this year and the final six recipients were selected by a panel including Moma’s Sally Berger, filmmaker Nicole Opper, film critic George Robinson and Daniella Tourgeman from the Jerusalem Cinematheque/ Israel Film Archive.

The fund has supported the completion of over 80 films since 1996 including Waltz With Bashir, Budrus, William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe and The Rape Of Europa.

The winning projects are:

· Sosua: Dare To Dance Together directed and produced by Peter Miller and Renee Silverman, which follows Jewish and Dominican teenagers over the course of the year as they create a musical theatre piece about German Jews finding refuge in the Dominican Republic in the late 1930s.

How To Re-Establish A Vodka Empire directed by Dan Edelstyn, which traces the history of the film-maker’s Jewish grandmother who fled the Bolshevik revolution and settled in strife-torn Belfast.

· Miss World directed by Cecilia Peck (Shut Up And Sing), which is the story of Israeli beauty pageant queen Linor Abargil and her crusade to combat sexual violence against women.

· My Father Evgeni directed and produced by Andrei Zagdansky, follows the filmmaker’s history working with his father for the Kiev Popular Science Film Studios.

· The Return directed and produced by Adam Zucker (Greensboro: Closer To The Truth), which follows four young Polish women who were raised Catholic only to discover that they were born Jewish.

· Watchers Of The Sky directed by Edet Belzberg (Children Underground) which interweaves stories of four visionaries with the journey of lawyer Raphael Lemkin who drafted and pushed through the Un Genocide Convention.

I started working with Dp Martina Radwan about a year ago on the feature documentary, Mentor (addressing bullying and teen suicide in Mentor, Ohio) I further had the pleasure of working with her on a recent music video for the band Shearwater. It is a gift, as a director, to find a Dp who you can quickly fall into a shorthand with, creating your own visual language, and trusting in the collaborative process. Radwan and I found this with each other.

Her narrative work includes Flannel Pajamas, by Jeff Lipsky; Singapore Dreaming, one of the first Singaporean feature productions and the winner of several international awards; Rain, the first indigenous film of the Bahamas, produced and directed by Maria Govan; The Killing Floor, a thriller produced by Doug Liman & Avi Arad and the horror film Train, a Millennium Films production, both directed by Gideon Raff.

Her most recently-released documentaries include...

#10. Booster - Matt Ruskin A 2011 Narrative Filmmaker Lab Participant, Matt Ruskin's thriller starring Seymour Cassel might be considered as a longshot as the only logical category fit for a Park City showing might be the Next section. Nonetheless, Booster is produced by an up-and-comer producer in Andrea Roa, and Ruskin's does have Sundance connections in his past - his feature directorial debut, The Hip Hop Project, was aired on the Sundance Channel and he was a consulting producer on the Sundance preemed docu William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe. Gist: When Simon's brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Caught between loyalty to his brother and his own will, Simon is forced to examine his life. Producer: Andrea Roe (Sunlight Jr.)(Ioncinema.com Preview Page // IMDb Link)  ...

The 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards took place on Friday and the winners were very different from the Academy Award winners. Tyler Perry was once again the big winner. He won Best Director for "For Colored Girls," which also took home the Best Picture award. In the TV categories, Perry won for Outstanding Comedy Series for "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," beating out "30 Rock" and "Glee." Meanwhile, David Mann won Best Actor for "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns." Denzel Washington also won Best Actor for "The Book of Eli," beating Jaden Smith and Common. Halle Berry won Best Actress for "Frankie and Alice," beating Janet Jackson and Queen Talifah. And of course the Best Documentary award went to "For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots." Ice Cube and LL Cool J also won for their acting abilities in "Are We There Yet?" and "NCIS: Los Angeles.

The 42nd NAACP Awards Nominations follow below, and guess who stole the show? Well, it’s no surprise that Tyler Perry films would leave their mark but who knew it would be by a landslide? For Colored Girls topped the film category with seven nominations and Why Did I Get Married Too? has four.

The NAACP Image Awards honor accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, as well as individuals who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

Perry is up for a film directing nod (For Colored Girls) alongside Geoffrey Sax (Frankie & Alice), George Tillman Jr. (Faster), Tanya Hamilton (Night Catches Us) and the Hughes Brothers (Book of Eli).

The show will be televised live, tonight, March 4, 2011 at 8/7 c, on the Fox Network.

Courtesy of Variety.com, here’s a list of all Film and Television related nominees:

Motion Picture

Motion Picture

“For Colored Girls...

Oscar nomination ballots are due back at AMPAS headquarters today, so I thought I wouldn’t wait any longer than necessary to share with you what I believe the resulting field will look like when it is revealed early on the morning of Tuesday, January 25. I urge you to keep in mind that what follows is not what I feel should happen — that can be gleaned from reading my year-end top 10 list — but rather what I think will happen, based on months of screenings (I’ve seen all of the likely nominees at least once), observations (of critics, guilds, and other awards-bestowers), and conversations (with pundits and voters). I have historically done quite well when it comes to forecasting the nods — for instance, I projected best picture nominations for “The Reader” (2008) and for “The Blind Side” (2009) when virtually no one else did — but only time will tell as far as this year is concerned.

Justin Timberlake has nailed an individual award nomination thanks to his role in "The Social Network". On Wednesday, January 12, the singer who takes the role of Sean Parker in the drama film is announced as one of the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture nominees at the 42nd Annual NAACP Image Awards.

In the category, the "SexyBack" hitmaker is facing some stiff competitions. The 29-year-old, who is up for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at 2011 Screen Actors Guild Award, will battle "Brooklyn's Finest" actor Don Cheadle, "Takers" actor Idris Elba, "For Colored Girls" actor Michael Ealy and "Mother and Child" actor Samuel L. Jackson.

Dominating the movie field, in the meantime, was Tyler Perry. Two of the filmmaker's 2010 movies scored a combined total of 11 nominations. "For Colored Girls" nailed seven nods, while "Why Did I Get Married Too?" garnered four. Both are contenders for Outstanding...

The upcoming 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards are all about Tyler Perry. The nominations for the upcoming prize-giving show have been announced on January 12, and it was revealed that two of Perry's movies score 11 nominations in total.

"For Colored Girls" and "Why Did I Get Married Too?" nab 7 and 4 nods respectively, with both movies up against each other in Outstanding Motion Picture category. The other contenders for the coveted prize are "Just Wright", "The Book of Eli" and "The Kids Are All Right".

The follow-up to the 2007 drama comedy has its lead star Janet Jackson competing for Outstanding Actress prize, which is also vied by Halle Berry ("Frankie and Alice"), Kerry Washington ("Night Catches Us"), Queen Latifah ("Just Wright") and Zoe Saldana ("The Losers").

Additionally, four "For Colored Girls" stars which are Anika Noni Rose, Kimberly Elise, Phylicia Rashad and Whoopi Goldberg land Outstanding Supporting Actress nod. Meanwhile, the last...

I'm not sure what the point of the NAACP Image Awards is. Tyler Perry received nineteen nominations for his "For Colored Girls" and "Why Did I Get Married Too?" films, plus a few more mentions for his "House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns" TV shows. NAACP is known for supporting the black community, but Justin Timberlake and Zoe Saldana were also nominated. Why did the organization choose those two actors and not Colin Firth, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, and plenty of other actors who are being recognized by all other award shows? So if NAACP is open to nominating people of all color, why is Tyler Perry and actors in his films dominating the awards show? And is "Just Wright" really so good that it may win in the Best Picture category? Here are the nominees in the film categories: Best Motion Picture: * For Colored Girls * Just Wright * The Book of Eli...

The 42 annual NAACP Image Awards nominations were announced Wednesday (Jan. 12) by actresses Kimberly Elisa and Sanaa Lathan, rapper 50 Cent, singer Smokey Robinson and actors Columbus Short and Affion Crockett at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA.

ABC and NBC led the TV categories with 18 nominations each, followed by CBS and the Lifetime Movie Network with 10 apiece. "Grey's Anatomy" and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" tied at five noms apiece, while "For Colored Girls" topped all other movies or TV series with seven nominations. Tyler Perry's film and television projects had a combined total of 20 nominations.

The entire list of nominees is as follows:

Television

Outstanding Comedy Series

• "30 Rock" (NBC)

• "Are We There Yet?" (TBS)

• "Glee" (Fox)

• "Modern Family" (ABC)

• "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

• David Mann - "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" (TBS)

• Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA)

• Lavan Davis...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/29, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

Possibilities

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer)

Best Director

Frontrunners

David Fincher...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

Possibilities

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

Outside Shots

“Somewhere” (Focus Features,...

"I don't want people who see my films to be scared. I want them to act," Michael Moore told a post-screening audience last night at an event presented by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Chicken & Egg Pictures and Indies Direct. That's why, he said, 2009's "Capitalism: A Love Story" is his last film "until I see that happen. I'm not going to provide entertainment for people who can leave the theater going 'Right on!'" But taking a break from filmmaking himself hasn't stopped Moore from supporting his fellow documentarians, including Emily and Sarah Kunstler, whose "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe" is on this year's Oscar shortlist.

The film's a portrait of the pair's father, self-described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler, as well as a yearning look back at a turbulent but far more politically active and fiery era. In his career Kunstler represented everyone from the Black Panther Party and...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“How Do You Know” (Columbia,...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

Major Threats

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs” (20th Century Fox, 11/24, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics,...

Chicago – Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reveals their short list for the Oscar for Best Documentary and every year there’s a notable snub or two that makes one question the process. Last year, “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” one of the most-beloved films of the year, didn’t make the cut. This year, “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” failed to make the cut, continuing a pattern in which films not deemed “serious enough” by Academy members can’t get past the first round.

The Tillman Story

Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Luckily, a number of the best documentaries of 2010 were serious enough to pass Academy muster including several films about the economy, a few about the war in Iraq, and a pair of controversial docs about the failures of our current educational system. It should be an interesting battle for the final five in this category.

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, Tbd, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, Tbd, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

Major Threats

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“How Do You Know” (Columbia, 12/17, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs” (20th Century Fox, 11/24, R, trailer)

“Hereafter” (Warner Brothers,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced fifteen films in the Documentary Feature category which will advance in the voting process for The 83rd Academy Awards.

The list includes: Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Enemies of the People, Exit Through the Gift Shop, GasLand, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Inside Job, The Lottery, Precious Life, Quest for Honor, Restrepo, This Way of Life, The Tillman Story, Waiting for Superman, Waste Land, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

Selected from one-hundred and one submissions, the Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting and will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist. Those five will be announced live on Tuesday January 25th.

The biggest surprise is the several high profile omissions from this list - "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,...

It's inevitable that the Academy's documentary branch has to snub fine films every year. There are usually more than 5 terrific docs a year after all. But even when they narrow it to 15 for the finals, they're always dumping extraordinary movies.  We knew that the buzzy Catfish wouldn't be there but it's a pity that the funny/interesting/popular Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work couldn't place even in a field of 15. I just watched it again in fact and it still holds the interest even after the jokes aren't new. And don't get me started on the phenomenal Last Train Home, the best thing I saw at Sundance this year give or take I am Love and The Kids Are All Right.

Possibly Nominees?Anyway here's the list of 15 finalists that will have to fight it out for the 5-wide Best Documentary Feature Oscar nominations.

Client 9: The Rise and...

The shortlist for the Documentary Feature category of the 2011 Academy Awards has been announced and has been met with equal amounts of pleasant surprise and puzzled scratching of heads. The joyous bemusement in reaction to the inclusion of Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop, which many of us were convinced would be this year’s Anvil, and the shock that Laura Poitas' The Oath was notably absent. It’s particularly refreshing to see the inclusion of Exit given the general view that the Academy only saw the more "worthy"-subject based documentaries as genuine contenders, and that more populist fare never stood a chance. As documentaries don't compete within other filmmaking categories such as editing and cinematography (of which Armadillo would certainly deserve to be listed) the Documentary Feature category has always felt that it has to be an award based on overall filmmaking achievement, rather than subject, impact or agenda.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected fifteen documentaries out of a total of one hundred and one that will advance to the next round of voting that will become nominees in the Documentary Feature category of the 83rd Academy Awards. "Waiting for Superman" seems like the favorite to win, considering the impact the film has had on parents and the Us government. But "Inside Job" and "The Tillman Story" will also likely move on to the next round. The committee viewed all eligible documentaries and will now select five nominees out of the fifteen, which are listed below. * Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer * Enemies of the People * Exit through the Gift Shop * Gasland * Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould * Inside Job * The Lottery * Precious Life * Quest for Honor * Restrepo * This Way of Life * The Tillman Story * Waiting for Superman * Waste Land...

HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards®. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

“Enemies of the People,” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

“Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

“Gasland,” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

“Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould,” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)

“Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

“The Lottery,” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)

“Precious Life,” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)

“Quest for Honor,” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)

“Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger,...

Do you want answers? Do you believe you’re entitled to them? Do you want the truth? Can you, in fact, handle the truth? The 15 documentaries competing for Oscar have been selected.

Check out the list below [via Oscars.org]:

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors

(White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) “Megamind” Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released their shortlist of 15 documentaries that have advanced in the voting for Best Documentary nominations. The list includes Charles Ferguson’s Inside Job, Davis Guggenheim’s Waiting for Superman, and, one of my favorite films of the year, Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop. Unfortunately, the documentary Catfish was shutout. While some have speculated that it’s because of controversy regarding the documentary’s authenticity, that same controversy of “realism” also surrounds Exit Through the Gift Shop. However, as long as Gift Shop continues to have a shot at the top prize, I’m happy (although Inside Job and Waiting for Superman are also quality films).

Hit the jump for the press release and a list of the final 15 contenders. The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on January 25, 2011.

Here’s the press release:

Beverly Hills, CA (November...

Another year, another outrageous oversight from the documentary branch of the Academy. Today AMPAS announced the 15 films that will contend for next year’s five Best Documentary Feature slots, and although there are several worthy films included (Waiting for Superman, Inside Job, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and The Tillman Story among them), missing from the list was the acclaimed exposé Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, one of the sweetest and most fascinating films, unscripted or otherwise, of the year. Also Mia: The Facebook-fueled Catfish, the transgender family tale Prodigal Sons, and the political eye-opener 8: The Mormon Proposition.

The Weinstein Company / Paramount

You know what we love? A good, old-fashioned documentary. Sometimes, that’s really the stuff.

And this year there’s been an exceptionally strong batch of documentary features, which explains why more than 100 of them were submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for this year’s Oscars. Now, though, the suits at the Academy have trimmed the field to just 15 finalists… and the controversial “Catfish” and crowd-pleasing “Babies” are nowhere to be seen.

“Catfish,” of course, purported to be a doc about a guy who falls for a Facebook friend only to find out that his new internet love is (spoiler!) a lying liar who lies. Some people felt it was probably about as real in documentary terms as “Paranormal Activity 2,” however, which may explain why it didn’t make the cut.

“Babies,” the much-buzzed about feature showing how infants in wildly...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the shortlist of fifteen films now vying for the five “Best Documentary” nominations. The organization will unveil the final five at the announcement ceremony on January 25, 2011, just over a month before the Oscar telecast on February 27. A record-breaking 101 films qualified for the award before the line-up was narrowed to these fifteen:

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

Enemies of the People, Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

Gasland, Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)

Inside Job, Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

The Lottery, Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)

Precious Life, Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)

Quest for Honor, Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)

Restrepo,...

Not entirely sure why much lauded docs films that stuck out this year in Janus Metz's Armadilllo, Lixin Fan's Last Train Home, Michelangelo Frammartino's le quattro volte and Jeff Malmberg's Marwencol failed to make the grade (I'm not entirely sure how this works with the cut-off dates), but there are plenty on the list of 15 that have earned the right to be deemed among the best docs of the year. Shockingly, they included Exit through the Gift Shop and not surprisingly, this along with seven other docus if my count is good, first began their public life at the January launch-pad known as the Sundance Film Festival. The preliminary round of voting will determine five noms (announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. Pt) and the only one I can honestly say is a shoe-in for a top 5 nom spot is Charles Ferguson's Inside Job.

And it's a good-looking, diverse and hip slate -- at least until the final five nominees are announced, and inevitably three to four of them are the least watched, least known from this selection, making the race opaque to almost everyone. Interesting that two controversial pro-charter school docs, the better known "Waiting for 'Superman'" and the smaller "The Lottery" both made the cut, while the acclaimed "Last Train Home" did not. "The Oath," thought a possible frontrunner by some, also failed to make the snip. But nice to see the excellent "Enemies of the People" on there.

"Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer"

Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

"Enemies of the People"

Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

"Exit through the Gift Shop"

Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

"Gasland"

Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

"Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould"

Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the documentary feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

You can see the list of 15 films — which, to my surprise and/or disappointment, does not include “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” “The Oath,” “A Film Unfinished,” “12th & Delaware,” or “Catfish,” among others — below…

“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer“ “Enemies of the People” “Exit Through the Gift Shop” “Gasland” “Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould” “Inside Job” “The Lottery” “Precious Life” “Quest for Honor” “Restrepo” “This Way of Life” “The Tillman Story” “Waiting for ‘Superman’” “Waste Land” “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe”

Photo: Josh Fox in “Gasland.” Credit: HBO Documentary Films.

After viewing 101 contenders for Best Feature Documentary for the 83rd Academy Awards, the Documentary Branch has revealed the final 15 contenders shortlist for nomination consideration.

This list is in alphabetical order: Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films) The Tillman Story Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion...

"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe" (criticWIRE rating: B-), the profile of the controversial lawyer who made a career out of high-profile unpopular clients, kicks off Pov's summer series tonight, June 22 on PBS. The film's directors, Kunstler's daughters, Emily and Sarah, told iW's Eugene Hernandez, "We wanted to make a film about what we learned from him. But it also was that we were both approaching 30. When you get to ...

The documentary portrait of legendary civil rights lawyer William Kunstler, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, has its television premiere tomorrow night, June 22, on Pov. The film is directed by Kunstler’s two daughters, Emily and Sarah, and here, a day after Father’s Day, are their thoughts on rediscovering their dad through film: Pov: How has your views of your father changed over the years, and what is his legacy to you? Emily: I think that every child has a moment where he or she starts to understand his or her parents as human beings instead of as heroes. For Sarah and me, the stories of our father’s work during the civil rights movement and the antiwar movement were heroic tales. They were our bedtime stories....

Rating: 4/5

Bonus Features Rating: 4/5

Directors: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler

Studio: Arthouse Films

The ’60s and ’70s are notorious for the radical change that was brought to America and her citizens during this time. It’s a period known for a revolution not only in music, but in civil rights for African-Americans and women, JFK, hippies, and so much more that countless amounts of books, movies and so on have documented all the turning points of this decade far better than I could ever describe. People of my generation fondly look at this period and wish it was something we could have been a part of; to witness these massive amounts of history that all took place in America in such a short span of time is truly incredible, and those who were a part of it can consider themselves very fortunate.

Read more on DVD Review: William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe…...

'2012' storms foreign boxoffice

Moviegoers said give us the apocalypse now as Sony's end-of-the-world epic "2012" topped the weekend boxoffice with a heaping $65 million in opening domestic coin.

Directed by Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day"), the effects-filled actioner cost $200 million to produce. But with a $225 million worldwide haul from simultaneous openings in 105 foreign territories, the more than 2 1/2-hour tentpole delivered a planetary payout on that investment at the high end of pre-release projections.

Disney's 3D animated feature "A Christmas Carol" – another pricey event pic with a reported $180 million budget -- grabbed second place as the family title slid a measly 26% from week-earlier opening grosses to $22.3 million on the frame and $63.3 million in cumulative boxoffice. Some $3.1 million from high-grossing Imax 3D screens helped shape the leggy performance.

The session's only other wide opener -- Focus Features' British rock comedy "Pirate Radio" -- unspooled outside the top 10 with $2.9 million from 882 playdates.

"Precious:...

The 2010s are fast approaching - 48 days and counting - and indieWIRE is continuing this weekly Friday chart devoted to glancing back at the past ten years. With a film opening each weekend as a starting point, we’re charting various sub-categories of 2000s film, focusing on their North American box office performance. This week, with Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” marking one of the very …...

The first-person approach to documentary narration is often more distracting than useful, but Emily and Sarah Kunstler’s decision to be the voices for their documentary William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe makes sense, because the dramatic arc of the film has partly to do with how they reconciled with their father’s legacy. Born in the ’70s to William Kunstler’s second wife, the filmmakers missed most of their old man’s glory years as a civil-rights lawyer, and instead grew up as he was representing rapists, drug dealers, mobsters, and terrorists, and gaining a reputation as an opportunist who ...

Once deemed “the most hated lawyer in America,” activist attorney William Kunstler fought for civil rights alongside Martin Luther King Jr., defended the Chicago Seven and ended his career by controversially taking on mob bosses and the Central Park jogger as clients. In their documentary “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe,” which opens in theaters this Friday in New York, sisters Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore their father’s legacy from both political …...

Once deemed “the most hated lawyer in America,” activist attorney William Kunstler fought for civil rights alongside Martin Luther King Jr., defended the Chicago Seven and ended his career by controversially taking on mob bosses and the Central Park jogger as clients. In their documentary “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe,” which opens in theaters this Friday in New York, sisters Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore their father’s controversial legacy from both …...

After the record-breaking success of "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" over the weekend, I'm more hopeful for films starting out in limited release. This week's recommendations may not have the distinction of being championed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, so if you find any of them worth seeing based on my recommendation, it may be more necessary for you to make the effort to get them to play near you.

"The Messenger"

What it is: A skewed romantic drama about a young Iraq War vet (Ben Foster) who is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service, where he's partnered with a captain played by Woody Harrelson. While delivering the bad news, he falls for one of the notified widows (Samantha Morton).

Reasons to see it: The film has won awards at the Berlin and Deauville film festivals and as of this writing has a perfect critical score at Rotten Tomatoes.

Before we delve into this week's releases, I want to take a second to give "Precious" a shout. Opening on just 18 screens, the Sundance favorite and Oscar buzzer still managed to take in just shy of $2 million. It's not a movie I intend to see again anytime soon, but it's a compelling work of fiction. And even if it wasn't, I'm a person who is impressed by cold, hard facts. And the big fact here is that "Precious" enjoyed a monster opening weekend as a limited release.

Moving on, this week's star is director Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic disaster flick, "2012." John Cusack and his pals fly around the world, bearing witness to scenes of mass destruction as humanity crumbles all around. Sounds super-uplifting, doesn't it? I'm guessing that this will be the big weekend winner; it's definitely on my "must see" list.

Opening alongside "2012," though in a not-quite-as-wide release, is "Pirate Radio,...

Stewart's sixth Blog from Woodstock Film Festival The biographical documentary, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, tells the story of a central figure and public spokesperson for a community that furiously challenged America's status quo. In telling the story of their father, the radical attorney William Kunstler, daughters Emily and Sarah also tell the story of the 1960s radical left. But with a personal slant. After severing in the U.S. Army during World War II, William Moses Kunstler attended law school at Columbia University under the G.I. Bill and following graduation formed a modest law firm in suburban New York. Kunstler had liberal leanings, but nothing usual. For more than a decade he toiled at his general practice law firm. Then, in 1961 at the age of 50, the American Civil Liberties Union asked Kunstler to travel to Mississippi to defend jailed...

On Saturday, September 5th, the Hamptons International Film Festival concluded its Summer Documentary series with a screening of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, produced and directed by Kunstler's daughters, Emily and Sarah. The film covers the life and career of the colorful, at times outrageous, and, often, highly effective attorney. Kunstler's career as a lawyer and activist spanned the civil rights movement in the early 60's, the legendary Chicago Eight case in 1968 (and beyond), the massacre at Attica and its aftermath and the American Indian Movement protests at Wounded Knee in 1973. His later career, almost exclusively as a criminal defense attorney, encompassed John Gotti, the "Central Park Jogger" case, Meir Kahane's assassin and "cop killer" Larry Davis, to name but a few. This is a wonderful film and Emily and Sarah Kunstler have done a remarkable job in presenting...

The biggest pickup of Sundance was Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire which LionsGate]picked up for $5.5 million for North America from Cinetic. Regent is looking at 2 possible pickups. Fortissimo picked up Against the Current for the world. The Escapist was picked up by IFC]for U.S. Arlen Faber was picked up for the U.S. by Magnolia. Roadside Attractions picked up September Issue for North America. Arthouse picked up Kunstler for North America. Push won 3 prizes - the Grand Jury, Public and Best Actor awards and We Live in Public won the Grand Jury Prize for best doc. Arthouse picked up worldwide rights to Art and Copy. Anchor Bay picked up U.S. and Australia rights to Spread. Sony Pictures Classics has picked up Going to the Moon for North America and North and Latin American rights from CAA to An Education. Elle Driver licensed US rights to Dead Snow to IFC Films, German speaking territories and Benelux to Splendid, E1 for UK, Seville for Canada. Benelux. Deals are expected for I Love You Phillip Morris, The Cove, World's Greatest Dad, Spread, Amreeka, An Education and Push. Sony Pictures Classics reportedly paid $3,000,000 for The Greatest starring Carey Mulligan who also stars in An Education. Lionsgate acquired North America and UK rights to The Winning Season from Cinetic. ContentFilm is handling international sales. Elle Driver picked up international rights to September Issue and Arlen Faber. Fox Searchlight picked up worldwide rights to Adam reportedly for a low seven figure amount. Panorama picked up U.S. rights to Slamdance film The Ante. Little Dizzle went to Beyond for Australia and New Zealand. Senator picked up North American rights to Brooklyn's Finest. Visit Films picked up worldwide rights to Sundance world doc competition film Kimjongilia]and Spectrum title, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. The Canadian distribution rights to Cold Souls have been acquired by E1 Films. Opening night film Max and Mary was a huge success and well attended by acquisition and studio executives. Twentieth Century Fox had a team of 8, Lionsgate's Tom Ortenberg, Steve Beeks and Jason Constantine were there along with every other buyer. The film that landed with Icon Entertainment International[/link]Icon when Icon acquired Becker International will soon announce a North American distribution deal. CinemaVault acquired international rights for Spectrum film Lymelife which originally premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival and was picked up for US shortly after by Screen Media. Stephen Raphael is working on the U.S. marketing for the film. HBO has acquired TV rights to Burma VJ the hit of November’s IDFA whose North American debut was Saturday at Sundance. The the film will open theatrically at New York’s Film Forum in May, well ahead of its early 2010 HBO television debut. [Sony Classics acquired North American rights acquisition of Rudo Y Cursi having its U.S. premiere at Sundance.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

Adam (Director-screenwriter: Max Mayer)

A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.

Amreeka (Director-screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)

When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.

Big Fan (Director-screenwriter: Robert Siegel)

The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (Director-screenwriter: John Krasinski)

When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation,...

It looks like the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival is borrowing the late Harvey Milk's famous line: You gotta give 'em hope.

Despite the war-weary, economically ravaged state of the nation and the industry, the Sundance Institute eagerly announced the 2009 competition lineup Wednesday. And while it certainly maintains a somber quotient, the festival roster includes enough fresh takes on old genres (think romance, sci-fi and politics) to satisfy moviegoers and industry players looking for some warmth during the snowy 11-day event.

At least that's how fest organizers Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance's longtime director, and John Cooper, its programming director, choose to see it.

"What you might have expected is that the festival would be really reflective right now of a very dark time, and it's not really true," said Gilmore, in his 19th year overseeing the fest. "We haven't seen the numbers drop, we haven't seen productions severely impacted yet by these factors,...