TIFF 2017 wrap: Netflix

by Allan Tong

2017 will be remembered as the downsized TIFF: fewer films, slower sales and smaller red carpets (literally). The Canadian economy is growing, but Hollywood is in a slump, coming off its worst summer box office in over a decade. Inevitably this effects TIFF which the Hollywood studios use (Sept.7-17 this year) as the unofficial launch of the Oscar race. Before the festival, TIFF had already announced the end of the Vanguard and City to City programs and, sadly, the cessation of multimedia exhibitions in its gallery space, such as the dazzling ones to Kubrick and Cronenberg. Of course, the biggest news was TIFF CEO Piers Handling announcing his retirement after the 2018 edition.

The Italian party hosted by Mongrel Media

Where is TIFF headed? Where is the movie industry headed? One answer: the internet.

The studios used to premiere star-studded films at TIFF before releasing them in the following weeks and months to qualify for the Oscars and determine their marketing plans. This year, streaming giant Netflix has unveiled two acclaimed features, First They Killed My Father and Mudbound at TIFF.

145 documentary features submitted for 2016 Oscar race

One hundred forty-five features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 89th Academy Awards®.

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.

Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

Jackie Chan, Anne V. Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman to receive Academy’s 2016 Governors Awards

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night (August 30) to present Honorary Awards to actor Jackie Chan, film editor Anne V. Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. The four Oscar statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s 8th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 12, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center.

“The Honorary Award was created for artists like Jackie Chan, Anne Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman – true pioneers and legends in their crafts,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “The Board is proud to honor their extraordinary achievements, and we look forward to celebrating with them at the Governors Awards in November.”

After making his motion picture debut at the age of eight, Chan brought his childhood training with the Peking Opera to a distinctive international career. He starred in – and sometimes wrote, directed and produced – more than 30 martial arts features in his native Hong Kong, charming audiences with his dazzling athleticism, inventive stunt work and boundless charisma. Since Rumble in the Bronx in 1996, he has gone on to enormous worldwide success with the Rush Hour movies, Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, Around the World in 80 Days, The Karate Kid and the Kung Fu Panda series of animated films.

Film review: Cafe Society

Writer/Director: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Ron Chez, Helen Robin,  Adam B. Stern, Allan Teh, Stephen Tenenbaum, Edward Walson
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll
Comedy/drama
1 hour, 36 minutes

By now, audiences expect certain elements in a Woody Allen movie: a period piece from the 1930s, a love triangle, a nebbish Woody-Allen-like protagonist, perhaps a gangster, a discussion about morality and, of course, some sharp, funny lines sprinkled throughout.

Cafe Society, the auteur's latest, contains all these ingredients which adds up to an entertaining though flawed film that's parts comedy, romance and drama.

[Spoiler alert] Jesse Eisenberg plays Bobby, a naive Jewish kid from Brooklyn who hits up his bigshot uncle Phil (Steve Carell), a Hollywood agent, for a job. Unwittingly, Bobby falls for Phil's younger secretary, Vonnie (Kristen Stewart) who is secretly Phil's mistress. When Phil leaves his wife for Vonnie, Bobby's world crashes down and he returns to Brooklyn to work for his gangster brother, Ben (Carey Stoll) and runs his high-society nightclub. Years pass, Bobby marries another woman and becomes a father. He grows tougher, harder, wiser. One day, Vonnie and Uncle Phil visit Bobby's New York nightclub and that nearly rekindles his L.A. romance with Vonnie. By the end of the film, we're left with a big What if? What if Vonnie had chosen Bobby instead of Phil?

Academy Invites a record 683 New Members

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 683 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2016.

18 individuals (noted by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches. These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in the fall.

88th annual Academy Awards – winners [UPDATING LIVE]

The 88th Academy Awards took place tonight at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. It was hosted by comedian Chris Rock, who joked that the Oscars were "the White People’s Choice Awards." His opening monologue was quite funny, and dealt primarily with the controversy surrounding the Oscars' lack of diversity.

The big surprise winner of the night was Tom McCarthy's Spotlight, the journalistic drama about the investigation of the Catholic Church abuse scandal in Boston. It won the first award of the night for Best Original Screenplay, but then didn't win another award until the final award of the night for Best Picture. It had been nominated for a total of 6 awards including the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress (Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams respectively), as well as Best Director and Best Editing.

31st Film Independent Spirit Awards winners announced

Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA, handed out top honors to Spotlight, Beasts of No Nation and Room at this afternoon’s 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards. Carol, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Krisha, The Look of Silence, Son of Sauland Tangerine also received awards at the ceremony, which was held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. Spotlight received the Robert Altman Award. In addition to being the celebration that honors artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers whose films embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the Spirit Awards is the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs. The ceremony aired live today on IFC and a rebroadcast will air later this evening; please check your local listings for times. Clips from the ceremony will be available on Film Independent’s YouTube channel after the show.

Over the past 31 years, the Film Independent Spirit Awards has made a name for itself as the premiere awards show for the independent film community. Artists who have received industry recognition first at the Spirit Awards include Ava DuVernay, Justin Simien, Ryan Coogler, Joel and Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Ashley Judd, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, Edward Burns, Aaron Eckhart, Neil LaBute, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Hilary Swank, Marc Forster, Todd Field, Christopher Nolan, Zach Braff, Amy Adams, Lena Dunham and many more.

27th Annual Producers Guild Awards – winners

The 27th Annual Producers Guild Awards were held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel January 23, 2016.

The big winner of the night was The Big Short which claimed the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. Its producers were Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. Brad Pitt was also in the all-star cast that included Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Steve Carell and Melissa Leo.

The winner in the Animated Theatrical Motion Picture category was Inside Out produced by Jonas Rivera. For Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures, the winner was James Gay-Rees who produced Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse profile Amy.

Academy Takes Historic Action To Increase Diversity

Lifetime voting rights reframed; new governor seats added and committees restructured
Goal to double number of diverse members by 2020

In a unanimous vote Thursday night (1/21), the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved a sweeping series of substantive changes designed to make the Academy’s membership, its governing bodies, and its voting members significantly more diverse. The Board’s goal is to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.

88th annual Academy Awards – fact sheet

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Big Short (Paramount Pictures) [Produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.] - This is the sixth nomination and the third in this category for Brad Pitt, who won for 12 Years a Slave (2013). His other Best Picture nomination was for Moneyball (2011). He received Acting nominations for his supporting role in 12 Monkeys (1995) and his leading roles in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Moneyball. This is the fourth nomination for Dede Gardner, who won for 12 Years a Slave (2013). Her other Best Picture nominations were for The Tree of Life (2011) and Selma (2014). This is the third nomination for Jeremy Kleiner, who won for 12 Years a Slave (2013) and was nominated last year for Selma.
Bridge of Spies (Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox) [Produced by Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger.] - This is the ninth nomination in this category for Steven Spielberg, who won the award in 1993 for Schindler's List. His other Best Picture nominations were for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Munich (2005), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), War Horse (2011) and Lincoln (2012). He has seven Directing nominations, for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Munich and Lincoln. He won Oscars for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1986. This is the first nomination for both Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger.
Brooklyn (Fox Searchlight Pictures) [Produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey.] - This is the second nomination for both Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey. They were nominated in this category for An Education (2009).

88th Academy Awards nominations announced

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Guillermo del Toro, John Krasinski and Ang Lee announced the 88th Academy Awards® nominations today (January 14).

Del Toro and Lee announced the nominees in 11 categories at 5:30 a.m. PT, followed by Boone Isaacs and Krasinski for the remaining 13 categories at 5:38 a.m. PT, at the live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscars® website, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

36th Annual Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards nominations announced

All five films up for Worst Picture at this year's 36th Annual Razzie Awards are big budget/high profile productions that have no excuse for being among the year's "berry" worst. And 2015's acting contenders include popular stars like Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, and Kayley Cuoco-Sweeting, previous Oscar winners Gwyneth Paltrow, Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore, and such Razzie Repeat Offenders as Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Katherine Heigl. "Winners" will be announced in intentionally tacky ceremonies scheduled for 8pm/PST on Saturday February 27 -- Oscar eve.

The choices for Worst Picture include Fifty Shades of Grey (2015's "Most Successful Bad Movie") Fantastic 4 (a nearly instant remake that flopped with both critics and movie-goers) Jupiter Ascending (the latest sci-fi fiasco from Andy & Lana Wachowski) Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (a box office hit despite its 95% negative rating at Rotten Tomatoes) and Adam Sandler's latest excuse for a movie, the 70's video game-themed Pixels.

The 73rd Golden Globe Awards winners

The gala ceremony for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards took place tonight. It was hosted for the fourth time by Ricky Gervais.

The night's biggest winner was Alejandro González Iñárritu's The Revenant. It won for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. Last year, Iñárritu shared the Best Screenplay prize for Birdman but was edged out in the Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Director categories by Boyhood.

Denzel Washington was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award which honours extraordinary contributions to the entertainment world.

11 Scientific And Technical Achievements To Be Honoured With Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 33 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 13, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. In addition, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) will receive a special award recognizing a century of fundamental contributions to the advancement of motion picture standards and technology.

“This year’s honorees represent a wide range of new tech, including a modular inflatable airwall system for composited visual effects, a ubiquitous 3D digital paint system and a 3D printing technique for animation,” said Richard Edlund, Academy Award®-winning visual effects artist and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. “With their outstanding, innovative work, these technologists, engineers and inventors have further expanded filmmakers’ creative opportunities on the big screen.”

18th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards – nominations

Nominees for the 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA), which celebrates excellence in film, television, and short form costume design, were announced today. The CDGA ceremony, one of the most prestigious and well-respected entertainment industry awards season events, celebrates the spirit of creative and engaging storytelling through costume design on both the big and small screen. The winners of the seven competitive awards will be revealed at the black-tie gala on Tuesday, February 23rd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Continuing its long-time support of the Guild, LACOSTE is returning as Presenting Sponsor of the CDGA. In the past year, LACOSTE has been featured in films such as Spotlight, Pitch Perfect 2, and Ricki and the Flash, as well as in numerous television shows including Scream Queens, Bloodline, Jane the Virgin, and Saturday Night Live.

The American Society of Cinematographers announces 2016 ASC Awards nominees

The American Society of Cinematographers have announced their film nominees for their 30th ASC Awards.

“Our members have spoken with a fabulous group of choices,” says ASC President Richard Crudo. “The quality of the work is astounding, and it’s great to see we’re once again at the forefront of giving recognition where it’s due.”

“Each of the nominated films represents a different genre and a masterfully distinct visual style,” notes ASC Awards Chairman Daryn Okada. “We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of these nominees in February.”

2016 Writers Guild Awards Screenplay Nominations Announced

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in screenwriting during 2015. Winners will be honored at the 2016 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City.

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles during 2015 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, or the New Zealand Writers Guild. Theatrical screenplays produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild must have been submitted for Writers Guild Awards consideration.

Documentaries eligible for a Writers Guild Award featured an onscreen writing credit and were exhibited theatrically in Los Angeles or New York for one week during 2015. Theatrical documentaries must have been produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild to be eligible for awards consideration.

27th annual Producers Guild Awards – nominations announced

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture, long-form television, digital series, sports programs and additional television nominations for the 27th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories include: The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures; The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures; The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television; Outstanding Sports Program; and Outstanding Digital Series. The feature documentary film category and other television category nominations were previously announced by the PGA in late 2015.

All 2016 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. This year, the Producers Guild will present special honors to Jim Gianopulos (Milestone Award), Shonda Rhimes (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), David Heyman (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), The Hunting Ground (Stanley Kramer Award), and Industrial Light & Magic (Visionary Vanguard Award). The 2016 Producers Guild Awards Co-Chairs are Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Captain Phillips) and Jennifer Todd (Alice in Wonderland, Celeste and Jesse Forever).

10 contenders remain in Visual Effects Oscar race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 9, 2016. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

9 Foreign Language Films Advance in Oscar Race

Nine features will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®. Eighty films had originally been considered in the category.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2015 are being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based Academy members, screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 14. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.