Saturday, January 31, 2015

2015 Sundance Film Festival presents film awards – winners


Sundance Institute this evening announced the feature film Jury, Audience and other special awards of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The awards, celebrating artistry, innovation and adventure in independent filmmaking, were presented at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony, hosted by Tig Notaro in Park City, Utah; full video of the ceremony is at youtube.com/sff. The ceremony is the culmination of the 2015 Festival, which presented 123 feature-length and 60 short films – selected from 12,166 submissions – to independent film-loving audiences in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

The competition juries select films from their respective sections to receive a range of awards. New this year, jurors were asked to give an increased number of special jury prizes recognizing excellence in the craft of filmmaking as they deemed appropriate. The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award is still given to a U.S. Dramatic film for excellence in screenwriting. Audience awards are also bestowed upon films in each section.

65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards – winners


American Cinema Editors (ACE) held a gala ceremony for their 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards recognizing outstanding editing last night in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Serving as Master of Ceremonies was actress/comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub. Among the evening’s presenters were Matt Damon, Chris Pratt, Rene Russo, Allen Leech (Downton Abbey, The Imitation Game), Robin Leach, Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy, Jeff Garlin and Amanda Fuller (Last Man Standing).

The winner for the Best Edited Feature Film in the Dramatic category was Sandra Adair for her work on Richard Linklater's Boyhood. Barney Pilling won for Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical for his cutting on Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Call for submissions: Lindalee Tracey Award


The submissions are now open for the next Lindalee Tracey Award. The Lindalee Tracey Award honours an emerging Canadian filmmaker with a passionate point of view, a strong sense of social justice, and joie de vivre.

Lindalee Tracey was an award-winning filmmaker, author, and entertainer, as well as a beloved wife and mother. Through her extensive body of work and indefatigable personality, Lindalee brought great joy to the world. She was passionate about bringing issues of social justice into her work, and championed people who are often ignored, underestimated or forgotten. Equally, she celebrated those who rise above disadvantage.

Lindalee passed away on October 19, 2006, at age 49, after a five-year battle with breast cancer. At the time of her passing, Lindalee’s family, friends and admirers created this award in her honour.

Nominations announced for the 2nd Annual Location Managers Guild of America (LMGA) Awards


The Location Managers Guild of America (LMGA) announced the nominations for its 2nd Annual LMGA Awards, which recognize the outstanding achievements of location professionals in seven categories. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on March 7, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

Honorary awards to be presented at the ceremony will be the Eva Monley Award, the Humanitarian Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Trailblazer Award.

The 6th Annual 3D Creative Arts Awards – winners


Guardians of the Galaxy Wins Top Live Action 3D Feature
The Lego Movie Wins Animated Feature of the Year
House of Cards Wins for Best 4K Productions
The International 3D & Advanced Imaging Society bestowed 23 honors for “distinguished achievement” at the 3D Creative Arts Awards on Wednesday night, at Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood.

“Directors and creative teams are pushing the emotional and technical capabilities of 3D to new heights, from China, Japan, the UK, throughout the EU, Russia, and India”

Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Studios/Stereo D) won for Best Live Action 3D Feature while Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Prime Focus World/Weinstein) won for Stereography – Live Action. 300: Rise of an Empire (Warner Bros./Gener8) won for Best 2D to 3D Conversion and X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox/Stereo D) was awarded Best 3D Sequence/Scene of the Year.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

2015 JUNO Awards – nominations


The nominees for the 2015 JUNO Awards were announced by The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) at a press conference at The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto this morning, as Canada's top artists now get ready for a trip to JUNO Week in Hamilton, March 9 – March 15, 2015.

Magic! garnered a leading five nominations: JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year, Breakthrough Group of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Pop Album of the Year.

Close behind with four nods were Kiesza (Single of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Dance Recording of the Year, Video of the Year) and Leonard Cohen (JUNO Fan Choice, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Adult Alternative Album of the Year).

Artists with three nods each are Hedley (JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year, Album of the Year), Nickelback (JUNO Fan Choice, Album of the Year, Group of the Year), and Serge Fiori (JUNO Fan Choice, Album of the Year, Francophone Album of the Year).

Monday, January 26, 2015

Québec Cinéma's 17e Soirée des Jutra – nominations


This morning, Québec Cinéma unveiled the finalists for the 17th Soirée des Jutra.

With ten nominations, Mommy is the top finalist. The film by Xavier Dolan was selected for Best Picture (Metafilms - Nancy Grant), Best Director (Xavier Dolan), Best Screenplay (Xavier Dolan), Best Actress (Anne Dorval), Best Actor (Antoine Olivier Pilon), Best Supporting Actress (Suzanne Clément), Best Art Direction (Colombe Raby), Best Cinematography (André Turpin), Best Editing (Xavier Dolan) and Best Costume Design (Xavier Dolan). It also will receive the Jutra Billet d'or awarded to the film with the highest box office revenue in 2014.

SAG-AFTRA presents the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – winners


SAG-AFTRA presented its coveted Actor® statuettes for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2014 at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® in ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors, held Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. The 21st Annual SAG Awards® was simulcast live coast-to-coast by TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT).

Honored with individual awards were Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore, Eddie Redmayne and J.K. Simmons for performances in motion pictures and Uzo Aduba, Viola Davis, William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Mark Ruffalo and Kevin Spacey for performances in television. The Screen Actors Guild Awards originated awards for the outstanding performances by a motion picture cast and by television drama and comedy ensembles. The Actor® for a motion picture cast performance went this year to Birdman, while the Actors® for television drama and comedy ensemble performances went this year to Downton Abbey and Orange is the New Black. Of the top industry honors presented to actors, only the SAG Awards are selected entirely by 111,228 performers’ peers in SAG-AFTRA. The SAG Awards was the first televised awards show to acknowledge the work of union members.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

PGA's 26th annual Producers Guild Awards – winners


Last night, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced this year's winning motion picture, television, and new media productions at the 26th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

The Jerry Seinfeld-created web series, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee won the Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.

The television program Breaking Bad and its producers Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, and Moira Walley-Beckett won the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama.

Closing the evening, the film Birdman and its producers Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole won the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. This category is one of the most eagerly-anticipated of season, as it is widely considered a strong prognosticator for the Best Picture Oscar®.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Casting Society of America's 30th Annual Artios Awards – winners


The Casting Society of America (CSA) has named the winners for the 30th Annual Artios Awards, which took place tonight in both Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton and in New York at 42WEST (formerly XL Nightclub), Cabaret & Lounge. Performers Patton Oswalt and Michael Urie hosted in Los Angeles and New York, respectively. This is the first year that the Artios Awards was moved to January to take place during the height of awards season.

Hosted by Michael Urie, New York presenters included Frankie Alvarez, Nina Arianda, Murray Bartlett, Jason Biggs, Raul Castillo, Carrie Coon, Edie Falco, Renee Fleming, Jonathan Groff, Gaby Hoffmann, Billy Magnussen, Cristin Milioti, Jay Pharoah, Danny Pino, AnnaSophia Robb, Jeremy Shamos, Cecily Strong and Lorraine Toussaint.

In Los Angeles, Jonah Hill was on hand to present Emmy Award®-winning casting director Ellen Lewis with the Hoyt Bowers Award, honoring esteemed casting professionals who have elevated the casting profession by embodying the unique spirit, ideals and creativity of famed casting director, Hoyt Bowers.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society Announces Top Nominees for 3D Awards


Sky, Atlantic Productions & David Attenborough to Be Awarded With Society's Sir Charles Wheatstone Award; Harold Lloyd Award for Filmmaking to Be Awarded to Academy Award Nominee & French Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society today announced its top nominated 3D features - Live Action and Animation, as well as the 2D to 3D Conversion categories were voted on by the International 3D Society's members for the 2015 Creative Arts Awards Ceremony to be held January 28th at Warner Bros. Studios.

The top live action nominees include Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Marvel/Disney), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox), Exodus: Gods and Kings (20th Century Fox), Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel/Disney), Maleficent, (The Walt Disney Studios), Noah (Fox/Paramount), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount Pictures), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony Pictures Entertainment), The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (Warner Bros./New Line), Transformers: Age of Extinction (Paramount Pictures), and X-Men: Days of Future Past, (20th Century Fox).

Monday, January 19, 2015

Neon Nights: The Films of Michael Mann – Feb 5 to Mar 26 at TIFF Bell Lightbox


As Michael Mann’s Blackhat makes its premiere in January, TIFF looks back at the big-screen oeuvre of the crime-film auteur, which brought a grit and elegance to action cinema that has influenced nearly every police-procedural show on North American television, as well as successive waves of crime thrillers from Hong Kong and Korea.

Drawing on the influence of such male-centred directors as Sam Fuller, Sam Peckinpah and Stanley Kubrick, Mann’s tough-guy cinema offers a master class on masculinity — its nature and definition, in action and appearance. Mann explored his vision of manhood in a variety of different milieus and genres. Furthermore, his relentless pursuit of realism — whether telling the stories of real historical figures in The Insider, Ali and Public Enemies, recreating eighteenth-century frontier America in The Last of the Mohicans, or bringing a remarkable sense of verisimilitude to the crime fictions of Collateral and Miami Vice — has become as much a defining element of his style as the visual gloss of his rainslicked neon nights, the pulsing beat of his musical scores, and his masterfully staged action set pieces.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Broadcast Film Critics Association'a (BFCA) 20th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards – winners


The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) announced the winners of the 20th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards tonight, live from the Hollywood Palladium. The show aired on A&E at 9pm ET/6pm PT and was hosted by Michael Strahan.

Boyhood was named Best Picture and garnered three additional wins including Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette, Best Young Actor/Actress for Ellar Coltrane, and Best Director for Richard Linklater.

Álex de la Iglesia: Dancing with the Devil – Jan. 30 to March 28 at TIFF Bell Lightbox


January 30 to March 28
TIFF Bell Lightbox

Like his cult-cinema contemporaries Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi, Spanish maverick Álex de la Iglesia began his career as an anarchic purveyor of high-grade schlock splashing his every fluid-drenched fever dream across the screen, before achieving international recognition as a bona fide festival-feted auteur. The endorsement and mentorship of Pedro Almodóvar helped in this regard, immediately placing the former comic-book artist on the critical radar and garnering Goya Awards (Spain’s Oscars) for even some of his earliest and strangest work. While his work has grown in scope and ambition, de la Iglesia has never surrendered or compromised his unique vision: his films are as strange and transgressive as ever, his sense of humour every bit as dark, biting and absurd. In this sense, de la Iglesia shares much with Canada’s own purveyor of the peculiar and the perverse David Cronenberg: both filmmakers have forced the film world to adapt to them rather than the other way around.

87th annual Academy Awards – nominations


The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the nominations for all 24 categories of the 87th annual Academy Awards. The announcement was made this morning by directors Alfonso Cuarón, J.J. Abrams, actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. For the first time, nominees in all 24 categories were announced live.

Leading the field with nine nominations apiece were Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. Next with eight nominations was Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game followed by Richard Linklater's Boyhood and Clint Eastwood's American Sniper with six nominations. Each of these was nominated for Best Picture as well as Best Director, except American Sniper which missed out on the director slot.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

2015 Golden Reel Awards – nominations announced


The Motion Picture Sound Editors have announced the nominations in 20 categories for its 62nd MPSE Golden Reel Awards, honouring the best feature film, television, animation and computer entertainment work of the year.

“2014 was a fantastic year for sound,” said MPSE president Frank Morrone. “The advent of new distribution channels, streaming services and gaming platforms is creating additional opportunities for sound artists to practice their craft beyond the traditional venues of film and television. This year’s nominations reflect that change, spanning an amazing diversity of mediums and genres, all executed at the highest level of creativity. We are truly inspired and impressed by the work of our colleagues.”

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Visual Effects Society Announces Nominees for the 13th Annual VES Awards


Today, the Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional global honorary society, announced the nominees for the 13th Annual VES Awards, the prestigious yearly celebration that recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on-the-keys artists who bring this work to life. Nominees were selected by VES members via events hosted by its nine sections – Australia, Bay Area, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, New Zealand, Toronto and Vancouver. The VES Awards will be held on February 4th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

As previously announced, the Visionary Award will be presented to J.J. Abrams, award-winning director-producer- writer. (Note: Due to a change in his production schedule, Ridley Scott will unfortunately not be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this time; we look forward to honoring him in the future for his enormous contributions to filmed entertainment).

Directors Guild of America announces 67th annual DGA Awards – nominations [UPDATED]


Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2014.

“In a year full of excellent films, DGA members have nominated a stellar group of passionate filmmakers,” said Barclay. “Inspiring and artistic, these five directors made films that left an indelible impact not only on their fellow directors and members of the director’s team, but on audiences around the world. Congratulations to all of the nominees for their terrific work.”

DGA nominations for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials, and Documentaries will be announced on Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

21 Scientific And Technical Achievements To Be Honored With Academy Awards


David W. Gray to receive Gordon E. Sawyer Award

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 21 scientific and technical achievements represented by 58 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 7, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announces nominees for 2015 Canadian Screen Awards


“Today we are very proud to reveal the nominees for the 2015 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS,” says Helga Stephenson, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

“2014 was an exceptionally competitive year for Canadian film, television & digital media,” Stephenson adds. “The Academy received a record number of Canadian Screen Awards submissions, which is also a good sign for the industry.”

CSA nominations in 128 categories (24 film, 97 in television and 7 in digital media) were announced today at simultaneous press conferences in Toronto and Montreal and via live webcast on the Academy’s new FanZone website, launched today.

Cinema Audio Society announces nominations for 51st Annual CAS Awards for 2014


The Cinema Audio Society announces the nominees for the 51st Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2014 in six categories and the CAS Technical Achievement Award Nominations.

“This year’s nominations reflect the outstanding sound mixing being done in both film and television as determined by the voting members of the Cinema Audio Society,” said CAS President David Fluhr. “I congratulate each of the nominees on a job well-mixed.”

Final balloting for both the Outstanding Sound Mixing and the CAS Technical Achievement Awards will open online Wednesday January 21st and end Friday, February 6th.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Sturla Gunnarsson's Monsoon crowned Canada's Top Ten Film Festival People's Choice Award winner


For the first time in Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival history, audiences were invited to vote for their favourite feature film. Festivalgoers crowned Sturla Gunnarsson’s Monsoon the People’s Choice Award winner.

The award is announced as TIFF wraps up 10 days of celebrating the nation’s cinema. From January 2 to 11, Toronto audiences were presented with screenings of the top 10 features, shorts and student short films of the year, introductions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers, along with free engagements and special events that included onstage conversations with actor Keanu Reeves, author Naomi Klein and filmmaker Avi Lewis. Now in its 14th year, the festival attracted the highest number of attendees to date.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

72nd annual Golden Globe Awards – winners


The Hollywood Foreign Press Association held the gala ceremony for their 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards tonight in the Beverly Hills hotel. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted again for their third (and they say final) time in a row.

The night's big winner was Richard Linklater's Boyhood. It won for Best Motion Picture - Drama, as well as for Best Director. Patricia Arquette picked up the prize for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mason's mother Olivia.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman was a double winner for Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Michael Keaton). James Marsh's The Theory of Everything also won twice. It picked up the awards for Best Original Score (Jóhann Jóhannsson) and Best Actor Drama (Eddie Redmayne).

Intimacies | An Evening with Ingrid Veninger


Join us for a once in a lifetime experience where we will be screening The Animal Project with an introduction by director Ingrid Veninger followed by a meet and greet and Q&A with the director and cast.

"After an unusual and inspiring dream, an unorthodox theatre director (Aaron Poole) attempts to push a group of eager young performers out of their comfort zones, while struggling with his own ability to live and authentic and fulfilling life with his teenage son."

Friday, January 9, 2015

Nominations Announced for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2015


The nominations have been announced for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2015.

The Grand Budapest Hotel receives 11 nominations. Birdman and The Theory of Everything are each nominated in ten categories. The Imitation Game has nine nominations. Boyhood and Whiplash are each nominated five times. Mr. Turner, Nightcrawler and Interstellar receive four nominations. Pride has three nominations.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is nominated in the following categories: Best Film, Director and Original Screenplay for Wes Anderson, Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Make Up & Hair and Sound. Ralph Fiennes is nominated for Leading Actor.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Nominees Announced for Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards 2015


The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild today announced nominations in 19 categories honoring make-up artists and hair stylists outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials and live theater.

President Sue Cabral-Ebert announced the nominations. Winners will be revealed during the black-tie 2015 Annual MUAHS Guild Awards ceremony taking place on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at Paramount Studios. The MUAHS Awards after-party is courtesy of M.A.C. Cosmetics. Spirits presented will be presented by Patron Tequila.

"We are so excited to receive a record number of entries for our crafts from all over the world," said Cabral-Ebert. "The response and enthusiasm of the entertainment community was remarkable. Thanks to our dedicated committee who viewed all the submissions and made very tough choices. We are proud of our talented nominees and the work that was submitted this year representing the finest of our craft."

The 27th Annual USC Libraries Scripter Award – finalists announced


Scripter honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author or authors of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

The Friends of the USC Libraries established Scripter in 1988. Previous Scripter winners include the screenwriters and authors of 12 Years a Slave, The Social Network, A Beautiful Mind and The English Patient.

Chaired by Howard Rodman, USC professor and vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, the 2015 Scripter selection committee selected the five finalists from a field of 97 eligible adaptations.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin, Anne Thompson and Kenneth Turan; authors Michael Chabon, Michael Ondaatje and Mona Simpson; screenwriters John Ridley, Erin Cressida Wilson and Steve Zaillian; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts, Madeline Puzo of the School of Dramatic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

8th Annual Cinema Eye Honors – winners


Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’ first person account of Edward Snowden’s revelations about NSA spying, picked up four awards at the 8th Annual Cinema Eye Honors, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature and Outstanding Direction, held Wednesday night at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York. It’s the second film in Cinema Eye history to win four awards (Ari Folman’s Waltz With Bashir was the first) and the second to win both the Direction and Feature awards (Steve James’ The Interrupters did it in 2012).

Poitras also becomes the first person in Cinema Eye history to win the award for Outstanding Direction twice (she previously won for The Oath in 2011). Citizenfour also won awards for Mathilde Bonnefoy’s Editing and for the film’s Production, which was shared by Poitras, Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutsky. In total, Poitras won three awards, tying a record set previously by Lixin Fan in 2011 for Last Train Home.

People’s Choice Awards 2015 – winners


The People have spoken!

Robert Downey Jr., The Big Bang Theory, and Grey’s Anatomy were among the big winners at the People’s Choice Awards on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Hosted by Mom stars Anna Faris and Allison Janney, the telecast honored the very best in movies, music and TV — as chosen solely by fans.

Movie superheroes reigned supreme at the annual telecast, which kicks off award season. Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. picked up two awards, including “Favorite Movie Actor” and “Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor,” while his Avengers co-star Chris Evans walked away with “Favorite Action Movie Star.”

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

2015 ACTRA Awards in Toronto – nominations


ACTRA Toronto announces the nominees for the 13th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto. The ACTRA Awards in Toronto will take place at the Carlu on Friday, February 20, 2015.

"The value of these artists is immeasurable, except it isn't," says David Sparrow, President of ACTRA Toronto. "Performers of this calibre add real artistic and commercial value to these films and television shows and we're so proud they are part of our union community."

Tantoo Cardinal will be presented with ACTRA Toronto's 2015 Award of Excellence at the live show and party this year. The Award of Excellence recognizes an exceptional body of work and a commitment to advocacy on behalf of all performers. Jamie Jones will be honoured with the ACTRA Toronto Stunt Award. The show will be hosted by Arisa Cox, with musical entertainment by God Made Me Funky.

2015 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 writing for the screen during 2014. Winners will be honored at the 2015 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 14, 2015, at simultaneous 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 2014 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 2014. Theatrical documentaries must have been produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild to be eligible for awards consideration.

29th annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards – nominations


Five directors of photography will vie for the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award in the theatrical motion picture category at the organization’s 29th Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony. “These nominees represent a fabulous slate selected from a particularly rich field of work this year,” says ASC President Richard Crudo. “It’s amazing how these cinematographers have once again redefined the boundaries of what we do.”

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing the art of filmmaking. Since its charter in 1919, the ASC has been committed to educating aspiring filmmakers and others about the art and craft of cinematography. For additional information about the ASC, visit www.theasc.com. Join ASC on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/The.ASC and American Cinematographer magazine fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AmericanCinematographer.

17th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards – nominations


The Costume Designers Guild has announced the full list of nominations for the 17th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards. Nominees include the costume designers for leading awards seasons contenders such as Boyhood, The Imitation Game, Selma and Into the Woods.

Producer, director and screenwriter Richard Linklater (who recently collaborated with costume designer Kari Perkins on Boyhood) will receive the Distinguished Collaborator Award in recognition of his support of Costume Design and creative partnerships with Costume Designers. Costume Designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers will be presented with an Honourary Career Achievement Award for her outstanding work in film. The 2015 Edith Head Award for the Advancement of the Art of Costume Design will be presented to costume designer, scholar, and two-term CDG past president, Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis, a CDG member and costume design activist for nearly 40 years. The LACOSTE Spotlight Award honouree will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Toronto Film Critics Association names Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy the Best Canadian Film of the Year


Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a Toronto college professor whose world is thrown into chaos when he becomes obsessed with a lookalike actor, has won the Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2014 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.

The award was presented to director Denis Villeneuve by Deepa Mehta at a gala dinner held January 6, 2015 at the historic Carlu in downtown Toronto. Also nominated for the award were The F Word, directed by Michael Dowse, and Mommy, directed by Xavier Dolan. In attendance were prominent members of the film industry.

This is the third time Villeneuve has taken home the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, having previously won in consecutive years for 2009’s Polytechnique and 2010’s Incendies. The $100,000 value of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award makes it the richest annual film prize in Canada. As runners-up, Dolan and Dowse each received $5,000 from Rogers Communications.

TIFF wins first Academy Legacy Award


To honour its 40th anniversary, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will receive the first Academy Legacy Award - for unyielding dedication in bringing international acclaim to Canadian talent in film, television or digital media - it was announced today by Helga Stephenson, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

"TIFF put Canada on the world stage. It brought Canadian cinema into the international spotlight. It established Toronto as a key date on the festival circuit for players around the globe. The Academy salutes TIFF for its resolute commitment to Canadian cinema," says Stephenson.

Casting Society of America's 30th Annual Artios Awards – nominations


The Casting Society of America (CSA) has unveiled its feature film nominees for the 30th Annual Artios Awards. Final film ballots have been distributed and votes can be entered at http://www.castingsociety.com/, through Monday, January 12th. All winners for film, television, theater and new media categories will be announced at the 30th Annual Artios Awards on January 22, 2015, during the height of awards season, with award ceremonies to be held simultaneously at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles (reception will commence at 6:00 p.m. PT) and at 42WEST (formerly XL Nightclub), Cabaret & Lounge (514 West 42nd Street) in New York (reception will commence at 6:00 p.m. ET).

The bicoastal awards show will be hosted by Patton Oswalt (Los Angeles) and Michael Urie (New York City). The evening will also honor two-time Academy Award®-nominee Richard Linklater (Boyhood) with the Career Achievement Award; Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy Award®-winning director Rob Marshall (Into the Woods) with the New York Apple Award; and Emmy Award®-winning casting director Ellen Lewis with the Hoyt Bowers Award.

Monday, January 5, 2015

26th annual Producers Guild Awards – nominations announced


The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 26th 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; and The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television. The feature documentary film category and other television category nominations were previously announced by the PGA in late 2014.

All 2015 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 24th at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. This year, the Producers Guild will present special honors to Jon Feltheimer (Milestone Award), Mark Gordon (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Gale Anne Hurd (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), the HBO television motion picture THE NORMAL HEART (Stanley Kramer Award), and production company Plan B Entertainment (Visionary Award).

19th annual Art Directors Guild Excellence In Production Design Awards – nominations


Ceremony to Take Place January 31, 2015 at Beverly Hilton Hotel. There is a TIE in the Awards or Events Special Category resulting in six nominees.

The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) today announced nominations in 11 categories of – Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Art Directors Guild's 19th Annual Excellence in – Production Design Awards. The nominations were announced by ADG Council Chair Marcia Hinds and Awards co-producers Dave Blass and James Pearse Connelly. The black-tie ceremony revealing winners will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2015, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with comedian Owen Benjamin serving as host.

Friday, January 2, 2015

American Cinema Editors announce 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards – nominations


American Cinema Editors (ACE) today announced nominations for the 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards recognizing outstanding editing in ten categories of film, television and documentaries. Winners will be revealed during ACE’s annual black-tie awards ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2015 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Next week ACE will announce the Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year honoree and two Career Achievement honorees.

For only the second time in the organization’s history, a tie resulted in an additional nominee in the Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) category creating six nominees, instead of five, indicating a tie in the number of votes for the fifth placing films. In 2013, a tie in the Best Edited Animated Feature Film resulted in four nominees, instead of the normal three nominees, in that category.
The ACE Eddie Award nominees are listed below.