Governor General's Awards and Saidye Bronfman Awards – winners

The Canada Council for the Arts announced today the winners of the 2014 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts. The winners are:

• Kim Adams, Sculptor, Toronto
• Sandra Brownlee, Weaver/notebook keeper (Saidye Bronfman Award), Dartmouth, N.S.
• Max Dean, Multidisciplinary visual artist, Toronto
• Raymond Gervais, Performance and installation artist, Montreal
• Angela Grauerholz, Photographer/visual artist, Montreal
• Jayce Salloum, Media artist, Vancouver
• Brydon Smith, Curator (Outstanding Contribution), Ottawa
• Carol Wainio, Painter, Ottawa

2013 National Film Registry selections

Cinema with the Right Stuff Marks 2013 National Film Registry
Pulp Fiction, Mary Poppins, Roger & Me Among Registry Additions

Heroes of the space race, a pop cult classic; the age-old battle between the sexes; and a record of Native-American traditions are among a cadre of films being recognized as works of great cultural, historic or aesthetic significance to the nation’s cinematic heritage. The Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, announced today the annual selection of 25 motion pictures to join the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. They will be preserved as cinematic treasures for generations to come.

"The National Film Registry stands among the finest summations of more than a century of extraordinary American cinema," said Billington. "This key component of American cultural history, however, is endangered, so we must protect the nation’s matchless film heritage and cinematic creativity."

2013 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards laureates announced

MONTREAL, April 10, 2013 – Andrew Dawes, Daniel Lanois, Jean Pierre Lefebvre, Viola Léger, Eric Peterson and Menaka Thakkar have been named the 2013 laureates of the prestigious Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. The Lifetime Artistic Achievement Awards are accompanied by two special awards, the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts is given this year to Jean Pierre Desrosiers and Sarah Polley will receive the National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes exceptional achievement over the past performance year.

Created in 1992 under the distinguished patronage of the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, then Governor General of Canada, these prestigious awards are presented annually to Canadians whose accomplishments have inspired and enriched the cultural life of our country. “These Awards are Canada’s highest honour for our most accomplished performing artists” said Douglas Knight and Paul-André Fortier, Co-Chairs of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Foundation (GGPAAF).

National Film Awards 2012 for Indian cinema – winners

The prestigious 60th National Film Awards for the year 2012 were announced in New Delhi in a joint Press Conference addressed by the Chairpersons of the three juries, Shri Basu Chatterjee for Feature Films, Ms. Aruna Raje for Non-Feature Films and Shri Swapan Mullick for Best Writing on Cinema on Monday, March 18.

The top honour in the feature film category goes to Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi) produced by UTV Software communications Ltd. and directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia . In non-feature film category, the top honour Best Film goes to Shepherds of Paradise (Gojri & Urdu) produced and directed by Raja Shabir Khan. In Best Writing on Cinema section, the book Silent Cinema in India – A Pictorial Journey (English) written by B.D. Garga and published by Harper Collins Publisher India has bagged the top honour, whereas Shri P.S. Radhakrishnan has been declared the Best film Critic.

Karnataka State Film Awards 2012 – winners

Last night, a committee headed by senior director Sunil Kumar Desai and the Chief Minister of Karnataka presented the winners for the Karnataka State Film Awards for the best of 2013 in the Kannada film industry in Karnataka, India.

The top winners was Prasad by Manoj C Satti. In addition to taking First Best Film, it won for Best Actor (Arjun Sarja) and Best Child Artist (Master Sankalp). The winner for Second Best Film was Kurmavatara by Girish Kasaravalli. It also won for Best Story Writer (Ku Veerabadrappa) and Best Cinematographer.

The Third Best Film winner was Allide Nammane Illi Bande Summane by Gopi Peenya. It also was a three-time winner, also claiming Best Dialogue Writer (Gopi Peenya) and Best Editing.

Kerala State Film Awards 2013 – winners

Best Film
Celluloid

Best Second Film
Ozhimuri

Best Actor

2013 Bayerischer Filmpreis (Bavarian Film Awards) – winners

Today, the Bavarian State Government held the 34th annual Bayerischer Filmpreis (Bavarian Film Awards) known as the "Pierrot" after the Commedia dell'Arte character. The ceremony to place at the Prinzregententheater (Prince Regent Theatre) in Munich. Prize money of € 10,000 is distributed to each of the winners, except for the Best Producer winner who receives € 200,000, and the Audience Award and Honourary Award winners who receive no money.

The Best Producer trophy went to Stefan Arndt for Cloud Atlas, a English-language German production by the Wachowski siblings and German director Tom Tykwer. The film is the most expensive German-produced film ever.

Days after winning Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes, Michael Haneke picked up the Best Directing Award for Amour. Though Haneke is Austrian, the film is a co-production of Germany, France and Austria. However, it will not be competing at this year's Deutscher Filmpreis (German Film Awards).

2012 National Film Registry selection of 25 films for preservation

The Matrix, A League of Their Own, A Christmas Story, Uncle Tom’s Cabin among registry additions

The excitement of national football; the first black star of an American feature-length film; the visionary battle between man and machine; and an award-winning actress born yesterday are part of a kaleidoscope of cinematic moments captured on film and tapped for preservation. The Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today named 25 motion pictures that have been selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. These cinematic treasures represent important cultural, artistic and historic achievements in filmmaking.

"Established by Congress in 1989, the National Film Registry spotlights the importance of preserving America’s unparalleled film heritage," said Billington. "These films are not selected as the ‘best’ American films of all time, but rather as works of enduring importance to American culture. They reflect who we are as a people and as a nation."

Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2012 – winners

A day after American Thanksgiving, it was a big night for Turkey (the country) at the sixth Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) was the top prize-winner in winning Best Feature Film. Produced by Enis Köstepen, Emin Alper and the late Seyfi Teoman, and co-produced by Nikos Moutselos, Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) was written, directed and produced by Emin Alper and is his first feature film. Alper and his co-producer Enis Köstepen accepted the award on the night from International Jury President Jan Chapman.

The International Jury also gave a High Commendation in the category of Best Feature Film to Bumchoiwaui Junjaeng (Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time) from Republic of Korea.

Nandi Awards 2011 – winners

The Government of Andhra Pradesh, India held a press conference this weekend to announce the winners of the Nandi Awards for the films of 2011, honouring excellence in Telugu cinema (Tollywood).

The big winner was Sri Rama Rajyam, written and directed by Bapu. It won the Best Feature Film and six other awards including Best Leading Actress for Nayanatara, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematographer.

Also winning seven awards was Dookudu by Srinu Vaitla. Its wins included Best Popular Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Leading Actor (Mahesh Babu), Best Supporting Actor (Prakash Raj), and Best Screenplay Writer. Mahesh Babu's Best Actor win is his third at the Nandi Awards.

Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2012 – nominees

Nominees in the sixth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (the APSAs) have been announced with 34 films from 18 Asia Pacific countries and areas nominated in the region’s highest accolade in film. The five films nominated for Best Feature Film are Khers (Bear) from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) from Turkey, Greece, Orda (The Horde) from the Russian Federation, Bumchoiwaui Junjaeng Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time from the Republic of Korea and Wu Xia from Hong Kong (PRC), People’s Republic of China.

An unprecedented total of 264 films were entered in this year’s competition. Asia Pacific countries and areas represented by the nominated films are Australia, Hong Kong (PRC), India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iraqi-Kurdistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Taiwan and Turkey. Seven of the 2012 nominees are already members of the rapidly expanding APSA Academy.

Nordic Council Film Prize 2012 – winner

THE SWEDISH FILM PLAY IS THIS YEAR'S BEST NORDIC FILM

The winner of the Nordic Council Film Prize 2012 is PLAY, written and directed by Ruben Östlund and produced by Erik Hemmendorff for Plattform Produktion. The prize will be awarded during the Nordic Council Session in Helsinki on 31 October.

The Film Prize's Adjudication Committee, which is made up of film experts from the five Nordic countries, give this motivation for their choice of this year's winner:

"Director Ruben Östlund once again confirms his position as one of today’s most original filmmakers in the Nordic countries. Through his ongoing artistic project - dissecting and analysing human behaviour, Ruben Östlund presents thought-provoking insights into social roles and role play. The stylistic imagery, the relentless pace of the story and the astounding performances from non-professional actors makes Play a gut wrenching drama that prompts us to reflect on important issues in modern western society."

Kerala State Film Awards – winners

The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and Kerala's Department of Cultural Affairs announced the winners for their 54th Annual Kerala State Film Awards last night in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

The top prize of Best Movie went to Indian Rupee by Ranjith and produced by Prithviraj. However, that was its only trophy.

Ivan Megharoopan by P. Balachandran took the biggest haul with four prizes. It won for Best Second Movie, Music Director, Editing and Dubbing (Female). Next with three awards was Vellaripravinte Changathi by Akku Akbar, winner for Best Actor (Dileep), Makeup and Choreography.

2012 National Film Awards (Bhutan) – winners

The Motion Picture Association of Bhutan (MPAB) in collaboration with the Department of Culture recently held their 11th Annual National Film Awards in Thimphu.

Kuenley Tshering Dorji’s I am Sonam Kuenga Namgyel, about a boy who is orphaned at birth and left in the custody of his uncle, swept the awards with ten wins. It won the awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer, Best Choreography, Best Newcomer – Male (Kuenga Rinzin Dorji), Best Child Artist (Sonam Kuenga Namgyel), Best Editor, Background Score and Lighting.

Next with six awards was Ashi Nangsa. Its wins were for Best Animation and Best Culture-Based Film, as well as Art Director, Music Composer, Playback Singer – Female (Pema Lhamo) and Playback Singer – Male (Pem Samdrup).

Karnataka State Film Awards – winners

The winners for the Karnataka State Film Awards for the Kannada-language film industry in South India were announced yesterday for the years 2010 and 2011. The awards are given by the Government of Karnataka and chosen by a committee of eminent film industry professionals. This year's jury of 10 people was headed by actress Dr Bharathi Vishnuvardhan.

The big winner was Upendra's Super. It won Best Film and Best Director. The award for Second Best Film went to Bhagavathi Kaadu while Shabdamani was named third best film. Shabdamani picked up an additional award for Best Female Playback Artiste (dubbing). Top award winners receive a medal and a cash prize.

Sanju Weds Geetha picked up three awards. They were in the technical categories of Cinematography, Editing and Sound.

Curiously, Byaari came away empty-handed even though it shared Best Film at the 59th National Awards. Some felt that perhaps the top winners were those that were close to Dr Vishnuvardhana.

National Film Awards for 2011 - winners

The winners for the 59th Annual National Film Awards, the most prominent film awards in India, were announced today in New Delhi. The awards are run by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals and winners are selected by juries. The announcements were made by the chairpersons of the three juries Ms Rohini Hattangady for Feature Films, Shri Ramesh Sharma for Non-Feature Films and Ms. Vijaya Mulay for Best Writing on Cinema.

The Best Feature Film awards award was a tie between Deool and Byari. They each receive a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus Award) and a cash prize of Rs. 2,50,000/-.

The other Swarna Kamal recipients were Best Debut Film of a Director Aaranyakandam, Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai, Best Children's Film Chillar Party and Best Direction for Anhe Ghorey Da Daan by Gurvinder Singh. For Non-Feature Films, the Swarna Kamal winners were Best Non-Feature Film And We Play On and Best Direction for There is Something in the Air by Iram Ghufran. Both of the Writing on Film winners receive a Swarna Kamal.

Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts 2012

Canada Council for the Arts honours eight Canadian greats for the 2012 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts

Toronto, February 28, 2012 – The winners of the 2012 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts were announced today by Robert Sirman, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Each has, in their own way, made a mark on Canada’s dynamic art scene through their groundbreaking work. They are:

2012 Bayerischer Filmpreis (Bavarian Film Awards) - winners

Today, the Bavarian State Government held the ceremony for their 33rd Annual Bayerischer Filmpreis (Bavarian Film Awards) at the Prinzregententheater (Prince Regent Theatre) in Munich. Winners receive cash prizes of €10,000 except for the Producers who receive a larger sum and the Audience and Honourary Awards which do not receive any cash prize. They also receive porcelain statuettes known as the "Pierrots" named after the Commedia dell'arte character.

The cancer drama Halt auf freier Strecke (Stopped on Track) was the main winner of the night. It took the top prize for Best Producer and awards for actors Steffi Kühnert and Milan Peschel. It shared the €200,000 with the producers of Hotel Lux. It was, however, the only award for Hotel Lux.

The only other film to win multiple awards was Kriegerin (Combat Girls). David Wnendt was named Best Young Director and Jella Haase was named Best Young Actor for her role in both Kriegerin and Lollipop Monster.

The Best Director Prize went to Doris Dörrie for Glück (Bliss). Bettina Mittendorfer was named Best Actress for her starring turn in Eine ganz heiße Nummer (A Really Hot Number).