Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Special Events announced for 2015 Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections, as well as the selections for a new Special Events section and participants for two panels, at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The Festival is the centerpiece of the year-round public programs for the Institute, which also hosts 24 residency labs and grants more than $2.5 million to independent artists each year.

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, "Filmmakers in the Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections, many of whom are returning to the Festival, do not shy away from controversial, challenging and provocative subject matter. Their work enrages, engages and entertains audiences, shining a light on issues and people we thought we knew."

Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, "As artists continue to explore evolving forms of storytelling, this year's new Special Events section allows us the space to showcase episodic content and live performance. With this addition, the Festival offers a more complete look at the creative opportunities for independent artists today."

American Film Institute announces 2014 AFI Awards for film & television

It’s that time of year again. AFI is honoring the most outstanding films and television programs of the year with AFI AWARDS. The non-competitive AFI AWARDS acknowledge the collaborative nature of film and TV production, bringing the community’s creative teams together in a unique celebration of their work.

This year’s list includes 10 television programs and, for the first time in AFI AWARDS history, 11 motion pictures. The 2014 honorees deemed by AFI’s Jury to be culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements are:

17th Moët British Independent Film Awards – winners

The ceremony for the 17th Moët British Independent Film Awards took place tonight at Old Billingsgate in London. The event was hosted by actor, writer and comedian Simon Bird.

Matthew Warchus' gay themed miners' strike drama Pride took the top prize of Best British Independent Film. It also won both Supporting Acting categories for actors Imelda Staunton and Andrew Scott. Yann Demange's '71 had led the nominations with nine. Its only win was for Best Director.

Honourary Awards were presented to actors Emma Thompson and Benedict Cumberbatch, and to director John Boorman.

International Documentary Association's 2014 IDA Awards – winners

The International Documentary Association held their awards ceremony for the 30th Annual IDA Documentary Awards last night on the Paramount Pictures lot.

The profile of whistleblower Edward Snowden by Laura Poitras Citizenfour took the top prize in winning Best Feature. The film is a gripping, powerful firsthand account of Snowden's decision to reveal the extent of government spying to Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald. It won against competition from Finding Vivian Maier, Point and Shoot, The Salt of the Earth and Tales of the Grim Sleeper. Each of the nominees except for Point and Shoot were also shortlisted by the Academy for their Best Documentary Oscar.

Robert Redford was presented with a Career Achievement Award.

Nominations for the 30th Annual IDA Documentary Awards

10 Contenders Remain in the 2014 Oscar Race for Visual Effects

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 87th Oscars.

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 10, 2015. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

57th annual Grammy Awards – nominations [UPDATED]

The Recording Academy did a slow roll-out of announcing the nominations for the 57th annual Grammy Awards today. Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran announced some of the bigger categories this morning at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The remainder were unveiled on Twitter by various celebrities throughout the day.

Beyoncé picked up five more nominations to become the most-nominated female in Grammy history, surpassing Dolly Parton's previous record of 46. Surprisingly, however, she was not nominated for Record of the Year. British singer Sam Smith also picked up five nominations for his hit “Stay With Me.”

The following list of nominations is complete except for the category Album of the Year which will be revealed during tonight's broadcast of A Very Grammy Christmas.

2015 Sundance Film Festival Announces Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, New Frontier lineups

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected to screen in the 2015 Sundance Film Festival out-of-competition sections Spotlight and Park City at Midnight, as well as the films and installations to be featured in the New Frontier program. The Festival, which takes place January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, is the centerpiece of the year-round public programs for the Institute, which also hosts 24 residency labs and grants more than $2.5 million to independent artists each year.

Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, "This year's Park City at Midnight selections have much to offer genre enthusiasts. With everything from futuristic fantasies to paranormal nightmares, it's an all-out trip to the cinematic edge."

New Frontier champions films that expand, experiment with, and explode traditional storytelling. Recognizing the crossroads of film, art, and media technology as a hotbed for cinematic innovation, New Frontier is also a venue showcasing innovative media installations and panel discussions that explore the expansion of cinema culture in today's rapidly changing media landscape. The installations will be housed on the top two floors of the historic Claim Jumper, at 573 Main Street in Park City. Admission to all New Frontier installations is free.

First artists announced for the 36th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

Jesse Cook, Snarky Puppy, The Stanley Clarke Band, Steven Wilson, The Bad Plus with Joshua Redman, Bebel Gilberto, Eliane Elias, Dee Dee Bridgewater and a Tribute to Piaf by Richard Galliano and Sylvain Luc

We’re delighted to announce the very first artists of the 36th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, presented by TD in collaboration with Rio Tinto Alcan—just in time to add them to everyone’s Christmas wish lists!

Tickets for these concerts go on sale this Friday, December 5 at noon… although Spectra Newsletter subscribers (subscription is free at infolettrespectra.ca), can purchase them Thursday, December 4, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2015 Competition, Documentary, Next programs

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions and the out-of-competition NEXT <=> section of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The Festival is the centerpiece of the year-round public programs for the Institute, which also hosts 24 residency labs and grants more than $2.5 million to independent artists each year.

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said, "The work of independent artists inevitably reflects the state of our culture and the times in which we live. Their stories are often irreverent, challenging, compelling and unexpected, and not only possess the power to move and hopefully inspire audiences, but also to speak to our shared humanity."

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, "Independent artists are embracing diverse forms of storytelling – from feature film to New Frontier to episodic content. In response to their risk-taking spirit, we continue to evolve our Festival and other programs to seek out the best ways to support original and inventive storytellers."

Shortlist of 15 documentary features announced for 2014 Oscars

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 87th Oscars®. One hundred thirty-four films were originally submitted in the category.

The Academy’s Documentary Branch determined the shortlist in a preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles.

The 87th Academy Awards® nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards – winners

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) tonight announced the winners of the 24thAnnual Gotham Independent Film Awards at its awards ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street, in New York City.

Winning the Best Feature award was Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Alejandro González Iñárritu’s stylistically adventurous existential comedy in which a Hollywood actor attempts to revive his career and obliterate his superhero image past by producing and starring in a serious Broadway drama. Iñárritu previously received a Gotham Tribute in 2006.

The award for Best Documentary went to CITIZENFOUR, Laura Poitras’ inside, of-the-moment telling of the Edward Snowden revelations on the massive covert surveillance programs run by the NSA and other intelligence agencies – the third film in her trilogy on post-9/11 America.

Poitras previously won this award in 2010 for The Oath, the second film in the trilogy.

Canada’s Top Ten Films announced

Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival presents screenings, filmmaker Q&As, free events, and onstage discussions with celebrated Canadians Keanu Reeves, Naomi Klein, Avi Lewis and Sandra Oh

TIFF toasted the nation’s cinematic trailblazers tonight, announcing the top 10 feature, short film and student film selections for the 14th annual Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival. Established by TIFF in 2001, the Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival celebrates and promotes contemporary Canadian cinema and raises awareness of Canadian achievements in film. The 10-day festival runs January 2 to 11, 2015 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto and presents public screenings of the selected films accompanied by introductions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers, as well as special events and free engagements. On January 10, the festival welcomes Canadian author and activist Naomi Klein and filmmaker Avi Lewis for an onstage conversation and a sneak peek at This Changes Everything, the upcoming documentary inspired by Klein’s new book. The one and only Keanu Reeves will close the festival, taking the stage on January 11 for an intimate discussion about his iconic career. The festival’s tour across Canada includes stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Montreal; Vancouver’s The Cinematheque will host a special onstage conversation with star of the big and small screen Sandra Oh.

42nd Annual Annie Awards – nominations announced

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced nominations today for its 42nd Annual Annie Awards™ recognizing the year's best in the field of animation. For a complete list of nominations, please visit www.annieawards.org.

The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at UCLA's Royce Hall. A pre-reception and press line begins at 5:00 pm with the awards ceremony following at 7:00 pm. A post-show celebration immediately follows the ceremony. All events will be held at Royce Hall.

Best Animated Features nominations include: Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Cheatin' (Plymptoons Studio), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (DreamWorks Animation SKG), Song of the Sea (GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon), The Book of Life (Reel FX), The Boxtrolls (Focus Features/Laika), The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures), and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (GKIDS/Studio Ghibli).

Producers Guild of America announces documentary and television nominees for 2015 PGA Awards

The Producers Guild of America on Monday announced the nominees for best documentary, TV series/specials and digital series.

Also set to be honoured at the ceremony are Jon Feltheimer with the Milestone Award, Mark Gordon with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television and Gale Anne Hurd with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award.

One of the awards season’s marquee events, the Producers Guild Awards celebrates the finest producing work of the year, and gives the Guild an opportunity to honour some of the living legends who have shaped our profession. Considered a strong prognosticator for the Best Picture Oscar®, the announcement of the Guild’s Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures is one of the most eagerly-anticipated of the season.

19th Annual Satellite Awards – nominations

The International Press Academy (IPA) announced its nominations for the 19th Annual Satellite™ Awards in the Motion Pictures and Television categories. Each year, the IPA celebrates nominees from domestic and international submissions for 38 categories: 19 in Motion Pictures, 13 in Television, 2 in Blu-ray DVDs and 4 in Video Games.

Special achievement awards and nominations for the Blu-ray and Video Game categories will be announced on January 5, 2015.

The special achievement awards include The Mary Pickford Award for outstanding artistic contribution, The Nikola Tesla Award for visionary achievements in filmmaking technology and The Auteur Award for creative vision and unique artistry made on audiences and fellow artists alike.