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Tuesday, November 21, 2017

F3PR: 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced

Film Flam Flummox

PRESS RELEASE


33rd FILM INDEPENDENT
SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

AVA DUVERNAY NAMED
SPIRIT AWARDS HONORARY CHAIR

Spirit Awards Co-Hosted by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney
Broadcast Live Exclusively on IFC,
Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET

LOS ANGELES (November 21, 2017) – This morning, Film Independent announced the nominations for the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards and revealed that director Ava DuVernay (Selma, 13th, A Wrinkle in Time) will be this year’s Honorary Chair. Past Honorary Chairs include David Oyelowo, Jessica Chastain, Kerry Washington, Ang Lee and Martin Scorsese. The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry. Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at the Jeremy Hotel in West Hollywood, with actors Lily Collins and Tessa Thompson presenting the nominations. Nominees for Best Feature included Call Me by Your Name, The Florida Project, Get Out, Lady Bird, and The Rider.

“This year's nominations reflect the range and vitality of artist-driven, independent film,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “Diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision are the hallmarks of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and the films this year powerfully embody all those qualities."

"We are so happy to have Ava DuVernay as our Spirit Awards Honorary Chair," added Welsh, "Ava is a remarkable filmmaker – a writer, director and producer we have celebrated at the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival. More than that, she is a leader and a powerful voice for change, in the industry and beyond."

Mudbound was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts.

Winners, who are selected by Film Independent Members, will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3, 2018. The awards ceremony co-hosted by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney will be held on the beach in Santa Monica, just north of the Santa Monica Pier. The show will broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET.

Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants and Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 6, 2018, at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 400 submissions this year and applied the following guidelines in determining the nominations: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation) and percentage of financing from independent sources. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees are comprised of writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals.

2018 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE
(Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

  • Call Me by Your Name
    Producers: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman
  • The Florida Project
    Producers: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou
  • Get Out
    Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele
  • Lady Bird
    Producers: Eli Bush, Evelyn O’Neill, Scott Rudin
  • The Rider
    Producers: Mollye Asher, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Chloé Zhao
BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)

  • Columbus
    Director: Kogonada
    Producers: Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Aaron Boyd, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz
  • Ingrid Goes West
    Director: Matt Spicer
    Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, Aubrey Plaza Tim White, Trevor White
  • Menashe
    Director/Producer: Joshua Z. Weinstein
    Producers: Yoni Brook, Traci Carlson, Daniel Finkelman, Alex Lipschultz
  • Oh Lucy!
    Director/Producer: Atsuko Hirayanagi
    Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Yukie Kito, Han West
  • Patti Cake$
    Director: Geremy Jasper
    Producers: Chris Columbus, Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Noah Stahl, Rodrigo Teixeira
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.

  • Dayveon
    Writer/Director/Producer: Amman Abbasi
    Writer: Steven Reneau
    Producers: Lachion Buckingham, Alexander Uhlmann
  • A Ghost Story
    Writer/Director: David Lowery
    Producers: Adam Donaghey, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston
  • Life and nothing more
    Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza
    Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos
  • Most Beautiful Island
    Writer/Director/Producer: Ana Asensio
    Producers: Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg, Chadd Harbold, Jenn Wexler
  • The Transfiguration
    Writer/Director: Michael O’Shea
    Producer: Susan Leber
BEST DIRECTOR

  • Sean Baker, The Florida Project
  • Jonas Carpignano, A Ciambra
  • Luca Guadagnino, Call Me by Your Name
  • Jordan Peele, Get Out
  • Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, Good Time
  • Chloé Zhao, The Rider
BEST SCREENPLAY

  • Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
  • Azazel Jacobs, The Lovers
  • Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • Jordan Peele, Get Out
  • Mike White, Beatriz at Dinner
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • Kris Avedisian; story by: Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman, Donald Cried
  • Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick
  • Ingrid Jungermann, Women Who Kill
  • Kogonada, Columbus
  • David Branson Smith & Matt Spicer, Ingrid Goes West
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • Thimios Bakatakis, The Killing of a Sacred Deer
  • Elisha Christian, Columbus
  • Hélène Louvart, Beach Rats
  • Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Call Me by Your Name
  • Joshua James Richards, The Rider
BEST EDITING

  • Ronald Bronstein & Benny Safdie, Good Time
  • Walter Fasano, Call Me by Your Name
  • Alex O'Flinn, The Rider
  • Gregory Plotkin, Get Out
  • Tatiana S. Riegel, I, Tonya
BEST FEMALE LEAD

  • Salma Hayek Pinault, Beatriz at Dinner
  • Frances McDormand, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
  • Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
  • Shinobu Terajima, Oh Lucy!
  • Regina Williams, Life and nothing more
BEST MALE LEAD

  • Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
  • Harris Dickinson, Beach Rats
  • James Franco, The Disaster Artist
  • Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
  • Robert Pattison, Good Time
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

  • Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
  • Allison Janney, I, Tonya
  • Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
  • Lois Smith, Marjorie Prime
  • Taliah Lennice Webster, Good Time
BEST SUPPORTING MALE

  • Nnamdi Asomugha, Crown Heights
  • Armie Hammer, Call Me by Your Name
  • Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer
  • Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • Benny Safdie, Good Time
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

  • Mudbound
    Director: Dee Rees
    Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram
    Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan
BEST DOCUMENTARY

Award given to the director and producer.

  • The Departure
    Director/Producer: Lana Wilson
  • Faces Places
    Directors: Agnès Varda & JR
    Producer: Rosalie Varda
  • Last Men in Aleppo
    Director: Feras Fayyad
    Producers: Kareem Abeed, Søeren Steen Jespersen, Stefan Kloos
  • Motherland
    Director/Producer: Ramona S. Diaz
    Producer: Rey Cuerdo
  • Quest
    Director: Jonathan Olshefski
    Producer: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Award given to the director.

  • BPM (Beats per Minute) (France)
    Director: Robin Campillo
  • A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
    Director: Sebastián Lelio
  • I Am Not a Witch (Zambia)
    Director: Rungano Nyoni
  • Lady Macbeth (United Kingdom)
    Director: William Oldroyd
  • Loveless (Russia)
    Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
BONNIE AWARD

Recognizing a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.

  • So Yong Kim
  • Lynn Shelton
  • Chloé Zhao
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD

Honoring emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

  • Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim
  • Ben LeClair
  • Summer Shelton
KIEHL'S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

Recognizing a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl's Since 1851.

  • Amman Abbasi, director of Dayveon
  • Justin Chon, director of Gook
  • Kevin Phillips, director of Super Dark Times
JEEP TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

Presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by the Jeep brand.

  • Shevaun Mizrahi, director of Distant Constellation
  • Jonathan Olshefski, director of Quest
  • Jeff Unay, director of The Cage Fighter

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Monday, November 20, 2017

F3PR: YouTube orders series from SpringHill Entertainment, Best Shot

Film Flam Flummox

PRESS RELEASE

YOUTUBE ORDERS SERIES
FROM SPRINGHILL ENTERTAINMENT
BEST SHOT

Documentary Series with Boardwalk Pictures
in Association with Blue Ribbon Content
Will Feature ESPN Analyst and
Former NBA Star Jay Williams

Emmy®-Nominated Filmmaker
Michael John Warren Set to Direct

LOS ANGELES -- November 20, 2017 -- Join former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Jay Williams, along with NBA champion LeBron James, on a riveting journey to inspire students on the cusp of achieving life-changing dreams through basketball in Best Shot. The eight-episode series from SpringHill Entertainment, Boardwalk Pictures (Chef's Table, Last Chance U) and Warner Bros. Television Group's digital studio Blue Ribbon Content is coming to YouTube Red in 2018. ESPN analyst and former NBA star Jay Williams will be featured in the powerful new series as he pushes the team to reach heights beyond their wildest dreams. BEST SHOT will be directed by Emmy®-nominated film director Michael John Warren (Fearless, Jay-Z: Fade to Black, Nicki Minaj: My Time Now, and Drake: Better Than Good Enough).

Best Shot will be executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter from SpringHill Entertainment as well as Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard and Jordan Wynn from Boardwalk Pictures. Warren will direct the series and serve as an executive producer. Best Shot is a SpringHill Entertainment and Boardwalk Pictures production in association with Blue Ribbon Content.

"We are thrilled to partner with LeBron James and Maverick Carter to create this inspiring docu-series about a group of high school basketball players who learn about the game of life through basketball. With Jay Williams as their mentor, Best Shot will take an unfiltered look at the complex decisions these teens face every day," said Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content, YouTube. "We are excited to partner with Boardwalk Pictures and Blue Ribbon Content, as well as director Michael John Warren, whose powerful storytelling will guide us through this journey as we root for the students to win - on and off the court."

"We're passionate about this story because it's about real high school students encountering real life challenges. All they need is that little push in the right direction, and with a relatable mentor like Jay Williams guiding them, they've got a very real opportunity to change their lives forever," said Maverick Carter, CEO of SpringHill Entertainment. "This series is inspiring, it's moving, and it's real. It's everything SpringHill Entertainment is all about."

"Who is on your board? I ask this question to our youth on a daily basis. In business, your board plays an imperative role and inevitably determines the success or failure of your company. The board's job is to constantly gather and brainstorm ways for the company to achieve their goals. Why do we look at youth any differently? You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with," said ESPN Analyst and former NBA Star Jay Williams. "The commitment and values I've learned throughout my journey will hopefully make me a valuable board member for the most important game of all. The game of life."

"I'm thrilled to be telling this dynamic and emotional story. It's a multi-layered series that is as much about the universal human condition as it is basketball. I love that complexity and depth. Also, it's an exciting time to be collaborating with the innovative folks at YouTube Red. I can't wait until the world sees what we've got here," said director Michael John Warren.

"Sports is the perfect backdrop to tell genuine, compelling and uplifting stories," said Peter Girardi, Executive Vice President, Blue Ribbon Content & Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, Warner Bros. Animation. "We are excited to partner with SpringHill Entertainment, Jay Williams, YouTube Red and Boardwalk Pictures to bring the audience along for the journey of these remarkable athletes and their pursuit of excellence, both on and off the court."

YouTube Red is a subscription that gives you access to YouTube Red Original movies and series, a premium music service and an uninterrupted experience across YouTube. YouTube Red is currently available in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Korea.

ABOUT SPRINGHILL ENTERTAINMENT
SpringHill Entertainment is the entertainment and content company created by LeBron James and his business partner Maverick Carter. Named after the public housing complex where James grew up in Akron, Ohio, SpringHill Entertainment develops creative content across a variety of platforms including digital, documentary and feature films, and scripted and unscripted TV. SpringHill's growing portfolio of compelling and aspirational content includes NBC's hit primetime game show, The Wall, an upcoming HBO documentary on the great Muhammad Ali along with HBO Entertainment and acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua, a scripted drama series on Madame C.J. Walker with Octavia Spencer, and a multi-part NBA documentary film for Showtime. Other upcoming projects include drama series Top Boy with Drake and Adel "Future" Nur for Netflix and the powerful docu-series Warriors of Liberty City for Starz.

ABOUT YOUTUBE
Launched in May 2005, YouTube's mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share and build community through our stories. YouTube is a Google company.

ABOUT BOARDWALK PICTURES
Boardwalk Pictures is an award-winning production company with a primary focus on creating premium, non-fiction, factual content. With an emphasis on storyteller-driven programming, Boardwalk's current projects include Chef's Table and Last Chance U.

ABOUT BLUE RIBBON CONTENT
Formed in 2014, Warner Bros. Television Group's Blue Ribbon Content (BRC) develops and produces live-action series for digital platforms, tapping the creative talent already working at the Studio while also identifying opportunities for collaboration with new writers and producers. In addition to live-action programming, BRC produces animated content and is also experimenting with emerging platforms such as virtual reality. Live-action BRC programs include the UNINTERRUPTED comedy Now We're Talking for go90; comedies Beerfest and JoJoHead for CW Seed; and unscripted game show Play with Caution for Disney D|XP. Current and previous animated BRC programs include Constantine, Freedom Fighters: The Ray and Vixen for CW Seed; ellen's Pet Dish for ellentube; Ginger Snaps for ABC Digital; and Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles for Machinima. BRC also produced the Batman: The Animated Series virtual reality experience with OTOY Inc. for the Mattel View-Master.


The Movie Report wants to attend all your special events! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

Friday, November 17, 2017

The Movie Report #945 - November 17, 2017

The Movie Report

#945 - November 17, 2017


MOVIES:
  • Justice League ** 1/2
  • The Star ** 1/2
  • Wonder *** 1/2
The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your film press junkets! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

AFI FEST presented by Audi 2017 reviews

The Movie Report


  • A Ciambra ***
  • A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica) ***
  • Call Me by Your Name ***
  • The Disaster Artist ***
  • Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool ** 1/2
  • Foxtrot ***
  • Gemini **
  • Happy End ***
  • Have a Nice Day ** 1/2
  • High Fantasy ** 1/2
  • Hostiles *** 1/2
  • I, Tonya *** 1/2
  • In the Fade (Aus dem Nichts) ** 1/2
  • The Insult *** 1/2
  • The Leisure Seeker ** 1/2
  • Let the Corpses Tan (Laissez Bronzer les Cadavres) ** 1/2
  • Loveless *** 1/2
  • Molly's Game ***
  • Mudbound ***
  • Newton ***
  • Thoroughbreds ***

The Movie Report wants to attend all your film festivals! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

Thursday, November 16, 2017

AFI FEST presented by Audi 2017 Award Winners

Film Flam Flummox


The award winners for AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi were announced this morning.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

  • World Cinema Audience Award
    The Insult, directed by Ziad Doueiri
  • New Auteurs Audience Award
    What Will People Say, directed by Iram Haq
  • American Independents Audience Award
    Bodied, directed by Joseph Kahn
SHORT FILM GRAND JURY AWARDS
  • Grand Jury Award for Live Action Short
    Gaze, directed by Farnoosh Samadi
  • Grand Jury Award for Animated Short
    The Burden, directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr
  • Special Jury Mention
    Silica, directed by Pia Borg


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