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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

F3PR: 2014 ABFF Hollywood Awards Nominees Announced

PRESS RELEASE

2014 ABFF HOLLYWOOD AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Festival introduces an online awards for
moviegoers to name the best in Black cinema

NEW YORK, NY, January 8, 2014 – Film Life, Inc., the organization that produces the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced the nominations for The ABFF Hollywood Awards -- an online platform created to recognize the work of persons of African descent in the motion picture industry and outstanding films portraying the Black experience. The awards will give fans a voice in naming the best movies and performances of the past year, exciting interest in Black cinema during Hollywood’s award season and Black History Month.

“Hollywood is an industry centered on gaining widespread interest and support of mass audiences yet the large majority of awards platforms are determined by small and relatively non diverse groups of industry insiders. This award will allow people from all walks of life a chance to participate in the process of celebrating good work”, said Jeff Friday, ABFF Founder/CEO of Film Life, Inc. The Awards and Festival are a part of the ABFF brand’s global initiative to promote the universal appeal of Black cinema by showcasing Black artists, stories and culture to a broader audience.

ABFF Hollywood Awards will be determined by popular vote of the general public; inclusive of the 90,000 plus American Black Film Festival alumni around the world. Voting will take place January 15 through January 22, at www.abffhollywoodawards.com. The winners will be revealed online February 19, during a five-minute “web show,” hosted by Chris Spencer (Executive Producer/Creator of BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood), that will feature him tracking down winners to present the Award trophy and capture their acceptance speech.

The nominees below were selected by a jury of film critics and entertainment editors from African American media outlets around the country. For consideration, films must have had U.S. theatrical release dates between January 1 and December 31, 2013, with a minimum two-week run in New York and Los Angeles, as well as have been directed by, written by, produced by or featuring in a leading role, a person(s) of African descent. Individuals (actors, directors, producers, and writers) must be of African descent.

MOVIE OF THE YEAR

The Best Man Holiday (Universal Pictures) – produced by Sean Daniel and Malcolm D. Lee
Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company) – produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker
Lee Daniels' The Butler (The Weinstein Company) – produced by Pam Williams, Laura Ziskin, Lee Daniels, Buddy Patrick and Cassian Elwes
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (The Weinstein Company) – produced by David M. Thompson and Anant Singh
12 Years A Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures) – produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan and Anthony Katagas

BEST ACTOR

Morris Chestnut, The Best Man Holiday
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels' The Butler

BEST ACTRESS

Halle Berry, The Call
Danai Gurira, Mother of George
LisaGay Hamilton, Go for Sisters
Nia Long, The Best Man Holiday
Kerry Washington, Peeples

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lee Daniels' The Butler
Terrence Howard, The Best Man Holiday
Samuel L. Jackson, Oldboy
David Oyelowo, Lee Daniels' The Butler

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nicole Beharie, 42
Naomie Harris, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Sanaa Lathan, The Best Man Holiday
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years A Slave
Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station
Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler

BEST DIRECTOR

Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
Lee Daniels, Lee Daniels' The Butler
Antoine Fuqua, The Best Man Holiday
Spike Lee, Oldboy
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave

BEST SCREENPLAY

The Best Man Holiday (written by: Malcolm D. Lee)
Black Nativity (written by: Kasi Lemmons)
Fruitvale Station (written by: Ryan Coogler)
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister + Pete (written by: Michael Starrbury)
12 Years A Slave (written by: John Ridley)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Chadwick Boseman, 42
Skylan Brooks, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister + Pete
Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years A Slave

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
for an artist (male or female) in recognition of their collective body of work for the year.

Idris Elba (appeared in: Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Kevin Hart (appeared in: Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, This Is The End, Grudge Match; produced: Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain)
Dwayne Johnson (starred in: Snitch, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain, Fast & Furious 6)
Tyler Perry (appeared in: Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas, wrote, directed and produced: Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor and Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas; produced: Peeples)
Forest Whitaker (appeared in: Lee Daniels' The Butler, Black Nativity, Out of the Furnace; produced: Fruitvale Station)

STUDIO OF THE YEAR
for a motion picture studio in recognition of the distribution of quality films directed by, written by, produced by or featuring in a leading role, a person(s) of African descent.

Lionsgate/Codeblack/Summit Entertainment (Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas, Peeples, Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister + Pete)
Twentieth Century/Fox Searchlight Pictures (12 Years A Slave, Baggage Claim, Black Nativity)
Universal Pictures (Fast & Furious 6, The Best Man Holiday , Riddick)
The Weinstein Company (Lee Daniels' The Butler, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Fruitvale Station, Scary Movie 5)

ABOUT THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality films by and about people of African descent. Committed to the belief that Black content creators and artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the film and television industry. Today it serves as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The 18 annual ABFF will take place in New York City, June 19-22, 2014. Festival passes and tickets are on sale now. For more information visit www.abff.com.

ABOUT FILM LIFE

Film Life, Inc. is a multifaceted entertainment company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 2001 by Jeff Friday its current CEO. While best known for creating the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), the company’s operations center on developing and licensing innovative content across all forms of media and providing strategic advisory services to a wide range of corporations in the entertainment and consumer product industries. Its scope of consulting services includes event management, film marketing and distribution, educational program development, talent procurement, and video production.

F3PR: Anil Kapoor & Priyanka Chopra to kick start IIFA Tampa 2014 Celebrations

PRESS RELEASE

INDIAN CINEMA STARS
ANIL KAPOOR AND PRIYANKA CHOPRA
ALONG WITH THE IIFA MANAGEMENT TO
KICK START IIFA TAMPA 2014 CELEBRATIONS

IIFA Management & Stars to tour
Los Angeles, Tampa Bay & New York
on 13, 14 & 15 January

Mumbai 8th January: Superstars of Indian Cinema – Anil Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra will join the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) on a 3 city tour of America as they announce celebrations ahead of the 15th year of the film industry’s most awaited awards ceremony and weekend extravaganza. Fans of Indian Cinema, particularly those residing in Los Angeles, Tampa Bay and New York will have the opportunity to catch two of the most prolific stars of Indian Cinema on American soil.

Priyanka Chopra said “Year after year, IIFA brings the best of Indian cinema to a new geography in different parts of the world, providing a taste of the best that we have to offer. We are very excited to bring IIFA to Tampa Bay. With the support of representatives of Visit Tampa, we have been able to conceptualize and actualize an incredible event. There will be music, dance and a whole lot of spice! We’re looking forward to giving our fans and new audiences the experience of a lifetime.

Earlier this year, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) announced that fans of Indian Cinema could expect the 15th Annual IIFA celebrations to make its American premiere in Tampa Bay, Florida. The institution has now announced the much awaited official dates for the mega-weekend that is all set to take place from the 24th – 26th of April.

Speaking about the tour, Anil Kapoor said “With the promise of bringing the best and biggest events to the fans of Indian Cinematic Diaspora in a manner that’s unique and entertaining, the IIFA Weekend and Awards is an iconic platform with fans globally. As a friend of IIFA, I am delighted as IIFA makes its debut in the USA through Tampa Bay. It has been my pleasure to be associated with IIFA for over a decade and once again on behalf of IIFA and the Indian film fraternity we commit to give our audience an opportunity to witness one of the finest celebrations of culture and cinema.”

Having played a large hand to bring the IIFA ceremony to Tampa Bay; cardiologist, philanthropist, community leader and strong supporter of IIFA, Dr. Kiran Patel said, “I am glad to lend my support in whatever way possible to IIFA and the Indian film fraternity at large. The excitement is building up and we look forward to some extremely entertaining and memorable events. With the goodwill of our community we look forward to the grandest Indian cinema spectacle that the US has ever seen.”

Santiago Corrada, President and Chief Executive Officer of Visit Tampa Bay said, “We are extremely excited to join Wizcraft/IIFA in announcing the official dates, venues and the launch of ticket sales. Our teams have worked together diligently over the past six months to ensure a successful production in Tampa Bay. This tour is just the beginning of a very exciting journey. Our entire region is enthusiastically preparing to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to our destination, and we look forward to serving as great hosts to the biggest and best International Indian Film Academy awards in history.”

Having travelled to some phenomenal destinations across the globe over the last 14 years, IIFA has graced the shores of the UK, Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Canada. Fans and enthusiasts of Indian Cinema from around the world can expect to see their favorite stars descend into Tampa Bay during the weekend and witness Indian Cinema’s most glorious event unfold in the city. With world-class infrastructure and facilities and having hosted a myriad of international concerts, events and the Super Bowl four times, Tampa Bay is the ideal choice for the 15th IIFA Weekend & Awards.

Mr. Andre Timmins, Director, Wizcraft International said, “We are looking forward to organizing the IIFA Weekend & Awards in the USA and exploring the wonderful new opportunities in this new territory for IIFA. With a focus to showcase the best of Indian cinema to the world, we are preparing for another spectacular edition this year including many exciting and entertaining events leading up to and including the IIFA Weekend. Anil Kapoor & Priyanka Chopra have been associated with IIFA for many years and it is a great pleasure to have them tour America with us as we officially announce details for IIFA 2014 in Tampa Bay.”

IIFA is a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits and gain not only to India the host country as well. The aim is to establish a system of mutual benefit to both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy. Also, the IIFA Awards is India’s biggest media event. With a viewership of almost 800 million, it is among the world’s most-watched annual entertainment events. From a one night celebration in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London, the last thirteen years have seen the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) movement grow into a cine-packed weekend of film-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases, global business forums and sporting events, all of which climax into the highlight of the Weekend, the IIFA Awards. www.iifa.com

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Neil Drumming's Big Words now streaming on Netflix

One last summer's more undersung indie gems, writer/director Neil Drumming's Big Words, is now available for streaming on Netflix from AFFRM/Array Releasing. Check out the trailer below and my review from the film's theatrical release this past July.

F3PR: Angela Bassett announced as honorary chair of 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards

PRESS RELEASE

ACTRESS ANGELA BASSETT
ANNOUNCED AS HONORARY CHAIR OF
THE 2014 FILM INDEPENDENT
SPIRIT AWARDS
EMILY MORTIMER, ALESSANDRO NIVOLA
AND ANGELA BASSETT TO CO-HOST
THE NOMINEE BRUNCH AND
ANNOUNCE GRANT WINNERS

Ceremony to premiere on IFC,
Saturday, March 1 at 10:00 pm ET/PT

LOS ANGELES (January 7, 2014) – Film Independent President Josh Welsh announced today that actress Angela Bassett will serve as the honorary chairperson for the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The nonprofit, that also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA Film Series bestows the honorary chairperson honor to an individual who exemplifies outstanding artistic achievement and embodies Film Independent’s mission to nurture and support independent filmmaking. Past Chairs include Jeremy Renner, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Benecio Del Toro, Robert Duvall, Jodie Foster, Danny Glover, Harvey Keitel, Nicole Kidman, Ang Lee, Julianne Moore, Martin Scorsese and John Travolta.

In addition, Welsh announced that Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola will co-host the Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch, along with Angela Bassett on January 11 at BOA restaurant in West Hollywood where they will announce Film Independent’s grant winners for 2014.

The event precedes the 29th Film Independent Spirit Awards which will take place as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, March 1 with the premiere broadcast airing later that evening at 10:00 pm ET/PT on IFC.

“It’s an honor to have Angela Bassett join us as the honorary chairperson of the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, and an equally great honor to have Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola join us at the Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch as co-hosts,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “These actors have demonstrated their commitment to supporting the independent film community and encouraging the next generation of filmmakers and it’s a pleasure to have them join us in celebrating this year’s honorees.”

Academy Award winner Angela Bassett is well known for creating memorable and inspiring characters on screen. She is currently seen as Marie Laveau in FX hit show American Horror Story: Coven. She was in the hit film Olympus Has Fallen, in which she will soon reprise her role in the upcoming sequel, London Has Fallen. She will also be seen in the upcoming Sundance film White Bird in a Blizzard for director Gregg Araki. She is currently nominated for a SAG award for her role as Coretta Scott King in the Lifetime film Betty and Coretta. She will soon start work on the suspense thriller Survivor with Milla Jovovich and Emma Thompson. Other memorable films of Angela’s include: What’s Love Go to Do With It, Malcolm X, Jumping the Broom and Waiting to Exhale.

Emily Mortimer is a past Film Independent Spirit Award winner for her performance in Lovely and Amazing. Her work spans revered films such as Lars and the Real Girl, Hugo, Shutter Island and Match Point. Mortimer currently stars in HBO’s The Newsroom.

Alessandro Nivola has starred in many films including Lisa Cholodenko’s Laurel Canyon, which earned him a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination, Coco Before Chanel, Junebug and Mansfield Park to list but a few. This year he has received Screen Actors Guild Award and Critics Choice Award nominations as part of the best ensemble cast for his role in American Hustle.

Nivola and Mortimer recently completed the first project for their new company King Bee Productions, a six part television series titled Doll & Em, co-starring and written by Mortimer and produced by Nivola which is set to air Spring 2014 on HBO.

The production team for this year’s Spirit Awards includes executive producer Diana Zahn-Story, Director and Producer Chris Donovan; and Producers Shawn Davis and John Hamilton.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors Piaget, the Lincoln Motor Company and IFC and by Principal Sponsor Stella Artois. Dark Horse is the Official Wine of the 2014 Spirit Awards. WireImage is the Official Photographer and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

For more information on submission guidelines, voting, media and publicist credentials, and the history of the Spirit Awards, please visit spiritawards.com.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Now in its 29th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, Best Editing and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Awards include the Piaget Producers Award, the Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award and the Someone to Watch Award.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champion’s independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers, as well as the Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary of showcasing the best of American and international cinema. Film Independent also produces the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project:Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

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

Monday, January 6, 2014

Trupti Bhoir brings Touring Talkies to Hollywood

With the deadline for final nomination balloting for the 86^th Academy Awards fast approaching, those behind the films in the hunt for a nod have ratcheted up their campaign efforts for one final home stretch surge. While the likelier, higher profile candidates simply step up their game through traditional channels, whether TV interviews, screening Q&A's, red carpet appearances, or the like, leave it to the scrappy underdog hopefuls to be truly creative when it comes to winning over voters--and there arguably has been no event this awards season quite as splashy and distinctive as the two-day experience thrown by the makers of the Marathi language film Touring Talkies this past weekend, January 4 and 5, at The Lot studios in Hollywood.

Produced by and starring Trupti Bhoir, Touring Talkies is a valentine to a long, rich tradition even more unique to the Indian film culture than its famously celebrated use of music: that of traveling truck-and-tent cinemas that would travel the rural areas of the country to bring the masses the magic of movies. But if the specific subject may sound foreign to Western audiences, the tent cinema owners' ongoing struggle to find new ways to attract audiences as the market steadily declines mirrors the plight of motion picture exhibitors in America, as numerous movie houses continue to shutter at a steady rate nationwide. That relevance, paired with an affecting and understated character study of one such tent cinema operator (played with forceful charisma and soul by Bhoir) as she does all she can to keep her business afloat while giving an upstart art film director (Subodh Bhave) his first big break at distribution, makes for the best type of world cinema: a film that at once enriches our knowledge and understanding of cultures and lifestyles in another part of the globe while reinforcing how common and universal the underlying emotional experiences are.

But for this specific event, Bhoir wisely played up that uniquely exotic angle of her subject matter, offering viewers an approximation of the actual touring talkie experience. The screening of the film took place in an actual truck-and-tent set-up in a soundstage at The Lot --and while the film is definitely strong enough to stand on its own, viewing the film in a simulation of its milieu made for that much more of an immersive viewing experience. Following the screening, the experience continued with a Marathi dance number by a young performance troupe.

Whether or not Bhoir's creativity and showmanship results in any nominations remains to be seen, but she certainly is already a winner with anyone who attended any of the four showings this past weekend, for her enthusiasm for and well-paced pride in both her film and cinematic heritage were infectious.