F3PR: #OscarsWithMoviePass Contest

PRESS RELEASE

#OscarsWithMoviePass CONTEST

New York (Jan. 29, 2016) – The team at MoviePass is made up of movie diehards. We love that we make it easier for people like us to see more movies in theaters, and for the Academy Awards, the biggest movie event of the year, we’re going to be holding the ultimate Oscar pool to reward the biggest cinephiles out there. We’re calling it #OscarsWithMoviePass.

All you need to do to enter is fill out our official ballot (find it by clicking here) with your best predictions of who the final Oscar winners of 2016 will be. The person with the ballot closest to the winner list will win a full year of MoviePass and all the movies in theaters they could ask for from 2016 and beyond. Runner-up will receive six months.

MoviePass is the only nationwide movie theater subscription service, allowing members to see a new, standard 2D movie every day in 95% of theaters nationwide for one monthly fee. There are no blackout dates like with some discounted ticket programs, so as soon as a movie hits the theaters, you can see it with MoviePass.

The ballot will be open for entries until 3pm EST on February 28^th, then we will announce the winners on or before March 4^th. The full rules are listed here.

The Movie Report #858, February 19, 2016

#858, February 19, 2016

MOVIES:

• Fitoor (Obsession)
  
• Race
  
• Risen
  
• The Witch
  

F3PR: Will Smith and Norman Lear to be honored at All Def Digital's All Def Movie Awards

PRESS RELEASE

WILL SMITH AND NORMAN LEAR
TO BE HONORED AT ALL DEF DIGITAL'S
ALL DEF MOVIE AWARDS

CULVER CITY, Calif., Feb. 17, 2016 -- All Def Digital, the fastest growing video programming brand in hip hop and youth culture, will honor industry legends Will Smith and Norman Lear at the first-ever All Def Movie Awards just days before the Oscars, at the World Famous TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. The light-hearted and fun spirited event will celebrate diversity in motion picture entertainment during a live awards show on February 24 hosted by Tony Rock.

Smith will be recognized by the All Def Academy with the Lifetime Achievement Award and legendary writer, producer, director and social activist Norman Lear will receive the Vanguard Award for his enduring contributions to entertainment that helped foster an essential dialogue about race and race relations.

Said Russell Simmons, Founder and Chairman of All Def Digital: "Will Smith has broken all barriers in music, film, theater and television. As a Grammy Award-winner, television star and the most accomplished and bankable film artist in the world, Will uses his powerful voice for social change. The All Def Movie Awards are enormously proud to honor Will Smith and his incredible body of work with our first Lifetime Achievement Award."

Reflecting on the contributions of Norman Lear, Simmons added, "As a writer, director, producer and author, Norman has been a true champion for people of color. He shined a light on the marginalized in our society and made us laugh. He wrote aspirational and inspirational roles for minorities. He gave us dignity with Good Times. He gave the working class a voice in Sanford and Son. And most important to me, with The Jeffersons, he showed us that a black man could be rich and successful and do the unthinkable: he could curse at the white man while standing up for what he believes in."

Two-time Academy Award® nominee Will Smith has enjoyed unprecedented success in a career encompassing films, television and multi-platinum records. For his memorable portrayal of Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's Ali, he received his first Academy Award® nomination, which was followed by his second nomination for the true-life drama, The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith recently wrapped production on the David Ayer-directed Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. Pictures. Based on the DC comic book, Smith will play Deadshot opposite Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney and Cara Delevingne. The film is slated for release on August 5, 2016. He most recently starred in Concussion as Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu's emotional quest put him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world.

Norman Lear, producer, writer, director and author has enjoyed a long career in television and film, and as a political and social activist and philanthropist. Lear began his television writing career in 1950, and went on to produce the iconic series All in the Family, which in its nine seasons on CBS, garnered four Emmy Awards for Best Comedy series and a Peabody Award in 1977. The series was followed by a succession of other hits on television, including Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Lear founded People For the American Way, a non-profit organization designed to speak out for Bill of Rights guarantees and to monitor violations of constitutional freedoms. Additionally, he formed other nonprofit organizations, including the Business Enterprise Trust (1989-2000), which spotlighted exemplary social innovations in American business; the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication (2000-present), a multidisciplinary research and public policy center dedicated to exploring the convergence of entertainment, commerce and society; and with his wife, Lyn, and Alan and Cindy Horn, co-founded the Environmental Media Association (1989-present). Lear is the author of a best-selling memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, now available in paperback.

Members of the public can vote for two categories in the All Def Movie Awards (Best Picture and Most Quoted Movie) online at http://bit.ly/AllDefMA through midnight on February 23^rd. The following films are in contention for Best Picture:

• Beasts of No Nation
• Chi-Raq
• Concussion
• Creed
• Dope
• Straight Outta Compton

Other awards will honor Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director as well as Best Bad Muh F**ka and other often overlooked categories, such as Best Helpful White Person and Best Black Survivor in a Movie.

The show will also feature a consistent stream of video content before, during and after the show on all of ADD's social channels, including Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Periscope.

The All Def Movie Awards will be programmed as part of All Def Comedy Live, which has become the hottest live weekly comedy showcase in stand-up today. HBO is currently developing a series around the weekly event, which routinely draws celebrities and the best new, emerging and established artists working America's comedy stages.

Tony Rock serves as host and master of ceremonies for All Def Comedy Live as well as the newly revamped legendary talent competition Apollo Live. Rock has appeared in box office hits and television series such as Hitch, Think Like a Man, Everybody Hates Chris, and Real Househusbands of Hollywood, among other shows and films. He has also been seen as a headlining act on two nationwide comedy tours: "The Standing Ovation Comedy Tour" and his own "Rock The Mic Comedy Tour."

All Def Digital (ADD) is the leading multi-platform media company for millennials focusing on urban youth culture through premium video programming across comedy, music, lifestyle and topical and timely social commentary. The company nurtures new, emerging and established artists and produces and incubates a broad spectrum of original content through an efficient and transformative media model leveraged across social video platforms, traditional and premium television and motion-picture development, live events, and its own record label in partnership with Universal Music Group. ADD also includes a curated, invite-only network of talent—from social video stars to traditional writers and stand-up comics, from poets to hip hop recording artists. The company partners with global brands to create immersive and authentic social content experiences with unique talent voices. ADD is among the most subscribed-to and watched digital networks for urban comedy and music. The company is based in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York. Its investors include Nu Horizons, Greycroft Partners, e.ventures and Advancit Capital.

F3PR: Phil Groves to receive 2016 CinemaCon Passepartout Award

PRESS RELEASE

IMAX CORPORATIONS’S
PHIL GROVES TO RECEIVE 2016
CINEMACON PASSEPARTOUT AWARD

WASHINGTON D.C. (February 17, 2016) – CinemaCon Managing Director, Mitch Neuhasuer, today announced that Phil Groves, SVP IMAX Corporation and EVP Global Distribution IMAX Entertainment, will receive this year’s “Passepartout Award”. The CinemaCon “Passepartout Award” is presented annually to an industry executive who demonstrates dedication and commitment to the international marketplace. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), will be held April 11–14, 2016 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Groves will be presented with this honor at The International Day Luncheon taking place on Monday, April 11, 2016.

“One of the most respected and admired executives working in the industry today, Phil Groves continues to demonstrate an unequalled commitment, dedication and passion for the motion picture theatre experience,” noted Neuhauser. “For the past 12 years he has played an instrumental role in the success story known as IMAX culminating with new worldwide records set this past December with the release of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’ We are honored to be able to single Phil out for his great work throughout the world.”

“Phil has been my partner in crime for 13 years and besides being an incredibly talented film executive with amazing industry relationships, he’s the most decent and trustworthy person I know,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “He’s played an instrumental role in IMAX’s success and having him as my sounding board is invaluable.”

Groves joined IMAX Corporation in September 2003 with the primary responsibility of overseeing all aspects of the company’s global film distribution, the development of original film content and working with the studios’ distribution teams on event films using the IMAX DMR® process. During his tenure he has brought a slate of Hollywood blockbuster event films to IMAX screens around the world and has increased the reach of IMAX documentaries to more multiplex and institutional IMAX screens worldwide. Prior to IMAX, Groves was Vice President of Film for Loews Cineplex and has earned screenwriting credits or storyboarded a number of films including the comedy classic “Airplane!.”

Previous honorees of the CinemaCon Passepartout Award include Erlina Suharjono and Richard Fox, Warner Bros. Pictures, Jack Ledwith, Universal Pictures International, David Kornblum, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Craig Dehmel, 20th Century Fox International.

About CinemaCon

CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry -- from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas -- all on hand to celebrate the moviegoing experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry’s greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies. Additional information on CinemaCon, the Official Convention of NATO, can be found at www.cinemacon.com.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 30,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 57 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too.

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

The Movie Report #857, February 12, 2016

#857, February 12, 2016

MOVIES:

• Deadpool
  
• How to Be Single
  
• It's Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong
  
• Zoolander 2
  
• Where to Invade Next
  

F3PR: All Def Digital to hold first-ever All Def Movie Awards on February 24

PRESS RELEASE

ALL DEF DIGITAL TO HOLD FIRST-EVER
ALL DEF MOVIE AWARDS HOSTED BY TONY ROCK
AT TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRES ON FEBRUARY 24

CULVER CITY, Calif., Feb. 11, 2016 -- All Def Digital, the fastest growing video programming brand in hip hop and youth culture, is hosting the first-ever All Def Movie Awards just days before the Oscars, at the World Famous TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. The live event will be held on February 24 and hosted by Tony Rock.

Awards will be recognized by members of the All Def Academy, who today announced the following films will compete for Best Picture of 2015:

• Beasts of No Nation
• Chi-Raq
• Concussion
• Creed
• Dope
• Straight Outta Compton

Members of the public can vote for two categories in the All Def Movie Awards (Best Picture and Most Quoted Movie) online at http://bit.ly/AllDefMA through midnight on February 23^rd.

Other awards will honor Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director as well as Best Bad Muh F**ka and other often overlooked categories, such as Best Helpful White Person and Best Black Survivor in a Movie.

All Def Movie Awards , which will be held just yards from the Academy Awards stage, will feature a Black Carpet for celebrity presenters, arrivals and VIP guests. The show will also feature a special live musical performance, and a consistent stream of video content before, during and after the show on all of ADD's social channels, including Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Periscope.

"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," said Tony Rock. "With that in mind I have teamed up (I guess I didn't do it myself) with ADD to bring you the 'All inclusive', All Def Movie Awards. We'll honor the entire movie making process. Great acting, mediocre acting as well as horrible acting. Soundtracks. Wardrobes. Maybe even craft services (the best part of the set). This is the award show Hollywood has been waiting for."

Added Russell Simmons, founder and chairman of All Def Digital, "I don't expect a 90 year-old Academy member to see Straight Outta Compton or vote for it. I'm more concerned that in 2016 there continues to be a stunning lack of diversity in the studios, in the green light process, in the decisions of what films and television series get made, and what actors get chosen. This needs to be addressed institutionally. All Def Movie Awards are not the Black Oscars, but they could be. This will be a fun, entertaining and hopefully thought provoking celebration of the uncelebrated."

The All Def Movie Awards will be programmed as part of All Def Comedy Live, which has become the hottest live weekly comedy showcase in stand-up today. HBO is currently developing a series around the weekly event, which routinely draws celebrities and the best new, emerging and established artists working America's comedy stages.

Admission is by invitation only, but a select number of seats will be reserved for fans by lottery.

Tony Rock serves as host and master of ceremonies for All Def Comedy Live as well as the newly revamped legendary talent competition Apollo Live. Rock has appeared in box office hits and television series such as Hitch, Think Like a Man, Everybody Hates Chris, and Real Househusbands of Hollywood, among other shows and films. He has also been seen as a headlining act on two nationwide comedy tours: "The Standing Ovation Comedy Tour" and his own "Rock The Mic Comedy Tour."

All Def Digital (ADD) is the leading multi-platform media company for millennials focusing on urban youth culture through premium video programming across comedy, music, lifestyle and topical and timely social commentary. The company nurtures new, emerging and established artists and produces and incubates a broad spectrum of original content through an efficient and transformative media model leveraged across social video platforms, traditional and premium television and motion-picture development, live events, and its own record label in partnership with Universal Music Group. ADD also includes a curated, invite-only network of talent—from social video stars to traditional writers and stand-up comics, from poets to hip hop recording artists. The company partners with global brands to create immersive and authentic social content experiences with unique talent voices. ADD is among the most subscribed-to and watched digital networks for urban comedy and music. The company is based in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York. Its investors include Nu Horizons, Greycroft Partners, e.ventures and Advancit Capital.

F3PR: Moshe "Mooky" Greidinger to receive CinemaCon Global Achievement in Exhibition Award

PRESS RELEASE

MOSHE "MOOKY" GREIDINGER TO RECEIVE
CINEMACON® 2015
GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT IN EXHIBITION AWARD

WASHINGTON D.C. (February 9, 2016) – Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, announced today that Moshe (Mooky) Greidinger, CEO of Cineworld Group, will receive the Global Achievement Award in Exhibition. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), will be held April 11–14, 2016 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Greidinger is set to receive the achievement award during the convention’s International Day festivities, taking place on Monday, April 11, 2016.

“As an outstanding leader and visionary, Greidinger has shown that he is a believer in the film industry and is committed to bringing the best movie going experience to audiences throughout Europe,” noted Neuhauser. “Now, as CEO of Cineworld Group, Greidinger continues to strive to ensure that audiences will continue to experience the best possible way to see movies and he could not be more deserving of this year’s CinemaCon Global Achievement in Exhibition Award.”

Born in Haifa, Israel, Greidinger joined the family cinema business, which was founded by his grandfather in 1930, and quickly led the company into opening the first multiplex in Israel (1982). Its instant success led the circuit to become the market leader in Israel. In 1997 the company founded Cinema City International, which within a few years became one of the largest circuits in Europe operating in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Israel. In 2014 Cinema City International combined forces with Cineworld Group, the leading circuit in the UK, becoming the second largest circuit in Europe while his brother Israel Greidinger and himself are leading the newly united business… In the last two years Cineworld has continued to grow with over 2000 screens in more than 200 cinemas in nine territories. Cineworld Group has today in its Pipeline additional new 500 screens with more to come. All of the existing and upcoming screens are designed and built in line with the Company strategy to always be the best place to watch a movie.

About CinemaCon

CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry -- from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas -- all on hand to celebrate the moviegoing experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry’s greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 32,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 81 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too.

Additional information on CinemaCon can be found at www.cinemacon.com.

About Cineworld

Founded in 1995, Cineword is one of the leading cinema groups in Europe. The company currently has 217 multiplexes and a total of 2,004 fully digital screens, with a portfolio that includes four out of the ten highest grossing cinemas in the UK and Ireland. One of the fastest growing cinema chains in Europe, Cineworld Group plans to add more than 500 new screens in the coming years around all of its territories.

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

The Movie Report #856, February 5, 2016

#856, February 5, 2016

MOVIES:

• The Choice
  
• Hail, Caesar!
  
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
  

F3PR: Donna Langley to be honored as 2016 Pioneer of the Year

PRESS RELEASE

UNIVERSAL PICTURES' DONNA LANGLEY
TO BE HONORED AS
2016 PIONEER OF THE YEAR

HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 26, 2016) The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation announced today that Donna Langley, Chairman of Universal Pictures, will receive the 2016 Pioneer of the Year honor on April 13 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Since starting with Universal Pictures 15 years ago, Langley is now in her third year as the sole chairman of the film studio. She oversees all aspects of Universal’s production and marketing operations worldwide, including the international production and acquisitions arm as well as the studio’s specialty division, Focus Features. Under Langley’s leadership, 2015 marked the highest-grossing domestic, international and worldwide box-office years, ever, in any studio’s history.

Langley has worked on some of the biggest hits ever to be released by Universal, including many of its franchises—the latest entries of which include Jurassic World, which had the second-biggest worldwide opening weekend in history and is currently the fourth-highest-grossing movie of all time, and Furious 7, which stands as the sixth-highest-grossing movie ever. 2015 also marked the first time any studio tallied three films to cross a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, with Furious 7, Jurassic World and Minions all reaching that milestone.

During her tenure with Universal, Langley has been a driving force behind some of the studio’s biggest hits, including Fifty Shades of Grey, Unbroken, Neighbors, the Academy Award®-winning Les Misérables, Pitch Perfect, Ted, Bridesmaids, Mamma Mia!, Knocked Up and Wanted, among others. Langley is credited with reinvigorating and growing some of Universal’s most lucrative and popular franchises including the Fast & Furious series, which has grossed more than $3.9 billion, and Bourne series.

Langley was named The Hollywood Reporter’s Executive of the Year in 2015 and has been regularly featured in its Top 100 Women in Entertainment issue. She has also been featured on Forbes “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list.

Langley is a Board Member and Ambassador for Vital Voices Global Partnership, an organization dedicated to mentoring women in developing countries throughout the world. She is on the advisory board of Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a pathway to self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income individuals by providing the resources and support needed to find and retain employment. Langley helped launch The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Film Mentorship program. She is a voting member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and she serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Film Institute.

“We are extremely grateful that Donna has accepted the 2016 Pioneer of the Year Award and will be receiving this well-deserved honor,” said Chris Aronson, president of WRMPPF and president of Domestic Theatrical Distribution of 20th Century Fox. “She is a true Pioneer in our industry, demonstrating great leadership not only of her company but the community at large. We look forward to celebrating Donna’s personal and professional accomplishments at CinemaCon 2016, as well as raising much needed funds for the Pioneers Assistance program.”

The Pioneer of the Year dinner, an industry tradition for over 70 years, honors leaders of the motion picture industry and within the philanthropic community. Past honorees include Cecil B. DeMille, Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Jack Valenti, Terry Semel, Sumner Redstone, Sherry Lansing, Alan Horn, Kathleen Kennedy, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tom Sherak and the 2015 honoree, Jim Gianopulos. Proceeds from the event benefit the Pioneers Assistance Fund (PAF), an industry charity that helps individuals who work in theatrical entertainment, who are encountering an illness, injury or life-changing event.

The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation operates the PAF. For more information about the Pioneer of the Year Dinner or the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, please call (888) 994-3863 or visit www.wrpioneers.org.

About The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation

Named after one of the greatest humanitarians, philanthropists and entertainers – Will Rogers – the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation perpetuates his legacy through the works of three programs, Brave Beginnings, the Will Rogers Institute and the Pioneers Assistance Fund.

A hospital created for Vaudevillians stricken with tuberculosis, the National Vaudeville Association Hospital was renamed the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in 1936, as a tribute to Will Rogers. The hospital became a national training facility for doctors treating patients with tuberculosis, becoming known as the Will Rogers Institute. In 2002, the Will Rogers charity merged with the Foundation of Motion Picture Pioneers (FMPP) and became the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.

The Pioneers Assistance Fund continues the mission of FMPP by helping any individual from the motion picture community who are encountering an illness, injury or life-changing event. Social workers provide confidential consultations and financial assistance on a short-term or long-term basis, in order to help a person get back to a normal life or continue living with dignity.

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

F3PR: 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards filmmaker grant winners announced

PRESS RELEASE

2016 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
FILMMAKER GRANT WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Spirit Awards Winners To Be Revealed
on Saturday, February 27
Broadcasting Live on IFC at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET

LOS ANGELES (January 9, 2016) – Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the LA Film Festival, announced the winners of its three Spirit Awards filmmaker grants today at its annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch held at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Uzo Aduba and Rami Malek co-hosted the event and handed out the honors.

“This year’s recipients of the Spirit Award cash grants are so talented and we’re thrilled to be able to support them in this way,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “Our hope is that these unrestricted grants will enable the filmmakers to continue to make great and daring work.”

Mel Eslyn received the Piaget Producers Award. The award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The annual award, in its 19^th year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget for the 9th year. Finalists for the award were Darren Dean, Rebecca Green and Laura D. Smith.

Felix Thompson, director of King Jack, received the Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award. The award recognizes talented filmmakers of singular vision who have not yet received appropriate recognition. The award is in its 22^nd year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851. Finalists for the award were Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, directors of God Bless the Child; and Chloé Zhao, director of Songs My Brothers Taught Me.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, director of Incorruptible, received the Truer Than Fiction Award. The award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its 21^st year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant. Finalists for the award were Mohammed Ali Naqvi and Hemal Trivedi, directors of Among the Believers; and Elizabeth Giamatti and Alex Sichel, directors of A Woman Like Me.

This year marks the 31^st edition of the awards show that celebrates the best of independent film. Announced earlier this month, Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions returns for his second year as executive producer of the show held in its usual tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. Producer Shawn Davis returns for his 14^th show and Rick Austin returns for his second year as producer.

Winners for the remaining categories will be revealed at the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards in a tent at Santa Monica beach on Saturday, February 27. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET.

In addition to celebrating the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking, the Spirit Awards is also the primary fundraiser for Film Independent's year-round programs, which cultivate the careers of emerging filmmakers and promote diversity in the industry.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

Now in its 31^st year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers whose films 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.

The winners of the Spirit Awards are voted upon by Film Independent and IFP Members. 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 Editing, Best International Film, Best Documentary and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include the Piaget Producers Award, the Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award and the Truer Than Fiction Award. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors Piaget, Bank of America, Heineken, American Airlines, Jaguar and IFC. FIJI Water is the Official Water of the 2016 Spirit Awards. WireImage is the Official Photographer of Film Independent.

Click here to see the list of this year’s nominees.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champions 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.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces the Los Angeles Film Festival and 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.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org/membership.

About IFC

IFC is the home of offbeat, unexpected comedies. Series like Portlandia, Documentary Now!, Maron, and Comedy Bang! Bang! air alongside fan-favorite movies and comedic cult TV shows. IFC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc., and available across multiple platforms. IFC is Always On Slightly Off.

(Special thanks to Film Independent and Ginsberg Libby)

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