The 2012 Sundance Awards Announced!

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Chase Whale

This was a good year for Sundance. Majority of the films were picked up for distribution (standouts: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, THE SURROGATE, BLACK ROCK, THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES, V/H/S, LIBERAL ARTS), it snowed, I had a lot of pizza, and my condo roommates didn’t snore too much. A few hours ago the Sundance Institute announced the winners of the festival and you can check them out by reading the press release below!

The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Charles Ferguson to:

The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world’s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing?

The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Justin Lin to:

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Nick Fraser to:

The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel’s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Julia Ormond to:

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías.

The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to:

The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) — An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to:

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented by Edward James Olmos to:

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away.

The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented by Edward James Olmos to:

Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid.

The Best of NEXT <=> Audience Award, Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated, was presented by Tim Heidecker to:

Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Director: Mike Birbiglia, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti.

The U.S. Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Fenton Bailey to:

The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream.

The U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Lynn Shelton to:

Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) — When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissaint, Edwina Findley.

The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to:

5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world.

The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:

Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented by Anthony Mackie to:

Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni.

The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented by Richard Pena to:

Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Sepúlveda) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto.

The U.S. Documentary Editing Award was presented by Kim Roberts to:

DETROPIA / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented by Clara Kim to:

Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Tia Lessin to:

Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Amy Vincent to:

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to:

Putin’s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it.

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:

My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change was presented by Heather Croall to:

Love Free or Die / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) — One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance was presented by Heather Croall to:

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing was presented by Cliff Martinez to:

Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz for Smashed and Nobody Walks

  • Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) — Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and… drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.
  • Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting was presented by Cliff Martinez to:

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision was presented by Clara Kim to:

Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Uçer, Serdar Orçin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit was presented by Richard Pena to:

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away.

The inaugural Short Film Audience Award, Presented by Yahoo!, based on online voting for nine short films that premiered at the Festival and are currently featured on Yahoo! Screen, was presented to:

The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) — In the Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild.

The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:

The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to: FISHING WITHOUT NETS / U.S.A. (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey). The Jury Prize in Short Film, U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Black Balloon / U.S.A. (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie). The Jury Prize in Short Film, International Fiction was presented to: The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj). The Jury Prize in Short Film, Non-Fiction was presented to: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker). The Jury Prize in Animated Short Film was presented to: A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (Director: Grant Orchard). A Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling was presented to: The Arm / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis). A Special Jury Award for Animation Direction was presented to: Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares).

The winning directors and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are: Etienne Kallos / Vrystaat (Free State) (South Africa); Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia); Dominga Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile); and Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India).

The Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was presented to Jens Assur, director of the upcoming film Close Far Away.

The inaugural Hilton Worldwide LightStay Sustainability Award for a completed feature film was presented to The Island President, directed by Jon Shenk. The in-process feature film award was presented to Solar Mamas, directed by Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief. Each project received $25,000.

The inaugural Sundance Institute Indian Paintbrush Producer’s Award and $10,000 grant was presented to Dan Janvey and Josh Penn for Beasts of the Southern Wild.

The Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prizes, presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character, were presented to Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford, and Valley of Saints, directed and written by Musa Syeed. The two films will split the $20,000 cash award by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival Jurors were: U.S. Documentary Competition: Fenton Bailey, Heather Croall, Charles Ferguson, Tia Lessin, Kim Roberts; U.S. Dramatic Competition: Justin Lin, Anthony Mackie, Cliff Martinez, Lynn Shelton, Amy Vincent; World Cinema Documentary Competition: Nick Fraser, Clara Kim, Jean-Marie Teno; World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Julia Ormond, Richard Pena, Alexei Popogrebsky; Alfred P. Sloan Award: Tracy Day, Helen Fisher, Dr. Robert J. Full, Gwyn Lurie, Alex Rivera; Short Film Competition: Mike Judge, Dee Rees, Shane Smith.

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival presented 117 feature-length films, representing 30 countries by 45 first-time filmmakers, including 24 in competition. These films were selected from 4,042 feature-length film submissions composed of 2,059 U.S. and 1,983 international feature-length films. 91 films at the Festival were world premieres. The Short Film Program was comprised of 64 short films selected from a record 7,675 submissions.

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs through January 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. A complete list of films and events is available at www.sundance.org/festival.

The Sundance Film Festival

A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase SapphireSM ; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors – Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood®, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene ®, Grey Goose® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L’Oréal Paris, Stella Artois®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTubeTM. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth,Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Interview: ‘Division III: Football’s Finest’ Co-writer/Executive Producer/Editor/Actor/Director Marshall Cook

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Chase Whale

Marshall Cook is a man who wears many hats. As you can see from this headline, Cook not only co-wrote the film, but produced, edited, acted, and directed as well. Did I mention he’s only 29? In this interview, Cook discusses trials and tribulations of working both in front and behind the camera, what it was like working with Andy Dick and other comedy greats in the film, and why the film’s subject is so close to home. Enjoy!

MakingOf: ‘Division III: Football’s Finest’ is based on your experiences as a quarterback for 10 years – how much of it was taken from actual experiences you’ve had versus additional fictional storylines?

Marshal Cook: It’s hard to say exactly, but a fair amount. The emotion of my character in the movie is where I was at in college. I definitely didn’t care as much as when I was in high school. I think it was a combination of my disappointing senior year of high school and the overall lack of enthusiasm for football at a liberal arts college (compared to high school where I thought it was the most important thing I could do).

Basically, I pulled situations from high school and college, and then heightened them for the sake of entertainment.

My first pass in college was a 30-yard touchdown on a broken play, and I did get yelled at for it. But I was never compared to Helen Keller (or Helen Yeller), and no coach has ever pulled a knife on me.

Though it’s a pretty aggressive comedy, the movie comes from a lot of real/grounded situations, conversations, themes, emotions, characters.

This is your first feature film and you’re not even 30 yet, how cool is that?

Very cool! Though believe it or not it took what felt like an eternity to get made.

Originally, the Yari Film Group optioned the movie and I was scouting Louisiana to shoot the movie when I was 25. Then it was in and out of option deals until I finally was presented the opportunity to shoot it in Los Angeles for 10 times less money than it was budgeted at. So I directed the movie in March 2010 (when I was 27), edited it when I was 28 and now it is coming out while I can still claim my 20′s.

It feels really good to get this monkey off my back and hopefully the next one will take much less time to get off the shelf…

It has to feel good, but you worked with some of comedy veterans, Andy Dick and Adam Carolla, on the film so it had to have been somewhat intimidating?

Yes, I’m very grateful for everyone’s involvement. Not just these guys but Sasso, Callen, Collins, Fitzsimmons, etc… They all make me laugh.

I think they are all funnier than I am, and that can be intimidating, but it’s not my job to be funny, it’s my job to help create and capture the funny.

I’ve worked with Andy on a few projects prior so I wasn’t intimidated. I was excited to see him bring to life the role I wrote for him. Andy has never been this prominent of a character in a movie, nor has he ever done a role like this, so I appreciated the dedication, excitement and talent he brought to the set every day. Andy was also very collaborative, while at the same time respectful to my role as the director.

Carolla, however was somewhat intimidating for me (at first). I’ve listening to a lot of his podcasts so I’ve heard his rants. I think his brain operates on a faster level than most humans, so me being 20 years younger and telling him what to do just doesn’t seem right even to me. But he was very cool on the set. He came in, made people laugh and was very approachable.

The hardest part about working with people you respect in comedy is making sure you watch them as a “director” and not a “fan” watching a show.

You co-wrote, executive produced, directed, edited, and starred in DIVISION III. This being your first film, how challenging was that?

It was hard, physically and mentally, but still fun. Kind of like playing quarterback, but for 16 hours a day for 22 days. Shooting the football action was especially challenging because I was doing my own stunts and I was exhausted. Plus taking hits in your 20′s feels a lot different than your teens. I was running on pure adrenaline and excitement most of the time. I don’t think I ate the first day of filming. People needed to remind me to take care of myself so I didn’t collapse.

What made it even possible was the support of the cast and crew. Though we were understaffed, the people who were there were tremendously supportive. We didn’t have any time or luxuries, but everyone was able to do their job and have a good time doing it. I always had extra eyes on the monitor (especially when I was in front of the camera). Andy Dick and Paul Henderson (writers) were always watching the scenes and throwing out suggestions on jokes. Tyler Hawes (producer) and Bernie Gewissler (line-producer) also did a good job of hiding me from major challenges or drama so I could just focus on what’s now and what’s next.

Production was like heaven. Post-production was hell. I didn’t want to edit the movie. I had to. We just didn’t have enough money. The editing was actually the hardest, and I did it on a macbook pro (laptop) attached to another monitor, so it was slow. I think I’m a good editor, so I knew I was more than capable, but sitting in front of a monitor for thousands of hours is not what I got into this business to do.

What do you enjoy best – being behind the camera or in front?

It really depends on the scene. I don’t have fun acting “dramatic.” Going to a dark place in my head isn’t fun, it’s work. Some scenes I really enjoyed acting in though. Scenes where there are just 2 actors and simple coverage, where I’m thinking less about the shot than I am the performance, I can enjoy the acting to the point where I’m just present in the scene and not “directing.” Acting is fun! The fact that some actors complain about anything is tragic. I had a lot of fun acting across Andy, Alison Haislip, Bru Muller, Paul Henderson and Greg Fitzsimmons. But if I had to choose, I guess directing is where I get the most fulfillment.

It appears as though films like ‘Major League’ and ‘BASEketball’ had a heavy influence on this film. Were there any films that heavily influenced you during the writing process?

I watched ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘Any Given Sunday,’ ‘Necessary Roughness’… Actually, I watched every football movie out there, including the Independent Christian movie “Facing the Giants.” I wanted to get away from clichés but within the sports genre (comedy or drama), that’s hard to avoid. They can’t be good the whole time or bad the whole time, and at the end they either win or lose. I learned very quickly that I wasn’t going to reinvent the wheel, but I didn’t want to directly “spoof” anything either. I think the tone relates more to the first Major League than any other movie because before they call wackier and went back to the minors, Major League was a comedy with dramatic elements, some good sports action and solid acting.

What’s next for you?

Hollywood Answer: I have several projects in numerous stages of development…

I mean, I do, but I don’t know what’s next. I have a few things I want to direct and a few things I want to produce and act in. Nothing I want to direct and star in right away…maybe in the future. I would easily take a job as an actor. What a luxury to be able to just act in a scene that someone else wrote for you and someone else is directing and handing off to someone else do edit and finish… I think a fair amount of them don’t know how good they have it.

‘Division III: Football’s Finest’ is out now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download!

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The 69th Annual Golden Globes Announced! What Did You Think?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Chase Whale

Hosted by a more-toned-down-than-last-year Ricky Gervais, the 69th annual Golden Globes were announced last night with ’The Artist’ and ‘The Decendants’ taking home the top prizes. Check out the full list below (winner bolded). Let us know in the comments section who you wanted to win!

MOTION PICTURE

Motion Picture, Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
The Artist
50/50
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week With Marilyn

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture  – Drama
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Director – Motion Picture
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Foreign Language Film

A Separation (Iran)
The Flowers of War (China)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA)
The Kid With A Bike (Belgium)
The Skin I Live In (Spain)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

Best Animated Feature Film
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Performance By An Actress in A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Masterpiece” — W.E.
Music & Lyrics by: Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry
“Hello Hello” — Gnomeo & Juliet
Music by: Elton John
Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin
“The Keeper” — Machine Gun Preacher
Music & Lyrics by: Chris Cornell
“Lay Your Head Down” — Albert Nobbs
Music by: Brian Byrne
Lyrics by: Glenn Close
“The Living Proof” — The Help
Music by: Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.
Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

TELEVISION

Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Modern Family, ABC
Enlightened, HBO
Episodes, Showtime
Glee, FOX
New Girl, FOX

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series, Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Best Performance By An Actor in A Supporting Role in A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Idris Elba, Luther
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
William Hurt, To Big to Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Television Series – Drama
Homeland, Showtime
American Horror Story, FX
Boardwalk Empire, HBO
Boss, STARZ
Game of Thrones, HBO

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Downton Abbey,  PBS (Masterpiece)
Cinema Verite, HBO
The Hour, BBC America
Mildred Pierce, HBO
Too Big to Fail,  HBO

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Interview: ‘The Devil Inside’ cowriter Matthew Peterman and cowriter/director William Brent Bell

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Chase Whale

Over the weekend I spoke with two filmmakers who have recently been heavily discussed in the online world, Matthew Peterman and William Brent Bell. These two are the ones responsible for the recent found film footage hit, ‘The Devil Inside’. In this interview, we discuss how Found Footage Films have become such a profitable style of filmmaking, and why the boys are proud of their film’s rather abrupt (and now infamous) ending. Enjoy!

(Editor’s Note: At times it was hard to distinguish who was speaking so I have combined their comments.)

MakingOf: So, Found Footage Films seem to be, you know, all the rage over the last couple of years, pulling in a lot of money on such a small budget. Why do you think it’s so strangely addicting to go out and see the style of film?

Devil Inside boys: I think maybe one of the biggest reasons is that in the last decade or whatever, television has become so much more reality based. When ‘Blair Witch’ came out or even when 24 came out, it was groundbreaking for the camera to be handheld and all of that. And now I think people are really used to less scripted and more raw styles of filmmaking, and it kind of plays itself best in the horror genre really because it makes the experience that more realistic and that much more scarier.

What do you both think the most important aspect of found footage films is? Like, the scares, the story, the dialogue, the ending – what do you think the most important part of it is?

I think a little of authenticity, you know, if you want the audience to believe what they’re watching is real…you can’t take them out of that world, so I think a level of authenticity is one of the biggest things. And that means to us, there are almost a lot of rules that you have to abide to, to keep it authentic.

I totally agree – that’s a great answer. So, regarding the film, when doing your research on exorcisms, you know, how to make them appear as real as possible with going too much overboard. How difficult, if at all, when discussing with priests and the like who take this sort  of thing serious?

Well…we are able to talk to a lot of priests and exorcists…we wanted to put them on camera because in the film and in the cutting room floor we have a lot of real experts, police, and religious people that went on camera – priests and exorcists would not go on camera so we were able to get the information, and here’s the story, it’s really cool and inspired us and it was a bummer that we couldn’t get their cooperation fully.

Alright. I want to talk about the ending and the interactive part of it. You know, it ties in interactively with a website, making it one of the first of its kind. Was that the idea from the beginning and did you ever storyboard completely different endings?

The interactivity was not the idea from the beginning. I think you’re referring to the website [during the credits]. That was an idea [we] came up with which was pretty ballsy and pretty original. We thought it would be a cool thing if people had a polarizing reaction to that…we did like the abrupt ending that we chose, we thought it was kind of a non-Hollywood ending. The one thing we can look back to is realism, and in real life it doesn’t always follow a perfect structure – if things don’t always end when and how you expect them to, so everyone involved with the film thought the kind of ending we have where not everything is completely tied up and things are left unsolved was pretty unique… you never know in this day and age what’s gonna click film-goers and people that like entertainment in general as far as interactivity and things like that.

Absolutely. As far as listening to audience reactions, do you think the audience reactions to this film will impact future projects you guys work on?

Sure! One of our favorite things to do is to be in a theater and listen to the audiences react to the movie. Now that we’ve had so many audiences, we’ve seen the movie so many times and we’ve always been able to kind of gauge through the Internet, some of their responses, it totally informs how we are as filmmakers and at the end of the day it’s just really fun. It’s fun to get people invested in something and see their passion, no matter what the passion’s for based on something you have created.

So the film has made over $36 million and counting on a $1 million dollar budget [$800,000 to be exact]. So clearly it’s a box office success. I know there’s talk online that you have another project in the works but with this being such a huge success, do you have any plans to make a sequel to it?

You know, we’ve all talked about it and I think we’re waiting a little longer to focus [on the international roll-out], and also, if we did it, we need to make sure that it’s a story that we all agree on or otherwise we wouldn’t want to do it but it’s definitely been up for discussion.

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Win MGM Classics ‘Annie Hall,’ ‘Manhattan,’ ‘The Apartment,’ ‘Notorious,’ ‘Rebecca,’ and ‘Spellbound’ on Blu-ray!

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Chase Whale

MakingOf has teamed up with MGM Home Entertainment to give our viewers the chance to win six great classics, ‘Annie Hall,’ ‘Manhattan,’ ‘The Apartment,’ ‘Notorious,’ ‘Rebecca,’ and ‘Spellbound’ on Blu-ray (all available to purchase on Tuesday, January 24th).

For your chance to win one of three gift packs, follow these three easy steps:

  1. Sign up for our free newsletter HERE.
  2. Register on the MakingOf film community HERE
  3. Email us at contests@makingof.com with your favorite quote from one of our interviews.

Deadline ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, January 23rd. On Tuesday, January 24th we will select three (3) winners via random drawing and notify them by email. Good luck, movie lovers and stay tuned for more contests.

ONE ENTRY PER HOUSEHOLD. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. CONTESTANTS MUST LIVE INSIDE THE U.S. or CANADA. ITEMS CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO P.O. BOX.

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Writers Guild Awards Nominations Announced

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Chase Whale

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during 2011. Winners will be honored at the 2012 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 19, 2012, during simultaneous ceremonies in Hollywood and New York.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

50/50, Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment

Bridesmaids, Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Studios

Midnight in Paris, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

Win Win, Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight

Young Adult, Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants, Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures

The Help, Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures

Hugo, Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures

Moneyball, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Better This World, Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures

Nostalgia for the Light, Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films

Pina, Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects

Position Among the Stars, Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Films

Senna, Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

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Reel Life, Real Stories: ‘Young Adult’ Director Jason Reitman

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Chase Whale

“Sometimes you make people laugh, sometimes you make them feel good, and in this case we’re making them feel uncomfortable. And it’s real.” Jason Reitman (referring to ‘Young Adult’) in conversation with MakingOf
The last five years, Jason Reitman has run audiences through the gamut of feelings, making a name for himself directing off-beat, yet touching comedies about imperfect people trying to make good.  Even though Reitman grew up in a movie family and on movie sets, he thought he should be a doctor and was on that path, studying pre-med in college. But his path changed with some wisdom from his father. “My father told me no matter how noble a profession being a doctor was, there wasn’t enough magic in it for me…in my father’s case he literally became the first Jewish dad to say ‘don’t become a doctor, be a director.’” We’re glad Reitman choose the filmmaker path and were delighted to sit down with him and learn more about his passions, inspirations and working style.
In this exclusive interview, Reitman talks about his gut-reaction after reading a script, the trigger point that made him cast Charlize Theron in ‘Young Adult’, the “soothing mechanism” that helps him sleep, and more.  Watch the full episode of Reel Life, Real Stories below.

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Reel Life, Real Stories: ‘The Artist’ Star Jean Dujardin

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Chase Whale

“The body language really comes first and it is enhanced. The instinct is way more involved than in talking movies.” Jean Dujardin in conversation with MakingOf.

French actor Jean Dujardin, star of the contemporary silent film, The Artist, has learned a lot about his instincts. Though he has starred in two other films by director Michel Hazanavicius, acting for a silent movie provided a whole new experience for the French actor. “I think the acting is much more intellectual. Otherwise we tell the story in the same manner as a talking movie.” Even though few films are made in the classic style that spawned the art of cinema, audiences and critics have overwhelmingly responded to the emotion and style of The Artist. What makes characters who don’t speak so compelling? “I really don’t know why. I still have not put my finger on exactly what it is that makes me feel it is much more sensual,” ponders Dujardin. The actor talks more about his working relationship with director Hazanavicius, as well as the art of silent cinema and expressing body language in this week’s Reel Life, Real Stories. Watch the full interview below.

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Reel Life, Real Stories: ‘My Week with Marilyn’ Star Kenneth Branagh

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Chase Whale

“One must appeal to an actor’s imagination… On your imaginary forces work… Think when we talk of horses, that you see them printing their proud hoofs i’ the receiving earth; For ’tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings.” Ken Branagh (quoting Henry V ) in conversation with MakingOf.

At age 16 Branagh’s involvement in sports gave him the security to ‘appeal to his imagination’ and audition for a role in the school production of “Oh What a Lovely War.” While his first experience with acting was fun, he had no idea the profession of ‘actor’ actually existed. When he learned it did, he immediately set out to understand what that meant. “If I could find a way for acting to be my job, that would be a lifetime dream.”

In this intimate interview Branagh discusses growing up in a working class family in Ireland and England, studying at The Royal Academy of Art, securing his first paid acting role on a television series, and “stepping out on the West End with Tim Roth, Rupert Everett, Daniel Day-Lewis, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.” Branagh is extremely generous with his life experiences and covers too much ground for me to summarize the highlights in a short post! I hope you take the time to watch and learn from this humble, distinguished filmmaker. Watch the full interview below.

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Reel Life, Real Stories: ‘J. Edgar’ Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Chase Whale

“It’s a mistake to fall too in love with the words that you’ve written going into production.” Dustin Lance Black in conversation with MakingOf.

Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter who knows words change once production starts. He is a key part of the on-set team for directors including Clint Eastwood and Gus Van Sant, and he wrote/directed last year’sWhat’s Wrong with Virginia? starring Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris. In 2009, he was honored with an Oscar for best screenplay for Gus Van Sant’s Milk. Black’s latest project finds him traversing similar territory: writing another American historical biopic, this time about the notorious and enigmatic founder of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover. With Clint Eastwood directing, Leonardo DiCaprio playing the lead, and early accolades, Black could be on his way to Oscar number two.

It is impressive to consider the achievements of such a young screenwriter. Still, Black is not untouchable– he still has his challenges. What is the most difficult challenge for this wordsmith? ”The actual writing is scary because that’s where you’re committing yourself. You’re committing yourself to what’s going to be seen and what’s going to be an actual part of the story. I think that’s the toughest part.” What Black fears to commit to page, audiences seem to revel in. Black shares more in this Reel Life, Real Stories interview, as he talks about finding his calling in theater camp, putting on his “historian cap”, and what it was like working with Gus Van Sant. Watch the full interview below.  And, stay tuned for another in-depth interview with Black focused specifically on J. Edgar.

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