As Annecy rounds the final bend on its biggest edition to date, with a tantalizing promise of a brighter future for animation in much of Europe, Marjolaine Perreten’s 29-minute film “Pebble Hill” (“La Colline aux cailloux”), part of its TV Films competition, has been one of the multiple gems to come out of it.
Minimalist in design, a trademark of the young Swiss filmmaker’s unique style, the animation, which has already won an award at Hamburg’s Mo & Friese Kinder Kurzfilm Festival, is charming and tender, the 29-minute film, produced by renowned Swiss production company Nadasdy Film in Geneva, a producer on “No Dogs or Italians Allowed,” and France’s Les Films du Nord, tells the story of a family of shrews that after loosing their home due to the breaking of an upstream dam embark on a journey alongside an old shrew to find the Pebble Hill.
Minimalist in design, a trademark of the young Swiss filmmaker’s unique style, the animation, which has already won an award at Hamburg’s Mo & Friese Kinder Kurzfilm Festival, is charming and tender, the 29-minute film, produced by renowned Swiss production company Nadasdy Film in Geneva, a producer on “No Dogs or Italians Allowed,” and France’s Les Films du Nord, tells the story of a family of shrews that after loosing their home due to the breaking of an upstream dam embark on a journey alongside an old shrew to find the Pebble Hill.
- 6/16/2023
- by Emiliano Granada
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Producers Kenn Viselman (Teletubbies) and Brooklyn Weaver (Extant) have acquired all the rights for the western hemisphere of animated series Moonzy & Moona. This includes all mediums of the pre-existing IP which spans the rights to develop original films, series, books, NFTs and merchandising.
The deal comes at a time when the Cyprus-originated Moonzy & Moona is entwined in the crosshairs of Vladimir Putin’s war because its animation studio is based in Moscow, and several of its key animators in the Ukraine. Viselman and Weaver’s deal for the IP extends also to Australia, Asia and several countries in Europe.
Further compounding the matter, the multi-Oscar nominated filmmaker Konstantin Bronzit, who is also the director of the Moonzy & Moona series, has signed a scathing anti-war petition along with over a thousand top Russian entertainment figures associated with the Russian Animation Film Association, all of whom were reportedly deemed enemies of the state by Putin.
The deal comes at a time when the Cyprus-originated Moonzy & Moona is entwined in the crosshairs of Vladimir Putin’s war because its animation studio is based in Moscow, and several of its key animators in the Ukraine. Viselman and Weaver’s deal for the IP extends also to Australia, Asia and several countries in Europe.
Further compounding the matter, the multi-Oscar nominated filmmaker Konstantin Bronzit, who is also the director of the Moonzy & Moona series, has signed a scathing anti-war petition along with over a thousand top Russian entertainment figures associated with the Russian Animation Film Association, all of whom were reportedly deemed enemies of the state by Putin.
- 3/23/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Signatories include Leonid Shvartsman, Youry Norstein and Andrey Krzhanovsy.
More than 370 directors, producers, screenwriters and animators from the Russian animation world have come together to issue an open letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The letter, which was published in the independent Russian daily newspaper Novaya Gazeta, declared “the animation community in Ukraine and Russia is one and indivisible: we have been working together, watching each other’s films for many years. The art of animation is also the art which helps people to feel human. Not to kill, not to destroy. To connect.
”And today our children and...
More than 370 directors, producers, screenwriters and animators from the Russian animation world have come together to issue an open letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The letter, which was published in the independent Russian daily newspaper Novaya Gazeta, declared “the animation community in Ukraine and Russia is one and indivisible: we have been working together, watching each other’s films for many years. The art of animation is also the art which helps people to feel human. Not to kill, not to destroy. To connect.
”And today our children and...
- 2/26/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: UTA has signed of award-winning producer Kenn Viselman for worldwide representation in all areas. Viselman has driven more than $20 billion in commercial success.
UTA will also rep the relaunch of Viselman’s itsy bitsy Entertainment Company banner. That effort will begin with the animated series Moonzy and the animated family series BlackJack, based on Alex Simmons’ acclaimed series of graphic novels.
Viselman has produced, marketed and consulted on more than 50 children’s series. He was a producing partner on the franchises Teletubbies and It’s itsy bitsy Time!. He led marketing for Thomas the Tank Engine, which continues to air in more than 300 countries. He reassembled many of his former Teletubbies production team members, including Graham Halky, Emilia Nuccio and Marcio França Domingues, for the relaunch of itsy bitsy Entertainment. Maresa Pullman, Brooklyn Weaver, and Brandan McConnaughhay are also attached to produce original content with Viselman.
“UTA is the...
UTA will also rep the relaunch of Viselman’s itsy bitsy Entertainment Company banner. That effort will begin with the animated series Moonzy and the animated family series BlackJack, based on Alex Simmons’ acclaimed series of graphic novels.
Viselman has produced, marketed and consulted on more than 50 children’s series. He was a producing partner on the franchises Teletubbies and It’s itsy bitsy Time!. He led marketing for Thomas the Tank Engine, which continues to air in more than 300 countries. He reassembled many of his former Teletubbies production team members, including Graham Halky, Emilia Nuccio and Marcio França Domingues, for the relaunch of itsy bitsy Entertainment. Maresa Pullman, Brooklyn Weaver, and Brandan McConnaughhay are also attached to produce original content with Viselman.
“UTA is the...
- 9/25/2020
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Hawaiian short “Kapaemahu” took home the 15th Animayo Gran Canaria International Grand Jury Award, which included a cash prize of €3,000 and the chance to vie for the Academy Award’s short list of qualifying animated shorts.
Written, directed and produced by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, “Kapaemahu” means stones of life in native Hawaiian and narrates the legend about four dual-spirit individuals who brought the healing arts of Tahiti to Hawaii, vesting their powers on four giant rocks, still revered to this day.
The international jury, led by Claus Toksvig, the Danish animation producer of Annecy audience prize winner “Song of the Sea,” bestowed a slew of prizes to works from all over the world. Animayo received more than 1,600 submissions, of which 67 were selected to compete.
For the first time, a special mention for best sound design was awarded, which went to Konstantin Bronzit and his short film...
Written, directed and produced by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, “Kapaemahu” means stones of life in native Hawaiian and narrates the legend about four dual-spirit individuals who brought the healing arts of Tahiti to Hawaii, vesting their powers on four giant rocks, still revered to this day.
The international jury, led by Claus Toksvig, the Danish animation producer of Annecy audience prize winner “Song of the Sea,” bestowed a slew of prizes to works from all over the world. Animayo received more than 1,600 submissions, of which 67 were selected to compete.
For the first time, a special mention for best sound design was awarded, which went to Konstantin Bronzit and his short film...
- 6/11/2020
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
If predicting the winners of the short film categories at the Oscars is difficult, then predicting which five will get nominated is darn near impossible. Do not worry, Derbyites! We are here to help you now that we have seen which shorts have made the Oscar shortlist for those categories. In order to help you better make your nomination picks in our predictions center, we’re giving you all the details about the 10 finalists for Best Animated Short Film. This cheat sheet can help assist you in predicting which five contenders will score nominations at the 2020 Oscars.
See 2020 Oscar nominations shortlists: 9 Academy Awards with special rules – Original Song, Score, Documentary Feature, International Feature …
“Dcera (Daughter)” – The relationship between a father and daughter is threatened by issues that are not discussed and wounds that take a lot of time to alleviate.
“Hair Love” – An African-American father encounters the ultimate challenge when...
See 2020 Oscar nominations shortlists: 9 Academy Awards with special rules – Original Song, Score, Documentary Feature, International Feature …
“Dcera (Daughter)” – The relationship between a father and daughter is threatened by issues that are not discussed and wounds that take a lot of time to alleviate.
“Hair Love” – An African-American father encounters the ultimate challenge when...
- 12/21/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Shoddy feature-length Russian animation is neither funny nor interesting – although my seven-year-old begged to differ
Some of the finest animating talents in cinema history have emerged from Russia and the Soviet Union – insect-manipulator Vladislav Starevich, the poetic peer of Andrei Tarkovsky, Yuri Norstein, even recent Oscar nominee Konstantin Bronzit, to name but a few. How soul-destroyingly sad it is to see such a legacy besmirched by execrable trash like this shoddy feature-length cartoon. Co-written and directed by Max Fadeev, who also composed the anodyne soundtrack (he also has a Hollywood career as a songwriter on the side), this NutriBullet puree of myths, fairytales and cultural appropriation revolves around a young boy named Savva (voiced by Milla Jovovich) who goes on a quest to save his village, palling up along the way with a white wolf (Will Chase), a mosquito voiced by Joe Pesci and some other representatives of indeterminate species.
Some of the finest animating talents in cinema history have emerged from Russia and the Soviet Union – insect-manipulator Vladislav Starevich, the poetic peer of Andrei Tarkovsky, Yuri Norstein, even recent Oscar nominee Konstantin Bronzit, to name but a few. How soul-destroyingly sad it is to see such a legacy besmirched by execrable trash like this shoddy feature-length cartoon. Co-written and directed by Max Fadeev, who also composed the anodyne soundtrack (he also has a Hollywood career as a songwriter on the side), this NutriBullet puree of myths, fairytales and cultural appropriation revolves around a young boy named Savva (voiced by Milla Jovovich) who goes on a quest to save his village, palling up along the way with a white wolf (Will Chase), a mosquito voiced by Joe Pesci and some other representatives of indeterminate species.
- 3/31/2016
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
With the Academy Awards just a few days away, there's no better time to watch one of the five nominated Best Animated Short Films. In addition to our top recommendation - Don Hertzfeldt's World of Tomorrow (which you can watch here) - one of the other shorts available online is We Can't Live Without Cosmos from Russian filmmaker/animator Konstantin Bronzit. The short follows two cosmonaut friends training for a mission in space. As Wired points out, this is "for every kid who went to Space Camp (or wanted to) and dreamed of one day doing real astronaut training with their best friend." The short is entirely dialogue free and yet still conveys plenty of emotion. It's now available to watch in full for free below - take a look. Original synopsis: Two cosmonauts, two friends, try to do their best in their everyday training life to make their common dream a reality.
- 2/25/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
On Tuesday evening, The Academy kicked off Oscar Week. In the final days leading up to Oscar Sunday, movie fans will be offered throughout the week a up-close look with a series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Animated and Live Action Short Film categories.
Hosted by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Oscar Nominated for Kung Fu Panda 2, and director of Kung Fu Panda 3, the evening spotlighted the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories.
The “Oscar Week: Shorts” event, held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, featured a screening of all 10 nominated shorts in their entirety, as well as discussions with all of the nominated filmmakers.
On the heels of breaking box office records for this year’s Oscar nominated short films in theaters across the country,...
Hosted by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Oscar Nominated for Kung Fu Panda 2, and director of Kung Fu Panda 3, the evening spotlighted the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories.
The “Oscar Week: Shorts” event, held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, featured a screening of all 10 nominated shorts in their entirety, as well as discussions with all of the nominated filmmakers.
On the heels of breaking box office records for this year’s Oscar nominated short films in theaters across the country,...
- 2/25/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 88th Annual Academy Awards are just around the corner on Sunday evening, so once again, it’s time to lay down my predictions for who has the best chance of winning in each of the 24 categories, along with a bit of analysis as to why they appear to be the frontrunners. As usual, I’ll start from the smallest categories and work my way up, so let’s get started:
Best Animated Short Film
“Bear Story” Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
“Prologue” Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton
“Sanjay’s Super Team” Sanjay Patel and Nicole Grindle
“We Can’t Live without Cosmos” Konstantin Bronzit
“World of Tomorrow” Don Hertzfeldt
Best Live Action Short Film
“Ave Maria” Basil Khalil and Eric Dupont
“Day One” Henry Hughes
“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)” Patrick Vollrath
“Shok” Jamie Donoughue
“Stutterer” Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Body Team 12...
Best Animated Short Film
“Bear Story” Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
“Prologue” Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton
“Sanjay’s Super Team” Sanjay Patel and Nicole Grindle
“We Can’t Live without Cosmos” Konstantin Bronzit
“World of Tomorrow” Don Hertzfeldt
Best Live Action Short Film
“Ave Maria” Basil Khalil and Eric Dupont
“Day One” Henry Hughes
“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)” Patrick Vollrath
“Shok” Jamie Donoughue
“Stutterer” Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Body Team 12...
- 2/24/2016
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
Exclusive: Shooting Stars has taken the film for the Middle East, while BestFilm has taken it for the Baltic states.
Russia’s Wizart Distribution has closed its first deals at the Efm for the 3D animated feature film Urfin And His Wooden Soldiers for the Middle East (Shooting Stars) and the Baltic states (BestFilm), with the theatrical premiere set for autumn 2016.
Konstantin Bronzit, the creative producer of the Melnitsa Studio production, is one of this year’s nominees in the Academy Awards’ Short Film (Animated) category for his film We Can’t Live Without Cosmos.
Russia’s Wizart Distribution has closed its first deals at the Efm for the 3D animated feature film Urfin And His Wooden Soldiers for the Middle East (Shooting Stars) and the Baltic states (BestFilm), with the theatrical premiere set for autumn 2016.
Konstantin Bronzit, the creative producer of the Melnitsa Studio production, is one of this year’s nominees in the Academy Awards’ Short Film (Animated) category for his film We Can’t Live Without Cosmos.
- 2/13/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
While the Oscar’s best animated feature category has only existed since 2001, the award for best animated short has been presented since 1932. This year five short films from all across the globe are competing in the category.
With the exception of Pixar’s Sanjay’s Super Team, which accompanied the studio’s feature length film, The Good Dinosaur last year, most Oscar fans filling out their scorecards likely haven’t seen this year’s competitors for best animated short. Here’s a breakdown of all five films competing and which one may just have the edge.
Prologue: A highly stylized short centered on an intense, and brutally violent, struggle between four warriors, witnessed by a young girl. The short comes from the United Kingdom and was directed by two-time Oscar winner, Richard Williams, who won the best animated short Oscar in 1973 for A Christmas Carol.
Managing Editor
While the Oscar’s best animated feature category has only existed since 2001, the award for best animated short has been presented since 1932. This year five short films from all across the globe are competing in the category.
With the exception of Pixar’s Sanjay’s Super Team, which accompanied the studio’s feature length film, The Good Dinosaur last year, most Oscar fans filling out their scorecards likely haven’t seen this year’s competitors for best animated short. Here’s a breakdown of all five films competing and which one may just have the edge.
Prologue: A highly stylized short centered on an intense, and brutally violent, struggle between four warriors, witnessed by a young girl. The short comes from the United Kingdom and was directed by two-time Oscar winner, Richard Williams, who won the best animated short Oscar in 1973 for A Christmas Carol.
- 2/12/2016
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
Playfully realized with the charm of a Saturday morning cartoon, yet layered with bittersweet notions about friendship, grief, and solitude, Russian animator Konstantin Bronzit’s latest 15-minute film “We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is a bite-size animated masterpiece that is as profoundly moving as it’s enchantingly entertaining. The film won the Cristal award at Annecy 2015 and is currently nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Bronzit was previously nominated for an Oscar for "Lavatory Lovestory."
On a mission to become the top cosmonauts in their class and earn the privilege to go into space as a team, two lifelong friends work tirelessly everyday using their common dream as fuel to endure the challenging tasks. Their bond, an idealized iteration of fraternal companionship that we could all aspire to, clearly emerges as a more significant and precious motivation than the outer space voyage itself. With clever visual gags, endearing character design reminiscent of bygone artistry, and inventive sharp editing, Bronzit’s virtuous storytelling abilities amuse and tug at our heartstrings till the very last shot.
“We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is one of the best films of the past year of any length and in any medium. The film had a U.S. theatrical run as part of "The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows" in the fall, but The New Yorker recently made the film available in its entirety through its column dedicated to short films titled The Screening Room.
Watch the heartwarming Oscar-nominated short below
Watch this on The Scene.
On a mission to become the top cosmonauts in their class and earn the privilege to go into space as a team, two lifelong friends work tirelessly everyday using their common dream as fuel to endure the challenging tasks. Their bond, an idealized iteration of fraternal companionship that we could all aspire to, clearly emerges as a more significant and precious motivation than the outer space voyage itself. With clever visual gags, endearing character design reminiscent of bygone artistry, and inventive sharp editing, Bronzit’s virtuous storytelling abilities amuse and tug at our heartstrings till the very last shot.
“We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is one of the best films of the past year of any length and in any medium. The film had a U.S. theatrical run as part of "The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows" in the fall, but The New Yorker recently made the film available in its entirety through its column dedicated to short films titled The Screening Room.
Watch the heartwarming Oscar-nominated short below
Watch this on The Scene.
- 2/11/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
More than 150 Oscar nominees came together at noon on Monday at the Beverly Hilton as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored this year’s Oscar contenders at its annual Nominees Luncheon.
From Left to Right:
Seated: Adam Benzine, Paul Massey, Michael Standish, Chris Jenkins, Randy Thom, Jason Smith, Josh Cooley, Maryann Brandon, Richard Williams, Patrick Vollrath, Ed Lachman, Mary Parent, David Acord, Anders Langland, Henry Hughes, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tom Yellin
First Row: Rosa Tran, Jacqueline West, Ed Guiney, Evgeny Afineevsky, Matthew Shumway, Amy Hobby, Jonas Rivera, Gregg Rudloff, Signe Byrge Sorensen, Love Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Courtney Marsh, Nomi Talisman, Mark Ruffalo, Diane Warren, Paco Delgado, Bryan Cranston, Jistin Wilkes, Blye Pagon Faust, Roger Guyett, Basil Khalil, Drew Kunin, Sian Grigg, Andrea Berloff,
Second Row:Adam Stockhausen, Tom McArdle, Keith Redmon, Damian Martin, Ale Abreu, Matthew Heineman, Matt Damon, Bernhard Henrich, Cameron Waldbauer, Alan Robert Murray,...
From Left to Right:
Seated: Adam Benzine, Paul Massey, Michael Standish, Chris Jenkins, Randy Thom, Jason Smith, Josh Cooley, Maryann Brandon, Richard Williams, Patrick Vollrath, Ed Lachman, Mary Parent, David Acord, Anders Langland, Henry Hughes, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Tom Yellin
First Row: Rosa Tran, Jacqueline West, Ed Guiney, Evgeny Afineevsky, Matthew Shumway, Amy Hobby, Jonas Rivera, Gregg Rudloff, Signe Byrge Sorensen, Love Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Courtney Marsh, Nomi Talisman, Mark Ruffalo, Diane Warren, Paco Delgado, Bryan Cranston, Jistin Wilkes, Blye Pagon Faust, Roger Guyett, Basil Khalil, Drew Kunin, Sian Grigg, Andrea Berloff,
Second Row:Adam Stockhausen, Tom McArdle, Keith Redmon, Damian Martin, Ale Abreu, Matthew Heineman, Matt Damon, Bernhard Henrich, Cameron Waldbauer, Alan Robert Murray,...
- 2/9/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The wonderfully weird, hilariously morbid “World of Tomorrow” crams in more disturbing, sinister science-fiction ideas than a decade’s worth of blockbusters. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Animated shorts tend to be nearly silent films. They’ve got music and sound FX, sure, but often no dialogue: something about this particular mode of cinematic storytelling seems to inspire filmmakers to eschew it. Which makes my pick as this year’s best among the Oscar-nominated animated shorts an anomaly: it’s the only one of this year’s film nominees to feature dialogue. Extensively. Unlike its fellow nominees, the wonderfully weird and hilariously morbid “World of Tomorrow” [IMDb | official site], from American filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt, would not work at all were its dialogue removed. Its animation style is deliciously ticklish, and is inherent to its appeal, but it...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Animated shorts tend to be nearly silent films. They’ve got music and sound FX, sure, but often no dialogue: something about this particular mode of cinematic storytelling seems to inspire filmmakers to eschew it. Which makes my pick as this year’s best among the Oscar-nominated animated shorts an anomaly: it’s the only one of this year’s film nominees to feature dialogue. Extensively. Unlike its fellow nominees, the wonderfully weird and hilariously morbid “World of Tomorrow” [IMDb | official site], from American filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt, would not work at all were its dialogue removed. Its animation style is deliciously ticklish, and is inherent to its appeal, but it...
- 1/29/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’re reviewing each short category. See the Animation section below and the other shorts sections here.
Bear Story [Historia de un oso] – Chile – 11 minutes
While Gabriel Osorio Vargas‘ Chilean short film Bear Story tells the tale of a sad, lonely old bear, it does ultimately prove uplifting. Here’s a creature tinkering tirelessly in his shop to put the finishing touches on what could very well be his life’s work and yet any and all success or failure is met with silence. There’s no one else in his small home to celebrate or lament—just the indentations of two bodies on his mattress permanently displaying that love and company existed not too long ago. How did it come to this? We’ll never know and that’s a wonderful thing. Instead we discover that love’s strength—strong enough to render distance and death harmless. His...
Bear Story [Historia de un oso] – Chile – 11 minutes
While Gabriel Osorio Vargas‘ Chilean short film Bear Story tells the tale of a sad, lonely old bear, it does ultimately prove uplifting. Here’s a creature tinkering tirelessly in his shop to put the finishing touches on what could very well be his life’s work and yet any and all success or failure is met with silence. There’s no one else in his small home to celebrate or lament—just the indentations of two bodies on his mattress permanently displaying that love and company existed not too long ago. How did it come to this? We’ll never know and that’s a wonderful thing. Instead we discover that love’s strength—strong enough to render distance and death harmless. His...
- 1/28/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
ShortsHD, the Only Short Film Channel (www.shorts.tv), working with Magnolia Pictures, will open “The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016” on over 400 screens across the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America on Friday January 29, 2016. “The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016” will showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short film nominees compilation as three separate theatrical events.
This marks the 11th year of the Oscar nominated short films theatrical experience and is the only opportunity for audiences to watch the nominated short films prior to the 88th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
In 2015, the Oscar Nominated Short Films earned over $2.4 million worldwide, nearly doubling from just a few years prior. One of the most diverse categories in Academy consideration, this year’s Oscar® Nominated Short Films feature with projects originating from United States, France, Germany, Palestine, United Kingdom, Kosovo, Austria, Chile, Russia, Liberia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Canada.
“Films...
This marks the 11th year of the Oscar nominated short films theatrical experience and is the only opportunity for audiences to watch the nominated short films prior to the 88th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
In 2015, the Oscar Nominated Short Films earned over $2.4 million worldwide, nearly doubling from just a few years prior. One of the most diverse categories in Academy consideration, this year’s Oscar® Nominated Short Films feature with projects originating from United States, France, Germany, Palestine, United Kingdom, Kosovo, Austria, Chile, Russia, Liberia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Canada.
“Films...
- 1/20/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
If there’s a trio of categories that aren’t given the respect that they deserve (or frankly, any respect at all), it’s the short film categories. Be it Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, or Best Live Action Short, they all are mostly ignored by the masses, especially when the first two have feature length cousins in Best Animated Feature and Best Documentary Feature to compete with as well. Still, they deserve to be noticed, so I wanted to quickly list what’s in contention this year. I’ve included the categories in my most recent Oscar prediction update, so there’s that as well. The Academy Awards are the sum total of all the categories, so these have their place, no doubt about that. It’s just a shame that more folks don’t recognize this. Here are the three short subject categories and the remaining contenders...
- 11/24/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards. One hundred forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Ave Maria,” Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films)
“Bad Hunter,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View)
“Bis Gleich (Till Then),” Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films)
“Contrapelo (Against the Grain),” Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films)
“Day One,” Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute)
“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut),” Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie Wien)
“The Free Man (Zi You Ren),” Quah Boon-Lip, director (Taipei National University of the Arts)
“Shok,” Jamie Donoughue, director (Eagle Eye Films)
“Stutterer,” Benjamin Cleary, director (Bare Golly Films)
“Winter Light,...
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Ave Maria,” Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films)
“Bad Hunter,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View)
“Bis Gleich (Till Then),” Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films)
“Contrapelo (Against the Grain),” Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films)
“Day One,” Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute)
“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut),” Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie Wien)
“The Free Man (Zi You Ren),” Quah Boon-Lip, director (Taipei National University of the Arts)
“Shok,” Jamie Donoughue, director (Eagle Eye Films)
“Stutterer,” Benjamin Cleary, director (Bare Golly Films)
“Winter Light,...
- 11/20/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences announced on Thursday the shortlists for both categories.
The live-action selections were culled from 144 eligible submissions while there were 60 for animation.
Members of the short films and feature animation branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting and will next select five nominees.
Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The 10 live-action films appear below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
Ave Maria, Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films);
Bad Hunter, Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View);
Bis Gleich (Till Then), Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films);
Contrapelo (Against the Grain), Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films);
Day One, Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute);
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut), Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie...
The live-action selections were culled from 144 eligible submissions while there were 60 for animation.
Members of the short films and feature animation branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting and will next select five nominees.
Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The 10 live-action films appear below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
Ave Maria, Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films);
Bad Hunter, Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View);
Bis Gleich (Till Then), Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films);
Contrapelo (Against the Grain), Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films);
Day One, Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute);
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut), Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie...
- 11/19/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Potent creativity often comes in small concentrated doses and when you collect a couple dozen of these morsels, powerfully laced with astute ingenuity, you get an overwhelmingly delightful sample platter with some of the most diverse flavors out there unified by their topnotch quality. That’s the best way to describe what you get when watching the visual and tonal tapestry of the Animation Show of Shows. Now in its 17th edition, this program created originally to be screened at Hollywood studios with the purpose of highlighting the best artists working in the independent animation landscape and curated by Ron Diamond, Executive Producer of Acme Filmworks, Inc. and co-founder and President of Animation World Network, will come to theaters across the U.S. for the first time to allow audience to partake in the fun and discovery.
Constructed of 11 fantastic animated shorts showcasing a wide range of techniques within the medium’s spectrum, plus four documentary portraits on selected filmmakers, this feature-length festival of wonder overflows with sublime craftsmanship, but it’s also one of the most profound cinematic experiences of the year. The level of introspection and insight on the human condition contained in these colorful gems surpasses that of most films, animated or live-action, released in recent memory. What they might lack in running time individually, they make up in poignant observations and moments that will stir up a genuine smile.
The program kicks off with “The Story of Percival Pilts,” a stop-motion tale narrated in rhyme about a boy who became fascinated with stilts and declared his feet will never touch the ground ever again. Living his life on stilts, which get increasingly taller as he gets older, Percival cherishes the views and tranquility that such great heights offer. Marvelously achieved and organically suited for the physicality of the chosen technique, this film from Aussie John Lewis and Kiwi Janette Goodey, touches on familiar perils of those who live outside the norm with a classically inspired story told from the protagonist’s brother’s perspective. Tiny sheets of paper stand in as leaves on tress, detailed period costumes adorn the petite bodies of the numerous figures, and cheeky phrases move the plot along while a sky painted in pink and purple hues drench it all with a perpetual “magic hour” feel.
Percival” is followed by a tiny 3D animated work titled “Tant de Forets” (So Many Forests) from French/Turkish team Geoffrey Godet and Burcu Sankur, which uses basic shapes and aesthetics borrowed from the world of graphic design to bring to life a poem by Jacques Prévert on the horrific deforestation of the planet to satisfy our voracious needs for paper.
Evocative and delicately paced, Conor Whelan’s “Snowfall” is the first Lgbt animated short to be part of the Animation Show of Shows, and though it’s clear about its lead character’s sexual orientation, the film is much more focused on depicting how we experience anxiety and deal with rejection in a truly cinematic manner. On a snowy night in Amsterdam a young man arrives at a party where he casually meets a friendly guy. They seem to hit it off, but it soon becomes clear that their interest in one another comes from very different angles. Centered on this romantic misconnection, “Snowfall” is a tender and seemingly melancholic 2D animated meditation where emotions take on a beautiful ethereal form.
Claypainting takes center stage with Lynn Tomlinson’s exquisite “The Ballad of Holland Island House.” Driven by a folksy tune this house reflects on its lifespan from the time it was just wood without purpose, to becoming a family’s home, and eventually being abandoned and consumed by the rising Atlantic Ocean. Tomlinson’s mastery of the stunning technique that blends the tangible material to create rustic moving frames resembles the work of veteran artist Joan C. Gratz – the Academy Award-winning claypainting pioneer.
In Amanda Palmer and Avi Ofer’s “Behind the Trees” scratchy hand-drawn dream sequences turn a voice memo into a brief but deliciously cheeky trip into the subconscious of a man who mumbles abstract statements while asleep. Each incoherent, revealing, honest, or perhaps utterly irrelevant line is transformed into an unconventional artistic interpretation via the imperfectly sleek doodles.
Playfully realized with the charm of a Saturday morning cartoon, yet layered with bittersweet notions about friendship, grief, and solitude, Academy Award-nominated Russian animator Konstantin Bronzit’s latest film “We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is a bite-size animated masterpiece that is as profoundly moving as it’s enchantingly entertaining. On a mission to become the top cosmonauts in their class and earn the privilege to go into space as a team, two lifelong friends work tirelessly everyday using their common dream as fuel to endure the challenging tasks. Their bond, an idealized iteration of fraternal companionship that we could all aspire to, clearly emerges as a more significant and precious motivation than the outer space voyage itself. With clever visual gags, endearing character design reminiscent of bygone artistry, and inventive sharp editing, Bronzit’s virtuous storytelling abilities amuse and tug at our heartstrings till the very last shot. “We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is one of the best films of the year of any length and in any medium.
A hungry cat and a helpless goldfish set an unlikely love story in motion in Isabel Favez curious short “Messages Dans L’Air.” Uniquely designed with an elegantly simple style, Favez world is entirely made out of paper and she uses this particular trait as a perfect narrative device for the film’s scope. Written on a folded paper bird, a lovely message makes its way to a young woman while her mischievous feline constantly attempts to devour a tiny fish that belongs to a bulky boxer who lives near by. Such problematic relationship between their pets will be the catalyst for the mismatch lovebirds to connect.
Passionate admirers of Walt Disney’s classic films, Iranian brothers Babak & Behnoud Nekooei crafted a remarkable 2D animated piece in which their influences are unmistakable but not without reinvention. “Stripy” centers on an enthusiastic factory worker in a city where homogeneity is paramount. His job is simply to paint dark stripes on every box that comes through the assembly line; however, the spirited young man decides that a more vibrant pattern would make the repetitive labor more interesting. Individuality and the power that comes from refusing to conform are crucial themes weaved into the Nekooei brothers’ melodically structured short. Without explicitly touching on their country’s politics, the filmmakers created a subtly rebellious work of art that transcends divisive discourses and ideologies.
Landscapes so realistically rendered that could nearly fool you into thinking they were indeed extracted from our world are one of the extraordinary elements in 3D animated adventure “Ascension,” by a French team of artist form by Colin Laubry, Thomas Bourdis, Martin de Coutenhove, Caroline Domergue, and Florian Vecchione. Two bold mountain climbers are on their way to the top carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary when one of them suffers an accident that leaves her without functional limbs. Devotion and their relentless desire to succeed a will keep them focused on their almost impossible mission. The astonishing backgrounds alone are spectacular enough to merit significant recognition.
Darkly comedic and brutally honest, “Love in Times of March Madness” is a black-and-white animated personal essay by Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, which dissects Johnson’s mishaps and realizations as she navigates life as a 6’4” tall woman. Among the many quotidian complications she must face, dating is by far one of the thorniest facets of Johnson’s above average existence. Insecure shorter men and the judging stares from a world that equates physical differences with unforgivable inadequacies are part of the tricky deck she’s been given. By sharing hilarious anecdotes and analyzing why other people reflect their fears on her appearance, Johnson gives us a lesson in acceptance with the help of vividly surreal vignettes that illustrate her unique perspective.
Capping off this outstanding selection of small-scale treasures is Don Hertzfeldt's thought-provoking and visionary Sundance-winning short "World of Tomorrow." Easily the best animated film of the year, this 17-minute science fiction journey is a mind-bending study on the essence of humanity and how technology’s ferocious advances to know and control it all endanger our ability to notice what’s truly meaningful. Employing his signature stick figures, the filmmaker introduces us to Emily Prime (Winona Mae), a young girl who has just met an older, cloned version of herself living far into the future. Emily (Julia Pott), as the film simply refers to the adult replica, has come from her time to meet Emily Prime and inform her about the terrifying dangers of what lies ahead. Loneliness reigns and falling in love is a futile enterprise in a future where wealthy individuals get to live forever by virtually saving their consciousness into data cubes. Life as we know it is no more and people, always longing for fulfillment, have adapted to the hopelessness of their condition. Miraculously, Hertzfeldt packs all of these components within his intricate and engrossing vision into a plot that includes lighter moments of intelligent comedy. Besides the thematic brilliance of the concepts and ideas discussed in “World of Tomorrow,” the film is also testament to Hertzfeld’s admiration and loyalty to the film medium in its most authentic state, while at the same time being unafraid to experiment. Handcrafted on one of the last remaining functioning 35mm rostrum animation stands, the film exists as a bridge between what some consider to be obsolete and the boundless freedom of independent animation in the 21st century. Furthermore, all the amazing special effects were created directly on film, using traditional double exposures, in-camera mattes, and new experimental techniques to transport the avid viewer into a land of intoxicating color, frightening warnings, and inconspicuous wisdom.
In every fragment used to the build “The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows” audiences will find a heartfelt antidote to formulaic tent poles and will most likely see some of the films that will make headlines as Oscar contenders and nominees in the upcoming months. Undoubtedly, the individual quality of each work is stellar, but the emotional gravitas of the program as a whole is absolutely disarming.
“The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows” is now playing in Los Angeles at the ArcLight Hollywood and will travel to 20 more cities across the U.S. in the following weeks.
Constructed of 11 fantastic animated shorts showcasing a wide range of techniques within the medium’s spectrum, plus four documentary portraits on selected filmmakers, this feature-length festival of wonder overflows with sublime craftsmanship, but it’s also one of the most profound cinematic experiences of the year. The level of introspection and insight on the human condition contained in these colorful gems surpasses that of most films, animated or live-action, released in recent memory. What they might lack in running time individually, they make up in poignant observations and moments that will stir up a genuine smile.
The program kicks off with “The Story of Percival Pilts,” a stop-motion tale narrated in rhyme about a boy who became fascinated with stilts and declared his feet will never touch the ground ever again. Living his life on stilts, which get increasingly taller as he gets older, Percival cherishes the views and tranquility that such great heights offer. Marvelously achieved and organically suited for the physicality of the chosen technique, this film from Aussie John Lewis and Kiwi Janette Goodey, touches on familiar perils of those who live outside the norm with a classically inspired story told from the protagonist’s brother’s perspective. Tiny sheets of paper stand in as leaves on tress, detailed period costumes adorn the petite bodies of the numerous figures, and cheeky phrases move the plot along while a sky painted in pink and purple hues drench it all with a perpetual “magic hour” feel.
Percival” is followed by a tiny 3D animated work titled “Tant de Forets” (So Many Forests) from French/Turkish team Geoffrey Godet and Burcu Sankur, which uses basic shapes and aesthetics borrowed from the world of graphic design to bring to life a poem by Jacques Prévert on the horrific deforestation of the planet to satisfy our voracious needs for paper.
Evocative and delicately paced, Conor Whelan’s “Snowfall” is the first Lgbt animated short to be part of the Animation Show of Shows, and though it’s clear about its lead character’s sexual orientation, the film is much more focused on depicting how we experience anxiety and deal with rejection in a truly cinematic manner. On a snowy night in Amsterdam a young man arrives at a party where he casually meets a friendly guy. They seem to hit it off, but it soon becomes clear that their interest in one another comes from very different angles. Centered on this romantic misconnection, “Snowfall” is a tender and seemingly melancholic 2D animated meditation where emotions take on a beautiful ethereal form.
Claypainting takes center stage with Lynn Tomlinson’s exquisite “The Ballad of Holland Island House.” Driven by a folksy tune this house reflects on its lifespan from the time it was just wood without purpose, to becoming a family’s home, and eventually being abandoned and consumed by the rising Atlantic Ocean. Tomlinson’s mastery of the stunning technique that blends the tangible material to create rustic moving frames resembles the work of veteran artist Joan C. Gratz – the Academy Award-winning claypainting pioneer.
In Amanda Palmer and Avi Ofer’s “Behind the Trees” scratchy hand-drawn dream sequences turn a voice memo into a brief but deliciously cheeky trip into the subconscious of a man who mumbles abstract statements while asleep. Each incoherent, revealing, honest, or perhaps utterly irrelevant line is transformed into an unconventional artistic interpretation via the imperfectly sleek doodles.
Playfully realized with the charm of a Saturday morning cartoon, yet layered with bittersweet notions about friendship, grief, and solitude, Academy Award-nominated Russian animator Konstantin Bronzit’s latest film “We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is a bite-size animated masterpiece that is as profoundly moving as it’s enchantingly entertaining. On a mission to become the top cosmonauts in their class and earn the privilege to go into space as a team, two lifelong friends work tirelessly everyday using their common dream as fuel to endure the challenging tasks. Their bond, an idealized iteration of fraternal companionship that we could all aspire to, clearly emerges as a more significant and precious motivation than the outer space voyage itself. With clever visual gags, endearing character design reminiscent of bygone artistry, and inventive sharp editing, Bronzit’s virtuous storytelling abilities amuse and tug at our heartstrings till the very last shot. “We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is one of the best films of the year of any length and in any medium.
A hungry cat and a helpless goldfish set an unlikely love story in motion in Isabel Favez curious short “Messages Dans L’Air.” Uniquely designed with an elegantly simple style, Favez world is entirely made out of paper and she uses this particular trait as a perfect narrative device for the film’s scope. Written on a folded paper bird, a lovely message makes its way to a young woman while her mischievous feline constantly attempts to devour a tiny fish that belongs to a bulky boxer who lives near by. Such problematic relationship between their pets will be the catalyst for the mismatch lovebirds to connect.
Passionate admirers of Walt Disney’s classic films, Iranian brothers Babak & Behnoud Nekooei crafted a remarkable 2D animated piece in which their influences are unmistakable but not without reinvention. “Stripy” centers on an enthusiastic factory worker in a city where homogeneity is paramount. His job is simply to paint dark stripes on every box that comes through the assembly line; however, the spirited young man decides that a more vibrant pattern would make the repetitive labor more interesting. Individuality and the power that comes from refusing to conform are crucial themes weaved into the Nekooei brothers’ melodically structured short. Without explicitly touching on their country’s politics, the filmmakers created a subtly rebellious work of art that transcends divisive discourses and ideologies.
Landscapes so realistically rendered that could nearly fool you into thinking they were indeed extracted from our world are one of the extraordinary elements in 3D animated adventure “Ascension,” by a French team of artist form by Colin Laubry, Thomas Bourdis, Martin de Coutenhove, Caroline Domergue, and Florian Vecchione. Two bold mountain climbers are on their way to the top carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary when one of them suffers an accident that leaves her without functional limbs. Devotion and their relentless desire to succeed a will keep them focused on their almost impossible mission. The astonishing backgrounds alone are spectacular enough to merit significant recognition.
Darkly comedic and brutally honest, “Love in Times of March Madness” is a black-and-white animated personal essay by Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, which dissects Johnson’s mishaps and realizations as she navigates life as a 6’4” tall woman. Among the many quotidian complications she must face, dating is by far one of the thorniest facets of Johnson’s above average existence. Insecure shorter men and the judging stares from a world that equates physical differences with unforgivable inadequacies are part of the tricky deck she’s been given. By sharing hilarious anecdotes and analyzing why other people reflect their fears on her appearance, Johnson gives us a lesson in acceptance with the help of vividly surreal vignettes that illustrate her unique perspective.
Capping off this outstanding selection of small-scale treasures is Don Hertzfeldt's thought-provoking and visionary Sundance-winning short "World of Tomorrow." Easily the best animated film of the year, this 17-minute science fiction journey is a mind-bending study on the essence of humanity and how technology’s ferocious advances to know and control it all endanger our ability to notice what’s truly meaningful. Employing his signature stick figures, the filmmaker introduces us to Emily Prime (Winona Mae), a young girl who has just met an older, cloned version of herself living far into the future. Emily (Julia Pott), as the film simply refers to the adult replica, has come from her time to meet Emily Prime and inform her about the terrifying dangers of what lies ahead. Loneliness reigns and falling in love is a futile enterprise in a future where wealthy individuals get to live forever by virtually saving their consciousness into data cubes. Life as we know it is no more and people, always longing for fulfillment, have adapted to the hopelessness of their condition. Miraculously, Hertzfeldt packs all of these components within his intricate and engrossing vision into a plot that includes lighter moments of intelligent comedy. Besides the thematic brilliance of the concepts and ideas discussed in “World of Tomorrow,” the film is also testament to Hertzfeld’s admiration and loyalty to the film medium in its most authentic state, while at the same time being unafraid to experiment. Handcrafted on one of the last remaining functioning 35mm rostrum animation stands, the film exists as a bridge between what some consider to be obsolete and the boundless freedom of independent animation in the 21st century. Furthermore, all the amazing special effects were created directly on film, using traditional double exposures, in-camera mattes, and new experimental techniques to transport the avid viewer into a land of intoxicating color, frightening warnings, and inconspicuous wisdom.
In every fragment used to the build “The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows” audiences will find a heartfelt antidote to formulaic tent poles and will most likely see some of the films that will make headlines as Oscar contenders and nominees in the upcoming months. Undoubtedly, the individual quality of each work is stellar, but the emotional gravitas of the program as a whole is absolutely disarming.
“The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows” is now playing in Los Angeles at the ArcLight Hollywood and will travel to 20 more cities across the U.S. in the following weeks.
- 9/27/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
For the past 16 years, Ron Diamond and the Animation Show Of Shows have featured dozens of incredible works of animation. On Thursday, September 24th, the 17th annual Animation Show Of Shows will open at the Arclight in Hollywood, with these eleven new films:
The Story Of Percival Pilts, created by Janette Goodey & John Lewis
A whimsical story about living an impractical life based on a childhood promise. While playing on stilts as a child, Percival Pilts declares that he’ll ‘never again let his feet touch the ground!’ He stays true to his word and compelled ever higher, he builds his stilts so tall that he no longer fits into normal society.
Tant De Forets, created by Geoffrey Godet & Burcu Sankur
Based on the poetry of Jacques Prévert and originally part of the “En sortant de l’ecole” series, the “Tant de Forets” (So Many Forests) poem denounces the...
The Story Of Percival Pilts, created by Janette Goodey & John Lewis
A whimsical story about living an impractical life based on a childhood promise. While playing on stilts as a child, Percival Pilts declares that he’ll ‘never again let his feet touch the ground!’ He stays true to his word and compelled ever higher, he builds his stilts so tall that he no longer fits into normal society.
Tant De Forets, created by Geoffrey Godet & Burcu Sankur
Based on the poetry of Jacques Prévert and originally part of the “En sortant de l’ecole” series, the “Tant de Forets” (So Many Forests) poem denounces the...
- 9/22/2015
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Read More: Watch: Wacky Teaser for Don Herztfedlt's SXSW and Sundance-Winning 'World of Tomorrow' Over the past 16 years, The Animated Show of Shows has screened countless new and inventive short films exclusively for animation studios, societies and festivals. This year, creator and curator Ron Diamond is proud to announce that the showcase will be screened in theaters nationwide in an effort to expose the general public to the work of some of the world's most innovative and exciting animators. The new poster and trailer for this year's "Animation Show of Shows" ensure the selection offers an eclectic mix of humor, heart and humanity, as well as an impressive range of animated styles and techniques. The joyful poster features an image of two cosmonauts from Konstantin Bronzit's "We Can't Live Without Cosmos." The trailer then invites us to discover the rest of these hidden gems, taking us on...
- 9/3/2015
- by Tarek Shoukri
- Indiewire
Seven films have been recognised for their strength, technicality and ingenuity in the 64th Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) best shorts awards.
The jury consisting of producer Anna McLeish, author and writer Christos Tsiolkas and Rialto Distribution.s Hayley Weston. awarded the following films: The Rmit University Award for Best Experimental Short Film went to French film Tehran-geles by director Arash Nassiri and producer Eric Prigent, in which a futuristic vision of Tehran is constructed using aerial shots of Los Angeles at night. The jury said, .Nassiri.s astonishing and mesmerising film, that blurs the lines between animation and the real, between science fiction and documentary, is a visually inventive exploration of what the future of the moving image might look like.. Pond5 Award for Best Documentary Short Film was given to Nowhere Line: Voices from Manus Island by director/producer Lukas Schrank, in which animation is used to depict...
The jury consisting of producer Anna McLeish, author and writer Christos Tsiolkas and Rialto Distribution.s Hayley Weston. awarded the following films: The Rmit University Award for Best Experimental Short Film went to French film Tehran-geles by director Arash Nassiri and producer Eric Prigent, in which a futuristic vision of Tehran is constructed using aerial shots of Los Angeles at night. The jury said, .Nassiri.s astonishing and mesmerising film, that blurs the lines between animation and the real, between science fiction and documentary, is a visually inventive exploration of what the future of the moving image might look like.. Pond5 Award for Best Documentary Short Film was given to Nowhere Line: Voices from Manus Island by director/producer Lukas Schrank, in which animation is used to depict...
- 8/10/2015
- by Staff writer
- IF.com.au
Parvez Sharma’s pilgrimmage to Mecca shot on an iPhone picked up a prize as the Lgbt festival in Los Angeles came to a close on Sunday night.
2015 Outfest ran from July 9-19 and closed with François Ozon’s The New Girlfriend.
Audience Awards
Dramatic Feature
Fourth Man Out, dir Andrew Nackman
Documentary Feature
The Glamour And The Squalor, dir Marq Evans
First Us Dramatic Feature
Those People, dir Joey Kuhn
Documentary Short
A Place In The Middle, dir Dean Hamer
Dramatic Short
The Letter, dir Angeles Cruz
Grand Jury Awards
Citations appear below as formulated by the juries
Documentary Feature Special Recognition
For Excellence in Filmmaking we award a Special Jury mention to Tchindas, a masterfully crafted intimate portrait of the courageous Cape Verdian trans community
Documentary Feature Winner
We award Best Documentary Feature to A Sinner In Mecca for gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma’s daring iPhone journey of acceptance into the heart of Islam.
Actor...
2015 Outfest ran from July 9-19 and closed with François Ozon’s The New Girlfriend.
Audience Awards
Dramatic Feature
Fourth Man Out, dir Andrew Nackman
Documentary Feature
The Glamour And The Squalor, dir Marq Evans
First Us Dramatic Feature
Those People, dir Joey Kuhn
Documentary Short
A Place In The Middle, dir Dean Hamer
Dramatic Short
The Letter, dir Angeles Cruz
Grand Jury Awards
Citations appear below as formulated by the juries
Documentary Feature Special Recognition
For Excellence in Filmmaking we award a Special Jury mention to Tchindas, a masterfully crafted intimate portrait of the courageous Cape Verdian trans community
Documentary Feature Winner
We award Best Documentary Feature to A Sinner In Mecca for gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma’s daring iPhone journey of acceptance into the heart of Islam.
Actor...
- 7/19/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Yesterday came the yearly announcement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it extended 134 invitations to several artists and executives "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures" read the press release. Of course all of them can decline, but I wouldn't necessarily expect that to happen as all who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2009 to the Academy's roster of voting members. "These filmmakers have, over the course of their careers, captured the imagination of audiences around the world," said Academy President Sid Ganis. "It's this kind of talent and creativity that make up the Academy, and I welcome each of them to our ranks." The list follows below and reading around the best analysis I saw of it came from Nathaniel Rogers at The Film Experience who, among other things, pointed out the addition of longtime Darren Aronofsky's...
- 7/1/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued invitations to 134 members of the film community to join the group. There were a maximum of 166 open slots to fill this year, but the various branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them.
Hugh Jackman, who hosted the most recent Oscar show, has been invited to join. So have Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, James Franco and Michelle Williams. The list even includes a number of comic performers like Michael Cera, Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd.
Voting membership in the organization has held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September.
"These filmmakers have, over the course of their careers, captured the imagination of audiences around the world," Academy president Sid Ganis. Said. "It's...
Hugh Jackman, who hosted the most recent Oscar show, has been invited to join. So have Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, James Franco and Michelle Williams. The list even includes a number of comic performers like Michael Cera, Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd.
Voting membership in the organization has held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September.
"These filmmakers have, over the course of their careers, captured the imagination of audiences around the world," Academy president Sid Ganis. Said. "It's...
- 6/30/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
List Source: Variety
Okay, so another year and now it's the final show of the awards season. I don't know why but I'm not that enthuastic about the Oscars this year. Maybe it was last year's underwhelming show or maybe it's because The Dark Knight isn't nominated this year, probably both, but never-the-less the show is done and I want to put up the post of how the show went. Time for the ultimate post-oscar show breakdown...
<!--break-->
Best Motion Picture Of The Year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
"Milk" (Focus Features)
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
Winner: "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
Best Picture was a major disappointment. Less said about The Dark Knight - the better. For me, Milk is the most deserving of best picture this year. It's issues are more relevant and more original than all films on the list this year.
Okay, so another year and now it's the final show of the awards season. I don't know why but I'm not that enthuastic about the Oscars this year. Maybe it was last year's underwhelming show or maybe it's because The Dark Knight isn't nominated this year, probably both, but never-the-less the show is done and I want to put up the post of how the show went. Time for the ultimate post-oscar show breakdown...
<!--break-->
Best Motion Picture Of The Year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
"Milk" (Focus Features)
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
Winner: "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
Best Picture was a major disappointment. Less said about The Dark Knight - the better. For me, Milk is the most deserving of best picture this year. It's issues are more relevant and more original than all films on the list this year.
- 2/23/2009
- by admin
Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Slumdog Millionaire" has almost completely swept the Oscars® with awards including Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Picture and both original song and score music categories. Other notable wins included: - Sean Penn who took home the Best Actor award, his second after 2004's "Mystic River."- Heath Ledger for his astounding performance in Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Dark Knight"- Kate Winslet - Once again for her work in "The Reader" after a two Golden Globe's earned for "Revolutionary Road" and "The Reader"- Penelope Cruz - In Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" comedy As announced, here are the winners (noted in bold) of the 2009 Academy Awards which were announced on Sunday, February 22nd. Performance by an actor in a leading role Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films) Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal) Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features) Brad Pitt in...
- 2/23/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Did your favorite movies and stars win? Read on to find out! Performance by an actor in a leading role: Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal) Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features) Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight) Performance by an actor in a supporting role: Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features) Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax) Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Performance by an actress in a leading role: Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics) Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal) Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics) Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax) Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company) Performance by an actress in a...
- 2/23/2009
- by TheInsider
- TheInsider.com
Looks like I predicted all the winners yesterday, except for “Best Foreign Language.” Maybe I should have seen one of those before guessing in that category. What did you think? Did they get it right? Who should have won? Post below!
Here are the winners from one of the best Academy Awards ceremonies I can remember:
Best Motion Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn in Milk
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie in Changeling
Melissa Leo in Frozen River
Meryl Streep in Doubt
Kate Winslet in The Reader
Achievement in directing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher
Frost/Nixon,...
Here are the winners from one of the best Academy Awards ceremonies I can remember:
Best Motion Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn in Milk
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie in Changeling
Melissa Leo in Frozen River
Meryl Streep in Doubt
Kate Winslet in The Reader
Achievement in directing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher
Frost/Nixon,...
- 2/23/2009
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Click here for the 2009 Academy Award winners! This year I opted not to break down every category and discuss the merits of each individual nominee. Mostly because it takes a ridiculous amount of time, but also because there doesn’t seem to be as much excitement as in previous years. Maybe it’s the fact that the populist picks of the year (Dark Knight, for example) were snubbed in the major categories and replaced with little seen films like The Reader. Or maybe because many of the categories are foregone conclusions.
Either way, I wanted to post my favorites/predictions and hopefully get some discussion going on what you think will win and why. I’m posting my picks here, but included the full list of nominations below.
Best Picture
Slumdog Millionaire - It’s clearly the favorite going into the ballot counting having swept every major awards ceremony leading up to the Oscars.
Either way, I wanted to post my favorites/predictions and hopefully get some discussion going on what you think will win and why. I’m posting my picks here, but included the full list of nominations below.
Best Picture
Slumdog Millionaire - It’s clearly the favorite going into the ballot counting having swept every major awards ceremony leading up to the Oscars.
- 2/21/2009
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
On Thursday morning, January 22, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have unveiled to the world their selection of nominees for the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Announced by Academy president Sid Ganis and Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, the nominations were dominated by "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
Having been shunned away from any kudos at the 66th Golden Globe Awards, the David Fincher's drama has picked up 13 nods, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Taraji P. Henson and Best Leading Actor for Brad Pitt. The movie about a man born in his eighties has landed a Best Original Score nomination for composer Alexandre Desplat, and received seven gongs for technical categories as well.
The success of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in collecting multiple nominations was followed by "Slumdog Millionaire", "The Dark Knight...
Having been shunned away from any kudos at the 66th Golden Globe Awards, the David Fincher's drama has picked up 13 nods, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Taraji P. Henson and Best Leading Actor for Brad Pitt. The movie about a man born in his eighties has landed a Best Original Score nomination for composer Alexandre Desplat, and received seven gongs for technical categories as well.
The success of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in collecting multiple nominations was followed by "Slumdog Millionaire", "The Dark Knight...
- 1/23/2009
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected the nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards ceremony, airing live on ABC February 22, 2009. The awards will be handed out at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Hugh Jackman has been hired to host the Oscars, the first time for the Australian actor, but more importantly the first time since 1989 a comedian hasn’t hosted. The producers (Laurence Mark and Bill Condon) have also made formal statements saying they do not plan to announce the presenters for the awards, hoping the surprise will drive viewership.
The telecast last year was the least watched in the 30-year history of the rating system. The industry had hoped a “Best Picture” nomination for The Dark Knight or Wall-e would help bridge the gap between popular, massive movies and lesser seen art house films. A poll by USA Today and Fandango showed 71% of respondents...
Hugh Jackman has been hired to host the Oscars, the first time for the Australian actor, but more importantly the first time since 1989 a comedian hasn’t hosted. The producers (Laurence Mark and Bill Condon) have also made formal statements saying they do not plan to announce the presenters for the awards, hoping the surprise will drive viewership.
The telecast last year was the least watched in the 30-year history of the rating system. The industry had hoped a “Best Picture” nomination for The Dark Knight or Wall-e would help bridge the gap between popular, massive movies and lesser seen art house films. A poll by USA Today and Fandango showed 71% of respondents...
- 1/22/2009
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Read my griping and complaining below.
But tally time -- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" received 13 nominations, and "Milk" got 8! Yay!
Oh, and my lovely "Wall-e" received an Original Screenplay nomination! Woo Hoo!
Read the Complete List by clicking, Read More.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
* Richard Jenkins in .The Visitor. (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in .Frost/Nixon. (Universal)
* Sean Penn in .Milk. (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in .The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in .The Wrestler. (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
* Josh Brolin in .Milk. (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in .Tropic Thunder. (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in .Doubt. (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in .The Dark Knight. (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in .Revolutionary Road. (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by...
But tally time -- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" received 13 nominations, and "Milk" got 8! Yay!
Oh, and my lovely "Wall-e" received an Original Screenplay nomination! Woo Hoo!
Read the Complete List by clicking, Read More.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
* Richard Jenkins in .The Visitor. (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in .Frost/Nixon. (Universal)
* Sean Penn in .Milk. (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in .The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in .The Wrestler. (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
* Josh Brolin in .Milk. (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in .Tropic Thunder. (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in .Doubt. (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in .The Dark Knight. (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in .Revolutionary Road. (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by...
- 1/22/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning at Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (A.M.P.A.S.) in Beverly Hills by Sid Ganis and Forest Whitaker. Paramount Pictures' "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" edged ahead of competitors in the number of awards nominated for this years offering of films with a total of thirteen nominations. These included, among others Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Other contenders in the Best Picture category included Focus Features’ “Milk,” Universal’s “Frost/Nixon,” the Weinstein Co.’s “The Reader” and Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire.” "Aint nothin' but a thang" - Robert Downey Jr. secured an Oscar® nomination for his hilarious supporting role in Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder." As announced by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, here are the nominees: Performance by an actor in a leading role Richard Jenkins...
- 1/22/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
OTTAWA -- Michaela Pavlatova's musical erotica fantasy The Carnival of Animals, Andreas Hykade's The Runt, George Griffin's deadpan comedy It Pains Me to Say This, and Run Wrake's adult fairy tale Rabbit are among the 106 films from 20 countries competing in the Ottawa International Animation Festival that organizers unveiled Wednesday at a media conference. Swedish animator Jonas Odell's "Never Like the First Time!" and Joanna Quinn's "Dreams and Desires: Family Ties," which picked up the top prize at both the Annecy and Zagreb animation festivals earlier this year, will also unspool in the competitive section with 16 categories, ranging from features to promotional animation to Internet works. The 30th anniversary edition of North America's largest and the world's second-biggest animation festival will also feature retrospectives of the works of Russian Konstantin Bronzit, former Warner Bros. cartoon director Bob Clampett, New York experimental animator Jeff Scher, Italian Bruno Bozzetto and Canadian John Straiton.
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