The Creator won big at the 22nd annual Visual Effects Society Awards Wednesday night.
The awards were handed out during a ceremony, hosted by actor-comedian Jay Pharoah, at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
The Creator took home five awards in the feature competition, including outstanding visual effects in a photoreal feature. The Last of Us was also a top winner in the series categories, scoring four awards, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse led the animation competition with four wins.
Other winners of the night included Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Oppenheimer, Nyad, The Mandalorian and The Flash.
It was previously announced that producer Joyce Cox, who produced VFX on movies including Avatar and The Dark Knight, received the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony.
Actor-producer-director William Shatner was also previously revealed as the recipient of the award for Creative Excellence in “recognition of his valuable contributions...
The awards were handed out during a ceremony, hosted by actor-comedian Jay Pharoah, at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
The Creator took home five awards in the feature competition, including outstanding visual effects in a photoreal feature. The Last of Us was also a top winner in the series categories, scoring four awards, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse led the animation competition with four wins.
Other winners of the night included Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Oppenheimer, Nyad, The Mandalorian and The Flash.
It was previously announced that producer Joyce Cox, who produced VFX on movies including Avatar and The Dark Knight, received the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony.
Actor-producer-director William Shatner was also previously revealed as the recipient of the award for Creative Excellence in “recognition of his valuable contributions...
- 2/22/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” was the big winner at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards (held February 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel). The AI-themed, sci-fi actioner earned five awards, including the top photoreal feature VFX prize. The other awards were for modeling (Nomad), created environment (Floating Village), effects simulations, and compositing & lighting (Bar).
“The Creator” utilized an innovative streamlining process in post, in which Ilm designed and placed the naturalistic VFX over the actors playing AI simulants and the photographic plates as set extensions. This made the $80 million indie look like a $200 million blockbuster, with director Edwards shooting the entire film guerilla-style in 80 locations throughout Southeast Asia as the primary camera operator with a small crew and natural light.
Meanwhile, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the animated feature Oscar favorite (snubbed by the Academy’s VFX branch), took home four awards, including the top animated VFX prize. Sony Pictures Imageworks innovated...
“The Creator” utilized an innovative streamlining process in post, in which Ilm designed and placed the naturalistic VFX over the actors playing AI simulants and the photographic plates as set extensions. This made the $80 million indie look like a $200 million blockbuster, with director Edwards shooting the entire film guerilla-style in 80 locations throughout Southeast Asia as the primary camera operator with a small crew and natural light.
Meanwhile, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the animated feature Oscar favorite (snubbed by the Academy’s VFX branch), took home four awards, including the top animated VFX prize. Sony Pictures Imageworks innovated...
- 2/22/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
As had been generally expected, Gareth Edwards’ futuristic sci-fi film “The Creator” proved to be the favorite among visual effects practitioners. The film topped the feature competition at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards, claiming five wins including one in the leading category for outstanding VFX in a photoreal feature.
Wednesday night at the Beverly Hilton, it also won the categories for created environment, model, compositing and lighting and effects simulations. Also, in the feature competition, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” collected two awards for the digital character (the emotive Rocket) and virtual cinematography. “Oppenheimer” grabbed the trophy for practical effects, and “Nyad” took home the award for supporting VFX. Sony Pictures Animation’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was the big winner among the animated features, collecting four awards.
“The Creator,” whose VFX was led by Industrial Light + Magic, and Guardians 3, whose work was shared by roughly 10 VFX companies,...
Wednesday night at the Beverly Hilton, it also won the categories for created environment, model, compositing and lighting and effects simulations. Also, in the feature competition, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” collected two awards for the digital character (the emotive Rocket) and virtual cinematography. “Oppenheimer” grabbed the trophy for practical effects, and “Nyad” took home the award for supporting VFX. Sony Pictures Animation’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was the big winner among the animated features, collecting four awards.
“The Creator,” whose VFX was led by Industrial Light + Magic, and Guardians 3, whose work was shared by roughly 10 VFX companies,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina and Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
“Oppenheimer,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “The Last of Us” are among the nominees for the Visual Effects Society (Ves) Awards.
Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” leads the feature film field with seven nominations. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the top animated contender with seven nominations and 24-time Emmy-nominated drama “The Last of Us” leads the episodic field with six nominations.
“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create remarkable imagery,” Ves chair Kim Davidson said. “We are seeing best-in-class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of innovation. The Ves Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of our nominees.”
The Ves is a global honorary society dedicated to “advancing the arts, sciences and applications of visual effects and to upholding...
Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” leads the feature film field with seven nominations. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the top animated contender with seven nominations and 24-time Emmy-nominated drama “The Last of Us” leads the episodic field with six nominations.
“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create remarkable imagery,” Ves chair Kim Davidson said. “We are seeing best-in-class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of innovation. The Ves Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of our nominees.”
The Ves is a global honorary society dedicated to “advancing the arts, sciences and applications of visual effects and to upholding...
- 1/16/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
The Visual Effects Society has composited the nominees for its 22nd annual Ves Awards, which will be handed out next month. Disney’s The Creator and Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lead the field with seven noms apiece, and HBO’s The Last of Us tops TV with six. See the full list below.
The annual Ves Awards will be handed out during the group’s 22nd annual ceremony February 21 at the Beverly Hilton. They recognize outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in 25 categories spanning features, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on artists who bring this work to life.
“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create remarkable imagery,” said Kim Davidson, newly elected Ves Chair. “We are seeing best-in-class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of innovation.
The annual Ves Awards will be handed out during the group’s 22nd annual ceremony February 21 at the Beverly Hilton. They recognize outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in 25 categories spanning features, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on artists who bring this work to life.
“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create remarkable imagery,” said Kim Davidson, newly elected Ves Chair. “We are seeing best-in-class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of innovation.
- 1/16/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Spider-Society has webbed in a few honors. The Visual Effects Society has announced their nominations for the 22nd annual Ves Awards, with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” leading the pack.
Held every winter, the Ves Awards honor the best achievements in visual effects artistry over the previous calendar year, with VFX professionals in film, television, video games, and commercials receiving recognition. Nominees in 25 categories are selected by Ves members through a process of 39 in-person and virtual nomination events, held worldwide and conducted during a 36-hour period. A minimum of three judging panels review each submission for the awards, looking at “Before and Afters” for each prospective nominee. Ves judging panels this year included members of the society from 25 different countries.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was the top animated film to receive nominations this year, gaining seven nominations including Outstanding Effects in an Animated Feature and specific nods for modeling, character animation,...
Held every winter, the Ves Awards honor the best achievements in visual effects artistry over the previous calendar year, with VFX professionals in film, television, video games, and commercials receiving recognition. Nominees in 25 categories are selected by Ves members through a process of 39 in-person and virtual nomination events, held worldwide and conducted during a 36-hour period. A minimum of three judging panels review each submission for the awards, looking at “Before and Afters” for each prospective nominee. Ves judging panels this year included members of the society from 25 different countries.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was the top animated film to receive nominations this year, gaining seven nominations including Outstanding Effects in an Animated Feature and specific nods for modeling, character animation,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic, which won Oscars for the visual effects in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom, returned to use every trick in the book on the whopping 2,350 VFX shots in the fifth installment of the franchise.
In the opening action sequence of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, a young Harrison Ford appears in a 1944-set flashback highlighted by an action scene atop of moving train. Then we meet the elder Indy in 1969 for his next adventure, which includes a tuk-tuk chase in Morocco and — using the dial to time travel — a climax set during the epic siege of Syracuse.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with production VFX supervisor Andrew Whitehurst and Ilm VFX supervisor Robert Weaver about their work on the movie — the first in the franchise to be helmed by James Mangold (Logan, Ford v. Ferrari). “The conversation never stops,...
In the opening action sequence of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, a young Harrison Ford appears in a 1944-set flashback highlighted by an action scene atop of moving train. Then we meet the elder Indy in 1969 for his next adventure, which includes a tuk-tuk chase in Morocco and — using the dial to time travel — a climax set during the epic siege of Syracuse.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with production VFX supervisor Andrew Whitehurst and Ilm VFX supervisor Robert Weaver about their work on the movie — the first in the franchise to be helmed by James Mangold (Logan, Ford v. Ferrari). “The conversation never stops,...
- 7/10/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Yes, the de-aging of Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is an impressive tech breakthrough by Ilm that far exceeds the much-debated work on “The Irishman.” No, they didn’t rely solely on AI or machine learning. Instead, the de-aging for the Nazi-fighting prologue set in 1944 (with Ford looking 35 years younger) was achieved with every tool in their VFX arsenal — known collectively as “Ilm FaceSwap” — and by more than 100 artists.
Was it necessary? Yes, according to director James Mangold, who told IndieWire’s Anne Thompson: “I thought there would be a way to carry the audience through Harrison’s present-day age by greeting them first with an energetic homage to the previous films. You confront the audience with a young Indy in full flower and full action, and then make a sharp turn. Take everything away and let the audience confront the difference between now and then in a brazen way.
Was it necessary? Yes, according to director James Mangold, who told IndieWire’s Anne Thompson: “I thought there would be a way to carry the audience through Harrison’s present-day age by greeting them first with an energetic homage to the previous films. You confront the audience with a young Indy in full flower and full action, and then make a sharp turn. Take everything away and let the audience confront the difference between now and then in a brazen way.
- 7/7/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Before “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” even opened, the Disney adventure tentpole sparked intrigue with a de-aged Harrison Ford, who, in his fifth film playing the whip-cracking archaeologist, is now 80 years old.
The shots of a young Ford look impressive, and it’s thanks to the team of over 100 artists at Industrial Light and Magic, who spent three years on the film’s visual effects, which also included enhancing and developing their existing de-aging technology to create Ilm FaceSwap.
Photorealism de-aging was nothing new to the team. After all, technology such as Flux existed and had been used on films such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Irishman.”
But when the film’s VFX supervisor Andrew Whitehurst and Robert Weaver, VFX supervisor at Ilm, first took on the James Mangold-helmed “Dial of Destiny,” they knew this was going to be the biggest project they had undertaken.
The shots of a young Ford look impressive, and it’s thanks to the team of over 100 artists at Industrial Light and Magic, who spent three years on the film’s visual effects, which also included enhancing and developing their existing de-aging technology to create Ilm FaceSwap.
Photorealism de-aging was nothing new to the team. After all, technology such as Flux existed and had been used on films such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Irishman.”
But when the film’s VFX supervisor Andrew Whitehurst and Robert Weaver, VFX supervisor at Ilm, first took on the James Mangold-helmed “Dial of Destiny,” they knew this was going to be the biggest project they had undertaken.
- 7/7/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers.]
Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is back in fine form for swan song “The Dial of Destiny,” dodging former Nazi rival Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) alongside estranged goddaughter/treasure hunter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) while chasing after Archimedes’ Antikythera (the titular dial).
But director James Mangold fully embraced the senior daredevil archaeologist being out of step in the turbulent ’60s, putting Indy firmly in the time period by collaborating with production designer Adam Stockhausen (“Asteroid City”) on several action-packed historical recreations. Audiences see everything from the Nazi castle and plunder train during the 1944 prologue (boasting a de-aged Ford by Ilm) and the Apollo 11 astronaut ticker-tape parade in New York City to the Ear of Dionysius cave in Sicily and a battle with the invading Romans in 213 Bce.
“We had a very unusual early process where I was able to do sketching work in real-time as [Mangold] was developing the script,” Stockhausen told IndieWire.
Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is back in fine form for swan song “The Dial of Destiny,” dodging former Nazi rival Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) alongside estranged goddaughter/treasure hunter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) while chasing after Archimedes’ Antikythera (the titular dial).
But director James Mangold fully embraced the senior daredevil archaeologist being out of step in the turbulent ’60s, putting Indy firmly in the time period by collaborating with production designer Adam Stockhausen (“Asteroid City”) on several action-packed historical recreations. Audiences see everything from the Nazi castle and plunder train during the 1944 prologue (boasting a de-aged Ford by Ilm) and the Apollo 11 astronaut ticker-tape parade in New York City to the Ear of Dionysius cave in Sicily and a battle with the invading Romans in 213 Bce.
“We had a very unusual early process where I was able to do sketching work in real-time as [Mangold] was developing the script,” Stockhausen told IndieWire.
- 7/5/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
“My little three year old and one year old were crawling around trashing the living room and it was almost bath time,” recalls cinematographer Rob Hardy Bsc on the day he found out he had just received his first ever Emmy nomination for his the ambitious work of the FX on Hulu sci-fi limited series “Devs.” He adds tongue-in-cheek, “I got a text from my agents saying congratulations and I said ‘for what? For managing to get through another day?… It was a big surprise!” Watch our exclusive video interview with Hardy above.
See the 2020 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations complete list
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation where she works is behind the murder...
See the 2020 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations complete list
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation where she works is behind the murder...
- 8/18/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
The limited series “Devs” aired its eight episodes from March 5 to April 16, 2020 as part of the “FX on Hulu” cross-promotion (Disney owns both companies since the Mouse House bought 20th Century Fox). But will the mind-bending sci-fi thriller appeal to Emmy voters? Scroll down for our exclusive video interviews with top awards contenders from the show.
See‘Devs’ reviews: Critics say the trippy sci-fi limited series from Alex Garland is ‘daring’ and ‘stunningly ambitious’
FX has done exceedingly well in longform races at the Emmys with “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” both winning Best Limited Series and multiple seasons of “American Horror Story” earning nominations. Hulu has been making inroads too; “The Looming Tower” earned multiple bids in 2019, and “The Act” won for Patricia Arquette‘s supporting performance, so “Devs” is certainly on a platform voters are well acquainted with.
And “Devs” has an impressive pedigree.
See‘Devs’ reviews: Critics say the trippy sci-fi limited series from Alex Garland is ‘daring’ and ‘stunningly ambitious’
FX has done exceedingly well in longform races at the Emmys with “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” both winning Best Limited Series and multiple seasons of “American Horror Story” earning nominations. Hulu has been making inroads too; “The Looming Tower” earned multiple bids in 2019, and “The Act” won for Patricia Arquette‘s supporting performance, so “Devs” is certainly on a platform voters are well acquainted with.
And “Devs” has an impressive pedigree.
- 7/10/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
On sci-fi thriller Devs, VFX supervisor Andrew Whitehurst reteamed with director Alex Garland for an exploration of the multiverse, digging into scientific literature to depict a world of the near future, and the technology that accompanied it.
Starring Sonoya Mizuno, the series centers on Lily, a software engineer for a quantum computing company in the Bay Area, who investigates a secretive development division within her company, following the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend.
An Oscar winner known for films including Ex Machina and Annihilation, Whitehurst began conversations on Devs while the latter film was being finished. “[Alex and I] were talking a lot during the period of him writing it, because we both have a shared interest in quantum physics, and the idea of multiverses. I was being sent episodes as they were being written, and discussing what he was about to go and write before he was writing it,” Whitehurst says. “So,...
Starring Sonoya Mizuno, the series centers on Lily, a software engineer for a quantum computing company in the Bay Area, who investigates a secretive development division within her company, following the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend.
An Oscar winner known for films including Ex Machina and Annihilation, Whitehurst began conversations on Devs while the latter film was being finished. “[Alex and I] were talking a lot during the period of him writing it, because we both have a shared interest in quantum physics, and the idea of multiverses. I was being sent episodes as they were being written, and discussing what he was about to go and write before he was writing it,” Whitehurst says. “So,...
- 7/8/2020
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“As designers we are really always here to back up the drama and not overshadow it,” declares production designer Mark Digby, who alongside set decorator Michelle Day designed the ambitious look and feel of the FX on Hulu sci-fi drama series “Devs.”
“To have people responding to that, in addition to responding to the drama is a great thing for us,” he says. “It’s a wonderful present at the end of what we do.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Digby above.
See Alex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation, a Silicon Valley quantum physics company where she works, is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Devs is...
“To have people responding to that, in addition to responding to the drama is a great thing for us,” he says. “It’s a wonderful present at the end of what we do.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Digby above.
See Alex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation, a Silicon Valley quantum physics company where she works, is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Devs is...
- 6/25/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“It’s utterly transformative,” declares Oscar-winning visual effects artist Andrew Whitehurst about how visual effects can make or break a show like sci-fi drama “Devs.” “When you’re using visual effects as a method of completing your work, it is the thing that finally pushes the audience through, into this idealized environment.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Whitehurst above.
SEEAlex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer/director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by a mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we...
SEEAlex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer/director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by a mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we...
- 6/24/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
According to Oscar nominee Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”), his FX psychological sci-fi drama “Devs” might ultimately be “about love,” he reveals. “What it is that matters to us, whether we have free will or not. Who do we love? Why do we love them? Do we stop loving them?” Watch our exclusive video interview with Garland above.
See Nick Offerman Interview: ‘Devs’
“Devs” is the writer and director’s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi dramas “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we learn have...
See Nick Offerman Interview: ‘Devs’
“Devs” is the writer and director’s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi dramas “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we learn have...
- 6/23/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Alex Garland’s limited series “Devs” begins with Lily (Sonoya Mizuno) looking into the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend (Karl Glusman), who had just begun work on an equally mysterious tech project with their employer Forest (Nick Offerman). By the season finale, the secrets of what Forest is doing, and their larger implications for humanity, come to light for Lily and she confronts the false prophet. The result is a tense-turned-terrifying elevator ride in what is essentially a glass box. Because Stewart (Stephen McKinley Henderson) turns off the electromagnetic field that normally carries the elevator safely, it turns on its side and plummets to the ground, shattering its walls on impact. Lily and Forest manage to survive for a few moments, but ultimately their fate is to live on within Forest’s system, which is a simulation of an afterlife that allows them to pick up before they lost their loved ones.
- 6/17/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Each new episode of “Devs” takes its time diving back into the world the show has created. But it’s not done through the standard “Previously on” rewind that many other series use. If anything, these episode preludes set the stage for what’s to come.
“I was trying to work with a convention that I noticed on TV, a recap. And this was a sort of slightly more abstract recap, because it’s really a foreshadowing a lot of the time,” series writer/director Alex Garland told IndieWire.
More from IndieWireThe Best TV Series of 2020 So Far (And Where to Watch Them)What We're Watching While Taking Covid-19 Precautions: 'Roswell, N.M.', MSNBC and ... 'The West Wing'
An episode-by-episode marker that’s facing both backward and forward in time ends up being a pretty solid metaphor for what the rest of the show is dealing with...
“I was trying to work with a convention that I noticed on TV, a recap. And this was a sort of slightly more abstract recap, because it’s really a foreshadowing a lot of the time,” series writer/director Alex Garland told IndieWire.
More from IndieWireThe Best TV Series of 2020 So Far (And Where to Watch Them)What We're Watching While Taking Covid-19 Precautions: 'Roswell, N.M.', MSNBC and ... 'The West Wing'
An episode-by-episode marker that’s facing both backward and forward in time ends up being a pretty solid metaphor for what the rest of the show is dealing with...
- 3/26/2020
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Could “Annihilation” be an early contender for the 2019 Oscars? The mind-bending sci-fi film, about a team of scientists who investigate a strange energy field known as “the Shimmer,” was acclaimed when it opened on February 23, but will it be remembered by awards voters in a few months? “Get Out” proved it’s possible: it was a February 2017 release that earned a Best Picture nomination and won Best Original Screenplay more than a year after it opened. Or for another example you could just look at “Annihilation” director Alex Garland‘s last Oscar winning film, “Ex Machina.”
“Ex Machina” was Garland’s directorial debut. It was released in April 2015 and starred Oscar Isaac as a scientist who created a sentient android (Alicia Vikander). Its unsettling tone, sci-fi subject matter and spring release date didn’t indicate a likely Oscar contender. But critics championed it (78 on MetaCritic, 92% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes), and...
“Ex Machina” was Garland’s directorial debut. It was released in April 2015 and starred Oscar Isaac as a scientist who created a sentient android (Alicia Vikander). Its unsettling tone, sci-fi subject matter and spring release date didn’t indicate a likely Oscar contender. But critics championed it (78 on MetaCritic, 92% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes), and...
- 3/7/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: 20th anniversary of awards to see splintering of craft category.
The British Independent Film Awards is set for a significant overhaul ahead of its 2017 ceremony.
Replacing the catch-all outstanding achievement in craft category will be nine separate awards representing different craft disciplines.
They will be: casting, cinematography, costume design, editing, make-up and hair design, music, production design, sound and effects.
Bifa top brass hope that the new system will be “better placed to recognise the wealth of exceptional British talent behind the camera”.
The additions will see the total number of awards categories grow from 19 to 27, including three honorary awards.
At the two most recent editions of the ceremony, the outstanding achievement in craft award had feted Andrew Whitehurst, VFX supervisor on Ex Machina, in 2015, and Robbie Ryan, cinematographer on American Honey, who won last year [pictured]. It was originally introduced in 2001 as the Best Technical Achievement prize.
New system explained
Entries will be open between May 29 and...
The British Independent Film Awards is set for a significant overhaul ahead of its 2017 ceremony.
Replacing the catch-all outstanding achievement in craft category will be nine separate awards representing different craft disciplines.
They will be: casting, cinematography, costume design, editing, make-up and hair design, music, production design, sound and effects.
Bifa top brass hope that the new system will be “better placed to recognise the wealth of exceptional British talent behind the camera”.
The additions will see the total number of awards categories grow from 19 to 27, including three honorary awards.
At the two most recent editions of the ceremony, the outstanding achievement in craft award had feted Andrew Whitehurst, VFX supervisor on Ex Machina, in 2015, and Robbie Ryan, cinematographer on American Honey, who won last year [pictured]. It was originally introduced in 2001 as the Best Technical Achievement prize.
New system explained
Entries will be open between May 29 and...
- 5/31/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Oscar Winners 2016: How 'Spotlight,' 'The Revenant,' and 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Dominated the Academy Awards So how did A24's $15 million "Ex Machina" pull off the biggest upset Sunday night by snatching the VFX Oscar from frontrunner "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," let alone "The Revenant" bear, "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "The Martian"? The answer: "The Danish Girl" Best Supporting Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, who was beguiling as android Ava. The entire effectiveness of Alex Garland's low-budget sci-fi thriller rested with her ability to make us believe that computer programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) could fall in love with her. In fact, that was the sales pitch by VFX supervisor Andrew Whitehurst that helped get "Ex Machina" nominated at the Academy bakeoff. Double Negative — which earned its second consecutive Oscar and third in the last six years — designed and...
- 3/1/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Kicking off another stellar year of star-studded goodness, the 2016 Oscars got underway last night (February 28) in Los Angeles.
And with so many deserving nominees, the competition for each and every one of the twenty-four trophies was nothing short of fierce.
Furthermore, viewers were treated to musical performances from top artists like The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Sam Smith, as well as hilarious commentary from host Chris Rock.
The 2016 Oscars winners are:
Best Picture
Spotlight
Best Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Original Screenplay
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, The Big Short
Best Animated Feature Film
Inside Out
Best Foreign Language Film
Son Of Saul
Best Documentary – Feature
Amy
Best Documentary – Short Subject...
And with so many deserving nominees, the competition for each and every one of the twenty-four trophies was nothing short of fierce.
Furthermore, viewers were treated to musical performances from top artists like The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Sam Smith, as well as hilarious commentary from host Chris Rock.
The 2016 Oscars winners are:
Best Picture
Spotlight
Best Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Original Screenplay
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, The Big Short
Best Animated Feature Film
Inside Out
Best Foreign Language Film
Son Of Saul
Best Documentary – Feature
Amy
Best Documentary – Short Subject...
- 2/29/2016
- GossipCenter
Kicking off another stellar year of star-studded goodness, the 2016 Oscars got underway last night (February 28) in Los Angeles.
And with so many deserving nominees, the competition for each and every one of the twenty-four trophies was nothing short of fierce.
Furthermore, viewers were treated to musical performances from top artists like The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Sam Smith, as well as hilarious commentary from host Chris Rock.
The 2016 Oscars winners are:
Best Picture
Spotlight
Best Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Original Screenplay
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, The Big Short
Best Animated Feature Film
Inside Out
Best Foreign Language Film
Son Of Saul
Best Documentary – Feature
Amy
Best Documentary – Short Subject...
And with so many deserving nominees, the competition for each and every one of the twenty-four trophies was nothing short of fierce.
Furthermore, viewers were treated to musical performances from top artists like The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Sam Smith, as well as hilarious commentary from host Chris Rock.
The 2016 Oscars winners are:
Best Picture
Spotlight
Best Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Original Screenplay
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay
Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, The Big Short
Best Animated Feature Film
Inside Out
Best Foreign Language Film
Son Of Saul
Best Documentary – Feature
Amy
Best Documentary – Short Subject...
- 2/29/2016
- GossipCenter
Bennett is only the third woman nominated in the category, also won by Suzanne Benson in 1986; UK VFX highlighted at awards.
On a night in which British talent dominated the field for best VFX Oscar, Sara Bennett, co-founder of UK studio Milk, became the first female VFX supervisor to win the award.
Along with artists from Double Negative, Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris and Mark Ardington, Bennett won for Alex Garland’s stylish sci-fi Ex Machina.
She is only the third woman to receive a nomination in the famously male-heavy category, which VFX artist Suzanne Benson won for Aliens (1986).
Bennett said: “I am beyond excited!! We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised by The Academy for our work on Ex-Machina. It was a privilege to work with Alex Garland, to bring his incredible vision to life, alongside Andrew Whitehurst and the Dneg team. I would love to see more women in prominent creative roles in our Industry...
On a night in which British talent dominated the field for best VFX Oscar, Sara Bennett, co-founder of UK studio Milk, became the first female VFX supervisor to win the award.
Along with artists from Double Negative, Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris and Mark Ardington, Bennett won for Alex Garland’s stylish sci-fi Ex Machina.
She is only the third woman to receive a nomination in the famously male-heavy category, which VFX artist Suzanne Benson won for Aliens (1986).
Bennett said: “I am beyond excited!! We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised by The Academy for our work on Ex-Machina. It was a privilege to work with Alex Garland, to bring his incredible vision to life, alongside Andrew Whitehurst and the Dneg team. I would love to see more women in prominent creative roles in our Industry...
- 2/29/2016
- ScreenDaily
Bennett is only the third woman nominated in the category, also won by Suzanne Benson in 1986; UK VFX triumphs at awards.
In a night in which British talent dominated the field for Best VFX Oscar, Sara Bennett, co-founder of UK studio Milk, became the first female VFX supervisor to win the award.
Along with artists from Double Negative, Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris and Mark Ardington, Bennett won for Alex Garland’s stylish sci-fi Ex Machina.
She is only the third woman to receive a nomination in the category, which VFX artist Suzanne Benson won for Aliens (1986).
Bennett said: “I am beyond excited!! We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised by The Academy for our work on Ex-Machina. It was a privilege to work with Alex Garland, to bring his incredible vision to life, alongside Andrew Whitehurst and the Dneg team. I would love to see more women in prominent creative roles in our Industry – I was...
In a night in which British talent dominated the field for Best VFX Oscar, Sara Bennett, co-founder of UK studio Milk, became the first female VFX supervisor to win the award.
Along with artists from Double Negative, Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris and Mark Ardington, Bennett won for Alex Garland’s stylish sci-fi Ex Machina.
She is only the third woman to receive a nomination in the category, which VFX artist Suzanne Benson won for Aliens (1986).
Bennett said: “I am beyond excited!! We are thrilled and honoured to be recognised by The Academy for our work on Ex-Machina. It was a privilege to work with Alex Garland, to bring his incredible vision to life, alongside Andrew Whitehurst and the Dneg team. I would love to see more women in prominent creative roles in our Industry – I was...
- 2/29/2016
- ScreenDaily
For our full Oscars reaction, make sure you grab the latest episode of the Podcast. The full winners list is below. Best Picture: Spotlight Direction: “The Revenant,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant” Actress: Brie Larson, “Room” Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies” Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl” Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short,” Charles Randolph and Adam McKay Original Screenplay: “Spotlight,” Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy Cinematography: “The Revenant,” Emmanuel Lubezki Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (set decoration) Film Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Margaret Sixel Visual Effects: “Ex Machina,” Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett Costume Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Jenny Beavan Makeup: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin Sound Editing: “Mad Max:...
- 2/29/2016
- by noreply@blogger.com (Vic Barry)
- www.themoviebit.com
Open Road / Participant Media’s journalism procedural delivered a surprise finale to one of the most closely fought contests in years in Sunday’s 88th Academy Awards.Click here for full list of winners
The show itself was good-humoured despite recent outrage over the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in which all 20 acting nominees were, for the second year in a row, white.
Show host Chris Rock mostly navigated the terrain with aplomb, peppering his routine with jokes about inequality in Hollywood. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who last month announced changes in the Academy’s governance designed to better reflect cultural diversity, spoke of her confidence in shaping a future “in which all of us can be proud.”
Spotlight bookended the show, kicking off proceedings with a win for director Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer in the original screenplay category before signing off in dramatic fashion at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
The film had...
The show itself was good-humoured despite recent outrage over the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in which all 20 acting nominees were, for the second year in a row, white.
Show host Chris Rock mostly navigated the terrain with aplomb, peppering his routine with jokes about inequality in Hollywood. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who last month announced changes in the Academy’s governance designed to better reflect cultural diversity, spoke of her confidence in shaping a future “in which all of us can be proud.”
Spotlight bookended the show, kicking off proceedings with a win for director Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer in the original screenplay category before signing off in dramatic fashion at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
The film had...
- 2/29/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Open Road / Participant Media’s journalism procedural prevailed in one of the most closely fought contests in years to claim the best picture prize at the finale of the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday.
In two of the most widely predicted wins of the night, Leo DiCaprio was named best actor for The Revenant and Brie Larson scooped the best lead actress prize for Room.
Earlier, Mexican filmmaker Alejandro G Innaritu made it back-to-back wins when he claimed the best directing prize for The Revenant after his triumph last year for Birdman. Inarritu was the frontrunner in the category after prevailing in the DGA awards.
Earlier in the night George Miller’s wildly popular dystopian adventure burst out of the blocks at the 88th Academy Awards, earning six awards including best editing and sound editing.
Margaret Sixel took the editing award after a three-in-a-row crafts triumph that saw Mad Max: Fury Road pick up statuettes for costume...
In two of the most widely predicted wins of the night, Leo DiCaprio was named best actor for The Revenant and Brie Larson scooped the best lead actress prize for Room.
Earlier, Mexican filmmaker Alejandro G Innaritu made it back-to-back wins when he claimed the best directing prize for The Revenant after his triumph last year for Birdman. Inarritu was the frontrunner in the category after prevailing in the DGA awards.
Earlier in the night George Miller’s wildly popular dystopian adventure burst out of the blocks at the 88th Academy Awards, earning six awards including best editing and sound editing.
Margaret Sixel took the editing award after a three-in-a-row crafts triumph that saw Mad Max: Fury Road pick up statuettes for costume...
- 2/29/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson lead the winners at the 2016 Oscars. Here's the full list of prizewinners...
Ah, Academy Awards time. Gongage was bestowed in Los Angeles whilst most of Britain slept. And this year's winners? This little lot.
There were a few surprises in there. Spotlight took the Best Picture prize, after missing out on virtually everything else all night (screenwriting aside), Furthermore, Mark Rylance trumped favourite Sylvester Stallone for the Best Supporting Actor gong.
Mad Max: Fury Road won the most gongs, including a hugely deserved prize for its editing. And we’re thrilled too that Ex Machina’s visual effects were recognised.
Here are the winners...
Best picture Spotlight
Best actor Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Best actress Brie Larson (Room)
Best supporting actor Mark Rylance (Bridge Of Spies)
Best supporting actress Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
Best director Alejandro Inarritu (The Revenant)
Best adapted...
google+
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson lead the winners at the 2016 Oscars. Here's the full list of prizewinners...
Ah, Academy Awards time. Gongage was bestowed in Los Angeles whilst most of Britain slept. And this year's winners? This little lot.
There were a few surprises in there. Spotlight took the Best Picture prize, after missing out on virtually everything else all night (screenwriting aside), Furthermore, Mark Rylance trumped favourite Sylvester Stallone for the Best Supporting Actor gong.
Mad Max: Fury Road won the most gongs, including a hugely deserved prize for its editing. And we’re thrilled too that Ex Machina’s visual effects were recognised.
Here are the winners...
Best picture Spotlight
Best actor Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Best actress Brie Larson (Room)
Best supporting actor Mark Rylance (Bridge Of Spies)
Best supporting actress Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
Best director Alejandro Inarritu (The Revenant)
Best adapted...
- 2/28/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Welcome to the 88th Academy Awards from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, where the film industry’s best and whitest gather for the annual celebration of motion picture achievements. It’s been a tight race this year, with several contests still too close to call.
The Revenant is the favourite to win best picture heading into the ceremony, with 12 nominations, however don’t be surprised if Mad Max: Fury Road, The Big Short, or Spotlight spring a surprise.
The backdrop to this evening’s proceedings – along with the foreground and everything above it, below it, to the left and to the right of it – has been dominated by the #OscarsSoWhite outrage, which erupted back in January when, for the second year in a row, all 20 acting nominees were white.
The ensuing maelstrom triggered jerky knees in the Academy, which has moved to alter its composition and the way it does business going forward.
Time will tell. Meanwhile...
The Revenant is the favourite to win best picture heading into the ceremony, with 12 nominations, however don’t be surprised if Mad Max: Fury Road, The Big Short, or Spotlight spring a surprise.
The backdrop to this evening’s proceedings – along with the foreground and everything above it, below it, to the left and to the right of it – has been dominated by the #OscarsSoWhite outrage, which erupted back in January when, for the second year in a row, all 20 acting nominees were white.
The ensuing maelstrom triggered jerky knees in the Academy, which has moved to alter its composition and the way it does business going forward.
Time will tell. Meanwhile...
- 2/28/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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
Titles backed by Film4 this year have a total of 15 Oscar nominations including a Best Picture and Best Director nomination and three of the five Oscar Best Actress Nominees: Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Charlotte Rampling. The total tally of Film4’s awards nominations and wins across the Academy, BAFTA, critics groups, guilds, etc. in 2015 to date is: 181 wins out of a total 581 nominations (95% of which were in the U.S.) across 11 films - “Room”, “Carol”, “Suffragette”, “Youth”, “The Lobster", "Ex Machina", "45 Years”, “Amy”, “Macbeth”, “Slow West”, and “Dark Horse”.
Film4 has already had two Academy Best Picture wins in recent years with "Slumdog Millionaire" and "12 Years A Slave" amid other Academy Award nominations, so we can declare they are a force to be reckoned with.
This year again they have more nominations than most Hollywood Studios! The New York based Distribution and Production Company A24 has seven nominations, and people are talking about them as serious players in the Oscar race, so let’s talk about Film4.
Film4 is known for working with the most distinctive and innovative, both new and established, talent. It develops and co-finances films and is well known for its involvement with “The Last King of Scotland” (2006), “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008), “This is England” (2006), “Seven Psychopaths” (2012), “12 Years a Slave” (2013) as well as its most recent crop of successes in the current awards season which has also already garnered a record number of BAFTA nominations this year - 22 in all.
Sue Bruce Smith is the head of distribution and brand strategy at Channel 4’s feature film division, Film4. She supports the building and financing of projects from the U.K. broadcaster. She works in some capacity across most of the Film4 slate but has been particularly associated with films like “Room”, “The Lobster”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The Last King of Scotland”, “Tyrannosaur”, “The Imposter” and “Le Weekend”,
Sue has been at Film4 over 12 years. Prior to this she has worked variously in U.K. distribution, broadcaster investment in film, international sales and independent production at Palace Pictures, BBC Films, Littlebird and Film4.
Sl: Can you define what exactly you do at Film4?
Sue Bruce Smith: What I do varies quite a bit from film to film. Some of the seasoned producers are more adept at finding partners and don’t need much in the way of help putting their finance together. However, we also work with emerging producers and directors who require more guidance so I am on hand to help them access the right co-production or distribution partners to ensure the film is built in the best possible way. Once the film is completed, I again get involved in the strategy for the launch of the film and I oversee the distribution activity. Protecting and maximizing the strength of our Film4 brand is a key consideration in everything I do. We are also the only free-to-air channel dedicated to film in the U.K. so this really helps define our strong brand.
Sl: How are productions greenlit at Film4?
Sue Bruce Smith:The creative and commercial team within Film4 will guide a project through development to final greenlight. David Kosse, Director of Film4 is a key part of the whole progression of the film and his final decision, based very much on the soundings he gets from his senior team, also obviously draws heavily on his valuable experience and understanding of film investment and the international marketplace. The Film4 team is a very inclusive team of about 23 people working across development, production, finance and distribution. it is also able to draw upon additional resources within the Channel4, most specifically in marketing and press.
Sl: Do you do co-productions?
Sue Bruce Smith: If you mean financial co-productions, yes lots. These tend to be U.S. set financial co-productions or they might come out of Europe. But official co-productions are relatively rare as it is more difficult and takes longer to set up. “Room”, however, was an official co-production with Telefilm Canada and “The Lobster” was the result of a wonderful collaboration of over five different European co-producers.
Sl: What sort of budget parameters do you work with?
Sue Bruce Smith: We span from the very low to sometimes quite high. We try not to limit ourselves and allow the project to find its optimum level. When we developed “Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk” with Ink Factory, in the course of looking for partners we found a fan in Tom Rothman who at that time was in the process of rebuilding production at TriStar and we have ended up, as a result, being involved in an Ang Lee film! However these are the exceptions and the range is usually between Us $3m to Us$15m.
Going forward, we are keen to be bolder in how Film4 invests especially when we feel a film is a potential break out. We operate a cross subsidy model where the bigger, more commercial investments allow us to generate revenue that then supports the new emerging talent. It is worth noting that absolutely everything we earn from our films goes straight back into more development and film investment.
Sl: Do you have special “strands” for particular types of films?
Sue Bruce Smith: We don’t really distinguish films in strands we just work across many levels and genres. First time filmmakers tend to have smaller budgets - around Us$3m and they are built in a slightly different way. For our larger projects I’d say our sweet spot is $10 – 15 million.
Sl: How do you find projects?
Sue Bruce Smith:: We are constantly scouting for interesting new talent, watching shorts like “Robots of Brixton” where we found Kibwe Tavares, culling talent from our TV arm (like Yann Demange who worked with us on the TV series “Top Boy” before making “'71”) from theater (Lucy Kirkwood who we are making a short film with and developing a feature), the arts (which is where Steve McQueen originated and is still very active) and writing (Alex Garland who adapted “Never Let Me Go” for us and went on to make his striking debut “Ex Machina”)
Sl: I notice you don’t do international sales like you used to in the 80s.
Sue Bruce Smith: Yes we shed the international sales division and the U.K. Distribution arm back in 2002 and brought the focus back to our core development and co-financing activities. We currently work with a wide range of sales agents like Protagonist, Hanway, Cornerstone, FilmNation, Westend, Pathe, Studio Canal, Independent and others.
Sl: In the early days in the 1980s operations were different.
Sue Bruce Smith: David Rose, in 1982, was the real visionary behind Film4. He decided Channel4 would be different from all other TV channels. Channel4 was the first U.K. broadcaster, through its film arm, Film on Four, to develop and co-finance films and, crucially, to allow these films to play in cinemas before their television transmission on Channel4. Our theatrical model became Film on Four and HBO, Sbs and Arte followed this lead. “Walter” by Stephen Frears followed this route in 1982. Frear's next film “My Beautiful Laundrette” followed shortly after in 1985
(An aside here by Sydney Levine):
If my readers will indulge me for a little history lesson in how films change with technological change, I want to point out that in the early days of home video, in 1985, Sue and I (a couple of the pioneer women in the modern business) shared in the good fortune resulting from the shift in the movie and TV business.
Working for the biggest TV production house in U.S. in the days of “Dallas”, I came to Lorimar to buy for home video, the fastest growing new technological distribution tool yet. We put up $175,000 advance to acquire home video rights to the Film4 feature “My Beautiful Laundrette” for U.S. $75,000 of that was to be used as P&A by theatrical distributor Orion Pictures Classics’ platform theatrical release – to platform first in N.Y. and L.A for critical reviews, and then, if profitable, to expand across the nation. It was the first British film to come to U.S. in many a year (except of course for the James Bond franchise). Orion Classics was headed by Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Donna Gigliotti who paid no advance but used the P&A allotment wisely and well. It was a happy association that we shared a couple of more times before they moved on to form Sony Pictures Classics and I moved on to Republic Pictures, reconstructed by Cnb’s Russell Goldsmith, former CEO of Lorimar. This Film4 picture, “My Beautiful Laundrette” was by complete unknowns in the U.S. and was a first for us all. We did not know it would go on to gross $7 million at the box office (a huge amount at that time for an independent film) and would sell 75,000 video units (at $50 wholesale a piece = $3,750,000). We at Lorimar made a $1 million profit and overages of $1 million went to Channel 4 and $1 million went to Working Title. I got a $100 bonus, and we were all delighted. My association with Film4 was followed by many loyal and loving years and reunions, but that is another lesson.
To quote Adam P. Davies, the writer of the U.K. Film Finance Handbook 2005/6: How to Fund Your Film:
Stephen Frears’s 1985 “My Beautiful Laundrette” signalled a change in direction for the industry in that TV backed film investment started to feed local productions. The Channel4 film encouraged the broadcasters to increase investment in filmmaking over the late 80s and also launched Working Title, initially run by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radcliffe (who left in 1992 to run her own company) and later Eric Fellner, with whom Bevan runs the company today [in a longstanding deal with Universal-Focus]. Video distributor and producer Palace Pictures, run by Nik Powell and Stephen Woolley, followed the success in 1985 of Neil Jordan’s “Company of Wolves” with “Mona Lisa” in 1986. The British Film Commission launched in 1992 [when “The Crying Game” had its world success].
Sue was at Palace Productions when I was at Lorimar and Republic and our paths crossed many times and so I was quite eager to share the latest good fortune of the 2016 Academy Awards at a time when the Academy is being besieged by negative publicity. At that time, back in ’85, I suggested to Michael and Tom that they put up Daniel Day Lewis for Best Actor Nomination and as I recall, they told me British films or British actors in British films were not acceptable to the Academy, and so neither he nor the film was put up for nomination.
“My Beautiful Laundrette” obviously had Asian actors; it was about a gay skinhead and a Pakistani. Diversity was at its core, but it did not get past the British line of demarcation the Academy had drawn in ’85. Its ethnic boundaries might have existed if anyone had tried to test them but that was not even an issue in 1985. “Diversity” in those days did not exist as a word one used and the very idea of diversity was even more limited than today.
Film4 has had a key role in proactively promoting different voices and stories since the 1980s. And today diversity is a crucial consideration in the decisions Film4 makes about its developments and productions with the aim of increasing diversity across all areas of the business. They have several films currently in development with Bame writers and directors and are successfully working with many female directors such as Andrea Arnold, Debbie Tucker Green, Susanna White, Clio Bernard, Sarah Gavron and Lynne Ramsay.
In January last year parent company Channel4 launched the 360 Degree Diversity Charter which is all about a commitment to implementing diversity on and off screen and to measuring its progress. It is tied to Project Diamond, an industry-wide diversity monitoring system. Its results will be published in the next few months.
Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the most successful U.K. films of recent years, Academy Award-winners such as Steve McQueen’s "12 Years a Slave", Danny Boyle’s "Slumdog Millionaire", Phyllida Lloyd’s "The Iron Lady” and Martin McDonagh’s "In Bruges" in addition to critically-acclaimed award-winners such as Mike Leigh’s "Mr. Turner", Chris Morris’ "Four Lions", Shane Meadows’ "This is England", Ben Wheatley’s “Sightseers", Clio Barnard’s "The Selfish Giant" Jonathan Glazer’s "Under the Skin" and David Mackenzie’s "Starred Up".
Film4’s recent releases include; Lenny Abrahamson’s “Room", Todd Haynes’ “Carol", Sarah Gavron’s “Suffragette", Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth", Yorgos Lanthimos’ "The Lobster", Asif Kapadia’s box office record breaking documentary “Amy", Andrew Haigh’s "45 Years", Alex Garland’s "Ex Machina", Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth", Peter Strickland’s "The Duke of Burgundy", Daniel Wolfe’s "Catch Me Daddy" and John Maclean’s "Slow West".
Forthcoming releases include; Ben Wheatley’s "High-Rise" and "Free Fire", Ang Lee’s "Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk", Benedict Andrews’ “Una" and Andrea Arnold’s "American Honey".
For further information visit www.film4.com/productions, but for now, here is the Cheat Sheet on Film4’s 2016 Total Oscar Nominations numbering 15. It will be at my side as I watch the Awards on February. Parenthetically, I am also looking forward to watching the fashions before the show, and inside the show, to catching that one loose cannon who will deliver the only inspirational speech in a rather inspirationless, basically boring, but still worthy traditional show.
3 of 5 Oscar Best Actress Nominees – Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Charlotte Rampling
Nomination tally by film:
“Room” – 4 - Picture, Actress, Director, Best Adapted Screenplay
“Carol” – 6 –Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Score
“Ex Machina” – 2 –Original screenplay, Visual Effects
“Amy” – 1 – Documentary Feature
“45 Years” – 1 – Actress
“Youth” – 1 – Original Song
Film4-backed films Oscar® nominations in full:
“Carol”
Actress in a Leading Role: Cate Blanchett
Actress in a Supporting Role: Rooney Mara
Adapted Screenplay: Phyllis Nagy
Achievement in Cinematography: Ed Lachman
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original score): Carter Burwell
Achievement in Costume Design: Sandy Powell
“Room”
Best Motion Picture of the Year: Ed Guiney
Achievement in Directing: Lenny Abrahamson
Actress in a Leading Role: Brie Larson
Adapted Screenplay: Emma Donoghue
“Ex Machina”
Original Screenplay: Alex Garland
Achievement in Visual Effects: Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
“45 Years”:
Actress in a Leading Role: Charlotte Rampling
“Youth”
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original song): Simple Song # 3, music and lyrics by David Lang
“Amy”
Best Documentary Feature: Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees...
Film4 has already had two Academy Best Picture wins in recent years with "Slumdog Millionaire" and "12 Years A Slave" amid other Academy Award nominations, so we can declare they are a force to be reckoned with.
This year again they have more nominations than most Hollywood Studios! The New York based Distribution and Production Company A24 has seven nominations, and people are talking about them as serious players in the Oscar race, so let’s talk about Film4.
Film4 is known for working with the most distinctive and innovative, both new and established, talent. It develops and co-finances films and is well known for its involvement with “The Last King of Scotland” (2006), “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008), “This is England” (2006), “Seven Psychopaths” (2012), “12 Years a Slave” (2013) as well as its most recent crop of successes in the current awards season which has also already garnered a record number of BAFTA nominations this year - 22 in all.
Sue Bruce Smith is the head of distribution and brand strategy at Channel 4’s feature film division, Film4. She supports the building and financing of projects from the U.K. broadcaster. She works in some capacity across most of the Film4 slate but has been particularly associated with films like “Room”, “The Lobster”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The Last King of Scotland”, “Tyrannosaur”, “The Imposter” and “Le Weekend”,
Sue has been at Film4 over 12 years. Prior to this she has worked variously in U.K. distribution, broadcaster investment in film, international sales and independent production at Palace Pictures, BBC Films, Littlebird and Film4.
Sl: Can you define what exactly you do at Film4?
Sue Bruce Smith: What I do varies quite a bit from film to film. Some of the seasoned producers are more adept at finding partners and don’t need much in the way of help putting their finance together. However, we also work with emerging producers and directors who require more guidance so I am on hand to help them access the right co-production or distribution partners to ensure the film is built in the best possible way. Once the film is completed, I again get involved in the strategy for the launch of the film and I oversee the distribution activity. Protecting and maximizing the strength of our Film4 brand is a key consideration in everything I do. We are also the only free-to-air channel dedicated to film in the U.K. so this really helps define our strong brand.
Sl: How are productions greenlit at Film4?
Sue Bruce Smith:The creative and commercial team within Film4 will guide a project through development to final greenlight. David Kosse, Director of Film4 is a key part of the whole progression of the film and his final decision, based very much on the soundings he gets from his senior team, also obviously draws heavily on his valuable experience and understanding of film investment and the international marketplace. The Film4 team is a very inclusive team of about 23 people working across development, production, finance and distribution. it is also able to draw upon additional resources within the Channel4, most specifically in marketing and press.
Sl: Do you do co-productions?
Sue Bruce Smith: If you mean financial co-productions, yes lots. These tend to be U.S. set financial co-productions or they might come out of Europe. But official co-productions are relatively rare as it is more difficult and takes longer to set up. “Room”, however, was an official co-production with Telefilm Canada and “The Lobster” was the result of a wonderful collaboration of over five different European co-producers.
Sl: What sort of budget parameters do you work with?
Sue Bruce Smith: We span from the very low to sometimes quite high. We try not to limit ourselves and allow the project to find its optimum level. When we developed “Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk” with Ink Factory, in the course of looking for partners we found a fan in Tom Rothman who at that time was in the process of rebuilding production at TriStar and we have ended up, as a result, being involved in an Ang Lee film! However these are the exceptions and the range is usually between Us $3m to Us$15m.
Going forward, we are keen to be bolder in how Film4 invests especially when we feel a film is a potential break out. We operate a cross subsidy model where the bigger, more commercial investments allow us to generate revenue that then supports the new emerging talent. It is worth noting that absolutely everything we earn from our films goes straight back into more development and film investment.
Sl: Do you have special “strands” for particular types of films?
Sue Bruce Smith: We don’t really distinguish films in strands we just work across many levels and genres. First time filmmakers tend to have smaller budgets - around Us$3m and they are built in a slightly different way. For our larger projects I’d say our sweet spot is $10 – 15 million.
Sl: How do you find projects?
Sue Bruce Smith:: We are constantly scouting for interesting new talent, watching shorts like “Robots of Brixton” where we found Kibwe Tavares, culling talent from our TV arm (like Yann Demange who worked with us on the TV series “Top Boy” before making “'71”) from theater (Lucy Kirkwood who we are making a short film with and developing a feature), the arts (which is where Steve McQueen originated and is still very active) and writing (Alex Garland who adapted “Never Let Me Go” for us and went on to make his striking debut “Ex Machina”)
Sl: I notice you don’t do international sales like you used to in the 80s.
Sue Bruce Smith: Yes we shed the international sales division and the U.K. Distribution arm back in 2002 and brought the focus back to our core development and co-financing activities. We currently work with a wide range of sales agents like Protagonist, Hanway, Cornerstone, FilmNation, Westend, Pathe, Studio Canal, Independent and others.
Sl: In the early days in the 1980s operations were different.
Sue Bruce Smith: David Rose, in 1982, was the real visionary behind Film4. He decided Channel4 would be different from all other TV channels. Channel4 was the first U.K. broadcaster, through its film arm, Film on Four, to develop and co-finance films and, crucially, to allow these films to play in cinemas before their television transmission on Channel4. Our theatrical model became Film on Four and HBO, Sbs and Arte followed this lead. “Walter” by Stephen Frears followed this route in 1982. Frear's next film “My Beautiful Laundrette” followed shortly after in 1985
(An aside here by Sydney Levine):
If my readers will indulge me for a little history lesson in how films change with technological change, I want to point out that in the early days of home video, in 1985, Sue and I (a couple of the pioneer women in the modern business) shared in the good fortune resulting from the shift in the movie and TV business.
Working for the biggest TV production house in U.S. in the days of “Dallas”, I came to Lorimar to buy for home video, the fastest growing new technological distribution tool yet. We put up $175,000 advance to acquire home video rights to the Film4 feature “My Beautiful Laundrette” for U.S. $75,000 of that was to be used as P&A by theatrical distributor Orion Pictures Classics’ platform theatrical release – to platform first in N.Y. and L.A for critical reviews, and then, if profitable, to expand across the nation. It was the first British film to come to U.S. in many a year (except of course for the James Bond franchise). Orion Classics was headed by Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Donna Gigliotti who paid no advance but used the P&A allotment wisely and well. It was a happy association that we shared a couple of more times before they moved on to form Sony Pictures Classics and I moved on to Republic Pictures, reconstructed by Cnb’s Russell Goldsmith, former CEO of Lorimar. This Film4 picture, “My Beautiful Laundrette” was by complete unknowns in the U.S. and was a first for us all. We did not know it would go on to gross $7 million at the box office (a huge amount at that time for an independent film) and would sell 75,000 video units (at $50 wholesale a piece = $3,750,000). We at Lorimar made a $1 million profit and overages of $1 million went to Channel 4 and $1 million went to Working Title. I got a $100 bonus, and we were all delighted. My association with Film4 was followed by many loyal and loving years and reunions, but that is another lesson.
To quote Adam P. Davies, the writer of the U.K. Film Finance Handbook 2005/6: How to Fund Your Film:
Stephen Frears’s 1985 “My Beautiful Laundrette” signalled a change in direction for the industry in that TV backed film investment started to feed local productions. The Channel4 film encouraged the broadcasters to increase investment in filmmaking over the late 80s and also launched Working Title, initially run by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radcliffe (who left in 1992 to run her own company) and later Eric Fellner, with whom Bevan runs the company today [in a longstanding deal with Universal-Focus]. Video distributor and producer Palace Pictures, run by Nik Powell and Stephen Woolley, followed the success in 1985 of Neil Jordan’s “Company of Wolves” with “Mona Lisa” in 1986. The British Film Commission launched in 1992 [when “The Crying Game” had its world success].
Sue was at Palace Productions when I was at Lorimar and Republic and our paths crossed many times and so I was quite eager to share the latest good fortune of the 2016 Academy Awards at a time when the Academy is being besieged by negative publicity. At that time, back in ’85, I suggested to Michael and Tom that they put up Daniel Day Lewis for Best Actor Nomination and as I recall, they told me British films or British actors in British films were not acceptable to the Academy, and so neither he nor the film was put up for nomination.
“My Beautiful Laundrette” obviously had Asian actors; it was about a gay skinhead and a Pakistani. Diversity was at its core, but it did not get past the British line of demarcation the Academy had drawn in ’85. Its ethnic boundaries might have existed if anyone had tried to test them but that was not even an issue in 1985. “Diversity” in those days did not exist as a word one used and the very idea of diversity was even more limited than today.
Film4 has had a key role in proactively promoting different voices and stories since the 1980s. And today diversity is a crucial consideration in the decisions Film4 makes about its developments and productions with the aim of increasing diversity across all areas of the business. They have several films currently in development with Bame writers and directors and are successfully working with many female directors such as Andrea Arnold, Debbie Tucker Green, Susanna White, Clio Bernard, Sarah Gavron and Lynne Ramsay.
In January last year parent company Channel4 launched the 360 Degree Diversity Charter which is all about a commitment to implementing diversity on and off screen and to measuring its progress. It is tied to Project Diamond, an industry-wide diversity monitoring system. Its results will be published in the next few months.
Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the most successful U.K. films of recent years, Academy Award-winners such as Steve McQueen’s "12 Years a Slave", Danny Boyle’s "Slumdog Millionaire", Phyllida Lloyd’s "The Iron Lady” and Martin McDonagh’s "In Bruges" in addition to critically-acclaimed award-winners such as Mike Leigh’s "Mr. Turner", Chris Morris’ "Four Lions", Shane Meadows’ "This is England", Ben Wheatley’s “Sightseers", Clio Barnard’s "The Selfish Giant" Jonathan Glazer’s "Under the Skin" and David Mackenzie’s "Starred Up".
Film4’s recent releases include; Lenny Abrahamson’s “Room", Todd Haynes’ “Carol", Sarah Gavron’s “Suffragette", Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth", Yorgos Lanthimos’ "The Lobster", Asif Kapadia’s box office record breaking documentary “Amy", Andrew Haigh’s "45 Years", Alex Garland’s "Ex Machina", Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth", Peter Strickland’s "The Duke of Burgundy", Daniel Wolfe’s "Catch Me Daddy" and John Maclean’s "Slow West".
Forthcoming releases include; Ben Wheatley’s "High-Rise" and "Free Fire", Ang Lee’s "Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk", Benedict Andrews’ “Una" and Andrea Arnold’s "American Honey".
For further information visit www.film4.com/productions, but for now, here is the Cheat Sheet on Film4’s 2016 Total Oscar Nominations numbering 15. It will be at my side as I watch the Awards on February. Parenthetically, I am also looking forward to watching the fashions before the show, and inside the show, to catching that one loose cannon who will deliver the only inspirational speech in a rather inspirationless, basically boring, but still worthy traditional show.
3 of 5 Oscar Best Actress Nominees – Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Charlotte Rampling
Nomination tally by film:
“Room” – 4 - Picture, Actress, Director, Best Adapted Screenplay
“Carol” – 6 –Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Score
“Ex Machina” – 2 –Original screenplay, Visual Effects
“Amy” – 1 – Documentary Feature
“45 Years” – 1 – Actress
“Youth” – 1 – Original Song
Film4-backed films Oscar® nominations in full:
“Carol”
Actress in a Leading Role: Cate Blanchett
Actress in a Supporting Role: Rooney Mara
Adapted Screenplay: Phyllis Nagy
Achievement in Cinematography: Ed Lachman
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original score): Carter Burwell
Achievement in Costume Design: Sandy Powell
“Room”
Best Motion Picture of the Year: Ed Guiney
Achievement in Directing: Lenny Abrahamson
Actress in a Leading Role: Brie Larson
Adapted Screenplay: Emma Donoghue
“Ex Machina”
Original Screenplay: Alex Garland
Achievement in Visual Effects: Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
“45 Years”:
Actress in a Leading Role: Charlotte Rampling
“Youth”
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original song): Simple Song # 3, music and lyrics by David Lang
“Amy”
Best Documentary Feature: Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees...
- 2/10/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Is this not the most brilliant screenplay from 2015? Alex Garland assembles a perfect fable about robots, artificial intelligence and the hubris of a software genius who thinks he's a God. Garland's direction is tops as well, as is the acting of Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander. When did I realize I was seeing a killer diller Sci-fi winner? He had me as soon as I saw that house. This is the movie with the sexy see-through robot. The question not asked but that every male viewer is thinking is, 'could I have sex with that?' Ex Machina Blu-ray + Digital HD Lionsgate 2015 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 108 min. / Street Date July 14, 2016 / 24.99 Starring Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno. Cinematography Rob Hardy Film Editor Mark Day Original Music Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich Written and Directed by Alex Garland
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The smartest,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The smartest,...
- 1/24/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Leave it to the Brits! The BAFTA nominations were announced and they gave us a slightly different look at the awards season! For instance, Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight," the leading Oscar contender in the U.S. just received 3 noms including Best Film, Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo and Original Screenplay. No Director nomination for McCarthy.
Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies," a handsomely-produced period piece led the pack along with Todd Haynes' "Carol," another handsomely-produced period piece. Both films garnered nine nominations each including Best Picture. "Bridge of Spies" and "Carol" will duke it out with "Spotlight," Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu's "The Revenant" (eight nominations), and Adam McKay's "The Big Short" (five nominations) for the Best Picture trophy.
So where's "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" you ask? They're relegated to the technical categories. Apparently, sequels, no matter how great they are, can't compete with originals.
Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies," a handsomely-produced period piece led the pack along with Todd Haynes' "Carol," another handsomely-produced period piece. Both films garnered nine nominations each including Best Picture. "Bridge of Spies" and "Carol" will duke it out with "Spotlight," Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu's "The Revenant" (eight nominations), and Adam McKay's "The Big Short" (five nominations) for the Best Picture trophy.
So where's "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" you ask? They're relegated to the technical categories. Apparently, sequels, no matter how great they are, can't compete with originals.
- 1/9/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Oh how the tables have turned! While Sci-Fi and Fantasy films normally do well at the box offices while garnering critical acclaim amongst fans, they’re usually snubbed during awards season. However, things seem to be slightly changing with the list of nominees at two recent award shows. There are few hidden gems that almost seem as if they snuck-in with the rest of the bunch.
Over at the BAFTA Awards, Ex MacHina has received numerous award nominations in the following categories: Best Supporting Actress (Alicia Vikander), Outstanding British Film, Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer (Alex Garland), Original Screenplay (Alex Garland), and Special Visual Effects (Mark Ardington, Sara Bennett, Paul Norris, Andrew Whitehurst).
The Martian has also received numerous award nominations: Best Actor (Matt Damon), Director (Ridley Scott), Editing (Pietro Scalia), Production Design (Arthur Max, Celia Bobak), Sound (Paul Massey, Mac Ruth, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor), and Special Effects (Chris Lawrence,...
Over at the BAFTA Awards, Ex MacHina has received numerous award nominations in the following categories: Best Supporting Actress (Alicia Vikander), Outstanding British Film, Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer (Alex Garland), Original Screenplay (Alex Garland), and Special Visual Effects (Mark Ardington, Sara Bennett, Paul Norris, Andrew Whitehurst).
The Martian has also received numerous award nominations: Best Actor (Matt Damon), Director (Ridley Scott), Editing (Pietro Scalia), Production Design (Arthur Max, Celia Bobak), Sound (Paul Massey, Mac Ruth, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor), and Special Effects (Chris Lawrence,...
- 1/8/2016
- by Cameron Hatheway
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
As awards show season shifts into high gear, the BAFTA Awards just released the list of hopefuls ahead of the February 14th ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House.
Leading the way with nine nominations each are “Bridge of Spies” and “Carol,” while “The Revenant” scored eight chances for glory.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” has seven nods followed by “Brooklyn” and “The Martian” with six each. Meanwhile, Alicia Vikander was nominated for Best Actress along with Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Dame Maggie Smith and Saoirse Ronan.
And the 2016 BAFTA Awards Nominees are…
Best Actor
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Dame Maggie Smith, The Lady In The Van
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Brie Larson, Room
Best Film
Carol
Bridge Of Spies
The Revenant
The Big Short
Spotlight
Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro,...
Leading the way with nine nominations each are “Bridge of Spies” and “Carol,” while “The Revenant” scored eight chances for glory.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” has seven nods followed by “Brooklyn” and “The Martian” with six each. Meanwhile, Alicia Vikander was nominated for Best Actress along with Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Dame Maggie Smith and Saoirse Ronan.
And the 2016 BAFTA Awards Nominees are…
Best Actor
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Dame Maggie Smith, The Lady In The Van
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Brie Larson, Room
Best Film
Carol
Bridge Of Spies
The Revenant
The Big Short
Spotlight
Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro,...
- 1/8/2016
- GossipCenter
On Friday the nominations for the Ee British Academy Film Awards in 2016 were revealed. The BAFTAs will be announced on Sunday, February 14 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. The ceremony will be hosted by Stephen Fry and broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD, with the ceremony being rebroadcast on BBC America.
Bridge of Spies and Carol each receive nine nominations. The Revenant is nominated in eight categories. Mad Max: Fury Road has seven nominations. Brooklyn and The Martian are each nominated six times. The Big Short, The Danish Girl and Ex Machina receive five nominations. Star Wars: The Force Awakens receives four nominations.
Bridge of Spies is nominated in the following categories: Best Film, Director for Steven Spielberg, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design and Sound. Mark Rylance is nominated for Supporting Actor.
Carol is nominated for Best Film, Director for Todd Haynes,...
Bridge of Spies and Carol each receive nine nominations. The Revenant is nominated in eight categories. Mad Max: Fury Road has seven nominations. Brooklyn and The Martian are each nominated six times. The Big Short, The Danish Girl and Ex Machina receive five nominations. Star Wars: The Force Awakens receives four nominations.
Bridge of Spies is nominated in the following categories: Best Film, Director for Steven Spielberg, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design and Sound. Mark Rylance is nominated for Supporting Actor.
Carol is nominated for Best Film, Director for Todd Haynes,...
- 1/8/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
After getting snubbed in the Producers Guild award nominations earlier this week, "Carol" has risen from the ashes to lead all movies, along with "Bridge of Spies," in BAFTA award nominations.
"Carol" and "Bridge of Spies" netted nine nods apiece, including Best Film. They are joined in that category by "The Big Short," "The Revenant," and "Spotlight."
Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon continued to cement their roles as Oscar frontrunners with nominations in the lead actor category.
In an interesting turn for awards season watchers, Alicia Vikander was nominated as lead actress for "The Danish Girl." She also received mention in the supporting category for "Ex Machina." Here is the full list of nominations:
Best Film
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Revenant
Spotlight
Outstanding British Film
45 Years
Amy
Brooklyn
The Danish Girl
Ex Machina
The Lobster
Director
Todd Haynes - Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu - The Revenant...
"Carol" and "Bridge of Spies" netted nine nods apiece, including Best Film. They are joined in that category by "The Big Short," "The Revenant," and "Spotlight."
Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon continued to cement their roles as Oscar frontrunners with nominations in the lead actor category.
In an interesting turn for awards season watchers, Alicia Vikander was nominated as lead actress for "The Danish Girl." She also received mention in the supporting category for "Ex Machina." Here is the full list of nominations:
Best Film
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Revenant
Spotlight
Outstanding British Film
45 Years
Amy
Brooklyn
The Danish Girl
Ex Machina
The Lobster
Director
Todd Haynes - Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu - The Revenant...
- 1/8/2016
- by Kelly Woo
- Moviefone
Nominations for the 69th annual British Academy Film Awards arrived early this morning and in welcome news, the proceedings were topped by Todd Haynes’ Carol and Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies (both of which made our top 50 of the year), with 9 nominations each. Not far behind was The Revenant, which was nominated in eight categories. while Mad Max: Fury Road has seven nominations.
Following that, Brooklyn and The Martian are each nominated six times. The Big Short, The Danish Girl and Ex Machina received five nominations with Alicia Vikander picking up two acting nominations. A little film called Star Wars: The Force Awakens also managed to rack up four nominations.
Check out the full list below ahead of a ceremony on February 14th.
2015 Nominations
(presented in 2016)
Best Film
The Big Short Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt
Bridge Of Spies Kristie Macosko Krieger, Marc Platt, Steven Spielberg
Carol Elizabeth Karlsen,...
Following that, Brooklyn and The Martian are each nominated six times. The Big Short, The Danish Girl and Ex Machina received five nominations with Alicia Vikander picking up two acting nominations. A little film called Star Wars: The Force Awakens also managed to rack up four nominations.
Check out the full list below ahead of a ceremony on February 14th.
2015 Nominations
(presented in 2016)
Best Film
The Big Short Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt
Bridge Of Spies Kristie Macosko Krieger, Marc Platt, Steven Spielberg
Carol Elizabeth Karlsen,...
- 1/8/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has just announced there nominations and there’s quite a lot to process, so let’s start from the top. Steven Spielberg’s Cold War drama Bridge of Spies and Todd Haynes’ gorgeous relationship drama Carol have tied for the lead with nine nominations apiece, with both films receiving nominations for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (in their respective categories). Not far behind is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s revenge epic The Revenant with eight nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Editing.
What may come as a surprise to some is that Adam McKay’s comedy-drama about the 2008 financial crisis did rather well. It may have only received five nominations, but they were all major nods: Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale), and Best Editing. Meanwhile, the film that has...
What may come as a surprise to some is that Adam McKay’s comedy-drama about the 2008 financial crisis did rather well. It may have only received five nominations, but they were all major nods: Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale), and Best Editing. Meanwhile, the film that has...
- 1/8/2016
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
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Carol, The Revenant, Bridge Of Spies, Spotlight and more lead the charge at the 2016 BAFTAs...
The annual BAFTA film awards roll around again on February 14th, with Stephen Fry once again hosting. And it was Fry and Gugu Mbatha-Raw who read out the nominations for this year's gongs nice and early in London today.
Without further ado, here's what's up for said prizes in a few weeks' time.
Best Film
The Big Short Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt
Bridge Of Spies Kristie Macosko Krieger, Marc Platt, Steven Spielberg
Carol Elizabeth Karlsen, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley
The Revenant Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Arnon Milchan, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon
Spotlight Steve Golin, Blye Pagon Faust, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar
Outstanding British Film
45 Years Andrew Haigh, Tristan Goligher
Amy Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees
Brooklyn John Crowley, Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Nick Hornby
The Danish Girl Tom Hooper, Tim Bevan,...
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Carol, The Revenant, Bridge Of Spies, Spotlight and more lead the charge at the 2016 BAFTAs...
The annual BAFTA film awards roll around again on February 14th, with Stephen Fry once again hosting. And it was Fry and Gugu Mbatha-Raw who read out the nominations for this year's gongs nice and early in London today.
Without further ado, here's what's up for said prizes in a few weeks' time.
Best Film
The Big Short Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt
Bridge Of Spies Kristie Macosko Krieger, Marc Platt, Steven Spielberg
Carol Elizabeth Karlsen, Christine Vachon, Stephen Woolley
The Revenant Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Arnon Milchan, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon
Spotlight Steve Golin, Blye Pagon Faust, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar
Outstanding British Film
45 Years Andrew Haigh, Tristan Goligher
Amy Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees
Brooklyn John Crowley, Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Nick Hornby
The Danish Girl Tom Hooper, Tim Bevan,...
- 1/8/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
This story originally appeared in “The Look” section of the Nominations/SAG/Golden Globes issue of TheWrap magazine. The last movie Andrew Whitehurst worked on before serving as visual-effects supervisor on Alex Garland‘s “Ex Machina” was a little James Bond production called “Skyfall.” The Bond film had a budget more than 10 times as big as Garland’s story of two men and a comely female robot, which makes the achievement of “Ex Machina” even more remarkable; on a relative shoestring, Whitehurst and his crew at Double Negative created a film in which the lead character, played by Alicia Vikander,...
- 12/22/2015
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Todd Haynes' "Carol" leads the pack of nominees of the 36th annual London Critics' Circle film awards. The romantic movie receives seven nominations including Film of the Year.
And yes Kristen Stewart fans, she got a deserving nomination for her supporting performance in "Clouds of Sils Maria!"
Winners will be announced on January 17. Here's the complete list of nominees:
Film of the Year
.Amy.
.Carol.
.45 Years.
.Inside Out.
.The Look of Silence.
.Mad Max: Fury Road.
.The Martian.
.The Revenant.
.Room.
.Spotlight.
British/Irish Film of the Year
.Amy.
.Brooklyn.
.45 Years.
.The Lobster.
.London Road.
Foreign Language Film of the Year
.Eden.
.Hard to Be a God.
.The Look of Silence.
.The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
.The Tribe.
Documentary of the Year
.Amy.
.Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.
.The Look of Silence.
.Palio.
.A Syrian Love Story.
Director of the Year
Todd Haynes, .Carol.
Andrew Haigh,...
And yes Kristen Stewart fans, she got a deserving nomination for her supporting performance in "Clouds of Sils Maria!"
Winners will be announced on January 17. Here's the complete list of nominees:
Film of the Year
.Amy.
.Carol.
.45 Years.
.Inside Out.
.The Look of Silence.
.Mad Max: Fury Road.
.The Martian.
.The Revenant.
.Room.
.Spotlight.
British/Irish Film of the Year
.Amy.
.Brooklyn.
.45 Years.
.The Lobster.
.London Road.
Foreign Language Film of the Year
.Eden.
.Hard to Be a God.
.The Look of Silence.
.The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
.The Tribe.
Documentary of the Year
.Amy.
.Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.
.The Look of Silence.
.Palio.
.A Syrian Love Story.
Director of the Year
Todd Haynes, .Carol.
Andrew Haigh,...
- 12/18/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Tom Hardy received three nods for his roles in Legend, The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road.Scroll down for full list
Toddy Haynes’ Carol leads this year’s London Critics’ Circle awards with seven nominations, with Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years receiving six.
Tom Hardy has received three acting nominations: best actor for Legend, supporting actor for The Revenant and British actor of the year for his roles in the aforementioned two as well as Mad Max: Fury Road.
Fury Road, along with Steve Jobs and The Revenant, received five nominations.
Brooklyn, Room and Bifa-winner Ex Machina garnered four apiece.
The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on January 17 at London’s May Fair Hotel.
At last year’s awards, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood won both best film and director.
Full list of nominees
Film Of The Year
45 Years
Amy
Carol
Inside Out
The Look of Silence
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
[link...
Toddy Haynes’ Carol leads this year’s London Critics’ Circle awards with seven nominations, with Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years receiving six.
Tom Hardy has received three acting nominations: best actor for Legend, supporting actor for The Revenant and British actor of the year for his roles in the aforementioned two as well as Mad Max: Fury Road.
Fury Road, along with Steve Jobs and The Revenant, received five nominations.
Brooklyn, Room and Bifa-winner Ex Machina garnered four apiece.
The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on January 17 at London’s May Fair Hotel.
At last year’s awards, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood won both best film and director.
Full list of nominees
Film Of The Year
45 Years
Amy
Carol
Inside Out
The Look of Silence
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
[link...
- 12/15/2015
- ScreenDaily
Ex-Machina emerged the big winner over the weekend at the British Independent Film Awards, scooping up four prizes including; Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Outstanding Achievement in Craft.
- 12/7/2015
- by Jazz Tangcay
- AwardsDaily.com
Alex Garland's "Ex Machina" was the big winner at the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards. The artificial intelligence flick won Best British Independent Film, Director and Screenplay for Garland, and Outstanding Achievement in Craft (Visual Effects) for Andrew Whitehurst.
Here's the full list of winners of the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards:
Best British Independent Film
Ex Machina, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland
Best Director
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Best Actress
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Best Actor
Tom Hardy, Legend
Douglas Hickox Award For Best Debut Director
Stephen Fingleton, The Survivalist
Producer Of The Year
Paul Katis & Andrew De Lotbiniere, Kajaki: The True Story
Best Screenplay
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Best Documentary
Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story Of Dream Alliance, Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond
Best Supporting Actress
Olivia Colman, The Lobster
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson, Suffragette
The Discovery Award
Orion: THe Man Who Would Be King,...
Here's the full list of winners of the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards:
Best British Independent Film
Ex Machina, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland
Best Director
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Best Actress
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Best Actor
Tom Hardy, Legend
Douglas Hickox Award For Best Debut Director
Stephen Fingleton, The Survivalist
Producer Of The Year
Paul Katis & Andrew De Lotbiniere, Kajaki: The True Story
Best Screenplay
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Best Documentary
Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story Of Dream Alliance, Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond
Best Supporting Actress
Olivia Colman, The Lobster
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson, Suffragette
The Discovery Award
Orion: THe Man Who Would Be King,...
- 12/7/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Read More: Moët British Independent Film Awards to Honor Chiwetel Ejiofor The 18th Moët British Independent Film Awards ceremony, hosted by Richard Ayoade, were held at Old Billingsgate in London last night, where the night's biggest winner, "Ex Machina," took home four awards for Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for director Alex Garland and Outstanding Achievement in Craft for its Visual Effects for Andrew Whitehurst. Laurence Green, chairman of the Bifa Board, said, "As part of our mission to build the widest audience we can for British independent film, it is Bifa's great honour to celebrate the cream of the crop once a year at the Moët British Independent Film Awards. This year's winners speak volumes, not just for their excellence but also for the undimmed ambition and beautiful diversity of the stories they tell." Other winners from last night's ceremony included: Best British...
- 12/7/2015
- by Elle Leonsis
- Indiewire
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Director Ryan Coogler talks about Creed's amazing continuous shot boxing match. So gutsy that this bravura bit comes so early in the movie and he still manages to top it later on.
List Mania
Vulture David Edelstein's top ten list is quite adventurous as it zigzags from Room to...
Carrie Fisher's Dog is on twitter
/Film best and worst of Ryan Gosling on SNL
Variety Shailene Woodley, to whom I am mostly allergic, will unfortunately co-star with Nicole Kidman in Big Little Lies
Boy Culture Warhol superstar Holly Woodlawn has died at 69
i09 in case you can't wait until Christmas, they've released 8 clips from The Hateful Eight to tide you over
Pajiba 8 sets of celebrity dopplegangers
Today's Watch
Director Ryan Coogler talks about Creed's amazing continuous shot boxing match. So gutsy that this bravura bit comes so early in the movie and he still manages to top it later on.
List Mania
Vulture David Edelstein's top ten list is quite adventurous as it zigzags from Room to...
- 12/7/2015
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Alicia Vikander/Ex Machina
Ex Machina was the big winner at the Moët British Independent Film Awards this evening. The film won four awards: Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Alex Garland and Outstanding Achievement in Craft for its Visual Effects, by Andrew Whitehurst.
The film will be screened in 74 cinemas across the country on Sunday 13 December as part of a landmark Bifa screening series supported by the BFI. Tickets can be booked at discover.bifa.film
Performance awards were spread across the board: Saoirse Ronan picked up Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy won Best Actor for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend.
Saoirse Ronan
Olivia Colman won her third Bifa for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson made it two years in a row, winning Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette this year after taking away...
Ex Machina was the big winner at the Moët British Independent Film Awards this evening. The film won four awards: Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Alex Garland and Outstanding Achievement in Craft for its Visual Effects, by Andrew Whitehurst.
The film will be screened in 74 cinemas across the country on Sunday 13 December as part of a landmark Bifa screening series supported by the BFI. Tickets can be booked at discover.bifa.film
Performance awards were spread across the board: Saoirse Ronan picked up Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy won Best Actor for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend.
Saoirse Ronan
Olivia Colman won her third Bifa for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson made it two years in a row, winning Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette this year after taking away...
- 12/7/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ex Machina named Best British Independent Film Ex Machina was the big winner at the Moët British Independent Film Awards this evening taking home four awards. It was named Best British Independent Film, saw Alex Garland awarded Best Director and Best Screenplay and won an Outstanding Achievement in Craft award for Andrew Whitehurst's Visual Effects. The film was up against 45 Years, Amy, The Lobster and Macbeth for the top award.
Saoirse Ronan was named Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy the won Best Actor prize for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend.
Olivia Colman won her third Bifa for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson was named Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette.
Colin Farrell presented the Most Promising Newcomer award to Abigail Hardingham for her breakthrough performance in Nina Forever.
The Special Jury Prize was presented posthumously to Chris Collins,...
Saoirse Ronan was named Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy the won Best Actor prize for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend.
Olivia Colman won her third Bifa for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson was named Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette.
Colin Farrell presented the Most Promising Newcomer award to Abigail Hardingham for her breakthrough performance in Nina Forever.
The Special Jury Prize was presented posthumously to Chris Collins,...
- 12/6/2015
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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