Category Archives: Precursors

Beasts of the Southern Wild Leads Independent Spirit Award Nominations

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not awarded)

  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • Bernie
  • Keep the Lights On
  • Moonrise Kingdom
  • Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR

  • Wes Anderson – Moonrise Kingdom
  • Julia Loktev – The Loneliest Planet
  • David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
  • Ira Sachs – Keep the Lights On
  • Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY

  • Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola – Moonrise Kingdom
  • Zoe Kazan – Ruby Sparks
  • Martin McDonagh – Seven Psychopaths
  • David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
  • Ira Sachs –  Keep the Lights On

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

  • Fill the Void
  • Gimme the Loot
  • Safety Not Guaranteed
  • Sound of My Voice
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • Rama Burshtein – Fill the Void
  • Derek Connolly – Safety Not Guaranteed
  • Christopher Ford – Robot & Frank
  • Rashida Jones & Will McCormack – Celeste and Jesse Forever
  • Jonathan Lisecki – Gayby

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

  • Breakfast with Curtis
  • Middle of Nowhere
  • Mosquita y Mari
  • Starlet
  • The Color Wheel

BEST FEMALE LEAD

  • Linda Cardellini – Return
  • Emayatzy Corinealdi – Middle of Nowhere
  • Jennifer Lawrence –  Silver Linings Playbook
  • Quvenzhané Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD

  • Jack Black – Bernie
  • Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
  • John Hawkes – The Sessions
  • Thure Lindhardt – Keep the Lights On
  • Matthew McConaughey – Killer Joe
  • Wendell Pierce – Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

  • Rosemarie DeWitt – Your Sister’s Sister
  • Ann Dowd – Compliance
  • Helen Hunt – The Sessions
  • Brit Marling – Sound of My Voice
  • Lorraine Toussaint – Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

  • Matthew McConaughey – Magic Mike
  • David Oyelowo – Middle of Nowhere
  • Michael Péna – End of Watch
  • Sam Rockwell – Seven Psychopaths
  • Bruce Willis – Moonrise Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • Valley of Saints
  • Here
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • End of Watch
  • Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

  • How to Survive a Plague
  • Marina Abramoviæ: The Artist is Present
  • The Central Park Five
  • The Invisible War
  • The Waiting Room

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

  • Amour
  • Once Upon A Time in Anatolia
  • Rust And Bone
  • Sister
  • War Witch

16th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD (honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.)

  • Nobody Walks
  • Prince Avalanche
  • Stones in the Sun

19th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD  (recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

  • Pincus
  • Gimme the Loot
  • Electrick Children

STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD (presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

  • Leviathan
  • The Waiting Room
  • Only the Young

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

  • Starlet

“The Artist” Sweeps Independent Spirit Awards

Best Feature
“50/50″
“Beginners”
“Drive”
“Take Shelter”
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”

Best Director: 
Mike Mills (Beginners)
Nicholas Winding Refn (Drive)
Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)

Best First Feature: 
“Another Earth”
“In The Family”
“Margin Call”
“Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“Natural Selection”

Best Male Lead: 
Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Ryan Gosling (Drive)
Woody Harrelson (Rampart)
Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)

Best Female Lead: 
Lauren Ambrose (Think of Me)
Rachel Harris (Natural Selection)
Adepero Oduye (Pariah)
Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

Best Supporting Male: 
Albert Brooks (Drive)
John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
John C. Reilly (Cedar Rapids)
Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris)

Best Supporting Female:
Jessica Chastain (Take Shelter)
Angelica Huston (50/50)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Harmony Santana (Gun Hll Road)
Shaileen Woodley (The Descendants)

Robert Altman Award: 
“Margin Call”

John Cassavetes Award (films made for under $500,000):
“Bellflower”
“Circumstance”
“Hello Lonesome”
“Pariah”
“The Dynamiter”

Best Documentary: 
“An African Selection”
“Bill Cunningham New York”
“The Interrupters”
“The Redemption of General Butt Naked”
“We Were Here”

Best International Film:
“A Separation”
“Melancholia”
“Shame”
“The Kid With a Bike”
“Tyrranasaur”

Best Cinematography: 
Joel Hodge (Bellflower)
Benjamin Kuh-Sulk (The Off Hours)
Darius Kond-Jee (Midnight in Paris)
Guillaume Schiffman (The Artist)
Jeffrey Waldron (The Dynamiter)

Best First Screenplay:
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling (Another Earth)
J.C. Chandor (Margin Call)
Patrick DeWitt (Terri)
Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids)
Will Reiser (50/50)

Best Screenplay: 
Joseph Cedar (FootNotes)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Tom McCarthy (Win Win)
Mike Mills (Beginners)
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash (The Descendants)

Truer Than Fiction Award: 
Heather Courtney
Danfung Dennis
Alma Har’El

Piaget Producers Award: 
Chad Burris
Sophia Lin
Josh Mond

Someone to Watch Award: 
Simon Arthur
Mark Jackson
Nicholas Ozeki

“Midnight In Paris,” “The Descendants” Win WGA

Woody Allen won for his original and Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash won for their adapted screenplay. It looks like The Descendants is primed to win at next Sunday’s Oscars (Moneyball is the only real threat). I wouldn’t say Midnight In Paris is a lock because The Artist was not eligible for the Writer’s Guild Awards, and it has been winning things left and right. I really hope, though, that the Academy follows suit and Woody gets his third  (yes, he’s only won twice for his writing, though his latest nomination was his 13th in the category) writing win.

“The Artist” Sweeps the BAFTAs

Best Film
“The Artist”

Outstanding British Film
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Director
Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”)

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer
“Tyrannosaur”

Leading Actor
Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”)

Leading Actress
Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”)

Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”)

Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer (“The Help”)

Original Screenplay
“The Artist”

Adapted Screenplay
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Film Not In The English Language
“The Skin I Live In”

Animated Film
“Rango”

Documentary
“Senna”

Original Music
“The Artist”

Cinematography
“The Artist”

Editing
“Senna”

Production Design
“Hugo”

Makeup and Hair
“The Iron Lady” (

Costume Design
“The Artist”

Sound
“Hugo”

Special Visual Effects
“Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows II”

Short Animation
“A Morning Stroll”

Short Film
“Pitch Black Heist”

Orange Wednesdays Rising Award
Adam Deacon

“The Help” Dominates SAG Awards

Best Ensemble

  • The Artist
  • Bridesmaids
  • The Descendants
  • The Help
  • Midnight In Paris

Best Actor

  • Demián Bichir  – A Better Life
  • Jean Dujardin – The Artist
  • George Clooney – The Descendants
  • Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
  • Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Best Actress

  • Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
  • Viola Davis – The Help
  • Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
  • Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn
  • Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Supporting Actor

  • Christopher Plummer – Beginners
  • Armie Hammer – J. Edgar
  • Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
  • Jonah Hill – Moneyball
  • Nick Nolte – Warrior

Best Supporting Actress

  • Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
  • Bérénice Bejo – The Artist
  • Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
  • Jessica Chastain – The Help
  • Octavia Spencer – The Help

Best Stunt Ensemble

  • The Adjustment Bureau
  • Cowboys and Aliens
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
  • Transfromers: Dark of the Moon
  • X-Men: First Class

Michel Hazanavicius wins DGA

Which pretty much means The Artist will most likely win Best Picture come Oscar.

“The Artist” Named Best Picture By PGA

Last year’s winner at the Producer’s Guild of America went on to win Best Picture, so it seems The Artist is well on its way to Oscar gold.

Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann
BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend
THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin
THE HELP
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green
HUGO
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese
THE IDES OF MARCH
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt
WAR HORSE
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
Producers: Peter Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg
CARS 2
Producer: Denise Ream
KUNG FU PANDA 2
Producer: Melissa Cobb
PUSS IN BOOTS
Producers: Joe M. Aguilar, Latifa Ouaou
RANGO
Producers: John B. Carls, Gore Verbinski

“The Artist,” “A Separation” Top London Film Critics’ Circle Awards

Best Picture – The Artist
Best British Film – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Director – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actor – Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress – Anna Paquin – Margaret and Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actress – Sareh Bayat –  A Separation
Best Supporting Actor – Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Best British Actress – Olivia Colman – The Iron Lady/Tyrannosaur
Best British Actor  – Michael Fassbender – A Dangerous Method/Shame
Best Young British Performer: – Craig Roberts, Submarine
Best Screenplay: – A Separation
Best Foreign Language Film – A Separation
Best Documentary: – Senna
Technical Achievement Award – production designer Maria Djurkovic, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Breakthrough British Filmmaker – Andrew Haigh, Weekend

You can see all the nominees here.

BAFTA Nominations Are In

BEST FILM

THE ARTIST Thomas Langmann
THE DESCENDANTS Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
DRIVE Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
THE HELP Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges
SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey
SHAME Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo,
Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno,
Rory Stewart Kinnear

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
ATTACK THE BLOCK Joe Cornish (Director/Writer)
BLACK POND Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst (Producer)
CORIOLANUS Ralph Fiennes (Director)
SUBMARINE Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer)
TYRANNOSAUR Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
INCENDIES Denis Villeneuve, Luc Déry, Kim McGraw
PINA Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel
POTICHE François Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
A SEPARATION Asghar Farhadi
THE SKIN I LIVE IN Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar

DOCUMENTARY
GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD Martin Scorsese
PROJECT NIM James Marsh, Simon Chinn
SENNA Asif Kapadia

ANIMATED FILM
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Steven Spielberg
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS Sarah Smith
RANGO Gore Verbinski

DIRECTOR
THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE Nicolas Winding Refn
HUGO Martin Scorsese
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius
BRIDESMAIDS Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
THE GUARD John Michael McDonagh
THE IRON LADY Abi Morgan
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS: Woody Allen

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE DESCENDANTS Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
THE HELP Tate Taylor
THE IDES OF MARCH George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
MONEYBALL Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan

LEADING ACTOR
BRAD PITT Moneyball
GARY OLDMAN Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
GEORGE CLOONEY The Descendants
JEAN DUJARDIN The Artist
MICHAEL FASSBENDER Shame

LEADING ACTRESS
BÉRÉNICE BEJO The Artist
MERYL STREEP The Iron Lady
MICHELLE WILLIAMS My Week with Marilyn
TILDA SWINTON We Need to Talk About Kevin
VIOLA DAVIS The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER Beginners
JIM BROADBENT The Iron Lady
JONAH HILL Moneyball
KENNETH BRANAGH My Week with Marilyn
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Ides of March

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CAREY MULLIGAN Drive
JESSICA CHASTAIN The Help
JUDI DENCH My Week with Marilyn
MELISSA MCCARTHY Bridesmaids
OCTAVIA SPENCER The Help

ORIGINAL MUSIC
THE ARTIST Ludovic Bource
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
HUGO Howard Shore
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Alberto Iglesias
WAR HORSE John Williams

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE ARTIST Guillaume Schiffman
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Jeff Cronenweth
HUGO Robert Richardson
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Hoyte van Hoytema
WAR HORSE Janusz Kaminski

EDITING
THE ARTIST Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE Mat Newman
HUGO Thelma Schoonmaker
SENNA Gregers Sall, Chris King
TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY Dino Jonsater

PRODUCTION DESIGN
THE ARTIST Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
HUGO Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
WAR HORSE Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

COSTUME DESIGN
THE ARTIST Mark Bridges
HUGO Sandy Powell
JANE EYRE Michael O’Connor
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jill Taylor
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Jacqueline Durran

MAKE UP & HAIR
THE ARTIST Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
HUGO Morag Ross, Jan Archibald
THE IRON LADY Marese Langan
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jenny Shircore

SOUND
THE ARTIST Nadine Muse, Gérard Lamps, Michael Krikorian
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker, Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener
HUGO Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley
WAR HORSE Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Joe Letteri
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery
HUGO Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White
WAR HORSE Ben Morris, Neil Corbould

SHORT ANIMATION
ABUELAS Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner
BOBBY YEAH Robert Morgan
A MORNING STROLL Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

SHORT FILM
CHALK Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini
MWANSA THE GREAT Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet
ONLY SOUND REMAINS Arash Ashtiani, Anshu Poddar
PITCH BLACK HEIST John Maclean, Gerardine O’Flynn
TWO AND TWO Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen

THE ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
ADAM DEACON
CHRIS HEMSWORTH
CHRIS O’DOWD
EDDIE REDMAYNE
TOM HIDDLESTON

[source]

Golden Globe Winners

Best Motion Picture – Drama

  • The Descendants
  • The Help
  • Hugo
  • The Ides of March
  • Moneyball
  • War Horse

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

  • 50/50
  • The Artist
  • Bridesmaids
  • Midnight In Paris
  • My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor – Drama

  • George Clooney – The Descendants
  • Michael Fassbender – Shame
  • Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
  • Ryan Gosling – The Ides of March
  • Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Best Actress – Drama

  • Glenn Close, – Albert Nobbs
  • Viola Davis – The Help
  • Rooney Mara – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
  • Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
  • Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Actor – Musical or Comedy

  • Jean DuJardin – The Artist
  • Brendan Gleeson – The Guard
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt – 50/50
  • Ryan Gosling – Crazy, Stupid, Love.
  • Owen Wilson – Midnight In Paris

Best Actress – Musical or Comedy

  • Jodie Foster – Carnage
  • Kate Winslet – Carnage
  • Charlize Theron – Young Adult
  • Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids
  • Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor

  • Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
  • Albert Brooks – Drive
  • Jonah Hill – Moneyball
  • Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method
  • Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Best Supporting Actress

  • Bérénice Bejo – The Artist
  • Jessica Chastain – The Help
  • Octavia Spencer – The Help
  • Shailene Woodley – The Descendants
  • Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs

Best Director

  • Woody Allen – Midnight In Paris
  • George Clooney – The Ides of March
  • Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
  • Alexander Payne – The Descendants
  • Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Best Screenplay

  • Midnight In Paris
  • The Ides of March
  • The Artist
  • The Descendants
  • Moneyball

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

  • “Hello Hello” – Gnomeo and Juliet
  • “The Keeper” – Machine Gun Preacher
  • “Lay Your Head Down” – Albert Nobbs
  • “The Living Proof” – The Help
  • “Masterpiece”  – W.E.

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

  • The Artist
  • W.E.
  • The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
  • Hugo
  • War Horse

Best Foreign Language Film

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

Best Animated Feature Film

  • The Adventures of Tintin
  • Arthur Christmas
  • Cars 2
  • Puss In Boots
  • Rango