2013 Producers Guild Awards – documentary nominees

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the Documentary Motion Picture nominees that will advance in the voting process for the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards.

The nominated films, listed below in alphabetical order, are:

2012 Blue Dragon Film Awards – winners

Sports Chosun held their 33rd 청룡영화상 (Blue Dragon Film Awards) tonight in Seoul, South Korea. The event was hosted by 유준상 (Yu Jun-Sang) and 김혜수 (Kim Hye-Soo).

The awards were spread around rather evenly. The top prize of Best Film went to 피에타 (Pieta) by 김기덕 (Kim Ki-Duk). It was also the Golden Lion winner this year at Venice. However, it was the film's only Blue Dragon award.

범죄와의 전쟁 : 나쁜놈들 전성시대 (Nameless Gangster) by 윤종빈 (Yun Jong-Bin) won three awards. Yun won Best Screenplay while 최민식 (Choi Min-Sik) won Best Actor. The film's third trophy was for Best Music. 범죄와의 전쟁 : 나쁜놈들 전성시대 (Nameless Gangster) had led with 11 nominations along with 광해:왕이 된 남자 (Masquerade) by 추창민 (Choo Chang-Min), which only claimed one prize for Art Direction.

은교 (Eungyo) also won three awards. 김고은 (Kim Ko-Eun) won Best New Actress to go with the film's wins for Cinematography and for Lighting.

Montreal Brazil Film Festival 2012, Nov 30-Dec 6

Tonight, the 6th edition of Le Festival du Film Brésilien de Montréal 2012 (Montreal Brazil Film Festival) gets underway. Tonight's opening films are both world premieres. They will be screening Até Que A Sorte Nos Separe (Until Luck do Us Part) by Roberto Santucci and O Homem Que Não Dormia (The Man Who Couldn't Sleep).

The Festival continues to Thursday, December 6 at Cinéma du Parc, 3575, av. du Parc.

Over the past few years, Brazil has been climbing the heights to become the 5th biggest economy in the world. The rise has been such that it is currently preparing to host two of the most important international events: the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro.

Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival – Nov 30-Dec 2

The first ever edition of The Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival begins tonight. The opening screening is the world premiere of Sick by Ryan M. Andrews. This will be followed by Beyond the Black Rainbow by Panos Cosmatos. Both features are preceded by a short film, The Post-Lifers and Roachfar respectively.

The Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival weekend-long festival celebrating the best in contemporary Canadian horror filmmaking running. It runs until Sunday, December 2 at the Projection Booth East, 1035 Gerrard Steet East. The closing film will be Chris Alexander​'s Blood for Irina.

Short list of 11 Contenders for Live Action Short Film Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 11 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 85th Academy Awards®.  A tie in the nominations balloting resulted in 11 films being shortlisted.  One hundred twenty-five pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 11 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

2013 Sundance announces films in Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, New Frontier, Installations, Performances

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Short list of 10 Contenders for Visual Effects Oscar

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 85th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

2013 Sundance Film Festival announces films in U.S./World Competitions, NEXT <=>

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions and the out-of-competition NEXT <=> section of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute said, “Every great film starts with an idea, and it is a testament to artists that they continually find new ideas, new stories, new points of view and new ways of sharing them, year after year. We look forward to hearing from these artists not just through their words and images onscreen but also through the larger dialogue they create with audiences at our Festival and beyond.”

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The films, both documentary and narrative, selected for our 2013 Festival have a particular immediacy and fearlessness to them showing us that independent film is as vibrant, creative and relevant as ever. Filmmakers are telling raw, powerful stories that are sure to create new energy in audiences and communities across the globe in the months to come.”

THR's Directors Roundtable interview

The Hollywood Reporter continues with its excellent series of Roundtable Interviews with a group discussion with directors. The helmers they gathered were Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), Gus Van Sant (Promised Land), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Ang Lee (Life of Pi) and Ben Affleck (Argo).

Topics discussed include tough moments, working with others, fears of failure, film vs. digital, temper tantrums, interaction with fans, and leaving the business.

Tarantino discusses cutting down his own work in the editing process. "When you're cutting it down, at that moment in time, before you watch it with an audience, you know it's too long, but you can't imagine taking anything out. So then you watch it with an audience, and then all of a sudden -- 'Oh, wow, that is kind of boring now!' or 'No, this is not as suspenseful by the time we got to it as it needs to be.' But you can only go so far in the Avid room on your own. At some point, you have to watch it with an audience. And then literally 15 minutes just come flying out, where before you couldn't imagine a minute leaving."

2012 Sommets du cinéma d’animation de Montréal, Nov 28-Dec 2

The Sommets du cinéma d’animation de Montréal (Montréal animated film summit) is an international festival dedicated to animation in all its forms, from heritage films to new media by way of current production. Over five days, every space at the Cinémathèque québécoise moves to the rhythms of animation! A unique event in Quebec, the festival celebrates an art form that has long brought international recognition to Quebec and to Canada. The next Sommets du cinéma d’animation de Montréal will be held from 28th of November to 2nd of December.

Every year, the Sommets du cinéma d’animation de Montréal presents the best animated films from Quebec, Canada and elsewhere. The program includes a selection of international titles, a solid line-up of student films directed by young artists representing the future of animation cinema, an overview of Canadian and Quebec production, retrospectives, and activities for young audiences. Part of the program is also presented in the city of Québec.

2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards – nominations

Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, announced nominations for the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards this morning. Film Independent co-presidents Sean McManus and Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at the W Hollywood, with actors Anna Kendrick, Zoe Saldana, and Common presenting the nominations.

Nominees for Best Feature include Beasts of the Southern Wild, Bernie, Keep the Lights On, Moonrise Kingdom, and Silver Linings Playbook. Starlet was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

“The nominations this year represent an astonishingly strong group of artists both in front of and behind the camera,” said Film Independent Co-president Josh Welsh. “At Film Independent, we nurture artist-driven filmmaking all year long and I can’t imagine a more fitting or worthy group of films to celebrate here today.”

Gotham Independent Film Awards 2012 – winners

Tonight, the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) held their 22nd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York. The ceremony was hosted by Mike Birbiglia.

Best Feature went to Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, winning against competition from Bernie, The Loneliest Planet, The Master and Middle of Nowhere.

Director Benh Zeitlin won the Breakthrough Director Award for Beasts of the Southern Wild. He also picked up the inaugural Bingham Ray Award, named in honour of the indie film executive and distributor.

British Academy Children's Awards 2012 – winners

The British Academy of Film & Television Arts held their 44th annual British Academy Children's Awards tonight at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The winner for Best Feature Film was The Hunger Games by Gary Ross. The huge summer hit was based on the young adult novel by Suzanne Collins. It won out against Arthur Christmas by Sarah Smith, Hugo by Martin Scorsese, and The Muppets by James Bobin.

The BAFTA Kids' Vote: Top Ten list was topped by The Smurfs followed by Johnny English Reborn and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1.

2012 Golden Horse Awards for Chinese film – winners

Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival held their 49th annual Golden Horse Awards for Chinese-language cinema with a ceremony hosted by Chinese actor Huang Bo and singer Bowie Tsang.

The night's big winner was 神探亨特張 (Beijing Blues) by 高群書 (Gao Qun Shu). The crime drama told through the perspective of low-level plainclothes detective won Best Feature Film, as well as Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

奪命金 (Life Without Principle) by 杜琪峯 (Johnnie To) also picked up three prizes. It won for Best Director, Best Leading Actor 劉青雲 (Sean Lau Ching Wan) and Best Original Screenplay. The Tarantino-esque drama depicts the lives of several people struggling after the recent economic crash.

浮城謎事 (Mystery) by 婁燁 (Lou Ye) and 女朋友。男朋友 (Gf * Bf) by 楊雅喆 (Yang Ya Che) both led the nominations with seven, and won two each. 浮城謎事 (Mystery) won Best New Performer for 齊溪 (Qi Xi) and Best Film Score. 女朋友。男朋友 (Gf * Bf) won Best Leading Actress for 桂綸鎂 (Gwei Lun-Mei) and the Audience Award.

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) 2012 Awards – winners

The winners of the festival’s various competition programmes have just been announced in the Compagnietheater in Amsterdam at the awards ceremony of the 25th IDFA.

Alan Berliner picked up the VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary (€ 12,500) for First Cousin Once Removed, a portrait of his uncle during the latter stages of his life, which were marked by Alzheimer’s disease. According to the jury, Alan Berliner employs intelligence, inventiveness and a poetic sensibility to create a film that uses the onset on Alzheimer's to make a beautiful, moving and artistic statement about the intersection of personal history and memory.

BAFTA / BFI Screenwriters' Lecture Series 2012

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the British Film Institute (BFI) recently presented their 2012 BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters' Lecture Series. The annual series celebrates the written word for the screen with some of world's finest screenwriters exploring the art and craft of storytelling through their own words.

The distinguished speakers were Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River), Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady, Shame), Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, The Young Victoria, Downton Abbey), Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Minority Report) and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Debt). Except for Morgan, they have all been Oscar-nominees. Helgeland and Fellowes are both winners.

The audio for all five lectures is provided below. The transcripts are provided where available.

Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2012 – winners

A day after American Thanksgiving, it was a big night for Turkey (the country) at the sixth Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) was the top prize-winner in winning Best Feature Film. Produced by Enis Köstepen, Emin Alper and the late Seyfi Teoman, and co-produced by Nikos Moutselos, Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) was written, directed and produced by Emin Alper and is his first feature film. Alper and his co-producer Enis Köstepen accepted the award on the night from International Jury President Jan Chapman.

The International Jury also gave a High Commendation in the category of Best Feature Film to Bumchoiwaui Junjaeng (Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time) from Republic of Korea.

Festival image+nation Montréal 2012, Nov 22-Dec 2

The 25th anniversary edition of image+nation - Festival de cinéma Lesbien Gai Bi Trans de Montréal (image+nation - Montréal International LGBT Film Festival) kicks off 11 days of screenings tonight with Keep the Lights On by Ira Sachs, Pariah by Dee Rees, and Une dernière chance by Paul Émile d’Entremont. Keep the Lights On was just named one of the top 10 films of the year by Cahier cu Cinema.

The official closing night film will be Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean by Matthew Mishory. Additional highlights of the program include Bye Bye Blondie by Virginie Despentes, Hors les murs by David Lambert, Bullhead by Michaël R. Roskam, and My Brother the Devil by Sally El Hosaini.

Call for submissions: CineCoup Film Accelerator

Calling all filmmakers:

Do you have a bold idea for the big screen? Do you have the chops to make it for $1 million?

The CineCoup Film Accelerator is a disruptive new model for filmmakers to develop, market and finance their feature films. Filmmaking teams apply to CineCoup with a two-minute trailer. They advance through a gamified selection funnel that’s designed to package their projects and build audience support on the CineCoup social web platform. The Top 10 projects will be optioned for development and one will be selected for up to $1 million (CDN) in production financing and guaranteed release in Cineplex theatres in Fall 2013.

2012 LUX Cinema Prize – winner

lo sono Li (Shun Li and the Poet), a film by Andrea Segre, was awarded the 2012 LUX Cinema Prize in Strasbourg on Wednesday. European Parliament President Martin Schulz presented the award to Mr Segre in an official ceremony in the parliament's plenary chamber in Strasbourg. The film explores the problems of immigration and conflict between belonging to a traditional community and individual aspiration. It tells an attractive story of friendship that breaks down stereotypes and prejudices against "foreigners".

This year's other finalists were Csak a szél (Just the Wind) by Bence Fliegauf (Hungary, Germany, France) and Tabu by Miguel Gomes (Portugal, Germany, France, Brazil).

This year, for the first time since the Lux Prize was created in 2007, Parliament held "LUX Film Days" during which it screened the three finalist films in all member states, enabling thousands of citizens to see these European cinema productions.

Cahiers du Cinema – Top 10 list for 2012

The French cinema magazine Cahiers du Cinema has released the list of their top ten films of 2012. The selection is topped by duelling limousine movies Holy Motors by Leos Carax and Cosmopolis by Canada's David Cronenberg. Both films premiered at the 65th Cannes Film Festival.

The list includes two films by Abel Ferrara. 4:44 Last Day on Earth tied for 4th place with 다른 나라에서 (In Another Country) and Take Shelter, while Go Go Tales followed in seventh spot. The latter film played at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival before languishing without distribution.

Interestingly, the Palme d'Or winner this past year Amour by Michael Haneke is nowhere to be found on the list. Also absent are any Hollywood studio films such as last year's inclusion of Super 8.

Tarragon Theatre's free Play Reading Week, Nov 20-25

A CELEBRATION OF PLAYS-IN-DEVELOPMENT

Come out to see the latest works from the 2012 Playwrights Unit, playwright-in-residence Rosa Laborde, RBC Tarragon Emerging Playwrights' Competition Winner Tracey Power and the English premiere of the latest work by French-Canadian playwright Marcel-Romain Thériault.

Play Reading Week runs from November 20 to 25, 2012 in Tarragon's Near Studio.

SOCAN Awards 2012 – winners

SOCAN and the Canadian music industry gathered tonight at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto to honour many of Canada's most talented songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers at the 23rd annual SOCAN Awards Gala. Hosted by Seamus O'Regan, the SOCAN Awards acknowledged its members' outstanding national and international achievements in 2011.

Presented by SOCAN – the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada – the SOCAN Awards Gala recognizes the accomplishments of Canadian songwriters in Pop/Rock, Dance, Urban, Country, Jazz, Folk/Roots, Classical, Film & Television, and International categories. SOCAN members such as Dean Brody, Alyssa Reid, Alex Cuba, Hedley's Jacob Hoggard, Fefe Dobson, David Myles, Mychael Danna and Bob Ezrin, were in attendance to receive their awards. Performers at the show included electro-pop group Dragonette; pop tunesmith Hawksley Workman, who led a tribute with Royal Wood and Serena Ryder to honour Bruce Cockburn; indie-rock trio Young Rival; and urban star Danny Fernandes.

THR's Actress Roundtable interview

The Hollywood Reporter has uploaded their latest Roundtable interview, this one with Actresses who will possibly contend for major awards. The interview takes place with Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Amy Adams (The Master, Trouble With The Curve), Sally Field (Lincoln), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea), Helen Hunt (The Sessions) and Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone). Unfortunately, this year's group is devoid of diversity but that is a sad reflection of the industry as a whole.

All have been Oscar nominees and Field, Weisz, Hunt and Cotillard are previous winners. Topics that they discuss include their fears, fame, fighting for roles, bad auditions and working with nightmare directors.

2012 American Music Awards – winners

The 40th Anniversary American Music Awards (AMAs) took place at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber was the night's big winner taking all three awards for which he was nominated. He won the top prize of Artist of the Year, as well as Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock and Favorite Album – Pop/Rock for Believe.

The only other multiple award-winner was Nicki Minaj, who along with Rihanna led the field with 4 nominations. Minaj won for Favorite Artist – Rap/Hip-Hop and Favorite Alvum – Rap/Hip-Hop for Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.

Rihanna's sole win was for Favorite Album – Soul/R&B on the strength of her album Talk That Talk.

British Academy Scotland Awards 2012 – winners

BAFTA in Scotland held the ceremony for the British Academy Scotland Awards 2012 tonight at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow. Radio DJ and television presenter Edith Bowman hosted the event which honours Scottish talent in film, television and video games.

Zam Salim's debut feature Up There was the top winner, taking both of its nominations for Best Feature Film and Best Director. Developed from his own short film, the dark comedy is about two people in the afterlife on a bureaucratic assignment but misplace a soul that they must then find.

The Angels’ Share by Ken Loach also won two awards from its leading four nominations. Paul Laverty won for Best Writer, while Paul Brannigan won Best Actor/Actress beating out his co-star Siobhan Reilly.

RIDM 2012 Awards – winners

The Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (Montreal International Documentary Festival) or RIDM ends today after more than 150 films, events and activities. The award winners for the 15th RIDM were announced yesterday at the closing event held at the Grande Bibliothèque.

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
Presented by Greenground, the award for best international short went to Dusty Night by Ali Hazara. The film looks at the lives of street sweepers in an Afghan village; it is a harsh essay on the human condition. The jury praised the film for “opening viewers to the unknown, without shouting, without getting lost in explanation.”

The jury also awarded a special mention to River Rites by Ben Russell.

BEST INTERNATIONAL MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM

2012 Blue Dragon Film Awards – nominations

The nominations have been revealed for Sports Chosun's 33rd 청룡영화상 (Blue Dragon Film Awards). Tied for the lead with 11 nominations each were 범죄와의 전쟁 : 나쁜놈들 전성시대 (Nameless Gangster) by 윤종빈 (Yun Jong-Bin), and 광해:왕이 된 남자 (Masquerade) by 추창민 (Choo Chang-Min).

Both received nominations for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. 광해:왕이 된 남자 (Masquerade) picked up acting nominations for Actor 이병헌 (Lee Byung-Hun) and Supporting Actor 장광 (Jang Gwang), while 범죄와의 전쟁 : 나쁜놈들 전성시대 (Nameless Gangster) received nods for Actors 최민식 (Choi Min-Sik) and 하정우 (Ha Jung-Woo), Supporting Actor 곽도원 (Kwak Do-Won) and New Actor 김성균 (Kim Sung-Kyun).

Special benefit screening/performance of A Late Quartet

On Thursday, November 22, a special screening of A Late Quartet will take place with the director Yaron Zilberman in attendance. The evening is a fundraiser for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and will feature a performance by a quartet including TSO musicians Jonathan Crow (TSO concertmaster, formerly concertmaster of l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal) and Assistant Principal Violist Eric Nowlin. They will participate with the director in a Q & A after the screening.

Tickets are only $30 and the first 400 people attending will receive a $50 DVD prize pack from Mongrel Media. So not only are attendees supporting a great arts organization but getting a great evening and a lot of bang for their buck.

The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher  Walken, Catherine Keener, and Mark Ivanir. They play a renowned string quartet that is thrown into disarray when a member receives a troubling diagnosis, and long-simmering tensions rise to the surface.

2012 Latin Grammy Awards – winners

The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences held their XIII Latin Grammy Awards last night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Jesse & Joy topped the field with four awards. They won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album and Best Short Form Music Video.

The Colombian singer/songwriter Juanes won Album of the Year and Best Long Form Music Video for Juanes MTV Unplugged.

Trumpeter and pianist Arturo Sandoval picked up three awards. He won Best Tango Album for Tango Como Yo Te Siento, and Best Latin Jazz Album and Best Engineered Album for Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You).

Double award-winners included Don Omar, Carla Morrison, El Cuarteto de Nos, Milly Quezada, and Juan Luis Guerra. Luis Guerra's two awards give him a total of 19 over the years and he has matched the record of Calle 13.

Le Festival du Film Japonais à Montréal, Nov 16-17

The Consulate General of Japan in Montreal and The Japan Foundation, Toronto are pleased to present free screenings of Japanese films in Montreal. The 29th Festival du Film Japonais à Montréal (Japanese Film Festival In Montreal) opens with a screening of 大鹿村騒動記 (Someday) by 阪本 順治 (Junji Sakamoto).

This will be followed by a screening of ヴィヨンの妻 〜桜桃とタンポポ〜 (Villon's Wife) by 根岸吉太郎 (Kichitaro Negishi). Tomorrow's screenings will be 風が強く吹いている (Feel the Wind) by 大森寿美男 (Sumio Omori), and ハッピーフライト (Happy Flight) by やぐち ふみやす (Shinobu Yaguchi).

Please note that limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations. Please arrive at least thirty minutes before showtime.

Darryl’s Hard Liquor and Porn Film Festival 2012, Nov 16-17

This weekend brings us the latest edition of Darryl’s Hard Liquor and Porn Film Festival, now in its 11th year. It begins tonight with a screening of The Salon of Awesome Cinema, a new program created to highlight undiscovered short films from around the world that are sexy, fantastic, beautiful, twisted or just weird – films that will turn you on and make you think.

This will be followed by a screening of the films made during the 69 Hour Film Challenge last weekend, where film makers were given 69 hours to create a funny short film about sex. Participants are given a secret list of ten items, and were required to have at least three of the items in the film.

The list of items was the following:

People's Choice Awards 2013 – nominations

The nominations have just been announced for the 39th Annual People's Choice Awards.

Joss Whedon's The Avengers led with thirteen nominations – five for the film and another eight for the actors. Robert Downey, Jr. received three on his own for Favorite Movie Actor, Favorite Action Movie Star and Favorite Movie Superhero. Scarlett Johansson was a three-time nominee for Favorite Movie Actress, Favorite Face of Heroism and Favorite On-Screen Chemistry with Jeremy Renner. Chris Hemsworth also picked up three nominations, but two were for his role of Thor in The Avengers, while the third was for acting in Snow White and the Huntsman.

The other nominees for Favorite Movie were The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman. Emma Stone picked up three nominations for her role in The Amazing Spider-Man as did Jennifer Lawrence for starring in The Hunger Games.

Reel Awareness Film Festival 2012, Nov 15-18

Amnesty International Toronto begins presenting the 7th Annual Reel Awareness Film Festival starting tonight with an opening night reception and a screening of A Whisper to a Roar. The film looks at democracy activists in Egypt, Malaysia, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. After the screening, the director Ben Moses will participate in a Q & A via Skype.

The closing night film on Sunday night will be Big Boys Gone Bananas! It chronicles the filmmaker Fredrick Gertten's ordeal of being bullied by the company Dole when he began screening his earlier documentary Bananas!

The screenings also include the still relevant You Don't Like the Truth - Four Days Inside Guantanamo, which looks at the imprisonment and torture of Omar Khadr. It raises many questions and throws his confession into doubt because of the torture and the very real threat that he'd spend the rest of his life in those conditions otherwise.

2012 Writers’ Guild of Great Britain awards – winners

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain presented the winners for the 2012 Writers’ Guild Awards tonight at the Tabernacle in Notting Hill. The ceremony was hosted by comedy writers Jane Bussmann and David Quantick.

The award for Best Screenplay was presented by Academy Award-winner David Seidler to Lynne Ramsay and Rory Stewart Kinnear for We Need to Talk About Kevin. It won against Paddy Considine for Tyrannosaur and Paul Laverty for Even the Rain. Danny King and Dexter Fletcher won Best First Feature Film for Wild Bill.

THR's Writers Roundtable interview

The Hollywood Reporter continues its excellent series of roundtable interviews with a discussion with six writers, some of whom are also directors: Judd Apatow (This is 40), Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty), David Magee (Life of Pi), Chris Terrio (Argo), Michael Haneke (Amour) and John Krasinski (Promised Land).

Interesting subjects discussed include adapting real-life events; politics; death; getting started; and the writing process. Haneke speaks of his dislike of the Hitler drama Downfall and Spielberg's Schindler's List, and making entertainment from dark historical events in general. He said, "the mere idea of trying to create suspense out of the question of whether the showerhead gas is going to come on is unspeakable."

2012 DGA Student Film Award – winners

The Directors Guild of America today announced the winners of the 2012 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and Women directors. The awards are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional minority and women directors in film schools and select universities across the country.

“We congratulate the outstanding recipients of this year’s DGA Student Film Awards,” said DGA President Taylor Hackford. “The Guild recognizes and honors these young men and women directors who have shown exceptional talent and promise, and we hope that the attention brought by the DGA Student Film Awards will serve to both highlight their work and provide inspiration for the next generation of diverse talent in the entertainment industry.”

European Union Film Festival Toronto 2012, Nov 14-27

The 8th annual European Union Film Festival Toronto gets underway Wednesday night with a screening of Marinos Kartikkis' Από θαύμα (By Miracle) from Cyprus. As with all films at the festival, admission to the screening is free. Entrance to films is on a first come, first serve basis. Ticket distribution will begin one hour before each screening. One ticket per person.

Other films screening over the next two weeks include Germany's Halt auf freier Strecke (Stopped on Track) by Andreas Dresen, the Czech Republic's Pouta (Walking Too Fast) by Radim Špaček, Sonny Boy by Maria Peters, and Medalia de onoare (Medal of Honour) by Peter Călin Netzer. The Swedish film En enkel till Antibes (A One-Way Ticket to Antibes) by Richard Hobert will screen with the director in attendance, as will the Maltese short film Small, Stupid and Insignificant by Valerie Buhagiar.

Mundial Montréal 2012, Nov 13-16

Following last year’s successful launch of Mundial Montreal, we are delighted to announce the festival is back this year, bigger and better! Mundial Montreal, presented in in collaboration with Galaxie your musical universe, is a music conference and festival that showcases the best of world music from Canada.

Celebrating Canada’s rich cultural diversity through a variety of showcases and venues, Mundial Montreal hosts some of the most sought-after programmers and tastemakers to participate in ground-breaking networking events, panels and meetings. This year Mundial Montreal increases its programming up to 33 artists, in 10 different venues, and over 100 delegates from both Canada and beyond.

2012 Reel Asian Film Festival awards – winners [UPDATED]

The downtown portion of the 16th annual Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival concluded last night with their closing awards ceremony before the screening of Architecture 101.

The Reel Asian Best Canadian Film or Video Award was presented to Romeo Candido's Prison Dancer, about the unique Filipino phenomenon of dance routines by prison inmates. Best Feature went to Kim Kyung-mook's Stateless Things about a North Korean migrant worker and young gay prostitute. Montreal animator Jonathan Ng claimed the Animasian Award for Requiem for Romance.

MTV European Music Awards 2012 – winners

The 19th MTV European Music Awards took place tonight in Frankfurt, Germany. The event was hosted by German supermodel Heidi Klum.

It was a huge night for EMA newcomer Taylor Swift. In her debut appearance at the international music extravaganza, she not only closed the show with ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ but took home three awards, tying longtime EMA fave Justin Bieber with three: Best Live, Best Look, and Best Female.

Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber won for Best Pop and Best Male as well as scoring Best World Stage. He couldn’t be at Frankfurt’s Festhalle in person, but appeared via video link to express his gratitude and excitement.

Anugerah Skrin 2012 (Malaysian film awards) – winners

The Anugerah Skrin (Screen Awards) for Malaysian film were presented at the Putra World Trade Centre held last night.

Bunohan was the big winner of the night. It claimed the prize for Best Film, against competition from Songlap, Ombak Rindu, Libas and 7 Petala Cinta. In addition, Bunohan won for Best Screenplay. It is Malaysia's entry to the Academy Awards for consideration as Best Foreign Language Film.

Songlap by Fariza Azlina and Effendee Mazlan picked up more awards, however, with three. It won for Best Director, Best Actor (Shaheizy Sam) and Best Supporting Actor (Syafie Naswip).

Ombak Rindu took the acting prizes on the women's side, with Best Actress going to Maya Karin and Best Supporting Actress to Lisa Surihani.

2012 Festival Les HTMlles, Nov 10-18

The women's artist-run centre Studio XX launches their 10th edition of the Festival Les HTMlles Festival féministe d'arts médiatiques + de culture numérique (Feminist festival of media arts + digital culture) tonight with an open house. The festival name HTMlles is a clever wordplay on "html" and the French word "elles."

The two floors of the 4001 Berri space will be animated by the festival partners and artists as part of an open house exhibition, Risky Business. There will be a launch of a special double issue of the electronic periodical .dpi, featuring a one-time-only print component at the occasion of the anniversary of The HTMlles. The evening also includes Oboro's Sound Saloon featuring Alexis O'Hara, art performances at the GIV, a projection/installation in CQAM’s window, and 360 degree photos by Time Code and Orangium. Finally, there will be a performance The Ultimate Company – Dominations, risques, profits by Franco-Belgian artist Valérie Cordy

Call for submissions: COMMFFEST Global Community Film Festival

The COMMFFEST Global Community Film Festival has put out a call for submissions for its 8th Annual Festival in Toronto.

COMMFEST is a "cultural showcase of issue-oriented cinema, offers a unique platform in today's media-explosive world for filmmakers young and old, emerging or seasoned, to engage in a dialogue of social issues and cultural exchange through the powerful language of film. Exhibiting filmmakers and invitations to all COMMFFEST events including the filmmakers' brunch. The year's best films will be honored with the prestigious Making A Difference (MADA) Award. Submit your film today."

10 Animated Shorts in 2012 Oscar shortlist

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 85th Academy Awards®. Fifty-six pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

Free Sneak Preview Double Bill: Hitchcock and Psycho, Nov 19

CINSSU once again has a special event for those who can’t get enough of the world of film! As many of you may already know the new film titled Hitchcock (2012) starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, and Scarlett Johansson is coming November 23rd. Some of us at CINSSU are so excited that we can’t wait any longer to see this, however. So we’ve decided to present the public with a FREE screening for Hitchcock!

For those who may not know about the upcoming film Hitchcock, it is about Alfred Hitchcock’s arduous endeavor to produce one of his most iconic film’s Psycho (1960). CINSSU loves Hitchcock and thought this would be a great opportunity to present a sneak preview for this upcoming film. Before we show Hitchcock though, we thought it would be an excellent idea to present the film that inspired it: Psycho.

Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival 2012, Nov 9-17

Workman Arts launches the 20th annual Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival (RWMFF) tonight at the TIFF Bell Lightbox with a screening of the Dutch film Kauwboy (Little Bird) by Boudewijn Koole. The award-winning film is about a boy with an alcoholic father who discovers and nurtures a baby jackdaw, and is the Netherlands' Best Foreign Film submission to the 2013 Academy Awards. It will be preceded by a wine and cheese reception at the TIFF Lounge.

The festival will close with Matthew Lillard's Sundance festival hit Fat Kid Rules the World. All of the screenings will take place with the filmmaker in attendance and/or mental health professionals/commentators. The films are a springboard for discussion to further understand ourselves and mental health issues.

Free screening of A Better Tomorrow, Q+A David Wu, Nov 9

CINSSU is once again doing a film collaboration! CINSSU along with The Asian Institute, in co-sponsorship with Reel Asian, CSI, Toronto Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, present to you a free screening of John Woo’s 1986 breakthrough heroic-bloodshed film A Better Tomorrow.

 A seminal film in Hong Kong film history, A Better Tomorrow witnessed the birth of John Woo as “action-auteur”, revitalizing the action-crime genre through a hyper-stylization of violence that drew as much from Peckinpah, as it did modern dance and traditional Chinese martial arts. While the film is deeply interested in local themes, reflecting on the nostalgia and temporality of pre-handover Hong Kong, it’s stylization of violence has witnessed global repercussions, identifiable in the works of western directors like Tarantino, the Wachowskis and Luc Besson.

THR's Actor Roundtable interview

The Hollywood Reporter has begun its series of roundtable interviews with awards contenders. They have just posted their Actors Roundtable. It features actors Alan Arkin (Argo), Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), Richard Gere (Arbitrage), Denzel Washington (Flight), John Hawkes (The Sessions) and Matt Damon (The Promised Land).

They discuss a wide range of topics including politics, fame and life-changing advice. One particularly interesting exchange occurs when they discuss the issue of actresses, particularly those over the age of 40. Denzel Washington's daughter is studying to be an actress and he told her "You're black, you're a woman, and you're dark-skinned at that. So you have to be a triple/quadruple threat. You gotta learn how to act. You gotta learn how to dance, sing, move onstage." He went on to tell her, "Look at Viola Davis. That's who you want to be. Forget about the little pretty girls; if you're relying on that, when you hit 40, you're out the door. You better have some chops."

Made In India: Montreal Indian Film Festival, Nov 8-11

Tonight at Cinéma du Parc, Made In India: the 3rd edition of the Montreal Indian Film Festival gets underway with a screening of हरिश्‍चंद्राची फॅक्टरी (Harishchandrachi Factory) by Paresh Mokashi. The film is itself a historical account of "father of Indian cinema" Dadasaheb Phalke and the birth of India's film industry.

Other films screened over the next several days include Vihir (The Well), Stanley Ka Dabba, and the documentary Big in Bollywood – From a Hollywood Zero to a Bollywood Hero. The festival closes with a screening of 3 Idiots by Rajkumar Irani.

All films are screened with English or French subtitles.