Film Review: Labor Day

Director: Jason Reitman
Writers: Jason Reitman (screenplay), Joyce Maynard (based on the novel by)
Featuring: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith

Review by Allan Tong

It's a long summer weekend in New England in 1987, but Adele (Kate Winslet) wouldn't know.  Long depressed by the break-up of her marriage, she stays inside while her adolescent son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) runs errands.  Once in a while Adele steps out, like shopping at a department store with Henry at the start of the Labor Day weekend.  And that's where her life changes.

Frank (John Brolin) coerces Adele and Henry into hiding him in their house where he can lay low until the coast is clear.  Frank was having a routine operation when he fled the hospital--and a prison term for murder.  Over the long weekend, Frank teaches Adele and Henry to bake a peach pie.  He fixes the car.  Even plays baseball with them and the neighbour's kid.  He never raises his voice.  Gentle and calm.  Adele is a wounded romantic and falls for Frank.  In fact, Frank doesn't seduce Adele. Their love just blossoms.

Academy Rescinds Original Song Nomination For "Alone Yet Not Alone" [UPDATED]

On Tuesday night, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to rescind the Original Song nomination for “Alone Yet Not Alone,” music by Bruce Broughton and lyric by Dennis Spiegel. The decision was prompted by the discovery that Broughton, a former Governor and current Music Branch executive committee member, had emailed members of the branch to make them aware of his submission during the nominations voting period.

"No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one’s position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one’s own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President.

International 3D & Advanced Imaging Society's 5th Annual Awards – winners

Gravity Wins 4 Top Honors
Frozen Wins 2 Awards
Breaking Bad and Space Win for Best 4K Productions

The International 3D & Advanced Imaging Society bestowed 25 honors for “distinguished achievement” at the 3D Creative Arts Awards on Tuesday night, at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles.

“It is clear from these winners that 3D is maturing as an art form”

Gravity (Warner Bros.) swept several categories including: best “Live Action 3D Feature,” best “Stereography – Live Action,” best “3D Scene of the Year,” and best “2D to 3D Conversion.” Two of the Society’s Lumiere™ statuettes were presented to Frozen (Walt Disney Animation Studios) for best “Animated 3D Feature” and best “Stereography – Animation.”

Call for submissions: Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has put out a call for submissions for its Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

Screenwriters who have not earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film or television are eligible to submit an original work of one writer, or of two writers who collaborated equally. The work must be in English and not be an adaptation or translation.

Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters. From the program’s inception in 1986 through 2013, $3.6 million has been awarded to 144 writers.

16e soirée des Jutra – finalists

The finalists for the 16th annual Jutra Awards for Quebec cinema were announced this morning.

Leading the field with eleven nominations was Daniel Roby's historical drama Louis Cyr : l'homme le plus fort du monde (Louis Cyr: The Strongest Man in the World). Its nominations included Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Rose-Maïté Erkoreka) and Best Actor (Antoine Bertrand).

Next with nine mentions was Louise Archambault's Gabrielle, which was Canada's submission for the Foreign Language category of the Academy Awards. Its nominations included Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. But surprisingly its lead actress Gabrielle Marion-Rivard was omitted from the nominees' list.

56th Grammy Awards – winners

One of the most noteworthy GRAMMY performances this year featured Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert, Madonna, Queen Latifah, Trombone Shorty, and the marriage of 33 diverse couples in a celebration of love and tolerance. In truth, the GRAMMYs are always a great marriage — of music, entertainment and the recognition of the year's best artistry.

But this year, it was also a marriage of Daft Punk, producer Pharrell Williams, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and GRAMMY voters as the EDM and rap duos and producer scored four awards each to top all winners.

Daft Punk earned their GRAMMYs for the coveted Album Of The Year category for Random Access Memories and Record Of The Year with Williams and Nile Rodgers for "Get Lucky." Random …also won Best Dance/Electronica Album and "Get Lucky" took Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Meanwhile, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' haul included Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "Thrift Shop," and Best Rap Album for The Heist.

66th annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards – winners

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2013 were announced tonight during the 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Alfonso Cuarón won the DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Gravity.

Actor Jane Lynch hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,600 guests. Presenters included (in alphabetical order): Ben Affleck, Debbie Allen, DGA Secretary-Treasurer Michael Apted, DGA President Paris Barclay, Sandra Bullock, Nick Cannon, Don Cheadle, Steve Coogan, Bradley Cooper, DGA Fifth Vice President Jon Favreau, DGA Past President Taylor Hackford, Tom Hanks, Keith Jackson, Anna Kendrick, Allison Liddi-Brown, Sarah Paulson, Rob Reiner, and Kerry Washington.

2014 Sundance Film Festival announces Feature Film Awards – winners

Rich Hill, Whiplash, Return to Homs and To Kill a Man Earn Grand Jury Prizes

Audience Favorites Include Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory, Whiplash, The Green Prince, Difret and Imperial Dreams

Sundance Institute this evening announced the Jury, Audience and other special awards of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival at the feature film Awards Ceremony, hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, in Park City, Utah. Video of the ceremony in its entirety is available at www.sundance.org/live.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Tracy Chapman to:
Rich Hill / U.S.A. (Directors: Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos) — In a rural, American town, kids face heartbreaking choices, find comfort in the most fragile of family bonds, and dream of a future of possibility.

CSA Claude Jutra Award winner announced

Filmmaker Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais Wins Academy’s Claude Jutra Award for Whitewash

Filmmaker Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais has won the 2014 Claude Jutra Award for his first feature film, Whitewash, it was announced today by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The Claude Jutra Award is sponsored by Telefilm Canada.

“The Academy is honoured to present filmmaker Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais with the Claude Jutra Award for his darkly comedic drama Whitewash, a story about a snow plow operator who must deal with the aftermath of a terrible accident ,” said Richard Speer, the Academy’s Quebec chair. “Whitewash is a remarkable debut film which does a lot with a little to create a unique story with highly compelling performances. Whitewash is sure to establish Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais as an upcoming Canadian filmmaker of note.”

7th edition of CinéBazar by MEDIAFILM - Sat, Feb 1

Winning over film buffs and film fanatics for over 7 years now!

Montréal, January 22, 2014 – As has been the tradition for seven years now, CinéBazar, the massive annual gathering of cinephiles, films fanatics and the plain curious, will take place  Saturday, February 1st from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Centre du Plateau. Proceeds will benefit CinÉcole, a film education program run by MEDIAFILM aimed at high school students.

Located at 2275 boulevard St-Joseph East, corner Fullum, the community centre welcomes the event for a second consecutive year. “In only two years, the event has become a top draw in our calendar of cultural events” says Marie-Josée Avon, director general of this invaluable institution which has just celebrated 25 years of its existence.

2014 Sundance Film Festival's Short Film Awards – winners

Of God and Dogs Wins Short Film Grand Jury Prize

Sundance Institute this evening announced the jury prizes and honorable mentions in short filmmaking at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The awards were presented at a ceremony in Park City, Utah.

This year's Short Film program is comprised of 66 short films selected from a record 8,161 submissions. The Short Film jurors are: Vernon Chatman, producer, writer, director and voice actor; filmmaker/actor Joshua Leonard; and Ania Trzebiatowska, artistic director of the Off Plus Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema, based in Krakow, Poland.

The Short Film program is presented by YouTube. Fifteen short films from the 2014 Festival are featured on the Festival’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/sff.

Call for submissions: Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge

Sundance Institute, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, invites YOU, the storytellers from around the globe, to be a part of our first-ever Short Film Challenge.

The Challenge
Create a unique, compelling, and personal Short Film that explores an empowering person or an optimistic story about individuals and communities who are overcoming poverty and hunger, combatting disease, or improving health.Your Short Film can be narrative fiction or documentary, imaginative, unorthodox, daring or simple — the style and structure are completely up to you but you must touch on economic inequalities.

International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society’s annual Creative Arts Awards – nominations

The International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society today announced its top nominated 3D movies for the 2014 Creative Arts Awards Ceremony to be held January 28th at Warner Bros. Studios.

The top live action nominees include Gravity (Warner Bros.), The Great Gatsby (Warner Bros.), The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (MGM/New Line Cinema), Oz The Great and Powerful (Walt Disney Pictures), and Star Trek: Into Darkness (Paramount Pictures).

In the animation category, the top nominees include The Croods (DreamWorks Animation), Despicable Me 2 (Universal Pictures), Frozen (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Monster's University (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar), and Turbo (DreamWorks Animation).

Producers Guild of America's 25th Annual PGA Awards – winners

Last night the Producers Guild of America held their 25th Annual PGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The evening culminated with an unprecedented and surprising tie between two Oscar favourites, Gravity and 12 Years a Slave. This has been a tight awards-season with many prestige films and many contenders, and the two shared winners were considered joint frontrunners along with David O. Russell's American Hustle. What makes a tie so extremely unlikely is that the PGA is a large organization with over 6,000 members, and that they use a preferential voting system similar to what the Academy uses.

Alfonso Cuaron and David Heyman accepted on behalf of Gravity, while Brad Pitt was joined by director/producer Steve McQueen along with producers Anthony Katagas and Jeremy Kleiner.

The Documentary winner was Alex Gibney's We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks. For Animated Motion Picture, the winner was the 3D Disney film Frozen.

SAG-AFTRA presents 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – winners

SAG-AFTRA presented its coveted Actor® statuette for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2013 at the “20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®” in ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors, held Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

More than 100,000 active members of SAG-AFTRA nationwide were eligible to vote for the recipients. Honored with individual awards were Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey and Lupita Nyong’o for performances in motion pictures and Ty Burrell, Bryan Cranston, Michael Douglas, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith for performances in television.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards originated awards for the outstanding performances by a motion picture cast and by television drama and comedy ensembles. The Actor® for a motion picture cast performance went this year to American Hustle, while the Actors® for television drama and comedy ensemble performances went this year to Breaking Bad and Modern Family.

19th Critics Choice Movie Awards – winners

The Broadcast Film Critics Association BFCA) held the ceremony for their 19th annual Critics Choice Movie Awards tonight at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Aisha Tyler was the host for the event.

The top winner of the evening was 12 Years a Slave which took Best Picture. It also won for Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o) and Best Adapted Screenplay (written by John Ridley).

However, Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity took more awards, winning a total of seven. It won for Best Director, as well as Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie, Best Actress in an Action Movie (Sandra Bullock), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Score (Steven Price).

American Hustle also acquitted itself well with four awards. Its wins were for Best Comedy, Best Ensemble, Best Actress in a Comedy (Amy Adams) and Best Hair & Makeup.

86th annual Academy Awards Oscar nominations fact sheet

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

American Hustle (Sony Pictures Releasing) [Produced by Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison and Jonathan Gordon.] - This is the first nomination for Charles Roven and Richard Suckle.

This is the third nomination for Megan Ellison, who is also nominated this year for Her. Her previous Best Picture nomination was for Zero Dark Thirty (2012).

This is the second nomination for Jonathan Gordon. His previous Best Picture nomination was for Silver Linings Playbook (2012).

Captain Phillips (Sony Pictures Releasing) [Produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca.] - This is the sixth nomination for Scott Rudin, who won the award in 2007 for No Country for Old Men. He was also nominated for The Hours (2002), The Social Network (2010), True Grit (2010) and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011).

86th Academy Awards – nominations

Actor Chris Hemsworth and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards® today (January 16).

Hemsworth and Boone Isaacs announced the nominees at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives.

Academy members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Motion Picture Sound Editors announce 61st Golden Reel Awards – nominations

The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) have announced the feature film nominees for its 61st MPSE Golden Reel Awards (http://mpse.org). Nominees represent the work of talented film editors and their contributions to the best films of the past year. Nominations for television, animation and computer entertainment categories will be announced on Friday, January 17.

“2013 was a year of incredible movies — and incredible movie sound,” notes MPSE president, Frank Morrone. “Sound editors continued to advance their craft and find new and innovative ways to help filmmakers tell stories. We congratulate this year’s nominees for their outstanding work.”

The MPSE Golden Reel Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sound editing in 22 categories encompassing feature films, television, animation, computer entertainment and student work. The 61st MPSE Golden Reel Awards will be held on February 16, 2014 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles.

Ingrid Veninger announces pUNK Films FEMMES LAB Screenwriting Intensive

INGRID VENINGER ANNOUNCES pUNK Films FEMMES LAB
SCREENWRITING INTENSIVE WITH 6 CANADIAN WOMEN PARTICIPANTS
AND SUPPORT FROM OSCAR WINNER MELISSA LEO

Following a fall festival tour for her latest feature film, The Animal Project, Ingrid Veninger returned to Toronto with a desire to see more fiction features written and directed by Canadian women. On November 18th, she proposed the idea of a screenwriting lab on her Facebook page, and received 20 submissions.

“I want to galvanize the Canadian women who have already completed at least one feature film”, says DIY Queen Ingrid Veninger, “and who want to pursue their filmmaking with an eye on taking bigger creative risks.”

“When I won the EDA Award for The Animal Project at the Whistler Film Festival from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists,” adds Ingrid, “I decided to take a chance at the podium. I offered a first look at the 6 scripts written in the Femmes Lab, to the first person who stepped up with $6000… The room was stone silent until Melissa Leo stood up and shouted, “I’ll do it!”… she’s is a true champion. Over the holidays I received Melissa’s cheque, which will be shared between the participating women. Then TIFF offered us a place to meet at the Lightbox. So it’s on!”

35th Annual Razzie Awards – nominations

One year shy of their 35th anniversary, Tinsel Town's Tackiest Trophy Derby continues to call on Hollywood's A-Listers to "Own Their Bad." This year's 34th Annual RAZZIE nominees include some of the biggest names in the movie business, who happened to star in some of the biggest box office bombs of 2013.

For the first time in their history, the RAZZIES are also working with their worldwide fan-base of PO'd motion picture-goers, and the cutting edge crowd-funding website Indiegogo to put on a high-end show this year and pave the way for the first ever RAZZIE Awards Broadcast in 2015.

Garnering their first ever RAZZIE nods are some of the silver screen's most recognizable luminaries, including past Oscar nominees Johnny Depp and Naomi Watts as well as up-and-comers making crummy choices like Jaden Smith and Selena Gomez. The list also includes several "Repeat Offenders," returning for more pie-in-the-face/light-hearted joshing from the only folks whose statuette no one wants to win.

Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards – nominations

Today the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild’s President Susan Cabral-Ebert announced nominations for the 2014 Annual Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards in 14 Categories. Winners will be announced at the 2014 Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE Local 706) Awards honoring make-up artists and hair stylists outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials and live theater and will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at Paramount Studios. M.A.C. Cosmetics is the Official Cocktail Reception Sponsor.

"“We are so excited to receive entrees for our crafts from all over the world,” said Cabral-Ebert. “We had a wonderful response and over three times as many entrees as we anticipated. Thanks to our dedicated committee who viewed all the submissions and made very tough choices. We are proud of our nominees and the work that was submitted this year, which has the best examples of the finest of our craft.”"

Visual Effects Society's 12th Annual VES Awards – nominations

Gravity Leads the Feature Film Nominations; Frozen and The Croods are Top Animated Film Contenders; Game of Thrones Leads the Broadcast Field

Los Angeles (January 14, 2014) – Today, the Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional honorary society, announced the nominees for the 12th Annual VES Awards, the prestigious yearly celebration that recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on-the-keys artists who bring this work to life. Nominees were selected by VES members via concurrent events in Los Angeles and within the eight Global VES Sections - New York, Bay Area, New Zealand, Sydney, United Kingdom, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The VES Awards will be held on February 12th at the Beverly Hilton.

Cinema Audio Society's 50th Annual CAS Awards – nominations

The Cinema Audio Society announces the nominees for the 50th Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2013 in six categories.

“It is exciting that, as we celebrate 50 years of the CAS, there has been an abundance of outstanding sound mixing in film and television this past year,” said CAS President David E. Fluhr. “These nominations reflect the best sound mixing of 2013 as determined by the voting members of the Cinema Audio Society and I congratulate each of the nominees.”

“Again this year our electronic voting via Votenet Solutions went smoothly and was a secure and uncomplicated procedure for our members. Since making the switch to online voting our participation has increased while our carbon footprint has decreased.”

DGA Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2013

DGA 66th Annual Awards - Documentary Nominees

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries for 2013.

“The five documentary filmmakers nominated today have made powerful films exploring humanity in all its complications,” said Barclay. “From intricate family portrayals to lives caught in political upheaval, these works are intimate, heartbreaking and triumphant. My congratulations to each of the nominees.”

The winner will be named at the 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The DGA Awards will be hosted by actor Jane Lynch.

2014 Canadian Screen Awards – nominations

The 2014 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS nominees in film, television and digital media were announced today by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

“We are exceedingly proud today to reveal the nominees for the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards,” says Academy Chair Martin Katz. “This was a year marked by a record-breaking number of submissions, reflecting a robust level of activity in the screen-based industries in Canada which we will celebrate during Canadian Screen Week, March 3-9. Congratulations to all,” says Katz.

“2014 marks 65 years of celebrating leading talent in Canada: first film, then television and now digital media...with the greatest Canadian stars in our history gracing our awards year after year,” says Academy CEO Helga Stephenson. “From Mary Pickford to Martin Short, we have been blessed with the best, a tradition we intend to carry forward,” adds Stephenson. “Congratulations to all the nominees, you have already won.”

71st Annual Golden Globe Awards – winners

The winners for the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards were presented tonight at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler returned to host the awards for the second consecutive year.

David O. Russell's American Hustle led the winners, taking three awards. It won for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Best Actress (Amy Adams) and Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence). It had led with seven nominations.

Surprisingly, Dallas Buyers Club was also a big winner on the night with two wins for its actors. Matthew McConaughey won for Best Actor – Drama and Jared Leto won for Best Supporting Actor.

Surprisingly, 12 Years A Slave had been tied with American Hustle for the lead in nominations, but was shut out the entire evening. That is, until the very end when it won the top prize for Best Picture – Drama.

3rd AACTA International Awards – winners

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) announced the winners of the 3rd AACTA International Awards on Friday 10 January 2014 at an intimate Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by multi-award winning actor and AACTA President Geoffrey Rush.

The Awards recognize screen excellence regardless of geography across seven categories including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

BLUE JASMINE’S Australian leading lady, Cate Blanchett was called to the stage by AACTA President Geoffrey Rush to accept the AACTA International Award for Best Actress.

Blanchett’s acclaimed performance as Jasmine in the Woody Allen film has been tipped to win a raft of awards in the 2014 International Awards season including a possible second Oscar which, if occurs, would make her the first Australian actress in history to be awarded twice by AMPAS.

64th Annual American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Awards – nominations

The American Cinema Editors have announced the nominations for the 64th annual ACE Eddie Awards.

The nominees for Best Edited Feature film includes the editors for 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Her, American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis and the controversial The Wolf of Wall Street. Each of the nominees for Comedy or Musical could easily have been included in Drama, while Her and Saving Mr. Banks could just as easily been in the comedy category.

In the television section, the show Breaking Bad picked up four nominations, including three for Skip MacDonald.

2014 ACTRA in Toronto Awards – nominations

ACTRA Toronto is proud to announce the nominees for the 12th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto.

"High calibre performances like these are building our Canadian Star System," said David Sparrow, President of ACTRA Toronto. "We are honoured to call these performers members of ACTRA Toronto."

R.H. Thomson will be presented with ACTRA Toronto's 2014 Award of Excellence at the Awards celebration. The Award of Excellence recognizes an exceptional body of work and a commitment to advocacy on behalf of all performers. Marco Bianco will receive the ACTRA Toronto Stunt Award. The show will be hosted by actor and comedian Darrell Dennis with musical entertainment provided by Saidah Baba Talibah.

45th Annual NAACP Image Awards – nominations

The nominees for THE 45TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference at the TV One presentation to the Television Critics Association during its Winter 2014 Press Tour in Pasadena, CA. David Oyelowo (“Lee Daniels’ ‘The Butler’”), Joe Morton (ABC’s “Scandal”), Keke Palmer (VH1’s “CrazySexyCool”), Bresha Webb (TV One’s “Love That Girl”) and Gina Torres (USA’s “Suits”) announced the categories and nominees with NAACP Image Awards Committee Chairman, Leonard James and President and CEO of TV One, Alfred Liggins.

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be voted upon by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes are opened on Friday, February 21 during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised categories. The remaining categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Saturday, February 22 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed). The telecast will also include a one-hour pre-show airing live from the red carpet (8:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed).

26th-Annual Scripter Award – nominations announced

USC Libraries Name Finalists for 26^th-Annual Scripter Award

The USC Libraries have named the authors and screenwriters of Captain Phillips, Philomena, The Spectacular Now, 12 Years a Slave, and What Maisie Knew as finalists for the 26^th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award. Scripter honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author or authors of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University Park campus of the University of Southern California. Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford will serve as honorary dinner chairs.

The finalists are, in alphabetical order by film title:

Society of Camera Operators Awards 2013 – nominations announced

The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) will present its Camera Operator of the Year Awards at their Annual Awards Event, as announced today by SOC Vice President and Awards Executive Producer David Frederick, SOC.

The black-tie celebration announcing the winners will be held on February 15, 2014 at the Skirball Cultural Center. The SOC donates all proceeds from the Awards Event to the Vision Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles to help children overcome vision deficits.

18th Annual Art Directors Guild (ADG) Awards – nominations announced

Today the Art Directors Guild (ADG) announced nominations in 10 categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Art Directors Guild's 18th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, Presented by Kohler. The nominations were announced by ADG Council Chair John Shaffner and Awards co-producers Dave Blass and Raf Lydon.

As previously announced, the recipient of the Guild's prestigious Cinematic Imagery Award will be Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese, whose film The Wolf of Wall Street is in current release. Production Designer Rick Carter will be awarded the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Kohler. Hall of Fame inductees are Robert Clatworthy, Harper Goff and J. Michael Riva.

7th Annual Cinema Eye Honors – winners

The Act of Killing, Stories We Tell and Cutie and the Boxer Win Top Awards at 7th Annual Cinema Eye Honors

The Act of Killing, the acclaimed Danish film that features former Indonesian death squad leaders re-enacting their crimes, was named the Outstanding Feature at the 7th Annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens tonight with hosts and Cinema Eye Chair Esther Robinson and Founding Director AJ Schnack, and opening remarks from Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11). Filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) presented the award to director Joshua Oppenheimer and producer Signe Byrge Sørensen, who earlier in the evening picked up the prize for Outstanding Production.

19 Scientific And Technical Achievements To Be Honored With Academy Awards

Peter W. Anderson to receive Gordon E. Sawyer Award;
Charles “Tad” Marburg to receive John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 19 scientific and technical achievements represented by 52 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 15, at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

28th Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards – nominations

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced nominations in the theatrical motion picture category of the 28th Annual ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement.

“Our members believe these cinematographers have set the contemporary standard for artful, theatrical motion picture cinematography,” says ASC President Richard Crudo. “They have mastered a complex craft which contributes vitally to the storytelling process, and augments the intentions of everyone involved with the production.”

16th Costume Designers Guild Awards – nominations

The Costume Designers Guild has announced the nominations for the 16th Annual CDG Awards. Nominees include the designers for 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Producer Judd Apatow was previously announced as the recipient of the Distinguished Collaborator Award, while April Ferry will receive the Honorary Career Achievement Award for her work in film and television.

The 16th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards will be held on Saturday, February 22nd, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.


Complete list of nominations for the 16th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards

EE British Academy Film Awards in 2014 (BAFTA) – nominations

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 67th EE British Academy Film Awards or BAFTA Awards.

Gravity receives 11 nominations. 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle are each nominated in ten categories. Captain Phillips has nine nominations. Behind the Candelabra and Saving Mr. Banks are each nominated five times.

Philomena, Rush and The Wolf of Wall Street have four nominations. Blue Jasmine, The Great Gatsby, Inside Llewyn Davis and Nebraska have each been nominated three times. The Act of Killing, The Butler and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug have two nominations apiece.

Gravity is nominated in the following categories: Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Director for Alfonso Cuarón, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Sound and Special Visual Effects. Sandra Bullock is nominated for Leading Actress.

Directors Guild of America unveils nominees for Feature Film for 2013

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2013.

“To be chosen by your peers in a year full of incredibly well-crafted films is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement,” said Barclay. “The passion and vision of each of the nominees resulted in tremendously diverse films that kept audiences mesmerized. Congratulations to each of the nominees on a job very well done.”

The winner will be named at the 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The DGA Awards will be hosted by actor Jane Lynch.

The Great Digital Film Festival 2014, Jan 31–Feb 6

CINEPLEX BRINGS FAN FAVOURITES TO THE BIG SCREEN
WITH FIFTH ANNUAL GREAT DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL

Event brings sci-fi, action and cult classics to Cineplex theatres across Canada

January 7, 2014 – Back by popular demand, The Great Digital Film Festival returns to Cineplex theatres from January 31 to February 6, 2014.

The Great Digital Film Festival brings a week of fan favourite sci-fi, action and cult films back to the big screen, where they were meant to be seen – often for the first time in crystal clear digital format.

The festival expands again this year, with Cineplex’s Front Row Centre events adding locations at Cineplex Odeon Gardiners Road Cinemas in Kingston, ON; Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane in Halifax, Nova Scotia andCineplex Cinemas Avalon Mall Cinemas in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

2014 Writers Guild Awards – nominations announced

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during 2013.

The nominees for Best Original Screenplay went to the writers for American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Dallas Buyers Club, Her and em>Nebraska.

In the Best Adapted Screenplay category, the nominations went to the writers for August: Osage County, Before Midnight, Captain Phillips, Lone Survivor and the surprisingly controversial film The Wolf of Wall Street.

PGA Awards 2013 – nominations for film and long-form TV

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 25^th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories include: The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures; The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures; and The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were already announced by the Guild in late 2013.

All 2014 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 19^th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Producers Guild will also present special honors to Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), Robert Iger (Milestone Award), Peter Jackson & Joe Letteri (Vanguard Award), Chuck Lorre(Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Chris Meledandri (Visionary Award) and FRUITVALE STATION (Stanley Kramer Award).