Sunday, January 24, 2016

Interior Design Show wraps up in Toronto


story and photos by Allan Tong

January in Toronto is a cold, dark place, but for four days the Interior Design Show adds a little colour. The 18th IDS just wrapped (Jan. 21-24) after launching with a giant party Thursday night where for $56 anyone could sip wine and nibble on snacks as they surveyed over 200 exhibits ranging from the coffeemakers of appliance giant Miele to local furniture designers. On the following days, the IDS feted renown designer Tom Dixon and held workshops and keynotes that informed professional designers and everyday consumers alike on the latest trends and innovations. Here's a survey of some exhibits that caught our eye:

Art2Lights brings street art into living rooms with colourful artwork you're used to seeing in Toronto's downtown alleyways.

27th Annual Producers Guild Awards – winners


The 27th Annual Producers Guild Awards were held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel January 23, 2016.

The big winner of the night was The Big Short which claimed the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. Its producers were Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. Brad Pitt was also in the all-star cast that included Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Steve Carell and Melissa Leo.

The winner in the Animated Theatrical Motion Picture category was Inside Out produced by Jonas Rivera. For Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures, the winner was James Gay-Rees who produced Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse profile Amy.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Academy Takes Historic Action To Increase Diversity


Lifetime voting rights reframed; new governor seats added and committees restructured
Goal to double number of diverse members by 2020

In a unanimous vote Thursday night (1/21), the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved a sweeping series of substantive changes designed to make the Academy’s membership, its governing bodies, and its voting members significantly more diverse. The Board’s goal is to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announces 2016 CSA nominations


“We are proud today to announce the nominees for the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards,” says Helga Stephenson, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

"Congratulations to each and every nominee," Stephenson adds. "They stand out in a field where the bar is already set high and continues to rise. That's one sign of a vibrant screen-based industry in Canada."

CSA nominations in 132 categories (24 film, 101 in television and 7 in digital media) were announced today at simultaneous press conferences in Toronto and Montreal and via live webcast on the Academy’s newly designed fanzone.academy.ca.

“We’re looking forward to a great 2016 Canadian Screen Awards with a brand new production team headed by executive producer Barry Avrich,” says Stephenson.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

88th annual Academy Awards – fact sheet


Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Big Short (Paramount Pictures) [Produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.] - This is the sixth nomination and the third in this category for Brad Pitt, who won for 12 Years a Slave (2013). His other Best Picture nomination was for Moneyball (2011). He received Acting nominations for his supporting role in 12 Monkeys (1995) and his leading roles in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Moneyball. This is the fourth nomination for Dede Gardner, who won for 12 Years a Slave (2013). Her other Best Picture nominations were for The Tree of Life (2011) and Selma (2014). This is the third nomination for Jeremy Kleiner, who won for 12 Years a Slave (2013) and was nominated last year for Selma.
Bridge of Spies (Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox) [Produced by Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger.] - This is the ninth nomination in this category for Steven Spielberg, who won the award in 1993 for Schindler's List. His other Best Picture nominations were for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Munich (2005), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), War Horse (2011) and Lincoln (2012). He has seven Directing nominations, for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Munich and Lincoln. He won Oscars for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1986. This is the first nomination for both Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger.
Brooklyn (Fox Searchlight Pictures) [Produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey.] - This is the second nomination for both Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey. They were nominated in this category for An Education (2009).

88th Academy Awards nominations announced


Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Guillermo del Toro, John Krasinski and Ang Lee announced the 88th Academy Awards® nominations today (January 14).

Del Toro and Lee announced the nominees in 11 categories at 5:30 a.m. PT, followed by Boone Isaacs and Krasinski for the remaining 13 categories at 5:38 a.m. PT, at the live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscars® website, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the 17 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.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

9th Annual Cinema Eye Honors


Joshua Oppenheimer’s Follow-Up to Act of Killing Named Outstanding Feature, Direction, Production
Amy’s Chris King Wins Unprecedented 3rd Prize for Editing

The Look of Silence was the big winner at the 9th Annual Cinema Eye Honors, taking home three awards, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, Outstanding Direction for Joshua Oppenheimer and Outstanding Production for Signe Byrge Sørensen. It’s the first time in Cinema Eye history that filmmakers have won Outstanding Feature or Outsanding Production twice – Oppenheimer and Sørensen were honored in both categories for The Act of Killing in 2014.

Nominations announced for the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS) 2016 Annual Awards


Ceremony to Take Place February 20, 2016 at Paramount Studios, Johnny Depp to Present Lifetime Achievement Awards

Nominees for the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) in 23 categories honoring make-up artists and hair stylists outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials and live theater were announced today by MUAHS President Sue Cabral-Ebert. Winners will be revealed during the black-tie annual MUAHS Guild Awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Loni Love, on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at Paramount Studios. M.A.C. Cosmetics is the official host of the cocktail party.

DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2015


Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the DGA’s nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2015.

“With more television and documentary choices than ever available to audiences, the level of directorial excellence across the nominees for these nine categories is unparalleled,” said Barclay. “We’re proud to recognize the critical role of director in these genres and honor the incredible range of talent and skill found in all of these projects. Congratulations to the nominees.”

The winners will be announced at the 68th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The DGA Awards will be hosted by actor Jane Lynch.

36th Annual Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards nominations announced


All five films up for Worst Picture at this year's 36th Annual Razzie Awards are big budget/high profile productions that have no excuse for being among the year's "berry" worst. And 2015's acting contenders include popular stars like Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, and Kayley Cuoco-Sweeting, previous Oscar winners Gwyneth Paltrow, Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore, and such Razzie Repeat Offenders as Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Katherine Heigl. "Winners" will be announced in intentionally tacky ceremonies scheduled for 8pm/PST on Saturday February 27 -- Oscar eve.

The choices for Worst Picture include Fifty Shades of Grey (2015's "Most Successful Bad Movie") Fantastic 4 (a nearly instant remake that flopped with both critics and movie-goers) Jupiter Ascending (the latest sci-fi fiasco from Andy & Lana Wachowski) Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (a box office hit despite its 95% negative rating at Rotten Tomatoes) and Adam Sandler's latest excuse for a movie, the 70's video game-themed Pixels.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

DGA announces nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2015


Nominees for Inaugural First-Time Feature Film Director Category Also Announced

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2015.

“What makes this year different is the unbridled ambition of the five nominated films – in theme, in production, in visual imagination,” said Barclay. “What makes this year the same is that the films were all chosen by the directors’ peers, and it’s clear our members love when people use their vision and skill to push the media to new heights. Congratulations to all of the nominees for their incredible work.”

In addition, Mr. Barclay also announced the five nominees for a new category recognizing the achievement of first-time feature film directors. First announced by Steven Spielberg at last year’s DGA Awards, the Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director is a new DGA Award that was created to showcase the feature film talent of the future.

14th Annual VES Awards Nominees announced


Today, the Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional global honorary society, announced the nominees for the 14th 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 artists who bring this work to life., Nominees were selected by VES members via events hosted by its nine sections, - Australia, Bay Area, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, New Zealand, Toronto and Vancouver. The VES Awards will be held on February 2nd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

As previously announced, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to award-winning director-producer Sir Ridley Scott., The Visionary Award will be presented to acclaimed visual futurist and conceptual artist Syd Mead.

Cinema Audio Society Announces Nominations for the 52nd CAS Awards


The Cinema Audio Society has announced the nominees for the 52nd Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2015 in six categories and the CAS Technical Achievement Award Nominations.

“This was a year of terrific sound in both film and television,” said Mark Ulano CAS President. “These nominations represent the outstanding sound mixing being done in each category and I congratulate each of our nominees.”

Final balloting for both the Outstanding Sound Mixing and the CAS Technical Achievement Awards will open online Wednesday January 27th and end Friday, February 12th.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

The 73rd Golden Globe Awards winners


The gala ceremony for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards took place tonight. It was hosted for the fourth time by Ricky Gervais.

The night's biggest winner was Alejandro González Iñárritu's The Revenant. It won for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. Last year, Iñárritu shared the Best Screenplay prize for Birdman but was edged out in the Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Director categories by Boyhood.

Denzel Washington was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award which honours extraordinary contributions to the entertainment world.

Friday, January 8, 2016

11 Scientific And Technical Achievements To Be Honoured With Academy Awards


The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 33 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 13, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. In addition, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) will receive a special award recognizing a century of fundamental contributions to the advancement of motion picture standards and technology.

“This year’s honorees represent a wide range of new tech, including a modular inflatable airwall system for composited visual effects, a ubiquitous 3D digital paint system and a 3D printing technique for animation,” said Richard Edlund, Academy Award®-winning visual effects artist and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. “With their outstanding, innovative work, these technologists, engineers and inventors have further expanded filmmakers’ creative opportunities on the big screen.”

Nominations announced for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2016


The nominations for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2016 have been announced.

Bridge of Spies and Carol each receive nine nominations. The Revenant is nominated in eight categories. Mad Max: Fury Road has seven nominations. Brooklyn and The Martian are each nominated six times. The Big Short, The Danish Girl and Ex Machina receive five nominations. Star Wars: The Force Awakens receives four nominations.

Bridge of Spies is nominated in the following categories: Best Film, Director for Steven Spielberg, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design and Sound. Mark Rylance is nominated for Supporting Actor.

Carol is nominated for Best Film, Director for Todd Haynes, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design and Make Up & Hair. Cate Blanchett is nominated for Leading Actress and Rooney Mara is nominated for Supporting Actress.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

18th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards – nominations


Nominees for the 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA), which celebrates excellence in film, television, and short form costume design, were announced today. The CDGA ceremony, one of the most prestigious and well-respected entertainment industry awards season events, celebrates the spirit of creative and engaging storytelling through costume design on both the big and small screen. The winners of the seven competitive awards will be revealed at the black-tie gala on Tuesday, February 23rd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Continuing its long-time support of the Guild, LACOSTE is returning as Presenting Sponsor of the CDGA. In the past year, LACOSTE has been featured in films such as Spotlight, Pitch Perfect 2and Ricki and the Flash, as well as in numerous television shows including Scream Queens, Bloodline, Jane the Virgin, and Saturday Night Live.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The American Society of Cinematographers announces 2016 ASC Awards nominees


The American Society of Cinematographers have announced their film nominees for their 30th ASC Awards.

“Our members have spoken with a fabulous group of choices,” says ASC President Richard Crudo. “The quality of the work is astounding, and it’s great to see we’re once again at the forefront of giving recognition where it’s due.”

“Each of the nominated films represents a different genre and a masterfully distinct visual style,” notes ASC Awards Chairman Daryn Okada. “We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of these nominees in February.”

2016 Writers Guild Awards Screenplay Nominations Announced


The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in screenwriting during 2015. Winners will be honored at the 2016 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City.

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles during 2015 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, or the New Zealand Writers Guild. Theatrical screenplays produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild must have been submitted for Writers Guild Awards consideration.

Documentaries eligible for a Writers Guild Award featured an onscreen writing credit and were exhibited theatrically in Los Angeles or New York for one week during 2015. Theatrical documentaries must have been produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild to be eligible for awards consideration.

The 14th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto Nominees


ACTRA Toronto is delighted to announce the nominees for the 14th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto. The ACTRA Awards in Toronto will take place at The Carlu on Saturday, February 20, 2016.

"What a magnificent display of talent," says David Sparrow, President of ACTRA Toronto. "We are so proud to recognize these ACTRA Toronto members. It is a special honour for actors when their work is prized by a jury of peers."

Sarah Gadon will pick up the 2016 ACTRA Toronto Award of Excellence. The Award of Excellence recognizes an exceptional body of work and a commitment to advocacy on behalf of all performers. The show will be hosted by comic Martha Chaves.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Toronto Film Critics Association announce winner of Best Canadian Film Award


TORONTO CRITICS HAIL ‘THE FORBIDDEN ROOM’
Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson share $100,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award

The Forbidden Room, Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson’s giddy mash-up of Golden Age adventure serials, has won the Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2015 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.

The award was presented to the filmmakers by fellow director Don McKellar – whose Last Night was named the TFCA’s Best Canadian Film in 1998 – at a gala dinner held January 5, 2016 at the historic The Carlu in downtown Toronto. Also nominated for the award were Philippe Falardeau’s My Internship In Canada and Andrew Cividino’s Sleeping Giant. In attendance were prominent members of the film industry, including actors Vinay Virmani (Breakaway, Dr. Cabbie) and Tara Spencer-Nairn (Corner Gas), directors Michael Dowse (The F Word) and Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo, The Husband), producers Nick de Pencier, Roger Frappier and Félize Frappier, David Hamilton, Martin Katz, David Miller, Ajay Virmani, and Robert and Ari Lantos.

27th annual Producers Guild Awards – nominations announced


The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture, long-form television, digital series, sports programs and additional television nominations for the 27th 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; The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television; Outstanding Sports Program; and Outstanding Digital Series. The feature documentary film category and other television category nominations were previously announced by the PGA in late 2015.

All 2016 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. This year, the Producers Guild will present special honors to Jim Gianopulos (Milestone Award), Shonda Rhimes (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), David Heyman (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), The Hunting Ground (Stanley Kramer Award), and Industrial Light & Magic (Visionary Vanguard Award). The 2016 Producers Guild Awards Co-Chairs are Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Captain Phillips) and Jennifer Todd (Alice in Wonderland, Celeste and Jesse Forever).

Monday, January 4, 2016

American Cinema Editors announce 66th Annual ACE Eddie Awards – nominations


The American Cinema Editors have announced the nominees for the 66th Annual ACE Eddie Awards.

Winners will be announced at the 66th Annual ACE Eddie Awards presented by American Cinema Editors on January 29th, 2016. As previously announced, writer/director Nancy Meyers will receive the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award. In addition to that, Carol Littleton, ACE and Ted Rich, ACE, will receive Career Achievement Awards.

Final Ballots will be mailed on January 8 and voting ends on January 20. The Blue Ribbon screenings where judging for all television categories and the documentary film category take place January 17. Projects in the aforementioned categories are viewed and judged by committees comprised of professional editors (all ACE members). All 800+ ACE members vote during the final balloting of the ACE Eddies, including active members, life members, affiliate members and honorary members.