Festivals and Awards Category: Digital Rebellion Blog

Perfect Sport wins MyFestival, screens at SIFF

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:20:29 MDT

I'm pleased to announce that Perfect Sport has won MyFestival, the online film festival that decides which movie will fill the last available screening slot at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Perfect Sport won the Feature Film category, with the short film Robbie's Withdrawal being screened before it. This takes the movie's total festival wins to two so far, the previous being Best Dramatic Feature at WorldFest.

The screening takes place at the Harvard Exit on Sunday June 15th at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $11 General Admission or $9 for SIFF Supporter. Tickets can be purchased here.

I'd recommend the theatrical screening for the best possible experience but the film is still available for viewing on the MyFestival site until June 15th.

Read the press release here.

Last chance to catch Perfect Sport

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:53:47 MDT

Only a few days left to catch the award-winning feature Perfect Sport online for free. It is competing in MyFestival, a collaboration with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). 10 features and 10 shorts compete for votes, with the winner in each category going on to screen at SIFF on June 15th. The movie will only be online until June 8th (this Sunday) so time is running out!

Here's what some people had to say so far:

Digg:

Just got done watching the movie on MyFestival- "socially-challenging while delightfully entertaining" sums it all up. Its a movie I won't soon forget.

IMDb:

Building on a very creative script with an unexpected plot and believable, fully human characters, the actors make unusual choices that bring even more life to their roles. Your typical sports movie this ain't. Perfect Sport is also set against a beautiful score. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see something original and gripping. It's so nice to see a movie where you don't know everything that's going to happen in advance. Loved it! Hope it comes out in wider release soon.

http://myfestival.indieflix.com/FilmDetail.aspx?filmid=12

Definitely not a movie to be missed. Also don't forget to post your thoughts on the movie into the comment box on the MyFestival site as feedback is really helpful for filmmakers.

P.S. I'm going to have limited internet access over the next few days so apologies if I can't answer your emails quickly.

Perfect Sport now online for free

Sat, 24 May 2008 01:47:36 MDT

Want to see the winner of Best Dramatic Feature at Worldfest Houston online for free? Read on.

Perfect Sport, the awesome sports / coming-of-age movie, has been entered into MyFestival. MyFestival is an online film festival in which members of the public watch and vote for their favorite film out of the 10 features and 10 shorts available. The festival lasts until June 8th, at which point the votes will be tallied and one short and one feature will go on to screen at the Seattle International Film Festival.

And, because I am really bad at describing things, here are some quotes from people who are much better:

I loved this movie! Caught it at Houston Worldfest where it won for Best Drama. For those of you who haven't seen it yet (don't worry, no spoilers here) here's a mini-review:

[from IMDb]

I too saw the film in Houston and it is incredible! Rose does a fantastic job in it, but she truly perils in comparison to the lead, Anthony O'Brien. He directed, co-wrote and starred in the thing and delivered. The film won a Gold Remi at the Houston Film Festival. This clip doesn't do either of their acting justice. It's a smart well done feature and these kids are awesome!

[from LA Times blog]

Here is the link:
Perfect Sport at MyFestival

(note: you need to sign up (free) and they use Windows Media Player so Mac users will need Flip4Mac)

Perfect Sport wins Best Drama at WorldFest

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:03:49 MDT

I previously mentioned that Perfect Sport had been entered into the WorldFest Houston film festival. I'm happy to announce that the movie fought off some tough competition to win Best Dramatic Feature at the festival. Congratulations to all those involved, in particular Tony O'Brien, the writer-director-actor behind it.

I saw a great review on IMDb from someone who saw it at WorldFest that summarizes the movie far better than I ever could:

I loved this movie! Caught it at Houston Worldfest where it won for Best Drama. For those of you who haven't seen it yet (don't worry, no spoilers here) here's a mini-review:

And finally, LA Times has a sneak preview.

The movie will be entered into other film festivals and I will let you know more about that when information becomes available. When it comes to your town, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Perfect Sport to premiere at WorldFest Houston

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:32:13 MDT

If you're in the Houston, TX area this April, I thoroughly recommend going to see Perfect Sport at the 41st Annual WorldFest International Film Festival. This festival is one of the oldest in the world and is responsible for discovering Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, The Coen Brothers, David Lynch, Brian De Palma and many more.

To paraphrase WorldFest's site, Perfect Sport is about a young up-and-coming high school wrestling champ who must come to terms with his personal demons and his sister's ability to win against him on the mat. It stars Anthony O'Brien, Jessica Rose (of Lonelygirl15 and Greek fame), Gary Hudson (Paradise Falls), Stella Keitel (as in Harvey), Shawn Aly and Nick Richie.

I'm just going to come out and say it: this movie is awesome. Great script, excellent acting by all of the cast, stunning cinematography, great editing, superb soundtrack - you name it, it's excellent. It was shot for around $600k but you would be forgiven for thinking it was at least 10 times more. It's a rollercoaster of emotion - you'll laugh at the beginning and cry at the end. This movie is not to be missed.

Right now the showtimes are listed as Sunday 13th April at 7:15pm and Monday 14th April at 5:00pm but the schedule is described as a "work in progress" so this could change before the final event.

2008 VES winners

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:10:59 MST

These are the winners of the 2008 Visual Effects Society Awards.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture
Transformers - Scott Farrar, Shari Hanson, Russel Earl, Scott Benza

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture
Ratatouille - Michael Fong, Apurva Shah, Christine Waggoner, Michael Fu

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special
Battlestar Galactica - Razor Mike Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Sean Jackson, Pierre Drolet

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
Fight for Life (Episode 4) - Nicola Instone, Marco Iozzi, Matt Chandler

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
Rome (Series 2 Episode 6 "Philippi") - James Madigan, Barrie Hemsley, Duncan Kinnard, Gary Broznich

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
Smirnoff Sea - William Bartlett, Scott Griffin, Dan Seddon, David Mellor

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
Transformers (Desert Highway Sequence) - Scott Farrar, Shari Hanson, Shawn Kelly, Michael Jamieson

Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game
Halo 3 - Marcus Lehto, Jonty Barnes, Stephen Scott, CJ Cowan

Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Cinematic Intro) - Jeff Chamberlain, Scott Abeyta

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Sea Monsters - Sean Phillips, Jack Geist, Robin Aristorenas, Mark Dubeau

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture
Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End (Davy Jones) - Hal Hickel, Marc Chu, Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture
Ratatouille (Colette) - Janeane Garofalo, Jaime Landes, Sonoko Konishi , Paul Aichele

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial
Chemical Brothers - Salmon Dance (Fatlip shots) - Nicklas Andersson, Mike Mellor, Sylvain Marc, Florent DeLa Taille

Outstanding Effects in an Animated Motion Picture
Ratatouille (Food) - Jon Reisch, Jason Johnston, Eric Froemling, Tolga Goktekin

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (The Maelstrom) - Frank Losasso Petterson, Paul Sharpe, Joakim Arnesson, David Meny

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (002_05) - Phi Tran, Matthew Lee, Martin Hilke, Andrew Roberts

Outstanding Models or Miniatures in a Motion Picture
Transformers - Dave Fogler , Ron Woodall , Alex Jaeger, Brian Gernand

Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture
Transformers - Pat Tubach , Beth D'Amato , Todd Vaziri , Mike Conte

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
Nike - Leave Nothing - James Allen, Rob Trent

Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - John Richardson, Stephen Hamilton, Richard Farns, Stephen Hutchinson

Outstanding Special Effects in a Broadcast Program or Commercial
Actively Safe - Lexus Hydrant - Dave Peterson, Anthony De La Cruz

[via fxguide]

Bafta 2008 winners

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:18:54 MST

Best Film
Atonement
American Gangster
The Lives of Others
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best British Film
This is England
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
Control
Eastern Promises

Best Leading Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Ulrich Muehe - The Lives of Others

Best Leading Actress
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Keira Knightley - Atonement
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men
Paul Dano - There Will Be Blood
Tommy Lee Jones - No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Kelly Macdonald - No Country For Old Men
Samantha Morton - Control
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement

Best Director
No Country For Old Men - Joel & Ethan Coen
Atonement - Joe Wright
The Bourne Ultimatum - Paul Greengrass
The Lives of Others - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Original Screenplay
Juno - Diablo Cody
American Gangster - Steven Zaillian
The Lives of Others - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Michael Clayton - Tony Gilroy
This is England - Shane Meadows

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Ronald Harwood
Atonement - Christopher Hampton
The Kite Runner - David Benioff
No Country For Old Men - Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Film Not in the English Language
The Lives of Others
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Kite Runner
Lust, Caution
La Vie En Rose

Best Animated Film
Ratatouille
Shrek the Third
The Simpsons Movie

Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British director, writer or producer in their first feature film
Matt Greenhalgh (writer) - Control
Chris Atkins (director/writer) - Taking Liberties
Mia Bays (producer) - Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
Sarah Gavron (director) - Brick Lane
Andrew Piddington (director/writer) - The Killing of John Lennon

Best Music
La Vie En Rose - Christopher Gunning
American Gangster - Marc Streitenfeld
Atonement - Dario Marianelli
The Kite Runner - Alberto Iglesias
There Will Be Blood - Jonny Greenwood

Best Cinematography
No Country For Old Men - Roger Deakins
American Gangster - Harris Savides
Atonement - Seamus McGarvey
The Bourne Ultimatum - Oliver Wood
There Will Be Blood - Robert Elswit

Best Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum - Christopher Rouse
American Gangster - Pietro Scalia
Atonement - Paul Tothill
Michael Clayton - John Gilroy
No Country For Old Men - Roderick Jaynes

Best Production Design
Atonement - Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Guy Hendrix Dyas, Richard Roberts
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Stuart Craig, Stepheanie McMillan
There Will Be Blood - Jack Fisk, Jim Erickson
La Vie En Rose - Olivier Raoux

Best Costume Design
La Vie En Rose - Marit Allen
Atonement - Jacqueline Durran
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Alexandra Byrne
Lust, Caution - Pan Lai
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Colleen Atwood

Best Sound
The Bourne Ultimatum - Kirk Francis, Scott Millan, Dave Parker, Karen Baker Landers, Per Hallberg
Atonement - Danny Hambrook, Paul Hamblin, Catherine Hodgson, Becki Ponting
No Country For Old Men - Peter Kurland, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff
There Will Be Blood - Christopher Scarabosio, Matthew Wood, John Pritchett, Michael Semanick, Tom Johnson
La Vie En Rose - Laurent Zeilig, Pascal Villard, Jean-Paul Hurier, Marc Doisne

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass - Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris, Trevor Wood
The Bourne Ultimatum - Peter Chiang, Charlie Noble, Mattias Lindahl, Joss Williams
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Tim Burke, John Richardson, Emma Norton, Chris Shaw
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - John Knoll, Charles Gibson, Hal Hickel, John Frazier
Spider-Man 3 - Scott Stokdyk, Peter Nofz, John Frazier, Spencer Cook

Best Make-Up and Hair
La Vie En Rose - Jan Archibald, Didier Lavergne
Atonement - Ivana Primorac
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Jenny Shircore
Hairspray - Judi Cooper Sealy, Jordan Samuel
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Ivana Primorac, Peter Owen

Best Short Animation
The Pearce Sisters - Jo Allen, Luis Cook
Head Over Heels - Osbert Parker, Fiona Pitkin, Ian Gouldstone
The Crumblegiant - Pearse Moore, John McCloskey

Best Short Film
Dog Altogether - Diarmid Scrimshaw, Paddy Considine
Hesitation - Julien Berlan, Michelle Eastwood, Virginia Gilbert
The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island - Charlie Henderson, James Griffiths, Tim Key, Tom Basden
Soft - Jane Hooks, Simon Ellis
The Stronger - Dan McCulloch, Lia Williams, Frank McGuinness

The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Shia LaBeouf
Sienna Miller
Ellen Page
Sam Riley
Tang Wei

Academy Fellowship
Sir Anthony Hopkins

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
Barry Wilkinson

Oscar 2008 nominations revealed

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:46:59 MST

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Director
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman - Juno
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Joel and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Best Actor
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney - The Savages
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James...
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Foreign Language Film
Beaufort (Israel)
The Counterfeiters (Austria)
Katyn (Poland)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
12 (Russia)

Best Animated Feature
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

Best Adapted Screenplay
Atonement
Away from Her
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Original Screenplay
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

Best Music (Score)
Atonement
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma

Best Music (Song)
Falling Slowly - Once (performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)
Happy Working Song - Enchanted (performed by Amy Adams)
Raise It Up - August Rush (performed by Jamia Simone Nash and Impact Repertory Theatre)
So Close - Enchanted (performed by Jon McLaughlin)
That's How You Know - Enchanted (performed by Amy Adams)

Best Documentary Feature
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance

Best Documentary Short
Freeheld
La Corona (The Crown)
Salim Baba
Sari's Mother

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

Best Cinematography
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Art Direction
American Gangster
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood

Best Animated Short
I Met the Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)
My Love (Moya Lyubov)
Peter & the Wolf

Best Short Film
At Night
Il Supplente
Le Mozart des Pickpockets
Tanghi Argentini
The Tonto Woman

Best Costume Design
Across the Universe
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
La Vie en Rose
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Make-Up
La Vie en Rose
Norbit
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
Transformers

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

Best Film Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

The ceremony takes place on February 24th. The producer has promised that the "show will go on" whether the actors are there or not, unlike the Golden Globes.

Golden Globes 2008

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:26:05 MST

Best Picture (Drama)
Atonement
American Gangster
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
Sweeney Todd
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno

Best Animated Film
Ratatouille
Bee Movie
The Simpsons Movie

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Drama)
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy)
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Drama)
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy)
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta - Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Director
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Ridley Scott - American Gangster
Joe Wright - Atonement

Best Screenplay
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Diablo Cody - Juno
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War

Best Original Score
Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
Clint Eastwood - Grace is Gone
Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
Howard Shore - Eastern Promises

Best Original Song
Guaranteed - Into the Wild
Despedida - Love in the Time of Cholera
Grace is Gone - Grace is Gone
That's How You Know - Enchanted
Walk Hard - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best Foreign Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France and US)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Kite Runner (US)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

Cecil B DeMille Award - lifetime achievement
Steven Spielberg

Best Television Series - Drama
Mad Men
Big Love
Damages
Grey's Anatomy
House
The Tudors

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Extras
30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
Pushing Daisies

Best Mini-Series or Television Movie
Longford
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
The Company
Five Days
The State Within

Best Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Michael C Hall - Dexter
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
Bill Paxton - Big Love

Best Actor in a Leading Role (TV Musical or Comedy)
David Duchovny - Californication
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carrell - The Office
Ricky Gervais - Extras
Lee Pace - Pushing Daisies

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Jim Broadbent - Longford
Adam Beach - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Ernest Borgnine - A Grandpa for Christmas
Jason Isaacs - The State Within
James Nesbitt - Jekyll

Best Actress in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Glenn Close - Damages
Patricia Arquette - Medium
Minnie Driver - The Riches
Sally Field - Brothers and Sisters
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
Edie Falco - The Sopranos

Best Actress in a Leading Role (TV Musical or Comedy)
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Anna Friel - Pushing Daisies
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Queen Latifah - Life Support
Bryce Dallas Howard - As You Like It
Debra Messing - The Starter Wife
Sissy Spacek - Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson - Jane Eyre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Ted Danson - Damages
Kevin Dillon - Entourage
Andy Serkis - Longford
William Shatner - Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland - Dirty Sexy Money

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie)
Samantha Morton - Longford
Rose Byrne - Damages
Rachel Griffiths - Brothers and Sisters
Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy
Anna Paquin - Bury My Heart On Wounded Knee
Jaime Pressly - My Name is Earl

Persepolis trailer

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:43:30 MST

I regularly check out the latest trailers on Apple.com and today this one caught my eye. It's a foreign-language film that toured many festivals and was eventually picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, Sony's independent distribution arm.

What caught my eye was the uniqueness of the film. It's a film set in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, told from the perspective of a nine year-old girl. It is based on the graphic novels of Marjane Satrapi and remains completely faithful to the visual look of the books. It's not a bloody, stylized Sin City-look, it's more the look of a children's animated TV show. It reminds me of the old animated show Madeline, about the schoolgirl in France. This kind of look and feel is an interesting approach considering the bloody nature of the story.

Persepolis trailer

Non-competing titles for Sundance

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:20:46 MST

The Sundance Institute has released a list of the non-competing films in the 2008 festival. For a list of competing films, see yesterday's news post.

Premieres
Assassination of a High School President
Be Kind Rewind
CSNY Deja Vu
The Deal
Death in Love
Diminished Capacity
The Escapist
The Great Buck Howard
The Guitar
Henry Poole is Here
In Bruges
Incendiary
The Merry Gentleman
A Raisin in the Sun
Savage Grace
Sleepwalking
Smart People
Towelhead (f.k.a. Nothing is Private)
Transsiberian
U2 3D
The Visitor
What Just Happened?
The Year of Getting to Know Us
The Yellow Handkerchief

Spectrum: Documentary Spotlight
Anvil! The True Story of Anvil
The Black List
Kicking It
The Linguists
Made in America
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
Young@Heart

Spectrum: Dramatic Spotlight
August
Baghead
Birds of America
Blind Date
Bottle Shock
Chronic Town
Goliath
A Good Day to be Black & Sexy
Love Comes Lately
Momma's Man
Quid Pro Quo
Red

New Frontier
Casting a Glance
Eat, For This is My Body (Mange, Ceci est Mon Corps)
Fear(s) of the Dark (Peur(s) du Noir)
Half-Life
Reversion
Seven Intellectuals in Bamboo Forest, Parts 4 and 5

Park City at Midnight
Adventures of Power
The Broken
George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead
Donkey Punch
Funny Games
Hell Ride
Otto; Or, Up With Dead People
Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes)

Sundance '08 will run from January 17-27 2008 in Utah.

Academy offers matte painting exhibition and panel discussion

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:43:07 MST

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is opening a matte painting exhibition in the foyer of the Linwood Dunn Theater, celebrating the works of such artists as Peter Ellenshaw, Albert Whitlock, and Matthew Yuricich.

For the uninitiated, matte painting is the process of painting a background to be inserted into a shot via the matte process. This allows filmmakers to create vast, expansive backdrops without having to physically build a massive set. Originally performed with oil paints on glass, nowadays it is generally performed inside a computer but some artists prefer to paint on canvas and then scan it into a computer. I have used it myself on several occasions for replacing blown-out skies and can boost production values considerably.

There is also a panel discussion with prestigious matte painters and camera operators, hosted by Academy governor Craig Barron.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. The exhibition is free and the panel is $5 for the public and $3 for Academy members and students. Both events open on Monday December 10th 2007.

Sundance reveals 2008 competition films

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:51:28 MST

The Sundance Institute has released a list of the 121 feature films that are competing at the Sundance Film Festival 2008. Tomorrow it will release a list of non-competing films being shown at the festival.

Documentary
An American Soldier
American Teen
Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Fields of Fuel
Flow: For Love of Water
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
I.O.U.S.A.
Nerakhoon (The Betrayal)
The Order of Myths
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Secrecy
Slingshot Hip Hop
Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North
Trouble the Water

Dramatic
American Son
Anywhere, U.S.A.
Ballast
Choke
Downloading Nancy
Frozen River
Good Dick
The Last Word
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
North Starr
Phoebe in Wonderland
Pretty Bird
Sleep Dealer
Sugar
Sunshine Cleaning
The Wackness

World Cinema Documentary
Alone in Four Walls
The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins
Be Like Others
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
Derek
Dinner With the President
Durakovo: The Village of Fools (Durakovo: Le Village Des Fous)
In Prison My Whole Life
Man On Wire
puujee
Recycle
Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains
Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma
Up the Yangtze
The Women of Brukman (Les Femmes de la Brukman)
Yasukuni

World Cinema Dramatic
Absurdistan
Blue Eyelids (Parpados Azules)
Captain Abu Raed
The Drummer (Jin. Gwu)
I Always Wanted to Be a Gangster (J'ai Toujours Reve d'etre un Gangster)
Just Another Love Story (Kaerlighed Pa Film)
King of Ping Pong (Ping Pongkingen)
Mancora
Megane (Glasses)
Mermaid (Rusalka)
Perro Come Perro (Dog Eat Dog)
Riprendimi (Good Morning Heartache)
Strangers
Under the Bombs (Sous les Bombes)
The Wave (Die Welle)
The Wind and the Water (Burwa dii Ebo)

Sundance '08 will run from January 17-27 2008 in Utah.