AFI asked Amy Adams, Mel Gibson, Donald Glover, Chris Pine, Martin Scorsese, Denzel Washington and many other artists what they’d like to be remembered for about their movies and TV shows, and why movies and television matter now. This AFI AWARDS 2016 video almanac serves as that part of film history. To see photos click here.
The interviews were filmed at the AFI AWARDS luncheon, where each year the entertainment community celebrates the creative ensembles behind the year’s most outstanding films and television shows.
In order of appearance:
Martin Scorsese (SILENCE)
Jay Cocks (SILENCE)
Clint Eastwood (SULLY)
Denzel Washington (FENCES)
Amy Adams (ARRIVAL)
Mandy Moore (THIS IS US)
Donald Glover (ATLANTA)
John Lithgow (THE CROWN)
Kenneth Lonergan (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA)
Shawn Levy (ARRIVAL, STRANGER THINGS)
Eric Heisserer (ARRIVAL)
Damien Chazelle (LA LA LAND)
Matt and Ross Duffer (STRANGER THINGS)
Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham (HELL OR HIGH WATER)
Dan Cohen (ARRIVAL, STRANGER THINGS)
Saniyya Sidney (FENCES)
Taylor Sheridan (HELL OR HIGH WATER)
Cuba Gooding Jr. (THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY)
Mahershala Ali (MOONLIGHT)
Andrew Garfield (HACKSAW RIDGE, SILENCE)
Susan Kelechi Watson (THIS IS US)
Mel Gibson (HACKSAW RIDGE)
Vince Gilligan (BETTER CALL SAUL)
Chris Pine (HELL OR HIGH WATER)
Milo Ventimiglia (THIS IS US)
Brian Tyree Henry (ATLANTA)
Telefilm Canada hosted a party at Lulu California Bistro to celebrate the great talent of Canadian filmmakers and their work. Looks like a pretty great party, eh?
HERE ARE SOME MORE GREAT FILM CHOICES FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 14
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
Switzerland/France – 2016 – 66 minutes
Director: Claude Barras
AWARDS BUZZ-BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Delightful, brightly-colored stop-motion animation makes this sensitive coming-of-age story about an orphan nicknamed Zucchini all but irresistible. Submitted for the Academy Award® in the Animated Feature category and again as Switzerland’s FLO entry, it will charm children and adults alike. Winner: Best Feature and Audience Award, Annecy
Set against China’s rugged Taihang Mountains and superbly photographed by Patrick Murgia, Larry Yang’s forceful melodrama tells of the love between a mute widow and the man responsible for the death of her husband. A gorgeous film with the feel of a timeless allegory. Winner: Best Director, Screenplay, Shanghai.
This powerful, nuanced and resonant drama follows a teenage girl living in Amsterdam, who becomes disillusioned by daily encounters with racism, and turns to Islam. Her relationship with a Jihadist completes her radicalization, but her journey is far from over… Winner: Outstanding Performance, Philadelphia.
A stand-alone Film Festival Store for the Palm Springs International Film Festival is featuring a complete collection of Film Festival Merchandise at Destination PSP. The Festival Store is now open and will be open every day through January 16.
The Festival Store is located in the Regal Cinema Courtyard Plaza, unit 16,
just down from the Regal Cinemas and across the courtyard from the
Festival Ticket and Information Center.
You can also shop online at Destination PSP by clicking HERE.
IN BETWEEN
Israel/France – 2016 – 96 minutes
Director: Maysaloun Hamoud
NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS
US Premiere
A spiky, compelling dramedy about strong, modern, sexually active Palestinian-Israeli women, living independently in the center of Tel Aviv, far from their families and the weight of tradition. Winner, Best Debut, Haifa; NETPAC Award, Toronto.
A casual brush-off has profound and terrible consequences in the latest morality tale from the Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night; The Kid with a Bike). A young doctor turns detective to investigate the circumstances around a suspicious death in which she feels implicated.
Chris Daniels talks to the people behind brand films such as BMW’s The Escape and Samsung’s Fighting Chance and identifies the secret sauce that engaged viewers and persuaded them to watch.
BMW’s 5 Series Sedan looks gleaming and gorgeous in the automaker’s new brand film, The Escape, but by the end of the action-packed 11 minutes the vehicle has been dented, cracked and shot at. As the film’s co-creative director Bruce Bildsten tells PRWeek, “We went out of our way to avoid any shots that looked like a car commercial. We made sure the car got pretty banged up and dirty.”
“In fact, to prepare for the final shot we had a stuntman jump off a ladder onto the hood because it wasn’t dented enough,” Bildsten recalls. “And the client was there saying, ‘Go for it!’”
The Escape arrives 15 years after The Hire, the first BMW film that raced to more than 100 million views back before high-speed Internet was widespread. The success was fueled by a great story, word of mouth, and earned media impressions. Many experts consider the action film (starring movie actor Clive Owen, who reprised his role for the latest iteration) a seminal moment for brand film as a viral content play.
Although it has taken time for more brands to experiment with the media, industry watchers note advertisers of all categories have gotten into the filmmaking business. Some, such as Nike and Chipotle Mexican Grill, have commissioned animated shorts; others, including Prada-owned fashion house Miu Miu and Häagen-Dazs, have done documentaries; and the likes of BMW and H&M have opted for cinematic fiction.
Its growing popularity is also reflected in the hundreds of entries to PRWeek and Campaign’s inaugural Brand Film Festival last year.
Experts attribute its rise to several factors, paramount among them being the democratization of content and the fact consumers are choosing what to watch and how to watch it.
Since its launch in late October last year, The Escape has been watched on YouTube more than 5.1 million times. Bildsten reunited with former Fallon colleagues David Carter and Brian DiLorenzo and created Geisel Productions to produce it. They worked on the first film for BMW USA while they were all at ad agency Fallon and hope to make more brand films under Geisel.
“The lesson we learned from BMW was that we could integrate the car into the story, but it could never be heavy handed,” he explains. “That’s the mistake often made with brand films. They’re selling; they turn the viewer off; and no one seeks it out.”
Experts agree a brand film is no longer a film if it’s selling (that’s just an extended ad), or telling a story strictly about the company (that’s an infomercial). They say it follows a different set of parameters and best practices that seem counter to almost everything else they do in marcomms.
Understand your brand first
Spectrecom Films & Spectrecom Studios in London, with corporate clients including American Express, Skittles, and Guinness, has increasingly been approached by newer brands looking to put themselves on the map, says Christiaan Harden, client services director.
However, he says companies can’t look to a film for helping define their brand; it has to instead evangelize and emote what your brand is about. “You can’t do that if you don’t have a good understanding of your own brand,” says Harden. “We’ve had to say to some clients, in particular for new brands, ‘Don’t even think of allocating a budget until you know who you are yourself.’”
A clear understanding of your brand also keeps you focused on the storytelling that would resonate and engage on an emotional level with your particular target, he adds.
“Sometimes a client already has an idea that may be imaginative and slightly different, but it is not communicated with the brand in mind – it’s just an idea for its own sake,” says Harden. “That’s why the branding stage and understanding your audience is so important.”
Also understand – audiences aren’t clamoring for your film.
“There are very few brands people genuinely care about. You could probably count them on the fingers of one hand,” says Matthew Gidley, SVP, MD, experiential and live events group, Momentum Worldwide and an award-winning writer who has worked on films for brands including Nokia and Meridien Hotels.
“You should assume nobody wants to see your brand film other than the client, a handful of your colleagues, and perhaps some close members of your family,” says Gidley. “It’s the number one golden rule and as an industry it’s the first rule we choose to ignore: Never be boring, and don’t kid yourself you’re being interesting.”
Choose your collaborators
Brands can work with production companies, ad agencies, and PR firms, which have boosted their production capabilities with hires of former executive producers in TV and film.
A field producer for Rachel Ray and The Martha Stewart Show before joining Weber Shandwick in 2011, Ian Cohen is now the firm’s global executive producer and president, content creation and innovation. He oversees over 100 employees globally, from directors and editors to photographers and animators.
Collaborating with a PR agency in helping to identify and craft a story for film offers distinct advantages, Cohen says.
“The advantage of coming at it from the PR angle is we ask ‘what type of film can we create that would get into the news cycle?’, because non-paid media is what we’re really after,” he says. “When we do a film and someone does an online search of the client, we want them to find coverage of the film – because it will be embedded in the coverage.”
“That unpaid media becomes the film’s rocket fuel. It signals this is something you can’t miss,” he adds.
As an example, he points to the 90-second mini-documentary Weber produced for Fisher-Price called “Wishes for baby,” which features new moms in hospitals around the world sharing their wishes for their babies. The footage – shot in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2016 – has been viewed on YouTube more than 1.8 million times and was picked up by the likes of USA Today.
Regardless of your collaborators, remember films are written by writers, not copywriters, says Gidley.
“The most sacred object in this whole enterprise is the script, and you’d better make sure whoever wrote it is a voracious reader of everything from history to politics to fiction to poetry to metaphysics – because they’re going to have to apply the rules of rhetoric to a subject that may not on the face of it be terrifically exciting (a brand),” he points out. “I once won an award for a brand film about a hotel chain, and the spark of inspiration came to me whilst reading a passage in a Jane Austen novel that reminded me of something I had once seen in a PBS documentary about the history of the Spanish guitar.”
“That’s what writers do. They find connections and turn them into ideas that move people,” Gidley notes.
He also notes that many of his most-awarded films were written while he was a planner at a large events agency. As a result, he advises clients make an effort to know who’s who in their agency roster and actively identify the people they want thinking and writing about their brand. “I have a chip on my shoulder, but I’ll say it anyway – the best people probably aren’t inside the ad agency,” notes Gidley.
Think about distribution upfront
Before joining Ketchum Sports & Entertainment in October, Michelle Carney was at Tribeca Enterprises where she produced films for clients, including a series of small business documentaries for American Express, an Olympics feature for United Airlines, and numerous projects for Dick’s Sporting Goods. Now she leads Ketchum’s branded film, video, and VR/AR offering Ketchum Films.
“A film can live forever and have multiple phases within its distribution window,” Carney points out. “It is imperative to think about distribution as you’re conceiving the idea for the film, whether it’s a documentary, narrative, or short. You want to make sure distribution aligns with those important times in a brand calendar.”
She also says while most brands look to an earned media strategy for their film using owned channels, they should also consider seeking a distribution deal with the likes of Amazon or Netflix. She says having a top-shelf director on a brand film gives it instant credibility.
Carney cites the short documentary Fighting Chance that Ketchum produced for Samsung leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympics, directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom).
Samsung’s film highlights the reality that of the one million athletes who train for the Olympics, only 1% qualify.
“If you have a great film, a platform is going to want to distribute it. They’re probably not going to pay a premium for it, but you never know when you have people like Morgan and Ron Howard making brand content,” says Carney. “That changes the game. Also, remember the distribution landscape changes every day and is constantly evolving.”
Cohen agrees as much attention should be paid to distribution as creative. “Often a piece of content is made and then handed off to distribution, but that’s the wrong approach,” he says. “The distribution team, whether for paid or earned media, needs to be engaged in the brand story upfront, because I’ve seen where they’ve said, ‘Hey, if we move this soundbite up or engage this particular cast of characters, we’ll get picked up by these different media trades.’”
“That is what you’re after: you’re not paying for 10,000 views and getting 10,000 views. You’re guaranteeing yourself 10,000 views [with paid distribution] and hoping for 100,000 more through earned media,” summarizes Cohen.
Go here to learn more about PRWeek and Campaign’s Brand Film Festival New York, or to submit your film for consideration for their second annual gala screening.
The deadline for submissions, which are open to work from the Americas and Asia-Pacific, is February 6.
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2016.
Nominees for First-Time Feature Film Director Category Also Announced
Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay (Photo via MadameNoir)
“These phenomenal filmmakers have captured our hearts and minds, breathing life into stories rarely told and revealing worlds rarely seen,” said Barclay. “What makes this recognition truly special is the knowledge that these five directors have made a lasting impression on their peers – directors and members of the director’s team who intimately understand the blood, sweat and tears necessary to create a feature film.”
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
Damien Chazelle La La Land(Lionsgate)
Mr. Chazelle’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael Beugg
First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
Second Assistant Director: Paula Case
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Bart Lipton
Second Second Assistant Director: Brett Robinson
Additional Second Assistant Director: Dodi Rubenstein
*This is Mr. Chazelle’s first DGA Award nomination.
Garth Davis Lion (The Weinstein Company)
Mr. Davis’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Chris Webb
First Assistant Director: Ananya Rane (India Unit)
Second Assistant Directors: Mark Ingram (Australia Unit), Sunny Tiku (India Unit), KP Singh (India Unit), Shaunak Kapur (India Unit)
*This is one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Davis. He is also nominated in the First-Time Feature Film category for Lion. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2009 for “Shadow Puppets,” U.S. Cellular.
Barry Jenkins Moonlight (A24)
Mr. Jenkins’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jennifer Radzikowski
*This is Mr. Jenkins’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
Kenneth Lonergan Manchester by the Sea (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
Mr. Lonergan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Declan Baldwin
First Assistant Director: Michael J. Moore
Second Assistant Director: David Blazina
Second Second Assistant Directors: Tim LaDue, Scooter Perrotta
*This is Mr. Lonergan’s first DGA Award nomination.
Denis Villeneuve Arrival (Paramount Pictures)
Mr. Villeneuve’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Stan Wlodkowski
First Assistant Director: Donald L. Sparks
Second Assistant Director: Brigitte Goulet
Second Second Assistant Director: Karine P. Labelle
*This is Mr. Villeneuve’s first DGA Award nomination.
First-Time Feature Director Award
In addition, Mr. Barclay announced the five nominees for a new category, which debuted last year, recognizing the achievement of first-time feature film directors. First announced by Steven Spielberg at the 2015 DGA Awards, the Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director was created to showcase up-and-coming feature film talent.
“They say that ‘the only thing that stays the same is change,’ and that’s especially true when it comes to the art of filmmaking when driven by fresh viewpoints and new methods,” said Barclay. “The future of film is dependent on newly blazed trails and creative leaps of faith which is what we’re honoring with our first-time feature film director award. Congratulations to these five emerging filmmakers who have created projects that are as bold as they are innovative.”
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
Garth Davis Lion (The Weinstein Company)
Kelly Fremon Craig The Edge of Seventeen (STX Entertainment)
Tim Miller Deadpool (Twentieth Century Fox)
Nate Parker Birth of a Nation (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Dan Trachtenberg 10 Cloverfield Lane (Paramount Pictures)
*Eligible directors for this award must have released his or her first feature-length film theatrically in Los Angeles or New York in 2016. Foreign films are eligible and the director does not need to be a DGA member.
The nominees in categories honoring outstanding directorial achievement in television, commercials and documentary for 2016 were announced on January 11, 2017. Click here to see that post.
The winners in all categories will be announced at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
BMW is the Exclusive Automotive Sponsor of the 69th Annual DGA Awards.
A truth universally acknowledged: Everything is going digital, from the promotion of films to the way they are screened in movie theaters.
The bulk of film revenue comes from online, not only domestically but worldwide. Producers today wonder if their films still need theatrical and DVD distribution, both of which have been declining in profits, or if they can bypass these and go straight to the digital market. On top of lower returns, the fact that almost 30 new movies open every week crowds the theatrical market like never before. The clamor of do-it-yourself distribution makes things even more confusing. So, can a case still be made for theatrical release? Yes. Here’s why:
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay announced the DGA’s nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2016.
Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay (Photo via MadameNoir)
“There’s so much to celebrate in such an incredible year for television, commercials and documentaries as we announce the DGA nominees for directorial achievement,” said Barclay. “As content across these categories reaches record levels, the bar is set higher than ever for directors – with each genre requiring unique skillsets and talents. And our nominees this year have far surpassed the challenge with such creative and captivating projects. I congratulate all of them on their exceptional work.”
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
THE DUFFER BROTHERS
Stranger Things, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”
(Netflix)
The Duffer Brothers’ Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Timothy Lonsdale
First Assistant Director: Richard Denault
Second Assistant Directors: Maria Battle Campbell, Kristina M. Peterson
Second Second Assistant Director: Simeon Jones
Additional Second Assistant Director: Franchesca Winters
This is Mr. Matt Duffer’s first DGA Award nomination.
This is Mr. Ross Duffer’s first DGA Award nomination.
RYAN MURPHY
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “From the Ashes of Tragedy”
(FX)
Mr. Murphy’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chip Vucelich
First Assistant Director: Leo Bauer
Second Assistant Director: Janell Sammelman
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Pexa
Additional Second Assistant Director: Alicia Lewis
This is Mr. Murphy’s fourth DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series in 2014 for The Normal Heart; for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2009 for the Glee pilot; and in 2010 for the Glee episode “The Power of Madonna.”
JONATHAN NOLAN
Westworld, “The Original”
(HBO)
Mr. Nolan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
First Assistant Director: Kim H. Winther
Second Assistant Director: Jeff Okabayashi
Second Second Assistant Directors: Michelene Mundo, Katie Pruitt
This is Mr. Nolan’s first DGA Award nomination
MIGUEL SAPOCHNIK
Game of Thrones, “The Battle of the Bastards”
(HBO)
This is Mr. Sapochnik’s first DGA Award nomination
JOHN SINGLETON
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “The Race Card”
(FX)
Mr. Singleton’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chip Vucelich
First Assistant Director: Dan Shaw
Second Assistant Director: Matt Pexa
Second Second Assistant Directors: Kim Richards, Kyle Hollingsworth
This is Mr. Singleton’s first DGA Award nomination
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
ALEC BERG
Silicon Valley, “Daily Active Users”
(HBO)
Mr. Berg’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Tyler Romary
First Assistant Director: Nick Mastandrea
Second Assistant Director: Sally Brunski
Second Second Assistant Director: Kim Richards
Additional Second Assistant Director: Kathleen D. Brennan
This is Mr. Berg’s first DGA Award nomination.
DONALD GLOVER
Atlanta, “B.A.N.”
(FX)
Mr. Glover’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Alex Orr
First Assistant Director: Veronica A. Hodge‑Hampton
Second Assistant Director: Jason Graham
Second Second Assistant Director: Danielle King
Additional Second Assistant Director: Mike Brune
This is Mr. Glover’s first DGA Award nomination.
MIKE JUDGE
Silicon Valley, “Founder Friendly”
(HBO)
Mr. Judge’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Tyler Romary
First Assistant Director: James “Billy” Burton
Second Assistant Director: Thomas Boucher
Second Second Assistant Director: Kim Richards
This is Mr. Judge’s third DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this same category in 2014 for the Silicon Valley episode “Minimum Viable Product” and in 2015 for the Silicon Valley episode “Binding Arbitration.”
BECKY MARTIN
Veep, “Inauguration”
(HBO)
Ms. Martin’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: David Hyman
First Assistant Director: Dale Stern
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
Additional Second Assistant Director: Gary Cotti
This is Ms. Martin’s first DGA Award nomination.
DALE STERN
Veep, “Mother”
(HBO)
Mr. Stern’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: David Hyman
First Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
Second Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
Additional Second Assistant Director: Cecilia Sweatman
This is Mr. Stern’s first DGA Award nomination.
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
RAYMOND DE FELITTA
Madoff
(ABC)
Mr. De Felitta’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Moshe Bardach
First Assistant Director: Scott Lazar
Second Assistant Director: David Fischer
Second Second Assistant Director: Ramona Murphy-Adair
Location Manager: Eddy Collyns
This is Mr. De Felitta’s first DGA Award nomination
THOMAS KAIL (Directed By)
ALEX RUDZINSKI (Live Television Direction By)
Grease Live!
(FOX)
Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Carrie Havel, Adam Mishler, Brad Duns
Head Stage Manager: Garry Hood
Stage Managers: Jennifer Marquet, John Esposito, Jonathan Marks, Rob Sellers Jr., Dani Farrelly, Paul Forrest, Roy Friedland, Chris Hines, Roxanne Lozano, Drina Mohacsi, Tshaka Stewart, Mike Strauss, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Ari Woog, Katie Perkins
This is Mr. Kail’s first DGA Award nomination.
This is one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Rudzinski in this category. He is also nominated with Kenny Leon for Hairspray Live! He has not been previously nominated.
JAY ROACH
All the Way
(HBO)
Mr. Roach’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: Josh King
Second Assistant Director: Aaron Fitzgerald
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jason C. Brown, Matthew Milan
This is Mr. Roach’s third DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series in 2008 for Recount and in 2012 for Game Change.
STEVEN ZAILLIAN
The Night Of, “The Beach”
(HBO)
Mr. Zaillian’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Greer Yeaton
First Assistant Director: Michael Steele
Second Assistant Director: Ginger Gonzalez
Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Iovine
Location Manager: Shane Haden
This is Mr. Zaillian’s first DGA Award nomination.
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time with Bill Maher, “Show #1437”
(HBO)
Mr. Casey’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Patrick Whitney, Brian Anderson
This is Mr. Casey’s third DGA Award nomination. He previously was nominated in this category in 2015 and 2014 for Real Time with Bill Maher “Show #1334” and “Show #1226.”
NORA GERARD
CBS Sunday Morning, “Charles Osgood Farewell Broadcast”
(CBS)
Ms. Gerard’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Bernard Rozenberg, Jessica Frank, Kate D’Arcy Coleman,
Patricia Finnegan, Jyll Phillips‑Friedman
Stage Managers: Mark Dicso, Lindsley Newbury
This is Ms. Gerard’s first DGA Award nomination.
JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Episode #0179”
(CBS)
Mr. Hoskinson’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Manager: Mark McKenna
This is Mr. Hoskinson’s fourth DGA Award nomination. He previously was nominated in this category in 2015, 2013 and 2007 for The Colbert Report episodes “11040,” “10004” and “3052.”
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “Host: Dave Chappelle”
(NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Bob Caminiti
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly
This is Mr. King’s eleventh DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials in 2015 for Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and for Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming in 2013 for Saturday Night Live “Host: Justin Timberlake.” He was previously nominated for Saturday Night Live episodes in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, and in 2015 in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category for the Saturday Night Live episode, “Host: Tracy Morgan/Musical Guest: Demi Lovato.”
PAUL PENNOLINO
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, “Episode #1030”
(TBS)
Mr. Pennolino’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jeremy Hardwick
Stage Manager: Laura Mack
This is Mr. Pennolino’s first DGA Award nomination.
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
JERRY FOLEY
Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 – The Best is Yet to Come
(NBC)
Mr. Foley’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Randi Grossack
Key Stage Manager: Jeffry Gitter
Stage Managers: Bennymar Almonte, Lauren Class Schneider, Joey Despenzero, Jeff Markowitz, Karen Tasch Weiss
This is Mr. Foley’s ninth DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in the Musical Variety category, all for the Late Show with David Letterman, in 2007, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 and 1998 for episodes “#2773,” “#2452,” “#2187,” “#1876,” “#1634,” “#1527,” “#1294,” and “#958.”
TIM MANCINELLI
The Late Late Show with James Corden, “The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special”
(CBS)
Mr. Mancinelli’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Matt Powers, Bac Delorme, Brian Sutherin
Stage Managers: Michael J. Schiff, Teri Pensky Hlubik
This is Mr. Mancinelli’s first DGA Award nomination.
LINDA MENDOZA
Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House
This is Ms. Mendoza’s second DGA Award nomination. She was previously nominated in the Musical Variety category in 2010 for Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Performance at The White House.
PAUL MYERS
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, “A Very Special Full Frontal Special”
(TBS)
This is Mr. Myers’s first DGA Award nomination.
GLENN WEISS
The 70th Annual Tony Awards
(CBS)
Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Ricky Kirshner
Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Peter Epstein, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Andrew Feigin, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Arthur Lewis, Jeffrey M. Markowitz, Cyndi Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Alfonso Pena, Annette Powlis, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider, Jim Semmelman
This is Mr. Weiss’s thirteenth DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 for the 61st, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th and 68th Annual Tony Awards. He was also nominated in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and 62nd Annual Tony Awards. He was also nominated in 2015 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series, together with Rob Ashford, for Peter Pan Live!
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
KEN FUCHS
Shark Tank, “801”
(ABC)
Mr. Fuchs’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Amy Wilcox‑Barker
Head Stage Manager: Eric Rhoden
Stage Managers: Doug Neal, Michael Strauss
This is Mr. Fuchs’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2015 for Shark Tank, “702.”
JOHN GONZALEZ
Live PD, “Episode 5”
(A&E)
Mr. Gonzalez’s Directorial Team:
Stage Manager: Jeff Buda
This is Mr. Gonzalez’s first DGA Award nomination.
BRIAN SMITH
STRONG, “Welcome to STRONG”
(NBC)
Mr. Smith’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Anna Moulaison‑Moore, David Charles
Stage Manager: Drew Lewandowski
This is Mr. Smith’s fourth DGA Award nomination. He previously won in this category in 2012 for Master Chef, “Episode #305.” He was also nominated in 2010 for Master Chef, “Episode #103,” and in 2011 for Master Chef, “Episode #201.”
J. RUPERT THOMPSON
American Grit, “The Finale ‑ Over the Falls”
(FOX)
Mr. Thompson’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: David Charles
Stage Managers: Daniel Curran, Kevin Fletcher
This is Mr. Thompson’s seventh DGA Award nomination. He previously won in this category in 2005 for Fear Factor, “Heist Fear Factor, Season 6 Premiere.” He was also nominated in 2006 for Fear Factor, “Military Fear Factor, Season Finale,” in 2008 for Estate of Panic, “102, That Sinking Feeling,” in 2011 for Fear Factor 2.0, “Scorpion Tales,” in 2012 for Stars Earn Stripes, “Amphibious Assault,” and in 2013 for The Hero, “Teamwork.”
BERTRAM VAN MUNSTER
The Amazing Race, “We’re Only Doing Freaky Stuff Today”
(CBS)
Mr. van Munster’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Dan Coffie
This is Mr. van Munster’s eleventh DGA Award nomination. He won in this category in 2007 for The Amazing Race, “Episode #1110” and was also nominated an additional eight times in this category for the The Amazing Race: in 2005 for “Episode #805,” in 2006 for “Episode #102,” in 2008 for “Episode #1303,” in 2009 for “Don’t Let A Cheese Hit Me,” in 2010 for “I Think We’re Fighting the Germans, Right?,” in 2011 for “You Don’t Get Paid Unless You Win?”, in 2013 for “Beards in the Wind,” and in 2015 for “Bring The Fun, Baby!” He was also nominated with Directors Jack Cannon and Elise Doganieri in 2014 for The Quest, “One True Hero.”
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
LIZ ALLEN
The Kicks, “Pilot”
(Amazon)
Ms. Allen’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Maria Melograne
First Assistant Director: Michael Williams
Second Assistant Director: Walter Parry
This is Ms. Allen’s first DGA Award nomination.
ALETHEA JONES
Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, “Gortimer and the Jacks of All Trades”
(Amazon)
Ms. Jones’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Richard G. King
First Assistant Director: Lance W. Lanfear
Second Assistant Director: David Berke
Second Second Assistant Director: Christopher H. Cook
This is Ms. Jones’s first DGA Award nomination.
MICHAEL LEMBECK
A Nutcracker Christmas
(Hallmark Channel)
This is Mr. Lembeck’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2011 for Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.
TINA MABRY
An American Girl Story ‑ Melody 1963: Love Has to Win
(Amazon)
Ms. Mabry’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Richard G. King
First Assistant Director: Otto Penzato
Second Assistant Director: David Berke
Second Second Assistant Director: Christopher H. Cook
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Candice Lee, Matthew W. Ross
This is Ms. Mabry’s first DGA Award nomination.
JOHN SCHULTZ
Adventures in Babysitting
(Disney Channel)
This is Mr. Schultz’s first DGA Award nomination.
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2016 are (in alphabetical order):
LANCE ACORD
(Park Pictures)
Frankie’s Holiday, Apple – MAL
First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
Movie Night, Kohl’s – Anomaly
First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
Second Assistant Director: Rob Kay
DANTE ARIOLA
(MJZ)
Hold Your Breath, SunTrust – Strawberry Frog
Unit Production Manager: Natalie Hill
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Isaac Mejia
Riding is the New Driving, Lyft – Made Movement
Unit Production Manager: Natalie Hill
First Assistant Director: John Lowe
Second Assistant Director: Julian Metter
Second Second Assistant Director: Dave Liehn
Tell Me When To Go, Beats
Unit Production Managers: Natalie Hill, Susan Levin
First Assistant Director: Chris Medak
Second Assistant Director: Adam Stern
Second Second Assistant Director: Jani Vournas
This is Mr. Ariola’s seventh DGA Award nomination in this category. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for Snowball (Traveler’s Insurance), Human (Johnny Walker), and First Taste (Coca-Cola) in 2006. He was also nominated in this category in 2011, 2007, 2004, 2002 and 2000.
FREDRIK BOND
(MJZ)
Dive, Apple
First Assistant Director: Howell Caldwell
Everyday Hero, Philips – Ogilvy & Mather
World of Play, LG – Energy BBDO
Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
First Assistant Director: Anthony Dimino
Second Assistant Director: Spencer Taylor
Second Second Assistant Director: R. Ben Parker
Additional First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch
Additional Second Assistant Director: Steve Bagnara
This is Mr. Bond’s seventh DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2007 and 2004.
YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THESE FILMS ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 13
A UNITED KINGDOM
UK – 2016 – 111 minutes
Director: Amma Asante
WORLD CINEMA NOW
U.S. Premiere
Belle director Amma Asante returns with another stirring interracial love story, this time based on the 1948 marriage between Prince Seretse of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and an English clerk. Their union affronts her parents and his, his subjects, her superiors and both governments, and jeopardizes British colonial rule in southern Africa.
Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar Directors in Discussion
On Monday, January 9, Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter moderated a fascinating panel with five directors who had their films submitted the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for consideration for the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film. The directors offered great insight into what went into the making of their films, they were –
Xavier Dolan, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD
Claude Barras, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
Asghar Farhadi, THE SALESMAN
Erik Poppe, THE KING’S CHOICE
Hannes Holm, A MAN CALLED OVE
MAD WORLD
Hong Kong – 2016 – 100 minutes
Director: Wong Chun
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Hong Kong director Wang Chun’s admirable debut feature is the portrait of a former stockbroker suffering from bipolar disorder. “An empathetic character study of a troubled young man trying to contain his inner chaos in a maddening city where space, sympathy and sanity are at a premium.” Clarence Tsui, Hollywood Reporter
Polonsky’s quirky, loose-limbed movie offers insight and comedy by turns as a middle-aged Israeli couple take decidedly different roads after mourning the death of their son: she goes back to work, but he embarks on a weed-enhanced picaresque with the neighbors’ stoner son… Winner: FIPRESCI prize, Best Israeli Film, Best First Film, Jerusalem.
Fifteen years after her father killed herself, Petra Epperlein returns to her hometown in former East Germany to investigate his links with the Stasi and how the apparatus of state control maintained Communist rule. This boldly stylized film is a potent reminder of how the politics is always, ultimately, personal.
Based in part on the 2012 murder of a gay Chilean teen, this impressive debut film from musician Alex Anwandter is a powerful treatise on Chile’s generational divide, an engrossing tale of betrayal and redemption, and a stirring testament to a father’s love.
Fri, Jan 13 – 4:30 PM – Mary Pickford
Sun, Jan 15 – 5:00 PM – Regal
Actor, Andrew Bargsted to attend (January 15 only).
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
Must be at least 25 years of age to enter this contest.
No purchase necessary.
One entry per person; employees of PSIFF are not eligible.
BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT
Mexico – 2016 – 92 minutes
Director: María José Cuevas
TRUE STORIES
This vibrant, sometimes heartbreaking documentary is a fresh, fun and moving tribute to Mexico’s burlesque queens of the 1970s and ’80s, and a portrait of five fabulous former showgirls coping with their “golden years” in very different ways.
Alison Maclean’s piquant, sharp-edged adaptation of Eleanor Catton’s first novel is partially a free-floating accumulation of insights into the twinned professions of teaching and acting and partially a drama about life inspiring art-or perhaps the other way around? “Complex, compelling and challenging.” Screen
She was 13 and he was 40 when he was imprisoned for their taboo affair. Now, 15 years later, Una confronts the man who destroyed her life. Rooney Mara and Ben Mendolsohn star in this explosive adaptation of David Harrower’s Tony-winning play Blackbird.
Since 2010, the Berlinale’s Flying Red Carpet has traveled from arthouse cinema to arthouse cinema on seven evenings during the festival, visiting Berlin’s movie lovers in their neighborhood cinemas. On each of these evenings, one Berlin arthouse cinema turns into an additional festival venue and presents two selected films from the Berlinale program.
Just like they do at the regular festival, the film teams usually introduce their works in person at the neighborhood cinemas and are available to answer questions and discuss their films with audiences after the screening. Besides the film team, a patron of the cinema will also welcome audiences to the small Red Carpet: one prominent film personality acts as the patron of each neighborhood cinema, thereby supporting the cultural work of his or her favorite theatre.
The Berlinale Goes Kiez project was launched in 2010 on the occasion of the festival’s 60th anniversary and has proven to be hugely popular with audiences. In past years, Berlinale Goes Kiez has visited the following cinemas: ACUDkino (Mitte), Adria (Steglitz), Babylon (Kreuzberg), Bundesplatz-Kino (Wilmersdorf), Capitol Dahlem (Zehlendorf), City Kino (Wedding), Die Kurbel (Charlottenburg), Eiszeit Kino (Kreuzberg), Eva Lichtspiele (Wilmersdorf), filmkunst 66 (Charlottenburg), fsk (Kreuzberg), Hackesche Höfe Kino (Mitte), IL KINO (Neukölln), Kant Kino (Charlottenburg), Moviemento (Kreuzberg), Neue Kammerspiele (Kleinmachnow), Neues Off (Neukölln), Odeon (Schöneberg), Passage (Neukölln), Sputnik Kino (Kreuzberg), Thalia Kino Berlin (Lankwitz), Thalia Programm Kino (Potsdam-Babelsberg), Tilsiter Lichtspiele (Friedrichshain), Kino Toni & Tonino (Weissensee), Union Filmtheater (Friedrichshagen) as well as Yorck (Kreuzberg).
*Berlinale Goes Kiez is supported by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.(Source: Berlinale Press Office)
The 2017 SBIFF will kick off the festival on Wednesday, February 1st, at the historic Arlington Theatre with the World Premiere of CHARGED. The Opening Night Film is sponsored by UGG®.
Directed by Phillip Baribeau, CHARGED chronicles the journey of chef and outdoorsman, Eduardo Garcia and his recovery after being electrocuted by 2400 volts of electricity miles from help in the Montana backcountry. Garcia had his hand amputated, lost ribs, muscle mass and nearly his life, but more important than what he lost is what he found. CHARGED tells Eduardo’s remarkable journey from getting up off the forest floor to becoming the man he is today.
The documentary is produced by Dennis Aig and Phillip Baribeau along with executive producers Teri Weinberg, Scott Ballew, Doug Ellin, Peter Hochfelder, Constance Schwartz–Morini and Michael Strahan.
Directed by Phillip Baribeau, CHARGED chronicles the journey of chef and outdoorsman, Eduardo Garcia and his recovery after being electrocuted by 2400 volts of electricity miles from help in the Montana backcountry. Garcia had his hand amputated, lost ribs, muscle mass and nearly his life, but more important than what he lost is what he found. CHARGED tells Eduardo’s remarkable journey from getting up off the forest floor to becoming the man he is today.
The documentary is produced by Dennis Aig and Phillip Baribeau along with executive producers Teri Weinberg, Scott Ballew, Doug Ellin, Peter Hochfelder, Constance Schwartz–Morini and Michael Strahan.
Although the details are still being worked out, the film, which won a record-breaking seven Golden Globes on Sunday, has been cleared to open in the world’s second-largest movie market this year.
Fresh off its Golden Globes success, Damien Chazelle’s modern musical La La Land got some more good news with the announcement the film will get a release in China.
The Lionsgate film has been approved for distribution in China and will screen in the China Giant Screen format and possibly IMAX 2D, although a specific date is yet to be announced, according to local reports.
China Film Group, the state-backed film company, will be distributing the film, while Shanghai-based Baian Film and Joy Pictures will handle marketing.
Chinese-language posters and trailers were released on Tuesday featuring the film’s Chinese name, or Aiyue Zhicheng, which roughly translates as ‘Music-Loving City.”
Local reports indicate that Chazelle and actor Ryan Gosling will travel to China to promote the local release of the film at the end of January. Emma Stone may be absent due to scheduling conflicts.
The feel-good film won a record-breaking seven Golden Globes on Sunday night for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) for Ryan Gosling, Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for Emma Stone, Best Screenplay and Best Director for Damien Chazelle, Best Score for Justin Hurwitz, and Best Original Song for “City of Stars.”
Taiwan pop star Jay Chou’s movie The Rooftop holds the box office record for a musical in China, earning RMB 120 million (US$17.3 million) in 2013. Universal’s 2012 big screen musical Les Misérables pulled in RMB 64.3 million ($9.3 million).
No doubt the film’s local distributors will be hoping to ape the success of last year’s The Revenant, which was able to piggy-back buzz from the Oscars to pull in RMB 377 million ($54.4 million) in China.
La La Land will mark the first time Ryan Gosling has featured on the big screen in China, while co-star Emma Stone has appeared four times previously, including Birdman in 2015, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, in 2014, the animated feature The Croods, in 2013, andThe Amazing Spider-Man, in 2012.
“They say that ‘the only thing that stays the same is change,’ and that’s especially true when it comes to the art of filmmaking when driven by fresh viewpoints and new methods,” said Barclay. “The future of film is dependent on newly blazed trails and creative leaps of faith which is what we’re honoring with our first-time feature film director award. Congratulations to these five emerging filmmakers who have created projects that are as bold as they are innovative.”
(Source: Berlinale Press Office)
