Category Archives: Academy Awards

THE ACADEMY ANNOUNCES FINAL SLATE OF 89TH OSCARS PRESENTERS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JENNIFER ANISTON, JASON BATEMAN, WARREN BEATTY, SOFIA BOUTELLA,
MATT DAMON, FAYE DUNAWAY, MICHAEL J. FOX, RYAN GOSLING, SALMA HAYEK,
TARAJI P. HENSON, DEV PATEL, SETH ROGEN, OCTAVIA SPENCER,
MERYL STREEP AND VINCE VAUGHN
ANNOUNCED AS FINAL SLATE OF 89TH OSCARS® PRESENTERS 

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LOS ANGELES, CA – Oscar® producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd announced the final slate of presenters for the 89th Oscars® telecast. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will air live Sunday, February 26, on the ABC Television Network. The presenters, including past Oscar winners and nominees, are Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Warren Beatty, Sofia Boutella, Matt Damon, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Fox, Ryan Gosling, Salma Hayek, Taraji P. Henson, Dev Patel, Seth Rogen, Octavia Spencer, Meryl Streep and Vince Vaughn.

Previously announced presenters include Amy Adams, Riz Ahmed, Javier Bardem, Halle Berry, John Cho, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Dornan, Chris Evans, Gael García Bernal, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Dwayne Johnson, Felicity Jones, Brie Larson, Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Mann, Kate McKinnon, Janelle Monáe, David Oyelowo, Mark Rylance, Hailee Steinfeld, Emma Stone, Charlize Theron and Alicia Vikander. Additionally, Sara Bareilles, John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Auli’i Cravalho, Sting and Justin Timberlake are set to perform.

Aniston’s film credits include “Office Christmas Party” (2016), “Cake” (2014), “Horrible Bosses 2” (2014), “We’re the Millers” (2013), “Horrible Bosses” (2011) and “Friends with Money” (2006). Additionally, she’s appeared in “Just Go with It” (2011), “Marley & Me” (2008) and “The Break-Up” (2006).

Bateman’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “Juno” (2007) as well as the Oscar-nominated films “Zootopia” (2016) and “Up in the Air” (2009). Other notable credits include “Office Christmas Party” (2016), “The Family Fang” (2015) and “This Is Where I Leave You” (2014).  Additionally, he directed and appeared in “Bad Words” (2013).

Beatty is a producer, director, writer and actor and has received 14 Oscar nominations. Beatty won an Oscar for Directing “Reds” (1981) and the Academy’s Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 2000. He has the rare distinction of being nominated as a producer, director, writer and performer for the same film on not just one, but two occasions, for “Heaven Can Wait” (1978) and for “Reds.” Beatty’s credits also include “Rules Don’t Apply” (2016), “Bulworth” (1998), “Bugsy” (1991), “Dick Tracy” (1990), “Shampoo” (1975), “The Parallax View” (1974),  “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” (1971),  “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), “Lilith” (1964) and “Splendor in the Grass” (1961).

Boutella appeared in the Oscar-nominated film “Star Trek Beyond” (2016). Additionally, her film credits include “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014), “Monsters: Dark Continent” (2014) and “StreetDance 2” (2012). Boutella will next appear in “Atomic Blonde” and “The Mummy.”

Damon won an Oscar for Original Screenplay (shared with Ben Affleck) and was nominated for Actor in a Leading Role for his work on “Good Will Hunting” (1997). He is nominated this year for Best Picture for “Manchester by the Sea” (2016) shared with producers Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh. In addition, Damon received an Oscar nomination for Actor in a Leading Role for “The Martian” (2015) as well as an Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for “Invictus” (2009). His upcoming projects include “Downsizing” and “Suburbicon.”

Dunaway won an Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role for “Network” (1976). She’s been nominated twice before in the same category, for “Chinatown” (1974) and “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967). Dunaway’s numerous credits also include “Don Juan DeMarco” (1994), “Arizona Dream” (1993) and “Barfly” (1987), as well as the now classic films “Three Days of the Condor” (1975), “The Towering Inferno” (1974), “Little Big Man” (1970) and “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968).

Fox’s credits include the Oscar-winning film “Back to the Future” (1985) and the Oscar-nominated features “Back to the Future Part II” (1989) and “The American President” (1995). In addition, his credits include “Bright Lights, Big City” (1988), “Teen Wolf” (1985), “Doc Hollywood” (1991), “Back to the Future Part III” (1990) and “Casualties of War” (1989).

Gosling received an Oscar nomination for Actor in a Leading Role for “La La Land” (2016) and “Half Nelson” (2006). He also appeared in the Oscar-winning film “The Big Short” (2015) as well as the Oscar-nominated films “Drive” (2011), “The Ides of March” (2011), “Blue Valentine” (2010) and “Lars and the Real Girl” (2007). Gosling’s credits also include “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011) and “The Notebook” (2004). He will next appear in “Blade Runner 2049.”

Hayek received an Oscar nomination for Actress in a Leading Role for “Frida” (2002). In addition, her credits include “Septembers of Shiraz” (2015), “Tale of Tales” (2015), “Savages” (2012) and “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996). Upcoming projects for Hayek include “Beatriz at Dinner,” “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” and “How to Be a Latin Lover.”

Henson received an Oscar nomination for Actress in a Supporting Role for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008). Her feature credits include the Oscar-winning film “Hustle & Flow” (2005) and the Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures” (2016). Additional credits include “Think Like a Man Too” (2014), “Top Five” (2014), “Think Like a Man” (2012), “Larry Crowne” (2011), “Date Night” (2010), “The Karate Kid” (2010) and “Four Brothers” (2005).

Patel received an Oscar nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role for “Lion” (2016). Additionally, his credits include the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008), “Chappie” (2015), “The Man Who Knew Infinity” (2015), “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2015) and “The Road Within” (2014). Patel will next appear in “Hotel Mumbai.”

Rogen’s film credits include the Oscar-nominated “Steve Jobs” (2015). Additionally he’s appeared in  “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” (2016), “Sausage Party” (2016), “Neighbors” (2014), “The Interview” (2014), “50/50” (2011), “The Green Hornet” (2011), “Kung Fu Panda 2” (2011), “Kung Fu Panda” (2008) and “Knocked Up” (2007). Rogen will next appear in “The Masterpiece.”

Spencer won an Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role for “The Help” (2011) and is nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role for “Hidden Figures” (2016). She also lent her voice to the Oscar-nominated film “Zootopia” (2016). Spencer’s film credits also include “Allegiant” (2016), “Bad Santa 2” (2016), “Fathers & Daughters” (2015), “Insurgent” (2015), “Black or White” (2014), “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” (2013) and “Snowpiercer” (2013). Spencer’s upcoming films include “Gifted,” “The Shape of Water,” “Small Town Crime” and “The Shack.”

Streep received an Oscar nomination for Actress in a Leading Role for “Florence Foster Jenkins” (2016), her 20th nomination. She has won in this category previously for “The Iron Lady” (2011) and “Sophie’s Choice” (1982). In addition, Streep earned an Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role for “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979). In addition, she has earned acting nominations for “Into the Woods” (2014), “August: Osage County” (2013), “Julie and Julia” (2009), “Doubt” (2008), “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006), “Adaptation” (2002), “Music of the Heart” (1999), “One True Thing” (1998), “The Bridges of Madison County” (1995), “Postcards from the Edge” (1990), “A Cry in the Dark” (1988), “Ironweed” (1987), “Out of Africa” (1985), “Silkwood” (1983), “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (1981) and “The Deer Hunter” (1978).

Vaughn appears in the Oscar-nominated film “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016). Additionally, his credits include the Oscar-nominated feature “Into the Wild” (2007), “Delivery Man” (2013), “The Internship” (2013), “The Break-Up” (2006), “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005), “Old School” (2003), “Wedding Crashers” (2005) and “Swingers” (1996). Vaughn will next appear in “Brawl in Cellblock 99.”

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center®in Hollywood, and will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars, produced by De Luca and Todd and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, also will be televised in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. Additionally, “The Oscars: All Access” live stream from the red carpet and backstage will begin at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST on Oscar.com.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

MEDIA CONTACT
Steve Rohr
steve.rohr@oscars.org

OSCAR NOMINEES TO BE HONORED AT ACADEMY LUNCHEON

Posted by Larry Gleeson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, CA – More than 165 Oscar® nominees will come together at noon on Monday, February 6, at the Beverly Hilton when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors this year’s Oscar contenders at its annual Nominees Luncheon.

Among the Lead Actor and Actress nominees, Casey Affleck, Ryan Gosling, Isabelle Huppert, Viggo Mortensen, Ruth Negga, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington are expected to attend the pre-Oscars® event.  Supporting Actor and Actress nominees Mahershala Ali, Jeff Bridges, Viola Davis, Naomie Harris, Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, Octavia Spencer and Michelle Williams also will join in the celebratory lunch.

All five nominees in the Directing category – Damien Chazelle, Mel Gibson, Barry Jenkins, Kenneth Lonergan and Denis Villeneuve – are expected to attend as well.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

# # #

 

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 7,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

MEDIA CONTACT
Natalie Kojen
nkojen@oscars.org

(Source: Academy Publicity Department)

JOHN CHO AND LESLIE MANN TO HOST ACADEMY’S SCI-TECH AWARDS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, CA – Actors John Cho and Leslie Mann will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 11, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.  They will present 18 awards to 34 individual recipients, as well as five organizations, during the evening.

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Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Photo via oscars.org)

“We’re so excited to have John and Leslie join us as hosts for this year’s Scientific and Technical Awards,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.  “It’s one of our favorite, and most talked about, events each Oscar® season, and John and Leslie’s humor and refreshing take on the honorees will be a perfect addition to a night where we celebrate our colleagues’ groundbreaking scientific and technical achievements.”

 

Cho most recently starred in the summer blockbuster “Star Trek Beyond.”  His other credits include “Grandma,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and “American Pie.”  He also appeared in the 1999 Best Picture Oscar winner “American Beauty.”

Mann can currently be seen starring alongside Robert De Niro in Taylor Hackford’s “The Comedian.”  Her feature film credits include “How to Be Single,” “The Other Woman,” “This Is 40” and “Knocked Up,” as well as the animated features “Rio 2” and the Oscar-nominated “ParaNorman.”

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar telecast.

The 89th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

(Source: Oscars Publicity Department)

Film academy troubled by possible visa ban of Oscar nominee

Posted by Larry Gleeson

From The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. –  The motion picture academy calls “extremely troubling,” the possible visa ban of Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose feature film “The Salesman” is nominated for a best foreign language Oscar.

In a statement released Saturday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressed concern that Farhadi and his cast and crew may not be permitted to attend next month’s Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles following President Trump’s plan to temporarily suspend issuing visas for people from Iran and six other Muslim countries.

Farhadi has not commented on his travel plans, but on Friday, the president of the National Iranian American Council, Trita Parsi, tweeted: “Confirmed: Iran’s Asghar Farhadi won’t be let into the US to attend Oscar’s.”

On Thursday, Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the “The Salesman,” tweeted she would boycott the Oscars — whether allowed to attend or not — in protest of Trump’s immigration policies, which she called “racist.”

In its statement Saturday, the academy said, “As supporters of filmmakers — and the human rights of all people — around the globe, we find it extremely troubling that Asghar Farhadi, the director of the Oscar-winning film from Iran ‘A Separation,’ along with the cast and crew of this year’s Oscar-nominated film ‘The Salesman,’ could be barred from entering the country because of their religion or country of origin.”

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*Featured photo: This May 21, 2016 file photo shows actress Taraneh Alidoosti during a photo call for the film “Forushande” (The Salesman) at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-nominated “The Salesman,” says she won’t attend the Academy Awards in protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration plans. Alidoosti called plans for a visa ban of Iranians “racist” in a message posted Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, on Twitter. “The Salesman,” directed by Asghar Farhadi, was nominated for best foreign language film. Joel Ryan, File AP Photo

(Source: bnd.com)

La La Land leads 2017 Oscar Noms with a record-tying 14

Posted by Larry Gleeson

La La Land continues its strong showing on the awards circuit with a whopping 14 Oscar nominations tying the all-time nominations record 0f 14 set by All About Eve (1950) and tied first by Titanic (1997).

 

With over 336 feature films in contention for best picture, the list is now nine;  Arrival,  Fences, Hell or Highwater, Hidden Figures, Hacksaw Ridge,  La La Land, Lion,  Manchester By The Sea, and Moonlight. In addition,

 

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Meryl Streep receives a record-breaking 2oth Oscar nmination for her role in Florence Foster Jenkins (Photo via imdb)

Legendary Hollywood actress, Meryl Streep, received a record-breaking 20th Oscar nomination for her role as a deluded singer in Florence Foster Jenkins. Ms. Streep breaks her own record of 19 nominations.

 

O.J.: Made in America, a Documentary Feature nominee, is the longest film ever nominated for an Academy Award with a run time of 7 hours and 47 minutes.
La La Land is the first musical with original music and story to receive a Best Picture nomination since All That Jazz (1979) and the second since Anchors Aweigh (1945).
Denzel Washington is the seventh individual to receive Acting and Best Picture nominations for the same film, joining Warren Beatty, Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper.
With his Best Picture nomination for Manchester by the Sea, Matt Damon becomes only the third individual to be nominated in the Acting, Writing and Best Picture categories. The others are Warren Beatty and George Clooney.
With their Best Picture nominations for Moonlight, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner become the first individual producers to have nominations in the Best Picture category in four consecutive years.

In the acting categories, seven individuals are first-time nominees (Andrew Garfield, Mahershala Ali, Lucas Hedges, Dev Patel, Isabelle Huppert, Ruth Negga and Naomie Harris). Six of the nominees are previous acting winners (Denzel Washington, Jeff Bridges,Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Octavia Spencer).

A comprehensive 89th Oscars fact sheet is available, in addition to the brief history of the Oscars previously posted.

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The 89th Academy Awards will be announced in the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center, Sunday, February 26, 2017. Jimmy Kimmel is scheduled to host and the program will air on ABC at 7PM EST. Without further ado,

The Nominees are:

Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees

Casey Affleck

Manchester by the Sea

Andrew Garfield

Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling

La La Land

Viggo Mortensen

Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington

Fences

Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees

Mahershala Ali

Moonlight

Jeff Bridges

Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges

Manchester by the Sea

Dev Patel

Lion

Michael Shannon

Nocturnal Animals

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees

Isabelle Huppert

Elle

Ruth Negga

Loving

Natalie Portman

Jackie

Emma Stone

La La Land

Meryl Streep

Florence Foster Jenkins

Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees

Viola Davis

Fences

Naomie Harris

Moonlight

Nicole Kidman

Lion

Octavia Spencer

Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams

Manchester by the Sea

Animated Feature Film

Nominees

Kubo and the Two Strings

Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner

Moana

John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer

My Life as a Zucchini

Claude Barras and Max Karli

The Red Turtle

Michael Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki

Zootopia

Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

Cinematography

Nominees

Arrival

Bradford Young

La La Land

Linus Sandgren

Lion

Greig Fraser

Moonlight

James Laxton

Silence

Rodrigo Prieto

Costume Design

Nominees

Allied

Joanna Johnston

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Colleen Atwood

Florence Foster Jenkins

Consolata Boyle

Jackie

Madeline Fontaine

La La Land

Mary Zophres

Directing

Nominees

Arrival

Denis Villeneuve

Hacksaw Ridge

Mel Gibson

La La Land

Damien Chazelle

Manchester by the Sea

Kenneth Lonergan

Moonlight

Barry Jenkins

Documentary (Feature)

Nominees

Fire at Sea

Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo

I Am Not Your Negro

Raoul Peck, Rémi Grellety and Hébert Peck

Life, Animated

Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman

O.J.: Made in America

Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow

13th

Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick and Howard Barish

Documentary (Short Subject)

Nominees

Extremis

Dan Krauss

4.1 Miles

Daphne Matziaraki

Joe’s Violin

Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen

Watani: My Homeland

Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis

The White Helmets

Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Film Editing

Nominees

Arrival

Joe Walker

Hacksaw Ridge

John Gilbert

Hell or High Water

Jake Roberts

La La Land

Tom Cross

Moonlight

Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon

Foreign Language Film

Nominees

Land of Mine

Denmark

A Man Called Ove

Sweden

The Salesman

Iran

Tanna

Australia

Toni Erdmann

Germany

Makeup and Hairstyling

Nominees

A Man Called Ove

Eva von Bahr and Love Larson

Star Trek Beyond

Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo

Suicide Squad

Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

Music (Original Score)

Nominees

Jackie

Mica Levi

La La Land

Justin Hurwitz

Lion

Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka

Moonlight

Nicholas Britell

Passengers

Thomas Newman

Music (Original Song)

Nominees

Audition (The Fools Who Dream)

from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Can’t Stop The Feeling

from Trolls; Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster

City of Stars

from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

The Empty Chair

from Jim: The James Foley Story; Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting

How Far I’ll Go

from Moana; Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best Picture

Nominees

Arrival

Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers

Fences

Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers

Hacksaw Ridge

Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers

Hell or High Water

Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers

Hidden Figures

Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers

La La Land

Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers

Lion

Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers

Manchester by the Sea

Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers

Moonlight

Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers

Production Design

Nominees

Arrival

Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Paul Hotte

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock

Hail, Caesar!

Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

La La Land

Production Design: David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Passengers

Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena

Short Film (Animated)

Nominees

Blind Vaysha

Theodore Ushev

Borrowed Time

Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Robert Valley and Cara Speller

Pearl

Patrick Osborne

Piper

Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

Short Film (Live Action)

Nominees

Ennemis Intérieurs

Sélim Azzazi

La Femme et le TGV

Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff

Silent Nights

Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson

Sing

Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy

Timecode

Juanjo Giménez

Sound Editing

Nominees

Arrival

Sylvain Bellemare

Deepwater Horizon

Wylie Stateman and Renée Tondelli

Hacksaw Ridge

Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright

La La Land

Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan

Sully

Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

Sound Mixing

Nominees

Arrival

Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye

Hacksaw Ridge

Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

La La Land

Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth

Visual Effects

Nominees

Deepwater Horizon

Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton

Doctor Strange

Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould

The Jungle Book

Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon

Kubo and the Two Strings

Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Nominees

Arrival

Screenplay by Eric Heisserer

Fences

Screenplay by August Wilson

Hidden Figures

Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi

Lion

Screenplay by Luke Davies

Moonlight

Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Nominees

Hell or High Water

Written by Taylor Sheridan

La La Land

Written by Damien Chazelle

The Lobster

Written by Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou

Manchester by the Sea

Written by Kenneth Lonergan

20th Century Women

Written by Mike Mills
Thank you to Oscars Producers Jennifer Todd and Mike DeLuca!
89thoscar-producers
Pictured left to right, Oscars Producers Jennifer Todd and Mike DeLuca. (Photo courtesy of Oscars.org)
(Source: oscars.org)

18 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE HONORED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 18 scientific and technical achievements represented by 34 individual award recipients, as well as five organizations, will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

“This year we are particularly pleased to be able to honor not only a wide range of new technologies, but also the pioneering digital cinema cameras that helped facilitate the widespread conversion to electronic image capture for motion picture production,” said Ray Feeney, Academy Award® recipient and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. “With their outstanding, innovative work, these technologists, engineers and inventors have significantly expanded filmmakers’ creative choices for moving image storytelling.”

Unlike other Academy Awards to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2016. Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.

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The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)

To Thomson Grass Valley for the design and engineering of the pioneering Viper FilmStream digital camera system.

The Viper camera enabled frame-based logarithmic encoding, which provided uncompressed camera output suitable for importing into existing digital intermediate workflows.

To Larry Gritz for the design, implementation and dissemination of Open Shading Language (OSL).

OSL is a highly optimized runtime architecture and language for programmable shading and texturing that has become a de facto industry standard. It enables artists at all levels of technical proficiency to create physically plausible materials for efficient production rendering.

To Carl Ludwig, Eugene Troubetzkoy and Maurice van Swaaij for the pioneering development of the CGI Studio renderer at Blue Sky Studios.

CGI Studio’s groundbreaking ray-tracing and adaptive sampling techniques, coupled with streamlined artist controls, demonstrated the feasibility of ray-traced rendering for feature film production.

To Brian Whited for the design and development of the Meander drawing system at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Meander’s innovative curve-rendering method faithfully captures the artist’s intent, resulting in a significant improvement in creative communication throughout the production pipeline.

To Mark Rappaport for the concept, design and development, to Scott Oshita for the motion analysis and CAD design, to Jeff Cruts for the development of the faux-hair finish techniques, and to Todd Minobe for the character articulation and drive-train mechanisms, of the Creature Effects Animatronic Horse Puppet.

The Animatronic Horse Puppet provides increased actor safety, close integration with live action, and improved realism for filmmakers.

To Glenn Sanders and Howard Stark for the design and engineering of the Zaxcom Digital Wireless Microphone System.

The Zaxcom system has advanced the state of wireless microphone technology by creating a fully digital modulation system with a rich feature set, which includes local recording capability within the belt pack and a wireless control scheme providing real-time transmitter control and time-code distribution.

To David Thomas, Lawrence E. Fisher and David Bundy for the design, development and engineering of the Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless Microphone System.

The Lectrosonics system has advanced the state of wireless microphone technology by developing a method to digitally transmit full-range audio over a conventional analog FM radio link, reducing transmitter size, and increasing power efficiency.

To Parag Havaldar for the development of expression-based facial performance-capture technology at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

This pioneering system enabled large-scale use of animation rig-based facial performance-capture for motion pictures, combining solutions for tracking, stabilization, solving and animator-controllable curve editing.

To Nicholas Apostoloff and Geoff Wedig for the design and development of animation rig-based facial performance-capture systems at ImageMovers Digital and Digital Domain.

These systems evolved through independent, then combined, efforts at two different studios, resulting in an artist-controllable, editable, scalable solution for the high-fidelity transfer of facial performances to convincing digital characters.

To Kiran Bhat, Michael Koperwas, Brian Cantwell and Paige Warner for the design and development of the ILM facial performance-capture solving system.

This system enables high-fidelity facial performance transfer from actors to digital characters in large-scale productions while retaining full artistic control, and integrates stable rig-based solving and the resolution of secondary detail in a controllable pipeline.

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)

To ARRI for the pioneering design and engineering of the Super 35 format Alexa digital camera system.

With an intuitive design and appealing image reproduction, achieved through close collaboration with filmmakers, ARRI’s Alexa cameras were among the first digital cameras widely adopted by cinematographers.

To RED Digital Cinema for the pioneering design and evolution of the RED Epic digital cinema cameras with upgradeable full-frame image sensors.

RED’s revolutionary design and innovative manufacturing process have helped facilitate the wide adoption of digital image capture in the motion picture industry.

To Sony for the development of the F65 CineAlta camera with its pioneering high-resolution imaging sensor, excellent dynamic range, and full 4K output.

Sony’s unique photosite orientation and true RAW recording deliver exceptional image quality.

To Panavision and Sony for the conception and development of the groundbreaking Genesis digital motion picture camera.

Using a familiar form factor and accessories, the design features of the Genesis allowed it to become one of the first digital cameras to be adopted by cinematographers.

To Marcos Fajardo for the creative vision and original implementation of the Arnold Renderer, and to Chris Kulla, Alan King, Thiago Ize and Clifford Stein for their highly optimized geometry engine and novel ray-tracing algorithms which unify the rendering of curves, surfaces, volumetrics and subsurface scattering as developed at Sony Pictures Imageworks and Solid Angle SL.

Arnold’s scalable and memory-efficient single-pass architecture for path tracing, its authors’ publication of the underlying techniques, and its broad industry acceptance were instrumental in leading a widespread adoption of fully ray-traced rendering for motion pictures.

To Vladimir Koylazov for the original concept, design and implementation of V-Ray from Chaos Group.

V-Ray’s efficient production-ready approach to ray-tracing and global illumination, its support for a wide variety of workflows, and its broad industry acceptance were instrumental in the widespread adoption of fully ray-traced rendering for motion pictures.

To Luca Fascione, J.P. Lewis and Iain Matthews for the design, engineering, and development of the FACETS facial performance capture and solving system at Weta Digital.

FACETS was one of the first reliable systems to demonstrate accurate facial tracking from an actor-mounted camera, combined with rig-based solving, in large-scale productions. This system enables animators to bring the nuance of the original live performances to a new level of fidelity for animated characters.

To Steven Rosenbluth, Joshua Barratt, Robert Nolty and Archie Te for the engineering and development of the Concept Overdrive motion control system.

This user-friendly hardware and software system creates and controls complex interactions of real and virtual motion in hard real-time, while safely adapting to the needs of on-set filmmakers.

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar® telecast.

The 89th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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(Source: oscars.org)

336 FEATURE FILMS IN CONTENTION FOR 2016 BEST PICTURE OSCAR®

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Three hundred thirty-six feature films are eligible for the 2016 Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

To be eligible for 89th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

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Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 89th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility.

Nominations for the 89th Oscars® will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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(Source: http://www.oscars.org)

FILM REVIEW: Ukrainian Sheriffs (Roman Bondarchuk, 2015): Ukraine

Ukrainian Sheriffs, a documentary from real-life partners, Director/Writer Roman Bondarchuk and Producer/Writer Dar’ya Averchenko, tells the story of two men who received mayoral appointments to act as “sheriffs” in Southern Ukraine. The two men are a retired police officer with the look and demeanor of American television and film actor enforcer, Chuck Norris, and a Tony Soprano look-alike with a strong powerful presence who handles the heavier work including mechanical, electrical, and even plumbing!

Ukrainian Sheriffs is set in a remote village, Stara Zburjivka, near the Crimea in Southern Ukraine. It was shot over a period of three years culminating in a hundred and fifty hours of footage. The real story, however, begins to unfold in 2016. Russia has invaded the Crimea. Russian pro-separatists are taking up arms. Infiltrators orchestrate a political coup in the name of reform and progress at a town hall meeting. The locals, however, won’t hear their bombastic appeals and walk out after the level-headed mayor affirms their commitment to each other and their belief in each other. Shortly thereafter, the mayor makes a bold move and hires two men to help keep the peace and restore some semblance of normal and civil human behavior. He does the hiring by cajoling the men to be MacGyvers taking on various responsibilities that normally fall under the auspices of maintenance and public works.

Ukrainian Sheriffs starts out in what might seem like a comical fashion as the film’s two protagonists are fixing up a rather dilapidated looking, small yellow sedan with an upright, tiny Ukrainian flag perched over the driver’s side window. As luck would have it, the flag has soon flown away and the journey of the two Ukrainian Sheriffs has begun as they traverse unpaved, dirt roads making the rounds in the countryside.

screen-shot-2016-12-08-at-3-59-34-pmOne of the first stops is at a rural shack that the sheriffs refer to a villa, possibly because there are two similar structures built next to one another. Neither structure is much bigger than a large tool shed. The sheriffs make a few remarks over why they are there before proceeding to knock on the door. The door rattles and a scraggly looking couple emerges onto the front step. The Chuck Norris sheriff begins asking if the man had been beating his wife. The man responded he had but that he had good reason, though he couldn’t remember why, and that he and his woman had resolved it. The sheriffs asked the woman if she brought it on herself and she said she had. The man reached over and affectionately touched the woman. The sheriff then reprimanded the man for getting drunk and not showing up for work. He instructed the man to call his employer and let him know that he would be drinking and partying too hard to make it in to work the next day. This was good comic relief to some extent.

Unfortunately, the man winds up in prison by the film’s end sending his tearful little woman love letters. She pondered and mused over love and their existence together in a very heartfelt, life-affirming manner. Unbeknownst, the man had been coerced a few years earlier into signing a complaint levied against him in order to make a law enforcement quota mandated from a remote office miles and miles away. The man was sent to prison for stealing a bicycle due to his prior “conviction.”

In addition to this story thread, several more scenarios play our revealing a very human screen-shot-2016-12-08-at-3-57-51-pmculture where the citizens are struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis in a setting close to a war zone with peripheral fallouts taking place right in their midst. Through these vignettes an indomitable spirit is revealed as the citizenry comes together despite their difference and find a way to not only survive but to progress as a community, thanks largely to efforts and foresight of the mayor.

Ukrainian Sheriffs is the Official Submission of Ukraine to the Academy of Motion Arts and Science for Best Foreign Language Film. Definitely worthy of consideration. In addition, this slice-of-life documentary reveals the spirit of what I believe the French historian, diplomat and political scientist, Alexis de Tocqueville uncovered in his travels in early 19th Century America penned in two volumes (1935 and 1940) titled “Democracy in America.”

After seeing the film, participating in the Q & A ,and attending the dinner reception that followed the screening, I agree with Director Bondarchuk’s understated statement about the film, “I made a very honest film. I would call it a tragic documentary comedy.” Yes, it is all that. And, it’s more than that. To me, it’s a film treatise wrapped up in a cozy documentary blanket. Nevertheless, Bondarchuk and Averchenko capture revealing prominent sociological and political tenets of a region under immense pressure amid heightened tensions. And they do it remarkably well with an often, and much needed, touch of comic relief. Highly recommended film.

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UKRAINIAN SHERIFFS Selected as Ukraine’s Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Language Film

Ukraine selects Roman Bondarchuk’s documentary UKRANIAN SHERIFFS to represent the nation in this year’s Academy Award Foreign Language Category.The film premiered  at last year’s Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival, where it won the jury special prize in the main competition.

Viktor and Volodya, two democratically chosen sheriffs, who try to keep the peace in their East-Ukrainian village near Crimea. Every day they do their utmost to settle neighborly disputes over lost ducks, stuck strollers, and other tragedies of daily life with compassion and a healthy sense of humor. On the eve of the country’s 70th anniversary of WWII’s victory, the village starts to feel the rumblings of the Russian invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.  Men are being drafted into the Ukrainian Army to defend their country. Viktor and Volodya find themselves dealing with the rising tension of the impending invasion.

Stay tuned for more on this heartfelt, often comical, slice-of-life documentary on Ukranian Sheriffs!

Roman Bondarchuk is the artistic director of the International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Docudays UA. As a documentary filmmaker, he has collaborated with MDR, ZDF, Arte and other European TV channels. Some of his well-known award-winning films include THE TAXI-DRIVER, RADUNYTSIA, and EUROMAIDAN. ROUGH CUT. and CAFE VOYAGE. UKRAINIAN SHERIFFS marks his first feature-length documentary.

 

(Source: Silversalt PR press release provided by Thessa Mooij)

 

85 countries vie for foreign language film Oscar

LOS ANGELES, Oct 13 — Yemen is competing for an Academy Award for best foreign language film for the first time, one of 85 countries submitting entries including Paul Verhoeven’s Elle and Pedro Almodovar’s Julieta, organisers announced Tuesday.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Oscars, will consider Yemeni director Khadija al-Salami’s I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced — which explores the culture of child brides — it said in a statement.

The entries for Best Foreign Language Film also include Dutch director Verhoeven’s Elle, a transgressive thriller starring French actress Isabelle Huppert, and Afterimage, by the legendary Polish director Andrzej Wajda, who died Sunday.

Wajda portrayed the last years of avant-garde painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, who battled Stalinist orthodoxy, in a film some see as a metaphor for present-day Poland under the conservative Law and Justice Party.

Mexico’s Jonas Cuaron, son of star director Alfonso Cuaron, directed his country’s entry, the thriller Desierto, while Spain entered Almodovar’s Julieta, a vibrant portrait of a woman confronting crisis.

Switzerland submitted the animated My Life as a Zucchini, by Claude Barras, and Italy sent Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire at Sea, a documentary about migrants’ lives, focusing on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The academy will make a preliminary cut later this year before announcing five finalists in January.

The 89th Oscars ceremony is set for February 26, 2017.

Hungary’s Son of Saul, by director Laszlo Nemes, won the prestigious award this year. — AFP

(Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com)