Sunday, January 8, 2012

The SEC Crowns "The Descendants" as Best Picture of 2011

Obviously, I've taken liberty with a film critics association's acronym.  But forgive me because this is the eve of an all-SEC BCS Championship Game.

Anyway, the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) is a professional organization of more than 40 film journalists working in the print, radio and online media.  The group represents the Southeastern section of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Since 1992, SEFCA seeks to “promote the art of film criticism, the ethics of journalism and the camaraderie of peers among professionals working in the print, radio and online media in the Southeast.”

2011 SEFCA Winners:

BEST PICTURE
The Descendants

TOP TEN FILMS
The Descendants
The Artist
Hugo
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
Drive
Midnight in Paris
Win Win
War Horse
The Help

BEST ACTOR
Winner – George Clooney (The Descendants)
Runner-up – Michael Fassbender (Shame)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner – Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Runner-up – Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner – Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Runner-up – Albert Brooks, Drive

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner – Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Runner-up – Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner – The Help
Runner-up – The Descendants

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner – Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Runner-up – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner – Midnight in Paris
Runner-up – The Artist

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner – The Descendants
Runner-up – Moneyball

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner – Project Nim
Runner-up – Tabloid

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Winner – A Separation
Runner-up – The Skin I Live In

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner – Rango
Runner-up – The Adventures of Tintin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner – The Tree of Life
Runner-up – Hugo

The GENE WYATT AWARD
Winner – The Help
Runner-up – Undefeated

Saturday, January 7, 2012

2012 BAFTA Longlist Released

The Longlist for the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2012 has been released.
The Longlist is the result of Round One voting by members of the Academy. With 285 films entered this year, the first round of voting reduced the list of eligible films to 15 in each category*. Round Two voting, which opens today, will reduce these 15 contenders down to the five nominations in each category**. Appearing on the Longlist does not constitute a nomination.

Over 6300 members of the Academy vote in three rounds to decide the Longlist, Nominations and Winners. All members vote in the first two rounds for all categories barring Documentary, Film Not in the English Language and Outstanding British Film, which are voted for by Chapters. The asterisks in the Longlist denote the top five selection of the relevant Chapter***. In the final round, winners are voted for by specialist Chapters in all categories except for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Documentary and Film Not in the English Language and the four performance categories, which are voted for by all members.

Nominations in all categories will be announced on Tuesday 17 January. The winners will be announced at the Orange British Academy Film Awards on Sunday 12 February.

Footnotes:
*Longlists are not announced in the following categories: Outstanding Debut by a Writer, Director or Producer, Short Film and Short Animation.

* *In the Animated Film and Documentary categories, five films are longlisted and three will be nominated.

* * *A Chapter is a group of over 80 members with specialist skills or experience in a particular craft area.

http://www.bafta.org/

2012 BAFTA Longlist - Film Categories

The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is the British counterpart of the Oscars.

The annual British Academy Film Awards “Longlist” is the result of the first round of voting for the awards. The result of Round One is 15 contenders in each award category, and those contenders are not called BAFTA nominees. The results of the second round reduce the contenders to 5 nominees in each category, and this is what is announced to the public as BAFTA nominees (January 17, 2012). The winners are announced February 12, 2012.

2012 BAFTA Longlist - FEATURE FILM CATEGORIES:

Best Film
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
The Iron Lady
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Outstanding British Film
Arthur Christmas
Attack the Block
Coriolanus
The Guard
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Iron Lady
Jane Eyre
My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Shame
Submarine
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tyrannosaur
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Film Not in the English Language
Abel
As If I Am Not There
The Boy Mir – Ten Years in Afghanistan
Calvet
Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries)
Incendies
Little White Lies
Pina
Post Mortem
Potiche
Le Quattro Volte
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Tomboy
The Troll Hunter

Documentary
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Life in a Day
Pina
Project Nim
Senna

Animated Film
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Gnomeo and Juliet
Puss in Boots
Rango

2012 BAFTA Longlist - Acting Categories

The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is the British counterpart of the Oscars.

The annual British Academy Film Awards “Longlist” is the result of the first round of voting for the awards. The result of Round One is 15 contenders in each award category, and those contenders are not called BAFTA nominees. The results of the second round reduce the contenders to 5 nominees in each category, and this is what is announced to the public as BAFTA nominees (January 17, 2012). The winners are announced February 12, 2012.

2012 BAFTA Longlist - ACTING CATEGORIES:


Leading Actor
Antonio Banderas (Robert Ledgard) – The Skin I Live In
Brad Pitt (Billy Beane) – Moneyball
Brendan Gleeson (Gerry Boyle) – The Guard
Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist) – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Eddie Redmayne (Colin Clark) – My Week with Marilyn
Gary Oldman (George Smiley) - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
George Clooney (Matt King) – The Descendants
Jean Dujardin (George Valentin) – The Artist
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar Hoover) – J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender (Brandon) – Shame
Owen Wilson (Gil) - Midnight in Paris
Peter Mullan (Joseph) – Tyrannosaur
Ralph Fiennes (Caius Martius Coriolanus) - Coriolanus
Ryan Gosling (Driver) – Drive
Ryan Gosling (Stephen Meyers) – The Ides of March

Leading Actress
Bérénice Bejo (Peppy Miller) – The Artist
Carey Mulligan (Sissy) – Shame
Charlize Theron (Mavis Gary) – Young Adult
Emma Stone (Skeeter Phelan) – The Help
Helen Mirren (Rachel Singer) – The Debt
Jodie Foster (Penelope Longstreet) – Carnage
Kate Winslet (Nancy Cowan) – Carnage
Kristen Wiig (Annie) – Bridesmaids
Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady
Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) – Jane Eyre
Michelle Williams (Marilyn Monroe) – My Week with Marilyn
Olivia Colman (Hannah) – Tyrannosaur
Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander) – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tilda Swinton (Eva) – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Viola Davis (Aibileen Clark) – The Help

Supporting Actor
Alan Rickman (Prof. Severus Snape) - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Albert Brooks (Bernie Rose) – Drive
Ben Kingsley (George Méliès) – Hugo
Benedict Cumberbatch (Peter Guillam) – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Christopher Plummer (Hal) – Beginners
Colin Firth (Bill Haydon) - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Eddie Marsan (James) – Tyrannosaur
Ezra Miller (Kevin - Teenager) – We Need to Talk About Kevin
George Clooney (Mike Morris) – The Ides of March
Jim Broadbent (Denis Thatcher) – The Iron Lady
John Hurt (Control) – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Jonah Hill (Peter Brand) – Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh (Sir Laurence Olivier) – My Week with Marilyn
Paul Giamatti (Tom Duffy) – The Ides of March
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Paul Zara) – The Ides of March

Supporting Actress
Alexandra Roach (Young Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady
Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly Holbrook) – The Help
Carey Mulligan (Irene) – Drive
Emily Watson (Rosie Narracott) – War Horse
Evan Rachel Wood (Molly Steams) – The Ides of March
Jessica Chastain (Celia Foote) – The Help
Judi Dench (Dame Sybil Thorndike) – My Week with Marilyn
Kathy Bates (Gertrude Stein) – Midnight in Paris
Kathy Burke (Connie Sachs) – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Marion Cotillard (Adriana) – Midnight in Paris
Melissa McCarthy (Megan) – Bridesmaids
Octavia Spencer (Minny Jackson) – The Help
Olivia Colman (Carol Thatcher) – The Iron Lady
Shailene Woodley (Alexandra King) – The Descendants
Zoe Wanamaker (Paula Strasberg) – My Week with Marilyn

ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD

Longlist of nominees:
Chris Hemsworth
Adam Deacon
Jessica Chastain
Tom Hiddleston
Felicity Jones
Jennifer Lawrence
Chris O’Dowd
Eddie Redmayne

The final 5 nominees will be announced on Wednesday 11 January.

2012 BAFTA Longlist - Directors and Screenwriters

The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is the British counterpart of the Oscars.

The annual British Academy Film Awards “Longlist” is the result of the first round of voting for the awards. The result of Round One is 15 contenders in each award category, and those contenders are not called BAFTA nominees. The results of the second round reduce the contenders to 5 nominees in each category, and this is what is announced to the public as BAFTA nominees (January 17, 2012). The winners are announced February 12, 2012.

2012 BAFTA Longlist - DIRECTOR AND SCREENPLAY CATEGORIES


Director
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Original Screenplay
50/50
Anonymous
Arthur Christmas
The Artist
Beginners
Bridesmaids
The Guard
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
Midnight in Paris
Senna
Shame
Super 8
Tyrannosaur
Young Adult

Adapted Screenplay
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Coriolanus
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Jane Eyre
Moneyball
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

2012 BAFTA Longlist Technical Categories

The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is the British counterpart of the Oscars.

The annual British Academy Film Awards “Longlist” is the result of the first round of voting for the awards. The result of Round One is 15 contenders in each award category, and those contenders are not called BAFTA nominees. The results of the second round reduce the contenders to 5 nominees in each category, and this is what is announced to the public as BAFTA nominees (January 17, 2012). The winners are announced February 12, 2012.

2012 BAFTA Longlist - TECHNICAL CATEGORIES:


Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
The Ides of March
The Iron Lady
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Production Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Coriolanus
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
Hugo
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
Jane Eyre
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
Jane Eyre
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Tree of Life
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Make Up & Hair
Anonymous
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Coriolanus
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
Hugo
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
Jane Eyre
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Coriolanus
A Dangerous Method
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
Hugo
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
Jane Eyre
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Sound
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
The Artist
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
The Iron Lady
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Super 8
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Special Visual Effects
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
The Artist
Captain America: The First Avenger
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Super 8
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
X-Men: First Class

Original Music
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
The Artist
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
The Iron Lady
Jane Eyre
Moneyball
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
We Need to Talk About Kevin

2012 Writers Guild Award Nominations Announced

The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.

There are several categories, but I only focus on the film categories. However, I may list the winners from all categories when they are announced (Sunday, February 19, 2012).

2012 WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA SCREENPLAY NOMINEES NOMINATIONS:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

50/50, Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment

Bridesmaids, Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Pictures

Midnight in Paris, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

Win Win, Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight

Young Adult, Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants, Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures

The Help, Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures

Hugo, Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures

Moneyball, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Better This World, Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures

Nostalgia for the Light, Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films

Pina, Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects

Position Among the Stars, Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Documentary Films

Senna, Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency