PRODUCTION BEGINS ON "THE 5TH WAVE"
First Novel in Franchise Series by Rick Yancey Stars Chloë Grace Moretz For Director J Blakeson
Moviegoers Follow the Action on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @5thWaveMovie
Principal photography has commenced on the highly anticipated motion picture The 5th Wave, Columbia Pictures’ adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel. The action-adventure film is directed by J Blakeson, with a screenplay by Susannah Grant, based on the book by Rick Yancey. The producers are Tobey Maguire, Graham King, Lynn Harris, and Matthew Plouffe. Denis O’Sullivan and Richard Middleton are the executive producers.
Slated for domestic release on January 29, 2016, The 5th Wave stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Cassie, Nick Robinson as Ben Parish aka "Zombie," Ron Livingston as Dad/Oliver, Maggie Siff as Mom/Lisa, Alex Roe as Evan Walker, Maika Monroe as Ringer, Zackary Arthur as Sam, and Liev Schreiber as Vosch.
In The 5th Wave, set in the present day, four waves of increasingly deadly attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Against a backdrop of fear and distrust, 16-year-old Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother. As she prepares for the inevitable and lethal 5th wave, Cassie meets a young man who may become her final hope.
Throughout photography, fans will have unrivaled access to the production, including a wealth of behind-the-scenes photos, interaction with cast and crew, and on-set updates via social media. "One of the ways Rick Yancey made The 5th Wave so special is that it feels like it’s happening right now – and the characters react as teenagers today would react,”"said Dwight Caines, president, Theatrical Marketing for Sony Pictures. "To stay faithful to that, we are making sure fans are on the inside from Day One."
Moviegoers can stay up-to-date on all things 5th Wave by following the movie and interacting on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @5thWaveMovie.
Blakeson’s production team includes Enrique Chediak as the Director of Photography, Jon Billington as the Production Designer, Paul Rubell as the Editor, and Sharen Davis as the Costume Designer.
The 5th Wave is a phenomenon in young adult literature, with 21 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list, nearly 300,000 hardcover units sold, and 80,000 e-books sold. The novel, which has also had tremendous crossover appeal with adults, was honored with the 2014 Red House Children’s Book Award in the UK. The second book in Yancey’s planned trilogy, The Infinite Sea, was published last month.
Hannah Minghella and Andrea Giannetti will oversee the project for the studio.
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
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Monday, October 27, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Billy Boyd Sings End Title Song, "The Last Goodbye," in Third "Hobbit" Film
“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy’s Billy Boyd Performs Song in “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
Actor Co-Wrote Song with “Hobbit” Filmmakers
Song To Be Included on Soundtrack
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gearing up for the December 17, 2014, release of “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”—the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien—filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens announced today that Billy Boyd will perform the film’s end title song, “The Last Goodbye,” which he co-wrote with the filmmakers.
In making the announcement, the filmmakers stated, “It is hard, after 16 years and six films, to know exactly how to say goodbye. We knew that we wanted to speak directly to all those who have taken this journey with us, especially to the fans whose love of these films has so often kept us going. This is why we asked Billy Boyd, who has been with us from the very beginning, and whose portrayal as Peregrin Took in ‘The Lord of The Rings’ films is so beloved, to help write and perform the final song in this trilogy. Billy is not just a wonderful actor but also an extremely accomplished singer/songwriter—we are so glad he agreed once again to share his talent with us.
“There is always something simple and truthful and heartfelt running through even the grandest of the tales of Professor Tolkien. As Thorin tells Bilbo at the end of The Hobbit, if the world valued song and cheer above gold it would be a merrier place. As much as ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ is an epic story about war and sacrifice and loss, it is also a personal tale about the importance of friendship and family and home.
“‘The Last Goodbye,’ performed by Billy Boyd, is both a farewell to Middle-earth and it is also our leave-taking of the audience. We cannot imagine a more perfect voice to carry us away from the shores of Middle-earth...one last time.”
Billy Boyd reflects, “I wanted the song to be a goodbye to all the fans who have been part of this amazing journey and to the whole world of Tolkien as it has been told in the cinema for our generation. No one knows the world of Tolkien better than Peter, Fran and Philippa, and I feel incredibly touched and honored to be asked to write and perform this song, and to be at the start and end of these beautiful, historic stories. To once again work so closely with them has been one of the true honors of my working life.”
The soundtrack to “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” featuring “The Last Goodbye” performed by Billy Boyd, is available now for preorder at Amazon.com.
About “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”:
Directed by Peter Jackson, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” features a screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.
New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a Wingnut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. The film will be released worldwide on December 17, 2014, with select international territories releasing on December 10, 2014. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM. www.thehobbit.com
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Actor Co-Wrote Song with “Hobbit” Filmmakers
Song To Be Included on Soundtrack
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gearing up for the December 17, 2014, release of “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”—the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien—filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens announced today that Billy Boyd will perform the film’s end title song, “The Last Goodbye,” which he co-wrote with the filmmakers.
In making the announcement, the filmmakers stated, “It is hard, after 16 years and six films, to know exactly how to say goodbye. We knew that we wanted to speak directly to all those who have taken this journey with us, especially to the fans whose love of these films has so often kept us going. This is why we asked Billy Boyd, who has been with us from the very beginning, and whose portrayal as Peregrin Took in ‘The Lord of The Rings’ films is so beloved, to help write and perform the final song in this trilogy. Billy is not just a wonderful actor but also an extremely accomplished singer/songwriter—we are so glad he agreed once again to share his talent with us.
“There is always something simple and truthful and heartfelt running through even the grandest of the tales of Professor Tolkien. As Thorin tells Bilbo at the end of The Hobbit, if the world valued song and cheer above gold it would be a merrier place. As much as ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ is an epic story about war and sacrifice and loss, it is also a personal tale about the importance of friendship and family and home.
“‘The Last Goodbye,’ performed by Billy Boyd, is both a farewell to Middle-earth and it is also our leave-taking of the audience. We cannot imagine a more perfect voice to carry us away from the shores of Middle-earth...one last time.”
Billy Boyd reflects, “I wanted the song to be a goodbye to all the fans who have been part of this amazing journey and to the whole world of Tolkien as it has been told in the cinema for our generation. No one knows the world of Tolkien better than Peter, Fran and Philippa, and I feel incredibly touched and honored to be asked to write and perform this song, and to be at the start and end of these beautiful, historic stories. To once again work so closely with them has been one of the true honors of my working life.”
The soundtrack to “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” featuring “The Last Goodbye” performed by Billy Boyd, is available now for preorder at Amazon.com.
About “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”:
Directed by Peter Jackson, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” features a screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.
New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a Wingnut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. The film will be released worldwide on December 17, 2014, with select international territories releasing on December 10, 2014. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM. www.thehobbit.com
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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of October 19th to 25th, 2014 - Update #15
NEWS:
From YahooTV: "Manhattan Love Story" becomes the first new show of the 2014-15 television season to get cancelled. Yahoo has a list of other endangered shows.
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From TheWrap: 2014 Gotham Film Awards nominations announced.
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From YahooMovies: Keanu Reeves laments that studios no longer offer him big budget films.
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From YahooCelebrity: A bit of news of the Renee Zellwegger "new face" freakout.
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From Time: Halle Berry's child support fight.
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From TheWrap: Patrick Stewart, of X-Men and Star Trek fame, to play a white supremacist in crime thriller, Green Room.
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From Variety: The new film, "Fury" takes the top spot at the October 17th to 19th, 2014 weekend box office with an estimated gross of $23.5 million dollars.
COMIC BOOKS - Movies and Books:
From YahooMovies: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" trailer debuts.
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From CheatSheet: Here is Jena Malone, rumored to be the female Robin in "Batman Vs. Superman."
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From TheWrap: Collin Farrell and Keanu Reeves among those being considered for Marvel's "Doctor Strange."
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From IGN: And the new Robin (in the Batman comic books) is... someone who was previously Robin.
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From NerdReactor: Zach Snyder is a genius... well, at least someone think so.
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From YahooMusic: Adam McKay reveals changes he made to the "Ant-Man" screenplay.
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From TheVerge: 9 Avengers rumors, plus one about Ryan Gosling.
STAR WARS:
From Flickeringmyth: More alleged "Star Wars 7" set photos.
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From the HuffingtonPost: 5 plot holes in Star Wars that you might have missed.
MISC:
From GMA: President Obama has odd, funny encounter while taking advantage of early voting.
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From Deadspin: Nobody wants to play with Kobe!
Friday, October 24, 2014
2014 Gotham Awards Nominations - Complete List
by Leroy Douresseaux
Honoring independent films, the Gotham Awards are the first major awards of the film awards season. This year, the 2014 edition kicks off the 2014-15 season. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, December 1, 2014 at Cipriani Wall Street.
Richard Linklater's Boyhood leads the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards by IFP with four nominations, including “Best Feature.”
The 2014/24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award nominations are:
Best Feature:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director; Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Boyhood
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, producers (IFC Films)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Love Is Strange
Ira Sachs, director; Lucas Joaquin, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
Under the Skin
Jonathan Glazer, director; Nick Wechsler, James Wilson, producers (A24)
Best Documentary:
Actress
Robert Greene, director; Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, Robert Greene, producers (The Cinema Guild)
CITIZENFOUR
Laura Poitras, director; Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, Dirk Wilutzky, producers (RADiUS, Participant Media, and HBO Documentary Films)
Life Itself
Steve James, director; Zak Piper, Steve James, Garrett Basch, producers (Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films)
Manakamana
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez, directors; Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Véréna Paravel, producers (The Cinema Guild)
Point and Shoot
Marshall Curry, director; Marshall Curry, Elizabeth Martin, Matthew Van Dyke, producers (The Orchard and American Documentary / POV)
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award:
Ana Lily Amirpour for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Kino Lorber)
James Ward Byrkit for Coherence (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Eliza Hittman for It Felt Like Love (Variance Films)
Justin Simien for Dear White People (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Best Actor*
Bill Hader in The Skeleton Twins (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year (A24)
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Miles Teller in Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)
* The 2014 Best Actor nominating panel also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award jointly to Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum for their ensemble performance in Foxcatcher(Sony Pictures Classics).
Best Actress
Patricia Arquette in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Julianne Moore in Still Alice (Sony Pictures Classics)
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin (A24)
Mia Wasikowska in Tracks (The Weinstein Company)
Breakthrough Actor:
Riz Ahmed in Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Macon Blair in Blue Ruin (RADiUS)
Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Joey King in Wish I Was Here (Focus Features)
Jenny Slate in Obvious Child (A24)
Tessa Thompson in Dear White People (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ Grant:
For the fourth consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.
The nominees are:
Garrett Bradley, director, Below Dreams
Claire Carré, director, Embers
Chloé Zhao, director, Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Gotham Independent Film Audience Award:
New this year, IFP members will have a voice in determining the 5th Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Awardwith nominees comprised of the 15 nominated films in the Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award categories. All IFP current, active members at the Individual Level and above will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place online from November 19th at 12:01 AM EST and conclude on November 26th at 5:00 PM EST. In addition, IFP will be scheduling screenings of many of the nominated films for IFP members in the theater at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Brooklyn. These screenings will take place from November 5-12. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Gotham Awards Ceremony on December 1, 2014.
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Honoring independent films, the Gotham Awards are the first major awards of the film awards season. This year, the 2014 edition kicks off the 2014-15 season. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, December 1, 2014 at Cipriani Wall Street.
Richard Linklater's Boyhood leads the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards by IFP with four nominations, including “Best Feature.”
The 2014/24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award nominations are:
Best Feature:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director; Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Boyhood
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, producers (IFC Films)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Love Is Strange
Ira Sachs, director; Lucas Joaquin, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
Under the Skin
Jonathan Glazer, director; Nick Wechsler, James Wilson, producers (A24)
Best Documentary:
Actress
Robert Greene, director; Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, Robert Greene, producers (The Cinema Guild)
CITIZENFOUR
Laura Poitras, director; Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, Dirk Wilutzky, producers (RADiUS, Participant Media, and HBO Documentary Films)
Life Itself
Steve James, director; Zak Piper, Steve James, Garrett Basch, producers (Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films)
Manakamana
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez, directors; Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Véréna Paravel, producers (The Cinema Guild)
Point and Shoot
Marshall Curry, director; Marshall Curry, Elizabeth Martin, Matthew Van Dyke, producers (The Orchard and American Documentary / POV)
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award:
Ana Lily Amirpour for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Kino Lorber)
James Ward Byrkit for Coherence (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Eliza Hittman for It Felt Like Love (Variance Films)
Justin Simien for Dear White People (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Best Actor*
Bill Hader in The Skeleton Twins (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year (A24)
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Miles Teller in Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)
* The 2014 Best Actor nominating panel also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award jointly to Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum for their ensemble performance in Foxcatcher(Sony Pictures Classics).
Best Actress
Patricia Arquette in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Julianne Moore in Still Alice (Sony Pictures Classics)
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin (A24)
Mia Wasikowska in Tracks (The Weinstein Company)
Breakthrough Actor:
Riz Ahmed in Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Macon Blair in Blue Ruin (RADiUS)
Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Joey King in Wish I Was Here (Focus Features)
Jenny Slate in Obvious Child (A24)
Tessa Thompson in Dear White People (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ Grant:
For the fourth consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.
The nominees are:
Garrett Bradley, director, Below Dreams
Claire Carré, director, Embers
Chloé Zhao, director, Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Gotham Independent Film Audience Award:
New this year, IFP members will have a voice in determining the 5th Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Awardwith nominees comprised of the 15 nominated films in the Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award categories. All IFP current, active members at the Individual Level and above will be eligible to vote. Voting will take place online from November 19th at 12:01 AM EST and conclude on November 26th at 5:00 PM EST. In addition, IFP will be scheduling screenings of many of the nominated films for IFP members in the theater at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Brooklyn. These screenings will take place from November 5-12. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Gotham Awards Ceremony on December 1, 2014.
----------------------
2014 Gotham Award Nominations Announced; "Boyhood" Leads with Four Nominations
Press release:
NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR 24TH ANNUAL GOTHAM INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS BY IFP by Erik Luers on October 23, 2014
New York, NY (October 23, 2014) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s premier member organization of independent storytellers, announced today the nominees for the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards by IFP. The Gotham Awards is one of the leading awards for independent film and signals the kick-off to the film awards season. For 2014, the seven competitive awards include Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Actor, Best Actress (presenting sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein), Breakthrough Actor, the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director award, and the Gotham Audience Award. In addition to the competitive awards, Gotham Award Tributes will be given to actor Tilda Swinton, director Bennett Miller and Industry Tribute recipient Netflix’s Ted Sarandos.
As the first major awards ceremony of the film season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards by IFP provide critical early recognition and media attention to worthy independent films. The awards are also unique for their ability to assist in catapulting award recipients prominently into national awards season attention, including recent winners and ultimate Oscar® contenders.
Twenty-four films received nominations this year. In addition, the nominating committee for the Best Actor category voted to award a Special Jury Award jointly to the three leading actors in Foxcatcher – Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum – for their ensemble work.
This year the Gotham Audience Award nominees are comprised of the 15 films nominated for Best Feature, Best Documentary, and the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award. The winner will be selected by online voting of IFP members. Voting for that award begins November 19th at 12:01 AM EST and concludes on November 26th at 5:00 PM EST.
“Each year the Gotham Awards honor the best work from our independent storytellers and help new audiences discover their work. We congratulate this year’s nominees, from the master film artists to the talented newcomers, a true representation of the rich and diverse range of today’s independent filmmaking,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center. “We are grateful to our nominating committees of film critics, journalists, programmers and film curators for their dedication to selecting the nominees from so many worthy submissions.”
Nominees are selected by committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films will determine the final Gotham Award recipients.
The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, December 1st at Cipriani Wall Street.
Twenty writers, critics and programmers participated in the nomination process, considering 199 eligible submissions. The Nominating Committees for the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards were:
Nominating Committee for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director:
Justin Chang, Chief Film Critic, Variety
Eric Kohn, Lead Film Critic, Indiewire
Christy Lemire, Film Critic, ChristyLemire.com and co-host, What the Flick?!
Andrew O’Hehir, Film Critic, Salon.com
Joshua Rothkopf, Film Editor, Time Out New York
Nominating Committee for Best Documentary:
Charlotte Cook, Director of Programming, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
Bilge Ebiri, Film Critic, New York Magazine and Vulture
Cynthia Fuchs, Film-TV Editor, PopMatters
Tom Hall, Executive Director, Montclair Film Festival
Sky Sitney, Visiting Artist, Georgetown University Film and Media Studies Department
Nominating Committee for Best Actor and Best Actress:
Mark Harris, Editor-at-Large, Entertainment Weekly and columnist, Grantland
Ann Hornaday, Film Critic, The Washington Post
Glenn Kenny, Critic, RogerEbert.com; author, Anatomy of an Actor: Robert De Niro
David Rooney, Film & Theater Critic, The Hollywood Reporter
Elizabeth Weitzman, Film Critic, New York Daily News
Nominating Committee for Breakthrough Actor:
Sam Adams, Editor of Criticwire, Indiewire
A.A. Dowd, Film Editor, The A. V. Club
Sheila O’Malley, Film Critic, RogerEbert.com
Ronnie Scheib, Film Critic, Variety
Stephen Whitty, Film Critic, Newark Star-Ledger
Sponsors
The Premier Sponsor of the 24th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards is The New York Times and the Platinum Sponsor is euphoria Calvin Klein. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times in November 2014.
NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR 24TH ANNUAL GOTHAM INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS BY IFP by Erik Luers on October 23, 2014
New York, NY (October 23, 2014) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s premier member organization of independent storytellers, announced today the nominees for the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards by IFP. The Gotham Awards is one of the leading awards for independent film and signals the kick-off to the film awards season. For 2014, the seven competitive awards include Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Actor, Best Actress (presenting sponsor euphoria Calvin Klein), Breakthrough Actor, the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director award, and the Gotham Audience Award. In addition to the competitive awards, Gotham Award Tributes will be given to actor Tilda Swinton, director Bennett Miller and Industry Tribute recipient Netflix’s Ted Sarandos.
As the first major awards ceremony of the film season, the Gotham Independent Film Awards by IFP provide critical early recognition and media attention to worthy independent films. The awards are also unique for their ability to assist in catapulting award recipients prominently into national awards season attention, including recent winners and ultimate Oscar® contenders.
Twenty-four films received nominations this year. In addition, the nominating committee for the Best Actor category voted to award a Special Jury Award jointly to the three leading actors in Foxcatcher – Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum – for their ensemble work.
This year the Gotham Audience Award nominees are comprised of the 15 films nominated for Best Feature, Best Documentary, and the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award. The winner will be selected by online voting of IFP members. Voting for that award begins November 19th at 12:01 AM EST and concludes on November 26th at 5:00 PM EST.
“Each year the Gotham Awards honor the best work from our independent storytellers and help new audiences discover their work. We congratulate this year’s nominees, from the master film artists to the talented newcomers, a true representation of the rich and diverse range of today’s independent filmmaking,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center. “We are grateful to our nominating committees of film critics, journalists, programmers and film curators for their dedication to selecting the nominees from so many worthy submissions.”
Nominees are selected by committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films will determine the final Gotham Award recipients.
The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, December 1st at Cipriani Wall Street.
Twenty writers, critics and programmers participated in the nomination process, considering 199 eligible submissions. The Nominating Committees for the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards were:
Nominating Committee for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director:
Justin Chang, Chief Film Critic, Variety
Eric Kohn, Lead Film Critic, Indiewire
Christy Lemire, Film Critic, ChristyLemire.com and co-host, What the Flick?!
Andrew O’Hehir, Film Critic, Salon.com
Joshua Rothkopf, Film Editor, Time Out New York
Nominating Committee for Best Documentary:
Charlotte Cook, Director of Programming, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
Bilge Ebiri, Film Critic, New York Magazine and Vulture
Cynthia Fuchs, Film-TV Editor, PopMatters
Tom Hall, Executive Director, Montclair Film Festival
Sky Sitney, Visiting Artist, Georgetown University Film and Media Studies Department
Nominating Committee for Best Actor and Best Actress:
Mark Harris, Editor-at-Large, Entertainment Weekly and columnist, Grantland
Ann Hornaday, Film Critic, The Washington Post
Glenn Kenny, Critic, RogerEbert.com; author, Anatomy of an Actor: Robert De Niro
David Rooney, Film & Theater Critic, The Hollywood Reporter
Elizabeth Weitzman, Film Critic, New York Daily News
Nominating Committee for Breakthrough Actor:
Sam Adams, Editor of Criticwire, Indiewire
A.A. Dowd, Film Editor, The A. V. Club
Sheila O’Malley, Film Critic, RogerEbert.com
Ronnie Scheib, Film Critic, Variety
Stephen Whitty, Film Critic, Newark Star-Ledger
Sponsors
The Premier Sponsor of the 24th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards is The New York Times and the Platinum Sponsor is euphoria Calvin Klein. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times in November 2014.
News Round-up: The Death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri Update #72
GoFundMe page for Mike Brown's family
From TheIntercept via RSN: Klan jury... I mean grand jury in Mike Brown's shooting began Wednesday, August 20th, 2014.
Michael Brown, 18, was shot to death, reportedly by police officer Darren Wilson, on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 at approximately 2:15 pm on Canfield Drive in Ferguson, Missouri. Ferguson is a small city in St. Louis County. The shooting of the unarmed Brown sparked a furious backlash and days of protests, some violent and involving looting. What follows is a list of links to news articles about the shooting and related matters:
From the StLouisPostDispatch: An early article about the Michael Brown shooting
From the LosAngelesTimes: This is the earliest (or oldest) article that I could find about the Michael Brown shooting.
From HuffingtonPost: Another early article about the local African-American community's reaction to the shooting of Brown
From PrisonCulture: A searing image of Michael Brown's father
From the WashingtonPost via RSN: More of Darren Wilson's history and background emerges; it seems that he was previously associated with another police department that had a bad relationship with the local black folks.
From Al Jazeera via RSN: Darren Wilson: Judge, jury, and executioner.
From YahooNews via CSM and the AP: Shooter a.k.a. Darren Wilson tells his "side" of the story about how he shot an unarmed black man to death.
Updated Shooting Timeline: The AP via YahooNews.
UPDATED LINKS SECTION:
From YahooNews: Why is the Justice Department surprised by anything Ferguson and St. Louis investigators do.
From Reuters: Amnesty International: Police in Ferguson committed human rights abuses.
From YahooNews: The results of a government autopsy of Mike Brown leaked to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
From Guardian UK via RSN: Young people resist older generation's call for "peace."
From YahooNews: A weekend of resistance.
From the Guardian UK via RSN: Ours sons could be the next Michael Brown.
From RSN: The much-talked about grand jury tweet.
From Esquire via RSN: Another black teenager shot by a you-know-what.
From Reuters via RSN: Missourri planning for riots.
From ABC News via YahooNews: There is a night of unrest after police kills black teen.
From Truthout: The fault lines of Obama's "My Brother's Keeper."
From The Feminist Wire via Truthout: Black women on the front lines of Ferguson.
From the AP via RSN: Ferguson price-gouging media and other entities seeking files, records and information connected to Darren Wilson's killing of Mike Brown.
From Truthout: Facism 101 - Police and media control.
From the USA Today via RSN: Voter registration surges in Ferguson post-Mike Brown killing.
From the AP via RSN: President Obama says mistrust of police is corroding America.
From Reuters via RSN: People shooting at Ferguson police officers. I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. Of course, this may not be linked to the Mike Brown shooting...
From YahooNews: Mike Brown's parents ain't buyin' your bull, Chief/Grand Dragon Tom Jackson!
From Salon via RSN: Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson attempts to join protest march calling for his resignation.
From YahooNews: The Justice Department asked the Ferguson Police Department to order its officers to stop wearing "I am Darren Wilson: bracelets.
From YahooNews: The Department of Justice begins interviews in its investigation of the Ferguson Police Department.
From NPR via RSN: The 11-year-old who shocked the St. Louis County Council.
From YahooNews: Slide-show about tensions in Ferguson. The real treat is the string of anti-Black racists posts in the comments section.
From YahooNews: More looting after a Mike Brown memorial is burned.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch via RSN: Mike Brown's killer, Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson testifies before grand jury. Mike Brown was also scheduled to testify, but he failed to appear because he is dead... because of Darren Wilson, who was able to testify because no one has killed him... yet.
From YahooNews: Protestors renew calls for D.A. Bob McCullogh's recusal, as judge gives klan jury... I mean grand jury until January to complete is cover-up... I mean complete its inquiry.
From Salon via RSN: Hands up! Don't shoot!
From Salon via RSN: There's a cover-up in Ferguson.
From CSM via RSN: When respect goes down, shootings go up.
From the WashingtonPost via RSN: Protests in Ferguson continue; 38 arrested in act of civil disobedience to have Bob McCulloch removed as the prosecutor in the Mike Brown shooting.
From Rolling Stone via RSN: Grammy-winning rapper and actor, T.I., speaks about the Mike Brown shooting - America has created a monster.
From the AP via RSN: Ferguson, MO elected leaders are met with protests and anger during a Tuesday, September 9, 2014 meeting with the public.
From StLouisToday: New witnesses that Mike Brown has his hands up.
From Truthout: St. Louis area cops loved shooting Black males before Mike Brown.
From Truthout: Black men share their stories of abuse at the hands of the Ferguson (my term) "klops," klan cops.
From The Nation via Truthout: A former Marine explains the weapons of war used by the Ferguson police.
From The Feminist Wire via Truthout: The price of blackness
From Public Radio International via RSN: In 2013, British police fired guns three times.
From the IrishTimes: African-American men at risk...
From MTV: Ma$e drops rhymes about Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown.
From RSN: Why the grand jury will love the killer Darren Wilson.
From the AP via RSN: The outrageous behavior of a killer cop and his cohorts has united victims of police violence nationwide.
From TIME via RSN: Hilary finally speaks on Mike Brown shooting.
From TPM: Protesters sue Missouri police.
From Yes! Magazine via Truthout: The #FergusonSyllabus
From YahooNews: 2 law enforcement officers who acted up during Mike Brown/Ferguson protests are out of jobs - one resigned and the other was fired.
From Boston.com: Jordan Lebeau on being "no angel."
From TheDailyBeast: Shocker! The Koch Bros. take on the militarization of police.
From RSN: The New York Times called out for its dishonest of its "Ferguson shooting" story by many including Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC and William Boardman of RSN.
From TheWeek: Jon Stewart returns to "The Daily Show," and talks FOX News, Ferguson, and race; FOX doesn't get the best of that.
From Reuters via RSN: Coverage of Mike Brown's funeral.
From the HuffingtonPost and TheVox: The New York Times draws criticism for calling Mike Brown, "no angel." The killer, Police Officer Darren Wilson, was described as "well-mannered" in the same article.
From the HuffingtonPost: NYT and Uncle Tom back down on "no angel."
From the HuffingtonPost: The always presumptuous Sean Klannity... I mean Sean Hannity gets schooled by Ferguson democratic politician, Patricia Bynes, in not backing down from a paternalistic white bully.
From TheVillageVoice: The difference between the outrage over Mike Brown and over Eric Garner.
From the NewYorkTimes: The secret to raising big money on crowdfunding sites is to kill a black male... apparently.
From YahooNews: Two rallies, one racial divide over Ferguson shooting
From The Wire via RSN: I bet he does represent quite a bit of the rank-and-file St. Louis County Police Department
From RSN: The Ferguson police have a card up their sleeves
From CommonDreams via RSN: 10 Facts about police violence in Ferguson on Sunday night, August 17th, 2014
From RSN: D.A. Bob McCulloch stalls for time: A woman who served on McCulloch's grand jury for eighteen Wednesdays said that the vast majority of witnesses McCulloch uses are police officers. "He relies on them to make his cases. They are his allies...He can present the case against Wilson any way he wants to get the outcome he wants."
From Truthdig via RSN: The ghost of Dred Scott
From MotherJones: Not surprisingly, racists donate to Darren Wilson
From Esquire via RSN: A body does not lie in the street for four hours... not in an advance society
From YahooNews: Autopsy vs. autopsy
From Truthout: How the mainstream media killed Michael Brown - by helping to spread the "official account" when cops kill Black men
From TheGuardianUK: The ghost of Mike Brown
From The Daily Beast via RSN: Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson has a history of supervising cops that shoot unarmed men.
From RSN: Police kill mentally ill woman in Arizona
From RSN: An account of the night police fired rubber bullets at protesters
From the WashingtonPost: Reporter Wesley Lowery's story of being arrested at a McDonald's in Ferguson
From RSN: Did you know an unarmed black man was also shot by police in Los Angeles?
From Reuters via RSN: Protest of that killing continue
From HuffingtonPost: Veteran Cop: If you don't want to get shot -- shut up
From Inquisitr: The "bum rush" theory
From YahooNews: Police mistrust among minorities still prevalent years later
From The Feminist Wire via Truthout: Dancing While Lying Dead in the Street: Michael's body lying in street as the spectacle of lynching
From Truthout: The Militirization of Racism and Neoliberal Violence by Henry A Giroux
From Time via RSN: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on what a coming race war will really be about.
From Fox2Now of St. Louis: The Baden autopsy press conference - Brown could have survived all the shots, except the last one, says Dr. Baden
From the NewYorkTimes: The autopsy of Michael Brown - the results by Dr. Michael M. Baden, the former chief medical examiner of the City of New York.
From HuffingtonPost: A Klan-like rally in support of killer-cop, Darren Wilson.
From NBCNews: First photographic images of police officer Darren Wilson who killed Michael Brown.
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From YahooNews: At Greater Grace Church in St. Louis:
Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, a natural and adept, soft-spoken but firm performer, also spoke about his own son who, he said, wears his pants saggy, his hat crooked, and has tattoos running up his arm.
“And that’s my baby! That’s my son,” the police captain said, to raucous applause.
Al Sharpton: “Nobody can go to the White House until they stop by our house!”
-----------------------
From YahooNews: Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson earned police honor before killing Michael Brown
From TheGuardian: St. Louis Country prosecutor furious over transfer in leadership
From Huffington Post: Darren Wilson is the police officer who killed Michael Brown.
From HuffingtonPost: Missouri governor did not know who killed Michael Brown.
Conflicting information about the cop who killed Michael Brown: RT, Wonkette, and TheWire.
From YahooNews: Police defend use of tear gas, smoke at protests.
From TheGuardian via RSN: St. Louis County officer shoots "second man" in Ferguson, where police officers shot 18-year-old African-American man, Michael Brown, dead.
From TheGuardian: ACLU may sue to obtain the name of the police officer who (which has not been revealed as of this post) shot Michael Brown dead.
From The Guardian: They shot another young black man in America.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Dark Horse Graphic Novel, "Polar," May Become a Movie
CONSTANTIN FILM AND DARK HORSE ENTERTAINMENT JOIN FORCES ON “POLAR”
Constantin Film and Dark Horse Entertainment are joining forces to bring POLAR to the big screen. Based on the popular Dark Horse Comics graphic novel “Polar: Came from the Cold” by Victor Santos, Constantin Film has pre-emptively purchased the spec, “Polar″ written by Jayson Rothwell.
The adrenaline-pumping action-thriller tells the story of Black Kaiser, a master assassin forced out of retirement when he finds himself the target of a motley crew of new generation hitmen. But Kaiser’s gun-blazing and bloody universe is at odds with the doting and protective relationship he has with the child of one of his former marks. Faced with the ultimate battle for survival, Kaiser must choose between saving his life and saving his soul.
Constantin Film and Dark Horse Entertainment are currently out to directors with the aim of shooting POLAR in the spring of 2015. Constantin Film’s Robert Kulzer will be producing along with Jeremy Bolt as well as Dark Horse Entertainment’s Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg. Rothwell is also writing an Untitled Heist Thriller for Thunder Road. He is repped by WME.
About Constantin Film
Constantin Film has been synonymous with quality and success for over 30 years. It has played a crucial role in establishing German cinema both nationally and internationally. Between 1977, when Bernd Eichinger established the company, and 2009, when it was integrated into media
conglomerate Constantin Medien AG, Constantin Film has emerged as the most successful independent production and distribution company in the German media industry. Constantin Film’s operations include German and English language motion picture theatrical production, theatrical distribution, home entertainment distribution, licensing and television production.
Constantin Film’s diverse slate includes box office hits and award-winning films alike, ranging from comic book to literary adaptations, historical dramas, action and genre, among them THE NEVERENDING STORY, THE FANTASTIC FOUR film franchise, THE NAME OF THE ROSE,
WICKIE THE MIGHTY VIKING, NOWHERE IN AFRICA, DOWNFALL, THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX, POPE JOAN, THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS, the RESIDENT EVIL film franchise, THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, TARZAN®, POMPEII, FACK JU GOETHE, one of the biggest ever German box office hits, and the forthcoming LOVE, ROSIE adapted from the bestselling Cecelia Ahern novel “Where Rainbows End”. TARZAN® Owned By Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. And Used By Permission
About Dark Horse Entertainment
Dark Horse Comics Founder Mike Richardson determined early on that great stories are great stories, no matter the medium in which they’re told. This belief led the publisher to explore the world of filmmaking and started him on the path to Hollywood, where he established his own filmmaking company, Dark Horse Entertainment, in 1992. The company’s first two major films --
THE MASK, starring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, and TIMECOP, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme -- were based on Richardson's creations and premiered to enthusiastic audiences. Under his leadership Dark Horse has produced over two dozen films and television projects since 1994,
including ALIEN VS PREDATOR, MYSTERY MEN, RIPD, Fox Kids’ Saturday-morning flagship cartoon series THE BIG GUY AND RUSTY THE BOY ROBOT, the HELLBOY film series helmed by acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, and the Emmy Award–winning Don Rickles documentary, MR. WARTH. Richardson is currently producing TARZAN for Warner Bros. starring Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Jackson, Margot Robbie, Christophe Waltz, and directed by David Yates.
---------------
Constantin Film and Dark Horse Entertainment are joining forces to bring POLAR to the big screen. Based on the popular Dark Horse Comics graphic novel “Polar: Came from the Cold” by Victor Santos, Constantin Film has pre-emptively purchased the spec, “Polar″ written by Jayson Rothwell.
The adrenaline-pumping action-thriller tells the story of Black Kaiser, a master assassin forced out of retirement when he finds himself the target of a motley crew of new generation hitmen. But Kaiser’s gun-blazing and bloody universe is at odds with the doting and protective relationship he has with the child of one of his former marks. Faced with the ultimate battle for survival, Kaiser must choose between saving his life and saving his soul.
Constantin Film and Dark Horse Entertainment are currently out to directors with the aim of shooting POLAR in the spring of 2015. Constantin Film’s Robert Kulzer will be producing along with Jeremy Bolt as well as Dark Horse Entertainment’s Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg. Rothwell is also writing an Untitled Heist Thriller for Thunder Road. He is repped by WME.
About Constantin Film
Constantin Film has been synonymous with quality and success for over 30 years. It has played a crucial role in establishing German cinema both nationally and internationally. Between 1977, when Bernd Eichinger established the company, and 2009, when it was integrated into media
conglomerate Constantin Medien AG, Constantin Film has emerged as the most successful independent production and distribution company in the German media industry. Constantin Film’s operations include German and English language motion picture theatrical production, theatrical distribution, home entertainment distribution, licensing and television production.
Constantin Film’s diverse slate includes box office hits and award-winning films alike, ranging from comic book to literary adaptations, historical dramas, action and genre, among them THE NEVERENDING STORY, THE FANTASTIC FOUR film franchise, THE NAME OF THE ROSE,
WICKIE THE MIGHTY VIKING, NOWHERE IN AFRICA, DOWNFALL, THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX, POPE JOAN, THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS, the RESIDENT EVIL film franchise, THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, TARZAN®, POMPEII, FACK JU GOETHE, one of the biggest ever German box office hits, and the forthcoming LOVE, ROSIE adapted from the bestselling Cecelia Ahern novel “Where Rainbows End”. TARZAN® Owned By Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. And Used By Permission
About Dark Horse Entertainment
Dark Horse Comics Founder Mike Richardson determined early on that great stories are great stories, no matter the medium in which they’re told. This belief led the publisher to explore the world of filmmaking and started him on the path to Hollywood, where he established his own filmmaking company, Dark Horse Entertainment, in 1992. The company’s first two major films --
THE MASK, starring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, and TIMECOP, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme -- were based on Richardson's creations and premiered to enthusiastic audiences. Under his leadership Dark Horse has produced over two dozen films and television projects since 1994,
including ALIEN VS PREDATOR, MYSTERY MEN, RIPD, Fox Kids’ Saturday-morning flagship cartoon series THE BIG GUY AND RUSTY THE BOY ROBOT, the HELLBOY film series helmed by acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, and the Emmy Award–winning Don Rickles documentary, MR. WARTH. Richardson is currently producing TARZAN for Warner Bros. starring Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Jackson, Margot Robbie, Christophe Waltz, and directed by David Yates.
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