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Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
Central Ohio Film Critics Name "Selma" Best Film of 2014
The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. Its membership currently consists of more than 21 print, radio, television, and new media critics. Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.
The 13th Annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2014, were announced on Thursday, January 8, 2015.
2014 / 13th Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards:
Best Film
1. Selma
2. Whiplash
3. Snowpiercer
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Nightcrawler
6. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
7. The Imitation Game
8. Boyhood
9. A Most Violent Year
10. Gone Girl
Best Director
• Ava DuVernay - (Selma)
• Runner-Up: Wes Anderson - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Actor
• David Oyelowo - (Selma)
• Runner-Up (tie): Michael Keaton - (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
• Runner-Up (tie): Jake Gyllenhaal - (Nightcrawler)
Best Actress
• Essie Davis - (The Babadook)
• Runner-Up: Scarlett Johansson - (Under the Skin)
Best Supporting Actor
• J.K. Simmons - (Whiplash)
• Runner-Up (tie): Josh Brolin - (Inherent Vice)
• Runner-Up (tie): Mark Ruffalo - (Foxcatcher)
Best Supporting Actress
• Tilda Swinton - (Snowpiercer)
• Runner-Up: Patricia Arquette - (Boyhood)
Best Ensemble
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Runner-Up (tie): Foxcatcher
• Runner-Up (tie): Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
• Jake Gyllenhaal - (Enemy and Nightcrawler)
• Runner-Up: Tilda Swinton - (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Only Lovers Left Alive, Snowpiercer, and The Zero Theorem)
Breakthrough Film Artist
• Ava DuVernay - (Selma) - (for directing)
• Runner-Up: Jennifer Kent - (The Babadook) - (for directing and screenwriting)
Best Cinematography
• Robert Yeoman - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
• Runner-Up: Daniel Landin - (Under the Skin)
Best Film Editing
• Tom Cross - (Whiplash)
• Runner-Up: Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione - (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Best Adapted Screenplay
• Graham Moore - (The Imitation Game)
• Runner-Up: Bong Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson - (Snowpiercer)
Best Original Screenplay
• Paul Webb - (Selma)
• Runner-Up: Wes Anderson - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Score
• Alexandre Desplat - (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
• Runner-Up: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - (Gone Girl)
Best Documentary
• Finding Vivian Maier
• Runner-Up: Citizenfour
Best Foreign Language Film
• We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!)
• Runner-Up: Ida
Best Animated Film
• The LEGO Movie
• Runner-Up: Big Hero 6
Best Overlooked Film
• The Babadook
• Runner-Up: Edge of Tomorrow
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Ridley Scott, Alex Gibney Have Pilots for Amazon's First Pilot Season of 2015
Amazon’s First Pilot Season of 2015, Featuring Slate of 13 Original Comedy, Drama, Docuseries and Kids Offerings, will Debut January 15 on Amazon Instant Video in the US, UK and Germany
Seven new comedy, drama and docu-series pilots will be available including hour-long shows Cocked, Mad Dogs, Man in the High Castle and Point of Honor, half hour shows Down Dog and Salem Rogers, and half hour docu-series The New Yorker Presents
Six new kids pilots will be available including preschool projects Buddy: Tech Detective, Sara Solves It and The Stinky & Dirty Show, as well as 6-11 animated show Niko and the Sword of Light, and 6-11 live-action shows Table 58 and Just Add Magic
Pilots come from a talented creative roster including Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), Carlton Cuse (Lost), Randall Wallace (Braveheart), Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Brad Silberling (Jane the Virgin, Lemony Snickets…), Mark Waters (Mean Girls), Academy and Emmy Award winning director Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie), Angela Santomero (Blue’s Clues), and Carol Greenwald (Arthur)
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Studios announced it will debut its first pilot season of 2015 on Thursday, January 15, 2015 on Amazon Instant Video in the US, UK and Germany. Seven drama and comedy pilots will premiere, including hour-long shows Cocked from Samuel Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan – TV series), Mad Dogs from Cris Cole (The Bill) and Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Man in the High Castle from Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), and Point of Honor from Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Randall Wallace (Braveheart). In addition, pilots for two half hour shows will debut, including Down Dog from Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?) and Salem Rogers from Will Graham (Onion News Network) and newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, along with a documentary series, The New Yorker Presents, inspired by non-fiction and fiction material from one of the most acclaimed and longest running publications, The New Yorker. The New Yorker Presents is Executive Produced by Oscar and Emmy-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie).
“We look forward to seeing our customers’ response to these new projects.”
Four animated kids pilots—Buddy: Tech Detective, The Stinky & Dirty Show, Sara Solves It, Niko and the Sword of Light—will join two live-action kids pilots—Table 58 and Just Add Magic—from a brilliantly talented roster of creative talent including May Chan (Phineas & Ferb), Carol Greenwald (Arthur), Jennifer Hamburg (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood), Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex), Guy Toubes (The Adventures of Chuck & Friends), Angela Santomero (Creative Galaxy), and Joanna Lewis & Kristine Songco (Sullivan & Son).
Customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series. All pilots will be available via the Amazon Instant Video app on Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets, Fire phone, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, as well as hundreds of other connected devices such as smart TVs—or customers can visit Amazon.com/AIV to watch online.
“We are working with great storytellers on some fascinating ideas for the year’s first pilot season,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We look forward to seeing our customers’ response to these new projects.”
Amazon’s comedy and drama pilots include:
Cocked
Created by Samuel Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan – TV series), Cocked stars Sam Trammell (True Blood) as Richard Paxson, a family man and corporate lap dog who left his family in rural Colorado twenty years before and vowed never to go back. After some unfortunate circumstances, he is forced to leave the big city and return home to help his family’s gun business—one of the oldest in the country. But no good deed goes unpunished. Older brother Grady Paxton, played by Jason Lee (My Name is Earl), who’s a bachelor, playboy and gun aficionado, isn’t so happy to have him back, and Richard’s liberal wife and two opinionated teenage children are horrified by the world they have been thrown into. Hilarity, epic fights and emotional breakdowns ensue. Cocked also stars Tony award-winning Brian Dennehy (Death of a Salesman) as Wade Paxson and Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) as Hannah Paxson, and Dreama Walker (The Good Wife) as Tabby Paxson. The hour-long dark comedy pilot was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Skull Island), and Erwin Stoff (Unbroken) and Baum are Executive Producers.
Down Dog
Blessed with good looks, a winning smile, hippie parents, and a Southern California upbringing, life has been relatively easy thus far for Logan Wood (played by Josh Casaubon, I Just Want My Pants Back). In his late 30's, having coasted through romances with countless women and various random jobs, he now teaches yoga to the trophy wives, hot moms and aspiring celebrities of Santa Monica and Venice Beach. But when Logan and his current girlfriend, a successful and attractive older woman named Amanda (played by Paget Brewster, Criminal Minds) who happens to be the owner of the yoga studio, break up, life starts to get more complicated. Down Dog also stars Lyndsy Fonseca (How I Met Your Mother), Will Greenberg (Halt and Catch Fire), Andrea Savage (The Life and Times of Tim), Amir Talai (American Dad), Kris Kristofferson (Lone Star), and Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black). The pilot was written by Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?), produced by Bob Cooper (RFK) and Michael Fuchs (Death in the Modern Age), and directed by Bradley Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events).
Mad Dogs
Mad Dogs is an hour-long dark comedy created by Cris Cole (The Bill), and Executive Produced by Cole, Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Marney Hochman (Last Resort), Andy Harries (DCI Banks), Suzanne Mackie (All in Good Time), and Charles McDougall (The Mindy Project). Based on the hit UK series, Mad Dogs follows the twisted reunion of a group of underachieving forty-something friends—a mixture of single, married and recently divorced—who are all at different crossroads in their lives. Celebrating the early retirement of an old friend at his gorgeous Belize villa, grudges begin to emerge and secrets explode as their trip becomes a labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder. Mad Dogs is a twisted tale of friendship put to the ultimate test. As an inconceivable chain of events unfolds, cracks within the group widen before the friends realize that the only people they can trust are each other, the last people they want to be relying on. The pilot stars Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) as Cobi, Billy Zane (Twin Peaks) as Milo, Romany Malco (Weeds) as Gus, Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Lex and Ben Chaplin as Joel. Mad Dogs is directed by McDougall and is being co-produced with Sony Pictures Television.
The Man in the High Castle
Based on Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history, The Man in the High Castle considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. Almost 20 years after that loss, the United States and much of the world has now been split between Japan and Germany, the major hegemonic states. But the tension between these two powers is mounting, and this stress is playing out in the western U.S. Through a collection of characters in various states of posing (spies, sellers of falsified goods, others with secret identities), The Man in the High Castle provides an intriguing tale about life and history as it relates to authentic and manufactured reality. The hour-long dramatic pilot stars Alexa Davalos (Mob City) as Juliana Crain, Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars) as Joe Blake, Rupert Evans (The Village) as Frank Frink, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat Legacy) as Tagomi, Joel De La Fuente (Hemlock Grove) as Inspector Kido, Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour) as John Smith and DJ Qualls (Z Nation) as Ed McCarthy. The pilot was directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary, Heroes) and written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), both serving as Executive Producers. Also executive producing are Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and David W. Zucker (The Good Wife), with co-executive producer Jordan Sheehan of Scott Free Productions (The Good Wife, The Andromeda Strain), and Executive Producers Stewart Mackinnon and Christian Baute of Headline Pictures (The Invisible Woman). In addition, Isa Dick Hackett will executive produce and Kalen Egan will co-executive produce on behalf of Electric Shepherd (The Adjustment Bureau). Christopher Tricarico (May in the Summer) is also Executive Producer.
The New Yorker Presents
America’s most award-winning magazine comes to life in this half hour docu-series pilot. The New Yorker Presents is a completely unique viewing experience that features Tony-Award winner Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and actor Brett Gelman (Go On) in a short film based on a story by Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live) and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Troy Miller (Arrested Development); a poem by Matthew Dickman and narrated by Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spiderman); a documentary by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) about biologist Tyrone Hayes based on a Rachel Aviv article; and an interview with famous performance artist, Marina Abramović, conducted by The New Yorker writer Ariel Levy. Academy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) is Executive Producer, joined by Dave Snyder (Death Row Stories) and Dawn Ostroff (The Fashion Fund). The pilot is co-produced by Condé Nast Entertainment and Jigsaw Productions.
Point of Honor
At the start of the Civil War, a Virginia family, led by their West Point bred son, John Rhodes (played by Nathan Parsons, True Blood), makes the controversial decision to defend the South while freeing all of their slaves. At battle against his northern brethren and his best friend and brother-in-law Robert Sumner (played by Christopher O’Shea, Baby Daddy), John leaves his three strong-willed sisters at home to run the plantation that is now without a free labor source. The choice to protect the life they have always known and defend the moral high ground will pit the family against one another and test their strength, courage and love. An hour-long drama shot entirely on-location in historic Virginia, Point of Honor also stars Annabelle Stephenson (Revenge) as Kate Rhodes, Riley Voelkel (The Newsroom) as Lorelei Rhodes, Hanna Mangan Lawrence (Old School) as Estella Rhodes, Patrick Heusinger (Revolution) as Colonel Palmer Kane, Luke Benward (Ravenswood) as Garland Rhodes, Adrienne Warren (Black Box) as Abby, Lucien Laviscount (Waterloo Road) as Elijah, and James Harvey Ward (Low Winter Sun) as Cutler. The pilot was directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart), written by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Wallace, and Executive Produced by Cuse, Wallace and Barry Jossen (Sex and the City). Point of Honor is a co-production with ABC Signature Studios.
Salem Rogers
A half-hour comedy, Leslie Bibb (About a Boy) plays Salem Rogers, an overly confident, blunt, hard-partying former supermodel who is forced to face her past and re-enter the real world after ten years in a posh rehab center. Intent on recreating her glamorous lifestyle and modeling success, she tracks down Agatha (played by Rachel Dratch, Saturday Night Live), her former assistant who has since built a career as an author of self-help books to help her win back the spotlight. Salem Rogers also stars Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Brad Morris (Playing House), Harry Hamlin (Mad Men), Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors), and Scott Adsit (30 Rock). The pilot was written by newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, Executive Produced by Will Graham (The Onion News Network) and directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls). Salem Rogers was submitted to Amazon as part of the studio’s open screenplay submission process.
Amazon’s original kids pilots include:
Buddy: Tech Detective (for preschool-aged children)
Based on an original idea by Chris Dicker (What’s Your News?) and created by Jon Burton (The Lego Movie), Dicker and Jocelyn Stevenson (Fraggle Rock), and developed for television by Jennifer Hamburg (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Henry Hugglemonster), Buddy: Tech Detective is an exciting preschool whodunit that follows super-sleuth Buddy, his inventor best friend Trudy, the funny furry ferret Ferdo and you, the smarty-pants viewer! Using a myriad of interactive technologies, Buddy and his team gather evidence, follow cues and crack the case. The project is a TT Animation/The Foundation (a part of Zodiak Kids) production, and is animated by Jellyfish Animation Limited.
Sara Solves It (for preschool-aged children)
This animated musical comes from the talented minds of Carol Greenwald (Arthur, Martha Speaks, Curious George), and Angela C. Santomero (Super Why, Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Creative Galaxy, Wishenpoof!) with animation production handled by DHX (Martha Speaks, Kid vs. Kat, Inspector Gadget). Produced by WGBH and Out of the Blue Enterprises with Greenwald, Santomero and Samantha Freeman executive producing, Sara Solves It follows 9-year-old whiz kid Sara and her younger brother Sam as they work together in order to solve mysteries in their apartment building, at school and beyond using creative problem solving! Each mystery is an interactive problem, steeped in musical goodness. In this first episode, viewers will use math and music in a creative way as they help Sara and Sam solve the cheesiest pizza mystery!
The Stinky & Dirty Show (for preschool-aged children)
The Stinky & Dirty Show, based on the “I Stink!” book series by Kate & Jim McMullan, is written by Guy Toubes (The Adventures of Chuck & Friends, Littlest Pet Shop, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) and animated by Brown Bag Films, Ltd (Peter Rabbit, Octonauts, Doc McStuffins). The Stinky & Dirty Show follows the adventures and mishaps faced by best friends and unlikely heroes, Stinky the garbage truck and Dirty, the backhoe loader. Whether it’s rescuing their pal Mighty the tugboat, or moving a giant boulder blocking the highway in their town of Go City, Stinky & Dirty are a dynamic duo of resourcefulness who make plenty of mistakes along the way. For them, hilariously failing turns out to be the most fun path to success.
Niko and the Sword of Light (for children ages 6-11)
Niko and the Sword of Light is based on the motion graphic comic by Imaginism Studios, Inc., the studio behind character and concept designs for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Men in Black 3, and Studio NX (The Carrot and Rabbit Show, Tree Fu Tom). Written by Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, League of Super Evil, Storm Hawks, Teen Titans) and animated by Titmouse (Motorcity, Metalocalpyse, Turbo FAST, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja), Niko and the Sword of Light follows ten-year-old Niko who is the last of his kind in a strange, fantastical world. He must embark on an epic quest to defeat the darkness and bring the light back to his land. Armed with his magic sword, brave Niko journeys to the Cursed Volcano, making new friends and powerful foes along the way, all while uncovering secrets about his mysterious past. Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Jim Cummings (Shrek) lend their vocal talent.
Table 58 (for children ages 6-11)
Written by May Chan (Phineas & Ferb, Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures), Table 58 is a single-camera live-action pilot directed by Gil Junger (10 Things I Hate About You, Greek). In Table 58, they’re not a part of the popular crowd, and they’re not a part of the geek crowd. The only thing they’re a part of is Table 58: the odd table in the lunchroom, made up of kids from all different cliques who have been ousted from the table where they seemingly belong. When new kid Logan moves to town, he rallies the group of six mismatched middle schoolers to form a tenuous partnership in order to help each other get back to their rightful place in the cafeteria. The project stars Grace Kaufman (Bad Teacher), Johnnie Ladd (Melissa & Joey), Jacob Melton (The Middle), Nathaniel Potvin (Girl Meets World), Juliana Rigolioso (The Smurfs), and Zack Shires (Wilfred).
Just Add Magic (for children ages 6-11)
Based on Cindy Callaghan’s young adult book of the same name and adapted by Joanna Lewis & Kristine Songco (Sullivan & Son, Fairly Odd Parents, My Little Pony), Just Add Magic is a single-camera live-action pilot directed by Joe Nussbaum (George Lucas in Love, Awkward). The story centers on Kelly Quinn and her two BFF’s, Darbie and Hannah, who stumble upon her grandmother’s mysterious cookbook in the attic and discover it has some interesting recipes. The Shut’em Up Shortcake actually silences Kelly’s pesky little brother and when the Healing Hazelnut Tart quickly heals Darbie’s ankle, the girls discover they have the power of magic. The project stars Olivia Sanabia (Extant), Abby Donnelly (Suburgatory), Aubrey Miller (Austin & Ally), and Judah Bellamy (Home).
About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios most recently debuted its dramatic comedy Mozart in the Jungle from Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Weitz, John Strauss and Alex Timbers as well as Jill Soloway’s critically acclaimed and Golden Globe nominated dark comedy Transparent; its first live-action series for kids 6-11, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street; and a second season of the Garry Trudeau political comedy Alpha House. The studio has also launched three additional children’s series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning and Annie Award-nominated Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment; Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises, the creators of Blue’s Clues; and Annedroids, from Emmy nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment.
Amazon Studios has also announced four additional, original series to debut in 2015 including Michael Connelly’s Bosch; Hand of God from Marc Forster and Ben Watkins; Red Oaks from Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green, Greg Jacobs and Joe Gangemi; and kids series Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises; as well as a second season of Transparent.
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script online and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public can also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.
Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
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Seven new comedy, drama and docu-series pilots will be available including hour-long shows Cocked, Mad Dogs, Man in the High Castle and Point of Honor, half hour shows Down Dog and Salem Rogers, and half hour docu-series The New Yorker Presents
Six new kids pilots will be available including preschool projects Buddy: Tech Detective, Sara Solves It and The Stinky & Dirty Show, as well as 6-11 animated show Niko and the Sword of Light, and 6-11 live-action shows Table 58 and Just Add Magic
Pilots come from a talented creative roster including Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), Carlton Cuse (Lost), Randall Wallace (Braveheart), Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Brad Silberling (Jane the Virgin, Lemony Snickets…), Mark Waters (Mean Girls), Academy and Emmy Award winning director Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie), Angela Santomero (Blue’s Clues), and Carol Greenwald (Arthur)
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Studios announced it will debut its first pilot season of 2015 on Thursday, January 15, 2015 on Amazon Instant Video in the US, UK and Germany. Seven drama and comedy pilots will premiere, including hour-long shows Cocked from Samuel Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan – TV series), Mad Dogs from Cris Cole (The Bill) and Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Man in the High Castle from Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), and Point of Honor from Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Randall Wallace (Braveheart). In addition, pilots for two half hour shows will debut, including Down Dog from Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?) and Salem Rogers from Will Graham (Onion News Network) and newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, along with a documentary series, The New Yorker Presents, inspired by non-fiction and fiction material from one of the most acclaimed and longest running publications, The New Yorker. The New Yorker Presents is Executive Produced by Oscar and Emmy-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie).
“We look forward to seeing our customers’ response to these new projects.”
Four animated kids pilots—Buddy: Tech Detective, The Stinky & Dirty Show, Sara Solves It, Niko and the Sword of Light—will join two live-action kids pilots—Table 58 and Just Add Magic—from a brilliantly talented roster of creative talent including May Chan (Phineas & Ferb), Carol Greenwald (Arthur), Jennifer Hamburg (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood), Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex), Guy Toubes (The Adventures of Chuck & Friends), Angela Santomero (Creative Galaxy), and Joanna Lewis & Kristine Songco (Sullivan & Son).
Customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series. All pilots will be available via the Amazon Instant Video app on Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets, Fire phone, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, as well as hundreds of other connected devices such as smart TVs—or customers can visit Amazon.com/AIV to watch online.
“We are working with great storytellers on some fascinating ideas for the year’s first pilot season,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We look forward to seeing our customers’ response to these new projects.”
Amazon’s comedy and drama pilots include:
Cocked
Created by Samuel Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan – TV series), Cocked stars Sam Trammell (True Blood) as Richard Paxson, a family man and corporate lap dog who left his family in rural Colorado twenty years before and vowed never to go back. After some unfortunate circumstances, he is forced to leave the big city and return home to help his family’s gun business—one of the oldest in the country. But no good deed goes unpunished. Older brother Grady Paxton, played by Jason Lee (My Name is Earl), who’s a bachelor, playboy and gun aficionado, isn’t so happy to have him back, and Richard’s liberal wife and two opinionated teenage children are horrified by the world they have been thrown into. Hilarity, epic fights and emotional breakdowns ensue. Cocked also stars Tony award-winning Brian Dennehy (Death of a Salesman) as Wade Paxson and Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) as Hannah Paxson, and Dreama Walker (The Good Wife) as Tabby Paxson. The hour-long dark comedy pilot was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Skull Island), and Erwin Stoff (Unbroken) and Baum are Executive Producers.
Down Dog
Blessed with good looks, a winning smile, hippie parents, and a Southern California upbringing, life has been relatively easy thus far for Logan Wood (played by Josh Casaubon, I Just Want My Pants Back). In his late 30's, having coasted through romances with countless women and various random jobs, he now teaches yoga to the trophy wives, hot moms and aspiring celebrities of Santa Monica and Venice Beach. But when Logan and his current girlfriend, a successful and attractive older woman named Amanda (played by Paget Brewster, Criminal Minds) who happens to be the owner of the yoga studio, break up, life starts to get more complicated. Down Dog also stars Lyndsy Fonseca (How I Met Your Mother), Will Greenberg (Halt and Catch Fire), Andrea Savage (The Life and Times of Tim), Amir Talai (American Dad), Kris Kristofferson (Lone Star), and Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black). The pilot was written by Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?), produced by Bob Cooper (RFK) and Michael Fuchs (Death in the Modern Age), and directed by Bradley Silberling (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events).
Mad Dogs
Mad Dogs is an hour-long dark comedy created by Cris Cole (The Bill), and Executive Produced by Cole, Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Marney Hochman (Last Resort), Andy Harries (DCI Banks), Suzanne Mackie (All in Good Time), and Charles McDougall (The Mindy Project). Based on the hit UK series, Mad Dogs follows the twisted reunion of a group of underachieving forty-something friends—a mixture of single, married and recently divorced—who are all at different crossroads in their lives. Celebrating the early retirement of an old friend at his gorgeous Belize villa, grudges begin to emerge and secrets explode as their trip becomes a labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder. Mad Dogs is a twisted tale of friendship put to the ultimate test. As an inconceivable chain of events unfolds, cracks within the group widen before the friends realize that the only people they can trust are each other, the last people they want to be relying on. The pilot stars Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) as Cobi, Billy Zane (Twin Peaks) as Milo, Romany Malco (Weeds) as Gus, Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as Lex and Ben Chaplin as Joel. Mad Dogs is directed by McDougall and is being co-produced with Sony Pictures Television.
The Man in the High Castle
Based on Philip K. Dick's Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history, The Man in the High Castle considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. Almost 20 years after that loss, the United States and much of the world has now been split between Japan and Germany, the major hegemonic states. But the tension between these two powers is mounting, and this stress is playing out in the western U.S. Through a collection of characters in various states of posing (spies, sellers of falsified goods, others with secret identities), The Man in the High Castle provides an intriguing tale about life and history as it relates to authentic and manufactured reality. The hour-long dramatic pilot stars Alexa Davalos (Mob City) as Juliana Crain, Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars) as Joe Blake, Rupert Evans (The Village) as Frank Frink, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat Legacy) as Tagomi, Joel De La Fuente (Hemlock Grove) as Inspector Kido, Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour) as John Smith and DJ Qualls (Z Nation) as Ed McCarthy. The pilot was directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary, Heroes) and written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), both serving as Executive Producers. Also executive producing are Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and David W. Zucker (The Good Wife), with co-executive producer Jordan Sheehan of Scott Free Productions (The Good Wife, The Andromeda Strain), and Executive Producers Stewart Mackinnon and Christian Baute of Headline Pictures (The Invisible Woman). In addition, Isa Dick Hackett will executive produce and Kalen Egan will co-executive produce on behalf of Electric Shepherd (The Adjustment Bureau). Christopher Tricarico (May in the Summer) is also Executive Producer.
The New Yorker Presents
America’s most award-winning magazine comes to life in this half hour docu-series pilot. The New Yorker Presents is a completely unique viewing experience that features Tony-Award winner Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and actor Brett Gelman (Go On) in a short film based on a story by Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live) and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Troy Miller (Arrested Development); a poem by Matthew Dickman and narrated by Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spiderman); a documentary by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) about biologist Tyrone Hayes based on a Rachel Aviv article; and an interview with famous performance artist, Marina Abramović, conducted by The New Yorker writer Ariel Levy. Academy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) is Executive Producer, joined by Dave Snyder (Death Row Stories) and Dawn Ostroff (The Fashion Fund). The pilot is co-produced by Condé Nast Entertainment and Jigsaw Productions.
Point of Honor
At the start of the Civil War, a Virginia family, led by their West Point bred son, John Rhodes (played by Nathan Parsons, True Blood), makes the controversial decision to defend the South while freeing all of their slaves. At battle against his northern brethren and his best friend and brother-in-law Robert Sumner (played by Christopher O’Shea, Baby Daddy), John leaves his three strong-willed sisters at home to run the plantation that is now without a free labor source. The choice to protect the life they have always known and defend the moral high ground will pit the family against one another and test their strength, courage and love. An hour-long drama shot entirely on-location in historic Virginia, Point of Honor also stars Annabelle Stephenson (Revenge) as Kate Rhodes, Riley Voelkel (The Newsroom) as Lorelei Rhodes, Hanna Mangan Lawrence (Old School) as Estella Rhodes, Patrick Heusinger (Revolution) as Colonel Palmer Kane, Luke Benward (Ravenswood) as Garland Rhodes, Adrienne Warren (Black Box) as Abby, Lucien Laviscount (Waterloo Road) as Elijah, and James Harvey Ward (Low Winter Sun) as Cutler. The pilot was directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart), written by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Wallace, and Executive Produced by Cuse, Wallace and Barry Jossen (Sex and the City). Point of Honor is a co-production with ABC Signature Studios.
Salem Rogers
A half-hour comedy, Leslie Bibb (About a Boy) plays Salem Rogers, an overly confident, blunt, hard-partying former supermodel who is forced to face her past and re-enter the real world after ten years in a posh rehab center. Intent on recreating her glamorous lifestyle and modeling success, she tracks down Agatha (played by Rachel Dratch, Saturday Night Live), her former assistant who has since built a career as an author of self-help books to help her win back the spotlight. Salem Rogers also stars Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Brad Morris (Playing House), Harry Hamlin (Mad Men), Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors), and Scott Adsit (30 Rock). The pilot was written by newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, Executive Produced by Will Graham (The Onion News Network) and directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls). Salem Rogers was submitted to Amazon as part of the studio’s open screenplay submission process.
Amazon’s original kids pilots include:
Buddy: Tech Detective (for preschool-aged children)
Based on an original idea by Chris Dicker (What’s Your News?) and created by Jon Burton (The Lego Movie), Dicker and Jocelyn Stevenson (Fraggle Rock), and developed for television by Jennifer Hamburg (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Henry Hugglemonster), Buddy: Tech Detective is an exciting preschool whodunit that follows super-sleuth Buddy, his inventor best friend Trudy, the funny furry ferret Ferdo and you, the smarty-pants viewer! Using a myriad of interactive technologies, Buddy and his team gather evidence, follow cues and crack the case. The project is a TT Animation/The Foundation (a part of Zodiak Kids) production, and is animated by Jellyfish Animation Limited.
Sara Solves It (for preschool-aged children)
This animated musical comes from the talented minds of Carol Greenwald (Arthur, Martha Speaks, Curious George), and Angela C. Santomero (Super Why, Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Creative Galaxy, Wishenpoof!) with animation production handled by DHX (Martha Speaks, Kid vs. Kat, Inspector Gadget). Produced by WGBH and Out of the Blue Enterprises with Greenwald, Santomero and Samantha Freeman executive producing, Sara Solves It follows 9-year-old whiz kid Sara and her younger brother Sam as they work together in order to solve mysteries in their apartment building, at school and beyond using creative problem solving! Each mystery is an interactive problem, steeped in musical goodness. In this first episode, viewers will use math and music in a creative way as they help Sara and Sam solve the cheesiest pizza mystery!
The Stinky & Dirty Show (for preschool-aged children)
The Stinky & Dirty Show, based on the “I Stink!” book series by Kate & Jim McMullan, is written by Guy Toubes (The Adventures of Chuck & Friends, Littlest Pet Shop, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) and animated by Brown Bag Films, Ltd (Peter Rabbit, Octonauts, Doc McStuffins). The Stinky & Dirty Show follows the adventures and mishaps faced by best friends and unlikely heroes, Stinky the garbage truck and Dirty, the backhoe loader. Whether it’s rescuing their pal Mighty the tugboat, or moving a giant boulder blocking the highway in their town of Go City, Stinky & Dirty are a dynamic duo of resourcefulness who make plenty of mistakes along the way. For them, hilariously failing turns out to be the most fun path to success.
Niko and the Sword of Light (for children ages 6-11)
Niko and the Sword of Light is based on the motion graphic comic by Imaginism Studios, Inc., the studio behind character and concept designs for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Men in Black 3, and Studio NX (The Carrot and Rabbit Show, Tree Fu Tom). Written by Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, League of Super Evil, Storm Hawks, Teen Titans) and animated by Titmouse (Motorcity, Metalocalpyse, Turbo FAST, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja), Niko and the Sword of Light follows ten-year-old Niko who is the last of his kind in a strange, fantastical world. He must embark on an epic quest to defeat the darkness and bring the light back to his land. Armed with his magic sword, brave Niko journeys to the Cursed Volcano, making new friends and powerful foes along the way, all while uncovering secrets about his mysterious past. Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Jim Cummings (Shrek) lend their vocal talent.
Table 58 (for children ages 6-11)
Written by May Chan (Phineas & Ferb, Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures), Table 58 is a single-camera live-action pilot directed by Gil Junger (10 Things I Hate About You, Greek). In Table 58, they’re not a part of the popular crowd, and they’re not a part of the geek crowd. The only thing they’re a part of is Table 58: the odd table in the lunchroom, made up of kids from all different cliques who have been ousted from the table where they seemingly belong. When new kid Logan moves to town, he rallies the group of six mismatched middle schoolers to form a tenuous partnership in order to help each other get back to their rightful place in the cafeteria. The project stars Grace Kaufman (Bad Teacher), Johnnie Ladd (Melissa & Joey), Jacob Melton (The Middle), Nathaniel Potvin (Girl Meets World), Juliana Rigolioso (The Smurfs), and Zack Shires (Wilfred).
Just Add Magic (for children ages 6-11)
Based on Cindy Callaghan’s young adult book of the same name and adapted by Joanna Lewis & Kristine Songco (Sullivan & Son, Fairly Odd Parents, My Little Pony), Just Add Magic is a single-camera live-action pilot directed by Joe Nussbaum (George Lucas in Love, Awkward). The story centers on Kelly Quinn and her two BFF’s, Darbie and Hannah, who stumble upon her grandmother’s mysterious cookbook in the attic and discover it has some interesting recipes. The Shut’em Up Shortcake actually silences Kelly’s pesky little brother and when the Healing Hazelnut Tart quickly heals Darbie’s ankle, the girls discover they have the power of magic. The project stars Olivia Sanabia (Extant), Abby Donnelly (Suburgatory), Aubrey Miller (Austin & Ally), and Judah Bellamy (Home).
About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios most recently debuted its dramatic comedy Mozart in the Jungle from Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Weitz, John Strauss and Alex Timbers as well as Jill Soloway’s critically acclaimed and Golden Globe nominated dark comedy Transparent; its first live-action series for kids 6-11, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street; and a second season of the Garry Trudeau political comedy Alpha House. The studio has also launched three additional children’s series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning and Annie Award-nominated Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment; Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises, the creators of Blue’s Clues; and Annedroids, from Emmy nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment.
Amazon Studios has also announced four additional, original series to debut in 2015 including Michael Connelly’s Bosch; Hand of God from Marc Forster and Ben Watkins; Red Oaks from Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green, Greg Jacobs and Joe Gangemi; and kids series Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises; as well as a second season of Transparent.
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script online and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public can also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.
Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
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Sunday, January 11, 2015
"Boyhood," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" Win Best Picture Awards at 2015 Golden Globe Awards - Complete Winners List
The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award recognizes excellence in both film and television. The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.
The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Award winners were announced on Sunday, January 11, 2015. The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards was hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The ceremony aired on Sunday, January 11, 2015, LIVE coast-to-coast on NBC from 8:00-11:00 p.m. (EST) and 5:00-8:00 p.m. (PST).
George Clooney received the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
2015 / 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards winners:
FILM CATEGORIES:
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Boyhood
Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Lead Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Lead Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Director
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Screenplay
Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo – Birdman
Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Foreign Film
Leviathan, Russia
Original Song – Motion Picture
Glory – Selma (John Legend, Common)
Original Score – Motion Picture
Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything
TELEVISION AWARDS:
Best TV Drama
The Affair
Lead Actor – TV Drama
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards
Lead Actress – TV Drama
Ruth Wilson – The Affair
TV Miniseries or Movie
Fargo
Actor – TV Miniseries or Movie
Billy Bob Thornton – Fargo
Actress – TV Miniseries or Movie
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honorable Woman
Best TV Comedy
Transparent
Lead Actor – TV Comedy
Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Lead Actress – TV Comedy
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin
Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or TV movie
Matt Bomer – The Normal Heart
Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or TV movie
Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey
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The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Award winners were announced on Sunday, January 11, 2015. The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards was hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The ceremony aired on Sunday, January 11, 2015, LIVE coast-to-coast on NBC from 8:00-11:00 p.m. (EST) and 5:00-8:00 p.m. (PST).
George Clooney received the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
2015 / 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards winners:
FILM CATEGORIES:
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Boyhood
Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Lead Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Lead Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Director
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Screenplay
Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo – Birdman
Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Foreign Film
Leviathan, Russia
Original Song – Motion Picture
Glory – Selma (John Legend, Common)
Original Score – Motion Picture
Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything
TELEVISION AWARDS:
Best TV Drama
The Affair
Lead Actor – TV Drama
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards
Lead Actress – TV Drama
Ruth Wilson – The Affair
TV Miniseries or Movie
Fargo
Actor – TV Miniseries or Movie
Billy Bob Thornton – Fargo
Actress – TV Miniseries or Movie
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honorable Woman
Best TV Comedy
Transparent
Lead Actor – TV Comedy
Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Lead Actress – TV Comedy
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin
Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or TV movie
Matt Bomer – The Normal Heart
Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or TV movie
Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey
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Review: "Taken 2" Does Not Suffer from Middle Film Blues
Taken 2 (2012)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: France; Language: English
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: Olivier Megaton
WRITERS: Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen (based on characters created by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen)
PRODUCER: Luc Besson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Romain Lacourbas (director of photography)
EDITORS: Camille Delamarre and Vincent Tabaillon
COMPOSER: Nathaniel Méchaly
ACTION/THRILLER
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Shergedgia, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, D.B. Sweeney, and Luke Grimes
The subject of this movie review is Taken 2, a 2012 French thriller, directed by Olivier Megaton, produced by Luc Besson, and starring Liam Neeson. The film is a sequel to the 2008 film, Taken. In Taken 2, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills finds himself facing off against the father of a man he killed while hunting for his kidnapped daughter in Paris (as seen in the first film).
Early in Taken 2, former CIA operative, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), is still trying to find ways to get closer to his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). This time, it is by helping her pass her driving test, which she has already failed at least twice. Meanwhile, Bryan's ex-wife and Kim's mother, Lenore (Famke Janssen), is having severe marital problems. All three of them are about to have worse problems than they expect.
Over in Europe, specifically in Tropojë, Albania, funerals are being held for the Parisian-based, Albanian mobsters Bryan killed for kidnapping Kim in the first film. Murad (Rade Shergedgia) is a mob boss and the father of Marko, one of the dead men. Bryan killed Marko by electrocution, and Murad vows to capture Bryan, to bring him to the men's graves, and to kill him there. They track Bryan to Istanbul, Turkey, where he is vacationing with Lenore and Kim. Murad and company launch an attack and are able to abduct Bryan and Lenore. Before Bryan can kick their attackers' asses, however, Kim will have to free his ass.
I had put off seeing Taken for about three years. I saw it shortly before Taken 2 was released. I put off seeing Taken 2 for three years, and decided to see it in time for the release of Taken 3. When I finally saw Taken, I had to admit that it easily surpassed my expectations. Taken was and remains a terrific thriller, a feisty little revenge flick that plays like a big-time, big studio thriller.
Now, that I have finally seen Taken 2, I have to admit that it surpassed my expectations. It received such negative reviews that I avoided seeing it in a movie theater. Taken 2 is not quite as good as Taken, but it isn't far off. Like the original, Taken 2 strains credulity, and Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills does stuff that takes him into the fantasy realm of Jason Bourne films. In this sequel, Bryan seems a little less human and more robotic than he was in the original movie.
Still, I like that Maggie Grace's Kim plays a bigger part. Here, Grace approaches playing the action sidekick with the same terrified energy she used to play the first film's victim. Yeah, Taken 2 is still a Liam Neeson vehicle, but it seems less so because of what Maggie Grace and even Famke Janssen (an underrated actress) bring to the film. The always good Rade Shergedgia (whose last name seems to have multiple spellings) manages to steal quite a bit of this film for himself. So I am once again taken in by a Taken film. Taken 2, like the first, is a tasty fast-food film.
7 of 10
B+
Sunday, January 11, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
BET Networks to Air "The Book of Negroes" in February 2015
BET Networks Opens an Exciting New Chapter with the Airing of Its First-ever Miniseries “The Book of Negroes” Premiering Monday, February 16, 2015 at 8 PM ET/PT
The Three Day Television Event is Brought to Life by Leading Actress Aunjanue Ellis, Oscar Winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Oscar & Emmy Winner Louis Gossett Jr., and Leading Actor Lyriq Bent
The Six-hour Miniseries, “The Book Of Negroes,” Is Based on the Critically Acclaimed Best-selling Novel by Lawrence Hill
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This Black History Month, BET launches its first-ever event miniseries “THE BOOK OF NEGROES,” a six-part historical drama in the tradition of Roots, based on Lawrence Hill’s award-winning, Oprah Winfrey-listed novel (known in the United States as Someone Knows My Name). The highly anticipated television event will run over the course of three consecutive nights in two-hour installments starting Monday, February 16, 2015 at 8 PM ET/PT.
“THE BOOK OF NEGROES” depicts the extraordinary life journey of Aminata Diallo (Aunjanue Ellis) – an indomitable African woman who cuts a swath through a world that is pre-disposed to underestimate her. Kidnapped by slave traders in West Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata must navigate her way through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia and the treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone before ultimately securing her freedom in England at the dawn of the 19th century. Produced by Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment, Entertainment One (eOne) and Idelwild Films, the star-studded cast features lead actress Aunjanue Ellis (Ray, The Help), Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men), Oscar and Emmy winner Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman, Roots, Boardwalk Empire), Lyriq Bent (Rookie Blue), Oscar nominee Jane Alexander (The Cider House Rules), Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line) and Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle). The highly anticipated event miniseries of THE BOOK OF NEGROES from Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment, Entertainment One (eOne), and Idlewild Films is executive produced by Damon D'Oliveira (What We Have), Clement Virgo ("The Wire") who also served as co-writer & director, Carrie Stein and Margaret O'Brien.
The Book of Negroes is a historical document which records names and descriptions of 3,000 African-American slaves who had to work for the British army during the American Revolution in order to qualify for their freedom and were evacuated by the British by ship to points in Nova Scotia. The book was assembled by Samuel Birch under the direction of Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester. African Americans who escaped to the British during the American Revolutionary War became the first settlement of Black Canadians. Other Black Loyalists were transported to settlements in several islands in the West Indies and some to London. Recorded in 1783, this 150-page document is the only one to have ever recorded Black Americans in a large, detailed scope of work. Learn more about this seminal document from the author Lawrence Hill at http://www.bet.com/video/the-book-of-negroes/2014/exclusives/what-is-the-book-of-negroes.html.
EPISODIC BREAKDOWN OF THE BOOK OF NEGROES MINISERIES:
Hour 1 Premiering Monday, February 16 at 8 PM ET/PT
On her way home from delivering a baby, twelve year-old Aminata Diallo is kidnapped and her parents killed. Forced to march across West Africa to the Atlantic Ocean, she is looked after by Chekura (Lyriq Bent), a young boy sold to help the slavers. They grow close and are put on the same slave ship. Due to her language and midwifery skills, the Ship’s Doctor values Aminata, though she quickly falls in with the other slaves. Aminata relays information and weapons from above deck to the men, leading to a failed uprising. Upon her arrival in Charleston, SC, she is separated from Chekura and sold to Robinson Appleby, an Indigo Plantation owner. Georgia, a caring older woman, nurses her back to health.
Hour 2 Premiering Monday, February 16 at 9 PM ET/PT
Aminata, now grown beautiful, healthy, and literate, is the flower of Robinson Appleby’s Indigo plantation. After several seasons of deflecting Appleby’s advances, Aminata marries Chekura and has his child. Appleby, infuriated, sells her and her child to separate owners. Her new owners, a Jewish Indigo Trader and his wife, Solomon and Rosa Lindo, are more trusting: they treat her as a servant rather than a slave. But after Rosa’s death and the revelation that Solomon brokered the sale of her child, Aminata’s trust is broken. Lindo, desperate for a distraction to ease his grief, sets sail to New York with Aminata, who plots her escape to freedom.
Hour 3 Premiering Tuesday, February 17 at 8 PM ET/PT
Soon after arriving in New York, the American Revolution breaks out, allowing Aminata to escape Solomon Lindo with the help of an influential Black innkeeper named Sam Fraunces (Cuba Gooding Jr.). She soon settles into a Black ghetto called Canvas Town and befriends several locals, teaching them to read and write, while also delivering babies for the British. Chekura arrives in New York, only to leave again after the British Forces offer freedom to any man who fights the Americans. When Aminata finds Chekura has been injured at the Battle of Saratoga she enlists Sam to help smuggle him across enemy lines. Although she succeeds, she returns to find that, with American victory in New England, Slave owners will be returning North to look for escaped slaves.
Hour 4 Premiering Tuesday, February 17 at 9 PM ET/PT
As peace is declared slavers return to New York in search of runaway slaves. Aminata is offered a job by Cpt. John Clarkson of the British Navy to help recruit Black Loyalists to join them in Nova Scotia as free citizens. With renewed vigour, she begins registering thousands into The Book Of Negroes. When it is finally her turn to go, authorities stop her, as a slaver has made a claim upon her. Convinced it is Solomon Lindo returned to New York, she lets Chekura go ahead and is held for trial. In court, it is revealed that Robertson Appleby has made the claim against her, but she is exonerated at the last moment by the testimony of Lindo, who vouches he gave Aminata her freedom. After being freed, she arrives in barren Nova Scotia to find no sign of Chekura.
Hour 5 Premiering Wednesday, February 18 at 8 PM ET/PT
Aminata arrives pregnant in Shelburne, Nova Scotia and is taken in by Daddy Moses (Louis Gossett Jr.). She is surprised to find that work and food are scarce, with the British failing to deliver the land they promised in New York. After losing her baby to a cholera epidemic, she writes an appeal to the British abolitionists on behalf of Daddy Moses and the blacks of Birchtown. Then Aminata manages to find a job as a Printing Assistant. As the open hostility towards black residents comes to a head after the death of a white citizen, Cpt. John Clarkson, a key abolitionist, arrives offering an escape for the black community to a settlement in Sierra Leone. Just as Aminata begins to recruit her community, Chekura arrives and is reluctant to embark on yet another long journey. A violent race riot breaks out in Shelburne, and Chekura is convinced to join his wife on her homeward journey. They set sail with Daddy Moses, bound for Africa.
Hour 6 Premiering Wednesday, February 18 at 9 PM ET/PT
After arriving in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the Loyalists discover that a previous group of settlers had been sacked and raided by the local ruler. As a result Aminata becomes more engrossed in the idea of returning to her village of Bayo. The local tribes, however, are unwilling to support her and Aminata must enlist the help of Dr. Falconbridge, a longtime resident of Freetown, to approach a group of slave traders to guide her and Chekura inland. They are soon double-crossed and Aminata is forced to flee for her life. After a local tribe takes her in and nurses her back to health, she realizes she must let go of her dream of returning to Bayo, and sets out to London to tell her life story to the world.
For more information on THE BOOK OF NEGROES go to bet.com/bookofnegroes. Join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #bookofnegroes.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, the First Network Designed For Black Women; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
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Saturday, January 10, 2015
2015 Producers Guild Award Nominations Announced - Complete List
On Monday, January 5, 2015, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 26th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories include: The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures; The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures; and The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television. The feature documentary film category and other television category nominations were previously announced by the PGA in late 2014.
All 2015 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on Saturday, January 24th, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. This year, the Producers Guild will present special honors to the following: Jon Feltheimer (Milestone Award); Mark Gordon (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television); Gale Anne Hurd (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures); the HBO television motion picture, The Normal Heart (Stanley Kramer Award); and production company Plan B Entertainment (Visionary Award).
The 2015 Producers Guild nominated films and television programs are listed below in alphabetical order by category, along with producers. The producers’ names for each nominated production are listed in alphabetical order and are not necessarily the proper order of credits.
2015 (26th Annual) Producers Guild Award nominations:
The theatrical motion picture nominees are:
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
Ø American Sniper (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Producers: Bradley Cooper, p.g.a., Clint Eastwood, p.g.a., Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., Robert Lorenz, p.g.a., Peter Morgan, p.g.a.
Ø Birdman (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole
Ø Boyhood (IFC Films)
Producers: Richard Linklater, p.g.a., Cathleen Sutherland, p.g.a.
Ø Foxcatcher (Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Megan Ellison, p.g.a., Jon Kilik, p.g.a., Bennett Miller, p.g.a.
Ø Gone Girl (20th Century Fox)
Producer: Ceán Chaffin, p.g.a.
Ø The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales
Ø The Imitation Game (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Nora Grossman, p.g.a., Ido Ostrowsky, p.g.a., Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a.
Ø Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Producers: Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy
Ø The Theory of Everything (Focus Features)
Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
Ø Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
Ø Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Producer: Roy Conli, p.g.a.
Ø The Book of Life (20th Century Fox)
Producers: Brad Booker, p.g.a., Guillermo del Toro, p.g.a.
Ø The Boxtrolls (Focus Features)
Producers: David Bleiman Ichioka, p.g.a., Travis Knight, p.g.a.
Ø How To Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox)
Producer: Bonnie Arnold, p.g.a.
Ø The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Producer: Dan Lin, p.g.a.
The television nominees are:
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:
(The Long-Form Television category encompasses both movies of the week and mini-series.)
Ø American Horror Story: Coven & Freak Show (FX)
Producers: Brad Buecker, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Joseph Incaprera, Alexis Martin Woodall, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, Robert M. Williams Jr., James Wong
Ø Fargo (FX)
Producers: Adam Bernstein, John Cameron, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Michael Frislev, Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield, Chad Oakes, Kim Todd
Ø The Normal Heart (HBO)
Producers: Jason Blum, Dante Di Loreto, Scott Ferguson, Dede Gardner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt, Mark Ruffalo
Ø The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (PBS)
Producers: Paul Barnes, Pam Baucom, Ken Burns
Ø Sherlock (PBS)
Producers: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Beryl Vertue, Sue Vertue
[In late 2014, the Producers Guild of America announced the Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture, Television Series and Non-Fiction Television Nominations. The following list now includes complete producer credits.]
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
Ø The Green Prince (Music Box Films)
Producers: John Battsek, Simon Chinn, Nadav Schirman
Ø Life Itself (Magnolia Pictures)
Producers: Garrett Basch, Steve James, Zak Piper
Ø Merchants of Doubt (Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo
Ø Particle Fever (Abramorama/BOND 360)
Producers: David E. Kaplan, Mark A. Levinson, Andrea Miller, Carla Solomon
Ø Virunga (Netflix)
Producers: Joanna Natasegara, Orlando von Einsiedel
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
Ø Breaking Bad (AMC)
Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
Ø Downton Abbey (PBS)
Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
Ø Game Of Thrones (HBO)
Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss
Ø House Of Cards (Netflix)
Producers: Dana Brunetti, Joshua Donen, David Fincher, David Manson, Iain Paterson, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Beau Willimon
Ø True Detective (HBO)
Producers: Richard Brown, Carol Cuddy, Steve Golin, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto, Scott Stephens
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
Ø The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Producers: Faye Oshima Belyeu, Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Bill Prady
Ø Louie (FX)
Producers: Pamela Adlon, Dave Becky, M. Blair Breard, Louis C.K., Vernon Chatman, Adam Escott, Steven Wright
Ø Modern Family (ABC)
Producers: Paul Corrigan, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Sally Young, Danny Zuker
Ø Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)
Producers: Mark A. Burley, Sara Hess, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Neri Tannenbaum, Michael Trim, Lisa I. Vinnecour
Ø Veep (HBO)
Producers: Chris Addison, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Godsick, Armando Iannucci, Stephanie Laing, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Frank Rich, Tony Roche
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
Ø 30 For 30 (ESPN)
Producers: Andy Billman, John Dahl, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell, Bill Simmons
Ø American Masters (PBS)
Producers: Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks, Junko Tsunashima
Ø Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig
Ø COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey (FOX/NatGeo)
Producers: Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Jason Clark, Ann Druyan, Livia Hanich, Steve Holtzman, Seth MacFarlane
Ø Shark Tank (ABC)
Producers: Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Phil Gurin, Yun Lingner, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Roush, Max Swedlow
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television:
Ø The Amazing Race (CBS)
Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo
Ø Dancing With The Stars (ABC)
Producers: Ashley Edens Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur
Ø Project Runway (Lifetime)
Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Teri Weideman
Ø Top Chef (Bravo)
Producers: Doneen Arquines, Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Hillary Olsen, Erica Ross, Tara Siener, Shealan Spencer
Ø The Voice (NBC)
Producers: Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John De Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Kyra Thompson, Mike Yurchuk, Amanda Zucker
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:
Ø The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
Producers: Meredith Bennett, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart
Ø Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)
Producers: David Craig, Ken Crosby, Doug DeLuca, Gary Greenberg, Erin Irwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jill Leiderman, Molly McNearney, Tony Romero, Jason Schrift, Jennifer Sharron, Seth Weidner, Josh Weintraub
Ø Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
Producers: Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Liz Stanton
Ø Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)
Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Matt Wood
Ø The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Producers: Rob Crabbe, Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Josh Lieb, Brian McDonald, Lorne Michaels, Gavin Purcell
[The following programs were previously announced in late 2014. They were not vetted for producer eligibility this year, but winners in these categories will be announced at the official ceremony on January 24th:]
The Award for Outstanding Sports Program:
Ø 24/7 (HBO)
Ø Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Atlanta Falcons (HBO)
Ø Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Cincinnati Bengals (HBO)
Ø Inside: U.S. Soccer's March To Brazil (ESPN)
Ø Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
The Award for Outstanding Children’s Program:
Ø Dora The Explorer (Nickelodeon)
Ø Sesame Street (PBS)
Ø Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon)
Ø Toy Story OF TERROR! (ABC)
Ø Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts Masterclass (HBO)
The Award for Outstanding Digital Series:
Ø 30 For 30 Shorts (http://espn.go.com/30for30/shorts)
Ø Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (http://www.crackle.com/c/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee)
Ø COSMOS: A National Geographic Deeper Dive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkiFfAEB5M8)
Ø Epic Rap Battles Of History (http://youtube.com/erb)
Ø Video Game High School Season 3 (https://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew)
About the Producers Guild of America (PGA):
The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild has more than 6,700 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits,promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. For more information and the latest updates, please visit Producers Guild of America websites and follow on social media:
Websites: www.producersguild.org, www.pgagreen.org, www.pgadiversity.org
Twitter: @ProducersGuild
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pga
Youtube: www.youtube.com/producersguild
Instagram: www.instagram.com/producersguild
Hashtag: #pgaawards
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