Cannes 2012

Today is the best day to start to talk about the 2012 Festival de Cannes as the poster was released a few moments ago.

Cannes will be 65 this year and to celebrate the occasion pays tribute to Marilyn Monroe who has been selected as the icon for the 2012 Festival and as you can see is the object of a beautiful piece of work.

From the press announcement: "Fifty years after her death, Marilyn is still a major figure in world cinema, an eternal icon, whose grace, mystery and power of seduction remain resolutely contemporary.

Each of her screen appearances sparks the imagination. The Festival poster captures Marilyn by surprise in an intimate moment where myth meets reality – a moving tribute to the anniversary of her passing, which coincides with the Festival anniversary.

She enchants us with this promising gesture: a seductively blown kiss.

The Festival is a temple of glamour and Marilyn is its perfect incarnation. Their coming together symbolises the ideal of simplicity and elegance."

Bronx agency, Paris, created the poster from a photo by Otto L. Bettmann and will produce all the graphics for the 2012 Festival.

On other news one of my favorite contemporary Italian directors will be the President of the Jury, I'm talking about none other than great Nanni Moretti.

Accepting the invitation, the Italian actor and director said: “This is a real joy, an honour and a tremendous responsibility to preside over the jury of the most prestigious festival of cinematography in the world, a festival that is held in a country where film has always been treated with interest and respect.

As a director, I was always very moved when my films were presented at the Festival de Cannes. I also have very happy memories of my experience as a jury member during the fiftieth anniversary season, and of the attentiveness and passion that went into the jury’s viewing and discussion of all the films.

As a spectator, fortunately I still have the same curiosity that I had in my youth and so it is a great privilege for me to embark on this voyage into the world of contemporary international film.”

In less than what we can think of, May 16 will be here and the mother of all Festivals will once again start for the glory of extraordinary Cinema. Festival will run from May 16 to 27 and will keep you all up-to-date with the announcements that I know will start to pour next month. Excellent, I survived to live another great party. Yay!

Cheers!

Le Havre

My first and spontaneous reaction to this movie is that is very strange to watch an Aki Kaurismäki movie and understand what actors say instead of reading subtitles. Not that his movies have lots of dialogue, nor this one, that has but the essential words to guide you into this deadpan faces performances (typical) that with very slight expressions tell everything that characters are feeling in a lovely story (non-typical) that absolutely melted my heart all the way to tears when the movie was over. Yes, also thought that probably I’m the only person that could cry with a Kaurismäki movie.

Then, also spontaneously my first thoughts were to how marvelous is the use of light in this movie and in most Kaurismäki movies, as most of his Finland set movies light allows us to feel the cold both from weather as from situations. Here in lower than Finland geographical setting he does exactly the same but with the use of light eventually what we see in the screen, the weather and the complete film experience becomes warm, very warm. Exceptional. I know the story also helps, but is the use of light what really warms the story, that’s it according to me.

Then you have the most carefully crafted production design, amazing visual compositions, many scenes that look like and thus become awesome photographs, great actors performances –yes most if not all scenes with deadpan faces and almost expressionless body language- that tell all with small, very small details, plus a masterful direction that allows flawless fluidity of story and film. Marvelous.

Literally film tells a story about immigration of the not legal kind, but actually according to me is a very simple story with a clear message and morale: do good and you will receive good. A message executed in the most unusual way you can think of, unless you’re very familiar with Kaurismäki storytelling style and still, maybe, you will also find some oddity that probably comes more from the non-Finland setting.

Kaurismäki movies fascinate and mesmerize me, Le Havre is no exception but this movie had the immense power to make me feel beyond what his other films have done and for this I’ll be grateful as feeling intense (warm) emotions in such a dry environment is kind of explosive. Thanks master filmmaker and can’t wait for your next film.

As we know film is Finland submission to Oscar, had its premiere at 2011 Cannes where was in competition for the Palme d’Or and won the FIPRESCI prize, continued to collect honors up to winning the most prestigious Prix Louis Delluc among other accolades. All honors are more than well-deserved.

I was thinking how could be the experience of watching this film when never seen a Kaurismäki movie before; if that’s your case I strongly suggest you do not start with this movie, watch first any other set in Finland Kaurismäki film and then watch this one, I am sure you will enjoy this movie a lot more if is not your first experience with Kaurismäki narrative and visual storytelling style.

Love the movie and thanks to Cannes 2011 also the director –he’s so funny, exactly like his films that have that kind of humor that travels more to the dark and sarcastic side- but I know that this kind of movies is not for all audiences and believe that his films are an acquired taste that once you taste them and like them, you will strive to have more and more.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

84th Academy Awards Winners

Winners are in *Blue.

--//--
2/20
Yes is true, I got really upset and disgusted with these nominations (LOL!) but as the awards ceremony is next Sunday I better fix the post to keep it “clean” in the database. This year will go into my cinema history as the year that Academy members had no clear idea of what to do as only thinking that their minds got cloudy makes me feel a bit at ease or ease enough to write the proper post. Sigh.

To check the list at the official site go here.

Best Picture
*The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Alexander Payne
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Stephen Daldry
The Help, Tate Taylor
Hugo, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Moneyball, Bennett Miller
The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
War Horse, Steven Spielberg

Animated Feature Film
Une vie de chat (A Cat in Paris), Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium
Chico & Rita, Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando, Spain and UK
Kung Fu Panda 2, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, USA
Puss in Boots, Chris Miller, USA
*Rango, Gore Verbinski, USA

Foreign Language Film
Rundskop (Bullhead), Michaël R. Roskam, Belgium
הערת שוליים (Footnote), Joseph Cedar, Israel
W ciemności (In Darkness), Agnieszka Holland, Poland
Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau, Canada
جدایی نادر از سیمین* Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader and Simin, A Separation), Asghar Farhadi, Iran

Directing
*Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis in The Help
Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
*Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn

Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in The Artist
Jessica Chastain in The Help
Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs
*Octavia Spencer in The Help

Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in A Better Life
George Clooney in The Descendants
*Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt in Moneyball

Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Nick Nolte in Warrior
*Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Cinematography
The Artist, Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jeff Cronenweth
*Hugo, Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life, Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse, Janusz Kaminski

Writing Adapted Screenplay
*The Descendants, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo, John Logan
The Ides of March, George Clooney , Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball, Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan

Writing Original Screenplay
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids, Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
Margin Call, J.C. Chandor
*Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
A Separation, Asghar Farhadi

Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen

Art Direction
The Artist; Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2; Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
*Hugo; Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
Midnight in Paris; Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
War Horse; Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
*Hugo, Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
Real Steel, Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Sound Editing
Drive, Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Ren Klyce
*Hugo, Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
War Horse, Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
*Hugo,Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
Moneyball, Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
War Horse, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Costume Design
Anonymous, Lisy Christl
*The Artist, Mark Bridges
Hugo, Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre, Michael O'Connor
W.E., Arianne Phillips

Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
*The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music - Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
*The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Music - Original Song
*Man or Muppet from The Muppets, Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio from Rio, Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Documentary
Hell and Back Again, Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner, USA, UK, Afghanistan
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman, USA and UK
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, USA
Pina, Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel, Germany, France and UK
*Undefeated, TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas, USA

Short Film Live Action
Pentecost, Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane, Ireland
Raju, Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren, Germany and India
*The Shore, Terry George and Oorlagh George, UK
Time Freak, Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey, USA
Tuba Atlantic, Hallvar Witzø, Norwegian

Short Film Animated
Dimanche (Sunday), Patrick Doyon, Canada
*The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, USA
La Luna, Enrico Casarosa, USA
A Morning Stroll, Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe, UK
Wild Life, Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, Canada

Short Film Documentary
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin, USA
God Is the Bigger Elvis, Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson, USA
Incident in New Baghdad, James Spione, USA
*Saving Face, Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, USA and Pakistan
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen, UK and Japan

Actress is the only category that I really care and this year got really messed with a nominee that truly doesn’t belong there considering not only her performance but also comparing her performance with the likes of Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Charlize Theron in Young Adult, and even Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene. But most important for me is that IF Academy members would have seen Noomi Rapace in the original Män som hatar kvinnor they will never even consider Mara performance as near to what Lisbeth Salander should be and is in the screen. Sigh. Still I know that there are two actresses with possibilities Viola Davis and Meryl Streep; wish Davis wins as even when Streep performance is very good she should not get an award for such a bad movie that not even her great performance can save. I really disliked The Iron Lady.

I know that everyone is expecting The Artist to win and according to the multiple honors that have already collected around the world, it would not be a surprise if a French film wins the top award. Yesterday the film won a Goya and I was laughing hard when Spanish people twitted about Spain giving an award to a French film when France is their enemy; I know is not really funny but at least the Spaniards, the British admit is a French movie while the Americans tend to “believe” is an American movie just because Weistein has the distribution rights and does great movie marketing. Sigh. The other movie that maybe has a change is The Descendants and to be honest I believe this movie gives viewers a better cinematic experience than The Artist.

Two pieces of fun Oscar trivia.

Ms. Streep’s nomination cemented her position as the most-nominated actor in Academy Awards history, with 17 nominations — far more than the next-most nominated, Jack Nicholson and Katharine Hepburn, with 12 each. Ms. Streep last won an Oscar in 1983, for best actress for “Sophie’s Choice,” and she was previously best supporting actress in 1980, for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”

Kenneth Branagh is the first actor to be nominated for five Oscars in five different categories, as pointed out by Mark Harris. Branagh's been nominated for Best Director (Henry V), Best Leading Actor (Henry V), Best Live-Action Short Film (1992's Swan Song), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hamlet), and now Best Supporting Actor for My Week With Marilyn.

Last, one piece about remakes that I regret that filmmakers try to improve on what Selznick knew since the late thirties. Sigh

In 1936 the Hollywood mogul David O Selznick bought the Swedish movie Intermezzo, signed up its star Ingrid Bergman and remade it in 1939 under the same title with Bergman repeating her original role in an otherwise British and American cast. During pre-production he sent a three-page memo to his chief producer about such adaptations. "I want to impress on you strongly," he wrote, "that the most important saving to be effected in remaking foreign pictures – a saving that more than offsets the doubtful foreign markets that have been used up by the original version, and that makes these remakes uniquely desirable – is in the shooting, by actually duplicating, as far as possible, the [earlier] film." And he added: "Granted a good cast, direction as good as Molander's on the original, a somewhat faster tempo than his, for I think the pace is much too slow for an Anglo-Saxon audience, and some cuts – we can duplicate the picture."

Oscar livestream

Will be sharing different livestreams for you to choose and enjoy



Ustream with three channels here

MTV will broadcast red carpet live





Will check this one later.  THIS ONE WORKS HAS ABC Show.

Seems is raining right now check OTRC live streaming...

I'm looking for a feed where NO ONE TALKS!!! That's the one I really like to watch... but surely will find it later (think I bookmarked in the other machine).

Pre-show in Dailymotion

I can't believe is not butter Toast to the Red Carpet live

Pop Sugar

Very Late Oscar (sort of) Predictions

Due to popular demand (LOL) will do some predictions for tonight but we all know that one movie could also sweep the awards which has become sort of annoying and well, yes, boring especially if you’re one of the many people that believe that movie not necessarily deserves all honors that have been collecting. I am one that thinks exactly that.

Don’t get me wrong movie is nice but IF I wanted to enjoy a silent movie there are so many that I can watch that are extremely superior to this year “popular” silent movie, so being silent is not the issue to deserve honors. Then think about performances, not bad in this movie but if I want to watch silent performances –based on expressions- there are SO many that will simply blow mine (and yours) mind, one fast example: think Chaplin. Then think tech specs, well yes in these elements The Artist is obviously superior to any silent movie, dah! So all the honors the movie has been collecting strongly suggest “nostalgia”, honoring “times that are long gone” and probably will never comeback –when cinema was kind of “innocent” and suddenly what started in USA spill its magic into UK and France as both Academies gave top honors to a movie that celebrates “old” Hollywood and tangentially “old world cinema”. Old is good this year in Hollywood and no surprise as just remember the average age of Academy members that vote in these awards or think Billy Crystal.

Well let’s get into looking at my crystal ball. To clarify, will win is what I predict will win; should win, is the one I think should win from nominees, and my vote goes to could come from nominees or any other movie that I believe was relevant in each category.

Best Picture
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Descendants
My Oscar goes to: I think I have not seen it yet… (let’s hope is Le Havre)

Best Animated Feature Film
Will Win: Rango
Should Win: Rango
My Oscar goes to: Un vie de chat (A cat in Paris) which I enjoy so much that seemed quite short in length.

Foreign Language Film
Will Win: A Separation
Should Win: A Separation
My Oscar goes to: Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) which is the best movie I have seen from past year up to today.

Directing
Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius
Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius – just for daring to do the movie
My Oscar goes to: Nuri Bilge Ceylan for returning to his marverlous style and doing an outstanding masterpiece

Actress in a Leading Role
Will Win: Viola Davis or Meryl Streep
Should Win: Michelle Williams
My Oscar goes to: Michelle Williams for her incredible performance as MM.

Unfortunately the Academy members will not dare to give Michelle Williams the Oscar this year just because she played a “sacred” icon and they will not give anyone a reward for playing a Hollywood icon. But you’ll see that her next good role will mean Oscar for her. Was reading about Rooney Mara nomination by some academy members, their reasoning is that they’re impressed by the “change” Mara went to become Lisbeth and as stated by many, it is OBVIOUS that none of those Academy members have seen Noomi Rapace doing the same role, but ignorance should not excuse their lack of world cinema exposure, sigh. Instead of Mara, great Tilda Swinton should have been nominated, period. I can’t give my Oscar to Meryl Streep as even if she has a good performance in The Iron Lady, she could not save the movie, gosh that was a really bad movie and I hate it.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Octavia Spencer
Should Win: Jessica Chastain for so many good roles in one year that’s truly amazing!
My Oscar goes to: yep, Jessica Chastain especially in Take Shelter but including all her other appearances.

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Win: Jean Dujardin
Should Win: George Clooney (if he’s going to be honored with Oscar then this is the role for which he should get the honor)
My Oscar goes to: as much as I think I could not think about one male performance that particularly impressed me; surprised me, ah! Brad Pitt in Moneyball. See Gosling was really good in Drive but I expect that performance from him, so it’s not surprising.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Christopher Plummer
Should Win: believe it or not, the best of the group is Jonah Hill
My Oscar goes to: not Plummer, he was the best in Beginners but his performance is not as good as Hill or Nolte, for example. One that impressed me was Albert Brooks in Drive, and I’m NO Brooks fan, but he was good.

Cinematography
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: NONE of the nominated and especially NOT The Tree of Life as its celebrated Big Bang too long scene looks and feels like MANY I have seen in Natgeo or similar TV channels.
My Oscar goes to: I’m very visual and the movie that gets my Oscar is Bal (Honey) that I know is too old for this year but truly deserves the top honor in the world. Okay this year stays in Turkey with Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia).

Writing Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: The Descendants
Should Win: The Descendants
My Oscar goes to: The Descendants

Writing Original Screenplay
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: A Separation
My Oscar goes to: A Separation for such a universal story so well developed.

Visual Effects
Will Win: no idea, but surely not the one I like
Should Win: The Planet of the Apes
My Oscar goes to: the outstanding visual effects in The Planet of the Apes that so effectively show amazing ape emotions by facial expressions. Great!

Film Editing
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Descendants or Moneyball

Art Direction
Will Win: no idea (but I predicted Hugo elsewhere)
Should Win: the only movie I have NOT seen Harry Potter

Sound Editing
Will Win: no idea but I predicted Hugo
Should Win: Drive

Sound Mixing
Will Win: no idea but predicted Hugo
Should Win: Transformers maybe? Is the only nominated film where sound is essential part of the movie.

Costume Design
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: Jane Eyre

Makeup
Will Win: The Iron Lady
Should Win: The Iron Lady

Music – Original Score
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Artist (music is very good in this movie)

Music – Original Song
Will Win: The Muppets or Rio (lol!)

Documentary
Will Win: Pina HAS TO WIN!
Should Win: Pina
My Oscar goes to: Pina (absolutely one of the best documentaries I have ever seen)

Short Film Live Action
Will Win: Pentecost
Should Win: The Shore

Short Film Animated
Will Win: La Luna
Should Win: maybe The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film Documentary
Will Win: no idea but let’s hope The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom wins
Should Win: Lucy Walker – she’s such a great filmmaker

So these are my “crazy” predictions for this year where fate says that The Artist could (and will) sweep all the awards in the world including the Oscars… don’t you think that France is really “sorry” for not sending The Artist as their foreign language film? Oops, now I remember that “silence” is not a foreign language for the Academy, lol! But one thing I’m absolutely sure, SILENCE is what many Hollywood films need nowadays.

27th Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners

Following the awards by twitter has become one of the most fascinating activities in this award season as you can really laugh hard with all the things people write; this time I followed #spiritawards and the best tweet just happened a few seconds ago and reads "Complete list of Harvey Weinstein Award winners" (LMAO) Oh Gosh, HW is either loved or hated (more the later) but is so funny all the stuff (industry) people say in twitter about him. No, will not watch tonight as jokes are too gross for me (don't enjoy American humor) so this will be all for me and the Spirit awards. Winners are in *BLUE and will be at official site here soon.

--//--

11/29/2011

A few minutes ago organizers announced the nominees selected from 277 submissions; this annual celebration honors artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Here are the nominees.

Best Feature
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
*The Artist
The Descendants

Best Director
*Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Mike Mills for Beginners
Jeff Nichols for Take Shelter
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive

Best First Feature
Another Earth, Mike Cahill
In the Family, Patrick Wang
*Margin Call, J. C. Chandor
Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sean Durkin
Natural Selection, Robbie Pickering

John Cassavetes Award (given to best feature for under US$500,000)
Bellflower, Evan Glodell
Circumstance, Maryam Keshavarz
Hello Lonesome, Adam Reid
*Pariah, Dee Rees
The Dynamiter, Brad Inglesby

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose in Think of Me
Rachael Harris in Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye in Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene
*Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn

Best Male Lead
Demián Bichir in A Better Life
*Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Ryan Gosling in Drive
Woody Harrelson in Rampart
Michael Shannon in Take Shelter

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain in Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston in 50/50
Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road
*Shailene Woodley in The Descendats

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks in Drive
John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene
*Christopher Plummer in Beginners
John C. Reilly in Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll in Midnight in Paris

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar for Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Tom McCarthy for Win Win
Mike Millsfor Beginners
*Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash for The Descendants

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill, Brit Marling for Another Earth
J.C. Chandor for Margin Call
Patrick deWitt for Terri
Phil Johnston for Cedar Rapids
*Will Reiser for 50/50

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge for Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke for The Off Hours
Darius Khondji for Midnight in Paris
*Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron for The Dynamiter

Best Documentary
An African Election, Jarreth Merz
Bill Cunningham New York, Richard Press
*The Interrupters, Steve James
The Redemption of General Butt Naked, Eric Strauss and Danielle Anastation
We Were Here, David Weissman

Best International Film
*A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, Iran
Melancholia, Lars von Trier, Denmark, Sweden, France and Germany
Shame, Steve McQueen, UK
The Kid With a Bike, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgium, France and Italy
Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine, UK

To check the official announcement go here and to check nominees in all categories download file at the bottom of announcement. As a summary, leading the pack Take Shelter and The Artist with 5 nominations each; Fox Searchlight takes 14 nods followed by Sony Pictures Classics with 9.

My biggest surprise is Glenn Close NOT being nominated for Best Actress, which makes me wonder IF she’ll make it to an Oscar nod; still Janet McTeer got a nomination for a supporting role. A lot less surprising as Hollywood does not really “like” Woody Allen is the absence of top nominations for Midnight in Paris as film gets nods for cinematography and best supporting male. Last, I’m VERY surprised that Malick’s latest got no nominations at all, but as I’ve been saying, I didn’t enjoyed much his latest movie; still is very surprising that NY did nominate film while LA did not. Okay also not nominated, George Clooney but somehow I’m glad as gives opportunity to more interesting actors to be nominated.

There are several –if we compare nominees to previous years- Cannes films in this year Spirit nominations starting with a French movie (ok, has some USA producers) The Artist, followed by Drive, Hearat Shulayim (Footnote) and Take Shelter; plus four more in the Best International Film category. As we know Cannes credentials mean a lot in the cinema world, with the exception of the American industry, so believe that this credential doesn’t assure much in American Indies awards.

Most interesting for me are the nominees in the John Cassavetes Award as there are two lesbian interest films that have become notorious not only because story/performances but also for "unexpected" quality that seldom populates the genre. Circumstance is must be seen for me as story, performances, situation, cinematography, and more seem to be quite out-of-the-ordinary and let's hope gets this honor.

Awards ceremony will be on February 25, 2012 as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica and the premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00pm ET/PT on IFC.

Oscar Poll

Which movie will win Best Picture?


Which movie will win Best Foreign Language Film?