Motherland , a “dark and monumental” film about neo-nationalism in Belarus, earned the top prize tonight at the prestigious CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. Belorussian directors Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka accepted the Dox:Award honor at a ceremony at the Kunsthal Charlottenborg in the Danish capital. Jurors praised Motherland as “a cinematic and meaningful film that took its time unfolding the complexity of living within an oppressive and unjust system. It poses questions about the idea of an individual choice within a cornered society. The title of the film is a way to give back the power to the women who are at the forefront of this fight.” [See the full list of CPH:DOX winners below]. The world premiere of Motherland at CPH:DOX comes at a particularly timely moment, just over a year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine with key assistance from the Kremlin-allied Belorussian government. Russian forces trained in Belarus in advance of the … [Read more...] about ‘Motherland,’ Belorussian Film That Challenges Country’s Nationalist Push, Takes Top Prize At CPH:DOX; See Full Winners List
67th national film awards winners list
‘Flamin’ Hot’, ‘Mustache’, ‘The Luckiest Guy In The World’ Among SXSW Audience Award Winners
The Eva Longoria-directed Flamin’ Hot , Imran J. Khan’s Mustache and the upcoming ESPN bio-doc about NBA icon Bill Walton were among the audience award winners revealed Monday for the 31st SXSW Film & TV Festival. Flamin’ Hot , which stars Jesse Garcia in the sometimes true tale of the man behind the “flamin’ hot”-branded chip revolution, was named the Audience Award winner in the festival’s Headliners section. The pic, from Searchlight Pictures, will debut June 9 on both Hulu and Disney+ . Mustache , written and directed by Khan, won the Narrative Feature Competition honor, and Julio Quintana’s The Long Game won for Narrative Spotlight. The Documentary Feature Competition winner was Dan Covert’s Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life , while Documentary Spotlight honors went to Olivia Kuan’s The Herricanes . RELATED: ‘Flamin’ Hot’ Review: Eva Longoria’s Directorial Debut Is An Inspiring Latino Rags-To-Riches Story – SXSW The fest’s Midnighters … [Read more...] about ‘Flamin’ Hot’, ‘Mustache’, ‘The Luckiest Guy In The World’ Among SXSW Audience Award Winners
Kate Winslet Scoops Big Acting Prize At RTS Awards
Kate Winslet took home the big acting prize at last night’s RTS Awards for her heartwrenching performance in Channel 4’s I Am Ruth while there were two gongs apiece for Sherwoo d, The Traitors and Derry Girls . Winslet won Leading Actor (Female) during last night’s London ceremony, staving off competition from I Hate Suzie Too’s Billie Piper and The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe’s Monica Dolan. Winslet’s performance alongside daughter Mia Threapleton has attracted praise from critics in the Channel 4 anthology series about the human experience. Speaking last week , HBO’s Casey Bloys said he wants Winslet to become a “national treasure” in the U.S. and she is currently in production on HBO’s The Palace. Heartstopper’s Kit Connor took home Leading Actor (Male) ahead of Top Boy’s Kane Robinson aka Kano and The English’s Chaske Spencer, marking a rare RTS acting win for a Netflix show. Graham’s BBC drama Sherwood won the coveted Drama Series … [Read more...] about Kate Winslet Scoops Big Acting Prize At RTS Awards
‘This Is Going To Hurt’ Stars Win Big At Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
Ben Whishaw and Ambika Mod , the stars of This is Going to Hurt , have scooped the top acting prizes at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards , while Derry Girls picked up a double. This is Going to Hurt failed to even land a nomination in Best Drama Series, with that gong going to fellow BBC drama Sherwood, but Whishaw and Mod staved off competition from the likes of Anna Maxwell Martin, Leslie Manville and Gary Oldman to take the major prizes. Mod’s win will lead to more raised eyebrows at the BAFTA TV jury’s decision to eschew her from this week’s Best Actress nomination list in favor of the likes of Kate Winslet, Sarah Lancashire and Imelda Staunton. Whishaw picked up a BAFTA nod for Best Actor. Mod’s portrayal of struggling junior doctor Shruti won critics’ hearts, while Whishaw’s lead turn playing Adam has also won out for the Adam Kay-penned adaptation of Kay’s book. Meanwhile at the awards voted on by the UK’s media press, Lisa McGee’s … [Read more...] about ‘This Is Going To Hurt’ Stars Win Big At Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
Merritt Wever-Led ‘Midday Black Midnight Blue’ Acquired By Good Deed; Coral Peña, Nicole Byer Board ‘Thelma’; More – Film Briefs
EXCLUSIVE : Good Deed Entertainment has acquired North American and UK rights to the indie drama Midday Black Midnight Blue , starring 2x Emmy winner Merritt Wever ( Godless ), slating it for a day-and-date release in June. The first feature from writer-directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott, also starring Chris Stack (AMC’s Interview with the Vampire ) and Soule ( Godless ), follows Ian (Stack) as he grapples with his shifting memories of Liv (Soule), a woman he once loved. For Ian, it’s a chance run-in with Liv’s sister (Wever) that sparks a journey in which he has a chance to reconnect to the light and fight his way back to life. The film, which world premiered at last year’s Seattle Film Festival, is produced by Soule, Talbott and Stack, as well as Lovell Holder and Addie Johnson Talbott. Exec producers are Timothy Farrell, Conner Marx and Will Pullen. GDE’s EVP of Acquisitions Erik Donley negotiated Midday Black ‘s deal for the company, with … [Read more...] about Merritt Wever-Led ‘Midday Black Midnight Blue’ Acquired By Good Deed; Coral Peña, Nicole Byer Board ‘Thelma’; More – Film Briefs
Cillian Murphy Receives First BAFTA TV Award Nomination For ‘Peaky Blinders’
Cillian Murphy ’s final turn as Tommy Shelby in the Peaky Blinders television series has earned him his first BAFTA TV Awards nomination. The actor will compete in the Leading Actor category, receiving recognition for six seasons of work in BBC1’s hit gangster drama. His only previous nomination from BAFTA was for the Rising Star prize at the 2007 Film Awards. Murphy, who secured Peaky Blinders ‘ only nomination, is joined by another first-time TV nominee in the Leading Actor race: Gary Oldman, who is up for the prize for his performance as spy Jackson Lamb in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. Rounding out the best actor nominees are Ben Whishaw ( This Is Going To Hurt ), Martin Freeman ( The Responder ), Chaske Spencer ( The English ), and Taron Egerton ( Black Bird ). Other first-time BAFTA TV Award nominees included Daniel Radcliffe for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story . Check out the full list of nominees. … [Read more...] about Cillian Murphy Receives First BAFTA TV Award Nomination For ‘Peaky Blinders’
Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews Sets Second Edition Including Joe Russo Talk & Mystery AGBO Debut
EXCLUSIVE: The Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews , held in northern Scotland, has set the lineup for its second edition, running April 14 – 16. Over the course of three days, the festival will host a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo ( Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man ), who returns to St Andrews after supporting the inaugural edition in 2022. Russo will be bringing with him what the festival has described as an “early sneak peek of a hotly anticipated project” that he has executive produced under his AGBO production outfit. The title of the pic will not be unveiled until the screening begins. The festival has also set Russo as the host of a public discussion on gaming and contemporary storytelling with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard, who has worked as a creator and director on titles such as Fortnite . Russo’s AGBO is among the backers of Sands, alongside … [Read more...] about Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews Sets Second Edition Including Joe Russo Talk & Mystery AGBO Debut
No Shockers Among DGA Awards Film Nominees: Cuaron, Greengrass, McQueen, Russell, Scorsese
Today’s eagerly awaited DGA nominations are out and there are no surprises in the bunch. Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron , Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass , 12 Years A Slave’s Steve McQueen , American Hustle’s David O. Russell and The Wolf Of Wall Street ‘s Martin Scorsese were all odds-on favorites to make the five — and they did. Some might have questioned Scorsese’s chances since the film has become a lightning rod for controversy and was the last major release of the year, meaning the 15,000-member guild voters would have to see it in time to cast their ballot. But c’mon, he’s Martin Scorsese. There would be no denying this achievement among his fellow directors. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the guild and 10 other nominations with 3 wins in 3 different categories ( The Departed in film, Boardwalk Empire in TV a nd George Harrison: Living In The Material World in documentary). He’s a god to this guild. Greengrass, McQueen and … [Read more...] about No Shockers Among DGA Awards Film Nominees: Cuaron, Greengrass, McQueen, Russell, Scorsese
The Black List And Women In Film Set 2023 Episodic Lab Writers
EXCLUSIVE: The Black List and Women in Film said Monday that they have set the participants for their 2023 Episodic Lab, with seven television pilots from eight writers selected. Now in its seventh year, the lab focuses on preparing women writers and writers of underrepresented genders for careers in writing for TV. More than 40 scribes have participated since its launch in 2016, with the organizations saying half currently have jobs in the industry. This year’s list features Bev Chukwu, Deanna Esposito, Eudie Pak, Laura Malatos & Helen Sun, Katherine Ruppe, Lorin Williams and Thea Rodgers. The lab, supported by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Shivhans Pictures, meets twice a week in March for sessions that include masterclasses, pitch workshops and lectures from guest mentors. This year’s mentors list includes Monica Beletsky ( Parenthood ), Jane Becker ( Ted Lasso ), Glen Mazzara ( The Dark Tower ), Sono Patel ( The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ) … [Read more...] about The Black List And Women In Film Set 2023 Episodic Lab Writers
Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX
Oscar winner and Academy member Roger Ross Williams is saying publicly what many in the documentary community have stewed over privately – that the sums of money being spent on Oscar documentary campaigns has “gotten insane.” And Williams, a former Academy Governor representing the Doc Branch, says something may be done about it. “We in the Academy, in the Doc Branch, have a campaign finance reform committee… to sort of try to work through that and figure out solutions to that. It’s gotten insane. It’s gazillions of dollars to get seen and heard,” he said, “and that’s so troubling because it should be on the merit of the films.” His remarks, less than two weeks after the Academy Awards, came in a discussion with documentary programmer and Pure Nonfiction podcaster Thom Powers at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. Powers asked the filmmaker about “the escalating attention that awards season sucks up in our industry,” and Williams didn’t hold back. “We know it’s awards, it’s the … [Read more...] about Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX