LOS ANGELES, CA – Actors Olivia Munn and Jason Segel will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 13, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. They will present 11 awards to 33 individual recipients and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers during the evening.
“The Sci-Tech Awards Presentation is one of our special events during Oscar® season, and we’re thrilled to have Olivia and Jason as this year’s hosts,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their humor and charm will be terrific complements to the brilliance of our colleagues and their outstanding scientific and technical achievements.”
Munn’s feature film credits include “Ride Along 2,” now in theaters, as well as “Mortdecai,” “Deliver Us from Evil” and “Magic Mike.” She also starred in the critically acclaimed series “The Newsroom” for three seasons. Munn will appear as Psylocke in the upcoming X-Men sequel “X-Men: Apocalypse.”
Segel currently stars in James Ponsoldt’s dramatic biopic, “The End of the Tour,” in which he plays David Foster Wallace. His other film credits include “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (writer), “The Muppets” (writer, producer), “Get Him to the Greek” (writer, co-producer), “I Love You, Man” and “Knocked Up.” On television, Segel starred in “How I Met Your Mother” and “Freaks and Geeks.” Additionally, Segel is an author for a children’s middle-grade fiction series titled “Nightmares!”
Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar telecast.
Popular Mechanics is a proud supporter of the Scientific and Technical Awards.
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Month: January 2016
An incredible documentary Oscar nomination, the 25 years story.
In 1990, He Isolated Himself In A Desert. 25 Years Later, THIS Was Discovered. INCREDIBLE!
In the history of art there’s only been one artist who was crazy enough to carve a mountain… until now. It took Gutzon Borglum 14 years and 400 workers to sculpt Mt. Rushmore, but artist Ra Paulette has been working alone for 25 years, using no power tools to transform these New Mexico cave system into one of a kind piece of art.
Some might call him crazy, but in reality, this is the man who found his passion. It’s weird that Ra’s work has been relatively unnoticed until recently when the documentary about his never-ending endeavor got an Oscar nomination and people began recognizing his work. Epic.
Statement From Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs ( Oscars Awards)
Cheryl Boone Isaacs first African American woman president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees. While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes. The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.
As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly.
This isn’t unprecedented for the Academy. In the ‘60s and ‘70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together.
Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Oscar winner Lupita
Sharon Stone stresses faith at the Rotary World Peace Conference
Actress Sharon Stone urged peace builders Friday, Jan. 15, to seek inner harmony as they strive for global change.
The filmmaker and humanitarian told hundreds of people at the Rotary World Peace Conference in Ontario to embrace the group’s motto of “Service Above Self” while finding their own path to contentment.
“I believe that happiness is a discipline,” Stone said on the first day of the two-day conference at the Ontario Convention Center. The event, which ends Saturday, features more than 150 experts addressing terrorism, war, religious conflicts, civil rights, violence and other topics.
About 50 first responders from the Dec. 2 mass shooting in San Bernardino are set to be honored Saturday evening.
Stone encouraged Rotarians to strive to make a difference – regardless of their religious differences.
“It doesn’t matter what your faith is, it matters that you have faith … Faith is the question and faith is the answer,” she said.
Only when people accept their own flaws can they become peaceful, compassionate and understanding toward others, Stone said.
She called on the audience to “find tolerance within ourselves so we can understand the other, so that we can do better, be better, be more and discipline ourselves to happiness.”
Technology has made it possible for people across the globe to unite and solve problems, she said.
“In this time more than ever, it’s so exciting because we’re all connected to one another,” Stone said.
Sharon was honored…well deserved…mesmerizing speech!
Stone produced and starred in the documentary, “Femme,” about how women can transform society. The film was scheduled to shown during the conference, which attracted more than 1,200 people from 26 countries, organizers said.
While Stone’s speech address focused on achieving inner peace, other aspects of the conference stressed global concerns.
On the stage of the Peace Conference! Peace to The World!
Earlier in the day, panelists talked about the Syrian refugee crisis, which has sent about 4 million people fleeing their homeland since the nation’s civil war started in 2011.
Garbis Der-Yeghian, president of Mashdots College in Glendale, led a discussion that included a showing of a 40-minute documentary about the refugee crisis, which he called “the greatest human catastrophe of the 21st Century.”
He recently returned from a trip to Syria and has been involved in diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
By Stephen Wall / Staff Writer )The Press Enterprise
Pics of the Event.
Presenting Sharon Stone…
With Sharon…inspired by this pure genius Soul!
With Rotarian and organizer Rudy Westervelt
With Dawn Zuill, Gary Quinn and Eliana Gilad at the Q&A for FEMME — with Gary Quinn.
Producer Gary Quinn with Producer Sharon Stone!— with Gary Quinn.
Sharon and Silent River film festival director/founder Kalpna Singh-Chitnis
Peace! Peace! Peace!
Love You Everyone!!
With Producer Dawn Zuill
Yelling for Peace and Love! — with Gary Quinn and others
With my Dear Friends and FEMME team Gary Quinn, Dawn Zuill, Kalpna Singh-Chitnis, Eliana Gilad and Ro Derick Petty
Sharon and the Ontario Police Team! Thank you Dear Officers!
Eye of Peace!
Oscars 2016 Nominations: Complete List of Nominees
Will Leonardo DiCaprio emerge victorious at the 2016 Oscars?
Nominations for the 88th Annual Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning during a special two-part news conference that took place inside the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, directors Guillermo Del Toro and Ang Lee and actor John Krasinski took turns revealing which actors, animators, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentarians, makeup artists, musicians, producers, production designers, screenwriters, sound editors, sound mixers and visual effects editors are being honored for films released in 2015.
The Oscars will be held on Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center and will be televised live on ABC at 7 p.m. ET. The A-list event will also be broadcast live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
E! News confirmed in October 2015 that Chris Rock will host the show for the second time, following his first stint at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005.
“I’m so glad to be hosting the Oscars,” Rock said. “It’s great to be back.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held its 7th Annual Governors Awards on Nov. 14, 2015, honoring director Spike Lee and actress Gena Rowlands. Actress Debbie Reynolds also received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Here are the nominees for the 2016 Oscars:
Best Picture
The Big Short, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner
Bridge of Spies, Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger
Brooklyn, Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey
Mad Max: Fury Road, Doug Mitchell and George Miller
The Martian, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer and Mark Huffam
The Revenant, Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent and Keith Redmon
Room, Ed Guiney
Spotlight, Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Best Directing
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Best Film Editing
The Big Short, Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road, Margaret Sixel
The Revenant, Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight, Tom McArdle
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey
Best Foreign Language Film
Colombia, Embrace of the Serpent
France, Mustang
Hungary, Son of Saul
Jordan, Theeb
Denmark, A War
Best Original Score
Thomas Newman, Bridge of Spies
Carter Burwell, Carol
Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Jóhann Jóhannsson, Sicario
John Williams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Production Design
Bridge of Spies, Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Henrich
The Danish Girl, Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Michael Standish
Mad Max: Fury Road, Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson
The Martian, Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Celia Bobak
The Revenant, Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Hamish Purdy
Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina, Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
Mad Max: Fury Road, Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver and Andy Williams
The Martian, Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence and Steven Warner
The Revenant, Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith and Cameron Waldbauer
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short, Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Brooklyn, Nick Hornby
Carol, Phyllis Nagy
The Martian, Drew Goddard
Room, Emma Donoghue
Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies, Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Ex Machina, Alex Garland
Inside Out, Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Spotlight, Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Straight Outta Compton, Screenplay by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; Story by S. Leigh Savidge, Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff
Best Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa, Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson and Rosa Tran
Boy and the World, Alê Abreu
Inside Out, Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera
Shaun the Sheep Movie, Mark Burton and Richard Starzak
When Marnie Was There, Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura
Best Cinematography
Carol, Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight, Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road, John Seale
The Revenant, Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario, Roger Deakins
Best Costume Design
Carol, Sandy Powell
Cinderella, Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl, Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road, Jenny Beavan
The Revenant, Jacqueline West
Best Documentary – Feature
Amy, Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees
Cartel Land, Matthew Heineman and Tom Yellin
The Look of Silence, Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
What Happened, Miss Simone?, Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby and Justin Wilkes
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, Evgeny Afineevsky and Den Tolmor
Best Documentary – Short Subject
Body Team 12, David Darg and Bryn Mooser
Chau, Beyond the Lines, Courtney Marsh and Jerry Franck
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah, Adam Benzine
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Last Day of Freedom, Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Mad Max: Fury Road, Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
The Revenant, Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini
Best Original Song
“Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey, Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio
“Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction, J. Ralph and Antony Hegarty
“Simple Song #3,” Youth, David Lang
“‘Til It Happens to You,” The Haunting Ground, Diane Warren and Lady Gaga
“Writings on the Wall,” Spectre, Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith
Best Animated Short Film
Bear Story, Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
Prologue, Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton
Sanjay’s Super Team, Sanjay Patel and Nicole Grindle
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, Konstantin Bronzit
World of Tomorrow, Don Hertzfeldt
Best Live Action Short Film
Ave Maria, Basil Khalil and Eric Dupont
Day One, Henry Hughes
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut), Patrick Vollrath
Shok, Jamie Donoughue
Stutterer, Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage
Best Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road, Mark Mangini and David White
The Martian, Oliver Tarney
The Revenant, Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender
Sicario, Alan Robert Murray
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Matthew Wood and David Acord
Best Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Drew Kunin
Mad Max: Fury Road, Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo
The Martian, Paul Massey, Mark Taylor and Mac Ruth
The Revenant, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Randy Thom and Chris Duesterdiek
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson
(Originally published on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at 5:15 a.m. PDT.)
Berlinale Co-Production Market Matches 36 New Feature Film Projects with International Co-Production Partners
At the 13th edition of the Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 14 to 16, 2016), a select group of 36 new feature film projects from 29 different countries will be able to forge international co-production and financing partnerships. In addition, five renowned companies will be presented in the scope of the market’s exclusive company matching programme.
During the three-day event, producers have the chance to meet, in pre-arranged one-on-one meetings, interested potential partners from a participant pool composed of 500 producers and film financiers from all around the world.
From a total of 301 submissions, 20 promising feature film projects were chosen for the official selection. These projects are all being developed by internationally experienced producers and have already secured domestic production support or at least 30 percent of their budget. Budgets for the projects range from 1 to 9.6 million euros.
In co-operation with CineMart Rotterdam, three projects have also been selected again for the “Rotterdam-Berlinale Express”. These projects will participate both at CineMart and at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.
The filmmakers of the 2015 Berlinale Residency programme will also be returning to Berlin in February: Fernando Eimbcke, Ella Manzheeva and Daniel Borgman will be back, together with their producers, to present the projects that they developed here last autumn.
At the “Talent Project Market”, which is organised in co-operation with Berlinale Talents, ten up-and-coming producers, chosen from a total of 152 applicants, will present their projects on the international market.
Among the directors of the selected projects are familiar names such as Ciro Guerra, whose Embrace of the Serpent was presented as a project at a past edition of the market and is shortlisted for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, Jasmila Zbanic, winner of the Golden Bear in 2006, Irish director Mark Noonan, who presented his debut film You’re Ugly Too last year at the Berlinale in theGeneration Kplus programme and is currently working on his second feature film, as well as a host of other equally acclaimed directors such as Diego Lerman, Oliver Schmitz, Brandon Cronenberg and Alvaro Brechner.
In addition to the meetings with potential partners, which are specifically co-ordinated to meet the participants’ concrete needs, projects also have the chance to win one of three awards at the event. In addition to the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, with prize money of 20,000 euros, the VFF Talent Highlight Pitch Award, worth 10,000 euros, and the ARTE International Prize, worth 7,000 euros, will also be presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.
The five companies in the company matching programme hail from Brazil, Germany, France, Italy and Canada. The 500 other participants can also request one-on-one meetings with these companies to exchange information on a structural level or on the basis of project slates, and to start to consider long-term co-operations.
There are at least six films in the festival programme of the upcoming Berlinale that were presented as projects at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. These projects networked with partners for co-production, world sales, TV, distribution, and financing here in previous years: United States of Love by Tomasz Wasilewski is in Competition, while The Wounded Angel by Emir Baigazin, Remainder by Omer Fast, Aloys by Tobias Nölle, Uncle Howard by Aaron Brookner and Sand Storm by Elite Zexer are all being screened in Panorama.
Main partners of the Berlinale Co-Production Market are MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and Creative Europe MEDIA, a programme of the European Union.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a part of the European Film Market.
The Berlin House of Representatives, which is located right across from the European Film Market in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, will once again serve as a co-operation partner and main venue for the event.
Official Project Selection for Berlinale Co-Production Market 2016
(in alphabetical order according to production company):
– Hostages (D: Rezo Gigineishvili), 20 Steps Productions, Georgia
– The Little Comrade (D: Moonika Siimets), Amrion, Estonia
– A Sort of Family (D: Diego Lerman), Campo Cine, Argentina
– The Crooked Horn (D: Esmaeel Monsef), Caractères Productions & Alias Films, France
– Blind Willows, Sleeping Woman (D: Pierre Földes), Cinema Defacto, Frankreich & Proton Cinema, Hungary
– Srebrenica (D: Jasmila Zbanic), Deblokada, Bosnia and Herzegovina
– The Desert Bride (D: Cecilia Atán & Valeria Pivato), El Perro en la Luna, Argentinina & Ceibita Films, Chile
– Butterfingers (D: Barnaby Southcombe), Embargo Films, United Kingdom
– Vivarium (D: Lorcan Finnegan), Fantastic Films, Ireland
– Amundsen (D: Roar Uthaug), Friland Produksjon, Norway
– Invite Me to War (D: Shariff Korver), Lemming Film, Netherlands
– The Guest (D: Duccio Chiarini), Mood Film, Italy
– Outside (D: Michal Hogenauer), Negativ, Czech Republic
– Patrick (D: Gonçalo Waddington), O Som e a Fúria, Portugal
– Tyger, Tyger (D: Mark Noonan), Savage Productions, Ireland
– The Farm (D: Oliver Schmitz), Shadowy Meadows Productions, South Africa & Busse & Halberschmidt Filmproduktion, Germany
– Echo (D: Arati Kadav), Sikhya Entertainment, India
– A Small Small World (D: Philip Haucke), Sommerhaus Filmproduktion, Germany
– Memories from the Cell (D: Alvaro Brechner), Tornasol Films, Spain
– Bayonette (D: Kyzza Terrazas), Woo Films & Redrum, Mexico
„Rotterdam Berlinale Express“:
– Birds of Passage (D: Ciro Guerra), Ciudad Lunar & Blond Indian Films, Colombia
– Slam (D: Partho Sen-Gupta), Invisible Republic, Australia
– Bootlegger (D: Caroline Monnet), Microclimat Films, Canada
Projects of Berlinale Residency:
– Across the Fields (D: Daniel Borgman), Adomeit Film, Denmark
– Tachal (D: Ella Manzheeva), Anniko Films & Telesto Film Company, Russian Federation
– Diary of an Elephant (D: Fernando Eimbcke), Cinepantera, Mexico
„Talent Project Market“ (in alphabetical order according to production company):
– The Fading Light of Neon Boy (P: Jessica Luz), Besouro Filmes, Brazil
– From Grace (P: Gary Cranner), Chezville, Norway
– Lucid (P: Raquelle David), Damsel Pictures, Australia
– The Disappeared (P: Emine Yildirim), Giyotin Film, Turkey
– Summer 1993 (P: Valerie Delpierre), Inicia Films, Spain
– Money for a Funeral (P/D: Magdelena Ilieva), Little Wing Productions, Bulgaria
– Transmorphosis (P/D: Jakob M. Erwa), Mojo:Pictures, Germany
– The Moto Snatcher (P: Cecilia Salim), Murillo Cine, Argentina
– Tank (P: Max Serdiuk), Noosphere Films, Ukraine
– The Gospel According to My Father (P: Stav Meron), Pardes Films, Israel
Company Matching (in alphabetical order according to company):
Gullane, Brazil
Komplizen Film, Germany
Lucky Red, Italy
Memento Films, France
The Film Farm, Canada
Press Office
January 14, 2016
Press contact: press@berlinale.de
88th Academy Awards® nominations
GUILLERMO DEL TORO, JOHN KRASINSKI, ANG LEE JOIN
ACADEMY PRESIDENT CHERYL BOONE ISAACS FOR
OSCARS® NOMINATIONS IN 24 CATEGORIES
GLOBAL LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE AT OSCARS.ORG/LIVE
LOS ANGELES, CA – Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Guillermo del Toro, John Krasinski and Ang Lee will announce the 88th Academy Awards® nominations in all 24 Oscar® categories at a special two-part live news conference on Thursday, January 14, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Oscars® will air Sunday, February 28, live on ABC.
At 5:30 a.m. PT, del Toro and Lee will announce the nominees in the following categories: Animated Feature Film, Cinematography, Costume Design, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Song, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.
At 5:38 a.m. PT, Krasinski and Boone Isaacs will take the stage to unveil the nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Film Editing, Foreign Language Film, Original Score, Best Picture, Production Design, Visual Effects, Adapted Screenplay and Original Screenplay.
The Nominations Announcement is a live news conference where more than 400 media representatives from around the world will be gathered. The event will be broadcast and streamed live on www.oscars.org/live.
Nominations information for all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance and via the official Oscars website, www.oscar.com.
A director, writer and producer, del Toro may be best known for “The Devil’s Backbone,” the “Hellboy” films, “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay, and “Crimson Peak.” He also is the creator of the television series “The Strain.”
Krasinski’s role in the Emmy®-winning series “The Office” catapulted him into the public eye in 2005. His feature credits include Paramount’s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” and “Promised Land,” which he also co-wrote and produced. He directed and stars in “The Hollars,” premiering at Sundance this month.
Lee, a two-time Oscar winner, directed and produced the 2000 Best Foreign Language Film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and earned Directing Oscars for “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi.” His latest film, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” is currently in post-production.
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
HOORAY FOR NOLLYWOOD: 10 MUST-SEE FILMS FROM NIGERIA
Behind its better known competitors in the U.S. and India, Nigeria has the world’s third-largest movie industry. Nigerian films, made under the banner of Nollywood, are ubiquitous across Africa and the industry is prolific, pumping out around 50 full-length movies per week.50 full-length movies per week.
Many outside of Africa have never had the chance to experience Nollywood’s charms. But now that streaming service Netflix has launched in Nigeria, the country’s cinematic offerings are becoming more widely available.
Here’s a beginner’s guide to 10 Nollywood films you should make time for.
1. Fifty
Set in Nigeria’s most populous city of Lagos, this drama follows four 50-year-old women as they each encounter their own mid-life crises. The movie features music from Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela, and promises to make you “see African women like never before.” As an extra bonus, the movie is available on Netflix.
2. Diary of a Lagos Girl
This soon to be released romantic comedy Diary of a Lagos Girl features Bim (Dalopo Oni), whose impending role as a bridesmaid hastens her search for a partner. She doesn’t expect a lot: He just needs to be handsome, rich, funny and influential.
Her search leads her to Ife (Alex Ekubo), and together they learn about the true value of love.
3. 93 Days
Featuring U.S. star Danny Glover, of Lethal Weapon fame, this forthcoming medical drama about Nigeria’s first Ebola case has generated controversy even before its release. The movie focuses on Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, the late doctor who correctly diagnosed the first case of Ebola in the country and helped prevent an outbreak before tragically succumbing to the disease herself. Adadevoh’s family disputed the film, claiming it was inaccurate, a charge rejected by the movie’s producers.
4. Couple of Days
For three married Nigerian couples, a romantic weekend getaway provides the perfect opportunity to revive the flames of passion dampened by familiarity. But then a host of problems—from erectile dysfunction to unfaithful partners—leaves them doubting their futures. Due for release in February, the cast is led by Lilian Esoro Franklin, one half of one of Nigeria’s glamorous celebrity couples. Lilian Esoro married Nigerian music mogul Ubi Franklin in January 2015 and the couple recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. Let’s hope they don’t go away for a couple of days…
5. ‘76
Hype has been building for several years around this forthcoming historical fiction, which focuses on the 1976 coup during which Nigeria’s then-military ruler, Murtala Mohammed, was assassinated. The story is told from two perspectives: a soldier accused of involvement in the coup and his heavily pregnant wife who is left alone while her husband is interrogated. Starring award-winning Nigerian actor Ramsey Nouah, the film went through a seven-month-long approval period with the Nigerian military before production started.
6. Blood Sisters
Starring Nollywood’s arguably two most popular stars, Omotola Jalade and Genevieve Nnaji, Blood Sisters tells the tale of two sisters, raised only by their mother, who turn on each other thanks to jealousy.
A failure to overcome their sibling rivalry leads one of them down a troubling path. A classic Nollywood tale if ever there was one.
7. Mr. & Mrs.
Written and Produced by Chinwe Egwuagu, Mr. & Mrs. takes us through the lives of two couples who on the surface appear to be complete opposites.
The Abbahs exist in a loveless marriage, with Joseph unwilling to appreciate the many sacrifices Susan makes. Demonstrating what a marriage should be like, Linda and Charles are inseparable.
However, as is the hallmark of Nollywood, things soon deviate drastically from first impressions, and the couples are forced to reassess their relationships.
8. October 1
Director Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 takes us back to 1960s Nigeria, a crucial time in the West African state’s history as it transitioned from colonial rule to an independent state.
A northern police officer is tasked with traveling to a small village in the western region to solve a series of female murders. As independence day looms, officials grow increasingly worried that the horrific crimes will mar the new independent state.
9. 30 Days in Atlanta
Rumored to be the highest grossing film in Nollywood history, Robert Peters’ comedy 30 Days in Atlanta follows Ramsey Nouh and AY on their journey to America.
After winning a local raffle, the two cousins struggle to adapt to their new culture as they quickly learn that life is very different from what they are used to in Nigeria.
10. The Encounter
A short film directed by Tolu Ajayi, The Encounter examines the relationship between ex-Nigerian military officer Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and his close friend, Emmanuel Ifeajuna. The former declared an independent republic of Biafra in southeast Nigeria in 1967, sparking a three-year civil war in which more than one million people died, many due to hunger. The latter was eventually executed on Ojukwu’s orders for betraying the Biafran cause. A recent surge in pro-Biafran sentiment, which has seen thousands of Nigerians demonstrating and demanding independence from Nigeria, makes this film—available on YouTube—particularly timely.
By Dipo Faloyin,Conor Gaffey of Newsweek
Line-up and jury Hivos Tiger Awards Competition International Film Festival Rotterdam 2016
Eight films from all over the world compete for Hivos Tiger Awards
Eight productions by filmmakers from all over the world will compete in the revamped Hivos Tiger Awards Competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Among the countries represented are Brazil, Thailand, USA, Paraguay, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The following eight films have been selected to compete in the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition:
History’s Future – Fiona Tan (The Netherlands, world premiere)
The Land of the Enlightened – Pieter-Jan De Pue (Belgium, The Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, European premiere)
Motel Mist – Prabda Yoon (Thailand, world premiere)
Oscuro animal – Felipe Guerrero (Colombia, Argentina, The Netherlands, Germany, Greece, world premiere)
Radio Dreams – Babak Jalali (USA, world premiere)
La última tierra – Pablo Lamar (Paraguay, The Netherlands, Chile, Qatar, world premiere)
Where I Grow Old – Marília Rocha (Brazil, Portugal, world premiere)
A Woman, a Part – Elisabeth Subrin (USA, world premiere)
History’s Future
The Land of the Enlightened
Motel Mist
Oscuro animal
The Hivos Tiger Awards Competition was founded in 1995 with the aim of discovering, raising the profile of and rewarding up-and-coming international film talent. The Award is accompanied by a €40,000 cash prize, to be shared between the director and producer of the winning film. Previously, some fifteen films competed for three equal prizes of €15,000. A Special Jury Award worth €10,000 will also be presented for an exceptional artistic achievement within the competition in 2016.
The Hivos Tiger Awards are presented by an expert jury. In 2016, this jury will consist of Dutch film critic Peter van Bueren, Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, Thai filmmaker Anocha Suwichakornpong, award-winning Portuguese director Miguel Gomes and Hans Hurch, festival director of Vienna International Film Festival. The winners of the Hivos Tiger Awards will be announced during the official awards ceremony on Friday 5 February.
Radio Dreams
La última tierra
Where I Grow Old
A Woman, a Part
Festival director Bero Beyer: “We want to offer the most innovative, original and challenging works on the biggest platform possible, as well as honouring and celebrating these in the best possible way. This was the reason we decided to find a new form for the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition. Not only is the prize money higher, but from the upcoming festival, every day a new ‘Tiger’ will be put in the spotlight, with full attention for that film that day. All of the films selected are exceptional. We are honoured to have these fantastic films premiering at IFFR, so they can be discovered by a wide audience.”
Hivos has been IFFR’s main sponsor since 2013. By providing support to the Hubert Bals Fund and the Hivos Tiger Awards, this organisation contributes to the development of artistic film production as a means of expressing social criticism.
For four decades, IFFR has proudly developed and presented auteur cinema by helping filmmakers reach the broadest possible audiences. The festival is known around the world for its individual, innovative programming, with particular attention to talented new filmmakers. Quality films from all over the world are presented in Rotterdam to a large, international audience with the aim of inspiring and broadening horizons.
IFFR is one of the biggest cultural events in the Netherlands, and one of the biggest audience-oriented film festivals in the world. The 45th IFFR will take place from Wednesday 27 January to Sunday 7 February 2016. For twelve days, the latest feature films, documentaries, short films, exhibitions, performances, talkshows and debates make Rotterdam an exciting, global capital city of film. Official ticket sales start on Friday 22 January. For more information, see IFFR.com.