Category Archives: Film Festivals

The following are the winners at the 2012 International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Clip by Maja Miloš (Serbia, 2012)
‘A vigorous, rebellious, authentic, honest and revealing film using modern means to depict in a punchy way the mobile generation, who capture their lives through images recorded on their phones. An emotionally disturbed main character in a fractured family, within a broken society. Clip provokes many questions and gives no answers.’

Clip saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012. The film is produced by Film House Bas Celik (Serbia).

De jueves a domingo by Dominga Sotomayor (Chile/Netherlands, 2012)
‘In focus, this film is a very precise and gentle depiction of the intimate space of a family. We are captured in a journey seen through a child’s perspective, and recall the moments of our own childhood, at the same time experiencing and understanding all the complexities that adult life entails. The minimalistic story is revealed through the fresh angles of the camerawork. A gentle piece, rich with sensitive observations.’

De jueves a domingo was supported by the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund for script and project development and was selected for the Hubert Bals Fund Plus-program. The film saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012 and was produced by Forastero and Cinestación (Chili) in co-production with Circe Films (Netherlands). Sales agent is FiGa Films (USA).

Egg and Stone by Huang Ji (China, 2012)
‘The director creates a sensation by telling the private story of a girl who unwillingly becomes trapped in a life in the margins. The taboo present in the film is broken by means of poetic language. The director does so with a convincing author’s approach and sensitive direction of non-professional actors. The beautifully framed, conscious choice of camerawork is relevant to storytelling, and unveils human secrets.’

Egg and Stone saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012 and was produced by Yellow-Green Pi and Panorama (China).

NETPAC Award
The NETPAC Jury (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) awards the best Asian film in IFFR 2012 Official Selection. The Jury consisted of Hao Jian (Beijing Film Academy, China), Jean Hae Noh (Mirovision and Screen International, South Korea) and Meiske Taurisia (babibutafilm, Indonesia).

The winner of the NETPAC Award 2012 is:

Sentimental Animal by Wu Quan (China, 2011)
‘For employing innovative visual and narrative construction to cultivate a poignant cinematic style, thereby creating a subtle metonymy about the power structure and tension-ridden human relationships in Chinese society today.’

Sentimental Animal had its international premiere in the Bright Future-section for first or second time filmmakers of the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2012.

FIPRESCI Award
The Jury of the international association of film critics FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) awards the best film in the Tiger Awards Competition. The Jury consisted of Carmen Gray (Jury Chair, Sight & Sound; Little White Lies, UK), Dennis Lim (Artforum, USA), Marcelo Janot (O Globo, Brazil), Nicole Santé (Oor; Ad Valvas, The Netherlands), Clarence Tsui (South China Morning Post, Hong Kong).

The winner of the Rotterdam FIPRESCI Award 2012 is:

Neighbouring Sounds by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil, 2012)
‘For evoking an atmosphere of paranoia and menace through a highly ambitious use of sound and cinematography the winner is Neighbouring Sounds.’

Neighbouring Sounds received support from the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund for script and project development and for post-production; it saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012.

KNF Award
The Jury of the Circle of Dutch film journalists KNF (Kring van Nederlandse Filmjournalisten) awards the best film from a selection of IFFR 2012-titles that have not yet been acquired for Dutch distribution. As a promotion to acquisition for distribution within The Netherlands the KNF Award comes with a grant for subtitling the film, sponsored by NCP Holland. The Jury consisted of Henk Maurits (Psynema), Ronald Rovers (de Filmkrant) and Arjan Welles (Film1, Filmtab, Filmtotaal).

From the selected films, the KNF Jury nominated three films: Nana by Valérie Massadian (France) from Bright Future and the competing films Clip by Maja Miloš (Serbia) and Sudoeste by Eduardo Nunes (Brazil).

The winner of the KNF Award 2012 is:

Clip by Maja Miloš (Serbia, 2012)
‘The winning film is a daring and stunning debut, portraying an abandoned Serbian post-war generation. Its talented young director succeeds in constructing a brutal portrait using the pervasive and uninhibited visual language of the cell phone generation. It shows teens obsessively identifying with video clips, glorifying sex and violence and turning themselves into victims of pornofication. Though confronting, disturbing and explicit, Clip skilfully succeeds in avoiding the trap of exploitation. We really hope a Dutch distributor will show the same courage as Maja Miloš did in making this film.’

Clip saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012.

Earlier in the festival, the following awards were handed out:

Tiger Awards for Short Films and EFA Nomination
Monday 30 January, Makino Takashi’s Generator (Japan), Mati Diop’s Big in Vietnam (France) and Jeroen Eisinga’s Springtime (Netherlands) were awarded the three equal Tiger Awards for Short Films 2012. The jury gave a Special Mention to Charlotte Lim Lay Kuen for her short film I’m Lisa (Malaysia).

The International Film Festival Rotterdam short film nominee for the European Film Awards 2012 is Im Freien by Albert Sackl (Austria).

The eighth Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films comprised twenty-one films, ranging in length from five to fifty-six minutes. For its Jury the IFFR welcomed Rania Stephan from Lebanon who’s first feature-length documentary film The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni screened in the festival; film curator and writer Andréa Picard from Canada, who worked for the Cinematheque Ontario and curated the Wavelengths section of the Toronto International Film Festival; and film critic and screenwriter Dana Linssen from The Netherlands, editor-in-chief of de Filmkrant and contributor to NRC Handelsblad. The Jury handed out the three equal Tiger Awards for Short Film (3,000 Euros) to the winning filmmakers at IFFR venue WORM on Monday evening 30 January 2012.

MovieSquad Award
British film Weekend by Andrew Haigh (UK, 2011), selected in IFFR’s Bright Future section, has won the MovieSquad IFFR Award. The young people’s jury announced the winning film Thursday February 2.

The MovieSquad jury consisted of five members aged 15 to 19 years: Nick Golterman, Manon Keus, Symen Hoogesteger, Juliette van den Dorpel en Roxanne Doorn. They selected the winner out of the twenty festival films that were up for consideration. Out of these twenty films, the jury also nominated the films Lena (Christophe van Rompaey, The Netherlands/Belgium, 2011) and Play (Ruben Östlund, Sweden/Denmark/Finland, 2011) but in the end chose Weekend by Andrew Haigh as their winner.

MovieSquad IFFR is an initiative of EYE Film Institute Netherlands in cooperation with the International Film Festival Rotterdam and is sponsored by SNS REAAL Fonds.

ARTE France Cinéma and Eurimages Awards for best CineMart Projects 2012
The 29th CineMart, co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam concluded Wednesday February 1 with the announcement of the two awards for best CineMart Projects 2012.

Duncharon by Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece, Attenberg and producer of Dogtooth and Alps) won the ARTE France Cinéma Award (10,000 Euro) and first feature project Humidity by Nikola Ljuca (Serbia) – one of the five projects in the BOOST!-program, a collaboration of CineMart, the Hubert Bals Fund and Binger Filmlab – took the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (30,000). The Jury gave a Special Mention to Indian-American co-production The Lunchbox by Ritesh Batra (India).

Jury members for the ARTE France Cinéma and Eurimages Awards were Claire Launay (ARTE France Cinéma), Petri Kemppinen (Finnish Film Foundation) and Winnie Lau (Fortissimo Films). The three winners of the equal Hivos Tiger Awards 2012 are:

Clip by Maja Miloš (Serbia, 2012)
‘A vigorous, rebellious, authentic, honest and revealing film using modern means to depict in a punchy way the mobile generation, who capture their lives through images recorded on their phones. An emotionally disturbed main character in a fractured family, within a broken society. Clip provokes many questions and gives no answers.’

Clip saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012. The film is produced by Film House Bas Celik (Serbia).

De jueves a domingo by Dominga Sotomayor (Chile/Netherlands, 2012)
‘In focus, this film is a very precise and gentle depiction of the intimate space of a family. We are captured in a journey seen through a child’s perspective, and recall the moments of our own childhood, at the same time experiencing and understanding all the complexities that adult life entails. The minimalistic story is revealed through the fresh angles of the camerawork. A gentle piece, rich with sensitive observations.’

De jueves a domingo was supported by the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund for script and project development and was selected for the Hubert Bals Fund Plus-program. The film saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012 and was produced by Forastero and Cinestación (Chili) in co-production with Circe Films (Netherlands). Sales agent is FiGa Films (USA).

Egg and Stone by Huang Ji (China, 2012)
‘The director creates a sensation by telling the private story of a girl who unwillingly becomes trapped in a life in the margins. The taboo present in the film is broken by means of poetic language. The director does so with a convincing author’s approach and sensitive direction of non-professional actors. The beautifully framed, conscious choice of camerawork is relevant to storytelling, and unveils human secrets.’

Egg and Stone saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012 and was produced by Yellow-Green Pi and Panorama (China).

NETPAC Award
The NETPAC Jury (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) awards the best Asian film in IFFR 2012 Official Selection. The Jury consisted of Hao Jian (Beijing Film Academy, China), Jean Hae Noh (Mirovision and Screen International, South Korea) and Meiske Taurisia (babibutafilm, Indonesia).

The winner of the NETPAC Award 2012 is:

Sentimental Animal by Wu Quan (China, 2011)
‘For employing innovative visual and narrative construction to cultivate a poignant cinematic style, thereby creating a subtle metonymy about the power structure and tension-ridden human relationships in Chinese society today.’

Sentimental Animal had its international premiere in the Bright Future-section for first or second time filmmakers of the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2012.

FIPRESCI Award
The Jury of the international association of film critics FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) awards the best film in the Tiger Awards Competition. The Jury consisted of Carmen Gray (Jury Chair, Sight & Sound; Little White Lies, UK), Dennis Lim (Artforum, USA), Marcelo Janot (O Globo, Brazil), Nicole Santé (Oor; Ad Valvas, The Netherlands), Clarence Tsui (South China Morning Post, Hong Kong).

The winner of the Rotterdam FIPRESCI Award 2012 is:

Neighbouring Sounds by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil, 2012)
‘For evoking an atmosphere of paranoia and menace through a highly ambitious use of sound and cinematography the winner is Neighbouring Sounds.’

Neighbouring Sounds received support from the IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund for script and project development and for post-production; it saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012.

KNF Award
The Jury of the Circle of Dutch film journalists KNF (Kring van Nederlandse Filmjournalisten) awards the best film from a selection of IFFR 2012-titles that have not yet been acquired for Dutch distribution. As a promotion to acquisition for distribution within The Netherlands the KNF Award comes with a grant for subtitling the film, sponsored by NCP Holland. The Jury consisted of Henk Maurits (Psynema), Ronald Rovers (de Filmkrant) and Arjan Welles (Film1, Filmtab, Filmtotaal).

From the selected films, the KNF Jury nominated three films: Nana by Valérie Massadian (France) from Bright Future and the competing films Clip by Maja Miloš (Serbia) and Sudoeste by Eduardo Nunes (Brazil).

The winner of the KNF Award 2012 is:

Clip by Maja Miloš (Serbia, 2012)
‘The winning film is a daring and stunning debut, portraying an abandoned Serbian post-war generation. Its talented young director succeeds in constructing a brutal portrait using the pervasive and uninhibited visual language of the cell phone generation. It shows teens obsessively identifying with video clips, glorifying sex and violence and turning themselves into victims of pornofication. Though confronting, disturbing and explicit, Clip skilfully succeeds in avoiding the trap of exploitation. We really hope a Dutch distributor will show the same courage as Maja Miloš did in making this film.’

Clip saw its world premiere in the Tiger Awards Competition 2012.

Earlier in the festival, the following awards were handed out:

Tiger Awards for Short Films and EFA Nomination
Monday 30 January, Makino Takashi’s Generator (Japan), Mati Diop’s Big in Vietnam (France) and Jeroen Eisinga’s Springtime (Netherlands) were awarded the three equal Tiger Awards for Short Films 2012. The jury gave a Special Mention to Charlotte Lim Lay Kuen for her short film I’m Lisa (Malaysia).

The International Film Festival Rotterdam short film nominee for the European Film Awards 2012 is Im Freien by Albert Sackl (Austria).

The eighth Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films comprised twenty-one films, ranging in length from five to fifty-six minutes. For its Jury the IFFR welcomed Rania Stephan from Lebanon who’s first feature-length documentary film The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni screened in the festival; film curator and writer Andréa Picard from Canada, who worked for the Cinematheque Ontario and curated the Wavelengths section of the Toronto International Film Festival; and film critic and screenwriter Dana Linssen from The Netherlands, editor-in-chief of de Filmkrant and contributor to NRC Handelsblad. The Jury handed out the three equal Tiger Awards for Short Film (3,000 Euros) to the winning filmmakers at IFFR venue WORM on Monday evening 30 January 2012.

MovieSquad Award
British film Weekend by Andrew Haigh (UK, 2011), selected in IFFR’s Bright Future section, has won the MovieSquad IFFR Award. The young people’s jury announced the winning film Thursday February 2.

The MovieSquad jury consisted of five members aged 15 to 19 years: Nick Golterman, Manon Keus, Symen Hoogesteger, Juliette van den Dorpel en Roxanne Doorn. They selected the winner out of the twenty festival films that were up for consideration. Out of these twenty films, the jury also nominated the films Lena (Christophe van Rompaey, The Netherlands/Belgium, 2011) and Play (Ruben Östlund, Sweden/Denmark/Finland, 2011) but in the end chose Weekend by Andrew Haigh as their winner.

MovieSquad IFFR is an initiative of EYE Film Institute Netherlands in cooperation with the International Film Festival Rotterdam and is sponsored by SNS REAAL Fonds.

ARTE France Cinéma and Eurimages Awards for best CineMart Projects 2012
The 29th CineMart, co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam concluded Wednesday February 1 with the announcement of the two awards for best CineMart Projects 2012.

Duncharon by Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece, Attenberg and producer of Dogtooth and Alps) won the ARTE France Cinéma Award (10,000 Euro) and first feature project Humidity by Nikola Ljuca (Serbia) – one of the five projects in the BOOST!-program, a collaboration of CineMart, the Hubert Bals Fund and Binger Filmlab – took the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (30,000). The Jury gave a Special Mention to Indian-American co-production The Lunchbox by Ritesh Batra (India).

Jury members for the ARTE France Cinéma and Eurimages Awards were Claire Launay (ARTE France Cinéma), Petri Kemppinen (Finnish Film Foundation) and Winnie Lau (Fortissimo Films).

Tunde Kelani

Top 20 Nigerian Filmmakers

In no particular order, the following are the top 20 Nigerian filmmakers based on the local and international ratings of their active engagements, current movies at the cinemas, critical press reviews by film critics and screenings at film festivals.

1. Tunde Kelani

Tunde Kelani has been the most resourceful and outstanding Nigerian filmmaker from the old school who has remained very active since the 1970s to date when his contemporaries are no longer very active. He is accomplished in both celluloid and video And his notable films include Anikura, Ireke Onibudo, Pap Ajasco, Kannakanna, Ogun Ajaye, Iya Ni Wura, Taxi Driver, Iwa, Fopomoyo and feature videos Ti Oluwa Nile , Ayo Ni Mofe , Kosegbe, O Le Ku, Saworoide And Thunderbolt and Maami.

2. Amaka Igwe

Amaka Igwe may be called the “Mama of Nollywood” for being the leading lady of Nigeria’s home video industry for her notable contributions to the sustainable development from the 1990s to date. And famous for her outstanding movies Rattle Snake, Violated, Checkmate, Forever and celluloid film A Barber’s Wisdom – a film which is part of M-Net’s new directions.

3. Izu Ojukwu

Izu Ojukwu is one of the most accomplished Nigerian filmmakers of the new generation, but very modest about his achievements. He has won African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for Best Director for the film Sitanda, which received 9 nominations and won 5 awards at the 2007 African Movie Academy Awards, including Best Picture & Best Nigerian Film.

4. Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun

Lancelot Imaseun who is the real Mr. Prolific of Nollywood, is one of the icons of the Nigerian film industry who has been there from the birth of Nollywood in the early 1990s to date and a multiple award winning director of over 200 movies so far including A Private Storm, Bent Arrows , Home in Exile and his latest blockbuster Adesuwa.

5. Teco Benson

Teco Benson is without dispute among the outstanding filmmakers in Nigeria today and among his notable movies are High Blood Pressure, The Fake Prophet, Mission To Nowhere, Explosion: Now or Never, Silence of the Gods, Blood Diamonds, Danger Signal, State of Emergency and War Front.

6. Kunle Afolayan

Kunle Afolayan is carrying on the torch of his famous father Adeyemi Afolayan, aka Ade Love who produced box office hits in the 1970s. Kunle’s Irapada was the best indigenous movie at the 2007 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) and his box office hit The Figurine: Araromire won the best picture prize and four other major awards at the 2010 African movie academy Awards (AMAA) and has been well received at local and international film festivals.

7. Faruk Lasaki

Faruk Lasaki is an accomplished young filmmaker who is more accomplished for his commercials. And his first feature Changing Faces has become one of the most critically successful Nigerian movies in recent time.

8. Chineze Anyaene

Chineze Anyaene’s first feature IJÉ the Journey shot on 35mm is so far the most successful Nigerian movie in Nigeria and at major international film festivals where the film has won many nominations and awards

9. Mak Kusare

Mak ’Kusare is a young and ambitious filmmaker who has won multiple awards for his features, including three awards for his first feature Ninety Degrees in 2006 at the Zuma Film Film Festival in Abuja, for the Best Director, Best First Film/Video of a Director and Best Feature Film. He also directed the Champions of our Time that has won prizes, including; Best Film award at the Zafaa International Film Festival, Abuja International Film Festival, the special jury prize for TV/Video fiction and a special ECOWAS prize at the 2011 Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).

10. Jeta Amata

Jeta Amata is a highly rated filmmaker for his ambitious 35mm film The Amazing Grace which won the Best West African Film award at the 2006 Screen Nations Awards UK and for his daring award winning 2011 film Black Gold and the multiple awards winning Inale.

11. Obi Emelonye

Obi Emelonye who is now based in the UK is a notable award winning Nollywood filmmaker known for his outstanding movies, including The Asylum (2008), Sweet, Betrayal (2007), Lucky Joe (2006), London Successor (2006), Echoes of War (2003), Who’s Next? (2001), Good Friends (2000) and his most successful so far The Mirror Boy.

12. Mahmood Ali-Balogun

Mahmood Ali-Balogun is the director of Tango With Me, one of the most successful Nigerian films shot on 35 mm and for “Temi ni Tooto” in 2003.. He is also respected for .his award-winning MNET short film A Place called Home in 1998

13. Stephanie Okereke

Stephanie Okereke’s Through the Glass which premiered in October 18th 2008 at the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood, California and got her the Recognition Award from the California state legislature and the city of Carson is among the top 10 Nigerian movies at the cinemas and also got an international distributor in North America.
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14. Femi Odugbemi

Femi Odugbemi is a highly esteemed award-winning filmmaker who is notable for his award winning documentaries, dramas, TV Shows and commercials and commended for his Bar Beach Blues and Maroko.

15. Lonzo Nzekwe

Lonzo Nzekwe’s Anchor Baby won the Best Film prize at the 2010 Harlem International Film Festival in New York and has taken him places so far. The film is among the fantastic revelations of Nigerian motion pictures in the first decade of the 21st century.

16. Michelle Bello

Michelle Bello’s feature film, “Small Boy” had scooped coveted prizes and nominations at various awards ceremonies and film festivals, including Two AMAA awards for Best Art Direction and Best Young Child Actor in April 2009; two nominations at the American Black Film Festival in Los Angeles in August 2008, the Heineken Red Star Award for Innovation in Film and the Target Filmmaker Award for Most Inspirational Film. The film was also part of the Federal Government delegation to the Israeli Film Festival. Ms. Bello is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. where she earned a degree in Mass Communication, specializing in Visual Media. She is the daughter of respected arts promoter, Mrs. Sylva Bello, of the Masoma Foundation.

17. Chike Ibekwe

Chike Ibekwe’s first and only feature so far Eternal shared the Golden Screen prize for the best film award with “An Unusual Woman” by Burkinabe director Abdoulaye Dao at the 14th annual “Ecrans noirs” Film Festival in Yaounde (Cameroon) and has been screened at other international film festivals..

18. Niji Akanni

Niji Akanni is a quiet storm that thundered with Aramotu his historical film that won the Best Nigerian film prize at the 2011 http://www.ama-awards.com/amaa-nominees-and-winners-2011African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), beating Mahmood Ali-Balogun’s Tango With Me, Tunde Kelani’s Maami, Jeta Amata’s Inale and Lancelot Imaseun/Ikechukwu Onyeka’s Private Storm. Akanni is a seasoned and well educated director who is highly respected in the Nigerian film industry for his award winning short and full length films.

19. Newton Aduaka

Newton Aduaka’s feature film, Rage, became the first wholly independently financed film by a black filmmaker in the history of British cinema to be released nationwide and has earned him a place among the most accomplished young Black filmmakers in the world today. Ezra, his first non-independently funded film, for Arte France was nominated for top honours at several film festivals and was an official selection at Sundance and Cannes and won the most coveted first prize of Etalon d’or de Yennenga (the golden stallion of Yennenga) at the 2007 Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).

20. Ejim Onyenkachi

Ejim Onyekachi’s multiple award winning film The Tenant earned him a place among the top 20 Nigerian filmmakers. The film notably won the Audience Choice Award, Best Feature Film– at the Hollywood Black Film Festival in 2009, Best Film at the Mid Atlantic Black Film Festival, Virginia in 2009 and the Best Feature Film at the Moving Image Film festival, Toronto, Canada in 2008.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima is the author of Young At Art, Best of Nollywood and other articles and books.

The winners are highlighted in the following order.

George Clooney won for his outstanding acting in the “The Descendants”.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
Michael Fassbender, “Shame
Ryan Gosling, “The Ides of March”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
“50/50”
“The Artist”
“Bridesmaids”
“Midnight in Paris”
“My Week With Marilyn”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Jodie Foster, “Carnage
Charlize Theron, “Young Adult”
Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Kate Winslet, “Carnage”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, “The Guard”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50”
Ryan Gosling, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris”

Best Animated Feature Film
“The Adventures of Tintin”
“Arthur Christmas”
“Cars 2”
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

Best Foreign Language Film
“The Flowers of War” (China)
“In the Land of Blood and Honey” (USA)
“The Kid With a Bike” (Belgium)
“A Separation” (Iran)
“The Skin I Live In” (Spain)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Albert Brooks, “Drive”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Viggo Mortensen, “A Dangerous Method”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Best Director – Motion Picture
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
George Clooney, “The Ides of March”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon – “The Ides of March”
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash – “The Descendants”
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin – “Moneyball”

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource – “The Artist”
Abel Korzeniowski – “W.E.”
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Howard Shore – “Hugo”
John Williams – “War Horse”

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Hello Hello” – “Gnomeo & Juliet,” music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin
“The Keeper”- “Machine Gun Preacher,” music and lyrics by Chris Cornell
“Lay Your Head Down” – “Albert Nobbs,” music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close
“The Living Proof” – “The Help”; music by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.; lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas
“Masterpiece” – W.E., music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry

Best Television Series – Drama
“American Horror Story”
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Boss”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Mireille Enos, “The Killing”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Madeleine Stowe, “Revenge”
Callie Thorne, “Necessary Roughness”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire”
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Kelsey Grammer, “Boss”
Jeremy Irons, “The Borgias”
Damian Lewis, “Homeland”

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical
“Enlightened”
“Episodes”
“Glee”
“Modern “Family”
“New Girl”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Laura Dern, “Enlightened”
Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Laura Linney, “The Big C”
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
David Duchovny, “Californication”
Johnny Galecki, “The Big Bang Theory”
Thomas Jane, “Hung”
Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Movie
“Cinema Verite”
“Downton Abbey”
“The Hour”
“Mildred Pierce”
“Too Big to Fail”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Romola Garai, “The Hour”
Diane Lane, “Cinema Verite”
Elizabeth McGovern, “Downton Abbey” (Masterpiece)
Emily Watson, “Appropriate Adult”
Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hugh Bonneville, “Downtown Abbey” (Masterpiece)
Idris Elba, “Luther”
William Hurt, “Too Big to Fail”
Bill Nighy, “Page Eight” (Masterpiece)
Dominic West, “The Hour”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”
Kelly MacDonald, “Boardwalk Empire”
Maggie Smith, “Downtown Abbey” (Masterpiece)
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”
Evan Rachel Wood, “Mildred Pierce”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Paul Giamatti, “Too Big to Fail”
Guy Pearce, “Mildred Pierce”
Tim Robbins, “Cinema Verite”
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”

Bruno Chatelin

Bruno Chatelin co-founder of filmfestivals.com and the European media partner of Eko International Film Festival has been elected a member of the prestigious board of the European Film Academy (EFA). The announcement of the new board was made by the 2,500 members at the 24th European Film Awards in Berlin on December 3, 2011, where Yves Marmion was reelected as the Chairman of the board.

Bruno Chatelin recognized as a leading authority in the motion pictures industry is the former Managing Director of UGC Twentieth Century Fox France, previously with Columbia TriStar Films, France. In 1995, he initiated and managed the joint venture between French major UGC and FOX and led it to the leading position in the French market. Mr. Chatelin brings experience in promotional strategies for interactive media. He has created two commercial websites for small-business entrepreneurs (individuals working from home, or companies with fewer than 10 people). He holds an MBA from HEC (École des hautes études commerciales). He is a voting member for Cesar academy, European Film Academy and co chair of Hollywood European Awards. He has served in several film festival juries.

About the European Film Academy
The creation of the European Film Academy (EFA) was the initiative of a group of Europe’s finest filmmakers brought together on the occasion of the first European Film Awards Ceremony held in November 1988. EFA was finally founded in 1989 as the European Cinema Society by its first president Ingmar Bergman and 40 filmmakers to advance the interests of the European film industry. Wim Wenders was elected as first chairman of the association which two years later was renamed European Film Academy. In 1996, he followed Ingmar Bergman as president of the EFA while British producer Nik Powell was elected as chairman of the EFA Board. He was followed by French producer Humbert Balsan who was chairman from 2003 until his sudden death in 2005. Current EFA Chairman is French producer Yves Marmion.

The European Film Academy (EFA) now unites more than 2,500 European film professionals with the common aim of promoting European film culture. Throughout the year, the EFA initiates and participates in a series of activities dealing with film politics as well as economic, artistic, and training aspects. The programme includes conferences, seminars and workshops, and a common goal is to build a bridge between creativity and the industry. These activities culminate in the annual presentation of the European Film Awards.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

The Queen of Nollywood Genevieve Nnaji and Chioma Ude, Founder/Project Director of AFRIFF on the Red Carpet of 2011 AFRIFF International Film Festival at the Oriental Hotel on Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday night of December 3, 2011.

© Supple Communications Limited. All Rights Reserved. No part of these materials should be duplicated or reproduced in any form of media without the permission of the copyright owners and publishers.

The 33rd edition of Durban International Film Festival will take place from 19 to 29 July 2012.

Supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), the National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other valued funders and partners, the festival will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a special focus on films from South African and Africa.

Screenings will take place throughout Durban including township areas where cinemas are non-existent. The festival will also offer an extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers. 2012 will also see the return of Talent Campus Durban and the Durban FilmMart.

The festival calls for entries from around the world. Feature films, short films and documentaries are all welcome. The festival does have a competition component.

The deadline for entries is 16 March 2012 for short films and documentaries; 6 April 2012 for feature films. Early submissions are encouraged.

All submissions can be done via the Festival’s Eventival online system. To submit, film-makers can create an account on http://vp.eventival.eu/cca/diff2012

For more information visit: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or e-mail diff@ukzn.ac.za

Media Enquiries
Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates: The Communication Works
031 811 5628
083 326 3235
sharlene@versfeld.co.za
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

8 November 2011

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is calling for feature, short and documentary entries for its 2012 edition, to be held in April in Nigeria, home to the world’s third largest film industry. The deadline for submissions is 30 December 2011.

Since its inception in 2005, AMAA has established itself as the most prestigious and glamorous awards celebrating filmmaking on the continent. The gala event, which is televised live around the world, attracts Hollywood celebrities alongside their African counterparts, as well as African politicians and media.

“Our theme this year is Africa Rising,” says founder Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. “With the success of last year’s AMAA winner, Viva Riva!, all of a sudden there’s this great awareness of the possibilities in Africa. It challenged the ideology of what African cinema is all about.”

After winning six awards at AMAA 2011, Djo Tundawa Munga’s gritty Congolese crime drama Viva Riva was released in America, Canada, Europe, Australasia, and an unprecedented 18 African countries to rave reviews, demonstrating the untapped audience potential of the roughly one billion Africans on the continent.

“This has been an exciting year for African cinema,” says Peace. “We’ve also seen the UK release of six Nollywood films, with Lonzo Nzekwe’s Anchor Baby and Obi Emelonye’s Mirror Boy having extended runs at The Odeon Cinema in England.”

Only films produced and released between December 2010 and December 2011 are eligible. Features may not exceed 120 minutes and shorts may not be longer than 40 minutes.

Submission forms can be downloaded from the AMAA website, http://www.ama-awards.com/.

Nominations will be announced in February 2012.

Peace is available for interviews to discuss the awards and the potential of African cinema.

For more information, contact:

Kevin Kriedemann

+27 83 556 2346

kevin@kevinlikes.com

Out of Africa, always something new

Award-winning director Oliver Stone received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Savannah Film Festival

2011 Savannah Film Festival honors Oliver Stone with Lifetime Achievement Award

Screening of Roman Polanski’s “Carnage” followed award tribute

SAVANNAH, Georgia, November 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning writer/director Oliver Stone (“Platoon,” “Wall Street”) was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th annual Savannah Film Festival on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, Stone dedicated his award to native Savannahian and well-known publicist Bobby Zarem, whom he has known for more than 30 years. “The memory of my achievement lies in Savannah, a city Bobby loves so much,” said the award-winning director. Stone ended with, “I got your back, Bobby.”

Stone has won Oscars for directing “Born on the Fourth of July,” which was screened earlier in the day and featured a question-and-answer session with the critically acclaimed director.He has also received Academy Awards for “Platoon,” and for his adaptation of the screenplay “Midnight Express.” He was nominated for best director for his work on “JFK” and for co-writing “Nixon.” He’s also received three Golden Globes for directing “Platoon,” “Born on the Fourth of July” and “JFK” and one for writing “Midnight Express.”

The evening continued with a special gala screening of Roman Polanski’s “Carnage,” winner of the Little Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film tells the story of two sets of parents who decide to have a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a schoolyard brawl.

The festival will also honor actor Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight,” “Erin Brockovich”); actor James Marsden (“27 Dresses,” “X-Men”); and directors/writers Mark and Jay Duplass (“Cyrus,” “The Puffy Chair”) later in the week. Actress Ellen Barkin (“The Big Easy,” “Ocean’s Thirteen”) and actor Ray Liotta (“Goodfellas,” “Hannibal”) have already received Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Awards while actress Lily Tomlin (“9 to 5,” “All of Me”) was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Additionally, the festival has featured special guests including Universal Pictures President Ron Meyer, Alec Baldwin, James Cromwell, James Toback, Sam Levinson, Anson Mount, Miles Teller, Geoffrey Fletcher, Kenneth Lonergan, and Famke Janssen.

The 14th annual Savannah Film Festival has also presented special screenings including Jim Field Smith’s “Butter;” Lee Hirsch’s “The Bully Project;” Dito Montiel’s “The Son of No One,” starring festival honoree Ray Liotta; David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method;” and Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist.” Shown also were Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk about Kevin;” Ralph Fiennes’ “Coriolanus;” and Sam Levinson’s “Another Happy Day,” starring festival honoree Ellen Barkin.

The annual Savannah Film Festival presents a full range of cinematic creativity from both award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. As the university for creative careers, SCAD offers the only major film program in the United States integrated within an acclaimed art and design university. In the past seven years, the university has been one of the top 10 U.S. film schools in producing Student Academy Award finalists.

For more information on the festival and a complete schedule of events, visit scad.edu/filmfest.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors. Visit scad.edu.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Bins
Media Relations Manager
Savannah College of Art and Design
404.253.2759
jbins@scad.edu