The 2005 Awards Season Has Started!

[Jeremy Blackman]

That's not a mullet, is it?  

[MacGuffin]

ASC takes shot at 'Passion' among noms

In announcing its nominees for the year's best cinematography, the American Society of Cinematographers has become the industry's first professional organization to include Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" among its list of honorees. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, who lensed Icon Prods.' "Passion," is among the film nominees for the 19th annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards, to be held Feb. 13 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. Other nominees include Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron, who contributed to the cinematography on DreamWorks' "Collateral"; Bruno Delbonnel, for Warner Independent Pictures' "A Very Long Engagement"; Pawel Edelman, for Universal Pictures' "Ray"; and Robert Richardson, for Miramax Pictures' "The Aviator."

[MacGuffin]

'Sideways,' Earns Nod for Guild Award

The Howard Hughes film biography "The Aviator" the boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" and the road-trip romp "Sideways" were among Writers Guild of America screenplay nominees Thursday.

Along with screenwriter John Logan for "The Aviator," original-screenplay nominees were Charlie Kaufman for the quirky love story "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"; Zach Braff for the romance "Garden State"; Keir Pearson and Terry George for "Hotel Rwanda," based on a true story amid the 1994 Rwandan genocide; and Bill Condon for "Kinsey," a film biography of sexuality researcher Alfred Kinsey.

Adapted screenplay nominees were Paul Haggis for "Million Dollar Baby," based on stories from F.X. Toole's collection "Rope Burns"; Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor for "Sideways," based on Rex Pickett's novel; Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke for the romantic drama "Before Sunset," based on characters Linklater and Kim Krizan created for their film "Before Sunrise"; Tina Fey for "Mean Girls," based on Rosalind Wiseman's book "Queen Bees and Wannabes"; and Jose Rivera for the Che Guevara road-trip adventure "The Motorcycle Diaries," based on memoirs by Guevara and traveling companion Alberto Granado.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony Feb. 19, about a week before the Academy Awards. The guild honors could give the winners a last-minute boost for the Oscars, whose balloting closes Feb. 22.

"Finding Neverland," a high-profile film in the running for Academy Award nominations, was ineligible because the film was not produced under conditions of the guild's current labor contract.

Another likely Oscar contender Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," his assault on President Bush's actions regarding the Sept. 11 attacks will compete in a separate documentary category created because of a surge in popularity for nonfiction films.

The documentary prize will be awarded in a separate guild ceremony sometime in February. (Moore's documentary "Bowling for Columbine" won the guild's 2002 original-screenplay honor.)

[MacGuffin]

ACE makes Eddie Award nomination cuts

The American Cinema Editors announced nominations on Thursday for the 2004 ACE Eddie Awards recognizing outstanding editing in film, television and documentaries. Nominees for best edited dramatic feature film are Miramax Films' "The Aviator," "Finding Neverland" and "Kill Bill: Volume 2," DreamWorks' "Collateral," Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Kinsey" and Warner Bros. Pictures' "Million Dollar Baby." The five nominees for best edited comedy or musical include Focus Features' "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Fox Searchlight's "Sideways," MGM's "De-Lovely," Pixar Animation Studios' "The Incredibles," and Universal Pictures' "Ray." In the best edited documentary race are IFC Films' "Farenheit 9/11," New Yorker Films' "My Architect," and Sony Pictures Classics' "Riding Giants."

[MacGuffin]

'Aviator' Leads British Film Award Nominations

Actress Kate Winslet will be competing with herself at Britain's prestigious film awards next month, winning two nominations for best actress for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Finding Neverland."

But it was Martin Scorsese's blockbuster "The Aviator" which led the way when the British Academy Film Awards shortlist was announced Monday, coming between Sunday's U.S. Golden Globes ceremony and the Oscar nominations later in January.

Leonardo DiCaprio , who starred alongside Winslet in the box office sensation "Titanic," was nominated as best actor for his portrayal of billionaire playboy Howard Hughes in The Aviator, which led the way with 14 nominations including best film.

As the cinema awards season reaches its climax, the BAFTA nominations are a further boost for the movie and its makers in the run-up to the Oscars .

"Vera Drake," Mike Leigh's moving portrayal of a back-street abortionist in 1950s London, won 11 nominations, leading the way for British films and performers after it failed to make an impression at the Golden Globes.

Also with 11 nominations, including best film, was "Finding Neverland," the story of J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.

Its leading man Johnny Depp will be in the running as best actor, pitting him against DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx for "Ray," Jim Carrey for "Eternal Sunshine..." and Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal for "The Motorcycle Diaries."

Winslet goes against herself, Imelda Staunton for Vera Drake, Charlize Theron in "Monster" and Ziyi Zhang for "House of Flying Daggers" in the best actress category.

"Daggers," the martial arts extravaganza directed by Yimou Zhang, is up for nine BAFTA awards.

Critics bemoaned the lack of British films represented at the BAFTAs, noting that movies like "Shaun of the Dead," "My Summer of Love," "Vanity Fair" and "Phantom of the Opera" were not in the running for major gongs.

Votes for the nominees are cast by more than 6,000 film and television executives in Britain, who draw up "longlists" of 15 top contenders for each main category before whittling them down to shortlists of five.

One notable absentee from the nominations is Clint Eastwood 's acclaimed boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby," which won awards for best director and best actress at the Golden Globes.

An estimated 90 percent of the voters did not see the film, giving it no chance of featuring at the BAFTA award ceremony on February 12.

Film
THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
FINDING NEVERLAND
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA)
VERA DRAKE

The Alexander Korda Award for the outstanding British film of the year
DEAD MAN’S SHOES
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
MY SUMMER OF LOVE
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
VERA DRAKE

The Carl Foreman Award FOR SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT BY A BRITISH DIRECTOR/PRODUCER OR WRITER IN THEIR FIRST FEATURE FILM
AMMA ASANTE - Director/Writer (for A Way of Life)  
ANDREA GIBB - Writer (for Afterlife)  
MATTHEW VAUGHN - Director (for Layer Cake)  
NIRA PARK - Producer (for Shaun of the Dead)  
SHONA AUERBACH - Director (for Dear Frankie)  

The David Lean Award for achievement in Direction
THE AVIATOR - Martin Scorsese  
COLLATERAL - Michael Mann  
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Michel Gondry  
FINDING NEVERLAND - Marc Forster  
VERA DRAKE - Mike Leigh  

Original Screenplay
THE AVIATOR
COLLATERAL
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
RAY
VERA DRAKE

Adapted Screenplay
THE CHORUS (LES CHORISTES)
CLOSER
FINDING NEVERLAND
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA)
SIDEWAY

Film Not In The English Language
LES CHORISTES (THE CHORUS)
DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES)
UN LONG DIMANCHE DE FIANCAILLES (A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT)
LA MALA EDUCACION (BAD EDUCATION)
SHI MIAN MAI FU (HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS)

Actor In A Leading Role
GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL - The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta)  
JAMIE FOXX - Ray  
JIM CARREY - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind  
JOHNNY DEPP - Finding Neverland  
LEONARDO DICAPRIO - The Aviator  

Actress In A Leading Role  
CHARLIZE THERON - Monster  
IMELDA STAUNTON - Vera Drake  
KATE WINSLET - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind  
KATE WINSLET - Finding Neverland  
ZIYI ZHANG - House of Flying Daggers (Shi Mian Mai Fu)  

Actor In A Supporting Role
ALAN ALDA - The Aviator  
CLIVE OWEN - Closer  
JAMIE FOXX - Collateral  
PHIL DAVIS - Vera Drake  
RODRIGO DE LA SERNA - The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta)  

Actress In A Supporting Role
CATE BLANCHETT - The Aviator  
HEATHER CRANEY - Vera Drake  
JULIE CHRISTIE - Finding Neverland  
MERYL STREEP - The Manchurian Candidate  
NATALIE PORTMAN - Closer  

The Anthony Asquith Award For Achievenment In Film Music
THE AVIATOR
THE CHORUS (LES CHORISTES)
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA)
FINDING NEVERLAND
RAY

Cinematography
THE AVIATOR
COLLATERAL
FINDING NEVERLAND
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA)

Editing
THE AVIATOR
COLLATERAL
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)
VERA DRAKE

Production Design
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)
VERA DRAKE

Costume Design
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
VERA DRAKE

Sound
THE AVIATOR    
COLLATERAL    
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)
RAY    
SPIDER-MAN 2    

Achievement In Special Visual Effects
THE AVIATOR
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW    
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)    
SPIDER-MAN 2    

Make Up & Hair  
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (SHI MIAN MAI FU)
VERA DRAKE

Short Animation
BIRTHDAY BOY
CITY PARADISE
HEAVY POCKETS
HIS PASSIONATE BRIDE
LITTLE THINGS

Short Film
THE BANKER
CAN’T STOP BREATHING
ELEPHANT BOY
KNITTING A LOVE SONG
SIX SHOOTER

[Myxo]

Adrien Brody to Announce Oscar Nominations

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US actor Adrien Brody, who won the best actor Oscar for his role in "The Pianist," will unveil the nominations for the 2005 Academy Awards next week, organisers said.

Brody, who became the youngest person ever to win the best actor award for his performance in Roman Polanski's 2002 holocaust drama, will join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science President Frank Pierson in unveiling this year's nominees before dawn on January 25.

The pair will announce the nods in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:30 am (1330 GMT) on Tuesday, marking the official start of the 2005 race for cinema's highest honours.

The race moved into a high gear on Sunday, when Tinseltown's second most prestigious awards, the Golden Globes, were handed out, with Martin Scorsese's biopic "The Aviator" and Alexander Payne's bittersweet comedy "Sideways" taking top honours.

The golden Oscar statuettes will be bestowed out in Hollywood on February 27.

[MacGuffin]

DGA nominates 5 docus' helmers

The DGA named the nominees Wednesday for its documentary filmmaker award, a field that includes the most profitable docu ever, "Fahrenheit 9/11." The nominees were Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni for "The Story of the Weeping Camel"; Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski for "Born Into Brothels"; Ross McElwee for "Bright Leaves"; Michael Moore for "Fahrenheit 9/11"; and Jehane Noujaim for "Control Room." All but Noujaim are first-time nominees for this award. It was Noujaim's second nomination; she won the award in 2001 for "Startup.com." The winner will be announced Jan. 29 at the 57th annual DGA Awards dinner at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

[MacGuffin]

Producers Guild Names 'The Aviator' Best Film

The Producers Guild of America, often an important barometer of Oscar sentiment, on Saturday night named "The Aviator" director Martin Scorsese's film biography of billionaire Howard Hughes, best film of 2004.

In 11 of the past 15 years, the Producers Guild has honored films that went on to win the best picture Oscar -- including "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" last year.

The producers are the first of three craft guilds to name their best picture for the year prior to the Oscars on Feb. 27. Next Saturday night, the Directors' Guild will select its best film and then on Feb. 5, the Screen Actors Guild will do the same.

"The Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has strong competition as Oscar season enters its final weeks. Critics have hailed comedy "Sideways" and Clint Eastwood's tragic boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" and many Oscar experts say there will be a tight race between the three films.

"The Aviator" was named best dramatic picture at last week's Golden Globe Awards, but Clint Eastwood was named best director for "Million Dollar Baby."

In other awards, the Producers Guild named HBO's "Angels in America" as the year's best TV movie or miniseries. It also gave two other HBO shows awards: "The Sopranos" was named best drama series and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" best comedy series.

NBC's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" was named best TV variety program and "The Amazing Race" on CBS was named best reality series.

[Gold Trumpet]

Aviator is new frontrunner for Oscars. $20 says Scorsese loses again at the Academy Awards.

[MacGuffin]

'Alexander,' 'Catwoman' Lead Bad Pix Nominations

This could be the year in which Alexander the Great conquers Catwoman and President Bush wins a prize as worst actor.

Nominations for the 25th annual Razzies, which honor the worst films of the year, were announced on Monday with "Catwoman," the Halle Berry box office bomb, besting "Alexander," Oliver Stone's much maligned tale of the bleached blond conqueror, by seven nominations to six.

In addition, the president made the list for worst actor for his film clip appearances in "Fahrenheit 9/11," a movie he might well consider the worst of the year. Also nominated for their appearances in the politically-charged film about the Iraq war were Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

The Razzies are a traditional spoof award made at Oscar time by the non-profit Golden Raspberry Award Foundation. The group's prizes are given out on Feb. 26, the day before the Oscars . Never has one of its films gone on to win an Oscar.

"Catwoman" and "Alexander" were nominated for Worst Picture, a category which also drew "SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2," Ben Affleck 's career-eroding "Surviving Christmas," and "White Chicks," the Wayans brothers dress-up, gender-bending comedy that left critics cold.

Bush was nominated for worst actor along with Affleck for "Surviving Christmas" and "Jersey Girl," Vin Diesel for "Chronicles of Riddick," Colin Farrell for "Alexander." Ben Stiller was nominated for "Along Came Polly," "Anchorman," "Dodgeball," "Envy" and "Starsky & Hutch."

Halle Berry was nominated for worst actress for "Catwoman," Hilary Duff for "Cinderella Story" and "Raise Your Voice," Angelina Jolie for "Alexander" and "Taking Lives," Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for "New York Minute" and Shawn and Marlon Wayans in their incarnation as the Wayans sisters in "White Chicks."

The nominations for worst screen couple include: Ben Affleck and either Jennifer Lopez or Liv Tyler in "Jersey Girl," Halle Berry and either Benjamin Bratt or Sharon Stone in "Catwoman, George W. Bush and either Rice or his pet goat in "Fahrenheit 9/11," the Olsen twins in "New York Minute," the Wayans Brothers, in or out of drag, in "White Chicks."

Worst supporting actress were Carmen Electra for "Starsky & Hutch," Jennifer Lopez for "Jersey Girl," Rice for "Fahrenheit 9/11," Britney Spears for her cameo role in that same movie and Sharon Stone for "Catwoman."

Val Kilmer was nominated for worst supporting actor for "Alexander." Also nominated were California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for "Around The World in 80 Days," Rumsfeld for "Fahrenheit 9/11," Jon Voight for SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2" and Lambert Wilson for "Catwoman."

"Catwoman" led with seven nominations to six for Alexander, five for "Fahrenheit 9/11," five "White Chicks," and four for "SuperBabies."

[pete]

man people are really into this nominating politicians for bad actors things.

[SHAFTR]

Aviator is new frontrunner for Oscars. $20 says Scorsese loses again at the Academy Awards.

I still think Million Dollar Baby is the frontrunner, with Sideways 2nd and Aviator 3rd.

It is definitely a 3 horse race.

[MacGuffin]

Michael Moore Fails to Make Cut with Writers Guild

Two days after being snubbed when the Oscar nominations were announced, Michael Moore was left off the list Thursday when the Writers Guild of America unveiled nominees for its first documentary writing award for a feature film.

The six nominated pictures are "The Hunting of the President," which alleges a campaign against Bill Clinton from his early days in Arkansas through his impeachment; "Control Room," an inside view of the Arab television network Al Jazeera during the war in Iraq; "Bright Leaves," a reflection on Big Tobacco by the great-grandson of a tobacco baron; "Home of the Brave," a study of murdered civil-rights activist Viola Liuzzo; "In the Realm of the Unreal," which follows artist, novelist and janitor Henry Darger; and "Super Size Me," a first-person take on the perils of overeating fast food.

Of those films, only Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me" has been nominated for a best documentary Academy Award.

WGA officials said Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" was eligible but Moore elected not to submit it. Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" won the WGA Award for best original screenplay in 2003, the first time that a documentary had ever been nominated in that category.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" also failed to earn an Academy Award nomination this week. In that case, however, he had declined to submit "Fahrenheit" in the documentary category because he planned a TV airing before the Nov. 2 election -- and that disqualified the documentary under Academy rules. "Fahrenheit" was eligible in other categories, and Moore unsuccessfully campaigned for a best picture nomination.

The winner of the WGA Documentary Screenplay Award will be named at a reception for documentary filmmakers Feb. 15 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles.

[MacGuffin]

World Politics Dominate Top Sundance Awards

War, world politics and personal struggles dominated Sundance Film Festival awards on Saturday as a dark drama, "Forty Shades of Blue," and a documentary about the U.S. defense industry, "Why We Fight," won top honors.

"Forty Shades of Blue" tells of a Russian woman who marries a man twice her age to immigrate to America and must now come to a new reckoning of herself. It earned the American Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

The American Documentary Jury Prize was given to "Why We Fight," in which director Eugene Jarecki examines the U.S. military industrial complex to show audiences that the system's survival depends on constant world war.

Sundance is the top U.S. festival for independent film, and a prize here means instant recognition for filmmakers.

For the first time, Sundance held competitions for world documentaries and dramas to shed a brighter spotlight on foreign films.

The World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize was given to "The Hero" about men, women and children looking for normalcy following the end to the Angolan civil war in 2002. It received backing in three countries: Angola, Portugal and France.

The Netherlands' "Shape of the Moon" won the World Cinema Documentary Jury Award. It tells of three Christian families adapting their religious beliefs to life in Indonesia -- the world's largest Muslim country.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

The top Sundance awards come from juries of filmmakers, but the festival also offers an "Audience Award" to movies chosen by festivalgoers. The Audience Awards are often a better indicator of a film's popularity and potential box office.

Last year's dramatic jury award went to the low-budget science fiction film "Primer," which failed to ignite major ticket sales, while the dramatic film audience winner "Maria Full of Grace" met solid success at box offices.

Rap music film "Hustle & Flow," about a pimp suffering a mid-life crisis in a U.S. southern city, earned the Audience Award for a dramatic film, as well as taking home the Sundance trophy for cinematography for Amelia Vincent.

"Hustle & Flow" was acquired this past week at Sundance by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films for $9 million -- a hefty price for a low-budget film -- making it perhaps the festival's biggest winner, overall.

"Murderball," about quadriplegic men who play a rugby-like game in their wheelchairs, won the Audience Award for a documentary. It has been one of the talked-about movies on the snowy streets of this mountain town east of Salt Lake City.

The World Cinema audience trophy for a drama went to Denmark's "Brothers," about a man whose life changes after his brother vanishes while on a U.N. mission in Afghanistan .

The World Documentary audience trophy went to "Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire," a Canadian film about the career military man who commanded the undermanned U.N. peacekeeping force in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

[©brad]

what r we to do with all these lists?