87th Academy Awards Documentary Short Subject Shortlist

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 87th Academy Awards has been narrowed to eight (8) films, of which three to five will earn a nomination. Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 58 eligible entries and selected the following eight.

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, Ellen Goosenberg Kent, USA, 47 min
Joanna, Aneta Kopacz, Poland, 45 min
Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace, Jeff Dupre, USA, France and China, 38 min
The Lion's Mouth Opens, Lucy Walker, USA, 15 min
Nasza klątwa (Our Curse), Tomasz Śliwiński, Poland, 28 min
One Child, Zijian Mu, USA and China, 40 min
La Parka (The Reaper), Gabriel Serra Argüello, Mexico, 29 min
White Earth, Christian Jensen, USA, 20 min

The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The awards show will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The TV show also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Check synopsis, trailers, excerpts, interviews or other video material for the eight doc short films shortlisted by the Academy.

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Synopsis
They served their country overseas. Now, many military veterans must turn to the unique services of the Veterans' Crisis Line to help with their own personal and professional traumas at home. This documentary profiles several of the VCL counselors who work the phones of this 24-hour service, providing support, guidance, and hope to active and retired servicemen dealing with emotional, physical and financial troubles



Joanna
Synopsis
In the multitude of blogs on the Internet, one stands out and becomes the common topic of many conversations. The reason why so many people follow Joanna’s blog is because it teaches them how to be thoughtful and joyful. She describes her daily life with overwhelming honesty and accuracy. Her goals are as simple as a family trip to the lakes, her planning is as short-term as to witness her little son riding a bike for the first time. Diagnosed with untreatable illness, Joanna promises her son that she will do her best to live for as long as possible. She writes down everything she might want him to learn from her when he grows up.
With great visual poetry, the documentary portrays the simple and meaningful moments in the life of the family. The very few words spoken and the ones never uttered in the film make the message ultimately powerful and extremely subtle at the same time. It is a story of close relationships, tenderness, love and thoughtfulness.



Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace
Synopsis
Famous for his vibrant reinterpretations of classical portraits featuring African-American men, New York-based painter Kehinde Wiley has turned the practice of portraiture on its head and in the process has taken the art world by storm. Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace follows the artist as he steps out of his comfort zone to create a series of paintings of women for the first time. Kehinde casts his models on the streets of New York and then enlists Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy to create couture gowns for each woman. The film traces the artist's process from concept to canvas as he reveals to us another side of black femininity.



The Lion's Mouth Opens
Synopsis
A courageous young woman takes the boldest step imaginable to confront her risk of having inherited the fatal, incurable Huntington's Disease.

Interview with Lucy Walker and Marianna Palka at Sundance



Nasza klątwa (Our Curse)
Synopsis
According to legend, the water nymph Ondine placed a curse on her unfaithful lover that prevented him from sleeping. For him, sleep meant certain death. The so-called Ondine curse (congenital central hypoventilation syndrome) is a very rare disease in which the patient is at risk of sleep apnoea. The infant son of director Tomasz Śliwiński suffers from this incurable disease and therefore must sleep every night attached to a lung ventilator. Śliwiński records the hardships he and his wife endure when they first bring little Leo home from the hospital, the first sleepless nights, but also the moments of optimism and joy Leo brings.



One Child
Synopsis
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake, China’s deadliest disaster in three decades, killed 90,000 people, including more than 5,000 children. Losing a child is an immeasurable tragedy for parents anywhere, but in China the effect is compounded by the one-child policy. This means that if you lose your child, you’re often losing your one and only child – and with it the totality of your life’s emotional investment.
In response to the earthquake, China’s government made an exception for those who lost their only child to conceive another. That generation of newborns became known in China as “reborn” children. But for many parents, particularly those who lost teenage children, their advancing age proved to be a significant barrier.
This film features three families from Beichuan, the city that suffered the most in the earthquake. And the city did not fare better than its inhabitants. It was torn and abandoned. The government deployed its construction machine toward building an entirely new city. Old Beichuan was dead. And a new Beichuan erected – in a different place. In just three years, residents of the old city were relocated, including the family of Yang, Jiang and Fu, and Gu, who all lost their only child in the earthquake. One Child follows the journey of these three families as they try to restore a sense of normalcy and struggle to move past the loss of their children.



La Parka (The Reaper)
Synopsis
Through Efrain, also known as the Reaper, we will discover the deep connections between his work and his personal life; his relationship with death, his guilts and losses. The common thread is the meat of dead bulls and the industrial processes of a slaughterhouse. We get to know Efrain through this meat.



White Earth
Synopsis
A winter portrait of North Dakota's oil boom as soon through unexpected eyes. Set against the backdrop of a cruel North Dakota winter, “White Earth” is a tale of an oil boom that has drawn thousands to America’s Northern Plains in search of work. Told from the perspective of three children and an immigrant mother whose lives are touched by the oil boom, each story intertwines with the others – exploring themes of innocence, home, and the American Dream.

The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 13

This week I watched The Fault in Our Stars.

I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.

The Fault in Our Stars - Despite a unique story, it's still just a romance movie.

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Watch The Fault in Our Stars
Written by: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (screenplay), John Green (book)
Directed by: Josh Boone
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort 
Rated: PG-13

Plot:
Meeting at a cancer support group, Hazel and Augustus make the most of the time they have left.

Review:
The actors do a nice job, and I like the dialog. It's a romance that ventures into an unfamiliar setting. It isn't much different from any other romance story, but it's put together very well. Willem Dafoe steals the show, as expected. I wouldn't have minded it pushing more existentialism.
It depends

Halloween in Hollywood

A collection of fabulous Classic Hollywood Halloween Photos

 



Vera Ellen in an amazing bat costume

 

and wearing a snazzy pumpkin sweater

 

Judy Garland with a cute little black cat

The poor girl just can't seem to get away from witches!

 

Paulette Goddard in a fabulous cat costume

 

 

 

Another cat costume modeled by Dusty Anderson

(I had to look her up)

 

Shirley Temple celebrating Halloween with Harold Lloyd's children, 1935

And all grown up wearing another interesting sweater

 

Ann Rutherford, 1940

Betty Grable, favorite WWII pin-up

Donna Reed, 1945

Esther Williams

Jane Wyman

Janis Paige - recently watched two Dennis Morgan movies with her in them,

Two Guys from Milwaukee (really good) and One Sunday Afternoon (boring) 

 

The uncomparable Myrna Loy

 

Jeanne Craine (who else thinks she looks a little bit like Hedy Lamarr?)

Joan Crawford

 

Unusual...

 

Mary Pickford

 

Ava Gardner, or "Two Ways to Look Glamorous while Riding a Broom"

Yvonne De Carlo

 

Madge Meredith, 1946 (another one I had to look up; her hat was too awesome to leave out.

Apparently she's an uncredited slave in The Ten Commandments)

 

I don't know who these actors are, but that backdrop is AMAZING!!!

Sandra Dee and a groovy skeleton

 

And now for a few men...

 

Peter Lorre - who else

 

Jimmy Durante

The Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock

 

And let's not forget our friends from Television!

 

Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie

Elizabeth Montgomery, Erin Murphy and Agnes Moorehead from Bewitched

This picture makes me smile :)

I just love her "witch" outfit

And Yvonne Craig as Batgirl in Batman

 

Happy Halloween!

 

All pictures were found via Pinterest and Chronically Vintage



Finding Her Voice: Lake Bell's IN A WORLD...

"The industry does not crave a female sound." - Sam Sotto

Lake Bell, Fred Melamed

With the affordability of digital production, it should be no surprise that a growing number of Hollywood actors, dissatisfied with today's big franchise pictures, are stepping behind the camera to create characters and stories of their own. Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed, and starred in last year�s sharply amusing Don Jon; Zach Braff recently released his follow-up to Garden State, Wish I Was Here; and James Franco seems to turn out something new (if usually unwatchable) every other month.

The ranks of women initiating their own projects is also growing, even in an industry as male-dominated as Hollywood's. Though mostly working in the indie and low-budget spheres, there are a number of actresses who write (or more often co-write) their own films, such as Brit Marling, Krysten Ritter, and Katie Aselton, with the occasional breakout success of a Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) or critical acclaim of a Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks).

But with exceptions like Aselton (The Freebie, Black Rock), Jennifer Westfeldt (Friends with Kids) and former actress Lynn Shelton (Your Sister�s Sister, Touchy Feely), very few have made the transition to the director's chair as confidently as Lake Bell, who wrote, directed, and starred in 2013�s laugh-out-loud funny, In a World�, making its Netflix streaming debut.

Read more �

2015 Oscar Foreign Language Film Submissions Facts - Update 1

Update: We already know that there were a record 83 submissions to Oscars foreign language film category as AMPAS published the list with six more countries that didn't made public announcements until after AMPAS list appeared. I'm almost sure that Academy administrative personnel HAVE NOT seen the 83 movies, much less Academy members, so in the next few months we can get some news about disqualified films due to reasons related to not fulfilling the rules (too much English, not enough film ownership from country that submitted, not locally screened before deadline or screened less than 7 days, etc).

The six new films increase the number of female directors to 14 out of 83 which maintains the same proportion of 17%. There are three more festival films (Berlinale, Biennale and Karlovy Vary) that when we add them to the previous 35, we have 38 festival films out of the 83 submitted or 45% which also does not change what it's said below.

This year was reading a lot about newcomers to the category race with most commenting how "exciting" -and different in a positive way- is to follow the category from the very beginning when the first submissions are announced. Absolutely agree and you know that I always believe that the list this award generates does have some of the BEST films from the world and yes, from Great Cinema. The task is always trying to see as much as you can and well, you have a year before a new list generates.

Perhaps the most interesting suggestion I read this year is one category fan "requesting" AMPAS to have another category: Foreign Language Documentary!!! Gosh, that's too much as many countries film industry have a hard time to produce feature films, so imagine documentaries. Then you have to consider that for many countries sending one film is very expensive, two will be financially impossible. But it is an interesting idea that definitively could promote more documentary films.

What I definitively agree with many is that this year the category has become very competitive and consequently, more interesting than in previous years. Still my annual problem arises when I consider -always unpredictable- Academy members as it is really hard to guess what they have in their minds and how they will vote. Still, yes will play the guessing game from different points of view.  My predictions will come ... soon.

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10/9/14
Eight days after the submission deadline we have announcements from seventy-seven (77) countries which surpasses by one last year record; but it is only when AMPAS publishes the accepted submissions that we will learn if there is a new record, if record is kept or if this year there are less films. Still, like some cinema pundits, if you wish you can start to celebrate a new record.

For the very first time the Academy will acknowledge the winning film director as before the Oscar statuette had the name of the movie only but from the 87th edition on, the name of the director will be along the name of the foreign language winning film. I like the decision to recognize the director -more than the producers- as truly believe that what makes a huge difference in a movie is what the director does for good or not-so-good consequences.

Will be after AMPAS list publication that I will dare to predict something about this category. This is not the easiest to predict category as there are too many choices that are as diverse as world cinema can be; but will select a list of nine (9) films that I wish could make the next stage plus a more realistic prediction of what I think AMPAS foreign language committee members could select.

We can't forget that the average age of Academy members is 63-years-old and seems that foreign language committee average age has been even higher, so we can estimate that their taste in cinema is more "conventional" than anything else and their first choices will be nothing short of conventional. That is why I wonder -for example- if they will be willing to invest 196 minutes of their life to watch the 2014 Cannes Palme d'Or winner submitted by Turkey. Probably not. That is where what I wish and what could happen start to go further apart.

For those that do not recall the selection process that will start as soon as the official list of accepted films is published, here are the highlights:

-The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based Academy members, screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and mid-December. The group's top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy's Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist of nine (9).

-The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend three days between the announcements (shortlist and nominations) viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.

Let's talk about some facts that the list clearly shows.

Cannes 2014

This year Cannes Film Festival is a major supplier of films submitted to Oscar foreign language film category as twelve (12) come from the Official Selection or the sidebars. Submissions include the Palme d'Or winner, Jury Prize winner, Best Screenplay winner, Un Certain Regard Prize winner, Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, Un Certain Regard Best Actor award winner, Ecumenical Jury Award winner, Francois Chalais prix winner and yes, the Palm Dog winner!

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, Israel, Mauritania, Philippines, Russia, Sweden, and Turkey submitted films from Cannes 2014; only Philippines submission is from 2013.

There are two omissions that I really regret, both were highly expected and surprised many -if not everyone- when the announcement was made. Ukraine and China decided to not send their highly acclaimed Cannes entries, The Tribe and Coming Home. Sigh.

Not often Cannes honored films and Oscar collide, still the last time was with Cannes Palme d'Or winner  Amour and this year some are predicting that most of the list of nine films will come from Cannes.  Not sure if will happen, but at least know that one spot will not as there is one film that did not came from Cannes but many, including me, are expecting will make the list of 9 and later get a nomination. The film? Ida.

Festival Films

World Festivals -besides Cannes- also are a good source for Oscar entries with Berlin, Venice, Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Sarajevo, Pula, Tallinn Black Nights, Goteborg, Shanghai, Montreal, London, and San Sebastian Film Festivals having films sent to 2015 Oscar. There are twenty-three (23) films from world festivals that were submitted.

Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Switzerland, and Taiwan sent films that won awards or were part of the official selection at renown world festivals.

When we add 23 world festival films plus 12 Cannes films we get a total of 35 out of 76 (45%) films that came from world festivals which is almost half submission being fest films . Somehow I have the impression that festivals not always provide high possibilities of winning an Oscar nomination or an Oscar award and perhaps this year we could find one or two films making the shortlist of 9 and getting a nod.  Besides Poland, perhaps Georgia or Switzerland could make it.

Women Directors

Out of the 77 submissions, thirteen (13) are films directed by women which gives us a 17% representation and is lower than the more usual 20-25% of film festivals. There are three films by female directors that have won the category Oscar before, Antonia's Line by Marleen Gorris, Nowhere in Africa by Caroline Link, and In a Better World by Susanne Bier. Will current edition bring to four the Oscar winning foreign language films directed by female directors? I do not know but there are some really strong contenders in the list.

Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, Pakistan, and Palestine submitted films directed by female directors.

French Productions

This year is particularly remarkable as there are 13 films that have French money; two were done with 100% French money and 11 are French co productions. Indeed there is a high probability that French money will get an Oscar nomination!



Belgium, Chile, China, Colombia, France (100%), Georgia, Israel, Italy, Mauritania (100%), Norway, Palestine, Sweden and Turkey sent films made with French money.  There is some early-predicting with the winning film among these thirteen films, so as it has happen -lately quite often- French money could get an Academy Award, again.

LGBT story/scenes

Brazil, Canada, France, Portugal, and Switzerland submitted films with stories clearly gay plus Finland's entry has some gay interest scenes.

The most celebrated lesbian interest film was not submitted this year even when qualified as France chose to send gay interest Saint Laurent instead of 2013 Cannes Palme d'Or winner Blue is the Warmest Color; many were VERY disappointed  -including me- as a submission would have meant a new life for a great film and yes, it is the kind of movie that Academy members could like, after all we cannot forget that Cannes 2013 Jury President is a good representative of the average Academy member. Sigh.

Nevertheless there area a couple of films that could advance to next stage, especially submissions from Canada and Switzerland.  Still we can't be oblivious that Finland's submission has been winning all kinds of accolades in the "cold" countries but I wonder if film success will transfer to "warmer" countries as have seen the movie and I find it not-easy-to-watch.
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Soon (next week?) the Academy will publish the official list of submitted films that were accepted and we will find if a couple of  still unclear submissions were accepted or not plus later will publish my "predictions". To check the list of all films submitted to Oscars 2015 please go here.

27th European Film Awards: European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI Nominations

The European Film Academy congratulates the nominees for the EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2014 – Prix FIPRESCI, an award presented annually as part of the European Film Awards to a young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film.

This year’s nominations were determined by a committee comprised of EFA Board Members Ilann Girard (France) and Dagmar Jacobsen (Germany), EFA Members Paul Negoescu (Romania) and José Luis Cienfuegos (Spain), as well as Krzysztof Kwiatkowski (Poland), Marco Spagnoli (Italy) and Neil Young (UK) as representatives of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics.

The nominees.
10,000 Km, Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain
71, Yan Demange, UK
La Herida (Wounded), Fernando Franco, Spain
Party Girl, Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, and Samuel Theis, France
ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine

Have to admit that is surprising to find two films from Spain among the nominees, so there is hope for Spain's cinema improvement. If you wish to learn more about each movie go EFA's official site here.

The nominated films will soon be submitted to the more than 3,000 EFA Members to elect the winner. The European Discovery 2014 – Prix FIPRESCI will then be presented at the European Film Awards Ceremony in Riga on Saturday, 13 December – streamed live on www.europeanfilmawards.eu