| Sundance Film Festival 2011 Award Winners Posted: 29 Jan 2011 06:50 PM PST 
Sundance Film Festival 2011 is basically over for many and we’ve done our best to keep you updated on films and people coming out of the fest. There are still plenty of people hanging around hoping to either take home some awards and prizes or to watch the winning films being replayed! The festival breaks up their awards into jury and audience winners and on top of that have several programs organized to award prizes, which often include money or grants in order to help young filmmakers on their way. The jury have just announced their picks and those of the audience. Check out the winners from the award ceremony below!
As a reminder, this years Sundance Film Festival had 118 feature-length films were selected, representing 29 countries by 40 first-time filmmakers, including 25 in competition. These films were selected from 3,812 feature-length film submissions composed of 1,943 U.S. and 1,869 international feature-length films. 95 films at the Festival were world premieres. This year the Festival’s Short Film Program was comprised 81 short films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 6,467 submissions. But who was the best of the best…. Grand Jury Winners: - The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to How to Die in Oregon,directed by Peter D. Richardson. In 1994 Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. How to Die in Oregon gently enters the lives of terminally ill Oregonians to illuminate the power of death with dignity.
- The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Like Crazy, directed by Drake Doremus; written by Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones. A young American guy and a young British girl meet in college and fall in love. Their love is tested when she is required to leave the country and they must face the challenges of a long-distance relationship.
- The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Hell and Back Again, directed by Danfung Dennis. Told through the eyes of one Marine from the start of his 2009 Afghanistan tour to his distressing return and rehabilitation in the U.S., we witness what modern “unconventional” warfare really means to the men who are fighting it. U.S.A./United Kingdom
- The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig), directed by Anne Sewitsky; written by Ragnhild Tronvoll. A perfect housewife, who just happens to be sex-starved, struggles to keep her emotions in check when an attractive family moves in next door. Norway
Audience Award Winners: - The Audience Award: Documentary was presented to Buck, directed by Cindy Meehl, for her story about the power of non-violence and master horse trainer Buck Brannaman, who uses principles of respect and trust to tame horses and inspire their human counterparts.
- The Audience Award: Dramatic was presented to Circumstance (Read Review), directed and written by Maryam Keshavarz, in which a wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain a teenager’s growing sexual rebellion and her brother’s dangerous obsession.
- The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented to Senna, directed by Asif Kapadia; written by Manish Pandey, about legendary racing driver and Brazilian hero Ayrton Senna, taking us on the ultimate journey of what it means to become the greatest when faced with the constant possibility of death. United Kingdom
- The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented to Kinyarwanda, directed and written by Alrick Brown, which tells the story of Rwandans who crossed the lines of hatred during the 1994 genocide, turning mosques into places of refuge for Muslims and Christians, Hutus and Tutsis. U.S.A./Rwanda
- The Best of NEXT!: Audience Award was presented to to.get.her, directed and written by Erica Dunton about five girls who come together for one fateful night where anything goes. They all had secrets, but their friendship was the only thing they knew to be true.
Directing Awards: Recognizing excellence in directing for dramatic and documentary features… - The Directing Award: Documentary was presented to Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, directed by Jon Foy. An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.
- The Directing Award: Dramatic was presented to Martha Marcy May Marlene, directed and written by Sean Durkin. Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.
- The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented to Project Nim (Read Review) directed by James Marsh, who explores the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who was taught to communicate with language as he was raised and nurtured like a human child.United Kingdom
- The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented to Tyrannosaur, directed and written by Paddy Considine. For a man plagued by self-destructive violence and rage, a chance of redemption appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker with a devastating secret of her own. United Kingdom
Screenwriting Awards: - The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented to Another Happy Day, directed and written by Sam Levinson, about a pair of reckless siblings who are dragged into a chaotic family wedding by their overwrought mother.
- The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented to Restoration, directed by Yossi Madmony; written by Erez Kav-El, about an antique furniture restorer, who, aided by a young and mysterious apprentice, struggles to keep his workshop alive, while his relationship with his own estranged son, who is trying to close down the shop, begins to disintegrate. Israel
Editing Awards: - The Documentary Editing Award: Matthew Hamachek and Marshall Curry and directed by Marshall Curry. The Earth Liberation Front is a radical environmental group that the FBI calls America’s "number one domestic terrorist threat." Daniel McGowan, an ELF member, faces life in prison for two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies.
- The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented to The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, edited by Göran Hugo Olsson and Hanna Lejonqvist and directed by Göran Hugo Olsson. From 1967 to 1975, Swedish journalists chronicled the Black Power movement in America. Combining that 16mm footage, undiscovered until now, with contemporary audio interviews, this film illuminates the people and culture that fueled change and brings the movement to life anew.Sweden/U.S.A.
The Excellence in Cinematography Award: - The Excellence in Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented to The Redemption of General Butt Naked, directed by Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion; cinematographers: Eric Strauss, Ryan Hill and Peter Hutchens. A brutal warlord who murdered thousands during Liberia’s horrific 14-year civil war renounces his violent past and reinvents himself as an Evangelist, facing those he once terrorized.
- The Excellence in Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented to Pariah (Read Review), directed and written by Dee Rees; cinematographer: Bradford Young. When forced to choose between losing her best friend or destroying her family, a Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and endures heartbreak in a desperate search for sexual expression.
- The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented to Hell and Back Again, directed by Danfung Dennis; cinematographer: Danfung Dennis. Told through the eyes of one Marine from the start of his 2009 Afghanistan tour to his distressing return and rehabilitation in the U.S., we witness what modern “unconventional” warfare really means to the men who are fighting it. U.S.A./United Kingdom
- The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented to All Your Dead Ones, directed by Carlos Moreno; written by Alonso Torres and Carlos Moreno; cinematographer: Diego F. Jimenez. One morning, a peasant wakes to find a pile of bodies in the middle of his crops. When he goes to the authorities, he quickly realizes that the dead ones are a problem nobody wants to deal with. Colombia
Breakout Performance: - Two World Cinema Special Jury Prizes: Dramatic for Breakout Performances were presented to Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan for their roles in Tyrannosaur, directed and written by Paddy Considine.For a man plagued by self-destructive violence and rage, a chance of redemption appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker with a devastating secret of her own. United Kingdom
- A World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Position Among the Stars (Stand van de Sterren) directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich, for his expose of the effects of globalization on Indonesia’s rapidly changing society as it ripples into the life of a poor Christian woman living in the slums of Jakarta with her Muslim sons and teenage granddaughter. The Netherlands
Special Jury Prizes - A Special Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to BEING ELMO: A Puppeteer's Journey, directed by Constance Marks, an inspirational film that crosses cultures and generations
- A Special Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Another Earth directed by Mike Cahill; written by Mike Cahill and Brit Marling. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, a horrible tragedy irrevocably alters the lives of two strangers, who begin an unlikely love affair.
- A Special Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Felicity Jones for her role in Like Crazy, directed by Drake Doremus; written by Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones. A young American guy and a young British girl meet in college and fall in love. Their love is tested when she is required to leave the country and they must face the challenges of a long-distance relationship.
Announced earlier this week…
Best Shorts: The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to Brick Novax pt 1 and 2 (Director and Screenwriter: Matt Piedmont)— Penniless and now living in a seedy motel with only weeks to live, international super legend Brick Novax records his amazing tales as an astronaut, movie star, corporate CEO, and famous musician to preserve his legacy as the coolest guy in the history of the world. The Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking was given to Deeper Than Yesterday Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Ariel Kleiman) – After three months submerged underwater in a submarine, the crew have become savages. Oleg, one of the men onboard, fears that losing perspective may mean losing himself. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival Jury: U.S. Documentary Competition: Jeffrey Blitz, Matt Groening, Laura Poitras, Jess Search, Sloane Klevin; U.S. Dramatic Competition: America Ferrera, Todd McCarthy, Tim Orr, Kimberly Peirce, Jason Reitman; World Cinema Documentary Competition: José Padilha, Mette Hoffmann Meyer, Lucy Walker; World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Susanne Bier, Bong Joon-Ho, Rajendra Roy; Shorts Competition: Barry Jenkins, Kim Morgan, Sara Bernstein; Alfred P. Sloan Award: Jon Amiel, Paula Apsell, Sean Carroll, Clark Gregg. In addition, The Shorts Jury awarded Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking to: - Choke / Canada (Drector and Screenwriter: Michelle Latimer)— Upon leaving his First Nations reserve, Jimmy encounters the lost souls of the city and is reminded that no matter how far you travel, you cannot escape who you are.
- Diarchy / Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Ferdinando Cito Filmomarino) – Giano and Luc are traveling through the woods when a storm breaks, forcing them to take shelter in Luc’s villa. Gradually and insidiously, a competition emerges between them, with terrible consequences.
- The External World / Germany, Ireland (Director and Screenwriter: David O’Reilly) – A boy learns to play the piano.
- The Legend of Beaver Dam / Canada (Director: Jerome Sable; Screenwriters: Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion) – When a ghost story around the campfire awakens an evil monster, it’s up to nerdy Danny Zigwitz to be the hero and save his fellow campers from a bloody massacre.
- Out of Reach / Poland (Director and Screenwriter: Jakub Stozek) – Karolina and Natalia seek refuge from their domineering father and reminiscence about sad childhood without a mother in a basement of their block of flats.
- Protoparticles / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Chema García Ibarra) – The experiment was a success: protomatter exists.
Prizes: 2011 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize: Another Earth - Directed by Mike Cahill and Written and Produced by Mike Cahill and Brit Marling, who also stars in the film.
- Synopsis: On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
- Prize: The prize consists of a cash award of $20,000 that has been offered for the past 9 years to the feature film of their choice that is considered an outstanding feature film that has a scientific or technological theme or depicts a scientist, mathematician or engineer in a leading role. The film has also been picked up by Fox Searchlight for distribution.
2011 Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award - Winner: Director Cherien Dabis
- The Prize: Originally created to celebrate 100 years of Cinema, the annual award recognizes and supports a visionary filmmaker on his or her next film. Sundance Institute staff works closely with the winner throughout the year, providing creative and strategic support through the development, financing and production of their films.
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| Sundance 2011: Circumstance – Movie Review Posted: 29 Jan 2011 01:36 PM PST 
There were a number of films at Sundance that took on the subject of homosexuality and the un-accepting nature of the societies around the it, for me, Circumstance was the most successful of the bunch. Maybe because the stakes felt the highest, maybe because of the expert craftsmanship that went into creating and executing the project, or perhaps it has something to do with the locations in which it was shot — but one thing is for sure, this is a great film that deserves to be acknowledged…
The Players: - Writer/Director: Maryam Keshavarz
- Cast: Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy, Reza Sixo Safai, Soheil Parsa, Nasrin Pakkho, Sina Amedson, Keon Mohajeri
- Producer: Karin Chien, Maryam Keshavarz, Melissa M. Lee
- Composer: Gingger Shankar
- Cinematographer: Brian Rigney Hubbard
Though this film is an American made film, the film was shot mainly in location in Iran and you will need to be prepared to read some subtitles. The location of this film was everything, it told you the culture, the people, the poltics that were taking place — and then broke any preconveinced notions you might have had and showed you the reality of what it’s like for these two women. This film plays with cliches and then breaks them. From the older generations being more open minded, to the way that Irania women are looked at, to the struggles of being in their position, to women lashing out — this film is not what you would expect when you see “lesbian Iranian lesbian story.” It’s fast-paced, honest, colorful — this is not your cliched “indie” with slow scenes and inuendos, this is a bold film from a bold story teller. There were a number of situations in which you will be surprised as to what exactly goes on behind closed doors. Though homophobia is a worldwide epidemic, there’s no doubt that these women were the most at danger in terms of both their direct families and the government around them – therefore they had to find bigger ways to act out and fight back. There was more sex, nudity, drugs, dancing and the lot in this film than many others and rightly so. You can only repress a person so far before they need to break out and this film is just that. And taking the film to yet another level were the performances. Though the women in this film were wonderful and had the most to do both emotionally and physically, the man who plays the father, Soheil Parsa, steals just about every scene he is in. He’s so subtle and yet you know everything he’s going through. Surprisingly through it all, he’s the one who will pull your hearstrings, because he is fighting for what is actually right, but he just can’t make a difference. He’ll do anything to keep his family together and happy. He’s truly the do-gooder and the moral compass of the film… which is a nice change from the norm in a film like this. Overall: First time director Maryam had a very definitive style of shooting which is something you really look for at Sundance. A number of newbies make films with potential, but that need some time to get to their real style of filmmaking. In this film Maryam comes out of the corner swinging. From the camera style, to the brilliant use of music and dance, to the colors and movement – she makes a strong statement as to who she is with the film and gives us a lot to be excited for in the future. Luckily his film did in fact get picked up, so hopefully it will be in theaters later this year. The longer I think about it the more it resonates with me, I can’t seem to get it out of my head. It’s a great pick, beautiful and fun, and yet meaningful and deep — don’t miss it! Related Posts 
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| Sundance 2011: Salvation Boulevard – Movie Review Posted: 29 Jan 2011 12:56 PM PST 
Salvation Blvd is one of those films that I would have thought would never receive a home outside of festivals. It’s not that it’s not fun, or that it doesn’t have an entire cast fill of friendly A-list faces — but it’s a film that mocks religion outright and doesn’t really have any reason for doing it. But, once again, I’ve found myself saying “I was wrong” because IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced yesterday that that the two companies will be partnering to acquire North American rights to the film. Lets take a look at if they made the right decision…
The Players: Review: Hell House and Purgatory County director George Ratliff decided to take on a new kind of horror — Christianity. This religious romp has a lot of great ideas and a fun concept for those who think that the only way to deal with religion is with a laugh, but my biggest problem was no the subject matter, but the story. The film film jammed packed full of interesting ideas that they didn’t necessarily have the right vehicle for. They seemed to have trouble finding ways to tie them all together in to one coherent story or genre. Some of the transitions between one seen to another therefore feel a bit glued together instead of feeling like they all flowed together as one thought. Maybe having three writers was just too much creativeness for a while. The film is about a charismatic preacher, Pastor Dan (Brosnan) who has managed to trick, captivate, manipulate (you choose) an entire city worth of Christians to join together in one town and praise one man — him… I mean… Jesus. This expert orator takes on a Ex-deadhead and “recovering hippie” (Kinnear) to show others how to be saved, that it until he needs saving himself and then he pitches his lamb to the wolves. “The megachurch is cast into shadow, and a hellish storm begins brewing that could jeopardize its entire existence.” All of this is good fun, the problem is things begin to spin so out of control and then things become a bit contrived. Though the journey is at times extremely fun, there are a number of moments that fall victim to convenient action film cliches such as someone always being in the right place at the right time for the story to come together and NO one listening to anything logical. Dare I say a simpler story with more ideas may have been better, but not necessarily as fun or easy to follow for mainstream audiences. One with less locations and more problems would have been better. In fact the whole “Mexican kidnapping” section could have been cut out without harming the core of the story. This is not necessarily a film for those “mainstream” audiences anyway, so why not go even crazier, bolder, even more over the top, with even more hysteria? I guess they needed it to sell — though I wonder if there will be any re-shoots? That being said, it’s always fun to watch Brosnan play a creep/dirty character and he does a great job of capturing both the charming and slimming part of his character. I’m sure he enjoyed giving his over the top sermon and thinking Satan was calling him on the phone. Kinnear is one of the easiest actors to follow through just about anything, even this crazy romp. Connelly is irritating in all the right ways, Tomei seemed to be having a blast playing a hippy-security gaurd and we had a blast watching her, and Ed Harris’ part of short but every-sweet. Overall: This is one of those films where the idea and concept is better than the film itself. Chances are this is a film that despite it’s impressive cast and fun concept, will piss off half the people and just about omentertain the other half. It’s not a bad film if you’re looking for something light and easy and a little bit out of the norm — it is something relevant to today and therefore worth seeking out if you can. Rating: 4.5/10 Check out the cast… Photo Gallery:    Related Posts 
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| Fringe: Season 3 Episode 11: Reciprocity – TV Review Posted: 29 Jan 2011 07:52 AM PST 
This week’s episode of “Fringe” was filled with twists and turns as the team finally came face to face with Walternate’s evil machine. No one is prepared for the effect it will have on the team, especially Peter. The episode takes a dark turn as shape shifters start dropping like flies and a mole plants itself inside the group. Check out the review for more details…
The Players: Episode Title: “Reciprocity” The Fringe team visits Massive Dynamic to see Walternate’s assembled world-destroying machine. Once in its presence, Peter experiences a nose bleed and they begin running tests on him. Astrid and Olivia go through Fauxlivia’s notes to find out who and where Walternate’s spying shape shifters are located, so they can bring them in for questioning. Unfortunately, someone else is also looking for them and is murdering them left and right. The Good: - Walter’s Quest for Knowledge: Walter continues on his quest to restore the missing brain tissue that Bell removed. Throughout the episode he inhales a chimpanzee formula, takes an IQ test, and even shows a little jealously when he discovers an amazing lie detector machine created by Bell. He wants more brain power and he wants it now!
- Peter’s Weaponized: Once he approaches Walternate’s machine Peter is “weaponized.” He becomes a lean mean shape shifter killing machine and the group is none the wiser. Even though it sucks that he’s slowly going to the dark side, it was a twist that I didn’t see coming.
The So-So: - Peter/Olivia: Olivia finally cut Peter some slack for his relationship with Fauxlivia after realizing how he’d been duped by her. She apologized for her abrasive behavior over the past few weeks and said they can get past the betrayal. She said, “I thought so much about what she did to me that I didn’t even think about what she did to you.” That summed it up best.
The Bad: - Leap Frog Plot: When all the shape shifters began to die, the team came to the conclusion that a mole was in their midst. They tested all the Massive Dynamic workers who came in contact with Fauxlivia’s files. They landed on Dr. Falcon, but he was dead, then Brandon, who passed his polygraph with flying colors, then Walter finally discovered it was Peter (the rest of the group doesn’t know). They went from person to person and after a while, it became annoying. We’re surprised they didn’t throw Astrid into the bunch as well!
Overall: Last night’s episode of “Fringe” finally brought us face to face with what we’ve been hearing about all season — the machine. This whole time it’s been seen as a threat, but no one had any idea the effect it would have on Peter. Despite it’s jumpy plot movements, overall “Reciprocity” was a good episode. Rating: 8.5/10 “Fringe” airs on Fridays at 9 PM. Photo Gallery:    What did you think of this week’s episode of Fringe? Related Posts 
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