Makeup Nominees To Add Glamour To Oscar® Week Event

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Symposium, a program spotlighting the work of the 2008 Academy Award® nominees in the Makeup category, on Saturday, February 21, at 2:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Academy Makeup Branch Governor, Leonard Engelman
2007 Makeup Symposium

The program, moderated by Academy governor Leonard Engelman, will feature a discussion of the nominees’ creative process as well as present film clips, photographs and models of their work. I attended the 79th Academy Awards Makeup Symposium and had a blast! I had a delightful conversation with Oscar® winner Montse Ribe who discussed her work on Pan's Labyrinth.

The 2008 Makeup nominees are:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Greg Cannom, special makeup creator and applicator

“The Dark Knight,” John Caglione, Jr., Heath Ledger’s makeup artist; Conor O’Sullivan, prosthetic supervisor

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” Mike Elizalde, creative and makeup effects designer; Thom Floutz, Abe Sapien makeup artist

Admission is free, but advance tickets are required and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets can be obtained online at www.oscars.org, by mail, or at the Academy’s box office during regular business hours beginning Monday, February 2, at 9 a.m.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, please call the Academy at (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Oscar®-Nominated Shorts to Play in L.A.

To kick off Oscar Week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present “Shorts!,” a program featuring screenings of all the 2008 Academy Award®-nominated films in the Animated and Live Action Short Film categories, on Tuesday, February 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The program will feature onstage discussions with the nominated filmmakers (subject to availability).

The 2008 Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film nominees are:

Animated Short Film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes,” Kunio Kato, director
“Lavatory-Lovestory,” Konstantin Bronzit, director
“Oktapodi,” Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand, directors
“Presto,” Doug Sweetland, director
“This Way Up,” Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes, directors

Live Action Short Film
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” Reto Caffi, director
“Manon on the Asphalt,” Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont, directors
“New Boy,” Steph Green, director, and Tamara Anghie, producer
“The Pig,” Tivi Magnusson, producer, and Dorte Høgh, director
“Spielzeugland (Toyland),” Jochen Alexander Freydank, producer-director

Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, or at the Academy’s box office during regular business hours beginning Monday, February 2, at 9 a.m.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, please call the Academy at (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Oscar® Is Center Stage in 81st Academy Awards® Poster

The iconic Oscar statuette is spotlighted center stage among the bright, glowing lights of the Kodak Theatre in the official poster of the 81st Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences announced today. The poster is now available for purchase.

The artwork presents the point of view that host Hugh Jackman and Academy Award® winners, presenters and performers will experience from the stage of the Kodak on February 22.

The posters will be ready to ship in late January with distribution of more than 50,000 posters worldwide. The poster will only be available on the Academy’s Web site at www.oscars.org or by calling 1-800-554-1814.

The 27x40-inch color poster is printed on premium quality, Forest Stewardship Certified paper. This is the only 81st Academy Awards commemorative item available for sale to the public.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Empire Debuts New Hobbit Cover

Empire's effort to cheer everyone with the January blues up features favorite CGI wonder, Smeagol, looking quite happy on the latest cover.

Empire claims their article on The Hobbit will "tell you how the film finally became a reality after years languishing in tangled rights hell; why Peter Jackson stepped aside from directing; what might be contained in the mooted second movie; and just what director Guillermo del Toro has in store for the whole shebang.

GDT: "Whatever The Hobbit ends up being, it has to ultimately blend seamlessly into the first movie of the trilogy. We have to respect the cosmology and the canon established by the trilogy and follow it."

For more from del Toro, and more on The Hobbit, pick up the March issue of Empire – on sale Friday.

15th annual SAG Awards Nominees & Winners

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were simulcast Live Nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, and 6 p.m. MT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

Of the top industry accolades presented to performers, only the Screen Actors Guild Awards are selected solely by actors' peers. Two randomly selected panels-one for television and one for film-each comprised of 2,100 Guild members from across the United States, chose this year's Actor and stunt honors nominees. Integrity Voting Systems, the Awards' official teller mailed the nominations secret ballots were mailed on November 26. Voting was completed by noon Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008.

FILM

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Hensen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
William Shatner, Boston Legal
James Spader, Boston Legal

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Elizabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
David Duchovny, Californication
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Tony Shaloub, Monk

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Tracy Ullman, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boston Legal
Dexter
House
Mad Men
The Closer

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
The Office
Weeds

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
Paul Giamatti, John Adams
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Kiefer Sutherland, 24:Redemption
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Laura Dern, Recount
Laura Linney, John Adams
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris

81st Academy Awards® Nominees Announced

©A.M.P.A.S.®

“Button” nosed out its rivals Thursday morning by scoring 13 nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. Paramount-Warner Bros.’ “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” got the most noms, including best pic.

Other best pic contenders are Universal’s “Frost/Nixon,” Focus Features’ “Milk,” the Weinstein Co.’s “The Reader,” and Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Nominees for the 81st Academy Awards (by category)

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
• Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
• Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
• Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
• Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
• “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

• “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

• “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

• “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

• “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
• “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
• “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
• “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
• “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

• “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
• “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
• “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
• “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

• “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
• “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
• “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
• “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
• “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
• “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
• “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
• “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
• “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam
  

Best motion picture of the year

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
• “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

• “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
• “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
• “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
• “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
• “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

• “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
• “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
• “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
• “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
• “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
• “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
• “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
• “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

• “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
• “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
• “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Nominees for the 81st Academy Awards (by Picture)

(This list does not include Short Films or Documentary Short Subjects)

Australia

20th Century Fox/Bazmark Film 2 Pty Ltd Production (20th Century Fox)

• Costume design

The Baader Meinhof Complex

Constantin Film Production

• Best foreign language film (Germany)

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)

Pandinlao Films Production (Cinema Guild)

• Documentary feature

Bolt

Walt Disney Pictures Production (Walt Disney)

• Best animated feature film

Changeling

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment Production (Universal)

• Angelina Jolie - Performance by an actress in a leading role
• Art direction
• Cinematography

The Class

Haut et Court Production (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Best foreign language film (France)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Kennedy/Marshall Production (Paramount and Warner Bros.)

• Brad Pitt - Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Taraji P. Henson - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
• Art direction
• Cinematography
• Costume design
• Directing
• Film editing
• Makeup
• Original score
• Best picture
• Sound mixing
• Visual effects
• Adapted screenplay

The Dark Knight

Cape Road Limited Production (Warner Bros.)

• Heath Ledger - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
• Art direction
• Cinematography
• Film editing
• Makeup
• Sound editing
• Sound mixing
• Visual effects

Defiance

Grosvenor Park/Bedford Falls Production (Paramount Vantage)

• Original score

Departures

Departures Film Partners Production (Regent Releasing)

• Best foreign language film (Japan)

Doubt

Scott Rudin Production (Miramax)

• Philip Seymour Hoffman - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
• Meryl Streep - Performance by an actress in a leading role
• Amy Adams - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
• Viola Davis - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
• Adapted screenplay

The Duchess

Qwerty Films/Magnolia Mae Films in association with Pathé Renn and BIM Distribuzione Production (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films)

• Art direction
• Costume design

Encounters at the End of the World

Creative Differences Production (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment)

• Art direction

Frost/Nixon

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production (Universal)

• Frank Langella - Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Directing
• Film editing
• Best picture
• Adapted screenplay

Frozen River

Harwood Hunt Production (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Melissa Leo - Performance by an actress in a leading role
• Original screenplay

The Garden

Black Valley Films Production

• Documentary feature

Happy-Go-Lucky

Thin Man Films/Simon Channing Williams Production (Miramax)

• Original screenplay

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Universal Pictures Production (Universal)

• Makeup

In Bruges

Blueprint Pictures Production (Focus Features)

• Original screenplay

Iron Man

Marvel Studios Production (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment)

• Sound editing
• Visual effects

Kung Fu Panda

DreamWorks Animation LLC Production (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount)

• Best animated feature film

Man on Wire

Wall to Wall Production (Magnolia Pictures)

• Documentary feature

Milk

Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production (Focus Features)

• Sean Penn - Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Josh Brolin - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
• Costume design
• Directing
• Film editing
• Original score
• Best picture
• Original screenplay

Rachel Getting Married

Clinica Estetico Production (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Anne Hathaway - Performance by an actress in a leading role

The Reader

Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production (The Weinstein Company)

• Kate Winslet - Performance by an actress in a leading role
• Cinematography
• Directing
• Best picture
• Adapted screenplay

Revanche

Prisma Film/Fernseh Production (Janus Films)

• Best foreign language film (Austria)

Revolutionary Road

Evamere Entertainment, BBC Films and Neal Street Production (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

• Michael Shannon - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
• Art direction
• Costume design

Slumdog Millionaire

Celador Films Production (Fox Searchlight)

• Cinematography
• Directing
• Film editing
• Original score
• Original song - “Jai Ho”
• Original song - “O Saya”
• Best picture
• Sound editing
• Sound mixing
• Adapted screenplay

Tropic Thunder

Red Hour Production (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/ Paramount)

• Robert Downey Jr. - Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Trouble the Water

Elsewhere Films Production (Zeitgeist Films)

• Documentary feature

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Weinstein Company Production (The Weinstein Company)

• Penélope Cruz - Performance by an actress in a supporting role

The Visitor

Groundswell, Participant, Next Wednesday Production (Overture Films)

• Richard Jenkins - Performance by an actor in a leading role

WALL-E

Pixar Animation Studios Production (Walt Disney)

• Original score
• Original song - “Down to Earth”
• Sound editing
• Sound mixing
• Original screenplay

Waltz with Bashir

Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Best foreign language film (Israel)

Wanted

Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment Production (Universal)

• Sound editing
• Sound mixing

The Wrestler

Protozoa Pictures/Wild Bunch Production (Fox Searchlight)

• Mickey Rourke - Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Marisa Tomei - Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Source: Oscars.org

Sundance: Guillermo del Toro gets teased about 'The Hobbit'

Before the 2009 Sundance Film Festival began, the talk was that, thanks to the economy, this year’s fest could be the most sedate in years…One group of guys who had no problem at all keeping their spirits up: The amigos of Rudo y Cursi, a comedy about brothers and Mexican soccer produced by cinema heavyweights Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo Del Toro, written and directed by Alfonso's brother Carlos Cuarón, and starring Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal. Luna couldn't make the festival due to a commitment in Mexico, but the rest of the crew happily plopped down in the loft to talk about the welcoming, easy-going community of movie lovers that makes Sundance so appealing for indie filmmakers. Mostly, though, the group just reveled in taking the piss out of Del Toro for his next gig: Cowriting and directing a little movie called The Hobbit. (Del Toro had left working with Peter Jackson et al on the script in New Zealand specifically to promote Rudo y Cursi.)

Adam B. Vary of EW.com hopped in the van with them as they drove to the Rudo y Cursi premiere after a dinner in which the wine flowed freely. Check out the resulting hilarious video clip.

Source: EW.com
Photo: Gael García Bernal,Carlos Cuarón, Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro (Jeff Vespa, WireImage.com)


TRAILER: 'Rudo y Cursi'

9 Foreign Language Films Advance in 2008 Oscar® Race

Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the
Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards®. Sixty-five films had originally qualified in the category.








The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Austria, “Revanche,” Gotz Spielmann, director;
Canada, “The Necessities of Life,” Benoit Pilon, director;
France, “The Class,” Laurent Cantet, director;
Germany, “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Uli Edel, director;
Israel, “Waltz with Bashir,” Ari Folman, director;
Japan, “Departures,” Yojiro Takita, director;
Mexico, “Tear This Heart Out,” Roberto Sneider, director;
Sweden, “Everlasting Moments,” Jan Troell, director;
Turkey, “3 Monkeys,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2008 are being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 65 eligible films between mid-October and January 10. That group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five 2008 nominees by specially selected committees in New York and Los Angeles. The committee members will spend this Friday, Saturday and Sunday viewing three of the films each day.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Photo courtesy of ©A.M.P.A.S.®

Initial talent lineup for WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is pleased to announce the producers and initial talent lineup for WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, the Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural, to be presented exclusively by HBO on Sunday, January 18 (7:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT). The event will be free and open to the public, kicking off the most open and accessible Inauguration in history.

Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation. Rob Mathes will be the music director and arranger for the backing band, which will support all of the artists. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed.

“Our intention is to root the event in history, celebrating the moments when our nation has united to face great challenges and prevail,“ observed George Stevens, Jr. “We will combine historical readings by prominent actors with music from an array of the greatest stars of today.“

“This is a great opportunity to capture an historic event in a very meaningful setting,“ noted Don Mischer. “We will have the statue of Abraham Lincoln looking down on our stage and a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people lining the mall—a tableau any director would relish.“

Televised to the nation, the Opening Celebration will be a declaration of common purpose and new beginnings. The Sunday afternoon performance will be grounded in history and brought to life with entertainment that relates to the themes that shaped Barack Obama and which will be the hallmarks of his administration.

HBO will televise the event on an open signal, working with all of its distributors to allow Americans across the country with access to cable, telcos or satellite television to join in the Opening Celebration for free.

The 56th Inauguration promises to be the most inclusive in history, and the Opening Celebration is one of a series of inaugural events that reflect that commitment. On Saturday, the President-elect, Vice President-elect and their families will journey to the nation’s capital via train, holding events that are free and open to the public along the way. They will be joined by a group of everyday Americans they met along their road to the White House. On January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President-elect Obama will call on all Americans to make an ongoing commitment to serve their communities and their country. A new website, USAservice.org, makes it easy for Americans to organize service events or find existing events to participate in. To date, nearly 5,000 events have been organized across the country. That evening, Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and their families will host a free “Kids’ Inaugural” concert to honor military families, broadcast live on the Disney Channel and Radio Disney.

This spirit of openness will continue on Inauguration Day, when, for the first time in history, the entire length of the National Mall will be open to the public for the swearing in ceremony. Local D.C. students have also been given the chance to receive tickets in front of the White House for the Inaugural Parade for themselves and their family members based on the submission of essays answering the question, “How can I contribute to my neighborhood through community service?“

On the evening of Inauguration Day, the first ball that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend will be the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. The ball will be broadcast live on ABC and over the Internet, bringing together neighborhoods across the country in the spirit of unity and celebration.

The sum of these public events is an Inauguration that allows more Americans than ever before to come together as one nation and one people, united in our resolve to tackle our greatest common challenges and move this country forward together.

National Critics name "Waltz With Bashir" best picture

"Waltz with Bashir" The animated documentary was named best picture, with 'Happy-Go-Lucky' and 'Wall-E' tying for runner-up.

"Waltz with Bashir," Ari Folman's animated documentary chronicling his coming to terms with repressed memories of his experiences with the Israeli army in the 1982 Lebanon War, was named best picture of 2008 by the National Society of Film Critics. The film was released in the U.S. only weeks before Israel's military offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

The daring film, which is nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign-language film and uses multiple animation techniques, has earned numerous accolades, including six awards from the Israeli Film Academy and best animated film from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.

Golden Globe top nominees, including "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Doubt," "Frost/Nixon" and "Revolutionary Road," failed to cause a ripple with the National Society of Film Critics, which comprises critics from major publications across the country.

This year's Cinderella story, "Slumdog Millionaire," won best cinematography for Anthony Dod Mantle.

As with the L.A. and New York film critics groups, the society is known for its rather esoteric selections. In the last 31 years, the group has agreed with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences only four times in the best picture category -- the last being 2004's "Million Dollar Baby."

Sean Penn is shaping up to be the leading contender for the best actor Oscar after receiving the top honor from the Film Critics society for his touching portrait of slain gay activist Harvey Milk in "Milk." He's already earned best actor from numerous groups, including the L.A. Film Critics Assn. and the New York Film Critics Circle, as well as nominations for the Critics' Choice Award, the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award.

The org named Sally Hawkins best actress for "Happy-Go-Lucky." Mike Leigh, as both director and writer, and supporting actor Eddie Marsan also won for "Happy-Go-Lucky." Hanna Schygulla took best supporting actress honors for "The Edge of Heaven."

The group's 49 voting members met Saturday evening at Gotham's Sardi's Restaurant to make their picks.

There is no formal awards banquet or presentation. Scrolls are sent to winners.

The NSFC was formed in 1966 to promote the "mutual interests of film criticism and filmmaking." The NSFC is also the American representative of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), which comprises the national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world. The FIPRESCI has members in more than 50 countries worldwide.

source: Variety, LA Times