30th Annual Producing Guild Awards Winners

Yesterday the first guild to announce winners had their awards ceremony and officially there is a new Oscar frontrunner as top PGA winner is seen as an Oscar bellwether as has matched AMPAS top award 20 times in the 29 years the award has been giving out awards.

The PGA has about 8,200 members and most are AMPAS members too so unless 2019 becomes an edition when winners do not match, like what happened when guild honored La La Land and The Big Short, Green Book could win Oscars' top award.  This is another year where film critics/journalists and industry tend to not agree but particularly this year I wish the could as yes, I root for Roma as I'm rooting for the industry to accept how much has already changed as power has been transferred from movie distributors (i.e. theaters) to audiences.  Now we choose where do we want to watch a movie and gee, we have many options, isn't?

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31st Annual Scripter Award Nominations

The USC Libraries have named the finalists for the current edition of the award that honors the 2018 best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based.  Seems this year the award that helps to predict/guess the Oscar Adapted screenplay winner could fail to so as there are several major Oscar contenders that did not make the cut.

Chaired by USC Professor and past president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Howard Rodman, the 2019 Scripter selection committee chose the finalists from a field of 90 film and 55 TV adaptations.

After last year outstanding seven nominees -due to a tie- this year the award goes back to the usual five nominations, so there was no space for scripts with high buzz like BlacKkKlansman and First Man.  Then A Star is Born is not eligible for the Scripters as it is not based on a published source.  Out of the Scripter nominees, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and If Beale Could Talk are considered front-runners for an Oscar nomination.

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17th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards Nominatons

A couple of days ago the Visual Effects Society (VES) announced the nominees for the 2019 edition of the awards that honor outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials and video games plus the VFX supervisors and producers.

Nominees in 24 categories were selected by VES members via events hosted by 11 of our Sections, including Australia, Bay Area, Germany, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, New Zealand, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington.

“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create truly remarkable imagery in a variety of media.  We are seeing the best work that elevates the art of storytelling and engages the audience in new and innovative ways. The VES Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of all our nominees!”said Mike Chambers, VES Chair.

As previously announced the Visionary Award will be presented to Jonathan Nolan and the Award for Creative Excellence to David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.  Patton Oswalt will once again host the awards ceremony.

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24th Annual Critics' Choice Awards Winners

Yesterday the group had their awards ceremony and my first impression is that they gave too-many awards which perhaps is consequence of having too-many nominees in some categories.  Was not able to watch show live, but probably will do later today.

Critics spread their honors among several films as even when the big winner of the night is Roma the nomination to wins ratio is low, as had 14 nominations and got 4, the most of the night.  Yes, Roma got Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language film.  Black Panther and Vice followed with 3 wins each.

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21st Costume Design Guild Awards Nominations

Yesterday the CDGA announced their nominations via twitter and up-to-this-moment they haven't upload any info to the official site, so will do post with info from awards twitter account opened by Jumpline Group, which is the executive producer of the awards ceremony. To check info at twitter go here.

As soon as group uploads info will review the nominations and if necessary will correct them; also, will include the link to check all categories besides the motion picture ones listed here.

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6th Annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards Nominations

Yesterday the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) announced their nominations for outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials and live theater during 2018. Winners will be honored at the annual MUAHS Guild Awards ceremony on February 16 at The Novo by Microsoft at Los Angeles.

The nominations announcement was made by MUAHS Awards Chair Sue Cabral-Ebert.

As previously announced Melissa McCarthy will be honored with the Distinguished Artisan Award.  Susan Cabral-Ebert and Robert Louis Stevenson will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards.

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69th Berlinale Complete Lineup - In Progress

Post will be In Progress first, until January 29, 2019 when the entire public program will be publish online a few minutes after the press conference is over; and second, until festival uploads all movie info, trailers, etc to the official site, which usually happens about a week after the press conference.  For the record the festival runs from February 7 to 17, 2019.

Today will start the always VERY LONG annual post with (almost) ALL movies in the current edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, better known as Berlinale.  The best news from today, January 10, is learning Dieter Kosslick is still mentioned as Festival Director in an official press release! Yes, seems this will be his last festival as his contract expires May 31, 2019, so we have one last edition to enjoy a great personality with exactly my kind of humor, darkish.  Next year seems will be the turn to Italian-born Carlo Chatrian, who has been the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival since 2013. I'm going to miss Kosslick and hope Chatrian improves his image as didn't precisely enjoyed him with whatever he was doing in Locarno.

Post will be updated constantly as soon as there is new information available.

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2019 BAFTA Awards Nominations

A few hours ago the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced the nominations for their current awards edition that honor films released during 2018 and this year the nominations almost look as I wish the Oscars will look as believe many of the honors are extremely well-deserved by the nominees.  Great!  The nominations were announced by Hayley Squires and Will Poulter at BAFTA's London headquarters, 195 Piccadilly.

The Favourite leads the pack with 12 nominations followed by Roma, Bohemian Rhapsody, First Mand and A Star is Born with seven (7); Vice has 6, BlacKkKlansman 5 plus Cold War and Green Book with 4 each.  Then none other than Alfonso Cuarón leads with six nominations, making him the most-nominated individual in a single year, according to BAFTA records; Bradley Cooper follows not far behind with five noms.

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55th Cinema Audio Society Awards Nominations

Yesterday the society announced the nominees for the current edition of their annual awards that honor Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing.  The award is given in seven categories and they also announced the Outstanding Product nominations.

“It is always my distinct pleasure to congratulate our colleagues on their stellar work. This year the creativity of our community is front and center with exceptional projects that represent the finest in sound mixing for 2018”.  said CAS President Mark Ulano.

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71st Annual Directors Guild of America Awards Nominations

Yesterday the Directors Guild of America President Thomas Schlamme announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2018.

“To be chosen by one’s peers in a year full of such extraordinary films is the true mark of outstanding directorial achievement,” said Schlamme. “In bringing all elements of the filmmaking process together, each of these directors has demonstrated an exceptional command of the medium, creating excellence for the screen. Congratulations to all of the nominees.”

To refresh our memory will share that for the first feature-length film category eligible directors must have released their film theatrically in Los Angeles or New York during 2018.  Foreign films are eligible and the director does not need to be a DGA member.

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71st Writers Guild Awards Nominations

Another guild also announced its nominations for the current edition of their annual awards, now is the turn to the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW).  The guild(s) announced their nominees for outstanding achievement in screenwriting during 2018.

It's good to remember the following, so we are clear which screenplays qualify and which do not.

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles during 2018 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, Writers Guild of Ireland, Writers’ Guild of South Africa, New Zealand Writers Guild, Film Writers’ Association (India), La Guilde Francaise des Scénaristes (France), Scriptwriters Guild of Israel, Société des Auteurs de Radio, Télévision et Cinéma (Québec), or Verband Deutscher Drehbuchautoren (VDD/Germany), collectively known as affiliate Guilds. Theatrical screenplays produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild must have been submitted for Writers Guild Awards consideration.

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33rs American Society of Cinematographers Awards Nominations

While all industry press outlets where going crazy with the Golden Globes news, there were many guilds and industry groups announcing their nominations; that's why today is quite a busy day for me -lol- and news have not that much coverage as it's hard to compete with what A-list Hollywood celebrities are wearing (lol).

So here we go.  Yesterday the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced their nominations for the current edition of their annual awards and yes, as expected, the two magnificent black & white feature film dramas got a nomination!  Bravo!

This year's awards will not only honor the most artful cinematography of 2018 but will also celebrate the ASC's 100th anniversary. Congratulations for this remarkable milestone.

This is another tech category where Roma excels in the most unexpected manner as film is truly a poem, a visual poem and the most serendipitous situation -Chivo was busy- forced Cuarón to go back to handle the camera and gee, he did the most emotional unique visual poetry I have seen in quite a while (the last I recall is a Russian film).  Even multiple award winner Emmanuel Lubezki (Chivo), Cuaron's usual cinematographer, admits that only Alfonso Cuarón could do what he did and he's in awe of his long time collaborator.  Most of you recall that I'm very visual and go nuts with images, so no surprise when I say that my award goes to Cuarón and his outstanding cinematography in Roma.  Bravo!

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23rd Annual Art Directors Guild Awards Nominations

Yesterday the Art Directors Guild (ADG) announced the nominations for the current edition and for a huge change there are no surprises as truth is that guild's category classification doesn't allow much confusions.

For the ADG Awards, live-action features are divided into three (3) categories: period, fantasy and contemporary.  Non-confusing and easy, isn't?

On the contrary, there is no clear correlation between guild's and Oscars winners as for the past five (5) years three (3) Oscar winners came from Period Film, one (1) from Fantasy Film and one (1) from Contemporary Film ADG's categories.  So in theory, this year Oscar winner could come from any category.

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69th Annual ACE EDDIE Awards Nominations

Yesterday the American Cinema Editors (ACE) announced the nominations for the 2019 edition of the EDDIE Awards and according to most industry predictions the so-called possible frontrunners have an EDDIE nomination with the exception of If Beale Street Could Talk that didn't made the ACE members cut.

In 1992, the EDDIEs went from three to five nominees and in 2000 it split the award in two, with five nominees for each drama and comedy musical.  Over the past 25 years, 115 of the 130 Oscars nominees for Best Film Editing had first earned an EDDIE nom, that's a high score in the accuracy rate.

Let us recall that EDDIE Dramatic winner tends to become the Oscar winner but seems this year Oscar winner could come from either category as there most be something wrong with me as now industry awards are also nominated films like The Favourite, Green Book and Vice as belonging to the Comedy category when I found them to be dramas, uff.  The Favourite plus four films from the Dramatic comedy are the frontrunners and definitively wish Roma could get the award as editing was essential to film's emotional roller-coaster.

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76th Annual Golden Globe Awards Winners

The awards ceremony took place last Sunday, January 6, 2019 and couldn't watch it live as now I live in a time zone that is deep-night when all American shows take place.   But I recorded the local version of the show and watch it yesterday only to find that show was more on the dull side than in the entertainment end of the scale. Sigh.

Nevertheless there were a few (too-few) moments where winners and surely audiences (went back to check twitter -lol-) were really surprised as these journalist group behaved quite different from what cinema pundits were expecting and what film critics have been doing during the current award season.  That was what I found entertaining as jokes were too dumb or let's be kinder, not the kind of humor I enjoy which as many of you know, is dark, really dark humor.

In general was pleased with TV awards, even when gave one too-many award to an old school show in Netflix but when reviewing film categories, winners really blew my mind but then realized that all started with the nominations as, for example, the five best drama nominees were unusual to say the least with two films that could be more musical than drama.  This allows us to understand what some said and I totally agree, Green Book should have win Best Drama and Bohemian Rhapsody Best Musical!

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