Movie News
Disney’s ‘Frozen 2’ and Laika’s ‘Missing Link’ top the nominations for the 2019 Annie Awards
The International Animated Film Society announced Monday the nominations for the 2019 Annie Awards, which, as you probably could’ve guessed, honor the year’s best in animated media, whether it be film or television.
Among this year’s nominees — at least on the film-related side of things — you’ll find the likes of Disney’s Frozen 2, Laika’s Missing Link, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Pixar’s Toy Story 4, and Netflix’s Klaus and I Lost My Body.
“This year saw a 20 percent increase in submissions with over 1,900 worldwide entries,” said ASIFA executive director Frank Gladstone. “That was a lot of work for our nomination committees and they have come up with a wide and varied selection for our members to vote on, including films using a vast array of techniques, designs, and storytelling points of view which will make this year’s Annie ballot both interesting and full of insight into the creative possibilities of our art form.”
The winners of the 2019 Annie Awards will be announced January 25. You can check out the complete list of nominations below.
Best Feature
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
DreamWorks Animation
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Toy Story 4
Pixar Animation Studios
Best Indie Feature
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
Sygnatia, Glow, Submarine, Hampa Animation Studio
I Lost My Body
Xilam for Netflix
Okko’s Inn
Madhouse
Promare
TRIGGER, XFLAG
Weathering With You
Toho Co., LTD. / STORY Inc. / CoMix Wave Films
Best Special Production
Guava Island “Titles and Prologue”
Six Point Harness / Amazon
How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming
DreamWorks Animation
Infinity Train “The Perennial Child”
Cartoon Network Studios
SpongeBob SquarePants “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout”
Nickelodeon and Jonas & Co.
Zog
Magic Light Pictures
Best Short Subject
Acid Rain
Animoon
DONT KNOW WHAT
Thomas Renoldner
Je sors acheter des cigarettes
Miyu Productions
Purpleboy
Bando à Parte, Rainbox Productions, Ambiances… asbl, Luna Blue Film
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days
Ciclope Filmes, National Film Board of Canada, Les Armateurs
Best VR
Bonfire
Baobab Studios
GLOOMY EYES
ATLAS V
Kaiju Confidential
ShadowMachine
Best Commercial
Dove Self-Esteem Project x Steven Universe: “Social Media”
Cartoon Network / Dove / Chromosphere
Fortnite Season 7 Launch Spot
Epic Games / Screen Novelties / iam8bit
The Mystical Journey of Jimmy Page’s ‘59 Telecaster
Nexus Studios
Best TV/Media – Preschool
Ask the Storybots Episode: Why Do We Have To Recycle?
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Elena of Avalor Episode: Changing of the Guard
Disney Television Animation
Let’s Go Luna! Episode: Dorsay Day/Honey in Paris
Brown Bag Films / 9 Story Media Group
Norman Picklestripes Episode: “Pizza Pickle/The Forest Next Door”
Factory
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Episode: I am Amelia Earhart
Brown Bag Films / 9 Story Media Group
Best TV/Media – Children
Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: Carried Away
Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Niko and the Sword of Light Episode: 206: The Caterpillar Train
Titmouse, Amazon Studios
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode: “Evil League of Mutants”
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Tales of Arcadia: 3Below Episode: A Glorious End Part 1
DreamWorks Animation
The Tom and Jerry Show Episode: Calamari Jerry
Warner Bros. Animation
Best TV/Media – General Audience
Big Mouth Episode: Disclosure The Movie: The Musical!
Netflix
BoJack Horseman Episode: The Client
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Harley Quinn Episode: So You Need a Crew
Warner Bros. Animation
Tuca & Bertie Episode: The Jelly Lakes
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Undone Episode: 2. The Hospital
Tornante Company and Amazon Studios
Best Student Film
Con Fuerza
Nichole Tate
Gravedad
Anke Kletsch
The Fox & The Pigeon
Michelle Chua
Un diable dans la poche
Luce Grosjean
Best FX for TV/Media
How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming Episode: How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming
DreamWorks Animation
VFX Supervisor: Manuel Reyes Halaby
FX Artist: Cristiana Covone
FX Artist: Koya Masubuchi
FX Artist: Jean Claude Nouchy
Compositing Lead: Dustin Henning
Love, Death & Robots Episode: The Secret War Blur for Netflix
FX Artist: Viktor Németh FX Artist: Szabolcs Illés FX Artist: Ádám Sipos
FX Artist: Vladimir Zhovna
My Moon Episode: My Moon
Eusong Lee, Co-produced with Chromosphere
Compositing Director: Stéphane Coëdel Animation Director, Compositor: Natan Moura
Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures Episode: Episode 115: “Stormtroopers vs. Rebels – Soldiers of the Galactic Empire”
Lucasfilm, Titmouse, Inc.
FX Animator: Araiza Tokumasu Naoki
Tales of Arcadia: 3Below Episode: A Glorious End Part 1 DreamWorks Animation
Visual Effects Supervisor: Greg Lev
Visual Effects Supervisor: Igor Lodeiro
Overseas FX Supervisor: Chen Ling
Compositing Supervisor: Brandon Tyra
Best FX for Feature
Abominable
DreamWorks Animation
FX Supervisor: Amaury Aubel FX Supervisor: James Jackson FX Lead: Domin Lee
FX Supervisor: Michael Losure
FX Lead: Alex Timchenko
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Benjamin Fiske: Benjamin Fiske Alex Moaveni: Alex Moaveni Jesse Erickson: Jesse Erickson
Dimitre Berberov: Dimitre Berberov
Kee Nam Suong: Kee Nam Suong
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
CG Look Development Lead: Eric Wachtman
Lead CG Effects Artist: David Horsley Senior Technical Director: Peter Stuart Lead Technical Compositor: Timu Khodzhaev
Lead CG Lighter: Joe Strasser
Toy Story 4
Pixar Animation Studios
Effects Lead: Alexis Angelidis
Effects Artist: Amit Ganapati Baadkar
Effects Artist: Greg Gladstone
Effects Artist: Kylie Wijsmuller
Effects Artist: Matthew Kiyoshi Wong
Weathering With You
GKIDS
Key Animation: Hidetsugu Ito VFX Artist: Yuko Nakajima VFX Artist: Jumi Lee
Chief Photography: Ryosuke Tsuda
Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Ask the Storybots Episode: Where Do Planets Come From?
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Character Animator: Chris O’Hara Character: Multiple Characters
Disney Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure Episode: Rapunzel and The Great Tree
Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Character Animator: Juliane Martin
Character: various
His Dark Materials Episode: 8
BBC Studios
Lead Animator: Aulo Licinio Character: Iroek
How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming Episode: How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming
DreamWorks Animation
Character Animator: Andrew Muir
Character: All
Robot Chicken Episode: Ginger Hill in: Bursting Pipes
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
Character Animator: Scott DaRos
Character: All Characters
Best Character Animation – Animated Feature
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Andrew Ford: Andrew Ford
Character: Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
DreamWorks Animation
Animation Supervisor: Dane Stogner
Character: Toothless, Light Fury, Hiccup, Deathgrippers
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
DreamWorks Animation
Animation Supervisor: Rani Naamani
Character: Grimmel, Ruffnutt, Toothless, Light Fury, Hiccup, Baby Furies
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Animation Supervisor: Sergio Martins
Character: Alva
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Animator: Rachelle Lambden
Character: Multiple
Best Character Animation – Live Action
Alita: Battle Angel
Weta Digital
Animation Supervisor: Michael Cozens
Avengers: Endgame
Weta Digital
Animation Supervisor: Sidney Kombo- Kintombo
Game of Thrones – Season 8 Episode 3 “The Long Night” – Dance of the Dragons
Image Engine
Animation Supervisor: Jason Snyman
Character Rigger: Sheik Ghafoor
Creature FX Technical Director: Maia Neubig
Lookdev Artist: Michael Siegel
Texture Lead: Cheri Fojtik
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Framestore
Animation Supervisor: Dale Newton
Rigging TD: Waiyin Mendoza
Groom Technical Director: Rochelle Flynn
Lookdev: Leila Gaed
Creature FX TD: Paul Jones
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
Steven Argula
Character Animator : Joakim Riedinger
Best Character Animation – Video Game
Gears 5 – Cinematic Animation
The Coalition/ Microsoft
Lead Animator: Brian Whitmire
Character: JD, Del, Marcus, Fahz, Reyna, Kait
KINGDOM HEARTS III
SQUARE ENIX
Character Animator: Munenori Shinagawa
Character: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, Jiminy, Yen Sid, Chip, Dale, Kairi, Riku, Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas, Woody, Buzz, Hamm, Rex, Mike, Sulley, Boo, Jack, Gibbs, Elizabeth, Barbarossa, Will, Tia, Heartless
Character Animator: Kayoko Yajima Character: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, Jiminy, Yen Sid, Chip, Dale, Kairi, Riku, Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas, Woody, Buzz, Hamm, Rex, Mike, Sulley, Boo, Jack, Gibbs, Elizabeth, Barbarossa, Will, Tia, Heartless
Character Animator: Koji Hamada Character: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Sulley, Mike, Marshmallow, Baymax, Buzz, Woody, Ariel, Heartless
Character Animator: Koji Inoue Character: Sora, Donald, Goofy, Sulley, Mike, Marshmallow, Baymax, Buzz, Woody, Ariel, Heartless
Sinclair Snake: Museum Mischief
Chromosphere / Within
Character Animator: Tommy Rodricks
Character: Sgt. Salamander, Sinclair Snake
Character Animator: Natan Moura
Character: Sinclair Snake
Character Animator: Nelson Boles
Character: Various
Unruly Heroes
Magic Design Studios
Character Animator: Sebastien Parodi
Character: Heroes Kid version, Underworld NPC
Lead Animator: Nicolas Leger
Character: Heroes (Wukong, Kihong, Sandmonk, Sanzang), All enemies (except Underworld levels) and cinematics
Best Character Design – TV/Media
Carmen Sandiego Episode: The Chasing Paper Caper
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix
Character Designer: Keiko Murayama
Character: Carmen Sandiego, Paper Star, Player, Shadowsan, Chief, Julia Argent, Chase Devineaux
DC Super Hero Girls Episode: #SweetJustice Pt. 1-4
Warner Bros. Animation
Executive Producer: Lauren Faust Character: N/A
T.O.T.S. Episode: 101AB: “You’ve Gotta Be Kitten Me”/”Whale, Hello There!”
Titmouse / Disney Junior
Lead Character Designer: John Jagusak
Character: tbd
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Episode: Amazamoose and Squirrel Wonder: Chapter Five
DreamWorks Animation
Art Director: Chris Mitchell
Character: Rocky, Bullwinkle, Fearless Leader, Boris, Natasha, Director Peachfuzz
Victor and Valentino Episode: Know It All Cartoon Network Studios
CHARACTER DESIGNER: FABIEN MENSE
Character: BIG CAMAZOTZ BAT, BABY CAMAZOTZ BAT, REGULAR CAMATOTZ BAT, DON JALAPENO, VICTOR, BAT SWARMS, CODEX HEIROGLYPHS
Best Character Design – Feature
Abominable
DreamWorks Animation / Pearl Studio
Character Designer: Nico Marlet Character: ALL
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Character Designer: Bill Schwab
Character: Earth Giants, Mattias, King Runeard, Young Agnarr, Young Iduna, Gale, Ryder, Honeymaren, Soldier
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Character Designer: Torsten Schrank
Character: All Characters
Spies in Disguise
Blue Sky Studios
Character Designer: José Manuel Fernández Oli
Character: Killian, Katsu Kimura, Lance Pigeon,
The Addams Family
MGM and BRON Creative
Character Designer: Craig Kellman
Character: Multiple characters
Best Direction – TV/Media
Ask the Storybots Episode: How Do You Make Music?
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Director: Jeff Gill
DC Super Hero Girls Episode: #DCSuperHeroBoys
Warner Bros. Animation
Director: Natalie Wetzig
Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: For Whom the Booth Tolls
Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Director: Alonso Ramirez Ramos
Rilakkuma & Kaoru Episode: Snowman Dwarf for Netflix
Director: Masahito Kobayashi
Ultraman Episode: Episode 1
Production IG, SOLA Digital Arts for Netflix
Co-Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Co-Director: Shinji Aramaki
Best Direction – Feature
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Director: Jennifer Lee
Director: Chris Buck
I Lost My Body
Xilam for Netflix
Director: Jérémy Clapin
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Director: Sergio Pablos
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Director: Chris Butler
Weathering With You
Toho Co., Ltd. / STORY Inc. / CoMix Wave Films
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Best Music – TV/Media
Carmen Sandiego Episode: The Chasing Paper Caper
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix
Composer/Lyricist: Jared Lee Gosselin
Composer: Steve D’Angelo
Composer: Lorenzo Castelli
Love, Death & Robots Episode: Sonnie’s Edge Blur for Netflix
Composer/Lyricist: Rob Cairns
Seis Manos Episode: The Empty Place
VIZ Media / Powerhouse Animation Studios
Composer: Carl Thiel
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Episode: Beast Island
DreamWorks Animation
Composer: Sunna Wehrmeijer
The Tom and Jerry Show Episode: Eagle Eye Jerry Warner Bros. Animation
Composer: Vivek Maddala
Best Music – Feature
AWAY
Dream Well Studios
Composer: Gints Zilbalodis
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Composer: Christophe Beck
Composer: Frode Fjellheim
Composer/Lyricist: Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Composer/Lyricist: Robert Lopez
I Lost My Body
Xilam for Netflix
Composer: Dan Levy
Spies in Disguise
Blue Sky Studios
Composer/Lyricist: Mark Ronson
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Toy Story 4
n/a
Composer: Randy Newman
Best Production Design – TV/Media
Carmen Sandiego Episode: Becoming Carmen Sandiego: Part 1 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix
Production Design: Eastwood Wong
Production Design: Sylvia Liu
Production Design: Elaine Lee
Production Design: Linda Fong
Production Design: Emily Paik
Disney Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure Episode: Rapunzel and The Great Tree Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Production Design: Alan Bodner
Production Design: Brian Woods
Production Design: Steven Nicodemus
Production Design: Laura Price
Production Design: Leonard Robledo
Love, Death & Robots Episode: The Witness Blur for Netflix
Production Design: Alberto Mielgo
Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart Episode: EPISODE 106 “Ultraclops”
Cartoon Network, Titmouse, Inc.
Production Design: Khang Le
Production Design: Chris Fisher
Production Design: Gael Bertrand
Production Design: Deodato Pangandoyon
Production Design: Howard Chen
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Episode: The Legend of the Power Gems: Chapter One
DreamWorks Animation
Production Design: Chris Mitchell
Production Design: Chris Turnham
Production Design: Tor Aunet
Production Design: DanBob Thompson
Production Design: Aaron Spurgeon
Best Production Design – Feature
Abominable
DreamWorks Animation
Production Design: Max Boas
Production Design: Paul Duncan
Production Design: Christopher Brock
Production Design: Cecline Da Hyeu Kim
Production Design: Jane Li
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
DreamWorks Animation
Production Design: Pierre-Olivier Vincent
Production Design: Kirsten Kawamura
Production Design: Woonyoung Jung
Production Design: Iuri Lioi
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Production Design: Szymon Biernaki
Production Design: Marcin Jakubowski
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Production Design: Nelson Lowry
Production Design: Santiago Montiel
Production Design: Trevor Dalmer
The Addams Family
MGM and Bron Creative
Production Design: Patricia Atchison
Production Design: Maisha Moore
Production Design: Chris Souza
Production Design: Jack Yu
Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Carmen Sandiego Episode: Becoming Carmen Sandiego: Part 1 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Kenny Park
Carole & Tuesday Episode: True Colors Bones for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Shinichiro Watanabe
Love, Death & Robots Episode: Sucker of Souls Blur for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Owen Sullivan
Snoopy in Space Episode: Mission 6: Space Sleepwalking
Apple
Storyboard Artist: Riccardo Durante
Zog Episode: N/A
Magic Light Pictures
Storyboard Artist: Max Lang
Best Storyboarding – Feature
I Lost My Body
Xilam for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Julien Bisaro
I Lost My Body
Xilam for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Jérémy Clapin
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Storyboard Artist: Sergio Pablos
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Storyboard Artist: Julián Nariño
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Storyboard Artist: Oliver Thomas
Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Big City Greens Episode: Green Christmas
Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Voice Talent: Marieve Herington Character: Tilly
Bob’s Burgers Episode: Roamin’ Bob-iday
20th Century FOX / Bento Box Entertainment
Cast: H. Jon Benjamin
Character: Bob
Steven Universe Episode: Steven Universe: The Movie
Cartoon Network Studios
Cast: Sarah Stiles
Character: Spinel
Tigtone Episode: Episode 108 “Tigtone and the Cemetery of the Dead”
Titmouse, Inc., Babyhemyth Productions, Williams Street
Voice Actor: Debi Derryberry
Character: Helpy
Tuca & Bertie Episode: The Jelly Lakes
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Voice Actress: Ali Wong
Character: Bertie
Best Voice Acting – Feature
Abominable
DreamWorks Animation / Pearl Studio
Cast: Tenzing Norgay Trainor
Character: Jin
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cast: Josh Gad
Character: Olaf
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus
CJ Entertainment and Nickelodeon Animation Studios for Netflix
Performer: Richard Horvitz
Character: InvaderZim
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Illumination
Cast: Jenny Slate
Character: Gidget
Toy Story 4
Pixar Animation Studios
Cast: Tony Hale
Character: Forky
Best Writing – TV/Media
Apple & Onion Episode: Apple’s Short
Cartoon Network Studios
Writer: George Gendi
Writer: Michael Gendi
Writer: Deepak Sethi
Writer: Eric Acosta
Writer: Sean Szeles
BoJack Horseman Episode: Feel-Good Story
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Writer: Alison Tafel
Pinky Malinky Episode: Secret
Nickelodeon Animation Studios for Netflix
Writer: Sheela Shrinivas
Writer: Aminder Dhaliwal
Writer: Rikke Asbjoern
Tuca & Bertie Episode: The Jelly Lakes
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Writer: Shauna McGarry
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Episode: I am Helen Keller
Brown Bag Film / 9 Story Media Group
Writer: Meghan Read
Best Writing – Feature
Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Writer: Jennifer Lee
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
DreamWorks Animation
Writer: Dean DeBlois
I Lost My Body
Xilam for Netflix
Writer: Jérémy Clapin
Writer: Guillaume Laurant
Toy Story 4
Pixar Animation Studios
Writer: Andrew Stanton
Writer: Stephany Folsom
Weathering With You
Toho Co., Ltd. / STORY Inc. / CoMix Wave Films
Story By: Makoto Shinkai
Writer: Makoto Shinkai
Best Editorial – TV/Media
Big Hero 6: The Series Episode: Prey Date
Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Nominee: Dao Le
Nominee: Joe Molinari
Nominee: Charles T. Jones
Nominee: David Vasquez
DC Super Hero Girls Episode: #AdventuresInBunnysitting
Warner Bros. Animation
Nominee: Torien Blackwolf
Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: Carried Away
Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Nominee: Tony Molina
Green Eggs and Ham Episode: Mouse
Warner Bros. Animation for Netflix
Nominee: Margaret Hou
Love, Death & Robots Episode: Alternate Histories Blur for Netflix
Nominee: Bo Juhl
Nominee: Stacy Auckland
Nominee: Valerian Zamel
Best Editorial – Feature
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
DreamWorks Animation
Nominee: John K. Carr
Nominee: Mark Hester
Nominee: Mary Blee
Klaus
Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Nominee: Pablo García Revert
Missing Link
LAIKA, LLC
Nominee: Stephen Perkins
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Illumination
Nominee: Tiffany Hillkurtz
Toy Story 4
Pixar Animation Studios
Nominee: Axel Geddes
Nominee: Torbin Xan Bullock
Nominee: Greg Snyder
Movie News
Lee Isaac Chung’s ‘Minari’ takes home the Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival
As the Sundance Film Festival came to a close this past weekend, several of the films that premiered there went home with awards in-hand, including Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari, which picked up both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. dramatic competition.
The film, which is partially inspired by Chung’s own upbringing, follows a family of Korean immigrants who move to rural Arkansas in the 1980s in search of a new life and the pursuit of the American Dream.
Other Sundance 2020 winners include Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Boys State, which won the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. documentary competition, and Massoud Bakshi’s Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness, which won the Grand Jury Prize in the world cinema dramatic competition.
The complete list of winners from the 2020 Sundance Film Festival is as follows:
2020 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE FILM AWARDS
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, for Boys State / U.S.A. (Directors: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine, Producers: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss) — In an unusual experiment, a thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Lee Isaac Chung, for Minari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lee Isaac Chung, Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — David, a 7-year-old Korean-American boy, gets his life turned upside down when his father decides to move their family to rural Arkansas and start a farm in the mid-1980s, in this charming and unexpected take on the American Dream. Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Youn Yuh Jung, Will Patton, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Hubert Sauper, for Epicentro / Austria, France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Hubert Sauper, Producers: Martin Marquet, Daniel Marquet, Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Paolo Calamita) — Cuba is well known as a so-called time capsule. The place where the New World was discovered has become both a romantic vision and a warning. With ongoing global cultural and financial upheavals, large parts of the world could face a similar kind of existence.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Massoud Bakhshi, for Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness / Iran, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg (Director and screenwriter: Massoud Bakhshi, Producers: Jacques Bidou, Marianne Dumoulin) — Maryam accidentally killed her husband Nasser and is sentenced to death. The only person who can save her is Mona, Nasser’s daughter. All Mona has to do is appear on a TV show and forgive Maryam. But forgiveness proves difficult when they are forced to relive the past. Cast: Sadaf Asgari, Behnaz Jafari, Babak Karimi, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaee, Forough Ghajebeglou, Fereshteh Hosseini.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented to: Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, for Crip Camp / U.S.A. (Directors: Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht, Producers: Sara Bolder, Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham) — Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.
The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented to: Lee Isaac Chung, for Minari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lee Isaac Chung, Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — David, a 7-year-old Korean-American boy, gets his life turned upside down when his father decides to move their family to rural Arkansas and start a farm in the mid-1980s, in this charming and unexpected take on the American Dream. Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Youn Yuh Jung, Will Patton, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Jerry Rothwell, for The Reason I Jump / United Kingdom (Director: Jerry Rothwell, Producers: Jeremy Dear, Stevie Lee, Al Morrow) — Based on the book by Naoki Higashida this immersive film explores the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people around the world.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Fernanda Valadez, for Identifying Features (Sin Señas Particulares) / Mexico, Spain (Director: Fernanda Valadez, Screenwriters: Fernanda Valadez, Astrid Rondero, Producers: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez, Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha) ― Magdalena makes a journey to find her son, gone missing on his way to the Mexican border with the US. Her odyssey takes her to meet Miguel, a man recently deported from the U.S. They travel together, Magdalena looking for her son, and Miguel hoping to see his mother again. Cast: Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela, Ana Laura Rodríguez, Laura Elena Ibarra, Xicoténcatl Ulloa.
The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented to: Heidi Ewing, for I Carry You With Me / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Heidi Ewing, Screenwriters: Heidi Ewing, Alan Page Arriaga, Producers: Mynette Louie, Heidi Ewing) — An epic love story spanning decades is sparked by a chance encounter between two men in provincial Mexico. Based on a true story, ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same. Cast: Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Arcelia Ramírez, Michelle González.
The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to: Garrett Bradley, for Time / U.S.A. (Director: Garrett Bradley, Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, Garrett Bradley) Fox Rich, indomitable matriarch and modern-day abolitionist, strives to keep her family together while fighting for the release of her incarcerated husband. An intimate, epic, and unconventional love story, filmed over two decades.
The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Radha Blank, for The 40-Year-Old Version / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Radha Blank, Producers: Lena Waithe, Jordan Fudge, Radha Blank, Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler, Rishi Rajani) — A down-on-her-luck New York playwright decides to reinvent herself and salvage her artistic voice the only way she knows how: by becoming a rapper at age 40. Cast: Radha Blank, Peter Y. Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Reed Birney, Imani Lewis, TJ Atoms.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Iryna Tsilyk, for The Earth Is Blue as an Orange / Ukraine, Lithuania (Director: Iryna Tsilyk, Producers: Anna Kapustina, Giedrė Žickytė) — To cope with the daily trauma of living in a war zone, Anna and her children make a film together about their life among surreal surroundings.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Maïmouna Doucouré, for Cuties / France (Director and screenwriter: Maïmouna Doucouré, Producer: Zangro) — Amy, 11 years old, meets a group of dancers called “Cuties.” Fascinated, she initiates herself to a sensual dance, hoping to join their band and escape family dysfunction…Cast: Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas, Myriam Hamma, Maïmouna Gueye.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Edson Oda, for Nine Days / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Edson Oda, Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette Marie Kongsved, Matthew Lindner, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner) — In a house distant from the reality we know, a reclusive man interviews prospective candidates—personifications of human souls—for the privilege that he once had: to be born. Cast: Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Bill Skarsgård, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl. Dolby Institute Fellowship
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast was presented to: the cast of Charm City Kings, for Charm City Kings / U.S.A. (Director: Angel Manuel Soto, Screenwriters: Sherman Payne, Chris Boyd & Kirk Sullivan, Barry Jenkins, Producers: Caleeb Pinkett, Clarence Hammond, Marc Bienstock) — Mouse desperately wants to join The Midnight Clique, the infamous Baltimore dirt bike riders who rule the summertime streets. When Midnight’s leader, Blax, takes 14-year-old Mouse under his wing, Mouse soon finds himself torn between the straight-and-narrow and a road filled with fast money and violence. Cast: Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Meek Mill, Will Catlett, Teyonah Parris, Donielle Tremaine Hansley, Kezii Curtis.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Auteur Filmmaking was presented to: Josephine Decker, for Shirley / U.S.A. (Director: Josephine Decker, Screenwriter: Sarah Gubbins, Producers: Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Sue Naegle, Sarah Gubbins, Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman) — A young couple moves in with the famed author, Shirley Jackson, and her Bennington College professor husband, Stanley Hyman, in the hope of starting a new life but instead find themselves fodder for a psycho-drama that inspires Shirley’s next novel. Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young, Logan Lerman.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Neo-Realism was presented to: Eliza Hittman, for Never Rarely Sometimes Always / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eliza Hittman, Producers: Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy) — An intimate portrayal of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania. Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn and her cousin Skylar embark on a brave, fraught journey across state lines to New York City. Cast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold, Sharon Van Etten.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented to: Tyler H. Walk, for Welcome to Chechnya / U.S.A. (Director: David France, Producers: Alice Henty, David France, Askold Kurov, Joy A. Tomchin) — This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ pogrom raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-fiction Storytelling was presented to: Kirsten Johnson, for Dick Johnson Is Dead / U.S.A. (Director: Kirsten Johnson, Screenwriters: Nels Bangerter, Kirsten Johnson, Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness) — With this inventive portrait, a cameraperson seeks a way to keep her 86-year-old father alive forever. Utilizing moviemaking magic and her family’s dark humor, she celebrates Dr. Dick Johnson’s last years by staging fantasies of death and beyond. Together, dad and daughter confront the great inevitability awaiting us all.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker was presented to: Arthur Jones, for Feels Good Man / U.S.A. (Director: Arthur Jones, Producers: Giorgio Angelini, Caryn Capotosto, Aaron Wickenden) — When indie comic character Pepe the Frog becomes an unwitting icon of hate, his creator, artist Matt Furie, fights to bring Pepe back from the darkness and navigate America’s cultural divide.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking was presented to: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, and Eli Despres, for The Fight / U.S.A. (Directors: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli Despres, Producers: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli Despres, Maya Seidler, Peggy Drexler, Kerry Washington) — Inside the ACLU, a team of scrappy lawyers battle Trump’s historic assault on civil liberties. As the president separates families, blocks abortion access, expels transgender soldiers, and rolls back voting rights, these gutsy attorneys struggle to stop an unpredictable adversary with unlimited resources.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting was presented to: Ben Whishaw, for Surge / United Kingdom (Director: Aneil Karia, Screenwriters: Rupert Jones, Rita Kalnejais, Producers: Julia Godzinskaya, Sophie Vickers) ― A man goes on a bold and reckless journey of self-liberation through London. After he robs a bank he releases a wilder version of himself, ultimately experiencing what it feels like to be alive. Cast: Ben Whishaw, Ellie Haddington, Ian Gelder, Jasmine Jobson.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking was presented to: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, for This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection / Lesotho, South Africa, Italy (Director and screenwriter: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Producers: Cait Pansegrouw, Elias Ribeiro) — When her village is threatened with forced resettlement due to reservoir construction, an 80-year-old widow finds a new will to live and ignites the spirit of resilience within her community. In the final dramatic moments of her life, Mantoa’s legend is forged and made eternal. Cast: Mary Twala Mhlongo, Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makheta, Makhoala Ndebele, Tseko Monaheng, Siphiwe Nzima.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Screenplay was presented to: Fernanda Valadez amd Astrid Rondero, for Identifying Features (Sin Señas Particulares) / Mexico, Spain (Director: Fernanda Valadez, Screenwriters: Fernanda Valadez, Astrid Rondero, Producers: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez, Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha) ― Magdalena makes a journey to find her son, gone missing on his way to the Mexican border with the US. Her odyssey takes her to meet Miguel, a man recently deported from the U.S. They travel together, Magdalena looking for her son, and Miguel hoping to see his mother again. Cast: Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela, Ana Laura Rodríguez, Laura Elena Ibarra, Xicoténcatl Ulloa.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Storytelling was presented to: Benjamin Ree, for The Painter and the Thief / Norway (Director: Benjamin Ree, Producer: Ingvil Giske) — An artist befriends the drug addict and thief who stole her paintings. She becomes his closest ally when he is severely hurt in a car crash and needs full time care, even if her paintings are not found. But then the tables turn.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented to: Mircea Topoleanu and Radu Ciorniciuc, for Acasa, My Home / Romania, Germany, Finland (Director: Radu Ciorniciuc, Screenwriters: Lina Vdovii, Radu Ciorniciuc, Producer: Monica Lazurean-Gorgan) — In the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, nine children and their parents lived in perfect harmony with nature for 20 years–until they are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented to: Mila Aung-Thwin, Sam Soko, and Ryan Mullins, for Softie / Kenya (Director and screenwriter: Sam Soko, Producers: Toni Kamau, Sam Soko) — Boniface Mwangi is daring and audacious, and recognized as Kenya’s most provocative photojournalist. But as a father of three young children, these qualities create tremendous turmoil between him and his wife Njeri. When he wants to run for political office, he is forced to choose: country or family?
The NEXT Innovator Prize was presented to: Heidi Ewing, for I Carry You With Me/ U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Heidi Ewing, Screenwriters: Heidi Ewing, Alan Page Arriaga, Producers: Mynette Louie, Heidi Ewing) — An epic love story spanning decades is sparked by a chance encounter between two men in provincial Mexico. Based on a true story, ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same. Cast: Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Arcelia Ramírez, Michelle González.
Movie News
Searchlight Pictures sets July 24, 2020 release for Wes Anderson’s new film ‘The French Dispatch’
Wes Anderson’s highly anticipated next film The French Dispatch — which is nowhere close to being four-hours-long despite recent rumors — has finally been given an official release date.
Anderson’s star-studded Isle of Dogs follow-up is poised to hit theaters on July 24, 2020 via Searchlight Pictures, according to an announcement made by the studio today, making it one of our most anticipated releases of the summer.
Benicio del Toro leads The French Dispatch‘s impressive ensemble, which also includes the likes of Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lynda Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson.
The official logline for the film describes it as bringing to life “a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional 20th-century French city.”
Anderson wrote the screenplay for The French Dispatch and based it on a story he conceived along with Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness.
Nearly 14 years after starring in Martin Scorsese‘s brilliant Infernal Affairs remake The Departed, Matt Damon is set to head back into crooked cop movie territory with his Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold.
According to Deadline, Damon is attached to play the lead role of Denny Malone in Mangold’s adaptation of Don Winslow’s 2017 best-selling novel The Force, which is a pretty damn good read if you haven’t gotten around to it yet.
In the book, Malone — a highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant — is the dirtiest of dirty cops, having stolen millions of dollars worth of cash and narcotics in the wake of one of the biggest heroin busts in the history of New York City.
Little does Malone know, though, that the feds are hot on his tail “and he must walk the thin line between betraying his brothers and partners, the job, his family and the woman he loves, trying to survive, body and soul, while the city teeters on the brink of a racial conflagration that could destroy them all,” as the book’s official synopsis puts it.
David Mamet wrote and turned in the first draft of the script for The Force in 2017, but Mangold is currently in the middle of a rewrite with his Logan collaborator Scott Frank, so I suppose we’ll see how that turns out.
Lee Isaac Chung’s ‘Minari’ takes home the Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival
Phoenix: Searchlight Pictures invites you to an advance screening of the new comedy ‘Downhill’
Searchlight Pictures sets July 24, 2020 release for Wes Anderson’s new film ‘The French Dispatch’
Matt Damon is reteaming with his ‘Ford v Ferrari’ director James Mangold for ‘The Force’
Production begins on Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett
Production begins on Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett
Contest: Enter to win a ‘The Grudge’ prize pack from Screen Gems and Sony Pictures
Jon Favreau confirms season two of ‘The Mandalorian’ will be coming to Disney Plus next fall
Phoenix: STX Entertainment invites you to an advance screening of Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Gentleman’
Phoenix: Paramount invites you to an advance screening of the new comedy ‘Like A Boss’
‘The Lovebirds’ trailer finds Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae trying to solve a bizarre murder case
Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn in the excellent final trailer for Cathy Yan’s ‘Birds of Prey’
Netflix’s ‘Locke & Key’ trailer reveals the long-awaited adaptation of the graphic novels
The lovely first trailer for Kelly Reichardt’s ‘Certain Women’ follow-up ‘First Cow’ is finally here
