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Take Shelter is a 2011 American psychological thriller drama film, written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The plot follows a young husband and father (Shannon) who is plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, and questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself. The film won two Saturn Awards, Best Writing for Nichols and Best Actor for Shannon, and was nominated for two more, Best Horror or Thriller Film and Best Actress for Chastain.
Critic Reviews
‘What makes Nichols’ film so satisfying, at least until the melodrama of the final act, is the deftness of the characterisations and the constant sense that things are probably considerably more complex than they’re perceived.’ Sight and Sound
‘An impressively sustained slow-burn parable from writer-director Jeff Nichols, shot with ominous beauty, guarding its mysteries with care.’ Daily Telegraph UK
‘A hallucinatory thriller anchored by a deeply resonant sense of unease.’ Variety
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA 2012
Winner of the Saturn Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Best Writing – Jeff Nichols
Austin Film Critics Association 2011
Winner of the AFCA Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain
Winner of the Austin Film Award – Jeff Nichols
Winner of the Breakthrough Artist Award- Jessica Chastain
Cannes Film Festival 2011
Winner of the Critics Week Grand Prize – Jeff Nichols
Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for Directors’ Fortnight or Critics’ Week – Jeff Nichols
Winner of the SACD Award – Jeff Nichols
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2011
Winner NYFCC Award for Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain
New York Film Critics, Online 2011
Winner of the NYFCO Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Breakthrough Performance – Jessica Chastain
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2011
Winner of the TFCA Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain
Award winning The Flowers of War is a 2011 historical drama war film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi, Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi and Cao Kefan. The beautifully shot story is set in Nanking, China, during the 1937 Nanking Massacre in the Second Sino-Japanese War. A group of escapees, finding sanctuary in a church compound, try to survive the plight and persecution brought on by the violent invasion of the city.
Pete Hammond from Boxoffice Magazine gave it 4 stars of 5, and said “The Flowers of War is ultimately an inspiring, stirring and unforgettable human drama in the face of a horrifying war. It is highly recommended.
“The Flowers of War is a big movie in every sense of the word, from its kinetic battle scenes to the beautiful photography and impressive performances from a mostly young and inexperienced cast.”
Critic Reviews
‘Bale is forthright and emotional in the role, and with a hint of boyish vulnerability, even reminds us of his 13-year-old self in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun.’ The Guardian
‘As you’d expect, it’s beautiful, emotional and exciting, if florid in style. Bale, beauties and English dialogue widen Yimou’s appeal.’ Empire
Awards
Asian Film Awards 2012 Winner of the Asian Film Award for Best Newcomer Ni Ni
Asian Film Critics Association Awards 2012 Winner of the NETPAC Award for Best Picture, Best Director and Best New Performer
Chinese American Film Festival (C.A.F.F.) 2012 Winner of the Golden Angel Award for Outstanding Film
Chinese Film Media Awards 2012 Winner of the Audience Award for Favourite Actor – Dawei Tong and Favorite Actress – Ni Ni
Shanghai Film Critics Awards 2012 Winner of the Film of Merit
Shanghai Film Critics Award winner of Best Actress – Ni Ni
Writers Guild of China Film Association 2012 Winner of the WGC Award for Outstanding Screenplay
La Vie en Rose is a 2007 French biographical musical film about the life of French singer Édith Piaf. The film was co-written and directed by Olivier Dahan, and starred Marion Cotillard as Piaf.
Cotillard’s performance earned her several accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actress — marking the first time an Oscar had been given for a French-language role — the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup, Costume Design, Film Music, four additional César Awards and grossed $86.3 million worldwide.
Critic Reviews
‘Despite its story of suffering that comes in unceasing waves, La Vie en Rose may be the most hopeful film yet made about the grueling rigor of living.’ Charleston City Paper
‘In La Vie En Rose,we get to witness a rare and beautiful thing – an artist baring her soul and creating a performance for the ages.’ The Dispatch
‘In La Vie en Rose, Marion Cotillard has the role of a lifetime. And she relishes it.’ Fayette Weekly
Awards
Academy Awards, USA 2008 Winner Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Marion Cotillard
Best Achievement in Makeup Didier Lavergne, Jan Archibald
Golden Globes, USA 2008 Winner Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Winner Anthony Asquith Award for Film MusicChristopher Gunning
Winner BAFTA Film Award Best Leading Actress Marion Cotillard
Best Costume Design Marit Allen
Best Make Up & Hair
César Awards, France 2008 Winner César Best Actress (Meilleure actrice) Marion Cotillard
Best Cinematography (Meilleure photographie) Tetsuo Nagata
Best Production Design (Meilleurs décors) Olivier Raoux
Best Costume Design (Meilleurs costumes) Marit Allen
Best Sound (Meilleur son) Laurent Zeilig
Hollywood Film Awards 2007 Winner Hollywood Film Award Actress of the Year
Glassland’s grim setting is leavened by writer-director Gerard Barrett’s compassionate treatment of his characters – and bolstered by a strong cast led by Toni Collette and Jack Reynor.
Sundance award winner, the film tells the story of a young taxi driver who gets tangled up in the world of human trafficking while trying to save his mother from drug addiction. Supported by the Irish Film Board, produced by Dublin-based Element Pictures, Glassland shared best Irish feature with Terry McMahon’s Patrick’s Day at Galway Film Fleadh.
“The tears in Glassland catch you unawares. This is not your run-of-the-mill weepy, nor your archly-crafted Oscar bait,” Brian Moylan in the Guardian noted.
Critic Reviews
‘Glassland smartly plays off Jean’s unhinged disintegration against John’s tense, subdued control. In that contrast lies the power of this film.’ New York Magazine
‘Glassland is a small film with an emotional punch that wallops above its weight class.’ Globe and Mail
‘In the movie’s best scene, as mother and son dance to an old pop song, the look on Reynor’s face speaks volumes about loss and hope. It’s a look that’s going to be breaking hearts on screen for decades to come.’ Los Angeles Times
Awards
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Winner Special Jury Prize World Cinema – Dramatic
Netia Off Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema 2015 Winner Making Way Award Special Mention
Drive is a 2011 American action drama film directed by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn. The film stars award winning Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. The film co-stars Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks.
Before its September 2011 release, Drive had been shown at a number of film festivals, including the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. Refn won the festival’s Best Director Award. The film received widespread praise for its direction, performances, visuals, action sequences, and musical score Several critics listed Drive as one of the best films of 2011, including the National Board of Review. Its honors include a nomination for Best Sound Editing at the 84th Academy Awards.
Critic Reviews
‘A film that moves relentlessly forward, carrying you along so completely that it’s only afterwards, if at all, that you begin to wonder about origins and plausibilities.’ London Evening Standard
‘One for fans of Taxi Driver and TV’s Dexter, Drive is a film whose considerable style at first obscures just how much it’ll get under your skin and stay there for weeks to come’ Film 4
‘Calculating. Methodical. High gloss. Slick. Polished. Drive is the neo-noir thriller of the year.’ Behind the Lens
Awards
Austin Film Critics Association 2011 Winner of theAFCA Award for Best Director – Nicolas Winding Refn Best Supporting Actor – Albert Brooks Best Adapted Screenplay – Hossein Amini
Awards Circuit Community Awards 2011 Winner of theACCA for Best Director – Nicolas Winding Refn Best Achievement in Film Editing – Matthew Newman
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2011 Winner of the BSFC Award for Best Supporting Actor – Albert Brooks Best Use of Music in a Film – Cliff Martinez (Tied with Ludovic Bource for The Artist (2011)
Cannes Film Festival 2011 Winner of Best Director – Nicolas Winding Refn
Making its’ world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival, and winner of the best direction in a documentary at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, All This Mayhem is a searing account of what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide. In this unflinching, never-before-seen account of drugs and the dark side of professional skateboarding, brothers Tas and Ben Pappas’ intense bond and charisma take them from the pinnacle of their sport into a spiraling world of self-destruction.
Critic Reviews
‘A sad, involving story.’ The Guardian
‘Martin has bestowed cinematic order on mayhem-fuelled lives.’ Little White Lies
‘All This Mayhem captivates not only in its energetic style of storytelling, but also thanks to the charisma that exudes from the mouth of Tas as he honesty tells his side of this doomed Shakespearean tale.’ CineVue
‘Candid and clear-eyed, this doc will wow boarding fans but has something to offer to the unconverted too.’ Empire Magazine
Awards
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, winner of the best direction in a documentary, best editing in a documentary, best original music score in a documentary.
Most
Popular
Take Shelter is a 2011 American psychological thriller drama film, written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The plot follows a young husband and father (Shannon) who is plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, and questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself. The film won two Saturn Awards, Best Writing for Nichols and Best Actor for Shannon, and was nominated for two more, Best Horror or Thriller Film and Best Actress for Chastain.
Critic Reviews
‘What makes Nichols’ film so satisfying, at least until the melodrama of the final act, is the deftness of the characterisations and the constant sense that things are probably considerably more complex than they’re perceived.’ Sight and Sound
‘An impressively sustained slow-burn parable from writer-director Jeff Nichols, shot with ominous beauty, guarding its mysteries with care.’ Daily Telegraph UK
‘A hallucinatory thriller anchored by a deeply resonant sense of unease.’ Variety
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA 2012
Winner of the Saturn Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Best Writing – Jeff Nichols
Austin Film Critics Association 2011
Winner of the AFCA Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain
Winner of the Austin Film Award – Jeff Nichols
Winner of the Breakthrough Artist Award- Jessica Chastain
Cannes Film Festival 2011
Winner of the Critics Week Grand Prize – Jeff Nichols
Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for Directors’ Fortnight or Critics’ Week – Jeff Nichols
Winner of the SACD Award – Jeff Nichols
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2011
Winner NYFCC Award for Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain
New York Film Critics, Online 2011
Winner of the NYFCO Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Breakthrough Performance – Jessica Chastain
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2011
Winner of the TFCA Award for Best Actor – Michael Shannon
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain
Award winning The Flowers of War is a 2011 historical drama war film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi, Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi and Cao Kefan. The beautifully shot story is set in Nanking, China, during the 1937 Nanking Massacre in the Second Sino-Japanese War. A group of escapees, finding sanctuary in a church compound, try to survive the plight and persecution brought on by the violent invasion of the city.
Pete Hammond from Boxoffice Magazine gave it 4 stars of 5, and said “The Flowers of War is ultimately an inspiring, stirring and unforgettable human drama in the face of a horrifying war. It is highly recommended.
“The Flowers of War is a big movie in every sense of the word, from its kinetic battle scenes to the beautiful photography and impressive performances from a mostly young and inexperienced cast.”
Critic Reviews
‘Bale is forthright and emotional in the role, and with a hint of boyish vulnerability, even reminds us of his 13-year-old self in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun.’ The Guardian
‘As you’d expect, it’s beautiful, emotional and exciting, if florid in style. Bale, beauties and English dialogue widen Yimou’s appeal.’ Empire
Awards
Asian Film Awards 2012 Winner of the Asian Film Award for Best Newcomer Ni Ni
Asian Film Critics Association Awards 2012 Winner of the NETPAC Award for Best Picture, Best Director and Best New Performer
Chinese American Film Festival (C.A.F.F.) 2012 Winner of the Golden Angel Award for Outstanding Film
Chinese Film Media Awards 2012 Winner of the Audience Award for Favourite Actor – Dawei Tong and Favorite Actress – Ni Ni
Shanghai Film Critics Awards 2012 Winner of the Film of Merit
Shanghai Film Critics Award winner of Best Actress – Ni Ni
Writers Guild of China Film Association 2012 Winner of the WGC Award for Outstanding Screenplay
Project Nim was released to critical acclaim. The film has won 15 and was nominated for 27 awards, including Best Documentary at the 65th British Academy Film Awards.
Project Nim is a 2011 British documentary film. It focuses on Project Nim, a research project that was mounted in the 1970s to determine whether a primate raised in close contact with humans could develop a limited “language” based on American Sign Language.
Equal parts hilarious, poignant, and heartbreaking, Project Nim not only tells a compelling story masterfully, but also raises the flag on the darker side of human nature.
Critics Review
‘This haunting life story is an exquisite example of non-fiction filmmaking as full-bodied, emotionally complex drama.’ Hollywood Reporter
‘The release of this documentary by James Marsh in the same week as Rise of the Planet of the Apes is wittily timed. It too speaks of caged primates, though its judgement on their captors is far more disturbing.’ Independent UK
‘Marsh, who made the multi-awarded Man on a Wire, takes no sides but lets the humans speak for themselves, rum lot that they are.’ London Evening Standard
‘A harrowing and intensely powerful tale of an animal who was perhaps more human than the actual humans around him.’ From the Front Row
Awards
Awards Circuit Community Awards 2011
Winner of theACCA award for Best Documentary Feature
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2011
Winner of theBSFC Award for Best Documentary – James Marsh
Directors Guild of America, USA 2012
Winner of theDGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary – James Marsh
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2011
Winner of the FFCC Award for Best Documentary
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2011
Winner of the SDFCS Award for Best Documentary
La Vie en Rose is a 2007 French biographical musical film about the life of French singer Édith Piaf. The film was co-written and directed by Olivier Dahan, and starred Marion Cotillard as Piaf.
Cotillard’s performance earned her several accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actress — marking the first time an Oscar had been given for a French-language role — the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup, Costume Design, Film Music, four additional César Awards and grossed $86.3 million worldwide.
Critic Reviews
‘Despite its story of suffering that comes in unceasing waves, La Vie en Rose may be the most hopeful film yet made about the grueling rigor of living.’ Charleston City Paper
‘In La Vie En Rose,we get to witness a rare and beautiful thing – an artist baring her soul and creating a performance for the ages.’ The Dispatch
‘In La Vie en Rose, Marion Cotillard has the role of a lifetime. And she relishes it.’ Fayette Weekly
Awards
Academy Awards, USA 2008 Winner Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Marion Cotillard
Best Achievement in Makeup Didier Lavergne, Jan Archibald
Golden Globes, USA 2008 Winner Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Winner Anthony Asquith Award for Film MusicChristopher Gunning
Winner BAFTA Film Award Best Leading Actress Marion Cotillard
Best Costume Design Marit Allen
Best Make Up & Hair
César Awards, France 2008 Winner César Best Actress (Meilleure actrice) Marion Cotillard
Best Cinematography (Meilleure photographie) Tetsuo Nagata
Best Production Design (Meilleurs décors) Olivier Raoux
Best Costume Design (Meilleurs costumes) Marit Allen
Best Sound (Meilleur son) Laurent Zeilig
Hollywood Film Awards 2007 Winner Hollywood Film Award Actress of the Year
Precious, is a 2009 American drama film, directed and co-produced by Lee Daniels.
The film, then without a distributor, premiered to acclaim at both the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, under its original title of Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire.At Sundance, it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama, as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo’Nique. After Precious’ screening at Sundance in January 2009, Tyler Perry announced that he and Oprah Winfrey would be providing promotional assistance to the film, which was released through Lionsgate Entertainment. Precious won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Precious was also an official selection at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival (particularly the un certain regard section).
Precious received six nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Daniels, and Best Actress for Sidibe. Mo’Nique won the award for Best Supporting Actress, while Geoffrey Fletcher won for Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first African-American to win a screenplay award at the Oscars.
Critic Reviews
‘Precious is an emotional powerhouse, a triumph of bruising humor and bracing hope that deserves its place among the year’s best films.’ Rolling Stone
‘While it may not be perfect on a technical level, dramatically it’s a blow-your-socks-off triumph. Be moved. Very, very moved’ Empire Magazine
‘A film full of life and love, well-meaning and, judging by the reaction in the US, a genuine and important phenomenon that says act – don’t dwell – on your dreams.’ Time Out
‘Impressive performances power a surprisingly lively account of an existence blighted by material and spiritual poverty.’ Film 4
‘Precious is a big-screen “misery memoir” that is so keen to trace the hellish pathology of familial abuse that it risks glorifying its own subject, or at least shooting it with horror-movie verve.’ Times UK
‘It isn’t the transcendent masterpiece that some admirers would have you believe: more like a black-comic nightmare that isn’t exactly supposed to be funny. It’s certainly arresting, though.’ The Guardian
Awards
Academy Awards, USA 2010
Winner Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Mo’Nique Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay – Geoffrey Fletcher Geoffrey Fletcher became the first African American to win a Best Screenplay Oscar
Golden Globes, USA 2010 Winner of theGolden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Mo’Nique
BAFTA Awards 2010 Winner – BAFTA Film Award Best Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010 Winner of Actor for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Mo’Nique
CinEuphoria Awards 2011 Winner of theCinEuphoria for Best Actress – Audience Award – Gabourey Sidibe
Top Ten of the Year – Audience Award – Lee Daniels Top Ten of the Year – International Competition – Lee Daniels Best Duo – International Competition – Mo’Nique & Gabourey Sidibe
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2010 Winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature – Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness Best Female Lead – Gabourey Sidibe Best Supporting Female – Mo’Nique Best Director – Lee Daniels Best First Screenplay
A Single Man is a 2009 American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. The directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the film stars Colin Firth, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of George Falconer, a depressed gay British university professor living in Southern California in 1962. The film premiered on September 11, 2009 at the 66th Venice International Film Festival, and went on the film festival circuit. After it screened at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival. Though the costumes are beautiful and the art direction impeccable, what stands out most from this debut by fashion designer Tom Ford is the leading performance by Colin Firth.
Critic Reviews
‘A rare thing-a mainstream, melancholy love story, haunted by the past.’ Film Comment Magazine
‘It sounds like a downer but A Single Man is exciting, emotionally alive filmmaking, a potent cocktail of style and substance. And Firth thoroughly deserves the Oscar’ Empire Magazine
‘Firth’s portrayal of a man repressing his grief while being unable to repress his instinct for love and for life is excellent and moving, while Ford’s balancing of depth and surface is precarious but ultimately winning.’ Time Out Magazine
‘Colin, darling, you were fabulous, completely on trend. Plot? So last season, it’s nowhere to be seen – we’re all about character, emotion and cheekbones, sweetie.’ Film 4
‘The film is an aesthetic pleasure, like being in a designer hotel, reading a deliciously sad novel.’ Times UK
Awards
BAFTA Awards 2010 Winner of a BAFTA Film Award for Best Leading Actor
AFI Awards, USA 2010 Winner of theAFI Award for Movie of the Year
Austin Film Critics Association 2009 Winner AFCA Award winner Best Actor – Colin Firth
CinEuphoria Awards 2011 Winner of CinEuphoria award for best Actor – Audience Award – Colin Firth
Winner of the Top Ten of the Year – Audience Award Best Trailer – International Competition Best Actor – International Competition – Colin Firth Top Ten of the Year – International Competition – Tom Ford Best Original Music – International Competition – Abel Korzeniowski
GLAAD Media Awards 2010 Winner of theGLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release
Drama
Miss Violence is a 2013 Greek film directed by Alexandros Avranas. It entered the competition at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. Avranas won the Silver Lion for Best Director and actor Themis Panou won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.
The latest in the remarkable wave of iconoclastic new Greek cinema that yielded Dogtooth and Attenberg, the film unfolds with a skin-crawling sense of deadpan detachment before it explodes in shattering tragedy.
Critic Reviews
‘Ever since Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth wowed audiences back in 2009, Greek cinema has become the new Michael Haneke.’ StarBurst
‘Miss Violence is a grim tale of family dysfunction that also stands as an allegory about moral and economic decline in Greek society.’ Independent UK
‘From the not-so-happy birthday that opens the film … up to the harrowing final revelation, Miss Violence fulfils the grisly promise of its title.’ TimeOut
Awards
Hellenic Film Academy Awards 2014 Winner of the Hellenic Film Academy Award for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress
Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) 2014 Winner of the Orpheus Award for Best Feature Film
Montréal Festival of New Cinema 2013 Winner of the Innovation Award – International Competition
Stockholm Film Festival 2013 Winner of the Aluminum Horse for Best Script
Venice Film Festival 2013 Winner Best Euro-Mediterranean Film
Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director
Winner of the Volpi Cup for Best Actor
Winner of the Young Cinema Award for Best Film in Competition
The Florida Project is a 2017 American slice-of-life drama film directed by Sean Baker and written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. The plot follows a six-year-old girl living with her delinquent single mother in a motel in Kissimmee, Florida, as they try to stay out of trouble and make ends meet, so they may keep ahead of impending homelessness. The misery and squalor of their life in Kissimmee is contrasted with nearby Walt Disney World, which can be seen at a distance in one shot.
The Florida Project premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 6, 2017, by A24. The film was praised for Baker’s directing and the performances, particularly Prince and Dafoe. It was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of the year. Dafoe earned Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and BAFTA Awards. Prince won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer.
Critic Reviews
‘The Florida Project absolutely sings as a visual achievement, and not only as that.’ Daily Telegraph (UK)
‘The Florida Project is one of the best films about childhood made anywhere in recent years.’ Independent (UK)
Awards
AFI Awards, USA 2018 Winner AFI Award – Movie of the Year
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2018 Winner EDA Award for Best Supporting Actor – Willem Dafoe and Winner of the EDA Female Focus Award – Best Breakthrough Performance
Austin Film Critics Association 2018 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best Supporting Actor
Bodil Awards 2019 Winner of the Bodil for Best American Film
CinEuphoria Awards 2019 Winner CinEuphoria for Top Ten of the Year – International Competition
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2017 Winner of the DFCS Award for Best Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor
New York Film Critics, Online 2017 Winner of the NYFCO Award for Best Film
San Francisco Film Critics Circle 2017 Winner of the SFFCC Award for Best Picture
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2018 and was theatrically released in the United States on October 19, 2018, by A24. It was well received by critics, who called it a “promising first outing for Hill”, and praised the sense of nostalgia.
Critic Reviews
‘Mid90s is alive to the debauchery and obnoxiousness of teenagers, but also to their warmth and loyalty.’ Times (UK)
‘Mid90s cares less about making you laugh than enveloping you in the moment, even when the moments consist of nothing more than killed time – daft small talk, the lazy throb of hip hop, the therapeutic purr and slap of skateboard wheels on concrete.’ Daily Telegraph (UK)
Awards
Art Film Festival 2019 Winner of the Blue Angel for Best Director
Golden Trailer Awards 2019 Winner of the Golden Trailer for Most Innovative Advertising for a Feature Film
National Board of Review, USA 2018 Winner of the NBR Award for Top Ten Independent Films
Glassland’s grim setting is leavened by writer-director Gerard Barrett’s compassionate treatment of his characters – and bolstered by a strong cast led by Toni Collette and Jack Reynor.
Sundance award winner, the film tells the story of a young taxi driver who gets tangled up in the world of human trafficking while trying to save his mother from drug addiction. Supported by the Irish Film Board, produced by Dublin-based Element Pictures, Glassland shared best Irish feature with Terry McMahon’s Patrick’s Day at Galway Film Fleadh.
“The tears in Glassland catch you unawares. This is not your run-of-the-mill weepy, nor your archly-crafted Oscar bait,” Brian Moylan in the Guardian noted.
Critic Reviews
‘Glassland smartly plays off Jean’s unhinged disintegration against John’s tense, subdued control. In that contrast lies the power of this film.’ New York Magazine
‘Glassland is a small film with an emotional punch that wallops above its weight class.’ Globe and Mail
‘In the movie’s best scene, as mother and son dance to an old pop song, the look on Reynor’s face speaks volumes about loss and hope. It’s a look that’s going to be breaking hearts on screen for decades to come.’ Los Angeles Times
Awards
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Winner Special Jury Prize World Cinema – Dramatic
Netia Off Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema 2015 Winner Making Way Award Special Mention
Dogville is a 2003 crime revenge tragedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It is a parable that uses an extremely minimal, stage-like set to tell the story of Grace Mulligan (Kidman), a woman hiding from mobsters, who arrives in the small mountain town of Dogville, Colorado, and is provided refuge in return for physical labor.
It was named one of the greatest films of its decade in The Guardian andThe List. In 2016, it was ranked one of the 100 greatest motion pictures since 2000 in a critics’ poll conducted by BBC Culture. It was also listed the 37th best film of the same time period by The Guardian critics.
Critic Reviews
‘For its exuberance and its difference, its fine performances and its devastating finale, Dogville is essential viewing.’ London Evening Standard
‘Bold stylistic decisions reinforce the themes of the narrative, while a strong story and convincing performances prove equal to the task of carrying such an extended running time.’ Empire Magazine
‘Thought provoking with its dense and intense themes, Dogville highlights the best and the worst in us all; the emotions it agitates are hard to shake.’ Urban Cinefile
‘These elements come together to form a movie that is clinically ironic but also unique, inspired, and quite sublime.’ Paste Magazine
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2003 Winner Palm Dog
Bodil Awards 2004 Winner Best Film (Bedste danske film) Lars von Trier
Cinema Brazil Grand Prize 2005 Winner – Cinema Brazil Grand Prize Best Foreign Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro)
Danish Film Awards (Robert) 2004 Winner Robert Best Screenplay (Årets manuskript) Lars von Trier
Best Costume Design (Årets kostumer) Manon Rasmussen
A Private War is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Matthew Heineman, and starring Rosamund Pike as journalist Marie Colvin. The film is based on the 2012 article “Marie Colvin’s Private War” in Vanity Fair by Marie Brenner. The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and was released to positive reviews from critics, who praised Pike’s performance. At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, the film earned nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Pike) and Best Original Song (“Requiem for A Private War”), while director Matthew Heineman received a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First Time Feature Film Director from the Directors Guild of America.
Critic Reviews
‘At a time when pressured media budgets are conspiring, with the general preference for escapism over reality, to threaten war reporting’s very existence, A Private War unflinchingly reminds us of its value.’ London Evening Standard
‘Transfixing, uncompromisingly visceral and tonally raw, Heineman’s A Private War is a powerfully traumatic memoir.’ Flavourmag
It’s one of the year’s best roles, performances, and it’s contained in a film that undoubtedly matters. Now, more than ever.’ Creative Screenwriting
Awards
Golden Globes, USA 2019 Nominee Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture – Annie Lennox
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama – Rosamund Pike
Documentary
Critic reviews
‘20 Feet from Stardom, this year’s Oscar-winner for Best Documentary, is both rousing, upbeat fare… and a film steeped in a strange sense of yearning and regret.’Independent (UK)
‘Such a great idea for a documentary, and such a surprise to realise that it has never been done before.’ Guardian
‘The parade of incredible women, the stream of songs you won’t believe they sang on, and those irresistible voices belting out keep the rhythm going through the schmaltz, even if the conductor seems to have dropped his hymn book.’ CineVue
Awards
Academy Awards, USA 2014 Winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary, Features.
Australian Film Critics Association Awards 2018 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best International Film (English Language)
American Cinema Editors, USA 2014 Winner of the Eddie for Best Edited Documentary – Feature.
Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2013 Winner of the Music Documentary Audience Award for Morgan Neville.
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster is a 2013 American documentary film about the career of film poster artist Drew Struzan. It is directed by Erik Sharkey and premiered on July 19, 2013 at the San Diego Comic-Con International.
Critic Reviews
‘The Norman Rockwell of movie advertising steps in front of the camera for a long-overdue celebration sure to delight fans and heighten awareness of his legacy.’ Variety
‘Drew makes a valid case for the artist as not simply an all-time great, but as a casualty of a business that prizes bottom-line cost management above unique creativity.’ AV Club
Awards
Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival 2014 – Winner of Best Feature Film
Ridgewood Guild Film Festival, US 2014 – Winner of the Festival Prize for Best Documentary
Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film is a 2010 British documentary film, directed by street artist Banksy. It tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, and his obsession with street art.
The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2010, and it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
“An amusing, engrossing look at underground art, Exit Through the Gift Shop entertains as it deflates the myths and hype surrounding its subjects.” The film was also nominated for Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 83rd Academy Awards.
New York Film Critics Online bestowed its Best Documentary Award on the film in 2010. French journalist Marjolaine Gout gave it 4 stars out of 5, linking Mr. Brainwash and Jeff Koons and criticizing Thierry Guetta’s art as toilet papering.
Critic Reviews
‘Banksy proves that his talents extend beyond the spray can to the movie camera.’ Independent (UK)
‘Exit Through the Gift Shop offers an absorbing glimpse of a bracingly subversive slice of the culture, as well as some tantalizing images of Banksy at work.’ Washington Post
‘As insightful as it is funny. You’ll be enthralled.’ People Magazine
Awards
American Cinema Editors, USA 2011 Winner of the Eddie for Best Edited Documentary
Austin Film Critics Association 2010 Winner of theAFCA Award for Best Documentary
Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2011 Winner of theCOFCA Award for Best Documentary
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2010 Winner CFCA Award for Best Documentary
Denver Film Critics Society 2011 Winner of the DFCS Award for Best Documentary Film
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2011 Winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary
International Cinephile Society Awards 2011 – Winner of the ICS Award for Best Documentary
New York Film Critics, Online 2010 Winner of the NYFCO Award for Best Documentary
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2010 Winner of the SDFCS Award for Best Documentary
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2010 Winner of the Allan King Documentary Award
Winner of the TFCA Award Best First Feature
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards 2010 Winner of the WAFCA Award for Best Documentary
Terri White for Empire gave it 4/5, calling it: “A sobering, haunting but completely fresh look at Whitney’s life and death that will reframe everything you think you know about the singer.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote: “In Whitney, Macdonald lays out Houston’s story—the light and the darkness—in a classically etched, kinetically edited way. He makes superb use of archival footage, tickles us with montages of her heyday (not just Houston but the whole era—the way her songs, in hindsight, tapped into a certain free-floating ’80s jubilance), and interviews her family members and associates. The film captures the quality that made Whitney Houston magical, but more than that it puts together the warring sides of her soul.”
Critic Reviews
‘Macdonald makes artful use of jarring, subversive cuts to highlight the contradictions in Houston’s career.’ New Yorker
‘Kevin Macdonald’s “Whitney” is a documentary chronicle of Whitney Houston’s life; it’s tough-minded, unsparing and far superior to the biopic and the nonfiction film that preceded it.’ Wall Street Journal
‘Kevin Macdonald’s electrifying and empathetic doc on Whitney Houston drops a shocking revelation about abuse- but if his look at how she fell apart shortchanges the range of her talent it is anything but sensationalistic,’ Rolling Stone
Awards
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018 Winner of Best Documentary Feature Film
My Scientology Movie is a 2015 British documentary film about Scientology directed by John Dower, and written by and starring Louis Theroux. The film takes an unconventional approach to the subject matter, featuring young actors “auditioning” for parts playing high-profile Scientologists in scenes recreating accounts from ex-members about incidents involving senior church management. The Church of Scientology responded by putting the filmmakers under surveillance and denouncing the film.
My Scientology Movie premiered at the London Film Festival on 14 October 2015 before receiving a limited theatrical release in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2016 from BBC Films.
The film was praised by The Daily Telegraph reviewer Tim Robey as “a giddy, Pythonesque delight”. He commented that it was “all wickedly tendentious mischief, but when it’s this gloriously funny, the points score themselves.”
Variety magazine reviewer Guy Lodge described it as a “riotously funny” film that delivered “penetrating insights into the fiercely guarded administration of the church that Ron built. It’s also a witty essay on the politics of surveillance”.
Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily called the film “typically quixotic, consistently funny, and provocative in unexpected ways”, describing it as “pleasingly eccentric” and “impish yet effective.”
The Huffington Post called the film ‘absurdly funny’.
In The Guardian, John Patterson found that the film “pulls off the neat trick of finding a revelatory approach to a topic that’s been well covered of late: the Church of Scientology” before concluding that it “belongs in the company of the most serious work done on the church. The more sunlight that falls on this dark organisation, the better for all of us”
Critic Reviews
‘One of the best documentaries of the year.’ Entertainment Weekly
‘At times it plays like an extended skit on “The Daily Show”; yet its disorder also makes its insights – like how strongly the church’s training sessions resemble acting classes – feel refreshingly organic.’ New York Times
Lost in La Mancha is a 2002 documentary film about the making of Terry Gilliam’s first attempt at The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. His effort was a film adaptation of the novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. The documentary was shot in 2000 during Gilliam’s first attempt to make the film, as an intended work of the genre known as the “making-of”. But Gilliam’s failure to complete his movie resulted in the documentary filmmakers retitling their work as Lost in la Mancha and releasing it independently.
Critic Leonard Maltin has described Lost in La Mancha as one of the best films about the process of moviemaking. It was nominated for various awards, including a BAFTA Award and a Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film. It won a Satellite Award for Best Documentary.
Critic Reviews
‘Anyone who thinks making movies is easy needs to see this hilariously painful cautionary tale. It’s a tribute to Gilliam that he never once took off his mike or asked the filmmakers to stop rolling.’ Newsweek
‘Gilliam himself is a joy to behold. His wit stays sharp even as his fortunes dull, and the conditions that conspire against him only prove the mettle in our man of La Mancha.’ Globe and Mail
‘A fascinating chronicle of bad luck, bad faith and bad weather all striking on the same day.’ Washington Post
Awards
Evening Standard British Film Awards 2003 Winner Peter Sellers Award for Comedy Keith Fulton
Satellite Awards 2004 Winner Golden Satellite Award Best Documentary DVD
Festival Favourites
Beast is a 2017 British psychological thriller film written and directed by Michael Pearce, starring Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, and Geraldine James.
The film had its world premiere in the Platform section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. The film has received a positive critical response.”Beast plays like bleak poetry, unfurling its psychological thrills while guided by its captivating leads and mesmerizing, visceral visuals.”
For The Canadian Press, David Friend called it “a twisty story about the monster that lies within all of us, and struggle to keep it contained.” Peter Howell of the Toronto Star said it was “a jagged but memorable feature… that slowly yields its truths.”
Critic Reviews
‘The leads deliver affecting, nuanced performances, which gives heft to the psychological insights.’ Chicago Reader
‘Immaculately composed yet skittish, edgy and surprising, this impressive debut by writer-director Michael Pearce emanates a chill that will have you hugging your sides.’ Time Out
Awards
BAFTA Awards 2019 Winner of the BAFTA Film Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer – Michael Pearce and Lauren Dark
Winner of the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Jessie Buckley
International Film Festival & Awards Macao 2017 Winner of Best Actress – Jessie Buckley
London Critics Circle Film Awards 2019 Winner of the ALFS Award for British/Irish Actress of the Year – Jessie Buckley and Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year
Fruitvale Station is a 2013 American biographical drama film written and directed by Ryan Coogler. The film is based on the events leading to the death of Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed in 2009 by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale district station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in Oakland.
Fruitvale Station debuted under its original title Fruitvale at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for Best First Film.
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter called it “a compelling debut” and “a powerful dramatic feature film”. He also praised the lead performances stating, “As Oscar, Jordan at moments gives off vibes of a very young Denzel Washington in the way he combines gentleness and toughness; he effortlessly draws the viewer in toward him. Diaz is vibrant as his patient and loyal girlfriend, while Spencer brings her gravitas to the proceedings as his stalwart mother.”
Critic Reviews
‘Brilliantly observed and very moving.’ Independent (UK)
‘Coogler’s realistic debut recreates Grant’s final day with affection, refusing to cast him as either saint or sinner.’ Times (UK)
‘There is something almost spiritual in the eerie importance that all the ordinary, banal facts of a life achieve under scrutiny, as time is running out.’ Guardian
Awards
Acapulco Black Film Festival 2014 Winner of the Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year
AFI Awards, USA 2014 Winner of the AFI Award for Movie of the Year
African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) 2013 Winner of the AAFCA Award for Top 10 Films and Best Independent Film
Austin Film Critics Association 2013 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best First Film
Boston Online Film Critics Association 2013 Winner of the BOFCA Award for Ten Best Films of the Year
Cannes Film Festival 2013 Winner Un Certain Regard – Avenir Prize – Ryan Coogler
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2014 Winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature
Hollywood Film Awards 2013 Winner of the Spotlight Award
National Board of Review, USA 2013 Winner of the NBR Award for Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer Winner of Breakthrough Performance by an Actor – Michael B. Jordan Winner of Best Directorial Debut – Ryan Coogler
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2013 Winner of the NYFCC Award for Best First Film
Satellite Awards 2013 Winner of the Breakthrough Performance Award
Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.
The film presents three stages in the life of the main character: his youth, adolescence, and early adult life. It explores the difficulties he faces with his sexuality and identity, including the physical and emotional abuse he endures growing up. Filmed in Miami, Florida, beginning in 2015, Moonlight premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2016. It was released in the United States on October 21, 2016 by A24, receiving positive reviews and grossing over $65 million worldwide.
Moonlight is cited as one of the best films of the 21st century. The film won several accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama and the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with Best Supporting Actor for Ali and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jenkins and McCraney from a total of eight nominations. It became the first film with an all-black cast, the first LGBTQ-related film, and the second-lowest-grossing film domestically (behind The Hurt Locker) to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Joi McMillon became the first black woman to be nominated for an editing Oscar, and Ali became the first Muslim to win an acting Oscar.
Critic Reviews
‘You won’t find a more sensitively rendered, evocative, or surprising coming-of-age film than Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight.’ Independent (UK)
‘Jenkins’ authorial voice is resounding and strong and his determination admirable.; Little White Lies
‘Moonlight is at its most eloquent when its subtext is soft-spoken.’ Sight and Sound
Awards
Academy Awards, USA 2017 Winner of the Oscar for Best Motion Picture of the Year (Dede Gardner became the first woman to win Best Picture twice.) Academy Awards, USA 2017 Winner of the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Golden Globes, USA 2017 Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2017 Winner of the best Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) 2016 Winner of the AAFCA Award for Best Picture, Winner of Best Director, Winner of Best Supporting Actor, Winner of Best Breakout Performance
Atlantic Film Festival 2016 Winner of the Audience Award for People’s Choice Award
Austin Film Critics Association 2020 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best Movie of the Decade
Austin Film Critics Association 2016 Winner off the AFCA Award for Best Film, Winner of Best Director, Winner of Best Supporting Actor, Winner of Best Original Screenplay, Winner of Special Honorary Award
Loving Vincent is a 2017 experimental animated biographical drama film about the life of the painter Vincent van Gogh, and, in particular, about the circumstances of his death. It is the first fully painted animated feature film. The film, written and directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, is a Polish-UK co-production, funded by the Polish Film Institute, and partially through a Kickstarter campaign.
Each of the film’s 65,000 frames is an oil painting on canvas, created using the same techniques as Van Gogh by a team of 125 artists drawn from around the globe. The film premiered at the 2017 Annecy International Animated Film Festival. It won Best Animated Feature Film Award at the 30th European Film Awards in Berlin and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards.
Critic Reviews
‘It’s impossible not to be swept up by the artistic achievements on show. Van Gogh’s distinct brush strokes, lovingly recreated frame by frame, bring this animation vividly alive.’ South China Morning Post
‘There is so much going on in every frame that it’s hard to stop thinking long enough to become emotionally involved. But it hardly matters. This time it really is a case of art for art’s sake.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘There’s a lot here to love.’ London Evening Herald
Awards
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2018 Winner of the EDA Award for Best Animated Feature Film
Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2017 Winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature
European Film Awards 2017 Winner of the European Film Award for Best European Animated Feature Film
Golden Trailer Awards 2017 Winner of the Golden Trailer for Best Foreign Animation/Family Trailer
National Board of Review, USA 2017 Winner of the NBR Award for Top Ten Independent Films
Online Film & Television Association 2018 Winner of the OFTA Film Award for Best Animated Picture
Palm Springs International Animation Festival and Expo 2017 Winner of the Jury Award for Best Animated Feature