Drama – BirdBox.Film

Desierto

A group of people trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States encounter a man who has taken border patrol duties into his own hands after his loyal dog was killed.

Desierto is a 2015 Mexican-French thriller film co-written and directed by Jonás Cuarón. The film stars Gael García Bernal (also executive producer) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations, and was selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.

Critic Reviews

‘A thriller that happens to be wrapped in political packaging.’ Los Angeles Times

‘Compelling performances come from both Gael Garcia Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan with Morgan being the real stand-out here.’ Behind the Lens

‘A powerful, timely exercise in stomach churning suspense.’ Spectrum Culture

Awards

Mexican Cinema Journalists 2017 Winner of the Silver Goddess for Best First Work (Ópera Prima)

Toronto International Film Festival 2015 Winner of the International Critics' Award (FIPRESCI) - Special Presentations awarded to Jonás Cuarón

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Action, Crime, Drama

A Most Violent Year

In New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history. A Most Violent Year is a 2014 American crime drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor. The film stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain with Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. The protagonist is Abel Morales (Isaac), the owner of a small heating-oil company who is stressed by the competitiveness in the oil trade and his having to secure costly loans to expand his business. When his trucks start being hijacked, there is increased pressure for his drivers to arm themselves. The film premiered as the opening film of AFI Fest on November 6, 2014, and it was released theatrically on December 31, 2014. It garnered positive reviews, and J. C. Chandor, Neal Dodson, and Anna Gerb won the National Board of Review Award for Best Film.

Critic Reviews

'The underside of the American Dream is on display in A Most Violent Year, a drama about an immigrant trying to make his way to the top.' Toronto Sun 'Bradford Young's cinematography is awesome, transforming bleak wastelands and mansions into visions of light. It's as if we're seeing everything through the eyes of Morales, to whom America is beauty incarnate.' London Evening Standard 'Simmering with drama, A Most Violent Year is one of the best films yet from Isaac or Chandor, and that's saying something' One Room with a View

Awards

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2015 Winner Critics' Choice MVP Award Jessica Chastain CINE Golden Eagle Film and Video Competition 2015 Winner Golden Eagle Narrative Content: Feature - Live Action A24 CinEuphoria Awards 2016 Winner CinEuphoria Top Ten of the Year - Audience Award IGN Summer Movie Awards 2014 Winner IGN Award Best Movie Supporting Actress Jessica Chastain

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Biography, Crime, Drama

A Private War

One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontline of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless. 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

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A Single Man

In Los Angeles 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley, a 48-year-old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future.

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

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Drama, History, War

Alone in Berlin

After a Nazi German working class couple loses their son in World War II, they decide to retaliate by secretly leafletting handwritten cards in Berlin denouncing their government.

Alone in Berlin is a 2016 war drama film directed by Vincent Pérez and written by Pérez and Achim von Borries, based on the 1947 fictionalised novel Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada. The film stars Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Brühl, and Mikael Persbrandt. The film was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.

Critic Reviews

‘Gleeson, Thompson and Brhl give strong performances and this is a well-carpentered film.’ Guardian

‘What makes Alone In Berlin distinctive is the form the resistance takes... It's about an ordinary middle-aged German couple who express their disgust for the regime by writing postcards. Stories about heroism don't come any more understated.’ Independent UK

‘A well-made Euro pudding, Alone In Berlin, like The Book Thief, can't find the depths, darkness or daring to stand out.’ Empire Magazine

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Crime, Drama, Mystery

Beast

A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.

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

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Comedy, Crime, Drama

Beats

Two teenage boys in Scotland in 1994, best friends with no control over their lives, risk everything to attend an illegal rave, hoping for the best night of their boring lives. Beats is a 2019 British drama film directed Brian Welsh. It was based upon a play of the same name by Kieran Hurley, who adapted the screenplay with Welsh; Steven Soderbergh acts as an executive producer. The plot follows a pair of teenage friends in 1994 Scotland who try and sneak into an illegal rave party. "Well-acted and enlivened by an evocative soundtrack and period detail, Beats draws timeless themes out of its specific story and setting.” Wendy Ide of The Guardian gave the film 4/5 stars, writing: "It's a terrific little film that combines the earthy humour and honesty of a Shane Meadows movie with an unexpected expressionistic section – flooded with colour – that channels the boys' joyful dancefloor abandon.” In a separate Guardian review, Mike McCahill gave it three stars, saying that "this teen bromance eventually escapes into amiable nostalgia and artful euphoria”

Critic Reviews

‘This tender, detail-filled movie lives for the moment.’ New York Times ‘Welsh has delivered a compelling snapshot of an era and captured a moment in life when friendship is at its most sustaining.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘The script, adapted by Welsh and Kieran Hurley from Hurley's play, is especially good on the preciousness and subjectivity of cultural experience.’ Times UK ‘Funny, as well as emotionally rewarding.’ London Evening Standard

Awards

BAFTA Awards, Scotland 2019 Winner of the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor - Film Lorn Macdonald British Independent Film Awards 2019 Winner of the British Independent Film Award for Best Cinematography - Benjamin Kracun and winner for Best Sound Film by the Sea International Film Festival 2019 Winner of the International Student Jury Award - International Student Jury for Brian Welsh (director) Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards 2019 Winner of the Behind the Camera Award - Torino Film Festival 2019 for Brian Welsh (director)

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Daphne

'Daphne' is the vibrant character portrait of a young woman on the threshold of a much-needed change.

Daphne is a 2017 British drama film directed by Peter Mackie Burns and written by Nico Mensinga. The film stars Emily Beecham, Geraldine James, Nathaniel Martello-White, Osy Ikhile, Sinead Matthews and Stuart McQuarrie.

The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 29 January 2017 and garnered positive reviews. "Led by Emily Beecham's note-perfect performance, Daphne is a vivid portrait of a woman in flux - and an auspicious narrative debut for director Peter Mackie Burns"

Critic Reviews

‘The film finally adds up to more than the sum of its well-wrought parts, offering a quietly profound insight into this young woman's attempt to navigate a world that is both familiar and brutally alien.’ Sight and Sound

‘It's one of the best films about London living I can recently recall.’ Daily Telegraph (UK)

‘Mackie Burns handles the tale like a seasoned pro, and Beecham is terrifically watchable throughout.’ The Herald (Scotland)

Awards

Dinard British Film Festival 2017 Winner of Best Screenplay - Peter Mackie Burns (director) and The Bureau (production company)

Edinburgh International Film Festival 2017 Winner of Best Performance in a British Feature Film Best Performance - Emily Beecham and Anne Reid

Torino Film Festival 2017 Winner of the Prize of the City of Torino for Best Actress - Emily Beecham

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Dogville

A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado town. In exchange, she agrees to work for them. As a search visits the town, she finds out that their support has a price. Yet her dangerous secret is never far away. 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

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Drive

A mysterious Hollywood stuntman and mechanic moonlights as a getaway driver and finds himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor in this action drama. 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

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Biography, Drama, Music

Eden

Paul, a teenager in the underground scene of early-nineties Paris, forms a DJ collective with his friends and together they plunge into the nightlife of sex, drugs, and endless music.

Eden uses 1990s club culture as the appropriately intoxicating backdrop for a sensitive, low-key look at aging and the price of pursuing one's dreams.

Eden is a 2014 French drama film directed by Mia Hansen-Løve and co-written with Sven Hansen-Løve. The film stars Félix de Givry and Pauline Etienne. The film premiered in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened in the 52nd edition of the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.

The film is an affecting trip into the electronic dance movement in Paris whose rhythms echo its textures and feeling. Based on the experiences of Hansen-Løve's brother Sven, the film follows Paul, a teenager in the underground scene of early-nineties Paris. Rave parties dominate that culture, but he's drawn to the more soulful rhythms of Chicago's garage house. He forms a DJ collective named Cheers, and together he and his friends plunge into the ephemeral nightlife of sex, drugs, and endless music.

Critic Reviews

'Rambling, talky and luxuriantly wistful, the film gives a perceptive survey of the self-importance and decadence of a youth movement.' Times UK

'A remarkable film which drums to its own beat.' Little White Lies

'Partly the story of a music scene, but mostly the story of a man who realises that living the dream isn't always the best thing for your life. Vivid, immersive and blessed with a perfectly nostalgic soundtrack.' Empire Magazine

'Eden, in its loose and free-form way, is as personal a statement as this 34-year-old director has yet made: it's telling that Paul is that age by the end of it.' Daily Telegraph UK

'Absorbing and very moving.' The Guardian

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Biography, Crime, Drama

Fruitvale Station

The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008. 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

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Glassland

Set in Dublin, 'Glassland' 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. 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

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Firefly Dreams

Naomi (Maho Ukai), is a spoiled teenager from Nagoya whose parents send her off to the country for the summer to work at her aunt's inn. Firefly Dreams is a quietly confident first feature from writer-director John Williams. A film with a strong human appeal and emotional resnance.

Critic Reviews

"Firefly Dreams" is a quietly confident and affecting first feature from Japan-based writer-director John Williams. Variety.

Awards

Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, 2002. Winner of the audience favourite choice award for best dramatic feature. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 2001. Winner of the special mention prize for John Williams ‘for the human approach to a traditional Asian theme’ Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival, 2001. Winner of best feature.

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Drama, Thriller, War

Black Book

In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.

"Black Book" tells the moving story of a young Jewish woman who joins the Resistance in The Hague and gets entangled in a deadly web of double-dealing and betrayal. It is is an epic thriller of great courage and fierce emotion--played out against the dying, explosive months of WW II.

The film had its world premiere on 1 September 2006 at the Venice Film Festival. Winner of three Golden Calves, Black Book won the most awards at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2006.

Critic Reviews

'The film manages to turn German occupied Holland circa 1944 into a fast-paced thrill ride without sacrificing the emotional core and very real human toll.' From the Front Row

'Seven years after he disappeared with the whimper that was Hollow Man, Paul Verhoeven has returned with what may be his best film.' Stop Smiling

'The handsomely mounted, heedlessly pulpy modernist World War II thriller that "The Good German" and "Valkyrie" failed to be - a dizzying rush of daring rescues, sexual intrigue, treachery, betrayal, gunfights, hasty conclusions and harrowing consequences.' The Film Yap

Awards

Austin Film Critics Association 2007 Winner of the AFCA Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Capri, Hollywood 2007 Winner of the Capri Cult Award

Golden and Platin Film, Netherlands 2007 Winner of the Diamond Film

Nederlands Film Festival 2006 Winner of the Golden Calf for Best Film, Best Actress and Best Director of a Feature Film

Venice Film Festival 2006 Winner of the Young Cinema Award for Best International Film

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Moonlight

A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.

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

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Autumn Ball

A film about the loneliness, despair and hope of six people who all live in a bleak Soviet-era apartment complex in Tallinn, Estonia. Autumn Ball is a 2007 Estonian drama film directed by Veiko Õunpuu, adapted from Mati Unt's 1979 novel of the same name. The film depicts six desolate people of different yet similar fates in characteristically Soviet pre-fabricated housing units. It premiered at the 64th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Horizon Award.

Critic Reviews

'Emboldened by alcohol and steeped in despair, the characters in Sugisball lunge for love but would settle for understanding.'

Awards

Bratislava International Film Festival 2007 Winner Best Director Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival 2007 Winner Special Critics Award Nika Awards 2009 Nominee Nika Best Film of the CIS and Baltics Transilvania International Film Festival 2008 Winner Best Cinematography

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Beyond the Trek

A deep space mining vessel has been adrift for two years. It is suspected the crew brutally killed each other, but the reason for the bloodbath is unknown. A rescue crew is sent to find if there are any survivors, what happened and why. A crew is sent to find out if there are any survivors on a deep-space mining vessel that has been adrift for two years.

Awards

Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, US 2017, winner of best special FX Los Angeles Movie Awards, US 2017, winner of the best narrative feature, best director, best cinematography, best costume design, bets production design, best set direction. American Movie Awards 2018, winner of best direction

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Boppin’ at the Glue Factory

It may be pitched as a low budget, dark comedy but Boppin’ at the Glue Factory, directed and co-written by Jeffrey Orgill is a little slice of comedy gold. The film stars Henry Dittman as Eric Labudde, a down and out drug addict who, through what can only be described as sheer blind luck, ends up getting a job at an old age convalescent home as the night nurse. Eric isn’t exactly what anyone would call a model employee, but he has just enough charisma and medical skill to get by in the medical world. It’s different, but that isn’t a bad thing.

Awards

Seattle True Independent Film Festival, 2009. Winner of best feature. Strasbourg International Film Festival, 2019. Winner of best supporting actor.

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MaMa

In the aftermath of a tragedy a woman, Magda, reacts with a surge of newfound life that engulfs her circle of family and friends.

Ma Ma is a 2015 Spanish drama film directed by Julio Medem. It was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Critic Reviews

'Cruz gives a big-hearted performance in a very demanding role.' Independent UK

'This is an old-school tearjerker, designed to get audiences sniffling in the dark.' Chicago Sun-Times

'Penélope Cruz is luminous and with the force of her charisma holds the film together as the suffering madonna, unbelievably cheerful and selfless throughout her protracted ordeal.' Dog and Wolf

Awards

Fotogramas de Plata 2016 Winner of the Fotogramas de Plata for Best Movie Actress

The Platino Awards for Iberoamerican Cinema 2016 Winner of the Audience Award for Best Actress

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The New Girlfriend

While flirting with camp, François Ozon's The New Girlfriend offers thoughtful -- and humorous -- commentary on sexual and gender identity.

Francois Ozon's humorous psychological drama The New Girlfriend stars Anais Demoustier as Claire, a young woman whose closest friend since childhood, Lea, passes away leaving behind a husband, David (Romain Duris) and a newborn baby. One day she drops by David's house unexpectedly, and finds him dressed in his dead wife's clothes and feeding their baby with a bottle. He explains that Lea was well aware of his predilection, and eventually, so relieved that he has someone to share his secret with, David and Claire create a female persona for him named Virginia.

Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney expressed his compliments on The New Girlfriend: "a delectable riff on transformation, desire and sexuality that blends the heightened reality of melodrama with mischievous humor and an understated strain of Hitchcockian suspense." At Variety, Justin Chang said "even as he (Ozon) heads down any number of tantalizing if borderline-nonsensical alleyways, Ozon maintains his diabolical wit, his infectious sense of play and his essential affection for his characters" and the film was "powered by beautifully controlled performances from Anaïs Demoustier and Romain Duris"

Critic Reviews

'It's less than it should've been, and a little mild. But Ozon makes it glide with confidence, in or out of heels.' Chicago Tribune

'"The New Girlfriend" never pretends to be more than what it is, a delicious and frothy fantasia with a teasing erotic frisson.' New York Times

'In Ozon's confident hands, "The New Girlfriend" has moments that juxtapose gentle humor and surprising depth of feeling.' Washinton Post

'In The New Girlfriend, viewers are given a piece that walks the tightrope between drama and comedy, thriller and thinkpiece. This is a film that artfully ponders the process of grief while also finding rebirth from within.' CineVue

Awards

San Sebastián International Film Festival 2014 Winner of the Sebastiane Award for Best Film

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Crime, Drama, Thriller

The Grifters

A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play. The Grifters is an american neo-noir crime drama film directed by Stephen Frears, produced by Martin Scorsese, and starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening. The film follows a trio of con artists who are intent on out-foxing each other. Roy Dillon (John Cusack) life is thrown into turmoil when his estranged mother Lilly (Anjelica Huston) returns home in an attempt to evade the law. The Grifters had its world premiere at the Toronto Festival of Festivals at the Elgin Theater and had a brief Academy Award-qualifying run in New York City and Los Angeles.

Critic Reviews

'A darkly cynical and uncompromising gem.' Film 4 'Best to savour The Grifters for its handsome design -- the picture looks as clean as a Hockney landscape -- and its juicy performances.' TIME Magazine 'A slick and stylish neo-noir crime drama featuring three exceptional performances.' BackSeat Mafia

 Awards

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Winner BSFC Award for Best Actress Edgar Allan Poe Awards Winner Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Film Independent Spirit Awards Winner of theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Feature and Best Female Lead London Critics Circle Film Awards Winner ALFS Award Newcomer of the Year National Board of Review, USA Winner NBR Award for Top Ten Films

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My Feral Heart

Luke, an independent young man with Down's syndrome stumbles upon a wild and life changing friendship.

My Feral Heart is a beautifully realised, understated character study bolstered by strong performances, distinctive cinematography and a deeply evocative score.

Critic Reviews

'There's a lot to like here, including the thoughtful portrait of disability, director Jane Gull's knack with performers of all ability, and the shimmering cinematography by Susanne Salavati' The Guardian

'Gull has a keen eye for nature, beautifully captured by cinematographer Susanne Salavati' Eye for Film

'Achingly poignant and beautifully acted' Observer (UK)

Awards

Woodstock Film Festival 2016 Winner of the James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Narrative

Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2016 Winner of the Audience Award for best Feature Drama

Fargo Film Festival 2016 Winner of the Honourable Mention for best Narrative Feature

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Precious

In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enrol in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

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

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