Notícias

Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn has been working on a new film project called The Avenging Silence, which sounds incredibly interesting., He's been developing it with James Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and the Tokyo-set thriller will focus on a mute man who is a former spy on a mission to assassinate the head of a yakuza family.

According to The Playlist, the movie came from the director's desire to make “a big extravagant action film.” The site also did some digging and found a full detailed synopsis at Crouching Tigers Project Lab that is sure to get fans of Refn excited for his new project:

The spy was one of the leading spies in Europe. An injury inflicted to his vocal cords during a failed mission six years ago left him mute, forcing him to leave his profession. Now, six years later, he is sought out and...

With The Neon Demon now (almost completely) exorcised from Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn‘s system, he is already deep into preparing his next project. On the docket for the director is The Avenging Silence, which will apparently sate Refn’s desire to make a “big extravagant action film.” Refn also said over the summer it is loosely inspired by “Dr. No,” Ian Fleming‘s classic Bond novel, as well as William Burrough‘s “Nova Express.” An extended synopsis has now been released for the feature, which hopefully will make its way to screens by 2018.

While he has dipped into action in sections of Drive, Bronson and The Pusher Trilogy, The Avenging Silence sounds like a big step for Refn into pure spy/action genre fare. However, fans of Refn’s stylistic choices should rest assured as he has already stated his protagonist won’t say much. This time, that...

If the first official synopsis is any indication, Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is about to do good on his promise of creating a “big, extravagant action film” with The Avenging Silence.

Published through Crouching Tigers Project Lab – and relayed via The Playlist – the exhaustive description identifies the damaged protagonist of Refn’s latest to be a mute European assassin bound for Japan. His target? The most dangerous Yakuza family in the entire country. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, two veterans of the modern James Bond franchise after contributing to Skyfall and Spectre, are the brains behind the screenplay, thus explaining the spy-thriller sensibilities of The Avenging Silence.

It’s shaping up to be an existential journey for our silent killer, too, with the logline teasing an encounter with conquest, war, famine and death – a symbol of the Four Horsemen, perhaps? – upon stepping foot in southern Japan. There’s currently...

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion

In the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for mankind’s survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by Nerv, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelions’ one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with an Evangelion.

One such teenager is Ikari Shinji, whose father heads the Nerv team that developed and maintains the Evangelions. Thrust into a maelstrom of battles and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.

(Tttt, or "Tudor's Twitchin' Travel Tours", is an occasional column that sets out to traverse the vast terrain of cinema, as experienced by yours truly, Jim Tudor, a filmmaker and guilded American film critic.  This time I'm comparing and contrasting the big one-word titled films of fall 2013, Gravity and Rush.  Strap in, friend - it's about to get centrifugal around here!)  "Life in space is impossible." Ditto that when it comes to life as a 1970s Formula 1 racer. At least, anything resembling an ordinary life is impossible. As rarefied as they were, such guys wore their deathwishes like badges of honor, as they were incapable of doing anything else. This way of life stands in weird defiance to that of spacewalking astronauts -...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off Part Two of its 30th annual “Contemporary Documentaries” screening series with the 2010 Oscar®-nominated feature “Exit through the Gift Shop” and “Catfish” on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is free.

“Exit through the Gift Shop” follows a videographer named Thierry Guetta, who attempts to document the work of some of the world’s best-known guerrilla street artists. When the artist known only as Banksy questions Guetta’s intentions, however, and seizes control of the film, the roles of filmmaker and subject are reversed. Directed by Banksy and produced by Jaimie D’Cruz, “Exit through the Gift Shop” earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature.

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project,...

With Waste Land, Killing in the Name and Sun Come Up scoring the Oscars nods out of DocuWeeks 2010, other Showcase alums have made their presence felt elsewhere. In the recently concluded Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana, Thomas Bursteyn's This Way of Life captured the Best Feature Prize, while Steam of Life, from Joonas Berghall and Mika Hotakainen, took the Artistic Vision Award. Elsewhere among the Ida community, Darwin, produced by former Ida executive director Sandra Ruch and Documentary magazine contributing editor Taylor Segrest (also credited as writer), earned ...

The 8th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival — which is still going on as of this writing in Missoula, Montana — has announced their list of award winners, giving prizes to seven films out of the dozens that screened this year. Plus, if you’re in Missoula and you’ve missed any of the winning films, there will be a repeat screening of them on the fest’s last two days on Feb. 19 & 20.

The big winner of the fest is the film This Way of Life, directed by Thomas Burstyn, which takes home the Best Feature Award. In addition to the honor, Burstyn will also be taking home $1000 in prize money. (The rest of the winners get $500 each, courtesy of The Documentary Channel.) This Way of Life chronicles the struggles of a New Zealand family as they try to hold onto their passion for raising and caring for horses.

The other...

The 8th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is all set to run for ten days this Feb. 11-20 in Missoula, Montana. This year, the fest will have a whopping 140 film programs, a growth that necessitates an expansion from its regular home at the Historic Wilma Theatre — where it will occupy two screens — to also feature screenings at the former Pipestone Mountaineering store.

Special events at the fest include a free opening night screening of How to Die in Oregon sponsored by HBO Documentary Films. The film, directed by Peter D. Richardson, examines the impact the legalization of physician-assisted suicide has had on the state. (In 1994, Oregon was the first state to legalize the practice.)

Also, indie rock band Yo La Tengo will perform their acclaimed live score of the films of pioneering French underwater documentary film director Jean Painlevé, something they have done for other film festivals all over the world.

Canadian cinematographer Thomas Burstyn makes his feature debut as a director along with his wife Sumner as his writer and producer with this lush documentary set in New Zealand's rugged Ruahine Mountains. This Way of Life is about the Karena family -- a family that would make plenty others envious. They have no material wealth but what they do have is a unique lifestyle with their six beautiful children and an entourage of wild horses that brings them so close to the nature that it's as far from materialistic world as you can get. While the parents suffer from the pressures of family and the society, the kids live a happy existence close to the nature and close to another. The Burstyns choose the right family and story to tell how much we've lost over the past century -- a direct connection with nature. Yama Rahimi: How did this project came about?...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/29, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

Possibilities

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer)

Best Director

Frontrunners

David Fincher...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

Possibilities

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

Outside Shots

“Somewhere” (Focus Features,...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“How Do You Know” (Columbia,...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

Major Threats

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs” (20th Century Fox, 11/24, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics,...

Chicago – Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reveals their short list for the Oscar for Best Documentary and every year there’s a notable snub or two that makes one question the process. Last year, “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” one of the most-beloved films of the year, didn’t make the cut. This year, “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” failed to make the cut, continuing a pattern in which films not deemed “serious enough” by Academy members can’t get past the first round.

The Tillman Story

Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Luckily, a number of the best documentaries of 2010 were serious enough to pass Academy muster including several films about the economy, a few about the war in Iraq, and a pair of controversial docs about the failures of our current educational system. It should be an interesting battle for the final five in this category.

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, Tbd, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, Tbd, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

Major Threats

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“How Do You Know” (Columbia, 12/17, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs” (20th Century Fox, 11/24, R, trailer)

“Hereafter” (Warner Brothers,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced fifteen films in the Documentary Feature category which will advance in the voting process for The 83rd Academy Awards.

The list includes: Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Enemies of the People, Exit Through the Gift Shop, GasLand, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Inside Job, The Lottery, Precious Life, Quest for Honor, Restrepo, This Way of Life, The Tillman Story, Waiting for Superman, Waste Land, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

Selected from one-hundred and one submissions, the Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting and will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist. Those five will be announced live on Tuesday January 25th.

The biggest surprise is the several high profile omissions from this list - "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,...

It's inevitable that the Academy's documentary branch has to snub fine films every year. There are usually more than 5 terrific docs a year after all. But even when they narrow it to 15 for the finals, they're always dumping extraordinary movies.  We knew that the buzzy Catfish wouldn't be there but it's a pity that the funny/interesting/popular Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work couldn't place even in a field of 15. I just watched it again in fact and it still holds the interest even after the jokes aren't new. And don't get me started on the phenomenal Last Train Home, the best thing I saw at Sundance this year give or take I am Love and The Kids Are All Right.

Possibly Nominees?Anyway here's the list of 15 finalists that will have to fight it out for the 5-wide Best Documentary Feature Oscar nominations.

Client 9: The Rise and...

The shortlist for the Documentary Feature category of the 2011 Academy Awards has been announced and has been met with equal amounts of pleasant surprise and puzzled scratching of heads. The joyous bemusement in reaction to the inclusion of Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop, which many of us were convinced would be this year’s Anvil, and the shock that Laura Poitas' The Oath was notably absent. It’s particularly refreshing to see the inclusion of Exit given the general view that the Academy only saw the more "worthy"-subject based documentaries as genuine contenders, and that more populist fare never stood a chance. As documentaries don't compete within other filmmaking categories such as editing and cinematography (of which Armadillo would certainly deserve to be listed) the Documentary Feature category has always felt that it has to be an award based on overall filmmaking achievement, rather than subject, impact or agenda.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected fifteen documentaries out of a total of one hundred and one that will advance to the next round of voting that will become nominees in the Documentary Feature category of the 83rd Academy Awards. "Waiting for Superman" seems like the favorite to win, considering the impact the film has had on parents and the Us government. But "Inside Job" and "The Tillman Story" will also likely move on to the next round. The committee viewed all eligible documentaries and will now select five nominees out of the fifteen, which are listed below. * Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer * Enemies of the People * Exit through the Gift Shop * Gasland * Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould * Inside Job * The Lottery * Precious Life * Quest for Honor * Restrepo * This Way of Life * The Tillman Story * Waiting for Superman * Waste Land...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed today the 15 films that have made their shortlist for the Best Feature Documentary category in the 83rd Academy Awards.

They include:

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

Enemies of the People, Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

Gasland, Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)

Inside Job, Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

The Lottery, Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)

Precious Life, Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)

Quest for Honor, Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)

Restrepo, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)

This Way of Life, Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films)

The Tillman Story, Amir Bar-Lev, director… Read...

HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards®. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

“Enemies of the People,” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

“Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

“Gasland,” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

“Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould,” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)

“Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

“The Lottery,” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)

“Precious Life,” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)

“Quest for Honor,” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)

“Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger,...

Do you want answers? Do you believe you’re entitled to them? Do you want the truth? Can you, in fact, handle the truth? The 15 documentaries competing for Oscar have been selected.

Check out the list below [via Oscars.org]:

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors

(White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) “Megamind” Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films...

Another year, another outrageous oversight from the documentary branch of the Academy. Today AMPAS announced the 15 films that will contend for next year’s five Best Documentary Feature slots, and although there are several worthy films included (Waiting for Superman, Inside Job, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and The Tillman Story among them), missing from the list was the acclaimed exposé Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, one of the sweetest and most fascinating films, unscripted or otherwise, of the year. Also Mia: The Facebook-fueled Catfish, the transgender family tale Prodigal Sons, and the political eye-opener 8: The Mormon Proposition.

The Weinstein Company / Paramount

You know what we love? A good, old-fashioned documentary. Sometimes, that’s really the stuff.

And this year there’s been an exceptionally strong batch of documentary features, which explains why more than 100 of them were submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for this year’s Oscars. Now, though, the suits at the Academy have trimmed the field to just 15 finalists… and the controversial “Catfish” and crowd-pleasing “Babies” are nowhere to be seen.

“Catfish,” of course, purported to be a doc about a guy who falls for a Facebook friend only to find out that his new internet love is (spoiler!) a lying liar who lies. Some people felt it was probably about as real in documentary terms as “Paranormal Activity 2,” however, which may explain why it didn’t make the cut.

“Babies,” the much-buzzed about feature showing how infants in wildly...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the shortlist of fifteen films now vying for the five “Best Documentary” nominations. The organization will unveil the final five at the announcement ceremony on January 25, 2011, just over a month before the Oscar telecast on February 27. A record-breaking 101 films qualified for the award before the line-up was narrowed to these fifteen:

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

Enemies of the People, Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

Gasland, Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)

Inside Job, Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

The Lottery, Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)

Precious Life, Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)

Quest for Honor, Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)

Restrepo,...

Not entirely sure why much lauded docs films that stuck out this year in Janus Metz's Armadilllo, Lixin Fan's Last Train Home, Michelangelo Frammartino's le quattro volte and Jeff Malmberg's Marwencol failed to make the grade (I'm not entirely sure how this works with the cut-off dates), but there are plenty on the list of 15 that have earned the right to be deemed among the best docs of the year. Shockingly, they included Exit through the Gift Shop and not surprisingly, this along with seven other docus if my count is good, first began their public life at the January launch-pad known as the Sundance Film Festival. The preliminary round of voting will determine five noms (announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. Pt) and the only one I can honestly say is a shoe-in for a top 5 nom spot is Charles Ferguson's Inside Job.

And it's a good-looking, diverse and hip slate -- at least until the final five nominees are announced, and inevitably three to four of them are the least watched, least known from this selection, making the race opaque to almost everyone. Interesting that two controversial pro-charter school docs, the better known "Waiting for 'Superman'" and the smaller "The Lottery" both made the cut, while the acclaimed "Last Train Home" did not. "The Oath," thought a possible frontrunner by some, also failed to make the snip. But nice to see the excellent "Enemies of the People" on there.

"Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer"

Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC)

"Enemies of the People"

Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)

"Exit through the Gift Shop"

Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

"Gasland"

Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

"Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould"

Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the documentary feature category will advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards. One hundred-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

You can see the list of 15 films — which, to my surprise and/or disappointment, does not include “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” “The Oath,” “A Film Unfinished,” “12th & Delaware,” or “Catfish,” among others — below…

“Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer“ “Enemies of the People” “Exit Through the Gift Shop” “Gasland” “Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould” “Inside Job” “The Lottery” “Precious Life” “Quest for Honor” “Restrepo” “This Way of Life” “The Tillman Story” “Waiting for ‘Superman’” “Waste Land” “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe”

Photo: Josh Fox in “Gasland.” Credit: HBO Documentary Films.

After viewing 101 contenders for Best Feature Documentary for the 83rd Academy Awards, the Documentary Branch has revealed the final 15 contenders shortlist for nomination consideration.

This list is in alphabetical order: Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer Alex Gibney, director (Es Productions LLC) Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films) Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures) Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC) Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures) Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures) The Lottery Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films) Precious Life Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions) Quest for Honor Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions) Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films) This Way of Life Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films) The Tillman Story Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion...

The line-up for the 18th Raindance Film Festival was announced today at a press launch held at the May Fair Hotel in London. This years line-up includes 77 feature films, 69 UK premieres and 133 short films, special live events, exclusive Q&As and masterclasses.

The festival will run from September 29 – October 10.

Opening the festival on Wednesday 29th September is Jackboots On Whitehall – a satirical animation about an alternative history of World War II where the Nazis seize London and England must band together to prevent a full on invasion. Star voiceover cast includes: Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike,Richard E. Grant, Timothy Spall, Tom Wilkinson, Alan Cumming, Richard Griffiths, Stephen Merchant and Richard O’Brien. It will be followed by an after-party with live set from rising Us indie band stars Airborne Toxic Event and DJ set from one of the most influential DJs in the UK – Andrew Weatherall. The following day will...

The Raindance Film Festival has announced its programme, and this year the festival will be jam-packed with 77 features, 69 UK premieres and over 133 shorts, as well as special live events and masterclasses for attendees

Kicking things off on 29 September will be a screening of Jackboots on Whitehall, a satirical animation set during World War II featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Richard E. Grant and Stephen Merchant.

British filmmaking will be celebrated with the Homegrown UK section, showcasing Ben Miller’s directional debut, Huge, as well as Legacy, starring The Wire’s Idris Elba, and Five Daughters, a film based on the 2006 Ipswich murders.

It’s not just a British affair though, with dark comedy Armless leading the pack from America, and the controversial A Serbian Film also making an appearance. Documentaries also get a billing, with Stolen, This Way of Life and When the World Breaks all showing throughout the week-long event.

This Way of Life is a beautifully shot documentary about a family of nine set in the luscious backdrop of New Zealand. Peter and Collen are intent of teaching their children to appreciate the land, nature and each other amidst real-life drama that threatens the values they hold dearly. This Way of Life is part of the DocuWeeks Film Fest held in New York and Los Angeles. For tickets and showtimes click here.

Official Website: www.thiswayoflifemovie.com...

Week 2 of Ida's 14th Annual DocuWeeks begins today with six films screening daily at the ArcLight Hollywood and at the IFC Center in New York. The Los Angeles lineup for August 6 through August 12 includes Apaporis, Louder Than a Bomb, My Perestroika, Steam of Life (Miesten vuoro), Summer Pasture and This Way of Life. Films screening through August 12 in New York include Budrus, For Once in My Life, HolyWars, Most Valuable Players, Pushing the Elephant and Quest for Honor.

Tickets are available online at the links above or at ...

Week 1 of Ida's 14th Annual DocuWeeks begins today with six films screening daily at the ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles and five features and a shorts program screening daily at the IFC Center in New York. The Los Angeles lineup for July 30 through August 6 includes Budrus, Colony, Family Affair, For Once in My Light, HolyWars and Waste Land. Films screening through August 5 include Apaporis, Louder Than a Bomb, Steam of Life (Miesten vuoro), Summer Pasture, This Way of Life and DocuWeeks Shorts program, which includes Killing in the Name ...

A Family directed by Pernille Fischer Christensen which was in the Competition section won the Fipresci (the international film critics association) prize for Best Film in the 60th edition of the Berlinale.

According to Ians reports, after receiving the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) award Friday, the 27-year-old debutante director dedicated it "to the whole community of La Barra", a village on Colombia's northern coast where the filming took place. From the Panorama, the Fipresci award was given to Parade by Isao Yukisada and Crab Trap directed by Oscar Ruíz Navia from the Forum won this prize.

Generation K Plus awards were also announced on Saturday. Crystal Bear for the Best Film went to Shui Yuet Sun Tau (Hongkong / China)  by Alex Law while This Way Of Life(New Zealand / Canada) by Thomas Burstyn won a special mention from the Jury.

Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film went...