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Movies continued their difficult post-pandemic recovery in 2024. Hindering that process was a pipeline drastically thinned by the previous year’s protracted writers’ and actors’ strikes; the summer release slate was especially anemic. The outlook got a boost from the bumper crop of early-winter releases led by Wicked, Moana 2 and Gladiator II, but box office nonetheless seems headed for an annual tally around half a billion short of 2023 revenues.

Studio animation came back with guns blazing — Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 and Moana 2 all appear certain to land in the top 5. Among critics’ darlings, Flow and The Wild Robot both looked to the animal kingdom to find hope for a planet falling apart, while the latter also provided a comforting balm for A.I. anxiety. And the artisanal magic of stop-motion animation made a comeback in Memoir of a Snail and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

The success...

I Saw The TV Glow Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Anora and I Saw The TV Glow have taken the lead in the nominations for the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, with winners to be announced on 22 February 2025. The two films have six nominations apiece. Both are in the running for Best Feature, and both Sean Baker and Jane Schoenbrun have received Best Director nominations.

Sean Wang's Dìdi has also made an impressive showing, especially for a début film, with four nominations. Otherwise the field is very varied. Distributor A24 has maintained the success it has enjoyed in recent years, with a total of 19 nominations, but its prize contender, The Brutalist, which has done well in other awards nominations, has to make do with just one here. Emilia Pérez, leading the awards race overall, would only have been eligible in the Best International Film category here, and has not been nominated.

Colman Domingo in ‘Sing Sing’ (Photo Credit: A24)

The San Diego Film Critics Society selected Sing Sing as Best Picture of 2024, with the film also receiving Best Actor (Colman Domingo) and Best Adapted Screenplay awards. Wicked tied as the most-awarded film, earning Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, and Best Costume awards.

Dune: Part Two led the list of San Diego Film Critics Society nominees with 12 nominations and won two: Best Director and Best Sound Design. Anora and September 5 also took home two awards from the Southern California-based critics.

2024 San Diego Film Critics Winners

Best Picture

Winner – Sing Sing

Runner Up – Anora

Runner Up – Conclave

Best Director

Winner – Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Runner Up – Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing

Best Actor

Winner – Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Runner Up – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Runner Up – Daniel Craig, Queer

Best Actress

Winner – Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths

Runner Up – Amy Adams,...

The Hollywood Creative Alliance has announced the winners for the 2024 Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards on Sunday, Dec. 8. The organization hosted two ceremonies – a luncheon and dinner – at the Taglyan Complex in Los Angeles. Actor, comedian and writer Peter Kim hosted the Astra Creative Arts Awards and two-time Emmy and NAACP-winning comedian Loni Love hosted the Astra Film Awards.

Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” came out on top with eight wins including Best Picture, Best Director for Jon M. Chu, Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande (tie with Zoe Saldaña). Coming in second place was Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Two” and Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” with four wins each. See the full list of winners below.

In addition, the Hollywood Creative Alliance honored costume designer Colleen Atwood with the Inaugural Artisan Icon Award, composer Kris Bowers received the Artisan Achievement Award, and cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi...

TIMOTHÉE Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ ‘Dune: Part Two’ (Photo by Niko Tavernise)

The San Diego Film Critics Society is known for marching to the beat of its own drum. Last year, the So. California group named Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret the Best Picture of 2024. And this year’s nominees break from other critics groups, with Dune: Part Two leading with 12 nominations. Conclave followed with nine, and Sing Sing and Wicked each earned eight.

Winners will be announced on Monday, December 9, 2024.

2024 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominees

Best Picture

Anora

Challengers

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Sing Sing

Best Director

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Edward Berger, Conclave

Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing

Best Actor

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Daniel Craig, Queer

Ralph Fiennes,...

Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’ (Courtesy of Neon)

Sean Baker’s Anora and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow lead the Film Independent Spirit Awards 2025 film nominees, with Shōgun topping the list of television nominees. On the film side, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow collected six nominations, followed by Didi with four and Janet Planet, The Apprentice, and Sing Sing with three.

Shōgun scored five Spirit Awards TV nominations, with Baby Reindeer and English Teacher earning four nominations each.

“Since we held our first ceremony in 1985 at a restaurant on La Cienega to last year’s show when viewers around the world joined us at the Santa Monica Beach to celebrate the work of so many artists, Film Independent has continued to support independent filmmakers and enable them to achieve their vision at every stage of their career,” stated Josh Welsh,...

This morning saw the announcements of the 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The big picture nominees include titles like the film festival darling The Substance, as well as Anora, which is getting high accolades for Mikey Madison‘s performance and Sean Baker’s writing and direction. A24 would naturally snag a ton of nominations that total a whopping 19. This beats last year’s 11-nomination count.

The Independent Spirit Awards will be taking place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, and is set to be held at Santa Monica beach. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant will return as the host. The in-person ceremony will be available to stream live on IMDb and Film Independent YouTube channels, and across other social platforms. You can find the full list of nominations, courtesy of Deadline, below.

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan...

Nominations for the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards are in!

The awards show celebrates films budgeted at less than $30 million to produce and must be considered “independent.” There are also TV categories!

For the films, Anora and I Saw the TV Glow got six nominations each. Shogun got the most TV nominations with five total.

The show will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, with Aidy Bryant hosting.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down for the full list of nominees…

Best Feature

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys

Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing

Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance

Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

Best First Feature

Dìdi

Director/Producer: Sean Wang

Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters...

Sean Baker’s Anora and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow lead the 2025 Independent Spirit Award nominations with six each.

Both films were nominated in best feature, best director, best lead performance, best supporting performance and the producers award while I Saw The TV Glow also picked up best screenplay.

Sean Wang’s Didilanded four nominations including best first feature and best first screenplay. The Apprentice is up for three awards – best directing, best editing and best lead performance for Sebastian Stan.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Santa Monica on February 22, 2025.

Earlier this week...

Wow… has it really been 40 years? It sure has, and that’s a reason to celebrate! From our first year at a restaurant on La Cienega Blvd. to a worldwide live stream, the Film Independent Spirit Awards have grown a lot.

That first year the awards, then called the Findie (Friends of Independents) Awards, awarded both Marty & Joel Coen the Best Director prize. Since then, we’ve celebrated artists like Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler, Whit Stillman, Robert Rodriguez and Kasi Lemmons, among many, many others. Next month on the blog, we’ll take deep dive into all the history of the awards, so make sure to check back with us to read all about the last 40 years of the Spirit Awards!

This year, we’re headed back to the beach in Santa Monica with returning host and Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant. The show, which will be held at the beach in Santa Monica,...

“Anora,” the free-wheeling tale of a sex worker who becomes entangled with the family of a Russian oligarch, and “I Saw the TV Glow,” a horror film about two teenagers whose obsession with a show causes them to lose grip on reality, dominated the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Wednesday, picking up six nods apiece. Both movies are up for best feature, competing against the body horror film, “The Substance,” as well as “Nickel Boys” and “Sing Sing,” dramas that deal with different aspects of the criminal justice system.

This year the Spirit Awards Film nominating committees said the movies it considered ranged in budget from $112,000 to $28 million. Those budgetary caps don’t apply to the shows that the Spirits recognized, such as “Shōgun,” a lavish historical epic that topped all series with five nominations, including one for best new scripted series. To be eligible, TV shows only have to...

Nominations have been revealed for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on February 22. The film nominations were led by “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow” with six each. In the television categories, “Shōgun” garnered the most nominations with five, followed closely by “Baby Reindeer” and “English Teacher” with four apiece. Watch the announcement here and see the full list below.

Julio Torres did well here with four nominations across his feature directorial debut “Problemista” and Max series “Fantasmas.” Indies like “Dídi,” “Janet Planet,” “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “The People’s Joker,” “In the Summers,” “The Substance,” and “Nickel Boys” also had a good day, racking up multiple nominations across the board. Netflix enjoys multiple nods, for “The Piano Lesson” and “His Three Daughters,” two movies poised to enter into the Oscar race.

The 2024 Spirit Award winners were led by “Past Lives,” “The Holdovers,” and “American Fiction,...

The nominations for the 2025 Spirit Awards have been revealed.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow lead with six nods each. On the TV side, Shogun dominates with five noms, followed by Baby Reindeer and English Teacher with four each.

Both Anora and I Saw the TV Glow are up for the top prize of best feature, where they’ll face off against three-time nominee Sing Sing (also up for best lead performance for Colman Domingo and supporting performance for Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin) and double nominees Nickel Boys (also up for best cinematography for Jomo Fray) and The Substance (also up for best lead performance for star Demi Moore).

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow are also up for best director (Sean Baker for Anora and Jane Schoenbrun for I Saw the TV Glow), lead performance (Mikey Madison for Anora and Justice Smith for I Saw the TV Glow...

With six nominations apiece, “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow” led all nominees in the film categories for the 40th Anniversary Film Independent Awards, which were announced on Wednesday morning. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025. As previously announced, Aidy Bryant will return as host.

Directed by Sean Baker, “Anora” has been on a winning streak since it premiered in Cannes in May, where it won the Palme d’Or. Jane Schoenbrun’s less well known horror movie “I Saw the TV Glow” gave it some stiff competition, tying it for the most nominations among film entries. “Didi” got four nods, while “Sing Sing” and “Janet Planet” tied with three nominations each.

Because the Indie Spirit Awards use different nominating committees for different categories, it’s usual for the choices to be inconsistent. That was certainly the case this year, with “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow...

The 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards unveiled nominations this morning, nominating Neon’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora, A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, Amazon MGM Studios’ Nickel Boys, A24’s Sing Sing and Mubi’s Demi Moore body-swap horror movie The Substance for Best Feature.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow equally lead all noms with six apiece. The Sean Baker-directed Anora landed Best Feature, Best Lead Performance (Mikey Madison), two Best Supporting Performance noms (Yuri Borisov and Karren Karagulian), Best Director, and the Producers Award.

I Saw the TV Glow, which made its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year, is quite the shocker, busting into the Best Feature category as it arguably hasn’t been on the lips of any awards prognosticator this year. The Jane Schoenbrun-directed-and-written drama horror title follows a teenager who is just trying to make...

The 40th Annual Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced live on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:00am Pacific/10:00am Eastern on Film Independent’s YouTube channel. Scroll down for the full list of contenders, and find out who wins during a ceremony hosted by comedian Aidy Bryant on Feb. 22, 2025.

The Spirit Awards honor the best achievements in low-budget American filmmaking and and now breakthrough TV programs as well, as decided by the members of Film Independent. The nominating committees comprised writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Winners are chosen by film industry insiders as well as everyday film lovers who pay their yearly dues to be part of Film Independent. Members have access to Film Independent’s exclusive nominee screening room online, as well as a number of awards season experiences including special screenings and Q&As.

Film Independent...

Awards season is chugging right along. Next up are the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which honor the best and brightest in indie cinema and television. To qualify, a film's budget must not exceed $30 million, which means major blockbusters like Wicked and Gladiator II are, obviously, out of the running.

This year,...

For Joan Chen playing a doting but slightly disregarded Taiwanese immigrant mother in Sean Wang’s Dìdi was a healing experience. Not only could she connect with the struggles that her character Chungsing goes through while raising her college-aged daughter and rebellious teenage son, the onscreen rift also helped her make amends with her daughters offscreen. “It was so cathartic to play Chungsing in this film and redemptive in a way because I think it gave me another chance almost to be a better mother,” Chen says. “And to do it better this time with my own younger daughter on set watching me, I felt like, ‘Ok, Audrey. I’m talking to you. I’m trying to say, I’m sorry, and I love you.'”

Throughout her nearly five-decade career, Chen has embodied more than the all-encompassing role of a supportive mommy dearest. From garnering China’s most prestigious...

Exclusive: Antigravity Academy, the production company of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Carlos López Estrada, has partnered with Dolby Laboratories to launch a new studio, designed to amplify the voices of emerging filmmakers.

Powered by Dolby Creator Lab, Antigravity’s Short Film Studio will provide filmmakers with access to the technologies of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos in the making of a short film, along with Antigravity’s hands-on development and production support.

Open to U.S.-based filmmakers over the age of 18 who have no prior feature film or television experience, the program’s inaugural session with produce three shorts, finished in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Each creative participating will receive a $35,000 production grant.

Observed López Estrada, “There are so many extraordinary filmmakers out there and not enough opportunities to bring their movies to life. We hope this program can introduce audiences to a variety of stories that haven’t been told before.

After a record-breaking weekend at the global box office, “Wicked” has now become the most nominated movie in the Astra Film Awards and Astra Creative Arts Awards eight-year history. The Universal Pictures film received 20 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande, and Best Director for Jon M. Chu.

The Hollywood Creative Alliance will host two ceremonies – a luncheon and dinner – on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 at the Taglyan Complex in Los Angeles. Both ceremonies will be recorded and streamed on Knekt.tv and YouTube. Actor, comedian, and writer Peter Kim will host the Astra Creative Arts Awards and Emmy-winning comedian and host, Loni Love, will host the Astra Film Awards.

“Dune: Part Two” came in second place with a total of 16 nominations. The Denis Villeneuve sequel from Warner Bros. snagged nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cast Ensemble, amongst many others categories.

“Wicked” led all films in nominations for the 2024 Astra Film Awards, the Hollywood Creative Coalition announced on Monday. The hit musical received a record 19 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Comedy or Musical, three acting noms and a sweep of all the below-the-line categories in which it was eligible.

The big-budget sequel “Dune: Part Two” was second with 15 nominations, while Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Perez” received 11, the body horror film “The Substance” received 10 and Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” received nine.

Films that were not nominated in the top category include “Gladiator II,” “Nickel Boys,” “Blitz,” “September 5” and “A Complete Unknown.”

Overall, the nominations tended toward high-profile and commercial movies, with more challenging performances by Daniel Craig, Sebastian Stan, Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton and Marianne Jean-Baptiste overlooked in favor of, for instance, acting nominations for Naomi Scott for “Smile 2” and three separate stars of “Wicked”: Cynthia Erivo,...

Michelle Satter, the founding senior director of artist programmes at Sundance Institute, will be honoured at a gala fundraiser on January 24, 2025.

Satter is being recognised for her “longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs” over the past four decades.

The annual event will also see Vanguard Awards presented to Didi director Sean Wang, and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane. All three premiered their films in Park City earlier this year.

“For over four decades Michelle has been devoted to truly championing independent storytellers,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO of Sundance Institute.

The Sundance Institute is finalizing details for a festival gala fundraiser — Celebrating Sundance Institute presented by Google TV — that will honor one of its own and a roster of rising filmmakers.

Set to take place at Utah’s Grand Hyatt Deer Valley on Jan. 24, which marks the first weekend of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, the gala will shine a spotlight on marquee honoree Michelle Satter. The beloved and respected Satter, who serves as founding senior director of artist programs at Sundance Institute, will be feted “for her longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where visionary artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process, for the past four decades,” per the Institute.

The evening will see a series of Vanguard Awards presented by Acura also doled out to Dìdi filmmaker Sean Wang and Sugarcane co-directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.

The annual Sundance Film Festival gala fundraiser has unveiled its 2025 honorees. Known as “Celebrating Sundance Institute,” presented by Google TV, the gala will bestow the Vanguard Awards to “Dìdi” writer/director Sean Wang, and “Sugarcane” co-directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie. Both features premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

“Dìdi” won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast, before being acquired by Focus Features.

“For over a decade, Sundance has been my north star, symbolizing artistic excellence and bold, distinct voices,” Wang said of the honor. “It has since also become a community of artists, an unwavering support system, and a creative home for both myself and my first feature, ‘Dìdi (弟弟)’. As the recipient of several Sundance Institute artist development programs — Ignite, Taaf, and the Screenwriters and Directors Labs — I know firsthand how deeply transformative that support can be for emerging storytellers.

The Sundance Institute announced today that Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs at Sundance Institute, will be honored at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival gala fundraiser, taking place at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah on January 24, 2025.

The event, dubbed Celebrating Sundance Institute, will see Satter recognized for her decades-long commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process.

Other honorees will include Dìdi filmmaker Sean Wang, as well as the Sugarcane duo of Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, who debuted their latest films at this past year’s festival and will respectively receive the Vanguard Awards for Fiction and NonFiction.

The Vanguard Award recognizes emerging artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence. Past recipients have included Celine Song, Maite Alberdi, W. Kamau Bell, Nikyatu Jusu, Ryan Coogler,...

Hoard writer-director Luna Carmoon, Didi filmmaker Sean Wang and Baby Reindeer star Nava Mau are among 43 Bafta Breakthrough members for its 2024 cohort.

The 43 names consist of 21 UK creatives, 13 from the US and nine from India. The selected members hail from film, games and television, and will receive one-to-one meetings, career guidance, full Bafta voting membership and access to screenings and networking events in the year-long initiative.

Scroll down for the full list of Bafta Breakthrough 2024

Carmoon is one of several filmmakers in the selection, alongside If The Streets Were On Fire director Alice Russell, The Contestant director Clair Titley, and...

Anna Sawai (“Shogun”), Izaac Wang (“Didi”) and the cast of Netflix’s live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” will be honored at the 22nd annual Unforgettable Gala (Unfo).

Produced by GoldenTV and Character Media, the Unfo is the premier Asian American awards gala, honoring the biggest and brightest Api talent in entertainment and media. Since 2002, the Unforgettable Gala has grown to become the Api community’s longest-running awards ceremony.

“Didi” stars Joan Chen and Wang’s honors for Actor in Film and Breakout in Film, respectively, add more accolades to the indie Sundance award-winning hit’s belt. Meanwhile, Sawai’s win for Actor in TV is yet another victory after her Emmy win for best actress in a drama series.

The “Avatar: The Last Airbender” cast will receive the Vanguard Award at this year’s Unforgettable Gala. Other honorees include Hoa Xuande for his breakout role in “The Sympathizer,” Sean Wang for directing “Didi,...

Never underestimate the strength and resilience of the Aapi community.

In October, President-elect Donald Trump was in Las Vegas at the “United for Change” campaign event, which focused on reaching the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and promised to “amplify Aapi voices, promote unity and encourage voter participation.” The same person still refers to Covid as the “China virus.”

Under Trump’s 2016 presidency, anti-Asian violence surged in the United States. So, as Hollywood readies itself for Trump 2.0, a return that could further deepen the political divide, what does a second term mean for the Aapi community and its storytellers?

One thing is for certain, the work that is already being done by Aapi-led organizations in the industry is going to continue — and that’s the underlying message. Nothing is going to change. If anything, the stories are going to get better, and there are going to be more.

In...

Joan Chen is finally getting her flowers.

At the Critics Choice Association Celebration of Aapi Cinema and Television, Chen received a standing ovation as she accepted the career achievement award.

Chen, who was recognized for her work on “Twin Peaks,” and “The Last Emperor,” stars in Sean Wang’s “Didi.” She had received glowing reviews for her performance as Chunsing Wang in the coming-of-age story. The actress told the audience, “This film has brought me more recognition than I ever received for ‘The Last Emperor,'” she said referring to the 1987 film which made her a Hollywood star.

During her speech, Chen stressed the importance of diverse storytelling and how she has begun to see “more Asian faces on screen.” She added, “It took Hollywood quite a long time to come to the realization that diversity is our great unique strength and beauty. The progress that we have made is worth celebrating.

Will the Oscars answer “Conclave’s” prayers?

Edward Berger’s mystery thriller has been one of the buzziest films to emerge from the fall festivals. Adapted from Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, the film premiered at Telluride, where it received raves from attendees. Since then, its awards prospects have grown, especially following its Audience Award wins at the Mill Valley and Middleburg fests. Those regional accolades helped propel future best picture nominees such as “American Fiction” (2023) and “Belfast” (2021) and best picture winner “Green Book” (2018). “Conclave” has popular appeal, but will its religious themes be an advantage or a potential hurdle in the Oscar race?

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit.

Rossellini with “Conclave” director Edward Berger

Films that explore issues of faith, and the Catholic Church’s tangled history, have long held a unique place in Hollywood. Critics, and sometimes audiences,...

American Cinematheque’s Proof Film Festival announced the Filmmaker Award winners at their second annual festival in Culver City on Sunday.

This year’s festival featured 46 official short film selections. Each one had to convey a proof of concept of how the filmmakers would develop their short into a full-length feature or series.

Liz Sargent’s “Take Me Home” took home the Grand Jury Award. Her short film follows two sisters, Anna and Emily, as they share a rocky reunion after their mother’s passing. The two navigate Anna’s cognitive disability as they rebuild their relationship. Along with the award, Sargent also received a $60,000 camera package, courtesy of Panavision, to assist her with fleshing out a larger project from their proof-of-concept submission.

Giselle Bonilla’s “The Musical” won the Audience Choice Award. In the short, Doug Lebowitz, a middle school theater director, decides to take down his ex-girlfriend’s...

Between modern thrillers, horror comedies, and Universal monster movies, Peacock is a perfect streamer for Spooky Season

With Halloween right around the corner, Peacock’s library this month is fuller than ever, jam-packed with excellent seasonal classics like “Nosferatu the Vampyre,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Halloween,” and many others. Complete with Peacock Originals and other films from Universal Pictures and Focus Features, there’s no shortage of great movies to spoil you on the streamer at the moment.

If you’re looking to add to your watch list and the best of what Peacock has to offer, here are my picks for the best seven movies currently available to stream!

Sign Up $7.99+ / month peacocktv.com Top 7 Movies Streaming on Peacock Right Now:

No. 7: ‘Death Becomes Her’

No. 6 ‘It Follows’

No. 5: ‘Dìdi’

No. 4 ‘Let the Right One In’

No. 3 ‘A Thousand and One’

No. 2 ‘Get Out’

No. 1 ‘Bride of Frankenstein’

No.

“I never had the kind of rebellion that Chris the character had in ‘Dìdi,’” shares Joan Chen on how her adolescent years differed significantly from those depicted in the Sean Wang film. Unlike the protagonist, who grows up in 2008 and navigates friends and romantic feelings the digital age, Chen grew up in China during the cultural revolution, and her peers were fearful of “being sent down to remote areas to be reeducated.” Focused on “how to get enough nutrition,” the award-winning actress “never had the luxury” of acting out like her on-screen son, but she was lucky enough to be selected during her “first year in high school to star in a film,” which changed the trajectory of her life. Watch our complete video interview above.

In many ways, Chen’s personal experiences mirrored her character Chungsing’s own. The actress says the role felt like “an opportunity for me to express myself,...

DÌDI (弟弟) is the type of cinematic experience we all crave but rarely receive these days: an authentic coming-of-age story with a great cast.

The story follows Chris, a Taiwanese American teen trying to find himself in the Bay Area in 2008. As he grapples with complex family and social dynamics, I could hear the theater audience laughing, groaning, and yes, crying. DÌDI feels both personal and universal, thanks in large part to its committed performances. While the cast includes many young and first time actors, it also features Joan Chen, whose poignant portrayal of Chris’s mother, Chungsing, is a standout. At one point, when her character receives disappointing news, there was a collective ‘Aw!’ as audience members expressed heartbreak on her behalf.

Writer/director Sean Wang drew from his own adolescent experiences for DÌDI, and a post-film dedication to ‘mom’ showcases how close these characters are to the filmmaker’s heart.

Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong and Jimmy O. Yang are set to star in “Rock Springs,” a new film from writer-director Vera Miao.

The official logline for the film reads, “A grieving young girl, along with her mother and grandmother, move to Rock Springs, Wyo. after the death of her father, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new house.”

Stephen Feder and Kiri Hart for Counterculture; James Lopez, Poppy Hanks and Greta Talia Fuentes for MacRo Film Studios; Matthew Lindner for Juniper Productions; Jason Michael Berman and Jordan Moldo for Mandalay Pictures are all on board to produce the film, which will shoot in Vancouver.

The cast also includes Aria Kim and Fiona Fu. “Rock Springs” represents Miao’s feature debut, after serving as a writer on the Prime Video limited series “Expats” and working as an actress for more than 15 years.

The Chinese actress Joan Chen, who is this week’s guest on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, has had a career unlike any other.

Nearly 50 years ago, as a teen in Shanghai, Chen was plucked out a classroom and thrown into the movies. Against all odds, she became an award-winning mega-star — but then, in 1981, she turned her back on fame and moved to the U.S. She arrived at a time when virtually no Asians were getting parts of substance in American films. And yet, after essentially starting from scratch, she helped to shatter that glass ceiling, landing leads in big-budget productions, most notably one that took her back to China: Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 epic The Last Emperor, which ended up being nominated for and winning nine Oscars, including best picture.

Over the ensuing 37 years, Chen has experienced tremendous professional ups and downs. She has acted in notable projects of all sorts,...

Ghetto Film School has received a $5 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, the highest individual gift to the organization in its 25-year history.

CEO Montea Robinson shared the news at the Gfs Fall Benefit in Santa Monica, which honored Demi Moore, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Sean Wang. ”We are very focused on the future. We have really, really big dreams ahead,” said Robinson of Scott’s donation.

The benefit, presented by Sony and sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios and Disney, brought together leaders in the entertainment industry to support Ghetto Film School’s mission of educating, developing and celebrating the next generation of great storytellers.

This year’s event, held at the home of Veronica and Brian Grazer, welcomed industry guests including director David O. Russell, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer and actor Samara Weaving.

During her speech, honoree Demi Moore reflected on her decades-spanning career and...

Demi Moore, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and filmmaker Sean Wang will be honored at Ghetto Film School’s annual Fall Benefit on Thursday, Oct. 10.

The benefit, presented by Sony and sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios and Disney, brings together leaders in the entertainment industry to support Ghetto Film School’s mission of educating, developing and celebrating the next generation of great storytellers. This year’s event will be held at the home of Veronica and Brian Grazer.

“The Benefit is a special moment where we convene our most long-standing supporters and exciting new voices to champion the accomplishments of our Fellows and alumni,” Ghetto Film School CEO Montea Robinson said in a statement. “We are thrilled to honor Demi Moore, Kelvin Harrison Jr, and Sean Wang at this year’s event on October 10th. Their work exemplifies the caliber to which our students aspire, and their personal strides in the industry...

Festival hits Anora, Emilia Perez and Maria, a new Stockholm Series strand for TV works, and a theme of ‘Men in Crisis’ are among the highlights of this year’s Stockholm International Film Festival (November 6-17), the programme of which has been announced today (October 9).

The international feature competition includes Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Berlin title La Cocina; RaMell Ross’ Telluride premiere Nickel Boys; and Gustav Moller’s Denmark-Sweden-France co-production Sons. It has an even split of 10 titles directed by women, and 10 by men.

Scroll down for the full list of Stockholm Competition titles

The 16-title documentary competition includes the world premiere of Garbo: Leave Me Alone,...

Since the academy expanded the Best Picture category at the Oscars in 2010, Best Original Screenplay has gone to writers of a wide-range of genres: dramas; comedies (“Midnight in Paris”); biopics; true-life stories (“Spotlight”); memoirs (“Belfast”); period pictures (“Django Unchained”); war movies (“The Hurt Locker”); sci-fi (“Her”), thrillers horror (“Get Out”) and fantasies (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) . (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Original Screenplay.)

Of this year’s top 10 contenders for Best Original Screenplay, nine were written, at least in part, by the directors. The exception is “Challengers,” which Justin Kuritzkes wrote for director Luca Guadagnino. He also adapted the William S. Burroughs novel “Queer” for this busy helmer and he could well contend over in Best Adapted Screenplay for that.

“Challengers” is, at its heart, a romance. Love, albeit short-lived, is also the subject of the frontrunner in this race, Sean Baker‘s “Anora.

While the Best Supporting Actress Oscar is often awarded to an ingenue, like the 2022 winner Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”), it can also be a way to reward a more seasoned performer. In 2024, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Leftovers”) won on her first nomination A year earlier Jamie Lee Curtis had reaped her first Oscar bid at age 64 and prevailed for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” In 2021 Youn Yuh-jung, who is renowned in her native South Korea, won at age 73 for her first English film, “Minari.” And in 2020, the academy honored past nominee Laura Dern who finally took home an Oscar for her scene-stealing performance in “Marriage Story.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Supporting Actress.)

While Dern was clearly a featured player in her picture, two of her rival nominees, Florence Pugh and Margot Robbie, could easily have submitted themselves in lead for their roles in “Little Women” and “Bombshell” respectively.

It’s October, officially known as “spooky season,” a term I just realized I’ve seen a lot less this year than in years prior. Maybe it’s a less spooky season than usual? In any case, “spooky season” means the streamers are putting up a lot of original horror movies this week. Max has “‘Salem’s Lot,” the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s vampire classic; Prime Video has “House of Spoils,” a Blumhouse psychological horror thriller starring Ariana DuBose as a Carmy-esque chef who’s either losing her mind or actually haunted; and Hulu has a period horror movie called “Hold Your Breath” starring Sarah Paulson as a mother in Dust Bowl Oklahoma who thinks there are monsters in the dust storms.

But none of those are our top picks this week. That would be “It’s What’s Inside,” a stylish Netflix horror comedy with a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Babes (Pamela Adlon)

Transitioning the naturalistic comic sensibilities that made Better Things a success, Pamela Adlon’s feature debut Babes manages to co-opt the rhythms of a romantic comedy to explore the relationship between two best friends at opposite points of their lives. – Christian G. (full review)

Where to Stream: Hulu

Dìdi (弟弟) (Sean Wang)

While trying to chat up classmate Madi (Mahaela Park) on Aim, Chris (Izaac Wang) skims her MySpace for an “in”. Then, beneath all the Paramore pictures and low-res GIFs is a list of her favorite movies. Oh, A Walk to Remember is one of them. He fakes loving it; “its helllllla good,” he says. Now he has to maintain that––at least for a few scenes. This...

The Gotham Film & Media Institute (The Gotham) has announced the winners of the inaugural Gotham Week Honors.

Gina Duncan, President of Bam (Brooklyn Academy of Music), was awarded with the first-ever Gotham Week Cultural Impact Honor. Filmmakers RaMell Ross and Sean Wang each received an inaugural Gotham Week Alumni Honor of Distinction Award.

The romantic comedy “Here for the Weekend,” written and directed by Jane Casey Modderno, won the U.S. Features in Development honor. “Thirstygirl,” written and directed by Alexandra Qin, took home the the U.S. Shorts to Features honor. “Matininó” won the Spotlight on Documentaries award.

Sophie Luo, producer of “Valley of the Tall Grass,” was recognized as the Global Producer of The Year. “Valley of the Tall Grass” is centered around “a trashed TV/Vcr combo set that survives and circulates through the lives of various Indigenous characters in an Oregon town.”

The Gotham Week...

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Peacock is ready with an entertainment-packed October this year. The upcoming month will see the return of some brilliant police procedural shows like The Irrational and Found, and also new original series like Teacup. Just like every month, Peacock is ready to overload you with great content. So, we’re here to tell you about the 10 new movies and TV shows coming to Peacock in October 2024.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (October 3)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an animated fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel. Based on the Mario video game franchise developed by Nintendo, the 2023 film follows the story of Brooklyn plumber Mario who is transported alongside his brother Luigi into a magical world through a mysterious pipe, but Mario and Luigi become separated and now Mario must find him.

The Critics Choice Association announced on Thursday that Joan Chen, Zoe Saldaña and Tyler Perry will be among the honorees for the organization’s 2024 Diversity Celebrations.

Chinese-American actress and filmmaker Chen will be honored at the 3rd Celebration of Aapi Cinema & Television, taking place November 12 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Chen will receive the Career Achievement Award at the annual event, recognizing her career as the star “Twin Peaks,” “The Last Emperor” and Sean Wang’s “Didi,” which was released this summer. Chen has also directed several features, including the acclaimed “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.”

The 4th annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television will celebrate actress and producer Zoe Saldaña with its Groundbreaker Award on October

22, also at the Egyptian.

Winner of the Best Actress award (along with her three costars) at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for her work in “Emilia Pérez,” Saldaña has been...

The American Cinematheque has announced the schedule of events and list of speakers for this year’s Proof Film Festival, which will take place from Oct. 18-20 at the Culver Theater. The festival will feature 46 official selections in addition to industry panels, special screenings, centerpiece conversations and the Proof Pitch Deck Show & Tell.

The in-person panelists include Margaret Cho, Carlos López Estrada, Danny Madden, Sean Wang, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Morgan Cooper, Valerie Bush, Karen Maine and more.

The festival has also chosen eight participants for its Proof Pitch Deck Show & Tell, which will give each team the opportunity to pitch their film decks to industry professionals. Those participants are “Eat the Children” from Andrew Merrill, “The Lambing” from Jillian Corsie, “Photocopy” from Mike Klubeck, “Silver Spoon” from Lucy Porter, “Poppyfields” from Maria Belafonte, “House of Dixie” from Netta Walker, “Paul Ruins a Wedding and Destroys an Entire Community” from Brad Roelandt...

In the opening scene of Dìdi, the titular 13-year-old and his friends film themselves blowing up a mailbox and making a run for it while laughing hysterically. It perfectly encapsulates director Sean Wang’s view of adolescence as “the worst version of yourself, having the best time of your life.” Set in 2008 in Wang’s hometown of Fremont, California, the coming-of-age story follows a Taiwanese American teen during his final summer before high school. Though not strictly autobiographical, the film was inspired by Wang’s own adolescence and the making of it was awash in familiarity. The main character’s bedroom scenes were […]

The post “The Budgetary Challenges of Getting a Dead Squirrel Puppet”: Dp Sam Davis on Dìdi first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

In the opening scene of Dìdi, the titular 13-year-old and his friends film themselves blowing up a mailbox and making a run for it while laughing hysterically. It perfectly encapsulates director Sean Wang’s view of adolescence as “the worst version of yourself, having the best time of your life.” Set in 2008 in Wang’s hometown of Fremont, California, the coming-of-age story follows a Taiwanese American teen during his final summer before high school. Though not strictly autobiographical, the film was inspired by Wang’s own adolescence and the making of it was awash in familiarity. The main character’s bedroom scenes were […]

The post “The Budgetary Challenges of Getting a Dead Squirrel Puppet”: Dp Sam Davis on Dìdi first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The name on everybody’s lips at this week’s Emmys is FX’s “Shōgun.”

Emmy-nominated actor and producer Hiroyuki Sanada was looking forward to seeing his fellow cast members at Sunday’s show. “I haven’t seen them in maybe two years,” he told Variety. “I’m looking forward to a reunion.

Sanada, co-star Anna Sawai, and showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks were among the Emmy-nominated attendees at Gold House‘s inaugural One House Toast to the Emmys.

In partnership with Macro and Nissan, Gold House honored the 2024 multicultural nominees and achievements across filmmaking at the celebration on Thursday night at the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills.

It was a diverse year for Emmy nominations with 30 people of color nominated across all acting categories. Lily Gladstone (“Under the Bridge”) and Kali Reis (“True Detective: Night Country”) became the first Indigenous women to be nominated for acting Emmys. FX...