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With all the year's films now out in U.S. theaters, Metacritic.com has revealed what films, games and TV shows were the best of the year based on the aggregate scores of the top critics. I've divided the lists into three sections - films, TV shows and major video games. Check out the scores below:

Best Films

This list does Not include old film re-releases. Films also have to have over a dozen reviews to be considered, which is why high scoring works like "Virunga," "Big Men," "Night Will Fall" and "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" are not included.

"Carol" - 96/100

"Anomalisa," "45 Years" - 95/100

"Inside Out" - 94/100

"Spotlight," "Sherpa" - 93/100

"Timbuktu," "The Look of Silence" - 92/100

"Jafar Panahi's Taxi" - 91/100

"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem," "Hard to Be a God" - 90/100

"Mad Max: Fury Road," "Phoenix," "Son of Saul" - 89/100

"Democrats" - 88/100

"Brooklyn," " Diary of a Teenage Girl,...

Exclusive: Sam Fleischner’s drama will screen in the prestigious annual round-up by Mexico’s Cineteca Nacional as it emerged that sales agent Curator Films has secured a Mexican distribution deal.

Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta will join Fleischner to present Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors at a press screening on July 7 prior to the start of the Foro de la Cineteca Nacional.

The showcase will take in roughly 20 cinemas in Mexico City from July 10-August 7 before Alfhaville rolls it out on DVD, VOD and cultural channels.

Andrew Gallagher of Los Angeles-based international sales agent Curator Films brokered the distribution deal with Alfonso Lopez of Alfhaville. Alejandro Grande of Cineteca Nacional was also involved in negotiations.

Gallagher recently licensed rights to Sundance Channel in France and Benelux.

Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors tells of an autistic Mexican boy who embarks on an 11-day adventure on the New York City subway.

The drama premiered...

Straight from BAMcinemaFest where it preceded Krisha last Friday is Sam Fleischner and Iva Gocheva‘s short film, Porcupine. A far cry from the subterranean world of Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, Porcupine features Gocheva as a woman holed up in her sun-drenched Brooklyn apartment, trying and failing to reconnect with her partner through a series of unanswered phone calls. Strung together, her voicemails intimate a relationship — and several household items — lost. Check it out above.

Straight from BAMcinemaFest where it preceded Krisha last Friday is Sam Fleischner and Iva Gocheva‘s short film, Porcupine. A far cry from the subterranean world of Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, Porcupine features Gocheva as a woman holed up in her sun-drenched Brooklyn apartment, trying and failing to reconnect with her partner through a series of unanswered phone calls. Strung together, her voicemails intimate a relationship — and several household items — lost. Check it out above.

And the Independent Spirit Awards have revealed the winners and it's looking a lot like the Academy Awards! "Birdman" beat "Boyhood" for the Best Feature trophy but Richard Linklater took away the Best Director award from Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu.

Is this a sign of what's going to happen at the Oscars tonight?

Stay tuned...

2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Winners (Highlighted) And Nominees

Best Feature

(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood

Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland

Love is Strange

Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy

Selma

Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey

Whiplash

Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak

Best Director

Winner: Richard Linklater

Boyhood

Damien Chazelle

Whiplash

Ava DuVernay...

Richard Linklater won for Best Director and Patricia Arquette won the Best Supporting actress for team Boyhood, while Iñárritu’s Birdman claimed Best Picture, Best Actor (Michael Keaton) and Cinematographer (Emmanuel Lubezki) at the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards last night. The split might foreshadow how the Oscars play out tonite, as the Middleweight Saturday ceremony and Heavyweight Sunday gig are more or less interchangeable. The two films that might gain a little further traction from the tent spotlight include Nightcrawler (which picked up Best First Feature and Best Screenplay) and Whiplash, Damien Chazelle’s deservedly won for Best Supporting Actor and Editing categories. Also worth pointing out is a Land Ho! win in the category we love the most: the John Cassavetes Award. Here are the winners and noms.

Best Feature:

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” *Winner

“Boyhood”

“Love is Strange”

“Selma”

“Whiplash”

Best Director

Damien Chazelle,...

Just one night before the Oscars take over town, stars flocked to the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards on the Santa Monica Beach on Saturday (February 21).

Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell joined forces for co-hosting duties and put on a fabulous show as actors and actresses including Scarlett Johansson, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto and Emma Stone turned up to lend their star power to the IFC airing ceremony.

As for this year's cream of the crop, Michael Keaton (Birdman), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) took home top honors in the lead and supporting acting categories.

Meanwhile, in what very well may be an indicator for what's to come tomorrow at the Academy Awards, "Birdman" was recognized as Best Feature while Richard Linklater nabbed Best Director accolades for "Boyhood".

Check out the full list of winners from the 2015 Spirit Awards below!

Best...

Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell hosted the 30th Independent Spirit Awards from Los Angeles today (February 21).

Digital Spy rounds up all of the winners from this year's ceremony below:

Best Feature

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - Winner!

Boyhood

Love is Strange

Selma

Whiplash

Best Director

Damien Chazelle - Whiplash

Ava DuVernay - Selma

Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Richard Linklater - Boyhood - Winner!

David Zellner - Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

Best Screenplay

Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski - Big Eyes

J.C. Chandor - A Most Violent Year

Dan Gilroy - Nightcrawler - Winner!

Jim Jarmusch - Only Lovers Left Alive

Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias - Love is Strange

Best First Feature (Award given to the director and producer.)

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour

Producers: Justin Begnaud, Sina Sayyah

Dear White People

Director/Producer: Justin Simien

Producers: Effie T. Brown,...

The 2015 Spirit Awards were handed out today and it was Birdman taking Best Feature and Best Actor (Michael Keaton) while Boyhood went home a double winner taking Best Director (Richard Linklater) and Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette). However, while that's the result for the two big guns that will be going head-to-head at tomorrow night's Oscars, Nightcrawler was also a double winner taking Best Screenplay and Best First Feature, both awarded to writer/director Dan Gilroy. Otherwise, no big surprises with Julianne Moore (Still Alice) taking Best Actress and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) taking Supporting Actor, Citizenfour took Best Documentary and Birdman scored a third win for Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography. Justin Simien (Dear White People) took home Best First Screenplay and, whoa!, Look!, Whiplash was also a double winner, with Tom Cross winning for Best Editing (well deserved!) and anticipated Oscar winner in the same category, Ida won Best Foreign Language Film.

The 30th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were presented Saturday from a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. Check out the full list of winners below. Best Feature "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner "Boyhood" "Love is Strange" "Selma" "Whiplash" Best Director Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"    Ava DuVernay, "Selma" Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter" Best Screenplay Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, "Big Eyes" J.C. Chandor, "A Most Violent Year" Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner Jim Jarmusch, "Only Lovers Left Alive" Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, "Love is Strange"  Best First Feature Ana Lily Amirpour, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" Justin Simien, "Dear White People" Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner Gillian Robespierre, "Obvious Child" Anja Marquardt, "She's Lost Control" Best First Screenplay Desiree Akhavan, "Appropriate Behavior" Sara Colangelo, "Little Accidents" Justin Lader,...

The 30th Independent Spirit Awards was held in Santa Monica Saturday afternoon, and "Birdman" and "Boyhood" were the ceremony's big winners. Hosted by Kristen Bell and Fred Armisen, the more casual Oscar precursor honored the best in independent filmmaking from the past year. Only three films -- "12 Years a Slave," "Platoon," and "The Artist" -- have won best feature at the Spirits and gone on to nab the Best Picture Oscar. Time will tell if this year's Spirit winner will follow in their footsteps. Get a complete list of the nominees with the winners in bold, below:

Best Feature

"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner

"Boyhood"

"Love is Strange"

"Selma"

"Whiplash"

Best Director

Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner

Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"

Ava DuVernay, "Selma"

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"

David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"

Best Screenplay

Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner

Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski,...

If there was a wonderful understated performance recently it belonged to Andrea Suarez Paz who has been nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award at the prestigious 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards (that’s the one you can get drunk and drop F-Bombs to your hearts content). Her role in the critically acclaimed “Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors” has Andrea nominated alongside Patricia Arquette, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Carmen Ejogo which is nothing less than incredibly impressive for a Mexican born, New York claimed actor. LatinoBuzz wants to be her homie.

LatinoBuzz: What film or actress inspired you to act?

Andrea: There was this amazing lady playing very interesting roles in telenovelas when I was growing up whom I definitely considered a genius. Her name is Margarita Sanz and I was around 5 years old when I became her fan. All the older actresses in telenovelas blew my mind when I was a kid, they call them "first actress" and they are the artists that have been performing in the theater for decades and then they get to be the evil stepmom or the psycho killer in telenovelas. They did powerful work. My mom knew of my affinity for this and took me to see them live on stage whenever they visited our local theater. I once saw one of these women play The Little Prince. To see an older woman play a little boy on stage completely blasted open my perception to what it meant to act. That was it for me.

LatinoBuzz: When you read the script for "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" what drew you to the character?

Andrea: Well, it was an emotional roller coaster, which is what we as actors pray to get to do. It seemed like an insurmountable challenge - which I'm beginning to learn is what truly sparks me- a fantastic challenge. I was also terribly moved. My son was 9 months at the time, so to picture him away from me was immediately something I wanted to avoid. These were all very good signs that going head first onto this was going to be rough and terrifying. I like that

LatinoBuzz: What kind research did you do for the role?

Andrea: I read a lot on autism, which is surprisingly and annoyingly a huge mystery. There are all kinds of theories as to what causes it, if it might be preventable, how to best treat it. It was very scary to find out that nobody knows for sure and there is not great research being done and the vast majority of research is done privately. This infuriated me, which was a good start. I visited a support group for mothers of children in the spectrum a few times and realized how challenging it is to have a child with special needs and I learned that you have to draw strength from thin air incessantly and keep an unwavering state of deep focus.

I also learned that even though Autism can be frightening and terribly demanding, it also comes with its vast share of superpowers that are unknown to the typical human. A different and astonishing type of mind with a magical glow. So, in the end I also became in love with it and ended up with a healthy mix of emotions. Then I got to hang out with Jesus Sanchez (who plays Ricky in the movie) prior to filming which was a big luxury and we talked a lot and swam in the ocean together and by the time we started shooting I was just so sincerely crazy about this kid who was so smart, so deeply compassionate and had such impeccable morals that I just felt so fortunate to be partners with him. And he was such a fantastic actor! I was a proud mother of my perfect boy by the end.

LatinoBuzz: You are from Mexico, did you ever think that one day you would be living in the greatest city in the world and then one day nominated for an Independent Spirit Award? Do you hope it would inspire that little girl in Monterrey, Mexico?

Andrea: Well, I certainly dreamed about it. And I did at some point in my life begin to work my way here and I knew there were no guarantees. I do hope to inspire, I mean I live off inspiration and its the force that keeps me working, that keeps me creating. its a wonderful feeling to be able to inspire back, to keep that flow going. Being Latina in the Us is something I'm still learning about everyday. I don't feel inherently different in any way from anybody else and It is a feeling I cherish and that has helped me avoid thinking of my ethnicity as a potential obstacle from what i want to achieve. I am a woman and I am from Mexico, that is true. I am an artist, that is also true. When I work, I hope I'm not a woman from Mexico but an artist in body and spirit. I'm also a New Yorker, by the way.

LatinoBuzz: You used to play Punk Rock music. Five best Punk bands ever, Go!

Andrea:

The Clash

The Buzzcocks

Joy Division

Gang of Four

The Mekons

I also consider Neil Young and Bach to be big punks.

LatinoBuzz: The dream role, co-star, director and what's the storyline?

Andrea: I would like to play a passionate revolutionary or an extremely happy person. I adore Sally Hawkins in "Happy Go Lucky." I'm really dying to work with my Mexican peeps: Gonzalez Iñárritu, Cuarón, Del Toro. Maybe I'm the badass lady who rids Mexico of drugs, of oppression and illiteracy.

LatinoBuzz: Given what's happening in Mexico and the world still stands idle, do you find art meaningless or even more meaningful? And how does it make you feel?

Andrea: It makes me feel angry and ashamed and profoundly sad. My parents are big liberals and taught us to never trust a government that rids their people of basic human rights. Growing up, my Mexican town of Monterrey was so safe, we wouldn't lock our cars or our front doors, and that is gone. Monterrey is considered one of the deadliest, most violent places in the nation and I have seen my loved ones be profoundly affected by this horrific shift. There was always a lot of gruesome inequality but, in most towns we had basic security to move freely around. I think art is, unfortunately, sometimes our only shot at communicating our indignation safely and effectively. Before Internet existed, films were my source of real information from the world.

Films made by many artists working together for the love of a common project that they believed in, in which humanity was presented and experienced from a truthful standpoint, with no cop outs. In many points in history (now as well, of course) films and filmmakers have been banned for political reasons- that's how annoying they can be to oppressing systems, how dangerous. Mexico has relied on television for decades to keep the citizens misinformed and in a constant state of stupor. I mean we live in a time where democracy is almost synonymous with oligarchy. Artists have a tremendous purpose in society, which is to continually expose, to continually challenge and to never stop producing. To never stop creating, no matter what.

LatinoBuzz: What would the win at the Independent Spirit Awards mean to you? Who would first person that will come to your mind?

Andrea: It would just be a tremendous recognition of my work. My husband is the first person, because god knows it’s hard to love a struggling actor and he has been a force of nature. My son gave me a new and enhanced shot at life - he is to thank for my whole past, present and future existence.

LatinoBuzz: What's next?

Andrea: Lots of more work! A mystery. As it has always been.

Hang out with Andrea at www.andreasuarezpaz.com

Written by Juan Caceres, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow[At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...

J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year" is the Best Film of the Year according to the National Board of Review. Its president, Annie Schulhof, said "'A Most Violent Year' is an exhilarating crime drama with a compelling story, outstanding performances, and an elegant cinematic style." Oscar Isaac took home the Best Actor trophy he tied with Michael Keaton for "Birdman."

Jessica Chastain won Best Supporting Actress for "A Most Violent Year" with Edward Norton receiving the Best Supporting Actor award for "Birdman."

The National Board of Review annual Awards Gala will be held on January 6, 2015.

Here's the full list of winners of 2014's National Board of Review Awards:

Best Film: A Most Violent Year

Best Director: Clint Eastwood . American Sniper

Best Actor (Tie): Oscar Isaac . A Most Violent Year; Michael Keaton . Birdman

Best Actress: Julianne Moore . Still Alice

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton . Birdman

Best Supporting...

Jc Chandor’s A Most Violent Year has scooped the best film prize as the National Board Of Review announced its 2014 selections.

Clint Eastwood was named best director for American Sniper, while Oscar Isaac for A Most Violent Year tied with Michael Keaton for Birdman in the best actor race and Julianne Moore took best actress honours for Still Alice.

Jessica Chastain took the best supporting actress prize for A Most Violent Year and Edward Norton the best supporting actor award for Birdman.

Jack O’Connell earned an award for best breakthrough performance for Starred Up and Unbroken.

Damián Szifrón’s Argentinian Oscar submission Wild Tales was named best foreign film, Steve James’ Life Itself best documentary and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller took best original screenplay for The Lego Movie.

The full list of winners:

Best Film: A Most Violent Year

Best Director: Clint Eastwood - American Sniper

Best Actor (tie): Oscar Isaac - A Most Violent Year; [link...

Hot on the heals of the New York Film Critics Circle’s announcement yesterday, the National Board of Review has named their picks for the best achievements in film for 2014, naming J.C. Chandor’s crime drama A Most Violent Year as the year’s best movie. The film also won for Best Actor (Oscar Isaac), tying with Michael Keaton for Birdman, and Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain).

Taking a look at their list of winners, the group had some very interesting choices for several categories. Paul Thomas Anderson’s bizarre, drug-fueled odyssey Inherent Vice took Best Adapted Screenplay, while The Lego Movie beat multiple top contenders to receive Best Original Screenplay. Also unexpected was Clint Eastwood snagging Best Director for his biopic American Sniper, which has merely been receiving so-so reviews thus far.

On the other hand, there were several picks that were somewhat expected, including Julianne Moore’s win...

Glenn here with the Nbr results as they come to hand. They used to be the first awards of the season to announce their winners, but now the National Board of Review are trumped annually by the Gotham Awards and the Nyfcc in the merry-go-round that is award season. I maintain that unless you're a guild, your absence is more or less moot. However, it can definitely help get your name and face out there to be acknowledged early and often. The Nbr is where the likes of Moulin Rouge! and Amy Ryan made it known that they would be forces to be reckoned with. What did this 105-year-old group select this year? Let's find out...

National Board Of Review Winners

Best Film: A Most Violent Year Best Director: Clint Eastwood, American Sniper Best Actor: (tie!) Oscar Isaac, A Most Violent Year and Michael Keaton, Birdman Best Actress: Julianne Moore,...

Yesterday it was Boyhood winning with the New York Film Critics and Birdman winning at the Gotham Awards. Today it's J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year taking Best Film honors from the National Board of Review, which also named Oscar Isaac Best Actor in a tie with Birdman's Michael Keaton and Jessica Chastain took Best Supporting Actress honors for her part in A Most Violent Year while Clint Eastwood (whatc) took Best Director honors... Ummmm, okayc The Nbr handed Best Actress to Julianne Moore (Still Alice) and Edward Norton (Birdman) claimed Best Supporting Actor while The Lego Movie and Inherent Vice took the screenplay awards. Perhaps one of the most interesting awards, beyond Best Director for Eastwood, is the absence of Citizenfour, which didn't win Best Documentary, that went to Life Itself, and it wasn't even named one of the five runners-up, though early year favorite Keep On Keepin' On was named.

The National Board of Review has announced its 2014 honorees, and its selection for the best film of the year could shake up the Oscars race.

"A Most Violent Year" took home the top prize, winning the Best Film award, as well as picking up prizes for its lead actor, Oscar Isaac, and supporting actress, Jessica Chastain. Other notable honorees include Clint Eastwood, who won Best Director ("American Sniper"); Michael Keaton ("Birdman"), who tied with Isaac for the Best Actor award; Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), who claimed Best Actress; and Edward Norton ("Birdman"), who snagged the Best Supporting Actor prize.

In an interview with Variety, National Board of Review president Annie Schulhof explained why the organization decided to hail "A Most Violent Year," a film that so far has earned critical raves, but hasn't made much noise in awards season prognostications.

"We're quirky and we have a different take," Schulhof told Variety.

Question. What do The Skeleton Twins, The Better Angels and actor Miles Teller have in common? There’ll always be some head-scratcher surprises and snubs and the 2015 Indie Spirit award nominations are no different. It goes with the territory. As we tend to some wounds, we access those that were criminally overlooked in the key categories. Here is a glance at some of the shoulda, woulda and coulda.

Best Feature

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Boyhood

Love is Strange

Selma

Whiplash

Falling below the 21 million mark set by the Indie Spirit folks, it is indeed an odd year when a major studio release figures among the fives noms. Considering that Ava DuVernay is an indie talent, I didn’t think her film would be part of the equation. That said, it was a given that Boyhood and the more deserving Birdman and Whiplash would all face off. In...

As the awards show season ramps up into full intensity, the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards just unveiled their list of hopefuls.

And not surprisingly, “Birdman” has received a whopping six mentions, followed closely behind by “Boyhood, “Selma” and “Nightcrawler,” each with five chances for glory.

Meanwhile, “Whiplash” and “Love is Strange” nabbed four nominations and “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” and “A Most Violent Year” scored three times.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards puts a budget cap of $20 million on movies, and therefore “Foxcatcher,” “Inherent Vice” and “Grand Budapest Hotel” were not up for consideration.

Slated to take place on February 21st in a tent on Santa Monica Beach, the 30th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards is going to be an exciting event.

And the nominees are:

2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature

(Award given to the producer. Executive producers are not awarded.)

“Birdman (or The...

As 2014 winds down, the film industry is kicking into awards season once again, with today revealing nominations for the 2015 Spirit Awards. As many predicted, Birdman is leading the pack with six nominations, including one for Best Picture. Other big winners at the moment include Selma, Nightcrawler and Whiplash.

The Spirit Awards will be held on February 21st, 2015, just one day before the Oscars. Below is a detailed listing of the nominees, check them out and let us know what you think in the comments section.

2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature

(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) – Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood – Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland

Love is Strange – Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy

Selma – Producers: Christian Colson,...

Film Independent announced nominations for the 2015 Spirit Awards this morning.

Film Independent President Josh Welsh presided over the press conference held at the W Hollywood, with actors Rosario Dawson and Diego Luna presenting the nominations. Watch Here.

Nominees for Best Feature included Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Boyhood, Love is Strange, Selma and Whiplash.

“As we celebrate 30 years of great independent film,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent, “this year’s nominees are an astonishingly strong group of films and filmmakers which demonstrate the uniqueness of vision we honor at this show.”

Inherent Vice was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts.

“Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice is a testament to the...

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" received the most nods from the Independent Spirit Awards! Nominations were announced today, and "Birdman" got 6 noms including Best Feature, Director, Editing, Male Lead (Michael Keaton), Supporting Female (Emma Stone), and Supporting Male for Edward Norton.

Richard Linklater's "Boyhood," Dan Gilroy's "Nightcrawler," and Ava Duvernay's "Selma" each received 5 nominations.

We'll find out the winners on Saturday, February 21st.

Here's the full list of nominees for the

2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature

(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood

Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland

Love is Strange

Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy

Selma

Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey

Whiplash

Producers: Jason Blum,...

The nominations for the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.

Birdman leads with six nominations including Best Feature, as well as nods for stars Michael Keaton and Emma Stone and director Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Boyhood, Nightcrawler and Selma have each received five nominations, which were announced by Rosario Dawson and Diego Luna in Hollywood.

The Best Female Lead category sees Marion Cotillard take on Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Jenny Slate and Rinko Kikuchi. Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Lithgow, David Oyelowo, André Benjamin and Michael Keaton will battle it out in the Best Male Lead category.

The awards will be handed out on February 21, the day before the Oscars takes place.

The full 2015 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations:

Best Feature

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Boyhood

Love is Strange

Selma

Whiplash

Best Director

Damien Chazelle - Whiplash

Ava DuVernay - Selma

Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman or...

The Independent Spirit Awards have revealed the full list of contenders for their 2015 awards which celebrate the best in independent movies. The Michael Keaton-led "Birdman" leads the list with six nominations. "Boyhood," "Nightcrawler" and "Selma" are in a three-way fight for second with three nominations each.

Two awards have already been announced with the Robert Altman award given to Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" and a Special Distinction Award handed out to Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" which was ineligible for other awards due to its budget. Notable snubs include "The Imitation Game," "The Theory of Everything," "Wild," "St. Vincent," "Cake," "The Homesman," "Black or White" and major studio films like "Unbroken".

Other notable inclusions this year are "Whiplash,""Love is Strange," "A Most Violent Year," "The Immigrant," "Mommy," "Under the Skin," "Obvious Child," "Still Alice," "Force Majeure," "Only Lovers Left Alive," "Blue Ruin," "Ida," "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,...

Odd how a live announcement is beat by the complete rundown of all the awards from a major trade, but here are the complete nominations for the 3oth anniversary edition. Fox Searchlight’s 18 million bet proved to be a good one as Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) leads Boyhood, Nightcrawler and Selma by a busted up nose in the number of most nominations with six, while Linklater, Gilroy and DuVernay’s latest secured five noms a piece. Looking at the final five, we have a Best Feature category with a breakdown that resembles two parts Hollywood and three parts 4-5 million dollar indie range in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Selma being joined by Boyhood, Love is Strange, Whiplash. Here are the complete noms.

Best Feature

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Boyhood

Love is Strange

Selma

Whiplash

Best Director...

The 2015 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations came out this morning and unsurprisingly there are a lot of names here that won’t be on an Oscar handicappers list. Birdman is arguably the biggest film on this list – and it leads the field with nominations for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Male, Best Supporting Male and Female, and Best Cinematography – but there is a lot of love present for the real indies here as well. Below is the full list of contenders for the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards airing February 21, 2015 on IFC.

2015 Sprit Award Nominations

Best Feature

‘Birdman’

‘Boyhood’

‘Love is Strange’

‘Selma’

‘Whiplash’

Best Director

Damien Chazelle, ‘Whiplash’

Ava DuVernay, ‘Selma’

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, ‘Birdman’

Richard Linklater, ‘Boyhood’

David Zellner, ‘Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter’

Best Screenplay

Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, ‘Big Eyes’

J.C. Chandor, ‘A Most Violent Year’

Dan Gilroy, ‘Nightcrawler’

Jim Jarmusch, ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’

Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias,...

Fox Searchlight’s Birdman leads the 30th Film Independent Spirit Award nominations with six nods — best actor for Michael Keaton, director Alejandro G. Inarritu, supporting actress Emma Stone, supporting actor Edward Norton and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Boyhood, Nightcrawler and Selma follow with five noms each and Love Is Strange and Whiplash round out the Best Feature list. See the complete list of nominees below:

2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature

(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood

Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland

Love is Strange

Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy

Selma

Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey

Whiplash

Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak

Best Director

Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

Ava DuVernay,...

Tuesday morning, nominations were announced for the 30th annual Independent Spirit Awards. Nominees for Best Feature included "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," "Boyhood," "Love is Strange," "Selma" and "Whiplash." Films with multiple nominations that didn’t crack the Best Feature include "Obvious Child," "Dear White People," "Nightcrawler," and "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter." One film that’s notably missing (compared to our predictions): "The Imitation Game." Paul Thomas Anderson’s "Inherent Vice" earned the Robert Altman Award, which honors the film's director, casting director and ensemble cast. "Foxcatcher" earned a Special Distinction Award for "its uniqueness of vision, honesty of direction and screenwriting, superb acting and achievement on every level of filmmaking." Winners will be revealed at the annual pre-Oscar Santa Monica ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. See the full list of nominations below: Best Feature "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" "Boyhood" "Love is Strange" "Selma" "Whiplash" Best Director Damien Chazelle,...

The 2014 Independent Spirit Award nominations were just announced with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman leading the charge with six nominations followed by Boyhood, Nightcrawler and Selma with five each. Of those four films, Birdman, Boyhood and Selma were nominated for Best Feature, joined by Love is Strange and a personal favorite of 2014, Whiplash, both of which earned four nominations each. Also earning nominations were Dear White People, A Most Violent Year, Obvious Child and The Immigrant. The awards will be handed out on February 21, check out the complete list of nominees below. Best Feature Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Boyhood Love is Strange Selma Whiplash Best Director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) Ava DuVernay (Selma) Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)) Richard Linklater (Boyhood) David Zellner (Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter) Best Screenplay Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski (Big Eyes...

Nominees for the 30th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced Tuesday, with films such as "Birdman," "Selma," "Boyhood," and "Whiplash" racking up multiple nods.

"Birdman" led the pack with six nominations, including Best Feature, Best Director, and nods in all four acting categories. "Selma" and "Boyhood" tied at five nominations apiece, while "Whiplash" scored four.

The Independent Spirit Awards are seen as an alternative to the Oscars, and are given out to films that are made for less than $20 million. They also hand out a special statuette to a film made for less than $500,000.

This year, "Foxcatcher" (starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo) and "Inherent Vice" were cited for a special distinction award and the Robert Altman Award, respectively. Oscar hopefuls including Jake Gyllenhaal ("Nightcrawler"), Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Michael Keaton ("Birdman"), and Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood") also received nominations.

The awards will be handed out on February...

Brooklynites might be out of the woods in Benjamin Dickinson’s sophomore film, but in this genre-bender project, it appears that no hipster is left unscathed in the techno-crazy future. A commercials & music vid director (LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture) by trade, Dickinson was championed by NYC-based critics on his debut feature, First Time played extremely well at Tribeca in ’12 landing a distribution deal with Film Movement folks. Here, he is among a quartet comprised of Dan Gill, Nora Zehetner and Alexia Rasmussen (Little Accidents). Production began last fall on Creative Control, which received a successful round of crowdsourcing in May and won the top prize at the U.S. in Progress (The Champs Elysees Film Festival) edition. If the additional work needed to spruce up the sci-fi elements of the film isn’t in extra innings mode, then we can see this breaking into the fest. Also worth noting, his...

Some indie projects take their time to find proper footing. After falling in the laps of David Gordon Green, Jeff Nichols and actor Emile Hirsch, according to TheWrap, Brad Land’s Goat appears to have a new set of four legs in James Franco, Rabbit Bandini’s James Franco and Vince Jolivette is teaming with those that originally optioned the book almost a decade back in Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa (associate producer for Lance Edmands’ Bluebird). Best know for “phoning” in King Kelly back in 2012 — the Louise Krause starrer premiered at SXSW, Andrew Neel has reworked the script and is tapped to direct — the only question now is to put the screenplay out to upcomer “it” type actors. Expect future casting announcements in the near future. Serving as as executive producer is John Wells (Love & Mercy).

Gist: Based on the screenplay by David Gordon Green, with revisions...

Isabelle Goldie introduces this year's slate. Photo: Russell Gray Sneddon

The 2014 Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival was launched today in Glasgow's City Chambers. Themed around power and mental health, it is aiming to get back to its roots, and it will involve 300 events held in diverse venues all around the country. Films on this year's slate include hard-hitting Edinburgh documentary Everybody's Child and thoughtful American odyssey Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors.

Guests at the launch. Photo: Russell Gray Sneddon

At a packed reception, guests were treated to a screening of Sea Front, part of the festival's busy shots programme, followed by a short set from local musician Shambles Miller. Festival Chair Isabelle Goldie spoke passionately about the theme. "Having the power to determine our destiny is absolutely vital for our mental health while disempowerment erodes our sense of self. Sadly, power is not equally shared; stigma and...

Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors centers on Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez), a remarkably intelligent, often unfocused midrange autistic 13-year-old boy who gets lost in the NYC subway’s endless subterranean tunnels. After his older sister (Azul Zorrilla) fails to pick him up from school, Ricky finds himself entranced by the dragon decal on a stranger’s jacket while trying to get home. That Sanchez-Velez, a non-actor making his screen debut, does in fact have Asperger’s syndrome adds a layer of verisimilitude to one of the year’s most fascinating performances. Ricky is a Rockaway Beach native whose mother (Andrea Suarez Paz) is […]...

Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors centers on Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez), a remarkably intelligent, often unfocused midrange autistic 13-year-old boy who gets lost in the NYC subway’s endless subterranean tunnels. After his older sister (Azul Zorrilla) fails to pick him up from school, Ricky finds himself entranced by the dragon decal on a stranger’s jacket while trying to get home. That Sanchez-Velez, a non-actor making his screen debut, does in fact have Asperger’s syndrome adds a layer of verisimilitude to one of the year’s most fascinating performances. Ricky is a Rockaway Beach native whose mother (Andrea Suarez Paz) is […]...

This is a reprint of our review from the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. With this being Autism Awareness Month and communities still reeling from Superstorm Sandy, it’s tempting to dismiss “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors” as a convenient combination of buzzwords—I nearly did. But while watching the film, I quickly dismissed those preemptive assumptions and became entranced with this poignant portrait of a family and their struggles on the outskirts of Manhattan, reminding me again about what makes the Tribeca Film Festival so great—the heartfelt storytelling that sneaks through the red carpet barricades and evokes a transcendent realism, be it documentary or narrative.Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez) is a 13-year-old boy who would prefer to feed the seagulls at Rockaway Beach than go to class. Sounds pretty typical, right? Well, Ricky is on the Autism spectrum and is severe enough that he will probably require some sort of...

This weekend, our favorite mutants attempt to change history in the star-studded "X-Men: Days of Future Past," the Elijah Wood-starring thriller "Grand Piano" arrives on DVD, the critically-acclaimed Broadway play "The Normal Heart" gets the HBO treatment with stars Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts, and the seventh and last season of "Mad Men" has its mid-season finale.

Also in theaters this weekend: "Blended" stars Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as single parents who, after having a bad blind date, find themselves stuck together at an African resort with their families. In "Cold in July," the killing of a home intruder puts a Texas man and his family on the radar of the dead man's vengeful father, but all is not as it seems in this 1980s era thriller. Michael C. Hall stars alongside Sam Shepard and Don Johnson. "Words and Pictures" stars Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen as professors...

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

USA, 2013

Written by Rose Lichter-Marck and Micah Bloomberg

Directed by Sam Fleischner

Barry Levinson’s Rain Man is a decent film, but it did commit at least one serious mistake: it gave audiences almost no reasonable idea of what autism actually is. Being the first-ever movie about autism put it in the spotlight, but it also ensured that Dustin Hoffman’s character would be the most simplistic, audience-friendly, easy-to-grasp person with the condition that anyone is likely to see. The more impressive, artfully done portrayal of autism on film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last week, in the form of Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.

Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez) is a teenager in Queens afflicted with what doctors today call Asd – an autism spectrum disorder, which can include the many flavors of autism as well as Asperger’s Syndrome and other related conditions.

There are worse words you could hear on the train than "It's showtime!" But there's few that are so dispiriting that get shouted so often. Despite the NYPD's late April crackdown, once the boombox starts bumping, and the breakdancers start whipping themselves around, subway riders find themselves exploring the limits of the public trust and don't-bug-me imperturbability that makes city life possible. Can you still pretend to be fully absorbed in whatever you're eyeballing on your phone when dancers' sneakers keep kicking just inches from your skull?

What a difference a camera makes. In the context of Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, a narrative feature that plays like an impressionistic record of the subway experience circa exactly right now, those dancers prove a wo...

One of the films we named as among The Best And Brightest Of The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, "Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors," has spent much of the year since hitting festivals around the world, including Karlovy Vary, London, Athens, Deauville and more. And now, the film is finally getting set to hit theatres and we've got a clip to give you a preview of the well-received drama. Directed by New York filmmaker Sam Fleischner ("Wah Do Dem"), the story follows Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez), an autistic youth who, after a particularly difficult day at school, escapes into the subways, while, above ground, his mom frantically searches for him. The drama is heightened with the setting of the film set against the backdrop of the waning days of Hurricane Sandy. And in this exclusive scene from the film, you can watch Ricky marvel at the multitudes as he takes in the...

Gabriel

Written and directed by Lou Howe

USA, 2014

The stereotype of mental illness on film is not too dissimilar from the stereotype of mental retardation put forward by the film Tropic Thunder: Successful characters have to be “disturbed,” but they can’t be completely out of control, or else audiences won’t relate to them. Thus, Lou Howe’s debut feature Gabriel, opening this week at the Tribeca Film Festival, draws notice simply because it challenges the rule. The titular character is ill to a degree that the audience cannot completely understand, and he gives an otherwise standard film the depth and edge that it needs.

This will not be clear at the start of the picture. We first meet Gabriel (Rory Culkin) on a lonely search for his long-lost girlfriend, wherein he inadvertently teaches a small child to smoke cigarettes and steals a pair of the girlfriend’s...

Almost a year after winning a Special Jury Prize at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, Sam Fleischner's "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" is now set for a theatrical release. The narrative feature film, starring newcomer Jesus Sanchez-Velez and Andrea Suarez Paz, received rave reviews for its authentic portrayal of New York City and its notable integration of Hurricane Sandy into the plot. "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" follows a thirteen year-old boy who suffers from autism and finds himself lost in the city's subway system. Due to his status as an illegal immigrant, his desperate mother must find him with whatever little means she has while her son explores and discovers NYC's countless eccentricities as only an alienated youth could. The danger increases, however, when Hurricane Sandy (which occurred right in the middle of shooting) is set to destroy the city. Indiewire's chief film critic Eric Kohn wrote...

Above: The Apple

The celebratory attitude at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri, speaks to the healthy state of nonfiction filmmaking at present. True to its name, the festival spotlights new films that incorporate elements of both fiction and documentary (and sometimes blur the line between the two), yet even the selections that resemble more traditional investigative reporting uphold a certain standard of artfulness. More impressively, the festival organizers make a point of incorporating the Columbia community into the celebration. Somewhere between 700 and 900 residents of the town and surrounding areas volunteered at the fest this year, and many businesses I encountered seemed happy to get in on the act too. (“Don’t be fooled by False advertising,” read my favorite sandwich board. “Try our True Thai cuisine!”) Roughly half of the screenings took place in locations not usually reserved for movies—a rock venue, a couple of churches,...

One of the festival circuit’s most cherished enclaves, True/False announced their 2014 lineup yesterday evening. The festival, which takes place in Columbia, Missouri from February 27 to March 2, is technically beholden to the documentary form, though in recent years, that modifier has proven increasingly malleable. Among their forthcoming lineup are Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, two narrative films that, one may argue, fuse nonfiction elements into their framework. Other standouts include the Sundance Documentary Jury Prize winning Rich Hill, Sel’s Manakamana and the Golden Lion winner, Sacro Gra. The full lineup is below. 20,000 Days on Earth Actress Approaching...

The Glasgow Youth Film Festival team. Photo: Stuart Crawford

The Glasgow Youth Film Festival opened this afternoon with a family gala screening of Mr. Peabody And Mr. Sherman, the story of a brilliant inventor who also happens to be a dog. With a gala showing of youth punk hit We Are The Best! scheduled for tonight, it's already pulling in the crowds.

Film highlights this year include Mark Cousins documentary A Story Of Children And Film, thoughtful odyssey Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors and much-loved comedy horror classic Beetlejuice.

Special events this year include a movie poster design workshop, a cosplay red carpet parade and a comedy writing master class with Burnistoun alumnus and first time film director Robert Florence. There will also be a closing night showcase of local bands for the over-12s, with visual contributions from Edinburgh experimental filmmaker Ania Urbanowska.

The festival runs until 12 February.

Opening with Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive the latest edition of the American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland (22-27 October 2013) has screened some of the most important American independent films of the year. Being the only festival of its class in Eastern and Central Europe the festival has become the most important venue to connect American filmmakers with European buyers and audiences through programs like U.S. in Progress Wrocław (23-25 October 2013).

This year's program taking place at the New Horizons cinema presented 80 movies out of which 42 are Polish premieres, 3 are European premieres and 1 is a World Premiere. Among them 10 documentaries and 17 feature films competed for cash prizes in the audience-vote competitions.

The first competitive section - Spectrum ($10,000 audience award for the Best Narrative Feature) included films that have been well-received here in the U.S such as A Teacher by Hannah Fidell, Blue Caprice by Alexandre Moors, Afternoon Delight by Jill Soloway, Short Term 12 by Destin Cretton, The Spectacular Now by James Ponsoldt, and Bluebird by Lance Edmands. The second competition - American Docs ($5,000 audience award for Best Documentary Feature) had a selection of films depicting varied current issues in American society including Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia by Nicholas Wrathall, The Armstrong Lie by Alex Gibney, Our Nixon by Penny Lane, Northern Light by Nick Bentgen, Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton by Eric Slade and Stephen Silha and Before You Know It by Pj Raval.

The American Film Festival also ran a retrospective of Shirley Clarke and presented Polish premieres of high-profile films such as As I Lay Dying by James Franco, Quentin Dupieux’s Wrong Cops, Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein’s Lovelace, Much Ado About Nothing by Joss Whedon, Touchy Feely by Lynn Shelton, At Any Price by Ramin Bahrani, and Maladies by Carter. The festival also screened Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Sundance hit Don Jon along several U.S. in Progress participants and festival hits like I Used to be Darker by Matt Porterfier and Hide Your Smiling Faces by Daniel Patrick Carbone. Lastly, a special section titled 'Masterpieces of American Cinema 90 Years of Warner Bros." showed 14 digitally-remastered productions by the studio from The Jazz Singer by Alan Crosland (1927) through A Clockwork Orange ,The Exorcist and Christopher Nolan’s Inception

The festival will close on October 27th with Steven Soderbergh's Emmy Award-winning film Behind the Candelabra.

All competitions titles:

Spectrum

American Milkshake by David Andalman, Mariko Munro, USA 2012, 82'

Blue Highway by Kyle Smith, USA 2013, 70'

Coldwater by Vincent Grashaw, USA 2013, 104'

The Spectacular Now by James Ponsoldt, USA 2013, 95'

Drinking Buddies by Joe Swanberg, USA 2013, 90'

Lily by Matt Creed, USA 2013, 85'

A Teacher by Hannah Fidell, USA 2013, 75'

Blue Caprice by Alexandre Moors, USA 2013, 93'

Pearblossom Hwy by Mike Ott, USA 2012, 78'

Afternoon Delight by Jill Soloway, USA 2013, 105'

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors by Sam Fleischner, USA 2013, 102'

Short Term 12 by Destin Cretton, USA 2013, 96'

The Cold Lands by Tom Gilroy, USA 2013, 100'

In a World... by Lake Bell, USA 2013, 93'

A Song Still Inside by Gregory Collins, USA 2013, 82'

Bluebird by Lance Edmands, USA 2013, 90'

American Docs

Big Easy Express by Emmett Malloy, USA 2012

Off Label by Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher, USA 2012

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia by Nicholas Wrathall, USA, Italy 2013

Fall and Winter by Matt Anderson, USA 2013

The Armstrong Lie by Alex Gibney, USA 2013

Lenny Cooke by Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie, USA 2012

Our Nixon by Penny Lane, USA 2013

Northern Light by Nick Bentgen, USA 2013

Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton by Eric Slade, Stephen Silha, USA 2013

Before You Know It by Pj Raval, USA 2012

U.S. Progress Projects

This year 6 projects in the final production stages were chosen to take part in the two-day workshop knows as U.S. in Progress Wroclaw (23-25 October, 2013). The event presents the American independent projects to European buyers, post-production houses and festivals in order to help them achieve completion and to foster the circulation and distribution of these films in Europe.

Selected from over 40 submission the chosen projects are the dramas Lake Los Angeles by Mike Ott (produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari), Happy Baby by Stephen Elliott (produced by Jessica Caldwell ) and Some Beasts by Cameron Nelson (produced by Ashley Maynor and Courtney Ware), crime story Wild Canaries by Lawrence Michael Levine (produced by Sophia Takal, Kim Sherman and McCabe Walsh), frontier black comedy Sun Belt Express by Evan Wolf Buxbaum (producers: Noah Lang and Iyabo Boyd) and Summer of Blood – a New York vampire comedy by director-producer Onur Tukel.

The prizes are awarded by a jury of professionals and include post-production services from European partner companies worth almost $60.000 and promotional services from other partners. Us in Progress’ partners are: Platige Image (Warsaw), Di Factory (Warsaw), Alvernia Studios (Krakow), composer Maciej Zielinski of Soundflower Studio (Warsaw), Soundplace (Warsaw), DCinex (Belgium), Vsi (Paris), Europa Distribution, Cicae and Cannes Marche du Film’s Producers Network.

U.S. in Progress Wrocław (formerly Gotham in Progress) was started in 2011 by the New Horizons Association and Black Rabbit Film. Previous films presented at the event included, among others: I Used To Be Darker by Matt Porterfield, American Milkshake by David Andalman (both shown at Sundance Ff in 2013), Hide Your Smiling Faces by Daniel Carbone (Berlinale Generation, Tribeca), Bluebird by Lance Edmands (Tribeca, Karlovy Vary), Jason Cortlund & Julia Halperin’s Now, Forager: a Film About Love and Fungi (Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films, Gotham Awards nominee), Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine (SXSW, Edinburgh Iff, Gotham Awards nominee) and Devyn Waitt’s Not Waving But Drowning (Sarasota Ff).

U.S. in Progress Wrocław is supported by the City of Wrocław, American Embassy in Warsaw and Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

For more information on the American Film Festival and the U.S. in Progress projects visit Here...

It’s been less than a year since Hurricane Sandy blasted New York and the TriState area, but already it has had a number of representations in film and transmedia, from Sandy Storylines to the narrative Stand Clear of the Closing Doors and the upcoming Sandy relief concert 12-12-12. Now to that list can be added a new title — and arguably the most definitive work about Sandy yet — This Time Next Year, directed by Remote Area Medical‘s Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman. (Full disclosure: Zaman is a regular Filmmaker contributor.) Uniquely, the project, which “tracks the resilience of Long […]...

It’s been less than a year since Hurricane Sandy blasted New York and the TriState area, but already it has had a number of representations in film and transmedia, from Sandy Storylines to the narrative Stand Clear of the Closing Doors and the upcoming Sandy relief concert 12-12-12. Now to that list can be added a new title — and arguably the most definitive work about Sandy yet — This Time Next Year, directed by Remote Area Medical‘s Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman. (Full disclosure: Zaman is a regular Filmmaker contributor.) Uniquely, the project, which “tracks the resilience of Long […]...

The Audience Award went to Destin Daniel Cretton’s Us festival hit Short Term 12; The Athens International Film Festival wrapped with Blue Is The Warmest Colour.

Yann Gonzalez’s debut feature You and the Night was named Best Film at the 19th Athens International Film Festival (Aiff) which ran September 19-29.

A Modern day retelling of Sade’s Philosophy In The Bedroom, the film, written by Gonzalez, stars Alain-Fabien Delon alongside Eric Cantona, Kate Moran, Fabienne Babe and Niels Schneider.

It was chosen by a jury made up of film school students, aged 18-25.

The Best Director Award went to second timer American Sam Fleischner for Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors, a coming of age story about a 13 years-old autistic boy, son of an illegal Mexican immigrant mother in New York.

French debutant Antonin Peretjako picked up the Best Screenplay award for The Rendez-vous of Deja-Vu, about the adventures of a group of young Parisians...