Gonzalez Iñárritu’s “Birdman” Earns Six London Critics’ Circle Film Awards Nominations

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s awards season just keeps getting better…

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s critically acclaimed film Birdman has picked up six nominations from the London Critics’ Circle.

In addition to earning a nomination in the Film of the Year category as the film’s producer, Gonzalez Iñárritu also picked up two individual nods. He’s up for Director of the Year for helming the dark comedy starring Michael Keaton, as well as Screenwriter of the Year for co-penning the script.

Meanwhile, Birdman lenser Emmanuel Lubezki is nominated in the Technical Achievement Award category for his cinematography on the film.

Gonzalez Iñárritu and Lubezki have earned a lot of love already this awards season, earning recognition from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Gotham Independent Film Awards.

The awards are voted on by leading print, online and broadcast film critics.

Last year’s top winners, — 12 Years A Slave, Alfonso Cuaron, Cate Blanchett and Chiwetel Ejiofor — were all mirrored at the BAFTA Awards.

This year’s winners will be announced on January 18 in London.

Here’s the list of categories featuring Latino nominees:

FILM OF THE YEAR
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Leviathan
Mr Turner
Nightcrawler
The Theory Of Everything
Under The Skin
Whiplash

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jonathan Glazer – Under The Skin
Alejandro G Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler
Alejandro G Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris & Armando Bo – Birdman
 Richard Linklater – Boyhood

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
’71 – Chris Wyatt, editing
Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematography
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes – Joe Letteri, visual effects
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen, production design
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges, costumes
Leviathan – Mikhail Krichman, cinematography
Mr Turner – Dick Pope, cinematography
A Most Violent Year – Kasia Walicka-Maimone, costumes
Under The Skin – Mica Levi, score
Whiplash – Tom Cross, editing

Cuarón Named Best Director at the 2014 BAFTA Awards; “Gravity” Takes Home Six Awards

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Another awards ceremony, another big prize for Alfonso Cuarón…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker, who already has a Golden Globe, DGA Award and Critics’ Choice Movie Award, has picked up his latest Best Director trophy this awards season at the 2014 BAFTA Awards.

Cuarón, the heavy favorite to win Best Director at this year’s Oscars, won the award for helming his critically acclaimed 3D space disaster thriller Gravity.

But that wasn’t Cuarón’s only trophy of the night…

The filmmaker, one of Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainers of the Year in 2013, also took home the prize for Best British Film as one of Gravity’s producers.

Meanwhile, Cuarón’s cinematographer-of-choice Emmanuel Lubezki took home the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography for the Mexican Oscar nominee’s work on Gravity, his sixth career BAFTA Award.

In all, Gravity won an impressive six awards — just one award shy of The Artist in 2012 and The King’s Speech.

The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Cuarón’s “Gravity” Earns Two International Awards from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón’s latest project is officially an award-winning hit Down Under…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker, who earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and several BAFTA Award nods this week, took home Best Direction trophy at the AACTA International Awards.

Cuarón picked up the award from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) for helming the 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock.

In addition, Cuarón’s blockbuster hit film received the AACTA International Award for Best Film.

The space odyssey, based on a story written by Cuarón and his son Jonás Cuarón, pushed the known boundaries of cinematography and technologies to illustrate a tense story of skill and survival set in zero gravity. A team of world renowned VFX artists worked with Cuarón to realize his extraordinary vision including visual effects supervisor Tim Webber and Australian VFX House Rising Sun Pictures.

Winners were announced at an intimate awards ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by multi-award winner and AACTA president Geoffrey Rush.

Alfonso Cuarón & Jonas Cuarón Earn Final Draft Award for Penning the Script for “Gravity”

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón & Jonas Cuarón have the write stuff…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker and his son earned the Best Original Screenplay prize at the at the ninth annual Final Draft Awards.

The Cuaróns, recent BAFTA Award nominees, won the trophy for penning their blockbuster hit 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity, which stars Sandra Bullock.

Meanwhile, the John Ridley-penned historical drama 12 Years A Slave won the Adapted Screenplay award from the scripting software company.

On the television front, ABC’s Modern Family and AMC’s now-wrapped Breaking Bad won for best television comedy and drama, respectively.

“We at Final Draft salute all the film and TV writers who contributed such great work in 2013,” said Final Draft CEO Mark Madnick.

“The winners and nominees tonight represent the best of the best, and their work drives the engine of this industry. We could not be prouder to host this awards show for these great artists.”

Jonás Cuarón Earns His First BAFTA Awards Nomination

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Like father, like son…

Jonás Cuarón, the son of Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, has earned his first BAFTA Awards nomination.

The Mexican filmmaker has been nominated with his father in the original screenplay category, for writing their blockbuster hit Gravity.

It’s one of the whopping 11 nominations the 3D sci-fi film earned from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including Best Film and Best British Film.

Cuarón’s father also earned a Best Editing and Best Director nod, the latest nomination in that category for one of Entertainment Weekly’s 2013 Entertainers of the Year. He’s up against 12 Years A Slave’s Steve McQueen, American Hustle’s David O. Russell, Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass and The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Martin Scorsese in the director field.

Meantime, Cuarón’s longtime collaborator, Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, earned a Best Cinematography nod for his work on Gravity.

Lastly, Rush star Daniel Brühl continues to earn awards recognition for portraying real-life racing legend Niki Lauda in Ron Howard‘s Formula One racing drama. Following his SAG Award and Golden Globe nods, the 35-year-old half-Spanish actor will take on Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra), Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave) and Bradley Cooper (American Hustle) in the race for the best supporting actor trophy.

The British Academy Film Awards will take place on February 16 at the Royal Opera House in London, with the ceremony broadcast exclusively on BBC One in the U.K. and in all major territories around the world.

Here’s the complete list of BAFTA nominations:

BEST FILM
12 YEARS A SLAVE
AMERICAN HUSTLE
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
GRAVITY
PHILOMENA

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
GRAVITY
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
PHILOMENA
RUSH
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE SELFISH GIANT

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
COLIN CARBERRY (Writer), GLENN PATTERSON (Writer) Good Vibrations
KELLY MARCEL (Writer) Saving Mr. Banks
KIERAN EVANS (Director/Writer) Kelly + Victor
PAUL WRIGHT (Director/Writer), POLLY STOKES (Producer) For Those in Peril
SCOTT GRAHAM (Director/Writer) Shell

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE ACT OF KILLING Joshua Oppenheimer, Signe Byrge Sørensen
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR Abdellatif Kechiche, Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval
THE GREAT BEAUTY Paolo Sorrentino, Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima
METRO MANILA Sean Ellis, Mathilde Charpentier
WADJDA Haifaa Al-Mansour, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul

DOCUMENTARY
THE ACT OF KILLING Joshua Oppenheimer
THE ARMSTRONG LIE Alex Gibney
BLACKFISH Gabriela Cowperthwaite
TIM’S VERMEER Teller,Penn Jillette, Farley Ziegler
WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS Alex Ginny

ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME 2 Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
FROZEN Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Dan Scanlon

DIRECTOR
12 YEARS A SLAVE Steve McQueen
AMERICAN HUSTLE David O. Russell
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Paul Greengrass
GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Martin Scorsese

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN HUSTLE Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell
BLUE JASMINE Woody Allen
GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
NEBRASKA Bob Nelson

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 YEARS A SLAVE John Ridley
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Richard LaGravenese
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Billy Ray
PHILOMENA Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Terence Winter

LEADING ACTOR
BRUCE DERN Nebraska
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR 12 Years a Slave
CHRISTIAN BALE American Hustle
LEONARDO DICAPRIO The Wolf of Wall Street
TOM HANKS Captain Phillips

LEADING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS American Hustle
CATE BLANCHETT Blue Jasmine
EMMA THOMPSON Saving Mr. Banks
JUDI DENCH Philomena
SANDRA BULLOCK Gravity

SUPPORTING ACTOR
BARKHAD ABDI Captain Phillips
BRADLEY COOPER American Hustle
DANIEL BRÜHL Rush
MATT DAMON Behind the Candelabra
MICHAEL FASSBENDER 12 Years a Slave

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
JENNIFER LAWRENCE American Hustle
JULIA ROBERTS August: Osage County
LUPITA NYONG’O 12 Years a Slave
OPRAH WINFREY The Butler
SALLY HAWKINS Blue Jasmine

ORIGINAL MUSIC
12 YEARS A SLAVE Hans Zimmer
THE BOOK THIEF John Williams
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Henry Jackman
GRAVITY Steven Price
SAVING MR. BANKS Thomas Newman

CINEMATOGRAPHY
12 YEARS A SLAVE Sean Bobbitt
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Barry Ackroyd
GRAVITY Emmanuel Lubezki
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Bruno Delbonnel
NEBRASKA Phedon Papamichael

EDITING
12 YEARS A SLAVE Joe Walker
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Christopher Rouse
GRAVITY Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger
RUSH Dan Hanley, Mike Hill
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Thelma Schoonmaker

PRODUCTION DESIGN
12 YEARS A SLAVE Adam Stockhausen, Alice Baker
AMERICAN HUSTLE Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Howard Cummings
GRAVITY Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin, Joanne Woodlard
THE GREAT GATSBY Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn

COSTUME DESIGN
AMERICAN HUSTLE Michael Wilkinson
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Ellen Mirojnick
THE GREAT GATSBY Catherine Martin
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN Michael O’Connor
SAVING MR. BANKS Daniel Orlandi

MAKE UP & HAIR
AMERICAN HUSTLE Evelyne Noraz, Lori McCoy-Bell
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA Kate Biscoe, Marie Larkin
THE BUTLER Debra Denson, Beverly Jo Pryor, Candace Neal
THE GREAT GATSBY Maurizio Silvi, Kerry Warn
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Peter Swords King, Richard Taylor, Rick Find later

SOUND
ALL IS LOST Richard Hymns, Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor, Micah Bloomberg, Gillian Arthur
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor,Mike Prestwood Smith, Chris Munro, Oliver Tarney
GRAVITY Glenn Freemantle, Skip Lievsay, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri, Chris Munro
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Peter F. Kurland, Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff
RUSH Danny Hambrook, Martin Steyer, Stefan Korte, Markus Stemler, Frank Kruse

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
GRAVITY Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds
IRON MAN 3 Bryan Grill, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick
PACIFIC RIM Hal Hickel, John Knoll, Lindy De Quattro, Nigel Sumner
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Ben Grossmann, Burt Dalton, Patrick Tubach, Roger Guyed

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
EVERYTHING I CAN SEE FROM HERE Bjorn-Erik Aschim, Friederike Nicolaus, Sam Taylor
I AM TOM MOODY Ainslie Henderson
SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES James Walker, Sarah Woolner, Yousif Al-Khalifa

BRITISH SHORT FILM
ISLAND QUEEN Ben Mallaby, Nat Luurtsema
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES Megan Rubens, Michael Pearce, Selina Lim
ORBIT EVER AFTER Chee-Lan Chan, Jamie Stone, Len Rowles
ROOM 8 James W. Griffiths, Sophie Venner
SEA VIEW Anna Duffield, Jane Linfoo

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
DANE DEHAAN
GEORGE MACKAY
LUPITA NYONG’O
WILL POULTER
LÉA SEYDOUX

Cuarón to Receive Visual Effects Society’s Visionary Award

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no denying Alfonso Cuarón is a visionary filmmaker… But now he’ll have an award to prove it.

The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional honorary society, has named the 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker as the recipient of its Visionary Award in recognition of his extraordinary career, most recently including his landmark achievement on this year’s critically acclaimed 3D sci-fil film Gravity.

The VES Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work. VES will honor Cuarón for his consummate artistry, expansive storytelling and profound ability to use and pioneer technology and visual effects to bring his unique visions to life.

A three-time Oscar nominee and one of Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainers of the Year, Cuarón directed, co-wrote, produced and edited Gravity, which is one of the most acclaimed films of this or any year. The accolades that Cuarón and the film have received to date include: Best Director and Best Picture awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress (Sandra Bullock); and ten Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Art Direction.

Cuarón made his feature film directorial debut in 1992 with Sólo Con Tu Pareja, the biggest box office hit in Mexico that year, which brought him an Ariel Award as the film’s co-writer. Cuarón made his American feature film debut in 1995 with the widely acclaimed A Little Princess, followed in 1998 by Great Expectations. He then wrote and directed Y tu mamá también, for which he received his first Oscar nomination, for Best Original Screenplay, as well as BAFTA Award nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay. He went on to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film in the most successful motion picture franchise of all time. Cuarόn’s 2006 hit, Children of Men, was celebrated by critics and film fans for its groundbreaking techniques. The film brought two Oscar nominations to Cuarón, for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.

“Alfonso pushes the known boundaries of filmmaking,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, VES Board Chair. “He has been at the forefront in using visual effects to tell remarkable, highly nuanced stories that change the way we think about what is possible to achieve. Throughout his career, Alfonso has shown a rare talent for using cutting-edge technology to engage us in his deeply visceral storytelling and create unforgettable cinematic experiences.”

The award will be presented at the 12th Annual VES Awards on February 12, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Previous winners of the VES Visionary Award have been Christopher Nolan and Ang Lee.

Hayek to Make Cameo in “Muppets Most Wanted”

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek will be seeing green soon…

The 47-year-old Mexican actress will be sharing screen time with Kermit the Frog; she’s signed on to star in next year’s Muppets Most Wanted.

The Frida star’s latest role has thrilled her six-year-old daughter Valentina.

“I have a very little cameo,” Hayek told reporters at the BAFTA Awards. “But I’m very excited because I’m [Valentina’s] hero now.”

Although Hayek’s exact role hasn’t been disclosed, here’s hoping that she shares scenes with Miss Piggy.

The Most Wanted has a cast list that includes Tina Fey, Lady Gaga, Usher and Celine Dion.

“Life of Pi” Cinematographer Miranda Wins BAFTA Award…

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Claudio Miranda may have to look for another place to display his growing stash of awards…

The Chilean cinematographer, a favorite to win at this year’s Oscars, won the Best Cinematography gong at Sunday night’s BAFTA Awards, sponsored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Miranda, who wasn’t present to pick up his award at London’s Royal Opera House, claimed the award for his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

It’s Miranda’s latest win this awards season, following his Critics’ Choice Award and New York Film Critics Online, among others.

Meanwhile, Malik Bendjelloul’s Searching for Sugar Man, the critically acclaimed documentary about Mexican American musician Sixto Rodriguez, won the BAFTA Award.

Earlier this month, Searching for Sugar Man picked up the DGA Award from the Directors Guild of America.

Rodriguez to Perform on the Festival Circuit

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Call it the second coming of Sixto Rodríguez…

The 70-year-old Mexican-American singer/songwriter, the man at the center of Malik Bendjelloul‘s Oscar-nominated documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has lined up festival dates lined up at Coachella, Glastonbury and Primavera in Spain that will follow tours of South Africa and Australia.

The new dates are part of Rodriguez’s astonishing rediscovery after releasing two albums for Clarence Avant‘s Sussex label in the early 1970s that didn’t sell anywhere except in South Africa where his legend grew along with his record sales.

Bendjelloul’s documentary, which will be released on DVD on January 22, chronicles the myths and realities of Rodriguez’s story and his 1998 concerts in South Africa.

“It’s a different level that we’re at now,” Rodriguez said during a recent visit to Los Angeles to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “I can’t imagine it getting much busier. This is pretty busy. You gotta stay balanced and normalized, pace yourself. At this late date I have a new perspective on things because of the success of the music now.”

The demand for Rodriguez has picked up dramatically in the last year for Rodriguez, who had done a few club performances per year since 2008 when Light in the Attic re-released his two albums, Cold Facts and Coming From Reality. Rodriguez appeared at film festivals like Sundance and SXSW in early 2012 and performed solo at most of his shows. He has been using various bands to back him since moving up to larger clubs and small theaters in the fall.

“We did 13 dates in the UK, all 3,000-seaters, and when we go back it will be Royal Albert Hall,” Rodriguez says.

60 Minutes, which did a piece on Rodriguez prior to the film opening, has contacted him again about possibly chronicling his tour of South Africa in February.

Besides the Oscar nomination, Searching for Sugar Man is up for BAFTA, Producers Guild and WGA awards. It won the International Documentary Association‘s best feature and best music awards and the National Board of Review named it the best documentary of the season.

Bardem Receives BAFTA Award Nomination

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Skyfall’s Javier Bardem is a hit in England…

The 43-year-old Spanish actor, who masterfully plays the villain in the latest James Bond film has followed up his London Film Critics’ Circle nod with a BAFTA Award nomination.

Bardem was revealed as a candidate in the Best Supporting Actor category during the announcement of nominees by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Bardem, who previously won a BAFTA Award in 2007 for his performance in No Country for Old Men, will face off against Argo’s Alan Arkin, Django Unchained’s Christoph Waltz, The Master’s Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lincoln’s Tommy Lee Jones.

Bardem’s nomination is one of eight nominations for Skyfall, which is now the highest-grossing film in United Kingdom history.

Meanwhile, Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn’s Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary about Mexican-American musician Rodriguez was nominated in the Best Documentary category.

Chilean cinematographer Claudio Miranda earned a BAFTA Award nomination, the second of his career, for his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

Spanish costume designer Paco Delgado earned his first BAFTA Award nomination for his costume design work on the film adaptation of Broadway’s Les Misérables.

The BAFTA Awards ceremony will take place on February 10.

Here’s a look at the Latino nominees and their competition:

DOCUMENTARY
THE IMPOSTER Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
MARLEY Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCULLIN David Morris, Jacqui Morris
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
WEST OF MEMPHIS Amy Berg

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALAN ARKIN Argo
CHRISTOPH WALTZ Django Unchained
JAVIER BARDEM Skyfall
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Master
TOMMY LEE JONES Lincoln

CINEMATOGRAPHY
ANNA KARENINA Seamus McGarvey
LES MISÉRABLES Danny Cohen
LIFE OF PI Claudio Miranda
LINCOLN Janusz Kaminski
SKYFALL Roger Deakins

COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA Jacqueline Durran
GREAT EXPECTATIONS Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
LES MISÉRABLES Paco Delgado
LINCOLN Joanna Johnston
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN Colleen Atwood

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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