Lopez Invited to Become a Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

It looks like Jennifer Lopez has a permanent date with Oscar

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Jennifer Lopez

Lopez and the 275 other artists and executives invited to join AMPAS were selected for having distinguished themselves by their   contributions to theatrical motion pictures. New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in September.

“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy president Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”

In addition to Lopez, other Latino invitees include Rosario Dawson, Michael Peña, Danny Trejo, Paco Delgado, José Padilha and Cliff Martinez.

The 2013 Latino invitees include:

Actors
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Jennifer Lopez – “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “Selena”
Alma Martinez – “Born in East L.A.,” “Under Fire”
Michael Peña – “End of Watch,” “Crash”
Geno Silva – “Mulholland Drive,” “Amistad”
Danny Trejo – “Machete,” “Heat”

Cinematographers
Reed Morano – “Little Birds,” “Frozen River”
Checco Varese – “Girl in Progress,” “The Aura”

Costume Designers
Paco Delgado – “Les Misérables,” “Biutiful”

Directors
Pablo Larraín – “No,” “Tony Manero”

Documentary
Eduardo Coutinho – “As Canções,” “Cabra Marcado Para Morrer (Twenty Years Later)”
Patricio Guzmán – “Nostalgia for the Light,” “The Battle of Chile”
José Padilha – “Secrets of the Tribe,” “Bus 174 (Ônibus 174)”

Music
Cliff Martinez – “Drive,” “Traffic”

Sound
Jose Antonio Garcia – “Argo,” “Babel”
Edward J. Hernandez – “Real Steel,” “Basic Instinct”

Iglesias Named Film Composer of the Year at World Soundtrack Awards

Alberto Iglesias is still reaping the rewards for his composing work on three of last year’s highly acclaimed films.

The 57-year-old Spanish composer was named film composer of the year at the World Soundtrack Awards.

Alberto Iglesias

Iglesias, who received an invitation this summer to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was heralded for his work on the soundtracks for Le Moine (The Monk), The Skin I Live In and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy.

In addition, the academy also awarded Iglesias with the award for best original film score of the year for Tinker, Tailor.

Iglesias defeated fellow Latino nominee Cliff Martinez, who served as the composer on the films Contagion and Drive, in both categories.

Iglesias previously received the Hollywood Film Composer Award at the 15th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards for his work on Pedro Almodóvar’s haunting The Skin I Live In and Tomas Alfredson’s Cold War thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy.

The World Soundtrack Awards took place on Sunday, October 21, as the closing event of the 39th Ghent Film Festival.

 

Martinez Nominated for Two World Soundtrack Awards

The Oscars may have marked the end of 2011-2012 awards season… But Cliff Martinez is still reaping critical acclaim for his work.

The 58-year-old Spanish-American composer—a veteran drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers—has been nominated for two 2012 World Soundtrack Awards.

Cliff Martinez

The World Soundtrack Academy hands out awards in three categories: Film composer of the year; best original score of the year and best original song written directly for a film.

Martinez, who was nominated for a Satellite Award last December, has received nods in two of those categories. He’s up for film composer of the year his work on Contagion and Drive, as well as best original film score of the year for his critically acclaimed music for Drive.

But Martinez isn’t the only Latino nominee…

Like Martinez, Alberto Iglesias has been nominated in two categories.

The 57-year-old Spanish composer, who was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this summer, has been nominated in the film composer of the year category for his work on Le Moine, Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Last year’s Hollywood Film Composer Award winner will also face-off against Martinez in the best original film score of the year category for his Oscar-nominated score from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Meanwhile, songs performed by Madonna, Mary J. Blige and Sinead O’Connor are in contention for best original song written directly for a film.

Winners will be announced at the World Soundtrack Awards and concert on October 20, the closing night of the Ghent International Film Festival.

Here’s a look at this year’s nominees:

Film Composer of the Year
Alexandre Desplat (A Better Life, Carnage, De Rouille Et d’Os (Rust & Bone), Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Moonrise Kingdom, The Ides Of March)
Alberto Iglesias (Le Moine (The Monk), La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Cliff Martinez (Contagion, Drive)
Howard Shore (A Dangerous Method, Cosmopolis, Hugo)
John Williams (The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse)

Best Original Film Score of the Year
Drive by Cliff Martinez
Hugo by Howard Shore
The Adventures Of Tintin by John Williams
The Ides Of March by Alexandre Desplat
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by Alberto Iglesias

Best Original Song written directly for a Film
“Lay Your Head Down” from Albert Nobbs (music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close, performed by Sinead O’Connor)
“Breath Of Life” from Snow White And The Huntsman (music & lyrics by Florence Welch & Isabella Summers, performed by Florence + the Machine)
“The Living Proof” from The Help (music & lyrics by Thomas Newman, Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr. & Damon Thomas, performed by Mary J. Blige)
“Man Or Muppet” from The Muppets (music & Lyrics by Bret McKenzie, performed by Jason Segel and Walter
“Masterpiece” from W.E. (music & lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost & Jimmy Harry, performed by Madonna)

The London Film Critics’ Circle’s Latino Nominees…

The London Film Critics’ Circle has showered praise on several Hispanics this awards season.

The Critics’ Circle announced its nominees this Tuesday, with the Cold War drama Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the heist-gone-wrong film Drive leading the pack with six nominations each.

Film Reel

Even though no Hispanics were nominated in the acting and directing categories, two films directed by Latinos were nominated in the Foreign-Language Film of the Year category.

Spanish-director Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In, which stars Antonio Banderas, will face off against the late Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz’s Mistérios de Lisboa (Mysteries of Lisbon), the winner for best foreign film at this year’s Satellite Awards.

Meanwhile, three Latinos have been nominated for The Sky 3D Award, which recognizes technical achievements in film.

Manuel Alberto Claro was nominated for his exceptional cinematography in Melancholia, about two weeks after receiving the Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award at the European Film Awards.

Alberto Iglesiaswho received the Hollywood Film Composer Award this year for his body of work—received a nod for his work on the original score for The Skin I Live In.

Cliff Martinez was cited for his work on the original score for Drive. He’s also received a Satellite Award nomination and a Critics’ Choice nod for his work on Drive.

The London Film Critics’ Circle winners will be announced on January 19, 2012.

Bejo Receives Critics’ Choice Nomination…

It could turn out to be a stellar awards season for rising star Bérénice Bejo…

The 35-year-old Argentine actress has received a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Supporting Actress from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her show-stopping performance in The Artist.

Berenice Bejo The Artist

The announcement comes about a week after it was announced Bejo will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February. She’s also received Best Supporting Actress nods this season from the Detroit Film Critics Society and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.

In the highly acclaimed film directed by her husband Michel Hazanavicius, Bejo stars as Peppy Miller, a young dancer on the verge of her big break in Hollywood in 1927 as silent movies grow out of fashion and get replaced by “talkies.”

Bejo faces serious competition in the Best Supporting Actress category. She’s up against Jessica Chastain for the The Help,
Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids, Carey Mulligan for Shame, Octavia Spencer for The Help
and Shailene Woodley for The Descendants.

jean-dujardin-berenice-bejo-the-artist

In addition, Bejo and her The Artist co-stars have received a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Acting Ensemble, along with the casts from Bridesmaids,The Descendants,
The Help and
 The Ides of March.

Meanwhile, 57-year-ild film composer Cliff Martinez, who recently received a Satellite Award nomination, has received a Critics’ Choice nod for Best Score for his work on Drive.

Martinez’s “Drive” Leads to a Satellite Award Nomination…

It’s turning out to be a banner year for Cliff Martinez, complete with some serious recognition.

The 57-year-old film composer has not only worked on three high-profile films—Lincoln Lawyer, Drive and Contagion—but he’s just been nominated for a Satellite Award by the International Press Academy for his exceptional composing work.

Cliff Martinez Drive

Martinez—a former drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers who has scored more than 20 films, including the Oscar-winning film Traffic,
which earned Martinez a Grammy nod— received the Satellite Award nomination for his outstanding score for the drama Drive, which stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

“Sometimes I approach scoring like a method actor and will meticulously research any similar, relevant films I can get my hands on,” Martinez told FilmSchoolRejects.com in a recent interview. “I simply didn’t have time for that with Drive. It was a total first impulse,
fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants adventure.”

It’s an adventure that seems to have paid off in spades! The Drive soundtrack has struck a real chord with the public. Not only has it been one of the most talked about releases in 2011; it’s one of the year’s best-selling soundtracks in the United States and throughout the world.

And now that “awards season” is underway, expect Martinez—who began his composing career by working on Steven Soderbergh’s
Sex, Lies and Videotape—to receive even more attention for his goose bump-inducing score.

“I’d like to think that I’ve written some good scores before, so the fact that it’s getting all this attention is new and unexpected,” says Martinez, whose background as a rock musician has set him apart from composers who take a more classical approach to their craft. “It’s welcome, but
still, mysterious and unusual for me.”

Selected by a group of journalists representing domestic and international markets, the Satellite Award nominations cover 19 film categories and 12 television categories.

The 16th annual Satellite Awards will be held on December 18 at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel.