Fred Armisen is feeling the spirit (awards)…
The 48-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star will co-host the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards opposite Kristen Bell.
This year’s Spirit Awards will take place on February 21 on the beach in Santa Monica.
This year’s ceremony will air live for the first time, on IFC at 2:00 pm PT.
Rosario Dawson has the spirit, yes she does…
The 35-year-old Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban American actress, who has earned critical acclaim for her work in Chris Rock’s Top Five, has been tapped to announce this year’s 2015 Spirit Award nominees, according to Film Independent president Josh Welsh.
The Sin City: A Dame To Kill For star will be joined by Mexican actor Diego Luna, who directed Dawson in his Cesar Chavez biopic Chavez.
They’ll announce the nominees at 10:00 am PT on Tuesday, November 25, at the W Hollywood.
Spirit Award winners will be announced on February 21 under Film Independent’s signature tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
Táta Vega is preparing for a Spirited performance…
The 62-year-old part-Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer, one of the stars of the documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom, will perform at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Vega, Darlene Love, Judith Hill and Merry Clayton are profiled in the Oscar-nominated Radius-TWC doc, which takes a look at the lives of several of the music industry’s greatest backup singers.
Director Morgan Neville’s Twenty Feet From Stardom is nominated for a Spirit Award in the Best Documentary category.
The film also made the cut as one of the five nominees for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.
Currently the No. 1 documentary on iTunes, the film continues to build momentum as the culmination of awards season approaches.
Vega and the gang’s appearance will be the only musical performance at the ceremony, which will be hosted by Patton Oswalt.
The Spirit Awards will be handed out on March 1, 2014 during a daytime luncheon in Santa Monica and broadcast later that evening at 10 PM on IFC.
As of late 2013, Vega has been touring with Elton John in the United States as “one of the girls” singing backup and counterpoint on his The Diving Board tour.
Eduardo Sanchez’s latest project will be spooking people throughout the world…
Entertainment One has picked up multiple territories for the 46-year-old Cuban American director’s found-footage horror film Exists, taking the title in Germany, France, Benelux, Scandinavia and South Africa.
The company previously bought the U.K. rights for the Bigfoot-themed chiller from world sales agent International Film Trust (IFT) at the American Film Market in November.
The multiterritory deal was negotiated by IFT president Christian de Gallegos. IFT also sold Exists to Japan (AT Entertainment), the Middle East (Shooting Stars), Taiwan (Well Go) and CIS (Luxor) among many other territories.
Written by Jamie Nash (V/H/S 2), Exists follows five friends who head into the woods of Texas for an epic party weekend. Once there, they are confronted by the vicious reality behind the Bigfoot myth.
“Exists has managed to scare people in the perfect way, and we are delighted at the enthusiastic response from buyers,” said de Gallegos.
Sanchez is credited with helping to invent the genre of found-footage horror films when he co-directed the psychological horror film The Blair Witch Project with Daniel Myrick in 1999. It earned the pair the inaugural Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award from Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.
His other credits include Altered, Seventh Moon and Lovely Molly.
Oscar Isaacs’ awards season is off to a great start…
The 33-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban actor has earned a Spirit Award nomination for his critically acclaimed role in Inside Llewyn Davis, which was nominated for Best Feature.
Isaacs is up for Best Male Lead against Nebraska’s Bruce Dern, 12 Years a Slave’s Chiwetel Ejiofor, Fruitvale Station’s Michael B Jordan, Dallas Buyers Club’s Matthew McConaughey and All is Lost’s Robert Redford.
Melonie Diaz has earned a nod for Best Supporting Female for her role in Fruitvale Station.
Film Independent’s 29th Spirit Awards will be held on March 1 in Santa Monica with Patton Oswalt hosting.
Here’s the full list of 2014 nominees:
BEST FEATURE
12 Years A Slave
All Is Lost
Frances Ha
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
BEST DIRECTOR
Shane Carruth, Upstream Color
J.C. Chandor, All Is Lost
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
Jeff Nichols, Mud
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Gaby Hoffmann, Crystal Fairy
Brie Larson, Short Term 12
Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now
BEST MALE LEAD
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Michael B Jordan, Fruitvale Station
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All Is Lost
BEST SCREENPLAY
Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater, Before Midnight
Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, The Spectacular Now
John Ridley, 12 Years A Slave
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Melonie Diaz, Fruitvale Station
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Yolonda Ross, Go For Sisters
June Squibb, Nebraska
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Will Forte, Nebraska
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Keith Stanfield, Short Term 12
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Lake Bell, In A World
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon
Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Jill Soloway, Afternoon Delight
Mike Starrbury, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Bobbitt, 12 Years A Slave
Benoit Debie, Spring Breakers
Bruno Delbonnel, Inside Llewyn Davis
Frank G. Demarco, All Is Lost
Matthias Grunsky, Computer Chess
BEST EDITING
Shane Carruth & David Lowery, Upstream Color
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives, Museum Hours
Frank G. Demarco,
All Is Lost
Matthias Grunsky, Computer Chess
Nat Sanders, Short Term 12
BEST DOCUMENTARY
20 Feet From Stardom, Director/Producer: Morgan Neville, Producers: Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers
After Tiller, Directors/Producers: Martha Shane & Lana Wilson
Gideon’s Army, Director/Producer: Dawn Porter, Producer: Julie Goldman
The Act of Killing, Director/Producer: Joshua Oppenheimer, Producers: Joram Ten Brink, Christine Cynn, Anne Köhncke, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Michael Uwemedimo
The Square, Director: Jehane Noujaim, Producer: Karim Amer
BEST INT’L FILM
A Touch of Sin (China)
Blue is the Warmest Color (France)
Gloria (Chile)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Blue Caprice, Director/Producer: Alexandre Moors; Producers: Kim Jackson, Brian O’Carroll, Isen Robbins, Will Rowbotham, Ron Simons, Aimee Schoof, Stephen Tedeschi
Concussion, Director: Stacie Passon, Producer: Rose Troche
Fruitvale Station, Director: Ryan Coogler; Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker
Una Noche, Director/Producer: Lucy Mulloy, Producers: Sandy Pérez Aguila, Maite Artieda, Daniel Mulloy, Yunior Santiago
Wadjda, Director: Haifaa Al Mansour, Producers: Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (best feature made for under $500,000)
Computer Chess, Writer/Director: Andrew Bujalski, Producers: Houston King & Alex Lipschultz
Crystal Fairy, Writer/Director: Sebastiàn Silva, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín & Pablo Larraín
Museum Hours, Writer/Director: Jem Cohen, Producers: Paolo Calamita & Gabriele Kranzelbinder
Pit Stop, Writer/Director: Yen Tan, Writer: David Lowery, Producers: Jonathan Duffy, James M. Johnston, Eric Steele, Kelly Williams
This is Martin Bonner, Writer/Director: Chad Hartigan, Producer: Cherie Saulter
17th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
Toby Halbrooks & James M. Johnston
Jacob Jaffke
Andrea Roa
Frederick Thornton
20th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
My Sister’s Quinceañera, Director: Aaron Douglas Johnston
Newlyweeds, Director: Shaka King
The Foxy Merkins, Director: Madeline Olnek
19th ANNUAL STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Kalyanee Mam, A River Changes Course
Jason Osder, Let the Fire Burn
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez, Manakamana
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
Mud, Director: Jeff Nichols, Casting Director: Francine Maisler, Ensemble Cast: Joe Don Baker, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Tye Sheridan, Paul Sparks, Bonnie Sturdivant, Reese Witherspoon
Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film will be taking flight in Los Angeles this June…
The 63-year-old Spanish filmmaker’s “light, very light comedy” I’m So Excited, which will open in New York and LA in late June, will have it’s North American premiere on opening night of the 19th annual Los Angeles Film Festival on June 13.
The film’s debut will come nearly two weeks before the Spanish-language comedy’s U.S. platform release on June 28 via Sony Pictures Classics.
I’m So Excited opened in Spain on March 8 and is currently opening throughout Europe.
Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas are among the ensemble cast of the comedy, which is set on an airplane flight where nothing seems to be going right.
The film festival, produced by Film Independent, teamed with Sony Pictures Classics last year to premiere the Oscar-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man.
The LAFF will run through June 23 and spotlight more than 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries.
Sal Calleros’ professional life is about to get intensive…
The Latino writer, who was most recently a story editor on ABC’s Private Practice, has been selected as one of the 10 finalists to participate in the Fox network’s Fox Writers Intensive, an advanced writers program for experienced writers from diverse backgrounds.
The finalists were chosen from more than 400 nominations and submissions by talent representation and arts organizations, including the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Sundance Institute, the New York Foundation for the Arts, Outfest, Film Independent, the NAACP, Women in Film LA and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Visual Communications.
Calleros, who graduated from the ABC Writing Fellowship in 2006, says his first true writing gig was for the domestic violence clinic in the San Fernando courthouse, drafting restraining orders to prevent harassment, molestation and abuse. He also worked three years in Family Law, and as a court interpreter, giving him a wealth of legal and life experience, perspective and stories.
Calleros and his fellow finalists will spend the next 13 weeks attending seminars and workshops with executives, writers and showrunners. At the conclusion of the intensive, Fox will select one finalist as the Fox Writers Intensive Fellow, whose submitted original script will be purchased and developed jointly by Fox Broadcasting Co., 20th Century Fox Television and FX. The Fox Writers Intensive Fellow will be announced across all Fox entertainment businesses and will receive one-on-one meetings with network and studio heads, as well as priority staffing efforts across Fox properties.
The future looks bright for Aldo Velasco…
The Mexican filmmaker and playwright has been selected by Film Independent as one of the participants for its 12th annual Directing Lab.
The annual program is designed to assist promising directors develop new narrative feature films, improve their craft and advance their filmmaking careers in a nurturing yet challenging environment. The selected filmmakers are provided digital camera and sound packages and a cash stipend to shoot scenes, as well as access to a variety of production resources.
Velasco, born in Guadalajara, Mexico, has seen his short films screened at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and Los Angeles Film Festival, among others. In 2009, he received a grant from ITVS (Independent Television Service) to write and direct the short film Tent City for the first season of the online Futurestates series. Aldo is also an editor of feature films. Recently, he edited Chittagong the epic Indian historical drama directed by Bedabrata Pain. He also edited Grace Leeʼs political mock documentary Janeane From Des Moines, which recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Velasco will work on his project, God Love Stu, true story of Stu Rasmussen, who convinced his conservative hometown in Oregon to elect him as the first transgender mayor in history.
But Velasco isn’t the only Latino selected to the Film Independent’s Directing Lab.
Brazilian-American filmmaker Alex Moratto will take part in the lab. He’s a graduate of the UNC School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking where he was a Kenan Scholar and studied film directing under Peter Bogdanovich. His thesis film The Other Side won the 2010 Jury Award from the Directors Guild of America for Latino filmmaker. Moratto attended Werner Herzogʼs 2010 Rogue Film School Seminar and was the recipient of the 2012 North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship for Screenwriting.
Moratto’s project is the Untitled Amazon Project. When armed loggers threaten to evict their family from their rural home in the Amazon, two brothers smuggle rare lumber in hopes of selling it on the black market for money to save their land.
The lab, which began this week, runs through mid-April.
Salma Hayek is preparing to display her independent spirit…
The 46-year-old Mexican actress has been named an honorary co-chair for this year’s Spirit Awards by Film Independent.
Hayek will share the honor with Bourne Legacy star Jeremy Renner.
Film Independent bestows the honor on those who exemplify outstanding artistic achievement and embody the organization’s mission to nurture and support independent filmmaking.
Hayek and Renner will attend the Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 12 at BOA restaurant in West Hollywood where they will announce Film Independent’s grant winners for 2013.
The 28th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be handed out at a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 23 with the premiere broadcast airing later that evening at 10:00 pm ET on IFC.
Michael Peña has the spirit…
The 36-year-old Mexican American actor has received a Spirit Award nomination in the Best Supporting Male category for his work in the police drama End of Watch.
Peña, who portrays Los Angeles police officer Mike Zavala in the film, will face off against Magic Mike’s Matthew McConaughey, Middle of Nowhere’s David Oyelowo, Seven Psychopaths’ Sam Rockwell and Moonrise Kingdom’s Bruce Willis.
Meanwhile, Aurora Guerrero has been nominated for the John Cassavetes Award, which is given to a picture made for under $500,000. The Mexican American filmmaker earned the nod for writing and directing the film Mosquita y Mari.
Nominees for the Spirit Awards are determined by its “independence” based on guidelines that include uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter and they must be made for budgets up to $20 millions.
Winners of the 2013 Spirit Awards will be announced on February 23, during the annual awards luncheon taking place in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
The ceremony will be broadcast at 10:00 pm ET on IFC.
Here’s a complete look at the 2013 Spirit Award nominees:
Best Feature
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best First Feature
Best First Screenplay
John Cassavetes Award (given to best picture made for under $500K)
Best Female Lead
Best Male Lead
Best Supporting Female
Best Supporting Male
Best Cinematography
Best Documentary
Best International Film
Piaget ProduPcers Award
Someone to Watch Award
Truer Than Fiction Award
Robert Altman Award