Martinez Nominated for Two World Soundtrack Awards

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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)

Sony Pictures Classics Acquires the Rights to Almodóvar’s Next Film

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

The anticipation is definitely building for Pedro Almodóvar’s next film, even though production hasn’t even started on the project…

Sony Pictures Classics announced Tuesday that they have acquired all North American rights to Almodóvar’s new comedy currently titled I’m So Excited from El Deseo.

The film, an ensemble comedy written and directed by Almodóvar, is set to begin production in July and will be released next summer.

The all-star cast includes Javier Cámara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueñas, Raul Arévalo, Carlos Areces, Antonio de la Torre, Hugo Silva, Willy Toledo, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Blanca Suárez, José Luis Torrijo, José María Yazpik and Laya Martí.

In addition, the film—which was previously known as Los Amantes Pasajeros—will include special collaborations from Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Paz Vega.

The Sony Pictures Classics team has a long history with Almodóvar that began with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at Orion Classics and has continued with seven films at Sony Pictures Classics , including Goya-winning film The Skin I Live In, Broken Embraces, Volver, Bad Education, All About My Mother and Talk to Her.

Almodóvar’s “The Skin I Live In” Scores a BAFTA Upset

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Almodóvar has claimed his fifth BAFTA award, and he scored an upset in the process…

The 62-year-old Spanish director won the British film industry’s BAFTA award for Best Film Not in the English Language for his critically acclaimed film The Skin I Live In, which stars Antonio Banderas.

Almodóvar beat out the night’s favorite in the category, Iran’s The Separation.

This is Almodóvar’s third win for best film in a language other than English. He’d previousaly claimed the prize for All About My Mother in 2000 and Talk to Her in 2003.

Almodovar didn’t attend the ceremony on Sunday evening at London’s Royal Opera. Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor accepted the prize on his behalf, reading a gracious thank-you and acceptance message from the director.

The favorite in the best foreign language film category had been The Separation, which one the Golden Bear award in Berlin and a Golden Globe.

Almodóvar’s Next Muse: Angelina Jolie?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He’s called Penélope Cruz his muse and directed her in four of his films…. But Pedro Almodóvar could soon be working with another of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities.

While appearing on the red carpet at American Cinematheque‘s annual event for the Golden Globes‘ foreign-language nominees, the 62-year-old Spanish director—whose latest film, The Skin I Live In, recently received 16 Goya Awards nominations—ran into fellow nominee Angelina Jolie and playfully struck a deal to work together.

This year’s entries include Jolie’s In the Land of Blood and Honey, about family strife and abuse of women in Bosnia, and Almodovar’s psycho-thriller The Skin I Live In.

After speaking separately to reporters on the red carpet at the Los Angeles event, Almodóvar and Jolie took a break from interviews to greet each other and talk shop.

Almodóvar joked about improving his English and then eagerly agreed when Jolie expressed an interest in working with him.

“So you promise, one day? When all these cameras are gone, we’ll find a film together?” Jolie asked Almodóvar, to which he responded, “Yes. Absolutely. This is a commitment in front of the cameras.”

“I love her,” Almodóvar said later, adding that he was working on a project set in New York that could be filmed in the United States in English if “the right script” can be found.

Bejo Receives BAFTA Award Nomination

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Bérénice Bejo’s star turn in Michel Hazanavicius’ critically acclaimed silent film The Artist continues to receive rave reviews for her performance…

The 35-year-old Argentine star of the French black-and-white film—an homage to the “pre-talkie” era set in 1920s and 1930s Hollywood—received a BAFTA award nomination for best actress for playing the effervescently charming and irresistibly beautiful Peppy Miller in The Artist.

Bejo—who illuminated the red carpet at Sunday’s Golden Globes in an Emilio Pucci sapphire gown—is up against Michelle Williams for her turn in My Week With Marilyn, Viola Davis for The Help, Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady and Tilda Swinton for We Need To Talk About Kevin.

In all, The Artist leads the field with nominations in 12 categories for this year’s British Academy Film Awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including best film.

Meanwhile, 55-year-old Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias has received a BAFTA award nomination for original music for his work on the spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Iglesias, who earned a London Film Critics’ Circle nod for his work on Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In, will face off against The Artist’s Ludovic Bource, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Hugo’s Howard Shore and War Horse’s John Williams.

The British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday February 12 at the Royal Opera House in London.

Almodóvar’s “The Skin I Live In” Receives Major Goya Awards Love

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He was recently celebrated for his remarkable career by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City… And, now Pedro Almodóvar is receiving love from Spain’s Film Academy…

The 62-year-old Spanish director’s latest film, The Skin I Live In, received 16 Goya Awards nominations on Tuesday, including nods for Best Film and Best Director.

In all, Almodóvar’s latest film led the pack with nods in 16 of the 28 categories. The Skin I Live In was followed closely by Enrique Urbizu’s thriller No Rest for the Wicked with 14 and Kike Maillo‘s directorial debut Eva with 12.

The film’s 16 nominations may help put an end to a period of icy relations between Almodovar and Spain’s Film Academy, which he quit years ago citing irregularities in voting and repeated snubs.

“Pedro will be delighted with the news of so many nominations,” Skin producer and Pedro’s brother Agustin Almodovar told the Spanish daily El Pais, following the announcement. “The Academy has given us a generous welcome. It’s like a big hug.”

The Skin I Live In’s high-profile star Antonio Banderas received a nod in the lead actor category, while Elena Anaya was nominated in the lead actress category.

Meanwhile, Salma Hayek, who will soon be knighted in France, received a best actress nomination for her role in Alex de la Iglesia’s As Luck Would Have It.

Click here for a complete list of nominees.

The London Film Critics’ Circle’s Latino Nominees…

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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 Iglesias—who 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.

Bérénice Bejo: “Golden” Girl

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a “golden” day for Bérénice Bejo, if not a golden year…

The 35-year-old Argentine actress has received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

It’s the latest in a string of award nominations, including a SAG Award nom from the Screen Actors Guild, for Bejo’s scene-stealing work in the critically acclaimed black-and-white, silent film The Artist.

Bejo portrays Peppy Miller, a young dancer on her way to stardom, in the film, which received six Golden Globe nominations—the most for any of this year’s nominated pictures.

Meanwhile, legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In, starring Antonio Banderas, received a nod for Best Foreign Language Film.

In the television category, Sofia Vergara received a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie  category.

It’s the 39-year-old Colombian actress’ second straight Golden Globe nomination for her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family. And her second nomination this week after receiving a SAG Award nomination on Wednesday.

The 69th Golden Globe Awards will take place on Sunday, January 15, 2012.

Click here to see the complete list of nominees.

It’s All About Almodóvar & His Inspired Work in New York City

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

He’s written and directed cherished films like All About My Mother and Volver… And, now Pedro Almodóvar is being recognized for his award-winning work.

The Museum of Modern Art honored the 62-year-old Oscar-nominated filmmaker with a special tribute during the museum’s fourth annual Film Benefit this evening in New York City.

Possibly the most successful and internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker of his generation, Almodóvar is renowned for the Academy Award-winning films Talk to Her and All About My Mother, as well as the award-winning films Broken Embraces, Volver, Bad Education and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In all, Almodóvar’s career spans more than 30 years—with 18 films on his impressive resume.

His most recent critically-acclaimed film The Skin I Live In, starring Antonio Banderas, was released last month.

It’s no wonder Banderas and Almodóvar’s muse Penélope Cruz served as this year’s Film Benefit honorary co-chairs. Banderas has starred in six of the Spanish director’s films; Cruz, who scored a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her starring role in Almodóvar’s Volver, has starred in four.

During the special diner reception, which raises funds to ensure great works of cinema continue to join the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, organizers made a special presentation recognizing Almodóvar’s acclaimed directorial work.

Attendees included Blake Lively, Emma Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker and Drew Barrymore.

Iglesias Receives Hollywood Film Composer Award…

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

Two-time Oscar nominee Alberto Iglesias will receive the Hollywood Film Composer Award at the 15th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards, presented by Starz Entertainment.

The 55-year-old Spanish composer will collect his award at tonight’s Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony in Beverly Hills for his stellar work on Tomas Alfredson’s Cold War thriller “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and Pedro Almodóvar’s haunting “The Skin I Live In.” All four individuals will collect their statuettes at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony, taking place at the Beverly Hilton on October 24.

Considered Spain’s most acclaimed composer, Iglesias has received Best Original Score Academy Award nominations for his work on 2005’s “The Constant Gardener” and “The Kite Runner.” And he could receive another nomination (or two) for his work on “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and/or “ The Skin I Live In.”

Iglesias, who is classically trained in piano, guitar and composition, has actually worked on eight films with Almodóvar, including “Volver” and “Broken Embraces,” gaining critical acclaim for his intriguing and refined melodic sensibilities on Almodóvar’s films like “Bad Education” and “Talk to Her.” His musical contribution have created a psychologically piercing sophistication in those films that fit Almodóvar’s glossy imagery perfectly.

Previous Hollywood Film Composer Award recipients include Thomas Newman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Gustavo Santaolalla, Mark Isham, Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer.

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