The Awards Hype Is On Full Display In The Latest 'Uncut Gems' Trailer

We're right in the middle of awards season, which culminates in February with the Academy Awards, so you've probably noticed that every movie with some connection to an awards nomination if putting that fact front and center. Uncut Gems which is being lauded for Adam Sandler's amazing performance is not different. The awards showcasing aside this trailer serves one perfect purpose that most trailers seem to be unable to do. Summarize what to expect from the movie without giving too much away. While I will agree that this was a quality film and Sandler has put out an undeniable reminder of the talent he can summon, I had a hard time making it through this flick without having an anxiety attack, mostly due to the main character's inability to ever do the right thing....or really ever do something that isn't patently stupid....but at the same time I was glued to the story. Check out the latest trailer below and let us know what you think!

Uncut Gems is in theaters now and you can check out Travis' review here!

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2018 WAFCA Awards: 'Roma' Named Year's Best Film, 'A Star Is Born' Earns Top Acting Honors

Today, the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, of which many of us here are members, announced winners of the 2018 WAFCA Awards. In what will certainly be a departure from the Oscars, it was Alfonso Cuaron's period piece Roma which came away with both Best Film and Best Foreign Language Film, along with Best Director.  A Star is Born swept the major acting categories as Bradley Cooper won Best Actor and Lady Gaga took Best Actress.

The complete list of winners and nominees is below! You can listen to the announcement broadcast here!

Best Film:
Roma

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)

Best Actress:
Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)

Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Best Supporting Actress:
Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Best Acting Ensemble:
The Favourite

Best Youth Performance:
Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)

Best Voice Performance:
Bryan Cranston (Isle of Dogs)

Best Motion Capture Performance:
Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War)

Best Original Screenplay:
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (The Favourite)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Best Animated Feature:
Isle of Dogs

Best Documentary:
Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Best Foreign Language Film:
Roma

Best Production Design:
Production Designer: Hannah Beachler; Set Decorator: Jay Hart (Black Panther)

Best Cinematography:
Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Best Editing:
Tom Cross, ACE (First Man)

Best Original Score:
Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Vice

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NOVA Film Festival 2018 Wrap-Up

The biggest takeaway from the NOVA Fest this year is a welcoming sense of community. At least, that’s what I was told by at least a dozen artists there, all of whom enthusiastically praised the festival for its hospitality and legitimate friendliness. One artist even went so far as to describe it as the “friendliest” film festival he’d ever attended. And I agree.

I’m not an especially sociable person, but it was nearly impossible not to make friends while in attendance. This is one of the only festivals I can think of where they host an after party every night. The Angelika Film Center has successfully made a name for itself as a DC hub for filmmakers.

The festival itself, which closed last night, ended with a big red carpet gala and awards ceremony highlighting the best they had to offer, and I gotta say, they kinda nailed it. I don’t typically tend to agree with the general awards season consensus, so it felt nice to finally be at a ceremony where I did.

Beautiful features (three of which we covered, and you can read about each here, here, and here) left with well-deserved awards in hand, particularly Daddy Issues, which just about swept the categories it was up for including best feature, but also incredible short films and music videos were given the attention and respect they so rarely receive.

The inspiring I am…, the hilarious anti-romantic comedy Sac de Merde, the heat-breaking Pickup, the thought provoking Othello-San, musicals, screenplays, film noir throwbacks, and laugh out loud comedies all received various awards throughout the night, with a lifetime achievement award being handed to legendary Batman executive producer Michael Uslan.

The hottest spot of the festival, however, was hands-down the inclusion of the Capital Film Market. For the first time in the area, a market for distributing independent films was made easily accessible to local artists. It was an element of this year’s festival that was loved by both the NOVA film community and the producers running the market, some of whom had never even been to the DC area before. In this way and many others, the NOVA Fest keeps growing. It was bigger than last year’s, which was bigger than the year before. It keeps growing and gaining power and clout without losing its sense of community.

A full list of awards nominees and winners is available atthe website.

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The 2016 Golden Globes Nominations Rundown: 'Carol' Leads with 5 Nominations, 'Brooklyn' Snubbed

With the close of 2015, the buzz and anticipation for everything awards season is already under way with the Golden Globes kicking off the awards season with their nominations this morning. The Globes are one of the awards shows that combines both the movie and TV world, something the Critic's Choice Awards will also be doing in January. 

And although I still can't understand how a film like The Martian is categorized under comedy/musical, there were several films and TV shows expected to be nominated and some that didn’t make the cut. Critically-acclaimed film, Brooklyn, a movie that was nominated for various critic association awards, including our very own WAFCA, is snubbed in the best motion picture category. However, lead actress Saoirse Ronan is at least nominated for her superb performance in the aforementioned film. 

Leonardo DiCaprio nabs a best actor nod for The Revenant and acclaimed drama, Mr. Robot, is nominated for best TV drama. The Big Short is recognized in four categories, Carol leads with five, and Spotlight, The Danish Girl, The Hateful Eight, The Martian, and Room receive three nominations, respectively. Denzel Washington will be honored and is slated to receive the Cecil B. Demille Award for lifetime achievement. 

The 2016 Golden Globes will be hosted by comedian Ricky Gervais, taking over from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and will air on NBC on January 10, 2016. 

The full list of nominees is below!

Best motion picture, drama
“Spotlight”
“Carol”
“The Revenant”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“Room”

Best motion picture comedy/musical
“Joy”
“The Martian”
“Trainwreck”
“The Big Short”
“Spy”

Best actor in a motion picture, drama
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Danish Girl”
Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs”
Will Smith, “Concussion”
Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo”

Best actor in a motion picture comedy/musical
Matt Damon, “The Martian”
Steve Carell, “The Big Short”
Al Pacino, “Danny Collins”
Mark Ruffalo, “Infinitely Polar Bear”
Christian Bale, “The Big Short”

Best actress in a motion picture, drama
Brie Larson, “Room”
Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”
Cate Blanchett, “Carol”
Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”
Rooney Mara, “Carol”

Best actress in a motion picture comedy/musical
Jennifer Lawrence, “Joy”
Amy Schumer, “Trainwreck”
Lily Tomlin, “Grandma”
Melissa McCarthy, “Spy”
Maggie Smith, “The Lady in the Van”

Best director — motion picture
Ridley Scott, “The Martian”
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “The Revenant”
Tom McCarthy, “Spotlight”
Todd Haynes, “Carol”
George Miller, “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Best supporting actress in a motion picture
Kate Winslet, “Steve Jobs”
Jennifer Jason Leigh, “The Hateful Eight”
Jane Fonda, “Youth”
Alicia Vikander, “Ex Machina”
Helen Mirren, “Trumbo”

Best supporting actor in a motion picture
Sylvester Stallone, “Creed”
Idris Elba, “Beasts of No Nation”
Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”
Michael Shannon, “99 Homes”
Paul Dano, “Love and Mercy”

Best screenplay — motion picture
“Spotlight”
“Steve Jobs”
“The Hateful Eight”
“Room”
“The Big Short”

Best animated feature film
“Anomalisa”
“Inside Out”
“The Good Dinosaur”
“Shaun the Sheep Movie”
“The Peanuts Movie”

Best original score — motion picture
“Carol”
“The Danish Girl”
“The Revenant”
“Inside Out”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”

Best original song
“One Kind of Love,” “Love & Mercy”
“Simple Song #3,” “Youth”
“See You Again,” “Furious 7”
“Love Me Like You Do,” “50 Shades of Grey”
“Writing’s on the Wall,” “Spectre”

Best foreign language film
“Son of Saul”
“Mustang”
“The Fencer”
“Brand New Testament”
“The Club”

Best TV series, drama
“Empire” (Fox)
“Mr. Robot” (USA)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“Outlander” (Starz)
“Narcos” (Netflix)

Best TV series, comedy
“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
“Silicon Valley” (HBO)
“Transparent” (Amazon)
“Veep” (HBO”
“Casual” (Hulu)
“Mozart in the Jungle” (Amazon)

Best TV movie or limited series
“Fargo” (FX)
“American Crime” (ABC)
“American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX)
“Wolf Hall” (PBS)
“Flesh and Bone” (Starz)

Best actor in a TV series, drama
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime)
Wagner Moura, “Narcos” (Netflix)
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot” (USA)
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (AMC)

Best actor in a TV series, comedy
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” (Amazon)
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” (Netflix)
Rob Lowe, “The Grinder” (Fox)
Will Forte, “Last Man on Earth” (Fox)
Patrick Stewart, “Blunt Talk” (Starz)
Gael Garcia Bernal, “Mozart in the Jungle” (Netflix)

Best actress in a TV series, drama
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder” (ABC)
Robin Wright, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Caitriona Balfe, “Outlander” (Starz)
Eva Green, “Penny Dreadful”

Best actress in a TV series, comedy
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” (HBO)
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin” (CW)
Lily Tomlin, “Grace & Frankie” (Netflix)
Jamie Lee Curtis, “Scream Queens” (Fox)
Rachel Bloom, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (CW)

Best actor in a TV movie or limited series
Oscar Isaac, “Show Me a Hero” (HBO)
Patrick Wilson, “Fargo” (FX)
Idris Elba, “Luther” (BBC America)
David Oyelowo, “Nightingale” (HBO)
Mark Rylance, “Wolf Hall” (PBS)

Best actress in a TV movie or limited series
Queen Latifah, “Bessie” (HBO)
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime” (ABC)
Lady Gaga, “American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX)
Sarah Hay, “Flesh and Bone” (Starz)
Kirsten Dunst, “Fargo” (FX)

Best supporting actress in a series, limited series or TV movie
Regina King, “American Crime” (ABC)
Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black”
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey” (PBS)
Maura Tierney, “The Affair” (Showtime)
Judith Light, “Transparent” (Amazon)

Best supporting actor in a series, limited series or TV movie
Damian Lewis, “Wolf Hall” (CBS)
Christian Slater, “Mr. Robot” (USA)
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife” (CBS)
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline” (Netflix)
Tobias Menzies, “Outlander”

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'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' is 2013's Biggest Offender of Movie Product Placement

There are so many awards in Hollywood that it's very easy to lose count of them all. Some of the more fun awards, though, don't have a telecast, and aren't attended by the Hollywood A-list. One of these is brandhannel's annual Brandcameo Product Placement Awards. Brandhannel's creative awards have been around since 2004, and have handed out awards to movies with obvious product placements, even going so far as to separate them into very distinct categories. 

The site has been tracking the ad placement in films for over fifteen years, and it's come to their attention that the number of ads in award-winning films has gone down since 2001, with 2013 being the lowest. Which is impressive, considering the assumption that product placement has only gotten worse. Maybe the product placement has just gotten larger in size, just in case you didn't notice it was there (I'm looking at you, Man of Steel!). 

The primary offender of 2013 was The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The film had product placement interwoven into its plot, such as Papa John's Pizza, Life magazine, and eHarmony. Other movies that had product placement, but didn't get any awards, were Man of Steel (7-11, IHOP, and Sears's large store sign were particularly annoying), Iron Man 3 (Yili milk and Oracle, anyone?), and, though tobacco ad placements are practically non-existent these, Marlboro still makes an appearance in Sylvester Stalone's Escape Plan. 

You can check out the winners of the 2014 Product Placement Awards below! And if you're interested in finding out how brandchannel calculates all of these things and some other fun and interesting tidbits about product placement and movies, head on over to their to find out. 

                                                     

2013 Award for Overall Product Placement 
Budweiser - appeared in Lee Daniels' The Butler, Nebraska, Don Jon, and Star Trek Into Darkness (where a Budweiser factory was used as a stand-in for a spaceship at the end of the film. Interesting fact, right?)

2013 Award for Achievement in Product Placement in a Single Film 
Pain and Gain 

2013 Award for Worst Product Placement
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

2013 Award for Product Placement Achievement in an Oscar-Nominated Film
Philomena and Guinness

2013 Award for Product Placement Achievement in a Foreign Film 
Dhoom 3 and BMW


2013 Award for Best Role in a Supporting Product Placement 
The Internship and Google

2013 Award for Best Off-Screen Supporting Product 
Anchorman 2 and Dodge Durango

2013 Award for Product Placement Impact 
Frozen and Norway

2013 Lifetime Achievement Award for Product Placement 
Under Armour

2013 Award for Product Placement Adaptation 
Warm Bodies and BMW

2013 Award for Visual Effects in Product Placement
Rush

The Forrest Gump Award for Achievement in Reverse Product Placement 
Anchorman 2 and The Rigid Ghost condoms

2013 Coca-Cola Kid Award for Product Placement Title 

午夜微博 (Wǔyè wēibó) "Midnight Weibo"

2013 Wayne's World Award for Product Placement Product Placement 

Anchorman 2 and Jockey

2013 Award for Unwanted Product Placement 

Anchorman 2 and BP

2013 Cleo McDowell "My Buns Have No Seeds" Award 

Movie 43 and ViewThisTube and Zwoogle

2013 Award for Product Placement Production 

Smurfs 2

2013 Award for Original Short 

Sriracha! The Movie

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'12 Years A Slave' Named Best Picture by Black Film Critics Circle

The Black Film Critics Circle, of which I am a voting member, has named Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave the Best Picture of the Year, honoring the slavery drama with six total victories including one for Best Director. Chiwetel Ejiofor took home Best Actor for his performance while co-star Lupita Nyong'o won for Best Supporting Actress, continuing a streak that has the film surging as Academy Award nominations loom. In a somewhat surprising (but welcome in my opinion) move, Brie Larson won Best Actress for the indie drama Short Term 12, while Jared Leto continues to build steam for Dallas Buyers Club, winning Best Supporting Actor.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Picture – “12 Years a Slave”
Best Director – Steve McQueen for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor – Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress – Brie Larson for “Short Term 12”
Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto for “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best Supporting Actress – Lupita Nyong’o for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Original Screenplay – David O. Russell and Eric Singer for “American Hustle”
Best Adapted Screenplay – John Ridley for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Documentary – “20 Feet from Stardom”
Best Animated Film – “Frozen”
Best Cinematography – “Gravity”
Best Foreign Film – “Blue is the Warmest Color”
Best Ensemble – “12 Years a Slave”

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10 Great Overlooked Films from 2013

It's not possible for every movie to receive the same amount of attention. There are literally hundreds of movies that came out every single year, and out of those maybe two or three will end up in your local multiplex. The rest will unspool at the art house or possibly On Demand, and really it's never been easier to get your hands on high-quality films at all times. But even with movie lovers having greater access than ever, there are still plenty of movies that slip beneath the cracks. So to kick off my end-of-the-year round up, I've selected ten of the movies that I absolutely loved that didn't have a lot of buzz....or didn't make a scratch at the box office....or were just severely under-appreciated. Two of these, Blue Caprice and Crystal Fairy, I caught at Sundance and my reviews suggest that I had some extremely high hopes for them. Just goes to show my radar is on the fritz more often than not. These are in no particular order, by the way.

Computer Chess
Director: Andrew Bujalski

There have been a lot of great movies about chess. There have been a lot of great movies about nerds. What do you get when they're put together? You get Andrew Bujalski's retro, offbeat charmer, Computer Chess. Shot in black and white and extremely grainy analog video, the film is set 30 years ago as tech geeks gather for to test out the next wave of computer chess software in a weekend tournament. Technological paranoia and social awkwardness make for a hilarious and offbeat mix as Bujalski methodically pulls back the layers of his quirky cast of characters with his trademark naturalistic dialogue honed through years in the "mumblecore" movement. There couldn't be a less commercial film than Computer Chess but it's well worth the effort to seek out.
+1
Director: Dennis Illiadis
Cast: Rhys Wakefield, Ashley Hinshaw, Logan Miller

Part Invasion of the Body Snatchers, part Can't Hardly Wait, Dennis Illiadis' +1 pretty much had me at 'Hello'. Basically one big "end of the year" bash gets sent to The Twilight Zone when clones of the partygoers start showing up, and since we're talking about a room full of drunken, drug-fueled, hormonal teens all their poor decisions have a chance of being repeated again and again until their world collapses in on itself or something. Yeah, the actual sci-fi stuff is a little messy but no other film has a girl making out with her own clone, or a dude watching himself have sex. Hope he took notes.

At Any Price
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron,  Clancy Brown, Heather Graham, Maika Monroe

It's understandable that audiences didn't turn out for Ramin Bahrani's heartland drama At Any Price; his movies weren't made for the multiplex experience. But critics....really? Where are you? Especially now during awards season there should be some heat behind this powerful melodrama, which explores the idea of the American Dream in today's corporate society. Dennis Quaid has never been better (and I mean that, like ever) as a struggling farmer forced into some dirty tactics just to compete with his rivals. Although it's a low bar, Zac Efron gives the finest performances of his career as Quaid's racer car-driving son, who has no plans of ever joining the family trade. Issues of family loyalty, professional obsession, and the corporatization of America collide in this intimate, old fashioned film. There's a reason why Roger Ebert called Bahrani "the director of the decade", and At Any Price is a perfect example of his gifts.

Crystal Fairy
Director: Sebastian Silva
Cast: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffman

I typically turn up my nose at drug comedies. They've just never done much for me and as someone who has never so much as lit a cigarette, I always feel like I'm missing out on the joke. But Crystal Fairy isn't your typical drug comedy by a long stretch. Michael Cera plays a boorish, drug-addled American on a frenzied quest through Chile to partake of the San Pedro Cactus' hallucinogenic qualities.  While it's fun to watch Cera play a character that is a bit rougher around the edges, Gaby Hoffman steals the show as the titular eccentric hippie weirdo accompanying him. With her bizarre outfits, hairy armpits, and apparently foul body odor, it's the sort of character that easily could have fallen into cliché. But Hoffman never lets it get that far, and Crystal Fairy becomes an honest, empathetic story about being true to one's self.

A Hijacking
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Cast: Pilou Asbaek,  Søren Malling

My colleagues probably got tired of hearing me say that Tobias Lindholm's Danish thriller A Hijacking was better than Captain Phillips but I've yet to find someone who disagrees. While it lacks the true-life aspect of Paul Greengrass' film, A Hijacking more than makes up for it with an engrossing, in your face style that straps you in right alongside the victims of a sudden Somali pirate attack. You’ll have a hard time convincing me Tom Hank's anguished-but-calculated performance compares to Pilou Asbaek's quiet desperation. Branching out beyond the ship to the real world impacts, we see the effect the kidnapping has on the crews' family, and what happens when the hostages' freedom is negotiated by the company CEO. Suffice it to say, you don't want your boss thinking about stock prices when lives are at stake.

Gimme the Loot
Director: Adam Leon
Cast: Tashiana Washington, Ty Hickson

You hear about the plot of Adam Leon's SXSW hit Gimme the Loot and it's hard not to worry: Two African-American graffiti artists cook up a plan to bomb (spray paint for you lay people) that stupid Mets apple in Citifield. Hollywood would do unspeakable things to a plot like this; fill it with racially insulting stereotypes of urban youth and refashion it into some sort of manic heist film.  Fortunately, Leon's film rattles to the beat of its own spray can with a defiant, anti-mainstream spirit that channels the old school hip-hop movement. With an eye towards the early street-level works of Spike Lee, the film is led by Ty Hickson as brash Malcolm, who wears his braggadocio like a badge of honor; and Tashiana Washington as his best friend Sofia, a whip smart tomboy just beginning to flower into a beautiful young lady, although she'd never admit it. Endearing, optimistic, and totally free of pretension, Gimme the Loot should be the model and not such a rare find.

Drinking Buddies
Director: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Jake Johnson, Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston, Jason Sudeikis

If you're one of those who follows my Pinterest board (thanks to those who do!), then you might notice that Joe Swanberg's Drinking Buddies was one of the most recent movies I saw. The truth is I've not been very interested in it, largely because so many of my colleagues have sung its praises for so long. Sorry, that's just how I'm wired. But finally catching up with it I discovered that not only is Drinking Buddies hysterical and chock-a-block with unexpectedly terrific performances, but it may be the smartest relationship movie of the year. New Girl star Jake Johnson and the ubiquitous Olivia Wilde are best friends working at a local brewery, and there's rarely a scene when a beer isn't in somebody's hand. There's an obvious romantic attraction but both are involved with others who may or may not be a better fit. It's a film that explores whether men and women can just be friends without the pull of sexual entanglement, and if not can they at least be good drinking buddies?

The Hunt
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen,  Annika Wedderkopp, Alexandra Rappaport, Thomas Larsen

One thing you won't find a lot of in a Thomas Vinterberg film? Laughs. His latest harrowing personal drama The Hunt returns to the familiar theme of sexual abuse, explored in his breakthrough film The Celebration fifteen years ago. Teaming with co-writer Tobias Lindholm, who appeared on this list earlier for A Hijacking (these guys just don't do funny), the film features a Cannes Best Actor-winning performance by Mads Mikkelsen as a small town teacher falsely accused of molestation by a young student. The firestorm that sweeps the village engulfs his personal and professional life, while internally he's reeling with the incredulity that his claims of innocence are falling on deaf ears. It's a harrowing, surgical look at how only a few small words can reduce a person's life to ashes.

Blue Caprice
Director: Alexandre Moors
Cast: Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Tim Blake Nelson, Joey Lauren Adams

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Blue Caprice didn't play anywhere outside of the Nation's Capital. Heck, it barely played here and frankly I don't blame theaters for not wanting to run with it. The impressive directorial debut by Alexandre Moors dares explore the twisted logic of the DC sniper John Allen Muhammad, played with remarkable intensity by Isaiah Washington, who frankly should be in the Best Actor race right now. This isn't just another blow-for-blow depiction of the three week ordeal that paralyzed DC eleven years ago, but a terrifying look inside the mind of a monster.  In fact, the killings themselves soon fade into the background, which only makes Muhammad's twisted philosophy, one he spreads to the mind of a young Lee Boyd Malvo (Tequan Richmond), all the more disturbing. It's a delicate balancing act trying to figure out Muhammad without sympathizing, but Moors pulls it off effortlessly.

In a World...
Director: Lake Bell
Cast: Lake Bell, Demitri Martin, Fred Melamed, Michaela Watkins, Nick Offerman, Ken Marino

My good friend, voice actor, and WETA Around Town colleague Robert Aubrey Davis will probably faint with joy that Lake Bell's In a World....has made my list of great overlooked movies.  Bell, who has always been a talented lady in front of the camera, does literally everything to make this film about the sexist world of trailer voice-over actors shine. As director, producer, writer, and perky lead she delivers a charming and insightful comedy about a career path none of us having given a lot of thought to. In a way it's like a cousin to those terrific Christopher Guest movies like Best in Show, only a whole lot funnier if you ask me. She gets a lot of help from a hilarious ensemble of comedic heavyweights such as Fred Melamed, Dmitri Martin, Ken Marino, Michaela Watkins, Rob Corddry, Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro, and Nick Offerman (with a couple of sweet cameos best left unspoiled), but it's Bell whose voice is loudest and most welcome. Hopefully we'll be hearing a lot more of it.

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'12 Years A Slave' Leads 20th Annual SAG Awards Nominations

Awards season is in full swing now, and last week saw a number of the biggest critics groups (including our own) revealing their picks for year's best movies. Now it's time for the various guilds to put in their two cents, and the first major one out of the gate is the Screen Actors Guild who revealed their nominees. Unlike the critics awards, the SAGs are generally a pretty good indicator of how the Oscars will turn out, which bodes well for Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave.

McQueen's slavery drama led the pack with four nominations, with acting nods for Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, star Chiwetel Ejiofor, plus a nom for Best Acting Ensemble. There really aren't any surprises in the Female Lead category, but there's a pretty big omission in the Male Lead as Robert Redford was passed over for All is Lost. He had been building a significant amount of steam but this could be a huge hurdle, even though the competition is incredibly fierce this year. Spike Jonze's Her and Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street weren't mentioned once, possibly because neither film screened in time for consideration.

The full list of nominees is below. Winners will be announced on January 18th.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bruce Dern - Nebraska (Paramount Pictures)
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips (Columbia Pictures)
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)
Forest Whitaker - Lee Daniel's The Butler (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics)
Sandra Bullock - Gravity (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Judi Dench - Philomena (The Weinstein Company)
Meryl Streep - August: Osage County (The Weinstein Company)
Emma Thompson - Saving Mr. Banks (Walt Disney Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips (Columbia Pictures)
Daniel Bruhl - Rush (Universal Pictures)
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
James Gandolfini - Enough Said (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle (Columbia Pictures)
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County (The Weinstein Company)
June Squibb - Nebraska (Paramount Pictures)
Oprah Winfrey - Lee Daniel's The Butler (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures) American Hustle (Columbia Pictures) August: Osage County (The Weinstein Company) Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features) Lee Daniel's The Butler (The Weinstein Company)
TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Matt Damon - "Behind the Candelabra" (HBO)
Michael Douglas - "Behind the Candelabra" (HBO)
Jeremy Irons - "The Hollow Crown" (WNET/Thirteen)
Rob Lowe - "Killing Kennedy" (National Geographic Channel)
Al Pacino - "Phil Spector" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Angela Bassett - "Betty & Coretta" (Lifetime)
Helena Bonham Carter - "Burton and Taylor" (BBC America)
Holly Hunter - "Top of the Lake" (Sundance Channel)
Helen Mirren - "Phil Spector" (HBO)
Elisabeth Moss - "Top of the Lake" (Sundance Channel)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi - "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Jeff Daniels - "The Newsroom" (HBO)
Peter Dinklage - "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Kevin Spacey - "House of Cards" (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Danes - "Homeland" (Showtime)
Anna Gunn - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Jessica Lange - "American Horror Story: Coven" (FX)
Maggie Smith - "Downton Abbey" (PBS)
Kerry Washington - "Scandal" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Jason Bateman - "Arrested Development (Netflix)
Ty Burrell - "Modern Family" (ABC)
Don Cheadle - "House of Lies" (Showtime)
Jim Parsons - "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik - "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Julie Bowen - "Modern Family" (ABC)
Edie Falco - "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
Tina Fey - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "Veep" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Arrested Development" (Netflix)
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"Veep" (HBO)

SAG AWARDS® HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
All is Lost (Lionsgate) Fast & Furious 6 (Universal Pictures) Lone Survivor (Universal Pictures) Rush (Universal Pictures) The Wolverine (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"The Walking Dead" (AMC)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 50th Annual Life Achievement Award
Rita Moreno

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Awards push for "Spring Breakers" begins with James Franco clip

Is it James Franco's "American dream" to win an Oscar? Well, one of the best parts of his role as Alien in Harmony Korine's "Spring Breakers" was his discussion of how he's living the American Dream with "all my shit," so perhaps Franco is looking to add a little golden man to that mix.

As the awards season push begins, it looks like film distribution production company A24 is hoping for voters to remember Franco's performance - and they've released a sizzle reel to remind us all of the insanity. To be fair, Franco was pretty great in "Spring Breakers," but is it realistic to think he'll get nominated when Jared Leto and Michael Fassbender also gave great performances in "The Dallas Buyers Club" and "12 Years a Slave"? It's possible, and you can make your own decision after viewing the video.

Although, I must say: James Franco didn't care enough about the Oscars when he was hosting with Anne Hathaway that year. But now he wants win one? Hmm.

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'Fruitvale' takes home Grand Jury and Audience Awards at Sundance; see full list of winners

It was 10 long days, 119 movies from over 30 countries, and thousands of people who turned out in Park City for this year's Sundance Film Festival.  It was a great event, and tonight saw first-time director Joseph Gordon-Levitt hosting the ceremony announcing the prestigious jury and audience award winners.

The big winner of the evening was Fruitvale, Ryan Coogler's dramatization of the Oscar Grant shooting, which took home both the U.S. Dramatic Jury Grand Prize and the Dramatic Audience award. The Directing Award for Drama went to Jill Soloway for her stripper comedy, Afternoon Delight. James Ponsoldt's eagerly awaited The Spectacular Now(review here) took home the Special Jury Prize for Acting for stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. Sebastian Silva, who had two films with Michael Cera at the festival, won in the World Cinema Directing: Drama category for Crystal Fairy(review here).

Fruitvale had the most buzz of any film out there, so its victory comes as no surprise to me. The film has already been picked up by The Weinstein Company and should get a significant award season push. I'm also happy to see Crystal Fairy and The Spectacular Now, two of my favorites from the festival, getting the acclaim they deserve. 

See the complete list of winners below:

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FilmFest DC announces this year's festival award winners

Prior to the closing night film at the Washington, DC International Film Festival(FilmFest DC), the winning entries were announced for this year's various competitive categories. Boasting more than 80 films from over 35 different countries, this year's event was one of the largest in its 26 year history. More than 23,000 people attended screenings of never-before-seen films ranging from light comedies, to hard hitting documentaries and rapturous musicals. The festival ran from April 12th to April 22nd, held at a number of participating Washington, DC area theaters.

This year, FilmFest DC offered two Audience Award categories: one for documentary film and another for feature film. The two selected winners also happened to be the most recognizable of the entire festival. Monsieur Lazhar, the renowned Canadian film that was a finalist for this year's Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language category, won in the Feature Film category.  Kevin MacDonald's Bob Marley biopic, Marley, took home the award in the Documentary category.

The biggest award of the night goes to the winner of The Circle Award, a jury competition selecting a film deserving greater recognition and exposure. The winner receives a $10,000 prize and a tentative distribution deal with SnagFilms. The winner of the award this year was the powerful Iranian film, Facing Mirrors, about a conservative woman in Tehran who secretly drives the taxi cab of her jailed husband. She picks up the fare of a lifetime in a rich, pre-op transsexual on the run from an arranged marriage. Producer Fereshteh Taerpour was on hand to accept the award for director Negar Azarbayjani.

The full list of FilmFest DC award winners are below.

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