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Last month Bill Plympton's outrageously funny and dazzling animated romance "Cheatin’" opened in theaters across the country and on Vimeo on Demand. The award-winning film was Kickstarter-backed by Pylmpton's fans around the world and has received widespread critical acclaim. Now, the “King of Indie Animation” has returned to Kickstarter to ask animation fans to support his new Tarantino-esque animated feature film, "Revengeance." The film, a biker revenge dark comedy, mark’s Plympton’s eighth animated feature. You can check out an exclusive preview of the movie Here.

For the first time in his career, Plympton is collaborating on a film; co-creating "Revengeance" with underground animator and cartoonist Jim Lujan ("Sanjourno Must Die," "Spike and Mike," "Freakdaddy"). The talented voice cast includes Dave Foley ("The Kids in the Hall"), Kristina Wong, Lalo Alcaraz, Ken Mora, Jim Lujan himself, and actor Matthew Modine.

Modine, a long-time supporter of independent animation, is best known as “Pvt. Joker” in Stanley Kubrick’s "Full Metal Jacket," and as “Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley” in Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight Rises." He can next be seen in this Summer’s new TNT drama, "Proof," opposite Jennifer Beals. He previously voiced two short films ("Santa," "The Fascist Years" and "The Flying House") by Plympton and executive produced Plympton’s "Cheatin’."

“Bill’s new feature with Jim Lujan looks like a blast. I’m excited to voice both ‘Sid,’ a biker gang member, and ‘Master,’ a cult leader! It’s fun doing character work like this and I love traditional hand-drawn animation,” said Matthew Modine.

Plympton will produce, animate, and direct "Revengeance" while Lujan will write, design, compose music, and voice many of the characters. Producer Adam Rackoff who served as Executive Producer on Plympton’s "The Flying House" and "Cheatin’" is returning to Executive Produce "Revengeance." The film has already begun production and is based on an original screenplay written by Lujan.

Plympton’s Cheatin’ was a Kickstarter darling. The campaign, launched in 2012, raised $100,916, nearly $26,000 past the fundraising goal.

Commented Bill Plympton: “I met Jim Lujan years ago when he interviewed me about my film Idiots and Angels, and he gave me some of his DVDs. I was really impressed by his work and asked him if he’d be interested in collaborating on a film. When he sent me the script for 'Revengeance' it was like discovering a new world---the underbelly of Los Angeles with bikers, gangsters, drug dealers, crooked politicians, and prostitutes. It was really dark and fascinating. I was so excited to make his film and thus the pre- production journey began. It’s a delight to come back to Kickstarter and officially launch 'Revengeance!' I think Kickstarter is the future for independent filmmaking.”

Added Jim Lujan: “Getting to know Bill through the years has really been inspiring. He truly is the “king of indie animation” and such a great person. Bill has kicked doors down and allowed me to learn from him. I couldn’t ask for a better collaborator on 'Revengeance' and we are thrilled to get this project off the ground.”

There is only week left to support this promising and unique project. Supporters can receive a variety of rewards including signed DVDs, Blu-rays, rare artwork, original animation drawings, and personal caricatures by Plympton. For the right price, fans can even have their likeness animated into the film as an “extra.”

Other rewards for the "Revengeance" campaign include:

-A private link to the finished film for a pledge of only $15 or more,

-An exclusive "Revengeance" postcard autographed by Plympton for pledges of $35 or more,

-An HD Blu-ray of the film hand-signed by Plympton for pledges of $75 or more.

-For backers who can pledge $100, you can get either an original animation drawing from "Revengeance" or a collection of limited edition caricature prints from Bill’s early years as an illustrator.

-Those who pledge $300 can get a classic animation drawing from one "Your Face," The Tune," "How to Kiss" or Plympton's MTV work

-Fans who pledge $400 or $499 will be able to select a classic production cel or drawing from "Your Face," The Tune," "How to Kiss" or Plympton's MTV work

- $500 or more, will get you “Bill Plympton’s Super Fan Package” and a “special thanks” credit at the end of the film. This package includes nearly all of Plympton’s animated films and books, with everything autographed (6 DVDs, 2 CDs, 2 posters, and 3 books).

-For pledges $1,000 or more, fans receive an original 8.5 x 11 in Wanted poster featuring a caricature of themselves hand-drawn by Plympton.

-For the first time, fans can be animated into a Plympton film as an “extra” for pledges of $1,500 or more.

For the complete list of rewards, please visit the "Revengeance" Kickstarter page.

Bill Plympton is widely considered to be the “King of Indie Animation.” He has been nominated for Academy Awards for "Your Face" (1987) and "Guard Dog" (2004) and is the first person to hand-animate an entire feature film entirely by himself. Bill and his team have been busy keeping up with the hundreds of questions and requests that continue to come through the Kickstarter message boards. To view the Kickstarter page and pledge your support, please visit: http://kck.st/1aEhcVG. The campaign ends on May 21.

"Revengeance" is directed, animated, and produced by Bill Plympton; written, designed, voiced, and scored by Jim Lujan; and Executive Produced by Adam Rackoff and Matthew Modine.

Kickstarter: http://kck.st/1aEhcVG

Official Film Website: http://www.revengeancemovie.com...

Chicago – Exclusive! Free festival 7-packs! In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of guaranteed festival 7-packs up for grabs to the third-annual Chicago Critics Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre from the Chicago Film Critics Association!

The festival runs from Friday, May 1 to Thursday, May 7, 2015 at the Music Box Theatre. The festival will premiere more than two dozen films to Chicago that are hand-selected by Chicago critics. The films, which include the latest works from Joe Swanberg, Bobcat Goldthwait, Andrew Bujalski, James Ponsoldt, Francois Ozon and many more, are recent film festival hits from Sundance, South by Southwest, Cannes, Venice and Toronto and more. The full 2015 Chicago Critics Film Festival schedule can be found here. Read a preview of the festival here.

Each HollywoodChicago.com winner will win Two festival 7-packs of guaranteed tickets to experience the following Chicago premieres at the times and dates below...

Independent filmmaking is not only a labor of love, is one of tireless perseverance, devoted collaborations, and unshakable faith on a project that may or may not remunerate anyone involved. Failure is not a vague possibility but a really possible outcome. Now let's take those incredibly challenging stakes and double them when speaking about independent animation. Indoctrinated by a lifetime of impeccably fairy tales and magical adventures, it's difficult for both American audiences and investors to see animation as an art form that shouldn't be bound to easily digestible, children-oriented themes.

Europe and Asia -Japan, in a particular - have a more sophisticated relationship with the medium. They understand its power, beauty and possibilities beyond the happy-ending artificiality we are used to. In the U.S. few voices in animation make waves while working outside of the studios grip, among them Bill Plympton is by far the most celebrated and prolific. His irreverent artistry has refuse to a align with the status quo both stylistically and thematically for the past 30 years.

In Plympton's films the artist is ever-present in the visible handcraft of every frame. Colorful, ironic, sometimes twisted, and others endearing, his characters, even with all the surrealism that coats them, are more human than those which are smoothly crafted digitally. His work feels alive and delves into a wondrous array of emotions, concerns, and tragedies that others avoid. To call it daring and one-of-a-kind would be an understatement.

His latest feature "Cheatin'," is a spellbinding tale that translate all the irrationality of love into an exhilarating animated experience. A man and a woman fall hopelessly in love for each other, but when they suspect the other is being unfaithful, hatred kicks in with the same force as their passion once did. Delightfully racy and visually stunning, this is the most audacious and intelligent animated film you will see this year.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Plympton about "Cheatin'" and the challenges and privileges associated with being an independent animator in a profit-driven world.

Aguilar: Your films, both shorts and features, often take us into extraordinarily imaginative trips, but they also seem to come from everyday issues we can all relate to. Tell me about the origins of “Cheatin’” and about transforming the familiar premise of a relationship in trouble into an animated wonder.

Bill Plympton : It’s taken from a real relationship I had that went very bad and we decided to break up because we were so bad together. I thought this would be a good idea for a film because there would a lot of humor in it. There is always a lot of humor in conflict and there was a lot of conflict in our relationship. Around 2009 I made a list of all the scenes I wanted to include. Once I got that down I started doing a storyboard. This was a tiny storyboard it wasn’t a big one. When I had that figured out then I went and did the finished storyboard, and this is where all the real problems are answered. This is where I design the characters, I design the editing, I design the story, I design the backgrounds. Everything was resolved in that major storyboard. I liked it, I thought it was a great idea and had good potential. Then I went right into animation.

Aguilar: The surreal, dream-like sequences are a highlight of the film. They are inventive metaphors that really showcase a refreshing and uncompromising use of the medium.

Bill Plympton: That’s the magic of animation, you can go on these crazy surreal dream-like sequences. They are really fun to draw and fun to watch. My favorite is the one where Ella is sitting on a park bench and she discovers her heart. She discovers romance. You realize she’s been hiding her love deep inside of her soul. She wants to go inside and discover her heart, bring it out, and revive it. That’s when she falls in love with this guy named Jake. I think that was a very poetic sequence and it was done without dialogue, it’s all visual storytelling. It’s one of my favorite parts.

Aguilar: As you mentioned, the film doesn’t have any dialogue. It’s completely cinematic, yet you are able to convey rather complex ideas. Why did you feel this was the best approach for a film like “Cheatin’”?

Bill Plympton: You use the word cinematic and that’s one of my favorite words. It really is about storytelling with images. I’ve done that before even when I was doing illustration. I would do cartoon strips, sequential comic strips with 10 or 12 panels and not use any dialogue. I always felt that was a very powerful and poetic way to tell a story. Then when I started doing animation I did some of my shorts without dialogue such as all the Guard Dog films. They had no dialogue and they were very successful. Therefore, with “Idiots and Angels” I decided to try to make a feature film without dialogue. Nobody had any problem with it, nobody complaint about it having no dialogue, so I felt pretty sure that I could make “Cheatin’” also without words. Sure enough everybody likes the idea that there’s no dialogue, no one’s complaint about it. But you know, I’m not a very good writer of dialogue [Laughs], so it made sense for me to use this way to tell a story. It’s often times more powerful that way.

Aguilar: Would you say it’s more difficult to devise visual sequences that express what you want to say rather than having the characters say it?

Bill Plympton: Occasionally there might be some places where I wish I could put dialogue, but eventually I’ll find a solution to tell it visually and it’s actually more successful that way. I find it easier to make a film without dialogue simply because doing all the lip-sync, the recording, and the editing of words is really time-consuming and work-intensive, so for me it’s easier to draw without the words.

Aguilar: Tell me about the visual style and how you draw your characters. They have a very peculiar aesthetic with a certain entrancing fluidity. I also love the fact that you can see the handcraft in the lines throughout the film.

Bill Plympton: I started out as an illustrator so I love the act of drawing, and I love drawing people, to me that’s the pleasure. But with this film I really wanted to exaggerate. For example, Jake’s body, his physique with the real tight abdominal muscles, was fun to do. I wanted to really stretch the anatomy, to really push the deformations of muscles in the arms, and the crazy positions a lot more because I just felt that this film needed to be more exaggerated. It’s a very stylized film and it’s kind of an opera in fact. Their passions are so over-the-top that it felt like an opera, so I wanted to stretch the characterization a lot more. That’s why I used Nicole Renaud’s music, because she writes very European, operatic kind of music and I felt that worked really well with the story and with the characters.

Aguilar: Nicole Renaud’s music definitely gives the film a unique feel that is retro but also timeless. However, there are many other elements in the film that make us wonder about where and when it takes place. It all blends beautifully.

Bill Plympton: I love that retro feel. It’s a real mélange of different techniques, styles, and eras. The cars are kind of like 30s or 40s cars, which I think are really fun to draw. The clothes are also from that era. The soul machine is kind of retro from old showbiz - vaudeville kind of shows. The music is European, and the architecture is kind of Southern border town with lots of overhanging balconies, shadows and shade. For me shadows are really a part of the drawing, and I love drawing shadows because it realty fills out the dimensions of the characters, it gives them weight. I love doing shadows, and that’s why I set the story in a desert town, but you’ll see a couple palm tress in there. It’s really a mixture of different eras and locations.

Aguilar: Unfortunately, we, as audiences, have been trained to think of animation as a medium that’s exclusively for children’s content, but your films take a different direction and use the medium to tell stories involving more adult subjects. Films like yours prove that this is much broader storytelling medium.

Bill Plympton: That’s a really important point that you are talking about, and I really appreciate that. I think animation can be a full spectrum of different storytelling techniques and different genres. I think it’s sad that there is only one audience that the studios are aiming for and that’s the kid audience. It’s really tragic that they don’t’ make films for older people. People like me. I know a lot of the Pixar artists and they all have real lives where they have affairs, and they have jealousies, they have divorces, and these are real adult themes that they’ve lived through, but they are not allowed to make films using these themes simply because that would ruin their kiddy market. I feel that I can’t complete with them doing kids films, but I do want to make films that deal with issues that I think about everyday like romance, sex, and serious stuff. I’m not competing with them, I’m showing an alternative, and I’m showing a different road that they can take. I want to make films that are different, films that are unique, I don’t want to make the same old children’s’ fairy tale, I want to make something that’s real and that’s about our dreams, our thoughts, and out passions. That to me is what “Cheatin’” is all about.

Aguilar: In the U.S. 2D animation is scarce. For many years now CG has become the norm, but there is still something incredibly special about hand-drawn projects. Why do you prefer this technique in particular?

Bill Plympton: That’s one of the reasons I couldn’t get distribution, of course one was that it wasn’t a kiddy film, and the other was that it wasn’t computer animation. I like the idea of seeing a film that has the artist’s hand in there,a film where you can see his strokes, you can see his working patterns. It's like going to a museum and seeing a Renoir drawing. You want to see their work and you want to see how they put it together. For me to see that in animation is really fresh, it’s really exciting, it’s really original. That’s why I hope people will come see the film, because it’s a very unique film and it has a very special style and look.

Aguilar: Tell me about financing ”Cheatin’” through Kickstarter and finding a way to make your film when the big studios are not supportive of your ideas.

Bill Plympton: Kickstarter and platforms like it are going to chance the way people make movies in the U.S and all over the world. In the past I’ve had to go begging to the big studios, show my stories, and do a dog and pony show to kind of pitch, and pitch and pitch. This is very frustrating because there is so much rejection involved. But now, I don’t need to go to the studios. If I need money for a project I got to my fans, who are really the people that I should go to anyway. The studios don’t understand what I’m trying to do, they don’t care about what I’m trying to do, but the fans do, the fans love what I do, and the fans support me. They want to see more films from me, so it makes sense that I go straight to them rather than the studios.

Aguilar: You are such a prolific artist, besides “Cheatin’” you also recently released the short “Footprints,” which was shortlisted by the Academy. Where do you search for new ideas that can work as animated films and how do you choose what project to do next?

Bill Plympton: When I was doing illustrations for magazines I built up an “idea file,” which had folders of ideas that I wanted to develop. The file has gotten so big now that I have too many ideas, but not enough time or money to make all the films. I like to draw them all myself, so it’s very important that I select the right film to make next. I select them based on whatever film would give me the most pleasure. The good thing about being independent is that no one is going to say I can’t do that. I don’t have to wait for a big producer to say “Here is your green light go ahead on it.” I can greenlight it myself, and that’s a real luxury that is worth the price of being an independent artist. I have three or four features that I want to do next. They are all lined up. I also have two or three shorts that are ready to go too. They are all storyboarded and ready but I have to use my time wisely.

Aguilar: Which of these projects you are developing are you focused on now? Where can we expect to see them?

Bill Plympton: There are two feature films I’m working on now. One is a mockumentary about Adolf Hitler. It’s crazy. Hitler was a big fan of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and I thought it would be very funny to create an alternative reality where Hitler became the Walt Disney of Europe. The other one is called “Revengeance” and it’s written by Jim Lujan, who is also an animator. He wrote the story, deigned the characters and did the voices. That one is about a third of the way done, so that’ll be about probably next year.

Aguilar: “Cheatin’” is finally opening this week theatrically. Where can people see it? I understand you will be present at some of the screening.

Bill Plympton: Yes, “Cheatin’” opens April 3rd at the Village East in New York. I will be there every night to sign autographs for everybody and to introduce the film. It also opens across the country after April 12th. I’ll be touring for about two weeks making special appearances throughout the U.S. Then it will be available on Vimeo on Demand starting April 21st. Also on iTunes, through Shorts International, you will be able to get all my backlog of shorts. There is almost 15 hours of cartoons that I’ve doing for the last 30 years. People can find out more about where “Cheatin’” is playing and more about the film at http://cheatinmovie.com/...

Here’s a first look at the new trailer and poster for Cheatin,’ the award-winning, surreal animated adult tale of love, jealousy, revenge, and murder.

Inspired by the work of James M. Cain (“Double Indemnity”, “The Postman Always Rings Twice”), Cheatin’ marks Academy Award nominated Bill Plympton’s seventh animated feature film.

The film screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November 2014. In his Sliff review, Jim Batts called the film, “a wonderful, imaginative featuree animated film,” adding Plympton is, “at the zenith of his artistic powers here, with a long-form film that captures all of the charm of his quirky shorts.”

In a fateful bumper car collision, Jake and Ella meet and become the most loving couple in the long history of Romance.

But when a scheming “other” woman drives a wedge of jealousy into their perfect courtship, insecurity spells out an untimely fate.

With only the...

The first time I recall Terry Gilliam‘s name being used to sell me on a movie it was City of Lost Children, but that was through a critic blurb making a comparison between the Brazil director and City‘s Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. Prior to that, though, he’d actually lent his name as a presenter for their Delicatessen. I might not have discovered those movies without the endorsement. Later, Gilliam also put his name in a similar manner on Bill Plympton’s Idiots and Angels. As a Gilliam fan, I fell in love with Jeunet’s work immediately, while I’d already been into Plympton and now had more reason to appreciate the animation legend. I don’t know that Gilliam attached his name to anything before, between or after those two — I’m not counting the BBC TV adaptation of the book The Last Machine: Early Cinema and the Birth of the...

Following previous announcements of their film lineup, the Fantasia International Film Festival has released their full lineup of movies to be shown at the 18th Annual festival, starting July 17.

New additions to the lineup include 2014 Cannes Selection When Animals Dream, directed by Jonas Alexander Amby and the return of Fantasia’s showcase of animated films, Axis.

Tickets for the festival go on sale starting July 16, and the festival runs through August 5.

View the whole press release of additional announcements below:

Fantasia Celebrates Its 18th Birthday

With Over 160 Feature Films Montreal, Thursday July 10, 2014 – 2014 is the year that Fantasia turns 18. We can’t believe it either. Fantasia’s 18th birthday means over 160 features and something in the neighborhood of 300 shorts, many being shown for the first time on this continent, a good number screening here for the first time anywhere in the world.In addition to being stacked with a multitude of breathtaking debut filmmaker discoveries,...

Crowdfunding campaigns are everywhere these days, and with this week’s report on the huge success of films financed through Kickstarter (more than 8,500 projects have made their goal since 2009), the number is sure to keep getting bigger. So, how do you choose which projects to help out, if that’s something you’re interested in? The easiest way to go is to find familiar talent, such as a veteran indie filmmaker looking to both avoid the established studios and financiers and focus on pleasing his fans rather than a suit with a checkbook. Animator Bill Plympton is a perfect model for how crowdfunding works best with an artist’s fanbase, by calling on and also giving back to the loyal followers as well as potential newbies. His latest feature, Cheatin’, is currently in the works and needs financial support, which he’s seeking through Kickstarter. It’s likely mostly people who know and love past “Plymptoons” like...

While blockbusters battle it out on the big screen, some of the best of what to watch is at home, streaming directly to your TV. In the past couple of weeks, Netflix has added a plethora of stellar titles to its instant library including a rock n’ roll redemption documentary, a dark and hilarious animated feature and an overlooked Friedkin title. The New and Noteworthy Last Days Here (2011) When we first meet Bobby Liebling, frontman for heavy metal band Pentagram, he is barely more than some tattered skin haphazardly thrown on top of a pile of bones. Years of drug abuse fueled by regret over a superstar career that almost was has left the singer a drain on his parents (in whose basement he lives) and his friends. His manager, Sean Pelletier, displays unfathomable patience as he works tirelessly to get Liebling and Pentgram back on the map. Through the course of Last Days Here the unthinkable...

Blu-ray Review

The Secret World of Arrietty

Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Cast: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett

Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Rating: G

Due Out: May 22, 2012

Plot: A four-inch-tall girl named Arrietty (Mendler) lives under a house with her parents (Arnett and Poehler). Their harmless life is threatened when they are discovered by a sick boy named Shawn.

Who’S It For? The typical enchantment of Arrietty won’t lose kids, but the slow pacing will. This one is for young ones who don’t even hesitate to opt for the apple slices when ordering fast food. With its detailed animation and a script co-written by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, it’ll likely satisfy animation nerds most of all.

Movie:

Though Arrietty is beautiful to look at, its story simply doesn’t have the same magic. The tale of the “Borrowers” has been done in various incarnations before,...

If the distinctive animation style of the couch gag that launched last night's episode of "The Simpsons" looked familiar (and very non-Springfield standard), that's because it's the work of indie animator Bill Plympton ("Idiots and Angels," "I Married a Strange Person!"). The extended sequence, which you can watch below, runs almost 90 seconds and envisions a younger Homer having an affair and fathering a baby armchair with the couch before he meets Marge. After that, things go downhill for the jilted sofa. Plympton joins the ranks of fellow guest couch gag animators Banksy and John Kricfalusi, though the latter two never raised the question of what, exactly, a couch takes off when working as a stripper -- its slipcovers?...

The Secret World of Arrietty

Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Cast: (voices of) Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett

Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Rating: G

Release Date: February 17, 2012

Plot: A four-inch-tall girl named Arrietty (Mendler) lives under a house with her parents (Arnett and Poehler). Their harmless life is threatened when they are discovered by a sick boy named Shawn.

Who’S It For?: The typical enchantment of Arrietty won’t lose kids, but the slow pacing will. This one is for young ones who don’t even hesitate to opt for the apple slices when ordering fast food. With its detailed animation and a script co-written by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, it’ll likely satisfy animation nerds most of all.

Expectations: This originally Japanese movie comes from Studio Ghibli, the animation deities well known for movies like Ponyo or even My Neighbor Totoro (they’re the guys...

At midnight on October 18, 2011, author and journalist Harold Goldberg launched a unique Web experience and experiment: Playing with Fire, a horror-based script collaboration with three brilliant Oscar- and Emmy-nominated craftsmen. Read on for all the details of how you can participate.

The Goldberg-penned fright script features a bored, disaffected group of kids who come of age as they play a strange, seemingly anthropomorphic fighting video game. Creepiness ensues as the teens try to unravel the terror-filled mystery behind the game.

Those who go to the Playing with Fire website will have the chance to interact with it beyond the features that will be launched each day. Fans can submit their own drawings and trailers -- and suggestions for the script as well. Those who submit are eligible for prizes, everything from cash to video games to Goldberg’s best-selling book All Your Base Are Belong to Us to an eerie dinner with Goldberg.

Comic-Con International has released the full schedule for Sunday July 24th for San Diego Comic-Con 2011. This is the final day of the convention. Sunday is known as Kids day and is usually the slowest of all the days, there are a few surprises though. In all my years of going to Comic-Con I've never been to a panel in Hal H. Usually nothing is happening in Hall H on Sunday, this year there are a few TV programs going on in Hall H such a as Glee, Supernatural, Doctor Who, The Cleveland Show, Sons of Anarchy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and this year Buffy the Musical will be in the great Hall as well. I've never been to the Buffy Musical event, and I think I finally want to go this year. A couple of other things worth noting are a one on one panel with Nathan Fillion, and Max Brooks talks about zombies.

Like always, Comic Con International is revealing the schedule of events day by day. It certainly makes planning a lot easier. But that's neither here nor there. There's a lot of panels to cover, so let's just get to it. Check out the pertinent film and television panels set for the first two days of the show after the jump.

The first "day" of the show is Preview Night only, so there's only a couple things happening that night:

6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural: The Anime Series—

Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition with exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilot episodes of three of the most highly anticipated TV series pilots of the 2011-12 television season — Alcatraz, Person of Interest, and The Secret Circle — as well as Supernatural: The Anime Series,...

We're less than two weeks away from the 2011 San Diego Comic Con, and convention organizers have finally released the schedule for the first day of programing. You can find the full schedule on comic-con.org [1], or after the jump I've listed the film and television highlights, which includes the Masters of the Web panel which I've been invited to be a panelist on (In full disclosure, I've been asked to be on this panel for a few years now, but I've only just recently gotten over my fear of speaking in front of large audiences). It should be a fun panel, and I hear they will be giving away some really cool prizes as well. Wednesday (Preview Night) 6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural: The Anime Series— Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night...

Comic-Con International has unleashed the full schedule for Wednesday and Thursday for the San Diego Comic-Con 2011, and there is going to be a ton of stuff to keep you incredibly busy and entertained.

Like I've been saying it's never to early to start planning, and there is a ton of stuff here that we are looking forward to checking out. I've gone through the list and put exclamation points next to all of the events that we are looking forward to attending. What panels and events are you looking forward to?

We will be at Comic-Con in full force this year, bringing you everything you need and want to know about. We will also be having a GeekTyrant meet-up this year, which we announce soon.

See you at the con!

Wednesday July 20th

!!! 6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its annual list of invited new members, and it’s clear they’re continuing to try to make their membership younger. On the list alongside veterans like John Hawkes and David Duchovny are a slew of twentysomethings, including Mia Wasikowska, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rooney Mara. The Board of Governors also decided to extend an invitation to Restrepo codirector Tim Hetherington, the first time Academy membership has been bestowed posthumously. As a side note, it’s also a hoot to now say the phrase Oscar voter Russell Brand.

Beverly Hills, CA . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy.s roster of members.

.These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks..

The Academy.s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.

In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.

HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy’s roster of members.

“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks.”

The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.

In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.

April 7, 2011 (New York, NY) -  It was announced today by Tromadance director Jonathan Lees, that the Tromadance Film Festival (April 22-23, Asbury Park NJ) will feature guest panelists Michael Gingold (Managing Editor of Fangoria Magazine), cult animator John Goras (Chirpy), and legendary Queen of Independent Cinema, Debbie Rochon, along with Academy Award nominated animator Bill Plympton, and New York State Film Commissioner Pat Kaufman.  Special guest panelist and Tromadance founder, Lloyd Kaufman, will serve as moderator. 

The panel will be Selling Your Movie in the Age of Digital Revolution.  Now that the digital revolution has allowed all of us to make our own damn movies, how do we live off them in a media world controlled by giant conglomerates?

(Details on panelists bellow)

Pat Kaufman, as New YorkState's Film Commissioner, has spearheaded the $2 billion NY State incentive program which has fostered the great growth of New York's film industry.

http://www.

 

                                 

We got some news in this morning that animator Bill Plympton is scheduled to appear at Tromadance Film Fest.

From the Press Release:

March 1, 2011 (New York, NY)- Academy Award nominee, veteran animator, and director Bill Plympton (The Cow Who Wanted to Be A Hamburger,Your Face and the award winning feature film Idiots and Angels) has agreed to be a guest panelist at the 12th Annual Tromadance Film Festival (April 22-23, Asbury Park, New Jersey), it was announced today by Tromadance Founder Lloyd Kaufman.  Mr. Plympton will be appearing Saturday, April 23 at the official Tromadance venue, the Showroom Theater (708 Cookman Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712).   

Mr. Plympton has contributed cartoons to publications such as The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and Vanity Fair.  His animations and short films have appeared on MTV's Liquid Television and Cartoon Sushi. Mr. Plympton has also created ground breaking animated music videos for artistsKanye West,...

Michael C. here from Serious Film for Tuesday Top Ten.

The great contradiction of awards season is that there is nothing spectators enjoy more than a surprise yet that doesn't stop anyone from doing everything but pick through the trash of Academy members looking for clues that might help in divining their choices. The truth is that film awards, like presidential elections or tomorrow's weather, are not all that difficult to predict once you know a few basics. That's what makes genuine shockers such a rare treat.

So, with the Golden Globe winners suggesting a year of easy calls across the board and the BAFTA nominees giving tiny flickers of hope to a few longshot candidates (particular in the actress categories), let's dive into past out-of-the-blue choices with the ten most surprising Oscar nominations and see if they hint at any rays of hope for this year's long shots.

     Ten...

Quickcard Review

The Illusionist

Directed by: Sylvain Chomet

Cast: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin

Running Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Rating: PG

Release Date: January 14, 2011 (Chicago)

Plot: A talented magician (Donda) struggles to find work while becoming friends with a young girl (Rankin) who snuck away from her village.

Who’S It For? Fans of Jacques Tati will be delighted to see his original story brought to life, but those who can get lost in animation that doesn’t have spunky characters or even dialogue for that matter will enjoy themselves.

Overall

The Illusionist is a piece of art hand-drawn with undeniable charm from the unique style of director Sylvain Chomet, but its a movie truly made by the man given an “Original Story” credit – Jacques Tati. The classic French director’s original concept does more than just provide the tale with a course of events, it provides the soul that Chomet’s...

Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 241 screenplays (134 original and 107 adapted) are eligible for Best Screenplay nominations and 77 films are eligible for Best Original Score (not including Black Swan, The Fighter or The Kids Are All Right).

Earlier we shared the 248 films eligible for Best Picture. Even though there are great deal of films that were amazing movie going experiences, Academy voters are likely only to concentrate on the films that have garnered awards from other organizations.

Below are the front runners for each of the categories thanks to Awards Daily:

Best Original Screenplay

Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg -The Kids Are All Right David Seidler – The King’s Speech Christopher Nolan – Inception Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin – Black Swan Mike Leigh – Another Year Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson – The Fighter Derek Cianfrance – Blue Valentine

Best Adapted Screenplay

Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network...

We know you were losing sleep over it, so we're happy to be the first to tell you that Furry Vengeance and Yogi Bear are both eligible to be nominated for Best Screenplay Oscars on January 25. Also that Marmaduke score that has been wearing out your iPod? It's eligible too. However, the inclusion of these 2010 masterpieces really isn't that big a surprise. With final nominations just over a month away the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 241 screenplays - 134 original and 107 adapted - are eligible for a Best Screenplay nomination and that music from 77 films is eligible for Best Original Score (not including Black Swan, The Fighter or The Kids Are All Right [1]). Add those to the 248 films eligible [2] for Best Picture and Oscar voters have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks. Kind of. See the full lists, the favorites and read the rules after the jump.

The AMPAS have named 241 scripts eligible for the Academy Awards — 134 original, 107 adapted. Unlike the WGA, Winter’s Bone, King’s Speech, Toy Story 3, Never Let Me Go, and How to Train Your Dragon will be considered.

The AMPAS have also released the list of nominees for best score. The list was narrowed down to 77 scores, which makes Best Original Score the 2011 Oscar the category with the least number of films under consideration. The scores for Black Swan, True Grit, The Kids Are Alright and The Fighter will not be eligible to compete this year. Clint Mansell‘s Black Swan score and Carter Burwell‘s True Grit score were disqualified attributed to a designation within Rule 16 of the Academy’s Special Rules for Music Awards (5d under “Eligibility”), which excludes “scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other pre-existing music.” Meanwhile, the scores for The Kids Are All Right,...

There was a minor kerfluffle last night when it was announced only 76 screenplays from 2010 are eligible for the WGA Awards, leaving out such quality films as Toy Story 3, The King's Speech, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.  No need to fret over Oscar consideration: the AMPAS named 241 scripts eligible for the Academy Awards -- 134 original, 107 adapted. The AMPAS is a bit pickier about original scores, though -- Black Swan, True Grit, The Kids Are All Right, and The Fighter were deemed ineligible last week.  The list was narrowed down to 77 scores, which makes Best Original Score the 2011 Oscar the category with the least number of films under consideration.  Hit the jump to see the full list of films up for the original screenplay, adapted screenplay, and original score categories. Via TheWrap: Original Screenplays Agora All Good Things Alpha And Omega Animal Kingdom Another Year Aparoris Applause Biutiful Black Swan...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/29, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

Possibilities

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer)

Best Director

Frontrunners

David Fincher...

41 Songs were declared eligible for Oscar's least cinematically relevant prize a short while ago. Wheeee!

We only didn't share them yesterday because every single damn thing happens in the same week. I'd be more excited about this category if recent years hadn't seen the big show trending away from original performers singing their original songs. If I can't see Cher doing her Burlesque number(s) on Oscar night, someone is going down.

The Academy will choose up to 5 of these songs as nominees, depending on how their voting goes. I've included video accompaniment when available - listen (and watch up).

Which are you rooting for?

Please god no. No more honors for this eyesore movie.

"Alice" from Alice in Wonderland "Forever One Love" from Black Tulip "Freedom Song" from Black Tulip

oooh, now this is more like it. Sadly, it's only a partial video.

"Welcome to Burlesque" from Burlesque

a Burlesque suite.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have announced that 248 feature films are eligible for best picture at the 2010 Academy Awards. According to THR, 274 films were eligible in 2009, and 281 in 2008. If I had to guess which films will be selected I would have to say Inception, Black Swan, Social Network, King’s Speech, Winter’s Bone, The Fighter, True Grit, 127 Hours, Toy Story 3 and Rabbit Hole.

To make the cut, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion...

tEver look at the Oscar nominations and think, “Seriously how did that get nominated?” Well, a little peak behind the curtains reveals how your Best Picture sausage is made.

The Academy looks over all the feature films released in the present year and then breaks them down for eligibility under the following:

Films must be at least forty minutes long, which is the designation for “feature length.”Films must have their first public exhibition/distribution as a theatrical motion picture; no more than 10 minutes or 10% (whichever comes first) can be displayed in a “nontheatrical medium” prior to the film’s theatrical release.The publicly exhibited film must be within the following specs: 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixelsAnd finally, the film must be available for paid admission in a commercial theater in L.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have announced that 248 feature films are eligible for best picture at the 2010 Academy Awards. The number is down from previous years -- According to THR [1], 274 films were eligible in 2009, and 281 in 2008. The list of 248 eligible films have been sent with a nominations ballot to all active and life members of the Academy "who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than ten pictures." The ten films receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Picture award. The nominations will be announced live on January 25th 2011 at 5:30am psd. The rules for eligibility is as follows: Films must be feature length (defined as over 40 minutes) Publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

Possibilities

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Alice in Wonderland” (Disney, 3/5, PG, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs...

And then there were 41. Below is a list of eligible original songs that have a chance of being nominated for the 83rd Academy Awards. Do you leave like anything is left off? So far, I feel like “If I Rise” from Dido and A. R. Rahman is the inside track. I wish Boxer Rebellion’s “If You Run” would get one. Actually, as long as “if” is in the title, I’ll be happy.

“Alice” from Alice in Wonderland

“Forever One Love” from Black Tulip

“Freedom Song” from Black Tulip

“Bound to You” from Burlesque

“Welcome to Burlesque” from Burlesque

“You Haven‘t Seen the Last of Me” from Burlesque

“There‘s a Place for Us” from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

“Coming Home” from Country Strong

“Me and Tennessee” from Country Strong

“Despicable Me” from Despicable Me

“Prettiest Girls” from Despicable Me

“Dear Laughing...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have revealed the 41 songs that are officially eligible for Best Original Song at the Oscars, which will hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, on February 27th. Just like the visual effects category we spoke about the other day, the next task for the Academy is to whittle the number down into a manageable number for nominations.

Awards Daily have the list in an alphabetical order. It’s truly hard to find a stand out this year…

“Alice” from “Alice in Wonderland”

“Forever One Love” from “Black Tulip”

“Freedom Song” from “Black Tulip”

“Bound to You” from “Burlesque”

“Welcome to Burlesque” from “Burlesque”

“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque”

“There’s a Place for Us” from “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”

“Coming Home” from “Country Strong”

“Me and Tennessee” from “Country Strong”

“Despicable Me...

Forty-one songs are in contention to receive nominations for Best Original Song from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and there is not one song on the list that is even memorable.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film and song title:

“Alice” from “Alice in Wonderland”

“Forever One Love” from “Black Tulip”

“Freedom Song” from “Black Tulip”

“Bound to You” from “Burlesque”

“Welcome to Burlesque” from “Burlesque”

“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque”

“There’s a Place for Us” from “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”

“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” “Me and Tennessee” from “Country Strong”

“Despicable Me” from “Despicable Me”

“Prettiest Girls” from “Despicable Me”

“Dear Laughing Doubters” from “Dinner for Schmucks”

“Better Days” from “Eat Pray Love”

“If You Run” from...

Anyone who has read The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy looks at that headline and thinks, "They couldn't pick one more?" Nope, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced there are 41 songs officially eligible for the Best Original Song Academy Award that will be given at the Oscars, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway [1], on February 27. This is an important category because the nominated songs are the ones that get performed during the broadcast. As was the case with the films eligible in the Best Animated Feature [2], Best Documentary [3], Best Visual Effects [4] and Best Short Film [5] categories, the most interesting part of this news isn't even the nominees. It's the incredibly complicated system of rules that's in place to whittle these 41 songs down to the nominees that will be announced on January 25. Check out the full list and those rules after the jump. Here's what the Academy...

We are only two months away from the Oscars, and members of the Academy are hard at work trying to decide who best deserves one of those five nomination slots.

Today, they released their shortlist for Best Original Song which tops out at an impressive 41 songs.

But we can already make an educated guess as to which five will be competition on Oscar night based on who the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards favored, and none of them involve Justin Bieber or Debbie Gibson.

“I See the Light” from “Tangled” earned a Best Song nod from both, as did “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” and “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque.” Randy Newman’s “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ also seems a lock, since all of Newman’s songs for Disney/Pixar have scored nominations over the years.

But, there are a...

Beverly Hills, CA (December 15, 2010) : Forty-one songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 83rd Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

Best Original Song for the 82nd Academy Awards went to Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett for “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film and song title:

“Alice” from “Alice in Wonderland” “Forever One Love” from “Black Tulip” “Freedom Song” from “Black Tulip” “Bound to You” from “Burlesque” “Welcome to Burlesque” from “Burlesque” “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque” “There’s a Place for Us” from “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” “Coming Home” from “Country Strong” “Me and Tennessee” from “Country Strong” “Despicable Me...

HollywoodNews.com: The academy has announced 41 songs that are up for nomination in the ‘Best Original Song’ category. What songs will actually become nominees is still up in the air and will be decided through a vote using the averaged point system.

Potential nominees in the category show the wide range of spectacular movies that came out this year. Potential nominees include songs from motion pictures such as, Country Strong, Toy Story 3, Despicable Me, and the recently released Burlesque. Nominees will be chosen based on the average score that each song collects from voters.

This year was exceptional for songwriting in film and it looks like it will be a hard decision for Academy members looking to narrow down their choices. Songs must include both words and music that were originally composed for the film and must be featured prominently within the film or the end credits of the film.

Beverly Hills, CA – Forty-one songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 83rd Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film and song title:

* "Alice" from "Alice in Wonderland" * "Forever One Love" from "Black Tulip" * "Freedom Song" from "Black Tulip" * "Bound to You" from "Burlesque" * "Welcome to Burlesque" from "Burlesque" * "You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me" from "Burlesque" * "There’s a Place for Us" from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" * "Coming Home" from "Country Strong" * "Me and Tennessee" from "Country Strong" * "Despicable Me" from "Despicable Me" * "Prettiest Girls" from "Despicable Me" * "Dear Laughing Doubters" from "Dinner for Schmucks" * "Better Days" from "Eat Pray Love" * "If You Run...

Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 41 songs up for contention in the Original Song category for the 83rd Academy Awards.

As for the nomination process, on Thursday, January 6, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the Music Branch in Los Angeles. Following the screenings, members will determine the nominees by an averaged point system vote. If no song receives an average score of 8.25 or more, there will be no nominees in the category. If only one song achieves that score, it and the song receiving the next highest score shall be the two nominees. If two or more songs (up to five) achieve that score, they shall be the nominees. A DVD copy of the song clips will be made available to those branch members who are unable to attend the screening and who request it for home viewing.

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

Outside Shots

“Somewhere” (Focus Features,...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

Major Threats

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/8, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Biutiful” (Roadside Attractions, 12/29, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

“The Ghost Writer” (Summit, 2/19, PG-13, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“How Do You Know” (Columbia,...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, PG-13, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, R, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

Major Threats

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, PG, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs” (20th Century Fox, 11/24, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Inside Job” (Sony Pictures Classics,...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: It’s a tough year to be an animated feature with Oscar aspirations.

Because only 15 films were submitted for consideration this year, there will be three nominations in the Animated Feature category as opposed to the five that were available last year. This isn’t unusual. In the nine-year history of the animation category, there were only two instances where the category had five nominees.

What’s unusual, however, is the quality of the 15 animated films in contention, all but guaranteeing that one or two truly fantastic animated films will be left in the lurch come nomination morning.

The qualifying films are:

“Alpha and Omega”

“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”

“Despicable Me”

“The Dreams of Jinsha”

“How to Train Your Dragon”

“Idiots and Angels”

“The Illusionist”

“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”

“Megamind”

“My Dog Tulip”

“Shrek Forever After...

Best Picture

Frontrunners

“The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, PG-13, trailer)

“The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, R, trailer)

“Inception” (Warner Brothers, 7/16, PG-13, trailer)

“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/5, R, trailer)

“The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, Tbd, trailer)

“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight, 12/1, R, trailer)

“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features, 7/9, R, trailer)

“Toy Story 3” (Disney, 6/18, G, trailer)

“True Grit” (Paramount, 12/25, Tbd, trailer)

“Blue Valentine” (The Weinstein Company, 12/31, Nc-17, trailer)

Major Threats

“The Town” (Warner Brothers, 9/17, R, trailer)

“Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Paramount Vantage, 9/24, PG, trailer)

“Rabbit Hole” (Lionsgate, 12/17, Tbd, trailer)

“Winter’s Bone” (Roadside Attractions, 6/11, R, trailer)

“Another Year” (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/31, PG-13, trailer)

“Get Low” (Sony Pictures Classics, 7/30, PG-13, trailer)

“The Way Back” (Newmarket, 12/29, PG-13, trailer)

Possibilities

“Shutter Island” (Paramount, 2/19, R, trailer)

“Somewhere” (Focus Features, 12/22, R, trailer)

“Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, R, trailer)

“How Do You Know” (Columbia, 12/17, R, trailer)

“Love and Other Drugs” (20th Century Fox, 11/24, R, trailer)

“Hereafter” (Warner Brothers,...

Tis the season where all the studios begin stuffing Channukah stockings with the screeners and For Your Consideration mailers begging and pleading for their little films to be recognized. Many of these films began their journey back as far as Sundance and Cannes, so mostly these are reminders to be kind and rewind when casting nominations.

No greater man than William Goss made the statement that this has been a terrific damn year for films. And really, it kinda has been pretty epic. Major studio tent poles have kind of shat out, but the little indies have really been thoroughly bad-fucking-ass. There have been some solid flicks and some equally solid performances in a shitton of films -- and the buzz is kind of ridiculous. There are a lot of films that are expecting to come in strong in the next two months -- The Fighter, Black Swan, Rabbit Hole -- and probably will.

What's your favorite animated film of 2010 so far? I have many but among the 15 films being considered, I'm going for Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3," Disney's "Tangled," and DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon." And I'm going out on a limb here by predicting "Dragon" will win! Why? Because Pixar has won, so many already, and "Toy Story 3," as much as I adore that film, wasn't really an original. That leaves us with the breathtakingly original "Dragon." Yay!

Here are the 15 features that have been accepted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards:

* .Alpha and Omega.

* .Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

* .Despicable Me.

* .The Dreams of Jinsha.

* .How to Train Your Dragon.

* .Idiots and Angels.

* .The Illusionist.

* .Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga.Hoole.

* .Megamind.

* .My Dog Tulip.

* .Shrek Forever After.

* .Summer Wars.

* .Tangled.

* .Tinker Bell and the...

For those of you who love animation, the shortlist for this year’s Animated Feature Oscar has been announced with unsurprising choices including Toy Story 3, How To Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After amongst the big names.

Under the rules for this category, in any year in which 8 to 15 animated features are released in Los Angeles, a maximum of 3 films may be nominated. If 16 or more animated features are submitted and accepted in the category, a maximum of 5 films may be nominated.

The eligible films are: Alpha and Omega, Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Despicable Me, The Dreams of Jinsha, How To Train Your Dragon, Idiots and Angels, The Illusionist, Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Megamind, My Dog Tulip, Shrek Forever After, Summer Wars, Tangled, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue and last but not least Toy Story 3.