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The 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards have wrapped! And now we know, as the full winners list for the Spirit Awards has been revealed, just how much momentum “Anora” has going into the Oscars: a lot. It already got the most Spirits nominations with six, and it ended up winning Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison.

Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Performance for “A Real Pain,” which also won Best Screenplay. “No Other Land” won Best Documentary, and the extraordinary animated film “Flow” won Best International feature.

“Baby Reindeer” collected the most prizes on the TV side with Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series going to Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning won Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series, and Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series went to Nava Rau. “Shogun” won Best New Scripted Series.

Host Aidy Bryant...

The best in independent film and new television shows were honored at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards and we have the full winners list here.

Anora and I Saw the TV Glow led the film nominations with five nods each while Shogun led the television nominations with five nods as well.

In the end, Anora and Baby Reindeer led their respective categories with three wins each!

Make sure to check out the recap of every celeb who attended the event and take a look at our Best Dressed list as well.

Keep reading to find out more…

Scroll down for the full list of winners…

Best Feature

Anora – Winner

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow

Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys

Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing

Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton...

The 40th annual Independent Spirit Awards took place in Santa Monica on Feb. 22, with Aidy Bryant as host for the second year in a row.

“Anora” was the biggest winner of the day, being named best feature while Sean Baker and Mikey Madison took home individual trophies for best director and lead performance. “Baby Reindeer” also won big, with Richard Gadd, Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning clinching the awards for lead, supporting and breakthrough performance, though “Shogun” won best new scripted series. And Sean Wang’s “Dìdi” clinched both awards in the debut film category: best first feature as well as best first first screenplay.

See the full list of winners below.

Best Feature

“Anora” (Winner)

“I Saw the TV Glow”

“Nickel Boys”

“Sing Sing”

“The Substance”

Best First Feature

“Dìdi” (Winner)

“In the Summers”

“Janet Planet”

“The Piano Lesson”

“Problemista”

John Cassavetes Award – Given to the best feature made...

This morning saw the announcements of the 40th edition of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The big picture nominees include titles like the film festival darling The Substance, as well as Anora, which is getting high accolades for Mikey Madison‘s performance and Sean Baker’s writing and direction. A24 would naturally snag a ton of nominations that total a whopping 19. This beats last year’s 11-nomination count.

The Independent Spirit Awards will be taking place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, and is set to be held at Santa Monica beach. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant will return as the host. The in-person ceremony will be available to stream live on IMDb and Film Independent YouTube channels, and across other social platforms. You can find the full list of nominations, courtesy of Deadline, below.

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

Anora

Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan...

Wow… has it really been 40 years? It sure has, and that’s a reason to celebrate! From our first year at a restaurant on La Cienega Blvd. to a worldwide live stream, the Film Independent Spirit Awards have grown a lot.

That first year the awards, then called the Findie (Friends of Independents) Awards, awarded both Marty & Joel Coen the Best Director prize. Since then, we’ve celebrated artists like Spike Lee, Ryan Coogler, Whit Stillman, Robert Rodriguez and Kasi Lemmons, among many, many others. Next month on the blog, we’ll take deep dive into all the history of the awards, so make sure to check back with us to read all about the last 40 years of the Spirit Awards!

This year, we’re headed back to the beach in Santa Monica with returning host and Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant. The show, which will be held at the beach in Santa Monica,...

Nominations have been revealed for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on February 22. The film nominations were led by “Anora” and “I Saw the TV Glow” with six each. In the television categories, “Shōgun” garnered the most nominations with five, followed closely by “Baby Reindeer” and “English Teacher” with four apiece. Watch the announcement here and see the full list below.

Julio Torres did well here with four nominations across his feature directorial debut “Problemista” and Max series “Fantasmas.” Indies like “Dídi,” “Janet Planet,” “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “The People’s Joker,” “In the Summers,” “The Substance,” and “Nickel Boys” also had a good day, racking up multiple nominations across the board. Netflix enjoys multiple nods, for “The Piano Lesson” and “His Three Daughters,” two movies poised to enter into the Oscar race.

The 2024 Spirit Award winners were led by “Past Lives,” “The Holdovers,” and “American Fiction,...

The 40th Annual Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced live on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:00am Pacific/10:00am Eastern on Film Independent’s YouTube channel. Scroll down for the full list of contenders, and find out who wins during a ceremony hosted by comedian Aidy Bryant on Feb. 22, 2025.

The Spirit Awards honor the best achievements in low-budget American filmmaking and and now breakthrough TV programs as well, as decided by the members of Film Independent. The nominating committees comprised writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers and other working film professionals. Winners are chosen by film industry insiders as well as everyday film lovers who pay their yearly dues to be part of Film Independent. Members have access to Film Independent’s exclusive nominee screening room online, as well as a number of awards season experiences including special screenings and Q&As.

Film Independent...

Though we aim to discuss a wide breadth of films each year, few things give us more pleasure than the arrival of bold new voices. It’s why we venture to festivals and pore over a variety of different features that might bring to light some emerging talent. This year was an especially notable time for new directors making their stamp, and we’re highlighting the handful of 2024 debuts that most impressed us.

Below, one can check out a list spanning a variety of different genres, and many are available to stream here. In years to come, take note as these helmers (hopefully) ascend.

Allen Sunshine (Harley Chamandy)

Directed with a sense of tranquil serenity and grounded maturity one might be accustomed to finding in the work of a seasoned director, Allen Sunshine is, quite remarkably, the debut feature of 25-year-old Harley Chamandy. The Montreal-born, New York-based filmmaker received the...

Bdsm became a household name ever since the release of “Fifty Shades of Grey” in 2015. However, the cinematic portrayal of Bdsm had its early encounters even in the nascent years of cinema. Right from early silent cinema to contemporary movies, the theme or trope of Bdsm has traversed a diverse landscape, reflecting the intricate interplay of power dynamics, human desire and sexuality, and societal attitudes. From the veiled insinuations of early cinema to the more explicit explorations of recent years, filmmakers have grappled with representing these complex and often misunderstood aspects of human sexuality.

The representation of Bdsm in cinema has evolved over time, mirroring changing public opinion, censorship norms, and artistic expression. While some movies have been praised for their nuanced portrayals and exploration of emotional connections within Bdsm relationships, others have faced criticism for sensationalism or inaccuracies in depicting these practices. The Bdsm community has particularly indulged in...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Civil War (Alex Garland)

While bound to spark hundreds of think pieces, Alex Garland’s stirring Civil War will undoubtedly go down, too, as one of the most provocative films of the year. It’s also an early contender for one of the best, offering a stunning warning: no matter what the cause, war is hell. Civil War is less interested in the causes of conflict and more about front lines as the Western Forces march towards the W

Where to Stream: Max

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed (Joanna Arnow)

In The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed, Ann, a lugubrious New Yorker, sleepwalks through her daily life––colorless job, perennially disappointed parents––while...

The Hulu September 2024 premiere schedule has been announced and can be viewed below. The streaming service has also revealed the titles that will leave next month.

The Hulu originals for the month include Child Star, How to Die Alone, In Vogue: The 90s, Little Miss Innocent, Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal, Tell Me Lies Season 2, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and She Taught Love.

Tell Me Lies Season 2

FX titles American Sports Story, English Teacher, Grotesquerie, The Oldman Season 2, and Social Studies are also coming in the month of September.

Hulu gives viewers instant access to current shows from every major U.S. broadcast network, libraries of hit TV series and films, and acclaimed Hulu Originals.

English Teacher Season 1 Highlights

A look at the originals, exclusives, and premieres that are part of the Hulu September 2024 lineup.

English Teacher: Series Premiere (FX – Streaming September 3)

FX’s English Teacher...

A drama about an Iranian human rights activist and a documentary about the hacking of queer indie pop duo Tegan and Sara are among the films that have been added to the lineup of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which unveiled its Centrepiece section on Tuesday to kick off a second week of programming announcements.

The 43 films come from filmmakers representing 41 countries, with 18 of the titles receiving their world premieres at TIFF. Those premieres include “Seven Days,” a film about an imprisoned Iranian activist directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi and written by Mohammad Rasoulof, a filmmaker who was himself sentenced to flogging and prison by Iranian authorities; “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” a romantic comedy from French writer-director Laura Piani; “The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos,” a debut from the Nigerian filmmaking group known as the Agbajowo Collective; and Erin Lee Carr’s “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara,...

As we approach 2024’s halfway point it’s time to take a temperature of the finest cinema thus far: we’ve rounded up our favorites from the first six months of this year, some of which have flown under the radar. Kindly note that this is based solely on U.S. theatrical and digital releases from 2024.

Check out our picks below, as organized alphabetically, followed by honorable mentions.

The Beast (Bertrand Bonello)

Where to begin with Bertrand Bonello’s wonderful The Beast? It’s been so gratifying to see the initial reaction to the French filmmaker’s tenth feature, after several decades of increasingly remarkable work––the majority of it dark, beautiful, and sleazy. In fact, for what a discomforting and despairing experience much of The Beast is, when I’ve thought back its moments of real, uncomplicated cinematic pleasure, its verve and sense of joyousness, are what mark my memories.

In Michael Angarano’s understated buddy comedy Sacramento, a flighty man coaxes his estranged friend to road-trip with him from Los Angeles to California’s capital city. The drive is a madcap adventure dotted with interactions that help both men untangle the knots in their friendship and confront fears of the future.

Ricky (Angarano) and Glenn (Michael Cera) seem more different on the surface. The former is an eccentric nature-lover who aspires to be a counselor. The latter is a fretful company man settled into domesticity with his wife, Rosie (an ace Kristen Stewart). While Ricky makes fleeting connections during backpacking trips through the California forests, Glenn prepares for the birth of his first child by constructing a $400 crib.

These two men became friends as children, during a swim class in which Ricky almost drowned Glenn. Their relationship has been fraught for years, and Glenn has been trying to “phase...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Boys in the Boat (George Clooney)

This is, from start to finish, an underdog sports picture. Edgerton puts a welcome spin on the gruff-but-caring coach archetype, and Turner does the same with his lead character. Soft-spoken, stern, and handsome, this is a role someone like Ronald Reagan would have excelled at bringing to the screen some 80 years ago; Turner, luckily, is more interesting to look at and a better actor. Alexandre Desplat’s score is maybe the most playful thing about this film, and it works when it needs to. The race sequences are unquestionably Boys‘ highlight, Clooney making use of zoom lenses and well-placed cameras to capture the speed and fluidity of each competition. There is a real tension mined in these scenes,...

Exclusive: The Gotham Film & Media Institute (The Gotham) announced today the 2024 fellows for the Festival De Cannes Producers Network Program. They are Deidre Backs (Fancy Dance), Apoorva Guru Charan (Joyland), Gabriel Mayers (A Different Man), Jhane Myers (Prey), Giancarlo Nasi (The Settlers), Stephanie Roush (Stress Positions), and Pierce Varous (The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed). This year’s Producers Network Fellows will be participating in person at Cannes, May 15 – 20.

As the sole U.S. Partner Organization for the Festival de Cannes Producers Network, The Gotham annually selects U.S. fiction and nonfiction producers to participate. Running concurrently with the Cannes Film Festival and the Marche du Film, the program is specifically designed for experienced producers to build up their international networks and learn more about international production, financing, legal and packaging.

In addition, The Gotham is proud to support the Gotham Edu partners Colgate University...

Joanna Arnow’s “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” is, among many other things, an impressively edited film, even though there aren’t a lot of whizz-bang transitions, tangents bouncing back and forth in time, or sharply atomized action stitched together into a crescendo. There isn’t even really a B story.

But “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” sets an even higher level of difficulty for itself. The film is a series of glimpses into the life of a millennial named Ann (Joanna Arnow) over the course of a year, dealing with no life-and-death issues but just life issues: a frustrating job, the quirks of her family, dating, and a set of Bdsm relationships with doms across New York City.

The structure of the film feels gentle and unabrasive. There’s a seasonal progression of the film’s chapters from spring to winter and back again.

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on Wbgr-fm on April 25th, 2024, reviewing “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed,” In select theaters on April 26th. See local listings.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Joanna Arnow (also writer and director) is Ann, a nebbishy middle of the road type that lives in New York City and works for a bland we-don’t-know-what-they-do marketing company that is in the midst of a merger. Meanwhile, through dating apps, Ann indulges her kink as a submissive in her online hook ups, including her main man Allen (Scott Cohen), who in his “master” role is completely dismissive of her or her needs. As she cycles through other men she lands with Chris (Babak Tafti) who takes a romantic shine to her. Is the feeling that the time for doing something have passed, or is that feeling misjudged?

”The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed...

There’s a nice trio of specialty films to highlight this weekend from Joanna Arnow, Uberto Pasolini and Caitlin Cronenberg’s feature directorial debut.

Joanna Arnow’s micro-budget comedy The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. It follows a thirtysomething New York woman as time passes in her long-term casual Bdsm relationship, low-level corporate job, and quarrelsome Jewish family. Arnow writes, directs and stars. And that’s Bdsm, as in bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.

The helmer is thrilled to see her feature (after 2017’s i hate myself :), and a handful of well-received shorts) launch a theatrical run, with Magnolia distributing. “That’s how I dream of my movies being seen,” Arnow tells Deadline. “It’s also so important to see comedies (on the big screen) Shared laughter with strangers is quite beautiful and healing in a way.

Arnow's film emphasizes the importance of uplifting smaller artists for unique perspectives in indie cinema. The protagonist, Ann, navigates loneliness, intimate relationships, and normalization of sexuality, anchoring the film's comedy. Through prolonged silences and a unique visual style, the film's direction isolates Ann and captivates viewers with its unobtrusive approach.

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed was written, directed, and stars Joanna Arnow, and it's clear from the beginning that though this is her world, her character is merely passing through it. Arnow plays Ann, a 30-something millennial living in New York City. However, this version lacks the glitz and glamour of shows like Sex and the City, delivering an honesty akin to Girls while standing completely on its own. The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Past is rooted in an unforgiving reality that reminds the audience to laugh at moments of tragedy.

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSAn Inconvenient Truth.Participant, the socially conscious production company, has closed, which filmmaker Julie Cohen called “devastating news to anyone who cares about documentaries.” Their twenty-year track record includes many nonfiction films, such as An Inconvenient Truth (2006), but also narrative features like Spotlight (2015) and Roma (2018).New data suggests that Hollywood production has gradually rebounded after last year’s WGA and SAG strikes, though not to the levels of the “peak TV” streaming bubble.The Archival Producers Alliance has drafted best practices for the use of generative AI in documentary, cautioning against the “danger of forever muddying the historical record.”In PRODUCTIONMartin Scorsese is reportedly developing a Frank Sinatra biopic, to star Leonardo DiCaprio as the crooner and Jennifer Lawrence as Ava Gardner.

Joanna Arnow’s feature-length film debut “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” is a spiky, hilarious look at the life of Ann (Arnow), a thirty-something living in Brooklyn, working a corporate job, dealing with her meddlesome family, and passing the time in her casually longterm Bdsm relationship with an older man.

Arnow’s previous work, including the shorts “Bad at Dancing,” which won a Berlinale Silver Bear Jury Prize in 2015, and “I hate myself :).” Both explore similar themes of loneliness and sexuality through an autofiction lens. But they also showcase Arnow’s specific comedic insight into everyday, mundane things that might not seem funny at first but are downright gut-busting in her hands.

“The Feeling That the Time” premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2023 before Magnolia Pictures acquired it out of the festival, with Sean Baker executive producing.

The first inspiration for “The Feeling That...

Exclusive: Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Peter Vack (Pvt Chat) are in production in North Macedonia on Replay, the sophomore feature from veteran music video director Jason Lester (High Resolution), which has unveiled a first-look still.

Specifics as to the plot of the film are under wraps, though it’s been described as an unconventional romantic drama following a young couple on a trip through North Macedonia. Also starring Sara Klimoska (You Won’t Be Alone), Morgan Krantz (In the Dark), and The Ion Pack podcast’s Kj Rothweiler (Salamander Days), pic’s written by Lester and Hunt.

Manuel Inacker, Sara Ferro, Stephen Belden, Lester and Hunt are producing alongside EPs David Lipper, Robert A. Daly Jr., David Grove Churchill Viste and Jayne Sullivan.

“It’s been incredible getting to film Replay in North Macedonia, a country that could not be more thematically appropriate for the story we’re telling in the film,...

“Dream Team,” the most recent film from directing duo Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn has been acquired by Yellow Veil Pictures ahead of its international sales launch at Marche du Film.

Yellow Veil has acquired worldwide sales rights and North American distribution rights to “Dream Team,” which just held its U.S. premiere at the Los Angeles Festival of Movies after world premiering at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The company plans to release the film domestically later this year.

According to its official synopsis, “Dream Team” is “an absurdist homage to ’90s basic cable TV thrillers, which follows the episodic escapades of two hot Interpol agents who uncover an international, interspecies mystery.”

“Dream Team” stars Esther Garrel (“Call Me by Your Name”) and Alex Zhang Hungtai (“I Was a Simple Man”). Executive producers include Sarah Winshall (“I Saw the TV Glow”), Pierce Varous (“The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed...

“The film isn’t about you,” Joanna Arnow tells her parents at the beginning of 2013’s i hate myself :). “You’re secondary characters.” Her mother Barbara responds, “We know who the primary character is,” with a smile that’s half-loving, half-exasperated. Across a body of work that’s grown to include the Berlinale-awarded 2015 short Bad at Dancing, 2019’s follow-up Laying Out and now her first narrative feature, The Feeling That the Time For Doing Something Has Passed, Arnow has placed herself front and center in a variety of increasingly stylized modes. i hate myself :) was a documentary portrait of Arnow’s then-relationship […]

The post Work Life Balance first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

“The film isn’t about you,” Joanna Arnow tells her parents at the beginning of 2013’s i hate myself :). “You’re secondary characters.” Her mother Barbara responds, “We know who the primary character is,” with a smile that’s half-loving, half-exasperated. Across a body of work that’s grown to include the Berlinale-awarded 2015 short Bad at Dancing, 2019’s follow-up Laying Out and now her first narrative feature, The Feeling That the Time For Doing Something Has Passed, Arnow has placed herself front and center in a variety of increasingly stylized modes. i hate myself :) was a documentary portrait of Arnow’s then-relationship […]

The post Work Life Balance first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook.NEWSThe Delinquents.The start of the Academy Awards ceremony was delayed by hundreds of protestors obstructing the red carpet to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.Asghar Farhadi has been cleared of plagiarism charges by an Iranian court after allegations were leveled by a former student, who accused him of stealing the idea for A Hero (2021) from her documentary on the same subject, produced in his 2014 filmmaking workshop.Meanwhile, Alexander Payne has been accused of plagiarizing The Holdovers (2023) “line-by-line” from a screenplay by Simon Stephenson he appears to have read on spec.Thailand is planning to reform its national film industry as part of a “soft power” program, which may include increased production funding, more rebates for foreign productions, and a reduction of state censorship domestically.

"I was wondering if you could have me not even talk when I come over here." Magnolia Pics has revealed an official US trailer for an indie comedy titled The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed, written and directed by and starring indie NYC filmmaker Joanna Arnow. This first premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight sidebar last year, and went on to play at TIFF, NYFF, Vancouver, AFI Fest, Montclair, Denver, and many others. A mosaic-style comedy following the life of a woman as time passes in her long-term casual Bdsm relationship, low-level corporate job, and quarrelsome Jewish family. Filmmaker Joanna Arnow's hilarious comedy, executive produced by Sean Baker, follows a 30-something New York woman as time passes in her relationships. Also starring Scott Cohen, Babak Tafti, Alysia Reiner, Peter Vack, and Parish Bradley. This kind of super dry, awkward humor won't be for everyone,...

A breakout from last year’s Directors’ Fortnight (where it premiered alongside The Sweet East), Joanna Arnow’s (deep breath) The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed will open on April 26 from Magnolia Pictures, ahead of which is a first trailer.

Rory O’Connor was impressed upon the film’s Cannes premiere: “Developed from a semi-autobiographical screenplay, Passed emits a more endearing, much funnier vulnerability: the kind of jokes that seemed a bit too knowing and cynical in her earlier work now land with delightful fatalism. Arnow stars as Ann, the thirty-something woman in the kind of soulless, mid-level corporate job where a boomer boss calls a meeting to tell you to get on Spotify. Her world is a mosaic of micro-observations: an instant curry that looks like dog food, squeezed from its sachet to the very last drop; the self-satisfied chuckle of someone listening to a podcast...

Director/actress Joanna Arnow bares all for Bdsm millennial dramedy “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.”

The filmmaker directs and stars in the feature that follows 30-something New Yorker Ann (Arnow) as she navigates casual Bdsm relationships, a mindless corporate job, and her overbearing Jewish family. The trailer shows Arnow seeking purpose through ball gags and pig costumes as she dates a slew of neurotic men who have ever-increasing eccentric erotic desires.

“The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight program, and went on to screen at TIFF and NYFF. The feature is executive produced by “Red Rocket” auteur Sean Baker, and co-stars Scott Cohen, Babak Tafti, Alysia Reiner, Peter Vack, and Parish Bradley.

Arnow also edited “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.” The feature is her follow-up to 2013’s...

The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday at the traditional Santa Monica beach tent location, with Aidy Bryant hosting. “Past Lives” took home the coveted Best Feature award, with “Beef” being honored as Best New Scripted Series. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.

Best Feature

“Past Lives”

Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

“All of Us Strangers”

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

“American Fiction”

Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

“May December”

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon

“Passages”

Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd

“We Grown Now”

Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro

Best Lead Performance

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman, “May December”

Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”

Franz Rogowski, “Passages”

Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”

Teyana Taylor,...

“It goes without saying: congratulations on your work.” So said Film Independent President, at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Award nominee brunch on January 6. Held for the second consecutive year at Santa Monica’s beachfront Casa Del Mar hotel, the purpose of the annual gathering was twofold: to celebrate our current cohort of Spirit Award nominees, and to hand out the three Emerging Filmmaker Awards, each carrying with it a $25,000 unrestricted cash grant for its recipient. Welsh added, “The excellence you’ve brought this year has enlivened and inspired us at a critical time.”

The awards portion of the Saturday gathering–grand ballroom windows giving way to a spectacular beach view–was hosted by two of Hollywood’s buzziest performers and past Spirit Award nominees, Colman Domingo and Lily Gladstone. “It really feels incredible to be here and see all of you,” said Domingo, enthusiastically.

The sentiment was shared by Brenda Robinson,...

Film Independent announced the 2024 Spirit Award nominees in all the film and TV categories on Tuesday, Dec 5. Only American productions with budgets of less than $30 million were eligible for consideration in the film races. Winners will be revealed on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at a ceremony hosted by Aidy Bryant.

Last year, these kudos eliminated the four gendered acting awards and replaced them with just two prizes: lead and supporting performances (each has 10 nominees). It also added a new category, Best Breakthrough Performance, which has five contenders.

See the full list of 2024 Spirit Awards nominations for film and TV below.

Film

Best Picture

“All of Us Strangers”

“American Fiction”

“May December”

“Passages”

“Past Lives”

“We Grown Now”

Best Director

Andrew Haigh, “All of Us Strangers”

Todd Haynes, “May December”

William Oldroyd, “Eileen”

Ira Sachs, “Passages”

Celine Song, “Past Lives”

Best Lead Performance

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman,...

Festival ran November 2-12.

Sofia Exarchou’s Animal has won the €10,000 Golden Alexander-Theo Angelopoulos prize for best film at the 64th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the first time in 30 years a Greek production has won the top prize.

The film’s lead actress Dimitra Vlagopoulou also won the best actress award ex aequo with Joanna Arnow for US production The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed, which she also directed.

Vlagopoulou had previously won best actress at Locarno where the film had its world premiere.

The Greek, Austrian, Romanian, Cypriot, Bulgarian co-production follows a group of women...

Sofia Exarchou’s “Animal” won the Golden Alexander at the 64th Thessaloniki Film Festival on Sunday, marking the first time in 30 years that a Greek film took home the top honors at the country’s longest-running film event.

Exarchou’s sophomore feature, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, was praised by Variety’s Jessica Kiang as “a poignant portrait of life amid the sequins and the seediness of a Greek resort.” The film follows a group of entertainers at an all-inclusive island resort preparing for the busy tourist season who are forced to wrestle with the dark reality that the show must go on as the sultry Mediterranean nights turn violent.

Lead actor Dimitra Vlagopoulou, who won the acting award at the prestigious Swiss fest for what Kiang called a “riveting” performance, also shared the award for best actress in Thessaloniki. The awards were handed out by a jury comprised of producer Diana Elbaum,...

When the Thessaloniki Intl. Film Festival kicks off its 64th edition on Nov. 2, the organizers will unveil a host of changes while renewing their commitment to serving audiences at one of Europe’s longest-running film events — all at a time of almost unprecedented uncertainty over the future of cinema and even the very purpose of festivals themselves.

With a sister documentary festival held each March and a year-round program of workshops, screenings, special events and other education and outreach initiatives, Thessaloniki has established itself as a hub to “exchange ideas, train, reflect and celebrate cinema with the public,” says festival general director Elise Jalladeau.

It’s also uniquely positioned to adapt to a rapidly changing industry.

“We operate in an ecosystem that has changed radically over the past five years and the pace is accelerating,” says Jalladeau, calling the challenges ahead “immense, but also very motivating.” Still, Thessaloniki remains committed...

The 68th edition will screen a mix of new Spanish films and 2023 favourites and host an expanded industry programme.

The 68th edition of the Seminci, the Valladolid International Film Week opens this weekend (October 21) with a screening of The Movie Teller, directed by Lone Scherfig, starring Bérénice Béjo, Antonio de la Torre and Daniel Brühl and written by Walter Salles, Isabel Coixet and Rafa Russo.

For what is a vital launchpad into the Spanish market, new festival director José Luis Cienfuegos has programmed a series of international festival favourites from 2023 alongside new films by Spanish directors Antonio Méndez Esparza and...

The fall festival season is still going strong, and for cinephiles in the Memphis area, the Indie Memphis Film Festival has once again outdone themselves with an terrific programme of the best of international films currently on the circuit, as well as local films to highlight local talent. We at ScreenAnarchy can recommend highlights such as Evil Does Not Exist, The Feeling that the Time for Doing Something has Passed, and Passages. Awards winners All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt from Sundance, and Anatomy of a Fall from Cannes will be making their Tennesse debut. For genre film fans, there is the fantastic Mami Wata, and local film The Reaper. The wonderful French classic Celine and Julie Go Boating will be featured, alongside a...

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The 2023 Hamptons International Film Festival has unveiled the jury and audience awards for this year’s festival.

The lineup included opening night’s “Nyad” and Alex Gibney’s documentary “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.” Todd Haynes, who received the Achievement in Directing Award, was in attendance for a Spotlight screening of “May December.”

The official Hiff Award for Best Narrative Feature was given to Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s “20,000 Species of Bees,” per the jury’s selection. The feature follows an eight-year-old girl and her grandmother over the course of a summer spent in a village known for beekeeping.

Joanna Arnow’s “The Feeling That the Time For Doing Something Has Passed” was also recognized in the Best Narrative Feature category with a special mention.

Meanwhile, the Hiff Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “Fresh Kills,” directed by Jennifer Esposito. The film, which premiered at 2023 Tribeca,...

Fusion Entertainment has signed on to manage Joanna Arnow, an acclaimed acclaimed writer, director, actor and editor whose narrative feature debut “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” impressed audiences and critics when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section. The film was later acquired by Magnolia Pictures. It will be released domestically in 2024 after having its U.S. premiere this week at the New York Film Festival

This puts Arnow under the same management team as “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project” filmmaker Sean Baker, who was an executive producer on the film.

Arnow also joins a roster of notable multi-hyphenates including “She Dies Tomorrow” filmmaker Amy Seimetz, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” director, writer and star Cooper Raiff, and”Saint Frances” writer and star Kelly O’Sullivan. Other notable Fusion management clients include: “Triangle of Sadness” breakout Dolly De Leon; writer-directors-producers Greg Kwedar and Clint Benley,...

“The unsettled state of the industry is an unavoidable talking point these days, but my hope is that our festival, as it has done through its 61-year history, will serve as a reminder that the art of cinema is in robust health,” said Dennis Lim, the New York Film Festival’s director of programing and chair of the main slate selection committee, in a statement last month accompanying the announcement of the titles that will screen as part of the 61st edition of the esteemed festival. From Hollywood’s double strike chaos, to worries about artificial intelligence, to the ongoing threat that streaming poses to the theatrical model—if there was ever a time when we needed that reminder, it’s now.

While all the features in the main slate this year enjoyed their world premiere earlier in the year at Sundance, Berlinale, Cannes, Toronto, and beyond, many will have...

Talk about ending with a flourish.

Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” a critically acclaimed look at the dramatic life and career of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, will close the 2023 edition of the Hamptons International Festival. “Maestro,” which co-stars Carey Mulligan, will screen on Oct. 12. It is set to be released by Netflix on Dec. 20.

“’Maestro’ is a beautifully crafted, raw and heartfelt film. We look forward to sharing this glimpse into the love story between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein,” said HamptonsFilm Executive Director Anne Chaisson.

The annual celebration of movies also announced its full lineup of programming, which includes additional signature programming including “A Conversation with…” Series with Paul Simon, who will be on hand to talk up a new, sprawling look at his six decades of making cultural-defining hits. Simon, a rock icon who has written everything from “The Sound of Silence” to “Graceland,” is attending...

Shane Atkinson’s “Laroy,” a crime thriller laced with dark comedy, swept three major prizes at the 49th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival.

The movie, which marks Atkinson’s feature debut and showcases Coen brothers influences, won the Grand Prize, the Audience Award and the Critics Award. It stars John Magaro as Ray, who decides to kill himself after discovering his wife has been cheating on him. But just before he pulls a trigger, a stranger takes him for a low-rent hitman. The movie was produced by the Cannes-based company Adastra Films and was acquired by a French distributor, Arp Selection, during the Deauville Film Festival. It previously opened at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The Jury Prize, meanwhile was shared by two films, Sean Price Williams’ “The Sweet East” and Iranian-born director Babak Jalali’s “Fremont.” “The Sweet East” marks the feature debut of Price, a well-established cinematographer whose credits include “Good Time.

Following the first three section announcements, the final film section of the 61st New York Film Festival has been unveiled with Currents. Complementing the Main Slate, tracing a more complete picture of contemporary cinema with an emphasis on new and innovative forms and voices, the section presents a diverse offering of productions by filmmakers and artists working at the vanguard of the medium.

Highlights include Currents Opening Night selection Eduardo Williams’ The Human Surge 3, Thien An Pham’s Cannes winner Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, Joanna Arnow’s The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed, a special program featuring Jean-Luc Godard, Wang Bing, and Pedro Costa––with Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars, Man in Black, and The Daughters of Fire (As Filhas do Fogo), respectively––and much more.

“The filmmakers in this year’s Currents lineup range from well-known veterans to prodigious newcomers,...

Deauville American Film Festival will forge ahead with its honorary tributes to stars such as Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Peter Dinklage and Joseph Gordon-Levitt despite the fact that they won’t be in attendance due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

The festival’s artistic director, Bruno Barde, told Variety ahead of the event’s press conference on Thursday that he empathized with actors and writers who are on strike to “protect themselves against the dangers of artificial intelligence.”

“AI has always existed in cinema and it’s now posing a threat to screenwriters, set designers, dubbers and, of course, to actors whom we’re using the image of. Cinema is an art that elevates humankind, and artificial intelligence does the exact opposite. It’s a danger,” Barde said.

And while he stands in solidarity with the strike, he has opted “to maintain all the tributes which will pay homage to careers...

The programme comprises 47 films from 45 countries.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the line-up for its Centrepiece programme, with 47 titles screening from filmmakers representing 45 countries.

Included in the programme (previously known as Contemporary World Cinema) are Victor Erice’s Close Your Eyes, getting its North American premiere; Aki Kaurismaki’s Fallen Leaves, receiving its Canadian premiere; and Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border, a North American premiere.

Scroll down for the full list of Centrepiece titles

TIFF also announced additional titles for its Galas, Special Presentations and Documentaries programmes, among them the world premiere of Brian Helgeland’s Finestkind.

The Toronto International Film Festival continues to expand its 2023 lineup with 47 films from 45 countries in the Centerpiece program, previously known as Contemporary World Cinema. The highlights include Cannes Film Festival winners “Fallen Leaves” from Aki Kaurismäki and “Perfect Days” from Wim Wenders as well as Agnieszka Holland’s Venice-bound “Green Border.” See the full lineup below.

“We are very excited to present the new Centrepiece program, a cinematic journey that transcends boundaries and embraces the art of human experience,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer, in an official statement. “The rebranding of the TIFF program, formerly Contemporary World Cinema, is a reflection of the festival’s vision to provide an elevated platform for international cinema, for acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, highly anticipated premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work of influential filmmaking luminaries.”

Centerpiece Program 2023

About Dry Grasses (Kuru Otlar Üstüne) Nuri Bilge Ceylan...

Today, the Deauville American Film Festival in France reveals the 14 U.S. independent films selected for competition at the festival’s 49th edition, to take place September 1-10. This year, French actor, director and producer Guillaume Canet will preside over the main competition jury, which also includes filmmakers Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Alexandre Aja and Léa Mysius and actress Rebecca Marder. We’ve covered several titles in this year’s lineup on the Filmmaker site: Vadim Rizov positively reviewed Babak Jalali’s Fremont out of Sundance, Scott Macaulay recommended Joanna Arnow’s The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed and Shane Atkinson’s Laroy […]

The post Deauville American Film Festival Reveals 2023 U.S. Indie Competition Titles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Today, the Deauville American Film Festival in France reveals the 14 U.S. independent films selected for competition at the festival’s 49th edition, to take place September 1-10. This year, French actor, director and producer Guillaume Canet will preside over the main competition jury, which also includes filmmakers Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Alexandre Aja and Léa Mysius and actress Rebecca Marder. We’ve covered several titles in this year’s lineup on the Filmmaker site: Vadim Rizov positively reviewed Babak Jalali’s Fremont out of Sundance, Scott Macaulay recommended Joanna Arnow’s The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed and Shane Atkinson’s Laroy […]

The post Deauville American Film Festival Reveals 2023 U.S. Indie Competition Titles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

France’s Deauville American Film Festival has unveiled the 14 U.S. indie titles selected for competition in its 49th edition running from September 1 to 10.

They include Celine Song’s Sundance hit Past Lives; Jesse Eisenberg-starring Berlin Golden Bear Contender Manodrome by John Trengove as well as Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East and Joanna Arnow’s micro-budget debut The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed, which both debuted in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May.

“Always in search of the talent of tomorrow, which is already enjoying success today, the strong competition of nine first films and eight films by female directors gives hope for the future of independent cinema,” said festival director Bruno Barde.

This year’s main competition jury will be presided over by actor-director-producer Guillaume Canet, with other members including filmmakers Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Alexandre Aja and Léa Mysius as well as actress Rebecca Marder.