Brenda Kelly-Grant has been named SVP, Casting and Talent Relations, Disney Branded Television. She will succeed Judy Taylor, who will retire at the end of the year after a career that has spanned nearly half a century.
For 24 years, Taylor has led casting and talent at Disney Channel. She was responsible for launching the careers of some of Hollywood’s most popular young stars including Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana, Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens for High School Musical, Zendaya for Kc Undercover and Olivia Rodrigo for Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
“We’re fortunate to have the benefit of two outstanding Casting executives as the baton is passed,” said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, in making the announcement. “Judy has made enormous contributions to Disney, and her expertise and leadership have been invaluable throughout the years. She’s been an important and...
For 24 years, Taylor has led casting and talent at Disney Channel. She was responsible for launching the careers of some of Hollywood’s most popular young stars including Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana, Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens for High School Musical, Zendaya for Kc Undercover and Olivia Rodrigo for Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
“We’re fortunate to have the benefit of two outstanding Casting executives as the baton is passed,” said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, in making the announcement. “Judy has made enormous contributions to Disney, and her expertise and leadership have been invaluable throughout the years. She’s been an important and...
- 11/15/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Mike Fenton, the legendary casting director who worked on the “Back to the Future” franchise, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and scores of other classic movies and TV shows, has died. He was 85.
Fenton co-founded what is now known as Casting Society of America in 1982. He was a prominent casting director for more than 40 years, with a mile-long resume that stretched from “The Andy Griffith Show” and “That Girl” to “Chinatown,” “American Graffiti,” “The Godfather II,” “Blade Runner,” “A Christmas Story,” “Norma Rae,” “Footloose,” “Honeymoon in Vegas” and “Chaplin.”
“Working with Mike Fenton was like working in a candy store — he made casting a blast,” Steven Spielberg said in a statement. “His fervent support of actors was the stuff of legend, and after landing a part, any actor’s smile was rarely as wide as Mike’s. He didn’t just support actors, he launched crusades.
Fenton co-founded what is now known as Casting Society of America in 1982. He was a prominent casting director for more than 40 years, with a mile-long resume that stretched from “The Andy Griffith Show” and “That Girl” to “Chinatown,” “American Graffiti,” “The Godfather II,” “Blade Runner,” “A Christmas Story,” “Norma Rae,” “Footloose,” “Honeymoon in Vegas” and “Chaplin.”
“Working with Mike Fenton was like working in a candy store — he made casting a blast,” Steven Spielberg said in a statement. “His fervent support of actors was the stuff of legend, and after landing a part, any actor’s smile was rarely as wide as Mike’s. He didn’t just support actors, he launched crusades.
- 1/1/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Mike Fenton, the casting director behind hits like “Back to the Future,” “E.T.,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “The Godfather: Part II,” died this week, the Casting Society of America confirmed on Friday. He was 85.
“Casting Society of America is saddened about the death of co-founder Mike Fenton. His remarkable accomplishments and incredible work in elevating the awareness and appreciation of the craft of casting defines his legacy in the entertainment industry,” Csa co-presidents Russell Boast and Rich Mento told TheWrap in a statement on Friday. “Csa extends its love and support to his cherished family and friends.”
Steven Spielberg said that working with Fenton was “like working in a candy store” because “he made casting a blast.”
“His fervent support of actors was the stuff of legend, and after landing a part, any actor’s smile was rarely as wide as Mike’s,” the “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” director said in a statement.
“Casting Society of America is saddened about the death of co-founder Mike Fenton. His remarkable accomplishments and incredible work in elevating the awareness and appreciation of the craft of casting defines his legacy in the entertainment industry,” Csa co-presidents Russell Boast and Rich Mento told TheWrap in a statement on Friday. “Csa extends its love and support to his cherished family and friends.”
Steven Spielberg said that working with Fenton was “like working in a candy store” because “he made casting a blast.”
“His fervent support of actors was the stuff of legend, and after landing a part, any actor’s smile was rarely as wide as Mike’s,” the “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” director said in a statement.
- 1/1/2021
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
Isabelle Huppert in ‘Elle’ (Courtesy: Sbs Productions)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
With the 89th Academy Awards right around the corner, it seems that the best actress category contains one of the tightest races with Emma Stone going head to head against Isabelle Huppert. While the La La Land ingénue is considered the favorite to take home the trophy, it’s the esteemed legend from Elle who would be the one making history. At 63 years of age — just shy of her 64th birthday — the French thespian would become the category’s third-oldest winner at the Oscars.
Come the night of the ceremony — this Sunday, February 26 — Huppert will be exactly 63 years, 11 months, and 10 days old. When looking at the history of the best actress category, there are only two other women who were older than this hypothetical outcome when they took home their statuettes: Katharine Hepburn and Jessica Tandy. Hepburn won...
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
With the 89th Academy Awards right around the corner, it seems that the best actress category contains one of the tightest races with Emma Stone going head to head against Isabelle Huppert. While the La La Land ingénue is considered the favorite to take home the trophy, it’s the esteemed legend from Elle who would be the one making history. At 63 years of age — just shy of her 64th birthday — the French thespian would become the category’s third-oldest winner at the Oscars.
Come the night of the ceremony — this Sunday, February 26 — Huppert will be exactly 63 years, 11 months, and 10 days old. When looking at the history of the best actress category, there are only two other women who were older than this hypothetical outcome when they took home their statuettes: Katharine Hepburn and Jessica Tandy. Hepburn won...
- 2/24/2017
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
The greatest thing about the best foreign-language film category is the recognition of works from all around the world. Throughout the years, movies made outside the United States of America have gotten the recognition they deserve thanks to the implementation of this specific award. With the 2017 Oscars right around the corner, let’s take a look back at the distribution of nominations and wins across the seven continents that make up this big world we inhabit.
This year’s best foreign-language film contenders are: Toni Erdmann (Germany), The Salesman (Iran), Land of Mine (Denmark), A Man Called Ove (Sweden), Paradise (Russia), The King’s Choice (Norway), My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland), It’s Only the End of the World (Canada), and Tanna (Australia). This site’s namesake, The Hollywood’s Scott Feinberg, lists the first five of those as frontrunners and the other four as major threats.
Managing Editor
The greatest thing about the best foreign-language film category is the recognition of works from all around the world. Throughout the years, movies made outside the United States of America have gotten the recognition they deserve thanks to the implementation of this specific award. With the 2017 Oscars right around the corner, let’s take a look back at the distribution of nominations and wins across the seven continents that make up this big world we inhabit.
This year’s best foreign-language film contenders are: Toni Erdmann (Germany), The Salesman (Iran), Land of Mine (Denmark), A Man Called Ove (Sweden), Paradise (Russia), The King’s Choice (Norway), My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland), It’s Only the End of the World (Canada), and Tanna (Australia). This site’s namesake, The Hollywood’s Scott Feinberg, lists the first five of those as frontrunners and the other four as major threats.
- 1/5/2017
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
‘La La Land’ (Courtesy: Lionsgate)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
If you’ve been paying attention to the 2017 Oscars race, you’ve likely heard of a little movie titled La La Land. The Damien Chazelle-directed romantic musical features numerous tunes throughout but Lionsgate is pushing hard for just two — “City of Stars” and “Audition” — in the best original song category. One question remains: does having multiple pieces nominated help or hurt a film? Let’s take a look back at what history seems to indicate.
La La Land — while likely a frontrunner for many categories at the upcoming Academy Awards, even the coveted best picture — we’re going to be focusing on the musical side. Both of the film’s stars, Ryan Gosling (jazz musician Sebastian) and Emma Stone (aspiring actress Mia), lent their vocal chops to these two numbers with him owning most of “City of Stars” and her dominating in “Audition.
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
If you’ve been paying attention to the 2017 Oscars race, you’ve likely heard of a little movie titled La La Land. The Damien Chazelle-directed romantic musical features numerous tunes throughout but Lionsgate is pushing hard for just two — “City of Stars” and “Audition” — in the best original song category. One question remains: does having multiple pieces nominated help or hurt a film? Let’s take a look back at what history seems to indicate.
La La Land — while likely a frontrunner for many categories at the upcoming Academy Awards, even the coveted best picture — we’re going to be focusing on the musical side. Both of the film’s stars, Ryan Gosling (jazz musician Sebastian) and Emma Stone (aspiring actress Mia), lent their vocal chops to these two numbers with him owning most of “City of Stars” and her dominating in “Audition.
- 12/9/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
Adam Driver (Courtesy: Getty Images)
By: Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
“I felt like I was kind of good at it and I was like, ‘Well, I’ll just stick with things that I’m good at,’ because I wasn’t really good at anything else,” Adam Driver says of his foray into acting during high school as we sit down at The Hollywood Reporter‘s offices to record an episode of THR‘s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. Clearly, Driver’s instinct was sound, because today he is one of the most respected and in-demand actors of his generation.
Mid-day on Sunday, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association chose the 33-year-old as 2016’s best actor for his portrayal of a bus driver/poet in Jim Jarmusch‘s indie Paterson. Later in the afternoon, Paramount unveiled Martin Scorsese‘s latest, Silence, for which Driver dropped 51 pounds to portray a 17th century Jesuit priest.
By: Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
“I felt like I was kind of good at it and I was like, ‘Well, I’ll just stick with things that I’m good at,’ because I wasn’t really good at anything else,” Adam Driver says of his foray into acting during high school as we sit down at The Hollywood Reporter‘s offices to record an episode of THR‘s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. Clearly, Driver’s instinct was sound, because today he is one of the most respected and in-demand actors of his generation.
Mid-day on Sunday, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association chose the 33-year-old as 2016’s best actor for his portrayal of a bus driver/poet in Jim Jarmusch‘s indie Paterson. Later in the afternoon, Paramount unveiled Martin Scorsese‘s latest, Silence, for which Driver dropped 51 pounds to portray a 17th century Jesuit priest.
- 12/6/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
Sally Field (Courtesy: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Vital Voices)
By: Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
“Nothing has ever been easy for me,” says the actress Sally Field as we sit down in the kitchen of her Pacific Palisades home to record an episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. “Not one moment of my career except Gidget — ‘Hey, be Gidget,'” the 70-year-old adds in reference to her first professional role, which made her a star when she was just 17. “Everything else has been a struggle. Nothing ever fell in my lap. When I won an Emmy for Sybil, when I won an Oscar for Norma Rae, when I won an Oscar for Places in the Heart, whatever it was, it didn’t mean, ‘Open the doors, the scripts are falling in!’ It never, ever happened for me like that. I don’t know if it was me,...
By: Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
“Nothing has ever been easy for me,” says the actress Sally Field as we sit down in the kitchen of her Pacific Palisades home to record an episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. “Not one moment of my career except Gidget — ‘Hey, be Gidget,'” the 70-year-old adds in reference to her first professional role, which made her a star when she was just 17. “Everything else has been a struggle. Nothing ever fell in my lap. When I won an Emmy for Sybil, when I won an Oscar for Norma Rae, when I won an Oscar for Places in the Heart, whatever it was, it didn’t mean, ‘Open the doors, the scripts are falling in!’ It never, ever happened for me like that. I don’t know if it was me,...
- 11/27/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
‘Arrival’ (Courtesy: Paramount)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
Amid a sea of awards-worthy cinema this year, Arrival stands out from the pack for one simple reason: it’s different. Thanks to excellent reviews, solid cast performances, and a strong showing at the box office, the Denis Villeneuve-directed flick stands a chance at being nominated for best picture — but how does it fit into the history of the sci-fi genre at the Oscars?
Arrival — based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang and was written by Eric Heisserer — is considered a possibility for Hollywood’s top prize by this site’s namesake, Scott Feinberg. It stars the likes of Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker and follows a team of investigators who are racing against time to figure out how to communicate with Earth’s extraterrestrial visitors after giant spaceships pop up around the world.
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
Amid a sea of awards-worthy cinema this year, Arrival stands out from the pack for one simple reason: it’s different. Thanks to excellent reviews, solid cast performances, and a strong showing at the box office, the Denis Villeneuve-directed flick stands a chance at being nominated for best picture — but how does it fit into the history of the sci-fi genre at the Oscars?
Arrival — based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang and was written by Eric Heisserer — is considered a possibility for Hollywood’s top prize by this site’s namesake, Scott Feinberg. It stars the likes of Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker and follows a team of investigators who are racing against time to figure out how to communicate with Earth’s extraterrestrial visitors after giant spaceships pop up around the world.
- 11/18/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
Pablo Larraín (Courtesy: Andrew Cowie/Afp)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
There’s one director this year that has a chance at being a major crossover success by having two separate films nominated in both the best picture and best foreign language film categories: Pablo Larraín. This filmmaker has Jackie as well as Neruda and could join an elite group of directors who been able to have films — or even one film — in both of these major categories.
Jackie, which stars Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is considered a frontrunner in the Oscars race this year by this site’s namesake, The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. Neruda, which follows an inspector who hunts down Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, is Chile’s submission for best foreign language film this year and is considered a major threat in that contest. This would be a great feat — especially for someone who,...
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
There’s one director this year that has a chance at being a major crossover success by having two separate films nominated in both the best picture and best foreign language film categories: Pablo Larraín. This filmmaker has Jackie as well as Neruda and could join an elite group of directors who been able to have films — or even one film — in both of these major categories.
Jackie, which stars Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is considered a frontrunner in the Oscars race this year by this site’s namesake, The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. Neruda, which follows an inspector who hunts down Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, is Chile’s submission for best foreign language film this year and is considered a major threat in that contest. This would be a great feat — especially for someone who,...
- 11/17/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
Warren Beatty (Courtesy: Jeff Vespa/Getty Images for Elle)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
Oscar darlings are those who garner the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences many times throughout their career, making Warren Beatty a prime example. The multihyphenate has amassed their respect in many capacities — from acting, directing, writing, and producing — and he’s back this year with his latest work: Rules Don’t Apply, out Nov. 23.
With this film, in which the 79-year-old plays successful American entrepreneur Howard Hughes alongside the likes of young talent such as Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich, the Hollywood legend is poised to make a big return after 15 away from the silver screen. But will his good luck streak continue?
Our own Scott Feinberg recently examined how the Oscar race is shaking out and, as it stands, Rules Don’t Apply is considered a frontrunner in one category...
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
Oscar darlings are those who garner the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences many times throughout their career, making Warren Beatty a prime example. The multihyphenate has amassed their respect in many capacities — from acting, directing, writing, and producing — and he’s back this year with his latest work: Rules Don’t Apply, out Nov. 23.
With this film, in which the 79-year-old plays successful American entrepreneur Howard Hughes alongside the likes of young talent such as Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich, the Hollywood legend is poised to make a big return after 15 away from the silver screen. But will his good luck streak continue?
Our own Scott Feinberg recently examined how the Oscar race is shaking out and, as it stands, Rules Don’t Apply is considered a frontrunner in one category...
- 10/13/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
On Saturday evening the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced this year’s winning motion picture, television, and new media productions at the 27th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
The Jerry Seinfeld-created web series, “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” won the Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series for the second year in a row.
The television program “Game of Thrones” (Season 5) and its producers David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, and Greg Spence won the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama.
Closing the evening, the film The Big Short and its producers Brad Pitt & Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner won the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. This category is one of the most eagerly-anticipated of season, as it is...
The Jerry Seinfeld-created web series, “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” won the Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series for the second year in a row.
The television program “Game of Thrones” (Season 5) and its producers David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, and Greg Spence won the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama.
Closing the evening, the film The Big Short and its producers Brad Pitt & Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner won the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. This category is one of the most eagerly-anticipated of season, as it is...
- 1/25/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
‘The Danish Girl’ director Tom Hooper and the principal cast of ‘Straight Outta Compton’ also join a fast-growing list of honorees, THR has learned.
Top contenders for the best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress Oscars will be honored at the 19th Hollywood Film Awards, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Brooklyn‘s Saoirse Ronan will receive the New Hollywood Award, Sicario‘s Benicio Del Toro the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award and The Danish Girl‘s Alicia Vikander the Hollywood Breakout Actress Award.
Read the rest of this entry…...
The Hollywood Reporter
‘The Danish Girl’ director Tom Hooper and the principal cast of ‘Straight Outta Compton’ also join a fast-growing list of honorees, THR has learned.
Top contenders for the best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress Oscars will be honored at the 19th Hollywood Film Awards, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Brooklyn‘s Saoirse Ronan will receive the New Hollywood Award, Sicario‘s Benicio Del Toro the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award and The Danish Girl‘s Alicia Vikander the Hollywood Breakout Actress Award.
Read the rest of this entry…...
- 10/7/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
Just over a year ago, Tom Quinn, who along with Jason Janego runs Radius-twc, the Weinstein Co. division that specializes in both VOD and theatrical releases, got an urgent, but mysterious phone call from Josh Braun of the Submarine sales agency. “He said, ‘Listen, I’ve got this interesting project I want to talk to you about,'” Quinn recalls. “I was like, ‘Great, what is it?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I’m not gonna talk to you about it here. Why don’t you meet me at the Red Egg in [New York’s] Chinatown for lunch. Don’t bring your cell phone.’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding?’ He was like, ‘No. Just don’t bring your cell phone.'” Chuckling, Quinn remembers, “I was like, ‘Am I gonna return to the office?'”
So began Radius’ involvement with Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’ Oscar-nominated documentary about Edward Snowden.
The Hollywood Reporter
Just over a year ago, Tom Quinn, who along with Jason Janego runs Radius-twc, the Weinstein Co. division that specializes in both VOD and theatrical releases, got an urgent, but mysterious phone call from Josh Braun of the Submarine sales agency. “He said, ‘Listen, I’ve got this interesting project I want to talk to you about,'” Quinn recalls. “I was like, ‘Great, what is it?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I’m not gonna talk to you about it here. Why don’t you meet me at the Red Egg in [New York’s] Chinatown for lunch. Don’t bring your cell phone.’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding?’ He was like, ‘No. Just don’t bring your cell phone.'” Chuckling, Quinn remembers, “I was like, ‘Am I gonna return to the office?'”
So began Radius’ involvement with Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’ Oscar-nominated documentary about Edward Snowden.
- 2/15/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
The 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival kicked off on Tuesday night with the North American premiere of Richard Raymond’s feature directorial debut Desert Dancer, a drama based on the true story of a young aspiring dancer in present-day Iran, where dance is banned. (Think Rosewater meets Footloose or Dirty Dancing, in the best sense.)
More than 2,000 moviegoers packed Santa Barbara’s historic Arlington Theatre for the screening, which was attended by Raymond and his stars Reece Ritchie (who looks and dances like a young Michael Jackson), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey) — and was very well received.
Read the rest of this entry…...
The Hollywood Reporter
The 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival kicked off on Tuesday night with the North American premiere of Richard Raymond’s feature directorial debut Desert Dancer, a drama based on the true story of a young aspiring dancer in present-day Iran, where dance is banned. (Think Rosewater meets Footloose or Dirty Dancing, in the best sense.)
More than 2,000 moviegoers packed Santa Barbara’s historic Arlington Theatre for the screening, which was attended by Raymond and his stars Reece Ritchie (who looks and dances like a young Michael Jackson), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey) — and was very well received.
Read the rest of this entry…...
- 1/28/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
More than 6,000 languages are spoken somewhere in the world today, but for 90 minutes at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 4, the filmmakers behind seven of the nine countries that have landed spots on the best foreign language film Oscar shortlist — from which five Oscar nominees were chosen last weekend and will be announced to the public on Jan. 15 — were all speaking the same one: movies.
Joining me for the first annual “Oscar-Shortlisted Foreign Filmmakers in Conversation” panel were Alberto Arvelo for Venezuela’s The Liberator (Cohen Media Group); Paula van der Oest for the Netherlands’ Accused (still seeking U.S. distribution); George Ovashvili for Georgia’s Corn Island (still seeking U.S. distribution); Abderrahmane Sissako for Mauritania’s Timbuktu (Cohen Media Group); Damian Szifron for Argentina’s Wild Tales (Sony Pictures Classics); Zaza Urushadze for Estonia’s Tangerines (still seeking U.S.
The Hollywood Reporter
More than 6,000 languages are spoken somewhere in the world today, but for 90 minutes at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 4, the filmmakers behind seven of the nine countries that have landed spots on the best foreign language film Oscar shortlist — from which five Oscar nominees were chosen last weekend and will be announced to the public on Jan. 15 — were all speaking the same one: movies.
Joining me for the first annual “Oscar-Shortlisted Foreign Filmmakers in Conversation” panel were Alberto Arvelo for Venezuela’s The Liberator (Cohen Media Group); Paula van der Oest for the Netherlands’ Accused (still seeking U.S. distribution); George Ovashvili for Georgia’s Corn Island (still seeking U.S. distribution); Abderrahmane Sissako for Mauritania’s Timbuktu (Cohen Media Group); Damian Szifron for Argentina’s Wild Tales (Sony Pictures Classics); Zaza Urushadze for Estonia’s Tangerines (still seeking U.S.
- 1/14/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter tops all film Experts in predicting the 2014 Golden Globe winners announced Sunday. He was best among 22 Experts that we polled by scoring an outstanding 79% correct regarding the film champs. -Break- To see how all users fared, click here. Related: Complete list of 2014 Golden Globe winners Globe voters followed several of the precursors with wins for "Boyhood," Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Eddie Redmayne ("The Theory of Everything"), Michael Keaton ("Birdman"), Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood"), and J.K. Simmons ("Whiplash"). But some picks were difficult, including several by Feinberg who predicted "The Theory of Everything" for Best Score, "Birdman" for Best Screenplay, and "Leviathan" for Best Foreign Language Film. After Feinberg, Gold Derby's own Tom O'Neil was in second place with 72% accuracy. We then have a four-...
- 1/12/2015
- Gold Derby
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
With just hours remaining in 2014, I wanted to document for myself — and share with you — the films that I enjoyed the most this year. I have seen hundreds of titles — on the big screen and on screeners, at festivals and at multiplexes — among them all of the top Oscar contenders, up to and including every film on the documentary and foreign language film shortlists. In other words, I have done my best to be well-versed in what’s out there — but, needless to say, no list of this sort is anything but a subjective exercise for anyone.
It pains me that I do not have room to acknowledge, on the list itself, more of 2014’s extraordinary films (i.e. the 12-year project Boyhood, the acting showcases Birdman and The Imitation Game, the timely Selma and films both profound and moving, such as Citizenfour, Finding Vivian Maier and Leviathan,...
The Hollywood Reporter
With just hours remaining in 2014, I wanted to document for myself — and share with you — the films that I enjoyed the most this year. I have seen hundreds of titles — on the big screen and on screeners, at festivals and at multiplexes — among them all of the top Oscar contenders, up to and including every film on the documentary and foreign language film shortlists. In other words, I have done my best to be well-versed in what’s out there — but, needless to say, no list of this sort is anything but a subjective exercise for anyone.
It pains me that I do not have room to acknowledge, on the list itself, more of 2014’s extraordinary films (i.e. the 12-year project Boyhood, the acting showcases Birdman and The Imitation Game, the timely Selma and films both profound and moving, such as Citizenfour, Finding Vivian Maier and Leviathan,...
- 1/1/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
On Friday morning, the Academy released its foreign-language committee’s shortlist of nine films — selected from a record 83 submissions this year — from which the five nominees for the best foreign-language film Oscar will soon be chosen.
For the most part, the list is pretty unobjectionable. It includes several big critical darlings, led by Poland’s black-and-white post-Holocaust drama Ida, Russia’s stark and unusual Leviathan, Sweden’s haunting character study Force Majeure and Argentina’s hilarious sextet of shorts Wild Tales. It has a few true-life stories that could prove engrossing and appealing to a wide cross-section of people: the Netherlands’ The Accused and Venezuela’s The Liberator. And it includes works from several countries that have not frequently, if ever, been recognized, effectively putting them on the map: Mauritania’s Timbuktu (the nation’s first film ever submitted), Estonia’s Tangerines (the nation...
The Hollywood Reporter
On Friday morning, the Academy released its foreign-language committee’s shortlist of nine films — selected from a record 83 submissions this year — from which the five nominees for the best foreign-language film Oscar will soon be chosen.
For the most part, the list is pretty unobjectionable. It includes several big critical darlings, led by Poland’s black-and-white post-Holocaust drama Ida, Russia’s stark and unusual Leviathan, Sweden’s haunting character study Force Majeure and Argentina’s hilarious sextet of shorts Wild Tales. It has a few true-life stories that could prove engrossing and appealing to a wide cross-section of people: the Netherlands’ The Accused and Venezuela’s The Liberator. And it includes works from several countries that have not frequently, if ever, been recognized, effectively putting them on the map: Mauritania’s Timbuktu (the nation’s first film ever submitted), Estonia’s Tangerines (the nation...
- 12/20/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
Harvey Weinstein called on the Producers Guild of America to create new producing credits that would delineate between creative and financial producers in an appearance Saturday at the PGA’s first ever Produced By conference held in New York. During the course of a 45-minute conversation that I conducted with the Oscar-winning producer and co-chief of The Weinstein Co., who was also co-chief of Miramax from 1979 until 2005, he argued that more specific producing credits would help avoid situations like “that five-people-on-stage car crash” that he was a part of when Shakespeare in Love won the best picture Oscar in 1999. He also defended Netflix’s decision to release Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend day-and-date in Imax Theaters and on Netflix, calling the company’s execs “visionaries,” even though that move led to an outcry from theater owners. And he explained why he feels...
The Hollywood Reporter
Harvey Weinstein called on the Producers Guild of America to create new producing credits that would delineate between creative and financial producers in an appearance Saturday at the PGA’s first ever Produced By conference held in New York. During the course of a 45-minute conversation that I conducted with the Oscar-winning producer and co-chief of The Weinstein Co., who was also co-chief of Miramax from 1979 until 2005, he argued that more specific producing credits would help avoid situations like “that five-people-on-stage car crash” that he was a part of when Shakespeare in Love won the best picture Oscar in 1999. He also defended Netflix’s decision to release Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend day-and-date in Imax Theaters and on Netflix, calling the company’s execs “visionaries,” even though that move led to an outcry from theater owners. And he explained why he feels...
- 10/26/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
The deadline for countries around the world to notify the Academy of their submission for this year’s best foreign language film Oscar race arrived on Wednesday. While some of those decisions have not yet been shared with the public — for instance, people are still anxiously waiting to learn what China entered — more than 60 have been. And looking over that list, one thing became strikingly clear: May’s Cannes Film Festival, which did not produce an awful lot of narrative Oscar contenders this year — really just Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner and The Homesman — did produce a stunning and possibly unprecedented number of foreign-language Oscar contenders.
Indeed, of the 38 films that screened on the Croisette in competition or as part of the Un Certain Regard section, many of which weren’t even in a language other than English, nine — Argentina’s Wild Tales, Belgium’s Two Days,...
The Hollywood Reporter
The deadline for countries around the world to notify the Academy of their submission for this year’s best foreign language film Oscar race arrived on Wednesday. While some of those decisions have not yet been shared with the public — for instance, people are still anxiously waiting to learn what China entered — more than 60 have been. And looking over that list, one thing became strikingly clear: May’s Cannes Film Festival, which did not produce an awful lot of narrative Oscar contenders this year — really just Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner and The Homesman — did produce a stunning and possibly unprecedented number of foreign-language Oscar contenders.
Indeed, of the 38 films that screened on the Croisette in competition or as part of the Un Certain Regard section, many of which weren’t even in a language other than English, nine — Argentina’s Wild Tales, Belgium’s Two Days,...
- 10/3/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
It’s only just October and already the Oscar season has grown ugly. And it’s not even the contenders battling for rank.
The heat is coming from the pundits themselves, who have already grown weary of some of their colleagues’ Bs and perpetual trumpeting. In Mark Harris’s brilliant first post about the Oscar race so far, he goes as far as to say that in “the real world”, there isn’t even a race yet. He tears apart the notions of rules, statistics and trends confirming nominees, and he laughs at the idea that each month or week there’s a new movie that changes everything about the race.
But there is excitement in the real world. This weekend Gone Girl is opening to raves and three of the most anticipated movies of the year in Inherent Vice, Interstellar and Exodus: Gods and Kings, got trailers. All of...
The heat is coming from the pundits themselves, who have already grown weary of some of their colleagues’ Bs and perpetual trumpeting. In Mark Harris’s brilliant first post about the Oscar race so far, he goes as far as to say that in “the real world”, there isn’t even a race yet. He tears apart the notions of rules, statistics and trends confirming nominees, and he laughs at the idea that each month or week there’s a new movie that changes everything about the race.
But there is excitement in the real world. This weekend Gone Girl is opening to raves and three of the most anticipated movies of the year in Inherent Vice, Interstellar and Exodus: Gods and Kings, got trailers. All of...
- 10/2/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Keeping track of the Foreign Language submissions for the Oscars each year is something I constantly forget to keep on top of, but I have just done a full update as we are now up to 56 total submissions, only 20 shy of last year's record-breaking 76 submissions with only eight days to go before the October 1 submission deadline. Notable new entries on the list include Belguim's submission of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's festival favorite Two Days, One Night as well as Canada submitting Xavier Dolan's Mommy, which knocked the socks of Cannes audiences and did the same to me in Toronto this year (read my review here). It should also be noted France has submitted Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent instead of last year's buzzy title Blue is the Warmest Color, which missed the release date cut off date last year, making it eligible for this year's Oscars, but the...
- 9/23/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
MTV News hilarious bit w/ Julia Roberts and Josh Horowitz talking Jennifer Lawrence
Juan Luis Garcia writes an open letter to Spike Lee about Oldboy poster designs that are being used without the designer's permission. Horrifying story of freelancer abuse
Gawker collected the key floats and Roker silliness for Thanksgiving Day Parade Icymi
Variety Evan Rachel Wood vs the MPAA over a recent sex scene
List Mania
Gurus of Gold we list nominations we'd be thankful for and update our charts
THR Feinberg's Forecast. It's exhausting to read all the stuff that happened this week. Once campaigning starts it's just impossible to keep up, right?
The Playlist on the Breakout directors of 2013 from Destin Cretton (Short Term 12) to Sebastian Lelio (Gloria)
Variety also reviewed the week from Jean Claude Van Damme's epic split stunt to Frozen on your phone
Vulture all the times Peeta messes up in Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Juan Luis Garcia writes an open letter to Spike Lee about Oldboy poster designs that are being used without the designer's permission. Horrifying story of freelancer abuse
Gawker collected the key floats and Roker silliness for Thanksgiving Day Parade Icymi
Variety Evan Rachel Wood vs the MPAA over a recent sex scene
List Mania
Gurus of Gold we list nominations we'd be thankful for and update our charts
THR Feinberg's Forecast. It's exhausting to read all the stuff that happened this week. Once campaigning starts it's just impossible to keep up, right?
The Playlist on the Breakout directors of 2013 from Destin Cretton (Short Term 12) to Sebastian Lelio (Gloria)
Variety also reviewed the week from Jean Claude Van Damme's epic split stunt to Frozen on your phone
Vulture all the times Peeta messes up in Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
- 11/29/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Early this year came a rumor that Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) may direct the upcoming "Poltergeist" remake, which is being written by David Lindsay-Abaire, who also wrote Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful." But then in April, THR confirmed that Raimi will only produce and that a director has yet to sign on. THR now says that Raimi changed his mind and will direct the film, claiming that the information came direction from Lindsay-Abaire. HitFix reached out to THR columnist Scott Feinberg to confirm that he wasn't just reporting on an old rumor. "Lindsay-Abaire told me that Raimi was directing it," Feinberg replied. "I had never heard of the possibility before that." The original 1982 film was written by Steven Spielberg and focuses on a family whose house was built on a holy site and whose daughter is taken by ghosts.
- 10/18/2012
- WorstPreviews.com
So, even though it was reported already this spring, some folks apparently had doubts so it has been super-confirmed, but yes, "Rabbit Hole" director David Lindsay-Abaire is really and truly writing the script for the MGM "Poltergeist" remake that Sam Raimi will produce. Or will he step into the director's chair too? Bear with this. This rumor is a bit like a game of telephone, but it goes like this: in a recent random piece over at THR about animated Oscar contenders, it was casually dropped that "Poltergeist" would be Raimi's next film. Huh? Then, THR writer Scott Feinberg took to Twitter and confirmed that Lindsay-Abaire had indeed told him Raimi was directing. So he's obviously doing it then, right? Maybe. This could all be some kind of miscommunicatoin, or maybe Raimi is still considering doing it, or maybe he really liked the script, or....you get the idea. But...
- 10/17/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: The Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards Gala turned 15 last night with an extravagant affair at the Beverly Hilton. After a week of screenings at the Arclight Cinemas, hundreds of directors, producers, screenwriters, actors and film fans gathered to honor, as the festival puts it, “excellence in the art of filmmaking.”
Technically, I wasn’t working the event. I attended as a guest of festival founder Carlos De Abreu (who’s also the publisher of HollywoodNews.com). Luckily, my friend Scott Feinberg was covering the star-studded gala and has a thorough rundown of the evening’s guests and how they factor into the current awards race. You can read that recap here, and browse a photo gallery of attending celebrities on the red carpet here.
Awards conversations will follow for the next few weeks and months. We’ll have so much to say about...
Hollywoodnews.com: The Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards Gala turned 15 last night with an extravagant affair at the Beverly Hilton. After a week of screenings at the Arclight Cinemas, hundreds of directors, producers, screenwriters, actors and film fans gathered to honor, as the festival puts it, “excellence in the art of filmmaking.”
Technically, I wasn’t working the event. I attended as a guest of festival founder Carlos De Abreu (who’s also the publisher of HollywoodNews.com). Luckily, my friend Scott Feinberg was covering the star-studded gala and has a thorough rundown of the evening’s guests and how they factor into the current awards race. You can read that recap here, and browse a photo gallery of attending celebrities on the red carpet here.
Awards conversations will follow for the next few weeks and months. We’ll have so much to say about...
- 10/25/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
Serious Film Jim Carrey's Oscar snubs. Will Mr Popper's Penguins bring more?
Variety Will The Hurt Locker team triumph again? Turns out the movie Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal were already working on to shoot this summer was about the very team that just killed Osama Bin Laden.
The Film Doctor questions why Fast Five is so popular... and attempts to answer.
i09 worries about Green Lantern in advance. Too much mythology?
Hollywood Reporter Wait. I thought Soderbergh was retiring? And now he's doing Magic Mike, a male stripper drama with Channing Tatum?
Av Club Remember when we were discussing Guy Pearce and why he doesn't get major parts? Well Ridley Scott to the rescue. Pearce has been cast in Prometheus, the is-it-or-isn't-it-an-Aliens-sequel?
Scott Feinberg likes Kathleen Turner in The Perfect Family. Will it find distribution and warm reception outside of Tribeca's fest?
La Daily Musto bizarre...
Variety Will The Hurt Locker team triumph again? Turns out the movie Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal were already working on to shoot this summer was about the very team that just killed Osama Bin Laden.
The Film Doctor questions why Fast Five is so popular... and attempts to answer.
i09 worries about Green Lantern in advance. Too much mythology?
Hollywood Reporter Wait. I thought Soderbergh was retiring? And now he's doing Magic Mike, a male stripper drama with Channing Tatum?
Av Club Remember when we were discussing Guy Pearce and why he doesn't get major parts? Well Ridley Scott to the rescue. Pearce has been cast in Prometheus, the is-it-or-isn't-it-an-Aliens-sequel?
Scott Feinberg likes Kathleen Turner in The Perfect Family. Will it find distribution and warm reception outside of Tribeca's fest?
La Daily Musto bizarre...
- 5/3/2011
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
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