AMPAS and Michael Moore showcase this year's Oscar docs

Posted by · 11:54 am · February 22nd, 2013

Check out the Moore-hosted panel discussion with all the nominees.

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Oscar Guide 2013: Best Documentary Feature

Posted by · 7:32 am · February 14th, 2013

‘5 Broken Cameras,’ The Gatekeepers,’ ‘How to Survive a Plague,’ ‘The Invisible War’ and ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ square off.

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'Ai Weiwei,' 'Queen of Versailles' join Oscar players in DGA documentary nominations

Posted by · 12:04 pm · January 14th, 2013

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has offered up its list of nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking, and it’s a nice slice of vindication for a pair of Oscar snubees.

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'5 Broken Cameras,' 'Detropia' pick up top prizes at Cinema Eye Honors

Posted by · 9:18 pm · January 9th, 2013

As I wrote last weekend when I broke down this year’s Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature, I really wish I had caught up with “5 Broken Cameras” earlier in the season. It is quite simply one of the most astonishing pieces of work I’ve seen all year and could easily have figured on my top 10 list (where “The Queen of Versailles” was already featured — it’s been such a great year for the form). I was happily, then, greeted with the news that the film took the top prize at tonight’s Cinema Eye Honors.

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From 'Ai Weiwei' to 'Sugar Man,' handicapping this year's documentary feature race

Posted by · 10:15 am · January 5th, 2013

The field of documentary feature contenders this year is bursting at the seams with quality and the signs of a true golden age for the form. And this even with a number of the year’s best having failed to make the finalists cut. Issues tackled are wide-ranging, artistry is apparent in a number of entries and the stories that are being shared are as powerful as ever. How do you even begin to handicap this thing?

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'Moonrise Kingdom' wins big with Central Ohio film critics

Posted by · 11:55 pm · January 3rd, 2013

Finally someone would like to shake things up a little bit again. The Central Ohio Film Critics Association has chosen Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” as the year’s best film, and not only that, but given it five awards, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Score and Best Ensemble. Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor for “Lincoln” while Jennifer Lawrence took Best Actress for “Silver Linings Playbook.”

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'Zero Dark Thirty' wins Best Picture and Best Director from the Boston Society of Film Critics

Posted by · 12:06 pm · December 9th, 2012

The Boston Society of Film Critics has joined the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review in crowning “Zero Dark Thirty” the year’s best film. Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director while Daniel Day-Lewis (“Lincoln”) and Emmanuelle Riva (“Amour”) won top acting honors.

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'Searching for Sugar Man' tops 2012 IDA Awards

Posted by · 9:43 pm · December 7th, 2012

Perceived Oscar frontrunner “Searching for Sugarman” took top honors at the International Documentary Association Awards this evening. The portrait of long-“lost” recording artist Rodriguez also won Best Music. “How to Survive a Plague” director David France won an award for emerging talent while last year’s Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short, “Saving Face,” won in the shorts category.

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'Central Park Five,' 'Queen of Versailles,' 'West of Memphis' shafted by Academy's doc branch

Posted by · 12:29 pm · December 3rd, 2012

15 titles proceed in a competitive year for the category.

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Oscar Talk: Ep. 97 — 'Les Misérables' and 'Zero Dark Thirty' enter the season

Posted by · 8:00 am · November 30th, 2012

In this week’s podcast, Kris and Anne speak up on two of the season’s most anticipated entries, “Les Miserables” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” mull over the implications of the Gothams and Spirits and chew on the Best Documentary Feature category.

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'Moonrise Kingdom' takes top honors at 22nd annual Gotham Awards

Posted by · 8:18 pm · November 26th, 2012

The Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street were a first for me this evening. Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Jack Black, Mark Duplass, Melanie Lynskey, David O. Russell, Marion Cotillard, all on hand to ring in the season with the first (real) awards show of the year.

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