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 Talk: Ep. 106 — BAFTA and Scripter recap, WGA preview and more shorts

Posted by · 8:00 am · February 15th, 2013

On this week’s podcast, Kris and Anne recap the BAFTA USC Scripter Awards. They look ahead to the WGA Competition and break down three categories: Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short and Best Live Action Short.

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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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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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'Skyfall' joins indies 'Beasts' and 'Moonrise' on list of PGA nominees

Posted by · 1:37 pm · January 2nd, 2013

The nominees for this year’s PGA Awards have been announced.

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'Amour,' 'The Master' win big with Los Angeles Film Critics Association

Posted by · 1:54 pm · December 9th, 2012

Over a week after their colleagues on the east coast went in big for Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty,” the Los Angeles Film Critics Association put the brakes on Kathryn Bigelow’s film, which has been dominating the circuit. It even won two Best Picture prizes today, but one of them was not LAFCA’s crown. Instead, the LA critics went with Michael Haneke’s “Amour,” and as a runner-up, a film clearly beloved by the group that won four other prizes, including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

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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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'Gatekeepers,' 'Sugar Man' among list of PGA documentary feature nominees

Posted by · 9:09 am · December 1st, 2012

Nominees for the documentary feature category were announced this week by the Producers Guild of America.

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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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Oscar Talk: Ep. 87 — Fall fests, 'The Master,' 'Silver Linings,' 'Argo' kick off the season

Posted by · 10:46 am · September 15th, 2012

In this week’s podcast, Kris and Anne discuss the movies that have launched the season at the beginning of the fall festival circuit as a new season of Oscar Talk kicks off.

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Wrapping up the 39th annual Telluride Film Festival

Posted by · 8:23 am · September 3rd, 2012

Things are pretty much wrapping up at the 39th annual. Monday is generally a great time for catch-up, as the schedule is filled in with repeat showings. Unfortunately, I tend to leave on Monday afternoon each year, so I don’t get to use the day productively. But nine-and-a-half movies over the three-day spread is good enough for me. (I won’t knock the movie I walked out of. I’ll come back to it at some point, as it’s generated interesting split reactions.)

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Provocative and revealing 'Gatekeepers' argues futility of an eye for an eye

Posted by · 10:54 pm · September 1st, 2012

Fewer movies are going to be as important and provocative at this year’s Telluride Film Festival than Dror Moreh’s “The Gatekeepers.” The documentary filmmaker was granted an extraordinary amount of access to six former heads of Shin Bet, the ultra-secretive Israeli intelligence agency, and turned out a striking, candid assessment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from those with the very power to dictate what can and cannot be divulged.

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'Frances Ha,' 'Hyde Park on Hudson' and more set for 39th Telluride Film Festival

Posted by · 9:47 am · August 30th, 2012

I’ve just landed at the airport and gotten a look at the fresh-off-the-presses release announcing the line-up for the 39th annual Telluride Film Festival. As I await the shuttle into Telluride for my fourth-straight SHOW, and as many of my Los Angeles brethren board the charter flight into Montrose here, let’s dig in and see what’s in store.

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