'Artist,' 'Tinker,' 'Shame' and 'Marilyn' among contenders not eligible for WGA

Posted by · 3:52 pm · December 2nd, 2011

As happens every year, a list of potential Oscar nominees is ineligible for WGA consideration due to a number of issues (signatory concerns, paperwork avoidance, etc.). This year, though, the list seems particularly long.

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Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: John Williams charges back to lead the field of Best Original Score hopefuls

Posted by · 8:07 am · November 24th, 2011

In this week’s installment of Tech Support, we turn our gaze toward Best Original Score. Those in the hunt include John Williams, Alexandre Desplat, Howard Shore and Alberto Iglesias.

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'A Separation' wins BBC World Cinema Award

Posted by · 8:04 am · November 18th, 2011

If you were still in any doubt that Asghar Farhadi’s superb Iranian marital drama “A Separation” is this year’s Chosen One on the world cinema circuit, there was further confirmation this week, as the film scooped the annual BBC Four World Cinema Award.

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Oscarweb Round-up: Murphygate

Posted by · 7:08 am · November 10th, 2011

In today’s round-up, well, there is plenty of discussion regarding Eddie Murphy’s bowing out as Oscar host, George Clooney says he’ll be “shocked” if “The Descendants” isn’t nominated for Oscar and Mia Wasikowska hits the circuit to talk “Jane Eyre” and “Albert Nobbs.”

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'Melancholia' rules European Film Award nods

Posted by · 5:09 am · November 7th, 2011

Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia” is a sophisticated choice of film to lead Europe’s alternative to the Oscars — but a middlebrow mindset prevails elsewhere.

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Oscarweb Round-up: The 'Jackie Brown' press tour, 2011 edition

Posted by · 8:23 am · October 17th, 2011

In today’s round-up, Pam Grier continues the “Jackie Brown” Blu-ray press rounds, “The Descendats” star Judy Greer gets some ink for her work in the film and Zachary Quinto bravely comes out of the closet with purpose behind his actions.

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Oscarweb Round-up: 'Martha Marcy' media blitz

Posted by · 7:03 am · October 14th, 2011

In today’s round-up, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” star Elizabeth Olsen continues making the rounds, Variety honors Pixar honcho John Lasseter and that lawsuit against “The Hurt Locker” is finally thrown out.

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Oscarweb Round-up: Will Czech entry 'Alois Nebel' qualify as animated and boost the field?

Posted by · 7:08 am · October 13th, 2011

In today’s round-up, Czech foreign film entry “Alois Nebel” declares intentions to submit for animated feature consideration, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” star Elizabeth Olsen is ready for her close-up and Alexander Payne sets out to cast the HELL out of his latest film, “Nebraska.”

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Does Sony have bigger Oscar plans for 'A Separation' and 'In Darkness'?

Posted by · 2:28 pm · October 3rd, 2011

Best Foreign Language Film contenders are frequently content to wait until after the nominations to open in US theaters; however, Sony Pictures Classics has scheduled heavyweight contenders ‘A Separation’ and ‘In Darkness’ for December openings, suggesting they may have other Oscar categories in mind.

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Reviewing NYFF across space and time

Posted by · 10:22 am · October 3rd, 2011

We may not be attending the New York Film Festival, here’s a round-up of the festival titles we’ve already seen and reviewed at In Contention, including such films as “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “A Separation” and “Carnage.”

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Spanish selectors ignore Almodóvar, as Sony picks up Lebanese Oscar hopeful

Posted by · 4:40 pm · September 28th, 2011

We’ll lead this foreign-language Oscar update with a promising bit of news on a previously announced submission. Lebanon’s entry, Nadine Labaki’s feminist comedy “Where Do We Go Now?” has just been picked up for US distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.

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