In Contention

Tag: We Live in Public

  • Thoughts on the Oscar doc list

    Agnes Varda in The Beaches of AgnesPerhaps inevitably, the bulk of online chatter about the Best Documentary Feature shortlist unveiled yesterday focused less on the films that made it, and more on those that didn’t.

    It’s par for the course for the Academy’s documentary branch to ignore a major title or two, but even by their severe standards, the list of high-profile snubs was a long one: “Capitalism: A Love Story,” “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” “Tyson,” “The September Issue,” “We Live in Public,” “It Might Get Loud,” “Rough Aunties” and so on.

    But for every blogger or commenter complaining about the dubiousness of the list, I can’t fight the urge to ask whether or not they’ve seen all 15 titles that have been included. In these cases, it’s always easier to say what should have got in than what should have been left out.

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  • AMPAS announces doc feature short list, ‘Anvil,’ ‘Capitalism’ snubbed

    The CoveYou can check out the full press release here.  The list of 15 competing titles as follows:

    • “The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
    • “Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
    • “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
    • “Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
    • “Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
    • “Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
    • “Garbage Dreams,” Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
    • “Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,” Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
    • “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
    • “Mugabe and the White African,” Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
    • “Sergio,” Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
    • “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
    • “Under Our Skin,” Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
    • “Valentino The Last Emperor,” Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
    • “Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

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  • Tweeting for Oscar

    We Live in PublicThe few of you who do follow my Twitter account will have gathered by now that, compared to some, I’m not the most active correspondent in that medium — limiting my thoughts to 140 characters is a trial more often that not. However, should I ever find myself in the hunt for an Oscar (hey, I have dreams too!), I’ll be sure to step up my tweet count.

    You’ve all heard by now about “Moon” director Duncan Jones’s admirably enthusiastic Twitter campaign for Sam Rockwell’s Best Actor chances, which so far has worked a treat.

    No, not because Rockwell isn’t still the darkest of horses for Oscar consideration, but because the quirky nature of the campaign has proved something of a talking point in an otherwise quiet week — generating a fresh wave of viewer interest in a small, long-gone summer release. As nice as this press is for Rockwell, “Moon” is the real winner here.

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