Culture Representation: Taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 2016 to 2019, the dramatic film “Parallel Mothers” features an all-Hispanic cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.
Culture Clash: Two single mothers (one middle-aged and one teenage) and the teenager’s mother find their lives intertwined and affected by secrets and lies.
Culture Audience: “Parallel Mothers” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, star Penélope Cruz and well-acted movies that explore the highs and lows of family histories.
Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit in “Parallel Mothers” (Photo by Iglesias Más/El Deseo/Sony Pictures Classics)
“Parallel Mothers” is more than a drama about the relationship between two single mothers. On a much broader level, it’s about how secrets can be damaging to families. Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, “Parallel Mothers” is one of his most emotionally moving and effective movies in his illustrious filmography. “Parallel Mothers” had its world premiere at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, where “Parallel Mothers” star Penélope Cruz won the Volpi Prize for Best Actress. The movie’s North American premiere was at the 2021 New York Film Festival.
“Parallel Mothers” (which takes place from 2016 to 2019) begins and ends with a very personal family quest by a Madrid-based photographer named Maria Janis Martinez Moreno, also known as Janis (played by Cruz), who is trying to find the anonymous mass grave where her great-grandfather was buried, after he was murdered in the Spanish Civil War. Janis, who is 39 when this story begins, comes up against a lot bureaucratic stonewalling from government officials who seem to want to erase this shameful part of Spanish history where thousands of murdered people were buried in unmarked graves without notifying the dead people’s family members. It’s important for Janis and her family to give her great-grandfather’s body a proper burial, according to their Catholic traditions.
The only details that Janis knows about the grave are from what her grandmother told her: It’s an unmarked grave, where 10 men were buried. Janis’ grandmother gave her the names of the other men who are said to be buried in the same grave. Janis’ great-grandfather was not in the military during the Spanis Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939. He was a teacher and a photographer, who went missing during the war. The family got the news that he was murdered, but his body was never found.
During her search for this grave, Janis ends up doing a studio photo session with a forensic entomologist named Arturo (played Israel Elejalde), who works for the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory. It’s a group that decides its projects years in advance, and it has the authority to decide which unmarked graves can be excavated. Janis asks Arturo what he can do to help her start the process to excavate a grave that she’s fairly certain is where her great-grandfather is buried. Arturo says he can talk to his management supervisors about this issue.
There’s some sexual attraction between Janis and Arturo. Not long after this photo session, they begin having an affair. Although Janis is completely single, Arturo is not. He’s up front in telling Janis that he’s married, but he and his wife are having marital problems. The movie later has some back-and-forth drama over whether or not Arturo and his wife (who is never seen in the film) will break up or not.
Soon after Janis and Arturo begin their affair, Janis unexpectedly gets pregnant. Janis is at an age when she thought she would never have children, so she’s elated by this unplanned pregnancy. Arturo is not. In fact, he questions if he’s the father of the child and asks Janis to consider having an abortion.
Janis is so insulted that she breaks up with Arturo and tells him she wants to raise the child without any financial help from him. Janis also tells Arturo that she won’t have a paternity test done for the child, and that she doesn’t Arturo in the child’s life. Arturo accepts this decision, but he seems hurt that Janis wants to completely cut him out of her life. Without giving away too much information, it’s enough to say that Janis and Arturo aren’t completely out of each other’s lives after she gives birth to their child.
When it comes time for Janis to give birth, she checks into a maternity ward at a local hospital. Janis knows that her baby will be a girl and already has decided that her daughter’s name will be Cecilia. Janis’ roommate is another single, expectant mother who’s about to give birth to her first child that was the result of an unplanned pregnancy.
Janis is sharing a room with Ana Manso (played by Milena Smit), who’s about 16 or 17 years old. Unlike Janis, Ana is not excited to be a mother. Ana is terrified and reluctant about parenthood. Ana doesn’t feel that she’s ready for this big change in her life. Ana also tells Janis that she regrets getting pregnant, while Janis tries to get Ana to think about the positive benefits of being a parent.
Janis has her somewhat-comical best friend Elena (played by Rossy de Palma) as a support system during this pregnancy. Ana is under the care of her divorced and domineering mother Teresa (played by Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), who greatly disapproves that Ana is going to be an unwed, teenage mother. Teresa thinks that Ana is headed down the wrong path in life, and she frequently berates Ana about it.
Teresa is a busy actress who often has to travel for her job. She does a lot of work on plays that tour. It’s not stated what Teresa’s ex-husband Alex (Ana’s father) does for a living, but he makes enough money to give financial support to Ana and Teresa. During Ana’s stay in the hospital, Ana says to Teresa that Teresa should tell Alex that he needs to increase his child-support payments, now that Ana is about to become a mother who is still underage.
Despite their very different attitudes about their impending motherhoods, Ana and Janis become fast friends in the maternity ward. Their bond becomes stronger when they both end up giving birth to daughters on the same day. Ana names her daughter Anita. Ana is overwhelmed by being a new mother, but she loves Anita and wants to do what’s best for her. Janis is also a doting mother to Cecilia.
The friendship between Ana and Janis continues after they both leave the hospital. When Ana’s mother Teresa temporarily goes away because of a job in a play, she thinks it’s a good idea for Ana to stay with Janis, who has plenty of room in her home. Janis also has a comfortable living situation because she has a nanny and a housekeeper to help.
Janis and Ana become closer and eventually confide some secrets to each other. Ana, who is a self-admitted “wild child,” tells Janis how she really got pregnant. Janis tells Ana that Janis’ seemingly upstanding family has some shady history: Janis’ father was a Colombian drug dealer. As a sign that Ana wants to start a new life and possibly appear to be more mature, Ana cuts her hair short and dyes it gray.
Ana and Janis initially bond over being two mothers of two daughters who share the same birthday. Their friendship turns into a more intimate relationship when Janis and Ana become lovers while they live together. They do not put a label on their sexuality. Janis has told Ana about Arturo from the beginning. It should come as no surprise when Arturo seems to want to come back into Janis’ life, Ana gets very jealous.
But the real test of the relationship between Ana and Janis is when Janis finds out a shocking secret that she knows could very likely ruin her relationship with Ana if Janis tells Ana. Much of the suspense in “Parallel Mothers” is about whether or not Janis will tell anyone this secret. And if she does, what will happen?
During all of this drama, Janis still has not lost sight of looking for her great-grandfather’s grave. Janis learns more about her family history from her Aunt Brígida (played by Julieta Serrano), who keeps a lot of the family’s ancestral mementos and records. One of the most emotionally moving aspects of “Parallel Mothers” is showing how the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath resulted in thousands of missing people who were presumed murdered but whose families never got proper closure over these disappearances. These disappearances and the untold number of unmarked graves have left an immeasurably sad impact on families and on Spain as a country.
“Parallel Mothers” is not a political film that points fingers at the right-wing Nationalists who won the war, or at Francisco Franco’s regime that ruled Spain until Franco’s death in 1975. Instead, the movie brilliantly weaves the stories of Janis, Ana and Teresa together as examples of what can happen when dishonesty, love and pride have long-term effects on relationships. And what Almodóvar does so well, in very nuanced ways, is show that the “Parallel Mothers” is also about another mother—a mother country called Spain and the effects of dishonesty, love and pride on this mother.
All of the cast members do commendable jobs in their roles, but Cruz is a clear standout because of how authentically she expresses the range of emotions that her Janis character goes through in this story. Simply put: Cruz gives one of her best performances in “Parallel Mothers,” which has a knockout ending that will stay with viewers long after seeing the movie. Considering the movie’s subject matter and Janis’ secret, “Parallel Mothers” could have easily devolved into into a mawkish soap opera. But under Almodóvar’s artistic and thoughtful guidance, “Parallel Mothers” makes an impactful statement about trying to heal from emotional scars, whether they are from personal battles or national wars.
Sony Pictures Classics released “Parallel Mothers” in select U.S. cinemas on December 24, 2021.
Culture Representation: Taking place in Montana in 1925, the dramatic film “The Power of the Dog” features an all-white cast of characters representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: A bullying rancher, who is secretly gay and who comes from a wealthy family, tries to make life miserable for his younger brother’s new wife and her young adult son from a previous marriage.
Culture Audience: “The Power of the Dog” will appeal primarily to fans of star Benedict Cumberbatch, filmmaker Jane Campion and well-made Westerns where the challenges are more psychological than physical.
Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst in “The Power of the Dog” (Photo by Kirsty Griffin/Netflix)
“The Power of the Dog” gives an unflinching and riveting portrait of toxic masculinity, homophobia and family tensions. Even though the movie is set in 1925 Montana, the themes are universal and timeless. Written and directed by Jane Campion (who adapted the movie from Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name), “The Power of the Dog” is a masterfully made film on every level. Many parts of the movie are not easy to watch, but unless you have a heart of stone or only want to watch mindless junk movies, it’s nearly impossible not to be affected in some way after seeing “The Power of the Dog.”
The story of “The Power of the Dog” essentially centers on four people, who end up being caught up in a maelstrom of mistrust and hard feelings. There are varying degrees of love and fear that drive the motives behind these characters’ actions and words. The four characters who are the focus of the story are:
Phil Burbank (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), the aggressive alpha male rancher, who seems ultra-skilled at almost everything except staying in a healthy and loving relationship.
George Burbank (played by Jesse Plemons), Phil’s mild-mannered younger brother, who is the opposite of Phil in almost every way.
Rose Gordon (played by Kirsten Dunst), the widow restaurateur who becomes of one the targets of Phil’s scorn, especially after Rose marries George.
Peter Gordon (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee), the sensitive, young adult son from Rose’s first marriage, who also gets Phil’s wrath because Peter is unapologetically effeminate.
Many other characters come and go in “The Power of the Dog,” but the most interesting and best parts of the movie are about the four main characters. Campion (who is also one of the movie’s producers) wisely pared down the “Power of the Dog” novel by choosing the parts that have the most cinematic impact. If everything in the book had been adapted to the screen, the “The Power of the Dog” would’ve been a miniseries, not a feature-length movie.
Still, the deliberately slow pacing in the beginning of the movie might be a bit of a turnoff to people with short attention spans. The first third of the movie takes place before Rose and George get married. She’s the sole owner/manager of a small eatery called the Red Mill restaurant, which is her only source of income since her first husband, Dr. John Gordon, passed away. Dr. Gordon was a loving husband and father, by all accounts. Peter helps out at the restaurant as a waiter/busboy.
Phil (who is in his mid-40s) and George (who’s in his early-to-mid 30s) come from a wealthy rancher family and live together on the family’s expansive ranch property in Montana. (“The Power of the Dog” was actually filmed in New Zealand.) Their parents are both deceased. Phil (a never-married bachelor) is in charge of the ranch, where he shows off his cowboy skills to his underlings. Phil oversees the ranch’s day-to-day manual operations, while the better-educated George handles the ranch’s business affairs. But if push came to shove, everyone knows that Phil is really the boss of the ranch.
Phil isn’t just talented at ranch responsibilities. He also plays the banjo, which he learned how to play with ease and speed beyond what the average person would be able to do. Later in the movie, Phil uses his banjo playing as a weapon to emotionally torment Rose. Because Phil is so multi-talented and has a charismatic side (he’s well-known for enrapturing people with his storytelling), he gets away with a lot of appalling things with people who seem to both admire and fear him.
Rose and Peter (who’s in his early 20s) are still grieving over the loss of Dr. Gordon, but they do what they can to survive in an often-harsh world. They experience some of this harshness when Phil and his rancher cronies come into the restaurant and put their toxic masculinity on full display. Phil is a bully who likes to taunt and insult people he thinks are vulnerable, just so he can feel superior to them.
Phil makes obnoxious and cruel comments to Rose and Peter while he’s a customer at the restaurant. Phil’s rancher buddies just laugh and do nothing to stop Phil. These weak-willed enablers often join in on Phil’s bullying. One day, at the restaurant, Phil’s bad behavior becomes potentially dangerous, when he deliberately sets fire to a bouquet of paper flowers that’s on display on the restaurant table. The fire doesn’t spread to cause any significant damage. However, this arson is the first sign that Phil has destructive tendencies.
During this restaurant meal, Phil leads a group toast to his deceased best friend Bronco Henry, who died in 1904 at the age of 50. Bronco Henry (who is not seen in flashbacks) is described as a mentor to Phil. As time goes on, there’s a pivotal scene in the movie that reveals that Bronco Henry was more than a best friend/mentor to Phil. It’s the scene that reveals that Phil is gay and in the closet about his true sexuality. It’s left open to intepretation if Phil and Bronco Henry had a sexual relationship, but it’s clear from this scene that Phil was in love with Bronco Henry.
Until that scene happens, the movie drops big hints that Phil’s homophobia is masking his own self-hatred about being gay. The biggest indication is in how Phil zeroes in on Peter for Phil’s worst bullying. Peter, who is shy and very intelligent, is contemplating going to medical school. He has no interest in a job that would require athletic prowess. Therefore, Phil delights in calling Peter a “sissy” and other derogatory names so that Phil can let it be known to everyone that he thinks Peter is probably gay.
Peter’s sexuality is not identified or defined in “The Power of the Dog,” because Peter doesn’t state what his sexuality is, and he doesn’t show interest in dating anyone at this point in his life. Peter is definitely a “mama’s boy” though, and his mother is very protective of him. Having an annoying and homophobic customer who comes into the restaurant is one thing. Having him become part of Peter’s family is another.
And so, it’s with growing dread that Peter (who does voiceover narration in the movie) notices that Phil’s younger brother George has taken a romantic interest in Peter’s lonely mother Rose. George is very smitten with Rose. The feeling isn’t mutual, but she likes George enough to entertain his amorous attention.
There’s an ulterior motive for Rose to consider marrying George: She needs money to pay for Peter’s medical school fees. Her restaurant is also struggling, and she wouldn’t have to work outside the home anymore if she married this wealthy rancher. Rose appreciates that George is kind to her, but she doesn’t have the same romantic passion for him that he does for her. She’s also living in an era when a woman’s financial stability depends largely on what kind of man she marries.
Peter isn’t the only one who doesn’t really want Rose to marry George. Phil tries to discourage George from marrying Rose. During a private conversation between the two brothers, Phil reminds George that they’ve had fun together when they visit prostitutes. Phil also warns George about not being seduced into paying the “nancy boy’s” medical school fees. George is undeterred in his pursuit of Rose because he’s truly in love with her.
Under these circumstances, it doesn’t take Rose long to decide she’s going to marry George. Rose and George have a whirlwind courtship, they get married, and she and Peter move to the Burbank family ranch. It’s during this life transition that things start to get ugly for Rose and Peter. George is often away on business, so he’s at first oblivious to what goes on at the ranch when he’s not there. And he’s sometimes clueless about the trouble that’s brewing, even when he’s at the ranch.
Because of George’s trusting nature, he lives life in an open and transparent way. By contrast, Phil is very secretive and highly manipulative. Phil sees life almost like a chess game where he always has to end up as the winner. George tends to dismiss the bad things that he hears about Phil, partly because Phil is his only sibling (and closest living relative) and partly because George likes to think that all people are essentially good.
Rose is a talented piano player, but Phil is the type of egomaniac who can’t stand the thought of anyone outshining him in any talent, especially in his own home. And so, one of the more fascinating aspects of the movie plays out, when Phil engages in psychological warfare with Rose, by using the music he plays on the banjo, how he plays it, and when he plays it. The marriage of Rose and George also threatens the closeness that Phil and George once had but is now changed because most of George’s attention is now on Rose, not Phil.
You also don’t have to be a psychiatrist to see that Phil is also jealous of George because George has found love and is with a spouse who makes him happy. It’s something that Phil knows he can never experience as a gay man, when homosexuality is forbidden in every way in this 1925 society. Over time, Rose starts to care deeply for George, and that makes Phil even more jealous.
A warning to viewers who are sensitive about seeing animal abuse depicted in movies: There’s a shocking and disturbing scene where Phil takes out his anger by brutally and repeatedly punching a horse. This act of animal cruelty is not entirely shown on camera, but the sound effects are sickening. And there are other scenes of horses being mistreated when Phil and his ranch workers use rough methods to “break” a horse in training. (There’s a disclaimer in the movie’s end credits that confirms that no animals were harmed in the making of this movie.)
People who abuse animals usually abuse other people too. Needless to say, Phil tries to make Peter’s life a living hell at the ranch. And when Peter temporarily goes away to attend medical school, Rose gets the brunt of Phil’s animosity. While on a break from medical school, Peter comes back to the ranch to visit. Rose is shocked and fearful when Phil suddenly starts treating Peter like a protégé.
Even though Phil has stopped overtly bullying Peter, Rose is suspicious that Phil’s sudden transformation into being a “nice mentor” is all an act, and that Phil is setting up Peter for something sinister. Rose confides in George about her suspicions, but George doesn’t really know what to think. Peter seems happy and grateful that Phil is no longer bullying him. The movie delivers a knockout punch to audiences in showing how all of this turmoil is resolved.
All of the cast members give terrific performances, but the biggest standouts are Cumberbatch, Dunst and Smit-McPhee. Dunst and Plemons are a couple in real life, and they have an easy chemistry together. Where things really get really shaken with unease is in how Phil, Rose and Peter navigate their relationships with each other in this very uncomfortable blended family situation.
Rose and Phil predictably don’t get along with each other. But what Dunst portrays so well is being emtionally knocked-off balance when she sees that Phil and Peter, who could easily be enemies, are now starting to become close to each other and could possibly become friends. Phil knows that Peter is the person whom Rose loves the most, so what better way to disturb Rose than to gain the loyalty and trust of Peter?
It’s easy to see why Rose would feel emotionally betrayed by Peter too. Peter is starting to assert his independence, so he seems to want to ignore his mother’s increasing apprehension that Phil does not have good intentions for Peter. The tension is ramped up even more in scenes where Peter and Phil spend time alone together. As the hard-to-read Peter, Smit-McPhee probably has the most diffcult character to play because Peter doesn’t express his emotions as easily as the other main characters.
Cumberbatch gives one of the best performances of his career as the ruthless and complicated Phil. This character is by no means an “anti-hero”—he’s a villain, through and through. But the movie can inspire thoughtful discussions over how much homophobia plays a role in Phil’s deep-seated hatred and bitterness. If Phil had been able to live his life openly as a gay man, would he still be a jerk? That question is definitely open to debate.
It’s one of the many aspects of Campion’s version of “The Power of the Dog” that make it intriguing cinematic art. The movie does not offer easy answers and weaves a rich-enough tapestry in the story that’s open to interpretation. The movie’s cinematography, production design and musical score enhance the film’s ability to be both hypnotic and suspenseful. It’s easy to see why Campion won the Best Director prize at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, where “The Power of the Dog” had its world premiere. The movie also screened at other prestigious film festivals in 2021, such as the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.
“The Power of the Dog” gets its title from Psalm 22:20 in the Bible: “Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.” In the movie, a mountain range can be seen from the ranch, and the characters talk about how the mountain has a specific rock formation that resembles a dog, if looked at in a certain way. Phil represents any toxic force that threatens to ruin someone’s life. And the powerful message of the movie is that you can either fear this toxicity and look away, or you can look at it directly and confront it head-on.
Netflix released “The Power of the Dog” in select U.S. cinemas on November 17, 2021, and on Netflix on December 1, 2021.
Frances McDormand in “Nomadland” (Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)
“Nomadland,” director Chloé Zhao’s dramatic film about American drifters, was awarded the Golden Lion (the top prize) at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy. “Nomadland” stars Frances McDormand, and several real-life American nomads. Searchlights Pictures will release “Nomadland” on December 4, 2020. The movie has gotten rave reviews from critics and is expected to be a big contender at the 2021 Academy Awards. The 77th annual Venice International Film Festival took place from September 2 to September 12, 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Venice International Film Festival had mostly online virtual screenings and events.
“Nomadland” is the first movie directed by a woman to win the festival’s Golden Lion prize since Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” in 2010, and the the first movie directed by a woman of color to win the prize since Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” in 2001. For “Nomadland,” Zhao also became the first woman of color to be nominated in the festival’s award category of Best Director.
The Grand Jury Prize (second place) went to “New Order,” a dystopian thriller film directed by Michel Franco. Other winners at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival included Pierfrancesco Favino of “Padrenostro” for Best Actor; Vanessa Kirby of “Pieces of a Woman” for Best Actress; and “Wife of a Spy” helmer Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Best Director.
Here is the complete list of winners for the 2020 Venice International Film Festival:
IN COMPETITION
Golden Lion: “Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
Grand Jury Prize: “New Order,” Michel Franco
Silver Lion for Best Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, “Wife of a Spy”
Best Actress: Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
Best Actor: Pierfrancesco Favino, “Padrenostro”
Best Screenplay: “The Disciple,” Chaitanya Tamhane
Special Jury Prize: “Dear Comrades,” Andrei Konchalovsky
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Rouhollah Zamani, “Sun Children”
HORIZONS
Best Film: “The Wasteland,” Ahmad Bahrami
Best Director: “Genus Pan,” Lav Diaz
Special Jury Prize: “Listen,” Ana Rocha de Sousa
Best Actress: Khansa Batma, “Zanka Contact”
Best Actor: Yahya Mahayni, “The Man Who Sold His Skin”
Best Screenplay: “I Predatori,” Pietro Castellitto
Best Short Film: “Entre tú y milagros,” Mariana Safron
LION OF THE FUTURE
Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut film: “Listen,” Ana Rocha de Sousa
VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION
Best VR: “The Hangman at Home: An Immersive Single User Experience,” Michelle and Uri Kranot
Best VR Experience: “Finding Pandora X,” Kiira Benzing
Frances McDormand in “Nomadland” (Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)
The 77th annual Venice International Film Festival—which takes place September 2 to September 12, 2020 in Venice, Italy—has announced its lineup. The high-profile U.S. releases competing for the festival’s biggest prize (The Golden Lion) are director Chloé Zhao’s road-trip drama “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand; director Mona Fastvold’s “The World to Come,” starring Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston and Casey Affleck; and director Hilal Baydarov’s “In Between Dying,” which is a joint production of the U.S. and Azerbaijan.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Venice International Film Festival is expected to have online virtual screenings and events. Almost every film festival scheduled for 2020 that was scheduled to take place in or after March has been cancelled for the year or has been reconfigured as an online/virtual festival.
In 2018, the Venice International Film Festival signed the 5050×2020 pledge to have 50 percent of the festival’s films directed by females, by the year 2020. But the male-dominated lineup of directors for the 2020 edition of the festival shows that it has a long way to go in fulfilling that promise. Only 18 of the 61 feature-length films (or 29.5 percent) announced in the list below have female directors.
The Venice International Film Festival is one of the most important festivals in the world, and it serves as a launching pad for likely Oscar contenders. In 2019, movies that had their world premieres at the festival that went on to Oscar glory included “Joker” and “Marriage Story.”
The festival’s opening-night film (director Daniele Luchetti’s “Lacci”) and closing-niight film (director Stefano Mordini’s “Lasciami Andare”) are both Italian movies that are premiering out of competition.
Some of the other high-profile movies that will premiere out of competition in the 2020 edition of the festival include director Roger Mitchell’s comedy “The Duke,” starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren; director Park Soon-Jung’s drama “Night in Paradise”; director Luca Guadagnino’s drama “Salvatore – Shoemaker of Dreams”; director Alex Gibney’s documentary “Crazy, Not Insane,” which examines the psychology of murderers; and director Nathan Grossman’s documentary “Greta” about environmentalist Greta Thunberg.
Here is the lineup for the 2020 Venice International Film Festival:
IN COMPETITION
“And Tomorrow the Entire World,” Julia Von Heinz (Germany, France)
“Dear Comrades,” Andrei Konchalovsky (Russia)
“The Disciple,” Chaitanya Tamhane (India)
“In Between Dying,” Hilal Baydarov (Azerbaijan, U.S.)
“Laila in Haifa,” Amos Gitai (Israel, France)
“Le Sorelle Macaluso,” Emma Dante (Italy)
“Lovers,” Nicole Garcia (France)
“Miss Marx,” Susanna Nicchiarelli (Italy, Belgium)
“Never Gonna Snow Again,” Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert (Poland, Germany)
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao (U.S.)
“Nuevo Orden,” Michel Franco (Mexico, France)
“Padrenostro,” Claudio Noce (Italy)
“Pieces of a Woman,” Kornel Mundruczo (Canada, Hungary)
“Sun Children,” Majid Majidi (Iran)
“Wife of a Spy,” Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan)
“The World to Come,” Mona Fastvold (U.S.)
OUT OF COMPETITION – Fiction
“Assandira,” Salvatore Mereu (Italy)
“The Duke,” Roger Mitchell (U.K.)
“Lacci,” Daniele Luchetti (Italy) – *Opening Film*
“Lasciami Andare,” Stefano Mordini (Italy) – *Closing Film*
“Love After Love,” Ann Hui (China)
“Mandibules,” Quentin Dupieux (France, Belgium)
“Mosquito State,” Filip Jan Rymsza (Poland)
“Night in Paradise,” Park Soon-Jung (South Korea)
OUT OF COMPETITION – Non-Fiction
“City Hall,” Frederick Wiseman (U.S.)
“Crazy, Not Insane,” Alex Gibney (U.S.)
“Final Account,” Luke Holland (U.K.)
“Greta,” Nathan Grossman (Sweden)
“Hopper/Welles,” Orson Welles (U.S.)
“La Verità Su La Dolce Vita,” Giuseppe Pedersoli (Italy)
“Molecole,” Daniele Segre (Italy) PRE-OPENING TITLE
“Narciso Em Ferias,” Renato Terra, Ricardo Calil (Brazil)
“Paolo Conte, Via Con Me,” Giorgio Verdelli (Italy)
“Salvatore – Shoemaker of Dreams,” Luca Guadagnino (Italy)
“Sportin’ Life,” Abel Ferrara (Italy)
OUT OF COMPETITION – Special Screenings
“30 Monedas – Episode 1,” Alex De La Iglesia (Spain)
“Omelia Contadina,” Alice Rohrwacher, JR (Italy)
“Princesse Europe,” Camille Lotteau (France)
HORIZONS
“And Tomorrow The Entire World,” Julia Von Heinz (Germany, France)
“Apples,” Christos Nikou (Greece)
“The Best Is Yet to Come,” Wang Jing (China)
“Careless Crime,” Shahram Mokri (Iran)
“The Furnace,” Roderick Mackay (Australia)
“Gaza Mon Amour,” Tarzan Nasser, Arab Nasser (Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Qatar)
“Genus Pan,” Lav Diaz (Philippines)
“Guerra e Pace,” Martina Parenti, Massimo D’Anolfi (Italy, Switzerland)
“I Predatori,” Pietro Castellitto (Italy)
“La Nuit Des Rois,” Philippe Lacote (Ivory Coast, France, Canada)
“La Troisieme Guerre,” Giovanni Aloi (France)
“Listen,” Ana Rocha De Sousa (U.K., Portugal)
“Mainstream,” Gia Coppola (U.S.)
“The Man Who Sold His Skin,” Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden)
“Milestone,” Ivan Ayr (India)
“Never Gonna Snow Again,” Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert (Poland, Germany)
“Notturno,” Gianfranco Rosi (Italy, France, Germany)
“Nowhere Special,” Uberto Pasolini (Italy, Romania, U.K.)
“Quo Vadis, Aida?,” Jasmila Zbanic (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway.
“Selva Tragica,” Yulene Olaizola (Mexico, France, Colombia)
“The Wasteland,” Ahmad Bahrami (Iran)
“Yellow Cat,” Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan, France)
“Zanka Contact,” Ismael El Iraki (France, Morocco, Belgium)
The following is a press release from We Are One: A Global Film Festival:
Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube jointly announcedtoday We Are One: A Global Film Festival, an unprecedented 10-day digital film festival exclusively on YouTube, bringing together an international community of storytellers to present festival programming for free to audiences around the world. Set to begin on May 29, 2020, on YouTube.com/WeAreOne, the festival will feature programming curated by the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival, International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM), Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and moKarlovy Vary International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and more, immersing audiences in stories from around the world and providing a voice for filmmakers on a global stage.
Core to the DNA of film festivals is the belief that artists and creators have the power to bring people together and create meaningful connections during a time when the world needs it most. ThroughWe Are One: A Global Film Festival, audiences will not only get a peek into different cultures through a new lens, they’ll be able to support local communities by directly donating to organizations helping the relief efforts for those affected by COVID-19. The festival will benefit the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as local relief partners in each region.
“We often talk about film’s uniquely powerful role in inspiring and uniting people across borders and differences to help heal the world. All of the world needs healing right now,” said Tribeca Enterprises and Tribeca Film Festival Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “We Are One: A Global Film Festival unites curators, artists and storytellers to entertain and provide relief to audiences worldwide. In working with our extraordinary festival partners and YouTube we hope that everyone gets a taste of what makes each festival so unique and appreciates the art and power of film.”
“One of the most unique and inspiring aspects of the world staying home is our ability to come together and experience an event as one, and We Are One: A Global Film Festival is just that,” said Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer, YouTube. “Along with Tribeca Enterprises and our incredible partners, we are bringing fans the opportunity to experience the curated programming each of these festivals provides as part of our ten-day long event. It’s an event that’s never been done before and we’re proud to be the home for this fantastic content that is free to fans around the world.”
“We are proud to join with our partner festivals to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent, allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival,” said Pierre Lescure, President of the Cannes Film Festival, and Thierry Frémaux, Cannes Film Festival General Delegate.
We Are One: A Global Film Festival will run from May 29 – June 7, 2020, on YouTube.com/WeAreOne. Programming will be available for free, and will include films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy, and conversations. A full schedule will be available closer to the festival start date.
About Tribeca Enterprises
Tribeca Enterprises is a multi-platform storytelling company, established in 2003 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. Tribeca provides artists with unique platforms to expand the audience for their work and broadens consumer access to experience storytelling, independent film, and media. The company operates a network of entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Film Festival; the Tribeca TV Festival; and its branded entertainment production arm, Tribeca Studios.
About YouTube
Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch, and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube is a Google company.
“Joker,” director Todd Phillips’ origin story about the DC Comics villain, was awarded the Golden Lion (the top prize) at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy. “Joker” stars Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. Warner Bros. Pictures will release “Joker” on October 4, 2019. Movie critics have mostly praised “Joker,” which is a dark and violent film that is a departure for Phillips, who was previously known for directing comedies like “The Hangover” movies and “Old School.” The 76th annual Venice International Film Festival took place from August 28 to September 7, 2019.
The Grand Jury Prize (second place) went to “An Officer and a Spy,” directed by Roman Polanski. The Venice Film Festival got considerable criticism for selecting Polanski’s film to be a part of the festival. Polanski has been a fugitive of the law since 1978, when he fled to France after being convicted of raping an underage girl in the Los Angeles area.
Other winners at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival included Luca Marinelli, “Martin Eden” for Best Actor; Ariane Ascaride of “Gloria Mundi” for Best Actress; and “About Endlessness” helmer Roy Andersson for Best Director.
Here is the complete list of winners for the 2019 Venice International Film Festival:
IN COMPETITION
Golden Lion: “Joker,” directed by Todd Phillips
Grand Jury Prize: “An Officer and a Spy,” directed by Roman Polanski
Silver Lion for Best Director: Roy Andersson, “About Endlessness”
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Ariane Ascaride, “Gloria Mundi”
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Luca Marinelli, “Martin Eden”
Best Screenplay: “No. 7 Cherry Lane,” written by Yonfan
Special Jury Prize: “The Mafia Is No Longer What It Used to Be,” directed by Franco Maresco
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Young Performer:
HORIZONS (ORIZZONTI)
Best Film: “Atlantis,” directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych
Best Director: Théo Court, “White on White”
Special Jury Prize: “Verdict,” directed by Raymund Ribas Gutierrez
Best Actress: Marta Nieto, “Madre”
Best Actor: Sami Bouajila, “A Son”
Best Screenplay: “Back Home,” directed by Jessica Palud, Philippe Lioret and Diastème
Best Short Film: “Darling,” directed by Saim Sadiq
LION OF THE FUTURE
Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Film: “You Will Die at Twenty,” directed by Amjad Abu Alala
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Documentary on Cinema: “Babenco – Alguém Tem Que Ouvir O Coração E Dizer: Parou,” directed by Bárbara Paz
Best Restored Film: “Ecstasy,” directed by Gustav Machatý
VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION
Best Virtual Reality: “The Key,” directed by Céline Tricart
Best Virtual Reality Experience: “A Linha,” directed by Ricardo Laganaro
Best Virtual Reality Story: “Daughters of Chibok,” directed by Joel Kachi Benson
Brad Pitt in “Ad Astra” (Photo by Francois Duhamel)
The 76th annual Venice International Film Festival—which takes place August 28 to September 7, 2019 in Venice, Italy—has announced its lineup. The high-profile U.S. releases competing for the festival’s biggest prize (The Golden Lion) are the outer-space drama “Ad Astra,” starring Brad Pitt; the supervillain drama “Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix; the romantic drama “Marriage Story,” starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver; and the political drama “The Laundromat,” starring Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman.
In 2018, the Venice International Film Festival signed the 5050×2020 pledge to have 50 percent of the festival’s films directed by females, by the year 2020. But the male-dominated lineup of directors for the 2019 edition of the festival shows that it has a long way to go in fulfilling that promise. Only 14 of the 64 feature-length films (or 22 percent) announced in the list below have female directors.
Even more disturbing, considering the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, is that the Venice International Film Festival has selected director Roman Polanski’s movie “An Officer and a Spy” as one of the films competing for the festival’s grand prize. In 1977, Polanski was convicted of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the Los Angeles area. He fled the United States in January 1978, to avoid his prison sentence. He has been a fugitive of the law ever since, and he is currently living in France. In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled Polanski. (He won an Oscar for Best Director, for the 2002 film “The Pianist.” ) Convicted rapist Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, who is facing criminal prosecution and numerous lawsuits for sex crimes, have also been expelled from the Academy. Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy” stars Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) as a French army office investigating the Dreyfus Affair, an anti-Semitism case in France.
The Venice International Film Festival is one of the most important festivals in the world, and it serves as a launching pad for likely Oscar contenders. In 2018, movies that had their world premieres at the festival that went on to Oscar glory included “Roma,” “The Favourite,” “A Star is Born” and “First Man.”
Some of the high-profile movies that will premiere out of competition in the 2019 edition of the festival include the music documentary “Roger Waters: Us + Them,” director Alex Gibney’s political documentary “Citizen K” and Waiting for the Barbarians,” starring Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson. Mexican actor Gael García Bernal has two movies at the festival: “Wasp Network” (co-starring Penélope Cruz) and “Ema” (co-starring Mariana Di Girolamo).
The festival’s opening-night film is “The Truth,” starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke. It’s the first film from award-winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Shoplifters”) to be made outside of his native Japan and with non-Japanese stars. The festival’s closing-night film is “The Burnt Orange Heresy,” an art-heist thriller starring Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Mick Jagger and Donald Sutherland.
Here is the lineup for the 2019 Venice International Film Festival:
IN COMPETITION
“A Herdade,” Tiago Guedes (Portugal, France)
“Ad Astra,” James Gray (U.S.)
“About Endlessness,” Roy Andersson (Sweden)
“An Officer and a Spy,” Roman Polanski (France)
“Babyteeth,” Shannon Murphy (Australia)
“Ema,” Pablo Larrain (Chile)
“Guest of Honor,” Atom Egoyan (Canada)
“Gloria Mundi,” Robert Guediguian (France)
“Joker,” Todd Philips (U.S.)
“La Mafia non è più quella di Una Volta,” Franco Maresco
“The Laundromat,” Steven Soderbergh (U.S.)
“Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach (U.S.)
“Martin Eden,” Pietro Marcello (Italy, France, Germany)
“The Mayor of Rione Sanità,” Mario Martone (Italy, France)
“No. 7 Cherry Lane,” Yonfan (China)
“The Painted Bird,” Vaclav Marhoul (Czech Republic)
“The Perfect Candidate,” Haifaa Al-Mansour (Saudi Arabia, Germany)
“Saturday Fiction,” Lou Ye (China)
“The Truth,” Kore-eda Hirokazu (France, Japan) – *Opening Film*
“Waiting for the Barbarians,” Ciro Guerra (Italy)
“Wasp Network,” Olivier Assayas (France, Belgium)
OUT OF COMPETITION – Fiction
“Adults in the Room,” Costa-Gavras (France, Greece)
“The Burnt Orange Heresy,” Giuseppe Capotondi (U.K., Italy) – *Closing Film*
“The King,” David Michod (U.K., Hungary)
“Mosul,” Matthew Michael Carnahan (U.S.)
“Seberg,” Benedict Andrews (U.S.)
“Tutto il mio folle amore,” Gabriele Salvatores (Italy)
“Vivere,” Francesca Archibugi (Italy)
OUT OF COMPETITION – Non-Fiction
“45 Seconds of Laughter,” Tim Robbins (U.S.)
“Citizen K,” Alex Gibney (U.K., U.S.)
“Citizen Rosi,” Didi Gnocchi, Carolina Rosi (Italy)
“Collective,” Alexander Nanau (Romania, Luxembourg)
“I Diari di Angela – Noi Due Cineasti” Yervant Gianikian, Angela Ricci Lucchi (Italy)
“Il pianeta in mare,” Daniele Segre (Italy)
“The Kingmaker,” Lauren Greenfield (U.S.)
“Roger Waters: Us + Them,” Roger Waters (U.K.)
“State Funeral,” Sergei Loznitsa (The Netherlands, Lithuania)
“Woman,” Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Anastasia Mikova (France)
OUT OF COMPETITION – Special Screenings
“Electric Swan,” Konstantina Kotzamani (France, Greece, Argentina)
“Eyes Wide Shut,” Stanley Kubrick (U.S., U.K.)
“Irreversible – Inversion Integrale,” Gaspar Noe (France)
“Never Just a Dream: Stanley Kubrick And Eyes Wide Shut,” Matt Wells (U.K.)
“The New Pope” (Episodes 2 and 7) Paolo Sorrentino (Italy, U.S.)
“No One Left Behind,” Guillermo Arriaga (Mexico)
“ZeroZeroZero,” (Episodes 1 and 2) Stefano Sollima (Italy, France)
HORIZONS
“Atlantis,” Valentyn Vasyanovych (Ukraine)
“Bik Eneich – Un Fils,” Mehdi M. Barsaoui (Tunisia, France, Lebanon, Qatar)
“Blanco en Blanco,” Theo Court (Spain, Chile, France, Germany)
“Balloon,” Pema Tseden (China)
“The Criminal Man,” Dmitry Mamuliya (Georgia, Russia)
“Giants Being Lonely,” Grear Patterson (U.S.)
“Hava, Maryam, Ayesha,” Sahara Karimi (Afghanistan)
“Just 6.5,” Saeed Roustayi (Iran)
“Madre,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain, France)
“Mes Jours de Gloire,” Antoine De Bary (France)
“Moffie,” Oliver Hermanus (South Africa)
“Nevia,” Nunzia De Stefano (Italy)
“Pelican Blood,” Katrin Gebbe (Germany, Bulgaria)
“Revenir,” Jessica Palud (France)
“Rialto,” Peter Mackie Burns (Ireland)
“Shadow of Water,” Sasidharan Sanal Kumar (India)
“Sole,” Carlo Sironi (Italy)
“Verdict,” Raymund Ribas Gutierrez (Philippines)
“Zumiriki,” Oskar Alegria (Spain)
When it comes to awards, it’s nice to be nominated, but it’s even better to win. The year 2018 was one of the strongest in this decade for movies that have been well-received by critics and/or ticket-buying audiences. Movies from major studios that were blockbusters at the box office have become more critically acclaimed than they have been in recent years, and that means more of these types of blockbuster movies could be competing against smaller, critically acclaimed independent films for Academy Awards. Here’s a tally of the feature films released in U.S. theaters in 2018 that have gotten the most awards so far. This list, which is in alphabetical order, will be updated as more award winners are announced.
Updated: March 30, 2019
“22 July”
National Board of Review Awards
NBR Freedom of Expression Award
“American Animals”
British Independent Film Awards
Best Debut Screenwriter (Bart Layton)
Best Editing (Nick Fenton, Julian Hart, Chris Gill)
“Annihilation”
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Best Use of Visual Effects
GALECA Dorian Awards
Visually Striking Film of the Year
Online Film Critics Society Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
Best Visual Effects
Phoenix Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Science Fiction Film
Utah Film Critics Association
Best Original Score (Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury)
“At Eternity’s Gate”
Satellite Awards
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama (Willem Dafoe)
Venice International Film Festival
Best Actor (Willem Dafoe)
“Avengers: Infinity War”
Austin Film Critics Association Awards
Best Motion Capture/Special Effects Performance (Josh Brolin)
E! People’s Choice Awards
Movie of 2018
Action Movie of 2018
Female Movie Star of 2018 (Scarlett Johansson)
Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards
Visual Effects Supervisor (Dan DeLeeuw)
Hollywood Film Awards
Hollywood Visual Effects Award (Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russel Earl and Dan Sudick)
Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards
Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance (Josh Brolin)
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards
Best Visual Effects
Best Visual Effects or Animated Performance (Josh Brolin and Digital Domain)
Nevada Film Critics Society Awards
Best Visual Effects
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards
Best Visual Effects
Teen Choice Awards
Choice Action Movie
Choice Action Movie Actor (Robert Downey Jr.)
Choice Action Movie Actress (Scarlett Johansson)
Visual Effects Society Awards
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature (Thanos)
Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature (Titan)
Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards
Best Motion Capture Performance (Josh Brolin)
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards
Best Ensemble Acting
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
Venice International Film Festival
Best Screenplay (Joel and Ethan Coen)
“Beautiful Boy”
Hollywood Film Awards
Hollywood Supporting Actor Award (Timothée Chalamet)
Hollywood Breakthrough Director (Felix Van Groeningen)
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Spotlight Award, Actor (Timothée Chalamet)
“Believer”
GLAAD Media Awards
Outstanding Documentary
Hollywood Film Awards
Hollywood Documentary Award
“Ben Is Back”
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards
Best Performance by an Actor 23 and Under (Lucas Hedges) – tie with Alex Wolff of “Hereditary”
“BlacKkKlansman”
AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards
Best Director (Spike Lee)
Academy Awards
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
African American Film Critics Association
Best Actor (John David Washington)
Best Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
American Film Institute (AFI) Awards
AFI Top 10 Movie of the Year
Atlanta Film Critics Association Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
BAFTA Awards
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Cannes International Film Festival
Grand Prix Award
Capri, Hollywood – The International Film Festival
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Casting Society of America Awards
Best Studio or Independent Drama: Kim Taylor-Coleman
Columbus Film Critics Association Awards
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Georgia Film Critics Association Awards
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards
Best Editor (Barry Alexander Brown)
Hollywood Film Awards
Hollywood Breakthrough Actor (John David Washington)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards
Best Male Director (Spike Lee)
Nevada Film Critics Society Awards
Best Director (Spike Lee)
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
Best Adapted Screenplay
Online Film Critics Society Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Career Achievement Award (Spike Lee)
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Director (Spike Lee)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
Best Original Score (Terence Blanchard)
Satellite Awards
Best Independent Motion Picture
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee)
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards
Best Director (Spike Lee)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Wilmmott and Spike Lee)
Best Original Score (Terence Blanchard)
“Black Panther”
Academy Awards
Best Costume Design (Ruth Carter)
Best Production Design (Hannah Beachler)
Best Original Score (LudwigGöransson)
African American Film Critics Association
Best Film
Best Director (Ryan Coogler)
Best Song (“All the Stars”)
Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Awards
Best Ensemble Cast
Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry (cinematographer Rachel Morrison)
Art Directors Guild Awards
Best Production Design for a Fantasy Film (Hannah Beachler)
American Film Institute (AFI) Awards
AFI Movie of the Year
Atlanta Film Critics Association Awards
Top 10 Film of 2018
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Visual Effects
BET Awards
Best Movie
Black Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Picture
Best Director (Ryan Coogler)
Best Ensemble
Black Reel Awards
Outstanding Picture
Outstanding Director (Ryan Coogler)
Outstanding Actor (Chadwick Boseman)
Outstanding Supporting Actor (Michael B. Jordan)
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Original Song (“All the Stars”)
Outstanding Breakthrough Actor, Male (Winston Duke)
“Roma,” director Alfonso Cuarón’s deeply personal drama inspired by his childhood in Mexico, was awarded the Golden Lion (the top prize) at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy. The 75th annual Venice International Film Festival took place from August 29 to September 8, 2018. “Roma” is the first Netflix film to win a top prize at a major film festival. The movie’s release date is to be announced. “Roma” is Cuarón’s first film since his 2013 outer-space drama “Gravity,” which went on to win seven Oscars, including Best Director for Cuarón. “Gravity” also premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2013, but the movie was screened out of competition.
Other winners at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival included Willem Dafoe (who plays Vincent Van Gogh) in “At Eternity’s Gate” for Best Actor; Olivia Colman (who plays Queen Anne in “The Favourite”) for Best Actress; and “The Sisters Brothers” helmer Jacques Audiard for Best Director.
Here is the complete list of winners for the 2018 Venice International Film Festival:
IN COMPETITION
Golden Lion: “Roma,” directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Silver Lion for Best Director: Jacques Audiard, “The Sisters Brothers”
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Best Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Special Jury Prize: “The Nightingale” Jennifer Kent
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Young Performer: Baykali Ganambarr “The Nightingale”
HORIZONS (ORIZZONTI)
Best Film: “Manta Ray,” Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
Best Director: Emir Baigazin, “The River”
Special Jury Prize: “The Announcement,” Mahmut Fazil Coskun
Best Actress: Natalya Kudryashova “The Man Who Surprised Everyone”
Best Actor: Kais Nashif “Tel Aviv on Fire”
Best Screenplay: “Jinpa,” Pema Tseden
Best Short Film: “Kado,” Aditya Ahmad
LION OF THE FUTURE
Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Film: “The Day I Lost My Shadow,” Soudade Kaadan, Syria
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Documentary on Cinema: “The Great Buster: A Celebration,” Peter Bogdanovich
Best Restored Film: “The Night of the Shooting Stars,” Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION
Best Virtual Reality: “Spheres,” Eliza McNitt
Best Virtual Reality Experience: “Buddy VR,” Chuck Chae
Best Virtual Reality Story: “Isle of the Dead,” Benjamin Nuel
The Biennale di Venezia announced today the complete lineup of films that will be at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, which will take place August 29 to September 8, 2018 in Venice, Italy.
IN COMPETITION
“First Man,” Damien Chazelle (U.S.)
“The Mountain,” Rick Alverson (U.S.)
“Doubles Vies,” Olivier Assayas (France)
“The Sisters Brothers,” Jacques Audiard (France, Belgium, Romania, Spain)
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Ethan and Joel Coen (U.S.)
“Vox Lux,” Brady Corbet (U.S.)
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico)
“22 July,” Paul Greengrass (Norway, Iceland)
“Suspiria,” Luca Guadagnino (Italy)
“Work Ohne Autor,” Florian Henkel Von Donnersmark (Germany)
“The Nightingale,” Jennifer Kent (Australia)
“The Favourite,” Yorgos Lanthimos (U.S.)
“Peterloo,” Mike Leigh (U.K., U.S.)
“Capri-Revolution,” Mario Martone (Italy, France)
“What You Gonna Do When The World’s On Fire?”, Roberto Minervini (Italy, U.S., France)
“Sunset,” Laszlo Nemes (Hungary, France)
“Freres Ennemis,” David Oelhoffen (France, Belgium)
“Neustro Tiempo,” Carlos Reygadas (Mexico, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweeden)
“At Eternity’s Gate,” Julian Schnabel (U.S., France)
“Acusada,” Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina, Mexico)
“Killing,” Shinya Tsukamoto (Japan)
OUT OF COMPETITION
SPECIAL EVENT
“The Other Side of the Wind,” Orson Welles (U.S.)
“They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead,” Morgan Neville (U.S.)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“My Brilliant Friend,” Saverio Costanzo (Italy, Belgium)
“Il Diario Di Angela – Noi Due Cineasti,” Yervant Gianikian (Italy)
FICTION
“Una Storia Senza Nome,” Roberto Andò (Italy)
“Les Estivants,” Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (France, Italy)
“A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper (U.S.)
“Mi Obra Maestra,” Gaston Duprat (Argentina, Spain)
“A Tramway in Jerusalem,” Amos Gitai (Israel, France)
“Un Peuple et Son Roi,” Pierre Schoeller (France, Belgium)
“La Quietud,” Pablo Trapero (Argentina)
“Dragged Across Concrete,” S. Craig Zahler (U.S.)
“Shadow,” Zhang Yimou (China)
NON-FICTION
“A Letter to a Friend In Gaza,” Amos Gitai (Israel)
“Aquarela,” Victor Kossakovsky (U.K., Germany)
“El Pepe, Una Vida Suprema,” Emir Kusturica (Argentina, Uruguay, Serbia)
“Process,” Sergei Loznitsa (The Netherlands)
“Carmine Street Guitars,” Ron Mann (Canada)
“Isis, Tomorrow. The Lost Souls Of Mosul,” Francesca Mannocchi, Alessio Romenzi (Italy, Germany)
“American Dharma,” Errol Morris (U.S., U.K.)
“Introduzione All’Oscuro,” Gaston Solnicki (Argentina, Austria)
“1938 Diversi,” Giorgio Treves (Italy)
“Your Face,” Tsai Ming-Liang (Chinese Taipei)
“Monrovia, Indiana,” Frederick Wiseman (U.S.)
HORIZONS
“Sulla Mia Pelle,” Alessio Cremonini (Italy)
“Manta Ray,” Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, China)
“Soni,” Ivan Ayr (India)
“The River,” Emir Baigazin (Kazakistan, Poland, Norway)
“La Noche de 12 Anos,” Alvaro Brechner (Spain, Argentina, France)
“Deslembro,” Flavia Castro (Brasil, France, Qatar)
“The Announcement,” Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey, Bulgaria)
“Un Giorno All’Improvviso,” Ciro D’Emilio (Italy)
“Charlie Says,” Mary Harron (U.S.)
“Amanda,” Mikhael Hers (France)
“The Day I Lost My Shadow,” Soudade Kaadan (Syria, Lebanon, France, Qatar)
“L’Enkas,” Sarah Marx (France)
“The Man Who Surprised Everyone,” Evgeniy Tsiganov, Natalya Kudryashowa (Russia, Estonia, France)
“Through The Holes,” Garin Nugroho (Indonesia, Australia)
“As I Lay Dying,” Mostafa Sayyari (Iran)
“La Profezia Dell’armadillo,” Emanuele Scaringi (Italy)
“Stripped,” Yaron Shani (Israel, Germany)
“Jinpa,” Pema Tseden (China)
“Tel Aviv on Fire,” Same Zoabi (Luxembourg, France, Israel, Belgium)
