Academy announces winners of the Nicholl Fellowship

This years winners have been announced for the 2012 Academy Nicholl Fellowships prize. Five winners will each receive $35,000, the first installment of which will be presented at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills on November 8.

 

This years winners are:

 

Nikole Beckwith, Brooklyn, NY, “Stockholm, Pennsylvania”

Sean Robert Daniels, Laezonia, Gauteng, South Africa, “Killers”

James DiLapo, New York, NY, “Devils at Play”

Allan Durand, Lafayette, LA, “Willie Francis Must Die Again”

Michael Werwie, Los Angeles, CA, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile”

The winners were selected from a record 7,197 scripts submitted for this year’s competition. This is the first time entries from Louisiana and South Africa have been selected as winners.

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year. The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve itself commercially in any way with their completed scripts.

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee is chaired by producer Gale Anne Hurd and includes writers Naomi Foner, Daniel Petrie, Jr., Tom Rickman and Dana Stevens; actor Eva Marie Saint; cinematographers John Bailey and Steven B. Poster; costume designer Vicki Sanchez; executive Bill Mechanic; producers Peter Samuelson and Robert W. Shapiro; marketing executive Buffy Shutt; and agent Ronald R. Mardigian.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, 123 fellowships have been awarded. Among the recent achievements by Nicholl fellows: Jacob Aaron Estes wrote and directed “The Details,” premiering theatrically on November 2; Jeffrey Eugenides’ third novel, The Marriage Plot, was a 2012 National Book Critics Circle award nominee; Andrew Marlowe created and executive produces the ABC series “Castle”; and Rebecca Sonnenshine serves as executive story editor on the WB series “The Vampire Diaries.””

The Academy

New Academy Museum of Motion Pictures secures partial funding

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts has raised $100 million towards a $250 million capital campaign for the new museum.

 

Touted as the first major U.S. museum dedicated to the history and future development of motion pictures, award-winning architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali, will house the non-profit museum in the May Company Wilshire building in Los Angeles. It is planned to open in 2016.

 

“The Academy museum will be a landmark that both our industry and our city can be immensely proud of,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “I appreciate the unwavering support of our board, our members, and especially our campaign chairs, all of whom have led us through this crucial stage.”

Launched in early 2012 by Campaign Chair Bob Iger and Co-Chairs Annette Bening and Tom Hanks, the campaign has raised $100 million through private donations towards a $250 million goal. “The early response to our fundraising campaign has been outstanding and is incredibly encouraging,” said Iger. “We are so grateful to the founding supporters of the campaign, who share our vision and passion for creating the Academy Museum.”

Located on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) campus, the nearly 300,000 square-foot Academy Museum will revitalize the historic building, which has been vacant or underutilized for nearly 20 years, and weave it back into the fabric of the city.

The design fully restores the Wilshire and Fairfax street-front facades of the 1938 Streamline Moderne building, and includes a spherical glass addition at the back of the original building. Designed to represent the marriage of art and technology, the addition will house a state-of-the-art theater which replaces an extension made to the structure in 1946.

“The design for the museum will finally enable this wonderful building to be animated and contribute to the city after sitting empty for so long,” said Piano, the Pritzker Prize winning architect. “I am very inspired by the Academy’s name and mission, the idea of the arts and sciences working together to create films. Our design will preserve the May Company building’s historic public profile while simultaneously signaling that the building is taking on a new life that celebrates both the industry and art form that this city created and gave to the world.”

“A major movie museum in the heart of this city has been a long-held dream of the Academy,” said Academy President Hawk Koch, “Thanks to the latest technological developments we can take the visiting public through time, back into our history and forward toward our future.”

The Academy

71 countries compete for 2012 foreign language film Oscar

The 85th Academy Awards has a record 71 countries competing for a coveted place in the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar category.

 

The nominations will be announced Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5.30 a.m. PST in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The Academy Awards ceremony will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at The Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center.

 

 

The 2012 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “The Patience Stone,” Atiq Rahimi, director;
Albania, “Pharmakon,” Joni Shanaj, director;
Algeria, “Zabana!” Said Ould Khelifa, director;
Argentina, “Clandestine Childhood,” Benjamín Ávila, director;
Armenia, “If Only Everyone,” Natalia Belyauskene, director;
Australia, “Lore,” Cate Shortland, director;
Austria, “Amour,” Michael Haneke, director;
Azerbaijan, “Buta,” Ilgar Najaf, director;
Bangladesh, “Pleasure Boy Komola,” Humayun Ahmed, director;
Belgium, “Our Children,” Joachim Lafosse, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Children of Sarajevo,” Aida Begic, director;
Brazil, “The Clown,” Selton Mello, director;
Bulgaria, “Sneakers,” Valeri Yordanov and Ivan Vladimirov, directors;
Cambodia, “Lost Loves,” Chhay Bora, director;
Canada, “War Witch,” Kim Nguyen, director;
Chile, “No,” Pablo Larraín, director;
China, “Caught in the Web,” Chen Kaige, director;
Colombia, “The Snitch Cartel,” Carlos Moreno, director;
Croatia, “Vegetarian Cannibal,” Branko Schmidt, director;
Czech Republic, “In the Shadow,” David Ondrícek, director;
Denmark, “A Royal Affair,” Nikolaj Arcel, director;
Dominican Republic, “Jaque Mate,” José María Cabral, director;
Estonia, “Mushrooming,” Toomas Hussar, director;
Finland, “Purge,” Antti J. Jokinen, director;
France, “The Intouchables,” Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, directors;
Georgia, “Keep Smiling,” Rusudan Chkonia, director;
Germany, “Barbara,” Christian Petzold, director;
Greece, “Unfair World,” Filippos Tsitos, director;
Greenland, “Inuk,” Mike Magidson, director;
Hong Kong, “Life without Principle,” Johnnie To, director;
Hungary, “Just the Wind,” Bence Fliegauf, director;
Iceland, “The Deep,” Baltasar Kormákur, director;
India, “Barfi!” Anurag Basu, director;
Indonesia, “The Dancer,” Ifa Isfansyah, director;
Israel, “Fill the Void,” Rama Burshtein, director;
Italy, “Caesar Must Die,” Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani, directors;
Japan, “Our Homeland,” Yang Yonghi, director;
Kazakhstan, “Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe,” Akan Satayev, director;
Kenya, “Nairobi Half Life,” David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga, director;
Kyrgyzstan, “The Empty Home,” Nurbek Egen, director;
Latvia, “Gulf Stream under the Iceberg,” Yevgeny Pashkevich, director;
Lithuania, “Ramin,” Audrius Stonys, director;
Macedonia, “The Third Half,” Darko Mitrevski, director;
Malaysia, “Bunohan,” Dain Iskandar Said, director;
Mexico, “After Lucia,” Michel Franco, director;
Morocco, “Death for Sale,” Faouzi Bensaïdi, director;
Netherlands, “Kauwboy,” Boudewijn Koole, director;
Norway, “Kon-Tiki,” Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, directors;
Palestine, “When I Saw You,” Annemarie Jacir, director;
Peru, “The Bad Intentions,” Rosario García-Montero, director;
Philippines, “Bwakaw,” Jun Robles Lana, director;
Poland, “80 Million,” Waldemar Krzystek, director;
Portugal, “Blood of My Blood,” João Canijo, director;
Romania, “Beyond the Hills,” Cristian Mungiu, director;
Russia, “White Tiger,” Karen Shakhnazarov, director;
Serbia, “When Day Breaks,” Goran Paskaljevic, director;
Singapore, “Already Famous,” Michelle Chong, director;
Slovak Republic, “Made in Ash,” Iveta Grófová, director;
Slovenia, “A Trip,” Nejc Gazvoda, director;
South Africa, “Little One,” Darrell James Roodt, director;
South Korea, “Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk, director;
Spain, “Blancanieves,” Pablo Berger, director;
Sweden, “The Hypnotist,” Lasse Hallström, director;
Switzerland, “Sister,” Ursula Meier, director;
Taiwan, “Touch of the Light,” Chang Jung-Chi, director;
Thailand, “Headshot,” Pen-ek Ratanaruang, director;
Turkey, “Where the Fire Burns,” Ismail Gunes, director;
Ukraine, “The Firecrosser,” Mykhailo Illienko, director;
Uruguay, “The Delay,” Rodrigo Plá, director;
Venezuela, “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” Hernán Jabes, director;
Vietnam, “The Scent of Burning Grass,” Nguyen Huu Muoi, director.

 

 

 

Ginger Media & Entertainment

Guillermo Del Toro to host “Universal’s Legacy of Horror”

As part of Universal Studios year-long 100th anniversary celebration, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is hosting an October-long celebration of classic horror films. Spanish horror director Guillermo Del Toro will host opening night celebrations of “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) and “Dracula” (1931) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Full program:

“The Bride of Frankenstein ” (1935) and“Dracula ” (1931)
Tuesday, October 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills

Hosted by writer-director Guillermo del Toro

The Academy will screen newly restored prints from Universal.

“The Man Who Laughs ” (1928)

Monday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills

Special guests scheduled include producer Chris Weitz, grandson of producer, Paul Kohner. This rarely screened silent horror feature stars Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin.

“The Wolf Man ” (1941) and “An American Werewolf in London ” (1981)

Tuesday, October 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills

Special guests scheduled include director John Landis, Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker, producer George Folsey, Jr. and actor David Naughton from “An American Werewolf in London. ”

“Creature from the Black Lagoon ” (1954, in 3D) and “The Invisible Man ” (1933)

Tuesday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills

Special guests scheduled include actress Julie Adams, who played Kay Lawrence in “Creature from the Black Lagoon. ”

“The Birds ” (1963)

Tuesday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills

Special guests scheduled include actresses Tippi Hedren, who played Melanie Daniels, andVeronica Cartwright, who played Cathy Brenner, in the film.

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein ” (1948) and “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken “ (1966)

Saturday, October 27, at 2 p.m.
Linwood Dunn Theater
1313 Vine Street, Hollywood

Special guests scheduled include actress Joan Staley, who played Alma Parker, in “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. ”

“The Incredible Shrinking Man ” (1957) and “Tarantula “ (1955)

Saturday, October 27, at 2 p.m.
Oscars Outdoors
1341 Vine Street, Hollywood

“The Phantom of the Opera ” (1925)

Tuesday, October 30, at 7:30 p.m.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills

“In conjunction with the screening series, the Academy will present “Universal’s Legacy of Horror: A Centennial Exhibition,” which includes rare posters, stills and other artifacts celebrating Universal’s distinctive contributions to the classic horror genre and the studio’s founding 100 years ago. The exhibition will run in the Academy Grand Lobby throughout October. Admission is free.”

“Series passes for “Universal’s Legacy of Horror” (excluding the Saturday double features) are $20 for the general public and $15 for Academy members and students with valid ID. Tickets for individual screenings are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office, or by mail. Ticketed seating is unreserved. For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.”

Ginger Media & Entertainment