‘The Accident,’ ‘Inheritance,’ ‘Good Bad Things’ Among Slamdance Film Festival Award Winners – Film News in Brief

“Inheritance,” “The Accident” and “Good Bad Things” are among the award winners at the 30th annual Slamdance Film Festival. The winners were announced Thursday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow in Park City, Utah.

The three films feted the Feature Grand Jury Prizes, while the Audience Awards went to “African Giants,” “Demon Mineral,” “Good Bad Things” and “Night Drives.”

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The festival also announced the recipient of their AGBO Fellowship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo. It went to Kiarash Dadgar, whose short film “The Steak” was programmed as a part of the Narrative Shorts competition and included a $25,000 prize with mentorship from the brothers.

“This year’s award-winning films leave an indelible mark on the world of independent cinema. Each one delves into groundbreaking storytelling and the spirit of human resilience, highlighting the extreme filmmaking talent on show at Slamdance ’24,” Taylor Miller, Slamdance director, said in a statement. “We thank our programmers, sponsors, industry partners, and everyone at The Yarrow for creating an inclusive environment in which the filmmakers have been discovered by record-breaking audiences.”

The lineup of honorees was chosen from over 9,000 submissions, 1,729 of which were features. All films selected in the Narrative Features and Documentary Features competition categories are directorial debuts without U.S. distribution, with budgets of less than $1 million – a feature unique to the festival since its founding in 1995.

A full list of winners can be found here.

GRAND JURY AWARDS – FEATURES

Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize: “The Accident” (Giuseppe Garau, Italy) 
Honorable Mention: “The Complex Forms” (Fabio D’Orta, Italy)
Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize: “Inheritance” (Matt Moyer, Amy Toensing, United States)
Honorable Mention: “Petro” (Sean Mattison, United States)
Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize: “CHAPERONE” (Zoe Eisenberg, United States)
Honorable Mention: “Slide” (Bill Plympton, United States)
Episodes Grand Jury Prize: “Restorage” (E’an Verdugo, United States)
Honorable Mention: “Dog Spelled Backwards” (Tim Almeida, United States)

GRAND JURY AWARDS – UNSTOPPABLE

Unstoppable Grand Jury Prize: “Good Bad Things” (Dir. Shane Stanger)
Honorable Mention: “Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” (Dir. Julio C. Palacio)

JURY AWARDS – SHORTS

Narrative Shorts Grand Jury Prize: “Fishing” (Josie Charles, United Kingdom)
Honorable Mention: “European Man…American Beach” (Rex Shannon, United States)
Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize: “Friends on the Outside” (Annabel Moodie, Scotland)
Honorable Mention: “Remember, Broken Crayons Colour Too” (Ursa Kastelic, Shannet Clemmings, Switzerland)
Experimental Shorts Grand Jury Prize: “Light of Light” (Neritan Zinxhiria, Greece)
Honorable Mention: “Entrance Wounds” (Calum Walter, United States)
Animated Shorts Grand Jury Prize: “Edith And The Tall Child” (Kohana Wilson, United States)
Honorable Mention: “Lil Sherbet” (Xinhe Zhao, United States)

FESTIVAL WIDE AWARDS:

The AGBO Fellowship, presented by Joe and Anthony Russo, Award Winner: Kiarash Dadgar Mohebi director of “The Steak” (Canada, Iran)
Summer Chastant Episodic Award: Jono Hunter director of “Night Drives” (Canada)
Slamdance Acting Award: John Lawson for “Daruma” (United States)
George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award Winner: Radha Mehta, director of “DOSH” (United States)

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: “African Giants” (Dir. Omar Kamara)
Audience Award for Documentary Feature: “Demon Mineral” (Dir. Hadley Austin)
Audience Award for Episodes: “Night Drive” (Dir. Jono Hunter)
Audience Award for Unstoppable: “Good Bad Things” (Dir. Shane Stanger)

Martin Scorsese, Robbie Robertson To Receive Posthumous Award at Society of Composers and Lyricists

“Killers of the Flower Moon” director Martin Scorsese and film score composer Robbie Robertson (who died in August) will be honored with the posthumous Spirit of Collaboration Award at the annual Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards, which will return for its 5th installment on Feb. 13.

“The Spirit of Collaboration Award recognizes a composer/director relationship which has created a prodigious body of work,” read the statement. “Robertson and Scorsese’s collaborations over decades include “Raging Bull,” “Shutter Island,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Silence,” “The Irishman” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Past award recipients include Thomas Newman and Sam Mendes, Terence Blanchard and Spike Lee, Carter Burwell and the Coen Brothers, and Justin Hurwitz & Damien Chazelle last year.

The event will take place at the Skirball Cultural Center and be hosted by Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter Siedah Garrett, who recently worked with Quincy Jones on “The Color Purple.”

This year, the SCL Awards closely reflect the Oscar-nominated songwriters and composers, including Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell (“Barbie”), Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt (“Barbie”), Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson (“American Symphony”) and Diane Warren (“Flamin’ Hot”). Ludwig Göransson (“Oppenheimer”), Laura Karpman (“American Fiction”) and Robertson received both Oscar and SCL nominations.

See the full list of nominees here.

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A STUDIO FILM

Joe Hisaishi: “The Boy and the Heron”
Ludwig Göransson: “Oppenheimer”
Laura Karpman: “American Fiction”
Robbie Robertson: “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Anthony Willis: “Saltburn”

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN INDEPENDENT FILM

Jon Batiste: “American Symphony”
Mica Levi: “The Zone of Interest”
Fabrizio Mancinelli, Richard M. Sherman: “Mushka”
Daniel Pemberton: “Ferrari”
John Powell: “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION PRODUCTION

Nicholas Britell: “Succession”
Natalie Holt: “Loki”
Martin Phipps: “The Crown”
Carlos Rafael Rivera: “Lessons in Chemistry”
Gustavo Santaolalla: “The Last of Us”

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL TITLE SEQUENCE FOR A TELEVISION PRODUCTION

Chanda Dancy: “Lawmen: Bass Reeves”
Nainita Desai: “The Deepest Breath”
Kevin Kiner: “Ahsoka”
Atli Örvarsson: “Silo”
Carlos Rafael Rivera: “Lessons in Chemistry”

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG FOR A DRAMATIC OR DOCUMENTARY VISUAL MEDIA PRODUCTION

Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson: “It Never Went Away,” “American Symphony”
Nicholas Britell, Taura Stinson: “Slip Away,” “Carmen”
Sharon Farber, Noah Benshea: “Better Times,” “Jacob the Baker”
Lenny Kravitz: “Road to Freedom,” “Rustin”
Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro: “Can’t Catch Me Now,” “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG FOR A COMEDY OR MUSICAL VISUAL MEDIA PRODUCTION

Jack Black, John Spiker, Eric Osmond, Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath: “Peaches,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”
Heather McIntosh, Allyson Newman, Taura Stinson: “All About Me,” “The L Word: Generation Q”
Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell: “What Was I Made For?”, “Barbie”
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt: “I’m Just Ken,” “Barbie”
Diane Warren: “The Fire Inside,” “Flamin’ Hot”

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Stephen Barton, Gordy Haab: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Winifred Phillips: Secrets of Skeifa Island
Pinar Toprak: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Austin Wintory: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical

THE DAVID RAKSIN AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT

Catherine Joy: “Home is a Hotel”
Fabrizio Mancinelli: “The Land of Dreams”
Allyson Newman: “Commitment to Life”
Hannah Parrott: “After Death”
Kenny Wood: “The Naughty Nine”

Annette Bening to Receive the Distinguished Artisan Award at the 11th Annual MUAHS Awards

Annette Bening will be honored with the Distinguished Artisan Award at the 11th annual MakeUp Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Award, on Feb. 18.

“Annette Bening brings fascinating characters to life on the screen with each stunning performance and has won the hearts of moviegoers around the world,” said Julie Socash, President of the Guild. “Her talent and versatility as an actress, from a beguiling Hollywood starlet to a driven marathon swimmer, have been matched by her commitment to her craft, making her a true inspiration to all guild make-up artists and hair stylists. We are excited to celebrate her achievements and contributions to the entertainment industry.”

Bening landed an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Diane Nyad in the Netflix film, “Nyad.”

Nominations for the MUAHS can be found here.

Kodak Ups Vanessa Bendetti to Vice President and Head of Motion Picture and Entertainment

Vanessa Bendetti has been appointed vice president and head of motion picture and entertainment of Eastman Kodak Company. She will report to executive chairman and CEO Jim Continenza and helm global operations, sales, and marketing on behalf of Kodak’s motion picture business.

Bendetti previously served as global managing director of motion picture for seven years at Kodak, in which she contributed to the increase of analog film use in the industry. She has been involved in entertainment for 30 years, working as an archival producer and business affairs specialist before joining Kodak. She started her career working for Simpson/Bruckheimer Films in the ’90s.

Before Bendetti, Steve Bellamy occupied the role of president of motion picture and entertainment at Kodak.

Some prominent films recently shot on Kodak include “Oppenheimer,” “Poor Things,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,’ “Past Lives,” “Saltburn,” “Origin” and “The Iron Claw.”

Academy Museum Announces ‘Oscars Season’ Programming Including Screenings, Panels

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has announced “Oscars Season at the Academy Museum,” which will run from Jan. 28-March 31. Some of the programming includes Oscar-winning film screenings, family workshops, in-gallery tours and Oscar nominee programs. Additionally, special pricing will be made available for the Oscars Experience and Oscars Night at the Museum, an event on March 10 celebrating 2024 nominees and winners.

“The Oscars, and the Academy Museum, celebrate achievements in filmmaking across disciplines. We are thrilled to expand our annual Oscars Season programming at the Academy Museum with even more screenings, panels and programs for the public,” said Amy Homma, Academy Museum chief audience officer. “Now in our third year, the Academy Museum has become the go-to destination for visitors from Los Angeles and around the world to learn, celebrate, and interact with Oscar-nominated films and filmmakers.”

Programming begins on Jan. 28 with a book signing of “50 Oscar Nights” with Dave Karger of Turner Classic Movies, who will be in conversation with actor Topher Grace.

In February, programing includes Oscar Sundays Screenings which will “highlight Black milestones in film at the ceremony,” among many other Oscars-focused activities. In the extensive lineup for March, guests can attend Breaking the Oscars Ceiling on March 1, “a conversation program celebrating the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community at the Academy Awards.”

The nominee programs will feature conversations with artists who received nominations for best picture, documentary feature, animated feature, and makeup and hairstyling, among other categories.

The 96^th Academy Awards will take place on March 10 at the Dolby Theater. Subsequently, several of the winning films will be screened at the museum’s David Geffen Theater from March 14-17.

Visit the Academy Museum’s website for the complete “Oscars Season” schedule. Watch the trailer for “Oscars Season” below.

New York Philharmonic, Netflix to Present “Maestro” Event Featuring Musical Performance and Conversation With Bradley Cooper and Yannick Nézet-Séguin

The New York Philharmonic and Netflix will host an event titled “Orchestrating ‘Maestro’: Music & Conversation” on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall. The event will feature a musical performance followed by a conversation between Bradley Cooper and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who served as the film’s conducting consultant and conducted new recordings for the soundtrack.

Nézet-Séguin is the music director of the Metropolitan Opera, artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain and music and artistic director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He will make his New York Philharmonic debut by leading members of the orchestra in selections from the “Maestro” soundtrack.

In a side-by-side conversation, Cooper will then join Nézet-Séguin to discuss Leonard Bernstein’s life and legacy.

“Maestro” received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actor for Cooper and best actress for Carey Mulligan.

‘Love Me’ Receives Science-in-Film Initiative Feature Film Prize at Sundance

“Love Me,” from filmmaker duo Sam and Andy Zuchero, received the juried feature film prize from Sundance Institute and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s joint Science-in-Film initiative at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The prize is awarded to a film that focuses on science or technology as a theme or depicts a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character. Dr. Mandë Holford, Dr. Nia Imara, Matt Johnson, Theresa Park and Courtney Stephens comprised the 2024 jury for the Alfred P. Sloan feature film prize.

According to the jury, “Love Me” was selected “for its ambitious and formally inventive portrayal of a post-human Earth in which two machine-learning ‘life forms’ search for the cure to loneliness in the digital rubble of civilization, and for its original direction and engaging performances.”

Additionally, Emily Everhard received the Sloan episodic fellowship for “Tektite,” Sara Crow and David Rafailedes received the Sloan development fellowship for “Satoshi” and Lizzi Oyebode received the Sloan commissioning grant for “Inverses.”

The Zucheros and Oyebode received $25,000 cash prizes, while Everhard and Crow and Rafailedes received $17,000 cash awards. The filmmakers were celebrated at a reception hosted by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in Park City.

American Film Institute Announces AFI DWW+ Class of 2025, Names Hanelle M. Culpepper Guest Artistic Director

The American Film Institute has announced the participants chosen for the 2025 class for AFI DWW+, a year-long directing program that supports women and underrepresented narrative filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the directing program.

The class of 2025 is comprised of Julia Bales, Jahmil Eady, MG Evangelista, Marissa High, Jasmine J. Johnson, Natasha Mynhier, Karina Lomelin Ripper and Ezra Rose. The participants will receive hands-on instruction from industry experts, with their short films premiering at the annual DWW+ Showcase in spring 2025.

Additionally, AFI DWW alum Hanelle M. Culpepper was named AFI DWW+ guest artistic director for the class of 2025. She directed the pilot of “Star Trek: Picard,” making her the first woman director to launch a new “Star Trek” series in the franchise’s history. Her other credits include “True Story,” “The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray,” “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” “Westworld” and the pilot of “Anansi Boys.” In 2019, she was selected for the inaugural class of ReFrame and was honored in Variety’s Inclusion Impact Report. She serves on the TV Academy’s directors peer group executive committee and as an alternate for the DGA’s national board of directors.

“I remember how supported I felt by our community when I participated in DWW – my fellow directors are dear friends to this day, and it was inspiring to learn from the alums out there blazing the trail. I’m excited for what’s ahead for this class, and I’m honored to guide them as they make their shorts and ultimately rise in our industry,” said Culpepper in a statement.

‘The Flash’ and ‘IT’ Orchestrator to Launch New Music Company

David J. Krystal, the orchestrator behind “The Flash,” “IT,” “Shazam!” and “Hidden Figures,” among others, is launching a new eponymous orchestration company titled David Krystal Music Service.

According to the statement, the company aims to “synthesize the rich tradition of classic Hollywood scoring and orchestration with the fast-paced and powerful blockbuster film scores of today. With meticulous attention to detail, DKMS ensures that every note and nuance is accounted for so its clients can experience the highest level, most accurate orchestrations in the industry.”

Krystal has collaborated with an assortment of Hollywood’s top musicians, including a stint with Emmy-nominated composer Benjamin Wallfisch, two-time Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer and Grammy-winning artist Pharrell Williams, working as the supervising orchestrator of the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures.” The score was nominated for a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

“I’m really excited about the company launch and being able to offer the rich, accurate, and detailed orchestrations I’ve become known for under the DKMS banner,” Krystal said in a statement. “As the industry evolves along with new techniques for writing and score production, I hope DKMS will stand out at the top as a company that can deliver both the finest cutting-edge and modern blockbuster productions and the lush traditional sounds of classic Hollywood scoring.”

Alongside the launch of DKMS, Krystal will release an album titled “Tunes in the Key of Hollywood,” a “love letter to the sweeping Hollywood film scores I grew up listening to,” Krystal said.

Inaugural Manila International Film Festival to Take Place in Los Angeles

The Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) will take place in Los Angeles from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, in the first international version of the local Filipino festival Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). MIFF also marks the first U.S. festival dedicated exclusively to the celebration of Philippine cinema.

The 10 official selection films from MMFF will screen during MIFF at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood from Jan. 29-Feb. 1. On Feb 2, the closing night awards gala will take place at the Directors Guild of America.

The 10 films include Jun Robles Lana’s “Becky and Badette”; Lemuel C. Lorca’s “Broken Heart’s Trip”; Nuel Naval’s “Family of Two (A Mother and Son Story)”; Zig Dulay’s “Firefly”; Pepe Diokno’s “GomBurZa”; King Palisoc’s “(K)Ampon”; Derick Cabrido’s “Mallari”; Jason Paul Laxamana’s “Penduko”; Mae Cruz-Alviar’s “Rewind”; and Conrado Peru, Rommel Penesa and Christopher de Leon’s “When I Met You in Tokyo.”

Talent that will be present at MIFF for screenings, Q&A’s, the gala and other events include John Arcilla, Piolo Pascual, Eugene Domingo, Dingdong Dantes, Alden Richards, Derek Ramsay, Enchong Dee, Beauty Gonzalez, Janella Salvador, Ysabel Ortega, Christian Bables and Christopher de Leon.

Visit here for the full MIFF schedule and ticket info.

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