Angela Bassett, Austin Butler, Michelle Yeoh and More to Present at PGA Awards – Film News in Brief

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) revealed the group of Hollywood leaders that will present at the upcoming awards ceremony.

PGA announced a star-studded slate of presenters, including Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”); Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”); Austin Butler (“Elvis”); Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”); Paul Dano and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”); Jay Ellis and Monica Barbaro (“Top Gun”); Hong Chau and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”); Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom, Jr. (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”); Cate Blanchett (“Tár”); Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”); as well as Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Billy Eichner, Bob Odenkirk, Dave Burd, Diego Luna, Eugenio Derbez, Hannah Einbinder, Mo Amer, Nicole Byer, Robert Rodriguez, Ron Howard, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sandra Oh, Sherry Lansing and many more.

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The ceremony will also honor Tom Cruise with the David O. Selznick Award, Mindy Kaling with the Norman Lear Award, Warner Bros. CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy with the Milestone Award and the “Till” team with the Stanley Kramer Award.

The 34th annual Producers Guild Awards will be held on Feb. 25, at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, CA.

BAFTA and AAFCA Launch “The Struggle to Be Seen” Conversation Series

BAFTA and AAFCA (African American Film Critics Association) are launching a monthly discussion series titled “The Struggle to be Seen: The Challenges of Breaking Through for Black Creatives.” The conversations will bring together Black creatives and entertainment executives

The series is kicking off during Black History Month, with its first discussion Feb. 27. The series will run through October, Black History Month in the United Kingdom, totaling nine in-person and virtual discussions.

The first discussion will take place at Soho Works West Hollywood with moderator Tamara Houston and panelists including casting director Leah Daniels-Butler, writer and producer Charles Murray and actor Chike Okonkwo.

“We want our series to shatter industry perceptions and manipulations of Black identity, particularly in the entertainment industry and offer a path forward as the industry evolves,” said Nyasha Hatendi, chair of BAFTA’s North American learning and inclusion talent committee, in a statement. “The series aims to highlight the experience of Black creatives working in entertainment and explore the state of Blackness in an increasingly globalized entertainment industry.”

SAG Nominees Adam Scott and Jenna Ortega Join Presenter Lineup

“Severance’s” Adam Scott and “Wednesday’s” Jenna Ortega have been announced as presenters at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

They join Michelle Yeoh and Colin Farrell who will also be presenting.

Additional SAG nominees that are set to present include Jason Bateman (“Ozark”), Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”), Aubrey Plaza (“The White Lotus”) and Zendaya (“Euphoria”). In addition to the nominated presenters SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher will also present at the ceremony, followed by Matt Bomer (“Fellow Travelers”), Ariana DeBose (“Schmigadoon!”), Eugene Levy (“The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy”) and Amy Poehler (“Restless Leg Tour”).

Other principal actors taking the stage to introduce clips of cast performances from their respective films include Jovan Adepo, Diego Calva and Li Jun Li (“Babylon”); Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”); Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”); Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”); and Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy and Rooney Mara (“Women Talking”).

Additions to the presenter lineup were revealed Feb. 21 by Jon Brockett, executive producer of the awards show.

Previously announced presenters include nominees Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain along with actors Don Cheadle, Caleb McLaughlin, Paul Mescal, Ashley Park, Andrew Garfield, Antonia Gentry and Haley Lu Richardson.

The 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and will air live on Netflix’s YouTube channel.

Kodak Film Awards to Honor J.J Abrams with Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmmaker J.J. Abrams will receive the Kodak Lifetime Achievement Award at the fifth annual Kodak Film Awards.

Abrams will be recognized for his incomparable contributions to film and television. All of the feature films Abrams has directed have been shot on Kodak film, including his 2011 coming-of-age thriller “Super 8” and most recent film “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.”

Damien Chazelle and Patty Jenkins will each receive Auteur Awards for their directorial accomplishments. Michael Morris (“To Leslie”) will receive the First Feature Award. Cinematographers Jańusz Kaminski and Rachel Morrison will receive Lumiere Awards in recognition of their career work. While filmmaker/creator Sam Levinson and cinematographer Marcell Rév will accept the TV Series of the Year Award on behalf of the acclaimed A24/HBO production “Euphoria.”

The fifth annual Kodak Film Awards will take place at the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Clubhouse on Feb 26.

‘A Thousand and One,’ Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner, Gets Official Trailer

Focus Features has released the official trailer for “A Thousand and One,” a dramatic feature that was both a Sundance selection and a winner, taking home the Sundance U.S. dramatic grand jury prize. The festival favorite will release in theaters nationwide on March 31.

“A Thousand and One” tells the story free-spirited mother, Inez (Teyana Taylor), after she kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from the foster care system. In the ever-changing 1990s New York City, the mother and son grow together and work to keep this secret, as they slowly develop their own version of home and reclaim their own sense of stability.

Aaron Kingsley Adetola portrays Terry at six-years-old, with Aven Courtney portraying the character at 13-years-old and Josiah Cross concluding the film as 17-year-old Terry. The three actors star alongside Taylor and Will Catlett. Directed and written by A.V. Rockwell, the Sundance winner was produced by Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani and Brad Weston. Executive producers include Oren Moverman and Jamin OBrien.

DNEG Acquires Mumbai Film Studio Complex, Production Services Assets

Animation and visual effects studio DNEG has acquired production and post-production assets from its parent company Prime Focus Limited (PFL). With the transaction’s completion, DNEG holds eight soundstages in Mumbai, India, as well as a suite of TV production and post-production services.

DNEG acquired Prime Focus Studios, digital intermediate, equipment rental services and PFL’s advertising post-production business through the deal. The acquisition also added 240 staff members to DNEG’s global workforce of over 10,000.

“Having achieved a distinctive leadership position across visual effects and animation, with the capabilities and scale to be a preferred partner to our clients, DNEG’s next logical step is to extend our filmmaker-focused services into the production ecosystem,” DNEG’s chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra said in a statement. “Adding these new services to DNEG’s portfolio allows us to bring India’s proud 100-year history of film heritage and its industry talent to the global market. It also presents our clients with the benefits of an integrated solution across the entire production chain, unlocking greater efficiencies and savings, with the reassurance of working with a trusted filmmaking partner.”

New York Times Film Critic A.O. Scott Moves to Book Review Department

A.O. Scott, the co-chief film critic at the New York Times, will move over to the book review section after this year’s Oscars, the publication announced Tuesday. Scott, a film critic at the Times since 2000, will move to The New York Times Book Review where he will contribute critical essays, notebooks and reviews. Scott has a longtime interest in literature, having studied the subject at Harvard, and he has contributed reviews to the New York Review of Books, Newsday and Slate as well as The Americans series for the New York Times Book Review.

Austin Butler, Troy Kotsur, Melanie Lynskey, Jenny Slate to Present at Film Independent Spirit Awards

Film Independent announced the headlining presenters for its upcoming show on March 4 including Austin Butler, Beatrice Grannò, Sharon Horgan, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Troy Kotsur, Haley Lu Richardson, Melanie Lynskey, Taylour Paige and Jenny Slate.

The presenters join previously-announced honorary co-chairs Chloé Zhao and Siân Heder.

The Film Independent Director’s Close-Up (DCU) series precedes the award ceremony. The series began at the beginning of the month holding ongoing online events. The program is in its 22nd year and celebrates the achievements of directors, writers and creators nominated for Spirit Awards. The in-person events will take place Feb. 26, Feb. 28 and March 1 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with The Wallis, bringing to their stage our signature programs Film Independent Presents and Directors Close-Up on the eve of the Film Independent Spirit Awards,” said Film Independent president Josh Welsh in a statement. “Like the Spirit Awards themselves, this year’s line-up is a true confluence of bold, original filmmakers who are creating the most provocative and imaginative work today.”

Comedian Hasan Minhaj will host the award show, which is taking place in Santa Monica. The ceremony will live stream on IMDb’s YouTube channel in addition Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts.

Talpa Entertainment Productions and NEP Group Partnered in Developing New TV Technology, Beginning With the Premiere of Broadcast Talent Show, ‘Avastars’

Talpa Entertainment Productions (TEP) and the NEP Group have partnered to support “Avastars” a new broadcast talent show, which will unite both the real and virtual worlds. In real time the new technology will create and combine live motion capture technology and augmented realities. The groundbreaking live-on-tape programming was developed by NEP, in an effort to develop and reproduce a new TV workflow for an international scale.

Using live motion capture the “Avastars” singing and dancing contestants will be merged into a unique Avastars. In order to create the Avastar, the contestants will wear a special suit and special helmet to capture their movements and facial expressions. There will be more than 30 cameras capturing the contestants and providing a real-time translation and creation of an Avastar — which will be visible in the augmented reality on stage in the studio.

John de Mol of Talpa Entertainment Productions said, “What started as a wild idea has grown into a spectacular entertainment program with its own unique production process. We have not only developed a new format, but also a new technique. This allows us to develop multiple formats with this technology.”

“Avastars” will premiere on Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. on SBS6 in The Netherlands.

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) announced the winners of the 12th AACTA International Awards

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) revealed on Feb. 23, the 11 winners of the annual ceremony.

“The Banshees of Inisherin” led the AACTA awards with three wins, including Brendan Gleeson for best supporting actor, Kerry Condon for best supporting actress and Martin McDonagh for best screenplay. While Cate Blanchett received her third AACTA award for her portrayal of Lydia Tár in “Tár,” following her earlier wins for “Carol” and “Blue Jasmine.”

“Mystery Road: Origin” and “The White Lotus: Sicily” tied with two wins each within the four categories, with Jennifer Coolidge winning best actress in a series for “The White Lotus: Sicily” and Mark Coles Smith winning best actor in a series for “Mystery Road: Origin.”

For a full list of winners at the 2023 AACTA awards, read below.

FILM

Best Film
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
“Elvis”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
“Top Gun: Maverick”

Best Lead Actor
Austin Butler as Elvis – “Elvis”
Joel Edgerton as Mark Frame – “The Stranger”
Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin – “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Brendan Fraser as Charlie – “The Whale”
Hugh Jackman as Peter – “The Son”

Best Lead Actress
Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár – “Tár”
Ana de Armas as Norma Jeane – “Blonde”
Margot Robbie as Nellie Laroy – “Babylon”
Michelle Williams as Mitzi Fabelman – “The Fabelmans”
Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang – “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson as Colm Doherty – “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Woody Harrelson as The Captain – “Triangle Of Sadness”
Sean Harris as Henry Teague – “The Stranger”
Brad Pitt as Jack Conrad – “Babylon”
Ke Huy Quan as Waymond Wang – “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Supporting Actress
Kerry Condon as Siobhan Súilleabháin – “The Banshees of Inisherin“
Jamie Lee Curtis as Deirdre Beaubeirdre – “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla – “Elvis”
Stephanie Hsu as Joy Wang / Jobu Tupaki – “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Jean Smart as Elinor St. John – “Babylon”

Best Direction
Baz Luhrmann – “Elvis“
James Cameron – “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Martin McDonagh – “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Steven Spielberg – “The Fabelmans”

Best Screenplay
Martin McDonagh – “The Banshees of Inisherin“
Todd Field – “Tár”
Rian Johnson – “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Ruben Östlund – “Triangle of Sadness”
Dana Stevens, Maria Bello – “The Woman King”

TELEVISION

Best Drama Series
“Mystery Road: Origin”
“Heartbreak High”
“Severance”
“Stranger Things”
“The Bear”

Best Comedy Series
“The White Lotus: Sicily“
‘Hacks”
“Only Murders in The Building”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Wednesday”

Best Actor in a Series
Mark Coles Smith as Jay Swan – “Mystery Road: Origin”
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto – “The Bear”
Jason Bateman as Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde – “Ozark”
Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill- “Better Call Saul”
Thomas Weatherall as Malakai Mitchell – “Heartbreak High”

Best Actress in a Series
Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt – “The White Lotus: Sicily”
Elizabeth Debecki as Princess Diana – “The Crown”
Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde – “Ozark”
Jean Smart As Deborah Vance – “Hacks”
Zendaya as Rue Bennett – “Euphoria”

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