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Sundance 2011 U.S. Dramatic Competition: Braden King, Sean Durkin and Jeff Nichols Among the 16 Selected
Let me toot my own horn a bit. Of the 16 selected films out of 1,102 submissions, I accurately predicted 12. Out of the four that didn't fly on my radar we find American New Wave 25 selected Sean Durkin, who will make it back to back years in Park City. He featured the marvelous, creepy Mary Last Seen there, and would start lensing Martha Marcy May Marlene in the summer...but my thinking was he was Cannes-bound with this one...he may still be, but Sundance is world preem launching pad for the pic.
The Black List Update: Picks 15 to 11 of 2006
In preparation of the 2010 unveiling of the Franklin Leonard's annual The Black List of the most liked unproduced screenplays (which is now in it's 6th year), we've decided to look back at the top tier voted screenplays of the previous years dating all the way back to 2006. We'll attempt to update those that got made and those who haven't yet received the desired greenlight. Today we start picks 15 to 11 of 2006.
Indie Spirit Awards: Granik’s Winter’s Bones Skins Seven Noms
Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone" tops the Indie Spirit Awards noms list with 7 (Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Female Lead, Best Supporting Male Lead and Best Cinematography), Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids Are All Right" places second with five nominations (Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male Lead).
Sundance 2011: New Short from Carter Smith
Most cinephiles are perhaps more familiar with Smith's feature debut - the low budget (8 million dollar range) The Ruins for Spielberg's Dreamworks. Not much has happened since 2008, Smith has stuck to his roots, made this 25/25 item for Elle magazine, but apparently had the time to sneak in a short film this summer which will be showcased at the upcoming Sundance Film Fest.
2010 Gotham Awards: Winter’s Bone Wins Best Feature
Debra Granik's Winter's Bone went two for four at the 2010 Gotham awards claiming Best Ensemble and the coveted, top prize of Best Feature beating out the much-liked other Sundance titles in Blue Valentine and The Kids Are All right and TIFF titles Black Swan and Let The Right One In. I think many indie film insider would agree that this was Winter's Bone award to lose, and with tomorrow's Indie Spirit nominations unveiling (where we should expect more mentions) 2010 will have been quite the comeback year for Debra Granik, whose debut film Down to the Bone would critically do well but pretty much disappeared from the map straight-after.
