Search results for: Steve James

Getting ever so closely to the Top 10, our top 20 is filled with an interesting mix of heavyweights (Tarantino, Cronenberg, Boyle and Wes Anderson) and up-and-comers (Sachs, Gillespie, Tarsem, Perelman). Enjoy!

The Chicago's film critics gave a trio of year’s best prizes to The Departed picking up Best Feature, director and adapted screenplay. The usual suspects won for acting awards and Emmanuel Lubezki looks like a sure pick for best cinematography at the Oscars this year for Children of Men. Futuristic film The Fountain won for best original score. Finally Rian Johnson was named most promising filmmaker for Brick.

George Clooney is at it again. He and Smokehouse Pictures partner Grant Heslov have teamed up with Warner Independent Pictures to buy the screen rights to John Grisham's nonfiction drama "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town." This is deal numero dos for Smokehouse/WIP this month, just last week they signed on together for White Jazz, the James Ellroy adaptation, in which Clooney will star.

THINKFilm has not only got a winner on its hands – but may we dare say - its got the sort of potential that might see it cross into the mainstream golden evening of the award season – yep the Oscars might not look unattainable as I had first predicted. Given out last night, the Independent Film Project awards were prety much a Half Nelson tribute type of affair - winning in the breakthrough actor, director and picture categories with its closest rival being Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Babel which picked up 2 awards. Note: Rinko Kikuchi (the naked Jap) from Babel and the (always play the same role twice) young Shareeka Epps shared the same award.

It comes as no surprise that leading this year’s pack of nominees are Little Miss Sunshine and Half Nelson, but this year’s mix of contenders are a mixed breed coming from films that were showcased a little everywhere – including this year’s Sundance.