Search results for: Steve James

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.

It is award season in Australia again and the time for the small number of people in the Australian film industry to come together and pat each other on the back for a mostly mediocre job well done. The most prestigious of the three major award ceremonies that occur over the next month is the L’Oreal Paris Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards. It is the ceremony that attracts big names and they like people to know that. Russell Crowe hosted last year. Who cares if he isn’t actually Australian?