I was happy to be invited for the second year to serve on the jury for narrative features with Dan Mirvisch, indie filmmaker and founder of Slamdance, Dana Harris, editor in chief of Indiewire, Morrie Warchawski, author of Shaking the Money Tree and former Executive Director of the Bay Area Video Coalition and The Media Project. We had a spirited discussion about the films we saw, drank a lot of great wine at marvelous receptions and had a superb dinner in the dining room of the Black Stallion Winery which is on the former site of the famous Napa Valley Equestrian Center and has been owned by three generations of the Indelicato family. Chef Misty Phelps prepared a wonderful meal which we shared with invited guests, Hollywood Foreign Press members Patricial Danaher from Ireland and Dierk Sindermann who was on the doc jury and is a correspondent for 10 European publications. It was the second great dinner I had with Hfp folks, the previous one being at Spago after the screening of Japan's Like Father Like Son. These Hollywood Foreign Press people live a nice life because they love films so much! Their love of film is proven because the small indies, foreign language and doc films are not what their employers pay them to see or review. Their love of film brings them to see these films in addition to the star studded blockbusters. I digress because I am beginning to love the Hfp members, sharing dinners as we do, there are always interesting conversations as well. Other filmmakers and jury members were served equally special dinners at the Alpha Omega and Chappellet Reserve, Beaulieu Vineyards, Bello Family Vineyards and Cardinale. Films, food and wine truly served as catalysts for conversation.
We awarded The Best Narrative Feature Prize to Hank and Asha (www.hankandasha.com) directed by James E. Duff. It had previously won the Audience Award at Slamdance and won at Portland, Brooklyn, Rhode Island and Woods Hole Film Festivals. It was a beautifully shot near-romance of an Indian film student in Prague who connects via webcam with a New York based filmmaker whose film she admired when she was the the Prague Film Festival. Their intercultural exchange leads to a love and affection which is never culminated by a meeting.
The Audience Favorite for Documentary Feature went to Finding Hillywood (www.findinghillywood.com) directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski (the daughter of our own jury member, Morrie Warchawski). This film has played in numerous festivals and garnered many awards and much attention as it shows the fledgling Rwandan filmmaking community.
Here are the other awards!
Juried Awards
Best Narrative Feature: Hank and Asha directed by James E. Duff
Best Feature Documentary: Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth directed by Pratibha Parmar
Best Short Documentary: Sky Burial directed by Tad Fettig
Best Animated Short: Sleight of Hand directed by Michael Cusack
> Honorable Mention: The Right Place directed by Jamie Gallant
> Honorable Mention: Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Best Narrative Short: King of Norway directed by Sylvia Sether
> Honorable Mention: The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
> Honorable Mention: The Listing Agent directed by Matthew Helfgott & Jared Hillman
Special Jury Prize for Most Thought Provoking Film: The Last White Knight directed by Paul Saltzman
Audience Awards
Favorite Narrative Feature : The Little Tin Man directed by Matthew Perkins
Favorite Actor : Andrew Pastides, Hank & Asha
Favorite Actress : Mahira Kakkar, Hank & Asha
Favorite Documentary Feature : Finding Hillywood directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski
Favorite Documentary Short : Make Haste Slowly: The Kikkoman Story directed by Lucy Walker
Favorite Narrative Short : The Listing Agent directed by Mathew Helfgott and Jared Hillman
Favorite Animated Short : Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Favorite Lounge Feature : Starring Adam West directed by James Tooley
Favorite Lounge Short : The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
Next year's Napa Valley Film Festival will take place on 12-16 November 2014. To buy passes visit Here...
We awarded The Best Narrative Feature Prize to Hank and Asha (www.hankandasha.com) directed by James E. Duff. It had previously won the Audience Award at Slamdance and won at Portland, Brooklyn, Rhode Island and Woods Hole Film Festivals. It was a beautifully shot near-romance of an Indian film student in Prague who connects via webcam with a New York based filmmaker whose film she admired when she was the the Prague Film Festival. Their intercultural exchange leads to a love and affection which is never culminated by a meeting.
The Audience Favorite for Documentary Feature went to Finding Hillywood (www.findinghillywood.com) directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski (the daughter of our own jury member, Morrie Warchawski). This film has played in numerous festivals and garnered many awards and much attention as it shows the fledgling Rwandan filmmaking community.
Here are the other awards!
Juried Awards
Best Narrative Feature: Hank and Asha directed by James E. Duff
Best Feature Documentary: Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth directed by Pratibha Parmar
Best Short Documentary: Sky Burial directed by Tad Fettig
Best Animated Short: Sleight of Hand directed by Michael Cusack
> Honorable Mention: The Right Place directed by Jamie Gallant
> Honorable Mention: Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Best Narrative Short: King of Norway directed by Sylvia Sether
> Honorable Mention: The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
> Honorable Mention: The Listing Agent directed by Matthew Helfgott & Jared Hillman
Special Jury Prize for Most Thought Provoking Film: The Last White Knight directed by Paul Saltzman
Audience Awards
Favorite Narrative Feature : The Little Tin Man directed by Matthew Perkins
Favorite Actor : Andrew Pastides, Hank & Asha
Favorite Actress : Mahira Kakkar, Hank & Asha
Favorite Documentary Feature : Finding Hillywood directed by Christopher Towey and Leah Warshawski
Favorite Documentary Short : Make Haste Slowly: The Kikkoman Story directed by Lucy Walker
Favorite Narrative Short : The Listing Agent directed by Mathew Helfgott and Jared Hillman
Favorite Animated Short : Horsepower directed by Olivia Lai Shetler
Favorite Lounge Feature : Starring Adam West directed by James Tooley
Favorite Lounge Short : The Romantics directed by Ryan Daniel Dobson
Next year's Napa Valley Film Festival will take place on 12-16 November 2014. To buy passes visit Here...
- 11/26/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Jonathan Rossiter was named Australian Cinematographer of the Year at the 2013 Acs National Awards for Cinematography staged in Canberra on Saturday at Old Parliament House. .
Rossiter shot the animated short film Sleight of Hand, directed by Michael Cusack for South Australian-based animation company Anifex. The short has been accepted into competition in the Nashville Film Festival, The Athens International Film + Video Festival and the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film in Germany. .
Adam Arkapaw won the Golden Tripod for his feature Lore and Roger Deakins took the international award for Skyfall. .
Here.s the full list of winners: Australian Cinematographer of the Year Jonathon Rossiter, Sleight of Hand Inducted Into Acs Hall Of Fame Peter Donnelly, Peter Hannan,Mike Molloy, Les Wasley Acs Life Membership Bestowed Peter Curtis, Nino Martinetti International Award For Cinematography Roger Deakins, Skyfall Nfsa John Leake Oam Acs Emerging Cinematographer Award Dale Bremner Best Student Cinematography Tim Barnsley...
Rossiter shot the animated short film Sleight of Hand, directed by Michael Cusack for South Australian-based animation company Anifex. The short has been accepted into competition in the Nashville Film Festival, The Athens International Film + Video Festival and the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film in Germany. .
Adam Arkapaw won the Golden Tripod for his feature Lore and Roger Deakins took the international award for Skyfall. .
Here.s the full list of winners: Australian Cinematographer of the Year Jonathon Rossiter, Sleight of Hand Inducted Into Acs Hall Of Fame Peter Donnelly, Peter Hannan,Mike Molloy, Les Wasley Acs Life Membership Bestowed Peter Curtis, Nino Martinetti International Award For Cinematography Roger Deakins, Skyfall Nfsa John Leake Oam Acs Emerging Cinematographer Award Dale Bremner Best Student Cinematography Tim Barnsley...
- 5/27/2013
- by Staff Reporter
- IF.com.au
Over the past couple of months I have been getting into some exceedingly strange animation coming out of Australia. It all started quite harmlessly with Ragemelon, but before long I had fallen into the depths of the internet and was sending Michael Cusack's Yolo and Question For Ted to everyone. Just when I thought I couldn't fall any further, I've discovered Prosnorkulus - a hyper-violent webseries about a dwarf warrior and kings and battles and stuff. And blood, and people getting cut in half and exploding heads and blood and gore, and general violence. Okay so it's generous to call it a webseries - part 1 was published a year ago and part 2 launched this week. But I've already watched both episodes twice through and know...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 1/2/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Hit musical drama The Sapphires has scored 12 nominations at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards including in the coveted best feature film category.
The Sapphires, which follows four indigenous singers during the Vietnam war, has grossed more than $14 million in Australia to become the biggest local film of the year.
Three other films will be also be vying for the best feature film award: Burning Man (10 nominations in total), Lore (eight nominations in total) and Wish You Were Here (eight nominations in total) at the main Aacta ceremony, which will be held on January 30, 2013, at The Star Event Centre. Last year's event was held at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
P.J. Hogan's Mental also scored eight nominations including Best Lead Actress (Toni Collette), Best Supporting Actor (Liev Schreiber) Best Young Actor (Lily Sullivan) and Best Supporting Actress for Rebecca Gibney and Deborah Mailman.
Not Suitable for Children...
The Sapphires, which follows four indigenous singers during the Vietnam war, has grossed more than $14 million in Australia to become the biggest local film of the year.
Three other films will be also be vying for the best feature film award: Burning Man (10 nominations in total), Lore (eight nominations in total) and Wish You Were Here (eight nominations in total) at the main Aacta ceremony, which will be held on January 30, 2013, at The Star Event Centre. Last year's event was held at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
P.J. Hogan's Mental also scored eight nominations including Best Lead Actress (Toni Collette), Best Supporting Actor (Liev Schreiber) Best Young Actor (Lily Sullivan) and Best Supporting Actress for Rebecca Gibney and Deborah Mailman.
Not Suitable for Children...
- 12/3/2012
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
The Sapphires has led the Academy of Australian Cinema and Television Arts Awards nominations being nominated in 12 categories.
Awards will be handed out over two events, with an awards luncheon, focused on craft categories on Monday January 28 and the main event on January 30. Both events will be held at the Star Event Centre, the first public events for the venue.
The Sapphires, distributed by Hopscotch/eOne has been nominated for Best Film, Best Direction and best adapted screenplay as well as Best Lead Actor and Actress for Chris O’Dowd and Deborah Mailman, and Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Mauboy.
Burning Man was not far behind on 10 nominations including best film and best direction as well as best lead actor for Matthre Goode and Best Supporting Actress for Essie Davis.
Three more films, Lore, Mental and Wish You Were Here received eight nominations while Not Suitable For Children received four.
Awards will be handed out over two events, with an awards luncheon, focused on craft categories on Monday January 28 and the main event on January 30. Both events will be held at the Star Event Centre, the first public events for the venue.
The Sapphires, distributed by Hopscotch/eOne has been nominated for Best Film, Best Direction and best adapted screenplay as well as Best Lead Actor and Actress for Chris O’Dowd and Deborah Mailman, and Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Mauboy.
Burning Man was not far behind on 10 nominations including best film and best direction as well as best lead actor for Matthre Goode and Best Supporting Actress for Essie Davis.
Three more films, Lore, Mental and Wish You Were Here received eight nominations while Not Suitable For Children received four.
- 12/3/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Australian short animation Sleight of Hand has been accepted into the Austin Film Festival. The stop motion film is by production house Anifex and writer/director Michael Cusack. The film was recently nominated for an Aacta Award.
The announcement:
The prestigious Austin Film Festival has just officially announced that Anifex’s short, stop motion animation film “Sleight of Hand” has been accepted into official competition. This is a major coup for the animation company and writer/director Michael Cusack, as the Austin Ff is an Academy Award accredited festival.
“It’s really exciting to be included in this festival as it showcases some of the world’s best films so I am very honoured indeed to be a part of it .” said Cusack. “We have also had enquiries from a number of other festivals wanting to see the film for consideration, which is very gratifying. The film is very personal to me,...
The announcement:
The prestigious Austin Film Festival has just officially announced that Anifex’s short, stop motion animation film “Sleight of Hand” has been accepted into official competition. This is a major coup for the animation company and writer/director Michael Cusack, as the Austin Ff is an Academy Award accredited festival.
“It’s really exciting to be included in this festival as it showcases some of the world’s best films so I am very honoured indeed to be a part of it .” said Cusack. “We have also had enquiries from a number of other festivals wanting to see the film for consideration, which is very gratifying. The film is very personal to me,...
- 10/3/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
When the young Michael Cusack stared at the big screen at the Broadway cinema in Manchester, watching Jason and two other Argonauts fighting a group of skeletons that are brought back to life, he never thought that one day he would meet their creator, Ray Harryhausen, the legendary stop-motion animator. Nor did he imagine he would end up doing the same thing.
Now, Michael Cusack and his creative collaborator Richard Chataway have developed their production house Anifex into one of Australia.s leading animation companies. Well-known for its commercial animations for Home Hardware and Schmackos, Anifex has also produced a variety of award-winning short animations like (R)evolution, Gargoyle and The Book Keeper.
Anifex's most recent stop-motion animation Sleight of Hand has been nominated in the Best Short Animation category by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards.
Directed by Cusack and produced by Richard Chataway, the...
Now, Michael Cusack and his creative collaborator Richard Chataway have developed their production house Anifex into one of Australia.s leading animation companies. Well-known for its commercial animations for Home Hardware and Schmackos, Anifex has also produced a variety of award-winning short animations like (R)evolution, Gargoyle and The Book Keeper.
Anifex's most recent stop-motion animation Sleight of Hand has been nominated in the Best Short Animation category by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards.
Directed by Cusack and produced by Richard Chataway, the...
- 9/11/2012
- by Yuan Liu
- IF.com.au
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts has announced the first round of nominees for the 2012 Aacta Awards.
Among the nominees is a short list of 23 local feature films which screened in theatres across Australia in the last year, or due to screen in the coming months.The feature nominees cross a wide variety of genres, with films The Sapphires, Killer Elite, Mental, Iron Sky, Bait3D, Swerve and Burning Man.
The Australian Film Institute and Aacta CEO Damian Trewhella said: “The goal for a healthy Australian feature film industry has always been to combine festival and critical acclaim with audience appeal. The exceptional collection of Feature Films in Competition demonstrates that this year we are well on the way to achieving this mix, and that despite many challenges, we can celebrate a landmark year in the industry.”
“We are thrilled to see many of our former AFI Award-winning...
Among the nominees is a short list of 23 local feature films which screened in theatres across Australia in the last year, or due to screen in the coming months.The feature nominees cross a wide variety of genres, with films The Sapphires, Killer Elite, Mental, Iron Sky, Bait3D, Swerve and Burning Man.
The Australian Film Institute and Aacta CEO Damian Trewhella said: “The goal for a healthy Australian feature film industry has always been to combine festival and critical acclaim with audience appeal. The exceptional collection of Feature Films in Competition demonstrates that this year we are well on the way to achieving this mix, and that despite many challenges, we can celebrate a landmark year in the industry.”
“We are thrilled to see many of our former AFI Award-winning...
- 8/29/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
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