18th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards

The Art Directors Guild (ADG) announced its ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards on February 8th, 2014 with giving away the top prizes to THE GREAT GATSBY, GRAVITY and HER for Period, Fantasy and Contemporary film categories respectively. It's possible that the ultimate Oscar winner will be one of these ADG winners. Last year, LINCOLN won the Best Production Design Oscar and it didn't win the ADG award. Let's see if the same happens this year. Personally, I'd love it if the winner is either GRAVITY or HER.

Here is the complete list of winners:

WINNERS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM IN 2013

Period Film: THE GREAT GATSBY, Production Designer: Catherine Martin

Fantasy Film: GRAVITY, Production Designer: Andy Nicholson

Contemporary Film: HER, Production Designer: K.K.Barrett 

WINNERS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN IN TELEVISION FOR 2013

One-Hour Single Camera Television Series: GAME OF THRONES, Production Designer: Gemma Jackson (Episode: Valar Dohaeris)

Television Movie or Mini-Series: BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, Production Designer: Howard Cummings

Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series: VEEP, Production Designer: Jim Gloster (Episode: Helsinki)

Short Format, Live Action Series: BATTLE STAR: GALACTICA, Production Designer: Brian Kane

Multi-Camera, Variety, or Unscripted Series: PORTLANDIA, Production Designer: Tyler Robinson (Episode: Missionaries)

Awards, Music, or Game Shows: THE 67th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS, Production Designer: Steve Bass

Commercial, PSA, Promo, and Music Video: CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS, Production Designer: Todd Cherniawsky (Episode: Epic Night Out)

41st Annual Annie Awards

The International Animated Film Association (IAFA) announced the winners of 41st annual Annie Awards on February 1st, 2014 with giving away the top prize to none other than FROZEN. Last year, the same award went to WRECK-IT RALPH but the Oscar went to BRAVE. Let's see how it goes this year. I'm hoping for THE WIND RISES to win the Oscar.

Here is the complete list of winners:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature: “Frozen” – 
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Best Animated Special Production: “Chipotle Scarecrow”
 – Moonbot Studios
Best Animated Short Subject: “Get A Horse!”
 – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial: “Despicable Me 2″ – Cinemark
 – Universal Pictures
Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children: “Disney Sofia the First
” – Disney Television Animation
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience: “Adventure Time” – 
Cartoon Network Studios
Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production: “Futurama”
 – 20th Century Fox Television
Best Animated Video Game: “The Last of Us” – 
Naughty Dog
Best Student Film: “Wedding Cake” – 
Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects in an Animated Production: Jeff Budsberg, Andre Le Blanc, Louis Flores, Jason Mayer – “The Croods” – 
DreamWorks Animation
Animated Effects in a Live Action Production: Michael Balog, Ryan Hopkins, Patrick Conran, Florian Witzel – “Pacific Rim”
 – Industrial Light & Magic
Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: Kureha Yokoo – “Toy Story OF TERROR!” – Pixar Animation Studios Character
Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production: Jakob Jensen – “The Croods” – 
DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Live Action Production: Jeff Capogreco, Jedrzej Wojtowicz, Kevin Estey, Alessandro Bonora, Gino Acevedo – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” – Gollum
 – Weta Digital
Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Paul Rudish – “Disney Mickey Mouse”
 – Disney Television Animation
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production: Carter Goodrich, Takao Noguchi, Shane Prigmore – “The Croods”
 – DreamWorks Animation
Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Angus MacLane – “Toy Story OF TERROR!”
 – Pixar Animation Studios
Directing in an Animated Feature Production: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee – “Frozen”
 – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Christopher Willis – “Disney Mickey Mouse”
 – Disney Television Animation
Music in an Animated Feature Production: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Christophe Beck – “Frozen”
 – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Angela Sung, William Niu, Christine Bian, Emily Tetri, Frederic Stewart – “The Legend of Korra”
 – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production: Michael Giaimo, Lisa Keene, David Womersley – “Frozen”
 – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Daniel Chong – “Toy Story of TERROR!” – Pixar Animation Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production: Dean Kelly – “Monsters University”
 – Pixar Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Tom Kenny as the voice of Ice King – “Adventure Time” – 
Cartoon Network Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production: Josh Gad as the voice of Olaf – “Frozen”
 – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Lewis Morton – “Futurama”
 – 20th Century Fox Television
Writing in an Animated Feature Production: Miyazaki Hayao – “The Wind Rises” 
- The Walt Disney Studios
Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Illya Owens – “Disney Mickey Mouse” – 
Disney Television Animation
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production: Greg Snyder, Gregory Amundson, Steve Bloom – “Monsters University”
 – Pixar Animation Studios

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay Award – Katsuhiro Otomo, Steven Spielberg & Phil Tippett
June Foray Award – Alice Davis
Certificate of Merit – “I Know That Voice” (Documentary)

23rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) announced the winners of the 23rd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards on December 2nd, 2013. The Gotham Awards is one of the leading awards for independent film and signals the kickoff to the film awards season.

12 Years a Slave received most nominations and on the other hand, there wasn't a single nomination for Mud, Nebraska, Frances Ha and The Place Beyond the Pines. Surprising.

What's more surprising is that Inside Llewyn Davis won the Best Feature award, even with 12 Years a Slave in nominations. Other wins seem reasonable, as I haven't seen most of the films yet. The best thing is the Act of Killing won the Best Documentary award. Truly deserving.

Here is the complete list of winners and nominees:

Best Feature:

• 12 Years a Slave
  


• Ain't Them Bodies Saints


• Before Midnight


• WINNER: Inside Llewyn Davis


• Upstream Color

Best Documentary:

• WINNER: The Act of Killing


• The Crash Reel


• First Cousin Once Removed


• Let the Fire Burn


• Our Nixon

Best Actor:

• Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)


• Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis)


• WINNER: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)


• Robert Redford (All Is Lost)


• Isaiah Washington (Blue Caprice)

Best Actress:

• Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)


• Scarlett Johansson (Don Jon)


• WINNER: Brie Larson (Short Term 12)


• Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color)


• Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director:

• WINNER: Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)


• Adam Leon (Gimme the Loot)


• Alexandre Moors (Blue Caprice)


• Stacie Passon (Concussion)


• Amy Seimetz (Sun Don't Shine)

Breakthrough Actor:

• Dane DeHaan (Kill Your Darlings)


• Kathryn Hahn (Afternoon Delight)


• WINNER: Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station)


• Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)


• Robin Weigert (Concussion)

Gotham Independent Film Audience Award:

• Tadashi Nakamura (Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings)

Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ Grant:

• Gita Pullapilly, director, (Beneath the Harvest Sky)

Founded in 1979, IFP is the largest and oldest not-for-profit organization dedicated to independent film.  More info at www.ifp.org