HollyShorts Pt 1. Riz Ahmed and more...

By Ben Miller

The 17th annual HollyShorts Film Festival is underway virtually and live in Los Angeles and will be running through Friday, October 1.  This festival features a wide array of talented filmmakers presenting films which are under 40 minutes in length. I covered the festival last year where Oscar-winning animated short If Anything Happens I Love You (and other Oscar prospects) premiered. 

The opening days cover a number interesting short films, so here are notes on 9 that I screened including films starring Riz Ahmed and Jovan Adepo...

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93rd Academy Awards: Handicapping the Best Actor Nominees

by Ben Miller

Few years can boast the overall performance strength of this season's Best Actor lineup.  In a category with two previous Best Actor Oscar winners and two up-and-coming screen stars, the conversation has been blanketed by the shadow of tragedy.  What is the likelihood of each nominated actor coming out on top on Oscar night?

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Interview: BAFTA nominee Mikkel E.G. Nielsen on finding the balance and structure of "Sound of Metal"

by Nathaniel R

Talking to film editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (A Royal Affair, Beasts of No Nation), is a bit dizzying. His conversation moves around our subject, Sound of Metal, in circular fashion regularly bringing up both the films beginning, a raucous noisy concert where we first experience Ruben (Riz Ahmed's) hearing loss with him, and the films very quiet yet symmetrical ending. It doesn't surprise us then when he describes his job holistically. "My job is to try and create a whole from start to finish where you feel that you've been on this journey. Either it's revealing or it's fulfilling or emotional."

Nielsen divides his time between movies, music videos, and commercial work and though he loves the immersive challenge of cinema, he appreciates the mix. "Molding a movie" for months, he explains, becomes all encompassing. Working on a spot for three weeks, though, "Wow, that was almost like a vacation!'"

Another 'vacation' will have to wait. We're deep in awards season and Nielsen's fine work, honing the film's structure, and finessing the movies internal and external rhythms alongside its much praised sound design, has been honored with a Critics Choice Award for Best Editing and, this morning, a BAFTA nomination as well. We recently spoke to him about his work and international career...

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National Board of Review names 'Da 5 Bloods" da best.

by Nathaniel R

Big awards day, huh?!

Spike Lee's latest joint Da 5 Bloods has won both Best Film and Best Director (as well as Best Ensemble) from the National Board of Review. We must quickly point out that this does not mean that Chloe Zhao's remarkable critics-award complete sweep is broken. As I always have to remind everyone each year -- even those who should know better -- the NBR is not a "critics award". The National Board of Review, founded in 1909, is an anonymous collection of film enthusiasts, industry professionals, academics, students, and presumably a few critics though they never release the names of their organization. So they would be more accurately called an "industry honor" or a "juried prize" rather than lumped in with the 'what do film critics like?' discussion.

Minari and Sound of Metal were the only other films with multiple prizes. The NBR wins and top ten lists AND LOADS OF TRIVIA/STATS are after the jump...

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Nicole Beharie & Riz Ahmed win at the Gothams

by Nathaniel R

It's not always helpful to "lead" in the nominations. First Cow came on strong when the Gotham nominations were announced but two months later at the hybrid real / virtual ceremony it didn't manage a single win. The winners lineeup surprised with a prize for the wondrously talented Nicole Beharie for Miss Juneteenth  and two ties. We don't remember the Gothams doing this before but maybe they have? I don't know if you'vee heard but there are... things going on in the world... and in the nation's capitol... in short: it's difficult to focus).

Without the hubbub of traditional awards ceremonies this year we don't know how much of that "winner" aura is going to rub off on various contenders as we head toward Oscar. Will anything stick?  The winners and a few speeches are after the jump... 

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