New Academy members include Jessica Chastain, Jonah Hill, Berenice Bejo and more

June 29, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards, Lists Leave a comment

Another year, another opportunity for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – so often called stodgy, old and conservative – to get some fresh new blood. Every year, around 150-200 new “artists and executives” in the industry are invited to become members. Last year’s new members included recent nominees Jesse Eisenebrg, Rooney Mara and Jennifer Lawrence, as well as Mila Kunis, Anthony Mackie and Mia Wasikowska, and this year’s list is similarly filled with some of our favorite up and comers and recent breakout stars. Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer, both Oscar nominated for “The Help” last year, have invites, as do “The Artist” duo Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. Comedians and Oscar nominees Jonah Hill and Melissa McCarthy are new Academy members as well, and will help determine the nominees and winners of all future Academy Awards, starting in 2013.

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 176 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2012 to the Academy’s roster of members.

“These film professionals represent some of the most talented, most passionate contributors to our industry,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “I’m glad to recognize that by calling each of them a fellow Academy member.”

Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.

The 2012 invitees are:

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Academy Awards Snubs and Surprises, Full List of Nominees include Rooney Mara, Jonah Hill and more

January 24, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards 2 Comments

It certainly was a morning full of surprises and snubs as the Academy Awards announced their nominations this morning. There was plenty to be ecstatic about and plenty to scratch your head over, so let’s dive in to some of the biggest reveals.

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”, Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of the 9/11 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, had been deemed down and out by most prognosticators after getting severely mixed reviews and not being lauded by any other group aside from the Broadcast Film Critics, but the Academy clearly fell for the emotional movie (sidenote: so did I) and it landed the biggest shock of the morning as the final Best Picture nominee announced. Max Von Sydow, in a riveting mute performance, also landed a well-deserved (but quite surprising as well) Best Supporting Actor nomination. Similarly, Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” was a movie that seemed to be missing out on key precursors and thus had little shot at any nominations in major categories, but came on strong and landed Best Picture, Best Director and – most deservedly – Best Cinematography.

BAFTA nominations solidify Oscar frontrunners, boost “Drive”, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

January 17, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards Leave a comment

The support for Nicolas Winding Refn’s violent, stylish arthouse action flick “Drive” was perhaps the biggest – and most pleasant – surprise to us when the British Academy of Film and Television announced their nominations for the 2012 Film Awards this morning. The film scored unexpected nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Carey Mulligan. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” was also well-deservedly represented, nominated for Best Film, Best British Film, Best Director, Best Actor – Gary Oldman, Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as a bevy of below-the-line noms.

The usual suspects – aka Oscar hopefuls – were also well represented here, including our Breakout Stars Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer of “The Help” receiving expected Best Supporting Actress nominations. Both are expected to repeat on Oscar nomination morning a week from now. Melissa McCarthy, an on-the-bubble hopeful in the same category for “Bridesmaids”, got a big boost from BAFTA here with a nomination. “The Artist” continues its seemingly unstoppable march towards Oscar, with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin and Best (Lead, not Supporting) Actress for Berenice Bejo, among many other category nominations. Jonah Hill took a turn for the serious in “Moneyball” and is recognized by BAFTA in the Best Supporting Actor category as well – he is now well on his way to his first Oscar nomination.

The full list of nominations are below. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Sunday, February 12 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Golden Globe nominations: “The Artist”, “50/50″, Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara and more

December 15, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards Leave a comment

More twists and turns in this exciting awards season this morning as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominees for the Golden Globe Awards. This season’s frontrunner, “The Artist”, continues to dominate, leading with five nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin and Best Supporting Actress for Berenice Bejo. Also still full speed ahead is “The Help”, which landed four nominations. The big surprise and a major boost goes to “The Ides of March”, which garnered three nominations, Best Picture and Best Actor for Ryan Gosling (who is also nominated in the Musical or Comedy category for “Crazy Stupid Love”). One of our favorites of the year, “50/50″, also got some play, with surprise nomination for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy and a Best Actor for Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

After being snubbed by the SAG Awards yesterday, Rooney Mara (Best Actress for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Michael Fassbender (Best Actor for “Shame”) and Shailene Woodley (Best Supporting Actress for “The Descendants”) all showed up here as well. But of course, to make room for them, others must be “snubbed”, and this time around, Melissa McCarthy was the one left out of the Best Supporting Actress noms, which also included Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer for “The Help.”

Full list of nominations are below.

“The Help” leads SAG Awards nominations; Jonah Hill in, Shailene Woodley out

December 14, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards 3 Comments

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have announced the nominees for the 2011 year in film. Summer blockbuster drama “The Help” leads the way with four well deserved nominations, including breakout stars Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actress. “The Artist” also continues to dominate, with Jean Dujardin (Best Actor) and Berenice Bejo (Best Supporting Actress) both landing nods, as well as the entire ensemble. Snubbed in the Supporting Actress category is Shailene Woodley, who gave a brave and powerful performance in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants.” The film did garner two nominations, and Woodley is still represented in its Best Ensemble nomination.

Looking less and less like a longshot every day and with every new announcement, Melissa McCarthy landed another Best Supporting Actress nod, but the big surprise may be “Bridesmaids” itself, which also landed on Best Ensemble, to the snub of plenty of other, perhaps more serious, Oscar hopefuls. Another surprise but welcome inclusion is Jonah Hill, a formerly broadly comedic actor himself, landing a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his dramatic turn in “Moneyball” opposite Brad Pitt (Best Actor nominee). Also showing up unexpectedly is Armie Hammer for his role in Clint Eastwood’s critically panned “J. Edgar.” It perhaps shows some strong support within the industry for the film, as Leonardo DiCaprio landed a Best Actor nomination as well, to the frustration of Michael Fassbender/”Shame” fans everywhere (including here).

The full list of nominations, including TV categories, are below.

Hollywood Awards adds Carey Mulligan, Shailene Woodley and more as honorees

October 10, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards 1 Comment

Looks like the folks over at the Hollywood Awards love up and comers as much as we do. Already giving awards to Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Breakthrough Actor), Jessica Chastain (Breakthrough Actress) and Felicity Jones (New Hollywood), the annual ceremony will also honor Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo of “The Artist”, Elle Fanning of “Super 8″, Amber Heard of “The Rum Diary”, Anton Yelchin of “Like Crazy”, Andrea Riseborough of “W.E.” and Shailene Woodley of “The Descendents” with the Hollywood Spotlight Award, intended to highlight promising up and coming actors who gave breakthrough performances this year in film.

Carey Mulligan, who took home Breakthrough Actress for “An Education” in 2009, will also be honored with the Hollywood Supporting Actress Award for her role as wayward sister to Michael Fassbender in Steve McQueen’s critically acclaimed “Shame”, as well as a desperate young mother opposite Ryan Gosling in Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.”

“It is a privilege to honor Carey Mulligan, Bérénice Bejo, Jean Dujardin, Elle Fanning, Amber Heard, Andrea Riseborough, Shaileen Woodley and Anton Yelchin for their great talent,” Carlos de Abreu, founder and executive director of the event, tells THR. Other actors given awards at the gala ceremony on October 24th include Michelle Williams for Best Actress for her role in “My Week with Marilyn”, Christopher Plummer for Supporting Actor for “Beginners” and Glenn Close for Career Achievement, but mostly for her passion project “Albert Nobbs.” The big ones, Director and Actor, will be announced later this week.

berenice bejo