In Contention

Tag: Strangers No More

  • Guess again: final predictions and preferences

    “Oh Sister, I have such doubts!”

    I’m not given to quoting overwrought (if Oscar-nominated) ecclesiastical dramas at the best of times, but let’s face it, this is not the best of times. There comes a time in every Oscar-watcher’s life when he has to accept the things he cannot change — or simply stop changing the many, many things he can — and commit to some bloody predictions already.

    That time has come particularly late for me this year, just a few hours ahead of the ceremony that will finally answer such burning world issues as whether Colleen Atwood will win her third Oscar tonight, or Jenny Beavan her second. I had my reasons for stalling — only this afternoon did I complete my viewing of all the short film contenders, meaning I have now seen (or at least skimmed) everything up for an award tonight save, unavoidably, “Country Strong.” (Sorry, Gwyneth, but I’m rooting for ya anyway.)

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  • OSCAR GUIDE: Best Documentary (Short Subject)

    This is the first year the documentary shorts will be a part of Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International’s annual program.  They will open with the live action and animated contenders in New York on February 11 and in Los Angeles on February 18.  Bravo for including them.

    It’s also a great slate of films.  As we know, 2010 was a very strong year for documentary feature filmmaking.  But that quality seems to have extended well into the short subject side of things if this year’s nominees in the category are any indication.  Each entry is powerful in its own way, a wide array of issues and personas skillfully tackled across the board.

    The nominees are:

    “Killing in the Name” (Jed Rothstein)
    “Poster Girl” (Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block)
    “Strangers No More” (Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon)
    “Sun Come Up” (Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger)
    “The Warriors of Qiugang” (Ruby Young and Thomas Lennon)

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  • Post-nod winner predictions (and a new poll)

    Did you hear?  The Oscar nominations were announced this morning.  And there was a lot to chew on.  (And boy can we be grateful for that.)

    With a full slate of contenders in front of us, it seemed only right to go ahead and offer up the latest set of winner predictions.  They are indicated by asterisk in the sidebar and are listed out in full after the jump.

    After roughly a week of falling into the logic (and blaring rhetoric) suggesting “The Social Network” would turn its critics run into Oscar gold, I’m back to my instincts (and, judging by its nomination haul, the will of the Academy) with a bet on “The King’s Speech.” Not only that, but I think we could see a mini-sweep for the film, as a couple of potentially formidable competitors were ousted from the nominations in a few craft fields.

    Of course, things could change.  But I’m sensing a momentum shift, and it’s frankly one we could have expected was around the corner.

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  • AMPAS, Cinema Eye Honors narrow doc short fields

    The Academy has just announced the eight finalists for this year’s Best Documentary Short award.  They are:

    “Born Sweet”
    “Killing in the Name”
    “Living for 32”
    “One Thousand Pictures: RFK’s Last Journey”
    “Poster Girl”
    “Strangers No More”
    “Sun Come Up”
    “The Warriors of Qiugang”

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