Indies - best showing in Decades?

[JCVaughn]

http://www.filmfestivals.com/cgi-bin/fest_content/festivals.pl?debug=&channelbar=&lang=en&year=2003&fest=oscars2003&page=daily&partner=

Affirming the quality of independent filmmaking, motion pictures by member companies of AFMA-the organization of independent producers and distributors worldwide-have swept the end-of-year major critics awards as well as the previously announced Golden Globe nominations, setting the stage for the independents' best showing at the Academy Awards in decades.

With the announcement last week of the National Society of Film Critics awards, AFMA member films have captured Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay honors from all of the major critics groups including the National Board of Review (NBR), the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) and the Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA). AFMA member films also have nabbed the majority of the acting awards, capturing 20 of the 24 major critics' honors for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. AFMA films have also secured five of the six honors for Best Documentary.

Earlier this month, AFMA films dominated the Golden Globe nominations. In the Motion Picture - Drama category, AFMA films swept all five nominations for best picture, and four of the five for both best actress and best actor. In the Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy category, AFMA member films took four of the five best picture nominations, all five of the best actor nominations and four of the five in the best actress category. AFMA films also swept all five nominations for motion picture best director, best screenplay, and best supporting actress and four of the five for best supporting actor.

"This is an exciting time for independent film," said Jean Prewitt, CEO and president of AFMA. "This year's awards are further demonstration that the independent film industry produces motion pictures that are among the best in the world."

Among the AFMA-member films taking multiple critical citations this year are:

The Pianist (Focus and Studiocanal)
" BSFC: Best Picture, Best Director (Roman Polanski), Best Actor (Adrien Brody)
" NSFC: Best Picture, Best Director (Roman Polanski), Best Screenplay (Ronald Harwood), Best Actor (Adrien Brody)
" GG Nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Adrien Brody),

Adaptation (Lions Gate and Intermedia)
" TFCA: Best Picture, Best Actor (Nicolas Cage), Best Screenplay (Charlie and Donald Kaufman), Best Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper)
" NYFCC: Best Screenplay (Charlie and Donald Kaufman)
" LAFCA: Best Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper)
" BSFC: Best Screenplay (Charlie and Donald Kaufman)
" NBR: Best Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper), Screenwriter of the Year (Charlie Kaufman)
" GG Nominations: Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy, Best Actor - Musical/Comedy (Nicolas Cage), Best Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Best Supporting Actor (Chris Cooper), Best Director (Spike Jonze), Best Screenplay (Charlie and Donald Kaufman)

About Schmidt (New Line)
" LAFCA: Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor), Best Actor (Jack Nicholson)
" NBR: Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates)
" GG Nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Jack Nicholson), Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates), Best Director (Alexander Payne), Best Screenplay (Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor)

Far From Heaven (Focus)
" NYFCC: Best Picture, Best Director (Todd Haynes), Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman), Best Supporting Actor (Dennis Quaid), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson)
" LAFCA: Best Actress (Julianne Moore), Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman)
" NSFC: Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson)
" BSFC: Best Cinematography (Edward Lachman)
" NBR: Best Actress (Julianne Moore)
" GG Nominations: Best Actress - Drama (Julianne Moore), Best Supporting Actor (Dennis Quaid), Best Screenplay (Todd Haynes)

The Hours (Miramax)
" NBR: Best Picture
" LAFCA: Best Actress (Julianne Moore)
" BSFC: Best Supporting Actress (Toni Collette)
" GG Nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actress - Drama (Nicole Kidman), Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), Best Director (Stephen Daldry), Best Screenplay (David Hare)

Gangs of New York (Miramax)
" LAFCA: Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
" NYFCC: Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
" GG Nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Supporting Actress (Cameron Diaz), Best Director (Martin Scorsese)

AFMA members also have swept the Best Nonfiction Film awards as well. NYFCC and NSFC gave the prize to Standing in the Shadows of Motown (Artisan), NBR and TFCA to Bowling for Columbine (Alliance Atlantis), and BSFC to The Kid Stays in the Picture (Focus and Svensk Filmindustri).

AFMA, formerly known as the American Film Marketing Association, is the trade association representing independent producers and distributors of motion pictures and television programming worldwide. Its 160 member companies from the U.S., Europe and Australasia include Alliance-Atlantis, Artisan, Capitol Films, Crystal Sky, Fireworks Pictures, Focus Features, Franchise Pictures, Goldcrest Films, HBO, IAC, Intermedia, Lions Gate, Miramax, Morgan Creek, NBC, New Line, Overseas Filmgroup, Pathe, Summit, TF1 and Troma.

[BillyTucci]

Well if this doesn't make more comic writers/artists get involved in producing, directing and writing for film, I don't know what will.  

I only wish I had thought of making my own film back in 96'.  We (comic pros) have much more experience and disipline in telling good-paced stories in an allouted time frame than the majority of film-school grads.  Much of it is ingrained and I am from the school that you either have it or not.

Whether I'm apart of the former, it remains to be seen, but, I am trying and as Woody Allen says, "80% of success is success is showing up."

God I feel alive again! ;D

[BillyTucci]

Well if this doesn't make more comic writers/artists get involved in producing, directing and writing for film, I don't know what will.  

I only wish I had thought of making my own film back in 96'.  We (comic pros) have much more experience and discipline in telling good-paced stories in an allotted time frame than the majority of film-school grads.  Much of it is ingrained and I am from the school that you either have it or not.

Whether I'm apart of the former, it remains to be seen, but, I am trying and as Woody Allen says, "80% of success is success is showing up."

God I feel alive again! ;D

[JCVaughn]

Did you feel so emphatic about that you posted it twice?  ???

I agree, btw. It's much like the advantage SOME TROUBLE had against all those ponderous, oh-so-serious shorts. You were just there to tell a story, not to pose.   ;D

[Doc Furious]

The real problem with calling those major films INDIES is that they are all subsidaries of mcuh larger companies
i.e. Miramax/Disney. :o

A real INDIE is someone who does it all with no budget, no experience and makes it happen because he has a burning yen to tell a story, makes it happen and then gets it out there.

Even the so-called indie's friend the Independent Film  Project is something of a corporate myth. :P

Congratulations are in order for Mr Tucci who did IT his way! ;)

[JCVaughn]

I agree about the corporate nature of many of these so-called indies, even in environments where the larger corporations KNOW it's a healthy step to have them.  :o

On the other hand, I don't think it inherrently signifies lack of experience, and it's not 100% impossible in a corporate setting.

Hitchcock, for instance, CHOSE to make PSYCHO as a small ($1 million) B&W film at just about the height of his power in order to keep himself fresh.

JCV

[Doc Furious]

Ah yes, JC -- Hitch did the groundbreaking Psycho after his paint by numbers Technicolor man-on-the-run masterpiece NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

Utilizing his crew primarily from his television series who were used to low to no budget conditons, Hitchock realized his most personal film and some say his ultimate masterpiece as an INDEPENDENT.

However since he was worried about how he disposed of his only bankable star, Janet Leigh, early on Hitch stole a page from super indie maverick and showman,
William ("House on Haunted Hill" "The Tingler" etc)   Castle's book - he used a gimmick.

No one was to be allowed in the theatre 15 minutes after it started ...and needless to say, the word of mouth was tremendous, which was a relief to the nervous distributor as this was very "edgy and disturbing" material in 1960.

Needless to say PSYCHO was quite profitable and returned a major sum to its principal investor, Alfred Hitchcock.

[JCVaughn]

No argument there!  ;)

But still, different things CAN happen in the corporate setting. That is clearly not to suggest that they do frequently (they don't).

[Doc Furious]

We can all hope and dream, can't we? ::)