Gonzalez Inarritu Developing Virtual Reality Short About Immigrants Crossing the U.S./Mexico Border

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is planning to shed some light on immigrant experience…

The two-time Mexican Oscar-winning director is working on a virtual reality short, one that he’s been developing for four years.

The short is being produced and financed by Legendary Entertainment and Fondazione Prada, which announced it. ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s recently established Immersive Entertainment division, will build the virtual world and characters.

Gonzalez Inarritu will work once again with Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki in what is described as an experiment for their first time within a space narrative in this new visual medium.

The immersive virtual reality piece will explore the intense and excruciating experience of a group of immigrants and refugees crossing the border between Mexico and the U.S.

The companies haven’t disclosed their plans for releasing the project.

Isaac Earns First Acting Critics’ Choice Awards Nomination

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is getting a heroes reception…

The 36-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor is among the Latino talents earning a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination.

Isaac earned his nod in the Actor in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series for his performance in the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. It’s his first nomination in an acting category. He previously was nominated in the Song category for co-penning “Please Mr. Kennedy” for the film Inside Llewyn Davis with Adam Driver and Justin Timberlake.

Gina Rodriguez, who earned a Golden Globe earlier this year, picked up her second consecutive nomination in the Actress in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in The CW’s Jane the Virgin.

Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin co-star Jamie Camil picked up his second nod in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role as Rodriguez’s onscreen father. He’ll face off against Mel Rodriguez, who received his nomination for his performance on HBO’s Getting On.

In the film section, Alejandro González Iñárritu earned a nod in the Director category for helming the western drama/thriller The Revenant, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. The Mexican filmmaker was nominated last year in the same category for directing Birdman. He lost in that category, but took home the Screenplay trophy for the same film.

Meanwhile, the film’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki received a nom in the Cinematography category. He’s the two-time reigning champion in the category after winning for his work on Gravity in 2014 and Birdman in 2015. He also won the prize in 2012 for The Tree of Life.

Paco Delgado picked up a nod in the Costume Design category for his work on The Danish Girl. He previously was nominated in 2013 for his work on Les Misérables.

Hosted by T.J. Miller, the awards show will be held on January 17 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. It will air simultaneously on A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

Here are the categories featuring Latino nominees for the 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards:

MOVIE

DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes – Carol
Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott – The Martian
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol – Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight – Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale
The Martian – Dariusz Wolski
The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario – Roger Deakins

COSTUME DESIGN
Brooklyn – Odile Dicks-Mireaux
Carol – Sandy Powell
Cinderella – Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl – Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
Mustang
The Second Mother
Son of Saul

TELEVISION

ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Wes Bentley – American Horror Story: Hotel – FX
Martin Clunes – Arthur & George – PBS
Idris Elba – Luther – BBC America
Oscar Isaac – Show Me a Hero – HBO
Vincent Kartheiser – Saints & Strangers – National Geographic Channel
Patrick Wilson – Fargo – FX

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – The CW
Aya Cash – You’re the Worst – FXX
Wendi McLendon-Covey – The Goldbergs – ABC
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish – ABC
Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat – ABC

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Fox
Jaime Camil – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Jay Duplass – Transparent – Amazon
Neil Flynn – The Middle – ABC
Keegan-Michael Key – Playing House – USA
Mel Rodriguez – Getting On – HBO

Sanchez Earns Two World Soundtrack Awards for Composing the Music for “Birdman”

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Antonio Sanchez is flying high…

The 43-year-old Mexican jazz drummer and composer took home two awards on Saturday at the 15th World Soundtrack Awards which served as the finale to the 42nd Film Fest Ghent in Belgium.

Sanchez, a Critics Choice Movie Award winner earlier this year, was named Discovery of the Year 2015 for composing the music for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning film Birdman.

He also picked up the award for Best Original Film Score of the Year for Birdman.

Sanchez’s work also earned him the nomination for 2014 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, a nomination for the 2015 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), and other nominations.

Meanwhile, the honor for the year’s Best Original Song written directly for a movie went to “The Apology Song” from The Book of Life, with music by Gustavo Santaolalla, lyrics by Paul Williams and performed by Diego Luna.

Here’s a look at all the big winners:

Composer of the Year
Michael Giacchino

Original Film Score of the Year
Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) by Antonio Sanchez

Best Original Song Written for a Film
“The Apology Song” from The Book of Life
Music by Gustavo Santaolalla, lyrics by Paul Williams, performed by Diego Luna

Discovery of the Year
Antonio Sanchez for ‘Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’

Sabam Award for Best Young Composer
Peer Kleinschmidt

Public Choice Award
The Maze Runner by John Paesano

Lifetime Achievement Award
Patrick Doyle

Gonzalez Iñárritu to Lead Panel Discussion at Produced By: New York Conference

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu will school people on his process and latest project…

The 52-year-old Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker will be the featured speaker at the second Produced By: New York conference later this month.

The headlining panel, Producers’ Masterclass: An Adventurous Partnership with Alejandro G. Iñárritu, will feature the Oscar and Producers Guild Award-winning filmmaker alongside his producing team — Mary Parent, Steve Golin, and Brad Weston — as they talk about their latest film, The Revenant.

Iñárritu and his team join previously announced Tina Fey and a roster of leading industry producers and executives including Effie Brown, Bruce Cohen, Barbara Hall, John Hoffman, Navid Khonsari, Michelle King, Robert King, Michael London, Gary Lucchesi, Tom McCarthy, Lori McCreary, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Peter Saraf, Darren Star & Christine Vachon.

Discovery Communications is the presenting sponsor of PBNY, which takes place Saturday, October 24th and is hosted by Time Warner Inc. and HBO at the Time Warner Center in New York City.

Sanchez Earns World Soundtrack Awards Nomination for “Birdman”

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

He’s already the Critics’ Choice… But Antonio Sanchez may soon be the expert’s choice…

The 43-year-old Mexican jazz drummer has been recognized by the World Soundtrack Academy with a nomination for this year’s World Soundtrack Awards.

Sanchez, who won his first-ever Critics‘ Choice Movie Award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association in January, is nominated in the Best Original Film Score of the Year category for his acclaimed work on Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s Birdman.

Sanchez, a multiple Grammy winner, will face off against Patrick Doyle’s Cinderella, Alexandre Desplat’s The Imitation Game, Hans Zimmer’s Intersellar and Johann Johannsson’s The Theory of Everything.

But Sanchez isn’t the only Latino nominee this year…

Gustavo Santaolalla received a nomination in the Best Original Song Written for a Film category.

The 63-year-old Argentine musician, film composer and producer, a two-time Academy Award winner, is nominated for writing the Diego Luna-performed “The Apology Song” from the Guillermo del Toro-produced The Book of Life.

Santaolalla, a two-time World Soundtrack Award receipient, previously won the Discovery of the Year award for 21 Grams in 2004 and the Public Choice Award for Brokeback Mountain in 2005.

The 15th annual World Soundtrack Awards will be the closing event of Film Fest Gent on October 24, 2015 in Ghent, Belgium.

The World Soundtrack Academy aims to support film music, sound design, composers and their worldwide promotion. In fifteen years time, the membership of the WSAcademy grew into a group of 370 international film (music) professionals deciding on the nominees for the annual World Soundtrack Awards through several rounds of voting.

Here’s a look at this year’s World Soundtrack Awards nominees:

Film Composer of the Year
Bruno Coulais ‘Song of the Sea’, ‘Gemma Bovary’, ‘3 hearts’ (‘3 Coeurs’), ‘Mune le guardien de la lune’, ‘Diary of a Chambermaid’ (‘Journal d’une femme de chambre’), ‘Fly Away Solo’
Alexandre Desplat ‘Unbroken’, ‘The Imitation Game’, ‘Everything Will Be Fine’, ‘Tale of Tales’
Michael Giacchino ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, ‘Inside Out’, ‘Jupiter Ascending’, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Tomorrowland’
Johann Johannsson ‘The Theory of Everything’, ‘The 11th Hour’, ‘Sicario’
Hans Zimmer ‘Interstellar’, ‘Chappie’

Best Original Film Score of The Year
‘Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’ by Antonio Sanchez
‘Cinderella’ by Patrick Doyle
‘The Imitation Game’ by Alexandre Desplat
‘Interstellar’ by Hans Zimmer
‘The Theory of Everything’ by Johann Johannsson

Best Original Song Written For A Film
The Apology Song from ‘The Book of Life’: Music by Gustavo Santaolalla, lyrics by Paul Williams, performed by Diego Luna
Carry Me Home from ‘Insurgent’: Music & lyrics by Joseph Trapanese & Christopher Taylor, performed by SOHN
Glory from ‘Selma’: Music & lyrics by John Legend, Common and Rhymefest performed by Common & Legend
Grateful from ‘Beyond the Lights’: Music & lyrics by Diane Warren, performed by Rita Ora
Tell Me from ‘Lost River’: Music & lyrics by Johnny Jewel, performed by Saoirse Ronan

LACMA to Honor González Iñárritu at This Year’s Art + Film Gala

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu is being feted for his “daring and nimble vision”…

The 51-year-old Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker will be honored alongside light and space artist James Turrell at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s fifth Art + Film Gala on November 7.

LACMA trustee Eva Chow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio will once again co-chair the annual fundraiser presented by Gucci.

“In only a few years, LACMA’s Art + Film Gala has established its reputation for honoring artists and filmmakers whose impact can be felt worldwide and that have particular relevance to Los Angeles, and James Turrell and Alejandro G. Inarritu certainly fit that bill,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg director, who further elaborated on the selections.

“In the last two decades, Inarritu has displayed a daring and nimble vision for films including Birdman and Babel; his work has rightly garnered the highest of critical acclaim.”

González Iñárritu won three golden statuettes as the 87th Academy Awards for Birdman, becoming the first-ever three-time Latino Oscar winner in history.

His five feature films – Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010) and Birdman (2014) – have garnered wide acclaim.

Past honorees include Barbara Kruger, Quentin Tarantino, David Hockney, Martin Scorsese, Ed Ruscha and Stanley Kubrick.

“The Art + Film Gala is now an annual highlight and brings together figures from the worlds of art, cinema, fashion and music to support the museum,” said longtime supporter and fashion designer Chow. “It’s a real honor and my pleasure to welcome two such unique and greatly talented artists whose work moves and inspires me deeply. And I am thrilled to co-chair this important fundraiser with Leonardo DiCaprio, whose support for this initiative is so critical.”

Funds from the Art + Film Gala support LACMA’s growing mission to make film a more prominent aspect of the museum’s programming, by way of exhibitions, educational sessions and screenings that explore how the film and art worlds converge.

Cuarón to Preside Over the International Jury at This Year’s Venice Film Festival

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón is ready to chair, and chair alike…

The 53-year-old Mexican director and Oscar-winner will chair the International Jury for the Competition at the 72nd Venice Film Festival in September.

The appointment by the board of directors comes two years after Cuarón’s Gravity opened the festival out of competition and one year after his friend Alejandro G. Inarritu raised the curtain with Birdman.

Both men went on to win the directing Academy Award (among others) for their respective films.

Two of Cuarón’s other Oscar nominated films have also premiered on the Lido: 2001’s Y Tu Mamà También and 2006’s Children Of Men. The former won the Osella Award for Best Screenplay and the Marcello Mastroianni Award (for stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna).

Children Of Men later won the Osella Award for Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography.

The Venice Film Festival runs from September 2-12.

González Iñárritu Takes Home Three Oscars, Including Best Picture, for “Birdman”

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

And just like that, Alejandro González Iñárritu is a three-time Oscar winner…

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker, who had previously come away empty-handed after four previous nominations, walked away with three golden statuettes as the 87th Academy Awards, becoming the first-ever three-time Latino Oscar winner in history.

González Iñárritu’s dark comedy Birdman was named Best Picture at the end of Sunday night’s telecast. The film, starring Michael Keaton, tells the story of a down-and-out actor looking to get back into the spotlight with a passion project on Broadway. The film was produced by González Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan and James W. Skotchdopole, who were on-hand to accept the award.

Additionally, González Iñárritu took home the prize for Best Director, a recognition of the awe-inspiring technical feat of making nearly the entire film appear to take place in a single shot, as well as a tip of the hat to his incredible career. He’s the second Latino director to win the prize, following Alfonso Cuarón’s win last year for Gravity.

González Iñárritu’s third Oscar came in the Best Original Screenplay for co-writing the script for Birdman with Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo.

In his acceptance speech, González Iñárritu mentioned issues facing Mexicans and Mexican Americans, “I pray that we can find & build a government that we deserve. And the ones that live in this country that they can be treated with the same dignity and respect as ones that came before in this great nation.”

Meanwhile, Birdman cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki won his second Oscar in two years. The Mexican cinematographer, a frequent collaborator of auteurs Terrence Malick and Cuarón, won his first Oscar for 2013’s Gravity, and brought his awe-inspiring single-take methodology back for Birdman.

Backstage following his acceptance speech, Lubezki stressed that the decision to shoot in one take was Gonzalez Iñarritú’s. “At first I told him I wasn’t interested, it sounded like a nightmare! But then he talked about the characters and why it had to be one shot. He captivated me. It was complex and hard; there’s no book on how to do it, but I have to say that the style was because Alejandro is a strong, curious artist.”

Lubezki Wins Best Cinematography Award at This Year’s BAFTA Awards

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Emmanuel Lubezki is a hit across the pond… again!

The Mexican cinematographer on Sunday won his second BAFTA Award in as many years.

During the film awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London, Lubezki picked up the cinematography award for his work on Alejandro G. Inarritu’s Birdman. The win comes one year after getting the same honor for his work on Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity.

At the Academy Awards in 2014, Lubezki won the cinematography award for his work on Gravity. He’s also nominated for the Academy Award this year and widely seen as a lead contender.

There has been only one back-to-back Oscar winner in the cinematography category. John Toll won in 1994 and 1995 for Legends of the Fall and Braveheart.

Lubezki also served as director of photography on Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

BEST FILM
BOYHOOD
Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland

LEADING ACTRESS
JULIANNE MOORE
Still Alice

LEADING ACTOR
EDDIE REDMAYNE
The Theory of Everything

DIRECTOR
BOYHOOD
Richard Linklater

EE RISING STAR
Jack O’Connell

COSTUME DESIGN
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Milena Canonero

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Anthony McCarten

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
IDA
Pawel Pawlikowski, Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzieciol, Ewa Puszczynska

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Wes Anderson

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
STEPHEN BERESFORD (Writer), DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Producer)
Pride

CINEMATOGRAPHY
BIRDMAN
Emmanuel Lubezki

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
PATRICIA ARQUETTE
Boyhood

SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. SIMMONS
Whiplash

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
INTERSTELLAR
Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter

ANIMATED FILM
THE LEGO MOVIE
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

SOUND
WHIPLASH
Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

EDITING
WHIPLASH
Tom Cross

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Chris Hees, Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka

BRITISH SHORT FILM
BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM
Brian J. Falconer, Michael Lennox, Ronan Blaney

PRODUCTION DESIGN
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock

MAKE UP & HAIR
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Frances Hannon

DOCUMENTARY
CITIZENFOUR
Laura Poitras

ORIGINAL MUSIC
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Alexandre Desplat

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

González Iñárritu Wins Top Prize at the Directors Guild of America Awards

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu is feeling peer pleasure…

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker took home the top prize for helming Birdman at the Directors Guild of America’s DGA Awards ceremony on Saturday.

González Iñárritu’s win furthers the dark comedy’s status as the Best Picture frontrunner for the Academy Awards coming in two weeks. Birdman also took home prizes at the Screen Actors Guild’s SAG Awards and the Producers Guild of America’s PGA Awards.

The winner of the Directors Guild award has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Director in all but seven years since the DGA Awards have been held.

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