Cuarón Earns Three Academy Award Nominations

Alfonso Cuarón has doubled his Oscar nominations in one fell swoop…

During this morning’s Academy Awards press conference, the 52-year-old Mexican multi-talented filmmaker received three nominations for his critically acclaimed film Gravity.

Alfonso Cuarón

He’d previously earned nods for Best Original Screenplay for Y tu mamá también and Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing for Children of Men.

In addition to receiving a nomination for producing the Best Picture nominee, Cuarón is up for Best Directoran award he picked up at the Golden Globes – and Best Film Editing alongside Mark Sanger.

In all, the 3D sci-fi thriller starring Sandra Bullock earned a titanic ten Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Bullock, tying David O. Russell’s drama American Hustle for the most nods this year.

Gravity’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki follows up his American Society of Cinematographers Award nomination with an Oscar nod for Best Cinematography.

It’s the sixth Academy Award nomination for the Mexican cinematographer. He previously earned nods for lensing 1995’s A Little Princess, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s A New World, 2006’s Children of Men and 2011’s The Tree of Life. three of Lubezki’s nominations were for his work on Cuarón films.

But Cuarón and Lubezki aren’t the only Latinos nominated this year…

First-time Golden Globe winner Jared Leto has received his first-ever Oscar nomination.

The 42-year-old part-Spanish American actor/singer earned the nod for his gender-bending performance as male-to-female transgender character Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. It’s a role he discusses in a featurette from the film’s distributor Focus Features.

The 86th Academy Awards will be awarded on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland, televised live on ABC and hosted by Ellen DeGeneres for a second time.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s nominees.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale in “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern in “Nebraska”
Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor in “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club” (Focus Features)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave”
Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Amy Adams in “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock in “Gravity”
Judi Dench in “Philomena”
Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County”
June Squibb in “Nebraska”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2”
“Ernest & Celestine”
“The Wind Rises”

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Grandmaster”
Philippe Le Sourd
“Gravity”
Emmanuel Lubezki
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
Bruno Delbonnel
“Nebraska”
Phedon Papamichael
“Prisoners”

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
American Hustle” Michael Wilkinson
“The Grandmaster” William Chang Suk Ping
“The Great Gatsby” Catherine Martin
“The Invisible Woman” Michael O’Connor
“12 Years a Slave”
Patricia Norris

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
“American Hustle” David O. Russell
“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón
“Nebraska” Alexander Payne
“12 Years a Slave” Steve McQueen
“The Wolf of Wall Street” Martin Scorsese

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“The Act of Killing”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
“20 Feet from Stardom”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“CaveDigger”
“Facing Fear”
“Karama Has No Walls”
“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
“American Hustle” Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
“Captain Phillips” Christopher Rouse
“Dallas Buyers Club” John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger
“12 Years a Slave” Joe Walker

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
“The Broken Circle Breakdown”
“The Great Beauty”
“The Hunt”
“The Missing Picture”
“Omar”

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Dallas Buyers Club” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” Stephen Prouty
“The Lone Ranger” Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
“The Book Thief” John Williams
“Gravity” Steven Price
“Her” William Butler and Owen Pallett
“Philomena” Alexandre Desplat
“Saving Mr. Banks” Thomas Newman

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Alone Yet Not Alone” from “Alone Yet Not Alone”
“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2”
“Let It Go” from “Frozen”
“The Moon Song” from “Her”
“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street” 

Leto Discusses His Award-Winning Role in “Dallas Buyers Club” Featurette

He’s serious Oscar buzz for his portrayal of a male-to-female transgender character addicted to drugs and dying of AIDS in Jean-Marc Vallee‘s Dallas Buyers Club…

Now Jared Leto is offering special insight into his critically-hailed role in “Making Rayon Real,” a featurette about the character.

Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club

In the video, courtesy of the film’s distributor Focus Features, the 42-year-old part-Spanish actor/singer – a best supporting actor hopeful – discusses what drew him to playing the character, what she taught him about himself, how he came to admire her and what he went through to bring her to life.

Among other things, Leto shed 40 pounds, waxed his body, altered his voice pitch and spoke with a dialect.

The video also features Leto’s costars Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner describing their experience working on the film with the actor — whom, they say, they only ever met as Rayon, and who remained in-character throughout the indie’s shoot.

Leto has already nabbed best supporting actor Independent SpiritCritics’ ChoiceGolden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for the role and he won the New York and Los Angeles film critics’ corresponding prize.

Vega Begins Filming Michael Cuesta’s “Kill the Messenger”

Paz Vega is killing the messenger in Atlanta…

Production has gotten underway in Georgia on the true-life dramatic thriller Kill the Messenger, which stars the 37-year-old Spanish actress.

Paz Vega

Directed by Michael Cuesta, the film stars Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb, the real-life reporter for The San Jose Mercury-News. In the 1990s, Webb uncovered the Central Intelligence Agency’s role in importing cocaine into California that was sold to raise money for the Nicaraguan Contras rebel army. Supported by his wife and children, Webb pursued the story and went public with his evidence. When targeted for a vicious smear campaign by the CIA and rival journalists, Webb found himself fighting for his reputation and his family.

In addition to Renner and Vega, the film’s cast includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Andy Garcia, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen and Yul Vazquez.

The film was inspired by the books Kill the Messenger by Nick Schou and Dark Alliance by Gary Webb.

Cuesta’s “Kill the Messenger” ThisClose to Landing its Female Lead

Michael Cuesta may have found his leading lady…

Rosemarie DeWitt is in final talks to take on the female lead role in Kill the Messenger, which will be directed by the 49-year-old Latino film and television director.

Michael Cuesta

Kill the Messenger is a true-story thriller about journalist Gary Webb, a San Jose Mercury News reporter who committed suicide after being the target of a smear campaign when he linked the CIA to a scheme to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua and import cocaine into California.

Jeremy Renner will play Webb, which will be released worldwide by Focus Features.

Along with serving as an executive producer on Blue Bloods and Dexter, Cuesta has also directed episodes of series like Homeland, True Blood and Six Feet Under.

His film credits include L.I.E., 12 and Holding and Roadie.

Vega to Star in “Kill the Messenger”

Don’t blame Paz Vega if she kills the messenger

The 37-year-old Spanish actress has joined the cast of Kill the Messenger, Focus Features’ adaptation of the true-life drama book by Nick Schou.

Paz Vega

Vega, who makes a cameo appearance in Pedro Almodóvar’s highly anticipated comedy I’m So Excited, is joining Jeremy Renner in the film.

Michael Cuesta, who has helmed episodes of Homeland and Dexter, is directing.

Messenger tells the true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb who through his reporting exposed the CIA’s involvement in helping Nicaragua’s Contra rebels import cocaine into California during the 1980s. The agency then tried to discredit him, which ultimately led to his “committing suicide,” though with two bullets to his head.

Vega will play the girlfriend of a wealthy dealer who is in jail and hopes that Webb can get him out.

Production is expected to start in Atlanta this August.

Vega will appear in Grace of Monaco as legendary opera singer Maria Callas opposite Nicole Kidman and recently wrapped Paul W.S. Anderson‘s historical drama Pompeii.

Garcia’s “The Lifeguard” Acquired by Focus World & Screen Media Films

It looks like Liz W. Garcia’s first feature film will be released in the United States. 

Focus World and Screen Media Films have partnered to acquire the U.S. distribution rights to the 35-year-old Latina filmmaker’s The Lifeguard, which made its debut at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Liz W. Garcia

Written and directed by Garcia, The Lifeguard marks her first feature after working as a writer and producer on television shows like Cold Case and co-creating Memphis Beat  with her husband Joshua Harto.

Kristen Bell stars alongside Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr and Amy Madigan in the film, which centers on Leigh (Bell), almost 30 and living a seemingly perfect life in New York. But when her career and love life both come crashing down, she flees to her suburban hometown and regresses back into high school life. Picking up right where her teen halcyon days left off, she moves into her old room with her parents, hangs out with friends who never left town and reclaims her high school job as a condo-complex lifeguard. But as Leigh enjoys shirking adult life and responsibilities and enters into an illicit affair, she begins a chain reaction that affects those closest to her.

The Lifeguard

Focus World, the alternative label owned and operated by Focus Features, and Screen Media will release The Lifeguard in theaters and on digital platforms in the summer.

Mendes’ “The Place Beyond the Pines” Trailer Released…

Eva Mendes is heading to the place beyond the pines with Ryan Gosling this spring…

Focus Features has released the trailer for The Place Beyond the Pines,  which stars the 38-year-old Cuban-American actress as Gosling’s baby mama.

Eva Mendes in The Place Beyond the Pines II

Directed by Derek Cianfrance, the indie film tells the story of how the crimes of one generation trickle down to the next. Gosling plays a pro motorcycle rider-turned bank-robber, while Bradley Cooper plays the police offer determined to catch him.

It’s also the film where love apparently blossomed off-screen for Mendes and Gosling, who have been dating since September 2011.

The film had critics floored at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and even generated some comparisons to the generational crime drama, The Godfather.

The Place Beyond the Pines is slated to open in limited release on March 29.

Gomez’s Action-Crime Movie “Getaway” to be Released Next Summer

Selena Gomez will be making the perfect getaway next August…

Warner Bros. Pictures has scheduled its film Getaway for a late summer release.

Selena Gomez

The action-crime movie, featuring the 20-year-old Mexican American actress/singer and former Disney Channel star, stars Ethan Hawke as a burned-out race car driver forced to get behind the wheel for a criminal scheme when his wife is kidnapped.

Selena Gomez plays a hacker who helps him, and Jon Voight is the bad guy.

Warner Bros has scheduled Getaway, directed by Courtney Solomon, for an August 30, 2013 release.

In its Labor Day weekend slot, Getaway faces a pair of Wednesday, August 28 openers: Focus FeaturesClosed Circuit and the Weinstein Company’s Satanic.

Meanwhile, Gomez is set to appear on the big screen in her breaking-out-of-the-good-girl-mold film Spring Breakers. And she will reprise her role as Alex Russo on a one-hour Wizards of Waverly Place special.

Naranjo to Direct FX’s Drama Pilot “The Bridge”

Gerardo Naranjo is crossing the bridge into American television…

The 40-year-old Mexican filmmaker will direct the pilot for FX’s drama pilot The Bridge.

Gerardo Naranjo

Based on the Scandinavian series Bron, the project centers on two detectives from the United States and Mexico who have to work together to hunt down a serial killer operating on both sides of the border after a dead body is found on the bridge connecting El Paso and Juarez.

Naranjo rose to acclaim after directing the critically acclaimed feature Miss Bala, Mexico’s 2012 Oscar submission, which centers on an innocent teenager who heads to the Mexican border city of Tijuana and inadvertently gets caught up in a violent drug war on her way to compete in the Miss Baja California beauty pageant.

Naranjo is attached to direct the film adaptation of the Charles Martin novel The Mountain Between Us for 20th Century Fox, which will star Michael Fassbender.

He also recently closed a deal to direct A Man Must Die for Focus Features.

Naranjo to Direct “A Man Must Die”

Gerardo Naranjo’s stock in Hollywood continues to rise…

The 40-year-old Mexican filmmaker has just inked a deal with Focus Features to direct A Man Must Die.

Gerardo Naranjo

Naranjo—who helmed Miss Bala, Mexico’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar submission—wrote the script for the project. The film is described as a political thriller comparable to the critically acclaimed Carlos.

The news comes as 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment continue to develop the film adaptation of Charles Martin’s novel The Mountain Between Us for Naranjo to direct, with Michael Fassbender attached to star.