AFI FEST 2011 Announces Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings

by Nigel M Smith (Updated 1 hour, 26 minutes ago)

Michael Fassbender in "Shame." Fox Searchlight.

 

The American Film Institute today announced its Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings for the 25th edition of AFI FEST 2011.

As previously announced, the world premiere of Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” starring Leonardo DiCaprio will launch the event. The Centerpiece Galas are: Luc Besson’s “The Lady,” “My Week With Marilyn” starring Michelle Williams, “The Artist,” Roman Polanski’s star-studded “Carnage” and Steve McQueen’s “Shame.” In addition, this year’s Guest Artistic Director Pedro Almodovar will be on hand to present a 25th anniversary screening of “Law of Desire,” the first film made by his production company, El Deseo.

Among the films that make up the 11 Special Screenings: Lars von Trier’s Cannes award winner “Melancholia,” Wim Wender’s 3D documentrary “Pina,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin” starring Tilda Swinton,” the latest from the Duplass brothers” and “Butter” starring Jennifer Garner.

AFI FEST 2011 will take place in Hollywood, California from November 3-10.
Below is the list of Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings with synopses provided by AFI:

GALAS:

OPENING NIGHT GALA:
J. EDGAR: As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. DIR Clint Eastwood. SCR Dustin Lance Black. CAST Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Judi Dench. USA. World Premiere.
Thursday, November 3, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

CENTERPIECE GALAS:
THE LADY: Luc Besson tackles the inspiring true story of Burmese activist, leader and political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, exquisitely portrayed by Michelle Yeoh. DIR Luc Besson. SCR Rebecca Frayn. CAST Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett, Jonathan Woodhouse, Susan Wooldridge, Benedict Wong. France/UK.
Friday, November 4, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

CARNAGE: Roman Polanski directs a dream cast of Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly in a razor-sharp, acidly funny comedy of ill manners. DIR Roman Polanski. SCR Yasmina Reza, Roman Polanski. CAST Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly. France/Germany/Poland.
Saturday, November 5, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: Michelle Williams gives a luminous performance as Marilyn Monroe, ably supported by Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench in this intimate portrait of the tragic Hollywood icon. DIR Simon Curtis. SCR Adrian Hodges. CAST Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench. UK. Sunday, November 6, 6:00 p.m., The Chinese

LAW OF DESIRE – An Evening with Pedro Almodóvar: An evening in celebration of Pedro Almodóvar and the 25th anniversary of El Deseo, the production company that he founded with his brother, Augustin Almodóvar; the event will consist of a conversation with Pedro Almodóvar and a screening of El Deseo’s first film, LAW OF DESIRE. DIR Pedro Almodóvar. SCR Pedro Almodóvar. CAST Eusebio Poncela, Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Miguel Molina. Spain.
Monday, November 7, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

THE ARTIST: Silence is golden in director Michel Haznavicius’ delightful and dialogue-less black-and- white feature about Hollywood’s bumpy transition from silent films to “talkies.” DIR/SCR Michel Hazanavicius. CAST Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle. France.
Tuesday, November 8, 7:30 p.m., The Chinese

SHAME: In director Steve McQueen’s searing follow-up to HUNGER, Michael Fassbender delivers a fearless portrayal of a man spiraling out of control into sexual addiction. DIR Steve McQueen. SCR Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen. CAST Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie. UK. Wednesday, November 9, 7:30 p.m., The Chinese

SPECIAL SCREENINGS:
BUTTER: Jennifer Garner stars in this comedy about a Midwestern housewife who embarks on a ruthless campaign to conquer the world of competitive butter carving. DIR Jim Field Smith. SCR Jason A. Micallef. CAST Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Hugh Jackman, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, Pruitt Taylor Vince. USA. Sunday, November 6, 6:30 p.m., Chinese 1

CORIOLANUS: In his directing debut, Ralph Fiennes masterfully adapts Shakespeare’s gripping tragedy about power, politics and pride into a bracingly modern and urgent political thriller. DIR Ralph Fiennes. SCR John Logan. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain. UK.
Monday, November 7, 7:30 p.m., Chinese 1 and Tuesday, November 8, 1:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian

I MELT WITH YOU: Four friends gather for an annual birthday celebration in Big Sur and come face to face with the hard truths of who they have become. DIR Mark Pellington. SCR Glenn Porter (based on the story by Glenn Porter and Mark Pellington). CAST Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino, Sasha Grey. Canada/USA.
Monday, November 7, 8:00 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Wednesday, November 9, 1:45 p.m., Chinese 1

INTO THE ABYSS: In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog probes the human psyche to explore why people kill-and why a state kills. Like a modern IN COLD BLOOD, Herzog’s investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory. DIR Werner Herzog. USA.
Sunday, November 6, 5:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Monday, November 7, 1:15 p.m., Chinese 3

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME: On his way to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of comedic and unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. DIR/SCR Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass. CAST Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon. USA.
Tuesday, November 8, 7:00 p.m., Chinese 1 and Wednesday, November 9, 2:00 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian

THE KID WITH A BIKE: Awarded the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this tale of redemptive love bares the Dardennes’ evocative signature style. CAST Cécile de France, Thomas Doret, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Egon Di Mateo, Olivier Gourmet. Belgium/France/Italy.
Tuesday, November 8, 8:00 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Thursday, November 10, 11:00 a.m., Chinese 1

MELANCHOLIA: Denmark’s most celebrated and notorious filmmaker returns with a drama about depression, severely dysfunctional families and the end of the world. DIR/SCR Lars von Trier. CAST Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Cameron Spurr, Charlotte Rampling, Jesper Christensen, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Kiefer Sutherland. Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany.

 

Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia.” Magnolia Pictures.

Sunday, November 6, 8:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Tuesday, November 8, 3:15 p.m., Chinese 3

MISS BALA: Gerardo Naranjo’s haunting and elegant film tells the story of a beauty pageant hopeful swept up in the violent world of Mexico’s drug cartels. Naranjo is a graduate of the AFI Conservatory (AFI Class of 2001). DIR Gerardo Naranjo. DIR/SCR Gerardo Naranjo, Mauricio Katz. CAST Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernandez, James Russo. Mexico’s official foreign-language Oscar submission.
Friday, November 4, 8:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian

PINA: Wim Wenders captures the world of choreographer Pina Bausch and her dance company in spectacular 3D with thrilling performances of many of her most famous works. DIR/SCR Wim Wenders. CAST Ensemble of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal. Germany/France. Germany’s official foreign-language Oscar submission.
Saturday, November 5, 7:45 p.m., Chinese 1 and Monday, November 7, 4:00 p.m., Chinese 1

RAMPART: Woody Harrelson gives a ferocious performance as a dirty cop who is embroiled in the Los Angeles Police Department’s infamous Rampart corruption scandal. DIR Oren Moverman. SCR James Ellroy, Oren Moverman. CAST Woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Ice Cube, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon. USA.
Saturday, November 5, 10:00 p.m., The Chinese

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN: Tilda Swinton gives a career defining performance as Eva, a reluctant mother whose contentious relationship with her evil son sheds new light on the nature vs. nurture debate. DIR Lynne Ramsay. SCR Lynne Ramsay, Rory Stewart Kinnear. CAST Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller. UK.
Wednesday, November 9, 8:00 p.m., Chinese 1 and Thursday, November 10, 4:00 p.m., Chinese 6

Three Dumb Oscar Rules That Need to Change

 

Posted Monday, October 17, 2011 1:15 PMMark Harris

Welcome to the last slow stretch of the Oscar season. Over the next few weeks, a couple of movies will open with the hope of landing acting or writing nominations, but mostly they just want your money (For Your Consideration: The Thing?). The year’s remaining big guns won’t start to arrive until mid-November, and here’s a hunch, based partly on what I’ve seen, partly on instinct, and partly on hope: We’re looking at a year without an early frontrunner.

By which I mean that the more than two dozen critics’ groups that announce their year-end prizes in a furiously compressed frenzy of semi-futile self-assertion may not become one big hive mind the way they did in 2009 with The Hurt Locker or last year with The Social Network. It’s possible that The Descendants, the black-and-white silent sensation The Artist, or one of the still-unscreened contenders — War Horse? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo? Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? — could turn into The Monolith, but otherwise, December could bring a scattered and chaotic field. Here’s hoping.

So while we wait, perhaps it’s time to turn to the Academy itself. As Oscar-watchers, we all root for excellence to be rewarded. Sometimes that doesn’t happen because of collective bad taste, or sentimentality, or blind spots, or irrational exuberance, but it’s particularly galling when it doesn’t happen because the Academy’s own rules prevent it.

Three examples:
The best foreign film quagmire.
I hate to beat up on the Academy’s foreign-film selection system because in recent years, some intelligent and helpful reforms have actually been instituted. Nobody can say they’re not trying. Unfortunately, the Oscars still obstruct, rather than encourage, the honoring of the best of world cinema. Briefly (at least, as briefly as possible given the sewn-together-Frankenstein-monster nature of the process), here’s how it works. Every country can submit one film for consideration. (This year, 63 countries did.) Those movies are then screened and sifted by volunteer Academy members, who — until a few years ago — would then vote to select five nominees.

The problem was that members who can attend enough screenings to vote tend to be L.A.-based retirees with epic amounts of free time. And their creaky taste tilts heavily toward dramas about the importance of the Holocaust and fables about little orphan boys whose only friend is the village mule. Formally challenging or artistically adventurous movies either anger them or knock them cold faster than a hit of Propofol.

Listen, I’m sure it’s hard work. I took a look at some of this year’s titles — not the movies, just the titles — and honestly, I’d have an easier time sitting through Dolphin Tale 2: Corpse in the Tuna Net. Imagine an art-house marquee that looks like this:

The Rumbling of the Stones Breathing The Woman in the Septic Tank The Colors of the Mountain The Prince and the Pagoda Boy Montevideo, God Bless You!

Those are real 2011 submissions. Oscar voters, God bless you for your brave efforts.
Anyway. A few years ago, the system was overhauled. The volunteers would now pick nine movies, a list that would be narrowed to five by a smaller group of voters with pulses more diverse and contemporary taste.

This helped, but not enough: In 2008, for instance, the grumpy-old-men demographic of the Academy was still able to prevent the year’s two most acclaimed foreign films, Persepolis and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, from even reaching the final nine. So in a further tweak, volunteers now select six movies, a separate committee can add three really good titles that were inexplicably omitted, and still another set of voters then selects the five nominees from those nine.

But what lingers is the original sin: Unlike any other Academy Award, the foreign-film system outsources Oscar judgment to other countries — and the one-submission-per-nation rule makes for a Petri dish of infighting, political resentments, and under-the-table deals. Who are each country’s selectors, how are they chosen, and what guards against favoritism? Who the hell knows? Why is it that Pedro Almodóvar, possibly the most beloved living European director among U.S. moviegoers, can’t compete for best foreign-language film with his elegantly nightmarish new movie The Skin I Live In — just as his last film, Broken Embraces, was ineligible? Because Spain didn’t pick him, that’s why.

There’s some merit to the submission rules, which at least insure that an extraordinary range of countries gets to run one movie past the votership each year. The Academy doesn’t need to overrule those selections. But why not amplify them with, say, half a dozen well-received foreign films that opened here during the year or won major film festival prizes but weren’t submitted by their country of origin? (Perhaps they didn’t even have a country of origin — among other benefits, this reform would open the door to international co-productions.) Just add them to the 63 submissions and let them take their chances.

A rewrite of the rules could also help filmmakers like Joshua Marston, the American journalist-turned-director whose first feature, Maria Full of Grace, won a 2004 best actress nomination. Maria was submitted by Columbia that year, but the foreign-language committee rejected it as insufficiently Columbian. This year, Marston made his second movie, The Forgiveness of Blood, a Berlin Film Festival prizewinner that was cowritten with an Albanian screenwriter and shot in Albania with a primarily Albanian cast and crew. Albania submitted the film, and the Academy disqualified it.

In a world in which the likes of the Nobel Prize committee has taken to scolding American artists for being too insular, a filmmaker like Marston whose passions routinely take him beyond the boundaries of his own country and language should be encouraged by the Academy, not excluded. And, although I haven’t seen his movie, “insufficiently Albanian” strikes me as maybe the worst reason in history for a film not to be eligible for an Oscar.

The impending video-on-demand crisis.
Lars Von Trier’s idiosyncratic end-of-the-world drama Melancholia doesn’t open in theaters until November 11, but if you have a good cable-TV system, you can see it right now, since it debuted on IFC's on-demand channel a couple of weeks ago. The Academy has strict rules that no movie shown on television before its theatrical release will be eligible for Oscars, so I was startled when it showed up on Time Warner Cable, since I assumed its distributor Magnolia would be mounting a campaign for the extraordinary performance of Kirsten Dunst, which won the best actress prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. When I asked the film’s publicist, I learned that Dunst will indeed get her campaign, because the movie secured its eligibility by booking an unannounced and unadvertised run on a single screen in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Which is great. Melancholia should be eligible, because it isn’t in any sense a made-for-TV movie (for one thing, unlike, say, HBO or Sundance Channel movies, VOD films can’t compete for Emmys). Nevertheless, it is undeniably on TV. Video-on-demand is an increasingly important revenue stream for foreign, independent and art-house movies, and films shouldn’t have to sacrifice their Oscar chances because moviegoing habits are evolving. I know some Academy members who feel strongly that their mission is to preserve the primacy of theatrical distribution. They’re wrong. Their mission is to reward the year’s best movies, and to respond with a flexibility that keeps pace with the way those movies are seen. With its one-week booking, Melancholia followed the letter, if not the spirit, of the law. But maybe both the spirit and the letter need reexamining.

The Academy should reconsider the necessity of forcing distributors into virtually invisible bookings in order to satisfy a requirement that was created before VOD even existed. Of course, the Academy could also respond by cracking down and saying that VOD films will all be ineligible for awards. But that kind of unwelcome tantrum would ultimately hurt the Oscars more than the movies.

An indefensible restriction for acting nominees.
If your four favorite lead performances of 2011 are Michael Fassbender as Rochester in Jane Eyre, Michael Fassbender as Magneto in X-Men: First Class, Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method, and Michael Fassbender as a very unhappy, very naked man in Shame, too bad. Although the same actor can be nominated in both lead and supporting categories (it’s happened about a dozen times, most recently for Cate Blanchett in 2007), the Academy will not allow an actor to be nominated for more than one performance within the same category.

There’s not much to say about this rule other than that it’s so dumb that no other branch of the Academy shares the policy. Steven Soderbergh famously competed against himself for best director in 2000; he lost for Erin Brockovich and won for Traffic. John Williams and Thomas Newman are among the many composers who have gone up against themselves, and so have cinematographer Roger Deakins and costume designers Sandy Powell and Ngila Dickson. And this year, screenwriter Steven Zaillian could find himself twice nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (for Moneyball and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), as could John Logan (for Hugo and Coriolanus).

A majority of the Academy clearly understands that there’s nothing wrong with a great year being reflected in a double nomination — so why not for actors? Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Carey Mulligan, Christopher Plummer, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Judi Dench are among the performers who’d conceivably be eligible to double- or even triple-dip this year; it’s unlikely that it would happen for any of them, which is exactly the reason to change the rule now rather than wait until it causes a real injustice. Actually, that’s already happened. In 1986, Dennis Hopper received his only acting Oscar nomination, for the basketball film Hoosiers. That achievement instantly disqualified all the votes he got for his other, rather more notable supporting performance that year — in Blue Velvet.

And now, fellow obsessives, I’d like to hear from you. You can follow me on Twitter and publicly or privately message me there with any questions or topics you’d like addressed in a future Oscarmetrics column. Don’t be shy!

Mark Harris is the author of Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood and is currently at work on his next book. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkHarrisNYC.