Toni Servillo, Best Actor at the European Film Awards for his work in the Camorra movie Gomorrah. The Italian performer has been featured in about 15 movies since the early 1990s, among them One Man Up (2001), The Consequences of Love (2004), and The Girl by the Lake (2007), all three of which earned him Best Actor nominations at the David di Donatello awards a.k.a. the Italian Oscars. This year, Servillo was named Best European Actor for both Matteo Garrone’s Camorra drama Gomorrah and Paolo Sorrentino’s Il Divo, an unusual look at – possibly mob-connected – Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti.
Camorra movie ‘Gomorrah’ is the big winner at the European Film Awards
Based on Roberto Saviano’s nonfiction book, which delves into the workings of the Neapolitan underworld, Matteo Garrone’s Camorra movie Gomorrah was the big winner at the 2008 European Film Awards, announced on Dec. 6 in Copenhagen.
Gomorrah topped five categories: Best European Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Toni Servillo, also for Il Divo), Best Screenplay (Garrone, Saviano, Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni di Gregorio, Massimo Gaudioso), and Best Cinematography (Marco Onorato).
Cannes prize winner & potential Oscar nominee
The Camorra drama, which has been garnering widespread praise at film festivals worldwide – e.g., it was the winner of the Grand Prix at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival – is Italy’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.
A Cannes prize and a European Film Academy Award, however, are no guarantee of an Oscar nomination. Last year’s European Film Award – and Palme d’Or – winner, Cristian Mungiu’s acclaimed Romanian abortion drama 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days, ultimately failed to get a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination.
That’s one of the key reasons the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has changed the nomination rules in that particular category.
Update: Maybe more rule changes are needed, as Gomorrah has been bypassed by the Academy.
Check out “Oscar 2009: Best Foreign Language Film Semi-Finalists” & “Biggest Oscar Snubs: No. 4.”
Toni Servillo & Kristin Scott Thomas top acting categories
As indicated above, Toni Servillo was the Best European Actor for his work in two movies: Gomorrah and Paolo Sorrentino’s Il Divo. In the former, Servillo plays an unscrupulous waste management company boss; in the latter, he has the title role – bizarre, scary-looking, and potentially mob-connected Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, who served no less than seven terms.
Kristin Scott Thomas was Best Actress for her portrayal of a former doctor recently released from prison – for having committed (a slowly revealed) murder – in Philippe Claudel’s I’ve Loved You So Long / Il y a longtemps que je t’aime. A dozen years ago, Scott Thomas was a Best Actress Oscar nominee for Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient; she lost to Frances McDormand in Fargo.
Curiously, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, Laurent Cantet’s French drama The Class / Entre les murs, was totally bypassed. But then again, it had been shortlisted in only two categories: Best Film and Best Director.
And finally, Judi Dench was the recipient of the European Film Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award. A veteran of the British stage (The Cherry Orchard, Cabaret) and television (A Fine Romance, As Time Goes By), Dench has been featured in about 40 films, two of which earned her European Film Award nominations: Iris (2001) and Ladies in Lavender (2005, jointly with costar Maggie Smith).
Next year’s European Film Awards will be held in Essen, Germany.
Matteo Garrone, Best Director winner at the European Film Awards. A director/screenwriter/producer since the 1990s – a total of ten narrative features, documentaries, and shorts – Matteo Garrone had his first major international success with the Camorra drama Gomorrah, based on Roberto Saviano’s nonfiction book. Among Garrone’s previous efforts are The Embalmer (2002), nominated for nine David di Donatello awards – winning Best Supporting Actor (Ernesto Mahieux) and Best Screenplay (Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Ugo Chiti) – and Berlin Film Festival entry First Love (2004).European Film Awards: Winners & nominations
2008 European Film Award nominations: Nov. 8. The winners were announced on Dec. 6 in Copenhagen.
Best European Film
Il Divo, Italy.
Dir./Scr.: Paolo Sorrentino.The Class / Entre les murs, France.
Dir.: Laurent Cantet.
Scr.: Laurent Cantet, François Begaudeau & Robin Campillo; after François Begaudeau’s novel.* Gomorrah, Italy.
Dir.: Matteo Garrone.
Scr.: Maurizio Bracci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso & Roberto Saviano.Happy-Go-Lucky, U.K.
Dir./Scr.: Mike Leigh.The Orphanage / El Orfanato, Spain.
Dir.: Juan Antonio Bayona.
Scr.: Sergio G. Sánchez.Waltz with Bashir, Israel / France / Germany.
Dir./Scr.: Ari Folman.Best European Director
Laurent Cantet, The Class.
Andreas Dresen, Cloud 9 / Wolke 9.
Ari Folman, Waltz with Bashir.
* Matteo Garrone, Gomorrah.
Steve McQueen, Hunger.
Paolo Sorrentino, Il Divo.Best European Actress
Hiam Abbass, Lemon Tree.
Arta Dobroshi, Lorna’s Silence / Le Silence de Lorna.
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky.
Belén Rueda, The Orphanage.
* Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long / Il y a longtemps que je t’aime.
Ursula Werner, Cloud 9.Best European Actor
Michael Fassbender, Hunger.
Thure Lindhardt & Mads Mikkelsen, Flame & Citron / Flammen & Citronen.
James McAvoy, Atonement.
* Toni Servillo, Gomorrah & Il Divo.
Jürgen Vogel, The Wave / Die Welle.
Elmar Wepper, Cherry Blossoms / Kirschblüten – Hanami.Best European Screenwriter
Suha Arraf & Eran Riklis, Lemon Tree.
* Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso & Roberto Saviano, Gomorrah.
Ari Folman, Waltz with Bashir.
Paolo Sorrentino, Il Divo.Best Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award
Luca Bigazzi, Il Divo.
Oscar Faura, The Orphanage.
* Marco Onorato, Gomorrah.
Sergey Trofimov & Rogier Stoffers, Mongol.Best European Composer
Tuur Florizoone, Moscow, Belgium / Aanrijding in Moscou.
Dario Marianelli, Atonement.
* Max Richter, Waltz with Bashir.
Fernando Velázquez, The Orphanage.Best European Film Academy Prix d’Excellence
Marton Agh for Production Design, Delta.
* Magdalena Biedrzycka for Costume Design, Katyn.
Laurence Briaud for Editing, A Christmas Tale / Un conte de Noël.
Petter Fladeby for Sound Design, O’Horten.Best European Discovery
* Hunger, U.K.
Dir.: Steve McQueen.
Scr.: Enda Walsh & Steve McQueen.Snow / Snijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Germany / France / Iran.
Dir.: Aida Begi.
Scr.: Aida Begi & Elma Tataragi.Summer Book / Tatil Kitabi, Turkey.
Dir./Scr.: Seyfi Teoman.Tulpan, Germany / Switzerland / Kazakhstan / Russia / Poland.
Dir.: Sergey Dvortsevoy.
Scr.: Sergey Dvortsevoy & Gennady Ostrovskiy.Best European Film Academy Documentary – Pix Arte
Durakovo – Village of Fools / Durakovo – Le Village des fous.
Nino Kirtadzé, France.Fados.
Carlos Saura, Portugal / Spain.Children. As Time Flies / Kinder. Wie die Zeit vergeht.
Thomas Heise, Germany.The Mother / La Mère.
Antoine Cattin & Pavel Kostomarov, Switzerland.Man on Wire.
James Marsh, U.K.Stranded: I’ve Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains / Naufragés des Andes.
Gonzalo Arijón, France.Citizen Havel / Obcan Václav Havel.
Pavel Koutecký & Miroslav Janek, Czech Republic.Shadow of the Holy Book / Pyhän Kirjan Varjo.
Arto Halonen, Finland.* René.
Helena Trestikova, Czech Republic.The Dictator Hunter.
Klaartje Quirijns, The Netherlands.
Judi Dench at the European Film Awards. Besides her two European Film Award nominations, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Judi Dench has been shortlisted for six Academy Awards, in both the lead and supporting categories, winning once: Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in John Madden’s Shakespeare in Love (1998). In the last decade or so, Dench has also become known as the latest incarnation of M, James Bond’s boss, in big-budget commercial fare such as GoldenEye, Die Another Day, Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace. (Bernard Lee and Robert Brown were her predecessors.)European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award
Judi Dench.European Achievement in World Cinema
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Kristian Levring, Lars von Trier, and Thomas Vinterberg.European Film Academy Critics’ Award – Prix FIPRESCI
Abdellatif Kechiche, The Secret of the Grain / Couscous / La graine et le mulet.Prix Eurimages
Vibeke Windeløv & Bettina Brokemper.Best European Short Film – Prix UIP
Contact / Raak.
Dir.: Hanro Smitsman, The Netherlands.The Apology Line.
Dir.: James Lees, U.K.A Kiss to the World / Un Bisou pour le monde.
Dir.: Cyril Paris, France.Procrastination.
Dir.: Johnny Kelly, U.K.Joy.
Dir.: Joe Lawlor & Christine Molloy, U.K.* Frankie.
Dir.: Darren Thornton, Ireland.The Pearce Sisters.
Dir.: Luis Cook, U.K.Time Is Running Out.
Dir.: Marc Reisbig, U.K.Fire / Uguns.
Dir.: Laila Pakalnina, Latvia.2 Birds / Smáfuglar.
Dir.: Rúnar Rúnarsson, Iceland.Love You More.
Dir.: Sam Taylor-Wood, U.K.Tolerance / Tolerantia.
Dir.: Ivan Ramadan, Bosnia and Herzegovina.The Altruists / De Onbaatzuchtigen.
Dir.: Koen Dejaegher, Belgium.With a Little Patience / Türelem.
Dir.: Laszlo Nemes, Hungary.People’s Choice Award
Arn: The Knight Templar / Arn – Tempelriddaren.
Dir.: Peter Flinth.
Scr.: Jan Guillou & Hans Gunnarsson.Atonement.
Dir.: Joe Wright.
Scr.: Ian Mcewan & Christopher Hampton.Ben X.
Dir./Scr.: Nic Balthazar.Welcome to the Sticks / Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis.
Dir.: Dany Boon.
Scr.: Dany Boon & Alexandre Charlot.The Wave.
Dir.: Dennis Gansel.
Scr.: Dennis Gansel & Peter Thorwarth.The Orphanage.
Dir.: Juan Antonio Bayona.
Scr.: Sergio G. Sánchez.Hunting and Gathering / Ensemble, c’est tout.
Dir.: Claude Berri.
Scr.: Anna Gavalda & Claude Berri.* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Dir.: David Yates.
Scr.: Michael Goldenberg.Rabbit Without Ears / Keinohrhasen.
Dir.: Til Schweiger.
Scr.: Anika Decker & Til Schweiger.Mongol.
Dir.: Sergei Bodrov.
Scr.: Arif Aliyev & Sergei Bodrov.[Rec].
Dir.: Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza.
Scr.: Jaume Balagueró & Luis Berdejo.Saturn in Opposition / Saturno Contro.
Dir.: Ferzan Ozpetek.
Scr.: Ferzan Ozpetek & Gianni Romoli.
The Black Balloon with Rhys Wakefield and Gemma Ward. The winner of six Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, writer-director Elissa Down’s first feature film tackles the issue of autism. Adolescent Rhys Wakefield has trouble dealing with his autistic younger brother (Best Supporting Actor winner Luke Ford), as so does their troubled, once-again-pregnant mother (Best Supporting Actress winner Toni Collette). Gemma Ward is Wakefield’s romantic interest, who attempts to help out both brothers cope with their respective challenges.‘The Black Balloon’ & ‘The Unfinished Sky’ are AFI Awards’ big winners
Two socially conscious efforts were the top winners at the 2008 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards. Elissa Down’s feature film debut The Black Balloon and Peter Duncan’s Unfinished Sky won six awards each. The Black Balloon, however, had the edge, as it topped the Best Film and Best Director categories.
Revolving around the difficulties facing a teenager (Rhys Wakefield) whose younger brother (Luke Ford) is autistic, the comedy-drama The Black Balloon also won AFI Awards for Best Original Screenplay (Elissa Down & Jimmy Jack), Best Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), Best Supporting Actor (Luke Ford), and Best Film Editing (Veronika Jenet).
Gemma Ward plays Wakefield’s romantic interest, who attempts to help the two brothers deal with their respective challenges.
Monic Hendrickx & William McInnes top lead acting categories
Unfinished Sky topped the following categories: Best Actress (Monic Hendrickx), Best Actor (William McInnes), Best Adapted Screenplay (Peter Duncan), Best Cinematography (Robert Humphreys), Best Original Music Score (Antony Partos), and Best Sound (Andrew Plain, Anne Breslin, William Ward).
Based on the 1998 Dutch release The Polish Bride / De Poolse bruid, Peter Duncan’s romantic drama chronicles the relationship between an Outback sheep farmer (McInnes) and an Afghan refugee (Hendrickx) who, it turns out, is the victim of a human trafficking gang.
Directed by Karim Traïdia from Kees van der Hulst’s screenplay, The Polish Bride was both a Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film nominee and The Netherlands’ submission for the Academy Awards. North Brabant-born Monic Hendrickx had the title role.
See below the full list of this year’s AFI Award winners and nominees.
Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards
2008 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award nominations: Oct. 29. The AFI winners were announced on Dec. 5 (“industry” categories) and Dec. 6 (top categories).
Feature Films
Best Film
* The Black Balloon, Tristram Miall.
The Jammed, Dee McLachlan, Andrea Buck & Sally Ayre-Smith.
The Square, Louise Smith.
Unfinished Sky, Cathy Overett & Anton Smit.Best Director
* The Black Balloon, Elissa Down.
The Jammed, Dee McLachlan.
The Square, Nash Edgerton.
Unfinished Sky, Peter Duncan.Best Actor
Rhys Wakefield, The Black Balloon.
Guy Pearce, Death Defying Acts.
David Roberts, The Square.
* William McInnes, Unfinished Sky.Best Actress
Noni Hazlehurst, Bitter & Twisted.
Emma Lung, The Jammed.
Veronica Sywak, The Jammed.
* Monic Hendrickx, Unfinished Sky.Best Supporting Actor
* Luke Ford, The Black Balloon.
Erik Thomson, The Black Balloon.
Joel Edgerton, The Square.
Anthony Hayes, The Square.Best Supporting Actress
Leeanna Walsman, Bitter & Twisted.
* Toni Collette, The Black Balloon.
Maeve Dermody, Black Water.
Saskia Burmeister, The Jammed.Best Original Screenplay
* The Black Balloon, Elissa Down & Jimmy The Exploder.
Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger, Cathy Randall.
The Jammed, Dee McLachlan.
The Square, Joel Edgerton & Matthew Dabner.Best Adapted Screenplay
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane, Stephen Vagg.
* Unfinished Sky, Peter Duncan.Best Cinematography
The Black Balloon, Denson Baker.
Death Defying Acts, Haris Zambarloukos.
The Tender Hook, Geoffrey Simpson.
* Unfinished Sky, Robert Humphreys.Best Editing
* The Black Balloon, Veronika Jenet.
Black Water, Rodrigo Balart.
The Jammed, Dee McLachlan & Anne Carter.
Unfinished Sky, Suresh Ayyar.Best Original Music Score
The Black Balloon, Michael Yezerski.
The Square, François Tétaz & Ben Lee.
The Tender Hook, Chris Abrahams.
* Unfinished Sky, Antony Partos.Best Production Design
Children of the Silk Road, Steven Jones-Evans.
* Death Defying Acts, Gemma Jackson.
The Tender Hook, Peter Baxter.
Unfinished Sky, Laurie Faen.Best Costume Design
Children of the Silk Road, Wenyan Gao & Kym Barrett.
Death Defying Acts, Susannah Buxton.
Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger, Shareen Beringer.
* The Tender Hook, Cappi Ireland.Best Sound
The Black Balloon, Ben Osmo & Paul Pirola.
Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger, Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Phil Judd & Des Kenneally.
The Tender Hook, Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Phil Judd & Gary Wilkins.
* Unfinished Sky, Andrew Plain, Annie Breslin & Will Ward.International Awards
AFI International Award for Best Actor
Eric Bana, The Other Boleyn Girl.
Russell Crowe, American Gangster.
* Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
Jack Thompson, Leatherheads.AFI International Award for Best Actress
* Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Judy Davis, The Starter Wife.
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters.
Nicole Kidman, The Golden Compass.AFI Young Actor Award
* Danielle Catanzariti, Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger.
Tom Green, The Ground Beneath.
Saoirse Ronan, Death Defying Acts.
Clarence John Ryan, September.AFI Visual Effects Award
Death Defying Acts, James Rogers.
Double The Fist (Series 2), Doug Bayne, Adam MacGowan, Michael Blake & Bill McGuire.
Gabriel, Matthew Graham & Steve Anderson.
* H2O – Just Add Water (Series 2), Barry Lanfranchi.AFI International Award for Excellence in Filmmaking
Peter James ACS, ASC.Byron Kennedy Award
Chris Lilley.AFI Raymond Longford Award
Dione Gilmour.Australia’s Favorite Film
The Castle.News Limited Readers’ Choice Award
Hugh Jackman.Television (partial list)
Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series
Bed of Roses, Stephen Luby & Mark Ruse.
* East West 101, Steve Knapman & Kris Wyld.
Rain Shadow, Gus Howard.
Valentines Day, Tony Wright.Best Television Comedy Series
Chandon Pictures, Rob Carlton.
The Hollowmen, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner & Rob Sitch.
The Librarians, Wayne Hope & Robyn Butler.
* Summer Heights High, Chris Lilley & Laura Waters.Best Television Drama Series
City Homicide (Series 2), MaryAnne Carroll.
Rush, John Edwards & Mimi Butler.
Satisfaction, Andrew Walker & Roger Simpson.
* Underbelly, Greg Haddrick & Brenda Pam.Best Actor in a Television Drama
Don Hany, East West 101.
William McInnes, East West 101.
Callan Mulvey, Rush.
* Gyton Grantley, Underbelly.Best Actress in a Television Drama
Phoebe Tonkin, H2O – Just Add Water (Series 2).
Diana Glenn, Satisfaction.
Alison Whyte, Satisfaction.
* Kat Stewart, Underbelly.Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama
Gary Files, Dogstar (Episode 26).
Taffy Hany, East West 101 (Episode 1, The Enemy Within).
Vince Colosimo, Underbelly (Episode 2, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice).
* Damian Walshe-Howling, Underbelly (Episode 7, Wise Monkeys).Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama
Hanna Mangan-Lawrence, Bed of Roses (Episode 1, Not Worth a Cent).
Amanda Muggleton, City Homicide (Series 1: Episode 3, Lie Down With Dogs).
Brittany Byrnes, H2O – Just Add Water (Series 2: Episode 25, Sea Change).
* Madeleine West, Underbelly (Episode 7, Wise Monkeys).Best Performance in a Television Comedy
Rob Carlton, Chandon Pictures.
Rob Sitch, The Hollowmen.
Robyn Butler, The Librarians.
* Chris Lilley, Summer Heights High.Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft
Steve Evans. Editing – Underbelly.Non-Feature Nominees
Best Documentary
Beyond Our Ken, Luke Walker.
* Not Quite Hollywood, Craig Griffin & Michael Lynch.
The Oasis, Ian Darling.
Rare Chicken Rescue, Vickie Gest & Randall Wood.Best Direction in a Documentary
Beyond Our Ken, Melissa Maclean & Luke Walker.
* The Oasis, Ian Darling & Sascha Ettinger Epstein.
Rachel: A Perfect Life, Fiona Cochrane.
Rare Chicken Rescue, Randall Wood.Best Cinematography in a Documentary
* A Northern Town, Andrew Commis & Rachel Landers.
Bomb Harvest, Kim Mordaunt.
NIGHT, Laurie McInnes.
Rare Chicken Rescue, Randall Wood.Best Editing in a Documentary
Not Quite Hollywood, Jamie Blanks, Sara Edwards & Mark Hartley.
* The Oasis, Sally Fryer.
Rare Chicken Rescue, Scott Walton.
The Siege. Stewart Young ASE.Best Sound in a Documentary
Fairweather Man, Ben Crane, Michael Gissing, Guy Gross & Mike Jones.
The Oasis, Felicity Fox & Michael Gissing.
* Rare Chicken Rescue, Brett Aplin, Greg Docwra, John Willsteed & David White.
The Siege, Ian McLoughlin, Antony Partos & David White.Best Short Animation
Chainsaw, Fiona Cochrane & Dennis Tupicoff.
* Dog With Electric Collar, Steve Baker & Damon Escott.
Mutt, Beth Frey & Glen Hunwick.
Paper City Architects, Daniel Agdag.Best Short Fiction Film
fOUR, Zyra McAuliffe & Erin White.
* Jerrycan, Stuart Parkyn & Julius Avery.
The Ground Beneath, Kristina Ceyton & Rene Hernandez.
My Rabbit Hoppy, Anthony Lucas.Best Screenplay in a Short Film
296 Smith Street, John Evagora.
Chainsaw, Dennis Tupicoff.
fOUR, Erin White.
* The Ground Beneath, Rene Hernandez.Outstanding Achievement in Short Film Screen Craft
Xanthe Highfield. Production Design – fOUR.
Waltz with Bashir was the Best Feature Documentary co-winner – with Man on Wire – at the International Documentary Association Awards. Directed by Ari Folman, the autobiographical animated documentary offers a reenactment of his experiences as a soldier during the 1982 Israel-Lebanon War.International Documentary Association Awards: ‘Man on Wire’ & ‘Waltz with Bashir’ tie for Best Feature Documentary
Critics’ fave Man on Wire and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature* Waltz with Bashir tied for the International Documentary Association’s Best Feature Documentary award.
Directed by James Marsh, Man on Wire depicts Philippe Petit’s 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York City’s World Trade Center. Ari Folman’s autobiographical Waltz with Bashir recounts his experiences as a soldier during the 1982 Israel-Lebanon War.
The Best Short Documentary was Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega’s La Corona, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes preparations of those vying for the crown (the titular corona) in the annual beauty pageant at a women’s prison in Bogotá.
Also of note, veteran filmmaker Werner Herzog, among whose documentary features are Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World, will receive the Career Achievement Award.
* Curiously, while Waltz with Bashir was the Los Angeles Film Critics’ Best Animated Feature, their Best Picture was Andrew Stanton’s WALL-E – which also happens to be an animated feature.
International Documentary Association Awards (partial list)
2008 International Documentary Association winners: Dec. 06.
Feature Documentary (tie)
Kassim The Dream.
Director/Producer: Kief Davidson.
Producer: Liz Silver.* Man on Wire.
Director: James Marsh.
Producer: Simon Chinn.Stranded: I’ve come from a plane that crashed in the mountains.
Director: Gonzalo Arijón.
Producer: Mark Silvera.* Waltz with Bashir.
Director/Producer: Ari Folman.
Producers: Yael Nahlieli, Serge Lalou, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul.Young @ Heart.
Director: Stephen Walker.
Producer: Sally George.Short Documentary
Kick Like A Girl.
Director/Producer: Jenny Mackenzie.
Producers: Geralyn White Dreyfous, Jennifer Jordan.Redemption Stone.
Director/Producer: Tom Dziedzic.* La Corona.
Directors/Producers: Amanda Micheli, Isabel Vega.Tongzhi in Love.
Director: Ruby Yang.
Producer: Thomas Lennon.Smile Pinki.
Director/Producer: Megan Mylan.Audience Award
Food Fight, Dir.: Chris Taylor.Career Achievement Award
Werner Herzog.Pioneer Award
Rob Epstein.Preservation & Scholarship Award
Marina Goldovskaya.Avid Excellence in Editing Award
Sam Pollard.Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Filmmaker Award
Stefan Forbes.
Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards website.
International Documentary Association website.
Gemma Ward and Rhys Wakefield The Black Balloon: Icon Entertainment International.
Waltz with Bashir image: Sony Pictures Classics.
“AFI Awards: Autism & Human Trafficking Movies Are Top Winners + IDA Best Feature Documentary Tie” last updated in March 2018.
The Warlords with Andy Lau and Jet Li. Set in 19th century China, Peter Chan’s war drama The Warlords was the top winner at the Golden Horse Awards, taking home four trophies, including Best Film and Best Director. Jet Li lost the Best Actor Golden Horse to Zhang Hanyu for another period war drama, Assembly, set in mid-20th century China.Golden Horse Awards: Jet Li & Andy Lau period actioner tops
The top winner at the 2008 Golden Horse Awards was The Warlords, the tale of three blood brothers who find themselves at odds with one another in war-torn 1860s China.
Directed by Peter Chan (a.k.a. Peter Ho-Sun Chan), and starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro, The Warlords (previously known as The Blood Brothers) won in four categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Score (Chan Kwong-Wing, Peter Kam, Chatchai Pongprapaphan, Leon Ko), and Best Visual Effects (Eddy Wong, Victor Wong, Ken Law).
In April, The Warlords was the big winner at the Hong Kong Film Awards, taking home eight trophies including Best film and Best Director. According to Variety, the film has grossed more than $35 million in China.
Among the other Golden Horse winners were Best Actor Zhang Hanyu for his performance as a military commander during the Chinese Civil War in Assembly, which also earned the Best Adapted Screenplay award for Liu Heng; and Best Actress Prudence Liew for her crack cocaine-addicted street walker in True Women for Sale.
Golden Horse Awards: Winners & nominations
2008 Golden Horse Award nominations: Oct. 30. The winners were announced on Dec. 6.
Best Feature Film
Cape No.7.
Orzboyz.
Assembly.
Ocean Flame.
* The Warlords.Best Director
Wei Te-Sheng, Cape No.7.
Pang Ho-Cheung, Trivial Matters.
* Peter Ho-Sun Chan, The Warlords.
Sylvia Chang, Run Papa Run.Best Actor
* Zhang Hanyu, Assembly.
Liao Fan, Ocean Flame.
Jet Li, The Warlords.
Louis Koo, Run Papa Run.Best Actress
* Prudence Liew, True Women for Sale.
Monica Mok, Ocean Flame.
Karene Lam, Claustrophobia.
Sandrine Pinna, Miao Miao.Best Supporting Actor
* Ma Ju-Lung, Cape No.7.
Eason Chang, Trivial Matters.
Leon Dai, Parking.
Hu Jun, Red Cliff.Best Supporting Actress
* Mei Fang, Orzboyz.
Lai Ming, Money No Enough II.
Li-Qi Wu, Detours to Paradise.
Nora Miao, Run Papa Run.Best New Performer
Chie Tanaka, Cape No.7.
Johnny C.J. Lin, Cape No.7.
Pang Chin-Yu, Orzboyz.
* Suming Chiang, Hopscotch.Best Original Screenplay
Yang Ya-Che, Orzboyz.
* Tsai Tsung-Han, Tom Shu-Yu Lin, Winds of September.
Xu Lan, Chun Tin Nam, Aubrey Lam, Huang Jian-Xin, Jojo Hui, He Ji Ping, Guo Jun Li, James Yuen, The Warlords.
Ivy Ho, Claustrophobia.Best Adapted Screenplay
Pang Ho-Cheung, Trivial Matters.
* Liu Heng, Assembly.Best Cinematography
Chin Ting-Chang, Cape No.7.
Chen Ying-Chan, Chen Chor-Keung, Ocean Flame.
Arthur Wong, The Warlords.
* Cheng Siu-Keung (HKSE), Sparrow.Best Film Editing
Chen Hsiao-Dong, Winds of September.
* Yau Chi-Wai, Connected.
Wenders Li, The Warlords.
Kong Chi-Leung, Claustrophobia.Best Original Film Score
Fred Lu, Lo Chi-Yi, Cape No.7.
* Chan Kwong-Wing, Peter Kam, Chatchai Pongprapaphan, Leon Ko, The Warlords.
Ricky Ho, 12 Lotus.
Xavier Jamaux, Fred Avril, Sparrow.Best Original Film Song
* Song from, Cape No.7, Lyrics: Matthew Yen; Composer & Performer: Van.
“I Dont Sell Dou Fu” from Kung Fu Dunk, Lyrics: Vincent Fang Wen Shan; Composer: Jay Chou; Performer: Jay Chou, Tu Kuo-Cgang.
“Pang Pang” from Drifting Flowers, Lyrics: Christine Hsu; Composer: Christine Hsu; Performer: Serena Fang.
“Get Together” from Miao Miao, Lyrics: Cin Cin Lee, Cheng Kuei, Composer: Cin Cin Lee, Cheng Kuei; Performer: Chilam Cheung.Best Documentary
This Darling Life.
Erotic Float Dancers.
* Up the Yangtze.Best Visual Effects
Phil Jones, Assembly.
* Eddy Wong, Victor Wong, Ken Law, The Warlords.
Craig Hayes, The Orphanage, Red Cliff.
Eddy Wong, Victor Wong, Ken Law, CJ7.Best Art Direction
Li Yang, Raymond Kwok, Ocean Flame.
Yee Chung -Man, Yi Zheng-Zhou, Pater Wong, The Warlords.
* Chao Shih-Hao, Parking.
Tim Yip, Red Cliff.Best Makeup & Costume Design
Man Lim-Chung, Trivial Matters.
* Luke Huang, Sai Com, Candy Rain.
Yee Chung-Man, Jessie Dai, Lee Pik-Kwan, The Warlords.
Tim Yip, Red Cliff.Best Action Choreography
Park Ju-Chun, Assembly.
* Li Chung-Chi, Connected.
Ma Yuk-Sing, Huang Ming-Jian, Ching Siu-Tung, An Empress and the Warriors.
Ching Siu-Tung, The Warlords.Best Sound Effects
Tu Duu-Chi, Cape No.7.
Wang Danrong, Kim Suk-Won, Assembly.
Sunit Asvinikul, Nakorn Kositpaisal, The Warlords.
* Steve Burgess, Missing.Best Short Film
My Grandma.
A Son.
* Hopscotch.
The End of the Tunnel.The Outstanding Taiwanese Film of the Year
* Cape No.7.
Winds of September.
Parking.FIPRESCI Award
Parking.The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year
Wei Te-Sheng.Lifetime Achievement Award
Chang Feng.Special Contribution Award
Huang Ren.
European Film Awards website.
Image of Matteo Garrone, Toni Servillo, and Judi Dench at the European Film Awards: Rune Evensen / ScanPix.
Andy Lau and Jet Li The Warlords image: Media Asia Films / China Film Group.
“Camorra Movie Tops European Film Awards + Autism & Human Trafficking Dominate Australian Oscars” last updated in March 2019.