As we inch closer and closer to Oscar night, more guilds, organizations, critics and associations continue handing out gold trophies to the best of 2014 in film. With the BAFTA Awards happening this Sunday, Way Too Indie writers C.J. Prince (from Canada) and Eddy Haynes (from the U.K.) sat down to discuss the awards and give their predictions.

C.J. Prince: I guess it makes sense that a Brit and a Canuck should predict the BAFTAs. I’ll be honest: I haven’t really paid attention to the BAFTAs over the years, and I’ve been meaning to change that. But I gotta say, these nominations seem a little off to me. Why did Mr. Turner not get any nods outside of a few small categories? I’m sure my predictions will be horrible since I have no idea how the BAFTAs go, so bear with me dear readers (and Eddy). Maybe you can help me out here Eddy. Are the BAFTAs like the Oscars, in that they tend to go for a certain kind of film (ex. weepy biopics and the like)?

Eddy Haynes: The BAFTAs usually follow the Oscars with the odd exception every now and then just to rebel a little. There is occasionally a bit of controversy, like how the Outstanding British Film had some people up in arms about Alfonso Cuaron winning for Gravity last year (the film was shot in the UK, but the director and cast are not British). (Article)

I was not surprised to see Mr. Turner lose out for Oscar nominations, but I was disappointed to see the BAFTAs not nominate the film for any of the big awards, especially Timothy Spall for Best Actor.  The whole point of the BAFTA’s is to celebrate British film, and it seems unjust to not acknowledge such a strong British performance. The same goes for missing out on a chance to give Mike Leigh a much deserved BAFTA for the film. The cynical part of me thinks as the film was released in the UK in October it has simply been forgotten about.

There has been a diverse range of films nominated this year, so it’s hard to predict, although if anyones going to win the lions share of awards it might be Theory of Everything.

C.J.: Well since you introduced that nice opportunity to segue, let’s start with the biggest category of them all:

BEST FILM

BIRDMAN
BOYHOOD
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
THE IMITATION GAME
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

C.J.: Best film! I don’t know if the Brits will handle this one differently, but looking at the US it’s a battle between Birdman and Boyhood. I’m personally going to say Boyhood wins this one. I don’t think the Hollywood/industry aspects of Birdman will work on BAFTAs as much as it has been for those in the US, so Boyhood will get the edge here.

Eddy: Yes, I agree. Although we may give it to Theory of Everything out of love for the Britishness of the film. It would be a bit of a shock, but I wouldn’t rule out The Grand Budapest Hotel either. I am not sure about Boyhood. The BAFTAs usually tries to distance itself from the same decisions as the Golden Globes, even if it follows the Oscars.

C.J.: Well speaking of Britishness, let’s look at Outstanding British Film.

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

’71 Yann Demange, Angus Lamont, Robin Gutch, Gregory Burke
THE IMITATION GAME Morten Tyldum, Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman, Graham Moore
PADDINGTON Paul King, David Heyman
PRIDE Matthew Warchus, David Livingstone, Stephen Beresford
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
UNDER THE SKIN Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Nick Wechsler, Walter Campbell

Eddy: I would love Under the Skin to get the BAFTA, but I don’t think it is going to happen. It will probably go to The Theory of Everything. Pride might be a dark horse candidate. That would be a surprise.

C.J.: I have a feeling The Imitation Game will probably take this one because it has the prestige element behind its back, but Theory of Everything has been gaining a lot of momentum. In all honesty I’d prefer Under the Skin or Pride to win because a) Under the Skin is just plain weird, and b) I find the kind of gooey feel good qualities of Pride more enjoyable than “serious film” Oscar fare like The Imitation Game or The Theory of Everything.

Eddy: It is perhaps a little cynical, but there is also guilt in the UK about Alan Turing and how he was treated. He did get a royal pardon last year. I wonder if politics might lead to it getting the BAFTA (More Info Here, Warning Potential Spoilers).

C.J.: It’s possible. I personally didn’t factor that into my decision, but it could play a role in deciding its outcome in the category.

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ELAINE CONSTANTINE (Writer/Director) Northern Soul
GREGORY BURKE (Writer), YANN DEMANGE (Director) ’71
HONG KHAOU (Writer/Director) Lilting
PAUL KATIS (Director/Producer), ANDREW DE LOTBINIÈRE (Producer) Kajaki: The True Story
STEPHEN BERESFORD (Writer), DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Producer) Pride

Eddy: ‘71 was one of my favourite films of the year, and it stands a pretty good chance of winning, but I think Pride is probably the favourite for this one.

C.J.: Agreed. I haven’t seen ’71 (I’m dying to!), but Pride looks like it’ll take this one. Huge crowd pleaser. If only every category was this easy to predict.

Pride

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

IDA
LEVIATHAN
THE LUNCHBOX
TRASH
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

C.J.: I haven’t seen Trash but come on.

Eddy: Yes, I haven’t seen it either, but I wondered how much of a film has to not be English to qualify.

C.J.: I will research that (over 50% of the film’s dialogue must not be in English in order for it to qualify). For me this is another easy category. I know Leviathan winning the Golden Globe put a little wrench in the system, but I think Ida will win. It’s been getting every award under the sun for foreign film.

Eddy: I would rather have Ida win than Leviathan, which I didn’t really connect with. I think Leviathan might win just because it would annoy Putin (Article). I think Two Days, One Night is the strongest film in the category, but I don’t think it will win.

C.J.: Two Days, One Night is fantastic and should be the frontrunner. And thank you for not thinking Leviathan was all that. It’s one of those “Serious Films” that was too straightforward for me. I found it kind of boring, gorgeous cinematography aside.

Eddy: I thought I was alone. Every critic seems to have fallen in love with it. Ida is one of the most visually stunning films this year, and if doesn’t win here I hope it wins Best Cinematography.

DOCUMENTARY

20 FEET FROM STARDOM
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
CITIZENFOUR
FINDING VIVIAN MAIER
VIRUNGA

Eddy: Well I thought Citizenfour was a strong film even if it was a little rushed at times. It’s probably my favourite to win in this category.

C.J.: Yeah, I mean this category is a joke. You have a feel good doc about backup singers, Nick Cave’s head up his own ass, a guy trying to profit off of a dead woman’s photography collection, some dumb looking activist doc about gorillas (I hate most primates), and then a documentary about one of the most important things happening in the world today. If Citizenfour doesn’t win, it’ll remove any credibility from this category in the future.

ANIMATED FILM

BIG HERO 6 Don Hall, Chris Williams
THE BOXTROLLS Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable
THE LEGO MOVIE Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

C.J.: An easy category since it has 3 nominees, and I’ve only seen one of them. I’m going with The Lego Movie on this. I love it to pieces, and the Oscar snub has people on its side.

Eddy: I am in the same boat. I think The Lego Movie will win, although part of me wants The Boxtrolls to win just to see Twitter explode.

C.J.: It’s Twitter. That place is always exploding over something.

DIRECTOR

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu
BOYHOOD Richard Linklater
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh
WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle

Eddy: I think this is probably going to be between James Marsh and Richard Linklater. This one may go the same way as whoever gets Best Film.

C.J.: Yeah, Best Director and Best Film matching up is par for the course. Since I predicted Boyhood for Best Picture I’m going to say Richard Linklater takes this one. Ultimately I think the achievement of making the film over 12 years will trump the other nominees

Eddy: It will certainly give Linklater a lot to talk about in his speech.

Richard Linklater

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo
BOYHOOD Richard Linklater
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson
NIGHTCRAWLER Dan Gilroy
WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle

C.J.: First off, what a great selection. Nightcrawler, Whiplash and The Grand Budapest Hotel all have terrific screenplays. But for some dumb reason Birdman’s dog shit script keeps winning, so I’m going to predict Birdman.

Eddy: Birdman would be the only winner whose opening line contains the phrase “Smells like balls.” Nightcrawler should win, but I think it will probably go to Birdman. The Grand Budapest Hotel might stand an outside chance though. It has been praised for its clever script.

C.J.: How can anyone hear a line like “Smells like balls” and think it’s some sort of brilliant piece of writing? Ugh. Anyway, I’ll stop myself. I can rant about Birdman’s awful script for hours.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

AMERICAN SNIPER Jason Hall
GONE GIRL Gillian Flynn
THE IMITATION GAME Graham Moore
PADDINGTON Paul King
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Anthony McCarten

C.J.: Adapted screenplay is a lot more interesting to me. I’m going to say The Theory of Everything wins this one.

Eddy: Yeah I am going to agree with you on The Theory of Everything. I would love to see the look on the academy’s face if Paddington won. I think Gone Girl should win purely because the script is such an improvement on the book. It has been adapted rather well.

C.J.: I absolutely agree with you. Gone Girl would be my pick for what should win. Gillian Flynn did a great job adapting her own book.

LEADING ACTOR

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH The Imitation Game
EDDIE REDMAYNE The Theory of Everything
JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nightcrawler
MICHAEL KEATON Birdman
RALPH FIENNES The Grand Budapest Hotel

Eddy: I think Eddie Redmayne is going to get this. I can’t see anyone else getting it. I think only Michael Keaton stands a chance of stealing it from him.

C.J.: I’m really fascinated by how this category turned out. It was hyped up as one of the most competitive categories before the season started, and then Keaton became the frontrunner, only for Redmayne to slowly catch up and take over. I’m with you on this one. Eddie Redmayne will win. But let’s give a special mention to Jake Gyllenhaal (my personal pick) and Timothy Spall (why the hell isn’t he nominated??!?!)

Eddy: It is shocking about Spall, especially since he won at Cannes. I thought he was an odds on favourite to get nominated. Jake Gyllenhaal should win, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of love for Nightcrawler at the awards so far.

C.J.: Yeah, Nightcrawler is a very dark movie. I think time will ultimately work in Gyllenhaal’s favour. It’s a performance he’ll be remembered for.

Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything

LEADING ACTRESS

AMY ADAMS Big Eyes
FELICITY JONES The Theory of Everything
JULIANNE MOORE Still Alice
REESE WITHERSPOON Wild
ROSAMUND PIKE Gone Girl

Eddy: I think Felicity Jones will get this. I have yet to see Still Alice, but it has been getting a lot of buzz, so Julianne Moore might stand a good chance.

C.J.: I have seen Still Alice and it’s bad. Moore will win this one though. She’s a beloved actress, and this certainly feels like her time to win the big awards. I don’t mind her winning. I love J-Mo. I just wish she won for a better film.

Eddy: Personally I loved her in Maps to the Stars and was hoping she would get nominated. A win for Still Alice might make up for it.

C.J.: I actually prefer her role in Maps to the Stars, but that movie is far too strange to get proper recognition.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

EDWARD NORTON Birdman
ETHAN HAWKE Boyhood
J.K. SIMMONS Whiplash
MARK RUFFALO Foxcatcher
STEVE CARELL Foxcatcher

C.J.: This might be the easiest acting category to predict, but it’s easy because everyone agrees that one performance towers above the rest. J.K. Simmons will win.

Eddy: Yes I expect J.K. Simmons will. I find it odd that Steve Carell was nominated here, since I saw that role as a lead. It’s a shame because he deserves recognition for that role.

C.J.: Yeah, that is strange. It could be a strategic choice since Best Actor was crowded this year. I think that nose will give him all the recognition he needs.

Eddy: It is one of the most disturbing noses in film.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

EMMA STONE Birdman
IMELDA STAUNTON Pride
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY The Imitation Game
PATRICIA ARQUETTE Boyhood
RENE RUSSO Nightcrawler

C.J.: I guess this is another easy category to predict. It seemed a little wide open early on in the season, but Patricia Arquette has emerged as a frontrunner. Personally I want to high five all the BAFTA members who nominated Rene Russo.

Eddy: Yes! Rene Russo’s performance was as good as Jake Gyllenhaal’s, and the film wouldn’t have worked without her. But I can’t see Patricia Arquette losing this one.

Patricia Arquette in Boyhood

ORIGINAL MUSIC

BIRDMAN Antonio Sanchez
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Alexandre Desplat
INTERSTELLAR Hans Zimmer
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jóhann Jóhannsson
UNDER THE SKIN Mica Levi

C.J.: Now we move on to the smaller, more technical categories, where I have no idea what to pick.

Eddy: I think Interstellar might stand a chance as they sometimes give the techs to big budget films that miss out at the main awards. The favourite to win is probably Birdman, though. It would be weird if Boyhood got it. I don’t remember the soundtrack being that great.

C.J.: Wasn’t Boyhood all songs? I don’t remember it having an original score.

Eddy: It might have been picked because it was nominated for Best Film.

C.J.: Well for this category I adore Mica Levi’s score for Under the Skin, but Birdman will probably win. Looks like we’re in agreement on this one.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

BIRDMAN Emmanuel Lubezki
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Robert Yeoman
IDA Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski
INTERSTELLAR Hoyte van Hoytema
MR. TURNER Dick Pope

Eddy: Ida was stunning, but Mr. Turner surely has to get something. Something tells me Birdman could get this award too.

C.J.: Yeah, Birdman is all show so it’ll win. But personally I want Mr. Turner (Dick Poop!) or Ida to win.

C.J.: I actually don’t care much for Ida as a film, but it has excellent cinematography. There were a lot of great looking films last year. I would even be happy with The Grand Budapest Hotel winning.

EDITING

BIRDMAN Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Barney Pilling
THE IMITATION GAME William Goldenberg
NIGHTCRAWLER John Gilroy
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jinx Godfrey
WHIPLASH Tom Cross

C.J.: Amazingly, Boyhood wasn’t nominated here since it seems to be the favourite everywhere else. I’m gonna say Whiplash wins this one. Birdman might be the odds on favourite, but I love love love Whiplash’s editing.

Eddy: It’s very odd that Boyhood wasn’t nominated. Surely a film shot over 12 years would get some praise for its editing. If The Theory of Everything gets best film, it will also get best editing. They usually seem to be paired together.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

BIG EYES Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
THE IMITATION GAME Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
INTERSTELLAR Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
MR. TURNER Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts

Eddy: I think Interstellar might get this, but I want Mr. Turner to get it. It needs some awards.

C.J.: I’m going to go with The Grand Budapest Hotel. I have no idea why. I remember being really impressed by the design of the hotel. Mr. Turner would be the only other competition in my eyes because it’s a period piece. Like I said earlier, once we get down to these categories I get sort of lost.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

COSTUME DESIGN

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Milena Canonero
THE IMITATION GAME Sammy Sheldon Differ
INTO THE WOODS Colleen Atwood
MR. TURNER Jacqueline Durran
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Steven Noble

C.J.: For Costume Design, I feel like people just vote for whatever looks like it had the most work done. In that case it comes down to Mr. Turner or Into the Woods. I think Into the Woods will take this.

Eddy: I agree. Into The Woods will probably get it, although I will be happy if Mr. Turner gets it of course. I have no idea why The Theory of Everything has been nominated here, but it could win too.

MAKE UP & HAIR

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Frances Hannon
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White
INTO THE WOODS  Peter Swords King, J. Roy Helland
MR. TURNER Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jan Sewell

Eddy: I’m going to pick Guardians of the Galaxy just because Zoe Saldana’s skin was green, but Into the Woods will probably get it

C.J.: I wouldn’t be surprised if BAFTA voters pick Guardians of the Galaxy for the same reason. I’m going with the same pick, and Into the Woods will be my back-up pick in case voters want to give the award to a more “worthy” (aka prestigious) film.

SOUND

AMERICAN SNIPER Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
BIRDMAN Thomas Varga, Martin Hernández, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak
THE IMITATION GAME John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen
WHIPLASH Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

Eddy: I enjoyed the sound work in Birdman, but Whiplash has to win this.

C.J.: I’ll go with Whiplash as well. Part of me wants to go with American Sniper since usually these kinds of awards go to films with a lot of action, but Whiplash’s sound is so essential to the film.

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Erik Winquist, Daniel Barrett
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Nicolas Aithadi
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
INTERSTELLAR Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Tim Crosbie, Cameron Waldbauer

C.J.: I’m going with Interstellar. In my eyes, they’re just objectively the best special effects of this category. I think it’ll be an easy win for the film.

Eddy: Interstellar will probably win, although the scale of motion capture work is impressive in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Interstellar

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD

GUGU MBATHA-RAW
JACK O’CONNELL
MARGOT ROBBIE
MILES TELLER
SHAILENE WOODLEY

C.J.: Now the final award, which gets voted on by the public. That means we could have actually voted on this one, I guess. I’m going to go with Jack O’Connell here. He really impressed me in Starred Up, and he seems to be making great choices for roles. But every person nominated here is terrific. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shailene Woodley ended up winning due to her having a YA novel fanbase, thanks to her work in Divergent and The Faults in our Stars

Eddy: Jack O’Connell is my pick as well. He’s been on great form recently. I will be interested to see who wins this one. Tom Hardy has won it previously, along with James McAvoy, so it can be good at predicting big stars. Then again, Shia LaBeouf was a winner too.

C.J.: Shia LaBeouf is a rising star. He’s just rising from a much lower place than everyone else!

Okay, so that wraps it all up. Any final thoughts before we see what happens this Sunday?

Eddy: Overall, other than Mr. Turner I find myself generally happy with the nominees this year. There have been some fantastic films from 2014, and there have been some quirky films like Birdman, which wouldn’t traditionally be considered awards bait. The only sad thing is that, in such a strong year, some films like Nightcrawler seem to fail to pick up all the nominations it deserves.

C.J.: Yeah, I think the BAFTAs have some weird choices and snubs, but after going through them like this I think they’re pushing more in the right direction than the Oscars. The Nightcrawler nods are great, as well as Damien Chazelle getting nominated for Best Director. Mr. Turner and Selma not showing up in major categories is pretty strange though. Ah well. I mean after all of our predicting I still feel pretty confused and unsure about the whole thing. Guess we’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out!

Among the many organizations dolling out awards for the best movies and performances of 2014, The International Online Film Critics’ Poll this morning announced the winners of their biannual awards for excellence in film. These awards, now in their fourth cycle, allow for a comparison between different movie seasons to pick the absolute best of the biennium. The IOFCP was voted on this year by over 100 film critics from USA, UK, Italy, Spain, Canada, France, Mexico, Australia, India, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Estonia, Pakistan, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden.

2014 awards front-runner Boyhood took home the IOFCP’s award for Best Film. The film’s director Richard Linklater and one of its stars, Patricia Arquette, won the votes for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

The other movies that won in three categories were The Grand Budapest Hotel (Best Ensemble Cast, Best Production Design and Best Original Score) and Gravity (Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Visual Effects). While The Grand Budapest Hotel was also nominated for Best Film, Gravity was not.

2015 Oscars frontrunners Michael Keaton (Birdman) and JK Simmons (Whiplash) won the votes for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor; however, 2014 Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for her performance in Blue Jasmine.

4th Bi-Annual IOFCP Awards

TOP TEN FILMS (alphabetical list)
12 Years a Slave
Blue is the Warmest Colour
Birdman
Boyhood
Her
Ida
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Great Beauty
The Imitation Game
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST PICTURE
12 Years a Slave
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Paolo Sorrentino – The Great Beauty
Roman Polanski – Venus in Fur

BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mads Mikkelsen – The Hunt
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Colour
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Marion Cotillard – The Immigrant

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Edward Norton – Birdman
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Emma Stone – Birdman
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
June Squibb – Nebraska

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
12 Years a Slave
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman
Boyhood
Calvary
Her
The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 Years a Slave
Gone Girl
Snowpiercer
The Imitation Game
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
Gravity
Ida
Nebraska
The Great Beauty

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Gravity
Her
Mr. Turner
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game

BEST EDITING
Birdman
Boyhood
Gravity
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Gravity
Her
Interstellar
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar
Gravity
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Like them or not, the 2015 Oscar nominations are in.

Snubbing seems to happen every year, apparent front-runners don’t receive nominations and the list of nominations are questioned. No The Lego Movie in Best Animated Film. No Life Itself or The Overnighters in Best Documentary Feature. Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo walk away empty-handed. Gone Girl left out of Best Picture, Best Director, and (strangest of all) Best Adapted Screenplay. Foxcatcher has good enough direction, acting and screenplay, but not good enough for a Best Picture nomination.

Sometimes the list of snubs can shine a light on a great year, which by all means 2014 was (or at the very least, 2014 was better than people think). We all knew that categories like Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, etc. were going to be tight races, so it’s too easy for one of our favorites to just miss the cut (like Jake Gyllenhaal).

Shifting to a positive note, Way Too Indie favorites Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel led the nominations with nine each. Boyhood received six nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and both supporting acting categories. Despite its snubs in all the other major categories, Selma was recognized with a Best Picture nomination. Ida, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, also received a nomination for its stunning black-and-white cinematography. While we expected to see Force Majeure and Two Days, One Night on the list for Best Foreign Language Film, we’re equally happy to have Wild Tales and Leviathan. Meanwhile, Whiplash hauled in a whopping six nominations including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

Finally, American Sniper, a film that didn’t seem to have much buzz, received six nominations. And somehow the dismal Angelina Jolie film Unbroken wound up with three nominations. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Full list of 2015 Oscar Nominations

BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Laura Dern – Wild
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods

BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ida – Poland
Leviathan – Russia
Tangerines – Estonia
Timbuktu – Mauritania
Wild Tales – Argentina

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Everything Is Awesome” – The Lego Movie
“Glory” – Selma
“Grateful” – Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” – Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars” – Begin Again

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

BEST EDITING
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

BEST SOUND EDITING
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

BEST SOUND MIXING
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has released their nominations for this year’s awards, the 68th annual, airing February 8th. Releasing just a few days before the Golden Globes air and a week before Oscar nominations come out, our British comrades made a few interesting decisions deciding to favor the lighter fare over the heavier. A stark contrast to last year where Gravity led the pack with 11 nominations, this year it’s Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel with the same amount.

The BAFTAs are now considered a safer bet when making Oscar predictions, then say the Golden Globes, so we’ll see if this list is a preview of what we can expect to see next Thursday. Look for our BAFTA predictions closer to the ceremony and our Oscar coverage begins next week with the nominations.

2015 BAFTA Nominations

BEST FILM
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
’71
The Imitation Game
Paddington
Pride
The Theory of Everything
Under The Skin

DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damian Chazelle – Whiplash
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
James Marsh – The Theory of Everything

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo
Boyhood – Richard Linklater
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson
Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
Whiplash – Damien Chazelle

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Sniper – Jason Hall
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
Paddington – Paul King
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten

LEADING ACTOR
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

LEADING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
JK Simmons – Whiplash

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Rene Russo – Nightcrawler
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Imelda Staunton – Pride
Emma Stone – Birdman

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Ida
Leviathan
The Lunchbox
Trash
Two Days, One Night

DOCUMENTARY
20 Feet from Stardom
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Virunga

ANIMATED FILM
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Robert Yeoman
Ida – Lukasz Zal, Ryszard Lenczewski
Interstellar – Hoyte van Hoytema
Mr. Turner – Dick Pope

EDITING
(Due to a tie in voting in this category, there are six nominations)
Birdman – Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Barney Pilling
The Imitation Game – William Goldenberg
Nightcrawler – John Gilroy
The Theory of Everything – Jinx Godfrey
Whiplash – Tom Cross

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Elaine Constantine (writer/director Northern Soul)
Gregory Burke, Yann Demange (writer and director ’71)
Hong Khaou (writer/director Lilting)
Paul Katis, Andrew De Lotbiniere (director/producer and producer Kajaki: The True Story)
Stephen Beresford, David Livingstone (writer and producer Pride)

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Big Eyes – Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
The Imitation Game – Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
Interstellar – Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
Mr. Turner – Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts

COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

MAKE UP & HAIR
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Frances Hannon
Guardians of the Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White
Into the Woods – Peter Swords King, J Roy Helland
Mr. Turner – Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener
The Theory of Everything – Jan Sewell

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Birdman – Antonio Sanchez
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat
Interstellar – Hans Zimmer
The Theory of Everything – Johann Johannsson
Under the Skin – Mica Levi

SOUND
American Sniper – Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
Birdman – Thomas Varga, Martin Hernandez, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A Montaño
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak
The Imitation Game – John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen
Whiplash – Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Erik Winquist, Daniel Barrett
Guardians of the Galaxy – Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Nicolas Aithadi
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R Christopher White
Interstellar – Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Tim Crosbie, Cameron Waldbauer

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
The Bigger Picture – Chris Hees, Daisy Jacobs, Jennifer Majka
Monkey Love Experiments – Ainslie Henderson, Cam Fraser, Will Anderson
My Dad – Marcus Armitage

BRITISH SHORT FILM
Boogaloo and Graham – Brian J Falconer, Michael Lennox, Ronan Blaney
Emotional Fusebox – Michael Berliner, Rachel Tunnard
The Karman Line – Campbell Beaton, Dawn King, Tiernan Hanby, Oscar Sharp
Slap – Islay Bell-Webb, Michelangelo Fano, Nick Rowland
Three Brothers – Aleem Khan, Matthieu de Braconier, Stephanie Paeplow

RISING STAR AWARD
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Jack O’Connell
Margot Robbie
Miles Teller
Shailene Woodley

This Sunday the 11th at 8pm ET we’ll be gluing our eyeballs to NBC ready for the real action of awards season to finally begin. With Amy Poehler and Tina Fey hosting, and the ever plentiful booze flowing, we imagine this year’s Golden Globe Awards should provide plenty of entertainment. And since the Golden Globes are unique in the crazy amount of categories they fill, the competition is plenty fierce.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association tends to shake things up a bit (I mean who are they really anyway?) and Hollywood never fails to come out to pat themselves on the back. But honestly, the Globes are a great way to start getting Oscar predictions queued up (nominations are out next Thursday the 15th.) So since these awards are really just to spark discussion and squabbling, fellow staff writer CJ Prince and I lay out our predictions.

Other than Fey and Poehler undoubtedly dousing us with comedy gold, what do you expect will happen Sunday night? Let us know in the comments.

Our 2015 Golden Globe Predictions:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

CJ: Boyhood
Because: The current narrative of awards season has the race coming down to Boyhood and Birdman. Thanks to the Golden Globes splitting Drama and Musical/Comedy, Boyhood has no competition in this category. It’s Boyhood’s to lose (I wouldn’t mind Selma taking the gold, though).

Ananda: Boyhood
Because: Months later I still remember my initial impression of Boyhood, and while I have strong love for Foxcatcher, I don’t see it appealing as universally. This one’s a no-brainer.

All nominees: Boyhood, Selma, The Imitation Game, Foxcatcher, The Theory of Everything

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

CJ: Birdman
Because: I’d honestly prefer Grand Budapest to take this, but Birdman has it locked. Without Boyhood in the category, and with no real buzzy films competing, this one’s a no-brainer.

Ananda: Birdman
Because: All of these movies are awesome, and to be honest I think Birdman is a stretch in this category although it has very hilarious moments, but mostly I think it stands out because it’s not 100% comedy, though that may be an unfair advantage.

All nominees: Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, St. Vincent, Into the Woods, Pride

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

CJ: Benedict Cumberbatch
Because: Harvey Weinstein. He knows how to push a movie to voters, and he’s gotta take something home. My bet is he’ll convince HFPA voters to give this to Cumberbatch because it’s a respectable pick. If Oyelowo gets it I’ll be happy, and if Gyllenhaal gets it my whole night will be made. But for now my bets are on Cumberbatch.

Ananda: Eddie Redmayne
Because: Interesting to note all but one of these performances is based on a real-life person. And in a perfect world I’d say Steve Carell hands down, and Gyllenhaal would be awesome, but Redmayne just had the more overt transformation with his role.

All nominees: Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), David Oyelowo (Selma)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

CJ: Julianne Moore
Because: She’s been racking up every award under the sun, and honestly it’s time. Give Julianne the damn award already. Plus, if anyone wants to join I’ll be holding a prayer ceremony on Sunday night where I pray for Jennifer Aniston to go home empty-handed. Sorry Jennifer, but that’s a campaign, not a performance.

Ananda: Rosamund Pike
Because: I may be reaching a bit, but based on Cate Blanchett’s win last year I just think Pike’s twisty cerebral performance has a chance over Moore’s more obvious dramatic turn.

All nominees: Jennifer Aniston (Cake), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Reese Witherspoon (Wild), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

CJ: Michael Keaton
Because: After the completion of the McConaissance, we’ve all been itchy for another actor to make their triumphant return to the A-list. And with Keaton doing a great job in Birdman, it’s all a matter of time before the Keatonaissance begins! Personally I would give this one to Ralph Fiennes, but Fiennesaissance doesn’t have a nice ring to it (not that he needs a renaissance, he’s always been awesome).

Ananda: Michael Keaton
Because: Birdman was my favorite movie of the year and it had much to do with how brilliant Keaton was. No competition in my eyes, though he’s among great company.

All nominees: Michael Keaton (Birdman), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Christoph Waltz (Big Eyes), Bill Murray (St. Vincent), Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

CJ: Amy Adams
Because: I’ve only seen Maps to the Stars in this category, so I’m blindly guessing Amy Adams because she’s a great actress and has been getting plenty of praise for her role in Bright Eyes.

Ananda: Amy Adams
Because: I don’t even necessarily think this is Adams most award-worthy performance, but considering the competition it’s all hers.

All nominees: Amy Adams (Big Eyes), Emily Blunt (Into the Woods), Julianne Moore (Maps to the Stars), Helen Mirren (The Hundred-Foot Journey), Quvenzhané Wallis (Annie)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

CJ: J.K. Simmons
Because: See Whiplash. Seriously, I don’t need to explain it. If you’ve seen it, you know exactly why I picked Simmons. If you haven’t seen it, fix that problem immediately.

Ananda: J.K. Simmons
Because: I can say awesome things about everyone nominated, but nobody freaked me out more than Simmons as the nazi-like music teacher from hell.

All nominees: Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Robert Duvall (The Judge), Edward Norton (Birdman)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

CJ: Meryl Streep
Because: Personally rooting for Patricia Arquette here, but awards shows handing statues to Meryl Streep is about as boring and predictable as the roles Meryl Streep chooses to play.

Ananda: Emma Stone
Because: Since no one has a problem writing a great supporting role for a female (if only lead roles were the same), this category should have at least five more names in it (Laura Dern? Rene Russo?). But from what we’ve got I’m going out on a limb and thinking they’ll stick with what they did last year with J-Law and push the young blood forward.

All nominees: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game), Emma Stone (Birdman), Meryl Streep (Into the Woods), Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year)

Best Director – Motion Picture

CJ: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Because: This was the toughest category for me to make a decision on because it comes down to Birdman or Boyhood. Ultimately I figured the HFPA would give it to Iñárritu because it’s the kind of direction that calls attention to itself. Usually awards like this tend to go to the most direction, not the best.

Ananda: Richard Linklater
Because: Also a tough call in terms of my own affection for all of these director’s work this past year, but Linklater spent 12 years on his film and that kind of perseverance deserves respect.

All nominees: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Ava DuVernay (Selma), David Fincher (Gone Girl), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

CJ: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Because: Much like Spike Jonze winning for Her, or Quentin Tarantino winning for Django Unchained, Best Screenplay goes to the kind of film where the writing really shines. Wes Anderson’s nesting egg structure and quick paced quippy dialogue makes it an easy pick for this award.

Ananda: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Because: It won’t win anything else and it’s a truly great film. Plus, Anderson is really getting his whole layered stories and quirky relationships thing down to an art.

All nominees: Boyhood, Birdman, Gone Girl, The Imitation Game, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

CJ: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Yellow Flicker Beat)
Because: I figured one of the white pop girls would win, and Lorde seems to be more popular now (the honest truth: I’ve only heard this song out of the bunch).

Ananda: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Yellow Flicker Beat)
Because: I’ve been rocking out to this on the radio for months so…

All nominees: Big Eyes: Lana Del Ray (Big Eyes); Selma: John Legend, Common (Glory); Noah: Patty Smith, Lenny Kaye (Mercy Is); Annie: Sia (Opportunity); The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1: Lorde (Yellow Flicker Beat)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

CJ: Gone Girl: Trent Reznor
Because: It’s a great score, and Reznor has earned himself a great reputation as a composer since collaborating with Fincher. I considered putting Birdman here (and won’t be shocked if it wins), but part of me feels like some people might be turned off by the nonstop percussion.

Ananda: Birdman: Antonio Sanchez
Because: I loved all the music listed below, but Sanchez’s sporadic and pulsating drums were one of the most noticeable (in a good way) soundtracks I’ve ever encountered.

All nominees: The Imitation Game: Alexandre Desplat, The Theory of Everything: Jóhann Jóhannsson, Gone Girl: Trent Reznor, Birdman: Antonio Sanchez, Interstellar: Hans Zimmer

Best Animated Film

CJ: The Lego Movie
Because: It’s an animated movie that’s funny without pandering, and it has an incredible, universal message. And I’m sick of Disney. They’re a meat factory.

Ananda: The Lego Movie
Because: Well duh. It’s beyond clever to watch and to look at it, but it also embodied the very message it was spouting to: think outside the box and forget the supposed instruction manuals of life.

All nominees: The Book of Life, The Boxtrolls, Big Hero 6, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Language Film

CJ: Ida
Because: Middlebrow Holocaust movie from Europe that strikes the perfect balance of arty without being too arty? Ida easily wins the Foreign Language Film jackpot. Just another statue for the mantle until it takes home the Oscar.

Ananda: Ida
Because: A difficult decision for sure, but damn if if Ida isn’t both pretty and universally appealing.

All nominees: Ida, Leviathan, Force Majeure, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Tangerines

We’re only predicting movie nominations this year, but if you want to make your own guesses on the TV categories or have a full list of the nominations on hand for the live broadcast, here’s a complete list of the nominations. And if you can’t watch, or someone talks over a winner announcement, we’ll be live updating the winners as they are announced.

At an obscenely early ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press announced the nominees for the 2015 Golden Globes.

On the film side, Birdman led all nominees with seven – and will surely be helped pull in some awards being in the arguably less competitive “Musical or Comedy” categories. Boyhood and Selma each have five nominations, though they will have to battle each other in the Drama categories.

Because the Golden Globes breaks up lead acting and best film into the two categories, there are few major snubs. In the Best Actor categories, Carell, Cumberbatch, Gyllenhaal, Redmayne, Oyelowo, Keaton and Phoenix all got love, though more than likely two of them won’t be so lucky come Oscar noms, which is shaping up to be a brutally contentious group.

Possibly the biggest snub is no Best Picture for Gone Girl, despite receiving nominations for Best Actress, Director and Screenplay (no adapted/original clarification for the Globes). This may not be a death sentence for an Oscar nom, though, assuming ten nominees, Gone Girl would certainly get more love than a few of the nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Unbroken, however, may have received a bad omen when it comes to the Oscars, as it received zero nominations here.

The Golden Globes takes place on January 11th and will be hosted by a returning Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

2015 Golden Globe Nominations

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Boyhood
Selma
The Imitation Game
Foxcatcher
The Theory of Everything

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
St. Vincent
Into the Woods
Pride

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
David Oyelowo, Selma

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jennifer Aniston, Cake
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes
Bill Murray, St. Vincent
Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
Julianne Moore, Maps to the Stars
Helen Mirren, The Hundred-Foot Journey
Quvenzhané Wallis, Annie

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Edward Norton, Birdman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year

Best Director – Motion Picture
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Ava DuVernay, Selma
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Boyhood
Birdman
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Big Eyes: Lana Del Ray (Big Eyes)
Selma: John Legend, Common (Glory)
Noah: Patty Smith, Lenny Kaye (Mercy Is)
Annie: Sia (Opportunity)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1: Lorde (Yellow Flicker Beat)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
The Imitation Game: Alexandre Desplat
The Theory of Everything: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Gone Girl: Trent Reznor
Birdman: Antonio Sanchez
Interstellar: Hans Zimmer

Best Animated Film
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida
Leviathan
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
Tangerines

Television Categories

Best Television Series – Drama
“Downton Abbey”
“The Good Wife”
“House of Cards”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Affair”

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
“Girls”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Transparent”
“Silicon Valley”
“Jane the Virgin”

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Olive Kitteridge”
“True Detective”
“Fargo”
“The Missing”
The Normal Heart

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
James Spader, “The Blacklist”
Dominic West, “The Affair”
Clive Owen, “The Knick”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Ruth Wilson, “The Affair”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Louis C.K., “Louie”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Taylor Schilling, “Orange Is the New Black”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Martin Freeman, “Fargo”
Billy Bob Thornton, “Fargo”
Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective”
Woody Harrelson, “True Detective”
Mark Ruffalo, “The Normal Heart”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honourable Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”
Frances O’Connor, “The Missing”
Allison Tolman, “Fargo”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge”
Colin Hanks, “Fargo”
Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story”
Michelle Monaghan, “True Detective”
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”

English mathematician Alan Turing’s life was about as extraordinary and fascinating as they get in modern times. In fact, modernity owes a lot to Turing, who in the 1930s began dreaming up something called a “universal machine”. A “digital computer”. In addition to getting the ball rolling on creating the devices that permeate every goddamn minute of our daily lives, he was also a brilliant cryptanalyst and helped the Allied forces defeat Germany by cracking the Nazi’s Enigma code, which they used to transmit encrypted messages within their ranks. He was the definition of a hero, though his pivotal role in ending the war was kept a secret for many years. He was convicted of being homosexual in 1952 by the British government and put on hormonal treatment to temper his libido. He killed himself two years later.

Like I said: extraordinary and fascinating. Turing’s life was one of deep complexity, but with The Imitation Game, director Morten Tyldum and screenwriter Graham Moore prune and polish his story down into an accessible, digestible prestige piece. They take a wholly unconventional life and present it conventionally, and while the film takes very few risks and won’t blow your mind like, say, Turing’s papers on artificial intelligence, it just…works. The film really, really works. And after all, the ultimate goal here is to up Turing’s visibility in the social consciousness so that we don’t forget his invaluable contributions and, more importantly, the injustice that tragically shortened his life (he was 41 years old when he died). What better way to spread the word than with a movie that’s approachable, suspenseful, and well-acted?

Benedict Cumberbatch is given the honor of portraying Turing on screen, playing him with emotional complexity, nuance, and sensitivity. He’s terrific, and without his presence the film would likely deflated. We see flashbacks of Turing’s early years when at boarding school where he fell for a boy named Christopher, who introduced him to the art of cryptography, as well as glimpses of his final years, pre-conviction, as he sits in an interrogation room with a detective who suspects high treason rather than homosexuality. But the film largely concentrates on Turing and his Enigma team at Bletchley Park, the British military’s code-cracking hub, as they desperately rack their brains to crack Enigma under threats of shutdown by the dastardly Commander Denniston (Charles Dance).

Cumberbatch’s Turing is a vaguely autistic outsider who’s at once intellectually superior and socially inept. His team at first finds him insufferable; his mind works on too high a level to recognize even the tiniest social cues. The jokes derived from Alan’s inability to register sarcasm recall Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, but with more pathos lying underneath the laughs. When one of his team members, John Cairncross (Allen Leech) tells Alan they’re all going out for lunch, he doesn’t hear an invitation, but a statement of fact. He comes off as a smug, arrogant jerk, when in truth he simply can’t compute (pardon the pun). In addition to Cairncross, the group also includes playboy chess champ Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode), sole woman member Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), and young Peter Hilton (Matthew Beard).

What eventually endears Alan to the rest of the crew are his unimpeachable contributions to the fight against Enigma. He builds an expensive proto-computer (named Christopher, curiously) with government money, prompting Denniston to literally pull the plug and promise to kick Alan off of the project for good. Hugh and the rest of the lads come to Alan’s defense (at the last minute, dramatically) and barely save Alan’s hide. With a bashful smile, he realizes he’s made some true friends. The film is most engrossing when it focuses on the team’s race against the clock as they scurry around Bletchley, giddy about one of Alan’s breakthroughs. These moments are truly thrilling and ignite the film just as it begins to meander.

What’s missing from the story, however, is a true sense of what’s at stake: millions of Allied soldiers’ lives. The intrepid men with guns on the ground feel so distant that you almost don’t notice how absurd it is for the Enigma team to “go get some lunch” as young men and women die every minute. The film was made for under $20 million, so it’s understandable that we don’t get a full portrait of the war (the film occasionally glances at military vehicles in action from afar), but it feels like more could have been done to emphasize the urgency of the mission.

What the film is really about is the beauty of unorthodox thinking, something the British government took painfully for granted in their appalling mistreatment of Turing following his “crimes” of homosexuality (he got pardoned by the Queen just last year). There’s a mantra in the film that’s repeated three times: “Sometimes it’s the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine.” It’s clumsily written and doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue (thank goodness for Cumberbatch’s always-impeccable delivery), but the sentiment carries value.

Let’s talk about FOMO.

You know what I’m talking about. That feeling you get when a friend posts online that they just saw the film you’ve read about for months and haven’t seen yet. It’s avoiding social media the entire weekend a new movie opens for fear of spoilers. It’s knowing that awards season is just around the bend and there’s more films to be seen than time to see them in. It’s Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and in some way, shape, or form it’s been eating at you for months during the busy-ness of fall. But the light at the end of the tunnel has arrived: the Holidays.

Full, work-free days where you are practically mandated to eat a lot of food and catch up on movies. But unless you’re in college, you don’t have ALL the time in the world, so here’s your Holiday Movie Preview, just in time to help you figure out what’s coming out so you know where best to put your energy. You may return to work from the holidays 5 pounds heavier, but you’ll ace any water cooler movie pop-quizzes.

Must-Sees

Mockingjay: Part 1

It’s the beginning of the end for what is arguably the best YA film adaptation series of all time. Of course you’ll feel incomplete having to wait a year for Part 2, but this will be the one all your friends are talking about. (11/20)

The Imitation Game

The Oscar buzz around Benedict Cumberbatch will make this one worth being able to talk about. (11/27)

The Babadook

Perfect for those who like balancing savory and sweet, family time and fright time. Nothing makes you more grateful for family than a horror film about a mother and her son fighting to reconnect as they are haunted by a kid’s book character. (11/28, limited)

Wild

Skip the book, see the movie, bring tissues. Reese Witherspoon is phenomenal in the film, and Laura Dern adds emotional veracity. (12/4)

Still Alice

It’s been a slow year for decent female-led films. Julianne Moore has been building buzz around her role as a woman who discovers she has early-onset alzheimers. (12/5, limited)

Top Five

Animated films and Grown Ups movies aside, Chris Rock hasn’t been on our radar for a while, but when Top Five debuted at TIFF this year it was immediately what everyone was talking about. Chris Rock taps his best stand-up while exploring being black and famous. (12/11)

Exodus: Gods and Kings

If you’re over Middle Earth but still want some big screen epic action (with Christian Bale no less), this film’s got your back. And if it means Ridley Scott is getting back to Gladiator-level awesomeness, it should be a satisfying watch. (12/11)

Inherent Vice

The loopy, cool movie you’re film-geek friends will want to discuss. With a bit more humor than his usual, Paul Thomas Anderson weaves a groovy stoner-style mystery starring Joaquin Phoenix. (12/12, limited)

Mr. Turner

A British biopic of the eccentric painter J.M.W. Turner. Timothy Spall will be among award contenders playing the impassioned artist in director Mike Leigh’s latest. (12/18)

Big Eyes

This one might be iffy as the historical art drama hasn’t garnered a whole lot of accolade as of yet, but we’re willing to take a bet on Tim Burton, Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams almost any day. (12/24)

Unbroken

Angelina Jolie’s inspiration tale of war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell,) who was taken as a prisoner-of-war in WWII after surviving in a raft for a month and a half. Take Grandma, it’s almost guaranteed to be the inspirational tale of the year. (12/24)

The Interview

Intriguing due to the controversy around it and Kim Jong-Un’s apparent hatred for it. Basically after seeing Rogan and Franco in This Is the End we’re betting this could be just as hilarious. A good one to catch with friends once the family has cleared out. (12/25)

American Sniper

It’s not a true end of the year awards race without an entry from Clint Eastwood. Starring Bradley Cooper as America’s best sniper, coping with life in war, and outside of it. (12/25, limited)

Selma

If you live near a city you’ll likely be able to see this one before it goes nationwide in January, marking the 50th anniversary of the organization of the march from Selma to Montgomery, a turning point in the American Civil Rights movement. Critical consensus thus far is that director Ava DuVernay makes a name for herself with this timely historical drama. (12/25, limited)

A Most Violent Year

Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are the new wave of hollywood elite, of the DeNiro and Streep variety. It’s a crime-thriller set in dirty 1981 NYC where an immigrant family attempts to capitalize on the American Dream. Might be the perfect grit to go with all that dessert you’ve been eating. (12/31)

Leviathan

Alright, this is for the arthouse families willing to find small theaters and in the mood for a more serious foreign film. But this drama around a family in a small fishing town has garnered serious praise thus far. (12/31, limited)

With the Family

Family-safe for when the small-talk AND the food has run out.

Penguins of Madagascar

The other Benedict Cumberbatch movie opening Thanksgiving week, and while this franchise seems overdone, from what we saw at Comic-Con it’s quite clever. Take your little sister. She’ll love you. (11/25)

The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies

For the family member obsessed with Tolkien, or for those who always finish a book even if they don’t like it. At least you’ll feel you got closure by watching this last installment in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit series. (12/16)

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

It’s the third in the franchise, so no guarantees on quality. But the gang’s all back, Stiller, Wilson, Gervais, and even Robin Williams. Might be nice to see just to see the latter one more time. (12/18)

Annie

Understand that we’re only trying to give you options that the whole family might enjoy. But as a musical re-make of an already cutesy film, we make no promises. Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, and Rose Byrne lead the family friendly foray. (12/19)

Into The Woods

A film version of Sondheim’s musical of fairy tale characters with real world problems sounds great. With Disney behind it, we worry they may soften it a bit. Either way it’s got an all-star cast including Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, and Chris Pine. (12/24)

Skip ‘Em

Trust us, these ones are likely not to be worth your precious time.

VHS: Viral (11/21)

Horrible Bosses 2 (11/25)

Extraterrestrial (11/28)

The Gambler (12/19)

The Mule (12/28)

Dying of the Light (12/5)

“I can’t fucking beat it!”

Despite playing a master cryptanalyst in The Imitation Game, British actor Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) couldn’t contain his frustration with the mobile app version of Monopoly he’s been obsessed with lately.”I have it on hard, and I tried beating it on my way here. An 11-hour flight! Fucking cat keeps beating me!” He referred to a certain feline opponent in the game as he chatted with me and a couple of other journalists during the film’s press day in San Francisco. Who could blame him? Games are hard.

Directed by Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game centers on the life of Alan Turing, an English cryptanalyst and mathematician who helped end WWII by cracking the code of an Enigma Machine, machines the Germans used to communicate with each other via encrypted messages. Turing and his team of code breakers worked under tremendous pressure to unlock Enigma, while his secret life as a closeted gay man was a persistent threat, as homosexuality was a crime in England at the time.

Revelatory, thrilling, and genuinely entertaining, the film tells the story of a man who changed the world, but was ultimately dealt a tragic injustice. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing and Leech as fellow code breaker John Cairncross, with Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Matthew Beard rounding out the team of “cardigan Avengers”.

Joining Leech for our roundtable conversation was screenwriter Graham Moore. The two discussed why the film had to be entertaining; how bad at puzzles they are; their fascination with period pieces; Leech’s approach to the role; the tragedy of Turing’s demise; Cumberbatch’s performance; how Turing being gay directly affected his life’s work; and much more.

Graham, you’ve talked before about how hard this screenplay was to pitch, considering it’s about a gay mathematician who kills himself in the end. The film’s entertainment level is very high. How important was it for you to make the film entertaining and not depressing?
Graham: It was important to all of us. We felt that Alan Turing’s legacy deserved an entertaining film. The goal was always to expose a new audience to Alan’s story. His life had been explored so well on the page before and on stage, but there’s never been a full-on narrative cinematic treatment of his story. His legacy deserves to be so much better known than it is. We’ll have these screenings, and after the film we’ll have these lovely moments where people–especially mathematicians and engineers–will come up and say, “I’ve heard of Alan Turing before–I studied him at university–but I had no idea he was gay. I had no idea that he suffered such horrible persecution at the hands of his government.” Making an entertaining film was important to us. He was a lively man, a passionate man, a funny man. He was not the sort of doddering mathematician you see on screen or think about. He was an olympic-level marathon runner. When Benedict came on during our rehearsal period, he’d just come off of Star Trek. He asked if he should lose some muscle to get ready for playing a mathematician. We said, “You actually have to get more muscular for this!” He started working out to get his calves thicker. We wanted to make an engaging, lively film that represented the full spectrum of Alan Turing’s life.

Both of you are associated with historical projects [outside of this film]. What’s compelling to both of you about working in another era?
Allen: I’m fascinated by history and the characters that existed. I love immersing myself in another time, when society, class, and culture were so different and examining how we’ve developed as a society and as people. I’ve had the privilege of going all the way back to Roman times, through a time when I played a character who hung, drawn and quartered. It’s kind of a morbid privilege to experience what these people did in certain aspects of their lives. I’m fascinated by that and by getting into the minds of historical characters. It’s a great challenge as an actor.

Graham:I’ve written a couple of historical pieces in a row now. As a writer, it almost feels like I’m cheating, like someone else did the first draft for me, because it happened. I love being able to explore contemporary issues in other times. What we loved about this story is that it’s a contemporary story. The issues going on are such contemporary issues, but we can talk about them by dramatizing history and showing you how these issues were being treated not so long ago. On a dorky level, I just love research. I love being able to dive in. This film required a tremendous amount of research from all of us. It was like we were trying to solve our own historical mystery. At Bletchley Park, we have such poor records of what actually happened. The scene at the end of the film where they make a bonfire and burn all the records is true. So much of what’s left is classified, so we were all off doing our own research to piece together what actually happened at Bletchley Park.

Before you made the film, did all of you guys get together to go through some sort of cryptology bootcamp?
Allen: We were afforded the luxury (and it really is a luxury in modern-day filmmaking) of two and a half weeks of rehearsals. That was an amazing opportunity for us all to come together with the research we’d done separately, sit in a room, flesh out these characters, and flesh out what we believe would have occurred at Bletchley Park during those days. A lot of that was based on who knows what about the Enigma Machine. Matthew Beard, who plays Peter Hilton, was probably the most mathematically-minded of the group. He’d tell us what he thought, then we’d go to the books and try to read up on it. We had a broad understanding, but in technical terms…no. [laughs] There’s this great line Matthew has where he says, “We’ll use the loops.” I remember I turned to him and said, “What are the loops?” He goes, “I have no idea. Apparently I’m going to use them, though.”

Graham:We tried to explain the big-picture concepts to the audience, and then we had wonderful advisors and technicians to help us.

Allen, we experience a pivotal revelation when it comes to your character. I’ve seen the film twice now, and what I’ve noticed is that there’s revelatory a scene between you and Benedict that you could have embellished more in, but choose to play it straight.
Allen: That’s one scene I wanted to do, because I wanted to keep it on a level where, when that revelation comes, there’s absolutely no sense of…[pauses]. As an actor, of course you want to go, “Hint hint, wink wink! Look out for this guy!” But that’s the last thing you should do. I think it’s much more powerful in that he was a confidant. Using the power of secrets is a theme throughout the movie, and I love the idea of the quiet compliments in having secrets. That’s something I wanted to play with in Cairncross.

What I found compelling about your character is that you’re playing someone else who’s playing someone else. How do you approach that?
Allen: It’s a challenge to play someone who’s hiding their status within that group. Cairncross is an outsider, like Turing. They’re both characters within a character, together. That’s what draws them together. That was the challenge, of finding your place when you’re constantly lying to everyone. I love the moment when the whole group is being questioned in relation to espionage. I sit just on the very edge of that table, and I’m the only one who interacts with Alan in that moment. Is it bad what Cairncross did? In his book he says, “I did what I believed would end the war quickest. I believe that sharing information was the key.” I think his involvement with MI6 was greater than they admitted as well. He was never prosecuted at all, and he committed high treason, whereas a man was convicted of the crime of “being gay”. But Turing was ultimately the man who ended the war two years early and saved 14 million lives. He was convicted, while a man who committed high treason walked away scot-free. That’s an incredible injustice in itself.

Graham, did you have actors in mind when you were writing the screenplay?
Graham:I don’t think I could allow myself to imagine actors of this caliber when I was doing my work. As Allen was saying, we had this two and a half week rehearsal period to spend time together and hone in all the voices. As a team, we felt like the code breakers at Bletchley Park, freezing to death in our studio in the South of England last fall. We had an eight week period, so we knew we had to make the movie quickly. We were under a lot of pressure.

In what way did being at Bletchley park inform the filmmaking process?
Allen: A lot of Bletchley nowadays is kind of built around the museum, but the one part that was untouched was the bar area, which we filmed in. When you walk in there, you get a great sense of their presence still within those walls. You can imagine the energy that went through that room, the frustrations that they dealt with every day. This is the only place they could go to let off steam. The hair stood up on the back of our necks. Matthew Goode said, “If we dusted for fingerprints, you’d probably find them here.” That’s how untouched it was. That reminded us of the importance of what these people did, how incredible the task was set upon them. Having the ability to use locations that these people existed in cemented for me the importance of the story we were telling.

Graham:We wanted to shoot on real locations whenever possible. Accuracy was so important to us. We shot at Bletchley for a week, at Sherborne School, the real boarding school [Alan attended]. We used real Enigma Machines. Every Enigma Machine you see in the film is a real one used by the Nazis.

Allen: When it first comes to you, you get a sense–as brilliantly written by [Graham]–that it’s the crooked hand of death itself. It’s horrible.

Graham:When you open up the lid, it has the Nazi logo on it. You almost don’t want to touch it. There’s the logo, and then this long text in German. We didn’t speak German, so we were like, “What’s written here?!” Someone who spoke German came over, and we were like, “What does it say?!” She said, “Oh, it’s the cleaning instructions.” [laughs]

What’s it like psychologically spending all day immersed in history and then going off and doing contemporary things, even if it’s just going into a hotel room fitted with a big flatscreen TV?
Allen: I do it a lot! [laughs] I’ve never experienced focus on a job [like on this film]. People were so tuned in to what we were trying to do that by the end of the day, you were quite happy to go back home to comforts. The studios we shot in were so cold! There were only three working toilets.

Graham:We can’t overemphasize how cold it was! [laughs] Ironically, the internet wasn’t working in the studio where we were shooting the Alan Turing movie.

Allen: I like the ritual for me of getting into a costume in the morning and getting ready to go back and immerse yourself in a time period. I’m also now quite adept at getting out of that costume in four minutes, getting into a car and going home. I find it quite easy to get out and jump back in. It makes you very appreciative of the comforts we enjoy today.

What would be the one modern luxury you’d miss?
Allen: Hot water. The ability to turn the tap on and go, “Ah. Brilliant.” The idea of having a bath back then was something you had to really plan, you know what I mean? “I will wash…Tuesday.” [laughs]

In the film, Turing uses a crossword puzzle as a tryout test for cryptographers. Did you use the actual puzzle he used, and have you attempted it?
Graham:The crossword puzzle you see in the film is the the real crossword puzzle Alan Turing used himself to recruit code breakers to Bletchley Park. We tried to solve it one day and it was a disaster. Collectively, we got four answers. We’re terrible at it.

Allen: We were on a night shoot for four days, and we took that same puzzle around with us all the time. Keira, Benedict, Matthew and I couldn’t break it.

I’ve seen a few interviews with Benedict about this film, and the most common question he gets asked is about awards, since he put on such a great performance. He always says that his ultimate purpose in making this film is that he wants more people to learn about Alan Turing’s story. Awards are exciting, and you guys did fantastic jobs as well, but is it also the ultimate purpose for you to spread Turing’s story to the world?
Allen: Certainly when I joined my desire to be in this movie was to tell Alan’s story and shed light on the injustices he suffered. While it’s a tragic story, it’s also told in a way that’s a celebration of his life and a tribute to being different. The fact that it was bought by a prestigious company who saw the merit and worth of the project is all a bonus. The fact that people are talking about it in terms of awards means that they’re talking about Alan Turing, so that’s great. You want to make the best movie you can, but for it to be spoken about in this way is very humbling.

Graham:Any day that Alan Turing’s name appears in newspapers is a good day. If this can be a reason for that to happen, fantastic.

How important has the LGBT element of the film been to people who have seen it thus far?
Graham:I think it’s tremendous. I think Alan’s experience as a closeted gay man in Britain in the ’30s and ’40s is fundamental to his life’s work. That’s one of the things we all wanted to show in this film. You read his paper on The Imitation Game for instance, in which he proposes, in a nutshell, the idea that we are only what we can convince other people that we are. We are human to the degree that we can convince someone else that we are human. This is this major concept that revolutionizes philosophy, mathematics…To have something like that coming from a closeted gay man in Britain in the ’30s is remarkable. One of the things I’m fascinated about is the way his personal experience as a gay man so deeply influenced his work, which has laid the foundation for the world we enjoy today. In addition to theorizing the computer, he did extremely high-level espionage work for the government during the second World War. This is a guy who was able to keep secrets for the government so well precisely because he’d been keeping secrets his whole life as a gay man.

Do you see the film in different ways the more you watch it?
Allen: I’ve seen it about five times, and I have to go to Benedict’s performance. It’s so nuanced and so detailed. I get something from his performance every time. One of the last viewings of it, I noticed that he limps. It’s not because of the drugs; it’s because Turing cut his own thigh.

Graham:He went through several months of government-mandated hormonal therapy where they put an implant in his thigh to keep the estrogen levels in your system. After a few months of it, he tried and failed to take it out manually.

Allen: While that’s never eluded to in the film, Benedict put that limp in. That’s the level of detail in Benedict’s performance. It’s amazing. I’m so touched and angered by the end that this man was taken from us too soon. The last scene where Benedict breaks down is an acting lesson.

Since your ultimate goal is to get the word about Alan Turing out there, I imagine you’d encourage filmmakers and other creators to make more movies and TV shows about him in the future. What is something about his life that you weren’t able to cover that they could?

Allen: I’d love to see the whole aspect of when he worked for the MI6 after the war. He has this great encounter with Ian Fleming, who worked at MI6 as well.

Graham:He had so many tremendous accomplishments. There’s a scene I wanted to put in the movie where you see that, at the end of the war, the British government sent Turing to the United States to lie to the Americans about how far the British had gotten with Enigma. The idea that he becomes this professional liar on behalf of the British government I thought was amazing. After the war, one of the tragedies of his life was that he became a public intellectual of sorts, traveling around England having debates about whether machines could think. Someone who debated him said, “Machines will never think! They’ll never have a soul!” Alan would talk about The Imitation Game. He was publicly making a gay rights argument. I don’t know if he knew what he was doing or if anyone picked up on what he was saying, but I think that’s very much what he was saying.

Our last MVFF37 diary was all about Elle Fanning, who just days ago became the youngest ever recipient of the Mill Valley Award. The following day, Chinese-American chef Cecilia Chiang, at 95 years old, walked the red carpet herself en route to taking the stage at the Smith Rafael Film Center and joining filmmaker Wayne Wang in introducing his new documentary about her storied life and career, Soul of a Banquet. If you’re lucky enough to grow to be 95 years old, stand in front of flashing cameras, and have hundreds of people applauding your life…I’d say you’re almost as badass as Cecilia Chiang. Because, you know, she has that whole “legendary chef” thing going for her, too.

Soul Food

Wayne Wang’s tribute to chef Cecilia Chiang, Soul of a Banquet, isn’t your everyday food doc, giving you bits and pieces of a person’s entire life in 90 minutes. The film is patient, taking select stories from the chef’s life–told by Chiang herself, good friend (and fellow Bay Area culinary institution) Alice Waters, and others–and presenting them seemingly in their entirety, with very few edits. A heartbreaking story about the death of Chiang’s father on the streets of China is told by Chiang as she sits in a chair in a normal-looking room. No visual aids are utilized by Wang here, and his camera stands completely still, a respectful treatment of Chiang’s story, but one that is noticeably un-cinematic.

The film moves at the pace it wants, which is almost always slower than convention. It sits idle, asking that you come to it rather than meeting you in the middle. The film’s finale, however, is fantastic and certifies it as an authentic food film, not food porn. We see Chiang and a handful of assistants cook a grand meal of authentic Chinese classics (“beggar’s chicken”–chicken enveloped in clay and baked–was the most spectacular) for Waters and her friends, and we see every step. From the first chop to the table presentation, Wang cuts no corners and shows us every bit of flawless technique that went into making such sumptuous dishes. yes, the dishes look mouth-watering, but the real value here is that we learn to respect the hard work and skill it takes to bring them to the table.

The Punk and the Princess

In Frank Whaley‘s Like Sunday, Like Rain, Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong play a couple in a crumbling relationship. On Monday night, however, the actor and pop-punk legend were all hugs and smiles as they posed with their director on the red carpet for the film’s screening.

In the film Meester plays Eleanor, a struggling musician in Manhattan who’s just dumped her loser boyfriend (Armstrong) after he got her fired from her barista job by causing a scene. Jobless and homeless, Eleanor miraculously lands a gig as an au pair for a 12-year-old boy-genius named Reggie (Julian Shatkin, terrific) and they form a tight, unexpected friendship as they spend their days together. Reggie’s mom (Debra Messing), tries her best to keep him in a bubble of affluence–hiring drivers to pick him up from school, having their maid cook his every meal–but with her gone on a business trip, Eleanor becomes his escape, and his first profound human connection.

Imbalance is the film’s main affliction, with some great performances (Meester, Shatkin) being brought down by mediocre ones (Armstrong), and some touching moments (Reggie and Eleanor laying on the grass, exchanging glances) stamped out by distractingly poor ones (every fake-sounding scene between Reggie and his one school buddy). The best thing the film has going for it is the chemistry between Meester and Shatkin, who work so well together that their age discrepancy melts away, and notions of romance don’t feel so irksome. The film isn’t nearly well-crafted enough to support their efforts, though.

Math Won the War

One of my most anticipated films of the festival, by far, was Morten Tyldum‘s The Imitation Game, which I saw just prior to the Like Sunday, Like Rain red carpet craziness. Needless to say, I was all smiles as I set up my camera for the step and repeat, as the drama–based on the late English mathematician Alan Turing–didn’t disappoint.

Turing (played by an incredible Benedict Cumberbatch) made history by cracking the Nazi wartime code during WWII, contributing greatly to the defeat of Hitler and his regime, his invaluable work going on to be known as a breakthrough in computer technology. Tragically, Turing went on to commit suicide following abuse by the British authorities, who persecuted him for being gay man. Tyldum’s focus, though, is on Turing and his contentious, sometimes hilarious interactions with his team of code-crackers. (Turing was notoriously anti-social, a trait Tyldum mines for comedy.)

Prestige pictures can often feel heavily biased or manipulated, and while The Imitation Game certainly injects many a fictitious incident to keep the drama flowing, it feels largely sincere. It’s an absolute thrill to watch Turing and his team–played by Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and others–obsess over decrypting Germany’s impossible “Enigma” code: We delight in each ingenious breakthrough and hurt for them with each setback. Cumberbatch is fantastic as usual: We see the strain in his face as he fights desperately to find the words to defend himself as he’s attacked by those who don’t understand him. Mill Valley was yet another stop on the way to the film’s arrival at the Oscars next year, where it’ll surely be a favorite.

Consistently bringing in a wide array of compelling new films from unique voices of cinema, the 23rd Philadelphia Film Festival announced its packed new lineup and schedule yesterday. Bookended by beloved movie stars delivering awards-worthy performances, the festival opens with Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s vividly imagined Birdman on Thursday, October 16th and closes with Jean-Marc Vallée’s heart-wrenching Wild. Through 11 days, the Philadephia Film Festival will locally premiere more than 100 features and shorts from 28 countries.

“I think we’re really on the verge of some big years for cinema,” begins the festival’s Artistic Director Michael Lerman. “This festival will showcase the first steps in these innovative new directors.”

Beyond the buzzed about Centerpiece screenings (which includes The Good Lie, St. Vincent, Laggies, and the Toronto International Film Festival Audience Award winner The Imitation Game), Philly’s screenings includes programs like “Greater Filmadelphia” (with work from Philadelphia’s home grown talent), “Masters of Cinema” (movies from world-renowned filmmakers), and “The Graveyard Shift” (horror, action, and anything weird), providing a variety of options for audiences of all tastes.

The Philadelphia Film Festival’s “PFF On Us” program continues in 2014 with free tickets available for all the films featured in the “American Independents” and “Documentary Showcase” film categories. These selections include I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story, Glass Chin, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter & Point and Shoot.

Tickets to these free screenings and more information about the 23rd annual Philadelphia Film Festival is available at the Philadelphia Film Society’s website: filmadelphia.org.

2014 Philadelphia Film Festival Full lineup

Opening Night Film
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, USA

Closing Night Film
Wild, Director Jean-Marc Vallée, USA

Centerpiece Screenings
The Good Lie, Director Philippe Falardeau, USA.
The Imitation Game, Director Morten Tyldum, USA, UK
Laggies, Director Lynn Shelton, USA
St. Vincent, Director Theodore Melfi, USA

American Independents
Presented by the Lincoln Motor Company: Featuring powerful new voices in American cinema, these fresh, gritty films explore a variety of subjects through the filmmaker’s uncompromising vision. All films in this series are a part of the “PFF On Us” free ticketing program.

Big Significant Things, Director Bryan Reisberg. 2014, USA
Glass Chin, DirectorNoah Buschel, USA
Imperial Dreams, Director Malik Vitthal, USA
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, Director David Zellner, USA
Man From Reno, Director Dave Boyle, USA, Japan
The Mirage, Director Kyle Roper, USA
Wild Canaries, Director Lawrence, Michael Levine, USA

Cinema Down
From the land that brought us Mad Max, Moulin Rouge! and Driving Miss Daisy comes brave new work from veteran and budding Australian voices alike

52 Tuesdays, Director Sophie Hyde, Australia
Charlie’s Country, Director Rolf de Heer, Australia
The Infinite Man, Director Hugh Sullivan, Australia
The Mule, Director Angus Sampson, Tony Mahony, Australia

Documentary Showcase
Presented by 500 Walnut: Comprising the best in documentary filmmaking, these compelling films feature everything from stirring character studies to fascinating looks at current global issues.

Art and Craft, Director Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, co-directed by Mark Becker, USA
Ballet 422, Director Jody Lee Lipes, USA
The Great Invisible, Director Margaret Brown, USA
I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story, Director Chad Walker, Dave LaMattina, USA
The Immortalists, Director David Alvarado, Jason Sussberg, USA
Mudbloods, Director Farzad Sangari, USA
The Overnighters, Director Jesse Moss, USA
Point and Shoot, Director Marshall Curry, USA
This Time Next Year, Director Jeff Reichert, Farihah Zaman, USA

From the Vaults
Film history comes alive as it was meant to be seen – on the big screen. Come see old favorites bigger than life once again

Blue Velvet, Director David Lynch, USA
Capote, Director Bennett Miller, USA
Mulholland Drive, Director David Lynch, USA
The Straight Story, Director David Lynch, USA
To Have and Have Not, Director Howard Hawks, USA
Wild at Heart, Director David Lynch, USA

The Graveyard Shift
Horror, action, suspense, and the downright weird, these films will keep you awake during the graveyard shift.

A Hard Day, Director Seong-hun Kim, South Korea
Housebound, Director Gerard Johnstone, New Zealand
In Order of Disappearance, Director Hans Petter Moland, Norway
It Follows, Director David Robert Mitchell, USA
Revenge of the Green Dragons, Director Andrew Lau, Andrew Loo, USA
V/H/S: Viral, Director Marcel Sarmiento, Nacho Vigalondo, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Gregg Bishop, USA, Spain

Greater Filmadelphia
Presented by Philadelphia Gas Works: Featuring work from some of our finest homegrown filmmakers, this category brings our city and its talent to the big screen.

Crescendo! The Power of Music, Director Jamie Bernstein, USA
Happy Valley, Director Amir Bar-Lev, USA
Listen Up Philip, Director Alex Ross Perry, USA
Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere, Director Dave Jannetta, USA
Teacher of the Year, Director Jason Strouse, USA
Tomorrow We Disappear, Director Jimmy Goldblum, Adam Weber, USA

Masters of Cinema
Presented by Comcast: These new films exemplify the masterful work of world-renowned filmmakers as they continue to thrill and inspire audiences with cutting-edge features.

Clouds of Sils Maria, Director Olivier Assayas, France, USA
Goodbye to Language 3D, Director Jean-Luc Godard, France
Mommy, Director Xavier Dolan, Canada
Two Days, One Night, Director Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Belgium, France
Winter Sleep, Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, France, Germany

New French Films
The birthplace of cinema, France continues to produce some of the best movies in the world with films that are funny, daring, sexy and uniquely French.

Breathe, Director Mélanie Laurent, France
Girlhood, Director Céline Sciamma, France
Hippocrates, Director Thomas Lilti, France
Love at First Fight, Director Thomas Cailley, France
This Is My Land, Director Tamara Erde, France

Sight and Soundtrack
Presented by Sweat Fitness: Featuring rockumentaries, musician biopics and films that are centered on the unifying power of music.

Beyond the Lights, Director Gina Prince-Bythewood, USA
Deep City: The Birth of the Miami Sound, Director Dennis Scholl, Marlon Johnson, Chad Tingle, USA
The Last Five Years, Director Richard LaGravenese, USA
Someone You Love, Director Pernille Fischer Christensen, Denmark, Sweden
Song One, Director Kate Barker-Froyland, USA
Traitors, Director Sean Gullette, Morocco
Tu Dors Nicole, Director Stéphane Lafleur, Canada

Spanish Language Stories
Presented by Southwest Airlines: Offering gripping stories and unique perspectives, these Spanish-language films explore a multitude of subjects ranging from the culturally specific to the universal.

10,000 Km, Director Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain, USA
Güeros, Director Alonso Ruizpalacios, Mexico
Los Ángeles, Director Damian John Harper, Mexico, Germany
Manos Sucias, Director Josef Wladyka, USA, Colombia

Spotlights
Presented by Philadelphia Magazine: Highly-anticipated movies from some of the biggest names in the industry, these films shine a spotlight on top talent from around the world.

Big Hero 6, Director Don Hall, Chris Williams, USA
Creep, Director Patrick Brice, USA
Escobar: Paradise Lost, Director Andrea Di Stefano, France, Spain, Belgium
Faults, Director Riley Stearns, USA
Gabriel, Director Lou Howe, USA
Life Partners, Director Susanna Fogel, USA
Love, Rosie, Director Christian Ditter, UK, Germany

World Narratives
Presented by 6ABC: Explore the world through film with this diverse selection of international cinema that features distinct perspectives and images from around the globe.

Beloved Sisters, Director Dominik Graf, Germany, Austria
Cracks in Concrete, Director Umut Dağ, Austria
The Duke of Burgundy, Director Peter Strickland, UK
Force Majeure, Director Ruben Östlund, Sweden
Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Director Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi, Elkabetz, Israel, France, Germany
Human Capital, Director Paolo Virzì, Italy
Run, Director Philippe Lacôte, Ivory Coast, France
Stations of the Cross, Director Dietrich Brüggemann, Germany, France
The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Director Isao Takahata, Japan
Titli, Director Kanu Behl, India
The Tribe, Director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine
Villa Touma, Director Suha Arraf, Palestine
The Way He Looks, Director Daniel Ribeiro, Brazil
When Animals Dream, Director Jonas Alexander Arnby, Denmark
Xenia, Director Panos H. Koutras, Greece, France, Belgium

Short Films
12 Years of DFA: Too Old To Be New, Too New To Be Classic, Director Max Joseph, USA
130919 * A Portrait of Marina Abramović, Director Matthu Placek, USA
8 Bullets, Director Frank Ternier, France
After School, Director Guillaume Renusson, France
Astigmatismo, Director Nicolai Troshinsky, Spain
The Chaperone, Director Fraser Munden, Neil Rathbone, Canada
Chevette 83, Director Luis Oliva, Canada
The Cut, Director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, Canada
High Ground, Director Geoff Bailey, USA
Inside the Mind of Colin Furze, Director David Beazley, UK
Marilyn Myller, Director Mikey Please, USA, UK
Me + Her, Director Joseph Oxford, USA
The Obvious Child, Director Stephen Irwin, UK
Port Nasty, Director Rob Zywietz, UK
Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns, Director Joe Callander, USA
A Town Called Panic: The Christmas Log, Director Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, France, Belgium
The Video Dating Tape of Desmondo Ray, Aged 33 & 3/4, Director Steve Baker, Australia
Watch Out, Director Joshua Stewart, USA
The Way, Director Max Ksjonda, Ukraine
Yearbook, Director Bernardo Britto, USA

The Mill Valley Film Festival has built a reputation as a showcase for future Oscar winners and emergent independent and foreign filmmakers. The festival has hosted five of the last six Best Picture Oscar winners, rolling out the red carpet for A-list actors and filmmakers while heavily supporting local filmmakers as well. Nestled in one of the most beautiful places in the world, filmmakers, actors, and attendees alike are drawn to Mill Valley every year by the easy, low-stress atmosphere, the gorgeous surroundings, the varied special events and, of course, the films. In its 37th year, the festival looks to deliver everything loyal festival-goers expect and more.

“Variety has said once–probably more than once–that Mill Valley has the ambience of a destination festival and the clout of an urban festival,” said festival founder and director Mark Fishkin at yesterday’s press conference. “Change” is one of the themes of this year’s festival, with the folks behind the festival embracing the evolving landscape of film and film distribution. Said Fishkin: “For us, change is inevitable, but we are still part of a special division of the film industry, which is theatrical exhibition. We take our role as curators very seriously, whether it’s films that are coming from the Bay Area or films coming from Cannes.”

The Homesman

Tommy Lee Jones‘ latest offering, The Homesman, will open the festival, with star Hilary Swank set to attend. The film is a Western, following a claim jumper (Jones) and a young woman (Swank) as they escort three insane woman through the treacherous frontier between Nebraska and Iowa. Fishkin describes it as a “feminist Western” that is “extremely moving. We’re just so proud to be showing it in this year’s festival.”

Co-headlining opening night is Men, Women, & Children, Jason Reitman‘s new film starring Ansel Elgort, Adam Sandler, Judy Greer, and Jennifer Garner that explores the strange effect the internet age has on parents and their teens. Reitman will be in attendance to present. Lynn Shelton‘s Laggies will also play opening night, completing the killer triple-threat. The film, about a woman stuck in slacker adolescence, stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Keira Knightley, and Sam Rockwell.

The festival looks to finish as strong as it started, with Jean-Marc Valée‘s follow-up to Dallas Buyers Club, spiritual quest movie Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, who embarked on a 1,100-mile hike to heal deep emotional wounds. Laura Dern also stars, and will be honored with a tribute.

French favorite Juliette Binoche stars across Kristen Stewart in Clouds of Sils Maria. Binoche plays an actress who’s asked to return to a play that made her famous 20 years ago, but this time in an older role, forcing her to reflect on the young woman she once was and what she’s become since. Another French actress who can do no wrong, Marion Cotillard is outstanding in the Dardenne brothers’ new film, Two Days, One Night. Recalling the best of Italian neorealism, the film follows a woman who’s got a weekend to convince her co-workers to forego their bonuses to save her job.

The Theory of Everything

Two emerging young actors will be spotlighted as Eddie Redmayne and Elle Fanning will be in attendance to discuss their respective new films. Fanning stars in Low Down, which views the troubled life of jazz pianist Joe Albany (John Hawkes) from the perspective of his teenage daughter (Fanning). Set in the ’70s, the film also stars Glenn Close, Peter Dinklage, and Lena Headey. In a breakout performance, Redmayne portrays legendary physicist Stephen Hawking in the stirring biopic The Theory of Everything, which is quickly generating momentum on the festival circuit.

Several other films that have been building steam on the festival circuit will play at the festival as well. English landscape painter J. M. W. Turner is played brilliantly by Timothy Spall in Mike Leigh‘s Mr. Turner, which we loved at Cannes. Also portraying a significant real-life figure is Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars in The Imitation Game, the story of English mathematician Alan Turing and his groundbreaking intelligence work during World War II. Steve Carell‘s highly-anticipated turn in Foxcatcher as John Du Pont, the man who shot olympic great David Schultz, will surely continue to stir up Oscar talk as the film plays late in the festival. Robert Downey Jr. stars as a big city lawyer who returns home to defend his father (Robert Duvall), the town judge, who is suspected of murder.

Metallica is set to play a pleasantly unexpected role in the festival as his year’s artist in residence, with each of the four members of the band presenting a film. Drummer Lars Ulrich has naturally chosen to highlight Whiplash, Damien Chazelle‘s drama about a young aspiring drummer and his relentless instructor. Chazelle will also be in attendance. Lead singer James Hetfield has chosen to present a classic, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, while guitarist Kirk Hammett, one of the world’s foremost horror aficionados, will offer up Dracula vs. Frankenstein. Bassist Robert Trujillo is showing a sneak peek at a documentary he produced himself, Jaco, which tells the story of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius.

On the local side of things is a special screening of Soul of a Banquet, a documentary by filmmaker Wayne Wang  about celebrity chef Cecilia Chang. Wang and Chang, who both have deep San Francisco Bay Area roots, will be in attendance to celebrate their storied careers and present their film collaboration. Chuck Workman, another Bay Area legend who’s best known for editing the clip reels at the Oscars, will be honored at the festival as well.

Today marks the kickoff of the fall festival season, as the Toronto International Film Festival announced its first wave of Special Presentations and Galas. TIFF CEO Piers Handling and Creative Director Cameron Bailey announced around 13 Galas and 46 Special Presentations set to play this September, including some films we easily predicted and a few big surprises. Surprisingly the opening film wasn’t announced today. Instead the closing film, Alan Rickman’s A Little Chaos starring Kate Winslet, was revealed today. Also playing will be some of the more buzzed about titles from Cannes earlier this year, including Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Wild Tales, David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars, and Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher.

One of the more controversial aspects of this year’s festival is TIFF’s decision to take a tough stance on its World and North American premieres. In recent years the Telluride festival, taking place just before TIFF, stole away some of Toronto’s major prestige film premieres from them. Telluride was able to get away with it because their screenings were “sneak previews” instead of full blown premieres, announcing the film with short notice. Last year Telluride nabbed sneak previews of 12 Years A Slave, Gravity, and Prisoners, all major films for TIFF in 2013. The buzz was coming from Telluride instead of Toronto, and TIFF decided enough was enough. This year the first four days of the festival will only screen true World and North American premieres, with all other films playing in the remaining 7 days of the fest. That means, if a film plans to play Telluride first in any way, TIFF won’t play it during the first four days.

With that policy in place, people have been curious to see how it would impact TIFF’s line-up this year. Will it succeed for them, or will it backfire completely? When news came out that Birdman would open Venice, followed by the New York Film Festival getting world premieres for David Fincher’s Gone Girl and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, people already began claiming the new policy was a failure. Losing two of the fall’s most anticipated titles is a blow for TIFF, but until we got a look at the line-up it was impossible to say whether or not TIFF’s aggressive approach paid off.

So what some of the films TIFF announced today? Noah Baumbach’s While We’re Young, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children, Liv Ullmann’s Miss Julie, Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, The Good Lie starring Reese Witherspoon, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn starring Al Pacino, Jon Stewart’s Rosewater, Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game, James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything, and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild, just to name a few. For arthouse fans new films from Abel Ferrara and Mia Hansen-Love will play as well. 37 World Premieres were announced today, not too shabby of a number.

Read below for the full list of films announced today, and be sure to check back next week when TIFF unveils more titles. As always, Way Too Indie will be covering the festival this fall, so be sure to check out our reviews, news and interviews as we get closer to one of the biggest film festivals in the world. The Toronto International Film Festival starts on September 4th this year, and if you want to learn more or buy tickets go to www.tiff.net/thefestival

Gala Presentations

Black and White (Mike Binder), USA, World Premiere. Black and White is the story of a widowed grandfather who is left to raise his bi-racial granddaughter. When the little girl’s paternal grandmother seeks custody, a bitter legal battle ensues that forces the uneasy family members to have an honest conversation about life, death, anger and America’s racial divide. Starring Academy Award-winners Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, as well as Anthony Mackie, Jennifer Ehle, Gillian Jacobs, Bill Burr, Andre Holland and Jillian Estell.

The Equalizer (Antoine Fuqua), USA, World Premiere. In this big-screen adaptation of the cult ‘80s TV show, McCall believes he has put his past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri, a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by—he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to extract vengeance upon anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer. Starring Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo.

Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller), USA, Canadian Premiere. Based on true events, this film tells the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers. Starring Anthony Michael Hall, Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Vanessa Redgrave, Mark Ruffalo and Sienna Miller.

Haemoo (Shim Sung-bo), South Korea, International Premiere. The ragtag crew of a fishing boat takes on a dangerous commission to smuggle a group of illegal immigrants from China to Korea, in this tense high-seas adventure co-scripted by South Korean genre-movie guru Bong Joon-ho. Starring Kim Yoon-seok and Park Yoo- chun.

The Judge (David Dobkin), USA, World Premiere. Big city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town’s judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth, and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard and Billy Bob Thornton.

Closing Night Film: A Little Chaos (Alan Rickman), United Kingdom, World Premiere. A landscape gardener with a taste for the unconventional is invited to design one of the fountains at the Palace of Versailles. As she battles with the weather, the perilous rivalries at the court of Louis XIV and her own private demons, she finds herself drawn closer to the formality and enigma of the architect who hired her. Starring Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci, Alan Rickman and Matthias Schoenaerts.

Maps to the Stars (David Cronenberg), Canada/Germany, North American Premiere. David Cronenberg forges both a wicked social satire and a very human ghost story from today’s celebrity-obsessed culture. Starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, John Cusack and Robert Pattinson.

The New Girlfriend (Une nouvelle amie) (François Ozon), France, World Premiere. When her best friend Lea dies, Claire falls into a deep depression. However, after making a surprising discovery about her late friend’s husband, she’s given a new lease on life. Starring Romain Duris, AnaÔs Demoustier and Raphaël Personnaz.

Pawn Sacrifice (Ed Zwick), USA, World Premiere. In this remarkable true story set in the height of the Cold War, chess legend Bobby Fischer is locked in a gripping championship clash with the Soviets as he struggles against his own psychological demons while the whole world anxiously awaits the outcome. Starring Tobey Maguire, Peter Sarsgaard and Liev Schreiber.

The Riot Club (Lone Scherfig), United Kingdom, World Premiere. A privileged young man is inducted into the exclusive, debaucherous company of Oxford’s elite “Riot Club,” in this scathing dissection of the British class system. Based on the hit play Posh, the film stars Natalie Dormer, Max Irons, Sam Clafin, Jessica Brown Findlay and Douglas Booth.

Samba (Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano), France, World Premiere. Samba migrated to France 10 years ago from Senegal, and has since been plugging away at various lowly jobs. Alice is a senior executive who has recently undergone a burnout. Both struggle to get out of their dead-end lives—Samba’s willing to do whatever it takes to get working papers, while Alice tries to get her life back on track—until fate draws them together. Balancing light-hearted moments with heavier emotion, Samba is a story about two strangers on a new path to happiness. Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Omar Sy and Tamar Rahim.

This is Where I Leave You (Shawn Levy), USA, World Premiere. Shawn Levy’s dramatic comedy follows four adult siblings who return home after their father’s death to spend a week with their over- sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and frayed relationships among those who know and love them best, they reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways. Starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll and Kathryn Hahn.

Wild (Jean-Marc Vallée), USA, International Premiere. After years of reckless behaviour, a heroin addiction and the destruction of her marriage, Cheryl Strayed makes a rash decision. Haunted by memories of her mother Bobbi and with absolutely no experience, she sets out to hike more than a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail all on her own. Wild powerfully reveals Cheryl’s terrors and pleasures as she forges ahead on a journey that maddens, strengthens and ultimately heals her. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Michiel Huisman, Gaby Hoffmann and Kevin Rankin.

Special Presentations

99 Homes (Ramin Bahrani), USA, Canadian Premiere. After his family is evicted from their home, proud and desperate construction worker Dennis Nash tries to win his home back by striking a deal with the devil and working for Rick Carver, the corrupt real estate broker who evicted him. Starring Andrew Garfield, Laura Dern and Michael Shannon.

American Heist (Sarik Andreasyan), USA, World Premiere. Two brothers with troubled pasts become embroiled in a high-stakes bank robbery, in this indie action thriller. Starring Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster and Akon.

Before We Go (Chris Evans), USA, World Premiere. Set in Manhattan, the story follows two strangers after their serendipitous meeting in Grand Central. Over the course of one night, they form an unlikely bond and the conflicts in their own lives become the basis for exploration into each other and themselves. Starring Chris Evans and Alice Eve.

Breakup Buddies (Ning Hao), China, World Premiere. Recently cuckolded and reeling from a messy divorce, a hapless former singer hits the road—and the bar—with his all-too-helpful best bud, in this hilarious romantic comedy.

Cake (Daniel Barnz), USA, World Premiere. Cake tells the story of the acerbic Claire Bennett who has managed to alienate everyone from her life, with the exception of her loyal housekeeper. When Claire becomes fascinated with the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group, she develops a poignant relationship with the woman’s grieving husband and comes to terms with her own personal tragedy, catapulting her forward into life. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Anna Kendrick, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman and Sam Worthington.

Coming Home (Zhang Yimou), China, North American Premiere. Lu Yanshi and Feng Wanyu are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labour camp as a political prisoner, just as his wife is injured in an accident. Released during the last days of the Cultural Revolution, he finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife has amnesia and remembers little of her past. Unable to recognize Lu, she patiently waits for her
husband’s return—until Lu determines to resurrect their past together and reawaken his wife’s memory. Starring Chen Daoming and Gong Li.

The Dead Lands (Hautoa) (Toa Fraser), New Zealand/United Kingdom, World Premiere. Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains led by Wirepa, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden “Dead Lands” and forge an uneasy alliance with a mysterious warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years. Starring Xavier Horan, Raukura Turei, Rena Owen, James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare and Te Kohe Tuhaka.

Dearest Peter (Ho-Sun Chan), China/Hong Kong, North American Premiere. Drawing on remarkable true stories, Peter Chan delivers a moving drama about child abduction in China. Huang Bo stars as a father whose young son disappears in the streets of a big city. He sets out on a search across China, stopping at nothing to find him. In this star-studded cast, Zhao Wei plays the role of a mother from a poor rural area.

The Drop (Michael R. Roskam), USA, World Premiere. The Drop follows lonely bartender Bob Saginowski through a covert scheme of funnelling cash to local gangsters in the underworld of Brooklyn bars. Under the heavy hand of his employer and cousin Marv, Bob finds himself at the centre of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighbourhood’s past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living – no matter the cost. Starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts and John Ortiz.

Eden (Mia Hansen-Løve), France, World Premiere. In the ’90s, French electronic music is developing at a fast pace. Entering this exciting Parisian nightlife, Paul and his best friend form a DJ duo called Cheers. But just as they rapidly find their audience, they are caught up in a euphoric and short-lived rise to fame. Eden retraces the steps of the “French touch” generation from 1992 to today—a generation that still enjoys outstanding international success thanks to DJs like Daft Punk, Dimitri from Paris and Cassius. Starring Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Vincent Macaigne, Greta Gerwig, Golshifteh Farahani, Laura Smet and Vincent Lacoste.

Far From Men (Loin des Hommes) (David Oelhoffen), France, North American Premiere. Algeria, 1954. While the rebellion rumbles in the valley, two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the Atlas mountains. In the midst of an icy winter, Daru, a reclusive teacher, has to escort Mohamed, a villager accused of murder. Pursued by horsemen seeking summary justice and vengeful settlers, the two men decide to confront the unknown. Together, they fight to gain their freedom. Starring Viggo Mortensen and Reda Kateb.

Force Majeure (Ruben Östlund), Sweden/Norway/Denmark/France, North American Premiere. A Swedish family’s ski trip in the French Alps is cut short by news of an oncoming avalanche, during which an impulsive decision by the father Tomas drives a wedge between him and his wife, Ebba—he has run for his life, while she has stayed to protect her children. When the anticipated disaster fails to occur, reality and embarrassed relief returns to the mountainside resort, but the family’s world has been shaken to its core. Force Majeure is an observational comedy about the role of the male in modern family life. Starring Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju and Fanni Metelius.

The Gate (Régis Wargnier), France, World Premiere. Two decades after forging an unlikely alliance in Pol Pot’s Cambodia, a French ethnologist and a former Khmer Rouge official meet again after the latter is arrested for crimes against humanity, in this drama from top French director Régis Wargnier.

Good Kill (Andrew Niccol), USA, North American Premiere. A Las Vegas-based fighter pilot turned drone pilot fights the Taliban by remote control for 12 hours a day, then goes home to the suburbs and feuds with his wife and kids for the other 12. But the pilot is starting to question the mission. Is he creating more terrorists than he’s killing? Is he fighting a war without end? This story follows one soldier’s tale with epic implications. Starring Ethan Hawke and January Jones.

The Good Lie (Philippe Falardeau), USA, World Premiere. Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon and an ensemble of young Sudanese actors—all of whom have direct personal ties to the war in their country—bring the inspiring and uplifting story of The Lost Boys of the Sudan to the screen in a film about heartbreak and hope, survival and triumph. Also starring Corey Stoll, Arnold Oceng, Kuoth Wiel, Ger Duany, Emmauel Jal and Femi Oguns.

Hector and the Search for Happiness (Peter Chelsom), Germany/Canada, North American Premiere. Hector is a quirky psychiatrist who has become increasingly tired of his humdrum life. Deciding to break out of his deluded routine, he embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive formula for true happiness? and so begins his larger-than-life adventure with riotously funny results. Starring Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Simon Pegg, Stellan Skarsgård and Jean Reno.

The Humbling (Barry Levinson), USA, North American Premiere. The Humbling tells the story of a legendary stage actor who has an affair with a lesbian woman half his age at a secluded country house in Connecticut. Based on Philip Roth’s final novel, it is a tragic comedy about a man who has lived inside his own imagination for too long. Starring Al Pacino, Mandy Patinkin, Dianne Wiest and Greta Gerwig.

Hungry Hearts (Saverio Costanzo), Italy, International Premiere. Mina and Jude meet while stuck together in the restroom of a restaurant, marking the beginning of a true love story. They move in together. They get married. And anticipate the arrival of their baby—until a spiritual guide tells Mina she is bearing an “indigo” child. Starring Adam Driver, Alba Rohrwacher and Roberta Maxwell.

The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum), United Kingdom/USA, Canadian Premiere. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal.

Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet Canada/France/Lebanon/Qatar/USA, World Premiere. (Roger Allers, GaÎtan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Joan C. Gratz,Mohammed Saeed Harib, Tomm Moore, Nina Paley, Bill Plympton, Joann Sfar)
and Michal Socha. Inspired by the beloved classic, Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet is a richly-animated story and celebration of Gibran’s book, created by artists, animators and musicians from around the world. Starring Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek-Pinault, John Krasinski, Frank Langella, Alfred Molina, John Rhys-Davies and Quvenzhané Wallis.

The Keeping Room (Daniel Barber), USA, World Premiere. Left without men in the dying days of the American Civil War, three Southern women—two sisters and one African-American slave—must fight to defend their home and themselves from two rogue soldiers who have broken off from the fast-approaching Union Army. Starring Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld, Sam Worthington, Muna Otaru and Kyle Soller.

The Last Five Years (Richard LaGravenese), USA, World Premiere. In this adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, The Last Five Years is a musical deconstruction of a love affair and a marriage taking place over a five year period. Jamie, a young, talented up-and-coming Jewish novelist falls in love with Cathy, a Shiksa Goddess and struggling actress. The film, told almost entirely through song and a beautiful pop music score, portrays an honest, heartbreaking, often funny, exploration of love and its consequences on individual identity. Starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.

Learning to Drive (Isabel Coixet), USA, World Premiere. As her marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. In each other’s company, they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel. Starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley.

Love & Mercy (Bill Pohlad), USA, World Premiere. Focusing on Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys, Love & Mercy paints an unconventional portrait of the artist by interweaving seminal moments in his life, from his artistic genius to his profound struggles, and the love that keeps him alive. Starring Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, John Cusack and Paul Giamatti.

Manglehorn (David Gordon Green), USA, North American Premiere. Angelo Manglehorn is a small town locksmith who never got over the love of his life. Clara was a beautiful, idealized woman who left him heartbroken 40 years ago. He still writes her letters obsessively as he tries to find her and get back the woman of his dreams. Manglehorn is the journey of this magical man, his son, his cat and a beautiful new woman trying to help him put the pieces of his heart back together. Starring Al Pacino, Holly Hunter and Chris Messina.

Mary Kom (Omung Kumar), India, World Premiere. Glamorous Indian star Priyanka Chopra completely transforms herself to play Mary Kom, world champion in women’s boxing. From traditional village life in remote Manipur state to high-stakes bouts in India and around the world, this is a remarkable story of triumph.

Men, Women & Children (Jason Reitman), USA, World Premiere. Men, Women & Children follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. Starring Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler and Judy Greer.

Miss Julie (Liv Ullmann), Norway/United Kingdom/Ireland, World Premiere. A country estate in Ireland in the 1880s. Over the course of one midsummer night, Miss Julie explores the brutal, charged power struggle between a young aristocratic woman and her father’s valet. Starring Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton.

Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh), United Kingdom, Canadian Premiere. This biopic explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, until his death. Throughout his life, the popular—if anarchic—member of the Royal Academy of Arts travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty. Starring Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Lesley Manville, Martin Savage, Joshua McGuire, Ruth Sheen, David Horovitch and Karl Johnson.

My Old Lady (Israel Horovitz), USA, World Premiere. A down-and-out New Yorker inherits an apartment in Paris from his estranged father and is stunned to find a refined old lady living there with her protective daughter. Starring Maggie Smith, Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Ned Rifle (Hal Hartley), USA, World Premiere. Ned Rifle is the third and final chapter of Hal Hartley’s tragicomic epic begun with Henry Fool (1997) and continued with Fay Grim (2007). At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self- proclaimed genius Henry Fool, the trilogy is also an illustration of America’s grappling with ideas, art, politics, and religion over the course of 20 years. In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay’s son Ned sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother’s life. But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome, sexy and hilarious Susan, whose connection to Henry predates even his arrival in the lives of the Grim family.

Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy), USA, World Premiere. Lou Bloom, a driven young man, discovers the nocturnal world of L.A. crime journalism. Joining a group of freelance camera crews who film marketable mayhem, Lou makes his own place at the table, aided by Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news. Blurring the line between observer and perpetrator, Lou finds his calling in a murderous world reduced to transactions. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton.

Pasolini (Abel Ferrara), France/Italy/Belgium, North American Premiere. Rome: on the night of November 2, 1975, the great Italian poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini is murdered. Pasolini is the symbol of an art that’s fighting against the power. His writings are scandalous, and his films are persecuted by the censors; many people love him and many hate him. The day of his death, Pasolini spends his last hours with his beloved mother and later with his dearest friends, until he finally goes out into the night in his Alfa Romeo in search of adventure in the eternal city. At dawn Pasolini is found dead on a beach in Ostia on the outskirts of the city. In a film dreamlike and visionary, blending reality and imagination, it reconstructs the last day in the life of this great poet. Starring Willem Dafoe.

Phoenix (Christian Petzold), Germany, World Premiere. Nelly Lenz is a concentration camp survivor who has been left with a disfigured face. Following facial reconstruction surgery, Nelly begins the search for her husband Johnny. When she finally does find him, he does not recognise her. Nevertheless he approaches her with a proposal: since she resembles his wife, whom he believes to be dead, he asks her to help him claim his wife’s considerable inheritance. Nelly agrees, and becomes her own doppelganger—she needs to know if Johnny ever loved her, or if he betrayed her. Starring Nina Hoss.

The Reach (Jean-Baptiste Leonetti), USA, World Premiere. Ben, a young man who works as a hunting guide, gets a job of a lifetime when he is hired by Madec, a wealthy businessman from Los Angeles, to hunt a bighorn sheep. Their excursion in the Southwestern desert quickly goes from bad to worse when overly-eager Madec gets trigger happy, accidentally killing an old prospector. He attempts to bribe Ben for his secrecy, but Ben staunchly refuses. Outraged, Madec turns on Ben, determined to eliminate the only witness to his crime. Trapped in a sadistic cat-and-mouse game, Ben has to rely on his basic survival skills to make it out alive. Starring Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Mangan, Lawrence and Ronny Cox.

Red Amnesia (Chuangru Zhe) (Wang Xiaoshuai), China, North American Premiere. A retired widow has her daily routine derailed when she starts receiving mysterious, anonymous phone calls, in this scintillating thriller from Chinese “Sixth Generation” master Wang Xiaoshuai. Starring L Zhong, Shi Liu, Feng Yuanzheng, Qin Hao and Amanda Qin.

Return to Ithaca (Laurent Cantet), France, North American Premiere. A terrace overlooking Havana. Five friends gather to celebrate the return of Amadeo after 16 years of exile. From dusk to dawn, they reminisce about their youth, the group they used to form, the faith they had in the future—also their disillusionment.

Rosewater (Jon Stewart), USA, Canadian Premiere. The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with the true story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari (played by Gael García Bernal), whose appearance on Stewart’s show in 2009 precipitated his five-month imprisonment by the Iranian government.

A Second Chance (En chance til) (Susanne Bier), Denmark, World Premiere. How far are decent human beings willing to go, when tragedy blurs the line between just and unjust? Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen have crafted a startling yet moving drama, about how easily we lose our grasp on justice when confronted with the unthinkable, and life as we know it hangs by a thread. Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen, Maria Bonnevie, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Lykke May Andersen.

Still Alice (Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland), USA, World Premiere. Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested. Alice’s struggle to stay connected to who she once was is frightening, heartbreaking, and inspiring. Starring Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth and Julianne Moore.

The Theory of Everything (James Marsh), United Kingdom/USA, World Premiere. The extraordinary true story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Hawking receives an earth-shattering diagnosis at age 21. Together, Stephen and Jane defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis and Emily Watson.

Time Out of Mind (Oren Moverman), USA, World Premiere. George, a man on the decline, enters the New York City homeless shelter system when he runs out of options. George struggles to navigate his way through this new world with the help of Dixon, a shelter veteran while trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Maggie. Starring Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone, Kyra Sedgwick, Jeremy Strong, Yul Vasquez, Coleman Domingo, Geraldine Hughes, Michael Kenneth Williams and Steve Buscemi.

Top Five (Chris Rock), USA, World Premiere. Written, directed by, and starring Chris Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist forces him to confront both the career that made him famous and the life he left behind. Starring Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharoah, Anders Holm and Michael Che. And featuring music by Questlove.

While We’re Young (Noah Baumbach), USA, World Premiere. Noah Baumbach’s exploration of aging, ambition and success, stars Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as a middle-aged couple whose career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives. Also starring Amanda Seyfried, Adam Driver, Charles Grodin, Maria Dizzia and Adam Horovitz.

Whiplash (Damien Chazelle), USA, Canadian Premiere. Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite East Coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability – and his sanity. Starring Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang, Max Kasch and Damon Gupton.

Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) (Damian Szifron), Argentina/Spain, Canadian Premiere. More than living up to its title, director Dami·n Szifron’s compendium of outrageous, hilarious and truly bizarre anecdotes offers a
subversive, blackly comic portrait of contemporary Argentina. Starring Ricardo Darin, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Erica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg and Dario Grandinetti.