Film directors pick nominees for best movie

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood’s Oscar race narrowed further on Monday when a key directors’ group picked their top five movies and filmmakers, including David Fincher with his Facebook film “The Social Network.”

The Directors Guild of America, which represents men and women who make movies, also put the makers of “Black Swan,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter” and “Inception” on its list of nominees for best directing efforts of 2010.

“Their inspired films radiate the passion and unique vision of each of these filmmakers, who are about to become part of our Guild’s rich history. My sincerest congratulations to all five nominees,” DGA president Taylor Hackford said in a statement, noting 2011 marks the group’s 75th anniversary.

The DGA honor is important because it is one of the most prestigious honors in the U.S. film industry, and because there is a strong correlation between DGA nominees and directors who will vie for Oscars, the world’s top movie honors.

In all but six years since the DGA began giving out awards in 1948, its winner of best director has won the Academy Award, and traditionally the winner of best director has often seen his or her film go on to take best movie from Oscar organizers at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Last year’s DGA winner, Kathryn Bigelow with “The Hurt Locker,” for instance, also claimed the best director Oscar and her Iraq war film took home best motion picture.

“The Social Network,” a fast-paced movie that tells of the founding of website Facebook, already has been named best movie by numerous U.S. critics groups and on Saturday, the National Society of Film Critics also named it the No. 1 film.

Numerous other groups have made their choices, and still others like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with its Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild will name their winners later this month. Taken together, the critics and industry groups help narrow pundits’ picks for Oscars.

Fincher and his movie face strong competition from drama “Black Swan,” directed by Darren Aronofsky and telling of a woman on a journey of self-discovery through her dancing.

Director Tom Hooper’s “The King Speech,” a period drama detailing how Britain’s King George VI worked to overcome his stammering, has strong support among Oscar pundits.

Boxing film “The Fighter,” from David O. Russell, also figures prominently in the awards sweepstakes, and the DGA’s fifth nominee, Christopher Nolan and thriller “Inception,” has a loyal fan base owing to his mega-hit Batman movies.

The DGA gives out its awards on Jan. 29. Oscar nominees are named on Jan. 25, and their ceremony takes place on Feb. 27.

Apsara Awards to be the first award ceremony of 2011

The Film & Television Producers Guild of India recently announced the 6th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards to be held in the first week of January 2011. In conjunction with Viacom18′s Hindi General Entertainment Channel COLORS and Wizcraft International, the producers and conceptualizers of the Awards, Apsara will bring together the top talent from the world of films and television onto a single platform recognising their combined effort and significant impact on the entertainment industry for the year 2010.
The exclusive awards function will host many of the crème de la crème from the Television and Film Industry, who will come to celebrate, support and pay tribute to the accomplishments of their peers.
“The goal of Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards is to celebrate the success of the Indian entertainment Industry and to felicitate those who have made a significant contribution in its stupendous growth. By honouring this incredible group who have taken charge in reforming our entertainment landscape, we hope to inspire and empower everyone to continue with the work that has left the whole world mesmerized,” says Mr. Ramesh Sippy, President of the Guild.
Gaurav Gandhi, Chief Commercial Officer & Head Intl Business Viacom18 Group from COLORS said, “COLORS is delighted to be the Global Broadcast Partner for the Apsara Awards that brings together the entire Indian entertainment fraternity on the same platform. Given COLORS’ strong and deep-rooted association with Indian Television and Bollywood, we are honoured to felicitate excellence in the work being done by the industry stalwarts.”
Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Ltd said, “The Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards will showcase a spectacle that comprises of stunning performances by the biggest stars from Indian cinema. It is a matter of a great pride for us to partner with the Guild in bringing together these coveted awards function. This is the 6th Apsara Awards and we are truly honoured to bring forward the legacy of such an esteemed industry yet again.”
Established by the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, the awards were initiated to honour exceptional talent and breed new potential within the film and television fraternity. Having garnered great popularity and success since the first awards in 2004, the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards have acknowledged talent, perseverance, innovation and pure artistry. In the last five years, they have gained enormous momentum, receiving a large response from the Film & Television circles, reflected in the growing volume of entries received, year after year.
Apsara Awards will be telecast on 23rd January 2011 on COLORS with stellar performances by top actors and actresses from the industry.

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Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010, Sag Awards 2010: Join Zap2it Saturday night to bring you minute-by-minute action of the 2010 Screen Actors Guild awards.

The red carpet starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT live on E! The awards immediately follow at 8 p.m. ET live on TBS and TNT. Join Zap2it’s chat starting at 5 p.m. PT and see if your favorite actors and actresses take home the SAG awards.

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Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010 was first posted on January 24, 2010 at 10:00 am.