SCI-FI-LONDON’s 48 Hour Film Challenge is looking for the next Gareth Edwards

Since 2009, SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival has run a 48 Hour Film Challenge where participants script, shoot, edit and complete a short format science fiction or fantasy film. In 2008 the winning submission came from a young, London-based director named Gareth Edwards.

Gareth’s début feature was the multiple award-winning MONSTERS – the project being green-lit due to Vertigo Films seeing his winning 48 hour short film at SCI-FI-LONDON. They were so impressed with what he achieved in just two days and no budget that they decided to develop a feature film with him.

Our 2011 challenge not only sees Gareth on the jury, but the producer of MONSTERS and head of Vertigo Films, Allan Niblo, also joins us.

In our 10th anniversary year, SCI-FI-LONDON is delighted to announce that the challenge’s first prize is a development deal with Vertigo Films. The 2011 winner will have the opportunity to develop a feature film with the creators of STREETDANCE 3D and MONSTERS.

Vertigo will either develop the winning short film into a feature, or develop an alternative concept from a slate of projects the filmmaker will be asked to pitch to the team.

Also new for 2011 is an Under 21 category run in conjunction with the BFI Future Film Festival. Prizes for this section include the winning film being screened at the BFI Southbank.

Did we mention our amazing jury?

• Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim)
• Mary Lambert (Pet Cemetery, Dark Path)
• Gareth Edwards (Monsters)
• Todd Brown (Editor, Twitchfilm.net)
• Allan Niblo (Head of Vertigo Films)
• Rosie Fletcher (News Editor, Total Film)

Taking part is free and easy...
Our film challenge is FREE TO ENTER – it seems wrong to ask for money, it’s hard enough work as it is! We give out a randomly generated film title, some dialogue and a prop list. Participants then have just 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a complete five minute film.

The SCI-FI-LONDON 48 Hour Film Challenge takes place 2 – 4 April, 2011 at the Apollo Piccadilly Circus.

This year’s festival runs Saturday 23 April – Monday 2 May, 2011.

Full details will be available soon and on www.sci-fi-london.com.

See the first two minutes of Rio

Fox has just released the first two minutes of their upcoming animated feature, Rio. All you need to do is click play below.

To watch this video, you need the latest Flash-Player and active javascript in your browser.

RIO is a 3D motion picture event from Blue Sky Studios, the makers of the “Ice Age” films and one of the most successful producers of animated feature films in the world. The comedy-adventure centers on Blu, a rare macaw who leaves the comforts of his cage in small town Minnesota for the exotic wonders of Rio de Janeiro. But Blu’s new life and adventures in Rio are complicated by the fact that he can’t fly. Lucky for Blu, his new menagerie of friends are ready to help him find his inner-hero – and teach him what it really means to soar.

Rio is released 8 April 2011
TM and © 2009 Fox and its related entities.

See some of Mel Gibson's beaver

Finally, after over a year since filming finished, Icon has released a couple of images for Mel Gibson's and Jodie Foster's new film. The Beaver. After a couple of allegations against Gibson the film was delayed from sometime last March to "Sometime this year"

Two-time Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson in THE BEAVER - an emotional... Two-time Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson in THE BEAVER - an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life.

Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can't seem to get himself back on track...until a beaver hand puppet enters his life

Hitting UK cinemas sometime in 2011

UK website

© Icon Film Distribution Limited, 2011 All Rights Reserved

The SAG awards

The award season is swinging into high gear with the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The film awards went, more or less, as expected with The King's Speech, Black Swan and The Fighter winning the awards.  It's still looks good for Colin Firth to get the Best Actor Oscar at the end of the month.

On the lighter side, I'm happy that Ernest Borgnine won the "I'm not dead", sorry Lifetime achievement, award.

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
COLIN FIRTH / King George VI - "THE KING’S SPEECH" (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
NATALIE PORTMAN / Nina Sayers – “BLACK SWAN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CHRISTIAN BALE / Dicky Eklund – “THE FIGHTER” (Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
MELISSA LEO / Alice Ward – “THE FIGHTER” (Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE KING’S SPEECH (The Weinstein Company)

ANTHONY ANDREWS / Stanley Baldwin
HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Queen Elizabeth
JENNIFER EHLE / Myrtle Logue
COLIN FIRTH / King George VI
MICHAEL GAMBON / King George V
DEREK JACOBI / Archbishop Cosmo Lang
GUY PEARCE / King Edward VIII
GEOFFREY RUSH / Lionel Logue
TIMOTHY SPALL / Winston Churchill

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
AL PACINO / Jack Kevorkian – “YOU DON’T KNOW JACK” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
CLAIRE DANES / Temple Grandin – “TEMPLE GRANDIN” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STEVE BUSCEMI / Nucky Thompson – “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky – “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)

GREG ANTONACCI / Johnny Torrio
STEVE BUSCEMI / Nucky Thompson
DABNEY COLEMAN / Commodore Louis Kaestner
PAZ DE LA HUERTA / Lucy Danzinger
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler
KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Schroeder
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
ALEKSA PALLADINO / Angela Darmody
VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano
MICHAEL PITT / Jimmy Darmody
MICHAEL SHANNON / Agent Nelson Van Alden
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein?ERIK WEINER / Agent Sebso
SHEA WHIGHAM / Sheriff Elias Thompson

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
INCEPTION (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Screen Actors Guild Awards 47th Annual Life Achievement Award
Ernest Borgnine

FREE BAFTA-NOMINATED FILM SCREENINGS FOR ORANGE CUSTOMERS AT APOLLO CINEMAS AND CINEWORLD

To celebrate the lead up to the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2011, Orange is offering all customers who go to see the Orange Wednesdays ‘Film of the Week’ Hereafter on Wednesday 2 February, two free tickets to an exclusive week of screenings at Apollo and Cineworld cinemas throughout the UK starting Monday 7 February.

Apollo cinemas will be focusing on the best of homegrown talent, showing films nominated in the ‘Outstanding British Film’ category including 127 Hours, Another Year, Four Lions, The King’s Speech, Made in Dagenham. Cineworld will be showcasing films starring nominees for the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star award such as Gemma Arterton (Tamara Drewe), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Tom Hardy (Inception), Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) and Emma Stone (Easy A).

As well as free tickets, Orange customers will be able to take advantage of PizzaExpress’ 2 for 1 offer on pizza and dough balls throughout the entire week, specially extended from just Wednesdays.

Orange customers who go to see Orange Wednesdays ‘Film of the Week’ will be sent a text with an SMS code allowing them to access an online box office. Here they can book a pair of free tickets to a whole host of special screenings of BAFTA-nominated films, as well as those starring Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award nominees Gemma Arterton, Andrew Garfield, Tom Hardy, Aaron Johnson and Emma Stone.

The free screenings will take place nationwide between Sunday 6 February and Friday 11 February, at selected Apollo and Cineworld cinemas across the UK.

For more information on the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award and to vote, visit www.orange.co.uk/bafta.

Those with tickets to Cineworld screenings will be able to see the following films;
6pm for 6.30pm

• 7th Feb: Tamara Drewe
• 8th Feb: Kick Ass
• 9th Feb: Social Network
• 10th Feb: Easy A
• 11th Feb: Inception

Participating cinemas are Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Crawley, Didsbury, Edinburgh, Enfield, Glasgow Renfrew Street, Ipswich, Llandudno, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stevenage & Wandsworth.

Apollo will be hosting the following screenings;
(Sunday 6th Feb – Thursday 10th Feb 11th Feb), 8.30pm for 9pm

• 6th Feb: 127 hours
• 7th Feb: The King’s Speech
• 8th Feb: Another Year
• 9th Feb: Four Lions
• 10th Feb: Made in Dagenham

Participating cinemas are Piccadilly Circus, Fareham, Leamington, Burnley, Carmarthen, Altrincham, Barrow, Morecambe, Port Talbot, Redditch, Rhyl, Stafford, Stroud & Torbay.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday 13 February.

Hall Pass Revoked?

If you like The Farrelly Brothers films then you will probably like this one. Hopefully it will be more Something About Mary than Me, Myself & Irene (they acknowledge this as their worst film) but you can never rarely tell from a trailer how good / bad a film actually is.

Warner Bros has released the poster, some images and a trailer (see below) from the film so you can make up your own mind.

Best buds Rick and Fred (Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis) have both been married for many years. When they begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalize their marriages: they grant the guys a “hall pass,” one week of freedom to do whatever they want. No questions asked.

At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred, but they quickly discover that their expectations of the single life—and themselves—are completely and hilariously out of sync with reality.

“Hall Pass,” a new comedy from the Farrelly brothers (“There’s Something About Mary,” “Dumb and Dumber”), stars Owen Wilson (“Wedding Crashers,” “Marley & Me”) as Rick, and Jason Sudeikis (“What Happens in Vegas,” “Going the Distance”) as Fred. Jenna Fischer (TV’s “The Office”) stars as Rick’s wife, Maggie; Richard Jenkins (“Step Brothers”) as the guys’ old friend, perpetual bachelor Coakley; and Christina Applegate (“Going the Distance,” TV’s “Samantha Who?”) as Fred’s wife, Grace.

“Hall Pass” is directed and produced by Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly, from a screenplay by Pete Jones & Peter Farrelly & Kevin Barnett & Bobby Farrelly, story by Pete Jones. Re-teaming with the Farrellys are producer Bradley Thomas and executive producer Marc S. Fischer, who collaborated with the Farrellys on their hit comedies “There’s Something About Mary” and “Shallow Hall.” Also serving as executive producers are Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener and Merideth Finn, with co-producers Mark Charpentier and John Rickard.

In Cinemas March 11, 2011
Facebook ~ Official Website
© 2011 Warner Bros Entertainment All Rights Reserved.

More from the Rite

Warner Bros has released some new images for the upcoming Anthony Hopkins film, The Rite

Inspired by true events, “The Rite” follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O’Donoghue), who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While in Rome, he meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith.

Directed by Mikael Håfström (“1408”), “The Rite” is a supernatural thriller that uncovers the devil’s reach to even one of the holiest places on Earth. The film stars Oscar® winner Anthony Hopkins (“Silence of the Lambs,” “Wolfman”), Colin O’Donoghue in his feature film debut, Alice Braga (“Predators”), Ciarán Hinds (HBO’s “Rome,” upcoming “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” films), Toby Jones (“Frost/Nixon,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”) and Rutger Hauer (“Batman Begins,” “Blade Runner”).

Find out more at the Official Website or on Facebook
Released into UK cinemas on 25 February, 2011
© Warner Bros Pictures