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On The Scene: Highlights From The Gotham Awards Winners Room

by The Knockturnal
written by The Knockturnal

The Knockturnal was on the scene in the winners room at the 2021 Gotham Awards.  

The Gotham Awards, one of the leading honors for independent film and television, provides early acknowledgement to groundbreaking independent films and television series. Selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, the Gotham Awards are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that The Gotham Film & Media Institute does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.

Additionally announced during the ceremony:

The Questlove Gotham EDU Scholarship

Questlove announced the creation of a $150,000 scholarship fund earmarked for HBCU students’ tuition and to allow participation in the Gotham EDU suite of programs and mentor support. The award is supported by iHeartMedia.

Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase

Tessa Thompson announced the winners of the third annual showcase supported by sponsoring partners Focus Features and JetBlue. The program is designed to discover and empower a diverse group of emerging filmmakers and foster multi-platform distribution of their work. Each winner receives a $10,000 grant and have their films shown for twelve months on JetBlue’s seatback entertainment systems under the “Gotham Selects” movie category and on Focus Features digital streaming platforms. Throughout 2022, winning filmmakers will also receive ongoing mentorship and workshopping opportunities from The Gotham.

 

The winning filmmakers and shorts were:

 

·      Evan Bode, Thine Own Self, Syracuse University

·      Jorge G. Camarena, Spaceship, American Film Institute

·      Akanksha Chawla, Close Ties to Home Country, Columbia College

·      Jun Hee Han, Uncle, University of California, Los Angeles

·      J. Sean Smith, #Whitina, University of Southern California

An Ensemble Tribute (presented by Jeymes Samuel) was given to the cast of The Harder They Fall, including Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole with Regina King and Idris Elba.

Check out our interviews with Jeymes, Deon Cole & Zazie Beetz in the winners room:

The 31st Annual Gotham Award recipients are:

 

For Best Feature, presented by Dakota Johnson

The Lost Daughter

Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal

Produced by Osnat Handelsman Keren, Talia Kleinhendler, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Charles Dorfman

Released by Netflix

The Best Feature jury included Jason Mitchell, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Adele Romanski, Peter Saraf, and Cathy Yan.

 

 

For Best Documentary, presented by Devery Jacobs and Michael Greyeyes

Flee

Directed Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Produced Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen, and Charlotte De La Gournerie

Released by NEON

The Best Documentary jury included Bonni Cohen, Ramona Diaz, Kirsten Johnson, Roger Ross Williams, and Hao Wu.

Check out our exclusive interview with the Flee team in the winners room!

For Best International Feature, presented Thandiwe Newton

Drive My Car

Directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

Produced by Teruhisa Yamamoto

Released by Sideshow and Janus Films

 

The Best International Feature jury included Jimmie Fails, Eliza Hittman, Orion Lee, Jonathan Raymond, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

For Outstanding Lead Performance, presented by Dan Levy

To two performers:

Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter

Released by Netflix

 

and

 

Frankie Faison in The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Released by Gravitas Ventures

The Outstanding Lead Performance jury included Aldis Hodge, Tamara Jenkins, Avy Kaufman, Lisa Kjerulff, and KiKi Layne.

Check out our exclusive interview with winner Frankie below from the Winners Room.

For Outstanding Supporting Performance, presented by Daveed Diggs

 

 

Troy Kotsur in CODA

Released by Apple TV+

The Outstanding Supporting Performance jury included Michael Beach, M. Blair Breard, Blythe Danner, Rob Morgan, and Crystal Moselle.

 

 

For Breakthrough Performer, presented by Moses Ingram

Emilia Jones in CODA

Released by Apple TV+

The Breakthrough Performer jury included Matt Bomer, Yolonda Ross, Isabel Sandoval, Shari Springer Berman, and Katherine Waterston.

For Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director, presented by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Lost Daughter

Released by Netflix

The Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director jury included Anne Carey, Helena Howard, Famke Janssen, John Turturro, and Phillip Youmans.

Check out our exclusive interview with Emilia Jones in the Winners Room right after her big win!

For Best Screenplay, presented by Joe Wright

Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Lost Daughter

Released by Netflix

For Breakthrough Series (Over 40 Minutes), presented by Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur

Squid Game

Executive Produced by Kim Ji-yeon and Hwang Dong-hyuk

Netflix

The Breakthrough Series (Over 40 Minutes) jury included Jasmine Batchelor, Eli Goree, Mike Harrop, Amy Koppelman, and Paul Mezey.

Check out what the Squid Game cast told us in the winners room: 

For Breakthrough Series (Under 40 Minutes), presented by Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur

Reservation Dogs

Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi

Executive Produced by Taika Waititi, Sterlin Harjo, and Garrett Basch

FX

The Breakthrough Series (Under 40 Minutes) jury included Adam Goldman, Anna Konkle, Jenni Konner, Victoria Mahoney, and Jonathan Majors

 

 

For Breakthrough Nonfiction Series, presented by Jung Ho-yeun

Philly D.A.

Created by Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, and Nicole Salazar

Executive Produced by Dawn Porter, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Ryan Chanatry, Gena Konstantinakos, Jeff Seelbach, and Patty Quillin

Topic, Independent Lens, PBS

The Breakthrough Nonfiction Series jury included Andrew Jarecki, Laura Ricciardi, Bernardo Ruiz, Elyse Steinberg, and Tracy Heather Strain.

Check out our interviews with “Philly D.A.” directors Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicola Salazar about their @thegotham awards win!

 

 

The Premier Sponsor of the 2021 Gotham Awards was The New York Times and the Platinum Sponsors were GreenSlate and AV Club. The Official Auto Partner was Cadillac, the Official Water Partner was FIJI Water, the Official Airline Partner was JetBlue, the Official Wine Partner was Robert Hall Winery, and the Official Tequila Partner was Komos Tequila.

Photo Credit: John Nacion

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On The Scene: Highlights From the Gotham Awards Red Carpet [Part 2]

by The Knockturnal
written by The Knockturnal

 

The Gotham Film & Media Institute (The Gotham) announced the winners of the 31st Annual Gotham Awards at a ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

The Knockturnal was on the red carpet of course.

 

Natalie Morales was nominated for Breakthrough Performer in Language Lessons (Shout! Studios). She spoke about making an independent film with her friend Mark Duplass.

Devery Jacobs of Reservation Dogs spoke about the importance of her new show and representation.

Actress Midori Frances spoke about working on HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls.

Next up we spoke with some of the producer’s of Summer Of Soul. Summer Of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson was in attendance. Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent, David Dinerstein, producers (Searchlight Pictures, Onyx Collective, Hulu) chatted with us below.

How To With John Wilson was nominated for Breakthrough Nonfiction Series. John Wilson, creator was nominated in addition to Nathan Fielder, John Wilson, Michael Koman, Clark Reinking, executive producers (HBO/HBO Max).

Sean Baker’s Red Rocket was nominated for three Gotham Awards. We spoke with star Bree Elrod on the carpet.

On the red carpet we also spoke with Moses Ingram, who stars in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show. She looked fantastic in Thom Browne.

Actor Reed Birney spoke about starring in Mass. He was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Performance.

Michael Greyeyes was nominated for Rutherford Falls and Wild Indian. Check out what he had to say about both projects below!

Joshua Caleb Johnson talked starring in Showtime’s The Good Lord Bird. 

 

Brandon Micheal Hall talked about starring in Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind on Broadway.

Producer Kieran Altmann talked Shiva Baby being nominated.

The Premier Sponsor of the 2021 Gotham Awards was The New York Times and the Platinum Sponsors were GreenSlate and AV Club. The Official Auto Partner was Cadillac, the Official Water Partner was FIJI Water, the Official Airline Partner was JetBlue, the Official Wine Partner was Robert Hall Winery, and the Official Tequila Partner was Komos Tequila.

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EntertainmentFilmThe KontendersThe Latest

On The Scene: Highlights From the Gotham Awards Red Carpet [Part 1]

by The Knockturnal
written by The Knockturnal

The Gotham Film & Media Institute (The Gotham) announced the winners of the 31st Annual Gotham Awards at a ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

The Lost Daughter won four awards including Best Feature. Squid Game and Reservation Dogs won series awards and Olivia Colman, Frankie Faison, Ethan Hawke, Thuso Mbedu, Emilia Jones, & Troy Kotsur won performance awards.

The Gotham Awards, one of the leading honors for independent film and television, provides early acknowledgement to groundbreaking independent films and television series. Selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, the Gotham Awards are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that The Gotham Film & Media Institute does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.

 

Kino Lorber’s Test Pattern director  Shatara Michelle Ford was nominated for the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award. The film was also nominated for Best Feature. Actress Brittany S. Hall was nominated for outstanding lead performance.  We spoke with Brittany on the red carpet. Check out our interviews below: 

We also spoke with Test Pattern producer Pin-Chun Liu. Get to know more about her career below:

We also spoke with filmmaker Jessica Beshir. The Janus Films release Faya Dayi was nominated for best documentary. Check out what she had to say about working on her debut film:

Next up we spoke with Jeremy O. Harris. He co-wrote Zola and is best known for Slave Play. He spoke about working on Zola, appearing in the Emily in Paris new season and the Gossip Girl reboot. He has so many exciting upcoming projects and we even spotted him chatting with Jennifer Coolidge about a potential role in his next play. Taylour Paige and Colman Domingo were nominated for their performance in Zola. 

In the Breakthrough Series – Short Format (under 40 minutes) Blindspotting was nominated. The Starz show was created by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs. It is EP’d by Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Tim Palen, Emily Gerson Saines, Seith Mann. We spoke with Rafael and Daveed on the red carpet. They said season 2 is in the works and they are trying out new concepts for it! 

Another Starz show Run the World was also nominated in the same category. Leigh Davenport, creator; Yvette Lee Bowser, Leigh Davenport, Nastaran Dibai, executive producers were acknowledged. We spoke with Leigh and cast Bresha Webb, Amber Stevens West and Corbin Reid on the red carpet. Check out our chat below:

The Premier Sponsor of the 2021 Gotham Awards was The New York Times and the Platinum Sponsors were GreenSlate and AV Club. The Official Auto Partner was Cadillac, the Official Water Partner was FIJI Water, the Official Airline Partner was JetBlue, the Official Wine Partner was Robert Hall Winery, and the Official Tequila Partner was Komos Tequila.

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Exclusive: Ruth Negga, Andre Holland, Nina Yang Bongiovi & Rebecca Hall Talk ‘Passing’ at NYFF Premiere [Video]

by The Knockturnal
written by The Knockturnal

The Knockturnal was on the scene for the NYFF premiere of Director/Producer/Writer Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” at Alice Tully Hall. 

Cast Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga and Andre Holland were in attendance. They were joined by producers Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker and Margot Hand.

Lesli Klainberg (FLC Executive Director), Eugene Hernandez (Director of NYFF) and Dennis Lim (FLC & NYFF Director of Programming) were also in attendance.

The Netflix release and awards season contender is based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel Passing. Writer/Director Rebecca Hall makes an impressive debut with this beautifully shot black and white picture. Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga play as middle-class reacquainted childhood friends Irene and Clare whose lives have taken divergent paths. Clare has decided to “pass” as white to maintain her social standing, even hiding her identity from her racist white husband, John (Alexander Skarsgård); Irene, on the other hand, is married to a prominent Black doctor, Brian (André Holland), who is initially horrified at Clare’s choices.

Thompson told reporters on the red carpet, “I feel so privileged to be in this film, to be screening it at New York Film Festival and I’m so excited and nervous for people to see it. To be honest – I’ve missed cinema, I’ve missed gathering and to watch stories collectively. So I’m also so excited to get to do that, never mind that it’s a film that I’m proud of.” She spoke on the film’s themes. “Yes completely there are themes of race and gender. But, I also think it’s a film that is about ways in which we all pass, which is to say that sometimes we don’t allow ourselves to be the fullest expression of who we are – we pretend to be things that we are not and that is a kind of prison in a way … you could read the source material Nella’s Larson beautiful slim 93 pages of a novela and then soon Clare’s character is passing. In fact Irene (the character I play) I think is passing for so many things. I think it’s like a cautionary tale … you are privileged enough to live in a time where you can really show up and be who you are. It’s probably the best thing to try and do for everyone’s sanity.”

We also spoke with EP Joseph Restaino. He shared, “as soon as I read it I just fell in love with the script, the story, Rebecca Hall’s vision. And then I spoke Nina Yang Bongiovi. I’ve been following her and I wanted to work with her – and I
really enjoyed talking to her about the story and I could just see this being very cinematic and meaningful. We like new films that are very important and this felt like that … This is my first time at the New York Film festival and actually seeing
a film on the big screen, it was awesome. It was a great screening, a lot of energy, the audience seemed thrilled with the movie, and we’re excited for it be released soon via Netflix.”

A fantastic party followed at the Empire Hotel Roof where guests celebrated the NYFF premiere and Tessa Thompson’s birthday. DJ MOS was on the turntables.

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