Georgia Film Critics Announce Dates for 2014 Awards

The Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) has released the dates for their 2014 awards.

Nominees will be announced the morning of Monday, January 5th, 2015. At the other bookend of that  same work-week, winners will be revealed on the morning of Friday, January 9th, 2015. The critics group uses their Twitter account to release the nominees and winners gradually, followed by the complete listing on their website.

This will be the fourth awards presentation for the GFCA. Founded at the tail end of 2011, Best Picture honors have been bestowed on films "The Tree of Life," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Her." Fourteen film critics across print, television and digital media are included in the group.

More information can be found at the GFCA website, www.georgiafilmcritics.org.

Sidewalk review: "Hide Your Smiling Faces" (****½)

Ryan Jones stars in "Hide Your Smiling Faces"

Having heard great things out of Berlinale and Tribeca, Daniel Patrick Carbone's "Hide Your Smiling Faces" was one of the most alluring prospects at this year's Sidewalk Film Festival. Shot in northern New Jersey, an incredible, rustic beauty that isn't usually associated with the state—at least the northern half—is evident in every frame. The landscape is wild and overgrown, looking as though it could have been shot on the slopes of Lookout Mountain. The setting is as much a main player as the two young stars, Nathan Varnson and Ryan Jones (playing brothers Eric and Tommy, respectively), who rarely give you a moment to turn your eyes away from their lead.

Atlanta review: "Mud" (****½)

Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey and Jacob Lofland star in "Mud"

Filmmaker Jeff Nichols has made a name for himself crafting nuanced stories that capture the Southern experience in whatever form it may take. In 2011, Nichols and his stars, Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, received a myriad of honors for "Take Shelter" (including the coveted #10 spot on my year-end list). His latest feature, "Mud," debuted at Cannes to acclaim from critics and audiences alike– setting off on an impressive buzz ride leading up to its theatrical release next month.

My Oscar predictions, 2012 (Update: 19/24)

Jean Dujardin stars in "The Artist"

And so goes another Oscar ceremony. I thought this year's awards were a classy, subtle show. There weren't gimmicks or desperate grabs for a younger audience. Billy Crystal was casual and charming. As far as surprises go, there were only two for me... "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" winning Best Film Editing and Meryl Streep taking home her third Oscar. Well, I'm sad for perceived frontrunner Viola Davis, but she'll have her Oscar soon. Streep went 12 nominations in a row without winning, so I'll let her have it. Maybe now there won't be a seemingly annual threat of Streep taking a statuette from another deserving actress. (Although, if she deserves it, she deserves it.)

My predictions were pretty good this year. I got 19 out of 24 correct and four of the winners in my missed categories were my alternate picks (Film Editing being the only complete flub).

Best Picture

"The Artist" WINNER (alt. "Hugo")

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist" WINNER (alt. Martin Scorsese, "Hugo")

Best Actor
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist" WINNER (alt. George Clooney, "The Descendants")

Best Actress
Viola Davis, "The Help" (alt. Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady" WINNER)

My dream Oscar ballot, 2012

The 84th Academy Awards are this Sunday and though you've already seen my top 20 films of 2011, I also want to share what I would've nominated in other categories. While my ten Best Picture nominees are my top ten films; my other 'nominees' have shifted a lot in the past couple of months since I've been able to revisit certain films, catch some that I missed earlier and really get to see certain players make their case on the press circuit. It's a fun time of year, but I'm looking forward to some resolution on Sunday. Anyway, here is my 'dream Oscar ballot.'

AJFF: "Intimate Grammar" (****1/2)

Roee Elsberg and Evelyn Kaplun star in "Intimate Grammar"

Many great films polarize their audience more than a presidential election. Take 2011, for instance. We had "The Tree of Life," "Melancholia" and "The Artist" seemingly split audiences down the middle between undying love and intense hatred. "Intimate Grammar" seems to be one of these films. While it is usually easier to tell why so many people fail to connect with a film that is loved by some; in this case, I just can't figure it out.

Nir Bergman's "Intimate Grammar," based on a beloved 1991 novel by David Grossman, is a beautiful film. While not an overly complicated film, each character boils over with complexities and the growing pains of a young nation are mirrored in the growing pains, both physical and emotional, of a young boy.

The Best Films of 2011

A lot of movie pundits have agreed to label 2011 as a weak year. I suppose I see where they are coming from. I can only claim to love just a few of 2011's releases, but I sure did like a lot. Titles like "Certified Copy," "Melancholia," "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "We Need to Talk About Kevin" showcased crisp and intelligent European cinema as good as anything else in the past several years. Commercial American films such as "Contagion," "Hugo" and "Moneyball" paired sharp screenplays with excellent visuals. Independent cinema shined too, with films like "Martha Marcy May Marlene," "Take Shelter" and "Sahkanaga" standing out. One film, however, stands heads and tails above the rest.

After years of doing this, one usually develops a sense of how strong or weak the year in film is pretty early on. But once you start going back and compiling a list of accolades, each year seems strong in it's own right. Check out my top twenty films of 2011 after the jump.

"The Tree of Life" dominates first ever Georgia Film Critics Awards

"The Tree of Life" won 6 awards out of 8 nominations.

You can now add Georgia to the list of states and cities around the country that boast their own film critics groups and award presentations. The Georgia Film Critics Association released their slate of nominees for their inaugural awards last week and just this evening announced the winners. Although both "The Tree of Life" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" led the way with eight nominations each, the former received the lion's share of prizes with a total of six. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was awarded Best Ensemble. "War Horse" won Best Score out of six nominations and both "Moneyball" and "Certified Copy" took home two awards each.

Brad Pitt won both Best Actor (for "Moneyball") and Best Supporting Actor (for "The Tree of Life"), while Juliette Binoche won Best Actress (for "Certified Copy") and newcomer Jessica Chastain was awarded prizes for Best Supporting Actress (for "The Tree of Life") and Breakthrough. Chastain bested fellow "The Tree of Life" star Hunter McCracken, British actor Tom Hiddleston ("Midnight in Paris," "Thor" & "War Horse"), as well as actors-turned-filmmakers Josh Radnor ("Happythankyoumoreplease") and Richard Ayoade ("Submarine") in the Breakthrough category.

Other awards went to "The Adventures of Tintin," "Midnight in Paris," "The Muppets," the Georgia-made "Sahkanaga" and racing documentary "Senna."

See the full list of winners and nominees after the jump.