Cannes Film Festival 2015 - Internship with Odin's Eye Entertainment

I recently attended the 2015 Cannes Film Festival undertaking an internship with Odin's Eye Entertainment and as part of my internship, produced the following report on my experiences.

A good read for anyone considering attending the marketing the future:

Working with Odin’s Eye Entertainment at the Cannes Film Festival is a fantastic opportunity for any emerging producer who wants to gain a more in-depth knowledge of the international film market. Odin's Eye Entertainment is a vertically integrated media company encompassing international film and television sales, production, distribution and marketing. For the first time this year, they were attending the market both as a sales company and a production company, representing their debut feature film, The Legend of Ben Hall.

Having attended the Cannes Film Festival Market in 2013, I had a thorough understanding of the complicated and chaotic environment. I was able to perform my duties with Odin’s Eye more confidently and take advantage of my visit to develop new relationships with key stakeholders in the industry and attend networking events.

My role at the market was to assist in the day-to-day operations of the stall including coordinating the schedules of the Odin’s Eye team; liaising with the screening department; and providing support to the team.

One of my key responsibilities was analysing producers’ pitches before allocating them a meeting with one of our team. Having a sound understanding of Odin’s Eye’s slate, I learned quickly how to evaluate whether a project would be suitable for the company or not. I evaluated based on its financial and/or development status; the creative team attached and their filmmaking experience; and how strong the script was. I learnt how important it is for producers to understand where their film fits in to the wider market before approaching sales companies or distributors: you cannot just pitch your film to a sales agent to tick boxes. You need to do your research and make sure your film fits that company’s profile.

By completing the internship, I now have a solid understanding of what films sell both nationally and internationally; what phase of development/production they need to be in to be considered by a sales company; the dos and don’ts of pitching to prospective buyers; the importance of film festivals and the effect they can have on a film’s success commercially and critically; and what options there are for producers whose film doesn’t fit the typical commercial distribution model.

Odin’s Eye Founder Michael Favelle said:

ScreenWest has consistently put forward high quality emerging producers for our Cannes internship program and this year was no exception. Maya was an invaluable addition to our 2015 Cannes team and I'm sure we equally benefited from the experience. Maya will no doubt become a formidable producer in years to come and we hope to have the chance to bring her projects to the world as their sales agent and or distributor.

ScreenWest supported Maya to attend 2015 Cannes through the Travel Assistance - Skills Development & Exposure Fund.

Tango Underpants Online

So this happened agggeeesss ago and I totally forgot to write a post on it (mainly because I was too busy getting ready for Cannes, prepping our digital campaign for our next short film Library of Love, etc), but Tango Underpants IS ONLINE!!! Whilst many of you probably won't understand the significance of this event compared to all the other wonderfully amazing things that have happened with this film to date (QANTAS, Best Sexy Film at New York BeFilm Fest, Cannes Cinephiles to name a few), it is significant for me and here's why.

I came on board as the film's digital manager way back when in 2012 just before our crowdfunding campaign launched. As part of our application for the program, I had to devise a digital strategy and implement it prior to, during, and post-filming. I have continued to manage all digital facets of the film since then making this my longest running commitment to date (my boyfriend and I haven't been going out quite that long yet).

Over 3 years, I've managed the initial set up of our digital assets, community development, brainstormed engagement activities, sourced online content, covered major achievements, monitored online sentiments, and striven to enhance the film's online profile as much as humanly possible. To date, our Facebook page has 962 likes; our Twitter account has 234 followers; our newsletter has over 250 subscribers; our website has had over 11, 500 page views to date; and the film has garnered over 4,500 views in 4 weeks. With a very small budget (I don't think I spent more than $100 in 3 years advertising any of these platforms), and not being able to commit to this full-time due to other work, I am proud of these stats and overall, pleasantly content with the overall results.

I'm sure I will never be completely finished with Tango but with our new film, Library of Love, soon to hit production, it will become less of a primary focus for me over the next few months. Working on the film as both its digital manager and production manager was an amazing experience and I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the best people in the business as a result. I'm looking forward to working with them on LoL and can't wait to see what we can all do together for a second time around.

For now, here is Tango Underpants, the full short film, from YouTube.

Launching The Angry Man Series

Its been a while since I've produced anything - 3 years to be exact - but creating The Angry Man Series has been a great way to step back into this role I love. Capping that off has been the experience of launching said series just last week March 3 2015 at 6pmWST.

The launch was always going to be a tricky event for us to manage. How many episodes do we release? Which platforms? Is there potential for return on investment if we put any money into it? Etc, etc. These decisions were based a lot on the previous outcomes of Australian web series launched recently our own gut feelings about how our audience would respond (especially important). In the end, this was the plan prior to the launch:

1. Release all 6 episodes via YouTube, Vimeo and our website (embedded) at the same time March 3 6pmWST
2. Invite respected local media outlets to review the series before March 3
3. Email friends and family about the upcoming date and ask to assist us in sharing the Facebook page with their friends and family
4. Share branded content each day in the lead up to March 3
5. Engage with like-minded comedians and content makers on Twitter
6. Send out a press release a week before the event
7. Liaise with local organisations and filmmaking bodies to ask for assistance in sharing the Facebook page

The result? A small yet solid "opening night" reception to the series, complete with amazing positive feedback from friends and family of the cast and crew, critics' reviews, and other online comments from audience members. Since then, the series has gained more and more viewers and subscribers on YouTube and Vimeo, followers on Facebook and Twitter, and positive feedback from our audience. 

The team (Meg, Aaron and I) are wrapped with how things turned out and so proud of our little team who accomplished the impossible (6 episodes in 2 days??) to produce what is turning out to be a well-rounded little show. 

The Angry Man Series is available via YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook.

Wolf Creek 2: Australia's second attempt at freaking out the Mother Country

I'm not a particularly squeamish person. Growing up on a pig farm, I've seen my fair share of dead animals, maggots, gruesome injuries, etc. Most of the time, what really scares the crap out of me is the unexplained, those gaps in knowledge that allow the imagination to run wild (and your dreams to become nightmares). So it was going to be a hard sell for any horror film to convince me that not only was it scary/horrible/visceral but also realistic. Wolf Creek (2005), did just that for me and I swore never to watch another "true story" based on our Australian outback (a little too close to home). I changed my mind after 6 years when my boyfriend convinced me to hold his hand whilst watching Wolf Creek 2, the sequel to the original box office smash. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see it, I was very little disturbed by the new Greg McClean feature.

Wolf Creek 2 introduces yet again to that amazing spectacle of a character - Mick Taylor. Mick's been doing just fine for himself after walking away scott-free in last film and has taken up his usual hobbies of hunting pigs, trapping prey, and shooting whatever crosses his pristine Australian land (none of these are animals mind you). Yes, his fastidious attitude towards "Australian pride" is still rampant and its clear from the beginning of the film, after Mick knocks off two German backpackers, that he is not happy with the latest influx of tourists and immigrants. The second and third act follows Ryan, a young British surfer who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he attempts to rescue one of the luckless Germans escape Mick. Ryan inadvertently finds himself caught up in Mick's sick fun with the rest of the film following the two in an extravagant game of "cat and mouse" ending with Mick carefully extracting himself yet again from his wrongdoings, leaving Ryan in the lurch.

The film wouldn't be complete without tons of fake blood; hacksaws and pliers, or big brutish vehicles (this time in the form of a semi-trailer); and for this it delivers well yet too predictably for this cynical viewer. I, like many of my audience constituents, have seen enough gore and violence on YouTube and the news to be truly shocked anymore by just blood and guts. We need real horror - in-your-face, nightmarishly disturbing horror - which just wasn't there in WC2. It may have been the delay between the original and the sequel, the disturbances during production, or the addition of a new writing partner in the form of Aaron Sterns that broke the successful equation the team had so carefully developed in 2005. Either way, I wouldn't recommend this film to those who were die-hard fans of the original lusting for another round of Mick's classic lines and laughter, nor those with a faint stomach. The scene between Mick and the two Germans even managed to make this pig farmer's daughter squeal, just a little.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

I may or may not have admitted this before but I am a huge fan of kids' films. Mainly because in this day and age, kids' films are no longer just for little kids. They're for big kids as well or adults as they are more commonly known, who enjoy the wonder and grandeur that only animated or CGI-heavy films seem to be able to replicate these days.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is no exception. The sequel to the epic 2010 feature starring Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, and Craig Ferguson directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, has all the action, adventure, and slimy dragon spit one can imagine with many brilliant sub plots intertwined to keep both young and old interested throughout the relatively reasonable 102 minute feature.

In HTTYD2 (as Twitter likes to call it), Hiccup has developed into a more mature, knowledgeable and wise man (with the same boyish frame and broken voice). Him and his best friend Toothless, the unbelievably cute Night-Fury dragon, prefer scouring the extended lands around their hometown Berk to entering Dragon races, or fulfilling his destiny as Chief of Berk (great title). When Hiccup accidentally stumbles upon a new land complete with dragon trappers and foreign trades, he learns of a fate far worse than dragons - Drago Bludvist. A crazy and deranged individual who has learnt "how to train his dragons" to attack on command - cute! Its at this point the film takes us to a whole new level and as I say with all sequels - if you're gonna make it better, you've gotta make it bigger. In this case, Dreamworks did just that - in the form of their insanely, awesome, humongous Bewilderbeasts (aka. biggest motherf***ers known to dragon kind) and in the form of a much bigger surprise - the reveal of the Dragon Master. The Dragon Master is a character to precious to unveil to you now if you haven't yet seen the film but I will say this - you'll be so happy to finally see Hiccup fit in for a change rather than being on the outside. The film's conclusion comes in the form of a mighty battle between Drago and his army of dragons and Hiccup and his tribe, the only weak point to the film which ironically relies just as much on the dragons to further the plot as the characters in the story rely on them. Without the dragons' characterization, we suddenly lose that element of connectivity that the filmmakers have maintained throughout the whole film and its a little unnerving. Regardless, you'll still be on the edge of your seat right till the very end.

I can't get over how many boxes this film ticks for me. Drama= tick. Action = tick. Tear-jerking scenes = tick tick. Comedy = tick tick tick!! You'll love to you cry and cry till you laugh - that is the beauty of DeBlois' writing. Not only that but the film encourages us to become a part of this world without the need for ridiculously clunky 3D glasses. The scenery, lighting, and attention to detail are so intricate you would think you were looking into this world through a window, not a crappy projector screen. To top it off, I really appreciate a kids' film that has an awesome moral story behind it without being sappy. In HTTYD2's case, we must learn that no matter how small we may be, we are mightier in spirit and with our courage, and our dragons, we can conquer anything.

Its going to be great to see how HTTYD3 turns out.

MAKING FILMS AND BABIES - How our female film and TV professionals are juggling two of life’s greatest milestones.

A recent WA Women In Film and TV (WIFT)/ Film and Television Institute (FTI) seminar sparked a number of important discussions, mainly the representation of women in the film and television industry and the causes behind the dire statistics. As a background, here are just a few of the important stats you need to be aware of as a female (and male) film and television professional:

• Only four women have ever been nominated for Best Director: Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties (1976), Jane Campion for The Piano (1993), Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation (2003), and Kathryn Bigelowfor The Hurt Locker (2009). Bigelow was the first, and to date the only, female director to win the Academy Award for Best Director.
• 16% of the behind-the-scenes roles (such as directing, producing, writing, editing, cinematography, etc.) for 2013’s Top 250 Films were held by female practitioners.
• A historical comparison of women’s employment on the top 250 films in 2013 and 1998 reveals that the percentages of women directors, writers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers have declined.
• Women comprised 6% of all directors working on the top 250 films of 2013.

The statistics raise an important question: why? What are the compounding factors on our female filmmakers and why are they impacting their influence within the industry? The answer lies in the one activity that only women are capable of doing: making babies.

We all know the story of the birds and the bees and how babies are made and it is definitely not the right time and place to discuss this process here. Neither is it to comment on current political correctness when it comes to RAISING a child (that is not the point in question). Taking 9 months out of your year to produce a gorgeous, beautiful, specimen to be enjoyed by the world for the rest of its life is a full-time, energy-sapping, mind-blowing experience. As is making a film.

To do both at the same time is just not easy. According to Director Beeban Kidron (Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) “motherhood has affected her ­career ‘more than gender” and that “the question of who brings up the kids has a material ­effect on all women's careers." Angelina Jolie was famously photographed in December last year juggling her directing on Unbroken whilst taking care of her 6 children whilst Brad Pitt was overseas filming another feature. Assistants and nannies aside, any mother knows how difficult it is to manage the demands of your children with the demands of a filmset.

Luckily, the tides are changing and support for female directors who want to make a family, are in the middle of the process, or have succeeded in doing so, is becoming stronger. Sue Taylor commented on the production of her feature film, The Tree, in 2010 on which a crèche was set up not just for the children in the film, but also for the children of her director and other members of the crew, allowing them to spend time with their children whilst at work. This kind of support is incredibly rewarding for female filmmakers and its hoped that in the future, Hollywood and other large film industries will start to acknowledge the benefits of supporting are great film and baby makers with the necessary resources. 

Australian Films To Look Out For In 2014

2014 was recently described by Inside Film as shaping up to be "one of the strongest years for Australian films." In anticipation of this, and considering my lack of posts recently, I thought to provide you all with a few more reasons as to why this claim can be made with summaries of the film's mentioned and their accompanying trailers (when available). 

1. Tracks
Director: John Curran, Cast: Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver, Release Date/Completion Date: 10 October, 2013.

2. The Railway Man
Director: Jonathan Teplitzky, Cast: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irvine, Stellan Skarsgard, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tanroh Ishida, Release Date/Completion Date: December 26, 2013

3. Wolf Creek 2
Director: Greg Mclean, Cast: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn Release Date/Completion Date: 20 February 2014 

4. Felony
Director: Matthew Saville, Cast: Joel Edgerton, Melissa George, Tom Wilkinson, Jai Courtney Release Date/Completion Date: 2014

5. Canopy
Director: Aaron Wilson, Cast: KHAN CHITTENDEN, MO TZU-YI, Release Date/Completion Date: TBA, Trailer:

6. Kill Me Three Times
Director: Kriv Stenders, Cast: Simon Pegg, Sullivan Stapleton, Alice Braga, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, 
Trailer: TBA

7. The Rover
Director: David Michôd, Cast: Robert Pattinson, Guy Pearce, Nash Edgerton, Release Date/Completion Date: 2013

8. Son of a Gun
Director: Julius Avery, Cast: Ewan McGregor, Alicia Vikander, Brenton Thwaites, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, 
Trailer: TBA

9. I, Frankenstein
Director: Stuart Beattie, Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto, Release Date/Completion Date:  24 January 2014, 
Trailer: TBA

10. Predestination
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig, Cast: Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, Trailer: TBA

11. Charlie’s Country
Director: Rolf de Heer, Cast: David Gulpilil, Release Date/Completion Date: May 11, 2013, Trailer: N/A

12. Fell 
Director: Kasimir Burgess, Cast: Matt Nable, Daniel Henshall, Release Date/Completion Date: 18 October 2013, 
Trailer: N/A

13. Now Add Honey
Director: Wayne Hope, Cast: Portia de Rossi, Lucy Fry, Angus Sampson, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, Trailer: N/A 

14. Cut Snake
Director: Tony Ayres, Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Ryan Kwanten, Rachael Taylor, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, Trailer: N/A

15. The Dressmaker 
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse, Cast: Kate Winslet and Judy Davis, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, 
Trailer: N/A

16. Paper Planes
Director: Robert Connolly, Cast: TBA, Release Date/Completion Date: 2013/14, Trailer: N/A

17. Healing
Director: Craig Monahan, Cast: Hugo Weaving, Xavier Samuel, Robert Taylor, Release Date/Completion Date: N/A, Trailer: N/A

18. The Reckoning
Director: John V. Soto, Cast: Luke Hemsworth, Viva Bianca, Jonathan LaPaglia, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, 
Trailer: N/A

19. The Menkoff Method
Director: David Parker, Cast: Noah Taylor, Robert Taylor, Catherine McClements, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, Trailer: N/A

20. Backtrack
Director: Michael Petroni, Cast: N/A, Release Date/Completion Date: N/A, Trailer: N/A

21. The Babadook
Director: Jennifer Kent, Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Release Date/Completion Date: 2013/14, Trailer: N/A

22. The Little Death
Director: Josh Lawson, Cast: Bojana Novakovic, Lachy Hulme, Ben Lawson, Release Date/Completion Date: N/A, Trailer: N/A

23. The Stolen
Director: Niall Johnson, Cast: Graham McTavish, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Richard O'Brien, Release Date/Completion Date: 2013/14, Trailer: N/A

And one important film which was horribly missed in amongst the article being Zac Hilditch's feature directorial debut, These Final Hours. 
Director: Zak Hilditch, Cast: Jessica De Gouw, Sarah Snook, Nathan Phillips, Release Date/Completion Date: 2014, Trailer: N/A

Set your calendars ladies and gents. 2014 is going to be a wonderful ride!

Olympus Has Fallen

Action films are typically THE easiest film genre to predict. Hot guy with dark history + deep conflict that risks the existence of the world + lots of fighting and guns = solid gold.

When you throw in the White House and the United States president though, you're playing in a whole new ballpark. OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN has taken the standard action genre format and fine-tuned it to perfection. Audiences are riveted from the first 5 minutes and are entrenched for the remainder of the film with each minute serving up one amazing scene after another after another.

Olympus Has Fallen tells the story of former Secret Service agent Mike Banning who lost the career of his life after a serious accident involving the death of his boss' wife - the President of the United States. Move on 18 months and Banning now works for the Treasury Department within excruciating proximity to his former work place, The White House. At the same time, heat is rising between North and South Korea (aptly timed for the current political climate). A visit from the South Korean Prime Minister initiates the epic action that fulfills the remainder of the film which, as promised by the title, involves the invasion of the most secure building in the world.

The seamlessness of this film lies in Antoine Fuqua's direction and Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt's writing talents. A story set in a previously inaccessible location that audience imaginations could only describe the inner workings of, coupled with a careful consideration of the various subplots in the film, are truly effective. I can honestly say I have never been more attentive in a film before. Credit must also be given to Gerard Butler who carries this film like a champ with him appearing in almost every scene. I am also giving him credit for mastering his American accent (finally!). 

Olympus Has Fallen is out in all good cinemas and at MA15+, won't be one for the kiddies but I seriously recommend it for any of you who want to go to the movies for an experience, rather than just something to do in your spare time whilst you hang out on Twitter. 

Trance

Not since Inception has a single film managed to confuse the crap out of me until the very last frame. Now, Trance can claim that throne by throwing up one of the one most complicated storylines I have experienced in the cinema of late (except for Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 - that's still a mystery to me).

Trance tells the story of a young, troubled art auctioneer with a penchant for gambling who becomes involved with a £25million art theft that was planned to perfection until Simon suffers a knock on the head that misplaces his memory about where the valuable piece has been stashed. Slightly inconceivably, the crew involved with the heist decide to send Simon to a "random" hypnotherapist so that she might retrieve the memory that conceals the location of the painting. It's when Elizabeth, the hypnotherapist, involves herself within the gang's plans to sell the painting and split the profits that shit starts to get real. Before long, Elizabeth become more than just a Sherlock Holmes for Simon's thoughts. Soon, she sleeping with not one, but two of the cast involved in the discovery, Simon and Franck (the ringleader of the gang). The film continues with Elizabeth submitting both Simon and the gang to a number of exercises in order to release the memory from Simon's brain. It is not till towards the end however, that we discover the true story that is taking place with it being revealed that Elizabeth and Simon once knew eachother before Simon's accident. It is from here that the film takes a wrong turn down memory lane.

There are so many layers within this film to analyse. The biggest of which was the question, "if you could keep some memories over others, would you?" Boyle actualizes this concept through Simon's gambling addiction, arguably the catalyst for the whole film and the consequences that follow. By Simon involving himself in the gambling world, he takes a chance on his happiness everyday, the same gamble Elizabeth makes by deciding to erase Simon's memory - a decision she thinks will make her life better. The conclusion of the film sends out the message that there is a reason we should not mess with our memories for each one makes us who we are in the end and without them, we become empty vessels.

Production value on this film is impeccable and typically unique of Boyle's direction. Many of you will enjoy the pace and tone of this film which will keep you on the edge right to the very end and have you thinking beyond your exiting of the cinema.

Oscar Nominations 2013

In the lead up to the nomination announcements for the 85th Academy Awards, I thought I would predict which films would be most likely to be nominated for this year's round. 

A few of these I haven't seen so far but I'm sure will be a part of the massive 10-strong Best Picture category so forgive my ignorance on details if they're lacking. These films are my shortlist with the *'s representing films I'm not so sure would be included in the nominee considerations but which I have put in anyway. 

1. Argo
2. Django Unchained
3. Flight
4. The Grey*
5. Hitchcock
6. The Hobbit*
7. The Intouchables
8. Killing Them Softly*
9. Lawless
10. Les Miserables
11. Life of Pi
12. Lincoln
13. The Master
14. Moonrise Kingdom
15. On The Road*
16. The Paperboy*
17. Quartet
18. Savages*
19. The Sessions
20. Zero Dark Thirty

And here is my top 10:

1. Argo - "My little story is the only thing between a gun and your head"
Nominated for 5 Golden Globes. Another 19 wins & 27 nominations 

Your rating: 

  -/10 

Ratings: 8.2/10 from 54,311 users   Metascore: 86/100
Reviews: 273 user | 421 critic | 45 from Metacritic.com

It's been a slow road for Ben Affleck in trying to make a serious name for himself since that stupendous flop of a movie, Gigi. Before Argo, there was The Town and the short film, Gimme Shelter, noteable mentions but nothing that gave him any acclaim. Now, Argo puts him at the forefront of the new Hollywood - edgy, realistic films that tackle contemporary issues with a new twist. Argo tells the story of how the CIA devised a plan to extradite 6 American hostages from Iran after the US embassy was seized in 1979. The plan? To create a fake movie set in Iran and smuggles the hostages out with the film crew after wrap. From the trailer, the film has the same gritty texture I enjoyed so much in The Town and this time around, I think Affleck has got his story much more sewn together. Releasing this film in this particular era of our society will help the film's chances of being nominated, with recent stories like this continuously coming out of the Middle East affecting America. The film-within-a-film is always a hit with the Academy as well so it'll be interesting to see how far Affleck can go with this. 

2. Django Unchained - "Gentlemen. You had my curiosity. Now you have my attention."
Nominated for 5 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 12 nominations
Your rating: 

  -/10 

Ratings: 8.8/10 from 28,323 users   Metascore: 80/100
Reviews: 170 user | 117 critic | 40 from Metacritic.com

After a 3-year hiatus, Quentin Tarantino returns with yet another spine-chillingly gruesome and violent cinematic assault on the senses in the form of Django Unchained. This time around, he's taking on the Western genre with Jamie Foxx playing a slave who is hired by everyone's favourite Nazi (Christoph Waltz), as a bounty hunter. However, Foxx isn't interested in being manhandled for long as he navigates himself and his new boss towards plantation boss, Calvin Candie (played by Leonardio Di Caprio) who has Foxx's wife. Though notoriously sidelined by the Academy year after year, I believe Tarantino has a real chance this year, having taken on the nation's price genre and added his special style of insanity with a few stars to blinker those too prude to watch. He'll have to get over his obsession with violence though to ensure the story is more than just blood, guts and tears. 

3. Hitchcock - "I'm just a man hiding in the corner with a camera. Watching."
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Your rating:

  -/10 

Ratings: 7.3/10 from 2,475 users   Metascore: 56/100
Reviews: 34 user | 145 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

Its the film movie freaks have been dying to see for as long as anyone can remember. The man who sparked a revival in the cinema and reminded us all what it means to go to the movies. Alfred Hitchcock was a god among men and a pain in the ass amongst his peers. Anyone who's ever taken a Film History unit will know this. But above it all, he made brilliant movies. The film that bears his name explores the life of this great filmmaker at a time defined by one of his greatest creation - Psycho. Many know the film but not the process behind its creation, the dramas and tragedies involved in Hitchock's life at the time that he had to overcome in order for us to hear those piercing screams coming from Janet Leigh's mouth. Its a film the Academy will love for its appreciation of an era long gone, a filmmaker non-existent in modern society, and a style of filmmaking that disappeared years ago. 

4. Lawless - "It is not the violence that sets men apart. It is the distance he is prepared to go." 
1 win & 3 nominations

Your rating:

  -/10 

Ratings: 7.3/10 from 52,594 users   Metascore: 58/100
Reviews: 182 user | 255 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

I was fortunate to actually get to watch Lawless as opposed to the trailers of the previous nominations I've mentioned and I have to claim, this film is a contender. Not just for the strong American values and history the Academy love so much, but for the high-end production values and a direction which brings this true story to fruition in a way many fail to achieve. The film follows 3 brothers who participate in the black market trade of alcohol during the prohibition era of 1920-1933. As expected, threats and violence ensue leading to an epic shootout, the likes of which have not been seen since Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One Best Actor nomination is sure to be cemented for at least one of the cast, my hopes being on Tom Hardy who has shown again and again that he has a range and talent that far outshines many of his English cohorts. 

5. Les Miserables - "Life has killed a dream, I dreamed."
Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 14 wins & 44 nominations
Your rating: 

  -/10 

Ratings: 8.2/10 from 27,916 users   Metascore: 63/100
Reviews: 266 user | 100 critic | 40 from Metacritic.com

As much as I don't want to admit this film amongst my other nominess, I know full well that this epic will be included amongst the clan this year. Production value alone is what sets this film apart with a great attention to detail easily setting Les Mis apart from its opponents. For me, the film just did not capture story in a way I hoped it would. I know its a tricky narrative to navigate, given the book contains 1500 pages and the musical lasts for 3.5 hours itself; but I was sincerely hoping the cinematic version would have achieved the emotion that is rife within this story with a subtly defined by cinema. Alas, I feel this is not the case but I know that's an opinion and and not an educated assessment. For that, I know Les Mis will be in the nominees and has a great chance of taking out the main gong. 

6. Life of Pi - "The next part of the story you'll find hard to believe."
Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 25 nominations
Your rating: 

  -/10 

Ratings: 8.3/10 from 53,858 users   Metascore: 79/100
Reviews: 345 user | 302 critic | 44 from Metacritic.com

Ang Lee's highly anticipated return to cinema yet again sets him up to be a major upset amongst the Best Director nominees at this year's Academy awards. Life of Pi was said to be the book that could never be adapted for film and yet, Lee has managed to take its impossible subject matter and turn it into a masterpiece. Life of Pi follows the story of a young man cast away at sea with the most unusual of fellow survivors - a Bengal tiger, a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan. The main pull of this film other than its story though is its amazing cinematography, captured beautifully by Claudio Miranda, a stunning visuality of a story that previously had only ever been seen in the mind's of the readers of the book. 

7. Lincoln - "Today, we will vote."
Nominated for 7 Golden Globes. Another 14 wins & 43 nominations
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 26,635 users   Metascore: 86/100
Reviews: 285 user | 201 critic | 42 from Metacritic.com

Yet another great American story, Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of the slave trade still resides in the nation's memory as the biggest gamechanger in the history of the world. In a time rife with civil war, President Abraham Lincoln chose to change the course of his country against all odds... and won. Its the film that America has been waiting to see for years and now finally, Steven Spielberg has brought it to light. Daniel Day-Lewis shines again in the title role and many audience members will appreciate the extreme level of dedication he adopted to capturing the essence of this great historical figure just so. 

8. Moonrise Kingdom - "Jiminy Cricket, he flew the coop." 
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 11 wins & 29 nominations
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Ratings: 7.9/10 from 78,794 users   Metascore: 84/100
Reviews: 258 user | 363 critic | 43 from Metacritic.com

If there's one filmmaker I can't stand more than Woody Allen, its Wes Anderson. Doesn't matter the cast, doesn't matter the story, I just don't like his style. That said, I know Moonrise Kingdom will be considered for the Best Picture nominees for the following reasons. First of all that this is Anderson's first picture since The Fantastic Mr Fox. I can see the Academy trying to collect the great director's of our time once again as they did back in 2009 to have a real showdown amongst the great. Secondly, the film is set in New England and again, American virtues are rife amongst this solid tale of young love and adventure (Huckleberry Finn springs to mind as inspiration). Whilst I may not be enamoured by Moonrise, I'm sure the Academy will and this will be included in Thursday's announcement.  

9. Quartet - "Fancy a little 'rumpy-pumpy'?... Qu'est ce que c'est 'rumpy-pumpy'?"
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination
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Ratings: 6.7/10 from 767 users   Metascore: 56/100
Reviews: 23 user | 46 critic | 8 from Metacritic.com

I'm not one to give first-time director's much credit but considering the strength of cast, story and location that this film had, Dustin Hoffman has a strong chance of having this film nominated. There were parts of the film that amplified his inexperiences as a director (yes, even at the tender age of 75, you can still be inexperienced), but the remainder was a pleasant story, with amazing moments of comic timing mixed in with reflective gestures on life, love and liberty - all in the name of old age. This may or may not be a strong choice for a nomination but I think the Academy may look fondly on it. 

10. Zero Dark Thirty - "There's a 60% probability he's there...It's 100%, I know certainty freaks you guys out but its 100."
Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 21 wins & 29 nominations

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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 8,874 users   Metascore: 95/100
Reviews: 70 user | 90 critic | 34 from Metacritic.com

After her major success as a filmmaker in 2009 with The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow returns to her favourite subject matter with Zero Dark Thirty, an action-thriller centred around one of America's greatest military triumphs - the capture of Osama Bin Laden. For some, it was an emotional end to a journey gone too long. For others, it was just the start of a whole new war. Bigelow artfully explores this amazing story through Jessica Chastain's character, Maya, the human link to an otherwise objective and hard-edged tale of men fighting in a foreign land to capture the evil master. This film will definitely be a contender for Best Picture. If its not, I expect the Academy will likely to be stoned. A film with such power and representation of one of the greatest moments in American history cannot go unnoticed.