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My Top 10 Films of 2019
January 19, 2020 Daniel Quitério	Leave a comment
These are my top 10 films of 2019.
For all annual top films lists from 2002 to the present, click on the "Annual Top Films Lists" tab above.
Top 10 Films of 2019Top Films
Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Sci-Fi, Top Films
These are my top 10 films of 2018. And yes, I did see Roma, Green Book, The Favourite, and Bohemian Rhapsody, among many others.
Awards, Documentary, Independent Film, Oscars, Short Film, Trailer
How to Watch the Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts
February 25, 2018 Daniel Quitério	Leave a comment
Image courtesy of IndieWire
A few of this year's Oscar-nominated documentary short films are available free online (full versions below), while others are accessible on Netflix and HBO. Here's how to watch all five.
Edith+Eddie
IMDb description: Edith and Eddie, ages 96 and 95, are America's oldest interracial newlyweds. Their love story is disrupted by a family feud that threatens to tear the couple apart.
Director: Laura Checkoway
Continue reading How to Watch the Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts →
Academy AwardsDocumentaryEdith+EddieHeaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405Heroin(e)Knife SkillsOscarsShort FilmTraffic Stop
Actors, Awards, Comedy, Drama, Filmmakers, Horror, In Theatres, Independent Film, Narrative, Oscars, Sci-Fi, Thriller, War
2018 Memo to the Academy
Dear Academy,
You have enough on your plate. Nominee luncheons. Press releases. Etc. I get it. You don't have time to watch all the nominated films. No worries. I'm pleased to step up to the plate, watch the movies, and offer my (informed) opinions. I know you've looked forward to this memo for the last nine years, so how could I possibly disappoint you by skipping a year? So attend your lunches and write your press releases lauding improved diversity numbers among your ranks. Leave the Oscars to me. I'll take it from here.
Dan Quitério
Continue reading 2018 Memo to the Academy →
Academy AwardsMemo to the AcademyOscars
Animation, Comedy, Drama, Horror, In Theatres, Independent Film, Narrative, Thriller, Top Films, War
The tradition continues. I've been documenting my top films of the year since 2002, when Bowling for Columbine took the top spot. This past year had some real gems, including those that made this list, as well as some that didn't, like low-budget indie The Florida Project and large-scale blockbuster Beauty and the Beast. Check out my 2017 list, then tell me what made your list.
Awards, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Oscars, Short Film
Short Film: "Stutterer"
March 19, 2017 Daniel Quitério	Leave a comment
I have a bit of an attachment to this film. "Stutterer", written and directed by Benjamin Cleary, was submitted to a film festival of which I was a member of the screening committee. I loved it. Of the 100 or so films I screened that year, it was one of the best I had seen. I championed it to the programmers in hopes that they'd agree and add it to the festival's slate. Alas, the film didn't make the cut—not because it wasn't good or deserving. Great films are often rejected from festivals for any number of reasons. Months later, "Stutterer" was nominated for an Oscar, along with one other film I screened for the same festival (which I also championed and was also rejected). "Stutterer" won. (I should start my own damn festival.)
Continue reading Short Film: "Stutterer" →
Benjamin ClearyShort FilmStutterer
Actors, Awards, Comedy, Drama, Filmmakers, In Theatres, Independent Film, Narrative, Oscars
Eight years later, I'm still waiting for that magical piece of mail, inviting me to join your fine organization. But that's not keeping me from sounding off on a few Oscar categories. I've seen all the nominated films, and I have some thoughts that should be considered. So allow me to make your job easier. Here's who should win. You're welcome.
Coming Soon, Drama, Film Festival, Independent Film, Narrative, Poster
"Christine," Starring Rebecca Hall: The Film I Should Have Written
September 10, 2016 Daniel Quitério	Leave a comment
On the occasion of the poster release for new film Christine, allow me to tell you a brief story about why doing means so much more than just talking.
Some years ago, I happened upon my college's Wikipedia page. As I scanned over the "Notable Alumni" section, one name stood out to me—one that I didn't recognize: Christine Chubbuck. I clicked on her name and found myself reading this story of a troubled woman whose tragic actions shook the world of live television. I happened to think about her again just last year when a psychotic man gunned down a reporter and her cameraman during a live feed in Roanoke, Virginia.
Continue reading "Christine," Starring Rebecca Hall: The Film I Should Have Written →
Antonio CamposChristineChristine ChubbuckChubbuckCraig ShilowichRebecca Hall
Coming Soon, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Preview, Trailer
Official Trailer: "The Birth of a Nation"
April 16, 2016 Daniel Quitério	Leave a comment
Written and directed by actor Nate Parker in his feature directorial debut, The Birth of a Nation tells the story of former slave Nat Turner (played by Parker), who leads a liberation movement to free slaves in Virginia in 1831. The film also stars Armie Hammer, Gabrielle Union, and Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley.
The Birth of a Nation is this year's big Sundance hit, winning the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award, and notably shattering a sales record at the Festival by selling distribution rights to Fox Searchlight for $17.5 million. With a fall release date of October 7—and with a powerhouse indie distributor in Searchlight, which also released recent Best Picture winners Birdman (2014) and 12 Years a Slave (2013)—it's bound to ride high through next year's Oscars. So perhaps #OscarsSoWhite will finally be a thing of the past.
Fox SearchlightNate ParkerThe Birth of a Nation
Animation, Awards, Comedy, Drama, Foreign Film, Independent Film, Narrative, Oscars, Short Film
Short Film: "We Can't Live Without Cosmos"
Nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best Short Film, Animated, "We Can't Live Without Cosmos" is a beautiful film about friendship and dreams. This is Russian filmmaker Konstantin Bronzit's second Oscar nomination in this category; his previous nomination came in 2009 for his animated short "Lavatory Lovestory."
Academy AwardsAnimationKonstantin BronzitOscarsShort FilmWe Can't Live Without Cosmos
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