August 13 is International Left-Handers Day, a time to celebrate everyone who’s a southpaw. Estimates say about 10% of the population are lefties, so they seem to be over-represented in showbiz.

Here’s a small sampling: John Chu, Thierry Fremaux, Vince Gilligan, Whoopi Goldberg, Mark Hamill, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Paul McCartney, Keanu Reeves, Julia Roberts, and Ridley Scott, to name a few.

And two people who helped develop the motion picture industry were both southpaws: Charlie Chaplin and Thomas Edison.

Lefties are about 10% of the population and we often promote the theory that we’re more creative than righties, but it’s an exaggeration: there are a lot of talented right-handed folks.

Nobody knows the cause. It might be genetic or it might be something that happened during the birthing process. Whatever the reason, scientists have discovered that lefties’ brains are indeed shaped differently. Was this from birth or something else? Lefties are right-brain dominant, while the left brain is more dominant in right-handed people.

Jack Fincher is an icon among the 10%: He wrote the book “Lefties,” which explores the southpaw world. As a bonus, he was a Golden Globes nominee for his 2020 “Mank” script. He’s also the father of filmmaker David Fincher, who’s wildly talented even though he’s right-handed.

Jack Fincher’s book is witty and thoughtful and asks questions like: Which hand do you draw with, throw a ball with, catch with, swat flies with?

Many people do sports with one hand, but write with the other. For example, Nolan brushes his teeth with his right hand, but writes with the left — and the writing defines your handed-ness.

Fincher also points out the history of oppression. Some have considered left-handed people to be the mark of the devil; and the word “sinister” comes from the Latin word for “left.” And while we’re celebrating, let’s not forget that Billy the Kid, Jack the Ripper and the Boston Strangler were all left-handed.

But there are many lefties worth celebrating, also including Albert Brooks, James Cameron, Kurt Cobain, Morgan Freeman, Judy Garland, Bill Gates, Jimi Hendrix, Spike Lee, Marlee Matlin, Gavin Newsom, Ben Stiller, Queen Victoria and Prince William. In the U.S., we had a long run of southpaw presidents, 1980 through 2017: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The only exception in that timeframe was George W. Bush (2001-2009).

Why? Who knows?

The only thing that matters is that they’re worth celebrating. So let’s use our left hands to give them a pat on the back.

The post A Left-Handers Day Salute to Hollywood’s Lefties appeared first on Golden Globes.

The award to Stone was presented in Bodrum, Turkey, on Aug. 2.

“We are thrilled to honor  the incomparable Sharon Stone as the first recipient of this prestigious award. Sharon’s tremendous philanthropic contributions coupled with her outstanding body of work made her an obvious choice for this first ever award,” said Helen Hoehne, president of the Golden Globes. “We are also grateful to launch this award in Turkey, the epicenter of so much creative work taking place in this part of the world.”

Stone’s career includes her breakout role in the erotic thriller “Basic Instinct,” earning her first Golden Globe nomination. She won a Golden Globe as best actress-drama for the Martin Scorsese-directed “Casino.” She was also nominated for “The Mighty” (1998) and “The Muse” (1999), More recently, she has concentrated on television work, including Ryan Murphy’s “Ratched” at Netflix and Steven Soderbergh’s “Mosaic” at HBO.

“I am grateful and honored by this award from the Golden Globes and its support over the years for my work, including supporting my voice in philanthropic causes,” Stone said. “It is meaningful to have awards bodies such as the Globes recognize the global market and take these moments to different parts of the world such as Turkey.”

Stone’s humanitarian and charitable work has been recognized with a United Nations Global Citizen Award, Nobel Peace Summit Award, a Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award, a Harvard Humanitarian Award, and an Einstein Spirit of Achievement Award. She has long been active in the fight against AIDS/HIV and supportive of charitable organizations such as amfAR.

Hoehne added, “With a voting body now representing 85 countries reaching over 72 percent of the world’s population, we are committed to becoming a driving force in the global marketplace and the Golden Globes International Icon Award is our first award to exclusively focus on the impact of creatives overseas.”

The 82nd annual Golden Globes, the first major award show of the season, will air Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Nominations for the Golden Globe Awards will take place on Monday, Dec. 9.

Produced and owned by Dick Clark Productions, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 185 countries worldwide.

For more information on the Golden Globe Awards, visit GoldenGlobes.com and follow the organization on X, Instagram and Facebook and in Spanish on X and Facebook.

Dick Clark Prods. is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming including the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” from 19 Entertainment and DCP, and “Streamy Awards.” Dick Clark Prods. is owned by Penske Media Corporation, in a subsidiary joint venture between Penske Media and Eldridge.

The post Sharon Stone Receives First Ever Golden Globes Int’l Icon Award appeared first on Golden Globes.

In the two decades that I have had the pleasure to visit the nerd-fest in San Diego, one thing continues to be true: It’s an event for and by the fans of comics and pop culture.

And everyone is welcome, preferably in costume, (though I am guilty of not following this suggestion). Age, race, gender, mobility do not matter. A Hollywood truism says “never work with children or animals” but that does not apply here as fans come in all sizes and number of legs. The only guidelines are to share joy and admire the cosplay. In fact, walking up to strangers to take their photos or talk about their favorite superhero is encouraged.

Fans can expect and even meet their favorite comic book authors and illustrators or discover new talent during the panels, autograph sessions or in the Exhibit Hall of the San Diego Convention Center. And catch a glimpse of the many actors, filmmakers and showrunners who are ascending to the comic heaven this week in full force to showcase upcoming series and movies.

One Comic-Con highlight is “Preview Night” on Wednesday afternoon, before Comic-Con’s official start on Thursday, July 25. That’s when the Exhibition Hall is the most crowded for the chance to snag exclusive merchandise, rare collectibles and limited-edition items before they sell out. Or to grab some free items and giveaways by many of the vendors such as Mattel, Lego, Hasbro, Funko Pop, Marvel, DC and more. But no worry for those who visit the trade show during the convention’s regular days: There’s plenty – plenty! – to see and buy.

Another highlight is the Marvel panel in Hall H – traditionally held on Saturday evening. But for the first time, the pop culture giant added another date to the schedule: The fans were in for a treat Thursday night for yet another Marvel panel in Hall H, thanks to a tiny film called “Deadpool & Wolverine” The fanfare included Marvel chief Kevin Feige rolling out director Shawn Levy, co-star Emma Corrin as well as the action (anti-)heroes real-life representations Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, and treating the fans with a surprise screening of the blockbuster, followed by a 11-minute drone spectacle above San Diego’s Petco Park. Plus, every attendee in the filled-to-capacity (6,500 seats) Hall H was gifted a suggestive Wolverine-headed popcorn bucket.

Before the lights went out to experience Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (and Disney’s) rare R-rated movie, both Reynolds and Jackman gave credit to the fans and thanked them for their commitment and loyalty. “I was the most nervous human being you’ll ever see,” Reynolds recalled about his Comic-Con visit in 2015 that kicked off the “Deadpool” frenzy. “I remember that feeling where I was stepping into a dream come true, in a certain sense, and I remember making that movie for you, and I remember how gratifying it was that everyone else liked it too. I feel like I was able to connect with you in a way that I’d really kind of been yearning to connect.

“And I’ll never forget this moment, because this asshole was backstage…” referring his co-star, Jackman, who shared his own Hall H experience. “I was standing just over there. I watched the (“Deadpool”) footage and there was this chant that started up: ‘One more time, one more time.’ I ran backstage and I found that the stage manager, and I said, ‘Play the footage again. If you don’t play the f***ing footage again, they are going to tear Hall H to the ground.” The stars then sat down in the audience to watch the film together with the fans, but first Jackman stirred up the crowd with “Let’s f***ing go!”

The following night, Hall H featured another R-rated presentation: “Alien: Romulus.” Director Fede Alvarez was not shy to use profane language nor to scare the audience with footage from the latest addition to the sci-fi/horror franchise. During the traditional audience questions at the end of the presentation, 20th Century Studios showcased practical effects and animatronics. There were also virtual surprise questions by “Alien” creator and director Ridley Scott, as well as horror legend Guillermo del Toro. But to the fans’ biggest delight, everyone was gifted their very own “facehugger”!

But there’s plenty to do at Comic-Con without a badge. It’s like the whole city – most heavily the Gaslamp Quarter – is participating in celebrating the comic convention, with movie-, TV show- or pop culture-themed menus or displays at restaurants, bars, businesses and hotels, and pop-ups or activations open for the public. And for many fans, seeing celebrities is just icing on the cake.

Here are the programming highlights of the first two days of the gathering, Thursday and Friday: “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Alien: Romulus,” The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Doctor Who,” “The Boys,” “Transformers One,” “The Ark,” “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Snowpiercer,” new series “Dexter: Original Sin,” “Teacup” and “Those About to Die,” the “Walking Dead” franchise and 25 years of “SpongeBob Squarepants.”

Highlights on Saturday and Sunday: “Superman & Lois;” “Star Trek;” animated series such as “Futurama,” “The Simpsons,” “American Dad!” and “Family Guy;” HBO’s new limited series “The Penguin;” two shows from the Anne Rice universe; “Abbott Elementary;” “The Rookie;” “Silo;” Keanu Reeve’s comic book “BRZRKR;” DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming “The Wild Robot;” Marvel’s second Hall H appearance; a panel with Kevin Smith; and last but not least the 50th anniversary of the Comic-Con Masquerade – a costume competition showcasing the incredible talent, creativity and dedication of the fans.

In case you still would like to experience Comic-Con 2024: attending this event feels like a marathon. It’s best to pace (and hydrate!) oneself, and prepare to miss out on things as one can’t be at more than one place at a time (We can fly to the moon or even Mars, but no advancement in “beaming” or living the multiverse???). There’s simply too much that is happening at the same time: panels, programs, autograph sessions, film screenings, and so much more.

The post Comic-Con 2024: A Return to Normal Levels of Frenzy appeared first on Golden Globes.

Moving picture cameras have been present at every Olympics since the 1908 Games in London, where the then-nascent technology captured events such as the gold medal tug of war match, as well as the impossibly cinematic final few hundred yards of the marathon, when race leader Dorando Pietri collapsed inside the stadium and was helped to the finish line in order that he “not die in the presence of the Queen.” (Spoiler alert: He survived, though he was disqualified from the medal podium.)

In the century-plus span since then, countless filmmakers have been drawn to the Olympics’ inexhaustible store of triumphs and tragedies. As the 2024 Summer Games gets underway in Paris, there’s no better time to revisit the Olympics’ greatest moments on film, many of which have been recognized with Golden Globe awards and nominations.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, Hugh Hudson’s “Chariots of Fire” remains arguably the defining Olympics film. From its timeless Vangelis score to its time-capsule portrait of Lost Generation political-religious tensions coming to a head at a fateful 400-meter race, “Chariots” showcases the Games at their most transcendent and triumphant — and it also happens to have its climax at an Olympic Games that took place exactly a century ago, in the same city as this year’s.

Munich (2005)

Gathering representatives from nearly every nation on earth during times of both peace and conflict, the Olympics have always been about much more than sport, and never more tragically so than in 1972, when the Black September terrorist group murdered 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team. The Olympics’ darkest day provides the starting point for Steven Spielberg’s 2005 drama, which remains all-too-contemporary in its interrogation of the blurry boundaries between justice and vengeance. “Munich” earned Spielberg his tenth Golden Globes Best Director nod, as well as a Best Screenplay nomination for writers Tony Kushner and Eric Roth.

I, Tonya (2017)

For anyone who was of sports-viewing age in the 1990s, figure skater Tonya Harding — who was drawn into a plot to literally kneecap her rival American skater Nancy Kerrigan shortly before the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, only to dramatically implode during her own Olympics spotlight— has always been one of sports’ greatest villains. Craig Gillespie’s darkly comic Best Motion Picture-nominated 2017 film casts Globe nominee Margot Robbie as the infamous skater, restoring a bit of dignity and humanity to a figure who had long since passed into caricature. Alison Janney won her first Golden Globe, for Best Supporting Actress, thanks to her unnervingly enveloping turn as Harding’s mother, LaVona.

Richard Jewell (2019)

The 1990s were a busy decade for Olympics scandals, although the aftermath of the Olympic Park bombing during the Atlanta Games of 1996 was far bleaker than the tragicomedy of Tonya Harding. Clint Eastwood’s film stars Paul Walter Hauser as Richard Jewell, a security guard who saved countless lives when he discovered a bomb under a bench during an Olympics concert, only to become a figure of mockery and suspicion when unscrupulous journalists and FBI profilers begin to baselessly speculate that he planted the bomb himself. Similarly to  “I, Tonya,” “Richard Jewell” saw a Best Supporting Actress Globe nomination for the actress playing the mother of the title character, in this case Kathy Bates as Barbara “Bobi” Jewell.

Foxcatcher (2014)

Mostly taking place in the periods between Olympics — specifically the 1984 and 1988 Games — “Foxcatcher” is an acting tour-de-force about two Olympic champion wrestler brothers and the shadowy multimillionaire who became their benefactor, drawing them both into a disturbing psychodrama that ended with one of them murdered. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture, while Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo were also nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

Visions of Eight (1973)

Though possibly the least well-known film on this list, 1973’s multi-director documentary “Visions of Eight” is also easily the most daring, and the most laser-focused on the Games themselves. Recruiting eight filmmakers — including such masters as Miloš Forman, Arthur Penn and Kon Ichikawa — to helm short films on location at the 1972 Munich Games, “Visions of Eight” would go on to win the Globes’ (since discontinued) Best Documentary Award the following year. 

Jim Thorpe, All American (1951)

Burt Lancaster was at the height of his early powers when he took on the role of Jim Thorpe, the first Native American athlete to win gold medals at the Olympics, in 1912, only to have them cruelly stripped when it was revealed that he had once earned pocket change to play baseball, placing him afoul of the Olympics’ then-strict rules around amateurism. Decades after Thorpe’s death, the International Olympic Committee would reverse the decision, and Michael Curtiz’s 1951 film surely helped keep his story alive.

Personal Best (1982)

The first directorial effort from the late, great Robert Towne (who won a Best Screenplay Globe for “Chinatown”), this passion project about a love affair between two women’s track athletes has only risen in stature since its indifferent commercial reception in 1982.

The Jesse Owens Story (1984) / Race (2016) / Olympia (1938)

Perhaps no American athlete embodies the spirit of the Olympic Games as iconically as Jesse Owens, a Black man born into segregation in Alabama who went on to win four gold medals right under the nose of Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Games in Berlin. His achievements have been dramatized numerous times on screen, most memorably in the Emmy-winning 1984 TV movie “The Jesse Owens Story,” though Stephan James also offered a strong performance as the sprinter in 2016’s “Race.” Of course, if you can stomach it, the greatest actual footage of Owens in action at the Olympics was captured by none other than the Nazi Party’s primary cinematic propagandist, Leni Riefenstahl, in her 1938 documentary “Olympia.” (In case it wasn’t already clear, the history of the Olympics is … complicated.)

Unbroken (2104)

The subject of Angelina Jolie’s 2014 drama “Unbroken” was one of Owens’ teammates from the 1936 U.S. Olympic track-and-field team. Although for Louis Zamperini, his 8th place finish in the 5000-meter final was merely a prologue to the real endurance test that would follow, as he was subsequently captured by the Japanese during WWII, and subjected to unimaginable mental and physical torment. He survived his long ordeal, and would later return to Japan — as an official torchbearer during the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.

Miracle (2004)

Okay, you’ve made it through nearly a dozen Olympics films involving themes of terrorism, Nazism, racism, murder, assault, media malfeasance and prison torture. In the mood for something a tad more uplifting? It’s hard to go wrong with Kurt Russell’s fist-pumping turn as U.S. men’s hockey coach Herb Brooks, who pulled off the greatest upset in Olympics history with his victory over the Soviet Union in 1980.

The post Olympic Games’ Greatest Moments in Movies appeared first on Golden Globes.

It wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling. According to the L.A. Times, a writer who was working on MGM’s Tarzan the Ape Man envisioned Weissmuller in a non-speaking role in a minor film and took him to see the Tarzan director and producer. “I didn’t realize what was going on,” Weissmuller told the Times. “They asked me if I could climb a tree and I said yes, and they asked me could I pick up a girl and walk away with her and I said yes . . . and that’s all there was to the test. I had the part.” The film was one of the most successful of 1932, and the first of 12 Tarzan films that featured the “ape man” yodeling his way across the jungle as he swung through the vines carrying his Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan in six of the films).

In 1948, after hanging up his loincloth, Weissmuller added to his Hollywood resume with the series Jungle Jim, based on the comic strip by Alex Raymond. He would make 16 films over eight years and 26 episodes for a TV series. They made Weissmuller a very rich man, as he owned a percentage of them.

Following in Weissmuller’s footsteps, Clarence Linden “Buster” Crabbe II parlayed a medal-winning Olympic swimming career — the bronze for the 1,500m freestyle in Amsterdam in 1928 and the gold for the 400m freestyle race at the 1932 Los Angeles games — into a Hollywood acting career.

Crabbe also played Tarzan once, in 1933’s Tarzan the Fearless, followed by more jungle man-style roles in King of the Jungle (1933), Jungle Man (1941) and King of the Congo (1952). Then came three Flash Gordon films, a Buck Rogers film and a dozen Billy the Kid films. He also played opposite Hollywood leading ladies such as Betty Grable in The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1933) and Million Dollar Legs (1939); Ida Lupino in Search for Beauty (1934); and Anna May Wong in Daughter of Shanghai in 1937. He and Weissmuller appeared together in Swamp Fire in 1946 and Captive Girl in 1950. “Some say my acting rose to the level of incompetence and then leveled off,” Crabbe is reported to have quipped.

Figure skater Sonja Henie, hailing from Norway, made her Olympics debut at the Winter Games in 1924 at age 11. She won gold medals in figure skating in three consecutive Olympics in 1928, 1932 and 1936, a record never bested so far.

After touring with her show, “Hollywood Ice Review,” Henie signed with Twentieth Century Fox and starred in 10 films, beginning with 1937’s One in a Million which cemented her status as a star and earned her a reported $500,000. “I want to do with skates what Fred Astaire is doing with dancing,” she told a reporter. Henie would become one of Hollywood’s highest-paid stars with hits such as Thin Ice (1937) with Tyrone Power; Happy Landing (1938) with Ethel Merman; My Lucky Star (1938) with Cesar Romero; Second Fiddle (1939) with Power again, and Sun Valley Serenade (1941), a musical featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Milton Berle and the Nicholas Brothers.

British fencer Bob Anderson competed in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki but didn’t win a medal, although the decorated soldier won many championships in fencing. However, he went on to have a six-decade career in Hollywood as a fight choreographer and/or sword master in the Bond films From Russia With Love and Die Another Day, The Guns of Navarone, Casino Royale (1967), the Zorro films, Highlander, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Pirates of the Caribbean. His crowning achievement was when he played Darth Vader in the fight scenes opposite Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, including the scene in the former film revealing to Skywalker that he is his father. His work as the stunt double was kept under wraps until Mark Hamill said in an interview in 1983, “Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader’s fighting. Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition. It’s ridiculous to preserve the myth that it’s all done by one man.”

Another under-the-radar athlete, silver medalist in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London in the light-heavyweight category for weightlifting is Harold Sakata. His claim to fame in Hollywood is the role of the evil, bowler-hatted Oddjob in 1964’s Goldfinger, where he squares off opposite Sean Connery. He also appeared in forgettable films like 1972’s Goin’ Coconuts and 1982’s Invaders of the Lost Gold and Xiong Zhong, but most of his appearances were on television, including roles in The Amazing Spider-Man, The Rockford Files, Quincy M.E., Gilligan’s Island and others, all in the 1970’s.

Decathlete Rafer Johnson won silver in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and gold in the 1960 Rome Olympics, leading the U.S. team as flag bearer in the latter. He also had the honor of lighting the Olympic torch at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. His Hollywood career began after he retired from sports and he appeared in many films throughout the 1960s and ’70s like The Fiercest Heart (1961) with Juliet Prowse, The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) with Angie Dickinson, Wild in the Country (1961) with Elvis Presley, A Global Affair (1964) with Bob Hope, None But the Brave (1965) with Frank Sinatra, The Games (1970) with Michael Crawford — a film about the Olympics — and The Last Grenade (1970) with Stanley Baker. On television, he appeared in the series Roots: The Next Generations (1978-79).

He is also had a hand in establishing the California Special Olympics.

Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce) won the decathlon gold in 1976 at the Montreal Olympics and the moniker “World’s Greatest Athlete.” Jenner once said, “I’m the type of guy who fails and fails and fails, and then, as if failure has become sick of him, succeeds.” Jenner was featured in television shows like The Fall Guy, Murder She Wrote and The Love Boat, but is best known for replacing Erik Estrada in CHiPs for seven episodes and the disco-style musical “Can’t Stop the Music.” As Caitlyn, Jenner made frequent appearances on the Kardashian reality TV shows.

Honorable mentions go to basketball superstars Michael Jordan (gold medal in the Barcelona games in 1992 for basketball) who appeared in the hit Space Jam in 1996 opposite Bugs Bunny and Bill Murray; and Shaquille O’Neal (gold medal in the Atlanta games in 1996) who was featured in Blue Chips, Kazaam and Steel. Four-time gold medal winner at the Olympics in 2000, 2008 and 2012, tennis star Serena Williams has been seen in the television shows My Wife and Kids, The Bernie Mac Show, ER, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Drop Dead Diva and others.

Figure skater Tara Lipinski, who won gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics, showed up in Touched by an Angel, 7th Heaven and Malcolm in the Middle before ending up in a supporting role on the soap The Young and the Restless in 1999.

Esther Williams was one of MGM’s biggest stars of the 1940s and ’50s, starring in a string of successful “aqua-musicals.” Williams started as a competitive swimmer and qualified for the 1940 Olympics Games — but they were canceled due to WWII. Williams was a two-time Golden Globe winner, in long-extinct categories: World Film Favorite in 1952, and Hollywood Citizenship Award in 1956. Though she never made it to the Olympics, she did end up with gold.

The post Olympic Athletes Who Became Hollywood Stars appeared first on Golden Globes.

The Globes has extensive archives, since the awards go back to the 1940s. But the Archives are slim when it comes to depictions of disabilities; this isn’t the fault of the Globes, but due to a lack of films and TV shows to consider.

One happy exception to this is Bleecker Street’s “Ezra,” which opened this year. It tells the story of a standup comic (Bobby Cannavale) bonding with his young son Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald), who’s on the autism spectrum. The Tony Goldwyn-directed film, distributed domestically by Bleecker Street, is entertaining and it’s notable for authentic casting: Fitzgerald himself is on the spectrum, even though most disabled characters have been played by able-bodied actors, including several Golden Globe winners.   

There are a few other notable TV and film projects, such the 2023 film “Champions,” directed by Bobby Farrelly and distributed by Focus Features; it stars Woody Harrelson as the coach of a team composed of players with learning disabilities.

Also notable was Netflix’s 2023 “All the Light We Cannot See,” starring Aria Mia Loberti. The show was Globes-nominated as best TV limited series, anthology or telefilm. Loberti hates the term “blind actress,” saying simply, “I’m an actor … Blindness, to me, is the equivalent obstacle of having anxiety and being clumsy and awkward and nerdy. It’s not something that I should put in front of my occupation.”

These and a few other notable works are carrying the tradition of “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) won two Golden Globes: For best picture, and a special award to Harold Russell for his acting debut as a WWII vet who’s had both of his hands replaced with hooks. Aside from its multiple awards, the film was the highest-earning movie of 1946.

Decades later, Apple’s 2021 “CODA” was a two-time Globes nominee, for best picture-drama and for supporting actor Troy Kotsur.

The film stars Marlee Matlin, a Globes winner as best actress for her film debut, “Children of a Lesser God” (1986) and earned two nominations in the 1990s for her starring role in the TV series “Reasonable Doubts.”

Since Hollywood loves to imitate success, it’s surprising that the success of these works didn’t spawn more imitators.

One goal is to get more representation on camera; another is to get disabled workers behind the camera. Creating film and TV works is all about daily problem-solving, and who’s better at this than disabled workers, whose life is a series of overcoming obstacles, both large and small?

The post Golden Globes Salutes Disability Pride Month appeared first on Golden Globes.

In Spring she is busier than ever and, as a regular New Yorker, is used to doing many things at once while on public transportation. The 23rd edition of the festival runs June 5-16, but the work started way before, as it received a record 13,016 submissions across all categories and is showcasing 115 feature films — 58 narratives, 57 documentaries — from 50 countries. Also, 50% of  the competition feature films are directed by women, 35% are from minority filmmakers, 86 are world premieres, and 30 are from first-time directors.

Born in 2001 in the shadow of 9/11, the Tribeca Film Festival –as it was then known– was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff to lift the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan following the terrorist attacks. In 2021 the festival dropped “Film” from its name, as it added a category dedicated to video games. 

This year the jury includes David O. Russell, Selma Blair, Asghar Farhadi, Kim Cattrall, Chinonye Chukwu, Nisha Pahuja, Nikyatu Jusu, Sheila Nevins, Francesca Scorsese and Clara McGregor, among others. Some of them are Golden Globes winners or nominees. Also, there is a retrospective of De Niro’s career that highlights his 10 Golden Globes nominations, with his trophy as best actor in a movie/drama for the 1980 “Raging Bull” and in 2011 he won the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Gbadamosi has worked in various roles at different film festivals and film organizations, including Outfest, the California Film Institute, Athena Film Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival. She has also served on film juries at Sarajevo, Berlin, Seattle, and many more.

When does your calendar normally start ahead of the festival?
The better question is when does it end, and that answer is never. I’m kidding, mostly. But seriously, programming is a year-round experience. Submissions for the following fest open just a few months after we finish the festival. Plus we are always on the lookout for new work, attending other festivals, and connecting with creators year-round to hear about their upcoming projects. Our job is to immerse ourselves in storytelling culture and to meet creators where they are and bring that back to the curating process.

What is a “must” for a film or TV production to be in the fest?
Clarity of vision or voice. We are looking for creators who have a distinct voice, something they want to convey, and that shines through in their work. 

What makes Tribeca different from other festivals, especially this year?
We really see ourselves as a storytelling festival that values the unique experience that comes with collective engagement. We have film, TV, games, audio, immersive and more, and we love that people get to experience all of these things with other people. Storytelling is not only an opportunity to communicate the artist’s vision, but also to bring people together. Tribeca is an organization invested in crafting engaging experiences for our audience. Whether it is a comedy show before a screening, a live podcast recording, or a DJ set after a film, we recognize that audiences are looking more and more for these distinctive in-person experiences, and we really enjoy getting to put those together. 

How is the Tribeca jury chosen? Any particular twist in 2024?
Our jury, much like our films, is curated for the purpose of getting a wide breadth of storytelling experiences. The team that puts together the jury is amazing and does a wonderful job of balancing expertise and ingenuity. Our juries are always crafted in a way that makes you want to be a fly in the room because each jury has a group of individuals with such varied resumes. 

How you got involved with Tribeca in the first place, and which roles have you had there?
This might be a funny way to put it, but Tribeca is my hometown festival. I am originally from New York and volunteered at and attended the festival long before I started working there. I have worked at a number of different film festivals, but what drew me to my current position as a senior programmer was the opportunity to program for the people I grew up with. New York is an amazing city to me, not just because of the usual stuff  — the food, the culture, the people — but also because it is home. And Tribeca sees itself as a festival that is both reflective of and for the people of New York City. 

How often do you watch movies in theaters and streaming? What is your favorite genre? Any classic you never get tired of watching?
I watch movies all the time, both streaming and in theaters. Nothing can beat the theatrical experience. I go to movies on my own often, and I enjoy the whole experience: the trailers, the popcorn, and then, of course, the films. My favorite genres are romantic comedy and science fiction. I love them both equally. A classic I never get tired of watching is “You’ve Got Mail.” Nora Ephron was an amazing writer and director. I love that Tribeca has a Nora Ephron Award. And the film is as much a love letter to New York City as it is a love letter between the two characters, so it makes me happy. 

The post Tribeca Fest is for ‘Distinct Voices,’ Says Faridah Gbadamosi appeared first on Golden Globes.

Along with Nuri Bilge Ceylan, she has co-written screenplays for a best director award winner (“Three Monkeys,” 2008), a Grand Prix winner, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia,” 2011), a screenplay winner (“About Dry Grasses,” 2023) and a Palme d’Or winner (“Winter Sleep,” 2014) at the Festival de Cannes. 

Ebru Ceylan joined other jurors, including filmmaker Greta Gerwig and actress Lily Gladstone, at the 77th edition of the Cannes Films Festival, which ran May 14-25.  She talked about her journey, inspirations, and experiences at Cannes.

Can you tell us about your jury experience in Cannes?

It is difficult for people with very different understandings of cinema to come together and decide. A good movie or a bad movie is very personal.  As a jury, it is impossible to establish an extremely subjective relationship with films. What makes you love a movie is often feeling within you. But more is needed to defend the film. If you try to be driven by rules, you will be left with didactic rules and comparisons, which are never enough to evaluate a movie. Even if a cinematic rule applies in one movie, it may not work in another. Sometimes, a movie that defies all rules and turns everything upside-down can still be a movie you love. So, the bottom line is that there is no single truth to this matter.

Although awards have essential effects on films and film culture, they may not always successfully reveal a film’s profound reality and value. I think it is necessary to make an extra effort to minimize this handicap and to fulfill this responsibility as accurately as possible. That is why we worked extra hard, talked about movies, discussed them, and exchanged ideas. It was a very instructive and mind-expanding process.

Being a juror was an exciting and motivating marathon in which you think about precisely what you are impressed with, look for ways to express it to the other person entirely, and try to highlight the films you support and your understanding of cinema, considering the possibilities and balances.

This year, 22 films competed in the main competition at the festival, so we had to watch almost three movies every day. 

In the main theater (Lumiere), where the competition films are shown, the jury watches the film from a box reserved for them and their relatives. We gathered every two days in a meeting room reserved for the jury in the festival’s main building to chat about the films we had watched. We briefly shared our opinions about the films without going into too much detail.

On the day of the awards ceremony, they picked us up from our hotels in the morning and took us to a private villa just outside Cannes. Our phones were collected, in case the results were leaked.

After a contentious meeting and hours of voting, we sat at a table prepared for us among the trees in the villa’s garden. Festival president Thierry Fremaux was also present at this last meeting but as a spectator, without being involved in any decision.

With the relief that the discussion was over, without our phones, we tried to enjoy the silence, nature, the sun, and the relief of having completed our mission without incident.

We were taken directly to the festival building as the closing ceremony approached. Closing rehearsal, dressing, preparation, etc., were done in the preparation rooms reserved for us in the festival building to avoid any risk to the confidentiality of the results. From there, we were brought to the red carpet to enter the awards ceremony without interacting with anyone — afterward, the award ceremony and festival dinner. Our phones were only given back after the ceremony.

It is a long and tiring marathon, both physically and mentally, as there are not only movies to watch but also many side events such as invitations and meals to be attended. For this reason, they kept the comfort and convenience of the jury at an extremely high level.

What kind of jury president was Greta Gerwig?

Greta Gerwig is an egoless, lovely, emotional, and extremely gentle person who naturally has an essential characteristic that a creative artist should have being interested in others. The burden on her was undoubtedly more significant, but she managed and completed the process cheerfully and open-heartedly, making us feel at ease. She even set up a WhatsApp group for us to communicate after the festival. She was a person I was happy to know.

What was your typical day like during the festival?

After waking up early and having breakfast at the hotel, I reviewed the writings about the films shown the previous day. Many jury members said they do not look at what was written to avoid being influenced, but I was looking at it and told them. Afterward, I would walk on the beach with Nuri Bilge (Ceylan) and watch movies that would last all day until midnight.

Was there a moment or experience at the festival that impressed you?

One afternoon, during a brief break of only one hour, we went to the mayor of Cannes for a quick lunch in the garden of the old church in the Cannes castle. Suddenly, the music I used in my short film “Kiyida,” which competed at Cannes, started playing in the open air. They researched and found something that had a unique professional meaning for each jury member. It created a strange and beautiful feeling for us.

The post What It’s Like to Be on Cannes Jury: Ebru Ceylan Interview appeared first on Golden Globes.

In an exclusive interview, he spoke with the Golden Globes.

The Romanian film “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” (Trei Kilometri Pana La Capatul Lumii) by Emanuel Parvu follows the life of a teenager who is violently attacked for his homosexuality. It won the Queer Palm 2024. What is the origin of this award?

The Queer Palm was created 14 years ago. Each year it rewards a feature film and a short film from the Cannes selections, both from the official selection and from Un Certain Regard, the Critics’ Week and the Filmmakers’ Fortnight for example. It was an honor for me to chair the jury but I am not the only one to decide since I have four colleagues by my side who, like me, attended screenings of all the queer films of this 2024 edition of the Festival de Cannes. Our goal is to draw public attention to a queer film in the hope that this award will introduce it to many spectators.

How do you judge the evolution of queer cinema today?

I won the Queer Palm, as well as the Camera d’Or, at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for my first feature film ‘Girl’. I am the first to be able to judge positively the evolution of Queer cinema in 2024. This year there are 17 feature films that were eligible for the Queer Palm at Cannes. We have more opportunities to tell our stories and a wider audience who wants to see our films. But there is still a way to go so that all the sensitivities of my community can be expressed through the 7th art.

Does participating in the festival inspire you for new projects?

I like seeing the work of other artists and following the evolution of queer cinema around the world, but being in Cannes this year above all allows me to get out of my bubble and take a break. I’m in the middle of writing the script for my next film and I tend to shut myself away like a hermit. When I write, I isolate myself from the outside world. This offer to come to the festival immediately appealed to me even if I don’t like leaving my school desk when I’m researching my script.

What can you tell us about your next film?

Since my beginnings I have written what I know. If ‘Girl’ and ‘Close’ were above all stories about adolescence, I want to tell a more adult story but it is still much too early to go into details because I am only at the beginning of this feature film. I have the chance to work closely with my brother, Michiel, who is the producer of my projects and who traveled with me to Cannes, which allows us to continue to evolve on my next shoot while being at this festival.

You seem to want to space out the release of your films by 3 or 4 years. Why ?

This is the time I need to prepare, find my ideas, write, shoot, do post-production and then follow my films around the world. It may sound strange but I am an introvert who forgets his shyness when it comes to presenting my work to spectators. I literally spend long months practically not leaving the house to an intense period on the film sets then I lock myself away again for editing and I try to transform myself into an Ambassador for my film by traveling the planet of premiere festival or gala evenings.

Your first two feature films were each nominated at the Golden Globes…

Having been nominated twice for the Golden Globes is nothing but happiness! This allowed many Americans to discover my films and to have the chance to meet an international audience.

Since your first participation in the Golden Globes ceremony have you met American artists who made you want to shoot a film in the United States and in English?

I have had many encounters like that of Margot Robbie, whom I admire. But I believe my meeting with Emma Stone remains one of my best memories and I would love to collaborate one day with her but I have was far too shy during our brief chat to ask her if she had seen one of my films or not. In any case, for the moment I continue to write and shoot my films mixing Flemish and French because I am Belgian and proud of my origins.

The post Lukas Dhont: 2 Golden Globe Nominations ‘Is Nothing but Happiness’ appeared first on Golden Globes.

To read this story in English, click here.

https://goldenglobes.com/articles/lukas-dhont-2-golden-globe-nominations-is-nothing-but-happiness/

Il a répondu en exclusivité à nos questions.

Le film roumain ‘Trois kilomètres jusqu’à la fin du monde’ (Trei Kilometri Pana La Capatul Lumii) de Emanuel Parvu suit la vie d’un adolescent qui est violemment agressé pour son homosexualité. Il a remporté la Queer Palm 2024. Quelle est l’origine de ce prix ?

La Queer Palm a été créée il y a déjà 14 ans. Elle récompense chaque année un long-métrage et un film court issu des sélections cannoises, aussi bien de la sélection officielle que d’un certain regard, la semaine de la critique et la quinzaine des cinéastes par exemple. C’était un honneur pour moi de présider le jury mais je ne suis pas seul à voir décider puisque j’ai 4 collègues à mes côtés qui, comme moi, ont assisté aux projections de tous les films Queer de cette édition 2024 du Festival de Cannes. Notre but est d’attirer l’attention du public sur un film queer en espérant que ce prix va le faire découvrir à de nombreux spectateurs.

Comment jugez-vous l’évolution du cinéma queer de nos jours ?

J’avais remporté la Queer Palm, ainsi que la caméra d’or, lors du Festival de Cannes 2018 pour mon premier long-métrage ‘Girl’. Je suis le premier un pouvoir juger de manière positive l’évolution du cinéma Queer en 2024. Il y a cette année 17 longs métrages qui étaient éligibles pour la Queer Palm à Cannes. Nous avons plus d’opportunités pour raconter nos histoires et un public plus large qui souhaite voir nos films. Mais il y a encore du chemin à parcourir pour que toutes les sensibilités de ma communauté puissent s’exprimer à travers le 7^e art.

Est-ce que participer au festival vous inspire pour de nouveaux projets ?

J’aime voir le travail d’autres artistes et suivre l’évolution du cinéma queer à travers le monde mais être à Cannes cette année me permet surtout de sortir de ma bulle et de faire une pause. Je suis en pleine écriture du scénario de mon prochain film et j’ai tendance à m’enfermer comme un ermite. Lorsque j’écris, je m’isole du monde extérieur. Cette proposition de venir au festival m’a tout de suite séduite même si je n’aime guère abandonner mon bureau d’écolier lorsque je suis en période de recherche pour mon script.

Que pouvez-vous nous dire de votre prochain film ?

Depuis mes débuts j’écris ce que je connais. Si ‘Girl’ et ‘Close’ étaient avant tout des histoires durant l’adolescence, j’ai envie de raconter une histoire plus adulte mais il est encore beaucoup trop tôt pour entrer dans les détails car je ne suis qu’aux balbutiements de ce long métrage. J’ai la chance de travailler en étroite collaboration avec mon frère, Michiel, qui est le producteur de mes projets et qui a fait le déplacement avec moi à Cannes ce qui nous permet de continuer à évoluer sur mon prochain tournage tout en étant à ce festival.

Vous semblez vouloir espacer la sortie de vos films de 3 ou 4 ans. Pourquoi ?

C’est le temps dont j’ai besoin pour préparer, trouver mes idées, écrire, tourner, faire la post-production puis suivre mes films à travers le monde. Cela peut sembler étrange mais je suis un introverti qui oublie sa timidité lorsqu’il s’agit de présenter mon travail aux spectateurs. Je passe littéralement de longs mois en ne sortant pratiquement pas de chez moi à une période intense sur les plateaux de tournage puis je m’enferme à nouveau pour le montage et j’essaye de me transformer en Ambassadeur pour mon film en parcourant la planète de festival en Première ou soirées de gala.

Vos 2 premiers longs-métrages ont été nominés à chaque fois dans la catégorie du meilleur film étranger aux Golden Globes…

Avoir été nominé 2 fois aux Golden Globes, cela n’est que du bonheur ! Cela a permis de faire découvrir mes films a de nombreux américains et d’avoir la chance d’aller à la rencontre d’un public international.

Depuis votre première participation à la cérémonie des Golden Globes avez-vous rencontré des artistes américains qui vous ont donné envie de tourner un film aux États-Unis et en anglais ?

J’ai fait de nombreuses rencontres comme celle de Margot Robbie que j’admire mais je crois que c’est ma rencontre avec Emma Stone qui reste l’un de mes meilleurs souvenirs et j’adorerais collaborer un jour avec elle mais j’ai été bien trop timide lors de notre brève discussion pour lui demander si elle avait vu l’un de mes films ou pas. De toute façon, je continue pour l’instant à écrire et tourner mes films en mélangeant le flamand et le français car je suis belge et fier de mes origines.

The post Lukas Dhont: ‘Avoir été nominé 2 fois aux Golden Globes, cela n’est que du bonheur !’ appeared first on Golden Globes.