One of the biggest online events was a one in which Yahoo! teamed up with the creative heads at Sundance and streamed 9 short films which were in competition at Sundance. The idea behind this was to let fans actively participate in the Sundance Film Festival. I mean isn’t that what Sundance is all about? And participate they did!

In addition to viewing the nine movies, fans were also able to vote for their favorite, which led to Sundance’s first ever online “Audience Award.” Whichever film won this Audience Award also got to take home $5,000.

During this online competition, Yahoo! provided over 1.6 million views of the nine short films. 1.6 million! That’s a lot of people watching.

Well, not to spoil the surprise, but out of the nine films in competition, Tom Clark, Maria White, Kristy Olson Cuthbert, and Brad Jayne’s film Debutante Hunters took home best-like award (and not to mention the money).

Pretty cool, right? And what’s even cooler is that Yahoo! is continuing to screen these nine short films for six more weeks. So if you missed them during the actual Sundance Festival, do not fret, just click here.

For more information as well as the complete list of the nine short films, check out the official press release below:

YAHOO! TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF

2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL,

INCLUDING SELECT SHORT FILMS STREAMING FREE ONLINE

First-Ever Online “Audience Award” Enables Fans to Vote
for Best Short Film on Yahoo! Screen
Yahoo! Movies & omg! NOW Feature Behind-The-Scenes
Content Straight from Park City
SUNNYVALE, CA (January 19, 2012)— Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), the premier digital media company, is opening the doors to the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, giving independent film fans access to one of the year’s most highly anticipated industry events. The general public will have access to 9 short films from this year’s Festival by visiting sundance.yahoo.com, powered by Yahoo! Screen, Yahoo’s video destination and home to the most comprehensive collection of premium video content. Additionally, for the first time ever, they will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite of those nine short films. Fans will also get behind-the-scenes access to film and entertainment news, celebrities in attendance and the biggest stories of the festival through Yahoo! Movies (http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/sundance ), one of the top destinations online for movie fans with more than 26 million users per month, and omg! (http://omg.yahoo.com), the #1 most-visited celebrity news site on the Internet.

Beginning today and lasting through January 27, Yahoo! Screen will host a selection of short films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and chosen in close collaboration with the Festival and Yahoo! Movie editors. Film aficionados will have the chance to vote for their favorite, and on Saturday, January 28th– at the Festival’s Official Awards Ceremony – Yahoo! will present the winning filmmaker with the inaugural Yahoo! Audience Award and five thousand dollars. Plus, the winning film will be given prominent placement on Yahoo!. All of the additional featured films will remain accessible on Yahoo! Screen for six additional weeks.

Throughout this celebration of independent cinema, Yahoo! Movies is providing exclusive film-related content and original news daily from their on-the-ground correspondents in Park City. omg! NOW (http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/now/) host Kristen Aldridge will take her audience past the velvet ropes, providing insider access from Main Street to the hottest parties and biggest premieres. A daily video series, omg! NOW is the web’s #1 online show for celebrity and entertainment news.

“Yahoo! is the home for major entertainment events online and this year, we’re bringing film buffs with us to one of the world’s most significant film festivals,” said Mickie Rosen, senior vice president of Yahoo! Media Network. “We look forward to providing film lovers a role in Festival voting with our new Audience Award and keeping them connected with minute-by-minute reporting. Some of the best filmmakers started their careers developing short films and now our audience has the chance to pick what could be the next big name in the film industry.”
Short films available now on Yahoo! Screen include:

· ’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card
Jim and Dave, two brothers who don’t like each other very much, are forced to come together when their dad dies in Kansas City. Dave is pretty sure he has an Alonzo Mourning Skybox Series rookie card, but Jim has other ideas.

· Aquadettes
A meditation on life, death, and synchronized swimming.

· The Arm
To keep up with social pressure in a technologically advanced world, Chance starts a texting relationship with Genevieve—a girl he meets at a yogurt shop. But tragedy forces Chance to realize that he was never in a relationship at all.

· Debutante Hunters
In the low country of South Carolina, some true southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild.

· Dol (First Birthday)
A gay Korean American man yearns for a family life that is just out of reach.

· Henley
Meet nine-year-old Ted Henley, budding motel manager and roadkill entrepreneur.

· Long Distance Information
Father always told us, “Never talk to strangers,” . . . But surely we have to phone home sometimes?

· Odysseus’ Gambit
During his lifetime, each man plays cosmic chess against the devil.

· Una Hora por Favora
A woman hires a day laborer for an hour and gets more than she bargained for.

Yahoo! is the Official Sponsor of the Short Film Program at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 19-29, 2012 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

And in this vain it seems, comes Game Change, the new HBO movie based on John Heilemann and Mark Halperin’s best-selling novel of the same name, which tracks the 2008 U.S. presidential election on both sides, especially focusing on John McCain’s decision to run with ex-Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee. Directed by Jay Roach and transformed for the screen by screenwriter Danny Strong, Game Change is the second venture this duo has embarked on–the first being the excellent television film Recount, which also happened to be an HBO film.

And what makes this movie such a rare and original hybrid? Well, along with boasting a stellar supporting cast– Ed Harris as John McCain, Woody Harrelson as McCain’s senior advisor, Steve Schmidt, Ron Livingston as Mark Wallace, and Sarah Paulson as Nicolle Wallace– it also has the one thing that serves as the, er, game changer, taking what could have been a run-of-the-mill television movie to the HBO level everyone knows and love. And that one game-changing thing is Julianne Moore who is playing Sarah Palin. This is groundbreaking, let me tell you!

And what’s even better about this news is that just by judging by the recently-released trailer, Julianne Moore doesn’t merely do an impeccable Sarah Palin impersonation, but she also gives her a level of complexity not even seen in Palin herself. This is going to be good. So very good.

Game Change will premiere on HBO on March 10th. Watch the trailer below (and feel free to watch it again and again):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Apparently, McCarthy will be bringing this same approach to his first ever script, The Counselor, which is set in the present-day Southwest and will center around a lawyer who gets involved in the Mexican drug trade and must suffer the consequences. Sounds amazing, especially considering McCarthy’s somewhat accurately eerie detailing of the Mexican drug war.

But what makes this even more amazing (as if that could actually happen)? Well, apparently the film will also have two female leads as well. This is great news, just great. As many McCarthy novels that I have read, the closet I’ve ever gotten to a female lead was a Mexican prostitute turned love-story catalyst in his Cities of the Plain. Here’s hoping (or rather knowing) that McCarthy brought his same knack for writing multi-dimensional male characters to that of their female counterpart.

So, just two short weeks after selling this sure-to-be-excellent script, Deadline is reporting that The Counselor has secured a director, a very big director. How big? Ridley Scott big. That’s right, the man behind Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator has signed on to direct McCarthy’s venture. This is truly exciting news! Just the best. This has Oscar-gold written all over it. Could it really be Christmas in February?! Because it certainly feels that way!

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
“Bridesmaids”
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Midnight in Paris”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Demian Bicher, “A Better Life”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Armie Hammer, “J. Edgar”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”

For a full list of winners, including winners from the television categories, click here.

Slaver By Another Name received just that. The film was screened at Sundance was followed by a Q & A with director Sam Pollard. The film was adapted from the novel Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II which won the Pulitzer prize. And apparently it’s incredible.

Pollard has worked tirelessly in Hollywood for the last 30 plus years, working with topics from Mike Tyson to Jim Crow, and culminating in a Spike Lee collaboration that resulted in an Academy Award nomination (4 Little Girls). But this may be his crowning achievement. This may be where everything finally comes together. Although he has a lot of knowledge and experience with African American rights and struggles, this may be the one that catches people’s attention.

I am not particularly knowledgeable about Pollard’s work to date, but Slavery By Another Name isn’t just another run of the mill documentary. It tackles the issues of post-emancipation slavery in a way that may make people squirm in their seats. Uncomfortable people is often the result of no holds barred story telling. But it also seems that it’s something that should be brought to the forefront of modern history, not glossed over. Apparently, it takes place right after the 1865 freeing of the slaves and how many were forced back into working for nothing in both the north and the south.

One thing is for sure: Pollard will be watched from now on as his film continues to get more and more acclaim and viewing. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

“You know what’s interesting about Magneto and Professor X from the comic books as well, is there’s such a complexity to their relationship…It’s not just like clear-cut enemies; they’re best friends as well. In the comic books, even after they’ve had this sort of rift, Professor X asks Magneto to come back and look after the students at certain points…I think there’s always that complexity in their relationship and we want to keep that alive as possible, because that’s I think a really interesting thing – the conflict there.”

Fassbender definitely seems to have a good hold on the character, and his portrayal in ‘First Class’ was everything I could’ve hoped for. Magneto became James Bond meets Nazi Warrior, I would love to see a movie based solely on his character!

Unfortunately, there is no official date set for the sequel but I’m sure we’ll hear word on it soon! What direction do you hope they take the sequel Banters? And lets cross our fingers Matthew Vaughn returns to the directing chair!

On a more serious note, sadly this will be my last article with The Movie Banter. This has been one of the best writing experiences of my life and I will never forget it! I want to thank all of you faithful readers out there and please remember to keep on Bantering!

After looking again at a list of winners, there are a few things that immediately stand out. Yes, many awards went to the obvious choices– no one was really that surprised that Jean Dujarin took home the best actor award in a comedy or musical for his silent performance in The Artist, or that Meryl Streep was the top pick for best actress in a drama for her role in The Iron Lady, or even that The Artist was chosen as the best comedy or musical film (God, was Harvey Weinstein having his heyday).

But then, like any good award show, there were the shocks that let us all eagerly anticipating the Oscars know that we have a real race ahead of us. For example, is George Clooney really the top pick for the Best Actor category for his lead performance in The Descendants over his friend, Brad Pitt’s role (and higher-praised at that) in Moneyball? Or what about the best director award? It came as a shock to me (and I’m sure to many) that given as many awards The Artist was slated to take home, its director, Michel Hazanavicius, lost it to Martin Scorsese for his animated Hugo. Will The Artist actually win all the Oscars its slated to? (I not-so-secretly hope not).

Shocks aside, you also have to wonder if the obvious choice-wins were the Awards Season’s way of throwing us off our game for the Oscars. For example, will Meryl Streep actually take home the Best Actress Oscar, or, in a (probably deserving upset) will the award go to Rooney Mara for her amazing performance in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or even Viola Davis in The Help? And with Octavia Spencer winning the Best Supporting Actress Globe, does that mean that Jessica Chastain has a better chance of winning any Oscar she may be nominated for (after all, she was in a staggering number of well-received films this year)?

I guess there is no way to tell until first, the Oscar nominations are released, and second, until the actual Oscars happen. But let me tell you, if Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life is snubbed the way it was at the more viewer-friendly Golden Globes, the award show is going to have some ‘splaining to do.

Overall, I thought the Golden Globes were great this year (due in large part to its three-year-running great host Ricky Gervais). Hopefully, the Oscars will learn a thing or two from this event. Until this can be discerned, I thank the Golden Globes (and the Hollywood Foreign Press) for a good night full of some expected awards and some shocks.

Lionsgate has officially signed on Gary Ross to return for the sequel, I guess they were happy with his work on the first one huh? The screenplay for the first was a collaborative effort by Gary Ross, book author Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray; but this time around Lionsgate was shopping for a certain Oscar-winning screenwriter, and it looks like they got him! ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ scribe Simon Beaufoy has officially signed on!

I have to say I am thrilled with both of these choices. I love when sequels hold on to the same director, this is a series after all and it is important that they keep the same tone throughout. As far as Simon Beaufoy, I absolutely loved ‘Slumdog’ so I am sure I will once again be happy with his work.

You can see ‘The Hunger Games’ in theaters March 23^r 2012, and its sequel, ‘Catching Fire,’ in theaters November 22^nd, 2013.

Are you happy with Ross returning and the hiring of Beaufoy?

Take a look at the full Film nominations and winners below:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

WINNER: The Descendants (2011)

Other Nominees:

The Help (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

The Ides of March (2011)

Moneyball (2011)

War Horse (2011)

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

WINNER: The Artist (2011)

Other Nominees:

Bridesmaids (2011)

50/50 (2011)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

WINNER: George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)

Other Nominees:

Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar (2011)

Michael Fassbender for Shame (2011)

Ryan Gosling for The Ides of March (2011)

Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

WINNER: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)

Other Nominees:

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs (2011)

Viola Davis for The Help (2011)

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

WINNER: Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)

Other Nominees:

Brendan Gleeson for The Guard (2011)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50 (2011)

Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Owen Wilson for Midnight in Paris (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

WINNER: Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Other Nominees:

Jodie Foster for Carnage (2011)

Charlize Theron for Young Adult (2011)

Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids (2011)

Kate Winslet for Carnage (2011)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

WINNER: Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)

Other Nominees:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Albert Brooks for Drive (2011)

Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)

Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

WINNER: Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)

Other Nominees:

Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)

Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs (2011)

Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)

Best Director – Motion Picture

WINNER: Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)

Other Nominees:

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (2011)

George Clooney for The Ides of March (2011)

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)

Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

WINNER: Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen

Other Nominees:

The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

The Ides of March (2011): George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

WINNER: W.E. (2011): Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry(“Masterpiece”)

Other Nominees:

Albert Nobbs (2011): Brian Byrne, Glenn Close(“Lay Your Head Down”)

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011): Elton John, Bernie Taupin(“Hello Hello”)

The Help (2011): Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas(“The Living Proof”)

Machine Gun Preacher (2011): Chris Cornell(“The Keeper”)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

WINNER: The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource

Other Nominees:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore

War Horse (2011): John Williams

W.E. (2011): Abel Korzeniowski

Best Animated Film

WINNER: The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Other Nominees:

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Cars 2 (2011)

Puss in Boots (2011)

Rango (2011)

Best Foreign Language Film

WINNER: A Separation (2011)(Iran)

Other Nominees:

The Flowers of War (2011)(China)

In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)(USA)

The Kid with a Bike (2011)(Belgium)

The Skin I Live In (2011)(Spain)

And click here for a full list of nominees:

http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/

Moonrise Kingdom will mark Wes Anderson’s seventh foray into the world feature-film writing and directing; and as an avid fan of both movies in general and Anderson specifically, I remain eternally grateful for the glimmer of hope that this trailer represents. This is the kind of hope that assures us movie-goers that there is some validity to the claim that all creativity and originality in feature-filmmaking is not dead. Oh happy day, indeed!

As far as anyone can tell from the true-to-form, somewhat-elusive trailer, Moonrise Kingdom documents a pair of young (children-young) lovers who flee the 1960s New England town/camp in which they are living, prompting a chase by a local search party. Co-written by Roman Coppola, brother of Sofia and son of Francis (seriously, could this get any better?!), Moonrise Kingdom stars (serious) newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the two star-crossed lovers. As expected, Anderson has also managed to deliver a fine supporting cast, made up with the likes of Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman (duh), Bill Murray (duh again), and Harvey Keitel. And most importantly (as well as very expectedly), Moonrise Kingdom seems to boast the same sort of picturesque beauty Anderson has been known to create in both his live-action (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) and stop-motion animation (The Fantastic Mr. Fox) films, with a stellar soundtrack to boot! If this doesn’t excite you, then I’m not sure what will.

Moonrise Kingdom is set for release on May 25th. Until then, feel free to watch the trailer (below) on repeat.

Click here to view the embedded video.