Will 'Twelve Years A Slave' Premiere At The Cannes Film Festival? FESTIVALS BY SERGIO (INDIE WIRE)

Of course, we're still quite a few months away before this year's Cannes Film Festival announces its selection of films that will screen, both in and out of competition. But both Tambay and I agree that this is a no-brainer.

Steve McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave for certain, will make its premiere at this year's festival. So how can we be so confident? Well there are several factors in its favor.

First of all, it's an independently made, much talked about and anticipated, high profile film with major stars, about a controversial subject matter made by an equally controversial major director. That's the kind of movie they live for at Cannes.

Second, as I just alluded to, it's got star power: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodward, Ruth Negga, Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry among others. And there's nothing they love more at Cannes than to have movie stars walking up those famous red carpeted steps to the Grande Auditorium on The Palais, for the movie's premiere, with the world's paparazzi out in full force.

And it will be the second trip in a row for both Wallis and Henry, who were at Cannes last year for Beasts of the Southern Wild.


read more: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/will-12-years-a-slave-premiere-at-the-cannes-film-festival?_tmc=X--Rjzk39R8K7CZklte7LMobpsS6js96Qht56B2OU5U

'Lincoln' tops Oscar nominations By Todd Leopold, CNN

(CNN) -- "Lincoln," director Steven Spielberg's film about the 16th president and his battle to end slavery, topped the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards on Thursday, receiving 12 nods, including best picture.

Along with Spielberg, who picked up a best director nomination, the film earned picks for best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), best supporting actress (Sally Field), best supporting actor (Tommy Lee Jones) and best adapted screenplay (Tony Kushner).

"Life of Pi" was second with 11 nominations, including best picture, best director (Ang Lee) and best adapted screenplay.

As always, there were a handful of surprises. The most notable, perhaps, was the showing by the small independent film "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Its 9-year-old star, Quvenzhane Wallis, earned a nomination for best actress, becoming the youngest person ever in that category. In addition, the film was nominated for best picture, best director (Benh Zeitlin) and best adapted screenplay -- four nominations in all.


Along with "Lincoln," "Pi," "Beasts" and "Amour," the other best picture nominees are "Argo," "Django Unchained," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Les Miserables."

The nominees for best actor are Day-Lewis ("Lincoln"), Hugh Jackman ("Les Miserables"), Denzel Washington ("Flight"), Joaquin Phoenix ("The Master") and Bradley Cooper ("Silver Linings Playbook").

The nominees for best actress are Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Naomi Watts ("The Impossible") and Emmanuelle Riva ("Amour").

The nominees for best supporting actor are Jones ("Lincoln"), Robert De Niro ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Master"), Alan Arkin ("Argo") and Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained").

The nominees for best supporting actress are Field ("Lincoln"), Amy Adams ("The Master"), Anne Hathaway ("Les Miserables"), Helen Hunt ("The Sessions") and Jacki Weaver ("Silver Linings Playbook").

The nominees for best director are Spielberg ("Lincoln"), Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Lee ("Life of Pi") and Haneke ("Amour").

READ MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/showbiz/movies/oscar-nominations/?hpt=hp_c1