Chlotrudis Award Nominations 2009

[Susi Walsh/Center for Independen]

Boston MA - Nominations for the 15th annual Chlotrudis Awards were
finalized by the
film group’s nominating committee this past weekend. Among the top
nominations is a film that, for the first time ever, was deemed eligible
for both the narrative and documentary categories, Guy Maddin’s MY
WINNIPEG. A fantastically nostalgic look back at his hometown, this
‘docu-fantasia’ as Maddin has called it, mixes stock historical footage
with surreal imagery and the director’s unique style to conjure up a new
kind of documentary cum visual memoir. It led all films with 6
nominations.

Following closely with five apiece are HAPPY GO LUCKY, the latest from
legendary UK director Mike Leigh, and the atmospheric Swedish thriller,
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. All 3 received Best Movie nominations, as did last
year’s Palm d’Or, 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS from Romania’s Cristian
Mungiu, and Fatih Akin’s THE EDGE OF HEAVEN about Turkish immigrants in
Germany. This year the Chlotrudis membership was wide-ranging in its
selections, generously distributing nods – only 6 of the 27 nominee films
received 3 or more nominations.

Over the years, nestled among the Chlotrudis nominations, surprises and
interesting juxtapositions have been discovered, and this year is no
different. For example, the nominees for Best Actor include both of the
heavy hitters from this award season, Sean Penn (MILK) and Mickey Rourke
(THE WRESTLER), as well as dark horse favorite Richard Jenkins (THE
VISITOR). Who could have anticipated that they would go up against either
Mad Eye Moody or the Muscles from Brussels in this category? Only the
cinemaniacs of Chlotrudis, who selected Brendan Gleeson (IN BRUGES) and
Jean Claude Van Damme (JCVD) to round out the Best Actor category.

In the Society’s most competitive and prestigious category, the Buried
Treasure, the final nominees were the Russian/Chechen war story
ALEKSANDRA; CHOP SHOP, which follows a boy struggling for his American
dream amid urban poverty; the French musical LOVE SONGS (CHANSONS
D’AMOUR), THE ORDER OF MYTHS, a chronicle of the oldest Mardi Gras
celebration in the US; the art documentary PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE,
and a Belgian coming of age story, WATER LILIES.

The Buried Treasure is the only category with eligibility requirements:
nominated films must have earned less than $250,000 in the U.S., and
members can submit no more than 3 entries for films they feel strongly
were given distributional short shrift and deserve a wider audience. A
shortlist is then compiled, and further ballot votes are taken until the
final list is set.

For over a decade, the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film has
highlighted its commitment to independent and foreign film in style by
holding its own black-tie CHLOTRUDIS AWARDS ceremony in early spring. The
2009 edition will be held Sunday March 22nd at the historic Brattle
Theatre, and the public is invited to join Chlotrudis members, nominees
and special guests in the celebration.

In addition to the competitive categories, Chlotrudis also presents
special awards that honor individuals or films for particular distinction.
Past recipients Ellen Page (Breakthrough Award ‘05), Kerry Washington
(Breakthrough Award ‘04), Don McKellar (Body of Work Award ‘07) and Philip
Seymour Hoffman (first Hall of Fame inductee) are among those who have
made the trek to Boston to be honored for their contributions to
independent film. This year’s recipients are still being finalized at
press time.

The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a Boston-based non-profit
group that teaches people to view film actively and experience the world
through independent film, and encourages discussion. The group works with
film festivals, local art-houses and theatres, production companies,
directors and actors to bring creative, quality films to the attention of
audiences and film-lovers. Visit its website, http://www.chlotrudis.org
for more information.

A complete list of the nominations for the 15th Annual Chlotrudis Awards
follows:

BEST MOVIE
4 Months, 3, Weeks, 2 Days
The Edge of Heaven
Happy Go Lucky
Let the Right One In
My Winnipeg

BEST DIRECTOR
Cristian Mungiu – 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Mike Leigh – Happy Go Lucky
Tomas Alfredson – Let the Right One In
Guy Maddin – My Winnipeg
Kelly Reichardt – Wendy and Lucy

BEST ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Jean Claude Van Damme - JCVD
Sean Penn - Milk
Richard Jenkins – The Visitor
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
Anamaria Marinca – 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Sally Hawkins – Happy Go Lucky
Lina Leandersson – Let the Right One In
Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
Michelle Williams– Wendy and Lucy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Eddie Marsan – Happy Go Lucky
Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road
Tom Noonan – Synodoche, New York
Julian Richings – The Tracey Fragments
Ricardo Dean - XXY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Ronit Elkabetz - The Band’s Visit
Elsa Zylberstein– I’ve Loved You So Long
Nadia Litz – Monkey Warfare
Ann Savage – My Winnipeg
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Hiam Abbass – The Visitor


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE CAST
The Band’s Visit
The Edge of Heaven
Jellyfish
Monkey Warfare
Synedoche, New York

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Encounters at the End of the World
The Fall
Let the Right One In
My Winnipeg
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Let the Right One In
OSS 177: Cairo, Nest of Spies
The Tracey Fragments
XXY

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
4 Months, 3, Weeks, 2 Days
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Let the Right One In
My Winnipeg
The Visitor

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Chris and Don: A Love Story
Encounters at the End of the World
Man on Wire
My Winnipeg
Surfwise

BURIED TREASURE
Aleksandra
Chop Shop
Love Songs(Chansons d'amour)
The Order of Myths
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Water Lilies


CONTACT:
Michael Colford
Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film (CSIF)
phone: [phone]
[e-mail]
http://www.chlotrudis.org