Do you know one of the reasons the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs manage to attract so many star names? It’s because of when they’re held. The Golden Globes come just a few days before AMPAS members have to submit who they think should be nominated for the Oscars, and the BAFTAs come just before the deadline for them to say who they think should win.
However, as the British equivalent of the Oscars, the BAFTAs are a big ceremony in their own right, and the stars descended on London’s Royal Albert Hall to see who would win.
La La Land was the big winner, taking Best Film, Best Director for Damien Chazelle, Best Actress for Emma Stone, as well as a few others. In the other acting categories, Casey Affleck took Best Actor for Manchester by the Sea, Viola Davis was given Best Supporting Actress for Fences, while Dev Patel won Best Supporting Actor for Lion.
Amongst the other awards there was a good spread of films being honoured, including I Daniel Blake, Kubo & The Two Strings, Jackie, Arrival and Hacksaw Ridge. However, notable by its absence was Moonlight, which may have won numerous Best Film accolades at other awards, but got nothing from the BAFTAs. However, the movie was hampered by the fact it’s only just being released in the UK. The other main LGBT hope for the evening, The Pass – which was up for Outstanding British Debut – also lost out.
Take a look at the full list of winners below (winners in bold): [Read more…]
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Paris Is Burning may have become increasingly controversial in recent years, but it’s certainly a seminal LGBT-themed documentary, a ignited an interest in the ballroom world. Now Kiki is heading back into that world for a fresh look at where things are in the 21st Century.
A Fantastic Woman – which features a transgender lead character – may be one of the foreign-language films making waves this year. At least Sony Pictures Classics will be hoping so, as just before its in competition debut at the Berlin FIlm Festival, the distribution company has announced they’ve acquired the rights to the movie in North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Jacques Audiard won the Palm d’Or at Canned for his last movie, Dheepan, about a former Sri Lankan freedom fighter finding life difficult as an asylum seeker in France. However, he’s planning something rather different for his next film, the noir western, The Sister Brothers.
Some filming has already begun of Disney’s planned Star Wars movie based on what Han Solo was up to before the events of A New Hope, but it’s still adding to its cast. 
A few weeks ago there was a lot of surprise when it was announced that after months of developing the movie, Ben Affleck was stepping down from the director’s chair of The Batman. That was followed by rumours that Warner Bros. didn’t like the script, Affleck may have been looking for a way out of playing Batman completely, and the film may never happen.
After watching the trailer for Wild Awakening it’s a bit difficult to know what to make. The film heads into full-on melodrama territory, taking its cues from telenovelas, while adding in a fair dose on man-on-man action. I’m not sure whether it’s meant to be funny or not, or whether it’s just a bit camp, but I’d like to find out!
This year was a good one for LGBT movies at Sundance, with the likes of Call Me By Your Name, God’s Own Country and Beach Rats making waves. The first teaser for the last of those films has now arrived, which you can take a look at below.
2017 marks the the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act which decriminalised homosexual acts in England and Wales between adult males, in private. It’s very fitting then that this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival will open with the the world premiere of Against The Law, about one of the cases that helped lead to the partial decriminalisation of gay sex in England and Wales.