Film California First (FCF)—the successful anti-runaway program which provides reimbursements of certain film-related costs incurred by qualified production companies when lensing on local, state or federal public property in California—may be facing a funding cutback. In his proposal to narrow a state budget deficit of some $21 billion, Gov Gray Davis has recommended that $2.1 million be sliced off the allocation for the FCF this fiscal year. The state legislature is slated to convene next week to discuss budget cuts. The FCF currently operates under a $10 million appropriation for fiscal year 2002-’03….Word is that Cody Cluff will soon step down from his post as president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. (EIDC), the entity which oversees the joint Los Angeles County/City Film Office. At press time, representatives of Cluff and the EIDC executive board were finalizing a settlement that would pave the way for the EIDC to name an interim successor to Cluff, while an audit and a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s investigation of EIDC expenditures continues (SHOOT, 9/20 and 11/29, p. 1)….Director Tim Godsall has joined Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, for U.S. spot representation….Anne Skopas has left her position as executive producer at postproduction facility Nice Shoes and sister visual effects shop Guava—both in New York—and joined New York hybrid postproduction/design/graphics facility Charlex as senior producer with responsibilities in new business development….A pair of Florida post/effects houses, BVI and Manhattan Transfer—which merged in May—are now operating under the Manhattan Transfer-Miami name, with both operations consolidated at the longstanding BVI facility in Coconut Grove. Rick Legrow remains president of the company, with Bob Corti taking the reins as general manager….Inferno artist Ali Laventhol, a former freelancer, has come aboard digital visual effects studio Radium, Santa Monica. Over the years, she had been freelancing regularly at Radium, which also maintains a San Francisco studio. Earlier in her career, she held staff positions at Ring of Fire Advanced Media, West Hollywood, and now defunct Western Images….The industry is mourning director/DP David Elliot, who died Nov. 25 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Elliot directed numerous commercials, through Screen Gems, New York, and its subsidiary, David Elliot & Company, also New York, including ads for Polaroid, Hasbro, and Quaker. In recent years, he worked on long-form projects, including the campaign launch film for Andrew Cuomo’s short-lived New York gubenatorial race. Elliot was the son of Steve Elliot and the nephew of Mike Elliot, who, along with Bill Unger, founded EUE Screen Gems in 1948. David Elliot is survived by his wife, Priscilla Watts, their son Ben, as well as his older children, Sam and Kate. Donations in Elliot’s name may be made to: Gilda’s Club NYC, 195 Houston St., New York, NY 10014….
London Critics Name “The Brutalist” The Film of the Year
The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s immigrant saga, won the Film of the Year prize at the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.
While The Brutalist garnered just one award, it was the marquee honor. Meanwhile Nickel Boys, Conclave and A Real Pain all receivd multiple awards, and Zoe Saldaña was honored twice.
Edward Berger’s Vatican thriller Conclave took two awards for British/Irish Film of the Year and Actor of the Year for Ralph Fiennes, while RaMell Ross’s radical Colson Whitehead adaptation Nickel Boys was recognized with Director of the Year and the Technical Achievement Award for Jomo Fray’s first-person cinematography. Jesse Eisenberg’s dark comedy A Real Pain was the night’s other multiple prizewinner, landing Screenwriter of the Year for the actor-filmmaker, and Supporting Actor of the Year for co-star Kieran Culkin.
Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai-set drama All We Imagine as Light was named Foreign Language Film of the Year, while the Palestinian-Israeli collective behind No Other Land took Documentary of the Year.
Alongside Conclave, British productions awarded by the Circle in the top categories included Mike Leigh’s intimate character study Hard Truths, which took Actress of the Year for Marianne Jean-Baptiste, while Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was named Animated Feature of the Year. In the British/Irish-specific categories, Saoirse Ronan won British/Irish Performer of the Year for her performances in The Outrun and Blitz, 14-year-old Nykiya Adams won Young British/Irish Performer of the Year for her screen debut in Andrea Arnold’s Bird, and Rich Peppiatt won the... Read More