Nominations Announced for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® 2018

Nominees for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® for outstanding individual, cast and ensemble performances in film and television of 2017, as well as the honorees for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles were announced this morning at the Pacific Design Center’s SilverScreen Theater in West Hollywood.

SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris introduced Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse, The Predator) and Niecy Nash (Claws, The Soul Man), who announced the nominees for this year’s Actors® live on TNT, TBS, truTV, tntdrama.com/sagawards, truTV.com andsagawards.org, TNT/TBS apps, and TNT/TBS Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels. Prior to that, SAG Awards Committee ChairJoBeth Williams and Committee Member Elizabeth McLaughlin announced the honorees for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles.

The 24th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

The Theatrical Motion Picture Nominees are:

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

JUDI DENCH / Queen Victoria – “VICTORIA & ABDUL” (Focus Features)
SALLY HAWKINS / Elisa Esposito – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)
FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
MARGOT ROBBIE / Tonya Harding – “I, TONYA” (Neon)
SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)

 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Elio – “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JAMES FRANCO / Tommy Wiseau – “THE DISASTER ARTIST” (A24)
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington – “GET OUT” (Universal Pictures)
GARY OLDMAN / Winston Churchill – “DARKEST HOUR” (Focus Features)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Roman J. Israel, Esq. – “ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.” (Columbia Pictures)

 
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson – “MUDBOUND” (Netflix)
HONG CHAU / Ngoc Lan Tran – “DOWNSIZING” (Paramount Pictures)
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth – “THE BIG SICK” (Amazon Studios)
ALLISON JANNEY / LaVona Golden – “I, TONYA” (Neon)
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

STEVE CARELL / Bobby Riggs – “BATTLE OF THE SEXES” (Fox Searchlight)
WILLEM DAFOE / Bobby – “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” (A24)
WOODY HARRELSON / Willoughby – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
RICHARD JENKINS / Giles – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)|
SAM ROCKWELL / Dixon – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

THE BIG SICK (Amazon Studios)
ADEEL AKHTAR / Naveed
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth
ZOE KAZAN / Emily
ANUPAM KHER / Azmat
KUMAIL NANJIANI / Kumail
RAY ROMANO / Terry
ZENOBIA SHROFF / Sharmeen
 

GET OUT (Universal Pictures)
CALEB LANDRY JONES / Jeremy Armitage
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington
CATHERINE KEENER / Missy Armitage
STEPHEN ROOT / Jim Hudson
LAKEITH STANFIELD / Andrew/Logan King
BRADLEY WHITFORD / Dean Armitage
ALLISON WILLIAMS / Rose Armitage
 

LADY BIRD (A24)
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Kyle Scheible
BEANIE FELDSTEIN / Julie Steffans
LUCAS HEDGES / Danny O’Neill
TRACY LETTS / Larry McPherson
STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON / Father Leviatch
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson
JORDAN RODRIGUES / Miguel McPherson
SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson
ODEYA RUSH / Jenna Walton
MARIELLE SCOTT / Shelly Yuhan
LOIS SMITH / Sister Sarah Joan
 

MUDBOUND (Netflix)
JONATHAN BANKS / Pappy McAllan
MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson
JASON CLARKE / Henry McAllan
GARRETT HEDLUND / Jamie McAllan
JASON MITCHELL / Ronsel Jackson
ROB MORGAN / Hap Jackson
CAREY MULLIGAN / Laura McAllan
 

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Fox Searchlight)
ABBIE CORNISH / Anne
PETER DINKLAGE / James
WOODY HARRELSON / Willoughby
JOHN HAWKES / Charlie
LUCAS HEDGES / Robbie
ŽELJKO IVANEK / Desk Sgt.
CALEB LANDRY JONES / Red Welby
FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred
CLARKE PETERS / Abercrombie
SAM ROCKWELL / Dixon
SAMARA WEAVING / Penelope

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“BABY DRIVER” (TriStar Pictures and MRC)
“DUNKIRK” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
“LOGAN” (20th Century Fox)
“WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES” (20th Century Fox)
“WONDER WOMAN” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Television Nominees are:
 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

LAURA DERN / Renata Klein – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Celeste Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
JESSICA LANGE / Joan Crawford – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
SUSAN SARANDON / Bette Davis – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
REESE WITHERSPOON / Madeline MacKenzie – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Sherlock Holmes – “SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE” (WGBH/Masterpiece)
JEFF DANIELS / Frank Griffin – “GODLESS” (Netflix)
ROBERT DE NIRO / Bernie Madoff – “THE WIZARD OF LIES” (HBO)
GEOFFREY RUSH / Albert Einstein – “GENIUS” (National Geographic)
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Perry Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
LAURA LINNEY / Wendy Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June – “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” (Hulu)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)
 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

JASON BATEMAN / Martin “Marty” Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson – “THIS IS US” (NBC)
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman – “BETTER CALL SAUL” (AMC)
 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder – “GLOW” (Netflix)
JANE FONDA / Grace Hanson – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
LILY TOMLIN / Frankie Bergstein – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)
 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson – “BLACK-ISH” (ABC)
AZIZ ANSARI / Dev – “MASTER OF NONE” (Netflix)
LARRY DAVID / Himself – “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM” (HBO)
SEAN HAYES / Jack McFarland – “WILL & GRACE” (NBC)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia – “GLOW” (Netflix)
 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CROWN (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II
VICTORIA HAMILTON / Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
VANESSA KIRBY / Princess Margaret
ANTON LESSER / Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
MATT SMITH / Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm
PILOU ASBÆK / Euron Greyjoy
HAFÞÓR JÚLÍUS BJÖRNSSON / The Mountain
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
JIM BROADBENT / Archmaester Ebrose
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Davos Seaworth
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
RICHARD DORMER / Beric Dondarrion
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
JAMES FAULKNER / Randyll Tarly
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
AIDAN GILLEN / Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark
CONLETH HILL / Varys
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
TOM HOPPER / Dickon Tarly
ANTON LESSER / Qyburn
RORY McCANN / The Hound
STAZ NAIR / Qhono
RICHARD RYCROFT / Maester Wolkan
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
RUPERT VANSITTART / Yohn Royce
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
 

THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu)
MADELINE BREWER / Janine/Ofwarren/Ofdaniel
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Waterford
TATTIAWNA JONES / Ofglen #2
MAX MINGHELLA / Nick Blaine
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy
SAMIRA WILEY / Moira
 

STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
SEAN ASTIN / Bob Newby
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven
CARA BUONO / Karen Wheeler
JOE CHREST / Ted Wheeler
CATHERINE CURTIN / Claudia Henderson (Dustin’s Mom)
NATALIA DYER / Nancy Wheeler
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper
CHARLIE HEATON / Jonathan Byers
JOE KEERY / Steve Harrington
GATEN MATARAZZO / Dustin Henderson
CALEB McLAUGHLIN / Lucas Sinclair
DACRE MONTGOMERY / Billy
PAUL REISER / Dr. Owens
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers
NOAH SCHNAPP / Will Byers
SADIE SINK / Max
FINN WOLFHARD / Mike Wheeler
 

THIS IS US (NBC)
ERIS BAKER / Tess Pearson
ALEXANDRA BRECKENRIDGE / Sophie
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson
LONNIE CHAVIS / Young Randall
JUSTIN HARTLEY / Kevin Pearson
FAITHE HERMAN / Annie Pearson
RON CEPHAS JONES / William Hill
CHRISSY METZ / Kate Pearson
MANDY MOORE / Rebecca Pearson
CHRIS SULLIVAN / Toby Damon
MILO VENTIMIGLIA / Jack Pearson
SUSAN KELECHI WATSON / Beth Pearson
HANNAH ZEILE / Teenage Kate
 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

BLACK-ISH (ABC)
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson
MILES BROWN / Jack Johnson
DEON COLE / Charlie Telphy
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Pops
JENIFER LEWIS / Ruby
PETER MACKENZIE / Mr. Stevens
MARSAI MARTIN / Diane Johnson
JEFF MEACHAM / Josh
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Dr. Rainbow Johnson
MARCUS SCRIBNER / Andre Johnson, Jr.
YARA SHAHIDI / Zoey Johnson
 

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
TED DANSON / Himself
LARRY DAVID / Himself
SUSIE ESSMAN / Susie Greene
JEFF GARLIN / Jeff Greene
CHERYL HINES / Cheryl David
JB SMOOVE / Leon Black
 

GLOW (Netflix)
BRITT BARON / Justine Biagi
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder
KIMMY GATEWOOD / Stacey Beswick
BETTY GILPIN / Debbie Eagan
REBEKKA JOHNSON / Dawn Rivecca
CHRIS LOWELL / Bash
SUNITA MANI / Arthie Premkumar
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia
KATE NASH / Rhonda Richardson
SYDELLE NOEL / Cherry Bang
MARIANNA PALKA / Reggie Walsh
GAYLE RANKIN / Sheila the She-Wolf
BASHIR SALAHUDDIN / Keith
RICH SOMMER / Mark
KIA STEVENS / Tammé Dawson
JACKIE TOHN / Melanie Rosen
ELLEN WONG / Jenny Chey
BRITNEY YOUNG / Carmen Wade

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
EMILY ALTHAUS / Maureen Kukudio
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
ROSAL COLÓN / Ouija
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
FRANCESCA CURRAN / Helen Van Maele
DANIELLA DE JESÚS / Zirconia
LEA DeLARIA / Big Boo
NICK DILLENBURG / CO Blake
ASIA KATE DILLON / Brandy Epps
BETH DOVER / Linda Ferguson
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
LAURA GÓMEZ / Blanca Flores
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
EVAN ARTHUR HALL / CO Stratman
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
BRAD WILLIAM HENKE / Desi Piscatella
MIKE HOUSTON / CO Lee Dixon
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
KELLY KARBACZ / Kasey Sankey
JULIE LAKE / Angie Rice
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
NATASHA LYONNE / Nicky Nichols
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Cindy Hayes
MIRIAM MORALES / Pidge
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
JOHN PALLADINO / Josh
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
JOLENE PURDY / Stephanie Hapakuka
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina Murphy
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda Berlin
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
EMILY TARVER / CO Artesian McCullough
MICHAEL TORPEY / CO Thomas Humphrey
LIN TUCCI / Anita DeMarco

VEEP (HBO)
DAN BAKKEDAHL / Roger Furlong
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davison
MARGARET COLIN / Jane McCabe
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
CLEA DUVALL / Marjorie Palmiotti
NELSON FRANKLIN / Will
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard Splett
PAUL SCHEER / Stevie
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine Meyer
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock
 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
GLOW (Netflix)
HOMELAND (Showtime)
STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
 

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
54th SAG Life Achievement Award

MORGAN FREEMAN

24th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS®

NOMINATIONS FACT SHEET

ACTORS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS – THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES & TELEVISION PROGRAMS

PETER DINKLAGE – 3

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

MALE DRAMA – "Game of Thrones"

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – "Game of Thrones"

ACTORS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS – THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

MARY J. BLIGE – 2

FEMALE SUPPORT – “Mudbound”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Mudbound”

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET – 2

MALE LEAD – “Call Me By Your Name”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Lady Bird"

WOODY HARRELSON – 2

MALE SUPPORT – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

LUCAS HEDGES – 2

MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Lady Bird"

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

HOLLY HUNTER – 2

FEMALE SUPPORT – “The Big Sick”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Big Sick”

CALEB LANDRY JONES – 2

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Get Out”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

DANIEL KALUUYA – 2

MALE LEAD – “Get Out”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Get Out”

FRANCES McDORMAND – 2

FEMALE LEAD – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

LAURIE METCALF – 2

FEMALE SUPPORT – "Lady Bird"

MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Lady Bird"

SAM ROCKWELL – 2

MALE SUPPORT – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

SAOIRSE RONAN – 2

FEMALE LEAD – "Lady Bird"

MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Lady Bird"

ACTORS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS – TELEVISION PROGRAMS
 

ANTHONY ANDERSON – 2
MALE COMEDY – “Black-ish”

COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Black-ish”

UZO ADUBA – 2

FEMALE COMEDY – “Orange is the New Black”

COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Orange is the New Black”

ALISON BRIE – 2

FEMALE COMEDY – “GLOW”

COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “GLOW”

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN – 2
FEMALE DRAMA – “Stranger Things”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”
 

STERLING K. BROWN – 2

MALE DRAMA – “This Is Us”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “This Is Us”

LARRY DAVID - 2

MALE COMEDY – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

CLAIRE FOY – 2
FEMALE DRAMA – “The Crown”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Crown”

DAVID HARBOUR – 2

MALE DRAMA – “Stranger Things”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

ANTON LESSER – 2

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Crown”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Game of Thrones”

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS – 2

FEMALE COMEDY – “Veep”

COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Veep”

 
MARC MARON – 2

MALE COMEDY – “GLOW”

COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “GLOW”

ELIZABETH MOSS – 2

FEMALE DRAMA – “The Handmaid’s Tale”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Handmaid’s Tale”

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” – 4

“Lady Bird” – 3

“The Big Sick” – 2

“Get Out” – 2

“I, Tonya” – 2

“Mudbound” – 2

TELEVISION PROGRAMS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

“Big Little Lies” – 4

“Stranger Things” – 4 (including stunt ensemble nomination)

“GLOW” – 4 (including stunt ensemble nomination)

“Game of Thrones” – 3 (including stunt ensemble nomination)

“Black-ish” – 2

“The Crown” – 2

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” – 2

“FEUD: Bette and Joan” – 2

“Grace and Frankie” – 2

“Orange is the New Black” – 2

“Ozark” – 2

“The Handmaid’s Tale” – 2

“This Is Us” – 2

“Veep” – 2

NOMINATIONS BY STUDIO FOR THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

FOX SEARCHLIGHT – 7

A24 – 5

20TH CENTURY FOX – 2

AMAZON STUDIOS – 2

FOCUS FEATURES – 2

NEON – 2

NETFLIX – 2
UNIVERSAL PICTURES – 2

WARNER BROS. PICTURES – 2

COLUMBIA PICTURES – 1

PARAMOUNT PICTURES – 1

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS – 1

TRISTAR AND MRC – 1

NOMINATIONS BY NETWORK FOR TELEVISION PROGRAMS

NETFLIX – 19

HBO – 12

NBC – 3

ABC – 2

AMC – 2

FX NETWORKS – 2

HULU – 2

SHOWTIME – 2

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – 1

WGBH/MASTERPIECE – 1

FIRST-TIME INDIVIDUAL ACTOR® NOMINEES
AZIZ ANSARI

MARY J. BLIGE

HONG CHAU

SALLY HAWKINS

DANIEL KALUUYA

MARC MARON

MARGOT ROBBIE

FIRST-TIME TELEVISION SERIES ENSEMBLE NOMINEES
“GLOW”

“THE HANDMAID’S TALE”

“THIS IS US”

SAG AWARDS® RECORD HOLDERS

INDIVIDUAL RECORD HOLDERS

MOST ACTORS® RECEIVED

JULIANNA MARGULIES – 8 Actors® (4 for individual performances and 4 for ensemble performances)

2011, 2010 – FEMALE DRAMA – "The Good Wife"

1999, 1998 – FEMALE DRAMA – "ER"

1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – "ER"

ALEC BALDWIN – 8 Actors® (7 for individual performances and 1 for ensemble performance)

2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 – MALE COMEDY – “30 Rock”

2009 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “30 Rock”

MOST ACTOR® NOMINATIONS

EDIE FALCO – 22 Actor® Nominations (14 for individual performances, 8 for ensemble performances)

Previous Actors®:

2008, 2000 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Sopranos”

2008, 2003, 2000 – FEMALE DRAMA – “The Sopranos”

Previous Actor® nominations:

2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Nurse Jackie”

2013 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Nurse Jackie”

2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Sopranos”

2007, 2005, 2002, 2001 – FEMALE DRAMA – “The Sopranos”

TELEVISION ENSEMBLE RECORD HOLDERS

MOST ACTORS® RECEIVED BY AN ENSEMBLE

A tie:

ER – 4 Actors®

MODERN FAMILY – 4 Actors®

MOST ACTOR® NOMINATIONS RECEIVED BY AN ENSEMBLE

A tie:

FRASIER – 9 Actor® Nominations

LAW & ORDER – 9 Actor® Nominations

MOST ACTOR® NOMINATIONS IN A SINGLE YEAR

A tie:

JAMIE FOXX – 4 Actor® Nominations in 2005 (3 for individual performances, 1 for ensemble performance)

MALE LEAD – “Ray”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Ray”

MALE SUPPORT – “Collateral”

MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story”

MAGGIE SMITH – 4 Actor® Nominations in 2013 (2 for individual performances, 2 for ensemble performances)

FEMALE SUPPORT – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

FEMALE DRAMA – “Downton Abbey”

DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Downton Abbey”

ACTORS HONORED WITH ACTOR® STATUETTES FOR SEPARATE PERFORMANCES IN A SINGLE YEAR

MAHERSHALA ALI

2017 – MALE SUPPORT – “Moonlight”

2017 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Hidden Figures”

STEVE CARELL

2007 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Little Miss Sunshine"

2007 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – "The Office"

BRYAN CRANSTON

2013 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Argo"

2013 – MALE DRAMA – "Breaking Bad"

IDRIS ELBA

2016 – MALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Luther”

2016 – MALE SUPPORT – “Beasts of No Nation"

ALBERT FINNEY

2001 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Traffic"

2001 – MALE SUPPORT – "Erin Brockovich"

HELEN MIRREN

2007 – FEMALE LEAD – "The Queen"

2007 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – "Elizabeth I"

GARY SINISE

1996 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Apollo 13"

1996 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – "Truman"

NOMINEE SAG AWARDS® HISTORIES

(Note: “Total” tallies include this year’s nominations)

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

JUDI DENCH / “Victoria & Abdul”

Total nominations in this category: 6

Total Actor® nominations: 14

Previous Actors®: 2

2001 – FEMALE SUPPORT – "Chocolat"

1999 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Shakespeare in Love"

Previous Actor® nominations: 13

2014 – FEMALE LEAD – “Philomena”

2013 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

2010 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Nine"

2007 – FEMALE LEAD – "Notes on a Scandal"

2006 – FEMALE LEAD – "Mrs. Henderson Presents"

2002 – FEMALE LEAD – "Iris"

2002 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “The Shipping News”

2001 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Chocolat"

2001 – FEMALE SUPPORT – "Chocolat"

2001 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “The Last of the Blonde Bombshells”

1999 – FEMALE SUPPORT – "Shakespeare in Love"

1999 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Shakespeare in Love"

1998 – FEMALE LEAD – “Mrs. Brown”

SALLY HAWKINS / “The Shape of Water”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 1

This is Sally Hawkins’ first Actor® nomination

FRANCES McDORMAND / “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 7

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Previous Actors®: 2

2015 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Olive Kitteridge”

1997 – FEMALE LEAD – “Fargo”

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2015 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Olive Kitteridge”

2006 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “North Country”

2001 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “Almost Famous”

2001 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Almost Famous”

1997 – FEMALE LEAD – “Fargo”

MARGOT ROBBIE / “I, Tonya”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 1

This is Margot Robbie’s first Actor® nomination

SAOIRSE RONAN / “Lady Bird”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Lady Bird”

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2016 – FEMALE LEAD – “Brooklyn”

2015 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / “Call Me By Your Name”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Lady Bird”

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2013 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Homeland”

JAMES FRANCO / “The Disaster Artist”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Previous Actor® nominations: 3

2011 – MALE LEAD – “127 Hours”

2009 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Milk”

2002 – MALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “James Dean”

DANIEL KALUUYA / “Get Out”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Get Out”

These are Daniel Kaluuya’s first Actor® nominations

GARY OLDMAN / “Darkest Hour”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2001 – MALE SUPPORT – “The Contender”

DENZEL WASHINGTON / “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Total nominations in this category: 5

Total Actor® nominations: 7

Previous Actors®: 1

2017 – MALE LEAD – “Fences”

Previous Actor® nominations: 6

2017 – MALE LEAD – “Fences”

2017 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Fences”

2013 – MALE LEAD – “Flight”

2008 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “American Gangster”

2002 – MALE LEAD – “Training Day”

2000 – MALE LEAD – “The Hurricane”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

MARY J. BLIGE / “Mudbound”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Mudbound”

These are Mary J. Blige’s first Actor® nominations

HONG CHAU / “Downsizing”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 1

This is Hong Chau’s first Actor® nomination

HOLLY HUNTER / “The Big Sick”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 7

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Big Sick”

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2014 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Top of the Lake”

2010, 2009, 2008 – FEMALE DRAMA SERIES – “Saving Grace”

2004 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “Thirteen”

ALLISON JANNEY / “I, Tonya”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 16

Previous Actors®: 6

2012 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Help”

2002, 2001 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The West Wing”

2002, 2001 – FEMALE DRAMA – “The West Wing”

2000 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “American Beauty”

Previous Actor® nominations: 15

LAURIE METCALF / “Lady Bird”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Lady Bird”

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2007 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Desperate Housewives”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

STEVE CARELL / “Battle of the Sexes”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 16

Previous Actors®: 3

2008, 2007 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “The Office”

2007 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Little Miss Sunshine”

Previous Actor® nominations: 15

2016 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Big Short”

2015 – MALE LEAD – “Foxcatcher”

2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “The Office”

2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 – MALE COMEDY – “The Office”

2007 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Little Miss Sunshine”

WILLEM DAFOE / “The Florida Project”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Previous Actor® nominations: 3

2015 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

2001 – MALE SUPPORT – “Shadow of the Vampire”

1997 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The English Patient”

WOODY HARRELSON / “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 7

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Previous Actors®: 1

2008 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “No Country for Old Men”

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2015 – MALE DRAMA – “True Detective”

2013 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Game Change”

2010 – MALE SUPPORT – “The Messenger”

2008 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “No Country for Old Men”

1997 – MALE LEAD – “The People vs. Larry Flynt”

RICHARD JENKINS / “The Shape of Water”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Previous Actor® nominations: 3

2015 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Olive Kitteridge”

2009 – MALE LEAD – “The Visitor”

2002 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Six Feet Under”

SAM ROCKWELL / “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2009 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Frost/Nixon”

2000 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Green Mile”

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

LAURA DERN / “Big Little Lies”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2009 – FEMALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Recount”

NICOLE KIDMAN / “Big Little Lies”

Total nominations in this category: 3

Total Actor® nominations: 10

Previous Actor® nominations: 9

2017 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “Lion”

2016 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Grace of Monaco”

2013 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “The Paperboy”

2013 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Hemingway & Gellhorn”

2011 – FEMALE LEAD – “Rabbit Hole”

2010 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Nine”

2003 – FEMALE LEAD – “The Hours”

2003 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Hours”

2002 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Moulin Rouge”

JESSICA LANGE / “FEUD: Bette and Joan”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Previous Actors®: 1

2012 – FEMALE DRAMA – “American Horror Story”

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2014 – FEMALE DRAMA – “American Horror Story: Coven”

2013 – FEMALE DRAMA – “American Horror Story: Asylum”

2012 – FEMALE DRAMA – “American Horror Story”

2010 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Grey Gardens”

1995 – FEMALE LEAD – “Blue Sky”

SUSAN SARANDON / “FEUD: Bette and Joan”

Total nominations in this category: 4

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Previous Actors®: 1

1996 – FEMALE LEAD – “Dead Man Walking”

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2016 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe”

2011 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “You Don’t Know Jack”

2009 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Bernard and Doris”

1996 – FEMALE LEAD – “Dead Man Walking”

1995 – FEMALE LEAD – “The Client”

REESE WITHERSPOON / “Big Little Lies”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Previous Actors®: 1

2006 – FEMALE LEAD – "Walk the Line"

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2015 – FEMALE LEAD – “Wild”

2006 – FEMALE LEAD – "Walk the Line"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / “Sherlock: The Lying Detective”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2015 – MALE LEAD – "The Imitation Game"

2015 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – "Sherlock: His Last Vow"

2015 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "The Imitation Game"

2014 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "12 Years A Slave"

2014 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "August: Osage County"

JEFF DANIELS / “Godless”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 5

Previous Actor® nominations: 4

2014, 2013 – MALE DRAMA – “The Newsroom”

2006 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Good Night, and Good Luck”

2003 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Hours”

ROBERT DE NIRO / “The Wizard of Lies”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Previous Actor® nominations: 3

2013 – MALE SUPPORT – “Silver Linings Playbook”

2013 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Silver Linings Playbook”

1997 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Marvin’s Room”

GEOFFREY RUSH / “Genius”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 9

Previous Actors®: 4

2011 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The King’s Speech”

2005 – MALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers”

1999 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Shakespeare in Love”

1997 – MALE LEAD – “Shine”

Previous Actor® nominations: 8

2011 – MALE SUPPORT – “The King’s Speech”

2011 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The King’s Speech”

2005 – MALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers”

2001 – MALE LEAD – “Quills”

1999 – MALE SUPPORTING – “Shakespeare in Love”

1999 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Shakespeare in Love”

1997 – MALE LEAD – “Shine”

1997 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Shine”

ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / “Big Little Lies”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2010 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “True Blood”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / “Stranger Things”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

Previous Actors®: 1

2017 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2017 – FEMALE DRAMA – “Stranger Things”

2017 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

CLAIRE FOY / “The Crown”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Crown”

Previous Actors®: 1

2017 – FEMALE DRAMA – “The Crown”

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2017 – FEMALE DRAMA – “The Crown”

2017 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Crown”

LAURA LINNEY / “Ozark”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 5

Previous Actors®: 1

2009 – FEMALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “John Adams”

Previous Actor® nominations: 4

2009 – FEMALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “John Adams”

2005 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “Kinsey”

2004 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Mystic River”

2001 – FEMALE LEAD – “You Can Count On Me”

ELISABETH MOSS / “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Total nominations in this category: 3

Total Actor® nominations: 11

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Previous Actors®: 2

2010, 2009 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Mad Men”

Previous Actor® nominations: 9

2016, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Mad Men”

2014 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Top of the Lake”

2011, 2009 – FEMALE DRAMA – “Mad Men”

ROBIN WRIGHT / “House of Cards”

Total nominations in this category: 4

Total Actor® nominations: 9

Previous Actor® nominations: 8

2017, 2016, 2015 – FEMALE DRAMA – “House of Cards”

2016, 2015 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “House of Cards”

2006 – FEMALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Empire Falls”

1998 – FEMALE LEAD – “She’s So Lovely”

1995 – FEMALE SUPPORT – “Forrest Gump”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

JASON BATEMAN / “Ozark”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Previous Actor® nominations: 5

2014, 2005 – MALE COMEDY – “Arrested Development”

2014, 2006, 2005 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Arrested Development”

STERLING K. BROWN / “This Is Us”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “This Is Us”

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2017 – MALE DRAMA – “This Is Us”

2017 – MALE TV MOVIE/LIMITED – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”

PETER DINKLAGE / “Game of Thrones”

Total nominations in this category: 5

Total Actor® nominations: 14

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Game of Thrones”

2018 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Previous Actor® nominations: 11

2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 – MALE DRAMA – “Game of Thrones”

2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Game of Thrones”

2004 – MALE LEAD – “The Station Agent”

2004 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Station Agent”

DAVID HARBOUR / “Stranger Things”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

Previous Actors®: 1

2017 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2017 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Stranger Things”

BOB ODENKIRK / “Better Call Saul”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 5

Previous Actors®: 1

2014 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Breaking Bad”

Previous Actor® nominations: 4

2016 – MALE DRAMA – “Better Call Saul”

2014 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Breaking Bad”

2013, 2012 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Breaking Bad”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

UZO ADUBA / “Orange is the New Black”

Total nominations in this category: 4

Total Actor® nominations: 8

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Orange is the New Black”

Previous Actors®: 5

2016, 2015 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Orange is the New Black”

2017, 2016, 2015 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Orange is the New Black”

Previous Actor® nominations: 6

2017, 2016, 2015 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Orange is the New Black”

2017, 2016, 2015 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Orange is the New Black”

ALISON BRIE / “GLOW”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “GLOW”

Previous Actors®: 1

2009 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Mad Men”

Previous Actor® nominations: 1

2009 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “Mad Men”

JANE FONDA / “Grace and Frankie”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Previous Actor® nominations: 2

2017 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Grace and Frankie”

2014 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / “Veep”

Total nominations in this category: 12

Total Actor® nominations: 21

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Veep”

Previous Actors®: 7

2017, 2014 – FEMALE COMEDY – "Veep"

1998, 1997 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Seinfeld”

1998, 1997, 1995 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Seinfeld”

Previous Actor® nominations: 19

2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 – FEMALE COMEDY – "Veep"

2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – "Veep"

2010, 2007 – FEMALE COMEDY – "The New Adventures of Old Christine"

1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Seinfeld”

1998, 1997, 1996, 1995 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Seinfeld”

LILY TOMLIN / “Grace and Frankie”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 5

Previous Actor® nominations: 4

2017 – FEMALE COMEDY – “Grace and Frankie”

2005, 2003 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE – “The West Wing”

2003 – FEMALE DRAMA – “The West Wing”

Lily Tomlin was previously honored as SAG-AFTRA’s 53rd Life Achievement Award recipient

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

ANTHONY ANDERSON / “Black-ish”

Total nominations in this category: 2

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Black-ish”

Previous Actor® nominations: 4

2017 – MALE COMEDY – “Black-ish”

2017 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE - “Black-ish”

2007 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “The Departed”

2006 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – “Hustle & Flow”

AZIZ ANSARI / “Master of None”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 1

This is Aziz Ansari’s first Actor® nomination

LARRY DAVID / “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Total nominations in this category: 3

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Previous Actor® nominations: 4

2010, 2006 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

2010, 2006 – MALE COMEDY – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

SEAN HAYES / “Will & Grace”

Total nominations in this category: 7

Total Actor® nominations: 13

Previous Actors®: 4

2006, 2003, 2002 – MALE COMEDY – “Will & Grace”

2001 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Will & Grace”

Previous Actor® nominations: 12

2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 – MALE COMEDY – “Will & Grace”

2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “Will & Grace”

2003 – MALE TV MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Martin and Lewis”

WILLIAM H. MACY / “Shameless”

Total nominations in this category: 4

Total Actor® nominations: 12

Previous Actors®: 3

2017, 2015 – MALE COMEDY – “Shameless”

2003 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Door to Door”

Previous Actor® nominations: 11

2017, 2016, 2015 – MALE COMEDY – “Shameless”

2007 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Bobby"

2007 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – "Nightmares & Dreamscapes"

2005 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – "The Wool Cap"

2004 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Seabiscuit"

2003 – MALE MOVIE/MINISERIES – “Door to Door”

2000 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Magnolia"

1998 – MOTION PICTURE CAST – "Boogie Nights"

1997 – MALE SUPPORT – “Fargo”

MARC MARON / “GLOW”

Total nominations in this category: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Concurrent nominations this year:

2018 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE – “GLOW”

These are Marc Maron’s first Actor® nominations

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CROWN (Netflix)

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Previous Actor® nominations:

2017– DRAMA ENSEMBLE

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

Total Actor® nominations: 6

Previous Actor® nominations:

2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012 – DRAMA ENSEMBLE

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Total Actor® nominations: 1

This is the “The Handmaid’s Tale” ensemble’s first Actor® nomination

STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)

Previous Actors®: 1

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Previous Actors®:

2017– DRAMA ENSEMBLE

Previous Actor® nominations:

2017– DRAMA ENSEMBLE

THIS IS US (NBC)

Total Actor® nominations: 1

This is the “This Is Us” ensemble’s first Actor® nomination

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

BLACK-ISH (ABC)

Total Actor® nominations: 2

Previous Actor® nominations:

2017– COMEDY ENSEMBLE

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)

Total Actor® nominations: 3

Previous Actor® Nominations:

2010, 2006 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE

GLOW (Netflix)
Total Actor® nominations: 1
This is the “GLOW” ensemble’s first Actor® nomination

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)

Previous Actors®: 3

Total Actor® nominations: 4

Previous Actors®:

2017, 2016, 2015 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE

Previous Actor® nominations:

2017, 2016, 2015 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE

VEEP (HBO)

Total Actor® nominations: 5

Previous Actor® nominations:

2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 – COMEDY ENSEMBLE

STUNT ENSEMBLE HONORS 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
Total Stunt Ensemble nominations: 7
Previous Stunt Ensemble honors: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012

GLOW (Netflix)
Total Stunt Ensemble nominations: 1
This is the “GLOW” stunt ensemble’s first nomination

HOMELAND (Showtime)
Total Stunt Ensemble nominations: 4
Previous Stunt Ensemble nominations: 2016, 2015, 2014 

STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
Total Stunt Ensemble nominations: 1
This is the “Stranger Things” stunt ensemble’s first nomination

THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
Total Stunt Ensemble nominations: 6
Previous Stunt Ensemble nominations: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

RETOUCH by Kaveh Mazaheri

Kaveh Mazaheri’s Iranian film Retouch has enjoyed a successful film festival run, winning at three Oscar qualifying film festivals, including: Tribeca Film Festival (Best Narrative Short), Palm Springs Shortfest (Best Live Action Over 15 Min) and the Krakow Film Festival (Silver Dragon for Best Short Fiction Film). The film stars Sonia Sanjari as Maryam and Mohammad Ziksari as Siyavash. Retouch, is edited by Pooyan Sholehvar and the cinematography created by Mohammad Reza Jahanpanah.

In the corner of the home, Maryam's husband does weightlifting. Suddenly, the weight falls on his throat and puts him between life and death. Maryam tries to save him, but she just decides to stop helping and stand and watch her husband's death…

Director Kaveh Mazaheri was born in Iran. With an interest in cinema, he began writing film criticism for Iranian magazines and after graduating from college created his first short film, Tweezers. To date, he has made five independent short fiction films, and more than twenty documentaries. His recent films include the documentary A Report about Mina and short fiction Retouch. 

We talked to Kaveh, and here are the excerpts:

It's a very dark film. What was the most challenging and most inspiring thing about making this film?

The dramatic idea of the film came to me, after watching a funny video on the Facebook. But the dark atmosphere you are talking about probably is because I used to think about my mother when I was working on the script. I was thinking if something like that had happened to my father and my mother had not help him, I would never ask her why and I would fully understand her.

Did any movies in particular act as an inspiration?

There are many films that we get inspirations from as a regular audience or a filmmaker, for our personal and professional lives. This is the essence of performing media.

What other American or International filmmakers you like? And why?

Some of my favorite filmmakers are, Abbas Kiarostami, Michael Haneke, David Fincher, Federico Fellini, Kianoosh Ayari, Buster Keaton, David Lynch, Claude Chabrol, Jean Pierre Melville. The reason I am interested in each of them is different. But in general I could say I get excited seeing many of these filmmaker’s films. Specifically, between all of theme, Abbas Kiarostami’s “Close up” is my most favorite film and I believe it has a very special and unique place in the history of cinema.

What's your message to other aspiring filmmakers and storytellers?

We should be patient.

This exciting short film won Best Narrative Short and The Jury Prize at Tribeca, Best Short Film, the Best Short Fiction Film at Krakow Film Festival, the Best Live Action Short over 15 Minutes at Palm Springs Shortfest, Best Short Fiction Film at Traverse City Film Festival, the Audience Award at Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, and nominated Best Film of the Short Film Competition (Silver St. George) at the Moscow International Film Festival.

WOMEN & WINE by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm

Women and Wine is a humorous film about the fear of losing a friend. Turid is attending her close friend?s fiftieth anniversary, but during the party, she comes to realize she is no longer amongst her closest friends. Thus Turid starts a game to make her mark, and the party turns out to involve much more than singing and wine. Director Liv Karin Dahlstrøm and Producer Isak Eymundsson has been sweeping the boards at film festivals throughout the world, having been selected for 13 festivals and taking home the Oscar qualifying award at the Seattle International Film Festival. The film stars the well-known and popular Norwegian actress Marit Adeleide Andreassen.

Director Liv Karin Dahlstrøm graduated from the Norwegian Film School in 2012. She has worked on several television productions including the children?s series The Games for NRK (Norwegian Public Broadcaster) and the comedy series What if (VGTV). She is currently working on the new NRK series Helium. We chatted to Liv, and here are the excerpts.

What inspired to make you this film about friendship and friends? Did any movies in particular act as an inspiration?

I had no movie as a reference. There were people I've met, and similar situations I've observed that were the reference and inspiration.

I am fascinated by how humans interact in social settings; how we protect and defend our pride and jealousy, and at the same time always try so hard to fit in amongst others. I am inspired by the battles we face in our everyday-life (or even: throughout our tough lives). 

I´ve actually been in the same «mask scenario» my self, which was quite similar to the film’s Inciting Incident. A friend and me «kidnapped» a third friend as part of a bachelorette party. we all wore masks and the groom only recognized me and not our friend. Fortunately the situation didn´t cause any drama or uncomfortable situation, but it was at this moment the other writer Thorkild and I saw the potential of a jealousy inflicted drama and this became the base for the short film.

What was the most challenging and most inspiring thing about making this film?

I thought it was very difficult to make this film, but at the same time the most fun and exciting project I’ve done. The situations and turning points are small and there´s alot that underlines the project. So at the same time as I want to «keep it all down», I have to be sure that the important aspects don´t disappear. 

I wanted to get a balance between humor and seriousness. Comedy is challenging and must balance well with the drama to work.

The story and our script inspired me. The collaboration with the main character Marit was also very inspiring. The photographer and I worked in an exciting way. We filmed many scenes in a row, and the recordings could last up to 15 minutes. We worked in an inspiring way.

What was your first reaction when you found out about Oscar qualification? Who all would you thank for this film?

First of all I was very grateful and happy that the SIFF jury gave the film the Grand jury prize. I appreciate that alot! Of course, it was very fun with the Oscar qualification. I do miss seeing movies with everyday-struggle been put into the light, and are very happy when that happens.  If we would get a Oscar nomination, I think I my reaction would be humble, but also filled with laughter. Even though that would be fantastic it would also have a down side. I must find a dress that is pretty enough to wear on the red carpet! I prefer pants before dresses and I do not have a talent, walking in high heels. :)

Most of all, I would like to thank the scriptwriter Thorkild Schrumpf, who wrote the script together with me. And the main actor Marit A. Andreassen, which gives me a lot of inspiration.

What other American or International filmmakers you like? And why?

I have no favorites. But I really liked Maren Ade's movie "Toni Erdmann". It has a perfect mix of comedy and drama. It's sad, vulnerable and fun at the same time.

Women and Wine has been selected at festivals such as The Norwegian Short Film Festival, Aspen Short Fest, Go Short International Short Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival. The film won the Best Narrative Short Film Jury Prize at Seattle International Film Festival and The Writers Guild of Norway?s Award for Best Screenplay at The Norwegian Short Film Festival.

GAME by Jeannie Donohoe

Director Jeannie Donohoe’s award-winning film Game is a story about pushing boundaries to achieve your goals. The film stars Rick Fox (Dope, He Got Game), Nicole Williams (film debut; Univ. Nevada point guard) and Tye White (People Vs. OJ Simpson, Drumline).

AJ Green, a new kid in town, shows up at the high school boys basketball varsity tryouts and instantly makes an impression. Coach takes notice, and so do the other players, some of whom feel threatened by the new blood. The school’s team is excellent— second best in the state—and this is the year Coach plans to win it all. AJ proves himself on the court and clearly has talent, heart, and drive... as well as a big secret. Will AJ make the team once the players and coach discover the truth?

Jeannie Donohoe is an award-winning filmmaker who has written and directed several short films, including Game, Lambing Season (selected for over 50 film festivals and multiple awards; named one of the “Best Short Films of 2014” by Indiewire; currently airing on PBS Film School Shorts) and Public (Palm Springs ShortFest, PBS Imagemakers). Jeannie was selected from over 4,600 applicants to write and direct Game through the Lexus Short Films program. This talented director is currently developing her first feature-length film. 

We chatted  with Jeannie, here are the excerpt.

• What inspired to make you this film? What are your thoughts on gender inequality in Hollywood or in America?

For starters, I love basketball.  I've played a lot of sports in my life, and I also love sports movies.  I see many parallels between athletic pursuits (especially team sports) and filmmaking. So making a sports film was an exciting prospect that combined a lot of my interests.  Being on teams, in school, in jobs, and working in the film industry, I've also experienced and observed stark differences between opportunities for women compared to men.  I wanted to talk about gender inequality, but to do it within a character-driven, action-packed sports movie that's also entertaining and optimistic.  I think it's pretty undeniable that we live in a patriarchal society with a lot of gender-based injustices.  I actually wrote, directed, and we finished the film in the months leading up to the presidential election last summer and fall.  Like most people, I thought we were on the verge of electing our first woman president.  We premiered the film the day after the election, and suddenly the story took on a whole new meaning and urgency (locker room scene and all).  And 2017 has continued to illuminate the obstacles women face and the struggle for equality.  The message of GAME feels more timely than ever.

Jeannie Donohoe

• What do you enjoy about short films?

I love short films.  Making a short is a very common way for filmmakers to get their start.  You really discover your cinematic voice in the process.  I've made several short films -- GAME has been the most ambitious and the highest-level production.  I think shorts are a great form for experimenting and working to pack a screenworthy story into a concise period of time.  They also have a unique opportunity to explore a specific moment or turning point in a character's life. I watch a lot of shorts, mostly at film festivals, but also established directors' early short films.  Looking back at these, you can see the beginnings of an artist's style and interests.  These early films are often powerful, brief capsules of themes or ideas that continue to inspire later work.  

• How was the funding & casting for this film?

I had made a previous short film called Lambing Season as my thesis from Columbia University's graduate film school.  It's an offbeat family drama set on an Irish sheep farm (involving a live lamb birth!) so it's very different from GAME's high school basketball story set in Los Angeles.  I entered Lambing Season into the Lexus Short Films competition, a program that supports up-and-coming filmmakers with funding for a new short film production.  I was (miraculously) selected as one of four international filmmakers out of 4600 applicants, and Lexus generously funded GAME.  I'm extremely grateful!  We worked with great casting directors: mother-daughter duo Lisa Pantone and Gigi Berry.  GAME had some big casting challenges written into the script: we needed kids who were great basketball players on top of being great actors.  And the lead, "AJ," also needed to be able to pass as a boy.  We auditioned many great young women for the role, and one day, the casting director was shopping in a clothing store and she spotted an employee who was tall, lean, muscular, and kind of had that look.  She went up to the employee and asked if she by chance played basketball (yes), and had she ever acted? (no).  Would she like to audition?  (sure!)  And that was Nicole Williams, who came in and blew me away.  Nicole played four years of college basketball at Nevada, as point guard, and she was a total natural in the scene work.  Casting the Coach was another challenge.  While writing the script, I had this dream of trying to get an NBA player or retired player for the role, both to bring an authenticity to the character and to shine a light on the message of the film.  I'm from Boston originally, so I've followed Rick Fox's career from his early Celtics days to winning NBA championships with the Lakers, and also his transition to acting.  He's in my favorite basketball movie, Spike Lee's He Got Game.  I wrote a long letter and we sent him the script.  One of the most exciting days of this entire process was when Rick came on board.  The material resonated with him, and he brought tremendous expertise, insight, and heart to the character and to the set experience.  Jamie McShane, Charles Parnell, Tye White, Dominique Columbus, and Michael Purdie were all incredible to work with.  The rest of the team is also made up of real basketball players--some actors, some not.  It was such a joy to work with this dream cast, from the auditions to rehearsals to the shoot.

• What other filmmakers do you like? And why?

I like a lot of styles of films, but I tend to gravitate toward naturalism and humanism in filmmaking.  Some of my favorite filmmakers are: Andrea Arnold, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jane Campion, Kelly Reichardt, Ryan Coogler, the Dardenne Brothers, Lisa Cholodenko, Thomas Vinterberg, Lynne Ramsay, Peter Berg, and Kenneth Lonergan.  For me, the most compelling films prioritize emotional truth in performances and story, and they have a specificity about them.  Filmmaking is an incredible mode of expression -- I think it's very powerful to get access to someone else's outlook, life experience, or imagination.

• What's your message to other aspiring filmmakers and storytellers?

Make work from the heart.  Tell the story only you can tell.  And just keep going.  Filmmaking is an obstacle course, full of challenges and plenty of rejections, but the field is also full of opportunities to keep moving forward.  I think of this career as a marathon, and my daily work is logging miles, chipping away at the dream.

ERICA ASH & LARENZ TATE SET TO HOST 2018 BOUNCE TRUMPET AWARDS

Erica Ash and Larenz Tate will host the 2018 Bounce Trumpet Awards, an exciting night of inspiration, history and crowd-rousing performances celebrating African-American achievements and contributions.

The gala black-tie ceremony will be held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia on Sat. Jan. 20, 2018 and will world premiere nationwide on Bounce on Sun. Feb. 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Bounce, the fastest-growing African-American network on television, now exclusively owns, produces and telecasts the star-studded event, rebranded this year as the Bounce Trumpet Awards. Honorees, performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. Visit www.trumpetawards.com for more information.

Ash is an NAACP Award-winning Broadway, film and television actress currently starring on the hit series "Survivor's Remorse" on STARZ, as well as playing Brigette Hart (ex-wife of Kevin Hart) on "The Real Husbands of Hollywood." She will star in the new legal drama series "In Contempt" and will appear in the new theatrical motion picture "Uncle Drew" from Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment.

Tate is a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award-winner and currently stars on the hit series "Power" on STARZ. He has also appeared on the popular shows "Rescue Me," "Game of Silence" and "House of Lies." On the big screen, Tate most recently appeared in "Girls Trip," with previous roles in "Ray," "Menace II Society," "Love Jones," "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" and more.

The Trumpet Awards were conceived to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of African Americans and those who have succeeded against great odds and inspired success in others. Founded in 1992 by American Civil Rights leader Xernona Clayton, The Trumpet Awards were acquired by Bounce in 2016. The list of prestigious honorees over its 26-year history includes Muhammad Ali, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Stevie Wonder, The African-American Women of the United States Congress, Steve Harvey, Martin Luther King, III, Janelle Monáe and Spike Lee. 

Bounce (@BounceTV) airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage, and features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports, and more. Bounce has grown to be available in more than 99 million homes across the United States and 95% of all African-American (AA) television homes, including all the top AA television markets. Among the founders of Bounce are iconic American figures Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, III

14th New York Latino Film Festival opens Oct. 11

THE NEW YORK LATINO FILM FESTIVAL, PRESENTED BY HBO, TO KICK OFF WITH “SATURDAY CHURCH” AND

CLOSE WITH “EN EL SEPTIMO DIA/ON THE SEVENTH DAY”

The festival makes its much-anticipated return to the Big Apple October 11-15, 2017 and will once again showcase a diverse slate,

spanning all genres and formats. Notable stars and filmmakers include

Emilio and Gloria Estefan, William Levy, Residente, Luis Guzmán, Vico C, and Yair Rodríguez.

Full Schedule and Tickets Now Available at NYLatinoFilmFestival.com

          The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), the premier Urban Latino film event in the country, opens its 14th edition on Wednesday, October 11 with “Saturday Church,” written and directed by Damon Cardasis and starring Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Alexia Garcia, Indya Moore, MJ Rodríguez and Marquis Rodríguez. Reminiscent of “La-La Land” meets “Moonlight,” this coming out story from Samuel Goldwyn Films, features exhilarating and tender musical numbers and depicts the journey of a young gay man from the Bronx who comes to find his queer family on the piers of New York’s West Village.

          This year’s lineup includes showcase premieres from some of the most respected names in the industry, including Estefan Enterprises’ “A Change of Heart,” Hispanicize Films’ “Hold On,” Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films’ “Most Beautiful Island,” among others.

          “Our event is about galvanizing and empowering community. We are very excited to bring back the festival with such an exciting lineup showcasing some of the best multicultural, bilingual, and diverse films,” said Calixto Chinchilla, festival founder.

          The festival will close with acclaimed director Jim McKay’s first film in over a decade, “En El Séptimo Día/On the Seventh Day,” a timely and humorous look at life in New York as an undocumented Mexican immigrant.

          Other special events include NYLFF’s “FUTURO” Digital Conference, a one day conference featuring conversations from top thought-leaders, executives, and influencers in the digital space co-produced by Driven Society. For all mixed martial arts fans, Bowles Law Firm will premiere "El Pantera" a documentary film chronicling the rise of Mexican UFC fighter Yair Rodríguez. Also on the schedule is the premiere of HBO’s “Entre Nos: Part 2.” In the hilarious English-language special, comedians Vladmir Caamaño, Frankie Quiñones and Shayla Rivera are joined by host and comedian Ben Gonzalez at Los Angeles’ El Portal Theatre for a laugh-out-loud night of stand-up. Directed by Joke Yanes and Adolfo Nowake, “Entre Nos: Part 2” will air on Friday, October 13th at 9:30pm EST across all of the channel’s platforms including HBO NOW®, HBO GO®, HBO On Demand® and affiliate portals.

          Since its inception in 1999, the NYLFF brings together each year more than 20,000 movie fans and industry executives over the course of several days. 

          The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) is presented by HBO. The festival also counts on the ongoing support of Time Warner and American Airlines, and first-time sponsors including Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, AARP, Hispanic Federation, Univision New York, sociedAD, Cinépolis, and H+M Communications. 

About NYLFF

The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) is the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. Since its founding in 1999, the NYLFF produces culturally relevant and entertaining experiences that build audiences for Latino cinema, support the film community with professional development and foster relationships for Latino talent. Programming includes the flagship film festival in New York City, competition programs and community programs. For more information on NYLFF, please visitwww.NYLatinoFilmFestival.com.

About HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world’s most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 134 million subscribers worldwide.  The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. HBO NOW®, the network’s internet-only premium streaming service, provides audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries.  HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

HBO® is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Nordic International Film Festival announce their opening night film and their 2017 line-up

The Nordic Film Festival is proud to announce their third year line up, with 24 competing films of Nordic and International decent. 83% of the films have female producers, directors and writers! The opening night feature is the international premiere of Finland’s and ‘Man and a Baby’, directed by Marja Pyykkö. That will screen at 7pm at the renowned Scandinavia House on Park Avenue, New York.

The Nordic consulate will attend the opening night film and the award ceremony gala the last night.

The festival will screen 6 International Premieres, 8 North American Premieres, and all the rest; US or New York Premieres will screen at Scandinavia House October 12 - 14th.

New York Women in Film and TV will have an industry panel on the co-work of International Productions at NIFF on October 12th.

The competition jury includes Bo Svenson (Inglourious Basterds) Brooklyn Decker (Grace and Frankie), Charlotte Munck (Anna Pihl), Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Black Sails), Jacob A Ware (Boardwalk Empire), Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones), Kristin Chenoweth (Glee) and Selenis Leyva (Orange is the New Black).

The Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF) celebrates Nordic and international films. They discover new and upcoming independent films as well as honoring great work from already established filmmakers. NIFF's programmers focus on finding diverse independent films with strong characters and storylines and encourage all filmmakers, regardless of ethnicity or religion. The festival was founded by Johan Matton and Linnea Larsdotter; they have partnered this year with Volvo.

This year the Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF) will be held from October 12-14th at Scandinavia House in New York. Nordic International Film Festival has throughout the year collaborated with Gunpowder and Sky a distribution company that focus one finding new films from around the world.

“This way of introducing non-represented films as a festival to distribution companies is our way to help independent filmmakers obtain distribution for their films without having to pay for sales agent fees. As a festival we have leverage to help the filmmakers though the distribution companies know we as a festival have watched hundreds of films and selectively introduces only, maybe, only 2-3 titles to the distribution company that we believe hold very high quality” - John Matton, Founder of Nordic International Film Festival.

http://www.nordicfilmfest.org/

Competition line-up

• Narrative Short
  • Far from the Tree – US – New York Premiere, Dave Thomas
  • Tomorrow Is Far Away - France - North American Premiere, Capucine Lespinas
  • Limbo - Greece - New York Premiere, Konstantina Kotzamani
• Documentary Short
  • Love and Fear - Denmark - World Premiere, Thora Lorentzen
  • Per - Sweden - World Premiere, World Premiere
  • A Home In Memory - Finland - US Premiere, Helena Oest
  • Kometen - Sweden - International Premiere, Victor Lindgren
• Narrative features
  • Quit Staring At my plate - Croatia - East Coast Premiere, Hana Jušić
  • The Strange Ones – US, Christopher Radcliff
  • Documentary features
  • A Modern Man - Denmark - East Coast Premiere, Eva Mulvad
  • Waiting For The Sun - Denmark - New York Premiere, Kaspar Astrup Schröder
  • 69 Minutes of 86 Days - Norway - New York Premiere, Egil Håskjold Larsen

• Nordic shorts A
  • Under The Surface You Are Never Alone - Sweden - North American Premiere, Alessandro Berellini
  • Renard Rouge - Sweden - North American Premiere, Leonard Rääf
  • Retrett - Norway - North American Premiere, Itonje Søimer Guttormsen
• Nordic shorts B
  • An Autobiography – Finland, Mari Mantela
  • Superluminal - Sweden - International Premiere, Patrick Alexander
  • Distance - Denmark - International Premiere, Rikke Louise Schjødt
  • Cubs - Iceland - New York Premiere, Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir
  • Forever Now - Denmark - East Coast Premiere, Kristian Håskjold
  •  
• Nordic feature
  • Man and a baby - Finland - International Premiere, Marja Pyykkö
  • Lovers - Denmark - World Premiere, Niels Holstein Kaa
  • Bakerman - Denmark - North American Premiere, David Noel Bourke

NFF55: Laurence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston & Steve Carrell star in "Last Flag Flying"

In 1998 and I had the pleasure of being in the audience for James Purdy’s play SUN OF THE SLEEPLESS which stared a then, unknown actor whose reputation to surprise—in the early 90’s—was growing exponentially, that was Laurence Fishburne.  The dynamic thespian had not yet reached the iconic status that Fishburne has today, having not given Neo the epic choice in “The Matrix” of choosing between a red pill and a blue pill.

None the less, Fishburne’s commanding presence in Purdy’s play left an indelible mark and there, in a tiny New York theater—so long ago— I can clearly trace where I became a sincere fan of his work.

Fast forward to 2017 and despite my Hollywood hobnobbing and such, I’ve never had an opportunity to shake the storytellers’ massive hand and tell Fishburne, now a actor/producer with ABC’s excellent comedy “Black-ish” , just what his 1998 performance meant to me—until—last week at the NYFF55 opening night party at Tavern on the Green for Academy Award® winner, Richard Linklater's “Last Flag Flying” a drama with comedic overtones about three Vietnam War veterans played by Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne and newcomer J. Quinton Johnson. 

The invitation to NYFF’s opening night party isn't an automatic with press accreditation. To be frank, it’s a hard invitation to acquire but since covering the festival, for the past five years, what I’ve discovered—hindsight being 20/20—is that this is where I have been introduced to past Oscar® nominees and winners.  Such is the reputation of NYFF. 

Inside NYFF55’s opening night party hosted at Tavern On The Green, Fishburne wore a red suit that on anyone else might seem a bold and hasty fashion choice.  Sitting in a crowded VIP section, he was easy to spot. Jig-jagging with a practiced skill honed by attending hundreds of such events, I made my way to his table long-before the adoring crowd lined up to gush. 

The words tumbled out: “I’ve been a fan since 1989ish," I explained my theater experience and it’s here that I wish my very eyes were cameras, able to instantaneously capture a response.  "As far back as that?" he asked, a twinkle bouncing between his eyes.  "As far back as that," I confirmed.  

We chatted, and it was nice.  Fishburne is a man that loves his work, including his role as an actor/producer on ABC's "Black-ish" and when you insert his proper name, Laurence J. Fishburne III the search engine pulls up his resume, allowing one to step back and appreciate the breadth of his stage work, having won a Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theatre World, and Tony Awards for his portrayal of Sterling Johnson in August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING, directed by Lloyd Richards.

He's an Emmy Award nominee and a NAACP Image Award winner and he's been acting since the age of 10. To say that he was born to the profession is rather very simplified.  At age 15, he was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's classic "Apocalypse Now" and he's never stopped becoming what he is now---storyteller Laurence J. Fishburne III.  His legacy continues and in “Last Flag Flying” his measured performance asRev. Richard Mueller aka Mueller the Mauler,  just might earn him a Best Supporting Actor nomination, or so says the Oscar® buzz.

The other conversations around early Oscar® predictions included "Strong Island" by director Yance Ford on Netflix, a documentary about his brother's murder 20 years ago. 

Also in conversation, most film critics and Hollywood insiders who saw Dee Rees "Mudbound" feel strongly that the film will land a nomination, next year.  

Also at the party, Academy Award®winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams ("Music by Prudence") who is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (A.M.P.A.S.) board of governors, representing the Documentary Branch. 

I enjoy watching Williams work a room of distinguished folks, always tight-lipped and ready with a smile. 

Next year's 90th Academy Awards will be held on March 4 but until then the NYFF55 Festival runs until October 15. 

Follow @TheNYFF on Instagram for exclusive photos, festival videos, ticket giveaways, and more. 

https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2017/

NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM WILL HONOR TINA FEY & FOUNDER AND CEO OF AUDIBLE, INC DON KATZ AT ANNUAL WINTER GALA

New York Stage and Film (Johanna Pfaelzer, Artistic Director; Thomas Pearson, Executive Director; Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer, Leslie Urdang, Producing Directors) is thrilled to announce that its annual Winter Gala will honor Tina Fey and Founder & CEO of Audible, Inc., Don Katz. TheWinter Gala, a fundraising event to support New York Stage and Film’s year-round theater and film development initiatives, will be held on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street and West Side Highway). For more information on New York Stage and Film, please visit www.newyorkstageandfilm.org

“To say we are thrilled by this year’s gala honorees is an absolute understatement,” said Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer. “Tina is a leading voice in American comedy, from her film and television work, to her upcoming Broadway debut with the Mean Girls musical. And we are so excited to honor Don, who has been a pioneer in the world of audio entertainment, and is currently providing vital support for playwrights through Audible’s recent expansion into the theater world.”

The evening includes cocktails, an auction, dinner, and entertainment from special guests in honor of Tina Fey and Don Katz.

Tina Fey is the highly acclaimed, multi award winning writer, actor and producer who is best known as Liz Lemon on her Emmy Award-winning comedy series “30 Rock.”  Prior to creating “30 Rock,” Ms. Fey spent nine seasons as a writer and cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” Ms. Fey’s film projects include Sisters, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Date Night and Mean Girls (which she wrote). In 2010, Fey became the youngest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In April 2011, Ms. Fey released her first book, Bossypants, which topped the New York Times bestseller list for over 36 consecutive weeks. Fey is currently co-creator of the hit Netflix comedy series, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and an executive producer of the NBC comedy series “Great News." She lives in New York City with her husband Jeff Richmond and their two daughters.

Don Katz is founder and CEO of Audible, Inc., the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Newark, NJ since 2007, Audible serves millions of listeners and offers over 375,000 downloadable audiobooks, audio editions of periodicals, and other programs.  The company commercialized the first portable digital audio player in 1997.  Audible is the supplier of audiobooks to Apple’s iTunes store worldwide and operates eight dedicated websites including audible.co.uk, audible.de, audible.fr, audible.it,audible.com.au, audible.co.jp and audible.ca.  Audible was publicly traded on NASDAQ until acquired by Amazon.com in 2008 and is now an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary. Named one of NJ.com’s “25 Most Influential People in New Jersey” in 2016, Katz was also recognized as one of America’s Top 25 Disruptive Leaders by Living Cities for his work on behalf of urban transformation in Newark. Prior to founding Audible, Katz was a journalist and author whose work won a National Magazine Award, an Overseas Press Club Award, and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction.

Past gala honorees include Annette Bening, David Rockwell, Bill Pullman, Michael Mayer, Rick Miramontez,Stanley Tucci, Laura Linney, Christopher Plummer, Julianna Margulies, Steve Martin, Jordan Roth, John Patrick Shanley, Jon Robin Baitz, Aaron Sorkin, David Strathairn, Dana Delany, Tony Shalhoub, Marc Platt,Donald Holder, and Peter Gallagher.

New York Stage and Film is a non-profit company dedicated to both emerging and established artists in the development and production of theater and film. Since 1985, New York Stage and Film has been a vital incubator for artists and their work, a catalyst for stories that start with them and continue across the country and around the world.

Dozens of notable works trace their developmental roots to New York Stage and Film, including the 2016 Tony Award winners for Best Musical (Hamilton) and Best Play (The Humans), as well as the Tony Award-winning playsSide Man and Doubt, the Broadway musicals American Idiot and Bright Star, the recently acclaimed The Babylon Line, and the 2017 Pulitzer finalists The Wolves and Taylor Mac's A 24-Decade History of Popular Music.

New York Stage and Film recently completed the 33rd Powerhouse Summer season, its annual collaboration with Vassar College. The Powerhouse program consists of an eight-week residence on the Vassar campus during which more than 300 professional artists and dozens of students in the Powerhouse Training Program live and work together to create new theater works.

Other signature programs of New York Stage and Film are comprised of New York City programming, including the NYC Reading Series at Barnard College, and other workshops, readings, fellowships and residences for artists at all stages of their careers; and the Filmmakers’ Workshop, which provides early-career filmmakers with professional mentorship, artistic development, and industry skills and relationships.

All proceeds from the evening will benefit New York Stage and Film’s support of artists from around the country in the development and production of original work for theater and film.

www.NewYorkStageAndFilm.org

Tribeca TV Festival to bring Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar and Oprah Winfrey new OWN series to Cinepolis NYC, Sep 22-24

Clear the deck television loving New Yorkers because the week of September 22 and the city-that-never-sleeps will unveil the first annual Tribeca TV Festival (9.22 through 9.24) at the Cinepolis theater. Attending is the who’s-who of television and it’s a very, very, very big deal. 

That includes the screening highlights from Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar and exclusive “first-look-content” from Oprah Winfrey will premiere her new OWN series Released, and more.  

Let’s face it —everything about the entertainment space is changing which means Hollywood is changing. To wit Network television is in serious competition with new streaming video platforms like Hulu, Amazon and Netflix because most people prefer to take their entertainment “on the go” which has forced everyone in the television world to stop-drop-and-rethink how their business model. 

Netflix's enormous spending on original content has led the streaming video platform to accrue $20.54 billion "in long term debt and obligations," according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Stepping in to tap into the zeitgeist is the Tribeca TV Festival presented by AT&T which willfocus on bringing driving conversations from some of the entertainment world’s best and brightest.  The festival—scheduled to run Sept. 22 through 24 at Cinepolis in New York City—will feature numerous premieres and panel Q&As.  The TV festival will serve as a supplement to it’s acclaimed annual film festival that takes place every year in April.  

”Ten years ago we wouldn’t have needed a TV festival. Now, with the change in the TV landscape, both the quality and quantity of shows, it makes sense,” Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro said in a statement. “As the Tribeca Film Festival has done, the Tribeca TV Festival will act as a curator in bringing people together for this emerging experience.”

This tremendous three-day event will bring people together to discover new television series, see new episodes of returning shows and hear interesting things from interesting people like the aforementioned Emmy Award winner Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar which is scheduled to debut it’s mid-season premiere on Sunday September 24th right at the festival.

Following the episode, the cast of the series, Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Kofi Siriboe will discuss their acclaimed performances and rich characters, working with an all-female directing team, and maybe providing a few clues as to how season 2 will end!

In addition to Queen Sugar, Oprah Winfrey will premiere her new OWN series Released, which chronicles formerly-incarcerated men and women who are restarting their lives.  If you are in NYC, this is definitely an event that you do not want to miss out on!

One example of how film and television blur is Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13th” which was commissioned by Netflix and that premiered at the New York Film Festival in 2017, had a limited theatrical run to qualify for the Oscars and ultimately received a nomination. On the television side the commissioned documentary won three awards at the Creative Arts Emmy with a total of eight noms this year with DuVernay picking up the award for Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special.

On the path of good, DuVernay used the opportunity on stage at the Emmys to draw attention to the plight of families affected by the prevalence of incarceration in the U.S.  “I want to thank, and think about tonight the hundreds of thousands of families who are waiting for their loved ones to come home,” she said. “Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, who don’t know where their loved one is. Unsung heroes of a struggle that has not a lot to do with them, but has a lot to do with how they live each day.”

Also taking an Emmy home this evening for the “13th” was Oscar® winner Common, who won the trophy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the song” Letter To The Free.” The musician/actor and DuVernay previously collaborated on “Selma.” Common and John Legend wrote the film’s song “Glory” which won an Academy Award.

The Tribeca TV Festival tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at http://www.tribecafilm.com/tvfestival.

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LADY BIRD AND THE CURRENT WAR AS OPENING NIGHT AND CENTERPIECE PROGRAMMING FOR ITS 24TH ANNIVERSARY

The Austin Film Festival (Oct. 26-Nov. 2) (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writers’ and filmmakers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today its Opening Night and Centerpiece Programming for its 24th anniversary, taking placeOctober 26-November 2. A24’s Lady Bird will play as Opening Night selection and The Weinstein Company’s The Current War will serve as AFF’s Centerpiece Film.

The directorial debut by actress Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Mistress America), Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a young woman who fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird's father (Tracy Letts) loses his job.

The Current War, the latest film by director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), chronicles the race for marketable electricity in the United States between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. The film also stars Tom Holland, Nicholas Hoult, and Katherine Waterston. Gomez-Rejon will present the film during the Festival.

Lady Bird and The Current War will join already announced titles An Ordinary Man, starring Ben Kingsley, 24 Hours to Live, starring Ethan Hawke, Please Stand By, starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette, and the premiere of the season finale of HBO’s new dramatic series The Deuce, with creators David Simon and George Pelecanos in attendance.

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:

Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established writers and filmmakers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships.  AFF is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice.

ACADEMY REVEALS 2017 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD® WINNERS

The Academy has voted 17 students as winners of the 44th Student Academy Awards®competition.  This year, the Student Academy Awards competition received a total of 1,587 entries from 267 domestic and 89 international colleges and universities – which were voted by a record number of Academy members.  The 2017 winners join the ranks of such past Student Academy Award winners as Patricia Cardoso, Pete Docter, Cary Fukunaga, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis.

Uploaded by Oscars on 2017-09-13.

The winners are (listed alphabetically by film title):

Alternative (Domestic Film Schools)
"Opera of Cruelty," Max R. A. Fedore, New York University

Animation (Domestic Film Schools)
"Cradle," Devon Manney, University of Southern California
"E-delivery," Young Gul Cho, School of Visual Arts
"In a Heartbeat," Beth David and Esteban Bravo, Ringling College of Art and Design

Documentary (Domestic Film Schools)
"Hale," Brad Bailey, University of California, Berkeley
"On Pointe," Priscilla Thompson and Joy Jihyun Jeong, Columbia University
"One Way Home," Qingzi Fan, New York University

Narrative (Domestic Film Schools)
"Mammoth," Ariel Heller, University of Southern California
"My Newphew Emmett," Kevin Wilson, Jr., New York University
"Who’s Who in Mycology," Marie Dvorakova, New York University

Narrative (International Film Schools) 
"Facing Mecca," Jan-Eric Mack, Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland)
"Watu Wote/All of Us," Katja Benrath, Hamburg Media School (Germany)
"When Grey is a Colour," Marit Weerheijm, Netherlands Film Academy (Netherlands)

Animation (International Film Schools)
"Life Smartphone," Chenglin Xie, China Central Academy of Fine Arts (China)

Documentary (International Film Schools)
"Galamsey," Johannes Preuss, Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg (Germany)

First-time honors go to China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

All Student Academy Award-winning films are eligible to compete for 2017 Oscars® in the Animated Short Film or Live Action Short Film category and 2018 Oscars in the Documentary Short Subject category.  Past winners have gone on to receive 57 Oscar nominations and have won or shared 11 awards.  This year one 2016 Student Academy Award winner received an Oscar nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category: Daphne Matziaraki, a Gold Medal winner in the Documentary category for "4.1 Miles."

Students will arrive in Los Angeles for a week of industry activities that will culminate in the awards ceremony on Thursday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m., at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  The medal placements – gold, silver and bronze – in the seven award categories will be announced at the ceremony.

New this year, the competition was expanded to allow two options for students at international film schools to submit their films. In addition to CILECT-member schools submitting one student film per international film school category, international students may now enter films that qualify through film festivals recognized by the Student Academy Awards Executive Committee. 

The 44th Student Academy Awards ceremony on October 12 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required.  Tickets may be obtained online at oscars.org starting today.  Any remaining tickets will be made available at the door on the evening of the event.  The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 8,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
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BEST OF BOLLYWOOD IN NYC, w/ A STAR STUDDED IIFA AWARDS SHOW! #IIFA2017

THE IIFA AWARDS BROUGHT THE BEST OF BOLLYWOOD WITH A STAR STUDDED AWARDS SHOW!

 The IIFA Awards to broadcast on COLORS today Sunday, July 16th with the Green Carpet at 6pm followed by the Awards at 7pm

New York, July 16th 2017: The celebrated IIFA Awards took over the city of New York with a dazzling awards show bringing together the biggest names of Bollywood in celebration of Indian Cinema. Giving Indian cinema a global platform, the Awards was held at the iconic MetLife Stadium at New York, USA.

This year the IIFA Awards stage saw Bollywood’s most dynamic duo- the talented stars Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan - host India’s most awaited awards ceremony. The pair amazed the crowd present with their quick wit and zingers as leaving them in splits with their amusing one-liners and on-stage chemistry.

The IIFA Awards, the finale of the IIFA Weekend saw a host of stellar performances and acts. The show kicked off with Alia Bhatt performing on the Awards stage for the very first time since her debut in Bollywood five years ago. The night featured spellbindingperformances by Bollywood superstars- Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon, to name a few.

Bollywood’s Youth Icon, Varun Dhawan performed on the IIFA Awards stage with a stunning performance celebrating his father’s legacy in Bollywood. This year, IIFA presented the Woman of the Year Award to actress Taapsee Pannu and The Myntra Style Icon to Alia Bhatt. The award night included legendary actor Anil Kapoor and Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO - Viacom18 honoring A.R. Rahman for his illustrious career and work as they celebrated his 25 years in the industry.

The NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO to broadcast on COLORS today, Sunday, July 16th with the Green Carpet at 6pm followed by the Awards at 7pm 

The NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO aired LIVE exclusively on Saturday, July 15, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT in North America and the Caribbean on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View via in Demand, Vubiquity, DISH and DIRECTV in the USA, Bell, Rogers, SHAW, SaskTel and Telus in Canada, along with the Flipps App and web site www.IIFAAwardsppv.com in both the USA and Canada.  The suggested retail price is $39.95. The live telecast is distributed exclusively via Integrated Sports Media.

Lycamobile – Presenting Sponsor, McDonalds - Associate Sponsor, NYC (Mayors office) - Host Destination, NewYorkBannerStands & Print Early – Printing Partner, Pierre Précieuse – Gifting Partner and Arya Dance Academy – Dance Company Partner.

The NEXA IIFA Awards will broadcast on COLORS – the Broadcast Partner, with the Title Sponsor NEXA, Weekend Title Sponsor – EROS NOW, Powered by VIVO, Cause Partner- WOOSH Washing Expert,   Styled by Myntra, Official Airline Partner – AIR INDIA, Thought Leadership Partner – VEDANTA, Brand Partner – Closeup, Carnival and Ease My Trip and Franchise India, Jewelry Partner – Nakshatraworld.com, Outdoor partners – Bright Outdoor Media and JR Creations, Multiplex Partner –PVR

Adding to the excitement of the Awards night, International Indian Film Academy Awards launched its brand new line of Official IIFA Merchandise partnered with New York based Easy Partners, a boutique licensing and merchandising company. The eye-catching IIFA Merchandise featuring a diverse range of T-Shirts, Caps, Key Rings, Hooded Sweatshirts, Tote Bags, Magnet, Ticket Holders stylized with IIFA’s logo and Mugs showcasing IIFA 2017 in New York were available at the famous MetLife Stadium during the show and alsoexclusively on the IIFA website on https://www.jsrdirect.com/webstores/iifa

The IIFA Awards Winners:

·         Best Picture- Neerja

·         Best Story- Ayesha Devitre Dhillon, Shakun Batra (Kapoor & Sons)

·         Best Performance in a comic role- Varun Dhawan (Dishoom)

·         Best Direction- Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (Pink)

·         Best Actor in a leading role Female- Alia Bhatt (Udta Punjab)

·         Best Actor in a leading role Male- Shahid Kapoor (Udta Punjab)

·         Best Lyricist- Amitabh Bhattacharya (Channa Mereya)

·         Best Music Director-Pritam (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)

·         Best Negative Role- Jim Sarbh (Neerja)

·         Best Playback Singer Female- Kanika Kapoor (Udta Punjab- Da Da Dasse) and Tulsi Kumar (Airlift- Soch Na Sake)

·         Best Playback singer Male- Amit Mishra(Ae Dil Hai Mushkil- Bulleya)

·         Supporting ActorFemale- Shabana Azmi (Neerja)

·         Supporting Actor Male  Anupam Kher (M.S. Dhoni)

·         Myntra Style Icon Award-Alia Bhatt

·         Woman of the Year- Taapsee Pannu

·         Best Debut Male- Diljit Dosanjh (Udta Punjab)

·         Best Debut Female- Disha Patani(M.S. Dhoni)

IIFA continues on its journey with strength to grow every year in the world of entertainment and building the outreach as a major event globally to bring positive results and impact. This year is set to be one of the biggest, most extravagant and amazing IIFA Weekends to date. Keep up to date with all the latest news and details on IIFA by logging on to www.iifa.com or checking out the social media handles:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IIFA/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/IIFA
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iifa/

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy and a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits and gain to India but an equally important objective of this prestigious brand is to create similar outcomes in its host country.  The aim is to establish a system of mutual benefit to both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd promotes the IIFA Weekend & Awards globally each year and travel to new, exciting and beautiful destinations, taking the film fraternity with it to unite and celebrate the best of Indian film and culture, thereby taking Indian Cinema and India to a wider audience. www.iifa.com.

ABOUT WIZCRAFT INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading media and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage.  Having conceptualized some of the grandest events globally including the 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Delhi as well as the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, & the prestigious International

Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards & Weekend for 15 years in over 12 countries, Wizcraft has contributed towards brand building for India across the world.  It has pioneered and developed India’s biggest entertainment brand IIFA which has taken Indian Cinema and culture to the world. The growth story of the company reflects the evolution of the Indian event management & entertainment industry itself. Driven by its vision “Believe in the power of your dreams” the company is committed to quality and innovation, while setting its sights on greater peaks of achievement.

 ABOUT METLIFE STADIUM

MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Football Giants, is the number one stadium in the world. This 82,500 seat stadium, one of the largest in the National Football League, sets the standard for venue excellence with state-of-the-art technology, comfort and amenities. The only active venue to serve as the home stadium for two NFL teams, MetLife Stadium hosts 20 NFL games per season, more than any other Stadium.

MetLife Stadium hosts the World’s Biggest Events, on the World’s Biggest Stage. Major events hosted at the stadium include Super Bowl XLVIII, WrestleMania 29, Copa America Centenario, CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals, Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift

MetLife Stadium tops the industry charts annually since opening. The Stadium has ranked as the No. 1 Highest Grossing Stadium in the world for the last 5 years (2012 – 2016) by Billboard magazine. In 2011 MetLife Stadium was ranked No. 1 for safety by Security magazine’s “Security 500” in the Arenas/Stadiums/Leagues/Entertainment division.

For more information, visit:
www.metlifestadium.com
www.wizcraftworld.com

The Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal July 31

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The 35th edition of the Just for Laughs comedy festival, in Montreal, kicks off today with some of the biggest names in comedy sharing the stage with rising up and comers. Highlights from the 2017 lineup include Jerry Seinfeld in his first appearance at the festival since 1989. 

In the comedy world this is a big deal. It’s like the Olympics of Laugher and the launching pad for comedians like Kevin Hart, Judd Apatow, and Dave Chappelle, to name a few.

JFL’s tradition continues with The Ethnic Show, returning for its 9th Edition presented as part of the Jack Astor’s Club Series. This cultural melting pot for comedy features today’s buzz worthy comics, hosted by outspoken comedian Iranian-American Maz Jobrani. Maz is best known for numerous appearances on the late night talk show circuit, many movies and television appearances. Joining Maz, sharing the humorous side of their diverse backgrounds, Jewish-American Jessica Kirson returning after highly praised performances in 2016; international comedian and one of the most sought-after performers, Korean Irish-American Steve Byrne; their return to the Festival, audience favourite Italian-Canadians The Doo Wops, comprised of John Catucci and David Mesiano; rising star Portuguese-Canadian Mike Rita; and staple of the New York comedy scene Dominican-American Vlad Caamaño. We’re tearing down barriers to speak forthright while laughing at our differences and similarities

Here is what some of the funniest folks on the planet performing as part of the The Ethnic Show had to say about humor in 2017.

The Doo Wops (they’re a duo)

David Mesiano

What's funny to me?  

Self-deprecating humour, as long as I'm the one telling the story. 

Where do I see ethnic humour going? 

I see it evolving at an even pace with the respective ethnic group. There are certain stereotypes that are timeless; there are those that are outdated. But as a culture grows, I believe so do the opportunities to be made fun of!  

John Catucci

What's funny to me?  

Awkward silences

Where do I see ethnic humour going? 

Mike Rita

What’s funny to me? 

The unspoken truths of the world, the stuff that people say inside their brains while the world happens around them and i love when crazy people scare really soft humans. I always thought it was funny when a person who lives in a little bubble has it burst by someone whipping out their penis. 

Where do I think ethnic comedy is going? 

I think it’s going main stream more than ever but i can't tell if it’s for the correct reasons like pure talent. I feel at times people love to cash in on markets that haven't been tapped and thou ethnic comedy has always existed, it’s now marketable so it’s about to blow up.

Maz Jobrani

What’s funny to you?

Most anything that comes out of the mouth of my 6 year old daughter.

Where do you see ethnic comedy going? (with diverse ethnic groups being more outspoken)

I think that what we are seeing are comedians who just happen to be from different ethnicities. It takes immigrant cultures some time to get past the basic lawyer, doctor, engineer careers and get into the actor, comedian, rock star careers. But it’s been a few generations where Indians, Iranians, Arabs and others have been coming to the West and we’re seeing more and more comedians from diverse backgrounds talking about their experiences. It will be similar to what happened for Jews, blacks and Hispanics in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Comedy, will hopefully help these other ethnic communities break into the mainstream. It is a positive thing for diversity.

Jessica Kirson

What’s funny to you?

I laugh at real, vulnerable comedians. I love when someone is very dry in their delivery and really owns it. That makes me laugh out loud. I laugh at anything silly. I laugh when people fall (and don't get hurt). I love physical humor.

Where do you see ethnic comedy going? (with diverse ethnic groups being more outspoken)

I think we will see more and more ethnic humor. The world is so diverse and it's important to see all of it. Every group has their own culture, habits, funny things to make fun of. It's great to see how different we all are through humor.

Social Media:

Facebook: @justforlaughs
Twitter: @justforlaughs
Instagram: @justforlaughs
#JFLMTL#JFL35

NYC GEARS UP FOR THE IIFA WEEKEND & AWARDS. Metlife stadium to get Bollywoodized! #IIFA2017

NEW YORK CITY GEARS UP FOR THE 18TH EDITION OF THE IIFA WEEKEND AND AWARDS!

·         The 18th Edition Of Lycamobile Presents IIFA Festival New York in Association with McDonalds to be held from 13th – 15th July 2017 in the host city of New York

·         The 72 hours extravaganza, Eros Now IIFA Weekendco-presented by NEXA powered by VIVO will feature string of events and unique associations: Myntra presents IIFA Stomp, Shuruaat Gala Dinner IIFA Societal Innovation Summitin association with tGELF, The FICCI- IIFA Global Business Forum 2017, the spectacularEROS NOW IIFA Rocks and the one and only- The NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO

New York, 13th July 2017: The International Indian Film Academy have commenced today in the city of New York! The anticipation is building as IIFA travels to the United States for the second time. Known to be the center of entertainment, business, fashion and culture, the premiere edition of IIFA in New York is all set to be star studded event filled with splendor and revelry!

The 18th Edition of the IIFA Weekend and Awards began with an Official Press Conference held at the Metropolitan Ballroom at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel. The conference was attended by leading notable figures and members from the media, eminent Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Sushant Singh Rajput, Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan among others were in attendance as they welcomed the Biggest IFA ever in New York.

Commenting on the occasion, Andre Timmins, Director- Wizcraft International, the producers and creator of the IIFA movement says, “The 18th Edition of IIFA Weekend And Awards is going to be one of our biggest ever IIFA Festival to date.  We are bringing together the very best in music, fashion, dance extravaganza and celebration of Indian Film and we can’t wait for IIFA to take over the City of New York and America.  The multi-faceted nature of IIFA also presents a great opportunity through FICCI- IIFA Global Business Forum, with which we aim to create a business networking platform to further trade & policy relations between India and America.”

Varun Dhawan shared saying, “I am absolutely excited to be a part of IIFA Awards in New York this year. I’m looking forward to join everyone and see fans at the amazing MetLife Stadium. This year is truly going to be a grand celebration and I can’t wait to be there!”

Commenting on the occasion, Salman Khan says, “It always feels great to be a part of the IIFA Movement and I look forward to the IIFA Festival in New York.”

Expressing his excitement, Shahid Kapoor says, “IIFA is all about creating memories and experiences. I had a great time last year hosting the show. This time around I will be performing at the IIFA Festival New York. I am hoping to give the audiences a power packed performance in the City That Never Sleeps.”

Speaking about her debut at IIFA, Alia Bhatt shares, “I am very excited to be a part of IIFA 2017, as this is going to be my debut at the IIFA Festival after 5 years in the industry. I am super excited that IIFA is being held in the beautiful city of New York. IIFA is all about togetherness and the celebration of the Indian cinema globally and I eagerly look forward to this celebration”.

Katrina Kaif says, “I’m really excited and looking forward to performing at the IIFA Awards this year. It is such a great platform that not only showcases the celebration of cinema globally, but also it’s a great opportunity for us to reach out to our fans worldwide. I am excited that this year, it is happening in one of my favorite cities – New York!”

Sharing his experience with IIFA, Sushant Singh Rajput says, “I have always been excited for IIFA since my college days, because that’s when my association with IIFA began. From being a back-ground dancer to performing for the audiences as an actor, IIFA has always been very memorable to me. I am very grateful to IIFA for giving me a chance to perform. I doubt I will be performing on my songs, because the films I have done, don’t really have peppy numbers. However I look forward to my performance at the IIFA Festival New York 2017.”

Commenting on her excitement for IIFA, Kriti Sanon says, “IIFA is a great platform where everyone from the industry travels globally and celebrates the glory of Indian Cinema. The IIFA Awards has always been held in the most beautiful destinations and this time it’s being held in New York. I am enthusiastically looking forward to my very first performance at the IIFA Festival and my first visit to the City.”

Lycamobile – Presenting Sponsor, McDonalds - Associate Sponsor, NYC (Mayors office) - Host Destination, NewYorkBannerStands & Print Early – Printing Partner, Pierre Précieuse – Gifting Partner and Arya Dance Academy – Dance Company Partner.

The NEXA IIFA Awards will broadcast on COLORS – the Broadcast Partner, with the Title Sponsor NEXA, Weekend Title Sponsor – EROS NOW, Powered by VIVO, Cause Partner- WOOSH Washing Expert,   Styled by Myntra, Official Airline Partner – AIR INDIA, Thought Leadership Partner – VEDANTA, Brand Partner – Closeup, Carnival and Ease My Trip and Franchise India, Jewelry Partner – Nakshatraworld.com, Outdoor partners – Bright Outdoor Media and JR Creations, Multiplex Partner –PVR

Commenting on the occasion, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO - Viacom18, "Historically, Indian cinema has been the biggest ambassador of our culture, and IIFA has been instrumental in a big way to take our cinema to the Indian diaspora. IIFA is the biggest celebration of Bollywood, and it has been a very rewarding partnership between COLORS Viacom18 and Wizcraft to take this entertainment extravaganza a notch higher every year. The increasing appeal of Indian movies across geographies have established the international appeal of the local Indian content. This focus on content driven cinema is a cause that is very dear to our Studio, Viacom18 Motion Pictures. In the coming days we will strive towards making our stories, our cinema find increasing global audiences and spread the essence of Bollywood across cultures."

Sharing on the same, Raj Nayak, COO – Viacom18, said “After months of preparations, we are in New York today to celebrate the world’s biggest Bollywood awards. Three days of celebration that started with ringing the bell at Nasdaq, having a dance & fashion show at Times Square, celebrating 25 years of A R Rahman with IIFA Rocks and finally the IIFA awards, it's just been amazing. 40,000 people will watch the event LIVE at the MetLife stadium in New York and viewers across the globe will get to watch the extravaganza on COLORS."

Speaking of the association, Mr. R. S Kalsi, Executive Director, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki said“We are delighted to associate with NEXA IIFA Awards 2017 for the third consecutive year. NEXA and IIFA are symbolic of breaking the status-quo and creating experiences which are new and exciting. NEXA is synonymous with offering premium experiences matched with spectacular segment defining products like S-Cross, Baleno, Ignis and Ciaz. NEXA creates moments which consumers experience just like IIFA which builds lifetime experiences and felicitates excellence in Indian cinema at a global stage”

Commenting on the association, Rishika Lulla Singh CEO - Eros Digital said, “We strive to offer the best of Bollywood content to our viewers and it gives us immense pleasure to associate with Wizcraft and come on board as Title Sponsor for IIFA Weekend, one of the most celebrated and recognized Indian film award ceremonies across the globe. Eros Now will stream the awards reaching out to our subscribers across the world to give them the opportunity to witness these grand celebrations before its telecast on any other digital platform. With two leading players from the entertainment space coming together for the awards gala, the teams promise to magnify its scope and amplify our vision to reach out to Indian cinema lovers across the world’.

Delighted at the association, Vivek Zhang, CMO, Vivo India, said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with the most coveted platform representing Indian cinema globally. As a global smartphone brand, we constantly try to connect closely with our target audience in different parts of the country. We believe that the popularity of India International Film Awards (IIFA) is a splendid opportunity for Vivo to strengthen connect with the right audience and create a strong brand recall. Our latest offering in the Indian market is a step ahead in our endeavor to revolutionize the selfie phenomenon.”

Speaking of the association, Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Plc said; “IIFA has been a platform that showcases India’s art & cultural excellence to the world, just as we believe Vedanta champions India’s natural resources globally. I am pleased that IIFA is supporting our flagship CSR programme; Nand Ghar as a social cause which will benefit 8.5 crore children and 2 crore women across India. This is aligned to our Honorable Prime Minister’s social development vision for our country.”

Sharing on the association, Mr. Allirajah Subaskaran Group Chairman and founder, Lycamobile Group of Companies said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring this year’s International Indian Film Academy Festival, an event showcasing the best of Bollywood, with nominations from some of the industry’s biggest stars, including Anushka Sharma, Amitabh Bachchan and Shahid Kapoor. Our sponsorship of the Festival demonstrates Lyca Group’s ongoing commitment to excellence in Indian cinema, an area we are dedicated to supporting as we continue our expansion into film through our entertainment business Lyca Productions”

“I join Mayor de Blasio in extending a warm welcome to IIFA for its annual celebration of Indian Cinema,” said Film and Entertainment Commissioner, Julie Menin. “As both a film production capital and the proud home to so many Indian Americans, New York is the perfect host city for this wonderful celebration.  We also welcome the many Bollywood film lovers, fans and tourists who will visit our city for these prestigious awards.”  

Drawing a close parallel between the two mega brands, Air India’s Commercial Director, Mr. Pankaj Srivastava said that “As has IIFA been growing to be a global phenomenon over the years, so has Air India been expanding its wings internationally, especially in American, European and Australian markets. Both Air India and IIFA are dream merchants and true ambassadors of Indian goodwill abroad.”

Commenting on the occasion, Ananth Narayanan, CEO, Myntra-Jabong says, “The strong bond between Bollywood and fashion needs no foreword! An association between the nations’s leading destination for fashion online and the most awaited screen award ceremony in the country makes for an excellent combination that symbolically connects these brands with consumers. IIFA represents glamour and fashion and we are looking forward to a long-standing relationship with them as their fashion partners.”

Talking about the collaboration with IIFA, Mr. Yogesh Jain, Managing Director and Chairman ‘Woosh Washing Expert’ says, “It gives us immense pleasure to have associated with IIFA. As cause partners, we will be happy to promote Woosh’s ‘Soft Soft Hands’ at the event and empower women, in our own little way. This is our first association with IIFA and we look forward to continuing our journey with it, going forward”.

Commenting on this, Shashwat Sharma, Category Head, Oral Care India, said, “Closeup as a brand celebrates two individuals coming close by shedding all inhibitions that they face. Our signature tune “Paas Aao” has been an iconic jingle building our brand philosophy. We are excited to bring to you a fresh and edgy take of the much-loved melody. What started out as a romantic number has now evolved into a bold and catchy track which resonates with the pulse of today’s youth. We want to inspire the youth to break all barriers and overcome their hesitation. This thought has been brilliantly brought alive by Ahmed Khan and his vision for the song and the charm of Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon. We are confident this new exciting avatar of “Paas Aao” will be loved by all.” Tune in to Colors, at 10 am and catch Kriti and Sushant share their ‘PaasAao’ moment with their electrifying performance on stage!

Commenting on the association, Mr. Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip.com shared, “Joining IIFA 2017 as support partner will bring EaseMyTrip more close to Bollywood as we always welcome our association with entertainment world.”

IIFA inaugurated its festivities by ringing in the Nasdaq stock exchange bell at Times Square, thus marking the globalization of Indian cinema. International Indian Film Academy especially rang the bell to announce its support for the Nand Ghar Project, a unique Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), led by Vedanta Resources, which is listed on the NYSE stock exchange, along with the Government of India to transform Early Childhood Care and Education Centers. Designed in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a view to eradicating malnutrition, providing education and skill Development, Vedanta has adopted 4,000 villages in India. Taking the benefits of development of healthcare, children's education and skill development for women, Project Nand Ghar is a meeting point of the social initiatives by the government such as Swaach Bharat, Startup India, Skill India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Digital India campaigns all under one roof. With a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities,Vedanta founders have pledged 75% of their wealth for social development.

Fans of Indian Cinema can look forward to a host of events kicking off with the music and fashion welcome party- Myntra presents IIFA Stomp at Times Square on 13th July. Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan will be showcasing his DJ skills at IIFA Stomp alongside DJ Amann Nagpal, Electronica icon B.R.E.E.D, DJ Nasha, as they raise the excitement with their unique music. Another facet to IIFA Stomp is a glamorous Fashion Show right in the heart of the city! Myntra shall present its collection with show-stoppers Bollywood actresses’ Dia Mirza and Taapsee Pannu. Leading ladies Shilpa Shetty & Neha Dhupia shall be show-stoppers for Shane and Falguni Peacock collection presented by NEXA and a Jewelry collection will be presented by Gitanjali by designer Sonaakshi Raaj withHuma Qureshi as the showstopper. In addition, Myntra shall announce the MOGO much logo launch featuring a 10 minute performance by the talented multi-instrumentalist Karsh Kale.

Day 1 of the 18th edition of the IIFA Weekend and Awards also introduces the first-of-its-kind“Shuruaat Gala” Dinner IIFA Societal Innovation Summit, a charity fundraiser organized by IIFA in association with The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF) at The Pierre in New York. As star studded evening, Shuruaat Gala Dinner at IIFA shall bring together the biggest celebrities from Bollywood and leaders from business, philanthropy, media, education and Arts. 

As part of the IIFA Weekend and Awards in New York, IIFA and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry announced the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum to be held on July 14th, 2017 at the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue. An initiative, supported by Consulate General of India- New York, Asia Society and US-India Business Council (USIBC), the Business Forum began in 2005 and has grown into a global platform which has hosted international leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Tony Blair of UK, President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka and a number of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. FICCI- IIFA Global Business Forum, the annual one-day event has been a major highlight of the IIFA Weekend And Awards, solidifying the business ties between India and its significant trade and investment partners. This year, the Global Business Forum 2017 will focus on the theme “India and United States: Partners in Progress”, withdiscussions on India- US commercial relations, with panel sessions focusing on key aspects of the relationship:  The future of India-US Economic Partnership, Defense and Security, Manufacturing,Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Media & Entertainment.

Additionally, the iconic MetLife stadium shall transform into an unforgettable musical experience atEROS NOW IIFA Rocks on July 14th with the Multi-talented Bollywood star Diljit Dosanjh kick-starting the performances. A never-seen-before medley and energetic performances from Hariharan, Kailash Kher, Mika Singh, Mohit Chauhan, Jonita Gandhi, Neeti Mohan, Javed Ali, Haricharan Seshadri and Kamaal Khan among others will be seen with the legendary artist A.R. Rahman at IIFA Rocks. Bollywood’s Riteish Deshmukh and Manish Paul will host the sensational global event.

The final and most awaited event of the weekend is the NEXA IIFA Awards Co-presented by Eros Now Powered by VIVO, a spectacular and glamorous night which honors and celebrates excellence and deserving work in Indian cinema will be held at MetLife Stadium on July 15thfeaturing Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar hosting the star studded night with dazzling performances by Bollywood megastars Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon, to name a few.

The NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO to broadcast on COLORS on Sunday, July 16th with the Green Carpet at 6pm followed by the Awards at 7pm.

Lycamobile Presents IIFA Festival New York in Association with McDonalds will air LIVE exclusively onSaturday, July 15, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT in North America and the Caribbean oncable, satellite and digital Pay Per View via in Demand, Vubiquity, DISH and DIRECTV in the USA, Bell, Rogers, SHAW, SaskTel and Telus in Canada, along with the Flipps App and web sitewww.IIFAAwardsppv.com in both the USA and Canada. The suggested retail price is $39.95. The live telecast is distributed exclusively via Integrated Sports Media.

With the excitement growing across the world, the Official IIFA merchandise is a perfect treat for‘IIFAn’s’ globally. The Official IIFA Merchandise includes an interesting range of T-Shirts, Caps, Key Rings, Hooded Sweatshirts, Tote Bags, Magnet and Ticket Holders among others that are stylized with the Iconic IIFA’s logo. The Merchandise is exclusively available on e-storehttps://www.jsrdirect.com/webstores/iifa and at MetLife Stadium from 14th – 15th July 2017 during the 72 hour IIFA Weekend and Awards.

As fans from all across the world await for the biggest celebration of Indian cinema worldwide, International Indian Film Academy is pleased to announce its diverse range of official IIFA merchandise. New York based Easy Partners, a boutique licensing and merchandising company ties up with IIFA as the official merchandise partner to produce, market and sell the merchandise.

IIFA continues on its journey with strength to grow every year in the world of entertainment and building the outreach as a major event globally to bring positive results and impact. This year is set to be one of the biggest, most extravagant and amazing IIFA Weekends to date. Keep up to date with all the latest news and details on IIFA by logging on to www.iifa.com or checking out the social media handles.

#IIFA2017

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IIFA/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/IIFA

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iifa/

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy and a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits and gain to India but an equally important objective of this prestigious brand is to create similar outcomes in its host country.  The aim is to establish a system of mutual benefit to both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd promotes the IIFA Weekend & Awards globally each year and travel to new, exciting and beautiful destinations, taking the film fraternity with it to unite and celebrate the best of Indian film and culture, thereby taking Indian Cinema and India to a wider audience. www.iifa.com.

ABOUT WIZCRAFT INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading media and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage.  Having conceptualized some of the grandest events globally including the 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Delhi as well as the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, & the prestigious International

Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards & Weekend for 15 years in over 12 countries, Wizcraft has contributed towards brand building for India across the world.  It has pioneered and developed India’s biggest entertainment brand IIFA which has taken Indian Cinema and culture to the world. The growth story of the company reflects the evolution of the Indian event management & entertainment industry itself. Driven by its vision “Believe in the power of your dreams” the company is committed to quality and innovation, while setting its sights on greater peaks of achievement.

ABOUT METLIFE STADIUM

MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Football Giants, is the number one stadium in the world. This 82,500 seat stadium, one of the largest in the National Football League, sets the standard for venue excellence with state-of-the-art technology, comfort and amenities. The only active venue to serve as the home stadium for two NFL teams, MetLife Stadium hosts 20 NFL games per season, more than any other Stadium.

MetLife Stadium hosts the World’s Biggest Events, on the World’s Biggest Stage. Major events hosted at the stadium include Super Bowl XLVIII, WrestleMania 29, Copa America Centenario, CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals, Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift

MetLife Stadium tops the industry charts annually since opening. The Stadium has ranked as the No. 1 Highest Grossing Stadium in the world for the last 5 years (2012 – 2016) by Billboard magazine. In 2011 MetLife Stadium was ranked No. 1 for safety by Security magazine’s “Security 500” in the Arenas/Stadiums/Leagues/Entertainment division.

For more information, visit:

www.metlifestadium.com

www.wizcraftworld.com

IIFA RINGS IN THE NASDAQ BELL WITH SONAKSHI SINHA & IIFA STOMP to take over Times Square tomorrow!

THE 18TH EDITION OF IIFA WEEKEND AND AWARDS RINGS IN THE NASDAQ STOCK EXCHANGE BELL WITH BOLLYWOOD DIVA SONAKSHI SINHA

New York, 12th July 2017: As the highly anticipated 18TH edition of IIFA, to be held from 13th – 15th July 2017

 descends on the captivating city of New York, the International Indian Film Academy commences its festivities by ringing in the Nasdaq stock exchange bell at Times Square, thus marking the globalization of Indian cinema.

Seen at the prestigious event were members of Nasdaq along with IIFA’s founders Mr. Andre Timmins and Mr. Sabbas Joseph, Directors of Wizcraft International, the producers and creators of the IIFA movement, along with Bollywood diva Sonakshi Sinha.

International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) especially rang the bell to announce its support for the Nand Ghar Project, a unique Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), led by Vedanta Resources,which is listed on the NYSE stock exchange, along with the Government of India to transform Early Childhood Care and Education Centers.

Designed in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a view to eradicating malnutrition, providing education and skill Development, Vedanta has adopted 4,000 villages in India. Taking the benefits of development of healthcare, children's education and skill development for women, Project Nand Ghar is a meeting point of the social initiatives by the government such as Swaach Bharat, Startup India, Skill India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Digital India campaigns all under one roof. With a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities, Vedanta founders have pledged 75% of their wealth for social development.

Commenting on the occasion, Sabbas Joseph, Director- Wizcraft International, the producers and creators of the IIFA movement says, “Given IIFA’s multi-faceted nature, we are pleased to ring in the 18th Edition of IIFA Weekend And Awards at the Nasdaq Stock Market Bell ringing ceremony. We are thrilled to bring in India’s biggest and most spectacular global celebration of cinema and we can’t wait for IIFA to take over the City of New York and America.”

IIFA rings Nasdaq bell w/ Sonakshi Sinha @ Time Square NYC

The 18th Edition of the IIFA Festival New York is presented by Lycamobile in association with McDonalds. The highlight of the Eros Now IIFA Weekend is the NEXA IIFA AWARDS powered by VIVO.

The 18th Edition of IIFA Awards and Weekend is set to be one of the biggest, most extravagant 72 hours extravaganza with a myriad of events and unique associations in its premiere edition in New York: Myntra presents IIFA Stomp, “Shuruaat” Gala Dinner in association with tGELF, The FICCI- IIFA Global Business Forum 2017, the spectacular EROS NOW IIFA Rocks and the one and only- NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO.

IIFA is the most coveted and highly anticipated award celebrations that honors the very best of Indian Cinema, a brand that is not only recognized as a major international event but also an institution in its own right. Synonymous With Indian Cinema, IIFA is dedicated to building bridges across cinemas, businesses, communities and nations as it welcomes its first ever IIFA in the City of New York.

Lycamobile – Presenting Sponsor, McDonalds - Associate Sponsor, NYC (Mayors office) - Host Destination, NewYorkBannerStands & Print Early – Printing Partner, Pierre Précieuse – Gifting Partner and Arya Dance Academy – Dance Company Partner.

The NEXA IIFA Awards will broadcast on COLORS – the Broadcast Partner, with the Title Sponsor NEXA, Powered by VIVO, Weekend Title Sponsor – EROS NOW, Cause Partner- WOOSH Washing Expert,   Styled by Myntra, Official Airline Partner – AIR INDIA, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PARTNER – VEDANTA, Brand Partner – Closeup, Carnival and Ease My Trip, Jewelry Partner - GITANJALI, Outdoor partners – Bright Outdoor Media and JR Creations, Multiplex Partner -PVR, Radio Partner- Red FM, Print Media Partner- Rajasthan Patrika, Support Sponsor- VEDANTA for Shuruaat Gala- IIFA Societal Innovation Summit.

#IIFA 2017
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IIFA/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/IIFA
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iifa/  

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) 

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy and a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits and gain to India but an equally important objective of this prestigious brand is to create similar outcomes in its host country.  The aim is to establish a system of mutual benefit to both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd promotes the IIFA Weekend & Awards globally each year and travel to new, exciting and beautiful destinations, taking the film fraternity with it to unite and celebrate the best of Indian film and culture, thereby taking Indian Cinema and India to a wider audience. www.iifa.com

ABOUT WIZCRAFT INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading media and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage.  Having conceptualized some of the grandest events globally including the 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Delhi as well as the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, & the prestigious International

Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards & Weekend for 15 years in over 12 countries, Wizcraft has contributed towards brand building for India across the world.  It has pioneered and developed India’s biggest entertainment brand IIFA which has taken Indian Cinema and culture to the world. The growth story of the company reflects the evolution of the Indian event management & entertainment industry itself. Driven by its vision “Believe in the power of your dreams” the company is committed to quality and innovation, while setting its sights on greater peaks of achievement.

Just For Laughs Awards Honor Jim Carrey, Trevor Noah, Ali Wong and More!

Just For Laughs Announces the Honourees of the 2017 Just For Laughs Awards presented by SiriusXM

This years honourees include:

Trevor Noah: Comedy Person of the Year
Jim Carrey: Generation Award

Mike Birbiglia: Stand-Up Comedian of the Year

Ali Wong: Breakout Comedy Star of the Year

Craig Ferguson: Alumni Tribute

Kenya Barris: Comedy Writer of the Year

http://comedypro.hahaha.com/

Montreal (July 10, 2017) — Just For Laughs celebrates the leading talent in the comedy industry at the 2017 Just For Laughs Awards Show presented by SiriusXM. This year’s honourees include:Trevor Noah (Comedy Person of the Year), Jim Carrey (Generation Award), Mike Birbiglia(Stand-Up Comedian of the Year), Ali Wong (Breakout Comedy Star of the Year), Craig Ferguson (Alumni Tribute), and Kenya Barris (Comedy Writer of the Year). All six will be present to receive their awards at the awards show on Friday, July 28 at 3:00 pm, Grand Salon Opera, Hyatt Regency Montreal.

Trevor Noah is a South African-born comedian best known for his role as host of The Daily Showon Comedy Central. He is the subject of an award-winning documentary, You Laugh But It’s True, which tells the story of his remarkable career in post-apartheid South Africa. He also authored the book, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, an instant New York Times bestseller and top-selling Audible title. Earlier this year, Noah debuted his ninth comedy special, Afraid of the Dark (Netflix). This follows on Trevor Noah: Lost in Translation (Comedy Central) and Trevor Noah: African American (Showtime). Noah was the winner of the “Personality of the Year” at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards, and “Best Host” at the 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards. He is currently on tour across North America, stopping at Just For Laughs for two sold-out concert performances on July 28 and a sold-out “In Conversation” on July 29th.

Jim Carrey is an award-winning actor who has been honored for both his dramatic and comedic work. He won a Golden Globe Award, for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, for the title role in Peter Weir's The Truman Show. Jim won his second Golden Globe, for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, for his portrayal of comedian Andy Kaufman in Milos Forman's Man on the Moon.  Over the course of his career, Carrey has also been recognized numerous times by the MTV Movie Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Carrey is executive producing the Showtime comedy series I'm Dying Up Here set in the 1970's stand-up comedy scene. Carrey can also be seen alongside Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa and Keanu Reeves as “The Hermit" in the film The Bad Batch, a cannibal love story that takes place in a post-apocalyptic Texas wasteland. Carrey also stars in the upcoming crime-drama True Crimes, based on the New Yorker article about a homicide investigation of a slain businessman and the novelist eventually convicted of the murder. Some of Carrey's previous films include Dumb and Dumber To,I Love You Phillip Morris, Yes Man, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Bruce Almighty, Liar, Liar, The Cable Guy, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, & Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Mike Birbiglia is a comedian and storyteller who has performed in front of audiences worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall. His most recent shows, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriendand Thank God for Jokes, were both filmed for Netflix. Mike has released four albums for Comedy Central Records, including My Secret Public Journal Live, which was named one of the “Best Comedy Albums of the Decade” by The Onion AV Club. In addition to performing live, Birbiglia is an author and filmmaker who wrote, directed and starred in the acclaimed films Sleepwalk with Meand Don’t Think Twice. His book, Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories, was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Thurber Prize For American Humor. As an actor, Birbiglia has appeared on Orange is the New Black, Inside Amy Schumer, and Girls as well as in the films Trainwreck, The Fault in Our Stars, and Popstar. Birbiglia is currently on a nationwide tour with his latest show, The New One, approaching an entirely new subject in a new way with the same heart and humor we’ve come to expect. He brings this show to Just For Laughs for 5 shows at the Le Gesù Theatre between July 25-29.

Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian from San Francisco, now living in Los Angeles. Her Netflix stand-up special, Baby Cobra, filmed when she was seven months pregnant, skyrocketed her to stardom and drew praise from across the comedy industry. Wong is a writer for the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, and has made television appearances in American Housewife, Are You There, Chelsea?, Inside Amy Schumer, and Black Box. Ali Wong headlines her own Just For Laughs show, July 27 at Maison Symphonique, Place des Arts.

Craig Ferguson entered the world of late night comedy following a diverse and eclectic career encompassing film, television and the stage. In December 2014, Ferguson concluded his 10 year run as the host of CBS’s The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, setting an all-time viewer record and earning him a Primetime Emmy nomination and the 2009 Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. As the host of Celebrity Name Game, Ferguson was awarded the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host two years in a row. This year he was nominated for a third Daytime Emmy Award. In February 2017, Craig launched his new SiriusXM program,The Craig Ferguson Show, which is broadcast live on Comedy Greats every evening. Ferguson launched his North American career at Just For Laughs in 1987. Thirty years later, he returns for two shows at Monument National on July 29 that will be taped for his first Netflix special.

As a writer, Kenya Barris is known for his quick wit and unabashed sense of humour. He has worked on several TV shows, including CBS’s Listen Up, The CW’s The Game and Girlfriends, and Fox’s I Hate My Teenage Daughter. Barris has sold a number of pilots, including America’s Next Top Model (which he co-created), BET’s The Start Up, and We Got Next, Hulu’s first half-hour comedy series. He is the Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner on black-ish (ABC) as well as the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of an upcoming hour-long series, Unit Zero, starring Toni Collette, and a half-hour series, Libby & Malcolm, starring Felicity Huffman and Courtney B Vance. Kenya Barris is currently developing several projects for 20th Century Fox, including White Men Can’t Jump, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Stir Crazy.

The Just For Laughs Festival runs from July 12 to July 31, 2017 in Montreal, Canada. Just For Laughs ComedyPRO, the leading industry event of the comedy business, runs from July 26-29, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Montreal.

About the Just For Laughs Group:

Founded in 1983, the Just For Laughs Group’s growth is concentrated on four major focal points: Festivals (in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney); television production (most notably Gags, seen in 135 countries and on 95 airlines); stand-up specials and live shows (Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, North American dates for Family Guy Live!); Its inaugural Montreal Festival is over 30 years old and is now the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy event, welcoming on average 1.7 million visitors to Montreal each summer and generating approximately $80 million for the city’s economy. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, and London.

THE JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY VIDEOTRON
IN ASSOCIATION WITH LOTO-QUÉBEC
For tickets by phone, online or in person:
The Just For Laughs Box Office, 514-845-2322, hahaha.com 
presented by Videotron

The Just For Laughs Festival would like to thank its public partners: Government of Canada, Destination Canada, Gouvernement du Québec, City of Montréal and Tourisme Montréal for their support.

Find us on social #JFLMTL#JFL35
Facebook: @justforlaughs
Twitter: @justforlaughs
Instagram: @justforlaughs

JFL ComedyPRO social
Facebook: @jflcomedypro
Twitter: @JFLComedyPro
Instagram: @jflcomedypro

NETFLIX at EssenceFestival2017 - Spike Lee, Marlon Wayans, Dascha Polanco and more!

The casts of Orange is The New Black, She’s Gotta Have It and Dear White People join Jessica Williams at the premiere of her Netflix original film The Incredible Jessica James

Didn't make it to NOLA for ESSENCE Festival? For the first time ever, Netflix was at the famed festival premiering two new films and brought along a deep roster of incredible talent.

Below find some of the top moments from Netflix original films and series this weekend, including news and photos from Orange is the New Black, Naked, The Incredible Jessica James, Dear White People, Mudbound and Spike Lee’s upcoming series She’s Gotta Have It.

#6 - ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK AND DEAR WHITE PEOPLE CAST CHARMED FANS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER ON CENTER STAGE AND DURING A FAN MEET AND GREET

Date: Friday June 30 and Saturday July 1
Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center | Essence’s Fan Zone and Center Stage
Attendees: Dascha Polanco, Selenis Leyva and Adrienne Moore joined on center stage by Naked’s Marlon Wayans and The Incredible Jessica James’ Jessica Williams.

#5 - JESSICA WILLIAMS AND WRITER/DIRECTOR JIM STROUSE DELIGHTED THE NEW ORLEANS AUDIENCE AT THE PREMIERE OF THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES. THE FILM HITS NETFLIX JULY 28!

Date: Saturday July 1
Location: Civic Theatre New Orleans
Attendees: Jessica Williams and Jim Strouse representing The Incredible Jessica James.  Casts from additional Netflix films and series attendees including She’s Gotta Have It’s Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, DeWanda Wise, Anthony Ramos, Lyriq Bent, Cleo Anthony, Orange Is the New Black’s Dascha Polanco, Selenis Leyva and Adrienne Moore; Dear White People’s Marque Richardson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Logan Browning, Antoinette Robertson, DeRon Horton and Brandon P. Bell.

#4 - MARLON WAYANS TURNS UP THE HEAT DURING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF HIS NEW MOVIE NAKED WHICH COMES TO NETFLIXAUGUST 11!

Date: Friday June 30
Location: Civic Theatre New Orleans
Attendees: Director Mike Tiddes and Naked stars Regina Hall, Dennis Haysbert, Jonathan Todd Jackson, and Loretta Devine were joined by additional cast from Netflix series including Orange Is the New Black’s Dascha Polanco, Selenis Leyva and Adrienne Moore; Dear White People’s Marque Richardson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Logan Browning, Antoinette Robertson, DeRon Horton and Brandon P. Bell.

#3 - MARY J BLIGE AND DIRECTOR AND CO-WRITER DEE REES DISCUSS THEIR UPCOMING NETFLIX FILM MUDBOUND AND SHOW A CLIP AT THE ESSENCE EMPOWERMENT EXPERIENCE

Date: Friday June 30
Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center | ESSENCE Empowerment Experience
Attendees: Mary J. Blige, Dee Rees, Queen Latifah, Niecy Nash, Jada Pinkett Smith and moderated by Tamron Hall

#2 - SPIKE LEE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER TONYA LEWIS LEE AND CAST DROP A SNEAK PEEK FOR HIS NEW NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT AT THE SUPERDOME

Date: Saturday July 1
Location: Superdome | Essence Saturday Night Concert
Attendees: Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, DeWanda Wise, Anthony Ramos, Cleo Anthony and Lyriq Bent

#1 - THE CAST OF DEAR WHITE PEOPLE ANNOUNCED THEY ARE RETURNING FOR SEASON 2

Date: Friday, June 30
Location: Civic Theatre New Orleans | Essence Center Stage
Attendees: Marque Richardson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Logan Browning, Antoinette Robertson, DeRon Horton, Brandon P. Bell and moderator Cori Murray, ESSENCE editor,

KARAN JOHAR & SAIF ALI KHAN w/ Varun Dhawan, TO HOST THE 18TH EDITION OF #IIFA FESTIVAL NEW YORK

SAIF ALI KHAN AND KARAN JOHAR TO HOST THE 18TH EDITION OF IIFA FESTIVAL NEW YORK

VARUN DHAWAN TO DEBUT A POWER-PACKED PERFORMANCE AND CO- HOST A SEGMENT OF THE STAR-STUDDED AWARDS NIGHT

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Mumbai, 14th June 2017: As the countdown to the biggest celebration of Indian Cinema worldwide draws near! The charismatic duo of Indian Cinema, Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar to host theupcoming NEXA IIFA Awards Powered By VIVO at the iconic MetLife Stadium on 15th July 2017.

Bollywood's Youth Icon, Varun Dhawan is all set to make a debut at IIFA Awards with a stunning performance and will be also be seen co- hosting a segment of the star-studded awards night.

The NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO is among the most coveted and highly anticipated award celebration that honors the very best of Indian Cinema with the highest level of achievement seen through the glamorous IIFA statuette.

The 18th Edition of IIFA Awards 2017 to witness power-packed performances by Bollywood superstars, Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon, to name a few.

The NEXA IIFA Awards will air exclusively LIVE on COLORS – the Broadcast Partner, with the Title Sponsor NEXA, Powered by VIOV, Styled by Myntra, Official Airline Partner – AIR INDIA.

Commenting on the occasion, Karan Johar said, “IIFA is the most awaited international award function of the Indian film fraternity. I am excited and look forward to hosting the 18th Edition of the IIFA Weekend And Awards. New York will be spellbound with the magic of IIFA!”

Saif Ali Khan added saying. "I am happy to be back to the IIFA stage this year as I join my close friend Karan Johar to host the IIFA Awards in New York. The excitement for IIFA has been steadily growing worldwide. This year it's going to be super fun and glamorous in every way as Karan and I are going to have lots of surprises in store for our fans internationally!”

Varun Dhawan shared saying, "I am absolutely excited to be a part of IIFA Awards in New York this year. I'm looking forward to join everyone and see fans at the amazing MetLife stadium. This year is truly going to be a grand celebration and I can't wait to be there!”

Commenting on the occasion, Andre Timmins, Director- Wizcraft International, the producers and creator of the IIFA movement says, “With the 18th Edition of IIFA weekend and awards, we look forward to bring the world of Indian cinema to life in its premier edition in New York for existing and new audiences at the NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by VIVO. I am excited to announce two of the biggest talented stars in Bollywood, Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan as the hosts of the awards night. We are thrilled to have Varun Dhawan make his debut at the IIFA stage and co-host a special segment at the awards this year. Get ready to witness the magic of IIFA as Bollywood descends in America to celebrate Indian cinema like never before.”

Speaking of the association, Mr. R. S Kalsi, Executive director, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki said“We are delighted to associate with NEXA IIFA Awards 2017 for the third consecutive year. NEXA and IIFA are symbolic of breaking the status-quo and creating experiences which are new and exciting. NEXA is synonymous with offering premium experiences matched with spectacular segment defining products like S-Cross, Baleno, Ignis and Ciaz. NEXA creates moments which consumers experience just like IIFA which builds lifetime experiences and felicitates excellence in Indian cinema at a global stage”

Delighted at the association, Vivek Zhang, CMO, Vivo India, said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with the most coveted platform representing Indian cinema globally. As a global smartphone brand, we constantly try to connect closely with our target audience in different parts of the country. We believe that the popularity of India International Film Awards (IIFA) is a splendid opportunity for Vivo to strengthen connect with the right audience and create a strong brand recall. Our latest offering in the Indian market is a step ahead in our endeavor to revolutionize the selfie phenomenon.”

Commenting on its partnership, Mr. Pankaj Srivastava, Air India’s Commercial Director stated,“Both IIFA and Air India are true ambassadors of India’s rich cultural heritage and are in the business of connecting people and regions around the globe, creating bridges to enhance tourism and business opportunities at either end.”

Commenting on the occasion, Ananth Narayanan, CEO, Myntra-Jabong says, "The strong bond between Bollywood and fashion needs no foreword! An association between the nations’s leading destination for fashion online and the most awaited screen award ceremony in the country makes for an excellent combination that symbolically connects these brands with consumers. IIFA represents glamour and fashion and we are looking forward to a long-standing relationship with them as their fashion partners."

With the excitement growing across the world, people can now get that hot seat for the spectacular 2017 IIFA Weekend & Awards at New York events to be hosted at MetLife Stadium as tickets are LIVE to the general public available online only at ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000 or by simply clicking the ‘Buy Tickets Tab’ on the official IIFA website http://www.iifa.com/. Fans can also purchase the tickets at MetLife Stadium Box Office (Box Office hours:  M – F, 11am – 5pm). For VIP Club Experiences, e-mail us at vipclub@iifa.com. IIFA has a special treat for its fans, “The Double Dhamaka Offer”. Get two shows for the price of one. Buy any IIFA Awards premium seating tickets for Ground Level and Level 100 seats and get free tickets to IIFA Rocks.

The popular category nominations are available for the global audience to participate in the voting process. The IIFA Global Voting went LIVE on 20th May 2017 and will be open till 18th June 2017.  The final winners of the IIFA Awards are revealed on the night of the Awards ceremony. The results are surrounded by secrecy and the credibility of the voting process is one of the key parameters of this prestigious award.

As IIFA continues to bring together the biggest stars of Bollywood and Hollywood on one stage, the IIFA Weekend And Awards will play host to some of the most celebrated stars and musicians of the Indian film industry, notable guests, and dignitaries from India and the region, world media and Indian cinema fans from across the globe.

#IIFA 2017

·         Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IIFA/

·         Twitter- https://twitter.com/IIFA

·         Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iifa/

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy and a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits and gain to India but an equally important objective of this prestigious brand is to create similar outcomes in its host country.  The aim is to establish a system of mutual benefit to both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd promotes the IIFA Weekend & Awards globally each year and travel to new, exciting and beautiful destinations, taking the film fraternity with it to unite and celebrate the best of Indian film and culture, thereby taking Indian Cinema and India to a wider audience. www.iifa.com

ABOUT WIZCRAFT INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading media and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage.  Having conceptualized some of the grandest events globally including the 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Delhi as well as the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, & the prestigious International

Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards & Weekend for 15 years in over 12 countries, Wizcraft has contributed towards brand building for India across the world.  It has pioneered and developed India’s biggest entertainment brand IIFA which has taken Indian Cinema and culture to the world. The growth story of the company reflects the evolution of the Indian event management & entertainment industry itself. Driven by its vision “Believe in the power of your dreams” the company is committed to quality and innovation, while setting its sights on greater peaks of achievement.

 ABOUT METLIFE STADIUM

MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Football Giants, is the number one stadium in the world. This 82,500 seat stadium, one of the largest in the National Football League, sets the standard for venue excellence with state-of-the-art technology, comfort and amenities. The only active venue to serve as the home stadium for two NFL teams, MetLife Stadium hosts 20 NFL games per season, more than any other Stadium.

MetLife Stadium hosts the World’s Biggest Events, on the World’s Biggest Stage. Major events hosted at the stadium include Super Bowl XLVIII, WrestleMania 29, Copa America Centenario, CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals, Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift

MetLife Stadium tops the industry charts annually since opening. The Stadium has ranked as the No. 1 Highest Grossing Stadium in the world for the last 5 years (2012 – 2016) by Billboard magazine. In 2011 MetLife Stadium was ranked No. 1 for safety by Security magazine’s “Security 500” in the Arenas/Stadiums/Leagues/Entertainment division.

For more information, visit:

www.metlifestadium.com

www.wizcraftworld.com

2017 IIFA AWARDS NOMINATIONS REVEALED!

Shahrukh Khan

2017 IIFA Awards Nomination

Salman Khan

2017 IIFA Awards Nomination

Anushka Sharma

2017 IIFA Awards Nomination

Shahid Kapur

2017 IIFA Awards Nomination

Alia Bhatt

2017 IIFA Awards Nomination

Sushant Singh Rajput

2017 IIFA Awards Nomination

THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 18TH EDITION OF NEXA 2017 IIFA AWARDS POWERED BY VIVO ARE REVEALED!

~ Garnering the highest number of nominations in 8 categories at the 2017 IIFA Awards, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil leads the race followed by M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story with Nominations in 7 categories~

The 18th Edition of the 2017 NEXA IIFA Awards Powered by Vivo is among the most coveted and highly anticipated awards celebrations that honor the very best of Indian Cinema with the highest level of achievement seen through the glamorous IIFA statuette. Set to be held at the iconic MetLife Stadium on the 14th & 15th of July, this year the NEXA IIFA Awards will witness the felicitation of powerhouse performances and films at the highly anticipated Awards night. The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards announced the list of nominations in the popular category today as IIFA Global Voting goes LIVE on 20th May 2017 till 18th June 2017.

The Nexa IIFA Awards will air exclusively on Broadcast Partners, Colors TV with the Title SponsorNEXA, and Powered by VIVO.

Tickets are LIVE to the general public available online only at ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000 or by simply clicking the ‘Buy Tickets Tab’ on the official IIFA website http://www.iifa.com/. Fans can also purchase the tickets at MetLife Stadium Box Office (Box Office hours:  M – F, 11am – 5pm). For VIP Club Experiences, e-mail us at vipclub@iifa.com.

Indian Cinema has had an incredible year with a diverse number of truly unique films that not only took the box office by storm but were also critically acclaimed. Leading the race with a whopping8 nominations in the popular categories along with Best Picture is Ae DIl Hai Mushkil followed by the biopic of the Former Indian Cricket Team Captain – M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story bagging 7 nominations in popular categories including the Best Picture nominations. Top Contenders for Best Picture category are Neerja, Pink, Sultan and Udta Punjab.

The nominees for Best Actor in Leading Role Male are Shahid Kapoor for Udta Punjab, Ranbir Kapoor for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Shah Rukh Khan for Fan, Sushant Singh Rajput for M.S. Dhoni, Amitabh Bachchan for Pink and Salman Khan for Sultan. The nominees for Leading Role Female are Anushka Sharma for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Alia Bhatt for Dear Zindagi & Udta Punjab, Sonam Kapoor for Neerjaand Tapsee Pannu for Pink. The Best Director nominations feature Karan Johar (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil),Neeraj Pandey (M.S. Dhoni), Ram Madhvani (Neerja), Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary (Pink), Ali Abbas Zafar (Sultan) and Abhishek Chaubey (Udta Punjab).

As IIFA continues to bring together the biggest stars of Bollywood and Hollywood on one stage, the 2017 IIFA Festival New York will play host to some of the most celebrated stars and musicians of the Indian film industry, notable guests, and dignitaries from India and the region, world media and Indian cinema fans from across the globe.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd, known for pioneering many extravagant and mesmerizing events in India and across the world, conceptualized IIFA 17 years ago, by the creative genius of the trio of masterminds - Andre Timmins, Viraf Sarkari and Sabbas Joseph. The vision was to celebrate Indian cinema outside India; and IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) the flagship brand is the accomplishment of that dream. IIFA is dedicated to building bridges across cinema, businesses, communities and nations, creating everyone’s dream: “One People. One World”. The journey over these past 17 years has seen the brand evolve from a one night affair to a weekend, which celebrates and hosts various events and activities related to cinema, business, culture, music and fashion. Hosting a variety of events during the weekend IIFA helps bring together a global community of people from all walks of life.

Speaking of the association, Mr. R. S Kalsi, Executive director, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki said “We are delighted to associate with NEXA IIFA Awards 2017 for the third consecutive year. This year we will showcase how NEXA is at the forefront of bringing innovation & delivering outstanding experiences. NEXA is not just an automotive brand but also a lifestyle brand. NEXA is all about newer and premium experiences, just like IIFA which builds lifetime experiences and felicitates excellence in Indian cinema at a global stage”

Delighted at the association, Vivek Zhang, CMO, Vivo India, said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with the most coveted platform representing Indian cinema globally. As a global smartphone brand, we constantly try to connect closely with our target audience in different parts of the country. We believe that the popularity of India International Film Awards (IIFA) is a splendid opportunity for Vivo to strengthen connect with the right audience and create a strong brand recall. Our latest offering in the Indian market is a step ahead in our endeavor to revolutionize the selfie phenomenon.”

Speaking on the occasion, Raj Nayak, Chief Operations Officer Viacom18 said, "IIFA Festival is the world's biggest platform showcasing the magic of Bollywood and India. Colors, India's leading Hindi Premium entertainment channel, is delighted to bring the magic that’s being created in New York City to our viewers across the globe. As always the IIFA Weekend & Awards extravaganza will be telecast to our viewers in over 140 counties with ancillary programming on other Viacom18 channels including MTV & Colors Infinity.”

Andre Timmins, Director- Wizcraft International, the producers and creators of the IIFA movementsays, “It is amazing to see the progress that the IIFA Festival New York has seen in the past few months as we prepare for our biggest IIFA Awards ever.  Featuring a mega star line up for IIFA Rocks & IIFA Awards we will be creating entertainment like never seen before.  We are thankful for so many of the industry that turned out to vote for the nominated films and people involved.  It now remains for the global online voting to begin for the popular category awards to be determined.  The 2017 IIFA Awards is going to be a night not to be missed and exciting times to see who finally wins those highly coveted IIFA Awards.  The demand for tickets has been tremendous and I would simply advise IIFA fans to grab the hotly sought-after tickets while you still can oniifa.com or ticketmaster.com. “

IIFA continues on its journey with strength to grow every year in the world of entertainment and building the outreach as a major event globally to bring positive results and impact. This year is set to be one of the biggest, most extravagant and amazing IIFA Weekends to date. Keep up to date with all the latest news and details on IIFA by logging on to www.iifa.com or checking out the social media handles:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IIFA/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/IIFA
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iifa/

IIFA Festival is ready to take centre stage in New York City. Don’t miss it for the world! 

About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)

Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy and a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories. The alliances made via the platform of IIFA provide huge benefits and gain to India but an equally important objective of this prestigious brand is to create similar outcomes in its host country.  The aim is to establish a system of mutual benefit to both India as well as the host destinations by boosting tourism, economic development, trade, culture, cross-border investments and film co-productions.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd promotes the IIFA Weekend & Awards globally each year and travel to new, exciting and beautiful destinations, taking the film fraternity with it to unite and celebrate the best of Indian film and culture, thereby taking Indian Cinema and India to a wider audience. www.iifa.com

ABOUT WIZCRAFT INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT PVT. LTD.

Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading media and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage.  Having conceptualized some of the grandest events globally including the 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Delhi as well as the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, & the prestigious International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards & Weekend for 15 years in over 12 countries, Wizcraft has contributed towards brand building for India across the world.  It has pioneered and developed India’s biggest entertainment brand IIFA which has taken Indian Cinema and culture to the world. The growth story of the company reflects the evolution of the Indian event management & entertainment industry itself. Driven by its vision “Believe in the power of your dreams” the company is committed to quality and innovation, while setting its sights on greater peaks of achievement.

ABOUT METLIFE STADIUM

MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Football Giants, is the number one stadium in the world. This 82,500 seat stadium, one of the largest in the National Football League, sets the standard for venue excellence with state-of-the-art technology, comfort and amenities. The only active venue to serve as the home stadium for two NFL teams, MetLife Stadium hosts 20 NFL games per season, more than any other Stadium.

MetLife Stadium hosts the World’s Biggest Events, on the World’s Biggest Stage. Major events hosted at the stadium include Super Bowl XLVIII, WrestleMania 29, Copa America Centenario, CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals, Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift

MetLife Stadium tops the industry charts annually since opening. The Stadium has ranked as the No. 1 Highest Grossing Stadium in the world for the last 5 years (2012 – 2016) by Billboard magazine. In 2011 MetLife Stadium was ranked No. 1 for safety by Security magazine’s “Security 500” in the Arenas/Stadiums/Leagues/Entertainment division.

For more information, visit :
www.metlifestadium.com
www.wizcraftworld.com