Nominations for the 11th annual CHLOTRUDIS AWARDS were voted upon by the society’s membership on January 22, 2005. This year’s slate of nominees is diverse and wide-ranging, with no one film dominating the pack. In all, 38 films received nominations, representing 34 different countries and in 12 different languages.
Taken as a whole, Chlotrudis’ nods demonstrate the increasing presence and variety among films made in Asian countries. Except for Best Documentary, every award category includes at least one nomination for a film made in Japan, Thailand, Korea or China. To illustrate this influence, Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE (pictured left: Best Actor and Best Actress nominees Tadanobu Asano and Sinitta Boonyasak from LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE) tops the list with 5 nominations. Chronicling the unusual relationship between a Japanese ex-pat and the Thai woman to whom he is drawn, LAST LIFE is described as ‘allusive and enigmatic, with hallucinations that vie with reality in the characters’ minds’ by Stephen Holden in his New York Times review.
Hard on LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’s heels with 4 nominations each are Mike Leigh’s VERA DRAKE, Alexander Payne’s SIDEWAYS, and Lucas Belvaux’ threesome of French films counted as one, THE TRILOGY (pictured right: a scene from AFTER THE LIFE, the third piece of Belvaux’s TRILOGY). Nods that underscore Chlotrudis’ independent streak are Best Director for TARNATION, the documentary/memoir by Jonathan Caouette; Best Actress and Best Movie for MOOLAAD’/a>, an African narrative exploring the lives of a village’s young women; and the zombie romantic-comedy SHAUN OF THE DEAD for Best Original Screenplay.
LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, THE TRILOGY and MOOLAAD’are among the nominees in the Best Film category. BAD EDUCATION, the latest from Pedro Almodovar; a Taiwanese valentine to film houses, GOOD BYE DRAGON INN; a Russian father-son reunion family drama, THE RETURN; and a Buddhist take on a life’s seasons from Korea, SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER’SPRING round out this top ballot.
For over a decade, the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film has highlighted its commitment to independent and foreign film in style by holding its own black-tie CHLOTRUDIS AWARDS ceremony in early spring. The 2004 edition will be held Sunday March 20th at the Brattle Theatre, and the public is invited to join Chlotrudis members, nominees and special guests in the celebration.
In addition to the competitive categories, Chlotrudis also presents special awards that honor individuals or films for particular distinction. Past recipients Genevieve Bujold (Chloe Award for acting), Kerry Washington (Breakthrough Award), Thom Fitzgerald (Gertrudis Award for direction) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (first Hall of Fame inductee) are among those who have made the trek to Boston to be honored for their contributions to independent film.
Perhaps the award closest to the group’s heart is its Buried Treasure category, in which only those films with a box office less than $250,000 are eligible. To ensure these truly independent films receive as much attention as possible, members must have seen them all before casting a vote. Screening parties are held throughout February to get out the vote and spread the word.
Michael Colford, Chlotrudis founder, commented on this year’s nominations. ‘The Chlotrudis mission was truly exemplified, ‘ he said, adding ‘the films represent so many different countries, genres, release patterns, box office’it’s a wonderful cross-section.’
A complete list of the nominations for the 11th Annual Chlotrudis Awards is available here.
— Beth Curran reporting