95th Oscar Nominations LIVE stream

 Award Season is running strong and the 95th Academy Awards are right around the corner. Tomorrow morning Oscar winner Riz Ahmed and actress Allison Williams will announce the nominees for the 95th Oscars LIVE from The Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. (VIDEO PLAYER BELOW)

As usual we will provide a live stream of the nominations starting at 5:30AM. There will be two nomination sections as there has been the past several years with the second session starting at 5:41AM. Here is the schedule for the category announcements: 

5:30 a.m. PST

(Not listed in order of presentation and subject to change)
Actor in a Supporting Role 
Actress in a Supporting Role 
Animated Feature Film 
Animated Short Film 
Costume Design 
Live Action Short Film
Makeup and Hairstyling 
Music (Original Score) 
Sound
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Writing (Original Screenplay)

5:41 a.m. PST
(Not listed in order of presentation and subject to change)

Actor in a Leading Role 
Actress in a Leading Role 
Cinematography 
Directing 
Documentary Feature Film 
Documentary Short Film 
Film Editing
International Feature Film 
Music (Original Song) 
Best Picture
Production Design 
Visual Effects

Stay tuned following the announcements for the complete list of nominees

Sundance Film Festival Coverage - DAY 5

 Day 5 of the Sundance Film Festival is here!

Today we have a lot of Horror Features planned and more short films today too! 

Our first movie on the slate today: Run Rabbit Run

Holy shit! This film had me on the edge of my sear. An absolute horror/thriller gem! 

Dana Reid did such a brilliant job directing and pulling out such incredibly performances from Sarah Snook (Succession) and Lily Latorre. Hannah Kent wrote such a creepy, terrifying script. This is a must see film. One of my favorites of the festival so far!

Next up: "Air Hostess - 737

This was an incredibly strange short film that ended up working in the end. 

For me, the editing in this film is the unsung hero. While most of the air hostesses spiral is a misdirect until the final few minutes of this 16 minute film, the editors sharp cuts keep you reeling from moment to moment, and keeps you eager to see what keeps snapping us back to reality. 

Next up: "Magazine Dreams"

This movie is a heavy one. While there are some minor pacing issues, you feel every single emotion and every beat of the brutal nature of this film. 

While "Magazine Dreams" may fly under the radar long term, Jonathan Majors delivers a masterclass in acting that personally I think could earn him an Oscar nomination next year IF he's giving the chance for the film to be seen. Absolutely mind blowing performance. 

Next up: Birth/Rebirth

Interesting film, but definitely not a horror as it's labeled. Much more of a sci-fi thriller. 

This film took a lot of creativity to essentially give a while new spin on the idea put forth in Reanimator, but it was really slow and just didn't pay off for me in the end. Still an interesting watch. I believe you'll be able to find it on Shudder soon. 

Sundance Film Festival Coverage - DAY 4

 Today we kick of Day 4 of the Sundance Film Festival! 

Today's coverage will feature more from the features block as well as more from the second block of Live Action Shorts. 

As many of you know, my favorite film of all-time is Back to the Future. One of the films I was looking forward to more than anything was the Apple+ documentary that we start off our day with, "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie". 

I was so incredibly excited for this documentary and it absolutely ended up delivering. Such a beautifully done film. 

I honestly didn't expect this film to take me on such an emotional journey. There's so much that we all know from his legendary career to his parkinson's diagnosis, but this film takes us to a whole new area. Filled with incredibly authentic, candid, and heartfelt moments that will leave you laughing and have your eyes filling with tears. Look for it on Apple TV+ soon. Such a great film!

Next up: Cassandro

Biopics are always so hit or miss for me, but Cassandro was fantastic!

Following the life of queer icon and "exotico" wrestler Cassandro, AKA Saul Amendariz, this was a story I wasn't at all familiar with and it was so incredibly captivating. Gael Garcia Bernal gives such an incredible performance that I expect we will hear awards chatter about it a year from now. Beautifully shot and so well done. I believe you'll be able to find this on Prime Video soon. 

Sundance Film Festival Coverage - DAY 3

 Day 3 of Sundance is here!!

Today I am diving in the feature films! While I do cover everything at the festival, being a horror writer/producer myself, I do tend to focus a little bit more on those films. But don't worry, I have plenty of features that aren't horror that I will be covering. 

First up, the highly anticipated documentary, "Little Richard: I Am Everything"

I've always been a fan of Little Richard's music, but I knew very little about his life until this documentary. I am an even bigger fan now! He was fearless and played by his own rules. 

It was sad for me to see how much they tried to white wash his music by having Elvis or Pat Boone cover him because people were uncomfortable with a black queer man just rocking out on a piano. Such an educational, fascinating watch. I believe it will be coming to HBO Max soon, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Next up: "The Pod Generation"

This was a fun, intriguing film. Great performances from Emilia Clarke and Chewetel Ejiofor! 

When this film hits theaters it's going to spark some interesting debates. Overall, a fun, original concept for a sci-fi romcom. PS - Don't let romcom sour your expectations. It's not what you expect. 

These were all the features we were able to cover today. More coming tomorrow!

Sundance Film Festival Coverage - DAY 2

 Time for Day 2 of my coverage of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival! 

Today I am starting on the first block of the Live Action Short Films. 6 films ahead for me today! I may possibly start into the second block of Live Action Shorts today as well. Tomorrow is when I will start covering this year's feature films. For now, let's dive into the short block!

The first film I started with today is called, "Help Me Understand". 

When you watch an independent short film you don't typically expect such a stacked cast, but one has some great stars with Ken Marino, Rachel Harris, and Kate Flannery. 

"Help Me Understand" took a really creative approach to the basic concept of empathy and understanding each other. I'll be honest, I didn't see where this was going at first, but it takes you on a journey that really pays off beautifully in the end. 

My next film was called, "PARKER"

I wasn't expecting a documentary short going into this film, but it ended up being incredibly fascinating. 

The film follows three generations of a Kansas City Family as they go through the process of changing their last name. What I didn't know going into this film, is that historically, many black americans did not originally get to chose a last name due to slavery. This family finally get to use the name they wanted. 

Next up: "Sweatshop Girl"

Coming to Sundance from Mexico, the film follows a young woman working in a sweatshop who has to hide her pregnancy or lose her job. 

Absolutely stunning cinematography throughout and the the films coloring really adds to the grim reality surrounding the film. 

Next up: "Inglorious Liaisons"

This film was a lot of fun! The character designs were very creative and I love seeing filmmakers find new ways to use stop motion to tell their stories. 

Next Up: "Ricky"

Damn this film was good! By far the best of the shorts program so far. I won't be surprised if I see this on the Oscar's Short List next year. I really hope that Rashad Frett has plans for a feature. It's excellent as it is, but I want to know so much more! 

That's a wrap on Day 2! Features start tomorrow!

Sundance Film Festival Coverage - DAY 1

 Today is the opening day of the Sundance Film Festival 2023 and I could not be more excited!

I am kicking off the festival this year in the Shorts Program, particularly the animated shorts. There are 8 films in this years animated block. I love that this year's app makes viewing the short films much easier, breaking them down into each block and genre and allowing you to select each film instead of just a running cut of all of them. 

First up, Maddie Brewer's film, "Burger World"

Such a fun, crazy film. I absolutely loved this! I want a feature version of this crazy film. I really want to see more from Maddie Brewer. I look forward to what she does next. 

Up next: Oxytocin

I honestly have no idea what I watched haha. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, this film was just so weird. It was described as "cash for organs and anything for love". Sure. This film wasn't for me, but there will definitely be an audience that is going to love this!

Next: Fur

This film was described as "a crush gone moldy." Such a unique animation style for honestly another kind of odd film. However, it really drew me in with the fluidity of the unique animation style and story

Next: Well Wishes My Love, Your Love

This film from Gabriel Gabriel Garble is such a beautiful film. Such a sweet story about a boy who lends his friend his prosthetic arm for the day. The animation style is so calming and inviting. I really look forward to what they do next!

Next: By Water

This film tells the story of a man's reconciliation and healing for himself and his sibling. With a mix of live action video and narrative, the animation was simplistic and warm, letting me sink into the film. Very unique and a great story. 

Next: The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns

A beautiful, and at times tragic film of love, loss, determination, and magic. One of the few foreign films in this years animation block coming to us from South Korea. I expect to see this film on next years Oscar shortlist. 

Next: Garrano

Another foreign film in the animated block, this time coming to us from Portugal and Lithuania. While two stories intersect through this short film, it gets its name from the Garrano horse who acts as the unsung protagonist of the film. The animation in this film is absolutely stunning. Like an oil painting come to life. 

Final: Christopher at Sea

The last film in the animation block. Christopher sets out on a cargo ship to explore what it is that drives men to the sea. Another kind of strange film, riddled with jealousy, heartache, and self pity. 

That is a wrap for Day 1 of Sundance. Tomorrow I'll be diving into the first block of Live Action shorts, and possibly the second as well. 

Stay tuned! 

Sundance Film Festival Starts Tomorrow!

 The Sundance Film Festival kicks off tomorrow in Park City, Utah!

It has been several years since I have been on the ground in Park City for the festival, but since the pandemic the option for press to cover the festival digitally this has been such a great innovation into this festival. Being the ground, I was never able to cover the number of films I'm able to digitally. This year I am expecting to cover just over 50 films, both shorts and feature length films. 

My first time covering Sundance Film Festival in 2013

It's kind of crazy to embark on this year's festival realizing that I have been covering this festival for a decade now. Up until 2020, I had the privilege of producing the live broadcasts for X96's Radio From Hell Show, but with the uncertainty of the world going into 2021, I decided to pursue the festival simply with On the Mic. This is my 10th year and 11th festival. 

I have a lot of films I am incredibly excited about going into the festival this year. Some of those that have really peaked my interests are: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Little Richard: I Am Everything, Infinity Pool (new film from Brandon Cronenberg starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgard), Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Magazine Dreams, and Fairyland. 

Make sure you follow along with my on Instagram where I will share my daily viewing and thoughts on the films. 

FOLLOW TIM ON INSTAGRAM HERE