Happy New Year Dear Family & Friends!!

On Sunday, January 11th, I watched as actors, actresses, and filmmakers were celebrated for their work at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Though I have not seen many of the recent films nominated, I was happy for the majority of people who won. Now, the 81st Annual Academy Awards are swiftly approaching (airing on Television: Sunday, February 22nd). So I thought it might be a good time to start the 1rst Annual Andrew Zeller Awards. We only have two winners this year, as competition is quite fierce. What is their wonderful prize? Well, perhaps a few more people will feel inspired to watch their amazingly-done films after reading this blog.

Best Animated Feature/Family Film/Comedy of 2008: “Wall-E”

As far animated films go, this has to be one the very best. The story, the music, the computer animation…everything about it is top-notch. And it’s not your typical film. The filmmakers took some big risks. Will people care about a robot? Will they understand and relate to the “feelings” of a machine? Can we show a world devoid of human beings, plants, or animals…filled with garbage…without depressing our audience or scaring away children? And if we focus on the robots, robots who cannot speak, will the audience grow bored of a film without very much dialogue? Can we tell our story without using dialogue? I think they did a fantastic job of drawing both children and adults into a meaningful and beautiful story in the face of all of these challenges. Wall-E is funny. Wall-E is entertaining. Wall-E is special and difficult not to love.

“Wall-E” Movie (2008) Teaser Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAWIIlXNGwY

“Wall-E” Movie (2008) Main Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4G74ZnH_eQ

Best Foreign Film/Drama of 2008: South Korea’s “Crossing”

“Crossing” (크로싱) is South Korea’s official entry in the “Best Foreign Film” category of this year’s Academy Awards. I really hope they will be nominated, because they deserve to win. This was the best film I saw at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival. The story focuses on the journey of a family in North Korea. Naturally it deals with current politics and social issues. But what makes it such a brilliant film is it’s honestly and universality. For rather than focusing on the politics, it focuses on the family, on how much they are willing to do for each other. I became lost in the story and was unable to find any flaws in the film. I have to credit the filmmakers for doing extensive research and genuinely caring about the issues involved too. “Crossing” is powerful, poignant, and masterfully told. It is a sad film as you might expect, but a greater tragedy would be if this film is ignored. Regardless of your ethnicity, gender, or age, this film puts you into a story about the greatest strengths and weaknesses in humankind. “Crossing” is a film I always want to remember.

Korean Film “Crossing” (2008) Teaser Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJNvEtEuL5A

Korean Film “Crossing” (2008) Main Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThXzb4QSMzE