2008’s Best Progressive Films/ Filmmakers

The Awards Honor Outstanding Movies of Conscience and Consciousness

The James Agee Cinema Circle announced the nominees for the 2009 “Progie” Awards December 29 on Thom Hartmann’s Air America radio program. To hear the nominations log on to http://airamerica.com/listen/93408. The Progies recognize features, documentaries and filmmakers for their outstanding achievement in promoting human rights and providing a voice for people of color, women, the working class, immigrants, gays, the environment and against war, censorship and political repression. The major nominations are:

The nominees for THE TRUMBO, The Progie Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE PICTURE, are: MILK; CHE; BATTLE IN SEATTLE; THE VISITOR; WALTZ WITH BASHIR; WENDY AND LUCY.

The nominees for THE GARFIELD, The Progie Award for BEST ACTOR, are: SEAN PENN (MILK); FRANK LANGELLA (FROST/NIXON); BENICIO DEL TORO (CHE); JOSH BROLIN (W.); RICHARD JENKINS (THE VISITOR).

The nominees for THE KAREN MORLEY, The Progie Award for BEST ACTRESS, are: ANGELINA JOLIE (CHANGELING); MICHELLE WILLIAMS (WENDY AND LUCY); SALLY HAWKINS (HAPPY-GO-LUCKY); KATE WINSLET (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE READER); MELISSA LEO (FROZEN RIVER).

The nominees for THE RENOIR, The Progie Award for BEST ANTI-WAR FILM, are: STOP-LOSS; WALTZ WITH BASHIR; WAR, INC.; BODY OF WAR; THE LUCKY ONES.

The nominees for THE GILLO, The Progie Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE FOREIGN FILM, are: WALTZ WITH BASHIR; CHE; THE EDGE OF HEAVEN.

The nominees for THE DZIGA, The Progie Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE DOCUMENTARY, are: BODY OF WAR; TROUBLE THE WATER; TRUMBO; STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE; RELIGULOUS.

The nominees for THE BRANDO, The Progie Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE FILM ACTIVIST, are: SEAN PENN; DANNY GLOVER; JOHN CUSACK; SPIKE LEE; ROBERT GREENWALD.

The nominees for THE SERGEI, The Progie Award for Best Progressive LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT, are: PAUL NEWMAN; JEAN-LUC GODARD; KEN LOACH; HARRY BELAFONTE; DANNY GLOVER.

The James Agee Cinema Circle is named after the onetime film critic for Time and The Nation. JACC participants include: Dan Bessie and Chris Trumbo, writers and sons of members of the Hollywood Ten; Paul Buhle and Dave Wagner, co-authors of “Radical Hollywood”; Gerald Horne, author of “The Final Victim of the Blacklist” and “Class Struggle in Hollywood”; Bill Meyer, People’s Weekly World reviewer; Luis Reyes, co-author of “Hispanics in Hollywood”; Jack Shaheen, author of “Reel Bad Arabs” and “Guilty”; etc.

L.A.-based film historian/critic Ed Rampell, author of “Progressive Hollywood, A People’s Film History of the United States”, and WBAI film critic Prairie Miller, host and executive producer of “The WBAI Arts Magazine” on N.Y.’s Pacifica Radio affiliate, are available for interviews, as are other JACC participants. http://politicalfilmcritics.blogspot.com/