Enron takes the 2nd Annual WGA Doc Prize…
Tonight I went to the 2006 Writers Guild Awards Documentary Screenplay Award Ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. A very lengthy title for an entertaining evening.
Although the WGA couldn’t pay for our drinks or parking, they did put together aimportant event for doc-makers. Appetizers and schmoozing started off the night before we were ushered into the Blossom Room. The room has a lot of history, the first (and second) Academy Award ceremonies were held there.
WGAw president, Patric Verrone started the night off with some interesting stats.
- There has been a 90% increase in theatrical release of documentaries in 2005.
- And that last year at the same event he insisted on having a writing credit on docs. This year the number of docs with a writing credit increased by 45%. Way to go Patric!
He then brought up John Milio, Chair WGAw Nonfiction Writers Caucus. And thus began a night of well-told stories, I mean, who else but writers could really tell it all so well. A joke from Milio:
-
Three screenwriters walk into a bar…
(beat…wait for it…remember comedy is all in the timing)
nobody gives a shit.
Mark Jonathan Harris then came up to introduce the clips and filmmakers from the nominated films. Here are a few quotes from the nominees…
Cowboy del Amor
Nominee: Michele Ohayon
“Once you find the subject you find the spine of the movie.â€
“You have to be able to listen to the characters and let them speak for themselves.â€
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Nominee: Alex Gibney
“I broke Rule #1A, never make a film about accounting – and you thought penguins were hard.â€
“Enron is a film about asking the right questions.â€
The Fall of Fujimori
Nominees: Zack Anderson, Ellen Perry, Kim Roberts
“I didn’t know if I was filming a movie or I was in a movie.†– Ellen Perry
March of the Penguins
Nominees: Michel Fessler & Luc Jacquet (French version), Jordan Roberts (English version)
“When I started writing the script I wanted to show that life was stronger than death.†– Michel Fessler
Street Fight
Nominee: Marshall Curry
“I wanted the narration to feel like it was part of the movie.â€
It was refreshing to hear ALL the nominees speak. Everyone seemed very happy to be there and to be a part of this. After the final film had had its say, John Milio brought up James Woods (yes, that James Woods) to award the prize. To be honest I was quite glad that it was the calm and collected Mark Harris introducing all the filmmakers, because I could not have taken much more of James Woods exhausting charm. With intelligence and wit he talked about documentaries, his recent venture into moviemaking and a teeny hotel in London where he lived with Christopher Guest watching documentaries on the BBC about Ethiopian runners. It was a lot of information in a short amount of time and was somehow entrancing. Eventually he opened the envelope and announced the winner Alex Gibney for Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.
Shortly after everyone spilled back into the lobby for cookies and coffee.
It was an elegant evening and one I will look forward to (and will take better pictures at) next year.