***THE ANTI-OSCARS***: THE BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF 2011

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT


THE TRUMBO: The Award For BEST PROGRESSIVE DRAMATIC FEATURES is named after Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, a member of the Hollywood Ten, who was imprisoned for his beliefs and refusing to inform. Trumbo helped break the Blacklist when he received screen credit for "Spartacus" and "Exodus" in 1960.

3 BACKYARDS

ALBERT NOBBS

THE CONSPIRATOR

DRIVE

50/50

THE LINCOLN LAWYER

MEET MONICA VELOUR

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

PUNCTURE

REPO CHICK

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

THE GARFIELD: The Award for BEST ACTORS is named after John Garfield, who rose from the proletarian theatre to star in progressive pictures such as "Gentleman's Agreement" and "Force of Evil," only to run afoul of the Hollywood Blacklist.

GEORGE CLOONEY: THE DESCENDANTS

JOSEPH GORDON LEVITT: 50/50

LOU TAYLOR PUCCI: THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For BEST ACTRESSES. Named for Karen Morley, who was driven out of Hollywood in the 1930s for her leftist views, but who maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.

GLENN CLOSE: ALBERT NOBBS

DANAI GURIRA: 3 BACKYARDS
MARGARITA LEVIEVA: THE LINCOLN LAWYER

JANET MCTEER: ALBERT NOBBS

KATIE O'GRADY: RID OF ME

ROBIN WRIGHT: THE CONSPIRATOR

THE RENOIR: The Award for BEST ANTI-WAR FILMS is named after the great French filmmaker Jean Renoir, who directed the 1937 anti-militarism masterpiece, "Grand Illusion."

CATERPILLAR

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

THE GILLO: The Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE FOREIGN FILMS is named after the Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo, who lensed the 1960s classics "The Battle of Algiers" and "Burn!"

THE OLD SCHOOL OF CAPITALISM

THE IRON CROWS

LE HAVRE

POETRY

THE TIME THAT REMAINS

WHEN WE LEAVE

ZERO BRIDGE

THE DZIGA: The Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE DOCUMENTARIES is named after the Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov, who directed 1920s nonfiction films such as the "Kino Pravda" ("Film Truth") series and "The Man With the Movie Camera."

THE BIG FIX

THE BIG UNEASY

THE BILL HICKS STORY

DAMN!

THE LAST MOUNTAIN
PLASTIC PLANET

THE PRICE OF SEX

PROJECT NIM

RED SHIRLEY

SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL

UNDER THE BOARDWALK

WOMEN ART REVOLUTION

YOU BETCHA

THE BOUND FOR GLORY AWARD: The Award for BEST ANTI-CAPITALIST FILMS is named after the 1976 Hal Ashby directed biopic about Woody Guthrie, played by the late David Carradine.

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN

THE BIG FIX

THE BIG UNEASY

CHASING MADOFF

CRIME AFTER CRIME

FARMAGEDDON

THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD

IF A TREE FALLS

THE LAST MOUNTAIN
MOTHERLAND

THE MAN NOBODY KNEW

MARGIN CALL

THE OLD SCHOOL OF CAPITALISM

THE PRICE OF SEX

PROGRAMMING THE NATION

PUNCTURE

REPO CHICK

LA PASSIONARA AWARD: For the most positive female images in a movie, and in light of the historically demeaning portrayal of women in movies.

ALBERT NOBBS

CRIME AFTER CRIME
THE HEDGEHOG
THE HELP

MEEK'S CUTOFF

MOZART'S SISTER

RED SHIRLEY

RID OF ME

SHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY

SNOWFLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN
WHEN WE LEAVE

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

ZERO BRIDGE

OUR DAILY BREAD AWARD: For the most positive and inspiring working class images in movies this year.

3 BACKYARDS
ALBERT NOBBS

THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

ILLEGAL

THE INHERITORS

THE LAST MOUNTAIN

PIECE OF THE PIE

RED SHIRLEY

THE ROBESON AWARD: Named after courageous performing legend, Paul Robeson. The award is for the movies that best express the people of color experience, in light of their historically demeaning portrayals in films.

3 BACKYARDS

THE HELP

PARIAH

THE TOMAS GUTIERREZ ALEA AWARD: Named after the late legendary Cuban filmmaker. For best depicting mass popular uprising or revolutionary transformation in movies

AMIGO
EVEN THE RAIN

IF A TREE FALLS

PIECE OF THE PIE

THE OLD SCHOOL OF CAPITALISM

THE SERGEI: The Award for Best Progressive LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT OR ACTIVISM is named after the Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, who created Russian revolutionary classics such as 1925's "Potemkin" and 1927's "10 Days That Shook the World."

DARYL HANNAH

THE LAWSON: The Award for BEST ANTI-FASCIST FILMS this year, is named after screenwriter John Howard Lawson, one of the Hollywood Ten, who wrote Hollywood's first feature about the Spanish Civil War, 1938's "Blockade," with Henry Fonda, and anti-Nazi movies such as 1943's "Sahara," starring Humphrey Bogart.

CATERPILLAR

THE DEBT

SARAH'S KEY

THE MODERN TIMES: The Award for Best Progressive Film SATIRES is named after Charlie Chaplin, who made 1936's "Modern Times" and 1940's "The Great Dictator."

PIECE OF THE PIE

REPO CHICK

THE ORSON: The Award for BEST OVERLOOKED OR THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED [seen at festivals, or on TV or DVD only] Progressive Films is named after actor/director Orson Welles. After he directed the masterpiece "Citizen Kane" Welles had difficulty getting most of his other movies made.
BACK OF THE BUS
THE CLIENT LIST

RED SQUAD
TRIANGLE FIRE [JAMILA WIGNOT]

THE PASOLINI: The Award for Best PRO-GAY Films is named after Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, who directed 1964's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" and "The Decameron" and "The Canterbury Tales" in the 1970s.

PARIAH
TOAST

COURAGE IN FILMAKING::
THE OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT


ELIA KAZAN HALL OF SHAME 2011: Citations for the worst anti-workingclass and right wing movies of the year is named after director Elia Kazan, who was Hollywood’s 'King Rat.' Kazan not only informed on accused radicals to the House Un-American Activities Committee, he took out a New York Times ad justifying his self-serving treachery.

*The Elia Kazan Hall Of Shame represents the 'don't tell me to shut up' sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie.

Atlas Shrugged: A Tea Party directed and funded production taunting the status quo with a Greed Is Fabulous mantra - and laced with topsy turvy Marxism extolling robber barons in mass rebellion.

Hollywood's Odious Icons of 2011: J. Edgar and The Iron Lady's faux feminist, Margaret Thatcher.

Melancholia: One Percent self-indulgent navel-gazing.

Page One: Disingenuous infomercial disguised as doc spins the NY Times.

Potiche: Anti-labor Sarkozy era cynical revisionism, in which French capitalist trophy wife Catherine Deneuve takes over as head of the union of her spouse's company.

There Be Dragons: Opus Dei funds and restages the Spanish Civil War, with Franco's fascists in league with the Catholic Church as the good guys this time around.

Snuff Movie Bad Taste Award: Hilary and company in dazzled spectator mode, assembled for a bizarre photo op at the premiere of the Osama Bin Laden Navy Seals action thriller. Popcorn and Jawbreakers, anyone?