Thursday, January 22, 2009

Oscar nods in Ulster County

Stone Ridge actress Melissa Leo received a best actress Oscar nomination this morning for her role in "Frozen River," a film by Chatham director-writer Courtney Hunt.
Freeman reporter Bonnie Langston is talking to her as I type this.

Leo is in Park City, Utah, promoting"Predisposed" a film by West Hurley West native Philip Dorling, at the Sundance Film Festival. Dorling directed the film and co-wrote it with his mentor, Ulster County resident Ron Nyswaner, who wrote the screenplay for the Tom Hanks film “Philadelphia.” Nyswaner received an Oscar nod then for that screenplay.

Also of note, the Academy nominated “Man on Wire” for documentary feature. The film is about French artist and Shokan resident Philippe Petit, who in 1974 walked across a wire that had been strung illegally between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The documentary by British director James Marsh was partially shot in Ulster County.

We'll keep you posted.