Stephen King. Michael Chrichton. Paul Auster. Need one more?

How about Julia Leigh? The Sydney, Australia, native recently joined the ranks of novelists-turned-directors who appear to be worth their salt. The fact that Leigh is a woman in not one but two famously male-dominated fields ought not to surprise anyone, though—she’s been exceeding expectations for some time now.

When Leigh decided to make her first screenplay, Sleeping Beauty, into a film—which incidentally became the first Australian film selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival since Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge in 2001—she had never even been behind the camera before.

No short films. No straight-to-video releases. No homemade Claymation spoofs of The Iliad. ”No, nothing at all. No Tropfest,” Leigh told TheAge.com. ”I had to prove to a lot of people that I had a definite vision, and I did an amazing amount of preparation. I read film scripts, went to an actors’ workshop and observed a friend on a TV set. I watched a lot of films that I loved with the sound turned down. I would ask myself, ‘Where is the camera?”’

Proving herself is something Leigh has made into quite a habit. The eldest of three daughters to a doctor and math teacher, Leigh originally studied law in college, but switched to writing—a reversal of fates, you might say, from the average English-major-turned-lawyer. It paid off. Her first novel, The Hunter, was a smash hit. About a mercenary’s search for a thought-to-be-extinct tiger in the Tasmanian wilderness, The Hunter was named one of the New York Times Notable Books of the Year in 2001, and was longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award in the U.S. The Hunter may have been off most people’s radars for the past ten years, but it’s about to start causing a few more blips. Director Daniel Nettheim is adapting it into a feature film starring Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Frances O’Connor.

For now, Leigh’s most recognizable involvement will be from the upcoming Sleeping Beauty. This piece put her name in the company of another list of artistic giants—Terrence Malick, Pedro Almodovar and Lars von Trier, who were also up for the Palme d’Or (Malick won for his film Tree of Life). So, what’s so great about Sleeping Beauty, aside from the fact that it stars fellow Aussie Emily Browning (Sucker Punch)? Billed as an erotic fairy tale, it won the approval of famed Australian director Jane Campion, who said she believes Leigh is a ”new, fully confident cinema voice … with an extraordinary talent.”

Duh. That’s why she’s one of our heroes.

With the subdued intensity of James Franco and the cocky swagger of a Euro-rock star, Robert Sheehan is bound for stardom. The young Irish lad is only 23 years old, but he has already demonstrated his tremendous range and addictive charisma. You’ve possibly seen him starring in a UK TV series or owning a supporting role in a feature film, but we at FilmBuff know he’s only going to get bigger and better with time.

Sheehan ruled as an adolescent King Louis XIV in Young Blades, swam the dangerous waters of reality showbiz in Rock Rivals and suffered the hard life of Dublin Gangland in Love/Hate. But our boy Robbie is probably best known on TV as Nathan Young in the superhero comedy-drama Misfits, available in its entirety on Hulu. As a young delinquent who discovers he is immortal, Sheehan steals the show with his brash, joyously animated performance. With the April announcement that Sheehan won’t return for a third season, we can only hope that means he’ll have more time for feature films.

In 2009, Sheehan starred in the Irish indie drama Cherrybomb, best known to many Americans as that non-Harry Potter Rupert Grint movie. Cherrybomb hasn’t received a proper U.S. release, and what a shame. It is one of the best displays of Sheehan’s budding talent. He and Grint star as best friends vying for the attention and affection of the same girl. For much of the flick, Sheehan simply exudes cool. With a cocky swagger, his character Luke walks into every room like he owns the place, confidently flicking his cigarettes away on the street and draping himself on whatever furniture he pleases. But Sheehan also conveys a great deal of internal conflict when his character struggles with his drug-addicted father. Our Future FilmBuff Hero effortlessly balances poise and pain in an incredibly authentic portrait of troubled youth.

Although essentially unknown in the States, Sheehan landed a significant role alongside Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman in Season of the Witch (don’t scoff, one has to start in America somehow). Cage and Perlman star as Crusade deserters on a mission to deliver an alleged witch to her trial. Although the movie was critically reviled, Sheehan further demonstrates his talent as a young altar server seeking to prove his bravery as a knight. As Cage delivers his trademark madness, our FilmBuff Hero combines the grace of a church boy with the intense focus of a knight. In this mess of a movie, he manages to give a subtle, tender performance that likely went unnoticed by audiences simply wanting to see Perlman headbutt the devil.

So what’s next for Sheehan’s rise to fame? Killing Bono, a comedy about the second best band in Dublin looking on as U2 explodes, will finally hit U.S. theaters November 4. In October 2011, the UK will be treated to the horror flick Demons Never Die. After a girl commits suicide, her friends make a pact to follow suit, but their plan is stopped dead in its tracks when a masked killer starts murdering members of the group. Off the big screen, Sheehan will star as Christy Mahon in JM Synge’s comic play The Playboy of the Western World until November 26.

With the play based in London and no U.S. release plans for Demons Never Die, Americans have to wait a little longer to get another taste of Sheehan’s immense talent. But when he gets his real moment to shine, Sheehan will electrify the screen with his disarming sense of humor and natural charm.  We are placing our “Future FilmBuff Hero” bets on it.  What about you?

There are some names in the documentary world that are known outside the industry such as Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 911) or Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth). But as these people grow into brands of their own, who could possibly be on the way to join their ranks?  Cue…Danfung Dennis.  Recently, he has become known for his work creating a film about the war in Afghanistan. Yes, we know what you’re thinking—”not another documentary about a war.” Follow us as we look into why Dennis caught Filmbuff’s attention and decide for yourself if he is worthy of our prestigious title “Future FilmBuff Hero.”

Dennis first built his career as a photojournalist. His still images centered around the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and have been featured in numerous publications around the world. He recently transitioned over to the world of video and produced and directed his very first feature documentary Hell and Back Again. While there are a plethora of other docs that cover the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan in a similar fashion (Restrepo, Armadillo and The War Tapes, to name a few), Dennis changed his approach slightly. He followed and focused specifically on the life of  Sergeant Nathan Harris, a U.S. Marine in Afghanistan who leads his men into battle, but gets wounded by a bullet and is sent home. The footage covers the violent and devastating battles in Afghanistan, and then continues to follow Nathan’s struggle to gain a sense of normalcy when he comes home to North Carolina.

 

FilmBuff was not the only one to notice Dennis’s talent and potential. The Sundance Film Institute awarded him in 2011 with both the World Cinema Jury Award and the World Cinema Cinematography Award; a pretty good start to his directing career if you ask us.

In addition to being a photographer, director and producer, it turns out that Dennis is also a businessman and entrepreneur. “Give me my freedom or give me my death,” is recited by a Libyan on the Condition ONE website, a new startup championed by Dennis. The website sets out to redesign video journalism. Through the development of a camera that’s field of view is widened to approximate the entire human visual field, Dennis can bend a near-180-degree wide angle view into one slightly distorted frame. Another aspect involves a multi camera approach. Patrick Chauvel, who is enlisted by Dennis, films his reports using a custom-made five camera system. While the main camera records what’s in front, the four additional cameras also record what’s happening above and below him, as well as on the left and right. See it in action in the footage below.

 

Will Danfung Dennis be the next Michael Moore or Davis Guggenheim of the documentary world?  That has yet to be seen. But if he continues down the path he has forged for himself, we will be seeing a lot more documentaries with unique perspectives and interesting camera work.  And honestly, who doesn’t want to see the documentary film world grow even more mainstream?

We know according to one extreme set of evangelical Christians the rapture was supposed to occur on May 21. Whoopsies, right? We all had a good long laugh at that. The apocalypse, that’s a good one, crazies!Then, this summer, all sorts of madness went down. Riots in London, Hurricanes, the US credit rating fell, Earthquakes, Kim Kardashian got married. And, earlier this month, Contagion convinced us we should never touch anyone ever again. We’re beginning to think that perhaps there’s a reason to be paranoid. And then we get paranoid about getting paranoid… are we losing it?

Filmmaker Jeff Nichols can probably understand where we’re coming from. His new film Take Shelter taps into this paranoia and topical obsession with the end of the world. Starring the crazy talented Michael Shannon as a man suffering from apocalyptic visions, Take Shelter was a critical hit at Sundance and Cannes, where it won the Critics Week Grand Prize. The film rounded out its successful festival run at Toronto earlier this month, and is opening in New York and LA on the 30^th. Check out the trailer below, but don’t blame us if it only increases that paranoid foreboding you’ve been feeling lately.

With Nichols at its helm, Take Shelter unfolds like a quiet mental puzzle. Shannon’s character Curtis LaForche desperately tries to protect his family from a threat he can’t define, whether in the real world or his mind. This is a film critics are already raving about, and there have even been murmurings of Oscar buzz for the film, Shannon and Jessica Chastain, who plays Curtis’ wife. This could be a career making moment for Nichols– which is why we happen to think it is the ideal time to name him a Future FilmBuff Hero. We can’t wait to see Take Shelter, even if it might give us nightmares for a little bit. Bring it on, nightmares! We’re ready.

While Sundance and Cannes may be the biggest stage Nichols has been thrust on so far, he’s not a newbie to the indie film scene. You first might have noticed his work when he directed the music video for Spoon’s “Don’t You Evah” featuring the lovable robot Keepon . If you missed it, check it out below.

While thoroughly enjoyable (Robots dancing! What more could you possibly desire?!?) the vid’s not entirely representative of Nichols’ work. He’s more into the subtly dark rural family dramas. His debut feature Shotgun Stories got a lot of buzz back in 2008- Roger Ebert, and David Edelstein of New York Magazine both named it one of their favorite films of the year. Nichols wrote and directed this drama about the feud of two brothers in the aftermath of their fathers death. It also starred Michael Shannon and this is pre-Oscar nom, pre-Boardwalk Empire Michael Shannon. Nichols knew a insanely talented man when he saw one. No doubt, Nichols’ working relationship with the actor must be pretty good to pull off performances like in these two films.

Besides nurturing talented actors and drawing out bad ass performances, one thing we admire about Nichols is how he depicts the rural environments of his films. He doesn’t condescend or turn the place into a caricature. His small rural towns feel like real small towns – although we can’t remember the last time we saw someone who looked like Jessica Chastain in central Ohio, but we digress. This realism makes the inner dramas of Nichols characters all the more startling. In the case of Take Shelter‘s pervasive paranoia, Nichols seems to be saying “Hey, buddy! This could be you!” Take Shelter looks like it will be haunting and thought-provoking, and we’d much rather see a smart psychological thriller over the gory slasher schlock we’re sure to be bombarded with during next month’s pre-Halloween bonanza.

But don’t take our word for it, check out Take Shelter yourself, and see if you agree that Nichols deserves a place in our hallowed halls… of the Future FilmBuff Heroes.

We always keep our eyes peeled for young up and coming talent. We call ‘em Future FilmBuff Heroes. Maybe you’ve read about them before.  No?  Yes?  Well forget what you know and embrace the latest in Henry Hopper. Landing the starring male role in the next Gus Van Sant movie is no easy feat and for that young Henry, all we can say is…we look forward to you proving its not all in the genes.

*Did we mention his dad was kind of a big deal? Hopper…Dennis.  The man, the myth, the legend.

Despite being such an icon’s son, there’s something about Henry’s talents that seem totally unique and outside the talent we saw in Dennis. And yet Henry didn’t want to act and when he went on an audition for Restless, he was living in an artists collective in Berlin.  This happened after dropping out of CalArts after 1 year.  No way, his talent can’t be all natural?  Well he did attend the Strasberg Institute to get out of trouble in his early teens.  But did he have any work earlier than Restless? Eh…kinda…

No judgement here, but Henry was just six years old when he hit the screen for the first time in Kiss and Tell.   This was no auspicious Sixth Sense starring role that led to a pseudo disappearance, but its fortuitous in the subject of it dealing with death.  What happens?  A girl is found dead near LAX with a carrot up her butt and Heather Graham leads a team of detectives to find the killer.  We’re serious…he played the victim’s son.  Perhaps that experience led him to drop off the grid and concentrate on art.  Until…

Ah, now this is what we’re talking about. Gus Van Sant at the helm with a super talented co-star in Mia Wasikowska, Henry waited to strike when the iron was hot. In one role, Henry cemented himself as a future talent to watch.   Throughout the film, Henry conveys pensiveness while retaining innocence in his expressions.  Confidence meets vulnerability in the form of the young Henry Hopper and one only wishes his career to continue in such powerful performances.

Slightly awkward and perhaps a little shy in interviews, Henry still seems poised for success.

Whether or not Henry Hopper is ready, the stars are aligning for his future success.  And maybe, if he’s really lucky, he’ll be able to create a career as varied, interesting and unique as his father’s.   Then again, maybe Henry will jump onto a Harley, ride off into the sunset and create art.  That’s the thing about those Hopper men, you never know what to expect.

Every couple months or so, a big article comes out asking the age-old and patently absurd question: “Are Women Funny?” Remember all the shenanigans surrounding Bridesmaids a few months back? People were seriously astounded and confused that the summer’s most hilarious gross-out comedy was not only about women but written by women. Since we at FilmBuff are huge fans of people like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, the Kristens; Wiig, and Schaal, we would like to forward the motion to put this whole debate to rest. Women are hilarious. Done and done. Now, let’s get to celebrating the women that tickle our funny bone and makes us ROFLMAO. More specifically we’re talking about two women that the comedy world will definitely be hearing from more and more, our latest Future FilmBuff Hero(es) Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern.

The funny duo of Haskins and Halpern (already sound legendary, don’t they?) are a rare breed in Hollywood: a female comedy writing team. Sometimes we feel like female writers get the short end of the poo stick in the entertainment industry. If they don’t also star in their movie or TV show, no one knows them, they must simply type away at overused computer screens in dirty sweatpants, dreaming of red-carpet acclaim. Okay, we know we’re being slightly melodramatic, but seriously, writers are so integral to an awesome movie, but we hardly ever give them the credit they deserve. So few movies that get produced are actually written by women (old boys club anyone?), so we’re excited to see a pair of funny friends working together who just so happen to both have a pair of XX chromosomes.

Haskins and Halpern wrote a spec script called Booksmart that has been generating buzz in the film biz. It appeared on the Black List – the compilation of the industry’s favorite screenplays that haven’t been produced yet. From there, Fox optioned the film and Natalie Portman’s production company Handsomecharlie Films was brought on to produce. Booksmart is about two high school seniors who are looking to find boyfriends before the prom. We know you may be thinking “Haven’t I seen this before?,” “Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt,” etc. But there are a couple things about this script that set it apart:

1.  The movie’s about two overachievers who have basically everything going for them except a relationship. This could be good: rarely ever do high school movies have smart female characters who aren’t the nerd or the control freak.

2.  The high school movie trope is usually a bro-mance. We’d be excited to see a prom movie with two close girl friends instead of the dude love we’ve gotten used to.

3.  We trust Sarah Haskins. She kind of rocks our world. We first noticed her in the Target: Women series, a segment on Current TV’s clip show InfoMania. Target: Women is a tongue in cheek send-up of pop culture focused on those of us with lady parts. Haskins is drily hilarious as she explores everything from cleaning products to tampons. Check out one of our favorite clips below.

From her days on the Target: Women series, Haskins already has a large internet fan base. She’s a self-proclaimed feminist, and her wryly funny style is a commentary on gender issues that has won her notice of feminist media behemoths like Jezebel, Bitch magazine, and Broadsheet on Salon. On top of all this goodness, Booksmart attracted the attention of Amy Poehler who asked Haskins and Halpern to develop a project for her called Lunch Lady, about a cafeteria lady with super-powers. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Booksmart and Lunch Lady make it to fruition, and we’re definitely going to be keeping an eye on what Haskins and Halpern are up to next.  Why wouldn’t we?

FilmBuffs, meet Willa Holland. A 21 year old with a super eclectic resume that consists of television and film credits, horror/drama/comedy, indie and indies with Oscar winners…you get the picture.

Spending a lot of screen time on shows like The OC and Gossip Girl, you would never think we could possibly make her a Future FilmBuff Hero. But worry not fair ‘Buffs, Willa eventually did a complete 180 and joined forces with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon in Middle of Nowhere. Haven’t seen it?  Well, it’s a pretty fantastic premise.  A mother picks a favorite daughter while completely screwing over her other daughter. It’s funny, sad and sometimes too realistic for comfort. Willa Holland holds her own with Sarandon and Sarandon’s real life daughter, Eva Amurri.  Check it out:

Not a bad showing by Willa, right?  And that’s not even our favorite Willa Holland movie. Indie king and queen Colin Firth and Catherine Keener (SIGH) made an incredible movie about death and coping with it called A Summer in Genoa. Willa played their daughter and gave an intensely emotionally raw performance. She takes a story line about a teenager figuring out her sexuality and creates a story we haven’t seen before.

Willa Holland is not one to miss. It seems as if, even when she does horror movies like most up and coming actors or actresses, she knows to at least choose ones that has a decent story. She also seems to understand good writing. She’s working with Judy Blume (yeah that Judy Blume) in her third up and coming movie called Tiger Eyes. It’s a super dramatic story about a girl trying to deal with the murder of her father and having to relocate to New Mexico with relatives. It’s an indie movie…and for Willa that will be no problem.  Because she seems to do indie just fine.

If possible, one could roll up all the good that director Reuben Fleischer has done into three words: Zombieland opening credits. But then one would be ignoring the brunt of his comedic timing and sly visuals that clearly came from a product of the music video age.

The tone that best describes Fleischer’s aesthetic? Aside from “starring Jesse Eisenberg,” we’d have to say a dry, visual wit–that really is thanks to casting Jesse Eisenberg in the role. In Zombieland, it was rule-quoting “Columbus” that we learned when to (not) be a hero, go to the bathroom or even getting a creative Zombie-Kill-Of-The-Week. In 30 Minutes or Less, we’re introduced to stoner pizza delivery driver Nick after he’s “given” a bomb vest by two hapless crooks (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) with the goal of robbing a bank or else boom.

Of course, we’re only two films into Fleischer’s career, which makes the possibilities for his future all the more heroic. Aside from basically having the best grossing modern zombie film under his belt, his video work and working on Dawson’s Creek as a– wait what? Technically, his springboard into the world of zombie comedies and stoner humor was Dawson’s Creek. As he told Paste, he got the production assistant job on set after talking to Mike White, noted writer of Chuck and Buck, The Good Girl and Nacho Libre. From there came the music videos that ranged from rapping animals to M.I.A.’s Galang.

All of this bleeds into his short video work, like Lobster, which screened as a part of Tumblr’s Reblog This Film Festival in 2009. It’s a tale as old as time: man (Nick Thune) encounters woman whom he awkwardly hits on, then falls in love with lobster he’s supposed to cook for dinner. What’s so hard about grasping that?

Fleischer’s style is fast, quick and able to take the risks of a guy who isn’t even that sure he could do a zombie film for his feature debut. Even while studios are suffering from a summertime glut of “sequelitis,” he’s not hesitant to have their horses held. While doing the press rounds for 30 Minutes, Fleischer addressed the nature of a Zombieland sequel to The Playlist:

“It’s something we’d all like to do, but the reality of it happening depends on finding a script that we’re all excited to get aboard, so until that happens it’s gonna continue to be in the… ‘not-happening-process[.]‘”

Coming up after his forays into the comedic? A 1949 gangster movie with a massive cast including Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone (another Zombieland alum) and it being as funny as…well, wait a 1949 gangster film doesn’t sound that funny. But that’s the entire point with Gangster Squad, which is why we think Fleischer’s going to go far as a future FilmBuff hero, since he’s willing to leave behind the easy payoff (i.e. Bill Murray cameos) and go for something a little more challenging than a Dawson’s Creek PA gig.

Do you have a reason to yay or nay our future hero choice? Let us know in the comments.

If you look up ingenue in the dictionary, you’ll probably see a picture of Léa Seydoux. She’s young, she’s gorgeous and she’s been racking up parts in auteur driven-films. And, oh yeah, it doesn’t hurt that she’s French. She’s been quickly becoming one of the hottest young actresses in France and this summer, she became more visible to American audiences by appearing in Woody Allen’s big hit Midnight in Paris. Her career is blossoming, which is why we think it is an ideal time to name her our latest Future FilmBuff Hero.

Although we’re not going to deny that Léa’s classic French beauty is one of her appealing qualities, we most admire how dedicated she is to film. She comes from a seriously important film family in France, so she’s practically film royalty. Her grandfather, Jerome Seydoux is the chairman of Pathe, one of the biggest production and distribution companies in France. Her granduncle is the CEO and chairman of Gaumont, which just happens to be the oldest continuously operating film company in the world. No big deal. The girl is connected.

But she’s not just a Future FilmBuff hero because we’re sure she could get into some sick yacht parties at Cannes (though, hey, that doesn’t hurt). Since the beginning of her career, she’s worked and starred in interesting films by some of the best French directors working today, like Catherine Breillat’s The Last Mistress. Her breakout starring role was in Christophe Honore’s drama, La Belle Personne. Her portrayal of a young girl learning about the complicated passions of life must have gotten the attention of American filmmakers. Quentin Tarantino featured her in the harrowing opening scene of Inglourious Basterds, and she also appeared in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood in 2010.

Her role as Gabrielle in Midnight in Paris has certainly cemented her status as a Future FilmBuff Hero. Playing an antique store clerk who’s appreciation for Cole Porter records attracts the attention of Owen Wilson’s character Gil, Seydoux perfectly embodies the Parisian whimsy and romance that’s made the film such a hit. But she’s not just a fantasy like Marion Cotillard’s character: it’s Léa’s authenticity that makes the audience sit up and notice her. Up next for Léa? Action. She’s starring in the latest Mission Impossible film now in post-production and coming out this winter. Check out the trailer above. This Mission Impossible looks promising because it’s directed by Pixar fave Brad Bird (he did Ratatouille and The Incredibles), and has a solid supporting cast of Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Tom Wilkinson. Of course, it also stars the world’s most famous Scientologist, but he doesn’t even need to be named. Looks like Léa’s Hollywood career is on a serious upswing, and we at FilmBuff can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

University training suits most of us just fine.  We learn, we excel, graduated and get a job.  This is the only path for us.  The only way we’ll ever find success is through formal education.  However, some of us out there don’t stick around to finish their formal education.  Their talents are bigger than one classroom can hold.  Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Brad Pitt…David Oyelowo. Not a household name yet…and most likely won’t be.  Instead David Oyelowo will be remembered by his face and talent in creating characters – not tabloid headlines.

David Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England to Nigerian parents and only got involved in theater after a pretty girl invited him to attend a youth theater program.  That simple act sparked Oyelowo’s love.  Eventually he went on to study Theatre for his A-Levels (standardized tests in one secondary school subject that is used for entrance into a university).  One of his teachers noticed his talent and encouraged him to continue his theater education at a university.  Landing a spot at the London Academy of Dramatic Art, Oyelowo left early after he received an offer to star in a play.

The roles in the theatre kept coming for Oyelowo and he went on to make history by starring as King Henry VI in the three plays about the king at the Royal Shakespeare’s Company.  The first black actor to play an English king in a major Shakespearean company’s production was at first criticized by the media.  However, Oyelowo went on to be praised for his work in the plays and soon he found himself starring in the wildly successful English show Spooks (named MI-5 on this side of the pond).

Ever since then the work has kept coming.  A lead role in Kenneth Branagh’s Asian inspired adaptation of As You Like It then a pivotal role in Forrest Whitaker’s Oscar winning film, The Last King of Scotland. Oyelowo’s work, when it comes to being recognized in the US, reminds FilmBuff of another quiet, English talent – Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Forget that these men are both of Nigerian descent, started in English theater and slowly crept their way into supporting American films.  Both of these men have an ability to transcend themselves and become part of the story.  They blend in for all the right reasons – to bring their films and fellow actors to greater heights.

Oyelowo last starred in an American television film in 2008.  It was the Sean Combs sensation, A Raisin in the Sun, based on the hit Broadway show. Even though Oyelowo moved his entire family from London to Los Angeles 4 years ago, he has been very selective about his work.  Part of his reluctance to accept work comes from his dedication to his family.  He is very much a family man and still in love with his wife after meeting her years ago in a youth theatre program.  Finally, however, Oyelowo is back making a major splash in the US.  This month alone he makes appearances in two large studio films – Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Help.

Despite the uncertain future of the project, Oyelowo is slated to play Martin Luther King Jr. in a Lee Daniels film.  And with this Oyelowo may have found a star making role.  And if not, he can always rely on his royal status in Nigeria – yeah, he’s a Nigerian prince.  Not that the status really phases him.  After all he has more thespian running through his veins than royal.  And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Check David Oyelowo out in the FilmBuff title, Rage.  Yeah, we’re pretty excited to have a piece of him.

If you’re anything like us, you loved Freaks and Geeks and were completely dismayed when it went off the air. The show was classic and was the breeding ground for then soon-to-be promising actors like James Franco, Seth Rogan, Jason Segel and John Francis Daley. What’s that you say? You haven’t heard of John Francis Daley? Well, you’re soon going to. He and his writing partner Jonathan Goldstein are  blowing up in a big way.

Both have been in the biz for a while with John Francis Daley playing Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks and now Dr. Lance Sweets on the hit show Bones. Jonathan Goldstein has been seen more behind the boob tube than on it by producing and writing for shows like The New Adventures of Old Christine and $#*! My Dad Says.

So why are they Future FilmBuff Heroes? Because most recently both of them (along with Michael Markowitz) penned the script for this summer’s comedy hit Horrible Bosses starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as three friends that plot to kill their psycho bosses Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston, respectively. We saw it, and if you haven’t seen it yet, let us tell you it’s hilarious. Seriously, you will pee yourself from laughing. And anyone that can make us laugh like that deserves some recognition. I mean, do you know how hard it is to get an original script made in Hollywood these days? Let alone have it be a hit? All the films coming out recently are either a remake, a book adaptation or a comic book film. Kudos to them for succeeding at writing something fresh.

So what’s up next for the writing duo? Their next feature, Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell is in pre-production and slated to be released in 2013. They’ve also taken on a writing a sequel to the kid classic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Looks like these two are here to stay!

What do you FilmBuffs think? Did you like Horrible Bosses? Will you be seeing more from Daley and Goldstein?

Kenneth Branagh. Ralph Fiennes.  Albert Finney.  Anthony Hopkins. Peter O’Toole. All of these notable actors have been honored with Oscar nominations and they all went to RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts).  RADA is a training ground to becoming the best of the best for Brits and foreigners alike.  Sam Riley was turned down by RADA… and now he’s showing them one of their largest oversights ever made.

Originating from West Yorkshire in England, Riley grew up the son of a father in the textiles industry and a mother who taught nursery school.  Family tradition led him to attend a private boarding school in England.  Here he got the opportunity to spend part of a summer at the National Youth Theatre where he got a taste for acting.

When back at school, he went on to be involved in a production of Nicholas Nickleby, which eventually caused him a mental breakdown where he had to leave school.  Still he passed his A-levels, but found himself without a spot at university.  With rejections from RADA and other London drama schools, Riley secured himself an agent who sent him on various auditions.  With a bit part in the movie 24 Hour Party People and a few spots on TV series, he reconsidered his career and eventually decided to leave acting and become a “rock star.”  His band’s first album got less than stellar reviews, so Riley went to work in pubs and folding clothes.

In 2006 however, everything changed for Riley.  On a weak attempt to return to acting, Riley called his agent about any possible auditions.  His agent sent him to a casting for a movie about the life of Joy Division’s lead singer, Ian Curtis.  The movie, Control, had audiences and critics stunned.  Not only did Sam Riley look surprisingly like the actual Ian Curtis, he sang like him, moved like him and full on embodied the famous post-punk icon.

Scene from movie Control with Riley singing

Actual recording of Ian Curtis performing the song with Joy Division

For a full 122 minutes, film lovers everywhere all realized the same thing…Sam Riley is a cinematic wunderkind.  Denied actual training, Riley found his own way to catapult himself into another realm.  Oscar may have overlooked what countless film festivals could not…Riley took one role and created a career.

In all fairness, one could see Control as a one off.  Sure, Riley BECAME Ian Curtis…but his other movies have included one absolute flop and one film still caught up in post-production headaches.  Still with every young career, every actor has to stumble before they can walk (and walking Riley is) into major films alongside heavy hitters like Helen Mirren (Brighton Rock) and director Walter Salles (On the Road).

Living quietly with his Control co-star and wife, Alexandra Maria Lara, in Berlin, Riley has shied from the limelight and been careful in not taking every offer he receives. On the Road will be his most challenging project yet.  It is one thing to come from nowhere and play a beloved singer in the UK, but in On the Road Riley takes up the role in which he will represent a generation’s most influential and beloved author.  Jack Kerouac was surprised by Riley as Salles pick for Sal Paradise, but this isn’t the first time Riley has been doubted and we can all remember what happened with that (SEE CONTROL).

Today, we’re going to try to answer that eternal question plaguing ‘Buffs for years. Who is the best Olsen? We know, we know, it’s so hard to choose. Ashley was much better at blurting out adorable nonsequiturs on Full House, but we love Mary Kate‘s webseries Very Mary Kate (What? That’s not really her? Whoops!).  Listen up, because we’re about to make this whole Olsen debacle much easier. We’ve found our favorite… and she just so happens to be the latest Future FilmBuff Hero: Elizabeth Olsen.

Maybe you haven’t heard of the younger, non-twin Olsen yet, but believe us: You Will. Elizabeth made a huge splash at Sundance this year in her tour-de-force performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene, the psychological thriller with a tongue-twister name. Director Sean Durkin’s creepy first film was a big hit at the festival and  word on the street at Park City was Elizabeth has something her mogul sisters don’t: killer acting chops (Okay, okay, we’ll lay off the Olsen twins now, we swear).

Elizabeth quickly became one of the “It” girls of Sundance 2011 based on her portrayal of Martha, (or is it Marcy May, one of those M names anyway) a young girl who recently escaped from an upstate cult and is dealing with the psychological ramifications of her role in the cult. It’s a challenging, well-crafted part and, word is, Elizabeth nails it, bringing a vulnerability and inner violence to every scene. Also starring Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and John Hawkes (who also got mad hype at the fest for his portrayal of the cult’s charismatic leader) Martha Marcy May Marlene looks like an interesting, well-crafted first effort  from Durkin and a star-making role for Elizabeth.

One hit film at Sundance might’ve been enough to cement Olsen’s Future FilmBuff hero status, but she also starred in Silent House, a horror flick that played in the fest’s midnight section. On the less creepy side of the multiplex she’ll also appear in Bruce Beresford’s family comedy Peace, Love and Misunderstanding alongside Catherine Keener and Jane Fonda.

Unlike her sisters, Elizabeth is relatively new to the fame game of glitz and tabloids. She studied acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and concentrated on theater until her professors encouraged her to take a stab at film. In the interview above  with veteran indie producers Ted Hope and Christine Vachon (Hope’s incidentally Martha Marcy May Marlene‘s executive producer) Elizabeth looks effortlessly cute and cozy in an oversized sweater and comes off as sweet and down-to-earth. We wouldn’t mind grabbing a coffee with her, that’s for sure.

2011 has definitely been off to a great start for Elizabeth and it’s just getting better. Martha Marcy May Marlene comes out in October, and she’s got a bunch of exciting new projects coming up. She just finished filming Red Lights opposite Robert DeNiro and Sigourney Weaver, and she’s starting production on Josh Radnor’s Liberal Arts and Naomi Foner’s Very Good Girls.

Looks like she’s gonna be around for a while, which makes naming her Future FilmBuff Hero a no-brainer.

We know what you’re thinking.  “What?!?!? The guy from How I Met Your Mother?”   Sure, he’s cute, funny and a TV star, but why is he a Future FILMBuff Hero, you may ask? We’ll tell you why with just one word Happythankyoumoreplease. OK, technically that’s five words, but actually it’s the title of Radnor’s directorial debut, which he also penned.

Radnor is not just another pretty Hollywood face. The man received his MFA from a little University in New York that you might have heard….okay fine, NYU.  And not only did his film premiere at last year’s Sundance but it also won the audience award for favorite U.S. drama. That’s no surprise because the script is great—it really gets into the heart of what is to be a twenty-something in New York and yet it was so much more than that. Radnor has real potential as a director and manages to pull out these truly honest performances from his actors, Malin Akerman (the sexy Silk Spectre II in 2009’s Watchmen), Tony Hale (Buster from the cult classic TV show Arrested Development) and Kate Mara (starred alongside James Franco in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours).

So what’s next for Radnor? Well, there’s season 7 of How I Met Your Mother. He’s also starring and directing in another one of his original scripts called Liberal Arts, which is currently filming and stars Allison Janney, Richard Jenkins and recent Sundance “it” girl Elizabeth Olsen. So Mr. Radnor we have just one thing to say to you: more, please?

So far, the subjects focused on by our latest Future FilmBuff Hero have been a tight-rope walker and an extremely intelligent chimp. No, we’re not talking about suddenly adding circus ringmaster’s to our celebration of talent (yet…), we’re talking about the documentary filmmaker James Marsh. The Oscar-winning director of 2007′s phenomenal Man on Wire, is quickly becoming a distinctive voice in the documentary film world, and now he’s got a new movie coming out.

His latest film, Project Nim was a big hit in the World Documentary Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and hits select theaters July 8th. Project Nim follows the strange and tragic life of Nim Chimpsky, a smart chimpanzee whose entire life was one big experiment, vulnerable to the whims of humans. Since Sundance, Project Nim has been making the rounds at spring festivals and critics and fans have praised it as a great follow-up to the universally acclaimed Man on Wire. Check out the trailer below…

In Man on Wire, Marsh shared the story of Philippe Petit, the charming, quirky Frenchman who pulled off the incredible feat of tightrope walking between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Marsh was clearly inspired by doc-icon (and iconoclast) Errol Morris, employing similar styles and techniques of interviews and reenactments throughout Man on Wire. Like Morris and any forward-thinking filmmaker, Marsh understands the importance of elevating the film’s story beyond the surface of the plot. Man on Wire is not just about a crazy French tightrope walker; it’s about imagination and the audacity of dreaming the impossible. Likewise, Project Nim is not just about a chimp, or animal rights; it’s about the way human beings use animals to express their inner desires for communication and connection.

We were enamored with the twists and turns of Man on Wire- sometimes we even felt like we were watching an old-fashioned heist movie. Project Nim promises the same twists and turns: the story will take you to places and introduce you to characters you’d never imagine would come in contact with this unique chimp. But Marsh is not just a Future FilmBuff Hero for rocking the documentary world, he’s breaking into fiction films, too. He got his feet wet directing the second installment of the much-hyped British miniseries Red Riding. Now he’s in production for Shadow Dancer, a political thriller set in Ireland starring Gillian Anderson and Clive Owen.

Whether it’s action flicks or docs, we’re excited to see what Marsh will come out with next. What about you? Do you think Project Nim will live up to Man on Wire‘s accolades? What are some of your favorite documentary filmmakers working today? And, most importantly, how much do you love chimps? Debate it all out in the comments!

For one thing, there’s just something about the name of Azazel Jacobs. Maybe it’s because his latest feature, Terri, came out last Friday and it follows non-actor Jacob Wysocki as the titlar character, a picked-on 15-year old who suddenly decides to stop trying and switch to just wearing PJs. This causes assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly) to intervene and then–since he has nothing else going on in his life–take on Terri as a project. And yet, most people don’t know Jacobs, the history of his family or even what his first name is! We’re hoping you’ll take the time to find out.

The son of experimental filmmaker Ken and Florence Jacobs, Azazel came to the family (non)-business with Nobody Needs To Know. His next film, 2005′sTheGoodTimesKid, created festival magic and gained traction into an eventual limited release, which you can now find on DVD. “Shot on stolen film,” as per the tagline, Rodolfo Cano (Jacobs) is angry with his pathetic life and joins the army–also to escape his mildly insane girlfriend. Instead, Rodolfo Cano (Gerardo Naranjo), who lives on a boat and is a different gender, receives a notice from the army that “Rodolfo Cano” is enlisted.  As Salon critic Andrew O’Hehir wrote: “‘The GoodTimes Kid’ has a whimsy, a passion, a sophistication and, above all, a vigor that’s mostly drained out of Amerindie cinema over the last decade or so.”

And it is–from making the Los Angeles bus system seem majestic (trust us, that’s nearly impossible to do), Jacobs finds a sense of childish wonder in how silly everything is. He’s cultivated this through the collection of directors and writers that hang around  the city best known for Hollywood, Jacobs’ whimsy is something that’s appealing in an age of faux-boredom on screen or believing that all you need is The Shins.

Even in Momma’s Man, he explores the idea of going home again and running away from adulthood with satisfyingly silly, but serious, results. A recent father (Matt Boren) returns home from Los Angeles to see his parents (played by Jacobs’ real parents) and suddenly realizes he should’ve never left home, especially when that now means being a dad and having a wife.  As he told Vulture on the inspiration for it:

Well, I live in L.A., but I grew up in lower Manhattan with my folks, and whenever I visit them, I stay in the bedroom I was raised in. One of those mornings I woke up and there was coffee and cereal waiting for me, and I thought to myself, Why did I leave this place? I laughed about it then, but the more I wrote and tried to picture what kind of person would stay, I started taking it more and more seriously. The other inspiration was the house itself. My parents have been renting it for 40 years, and every time I go back, Tribeca has changed so much. I really wanted to figure out a story that would allow me to preserve that memory.

His latest, Terri, opened at Sundance earlier this year and again at LA Film Festival in June. It’s a new and weird world to see someone like Jacobs, who is being tested in open mainstream water with this. But we’re thrilled, since this means sharing the secret that is Azazel Jacobs with folks and the hope they’ll check out his earlier work. As he told Filmmaker, “I like the idea of working within the language that has already been generated for each of the kind of stories I am doing, and by using it, digging for what different things I can add to it. Regardless of the differences between my work, it has all been personal, and I have the hope that that will naturally cause a difference within the genre, but the feeling the same.”

Are you excited for Terri, even if you’ve yet to be inducted into the Jacobs Fan Club? Let us know. Talk it out.

Hayley Atwell has been before you very eyes for years now.  Don’t believe us?  You really need to check out her resume.  Talented, beautiful and charming on screen, she has been flying below the radar taking various supporting roles in major English films.  Consistently picking her films for the characters and not global visibility, we highly respect Hayley Atwell and  are pleased to put her in our very exclusive group of Future FilmBuff Heroes.  Now allow us to shower her with praise.

Are you familiar with a director named Woody Allen?  Catching Atwell in a BBC serial, the acclaimed director invited her to audition for his film Cassandra’s Dream.   She nailed the audition process, got the role and starred in the film with Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell.  Her high-profile co-stars and the director got the film plenty of attention, which led to her playing Julia Flyte in the cinematic version of Brideshead Revisited.  The film in fact got Atwell’s  curvaceous figure a lot of press when Emma Thompson said she’d resign from the film if Miramax imposed weight loss demands on her co-star.  Near the same time, she joined the Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes film, The Duchess.  She played Lady Elizabeth Foster who befriended Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Knightley) only to start an affair with the Duchess’s husband (Ralph Fiennes).  The role led to her receiving nominations from the British Independent Film Awards and the London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Accolades and voluptuous figure aside, Atwell consistently tackles characters that are not easily liked or embraced and she allows the audience to have feelings for them.  In The Duchess, Bess could have easily been viewed as a backstabbing opportunist.  However, Atwell made her seem like a friend to Georgiana despite her indiscretions.  Being trained at Guildhall, the same school as Ewan McGregor, Joseph Fiennes and Daniel Craig, it is no surprise she gives nuanced performances that support the leads, never detracting from their performance.  Somehow, she strikes a wonderful balance of being memorable, but not showy.   Never turning down great work Atwell continues to work in television, theater and film.  In fact, her work in television recently got her nominated for a Golden Globe.

By always choosing her work based on the character and what she can bring to a the role, we are thrilled to see her star in the summer blockbuster, Captain America: The First Avenger.  Her poise, vintage good looks and strong sense of character will definitely add depth to another comic book movie.  Though Atwell is not alone in being a serious actress in a comic popcorn flick this summer (remember Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence, etc).  Perhaps she’s part of a trend at large…thinking actresses taking on roles oft considered brainless.  Regardless, Hayley Atwell’s talent will take her far and we can’t wait to continue watching her journey to becoming a household name.

So what do you take from this, FilmBuffs? Broaden your horizons a bit to include the British humans. The actors and actresses lingering behind the leads in big budget movies may be the next big thing. You never know until you see them rock their own feature.

Think we made the right decision for our future FilmBuff hero? Fine then. Tell us off below.

Ahem…Mark Fergus…you don’t know who that is? Oh…Have you seen Iron Man? What about Children of Men? Maybe you have heard of that new movie coming out called Cowboys and Aliens?

Well, if you have heard of them, Mark Fergus is the man behind the words. As in the Academy Award nominated words of Children of Men. He has a way of bringing an action movie down to the characters rather than the explosions. It’s why Tony Stark is Iron Man and a snarky, lovable jackass who you can still root for. He’s pompous and entertaining, he’s not just Iron Man.

The way he creates the worlds characters live in is fantastical. He writes to surprise people with originality. Who else has the balls to kill off on the lead characters in the first 30 minutes of the film (we won’t tell you which)? Hitchcock.  And this guy. This guy has Hitchcock sized balls.

Fergus wrote this awesome movie called First Snow about accepting fate once you see glimpses of your future. Wanna see it? After you see the trailer you will probably stop reading this blog and go out and buy it. Or Netflix it in another tab on your MAC. Or PC. We don’t discriminate.

We can’t wait to see how he combines the action with the personal elements in Cowboys and Aliens. Especially because that’s literally the best title in the world for something that is so obviously about cowboys and aliens. With Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. And lots of explosions. And, we assume, with Fergus scribing it – - really kickass snark and humor.

Maybe at the end of the credits Joss Whedon will show up and be like “Here’s the plot to The Avengers“. I mean we can dream.

Anyone else a Fergus fan?