National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
Encyclopedia : N : NA : NAT : National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor (son of the famous Civil War general) believed that the new medium degraded the morals of community. To assert their constitutional freedom of expression, theatre owners led by Marcus Loew and film distributors (Edison, Biograph, Pathe and Gaumont) joined John Collier of The People's Institute at Cooper Union and established a National Review Committee that endorsed films of merit and championed the new "art of the people," which was transforming America's cultural life.
In an effort to avoid government censorship of films, the National Board became the unofficial clearinghouse for new movies. From 1916 into the 1950's thousands of motion pictures carried the legend "Passed by the National Board of Review" in their main titles. To the public, this was the catchphrase of confidence.
In 1929, the NBR was the first group to choose the ten best English-language movies of the year and the best foreign films, and is still the first critical body to announce its annual awards. The NBR has also gained international acclaim for its publications: Film Program (1917-1926); Exceptional Photoplays (1920-1925); Photoplay Guide to Better Movies (1924-1926); National Board of Review Magazine (1926-1942); New Movies (1942-1949); and Films in Review, which published its first issue in 1950. Influencing generations of filmmakers and film lovers, these journals have fostered commentary on all aspects of cinema production and history, counting among contributors Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Harold Robbins, Tennessee Williams, Dore Schary, William Saroyan, James Agee, Manny Farber, William K. Everson, Alistair Cooke, and Pearl Buck.
To determine the NBR's annual awards, opinions are sent in from the 150 members — who are sophisticated film fans and academics living in New York, not necessarily film critics — to the Exceptional Photoplay Committee, a dozen elite members who are ultimately responsible for deciding the winners.
Award categories
- Best Film
- Top Ten Films
- Best Foreign Language Film
- Top Five Documentaries
- Top Foreign Films
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Acting by an Ensemble
- Breakthrough Performance Actor
- Breakthrough Performance Actress
- Best Director
- Best Directorial Debut
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Documentary
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Film or Miniseries Made for Cable TV
Award ceremonies
| National Board of Review Awards ceremonies |
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External link
- [National Board of Review of Motion Pictures] - official website.
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