Established in 1981, American Cinematheque is a non-profit organization dedicated to the Motion Picture in all forms.  Each year, they honor an extraordinary artist in the entertainment industry, currently making a significant contribution to the Art of the Motion Picture.  Past honorees included Eddie Murphy, Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and Julia Roberts.

It’s not surprising that James Cameron was named the 2010 Motion Picture Showman of the Year at the annual ICG Publicists Awards. Avatar became the biggest blockbuster of all time thanks to Cameron being his own best publicity machine heralding his emotional high-tech movie about blue people trying to save their world.

This brooding, unsettling film was shot in Cobh, a harbor town on the South Coast of Cork.  We are introduced to Michael Farr (Ciaran Hinds), a teacher, writer and father of two children, who is coping with the loss of his wife two years before.  He has volunteered at the annual literary festival where he is assigned to look after an attractive author of fiction about ghosts and the supernatural.

It looked like the green room backstage at the Oscars, with all the star power and experience that gathered for AARP the Magazine’s 9th Annual “Movies for Grownups Awards.” Many of the Oscar-winning films and nominees were honored, including Crazy Heart, The Blind Side, Invictus, and an award for “Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow Up” went to Star Trek. The Oscars only honored Star Trek with trophy for Best Makeup.

There seemed to be more people at Sundance this year, most likely because last year the crowd was thinned due the magnetic pull of Obama’s inauguration in DC.  Nonetheless, folks were able to move around Park City rather efficiently in 2010.  A constantly refined transportation system touted their millionth rider of the year.  The odd rainy weather at the tail end of last year’s festival was replaced this year with the more traditional dry, cold, crisp weather. Of the dozens of films screened, these two are noteworthy.  Don’t miss them when they come to a theatre near you.