The First Trailer for "Snowden" Promises Disarray Without Any Substance

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

It seems like 2015 will be the year that Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a lot of Oscar-winning figures. Most specifically, people who were the main subjects of Best Documentary winners. With The Walk's first trailer in recent memory, it's time for the other, arguably bigger one. Following this year's Best Documentary winner Citizenfour, director Oliver Stone is back to his old political ways with a film chronicling the life of the notorious Edward Snowden. Is he a patriot? Well, we'll get Stone's impression pretty soon. For now, we have the first trailer that at least suggests some form of patriotism.

Review: "Citizenfour" is a Hard Hitting Glimpse Into Personal Freedoms

Every now and then there is a documentary that feels like a more important piece of fabric to how we perceive society. Super Size Me altered our views on fast food. An Inconvenient Truth made us reconsider global warming. Now, with director Lauren Poitras' Citizenfour, a more pressing matter that affects us all has come forward: privacy. Over the course of the Oscar winning documentary, the film explores Edward Snowden's life as he unleashes news to the public about the N.S.A. and sacrifices his freedom in the process. The results may be known, but the back story is staggering.

A Rundown of This Year's Oscar Winners

It is sad to say, but this year's Academy Awards are officially behind us. Before we get started on predicting next year's big happenings, it's time to start on recapping the show in its entirety, including the highs and lows of the event. But before we get to the great stuff, how about we take some time briefly to recognize the winners. How well did you do? When all is said and done, I did very well considering all of my think pieces and various theories that pondered why Birdman was going to walk away the winner. The following is a rundown of my votes in each category paired side-by-side with the actual winner. Please feel free to share your results in the comments.

My Final Predictions for This Year's Academy Awards

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment is upon us. The Oscars is only a day away and it is time to place the final bets. While I have kept busy prognosticating and keeping track of who is likely to win, the races are a little more complicated than initially meets the eye. The Best Picture race couldn't be more complicated as it battles between Boyhood and Birdman. Still, it is great to see two very personal passion projects duking it out for top honor. While I will leave you to determine your own voting from the nominations, the following is a list of who I will be voting for in my final Oscar predictions for the year. Feel free to share yours in the comment section.

Save the Date: "Citizenfour" to Premiere on HBO Day After Oscars Ceremony

It is the documentary everyone has been raving about. For the most part, it has quickly become one of the quintessential modern documentaries alongside titles like The Act of Killing. However, for all the good that hearing about it does, most people don't have the advantage of seeing director Lauren Poitras' Citizenfour due to limited resources. For those who are interested in seeing the likely Oscar nominee that has already swept up plenty of Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations, there's some good news. You won't be able to see it in time for the Oscars ceremony, but you'll be able to see it very, very soon.

A Look at 2015's BAFTA Nominations

Scene from The Grand Budapest Hotel

With majority of the awards nominations currently out, it is time to prepare for the big leagues. With next week's announcement of the Academy Award nominations, it is time to recognize the British counterpart known as the BAFTAS. For many years, it has been the strongest representation of what the Oscars may look like, including various overlapping winners. With that in mind, there's a lot of pleasant surprises and a couple disparaging results mixed in. Even then, the race has continued to remain unpredictable in the best ways possible, leaving some hope for one of the most exciting Oscar years in quite some time.

A Look at the 20 Finalists in the Best Documentary Running

As we get closer and closer to the final Oscar nominations next month, the lists dwindle down to the most likely targets. In the case of Best Documentary, the list has shrunk impressively from its initial 134 selections. Now sitting at a meager 20, we are getting a better look at what will likely make the cut. For those that have been wondering, there's a lot of familiar faces still among them and a few snubs as well.

"Birdman" Surprises Everyone By Beating "Boyhood" for Best Picture at the Gotham Awards

Michael Keaton

There were more than a few surprises that came out of tonight's Gotham Awards. Hosted by Uma Thurman, the show gave out awards to the best of independent cinema. While many were expecting Boyhood to come away with all of the top prizes, the film didn't do so well. Instead, a lot of surprising moments came and Boyhood only came away with one win. Following the jump is a list of all of the nominations as well as a few thoughts on the overall winners.

A Look at the 134 Best Documentary Eligible Nominees

Alejandro Jodorowsky in Jodorowsky's Dune

With the recent announcement of the Best Foreign Film nominees, it seems like the Academy isn't taking its time to get any and all information out regarding potential nominees. Up next is the field that is clogged with potential and a lot of familiar names: Best Documentary. The list of nominees were released and an impressive 134 entries are eligible for the top honor. But what will make the cut? Read on to see what all of the nominees are and my brief thoughts on the films that I have seen and the few that look to be runaway stars.

"Boyhood" and "Birdman" Lead This Year's Gotham Awards Nominations

Left to right: Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke and Lorelai Linklater in Boyhood

Today marked the release of the nominees for the Gotham Independent Film Awards. Much like The Spirit Awards, it sets out to recognize the big talents in independent cinema with awards honoring acting, directing, and breakout achievements. One of the noteworthy reasons that I bring it up is that many of them have already been praised here on The Oscar Buzz. While there's a chance that a few may not make it further into the race, it is a welcomed sign to see so many great films making it in a very impressive year for film. The following is a look at the nominees as well as varying thoughts on the selections as well as back links to various articles.

A Look at the Acclaimed New Documentary "Citizenfour"

Edward Snowden

It was a common cry coming out of the New York Film Festival: Citizenfour is a highly important documentary. From director Laura Poitras, the documentary follows the infamous scandal revolving around Edward Snowden who revealed that the government was spying on its citizens. It follows the days leading up to the day that he went public and features a lot of personal footage of the man as he discovers all of this incriminating evidence. Still, in the midst of a compelling subject, what exactly makes it so exceptional? Last year saw We Steal Secrets feature a documentary with another high profile renegade named Julian Assange. Despite initial acclaim, it disappeared quickly. Can Citizenfour manage to get a Best Documentary nomination based on subject matter alone?