Behold! Each Drafthouse Films team member was asked to submit a top ten list for our blog this year and most of the lists you will see below went through many iterations as we decided to exclude all of our own films. Surely Drafhouse Films titles like KLOWN, BULLHEAD, THE AMBASSADOR, or MIAMI CONNECTION would top our own lists in ernest, however for the sake of interest and integrity, we decided to leave these films off.
Another quick note before we get to the lists – there is another parameter that we adhered to in this process. In order to qualify, the film must have been given a proper theatrical release in 2012, which would exlude any dynamite 2012 festival favorites (i.e. SPRING BREAKERS), which we'll have to save for next year. And now on to the lists!
Tim League, CEO, @timalamo
1. ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
2. HOLY MOTORS – Léos Carax
3. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD – Benh Zeitlin
4. THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson
5. KILL LIST - Ben Wheatley
6. LOOPER – Rian Johnson
7. KILLER JOE – William Friedkin
8. DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
9. MOONRISE KINGDOM – Wes Anderson
10. CABIN IN THE WOODS – Drew Goddard
James Emanuel Shapiro, COO, @ZombieNewWave
1. HOLY MOTORS – Léos Carax
2. KILL LIST – Ben Wheatley
3. DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
4. ELENA – Andrey Zvyagintsev
5. SLEEPLESS NIGHT – Frédéric Jardin
6. ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
7. HEADHUNTERS – Morten Tyldum
8. SLEEP TIGHT – Jaume Balagueró
9. BEDEVILLED – Chul-soo Jang
10. LOOPER – Rian Johnson
Honorable Mentions: Green, The Innkeepers, The Loneliest Planet, Michael, Once Upon A Time in Anatolia, The Raid:Redemption, The Turin Horse
Evan Husney, Creative Director, @evanhusney
1. THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson
2. HOLY MOTORS – Léos Carax
3. LAST DAYS HERE – Don Argott & Demian Fenton
4. MICHAEL – Markus Schleinzer
5. COMPLIANCE – Craig Zobel
6. KILL LIST – Ben Wheatley
7. THE THREE STOOGES – Robert Farrelly & Peter Farrelly
8. KILLER JOE – William Friedkin
9. THE AMERICAN SCREAM – Michael Paul Stephenson
10. DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
Sumyi Antonson, VP of Theatrical Marketing and Distribution (in alphabetical order)
ARGO – Ben Affleck
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD – Benh Zeitlin
HEADHUNTERS – Morten Tyldum
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI – David Gelb
LOOPER – Rian Johnson
MOONRISE KINGDOM – Wes Anderson
SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED – Colin Trevorrow
SKYFALL – Sam Mendes
SOUND OF NOISE – Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
Roger Tinch, Web Developer, Online and Digital Media, @tinch
1. LINCOLN – Steven Spielberg
2. KILLING THEM SOFTLY – Andrew Dominik
3. SKYFALL – Sam Mendes
4. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS – Drew Goddard
5. THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson
6. ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
7. SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN – Malik Bendjelloul
8. THE COMEDY – Rick Alverson
9. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES – Christopher Nolan
10. MOONRISE KINGDOM – Wes Anderson
Christopher Kasper, Head of Delivery (in alphabetical order)
THE ART OF FLIGHT – Curt Morgan
BRAVE – Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman & Steve Purcell
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI – David Gelb
KILLING THEM SOFTLY – Andrew Dominik
LOOPER – Rian Johnson
PROMETHEUS – Ridley Scott
SAFTEY NOT GUARANTEED – Colin Trevorrow
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK – David O. Russell
THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE – Ben Palmer
Jon Stobezki, Festival Coordinator
1. SKYFALL – Sam Mendes
2. HOLY MOTORS – Léos Carax
3. ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
4. HEADHUNTERS – Morten Tyldum
5. SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS – Martin McDonagh
6. MAGIC MIKE – Steven Soderberg
7. THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson
8. THE AVENGERS – Joss Whedon
9. FOOTNOTE – Joseph Cedar
10. THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS – RZA