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About a decade ago, actor Ray McKinnon became fascinated with several stories he'd seen about death-row inmates who had been freed because of DNA evidence. "I just started wondering what their lives must be like the first day they got out," he says. "And then I really thought: 'What's the second day like?'"

That question inspired Rectify, one of the most emotionally affecting dramas about the criminal justice system on TV. The series, which premiered in 2013, tells the story of Daniel Holden, a Georgia man convicted of rape and murder,...

“Rectify” will end its run on SundanceTV following its upcoming fourth season, the network announced Friday. The series follows Daniel Holden (Aden Young) who returns home after spending 19 years on death row. Having spent his whole life waiting to die, Daniel must try to establish a normal life. “Rectify” was created and written by Writers Guild Award-nominated Ray McKinnon, the writer and director of the Oscar-winning short film “The Accountant” and an actor in “Deadwood” and “Sons of Anarchy.” Also Read: 'Rectify' Casts 'Mad Men' Alum Melinda Page Hamilton (Exclusive) It is executive produced by McKinnon, as well as Mark Johnson and Melissa.

Although the third of “Rectify” may have just ended, fans can catch some of their favorite cast members from the Peabody Award-winning series at the “Rectify” Short Film Festival on Sundance.tv. Five new shorts produced, created and/or headlined by the cast of “Rectify” have just been added to the line-up and can be found Here

The short films joining the “Rectify” Short Film Festival are:

"Spanola Pepper Sauce Company"

This heartwarming story explores the life of Tookie Spanola, the founder and owner of the Spanola Pepper Sauce Company, and some of the changes that have taken effect during his tenure.

Directed by Ray McKinnon (“Rectify” creator/executive producer/writer/director) and starring Graham Gordy (a “Rectify” staff writer on season 1) "The Order"

Third generation soldier Bill O’Brien returns from Vietnam with the onerous duty of informing the wife of a childhood friend that her husband has been killed in action. He decides to fabricate a posthumous award for the widow’s benefit, but as he prepares to formally covey the Crown’s condolences, he is haunted by an omen from their childhood that lays bare the true casualties of God, king and country.

Directed by Aden Young (Daniel Holden in “Rectify”) Won Best Original Music for a Short Film at the 1999 Australian Screen Music Awards "Everything All at Once"

A young woman rides the train alone with a head full of problems, recalling a suffocating car ride with her mother, aunt and grandmother. She begrudgingly navigates their feelings and memories as they try to identify the incessant beep coming from somewhere in the car.

Starring J. Smith-Cameron (Janet Talbot in “Rectify”) and featuring an all-female cast Won the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Short Film at the 2015 Lighthouse International Film Festival Click here to view a never-before-seen trailer for "Everything All at Once." "D.N.R."

One evening, Esther breaks the surface of a deep sleep to find herself bound to a chair and her husband, Dean, praying on the floor. Brandishing a semi-automatic pistol, he begins their conversation with a simple question: “Who is Tony?” Dean has recently returned from the front lines of the war in Iraq and uncovered Esther’s affair. Dean has done his homework, and there is no denying his relentless interrogation. Still... is everything what it seems? The events of the evening take us through an emotional wilderness filled with betrayal, love, deception, redemption and murder.

Starring Sharon Conley (D.A. Sondra Person in “Rectify”) Won Best Dramatic Short (Bronze Lens Film Festival & St. Louis Film Critics Association); Best Actress - Sharon Conley (St. Louis Film Critics Association); Best Director - David Martyn Conley (St. Louis Film Critics Association) "The Mexican in the Closet"

Loosely based on a true story; an unhappy wife plots to kill her husband with help from an immigrant day laborer she hides in her closet.

Starring Kim Wall (Marcy in “Rectify”) Won the Audience Award at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival These five short films join these previously launched shorts in the “Rectify” Short Film Festival: the Oscar®-winning "The Accountant" (Ray McKinnon); "The Rose of Ba Ziz" (Aden Young); "Here and Now" (Abigail Spencer); "Pas De Restes" (Johnny Ray Gill); and "The Birthday Present" (Sean Bridgers).

“Rectify” will return for its second season on June 19, Sundance announced Thursday. The acclaimed, slow-burn drama follows Daniel Holden (Aden Young), a man set free after spending half of his life on Death Row. The show was created and written by Ray McKinnon (“The Accountant,” “Deadwood,” “Sons of Anarchy”) and executive produced by Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein, the Emmy Award winning producers behind “Breaking Bad” and the upcoming “Halt and Catch Fire.” Also read: Art by Killer, Serial Sex Offender Used in ‘Rectify’ Golden Globes Campaign (Exclusive) Season 1 of the show found Daniel trying to find his place...

If it had somehow escaped your notice – in which case, come on out from under that rock – the Oscars are almost upon us again.

Plenty of this year's nominees aren't exactly what you could call unpredictable. There's Meryl, and Leo, and Jennifer, and no major upsets are expected on the night.

But what about the less usual suspects? Digital Spy takes a look back at eight Oscar-winners you may have forgotten about...

Peter Capaldi

The Twelfth Doctor himself took home a statuette from the Academy in 1995, for writing and directing short film Franz Kafka's It's A Wonderful Life. Not to be confused with Frank Capra's actual It's A Wonderful Life, the absurdist short follows Kafka (played by Richard E Grant) in the throes of writer's block while attempting to write his masterpiece The Metamorphosis, and it tied for Best Live Action Short Film with Peggy Rajski's Trevor.

Eminem...

The Live Action Short Film category has colored the cinematic canvas of the Academy Awards for almost as long as the lavish ceremony has erupted onto the streets of Hollywood. Despite intermittent name and structure changes over the years, this category has brought the best in short form storytelling into the limelight.  With the pre-Oscar buzz in full swing, here's a look back at the Live Action Short Films that have colored the cinematic landscape of the Academy Awards since 1931:  Vimeo and Youtube streaming links to the films: The Music Box (1932) - Hal Roach La Cucaracha (1934) - Kenneth McGowan Stairway to Light (1945) - Herbert Moulton Happy Anniversary (1962) - Pierre Etaix Boys and Girls (1983) - Janice L. Platt Syrup (1993) - Paul Unwin, Nick Vivian  Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (1994) - Peter Capaldi The Accountant (2001) - Ray McKinnon Copy Shop (2001) - Virgil Widrich Fait d'Hiver (2002) - Dirk Belien  I'll Just Wait for the Next One.

Here's something you may not know about actor Ray McKinnon: He won an Academy Award for writing and directing the 2001 short film The Accountant. He's also the writer-creator of the new drama Rectify (Mondays, 10/9c, Sundance Channel), in which Aden Young stars as Daniel Holden, a man who is released from prison after serving 19 years for the rape and murder of his girlfriend. DNA evidence appears to clear Daniel, but plenty of folks in his hometown still believe he's guilty. McKinnon answered our showrunner survey to explain why viewers will be captivated by Rectify.

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Though Ray McKinnon won an Oscar for his 2001 short "The Accountant" and went to Sundance with his 2004 film "Chrystal," starring his late wife Lisa Blount and Billy Bob Thornton, he's best known for his work as an actor. He's a familiar face from features like "That Evening Sun" and the upcoming "Mud," and shows like "Sons of Anarchy" and "Deadwood," in which he played a pivotal first season role as the kind-hearted but slowly deteriorating Reverend Smith. Sundance Channel's meditative, lovely new series "Rectify," which is created, written and executive produced by McKinnon, seems clearly shaped by those experiences on both sides of the camera. A drama about a man named Daniel Holden (Aden Young) who's released from death row after 19 years when DNA evidence leads to his sentence being vacated (without clearing him of the crime), the six-episode show is emphatically intimate, closing in on the first week in Daniel's life back home,...

Tonight at 9/8c, Sundance Channel follows up the well-received Top of the Lake with another, equally compelling miniseries that offers almost an antidote to TV’s more bustling, “Scandal-paced” dramas.

Created by Ray McKinnon (The Accountant, Sons of Anarchy‘s Lincoln Potter) and executive-produced by Breaking Bad‘s Mark Johnson and Melissa Benrstein, Rectify follows Daniel Holden (played by Aden Young) as he is released from a 20-year stint on Death Row for the rape and murder of a local girl in a small Georgia town, due to new (if not exonerating) DNA evidence.

Related | May Sweeps/Season Finale Scoopapalooza:...

If you’ve been watching cable drama over the last decade, you probably know the face and rich as molasses voice of character actor Ray McKinnon. He was the joyful, doomed Reverend Smith on “Deadwood” and inscrutable federal prosecutor Linc Potter on “Sons of Anarchy,” among other roles. But McKinnon has had a second career through these years as an independent filmmaker. He won an Oscar in 2002 for his short film “The Accountant,” which he shared with his friend and frequent collaborator Walton Goggins, and has written and directed several other films. Starting Monday night at 9 on Sundance...

As the Sundance Channel prepares for next year's launch of its first scripted series in Rectify, the network has put its first full slate of projects into development. The AMC-owned network is developing five scripted dramas to join its legal entry from Oscar winner Ray McKinnon (The Accountant) hailing from producers including Sundance co-founder Robert Redford, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Since debuting Golden Globe-winning series Carlos in 2010, the network has continued its march into scripted with limited series Appropriate Adult, Restless and Top of the Lake, with works from producers Steve Buscemi and Stanley Tucci, Bored

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With cinematic releases at the moment mostly involving the not-particularly inspiring likes of "That's My Boy" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," it's hard not to look to television for a little nourishment. The trouble is that the TV season has wrapped up for the year. While a few shows (namely "Girls") are still wrapping up, and others get underway shortly ("The Newsroom," "Breaking Bad," "Louie"), it's pretty quiet on the box, with cast and creatives focusing on making a hiatus movie, campaigning for Emmy, or just getting some sleep for once.

Still, with the 2011/2012 TV season done, we thought we'd shine a light on the small screen this week. Tomorrow, we're going to run down our ten favorite TV series of the last 12 months, but today, we wanted to pick a few stars of these shows that we think are set to break out as movie stars before too long,...

Sundance Channel has found its leading man for Rectify, the legal drama created by Oscar winner Ray McKinnon (The Accountant). Australian actor Aden Young (I, Frankenstein, Killer Elite) will play Daniel Holden, who must put his life back together after serving 19 years on Georgia’s Death Row before DNA evidence calls his conviction into question. McKinnon will executive produce through his shingle Zip Works along with Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein’s Gran Via. Johnson and Bernstein are producers on sister network AMC’s Emmy-winning Breaking Bad, which kicks off its final season this summer. Photos: Summer TV Preview 2012 Rectify is Sundance Channel’s first

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The filmmakers behind Paramount's fast-tracked sequel "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" are entirely "Justified" in making their latest addition to the star-studded cast.

According to Variety, Walton Goggins has just parachuted his way into a role where he'll play Warden Nigel James, a new character, which is strange considering there's decades worth of toys, comic books, and cartoons to choose a wacky warden character from.

That's okay, though, we like new things, even in sequels.

Goggins isn't the only new thing in the movie, which we will now refer to by the annoying acronym "G.I. J2: R." The half-reboot/half-sequel is bringing back Channing Tatum as Duke, Ray Park as Snake Eyes and Byung Hun-lee as Storm Shadow, but will not bring back anyone else including Marlon Wayans. *one-tear*

Series newcomers include Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock, Elodie Yung as Jinx, DJ Cotrona as Flint, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye,...

It may sound a touch morbid, but one of the segments that I look forward to the most during every Oscar broadcast is the Academy's 'In Memoriam' spot. It is an important and necessary moment for cinema fans to remember and reflect upon those great movie-makers that have passed away over the previous year, whether in front of the camera or behind it. For every new Ellen Page or Hailee Steinfeld that begins a promising young career, there is a Leslie Nielsen or Dennis Hopper that sadly shuffles off their mortal coil forever, leaving wistful memories and brilliant catalogs of their wonderful work in film.

It is for that reason - memory - that the 'In Memoriam' portion of the show is crucial to the celebration as a whole. While the film-loving community congratulates those that represent the best that film-making has to offer, another group - the men and...

Actress Lisa Blount who was best known for playing Debra Winger's girlfriend in the 1982 boxoffice hit An Officer and a Gentleman, has been found dead in her Little Rock home. She was 53 years old. Cause of death was not announced, but authorities said no foul play is suspected. Blount received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, but her greatest career success came in 2002 when she won the Oscar for producing The Accountant in the category of Best Live Action Short Subject. She also appeared regularly as a guest star on popular TV shows. For more click here...

Los Angeles - Lisa Blount, who won a Golden Globe nomination for her role in the breakout Richard Gere film An Officer and a Gentleman, has died at her home in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 53, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported Thursday. The report said that Blount was found by her mother on Wednesday and that coroners believe she died on Monday. Blount had suffered for years from a disease similar to multiple sclerosis and foul play was not suspected, the report said. In recent years Blount gained greater fame as a producer than an actress. She won an Oscar in 2001 for producing the short live action film The Accountant.

Lisa Blount, best known for her role as Debra Winger's friend Lynette in "An Officer and a Gentlemen," has died. She was 53.

Blount was found dead in her Little Rock, Arkansas home by her mother on Monday, says the New York Post. A police report said Blount was clutching a cell phone and blood was seeping from her nostrils. Her husband, actor/producer Ray McKinnon, was out of town at the time of his wife's death.

Lisa Blount, an Arkansas-born Academy Award-winning producer and actress, was found dead in her Little Rock home Wednesday by her mother. She was 53. There were no signs of foul play, and Blount appeared to have died on Monday, Pulaski County Coroner Garland Camper told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The paper also reports that Blount's husband, actor and director Ray McKinnon, was out of town this week.Blount was nominated for a Golden Globe for playing Debra Winger's friend, Lynette Pomeroy, in 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman. In 2001, the live-action short film she produced, The Accountant won an Oscar.

An Officer And A Gentleman star Lisa Blount has died, aged 53.

The Oscar-winner's mother found the actress-turned-producer dead at her home in Little Rock, Arkansas on Wednesday.

The Pulaski County Coroner, Garland Camper, has stated that Blount most likely passed away two days earlier on Monday, but he ruled there were no signs of foul play.

Blount was best known for her work onscreen in 1982 movie An Officer And A Gentleman alongside Richard Gere, as well as her role in John Carpenter's 1987 horror Prince Of Darkness and TV show Profit.

Blount later stepped behind the camera and became a successful producer, sharing an Academy Award with her actor/director husband Ray McKinnon for their 2001 short film, The Accountant.

Blount's cause of death was not known as WENN went to press.

MoviesOnline sat down with Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, and director John Lee Hancock to talk about their new film, “The Blind Side.”

"The Blind Side" depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, John Lee Hancock are fabulous people and we really appreciated their time. Here’s what they had to tell us:3

Q: You’re playing people who...

Celebrating cinema-related birthdays of the day. Is November 15th your special day?

1879 Lewis Stone star of the only lost Oscar Best Picture nominee, The Patriot (1928). No, you'll never see 100% of the Best Picture or Best Actor nominees. Not even if you try

1932 Petula Clarke singer/actress

1937 Yaphett Kotto actor

1945 Anna Frid "Frida" Lyngstad, my favorite member of Abba. I love her so much I'm letting her wear a jumpsuit instead of the traditional suits favored in these posts. Abba's flamboyant fashion sense could never be contained! [see also Abba: The Movie recap]

1951 Beverly D'Angelo actress

1957 Ray McKinnon actor, best known for Deadwood on HBO. He's currently in movie theaters doing fine work in That Evening Sun. And, surprise, he's actually an Oscar winner already having won the Best Live Action Short Film category in for his directorial debut The Accountant (2001)

1972 Jonny Lee Miller, actor, Trainspotter, Angelina survivor, Friend of Jude, visionary lawyer.

1976 Virginie Ledoyen French actress...

First thing to do when arriving to the Little Rock Film Festival (if the films and parties haven't started) is to walk down Markham St. to The Flying Fish restaurant, just a rock's throw from the Bill Clinton Library. While waiting in line to order (there is Always a line) you giggle at the hundreds of photos of customers with fish that are posted on the wall . Then you grab a beer from the fridge and order from a choice of catfish, shrimp, oysters, frog legs, crawfish, calamari--fried, grilled, boiled, whatever. Today I kept it simple with a shrimp cocktail, a couple pieces of cat and some fantastic grilled zucchini while chatting with the filmmakers from Slumberland. We talked about the wealth of creative talent around Little Rock like Ray McKinnon who co-produced and starred in the fest's opening film That Evening Sun. The movie has been winning festival awards...

Billy Bob Thornton will star in the indie feature Chrystal, which will mark the big-screen directorial debut of Oscar-winning short filmmaker Ray McKinnon. McKinnon's wife, Lisa Blount, who shared the Oscar with her husband, will star in the title role. McKinnon wrote, directed and starred in the short film The Accountant, with Blount co-starring and executive producing. Chrystal is the husband-and-wife team's follow-up project. Chrystal, produced by Bruce Heller, David Koplan and Blount, goes into production May 28 in Arkansas. The project, written by McKinnon, sees Blount star as the title character, a rural woman whose convict husband (Thornton) returns home from prison only to see that the vacancy in her life left by the death of her child years earlier becomes even more acute. Walton Goggins (The Shield) also stars. As an actor, McKinnon has appeared in such films as O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Apollo 13. Blount, repped by McCabe/Justice and manager Darris Hatch, most recently starred in the WB Network pilot Trash. She also starred in the Tom DiCillo feature Box of Moonlight. Thornton, repped by CAA, is shooting the Walt Disney Co.'s The Alamo. Upcoming projects include Intolerable Cruelty and Bad Santa.

Billy Bob Thornton will star in the indie feature Chrystal, which will mark the big-screen directorial debut of Oscar-winning short filmmaker Ray McKinnon. McKinnon's wife, Lisa Blount, who shared the Oscar with her husband, will star in the title role. McKinnon wrote, directed and starred in the short film The Accountant, with Blount co-starring and executive producing. Chrystal is the husband-and-wife team's follow-up project. Chrystal, produced by Bruce Heller, David Koplan and Blount, goes into production May 28 in Arkansas. The project, written by McKinnon, sees Blount star as the title character, a rural woman whose convict husband (Thornton) returns home from prison only to see that the vacancy in her life left by the death of her child years earlier becomes even more acute. Walton Goggins (The Shield) also stars. As an actor, McKinnon has appeared in such films as O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Apollo 13. Blount, repped by McCabe/Justice and manager Darris Hatch, most recently starred in the WB Network pilot Trash. She also starred in the Tom DiCillo feature Box of Moonlight. Thornton, repped by CAA, is shooting the Walt Disney Co.'s The Alamo. Upcoming projects include Intolerable Cruelty and Bad Santa.