The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named Glenn Frankel and Keri Walsh as its 2018 Academy Film Scholars.
Their respective book projects explore the historical context and creative influence of the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy and examine female Method actors and how their feminist contributions earned them a place in movie history. The Academy’s Educational Grants Committee will award both the scholars’ $25,000 grant awards on the basis of their proposals.
“I am thrilled to support Frankel and Walsh in their research so that they may share their expertise for these timely topics that are not only significant to the film industry but to society as whole,” said Academy Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt. “Their works illuminate the importance of diversity and inclusion in the history of film, something that is essential to remember as we look to further the Academy’s mission. We all look forward to seeing the outcome of their research.
Their respective book projects explore the historical context and creative influence of the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy and examine female Method actors and how their feminist contributions earned them a place in movie history. The Academy’s Educational Grants Committee will award both the scholars’ $25,000 grant awards on the basis of their proposals.
“I am thrilled to support Frankel and Walsh in their research so that they may share their expertise for these timely topics that are not only significant to the film industry but to society as whole,” said Academy Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt. “Their works illuminate the importance of diversity and inclusion in the history of film, something that is essential to remember as we look to further the Academy’s mission. We all look forward to seeing the outcome of their research.
- 6/20/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Four individuals and one writing team have been selected as winners of the 2016 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee announced the winners via Livestream today. The fellows will each receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards Presentation & Live Read on Thursday, November 3, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. For the fourth consecutive year, an ensemble of actors will be reading selected scenes from the winning scripts.
The 2016 winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Michele Atkins, “Talking About the Sky” (Seattle, Wa)
Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, “Photo Booth” (Balgowlah, Australia)
Geeta Malik, “Dinner with Friends” (Los Angeles, CA)
Elizabeth Oyebode, “Tween the Ropes” (Sunnyvale, CA)
Justin Piasecki, “Death of an Ortolan” (Los Angeles, CA)
A total of 6,915 scripts were submitted for this year’s competition. Eleven individual screenwriters and one...
The 2016 winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Michele Atkins, “Talking About the Sky” (Seattle, Wa)
Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, “Photo Booth” (Balgowlah, Australia)
Geeta Malik, “Dinner with Friends” (Los Angeles, CA)
Elizabeth Oyebode, “Tween the Ropes” (Sunnyvale, CA)
Justin Piasecki, “Death of an Ortolan” (Los Angeles, CA)
A total of 6,915 scripts were submitted for this year’s competition. Eleven individual screenwriters and one...
- 9/29/2016
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has given $25,000 grants to scholars researching female screenwriters and the depiction of slavery in Hollywood movies, AMPAS announced on Tuesday. Dr. Donna Kornhaber and Dr. Ellen Christine Scott are the recipients of the 2016 Academy Film Scholars grants, an annual program designed to aid research into areas of film scholarship. The grants were made by the Academy’s Educational Grants Committee, chaired by Buffy Shutt. Also Read: Academy Sets Dates for Oscar Nominations, Voting Kornhaber is working on “Women’s Work: The Female Screenwriter and the Development of Early American Film,” which the Academy called “the.
- 8/9/2016
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Women In Film is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for women, encouraging creative projects by women, and expanding and enhancing portrayals of women in all forms of global media. Given that women comprise fifty percent of the population, Wif's ultimate goal is to see the same gender parity reflected on and off screen. Founded in 1973, Wif focuses on advocacy and education, provides scholarships, grants and film finishing funds and works to preserve the legacies of all women working in the entertainment community.
Since 1977, Women In Film, Los Angeles has annually honored outstanding women in the entertainment industry – women who lead by example, who are creative, groundbreaking, and who excel at their chosen fields. This year’s Crystal + Lucy Awards® fundraising dinner, in support of Wif La’s educational and philanthropic programs and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry, is being held on Tuesday, June 16 in the Los Angeles Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City. The 2015 Crystal + Lucy Awards is sponsored by Max Mara, BMW of North America, and Tiffany & Co.
This year’s Crystal + Lucy Award honorees are:
2015 Crystal Award for Excellence in Film – Nicole Kidman 2015 Lucy Award for Excellence in Television – Jill Soloway 2015 Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® – Ava DuVernay The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future®” 2015 – Kate Mara Presented by Nicola Maramotti Global Brand Ambassador for Max Mara
2015 Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award – Sue Kroll 2015 Sue Mengers Award – Toni Howard
Cathy Schulman , President of Women In Film, Los Angeles, said in making the announcement, “We are proud to celebrate an extraordinary line-up of honorees this year. Each one of these women has made extraordinary contributions to the media art, and as a group they have forged sustainable careers that are emblematic of the positive and long overdue change that is taking root for women in Hollywood.”
Iris Grossman, President Emerita of Women In Film, Los Angeles, returning this year as Chair of the Awards, said “This year’s honorees are all women who have helped change the face of the business. Through their insight, determination, resilience and talent, they add substance and depth to their creative endeavors and to the entertainment industry as a whole.”
About the Honorees
Nicole Kidman / Crystal Award for Excellence in Film
The Crystal Awards were established in 1977 to honor outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Viola Davis, Annette Bening, Donna Langley, Jennifer Aniston, Diane English and the cast of The Women, Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Lane, Halle Berry, Laura Ziskin, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alfre Woodard, Polly Platt, Lauren Shuler Donner, Diane Warren, Amy Heckerling, Paula Weinstein, Martha Coolidge, Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, Gale Anne Hurd, Nancy Malone, Maya Angelou, Lily Tomlin, Ruby Dee, Penny Marshall, Jessica Tandy, Barbara Boyle, Nikki Rocco, Jean Firstenberg, Lee Remick, Lina Wertmuller, Bette Davis, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Sherry Lansing, Nora Ephron, Dawn Steel, Fay Kanin, Lillian Gish, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close and Amy Pascal.
Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman is internationally-recognized for her range and versatility. In 2002, Kidman was honored with her first Oscar nomination for her performance in the innovative musical, "Moulin Rouge!" For that role, and her performance in the psychological thriller "The Others," she received dual 2002 Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2003, Kidman won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and a Berlin Silver Bear for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s "The Hours." In 2010 Kidman starred in "Rabbit Hole," for which she received Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Actress. The film was developed by Kidman’s production company, Blossom Films. In October 2012 Kidman starred in Lee Daniel’s "The Paperboy." Her performance earned her an Aacta, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nomination.
Upcoming films include "Strangerland," "The Family Fang" and "Genius." Kidman is currently in production on "The Secret in Their Eyes." Next up, she will being shooting The Weinstein Company’s "Lion."
In January of 2006, Kidman was awarded Australia’s highest honor, the Companion in the Order of Australia. She was also named, and continues to serve, as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Un Women, whose goals are to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality, to raise awareness of the infringement on women’s human rights around the world and to end violence against women. Along with her husband, Keith Urban, she has helped raise millions over the years for the Women’s Cancer Program which is a world-renowned center for research into the causes, treatment, prevention, and eventual cure of women’s cancer.
Jill Soloway / Lucy Award for Excellence in Television
The Lucy Awards were founded in 1994 by Joanna Kerns, Bonny Dore and Loreen Arbus and are presented in association with the Lucille Ball Estate. They were named for Lucille Ball, who was not only a legendary actress and comedienne, but also a producer, studio owner, creator and director. They are given to recognize women and men and their creative works that exemplify the extraordinary accomplishments she embodied; whose excellence and innovation have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. Past recipients include: Kerry Washington, The Women Of "Mad Men" (Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Jessica Paré, Kiernan Shipka), Bonnie Hammer, Nina Tassler, Courteney Cox, Holly Hunter, Salma Hayek, Shonda Rhimes and the women of "Grey’s Anatomy," Geena Davis, Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, Blythe Danner, Lily Tomlin, Rosie O’Donnell, Amy Brenneman, Tyne Daley, Phyllis Diller, Marcy Carsey, Carol Burnett, Barbara Walters, Shari Lewis, Garry Marshall, Angela Lansbury, Marlo Thomas, Gary David Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, Tracey Ullman, Fred Silverman, Imogene Coca, Camryn Manheim, Norman Lear, Bud Yorkin and the casts of "Sex and the City," " If These Walls Could Talk" and "If These Walls Could Talk 2."
Jill Soloway is the creator of Amazon Studios' Golden Globe-winning, "Transparent," a dark, deep, silly family series about boundaries, love and secrets.
Soloway won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for her first feature, "Afternoon Delight." She recently founded WifeyTv, an internet brand producing and curating content to ignite the feminist revolution. Soloway is a three-time Emmy nominee for her work writing and producing "Six Feet Under."
She co-created the theater experiences, "Real Live Brady Bunch," "Miss Vagina Pageant," "Hollywood Hellhouse" and "Sit N Spin," and co-founded the community organization East Side Jews. Soloway lives with her family in Silver Lake.
Ava DuVernay / Dorothy Arzner Directors Award
Dorothy Arzner was the first female member of the Directors Guild of America. In her honor, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® was established to recognize the important role women directors play in the film and television industries. Past recipients include: Jennifer Lee, Sofia Coppola, Pamela Fryman, Lisa Cholodenko, Catherine Hardwicke, Nancy Meyers, Barbra Streisand, Mimi Leder, Barbara Kopple, Gillian Armstrong, Lian Lunson, Joey Lauren Adams and Nicole Holofcener.
Nominated for two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, five Critics Choice awards, eight NAACP Image Awards and five Independent Spirit Awards, writer/director Ava DuVernay's most recent film "Selma" chronicles the historic 1965 voting rights campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
She won the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for her acclaimed feature "Middle of Nowhere." Her previous narrative and documentary work includes the feature film "I Will Follow" and the documentaries Venus Vs.," "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "This is The Life."
In 2010, DuVernay founded the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (Affrm), a grassroots collective that distributes work from filmmakers of color. Prior to her directorial career, she worked as a film marketer and publicist for more than 14 years through her company, The DuVernay Agency.
Kate Mara / The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award
The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award® was inaugurated at Women In Film’s 2006 Crystal + Lucy Awards®. As the 13th year as presenting sponsor and longstanding Women In Film partner, Max Mara identifies an actress who is experiencing a turning point in her career through her work in the film and television industries with focus on her contributions to the community at large and recognizes her outstanding personal achievements and embodiment of style and grace. Past recipients include: Rose Byrne, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloë Grace Moretz, Katie Holmes, Zoë Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Emily Blunt and Maria Bello.
Kate Mara made her feature film debut in "Random Hearts" for director Sydney Pollack. She then co-starred in Ang Lee’s "Brokeback Mountain" in which she portrayed Heath Ledger’s daughter. She also appeared in the Academy Award nominated film "127 Hours" with James Franco for director Danny Boyle and she co-starred in "Transcendence" alongside Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman, which marked the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister.
Mara recently completed filming on location in Budapest director Ridley Scott’s outer space action film The Martian alongside Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain. Last fall, she completed filming the psychological thriller "Man Down" in which she plays the wife of a war veteran, played by Shia Labeouf and "Captive" in which she stars with David Oyelowo as a single mother struggling with meth addiction in the adaptation of the best-selling book An Unlikely Angel. This summer she will film "Morgan" for director Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott, who will produce. Audiences will next see her star in "Fantastic Four" alongside Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.
She received an Emmy Award® nomination for her role in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed television series, "House of Cards" in which she co-starred alongside Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
Sue Kroll/ Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award
The Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award was created to honor the late director and great mentor Bruce Paltrow. This year, Wif Presenting Sponsor Tiffany & Co. has joined the Paltrow family in recognizing an entertainment industry professional who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of filmmakers and executives. Past honorees include Kathleen Kennedy and Sherry Lansing.
Sue Kroll is President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures. As marketing chief, she oversees the strategic creation and implementation of marketing campaigns for the Studio’s global releases and collaborates closely with the Studio’s principals on the strategic development of its slate of films.
Her leadership of global marketing has propelled the studio’s releases to record-breaking box office and myriad awards. Most recently, the Best Picture Oscar nominee "American Sniper" became the top-grossing domestic film release of 2014 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide. Other recent successes include the "Harry Potter," "Dark Knight," and "The Hobbit" film series, as well as such award-winning pictures as "Gravity," "Argo" and "The Departed."
Kroll joined Warner Bros. in 1994 and headed International Marketing from 2000 to 2008, when she was named to her current role at the studio. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Film Independent, the Los Angeles-based non-profit that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, and is one of the inaugural members of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.
Toni Howard / Sue Mengers Award
The Sue Mengers Award , named for the legendary agent and given for the first time in 2015, will be presented annually to a representative who is, and has been, instrumental in guiding careers. Sue Mengers was an icon in the entertainment industry. She was one of the most influential talent agents of her time, when women were not the norm, and she was devoted to her clients.
Toni Howard is a partner at ICM Partners. Toni joined the agency’s talent department in 1991 and quickly became a leader in the division, having served as its department head for the better part of a decade. She oversees a celebrated and eclectic group of actors who appear in film, television and on stage and have garnered an astonishing 46 Academy Award® nominations, 148 Emmy® nominations, and 125 Golden Globe® nominations. Among her award-winning clients are Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Bobby Cannavale, Edie Falco, Samuel L. Jackson, Topher Grace, Holly Hunter, Michael Keaton, Nathan Lane, Spike Lee, Laura Linney, Catherine O’Hara, Lily Rabe, Christina Ricci, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Maggie Smith, James Spader, Julia Stiles, and Christopher Walken. Throughout her career at ICM Partners, Toni has mentored many young agents to incredibly successful careers of their own.
Prior to joining ICM, Toni was an agent at the William Morris Agency for seven years. She began her entertainment industry career as a casting director, working on such iconic projects as "Tootsie," "Superman," "The Right Stuff" and "Something About Amelia."
Recognized by her distinctive voice, Toni was cast by director Alexander Payne as the voice of agent ‘Evelyn Berman-Silverman’ in the film "Sideways."...
Since 1977, Women In Film, Los Angeles has annually honored outstanding women in the entertainment industry – women who lead by example, who are creative, groundbreaking, and who excel at their chosen fields. This year’s Crystal + Lucy Awards® fundraising dinner, in support of Wif La’s educational and philanthropic programs and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry, is being held on Tuesday, June 16 in the Los Angeles Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City. The 2015 Crystal + Lucy Awards is sponsored by Max Mara, BMW of North America, and Tiffany & Co.
This year’s Crystal + Lucy Award honorees are:
2015 Crystal Award for Excellence in Film – Nicole Kidman 2015 Lucy Award for Excellence in Television – Jill Soloway 2015 Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® – Ava DuVernay The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future®” 2015 – Kate Mara Presented by Nicola Maramotti Global Brand Ambassador for Max Mara
2015 Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award – Sue Kroll 2015 Sue Mengers Award – Toni Howard
Cathy Schulman , President of Women In Film, Los Angeles, said in making the announcement, “We are proud to celebrate an extraordinary line-up of honorees this year. Each one of these women has made extraordinary contributions to the media art, and as a group they have forged sustainable careers that are emblematic of the positive and long overdue change that is taking root for women in Hollywood.”
Iris Grossman, President Emerita of Women In Film, Los Angeles, returning this year as Chair of the Awards, said “This year’s honorees are all women who have helped change the face of the business. Through their insight, determination, resilience and talent, they add substance and depth to their creative endeavors and to the entertainment industry as a whole.”
About the Honorees
Nicole Kidman / Crystal Award for Excellence in Film
The Crystal Awards were established in 1977 to honor outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Viola Davis, Annette Bening, Donna Langley, Jennifer Aniston, Diane English and the cast of The Women, Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Lane, Halle Berry, Laura Ziskin, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alfre Woodard, Polly Platt, Lauren Shuler Donner, Diane Warren, Amy Heckerling, Paula Weinstein, Martha Coolidge, Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, Gale Anne Hurd, Nancy Malone, Maya Angelou, Lily Tomlin, Ruby Dee, Penny Marshall, Jessica Tandy, Barbara Boyle, Nikki Rocco, Jean Firstenberg, Lee Remick, Lina Wertmuller, Bette Davis, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Sherry Lansing, Nora Ephron, Dawn Steel, Fay Kanin, Lillian Gish, Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close and Amy Pascal.
Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman is internationally-recognized for her range and versatility. In 2002, Kidman was honored with her first Oscar nomination for her performance in the innovative musical, "Moulin Rouge!" For that role, and her performance in the psychological thriller "The Others," she received dual 2002 Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2003, Kidman won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and a Berlin Silver Bear for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry’s "The Hours." In 2010 Kidman starred in "Rabbit Hole," for which she received Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Actress. The film was developed by Kidman’s production company, Blossom Films. In October 2012 Kidman starred in Lee Daniel’s "The Paperboy." Her performance earned her an Aacta, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nomination.
Upcoming films include "Strangerland," "The Family Fang" and "Genius." Kidman is currently in production on "The Secret in Their Eyes." Next up, she will being shooting The Weinstein Company’s "Lion."
In January of 2006, Kidman was awarded Australia’s highest honor, the Companion in the Order of Australia. She was also named, and continues to serve, as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, Un Women, whose goals are to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality, to raise awareness of the infringement on women’s human rights around the world and to end violence against women. Along with her husband, Keith Urban, she has helped raise millions over the years for the Women’s Cancer Program which is a world-renowned center for research into the causes, treatment, prevention, and eventual cure of women’s cancer.
Jill Soloway / Lucy Award for Excellence in Television
The Lucy Awards were founded in 1994 by Joanna Kerns, Bonny Dore and Loreen Arbus and are presented in association with the Lucille Ball Estate. They were named for Lucille Ball, who was not only a legendary actress and comedienne, but also a producer, studio owner, creator and director. They are given to recognize women and men and their creative works that exemplify the extraordinary accomplishments she embodied; whose excellence and innovation have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. Past recipients include: Kerry Washington, The Women Of "Mad Men" (Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Jessica Paré, Kiernan Shipka), Bonnie Hammer, Nina Tassler, Courteney Cox, Holly Hunter, Salma Hayek, Shonda Rhimes and the women of "Grey’s Anatomy," Geena Davis, Debra Messing and Megan Mullally, Blythe Danner, Lily Tomlin, Rosie O’Donnell, Amy Brenneman, Tyne Daley, Phyllis Diller, Marcy Carsey, Carol Burnett, Barbara Walters, Shari Lewis, Garry Marshall, Angela Lansbury, Marlo Thomas, Gary David Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, Tracey Ullman, Fred Silverman, Imogene Coca, Camryn Manheim, Norman Lear, Bud Yorkin and the casts of "Sex and the City," " If These Walls Could Talk" and "If These Walls Could Talk 2."
Jill Soloway is the creator of Amazon Studios' Golden Globe-winning, "Transparent," a dark, deep, silly family series about boundaries, love and secrets.
Soloway won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for her first feature, "Afternoon Delight." She recently founded WifeyTv, an internet brand producing and curating content to ignite the feminist revolution. Soloway is a three-time Emmy nominee for her work writing and producing "Six Feet Under."
She co-created the theater experiences, "Real Live Brady Bunch," "Miss Vagina Pageant," "Hollywood Hellhouse" and "Sit N Spin," and co-founded the community organization East Side Jews. Soloway lives with her family in Silver Lake.
Ava DuVernay / Dorothy Arzner Directors Award
Dorothy Arzner was the first female member of the Directors Guild of America. In her honor, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award® was established to recognize the important role women directors play in the film and television industries. Past recipients include: Jennifer Lee, Sofia Coppola, Pamela Fryman, Lisa Cholodenko, Catherine Hardwicke, Nancy Meyers, Barbra Streisand, Mimi Leder, Barbara Kopple, Gillian Armstrong, Lian Lunson, Joey Lauren Adams and Nicole Holofcener.
Nominated for two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, five Critics Choice awards, eight NAACP Image Awards and five Independent Spirit Awards, writer/director Ava DuVernay's most recent film "Selma" chronicles the historic 1965 voting rights campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
She won the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for her acclaimed feature "Middle of Nowhere." Her previous narrative and documentary work includes the feature film "I Will Follow" and the documentaries Venus Vs.," "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "This is The Life."
In 2010, DuVernay founded the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (Affrm), a grassroots collective that distributes work from filmmakers of color. Prior to her directorial career, she worked as a film marketer and publicist for more than 14 years through her company, The DuVernay Agency.
Kate Mara / The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award
The Women In Film Max Mara “Face of the Future” Award® was inaugurated at Women In Film’s 2006 Crystal + Lucy Awards®. As the 13th year as presenting sponsor and longstanding Women In Film partner, Max Mara identifies an actress who is experiencing a turning point in her career through her work in the film and television industries with focus on her contributions to the community at large and recognizes her outstanding personal achievements and embodiment of style and grace. Past recipients include: Rose Byrne, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloë Grace Moretz, Katie Holmes, Zoë Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Emily Blunt and Maria Bello.
Kate Mara made her feature film debut in "Random Hearts" for director Sydney Pollack. She then co-starred in Ang Lee’s "Brokeback Mountain" in which she portrayed Heath Ledger’s daughter. She also appeared in the Academy Award nominated film "127 Hours" with James Franco for director Danny Boyle and she co-starred in "Transcendence" alongside Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman, which marked the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister.
Mara recently completed filming on location in Budapest director Ridley Scott’s outer space action film The Martian alongside Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain. Last fall, she completed filming the psychological thriller "Man Down" in which she plays the wife of a war veteran, played by Shia Labeouf and "Captive" in which she stars with David Oyelowo as a single mother struggling with meth addiction in the adaptation of the best-selling book An Unlikely Angel. This summer she will film "Morgan" for director Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott, who will produce. Audiences will next see her star in "Fantastic Four" alongside Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.
She received an Emmy Award® nomination for her role in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed television series, "House of Cards" in which she co-starred alongside Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
Sue Kroll/ Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award
The Tiffany & Co. / Bruce Paltrow Mentorship Award was created to honor the late director and great mentor Bruce Paltrow. This year, Wif Presenting Sponsor Tiffany & Co. has joined the Paltrow family in recognizing an entertainment industry professional who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of filmmakers and executives. Past honorees include Kathleen Kennedy and Sherry Lansing.
Sue Kroll is President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures. As marketing chief, she oversees the strategic creation and implementation of marketing campaigns for the Studio’s global releases and collaborates closely with the Studio’s principals on the strategic development of its slate of films.
Her leadership of global marketing has propelled the studio’s releases to record-breaking box office and myriad awards. Most recently, the Best Picture Oscar nominee "American Sniper" became the top-grossing domestic film release of 2014 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide. Other recent successes include the "Harry Potter," "Dark Knight," and "The Hobbit" film series, as well as such award-winning pictures as "Gravity," "Argo" and "The Departed."
Kroll joined Warner Bros. in 1994 and headed International Marketing from 2000 to 2008, when she was named to her current role at the studio. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Film Independent, the Los Angeles-based non-profit that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, and is one of the inaugural members of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.
Toni Howard / Sue Mengers Award
The Sue Mengers Award , named for the legendary agent and given for the first time in 2015, will be presented annually to a representative who is, and has been, instrumental in guiding careers. Sue Mengers was an icon in the entertainment industry. She was one of the most influential talent agents of her time, when women were not the norm, and she was devoted to her clients.
Toni Howard is a partner at ICM Partners. Toni joined the agency’s talent department in 1991 and quickly became a leader in the division, having served as its department head for the better part of a decade. She oversees a celebrated and eclectic group of actors who appear in film, television and on stage and have garnered an astonishing 46 Academy Award® nominations, 148 Emmy® nominations, and 125 Golden Globe® nominations. Among her award-winning clients are Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Bobby Cannavale, Edie Falco, Samuel L. Jackson, Topher Grace, Holly Hunter, Michael Keaton, Nathan Lane, Spike Lee, Laura Linney, Catherine O’Hara, Lily Rabe, Christina Ricci, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen, Maggie Smith, James Spader, Julia Stiles, and Christopher Walken. Throughout her career at ICM Partners, Toni has mentored many young agents to incredibly successful careers of their own.
Prior to joining ICM, Toni was an agent at the William Morris Agency for seven years. She began her entertainment industry career as a casting director, working on such iconic projects as "Tootsie," "Superman," "The Right Stuff" and "Something About Amelia."
Recognized by her distinctive voice, Toni was cast by director Alexander Payne as the voice of agent ‘Evelyn Berman-Silverman’ in the film "Sideways."...
- 4/6/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Three individual writers and one writing team have been selected as winners of the 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition.
Each individual winner and the combined writing team will receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at an awards presentation on Thursday, November 13, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
For the second consecutive year, the event will also feature a live read of selected scenes from the fellows’ winning scripts by members of the Academy.
This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Sam Baron, Cambridge, United Kingdom, “The Science of Love and Laughter”
Alisha Brophy, Los Angeles, CA, and Scott Miles, Austin, TX, “United States of Fuckin’ Awesome”
Melissa Iqbal, London, United Kingdom, “The Death Engine”
Sallie West, Charleston, Sc, “Moonflower”
The winners were selected from a record 7,511 scripts submitted for this year’s competition. Eight individual screenwriters and...
Each individual winner and the combined writing team will receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at an awards presentation on Thursday, November 13, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
For the second consecutive year, the event will also feature a live read of selected scenes from the fellows’ winning scripts by members of the Academy.
This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Sam Baron, Cambridge, United Kingdom, “The Science of Love and Laughter”
Alisha Brophy, Los Angeles, CA, and Scott Miles, Austin, TX, “United States of Fuckin’ Awesome”
Melissa Iqbal, London, United Kingdom, “The Death Engine”
Sallie West, Charleston, Sc, “Moonflower”
The winners were selected from a record 7,511 scripts submitted for this year’s competition. Eight individual screenwriters and...
- 10/3/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Since marketing chief Laura Kim left Warner Independent Pictures after the studio shut down the specialty label, she has been consulting via her company Inside Job, running Oscar campaigns for Roadside Attractions and others, and releasing indie projects like "Restrepo" and through her and Paul Federbush's distribution arm, Red Flag. Now Participant Media has brought in the veteran marketing exec as Senior VP Film Marketing. She is replacing the recently departed team of Buffy Shutt, Kathy Jones and Jeff Sakson: In her new role at Participant, Kim will oversee marketing strategy, partnerships, and campaign development for Participant’s films and acquisitions, and serve as the key marketing executive for all distributors, promotional partners, filmmakers, talent and studios. She will report to Diane Weyerman, Evp Documentary Films, and Jonathan King, Evp Narrative Films. It makes sense, it's a perfect fit. Kim loves documentaries and independent film--has a...
- 5/5/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Participant Media has hired veteran marketing and publicity exec Laura Kim as senior vp film marketing, the company announced Monday. Kim, who founded film marketing, PR and distribution consulting firm Inside Job, will oversee marketing strategy, partnerships, and campaign development for Participant’s films and acquisitions. She'll also serve as the key marketing executive for all distributors, promotional partners, filmmakers, talent and studios. She'll report to Diane Weyermann, executive vp documentary films, and Jonathan King, executive vp narrative films. Exclusive: Participant Media Marketing Chiefs Kathy Jones, Buffy Shutt Exiting While serving as a principal at Inside Job, Kim's campaigns included Albert
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- 5/5/2014
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones are out as heads of marketing at Participant Media. They leave Friday after being there for more than eight of the company’s 10 years, a milestone Participant hits after being formed by eBay founder Jeff Skoll, with Jim Berk as CEO. Shutt and Jones grew up in features, together running marketing for TriStar and Universal, and they helped Participant market with social media campaigns issue-oriented films that include The Help and Lincoln, and the Oscar-winning The Inconvenient Truth and The Cove, Good Night, And Good Luck, and Syriana, and Waiting For Superman. Participant has evolved into a more diversified company and that is why this is happening. I’ve confirmed the exit, which was attributed to a restructuring, and officially I’m told it was a mutual decision to part ways. The company will hire a new marketing head who’ll come in as senior vice president,...
- 2/25/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Participant Media's film marketing chiefs Kathy Jones and Buffy Shutt are exiting the financing and production company at the end of the week. The longtime business partners joined Participant in 2007 as executive vp marketing after working as consultants for the company, helping to guide some of Participant's first releases, including Good Night and Good Luck, Syriana and An Inconvenient Truth. Photos: 35 of 2014's Most Anticipated Movies: 'X-Men: Days of Future Past,' 'Mockingjay,' 'Spider-Man 2' Participant was founded in 2004 by former eBay executive Jeff Skoll with a mandate to co-finance and co-produce
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- 2/25/2014
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Four individual writers and one writing team have been selected as winners of the 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. Each winner will receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at an awards presentation on Thursday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
For the first time, the event will also feature a live read of selected scenes from the fellows’ winning scripts.
This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, Santa Ynez, CA, “Legion”
Patty Jones, Vancouver, BC, Canada, “Joe Banks”
Alan Roth, Suffern, NY, “Jersey City Story”
Stephanie Shannon, Los Angeles, CA, “Queen of Hearts”
Barbara Stepansky, Burbank, CA, “Sugar in My Veins”
The winners were selected from a record 7,251 scripts submitted for this year’s competition.
Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete...
For the first time, the event will also feature a live read of selected scenes from the fellows’ winning scripts.
This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, Santa Ynez, CA, “Legion”
Patty Jones, Vancouver, BC, Canada, “Joe Banks”
Alan Roth, Suffern, NY, “Jersey City Story”
Stephanie Shannon, Los Angeles, CA, “Queen of Hearts”
Barbara Stepansky, Burbank, CA, “Sugar in My Veins”
The winners were selected from a record 7,251 scripts submitted for this year’s competition.
Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete...
- 10/21/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting 2013 finalists announced (photo: post-’Twilight’ Ashley Greene 2013 in ‘Random’) The finalists for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting 2013 competition, selected from a record 7,251 scripts, have been announced. Next, their scripts will be read and judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, which, according to the Academy’s press release, may award as many as five $35,000 fellowships. This year’s finalists, the majority of which hail from California, are the following (listed alphabetically by author): Scott Adams, Menlo Park, CA, "Slingshot" William Casey, Los Angeles, CA, "Smut" Frank DeJohn and David Alton Hedges, Santa Ynez, CA, "Legion" Brian Forrester, Studio City, CA, "Heart of the Monstyr" Noah Thomas Grossman, Los Angeles, CA, "The Cupid Code" Patty Jones, Vancouver, BC, Canada, "Joe Banks" Erin Klg, New York, NY, "Lost Children" Alan Roth, Suffern, NY, "Jersey City Story" Stephanie Shannon, Los Angeles,...
- 9/27/2013
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Selected from a record 7,197 scripts, it was announced today that five writers have been selected as winners of the 2012 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. Each writer will receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills on November 8.
This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Nikole Beckwith, Brooklyn, NY, “Stockholm, Pennsylvania”
Sean Robert Daniels, Laezonia, Gauteng, South Africa, “Killers”
James Dilapo, New York, NY, “Devils at Play”
Allan Durand, Lafayette, La, “Willie Francis Must Die Again”
Michael Werwie, Los Angeles, CA, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile”
This is the first time entries from Louisiana and South Africa have been selected as winners. Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year. The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve...
This year’s winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Nikole Beckwith, Brooklyn, NY, “Stockholm, Pennsylvania”
Sean Robert Daniels, Laezonia, Gauteng, South Africa, “Killers”
James Dilapo, New York, NY, “Devils at Play”
Allan Durand, Lafayette, La, “Willie Francis Must Die Again”
Michael Werwie, Los Angeles, CA, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile”
This is the first time entries from Louisiana and South Africa have been selected as winners. Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year. The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve...
- 10/24/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Beverly Hills, CA - Seven writers have been selected as winners for the 26th annual Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Each writer (or writing team) will receive a $30,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills on November 3.
The 2011 Nicholl Fellows are (listed alphabetically by author):
Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham, Los Angeles, Calif., “Guns and Saris” Dion Cook, Altus, Okla., “Cutter” John MacInnes, Los Angeles, Calif., “Outside the Wire” Matthew Murphy, Culver City, Calif., “Unicorn” Abel Vang & Burlee Vang, Fresno, Calif., “The Tiger.s Child”
The winners were selected from a record 6,730 scripts submitted for this year’s competition. The competition is open to any individual who has not sold or optioned a screenplay or teleplay for more than $5,000, or received a fellowship or prize that includes a “first look” clause,...
The 2011 Nicholl Fellows are (listed alphabetically by author):
Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham, Los Angeles, Calif., “Guns and Saris” Dion Cook, Altus, Okla., “Cutter” John MacInnes, Los Angeles, Calif., “Outside the Wire” Matthew Murphy, Culver City, Calif., “Unicorn” Abel Vang & Burlee Vang, Fresno, Calif., “The Tiger.s Child”
The winners were selected from a record 6,730 scripts submitted for this year’s competition. The competition is open to any individual who has not sold or optioned a screenplay or teleplay for more than $5,000, or received a fellowship or prize that includes a “first look” clause,...
- 10/19/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Beverly Hills, CA - Seven individual writers and three writing teams have been selected as finalists for the 26th annual Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Their scripts will now be read and judged by the Academy’s Nicholl Committee, which may award as many as five of the prestigious $30,000 fellowships.
This year’s finalists are (listed alphabetically by author):
Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham, Los Angeles, Calif., “Guns and Saris” Dion Cook, Altus, Oklahoma, “Cutter” K.E. Greenberg, Los Angeles, Calif., “Blood Bound” Ehud Lavski, Tel Aviv, Israel, “Parasite” John MacInnes, Los Angeles, Calif., “Outside the Wire” Aaron Marshall, West Hollywood, Calif., “Fig Hunt: The Quest for Battle Armor Star Captain” Khurram Mozaffar, Lisle, Illinois, “A Man of Clay” Matthew Murphy, Culver City, Calif., “Unicorn” Abel Vang & Burlee Vang, Fresno, Calif., “The Tiger.s Child” Paul Vicknair & Chris Shafer,...
Their scripts will now be read and judged by the Academy’s Nicholl Committee, which may award as many as five of the prestigious $30,000 fellowships.
This year’s finalists are (listed alphabetically by author):
Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham, Los Angeles, Calif., “Guns and Saris” Dion Cook, Altus, Oklahoma, “Cutter” K.E. Greenberg, Los Angeles, Calif., “Blood Bound” Ehud Lavski, Tel Aviv, Israel, “Parasite” John MacInnes, Los Angeles, Calif., “Outside the Wire” Aaron Marshall, West Hollywood, Calif., “Fig Hunt: The Quest for Battle Armor Star Captain” Khurram Mozaffar, Lisle, Illinois, “A Man of Clay” Matthew Murphy, Culver City, Calif., “Unicorn” Abel Vang & Burlee Vang, Fresno, Calif., “The Tiger.s Child” Paul Vicknair & Chris Shafer,...
- 9/30/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
AMPAS’ Festival Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt announced on Thursday that it had awarded $450,000 to 30 U.S. film festivals for the 2011 calendar year.
From AMPAS:
The Chicago International Film Festival will be the recipient of a multiyear grant for its World Cinema Spotlight program. It will receive a total of $150,000 over a three-year period. The Nashville Film Festival and the New Orleans Film Festival are each in the third and final year of a multiyear grant, with each receiving $75,000 in total for numerous outreach programs.
While the grants are awarded for a variety of festival programs, organizers are encouraged to submit proposals intended to make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the general public.
The 2011 film festival grants allocations are as follows:
$50,000
Chicago International Film Festival . World Cinema Spotlight program $30,000
San...
From AMPAS:
The Chicago International Film Festival will be the recipient of a multiyear grant for its World Cinema Spotlight program. It will receive a total of $150,000 over a three-year period. The Nashville Film Festival and the New Orleans Film Festival are each in the third and final year of a multiyear grant, with each receiving $75,000 in total for numerous outreach programs.
While the grants are awarded for a variety of festival programs, organizers are encouraged to submit proposals intended to make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the general public.
The 2011 film festival grants allocations are as follows:
$50,000
Chicago International Film Festival . World Cinema Spotlight program $30,000
San...
- 11/5/2010
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The aliens from Sony's "District 9" scored big during The Hollywood Reporter's 39th annual Key Art Awards.
Honoring the best in movie marketing, Friday's event at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles saw "District 9" take home 11 awards, including the best-in-show prize for its integrating marketing campaigning as well as three other best-in-show laurels for its outdoor advertising (built around its "Bus Stop for Humans Bus Shelter"), TV spots and digital campaign.
The awards ceremony culminated with Sylvester Stallone receiving the Visionary Award, given annually to a filmmaker who inspires movie marketers.
"At the end of the day, there is no question that Sylvester Stallone delivers great product," THR publisher Lori Burgess said before calling Stallone to the candlelit stage at what once was the altar of the former St. Vibiana Roman Catholic cathedral, which has been converted to a party space. "He's put his stamp on film like very few people of his generation.
Honoring the best in movie marketing, Friday's event at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles saw "District 9" take home 11 awards, including the best-in-show prize for its integrating marketing campaigning as well as three other best-in-show laurels for its outdoor advertising (built around its "Bus Stop for Humans Bus Shelter"), TV spots and digital campaign.
The awards ceremony culminated with Sylvester Stallone receiving the Visionary Award, given annually to a filmmaker who inspires movie marketers.
"At the end of the day, there is no question that Sylvester Stallone delivers great product," THR publisher Lori Burgess said before calling Stallone to the candlelit stage at what once was the altar of the former St. Vibiana Roman Catholic cathedral, which has been converted to a party space. "He's put his stamp on film like very few people of his generation.
- 6/11/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney/PIxar's "Up" has earned 19 nominations, the most of any film, for The Hollywood Reporter's 39th annual Key Art Awards. Winners will be announced during an awards show set for June 11 at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
Sony's "District 9" was next with 14 noms, followed by Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" with 12.
Ignition leads all agencies with 59 nominations, and Lionsgate collected the most studio noms, followed closely by Paramount and Warners.
Sylvester Stallone will receive the Visionary Award. An actor, writer and director, Stallone has branded his movies with vitality and a belief that a man can succeed against all odds. Former Visionary Award recipients include Sam Raimi and Judd Apatow.
THR received a record number of submissions for this year's awards, which will be given out in 74 categories; for the first time, nods will be handed out for 3D and best integrated marketing campaign. Thirteen Best in Show awards...
Sony's "District 9" was next with 14 noms, followed by Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" with 12.
Ignition leads all agencies with 59 nominations, and Lionsgate collected the most studio noms, followed closely by Paramount and Warners.
Sylvester Stallone will receive the Visionary Award. An actor, writer and director, Stallone has branded his movies with vitality and a belief that a man can succeed against all odds. Former Visionary Award recipients include Sam Raimi and Judd Apatow.
THR received a record number of submissions for this year's awards, which will be given out in 74 categories; for the first time, nods will be handed out for 3D and best integrated marketing campaign. Thirteen Best in Show awards...
- 5/10/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeffrey Sakson has joined Participant Media as vp, publicity, reporting to exec vps of marketing Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones.
Sakson will be responsible for overseeing publicity efforts for all Participant film releases and social action campaigns related to its films as well as corporate communications.
Sakson previously worked with Shutt and Jones at Universal, where he spent 22 years, rising to the position of senior vp, publicity.
Sakson will be responsible for overseeing publicity efforts for all Participant film releases and social action campaigns related to its films as well as corporate communications.
Sakson previously worked with Shutt and Jones at Universal, where he spent 22 years, rising to the position of senior vp, publicity.
With his sitcom "The King of Queens" all wrapped up, Kevin James is setting his sights on the movie world, entering negotiations to star in Universal Pictures' "One Nation Under Bob". The comedy is being produced by Shady Acres' Tom Shadyac and Michael Bostick.
John Scott Shepherd wrote the screenplay, which follows an average guy who inherits a plot of land only to discover that it is a country unto itself and he is now the owner of a sovereign nation.
Shutt-Jones Prods., run by former Universal marketing execs-turned-marketing consultants Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, will produce in some capacity.
No director is on board.
Holly Bario is overseeing for Universal.
James, who was nominated for an Emmy last year for his work on "Queens", is making his first outing as a leading man with the upcoming Universal comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," which he stars in opposite Adam Sandler. He also received praise for his scene-stealing performance in "Hitch".
James is repped by Endeavor and Jeff Sussman Management.
John Scott Shepherd wrote the screenplay, which follows an average guy who inherits a plot of land only to discover that it is a country unto itself and he is now the owner of a sovereign nation.
Shutt-Jones Prods., run by former Universal marketing execs-turned-marketing consultants Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, will produce in some capacity.
No director is on board.
Holly Bario is overseeing for Universal.
James, who was nominated for an Emmy last year for his work on "Queens", is making his first outing as a leading man with the upcoming Universal comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," which he stars in opposite Adam Sandler. He also received praise for his scene-stealing performance in "Hitch".
James is repped by Endeavor and Jeff Sussman Management.
- 4/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Participant Prods. has named veterans Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones co-heads of marketing for the indie production company. Shutt and Jones, who have held the top marketing spots at four major studios during their careers, will strategize and orchestrate marketing of all ventures Participant is involved.
They will report to Participant president Ricky Strauss.
"Buffy and Kathy are extraordinary executives -- they have worked as a team for years and have earned industrywide respect for their intelligence, their instincts and, most important, their integrity," Participant CEO Jim Berk said. "In addition to overseeing all marketing services, they will play a leadership role in strategic planning, new business development and acquisition integration as we expand to other media channels."
Shutt and Jones, whose professional partnership has spanned decades, worked with Participant as consultants on "Good Night, and Good Luck". Each will hold the title of executive vp marketing. Their first project will be the marketing of Brett Morgen's "Chicago 10", a documentary about the anti-war protests at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention, which will open the Sundance Film Festival on Jan.
They will report to Participant president Ricky Strauss.
"Buffy and Kathy are extraordinary executives -- they have worked as a team for years and have earned industrywide respect for their intelligence, their instincts and, most important, their integrity," Participant CEO Jim Berk said. "In addition to overseeing all marketing services, they will play a leadership role in strategic planning, new business development and acquisition integration as we expand to other media channels."
Shutt and Jones, whose professional partnership has spanned decades, worked with Participant as consultants on "Good Night, and Good Luck". Each will hold the title of executive vp marketing. Their first project will be the marketing of Brett Morgen's "Chicago 10", a documentary about the anti-war protests at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention, which will open the Sundance Film Festival on Jan.
- 1/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Participant Prods. has named veterans Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones co-heads of marketing for the indie production company. Shutt and Jones, who have held the top marketing spots at four major studios during their careers, will strategize and orchestrate marketing of all ventures Participant is involved.
They will report to Participant president Ricky Strauss.
"Buffy and Kathy are extraordinary executives -- they have worked as a team for years and have earned industrywide respect for their intelligence, their instincts and, most important, their integrity," Participant CEO Jim Berk said. "In addition to overseeing all marketing services, they will play a leadership role in strategic planning, new business development and acquisition integration as we expand to other media channels."
Shutt and Jones, whose professional partnership has spanned decades, worked with Participant as consultants on "Good Night, and Good Luck". Each will hold the title of executive vp marketing. Their first project will be the marketing of Brett Morgen's "Chicago 10", a documentary about the anti-war protests at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention, which will open the Sundance Film Festival on Jan.
They will report to Participant president Ricky Strauss.
"Buffy and Kathy are extraordinary executives -- they have worked as a team for years and have earned industrywide respect for their intelligence, their instincts and, most important, their integrity," Participant CEO Jim Berk said. "In addition to overseeing all marketing services, they will play a leadership role in strategic planning, new business development and acquisition integration as we expand to other media channels."
Shutt and Jones, whose professional partnership has spanned decades, worked with Participant as consultants on "Good Night, and Good Luck". Each will hold the title of executive vp marketing. Their first project will be the marketing of Brett Morgen's "Chicago 10", a documentary about the anti-war protests at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention, which will open the Sundance Film Festival on Jan.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Academy Foundation has announced $500,000 in grants, divided among 60 film-related organizations, as part of its Institutional Grants Program. "The Academy's grants program is designed to advance personal and professional interest in the motion picture industry and raise cultural awareness throughout our communities," Grants Committee chair Buffy Shutt said.
- 7/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday announced the winners of its 20th annual Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. This year's winners are Morgan Read-Davidson from Downey, Calif. for The Days Between; Seth Resnik of West Hollywood and Ron Moskovitz from Los Angeles for Fire in a Coal Mine; Michael D. Zungolo from Philadelphia for No Country; Colleen Cooper De Maio of Los Angeles for Pirates of Lesser Providence; and Gian Marco Masoni of Santa Monica for Ring of Fire. The winners were selected from nearly 6,000 scripts submitted for this year's competition. Final judging was conducted by writers Susannah Grant, John Gay, Fay Kanin and Hal Kanter, cinematographers John Bailey and Steven Poster, editor Mia Goldman, actor Eva Marie Saint, executive Bill Mechanic, producers Gale Anne Hurd, David Nicksay and Buffy Shutt, and agent Ron Mardigian. The winning writers will receive the first installment of their $30,000 prize money at a dinner in Beverly Hills on Nov. 10. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman will be the keynote speaker. Since the program's inception in 1985, 93 fellowships have been awarded. Previous winners include Grant, Raymond De Felitta and Ehren Kruger.
- 11/3/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, working through the Academy Foundation's Institutional Grants Program, has announced $500,000 in grants to support film education and cultural programming that have been awarded to 47 universities, colleges and cultural organizations throughout the United States and in two foreign countries. "The grants program is designed to bridge public audiences with the film industry while promoting and advancing film as an art form and profession," Grants committee chair Buffy Shutt said.
- 6/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veteran producers Ian Sander and Kim Moses have inked an overall deal at Touchstone Television for their company Sander/Moses Prods. Under the one-year pact, Sander and Moses will develop series projects for the studio as nonwriting executive producers. Eleven-year-old Sander/Moses most recently produced the Lifetime series For the People, starring Lea Thompson. The company's credits also include NBC's Profiler and I'll Fly Away and the Lifetime telefilm Stolen Babies. Additionally, Moses and Sander penned a feature adaptation of Tess Gerritsen's novel The Surgeon for producers Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones (Blue Crush), with Claudio Fah (Coronado) attached to direct. Sander and Moses are repped by WMA and attorneys Gunnar Erickson and Bradley Small.
- 8/27/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Universal Pictures has picked up the original comedy pitch One Nation Under Bob, which screenwriter John Scott Shepherd will write as a vehicle for Tom Shadyac to direct. Shadyac's studio-based company Shady Acres Entertainment will produce the project with Shutt-Jones Prods. Bob, an original idea developed at Shady Acres and Shutt-Jones, is a high-concept comedy centering on an average man who inherits a plot of land only to discover that it is a country unto itself and he is now the owner of a sovereign nation. The intent is to develop the project for a major comedic star. Shady Acres' Michael Bostick is producing the project with Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones. Shady Acres executive Amanda Morgan Palmer will oversee the project with Universal's Holly Bario and Scott Stuber. Shepherd has written such projects as Joe Somebody and Life or Something Like It. Shadyac next directs the Universal/Shady Acres comedy Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman.
- 3/15/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Babes, bikinis and the beach. It's been an unbeatable cinematic combination at least since the days of Gidget. Add the sort of extreme-sports action so in vogue with the younger set these days, and you have a movie that Universal no doubt hopes will take some of the boxoffice edge off Vin Diesel's heroics.
Those hopes probably will be realized, at least for the short term. With its theme of female empowerment and its sappy romantic plot line designed to appeal to teen girls, along with plenty of killer wave footage and a comely lead actress spending 90% of the film in a state of near nakedness to entice their male counterparts, "Blue Crush" should ride a fairly substantial wave of opening-week boxoffice.
Based on the magazine article "Surf Girls of Maui" by Susan Orleans, the film, shot entirely on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, differs from such predecessors as "Big Wednesday" and "Point Break" by its concentration on "surfer girls," who, much to the happiness of Universal's marketing department, naturally spend most of their time wearing skimpy bathing suits.
The central character is Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth), who, along with her roommates Eden (Michelle Rod-riguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake), works as a maid at one of the island's posh resorts while dreaming of a career as a sponsored professional surfer. That dream would be made possible by succeeding at the upcoming Pipe Masters surf competition, but lingering fears from a previous wipeout prevent her from fully committing to her training, much to Eden's annoyance.
Complicating matters even further is the arrival of a vacationing pro football team, with several of the players hiring Anne Marie and her friends to give them private surfing lessons. Soon, she's ro-mantically involved with Matt (Matthew Davis), the dreamboat quarterback who showers her with expensive gifts and the unspoken promise of being a trophy wife. She's in danger of becoming, in what is apparently the ultimate insult for these macho women, a "Barbie".
While the plot rarely rises above the level of serviceable, it's actually not as moronic as might have been expected, with the characterizations being somewhat less stereotypical than usual. Credit for this goes to screenwriter Lizzy Weiss and director/co-screenwriter John Stockwell, the latter of whom demonstrated his sensitivity toward teen romance with last year's "crazy/beautiful." Ultimately, however, what drives the film are the surfing sequences, which have been realized with great skill and, as the press notes breathlessly inform us, "without a single blue screen or tank shot."
Needless to say, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and Stockwell and his technical collaborators have provided several gripping sequences. Particularly powerful is the climactic Pipe Masters competition, which provides vivid depictions of what exactly it's like to be in the middle of a killer wave with deadly coral reefs just below the surface.
The gorgeous Bosworth, clad in a series of bikinis (with properly hip mismatched tops and bottoms, natch), is not exactly tough to look at for two hours and delivers a solid performance, managing to look credible on her surfboard despite a lack of previous experience. Rodriguez, who spends much of the film on Jet Skis, provides her usual strong screen presence, and Lake, a veteran surfer, displays convincing athleticism.
Davis is appealing as the sensitive hunk, Mika Boorem strikes the right notes as Anne Marie's pesky younger sister, and Faizon Love scores literally hefty laughs as a particularly husky surfing neophyte. An assortment of professional female surfers, acting both as doubles for the actors and playing themselves, are on hand to lend veracity to the proceedings.
BLUE CRUSH
A Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment presentation
A Brian Grazer production
Credits:
Director: John Stockwell
Screenwriters: Lizzy Weiss, John Stockwell
Producers: Brian Grazer, Karen Kehela
Executive producers: Buffy Shutt, Kathy Jones, Louis G. Friedman
Director of photography: David Hennings
Production designer: Tom Meyer
Film editor: Emma E. Hickox
Music: Paul Haslinger
Cast:
Anne Marie: Kate Bosworth
Matt: Matthew Davis
Eden: Michelle Rodriguez
Lena: Sanoe Lake
Penny: Mika Boorem
Drew: Chris Taloa
Kala: Kala Alexander
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Those hopes probably will be realized, at least for the short term. With its theme of female empowerment and its sappy romantic plot line designed to appeal to teen girls, along with plenty of killer wave footage and a comely lead actress spending 90% of the film in a state of near nakedness to entice their male counterparts, "Blue Crush" should ride a fairly substantial wave of opening-week boxoffice.
Based on the magazine article "Surf Girls of Maui" by Susan Orleans, the film, shot entirely on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, differs from such predecessors as "Big Wednesday" and "Point Break" by its concentration on "surfer girls," who, much to the happiness of Universal's marketing department, naturally spend most of their time wearing skimpy bathing suits.
The central character is Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth), who, along with her roommates Eden (Michelle Rod-riguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake), works as a maid at one of the island's posh resorts while dreaming of a career as a sponsored professional surfer. That dream would be made possible by succeeding at the upcoming Pipe Masters surf competition, but lingering fears from a previous wipeout prevent her from fully committing to her training, much to Eden's annoyance.
Complicating matters even further is the arrival of a vacationing pro football team, with several of the players hiring Anne Marie and her friends to give them private surfing lessons. Soon, she's ro-mantically involved with Matt (Matthew Davis), the dreamboat quarterback who showers her with expensive gifts and the unspoken promise of being a trophy wife. She's in danger of becoming, in what is apparently the ultimate insult for these macho women, a "Barbie".
While the plot rarely rises above the level of serviceable, it's actually not as moronic as might have been expected, with the characterizations being somewhat less stereotypical than usual. Credit for this goes to screenwriter Lizzy Weiss and director/co-screenwriter John Stockwell, the latter of whom demonstrated his sensitivity toward teen romance with last year's "crazy/beautiful." Ultimately, however, what drives the film are the surfing sequences, which have been realized with great skill and, as the press notes breathlessly inform us, "without a single blue screen or tank shot."
Needless to say, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and Stockwell and his technical collaborators have provided several gripping sequences. Particularly powerful is the climactic Pipe Masters competition, which provides vivid depictions of what exactly it's like to be in the middle of a killer wave with deadly coral reefs just below the surface.
The gorgeous Bosworth, clad in a series of bikinis (with properly hip mismatched tops and bottoms, natch), is not exactly tough to look at for two hours and delivers a solid performance, managing to look credible on her surfboard despite a lack of previous experience. Rodriguez, who spends much of the film on Jet Skis, provides her usual strong screen presence, and Lake, a veteran surfer, displays convincing athleticism.
Davis is appealing as the sensitive hunk, Mika Boorem strikes the right notes as Anne Marie's pesky younger sister, and Faizon Love scores literally hefty laughs as a particularly husky surfing neophyte. An assortment of professional female surfers, acting both as doubles for the actors and playing themselves, are on hand to lend veracity to the proceedings.
BLUE CRUSH
A Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment presentation
A Brian Grazer production
Credits:
Director: John Stockwell
Screenwriters: Lizzy Weiss, John Stockwell
Producers: Brian Grazer, Karen Kehela
Executive producers: Buffy Shutt, Kathy Jones, Louis G. Friedman
Director of photography: David Hennings
Production designer: Tom Meyer
Film editor: Emma E. Hickox
Music: Paul Haslinger
Cast:
Anne Marie: Kate Bosworth
Matt: Matthew Davis
Eden: Michelle Rodriguez
Lena: Sanoe Lake
Penny: Mika Boorem
Drew: Chris Taloa
Kala: Kala Alexander
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 8/15/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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