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Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas will receive honorary Academy Awards at the 2025 Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday.

Cruise, Allen and Thomas will be given Academy Honorary Awards, while Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The awards were voted on by the Academy’s Board of Directors, which chooses up to four Governors Award recipients each year. In a statement announcing this year’s choices, Academy President Janet Yang said, “Debbie Allen is a trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres. Tom Cruise’s incredible commitment to our filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community has inspired us all. Beloved performer Dolly Parton exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts. And production designer Wynn Thomas has brought some of the...

Presenting the Oscars this year involved a higher-than-usual degree of difficulty, coming less than two months after Southern California’s devastating wildfires and amid a time of political chaos triggered by the Trump administration, coupled with the additional burden of awkward controversy surrounding a major nominee, “Emilia Pérez.”

Taking that disclaimer into account, the 97th Academy Awards largely mastered the delicate mechanics of that juggling act, acknowledging weightier matters — such as bringing out Los Angeles firefighters for an extended ovation — while seeking to provide a sense of playfulness, even silliness, courtesy of host Conan O’Brien.

The politics wasn’t oppressive, yet nor were issues outside the Dolby Theatre ignored, from Daryl Hannah saying “Slava Ukraine” in presenting an award to Zoe Saldaña noting that she is “a proud child of immigrant parents” at a time when immigration policy remains a point of considerable conflict. Plus, best documentary went to “No Other Land,...

Martha Luttrell, the onetime ICM talent agent whose clients included Susan Sarandon, Sam Shepard, Waylon Jennings, Don Was and Martin Campbell, has died. She was 80.

Luttrell died Monday of pancreatic cancer in Calabasas, California, a family spokesperson announced.

Luttrell, who spent 25 years at ICM, also repped directors Paul Weiland, Mick Jackson, Julie Taymor, Tony Bill and Jon Amiel; actors Stephen Rea and Judy Davis; and filmmakers/conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert.

Luttrell was born in Vancouver on Halloween in 1944. Her father, James, was a salesman and her mother, Frances, a realtor. She knew at an early age that she wanted to be in show business and moved with her cousin to Los Angeles right out of high school. One of her first jobs was working at Capitol Records answering the phones.

In the early 1970s, Luttrell relocated to New York and became the assistant to Mike Nichols, whom she called...

Martha Luttrell, a veteran talent agent whose clients ranged from Susan Sarandon and Martin Campbell to Julie Taymor, Sam Shepard and Waylon Jennings and also worked with Mike Nichols and Bill Robinson, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer in Calabasas, CA. She was 80.

Her friend Holly Goldberg Sloan confirmed the news to Deadline.

Born on October 31, 1944, in Vancouver, Luttrell knew at an early age that she wanted to be in show business and moved with her cousin to Los Angeles right out of high school. Among her first jobs was answering phones at Capitol Records.

Luttrell relocated to New York City in the early 1970s and became the assistant to comedian-turned-Oscar-winning The Graduate filmmaker Mike Nichols. After working with him on 1973’s The Day of the Dolphin, she moved back to Los Angeles and got a job assisting Robinson at The Robinson Agency, where she learn the craft of agenting.

Related:...

Richard Gere has never won an Oscar, and if history holds true, he might not be winning one anytime soon. In fact, the actor, who first rose to fame for his turn in films like "American Gigolo" and "An Officer and a Gentleman," didn't show his face at the Academy Awards ceremony for two decades after he was reportedly blacklisted from the awards following a political speech he gave in 1993.

In case you didn't see the moment in question live, it's worth noting that Gere was a sex symbol and a huge deal in Hollywood in the early '90s, and letting him present the Oscar for Best Art Direction was no doubt good for the show's then still-high ratings. When he stepped on stage that night, America was still gripped with leftover "Pretty Woman" fever, and Gere would go on to make some of his best films (including "Primal Fear...

The first time Jimmy Kimmel showed up at the Oscars, he didn’t have a ticket. It was the mid-1990s, back when he was on Kroq’s “Kevin & Bean” morning drive-time show, and he and host Kevin Ryder decided to sneak into the Academy Awards Governors Ball.

“I remember us getting there 9 o’clock in the morning in tuxedos,” Kimmel recalls. “We figured that if we hung around long enough, it would seem like we belonged there. But then moments before the guests began to arrive, they kicked us right out.”

Their mistake was claiming they were guests of Gil Cates — just a name they saw in the Oscars credits, but actually the longtime Academy Awards executive producer. Still, Kimmel and Ryder slipped back in — and then had a glorious evening. “The only thing I really remember from that night is we told John Travolta that we snuck in...

The film world is mourning the dissolution of one of indie cinema’s most fascinating auteurist pairs, Benny and Josh Safdie, colloquially known as the Safdie Brothers (“Uncut Gems”). It may be more of a break than a break up, but for the time being, the “Good Time” guys are going solo.

“It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore,” Benny Safdie recently told Variety of the split from his brother, dispelling rumors that the breakup was anything but brotherly. “I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.”

He’s left the door open for a reunion; perhaps it will come on the Safdies’ (the duo) previously announced project with Adam Sandler and Megan Thee Stallion. It’s not dead, Benny said, just “on pause.”

Due to a DGA bylaw,...

The sound of music was back with us this week in the form of two polar opposite productions that may intrigue audiences but challenge marketers.

Maestro started streaming on Netflix after auditioning in a (very) few select theaters. Will its narcissistic protagonist, Leonard Bernstein, prove bigger than life on theater screens but too big for the tube?

Wonka, by contrast, is a study in promotional ubiquity, fragments popping up on everything from TBS to the Food Network. Its campaign reflects the determination of Warner Bros Discovery, like Netflix, to overcome the genre funk (think West Side Story or Dear Evan Hansen).

Hovering in the background are the bakeoffs, recaps and revisits fostered by an Academy eager to get out the vote for international candidates, fulfilling its global scenario.

Gil Cates, the colorful impresario who presided over 14 Oscar shows and rescued the genre from the Snow White debacle, would likely have been delighted by Barbenheimer.

No director in Hollywood has a weirder résumé than Alan Smithee. Between 1969 and 2015, his credits included the Richard Widmark western "Death of a Gunfighter"; the horror comedies "Student Bodies" and "Ghost Fever"; the Jodie Foster thriller "Catchfire"; the franchise sequels "The Birds II: Land's End" and "Hellraiser: Bloodline"; episodes of hit TV series like "MacGyver" and "Tiny Toon Adventures"; and music videos for artists like Metallica, Destiny's Child, Wu-Tang Clan, Whitney Houston, and Jennifer Lopez.

But there's a reason for that: "Alan Smithee" is not a real person. It's a pseudonym invented by the Director's Guild of America for filmmakers to use when they no longer want to be credited for their work. This usually happens when they're replaced on a project, or believe that studio interference has altered the film so much that it no longer reflects their vision. That's why you'll sometimes see "Alan Smithee" credited on TV...

The Geffen Playhouse has a new artistic director: Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Announced Tuesday by the Westwood nonprofit theater’s board of directors, McCraney’s appointment is effective immediately and his first order of business is joining Geffen staff to build a slate for the 2024-2025 season. His duties will include programming “new works along with re-envisioned classics with a focus on innovative storytelling, community engagement and audience experience,” per the Geffen. He’ll also be charged with setting the artistic course for the Geffen’s Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis theaters and leading the artistic and production teams.

McCraney replaces Matt Shakman in the role. Shakman, a director of TV, film and theater projects, joined the Geffen as artistic director in 2017. In August 2022, he announced he would be departing come February 2023, and a committee commenced a months-long search for a replacement.

McCraney has history with the Geffen.

Moonlight and Choir Boy writer Tarell Alvin McCraney has been named artistic director for Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse, the non-profit theater’s Board of Directors announced today.

Effective immediately, McCraney joins the Geffen staff to begin building the 2024-2025 season. He’ll report to the theater’s Board of Directors.

McCraney shared a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar with director Barry Jenkins for the 2016 film Moonlight, and was Tony-nominated for the 2018 Broadway production of Choir Boy, his play that had been staged at the Geffen in 2014.

In a statement, McCraney said, “I see my role as continuing a legacy of exceptional artistry, reinvesting in the Geffen’s unique capability to nurture and support artists, build upon collaborative partnerships including with UCLA, and reach audiences that we share a community with across Los Angeles. I am excited to foster intimate innovation in performance, digging deep into our collective need for live connection here at Geffen Playhouse.

Danette Herman was one of the key staff members of the Academy Awards ceremonies from the 1970s into the 2010s, beginning as a production assistant and rising through the ranks to become the show’s executive in charge of talent and coordinating producer. One of the few women to serve in key positions at the Oscars, she was with the show during the years of its highest ratings and largest cultural impact.

As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond

Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.

It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...

This one has to be better, right? It will be the first Oscars under Academy CEO Bill Kramer, who took the role in July 2022 after running the Academy Museum. After last year’s incendiary ceremony produced by Will Packer, which featured an ungainly trio of hosts, capped by the slap, Kramer had a new mantra: Make the show classy, fun, and celebratory of the movies. And sure enough, that’s exactly what the producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner say, too.

Here’s the thing: For the first time since the era of Gil Cates, who produced the Academy Awards 14 times between 1990 and 2008 with hosts Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart, we have an Oscar producer with extensive Oscar telecast experience.

Three-time Primetime Emmy winner Weiss (the guy who proposed to his wife live on the Emmys) directed the show seven times; this will be his eighth.

This year, instead of hiring a movie industry stalwart like recent Oscar show producers Steven Soderbergh or Will Packer — who separately oversaw Academy Awards broadcasts over the past couple of years that were, shall we say, memorable for all the wrong reasons — the Academy has turned to awards show and live TV veterans Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner. In going for experience rather than take a chance on someone who is not known for putting together a massive television production for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year, AMPAS returned to the days of Gil Cates, who reliably produced 14 Oscar shows and could be counted on to try new things but also uphold tradition.

Related Story Pete Hammond’s Final Oscar Predictions: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’, ‘Elvis’, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Could Be Multiple Winners Related Story Oscars: Lady Gaga Won't Perform At Ceremony...

Will Smith flouncing onto the Dolby Theatre stage, winding up, and walloping host Chris Rock is a moment that will live in Oscar-night infamy, but it’s far from the most egregious episode in the ceremony’s 94-year history. This is an event, after all, that made nominee Hattie McDaniel sit at a segregated table, far from the rest of the Gone with the Wind cast, because she was Black, and had Seth MacFarlane do a song-and-dance to the tune “We Saw Your Boobs.” Its long, ignominious history of misfires...

Ageless rocker Lenny Kravitz will take the stage at the Oscars on March 12 to perform during the In Memoriam segment of the telecast.

The In Memoriam segment, which has been a popular part of the Oscars telecast since producer Gil Cates introduced it in the early 1990s, has typically included about three dozen of the Academy members and film luminaries and has always drawn post-show complaints about who was left out. This year, following the tribute during the televised ceremony, more than 200 industry professionals and Hollywood luminaries will be memorialized in an extended photo gallery on the Academy’s digital magazine, A.frame, according to executive producers Glenn Weiss, Ricky Kirshner and Molly McNearney.

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Where to Stream 2023’s Oscar-Nominated Movies Right Now

Kravitz may be a Grammy-winning pop superstar, but he has appeared in many major Hollywood films, including Amazon’s “Shotgun Wedding” (seen above), Lee Daniels’ “Precious...

Alejandro González Iñárritu (Bardo) is set to receive the Cinema Audio Society’s Filmmaker of the Year honor at the 59th Cas Awards, taking placing at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel on March 4.

This will be the 18th year that Cas bestows its Filmmaker Award. Past recipients include Gil Cates, George Clooney, Bill Condon, Jonathan Demme, Jon Favreau, Taylor Hackford, Richard Linklater, James Mangold, Rob Marshall, Paul Mazursky, Jay Roach, Sir Ridley Scott, Henry Selick, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Joe Wright and Edward Zwick.

The Cinema Audio Society will also this year honor five-time Oscar nominee Peter J. Devlin, Cas (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) for its Career Achievement Award, as previously announced. Its recognition of Iñárritu will follow the release of his latest awards-contending feature, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths — his first made in Mexico in over 20 years, which has been described as his most personal to date.

Veteran television producer, Stephen C. Grossman, whose many credits include eight years as coordinating producer on the 1980s CBS sitcom “Newhart,” passed away Thursday from coronavirus complications. He was 76.

Actor Alex Ben Block shared Grossman’s obituary with TheWrap on the family’s behalf.

Grossman’s long career as a producer began at Mary Tyler Moore Enterprises in 1977, where he worked on numerous pilots and series including “The Betty White Show,” “Mary” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour.”

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Leslie Jordan Honored in Memorial Montage: ‘Forever Part of the Fox Family’ (Video)

After leaving Mtm in 1990, Grossman was active at several production companies including Warner Bros., Paramount TV, Disney and Carsey-Werner, as well working with Ted Turner, Aaron Spelling and Steven Bochco.

His many TV credits include the 1997 CBS sitcom “George & Leo” with Newhart and Judd Hirsch, and the NBC comedy “Hope & Gloria.”

Grossman also served as co-president...

Stephen Grossman, a veteran television producer whose credits included eight years as coordinating producer on “Newhart,“ died on October 27 from coronavirus complications. Grossman was 76 years old.

In addition to serving as a producer during “Newhart’s” entire series run, Grossman also worked on shows like “The Betty White Show,” “Mary,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour,” “Reno 911!” and “Love & Money.”

His 35-year career in the entertainment industry began in the late 1960s when his acting aspirations led him toward New York City, leaving his home in Silver Spring, Md. He understudied on Broadway, stage-managed at Circle in the Square Theatre, and worked for director Gil Cates.

Grossman moved coasts in 1977, bringing with him his wife Joan and newborn daughter Jennifer to Hollywood, where he served at Mary Tyler Moore Enterprises among the busiest producers in television. After 13 years, Grossman left the company in 1990. Following his departure, he was active...

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Stephen C. Grossman, who served in various producing capacities on all eight seasons of the acclaimed 1982-90 CBS sitcom Newhart, died Thursday in Palm Desert of coronavirus complications, his wife, Joan, announced. He was 76.

Grossman also worked with Bob Newhart on two other CBS shows, Bob, which aired from 1992-93, and George & Leo, which paired the comedy legend with Judd Hirsch for one season in 1997-98.

His 35 years in the entertainment industry began in the late 1960s when he moved from Silver Spring, Maryland, to New York to pursue acting. He understudied on Broadway, was a stage manager at the Circle in the Square Theatre and worked for director Gil Cates.

A job offer in 1977 brought Grossman, his wife and newborn daughter to Hollywood and Mtm Enterprises, at the time among the busiest producers in television. In addition to Newhart — where he also...

Producer Stephen C. Grossman, who worked in the entertainment industry for 35 years, including eight as coordinating producer on the comedy hit Newhart, has died. He passed away on Wednesday from coronavirus complications, his family confirmed. He was 76 years old.

Grossman’s 35 years in the entertainment industry began in the late 1960s, when acting aspirations brought him to New York City from his home in Silver Spring, Maryland. He understudied on Broadway, stage-managed at Circle in the Square Theatre, and worked for director Gil Cates.

A job offer brought Grossman, his wife, and newborn daughter to Hollywood in 1977. He served at Mary Tyler Moore Enterprises when it was among the busiest producers in television. In addition to Newhart, Grossman worked in production and post-production on numerous pilots and series, including The Betty White Show, Mary, and The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour.

After leaving Mtm in 1990, Grossman was active at numerous production companies,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today not only sent out its latest edition of their digital newsletter, A. Frame, to its entire 10,000-plus membership, they also alerted press and made it available to them as well just an hour later. The reason for all this? An “Exclusive” interview with new CEO Bill Kramer who last month replaced previous CEO Dawn Hudson.

Ramping up the public face of AMPAS efforts to be more transparent not just in the media, but also to their members, is a priority and this A. Frame interview certainly marks the emergency of a new era for the organization which will also include upcoming press opportunities directly with Kramer, but also an announced Academy membership meeting at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in September, the first of multi meetings of this type to be held over the course of a year. And...

The new Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer said in an interview Tuesday that he has big ideas for the Oscars, one of which is having a producer who can handle the show across “multiple years.”

“I think bringing on producers for multiple years is advisable and we are working on that, as well,” Kramer told the Academy’s A.Frame digital magazine on Tuesday. “The 95th gives us a great opportunity to knit together the incredible legacy of the Oscars, the diverse and powerful work we do across the Academy, and our vision for the future.”

This would be a shift for the Academy. For years, the Academy has typically cycled through various guest producers of the Oscars show, including the likes of Will Packer (with Shayla Cowan) earlier this year and Steven Soderbergh (with Jesse Collins and Stacey Sher) the year before that during...

When the first Oscar show was scheduled for broadcast 90 years ago, several stars, even Douglas Fairbanks Jr., lined up to host it. Radio was a kind and friendly medium. Today an invitation to host an Oscar is akin to a colonoscopy. And the job of producing one may prove equally uninviting.

There will be no Oscar host this year—no phantom Ricky Gervais. The official rationale is that ratings of last year’s host-less show registered a 12% uptick. The more likely reason is that no one would take the job. Memories of Kevin Hart going down in flames are still too vivid (there was something dicey in his distant social media).

Gilbert Cates, the kindly filmmaker who produced fourteen Oscar shows, liked to create what he called “an atmosphere of celebration.” Today it’s more an atmosphere of combat.

Consider the time bombs littering the landscape: Trumpian tensions preclude banter...

Harvey Sabinson, one of Broadway’s legendary press agents and a former long-time executive director of The Broadway League, died on April 18 of natural causes at his residence in Sarasota, Florida. He was 94 years old. Sabinson capped a 50-year career in the theater when he was honored with a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1995. That year he stepped down as executive director of the League of American Theatres and Producers, (now known as the Broadway League) a national trade association of theatrical producers, presenters and theatre operators. Sabinson joined the organization early in 1976, when it was known as the League of New York Theatres and Producers, as director of special projects. Prior to this appointment, he spent 30 years as a theatrical publicist, beginning shortly after his discharge from Army service during World War II, during which time he received a Purple Heart. He became executive director in 1982. In...

lyrics by Alan amp Marilyn Bergmanmusic by Bill Cantos amp Mari Falcone, Dave Grusin, Marvin Hamlisch, Michel Legrand and Johnny MandelGeffen PlayhouseGil Cates Theaterthrough December 17 When I first heard about the premise of Chasing Mem'ries, I thought, 'Oh no, a musical about death and grieving...and with a ghost on tap...spare us' Well, sometimes first thoughts are terribly wrong. As it turns out Josh Ravetch's world premiere is a complete joy to watch. Ravetch skillfully directs, allowing the brilliant Tyne Daly plenty of space to pursue her journey as Victoria. Also starring Robert Forster as Franklin and Scott Kradolfer as their son Mason, this piece not only tugs at your heartstrings but will make you cherish every moment of living, through December 17 at the Gil Cates Theater of the Geffen Playhouse. Subtitled A Different Kind of Musical, ...Mem'ries is more a play with music in which the songs,...

The World Premiere of Chasing Mem'ries A Different Kind of Musical, starring Tony and Emmy Award winner Tyne Daly and featuring new and original songs by award-winning lyricists Alan amp Marilyn Bergman, is running at the Gil Cates Theater at The Geffen Playhouse and run through Sunday, December 17, 2017. Watch Daly sing 'Pieces of Dreams' from the show below...

The great Gil Cates, who produced 14 Academy Award shows, used to tell me, "I want people to express themselves on the show, but I don't think our audience wants political noise." If Cates were around today, he would have to brace himself. The media community is in an angry mood, as was evident at the Emmy Awards, and that anger is going to be difficult to tamp down by Oscar time. "I feel an infinite rage," Darren Aronofsky told a group of Academy voters this week. His…...

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When Richard Gere walked the red carpet at the Academy Awards in 1993, there was no way he could have known that the night would have repercussions for his career more than 20 years later. Invited to present the award for best art direction, he skipped the scripted patter to protest China's occupation of Tibet and its "horrendous, horrendous human rights situation." The late Gil Cates, the show's producer, was furious, calling the political speeches at that year's awards show —Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins also went off script to speak on behalf of Haitian refugees — "distasteful and...

Just a month after the Academy named Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd as the new producers for the 2017 Academy Awards, a new host has been named. Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been chosen to host the awards telecast, which will take place live from the Kodak Theater at the Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, February 26. This will mark Jimmy Kimmel's first time hosting the awards ceremony, but he did host the Emmy Awards earlier this year.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that the producers are expected to officially announce Jimmy Kimmel coming aboard as host later today. The news also comes months after ABC signed a new deal with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the network to keep airing the Oscar telecast until the year 2028, with the Academy paying ABC $75 million per year. Part of that deal gave the network more creative input,...

The Academy took its time finding its Oscar producers this year.

For three years in a row (2012-2014) they could rest easy knowing that Craig Zadan and Neil Meron were in charge, but since they moved on the AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and CEO Dawn Hudson are back to trying to convince someone to take on the often arduous and thankless task.

They usually pick a team to split the chores as they did last year with Reginald Hudlin and David Hill, who by all reports, were like oil and water. That wasn’t going to happen again. With less-than-glowing reviews for the last few Oscars, Isaacs and Hudson were looking for someone they could count on to elevate the event.

The Academy has never found another producer like director Gil Cates, who produced the Oscar show 14 times between 1990 and 2008, bringing in Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin,...

The Academy took its time finding its Oscar producers this year.

For three years in a row (2012-2014) they could rest easy knowing that Craig Zadan and Neil Meron were in charge, but since they moved on the AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and CEO Dawn Hudson are back to trying to convince someone to take on the often arduous and thankless task.

They usually pick a team to split the chores as they did last year with Reginald Hudlin and David Hill, who by all reports, were like oil and water. That wasn’t going to happen again. With less-than-glowing reviews for the last few Oscars, Isaacs and Hudson were looking for someone they could count on to elevate the event.

The Academy has never found another producer like director Gil Cates, who produced the Oscar show 14 times between 1990 and 2008, bringing in Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin,...

After Googling around the interwebs a bit, curiously researching what other critics thought about Old 37, I found out that my opinion appears to be in the minority. A lot of fans dug this homely slasher-abduction hybrid, getting lost in the legendary teaming of Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley. Hell, that’s what drew me in like a moth to a searing flame – but I got burned, unfortunately. There’s gore, and death, and evil paramedics, but a lazy story rarely remains coherent, and characters struggle to be more than crude outlines. Welcome to Horror 101, where kills rule all, and other cinematic facets are cobbled together with rusty spare parts. That bastard Alan Smithee strikes again!

Hodder and Moseley (Jon Roy and Darryl respectively) star as two brothers who have been warped by their father’s violent upbringing. Thanks to years of abuse, the boys patrol an open stretch of highway,...

This was originally published in TheWrap Magazine Foreign Language Issue. Gil Cates saw it coming. At a production meeting a month before the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, the longtime Oscar producer was running through the show’s lineup in front of a room of staffers, ABC executives and Academy brass. When he got to the presentation of the Best Foreign Language Film category, Cates laughed. “And if Roberto Benigni wins,” he said, “be prepared for a very long show.” Three days earlier, Benigni had won the best actor honors for “Life Is Beautiful” at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where the.

“Lady Filmmakers has been so important as a venue in Los Angeles for women filmmakers to present and screen their work, and one of the most amazing things they do is Script 2 Screen where they are actually fostering and championing talent by finding interesting writers, staging readings, and then producing short films. What other festival does this? It’s incredible.” - Producer Cecillia Peck

The 7th Annual Lady Filmmakers Festival begins today and will run throughout the weekend. Lady Filmmakers screens a record number of films directed and filmed by women! The festival boasts 4 feature films and 42 short films with several World, Us, West Coast, and La Premieres in Beverly Hills, CA. The festival kicks off with a “Havana Nights” Opening Party at the Crescent Hotel featuring Live Latin Music and Cuban inspired cuisine.

Lady Filmmakers is a festival that recognizes and celebrates the tremendous contribution of women to film and the importance in the collaborative spirit amongst men and women,” says Disalvo Viayra. One goal of the festival is to screen high quality, entertaining independent Us and international films to show people that they can enjoy Indie films just as much as the big blockbusters. The fest promotes artists and musicians, recognizes and empowers lady filmmakers, artists, and musicians from all ethnic, religious, and Lgbt communities.

Lady Filmmakers Honors Marion Rosenberg, OBE for her leadership and tremendous contributions to film. She served as Executive Producer on Columbia’s Hollow Man. She was the Executive Producer of Revolutionary Road, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Sam Mendes for Dreamworks. Marion co-founded BAFTA La, and was its Co-Chair from 1987 to 1995. Until 2008, she served as Chair of the UK Film Council Us Advisory Board.

Lady Filmmakers is more than just a film festival. Under the new 501(c)(3) IRS Tax Exempt Charity Status, The very first Script 2 Screen Film produced by Lady Filmmakers, The Bay Laurel, written by Jan Militello, directed by Lis & Brenda Fies, premieres Sunday October 25th at 8:00 pm at the Laemmle’s Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, CA. “The Bay Laurel” stars Emmy winner David Lagos.

The S2S Program is an extension of the writing contest where award-winning scripts are workshopped and given a Staged Reading in front of a live audience. The script “Pyne”, written by Ingrid Abrams, is in pre-production slated to shoot in November directed by Cecilia Peck. The film stars Adrian Pasdar, Sandra Seacat and Ajarae Coleman. This is just one of the new programs launched to create opportunities for women and diversity in film & the arts!

Special industry speakers confirmed are Ivy Kagan Bierman (Entertainment Lawyer), Tara Kole (Entertainment Lawyer), Andrew Sugerman (Premonition, Conviction), Louise Levison (The Blair Witch Project), Hammad Zaidi (Lonely Seal Releasing), Gil Cates Jr (Life After Tomorrow, Lucky, Job), Pam Dixon, Csa (Zorro, City Slickers, Gosford Park), Kerry Barden, Csa (Boys Don’t Cry, American Psycho).

This year's festival will screen films from Brazil, Norway, Spain, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Georgia, and Australia. Films will showcase up-and-coming as well as celebrity filmmakers and actors including Courteney Cox, Laura Dern, Rita Wilson, Anna Paquin, Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Olivia Wilde, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Glenn Close, James Brolin, and David Lynch.

Visit here for more information.

Geffen Playhouse presents the West Coast premiere of These Paper Bullets A Modish Ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, opening the not-for-profit organization's 20th anniversary season in the Gil Cates Theater. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award nominated writer Rolin Jones Friday Night Lights, Boardwalk Empire with songs by Grammy Award winner Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and staged by Jackson Gay, These Paper Bullets was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre where it premiered in 2014.

Geffen Playhousepresents theWest Coast premiere of These Paper Bullets A Modish Ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, opening the not-for-profit organization's 20th anniversary season in the Gil Cates Theater. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award nominated writer Rolin Jones Friday Night Lights, Boardwalk Empire with songs by Grammy Award winner Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and staged by Jackson Gay, These Paper Bullets was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre where it premiered in 2014.

Title: The Surface entertainment one Director: Gil Cates, Jr. Writer: Jeff Gendelman Cast: Sean Astin, Mimi Rogers, Chris Mulkey Running time: 86min, Not Rated (language) Special Features: Trailer; Inland Seas – Understanding and Protecting the Waters of the Great Lakes (Documentary 42min); Composer’s Session Featurette (10min); “Anytime You Like” Music Video by Familiar Looking Strangers; Deleted Scenes (x3-90 seconds); Photo Gallery; Mental Health Resource Information; Audio Commentary with Director Gil Cates Jr., Writer Jeff Gendelman, Actors Sean Astin and Chris Mulkey Mitch (Sean Astin) is packing up a boat to take out on Lake Michigan. He comes upon some plane wreckage and finds a lone survior Kelly (Chris Mulkey). The [ Read More ]

The post The Surface DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

eOne is releasing Gil Cates Jr's thriller The Surface on DVD, VOD and Digital HD on September 1st. Twitchfilm can get a copy of the DVD in your hands before that. When a plane crashes in the unpredictable waters of Lake Michigan, the pilot is pulled from the wreckage by Mitch who has been stranded on his boat. Immediately suspicious of each other, these two strangers must overcome their differences to find a way back to shore. Together, they must fight against the harsh elements if they have any hope of making it back alive. The Surface stars Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings), Chris Mulkey (Whiplash), and Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery). I've embedded the trailer below for you as well.  If...

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Geffen Playhouse has announced the cast for its West Coast premiere of These Paper Bullets A Modish Ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing,opening the not-for-profit organization's 20th anniversary season in the Gil Cates Theater.Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award nominated writer Rolin Jones Friday Night Lights, Boardwalk Empire with songs by Grammy Award winner Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and staged by Jackson Gay, These Paper Bullets was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre where it premiered in 2014.

After three straight years as producers of The Academy Awards, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will not return for the 2016 Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are currently seeking a new producer, or producers, for next year's show. Craig Zadan hinted shortly after the telecast that this year may be their last, but stressed that nothing had been officially decided. The Academy's Board of Governors met for the first time since the ceremony on Tuesday night, where the producers' return was discussed, and now it's official that they are moving on.

We reported in March that the Academy was considering a move back to five Best Picture nominees, instead of a sliding scale that would allow for anywhere between five and 10 nominees. Deadline reports that, while nothing about the Best Picture format was decided, their sources claim there was a feeling among the Governors that the telecast needs "fresh eyes.

Teresa Wright and Matt Damon in 'The Rainmaker' Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright vs. Samuel Goldwyn: Nasty Falling Out.") "I'd rather have luck than brains!" Teresa Wright was quoted as saying in the early 1950s. That's understandable, considering her post-Samuel Goldwyn choice of movie roles, some of which may have seemed promising on paper.[1] Wright was Marlon Brando's first Hollywood leading lady, but that didn't help her to bounce back following the very public spat with her former boss. After all, The Men was released before Elia Kazan's film version of A Streetcar Named Desire turned Brando into a major international star. Chances are that good film offers were scarce. After Wright's brief 1950 comeback, for the third time in less than a decade she would be gone from the big screen for more than a year.

Neil Meron and Craig Zadan are offering major hints they will not be returning to produce the Academy Awards again next year. The duo has been reponsible for the Oscars the past three years, but Zadan tweeted this weekend: "Hoping that whoever produces the #Oscars next year will retain our innovations: #TeamOscar program & reading all 24 nom on Oscar nom morning." They were the first producers in charge of at least three broadcasts in a row since Gil Cates (1990-1995). February's ceremony hosted by Neil Patrick Harris was the lowest-rated in six years, down 16% from last year's show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The Wrap -Break- After critics were enraged that the Oscars had no people of color among the acting nominees this year, the Emmys may be poised for the opposite situation. Big Emmy campaigns are ahead for both Taraji P. Henson ("Empire") and Viola Davis ("How to Get Away with Murder...

The Academy’s Facebook page recently posted a behind the scenes video of the 1990 Oscar ceremony, produced by the late Gil Cates and hosted, for the first time by Billy Crystal.

Next year's eagerly awaited 'Backstage at the Geffen' will honor Mellody Hobson and George Lucas with the Distinction in Service Award and Sir Elton John and David Furnish with the Distinction in Theater Award at the 13th annual fundraiser, slated for Sunday, March 22, 2015. The irreverent evening of laughter, music and stories featuring personal 'backstage' memories and songs by a cavalcade of stars precedes the award ceremony in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse and will be produced by Vice Chair of the Board, Gil Cates, Jr. David Geffen is Honorary Chair. The event also launches the 20th anniversary of the founding of the not-for-profit theater.

The Judge did not come close to winning its opening weekend. Nor did the critics swoon over the pairing of Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, playing a hot-shot, big-city attorney and his ornery father, a prominent small-town judge accused of murder. But even if the script is Grisham-light and the prodigal-son bit overly familiar, there's at least one reason to keep it on your must-see list: Duvall. "Now it's about time to recognize Robert Duvall as one of the most resourceful, most technically proficient, most remarkable actors in America today," wrote the New York Times. "When I say 'one of…...

This year's 6th annual Lady Filmmakers Festival will happen this Friday through Sunday in Beverly Hills. Lady Filmmakers Festival Extraordinary Women Honorees include Vivica A. Fox, LisaGay Hamilton, Neema Barnette, and Natasha Foster-Owens, Risa Bramon Garcia. Learn more about its exciting celebrity and film lineup below and learn how you can attend by visiting the festival website:

The festival will honor Natasha Foster-Owens, (Director, Production-hbo West Coast Production), with the 2014 Trailblazer Award, Actresses Vivica A. Fox and LisaGay Hamilton are in the Spotlight, Director Neema Barnette with the Moving Image Award, Risa Bramon Garcia with the Illumination Award. Ms. Foster-Owens, Ms. Garcia and Ms. Barnette speak on panels during the festival along with other distinguished industry experts in Television & Film. The festival boasts 6 feature films and 42 short films with several World, Us, West Coast, and La Premieres including “Night Vet” starring James Cromwell, Joanna Cassidy, Larry Miller & Irma P Hall; Opening Night Film “Redemption Trail” Starring LisaGay Hamilton, Lily Rabe, Jake Weber, and Hamish Linklater; “Today’s The Day” starring Danny Devito. Harvey Weinstein produced Operation Barn Owl. Special industry speakers confirmed so far are Joyce Cox (Avatar, Dark Knight, Great Gatsby, Men In Black III), Gary Sommerstein (Entertainment Lawyer), Elizabeth Bell, Andrew Sugerman (Premonition, Conviction), Louise Levison (The Blair Witch Project), Hammad Zaidi (Lonely Seal Releasing), Gil Cates Jr (Life After Tomorrow, Lucky, Job), Pam Dixon, Csa (Zorro, City Slickers, Gosford Park), Lance Still (The Golden Compass), Neema Barnette (Women Thou Art Loosed On The 7th Day, My Super Sweet 16 The Movie), Y. Shireen Razack (Rizzoli & Isles, Undercovers), Kerry Barden, Csa (Boys Don’t Cry, American Psycho), Natasha Foster-Owens (Director, Production-hbo West Coast Production), Sandra Avila (President of Avila Entertainment), Risa Bramon Garcia (Masters Of Sex, Twister, Speed). This year the festival will screen films from all over the world including the Czech Republic, India, Syria, UK, New Zealand, Sweden and Germany. 2009 - 2013 selected films were made by or showcased up-and-coming as well as celebrity filmmakers and actors including Courteney Cox, Laura Dern, Rita Wilson, Anna Paquin, Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Olivia Wilde, Chris Evans, Bryce Dallas Howard, Danny Glover, Glenn Close, James Brolin, John Mahoney, Lilli Taylor, Barrie Osborne, David Lynch, Clancy Brown, Mel Rodriguez and Stephen Gyllenhaal, just to name a few.... Regardless of the films selected, one thing is certain -- this festival will highlight a variety of cultures and worldviews. "Lady Filmmakers is a festival where people of diverse backgrounds converge with common interests and goals. It’s a Film Festival that recognizes and celebrates the tremendous contribution of women to film and the importance in the collaborative spirit amongst men and women,” says Disalvo Viayra. One goal of the festival is to screen entertaining independent Us and international films to show people that they can enjoy Indie films just as much as the big blockbusters. The fest promotes artists and musicians, recognizes and empowers lady filmmakers, artists, and musicians from all ethnic, religious, and Lgbt communities. To qualify for the festival, films must have at least one woman in the role of writer, director, cinematographer, producer, editor, or production designer. . For more information on the Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, bios on the festival organizers, instructions for submitting films or to become a sponsor of the festival, please visit our website.

Nick Gehlfuss Shameless, The Newsroom, Shawn Hatosy Southland, Reckless, Amber Tamblyn Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Alicia Witt Justified, 88 Minutes are cast in the Geffen Playhouse production of Reasons to Be Pretty, nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play 2009. Helmed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Randall Arney, Reasons to Be Pretty will be performed in the Gil Cates Theater through August 31 with an opening night of tonight, August 6.

Nick Gehlfuss Shameless, The Newsroom, Shawn Hatosy Southland, Reckless, Amber Tamblyn Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Alicia Witt Justified, 88 Minutes are cast in the Geffen Playhouse production of Reasons to Be Pretty, nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play 2009. Helmed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Randall Arney, Reasons to Be Pretty will be performed in the Gil Cates Theater today, July 29 to August 31 with an opening night of August 6.

Nick Gehlfuss Shameless, The Newsroom, Shawn Hatosy Southland, Reckless, Amber Tamblyn Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Alicia Witt Justified, 88 Minutes are cast in the Geffen Playhouse production of Reasons to Be Pretty, nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play 2009. Helmed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Randall Arney, Reasons to Be Pretty will be performed in the Gil Cates Theater July 29 to August 31 with an opening night of August 6.