New York, NY (October 31, 2003) - The Directors Guild of America announced today that it will present a $10,000 scholarship award to the University of Southern California (USC) Film Program at the fourth annual Directors Guild of America Honors, a black-tie gala that will be held on November 16 at The Waldorf Astoria. Elizabeth Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinema and Television, will be on hand to accept the award. Richard Belzer, renowned stand-up comedian, actor, talk show host and author who is noted for his barbed wit, will host the event.
Recipients of the 2003 Directors Guild of America Honors include Filmmakers Robert Altman and Curtis Hanson, commercial director Joe Pytka, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and AFL-CIO president John Sweeney. Presenters include Julianne Moore (for Robert Altman), Melissa Gilbert (for John Sweeney) and Matt Dillon (for Senator Olympia Snowe).
"The Directors Guild of America Honors scholarship is given in support of cultivating the next generation of filmmakers," said DGA President Michael Apted. "This award acknowledges the outstanding contribution that the USC Film Program has made to advance the study and art of filmmaking."
"I am tremendously honored to accept this award on behalf of the USC School of Cinema and Television," said Elizabeth Daley, Dean of the School of Cinema and Television at USC. "It is a special privilege for our School, which counts so many DGA members among its alumni, to receive such a wonderful tribute. And it is all the more meaningful coming as it does on the 'eve' of our 75th anniversary. On behalf on the entire USC School of Cinema and Television family of students, faculty, alumni and friends, I would like to thank DGA for placing our School in the same company as Robert Altman, Olympia Snowe, Joe Pytka, John J. Sweeny and Curtis Hanson - remarkable individuals whose commitment to the advancement of film and television serves as an inspiration to us all."
Many of the most respected names in the entertainment and communication arts are USC alumni. The USC Film Program brings together the arts of theater, film and television in one academic institution. At USC, aspiring screenwriters craft stories for the stage; theater actors gain experience before the camera; filmmakers learn valuable stage production skills and designers explore every aspect of the visual - from soap opera to grand opera.
The School of Cinema and Television is aggressively moving into the future while maintaining a great appreciation for the past. The School was established in 1929 as collaboration between the University and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. With the School's launch, USC became the first university in the country to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in film. The School's founding faculty included Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith, William C. DeMille, Ernst Lubitsch, Irving Thalberg and Darryl Zanuck, among others.
Since its founding, the School of Cinema-Television has had a profound impact on feature film, television, film studies, animation, documentaries, commercials, and most recently, interactive multimedia. The School has been consistently ranked #1 in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report.
Alumni include scholars in teaching institutions throughout the world, artists, technicians, writers, directors, and industry executives, many operating at the highest levels in their fields. Alumni have been honored with every major award available in the motion picture and television arts, ranging from Oscars and Emmys to accolades presented by American and international film festivals, and associations representing alternative and independent cinema. Since 1965, only two years have passed when a USC graduate did not receive a nomination for an Academy Award.
The School continues to build upon its legacy by redefining its curriculum to fit the changing spectrum of media arts and technology. The School of Cinema-Television strives to lead the way in every aspect of motion picture and television production, education and scholarly study.
Richard Belzer plays Det. John Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His film credits include Man on the Moon, The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Big Picture. Belzer is the author of UFOs, JFK and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe. This summer, Belzer was honored by the New York Friars Club and the Toyota Comedy Festival.
The Directors Guild of America Honors scholarship was awarded last year to the UCLA Film Program. Last year's honorees included filmmaker Spike Lee, television executive Don Hewitt, actress, author and past Chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts Jane Alexander, Sony Pictures Classics executives Tom Bernard, Marcy Bloom and Michel Barker, Congressman Charles B. Rangel and Artists Rights Foundation president Elliot Silverstein.
Founded in 1936 by 13 of Hollywood's leading filmmakers, including the legendary John Ford and King Vidor, the Directors Guild of America is the nation's pre-eminent organization representing directors and members of the directorial team. The Directors Guild of America represents 12,500 members who work in feature film, filmed, taped and live television, commercials, and documentaries, including Directors, Unit Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, Technical Coordinators, Stage Managers and Production Associates.
The Directors Guild of America Honors celebrates people and institutions that have made distinguished contributions to American culture through the world of film and television. At the same time, the Guild recognizes the diversity of achievement - in business, government, labor and educators - required to produce the best entertainment in the world.
The Fourth Annual Directors Guild of America Honors on November 16th will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:00 PM, dinner at 7:00 PM, followed by the awards presentation at 8:00 PM at the Waldorf-Astoria (301 Park Avenue, between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan).
For ticket and table reservation information, please call (212) 647-8765.
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| Richard Belzer | Julianne Moore | Melissa Gilbert | Matt Dillon |
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| Robert Altman | Curtis Hanson | Joe Pytka | Senator Olympia Snowe |
John Sweeney |
