Norman Jewison Tribute to be held at LACMA, April 17-18

March 18, 2009—The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and Film Independent are pleased to honor legendary filmmaker and CFC founder Norman Jewison with a two-night tribute, April 17-18 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Film Centre.
 
On Friday, April 17th at 7:30pm, Jewison and a panel of stars and filmmakers from some of his best-loved films will take part in a special 90 minute conversation, moderated by film journalist/critic Leonard Maltin, celebrating the award-winning director/producer’s illustrious career.  The panel will be followed at 9:15 by a screening of Jewison’s Oscar-winning In the Heat of the Night, co-starring Best Actor-winner Rod Steiger and Sydney Poitier. On Saturday, April 18that 7:30pm, LACMA will screen the Academy Archive print of Fiddler on the Roof, Jewison’s most ambitious production and commercially successful film, and the recipient of nine Academy Award nominations including Best Director and Best Picture.
 
“I am thrilled that the LACMA Film Department is the venue for this tribute to Norman Jewison who, over the past 3 decades, has directed some of the most entertaining and provocative films to emerge from Hollywood,” said Ian Birnie, Director, Film Department, LACMA.  “Not only is he a great story teller and wonderful with actors, Jewison is a true artist who combines the craftmanship of big screen filmmaking with an optimistic and socially progressive sensibility. In a diverse filmography numbering over twenty-five films – from In the Heat of the Night through Moonstruck to The Hurricane– there is scarcely a mean-spirited or cynical moment. “
 
Norman Jewison has been a vibrant force in the motion picture industry for four decades and is one of the industries most respected directors and producers. Mr. Jewison has been the recipient of many prestigious international honors and has been personally nominated for four Oscars.  His films have received 46 nominations, 12 Academy Awards and he has also been nominated for three Best Director awards. In 1999, Jewison received the prestigious Irving Thalberg Award at the Academy Awards for his body of work.
 
Founded by Jewison, the Canadian Film Centre opened in 1988 and is akin to the American Film Institute. The CFC offers filmmakers’ the opportunity to hone their skills to a state-of-the-art level in a number of different disciplines including film, television and new media. Some of the more well-known alumni include Sarah Polley (director/writer,Away from Her), Don McKellar (writer,Blindness), Vincenzo Natalie (director,Splice, Cube), Holly Dale (director “Flashpoint”), and Stephen Williams, (co-exec producer/director, “Lost“).