American Cinematheque
Encyclopedia
The American Cinematheque is an independent, non-profit cultural organization in Los Angeles
dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the Moving Image
in all its forms. It is considered among the premier organizations of its kind in America.
The Cinematheque was created in 1981 as an offshoot of the annual Filmex
Los Angeles Film Festival which ran every year 1971-1983. After five years of fund-raising and planning, the Cinematheque launched its first series of screenings in 1987. It presents festivals and retrospectives that screen the best of worldwide cinema, video and television from the past and present - ranging from the classics to the outer frontiers of the art form. In addition to presenting and celebrating all aspects of the Moving Picture on the big screen - the Cinematheque also provides a forum where film-lovers and students can hear the world's leading filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, cinematographers and others discussing their work and craft.
theater and the Raleigh Studios complex in Hollywood. In 1998 it opened its own permanent home in Hollywood - and in 2004 added a second theater in Santa Monica
. It now presents festivals, retrospectives and assorted programs at these two theaters.
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
is the fabled Hollywood movie palace built in 1922 by legendary showman Sid Grauman
(four years prior to opening his equally-famous Chinese Theatre.) It was the location of Hollywood's first-ever movie premiere in 1922. In 1998 the American Cinematheque completed a major $12.8 million renovation that restored the theatre's exterior to its original glory - and added new film, video and audio technology. The Cinematheque has been presenting its programs there since December 1998.
Since its re-opening it has become a frequent choice for premieres and events in Hollywood. And it is the primary home for the Cinematheque's acclaimed year-round program of film, video & television festivals and retrospectives.
The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica
is a 1940 landmark movie theatre that has also been renovated by the Cinametheque and it has been functioning as the organization's second theater, serving the Westside of Los Angeles, since 2004.
http://www.modsandrockers.com/ of rock-culture films first presented in 1999. The 2006 festival was a six-week retrospective that the Los Angeles Times
noted was the largest-ever festival of rock-music films presented in the USA.
In addition to its year-round programs of film festivals and retrospectives, the organization presents the prestigious American Cinematheque Award
annually to a filmmaker in recognition of contributions to the art form. In the 20 years since the award's inception many major filmmakers have been honored including directors such as Steven Spielberg
, Martin Scorsese
, Ron Howard
and Rob Reiner
and actors including Sean Connery
, John Travolta
, Tom Cruise
, Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Mel Gibson
, Bruce Willis
, Nicolas Cage
Steve Martin
, Al Pacino
, George Clooney
, Samuel L. Jackson
, Denzel Washington
, Jodie Foster
, Nicole Kidman
and Julia Roberts
. In recent years the gala evening presentations have been videotaped and aired as TV specials in the US by the TNT and AMC
cable television networks and in 2010 (Matt Damon
) ABC.
Since 1994 the television special has been produced by Paul Flattery and the directors have included Spike Jonze Jr., Bruce Gowers and Michael Dempsey.
American Cinematheque's distribution arm was set up in 1999, as Vitagraph Films.
, Martin Scorsese
, Mike Nichols
, Francis Coppola, William Friedkin
, Melvin Van Peebles
, Brian Grazer
, Joe Dante
, Paula Wagner
and Steve Tisch
. Other prominent Board members include: actors Candice Bergen
and Goldie Hawn
; studio chief Mike Medavoy
; journalist Peter Bart
(editor-in-chief of Variety
) and talent agent Rick Nicita (Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency).
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the Moving Image
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
in all its forms. It is considered among the premier organizations of its kind in America.
The Cinematheque was created in 1981 as an offshoot of the annual Filmex
Filmex
Filmex was an annual Los Angeles film festival held in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was the predecessor of the American Film Institute's Los Angeles International Film Festival...
Los Angeles Film Festival which ran every year 1971-1983. After five years of fund-raising and planning, the Cinematheque launched its first series of screenings in 1987. It presents festivals and retrospectives that screen the best of worldwide cinema, video and television from the past and present - ranging from the classics to the outer frontiers of the art form. In addition to presenting and celebrating all aspects of the Moving Picture on the big screen - the Cinematheque also provides a forum where film-lovers and students can hear the world's leading filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, cinematographers and others discussing their work and craft.
The Cinematheque's two movie theatres
Between 1987 and 1998, the Cinematheque presented its programs at a variety of venues including the Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
theater and the Raleigh Studios complex in Hollywood. In 1998 it opened its own permanent home in Hollywood - and in 2004 added a second theater in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. It now presents festivals, retrospectives and assorted programs at these two theaters.
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, is one of the world's most famous movie theatres. Opened in 1922, it was the venue for the first-ever Hollywood premiere.- History :...
is the fabled Hollywood movie palace built in 1922 by legendary showman Sid Grauman
Sid Grauman
Sidney Patrick Grauman was an American showman who created one of Southern California's most recognizable and visited landmarks, Grauman's Chinese Theater. He was the son of David Grauman who died in 1921 in Los Angeles, California and Rosa Goldsmith...
(four years prior to opening his equally-famous Chinese Theatre.) It was the location of Hollywood's first-ever movie premiere in 1922. In 1998 the American Cinematheque completed a major $12.8 million renovation that restored the theatre's exterior to its original glory - and added new film, video and audio technology. The Cinematheque has been presenting its programs there since December 1998.
Since its re-opening it has become a frequent choice for premieres and events in Hollywood. And it is the primary home for the Cinematheque's acclaimed year-round program of film, video & television festivals and retrospectives.
The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
is a 1940 landmark movie theatre that has also been renovated by the Cinametheque and it has been functioning as the organization's second theater, serving the Westside of Los Angeles, since 2004.
Programming
Among the Cinematheque's many recurrent annual festivals it has become well-known for presenting the Mods & Rockers FestivalMods & Rockers Film Festival
The Mods & Rockers Film Festival is an annual Los Angeles film festival that celebrates rock culture. It is presented by the non-profit cultural organization American Cinematheque....
http://www.modsandrockers.com/ of rock-culture films first presented in 1999. The 2006 festival was a six-week retrospective that the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
noted was the largest-ever festival of rock-music films presented in the USA.
In addition to its year-round programs of film festivals and retrospectives, the organization presents the prestigious American Cinematheque Award
American Cinematheque Award
The American Cinematheque Award annually honors "an extraordinary artist in the entertainment industry who is fully engaged in his or her work and is committed to making a significant contribution to the art of the motion pictures".*Robert Downey Jr - 2011...
annually to a filmmaker in recognition of contributions to the art form. In the 20 years since the award's inception many major filmmakers have been honored including directors such as Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
, Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
and Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
and actors including Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
, Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
, Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
, George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
, Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
, Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
, Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
, Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
. In recent years the gala evening presentations have been videotaped and aired as TV specials in the US by the TNT and AMC
AMC (TV network)
AMC is a cable television specialty channel that primarily airs movies, along with a limited amount of original programming. The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics; however since 2002, the full name has been deemphasized as a result of a major shift in programming...
cable television networks and in 2010 (Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
) ABC.
Since 1994 the television special has been produced by Paul Flattery and the directors have included Spike Jonze Jr., Bruce Gowers and Michael Dempsey.
American Cinematheque's distribution arm was set up in 1999, as Vitagraph Films.
Participation by industry leaders
The organization is governed by a Board Of Directors and a Board of Trustees. The two Boards include many prominent leaders in the entertainment industry including film directors and producers such as Sydney PollackSydney Pollack
Sydney Irwin Pollack was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting...
, Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
, Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols is a German-born American television, stage and film director, writer, producer and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May, along with Elaine May. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate...
, Francis Coppola, William Friedkin
William Friedkin
William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
, Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin "Block" Van Peebles is an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films...
, Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
, Joe Dante
Joe Dante
Joseph "Joe" Dante, Jr. is an American film director and producer of films generally with humorous and science fiction content....
, Paula Wagner
Paula Wagner
Paula Wagner is an American film producer and film executive.-Early career:Wagner began her career at Creative Artists Agency. In 1993 she launched Cruise/Wagner Productions with her former CAA client Tom Cruise. C/W's first film, Mission: Impossible, was an international hit that brought the...
and Steve Tisch
Steve Tisch
Steven "Steve" Tisch is an American businessman. He is the Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants, the NFL team co-owned by his family, as well as a film and television producer...
. Other prominent Board members include: actors Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
and Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
; studio chief Mike Medavoy
Mike Medavoy
Morris Mike Medavoy is an American film producer and executive, co-founder of Orion Pictures , former chairman of TriStar Pictures, former head of production for United Artists and current chairman and CEO of Phoenix Pictures.-Early life and career:Medavoy was born in Shanghai, China in 1941 to...
; journalist Peter Bart
Peter Bart
Peter Benton Bart is an American journalist and film producer. He perhaps best known for his lengthy tenure as the editor of Variety, an entertainment-trade magazine....
(editor-in-chief of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
) and talent agent Rick Nicita (Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency).