International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) have named Bob and Harvey Weinstein as Motion Picture Showmen of the Year. They will be presented with their award at the 52nd Publicists Awards Luncheon to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 20.
The Weinstein Company is always in the hunt come Oscar®-time and this year is no exception. The Imitation Game has received 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture as well as Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actress (Keira Knightly), Best Director (Morton Tyldum), Best Music (Alexandre Desplat), Best Production Design (Maria Djurkovic, Production Designer and Tatiana Macdonald, Set Decorator) and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Graham Moore). In addition they have been nominated for Best Song (Lost Stars from Begin Again [Music and Lyrics Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois]) and for Best Documentary (Citizenfour) through Weinstein subsidiary Radius-TWC.
They have previously received five Academy Awards® for Best Picture – The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Chicago (2002), The Kings Speech (2010) and The Artist (2011). Harvey Weinstein is regarded as the father of the modern day Oscar® campaign.
Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams, and St.Vincent, starring Bill Murray, have also been successful for the company this year.
The Weinstein Company was founded in 2005 after Bob and Harvey left the then Disney owned Miramax which they originally founded in 1979.
ICG National President, Steven Poster, ASC, said, “The Weinsteins are the very epitome of showmanship. They have impeccable taste and are universally regarded as the industry leaders in awards campaigns.”
“Harvey and Bob Weinstein have a knack for creating Oscar® buzz that compares them favorably with Hollywood legends Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, David O. Selznick and Jack Warner,” said Publicists Awards Committee Chairman Henri Bollinger. “They clearly understand that publicity and promotion are key to box office success, which makes them the ideal choice for this recognition.”
Recent recipients of the Motion Picture Showmanship Award include last year’s recipients Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger as well as Kevin Feige, David Heyman, John Lasseter, James Cameron, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall and Judd Apatow. The very first award was presented to Stanley Kramer in 1964.
As previously announced, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Motion Picture Academy® will receive the President’s Award and Bob Newhart is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other awards to be presented are the Television Showmanship Award; the Press Award; the International Media Award; the Maxwell Weinberg Awards, which recognize outstanding accomplishment in the field of publicity; the Les Mason Award, given to a publicist for lifetime achievement; and the Bob Yeager Award, which recognizes significant community service.
About the International Cinematographers Guild
The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) represents more than 7,000 members who work in film, television and commercials as Directors of Photography, Camera Operators, Visual Effects Supervisors, Still Photographers, Camera Assistants, Film Loaders, all members of camera crews and Publicists. The first cinematographers union was established in New York in 1926, followed by unions in Los Angeles and Chicago, but it wasn't until 1996 that Local 600 was born as a national guild. ICG's ongoing activities include the Emerging Cinematographer Awards and the Publicists Awards Luncheon. The Guild also publishes the award-winning ICG Magazine. www.cameraguild.com
