Two films and three editors took the top honors at last night’s American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Awards, arguably making them the front runners going into next Sunday’s Academy Awards. Kevin Tent, ACE, won the Eddie Award for best editing of a dramatic feature on the strength of his work on The Descendants. And editor Anne-Sophie Bion and director/editor Michel Hazanavicius took the feature-comedy or musical category for The Artist.
Craig Wood, ACE, won for best editing of an animated feature for Rango. And rounding out the feature category winners for the documentary Freedom Riders were editors Lewis Erskine and Aljernon Tunsil.
Also notable on the feature front, Tent and actress Reese Witherspoon presented the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award to Alexander Payne, director of The Descendants.
TV winners
Steven Rasch, ACE, earned the Eddie in the half-hour TV series category for the “Palestinian Chicken” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Editor Skip MacDonald topped the one-hour series for commercial television on the basis of the “Face Off” episode of Breaking Bad.
Winning the Eddie for best editing of an hourlong series for non-commercial television were Jordan Goldman and David Latham for the “Pilot” episode of Homeland.
Sarah Frank, ACE, and Robert Pulcini earned the top honor in the miniseries or motion picture for TV category for Cinema Verite.
And editor Eric Lasby won the reality series category for the “Haiti” episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
Rounding out the evening’s honorees was Eric Kench for Video Symphony, which won the student competition.
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More