Journeyman make-up artist Christina Smith, with over 100 credits and best known for her work on Caberet with Liza Minnelli, Schindler’s List, Steel Magnolias and Hook, will receive the esteemed Vanguard Award at the 9th Annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706). This year’s awards gala returns to a live event and red carpet on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel with health and safety protocols in place.
“Christina’s talented and creative career encompasses what the Vanguard Award represents. Her outstanding body of work and commitment to helping her fellow artists and Local 706 has led the way for many others to succeed as make-up artists in the entertainment industry,” said Julie Socash, president of IATSE Local 706.
With nearly 100 credits to her résumé, Smith has earned Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Schindler’s List and another Oscar® nom for Hook. She began her career in make-up after assisting the renowned fashion photographer Bud Fraker and became an expert on innovative make-up trends. Smith’s film career began when Liza Minnelli asked her to work on the film Cabaret. Smith’s recent film credits include Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, starring Milla Jovovich, and The Last Days in the Desert with Ewan McGregor.
Running alongside her film career, Smith has created a couture eyelash atelier that provides lashes to some of the biggest female celebrities in the world. Her clients include Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts, Rachel McAdams, Milla Jovovich, Monica Bellucci, Amber Valletta, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Liza Minnelli, Cher, Dolly Parton and Liam Neeson, to name a few. This success is due to Smith’s amazing beauty work and the fact that she makes the only handmade eyelashes on the market. She is a spokesperson for Smart Cover Cosmetics and has previously partnered with M•A•C Cosmetics to develop a line of lashes. She has also been featured in numerous editorials for magazines such as Vogue and has appeared on QVC and HSN.
In addition, Smith was Emmy®-nominated for her work on King. She has been honored twice by the Canadian Film Council for her outstanding contribution to film. In 1994, Smith was the recipient of the Crystal Award, presented by the Women In Film organization, as well as being honored by The Girl Scouts of America as an Outstanding Female Achiever. 2003 brought an award nomination from the Local 706 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild for her work on Life as a House.
Smith became one of the first female make-up artists to join Local 706 in 1974 and she used that experience to help mentor numerous other artists. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Vanguard Award is presented to a Local 706 make-up artist and/or hair stylist whose personal achievements or accomplishments have significantly paved the way for their brother and sister artists to reach new heights. Previous honorees are Bernadine Anderson, first female, and first African American make-up artist in Local 706, and Richard Battle, wig master for the San Francisco Ballet.
The MUAHS Awards honors outstanding achievements for make-up artists and hair stylists in motion pictures, television, commercials, and live theater. As previously announced, Michèle Burke, Oscar and Emmy-winning make-up artist best-known for her work on the Mission Impossible and Austin Powers series, and Joy Zapata, Emmy-winning hair stylist known for her work on A Star is Born, Wonder Woman 1984, and Star Trek: Nemesis, will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring an extraordinary spectrum of acclaimed work, exceptional contributions to the motion picture arts and sciences, and outstanding service to their union or the entertainment industry.
India’s legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal dies at age 90
Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after suffering from chronic kidney disease. He was 90.
His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He was also credited with a new genre of filmmaking.
Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.
"Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That's the reason for his death," Piya said.
Many paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker on social media platform X.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. "They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction."
"Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
He was a mentor to top Indian actors, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood's popular cinema as well.
"I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say," posted Naseeruddin Shah.
"Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations," said actor Manoj Bajpayee.
Benegal came into the limelight in the 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood. His films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977)... Read More