By John Carucci
NEW YORK (AP) --Joseph Gordon-Levitt would only nod and walk away when asked about his secret meeting with Edward Snowden.
But earlier, the actor did take the time to compare playing the U.S. intelligence leaker to portraying another real-life character in his latest film. Gordon-Levitt plays the high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who in 1974, after years of planning, illegally stretched a wire between the World Trade Center's twin towers and walked across it.
"Both took enormous risks, showed incredible courage, broke the law, and did something they very deeply believed in," Gordon-Levitt told The Associated Press on Saturday at the world premiere of Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk," which chronicles Petit's high-wire stunt. "The Walk" was the opening night film at the New York Film Festival.
Gordon-Levitt believes even the differences between Snowden and Petit have similarities.
"Philippe is the quintessential artist who believes in beauty and whimsy. Edward Snowden is the quintessential engineer who believes in logic and facts," the actor said.
Snowden, a systems analyst, gained notoriety in 2013 for leaking classified information from the U.S. National Security Agency about its surveillance programs, which were spying on ordinary Americans. He fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum despite demands by the United States that he return to face espionage and other charges. Gordon-Levitt secretly met with Snowden in Russia to discuss the role.
Written and directed by Oliver Stone, "Snowden" comes out in 2016.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More