19th Annual Catholics in Media Awards
c/o Catholics in Media Associates
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19th Catholics in Media Awards to Hugo, Modern Family, I Am & The Way at April 29th Awards Program
“Bold and Beautiful” Star John McCook to MC
Ubiquity Pictures CEO Barbara M. Gangi is
Honorary Chairperson
(Los Angeles, CA, April 2, 2012) – The Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) 19th Annual Mass and Awards Brunch on Sunday, April 29th will honor the 5-time Academy Award-winning, Martin Scorsese-directed family film Hugo, the Tom Shadyac documentary I Am and ABC Television’s Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Peabody Award-winning series Modern Family. The Emilio Estevez film The Way, starring Martin Sheen, a previous CIMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner, will receive the CIMA 2012 Board of Directors Award. The 2012 CIMA Awards at theBeverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA, will begin with a 10:00 AM Mass with a brunch and awards ceremony to follow, announced CIMA President Haskell V. Anderson III. CIMA board member John Kelly is executive producer and CIMA Vice President Nancy Norton Bevins is producer of the 2012 CIMA Awards program. Master of Ceremonies is John McCook, Emmy-nominated star of “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Honorary Chairperson is Barbara M. Gangi, CEO ofUbiquity Pictures.
The CIMA Awards were created in 1992 by former DGA President Jack Shea and his wife, veteran television screenwriterPatt Shea and other prominent Catholics in the entertainment industry. Their purpose is “To promote and applaud individuals, films and TV programs that uplift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family.”
The CIMA 2012 Film Award will be given to the Martin Scorsese film Hugo, Scorsese’s first 3D film, a family mystery based upon the Brian Selznick novel about a boy who lives alone in a Paris railroad station and the enigmatic owner of a toy shop. Winner of five Academy Awards and named “Best Picture” by the 2012 National Board of Review Hugo has received two 2012 BATFA Awards and the 2012 Golden Globe for “Best Director.” Graham King’s GK Films and Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil are producers. David Crockett, Barbara De Fina, Christi Dembrowski, George Kacandes, Charles Newirth and Emma Tillinger are executive producers. Hugo was released nationally on DVD on February 28th.
The 2012 CIMA Television Award will be presented to the ABC Television series Modern Family, created by Executive Producers Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan and revolving around three families interrelated thru patriarch Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill). Modern Family has received the 2009 Peabody Award, the 2010 Emmy Award for “Outstanding Comedy Series,” the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Ensemble Performance” and the 2012 Golden Globe Award for “Outstanding Television Series – Musical or Comedy.”
The CIMA 2012 Documentary Award goes to I Am, written, directed and narrated by prolific Hollywood film and television comedy director Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor) relating his personal experiences and personal journey following a devastating 2007 bicycle accident. I am is concerned with “The nature of humanity and the world’s ever growing addiction to materialism” and asks the questions “What’s wrong with the world?” and “What can I do about it?” Jennifer Abbott and Jonathan Watson are executive producers.
The CIMA 2012 Board of Directors Award goes to the Emilio Estevez film The Way, starring previous CIMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Martin Sheen. The Way is a powerful and inspirational story about family and friends and navigating the challenges of an ever-changing and complicated world.
Filmed on location in Spain and France along “The Way of St. James,” The Way was written and directed by Emilio Estevez. Trevor Drinkwater, Ramon Gerard Estevez, Alberto Marini, Janet Sheen and John Sloss are executive producers.The Way was released nationally on DVD on February 21st.
ABOUT CIMA
CIMA was formed in 1992 by working professionals in the entertainment industry to help them relate their faith to their professional lives. Through their annual awards, CIMA “Recognizes films, television programs and other entertainment forms that lift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family.”
For 2012 CIMA Award tickets, sponsorship and program advertising visit www.catholicsinmedia.org or call 818.907.2734.
Press Contact:
Frank Tobin
Frank Tobin PR
323.661.3720
A couple of Saturdays ago I received a call from Soozie Eastman, Director of Programs for the Humanitas Prize. For the second year I was going to be one of the script readers to decide on which ones will receive this prestigious award trophy and cash prize. All the readers for television and film scripts were having dinner together that evening to pick up the parcels and share some inspiration. Soozie asked me to say grace.
I thought I would share this on my blog so that everyone could join in prayer to support the good work of the Humanitas Prize and to support film and television writers who seek to explore the human condition and promote human dignity in the stories they tell.
Paulist Father Elwood “Bud” Kieser (1929 – 2000) founded the he HUMANITAS Prize in 1974 “to celebrate television programs which affirm the dignity of the human person, explore the meaning of life, enlighten the use of human freedom and reveal to each person our common humanity.” You may remember Fr. Kieser as the producer of the films Romero(1989), Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996) and the “Insight” series (1960 -1983) for television.
I accepted Soozie’s invitation and did a search for “dinner grace” and guess what came up? A link sponsored by Target that wanted to sell me the DVD Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. That’s appropriate, I thought, since the readers come from various cultural and faith background. But since Target wasn’t giving anything up on the prayer front, I decided to draw on my favorite cinema genre for inspiration: food movies.
Here is my prayer:
Dear God, come and be with us as we gather here from our Places in the Heart , at a restaurant that is a step above a Diner , to East and Drink as Men and Women , let us be kind to the Waitress , enjoy Tortilla Soup, Ratatouille , or the Mystic dimensions of Pizza , or whatever we choose; bless this Feast and those who prepared it with the generosity and totally outpouring of self of a Babette; may it to become Soul Food, that will give us strength to confront the ducks in our lives as Julie&Julia Child admonished us; help us make this a Big Night for writers and all creative people, knowing that , as Primo said in the film, “to eat good food is to know God”. May this meal be capped by just a little Chocolat as we begin the Humanitas Prize process once again this year with No Reservations. And whether we are Mostly Marthas or Marios, give us the grace to slow down and savor the fruits of the labors of these writers to choose the very best stories.
Thank you Lord for your blessings! Bless us, bless this food, and no Sideways Bottle Shock please – and be with us always!
(Here is an article about Humanitas director Cathleen Young and the Humanitas New Voices initiative written by Neely Swanson in the WGA journal “Written By”; click on “Cathleen Young”)
Jim Sheridan's taunt family drama about two brothers, one a felon recently out of jail, and one an Army officer in Iraq. Relationships. Choices. Family. And the terror of war.
45th Annual Gabriel Awards to Brothers; Bandslam; Gifted Hands; KNOM Radio (Alaska); WWJ-AM Radio (Southfield, MI); and CatholicTV (Watertown, MA); receive station honors; Univision KTVW Channel 33 (Phoenix) and EWTN honored for Spanish-language programming
The Gabriel Award winners for 2010 have been announced. This year’s honorees include two motion pictures, fourteen television programs, ten radio programs and four Spanish-language television programs. The annual awards are presented to film, television and radio programs and a distinguished individual whose body of work nourish and uplifts the human spirit. One religious radio and one television station and one secular radio are also honored as “Station of the Year.”
The Gabriels, presented by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals, honor industry professionals who produce films, television and radio programs, features and spot announcements that serve viewers and listeners through the positive, creative treatment of human concerns.
This year’s winners include broadcasters from across the United States and Canada – recognizing achievements produced for national release as well as for markets 1-25 and 26+. A Gabriel-worthy program affirms the dignity of human beings and recognizes and upholds universally-recognized human values such as community, creativity, tolerance, justice, compassion and the dedication to excellence. (A complete list of winners is attached.)
Each year a Station of the Year Award is presented to a radio and television station recognized for their community service. This year’s Religious Radio Station of the Year Gabriel goes to KNOM Radio, Nome, Alaska. This is the 18th year KNOM has been honored with the award. The station serves one of the most remote regions of the North American continent, providing information, education, and public service programming to Indian and Eskimo villages. This year’s Religious Television Station of the Year Gabriel goes to CatholicTV, Watertown, MA. Secular Radio Station of the Year goes to WWJ-AM Radio in Southfield, MI.
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The 2010 Gabriel Award film winners are: Drama – “Brothers”, Lionsgate and Family − “Bandslam” Walden Media.
Gabriel competition takes place in 21 television categories, 18 radio categories, 20 Spanish-language (10 Television and 10 Radio) and 3 Film (1 Drama, 1 Family, and 1 Documentary) categories in the Gabriel competition, but a Gabriel is not awarded in a category when the standard of Gabriel excellence is lacking. Judges may also award Certificates of Merit to programs considered worthy of special recognition. Eight Certificates of Merit have been announced in this year’s judging.
The Gabriel award is a nine-inch silver figure of Gabriel, the angel who first announced to Mary of Nazareth (and to the world) the coming of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). The statue symbolizes the communication of God’s Word to humankind.
The members of the Catholic Academy include broadcasters, journalists, producers, syndicators, public relations and other media professionals who work for both Church-related and secular radio and television stations, production facilities and communications organizations.
Music makes life easier for the new kid in school, as teens face teen, family and life issues.
Director Kathryn Bigelow
The Oscars 2010: Movies that Connect Us
Forty-two feature films have been nominated in a variety of categories for the 82nd Academy Awards that will take place at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on March 7. In a throw back to the 1930’s and 1940’s, when anywhere between eight and twelve films were nominated for Best Picture, the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) decided in 2009 to expand the category to ten feature films so that additional deserving films might be considered. For a film journalist this provides a banquet of stories to explore but makes it nearly impossible to predict a winner.
Human connection, and therefore human dignity and justice, is a theme that runs through many of the films nominated. Using this as a lens, here are my views on some of the films that I have seen of the twenty-nine nominated as worthy of an Oscar. I would pray to the patron saint of cinema that those films that tell the truth about humanity and promote human dignity through beauty, truth, and goodness, will win, but, alas, although there are patron saints of television (St. Clare of Assisi) and telecommunications (St. Gabriel the Archangel) the press (St. Paul and St. Francis de Sales), and even actors (St. Genesius) there is no patron saint of the movies. Yet.
Performance by actor in a leading role
This is a tough call. Jeff Bridges as the boozy country singer who has seen better days in Crazy Heart, is the sentimental favorite. I would be happy if he wins, though he should have been nominated and won several times before this (Seabiscuit; The Big Lebowski). George Clooney is so believable in Up in the Air, Colin Firth and Morgan Freeman are both excellent. But my vote goes to Jeremy Renner for his strong, nuanced performance as the adrenalin soaked leader of a courageous Army team that disposes of roadside bombs in The Hurt Locker. Each of these films embody some aspect of human experience that promotes empathy, the basic building block of a man’s character.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
I think that Christoph Waltz as the nefarious and evil Nazi officer from Inglorious Basterds will win but Christopher Plummer as the Tolstoy, caught in a conflict between marriage and family and his ideals about Christian discipleship, performs brilliantly in The Last Station. I didn’t see The Messenger and Matt Damon’s part in Invictus was too slight (he should have been nominated for Best Actor for his role in The Informant instead.) I didn’t care for the film version of The Lovely Bones so despite Stanley Tucci’s believable creepy character, he doesn’t get my vote.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Each of the films for which these actresses have been nominated is about being truly human. I have heard some film critics say that Sandra Bullock should not have been nominated for her role as the crusading mom who took in a homeless young man in the box office delight The Blind Side. I disagree. Sandra Bullock is a great actress and gave a crowd-pleasing performance. She made us want to stand up and cheer (and hopefully do some good works, too.) Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie & Julia is extremely entertaining and gives a flawless impersonation of the famed television chef. Then just when I think Meryl Streep is the best actress of this generation, here comes Helen Mirren again. She plays Sofya Tolstoy in The Last Station, puts everyone on notice that marriage is sacred and no one can interfere – and you believe her. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire could win easily in her tragic yet hopeful role as an abused teen. I would be surprised if Carey Mulligan in As Education wins because I don’t think enough people saw her excellent performance. Each of the actresses in this category deserves to win. My vote goes to Gabourey Sidibe in Precious, but I think this is Sandra Bullock’s year and I can live with that.
Performance by an Actress in a supporting role
I like Penelope Cruz but I don’t think she should have gotten an Oscar last year for Vicky Christina Barcelona and I don’t think she should get one for her role in Nine. Marion Cotillard as the trophy wife was sadly overlooked. Mo’Nique, as the cruel and emotionally shipwrecked mother in Precious was scary and gave a riveting, if not repelling, performance. The thing about cinema is that it lets us experience for a couple of hours what it might be like to be someone else. What does a Christian, a person of good will, do after experiencing a film like Precious? Someone (Mother Teresa? A newspaper man?) once said that it was her job to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. This is the role of films like Precious.
Best animated film of the year
I love the quirky humor of The Fantastic Mr. Fox and the depth of feeling in Up, but in such a worthy category, on principle I would be happy to see The Princess and the Frog or Coraline win because the films are good and protagonists are girls. There are so few heroines in animation that I like to celebrate them when I can. All of the stories in these films are about being connected in the family (or animal version of it) or the community. (I didn’t see The Secret of Kells.)
Achievement in directing
Any of these five directors: James Cameron (Avatar), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds), Lee Daniels (Precious) and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) could walk away with the Oscar. My vote goes to Kathryn Bigelow for her intelligence, heart, and artistic restraint that she brought to The Hurt Locker.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Out of the ten films nominated, I think this may come down to The Hurt Locker or Avatar. In the interest of full disclosure I admit that I have been a fan of The Hurt Locker since September 2008 when I was president of the Catholic Jury at the Venice Film Festival and we gave it the SIGNIS Award. It was the best film in competition at Venice that year. My vote goes to The Hurt Locker, but anything can happen.
Avatar is a brilliant technological over-achievement that tells a story about humanity and morality; an imaginary landscape on which Cameron has painted an epic. The Hurt Locker gazes intently into the reality of a few good men who do what they do to save others; it is a newsreel about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, grittier than anything the evening news can deliver. It is up close and personal and we realize, we know what is going on in our name. The irony here would be if one of the other eight films in this category wins. Regardless, each of these ten films is a picture of the human story worthy of critical analysis as well as contemplation.
Up in the Air resonates with so many people who have lost their jobs and as the George Clooney character learns empathy for the people he fires, so do we. He doesn’t change a lot, but he learns something about his own humanity.
A Serious Man is the story of the Old Testament Job, and about just as enjoyable. It is an interesting nomination but I doubt it will win, despite being made by two of the best filmmakers out there, Joel and Ethan Coen.
Inglorious Basterds is a clever, if not brilliant, example of expressionist filmmaking from Quentin Tarantino. He takes what is old and makes something new. He is the master of violence as an art form because he distorts to great effect.
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire is a contender in this category, and I would be content if it wins. But what makes it such a memorable film may be what keeps it from winning: the darkness of the humanity portrayed may overcome the light that wins in the end.
Up has so many dimensions that recommend it as a winning film because it is filled with universal human themes. I think you can find almost every Beatitude expressed in this animated picture. The art direction and the understanding of the power of image (the silent sequence is amazing) exhibit a profound grasp of cinema as art.
District 9 surprised me. This science fiction drama that achieved so much with so little deserves the “shoe string” award. Science fiction always asks us to reflect on what it means to be truly human, and District 9, recalling the history of South Africa and other global situations where racism divides, does just that.
The Blind Side – If the Oscars had an audience award, this film would win.
Best documentary feature
It’s easy. This year there should be a tie between Food, Inc. and The Cove. Food, Inc. because the lives of the human race will depend on what audiences do with the information in this film. It is immoral to patent life, yet that is what a U.S Supreme Court decision has allowed and a multinational corporation has done it. The Cove is about the capture of dolphins for entertainment and the inhumane slaughter of dolphins for mercury-tainted food. Neither of these films is easy on the digestive track, but they are a call to action because they are about the common good of the human race over profit.
Best Original Screenplay
Inglorious Basterds is richly scripted and a very strong contender but has an over-done quality too it. Once again my vote is for the sparse and direct writing of The Hurt Locker (and I think it will win for sound editing, too). Up’s heartfelt story of a curmudgeon and a young boy who wants “to help” might win and uplift us all.
Check Sr. Rose’s blog at http://www.sisterrose.wordpress.com for more Oscar commentary.
For immediate release, please
Press Contacts: Jennifer Mulhall / 323.575.3494
jennifermulhall@boldandbeautiful.tv
Frank Tobin / 323.661.3720
Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) 17th Annual Awards
honor Fox Television’s “Glee” and The Hurt Locker”
Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP receives
CIMA Board of Directors Award
Golden Globe Award-winner Samantha Eggar hosts
Beverly Hills Hotel event
(Los Angeles, CA, February 28, 2010 – The Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) 17th Annual Mass and Awards Brunch on Sunday, February 28 honored the Fox Television series “Glee” and the feature film “The Hurt Locker” with film reviewer and veteran Venice Film Festival Catholic jury member Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP receiving the CIMA 2010 Board of Directors Award. The celebration, which returned for a second year to the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA, began with a Mass at 10 AM, presided over by His Eminence, Cardinal Roger Mahony with a brunch and awards ceremony afterwards, according to CIMA President Jane Abbott. Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe and Cannes’ Palm d’Or-winning actress Samantha Eggar (“The Collector”) was special guest host. Patricia Boren and John Kelly served as producer and co-chairs of the event. John and Gloria Gebbia served as honorary co-chairs.
The CIMA Awards were created in 1992 by former DGA President Jack Shea and other prominent Catholics in the entertainment industry. Their purpose is “To promote and applaud individuals, films and TV programs that uplift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family.”
The CIMA 2010 Film Award was presented to “The Hurt Locker” directed by 2010 Oscar nominee and DGA/PGA/BAFTA Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal (2010 Oscar and WGA nominee), who was embedded with an actual EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) bomb squad. One of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2009, “The Hurt Locker,” filmed in Jordan, follows the tour of a U.S. Army EOD team (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and …
Brian Geraghty) as they defuse bombs, deal with the threat of insurgency and the growing tensions which develop among their unit. Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight,” “The Nativity”) presented the 2010 CIMA Film Award to “Hurt Locker” editors Bob Murawski and Chris Innis who represented Ms. Bigelow, who was indisposed, and who read her acceptance speech:
“I am brokenhearted that I am not able to be there in person today to accept this phenomenal award from Catholics in the Media Associates (CIMA). This community holds a truly special place in my heart as the very first award ‘The Hurt Locker’ received was the Signis Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2008. It was via the Signis Award that I met the remarkable Sr. Rose Pacatte. Sr. Rose recognized the humanity in the film and the message of the futility of war and value of life. I am delighted with the recognition the film has been able to bring to such a difficult situation and to the men and women who put their lives at risk every day so that others can be safe. Thank you to Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) for your recognition and support. It means so much to me. Also my sincerest congratulations to Sr. Rose for her award today! Her tenacity, vitality and joy of life make her a national treasure. Congratulations, Sr. Rose.”
According to CIMA 2010 Awards co-chairs Patricia Boren and John Kelly, “CIMA chose to honor ‘The Hurt Locker’ because of its uncompromising approach to the Iraq war and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb diffusion specialists for whom war becomes an addiction rather than a cause. The film depoliticizes the heroic work of the EOD specialists and lets the audience experience the human toll war takes on people and the intense psychological struggle of the soldiers to find meaning in life beyond the dangerous work they do.”
Past CIMA Award feature films include: “Doubt;” “In the Valley of Elah;” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe;” “Hotel Rwanda;” “The Passion of the Christ;” “Seabiscuit;” “Dead Man Walking;” “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan,” among many others.
The 2010 CIMA Television Award was presented to the Fox Television series “Glee,” which recently was honored as “Favorite New TV Comedy” at the 36th Annual People’s Choice Awards and as “Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy” by the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, “Glee” focuses on a high school Spanish teacher who becomes director of a glee club at a fictional Midwest high school and who hopes to restore it to its former glory. “Glee” cast member Iqbal Theba (“Glee’s “Principal Figgins”) made the 2010 CIMA TV Award presentation to Mr. Brennan and “Glee” Producer Alexis Martin.
“CIMA selected “Glee” because of its beautiful and kind heart,” said long-time CIMA member and screenwriter Brian Oppenheimer. “These talented actors play students who reflect the diversity of our schools today and the many challenges facing young people. The show demonstrates how the arts integrate life and learning in a joyful way, tinged with humor and sometimes pathos, as kids and teachers try to figure out the best choices to make in life.”
Past CIMA Television Award recipients include: “Without A Trace;” “Ugly Betty;” “Cold Case;” “Medium;” “Joan of Arcadia;” “The West Wing;” Judging Amy;” “Homicide – Life on the Streets;” “The Practice” and “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,” among many others.
The 2010 CIMA Board of Directors Award was presented to Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP, MEd Media Studies, Director, Pauline Center for Media Studies (PCMS) and media literacy education specialist, film and television journalist and author. Sr. Rose has been involved in media since she entered the Daughters of St. Paul more than 40 years ago, from publishing to filmmaking. She has served on ecumenical and Catholic juries at the Venice, Locarno, and Berlin Film Festivals. In 2008 she was the president of the SIGNIS (Catholic) jury at Venice. She also served on the jury for short films at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2006. Since 2000, Sr. Rose has been co-director of the National Film Retreat and has taught film and spirituality courses at LMU, Saddleback College, and the University of Dayton.
CIMA President Jane Abbott notes: “The CIMA Board of Directors honors Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP for her leadership role in the world of media literacy and for her passionate advocacy of media projects which illuminate the complexities and challenges of the human condition. CIMA also cites Sr. Rose’s significant contributions as an author, columnist, film reviewer and presenter and her tireless efforts as a Catholic panelist on some of the world’s most prestigious film festival juries, including Toronto, Venice and Berlin.”
Presenting the CIMA Board of Directors Award to Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP is Producer/Director Tom Shadyac (“Bruce Almighty,” “Patch Adams,” Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and the television series “8 Simple Rules.” Past CIMA Board of Directors Award recipients include the late Fr. Ellwood “Bud” Kieser, CSP and the television series “7th Heaven.”
Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe Award and Cannes’ Palm d’Or winner Samantha Eggar hosted the 2010 CIMA Award ceremonies. Following her stage debut opposite Albert Finney in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Eggar was cast in a host of British films before being handpicked by director William Wyler for “The Collector,” which won her an Oscar nomination, international acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival with the Palm d’Or Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Eggar starred opposite Cary Grant in “Walk Don’t Run,” opposite Rex Harrison and Anthony Newley in “Dr. Doolittle” and opposite Sean Connery and Richard Harris in “The Molly Maguires,” among many other memorable film and television appearances.
CATHOLICS IN MEDIA ASSOCIATES (CIMA)
CIMA was formed in 1992 by working professionals in the entertainment industry to help them relate their faith to their professional lives. Through the annual awards, CIMA recognizes films, television programs and other entertainment forms that lift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family. Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) is a California non-profit public benefit corporation.
Director Catherine Hardwicke presented the CIMA award for The Hurt Locker to editors Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Alexis Martin Woodall and Ian Brennan are presented with the CIMA Award for GLEE by (the principal!) Iqbad Theba.
Oscar nominee Samantha Eggar was the host for the event; here she is with Cardinal Mahony who celebrated the Mass
The meaning of the CIMA statue
Each CIMA Award is an original, signed abstract expressionist work in laminated acrylic by the Yugoslav born artist, Vasa Mihich. Naturalized an American citizen in 1967, Vasa is a Professor of Art at the University of California at Los Angeles and is internationally recognized for his work. His artwork“affirmatively confronts the spiritual and physical surroundings from which it arises, and is seeking its place.”
This piece was chosen to symbolize the ideals of CIMA because its obliquely ascending, three-sided, luminous prism represents our human and imperfect reach to capture the Light of the Trinity in illuminating our work. In containing the same elements of beauty of this sculptural piece, we honor our colleagues’ works as “vehicles of light” and express our gratitude to them for presenting the complex colors of the human condition.
I am so very grateful for this award. I was at the movies when Jane Abbott, the president of CIMA called me, twice, and I let it go to message because, well, I was at the movies, and when one is at the movies, one should be there. I called her back from Barnes and Noble’s after. Jane told me about the Board of Directors Award and I was very moved to be considered – and momentarily rendered speechless. You really managed to surprise me.
Before I thank several people who brought me to this day, I would like to tell you that when we have Mass in our chapel in Culver City, at the prayer of the faithful I almost always pray out loud for all those who work in the entertainment and information communications media industries, that they may promote the dignity of the human person in all the stories they tell.
By honoring human dignity all of us can contribute to making the world a better place because stories touch the heart. I believe that film and television can reveal God who makes us understand and accept our humanity and the community, the connectedness, of humankind through the grace of art that transcends the darkness. The light from the screen, any media screen, lets us see the faces of our brothers and sisters and connect to them and respond as authentic human beings and disciples. In one another, we find God.
I would like to thank my sister Emilie and brother-in-law Paul for being here, happy birthday to both of you! Who represent my very large family. I would like to thank my religious community of the Daughters of St. Paul of the last 43 years, keeping it real, who keep me real, my provincial Sr Margaret Sato is here from Boston.
I want to acknowledge two nuns who are present here who have been generous mentors to me over the last 20 years, Sr Elizabeth Thoman who introduced me to media literacy education and Sr Gretchen Hailer who wrote about it with me (and taught me how to begin each writing day with some new forms of computer Solitaire.)
Thank you, to Cardinal Mahony, who offers me and my community the opportunity to serve the people of God in this absolutely “splendid” archdiocese of Los Angeles through not only our book and media center but the Pauline Center for Media Studies – bringing media literacy education to catechesis and mission!
Thank you to Tom Shadyac, my friends, Marjiana of the International Press Academy, and terrific colleagues at CIMA who invited me to join them on this great adventure, the City of Angels Film Festival, Open Call, Catholic Communicators of Southern California, The Tidings…. And everyone in this large circle of friends, present and those present in spirit.
Catholics in Media will honor THE HURT LOCKER and GLEE on February 28. It seems funny to add my own name on my blog, but I am humbled and grateful to be receiving the Board of Directors Award.
Check here for the news release and ticket information: Catholics in Media Awards set for February 28
Last month Sr. Hosea and I attended a screening of this powerful Australian film about two Aboriginal teens that learn to survive in a social and natural environment that has nothing to offer them but poverty and death. As with the best Australian films, the landscape plays a key role in the story, as context and antagonist. Director/writer Warwick Thornton tells the story with deliberate restraint that comes from a deep understanding of the people he is talking about.
“Samson and Delilah” is the Australian entry for the upcoming Academy Awards.
From today’s edition of the Australian entertainment news outlet ScreenDaily.com:
“Warwick Thornton’s Samson & Delilah has proved its critical prowess once again, this time at Australia’s most prestigious awards ceremony, the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, held Dec 12 in Melbourne
… read more Samson & Delilah continues winning streak at AFI Awards
The finalists for 2009 HUMANITAS Prize were announced today by John Wells, HUMANITAS Prize President. A total of $95,000 in prize money will be handed out at the annual luncheon on September 17th in the Crystal Ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Since 1974, HUMANITAS has honored feature film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a way which ultimately affirms the dignity of the human person and reveals our common humanity.
“The work of these gifted writers is truly inspiring” said John Wells, “It is not always easy to ‘sell’ the notion of richly drawn characters and complex stories that explore the human condition in a meaningful way, so it is our great pleasure to recognize writers who embrace that challenge and prevail.”
“HUMANITAS honors writers who tell great stories that lift us up as a community,” said Executive Director Cathleen Young. “It is a lonely job and a difficult job and we want to shine a light on these brilliant writers who make it look easy when it is far from easy.”
“For over three decades, HUMANITAS has honored worthy writers who tell stories that make us think and feel and learn,” said Chairman of the Board Frank Desiderio. “In this era of reality television, our mission is more important than ever.”
The 2009 HUMANITAS Prize finalists are:
Feature Film Category ($10,000)
Simon Beaufoy: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Dustin Lance Black: MILK
Gina Prince Bythewood: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
John Patrick Shanley: DOUBT
Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon: WALL-E Screenplay
Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter: WALL-E Original Story
90 Minute Category ($10,000)
Dustin Lance Black: PEDRO
John Pielmeier: GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY
Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Strobl and Ross Katz: TAKING CHANCE
60 Minute Category ($10,000)
Amanda Green: LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: “Swing”
David Hoselton: HOUSE “Unfaithful”
Jason Katims: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: “Tomorrow Blues”
David Zabel: ER: “Heal Thyself”
30 Minute Category ($10,000)
Aleem Batra: SCRUBS: “My Last Words”
Robert Carlock: 30 ROCK: “Believe In the Stars”
John Frink: THE SIMPSONS: “All About Lisa”
Jamie Rhonheimer: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: “Happily Ever After”
Sundance Feature Film Category ($10,000)
Cherien Dabis: AMREEKA
Shana Feste: THE GREATEST
Marie Noëlle: THE ANARCHIST’S WIFE
Children’s Live Action Category ($10,000)
Andy Gordon: TRUE JACKSON, VP: “Pilot”
Dan Kopelman: TRUE JACKSON, VP: “The Rival”
Arika Lisanne Mittman: SOUTH OF NOWHERE: “Spencer’s 18th Birthday”
Children’s Animation Category ($10,000)
No Award Given For 2009
The David & Lynn Angell Fellowship in Comedy Writing ($10,000)
Scott Rutherford: VENICE BEACH, G.E.D. “Pilot”
The HUMANITAS Student Drama Fellowship ($10,000)
Joey Falco: FORTUNATE SONS: “Pilot – Some Things Never Change”
The HUMANITAS Prize money will be awarded at a luncheon on September 17th in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is located at 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
Over the past three decades, more than $2.9 million in prize money has been awarded. HUMANITAS Prize winners have included numerous films and television shows that have changed the landscape of entertainment by exploring the complexities of the human experience and shedding light on the positive values of life. They include: Ronald Harwood (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Nancy Oliver (Lars and the Real Girl), Richard LaGravenese (Freedom Writers); Hanif Kureishi (Venus); Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco (Crash); Peter Morgan (Longford); Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl); Keir Pearson & Terry George (Hotel Rwanda); Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Lackawanna Blues); Michael Kang (The Motel); John Wells (The West Wing); Tony Kushner (Angels in America); Antwone Fisher (Antwone Fisher); Niki Caro (Whale Rider); David E. Kelley (The Practice); Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues); Alan Alda (M*A*S*H); Horton Foote (William Faulkner’s OLD MAN); Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List); Tim Robbins (Dead Man Walking); Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting); Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing), and Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me).
For more information, please visit the website at www.humanitasprize.org
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