The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) announced that its Publicists branch will honor Bob and Harvey Weinstein with their Motion Picture Showmen of the Year award at the 52nd Publicists Awards luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Feb. 20. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos, will be named the Television Showman of the Year.
Sarandos is responsible for Netflix’s lineup of programs, including House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. “He has become recognized for creating new avenues of distribution for entertainment content,” said Henri Bollinger, awards committee chairman. “He clearly personifies the very essence of showmanship!”
The Weinstein Company is always in the running come Oscar time. This year, 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 by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois) and for best documentary (Citizenfour) through Weinstein subsidiary Radius-TWC. Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams, and St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, have also been successful for the company this year.
They have previously received five best picture Academy Awards for The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Chicago (2002), The Kings Speech (2010) and The Artist (2011).
The Weinstein Company was founded in 2005 after Bob and Harvey left Disney-owned Miramax, which they originally founded in 1979.
“The Weinsteins are the very epitome of showmanship,” said ICG national president, Steven Poster, ASC. “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 Bollinger. “They clearly understand that publicity and promotion are key to box office success, which makes them the ideal choice for this recognition.”
