“We are thrilled to be honoring Jonathan Demme,” said CAS president David Fluhr. “Jonathan’s career spans 40 years as a director, producer and writer, and includes both film and television and illustrates an incredible talent for both narrative films and documentaries. Following in a tradition of synergy between our two honorees, Demme as the filmmaker honoree and Chris Newman, CAS as the career achievement honoree have had a long working relationship and on Demme’s multiple Oscar-winner, The Silence of the Lambs, both were rewarded with golden statues. He is indeed a perfect choice and we are honored to have him as our CAS filmmaker honoree.”
Starting out with Roger Corman in 1971, Demme has directed or produced over 30 movies, including Rachel Getting Married, Beloved, Swimming to Cambodia, Melvin and Howard and Crazy Mama. The Untitled Ibsen Project, based on Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn’s adaptation of the Ibsen play Master Builder Solness, is now in postproduction. The film stars Wallace Shawn, Andre Gregory, Julie Haggerty and Lisa Joyce. Demme’s portrait documentary Enzo Avitabile Music Life, will premiere this year at the Venice Film Festival. Other new projects in the works include three forthcoming New Orleans portrait documentaries along the lines of I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, The Mad, And The Beautiful. Demme’s most recent release was the third installment of his performance trilogy with Neil Young, Neil Young Journeys.
Besides The Silence of the Lambs, Demme and Newman worked together on Demme’s Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate, Married to the Mob and Neil Young: Heart of Gold.
“The Director looks to the sound mixer to be ‘his ears’ and to preserve the actor’s performance,” said past CAS president, Richard Lightstone. “In that special relationship between Jonathan Demme and Chris Newman, there is an extra ingredient in the creative process because they share the same language and understanding.”
The 49th CAS Awards dinner will also honor outstanding achievements in sound mixing in six categories – motion pictures, animated motion pictures, television movies and mini- series, television series-one hour, television series-half hour and television-non-fiction, variety or music series or specials.
