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Film & Video successes reach Hollywood
Published: 01-24-13
The achievements of Columbia’s alumni are many, specifically in the Film & Video Department. The new year has bestowed an array of honors on Columbia’s Film & Video alumni with 32 award recognitions for 2013.
Len Amato, ('75) who runs HBO Films produced "Game Change" and won a Golden Globe for "Best Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television" and Paul Garnes, ('96) who is nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards for producing the film, "Middle of Nowhere" at a Columbia event in Park City during Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 22, 2012. | Courtesy SARAH SCHROEDER
Such recognition not only benefits alumni, but also current students, perspective students and the institution as a whole, said Eric Winston, vice president of Institutional Advancement.
“[Columbia alumni] are doing a lot of stuff, and what they are doing is bringing the recognition that Columbia has needed in order to propel the institution into the front recesses of the minds of the Hollywood mobile,” Winston said.
Animators Everett Downing Jr., (’00) and Aaron J. Hartline, (’98) were part of a Golden Globe win for Best Animated Feature for their work on the film, “Brave (2012).” HBO films, run by Len Amato, (’75) produced “Game Change,” a Sarah Palin biopic, which won a Golden Globe for “Best Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.”
The Screen Actors Guild nominated the NBC series “30 Rock” for “Outstanding Performance” by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series SGA award, which includes “30 Rock” co-start and alumnus Scott Adsit, (’87).
Janusz Kaminski, (’87) alumnus and cinematographer, worked on the film “Lincoln,” which was nominated for a “Best Motion Picture” Golden Globe award. Although it did not win, Kaminski could still relish in his 2012 nomination for Best Cinematography by the Critics’ Choice Awards, American Society of Cinematographers award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Film award for Cinematography.
Kaminiski is known for his cinematography work with legendary director Steven Spielberg and has taken home Oscars for past movies “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
Trevor Osmond, a sophomore film & video major said one of the reasons why he chose Columbia was because Kaminiski went here.
“[Students] going through the same education program as [those previous] have a good sense that they are at a good school that can give them the technology and teachings to get to where [the alums] are,” Osmond said.
According to Winston, the nominations benefit Columbia as well.
“All of this activity converges together to give a certain image and to present a certain picture of this school as it relates to the visual medium,” Winston said. “I think it is very important for the students and everybody to know that the opportunities are out there.”
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