Ray Bradbury in 3D! Famed Action Screenwriter Shane Black also Set to Speak
The Lifetime Achievement Foundation will present its highest award to Ray Bradbury, great American novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter and poet. Bradbury will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Great American Pitchfest for his outstanding body of work that spans over six decades.
(PRWEB) April 22, 2005 -- Bradbury has published more than 500 works,
including his best-known and most beloved The Martian Chronicles, The
Illustrated Man, Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He has also
been nominated for an Academy Award for his animated film Icarus Montgolfier
Wright and has won an Emmy Award for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree. He also
adapted 65 of his stories for television’s Ray Bradbury Theatre. At nearly 85
years, this classic icon has collected numerous honors including the O. Henry
Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Grand Masters Award from the
Science Fiction Writers of America, the PEN Centre USA West Lifetime Achievement
Award along with the National Book Foundation Medal in 2000.
Bradbury
will receive his award on Friday, April 29 from 7 - 9p.m. at the Sheraton
Universal in Los Angeles. The event will feature A Conversation with Ray
Bradbury moderated by Digby Diehl, founding editor of the Los Angeles Times Book
Section and bestselling author of Million Dollar Mermaid with Esther Williams
and Angel on My Shoulder with Natalie Cole. His most recent book is Soapsuds
with Finola Hughes, which will be published on June 15 from Ballantine/Random
House.
The Lifetime Achievement Foundation’s Executive Director Gary
Young will present the award which is given to individuals who have dedicated
their lives to helping others, excellence in the arts, and mentoring. “We are
delighted to honor Ray Bradbury for his artistic excellence, his service as a
mentor for countless writers and philosophers, and the gift of his vision,” says
Young. “We couldn’t have a more deserving candidate for this award.”
The
Great American Pitchfest, a three day event filled with pitching opportunities
for emerging screenwriters, producers, and directors, will also feature “For the
Love of Movies - A Conversation with Shane Black” on Saturday, April 30th at the
Sheraton Universal. Black is a screenwriting phenomenon, whose career began at
22 years old with the smash-hit Lethal Weapon. He became one of the highest paid
screenwriters in motion picture history with his work on The Last Boy Scout. He
re-set the bar with a whopping $4 million for The Long Kiss Goodnight.
The Great American Pitchfest, held at the Sheraton Universal from April
29 – May 1, offers a one stop shop for aspiring writers and producers to sell
their ideas for movies and TV shows of every genre to approximately 80
development executives, agents, and managers representing some of Hollywood’s
most credible and respected production companies including Ron Shusett
Productions (Alien, Total Recall, Minority Report), Winkler Films (Rocky,
Goodfellas, The Shipping News), Dreyfuss/James Productions (Quiz Show, Mr.
Holland’s Opus), National Lampoon (Film and Television Divisions) and Marty Katz
Productions (The Four Feathers, Reindeer Games, Lost in America). More companies
are confirming their attendance every day. See www.pitchfest.com for the
daily updated list and detailed background on companies.
Industry
representatives come to the event to hear five-minute pitches in a format
similar to “speed dating.” The efficiency of the five-minute pitch is extremely
popular with “pitchers” and “pitchees” alike. The pitcher has access to a large
number of industry players – all in one room – and the decision maker can hear a
great number of ideas -- all in one day.
For every three participants who
attend, another Industry Executive is invited, making this event the highest
ratio of decision makers to participants of any industry event, with a focus on
bring the people with the ideas, to the people who can make those ideas a
reality. “It is an extremely efficient way for everyone to meet the people they
need to know, in a very short period of time,” says Event Producer Signe
Olynyk.
A number of workshops and consulting sessions bring even more
value to the weekend mix so that those who have less experience can gain some
savoir faire before pitching. Speakers include screenwriting guru Karl Iglesias
writer of The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters and Writing For
Emotional Impact, Barbara Schiffman from the Flash Forward Institute, Suzanne
Lyons, a Producer from Snowfall Films, and others.
Pitchfest partners
include the International Family Film Festival, Flash Forward Institute,
Independent Writers of Southern California, Publishers Association of Los
Angeles, Lifetime Achievement Foundation, and Toastmasters 4
Writers.
Tickets are $350. Price includes the Pitchfest, training
sessions, parties and networking events, as well as a luncheon with Industry
Executives.
For tickets and more information, call 1-877-255-2528 or
visit www.pitchfest.com
# # #
Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb231643.htm