Lee Daniels’ The Butler – We Are Movie Geeks

The Academy Originals Focus on Women Filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Ruth E. Carter & Aline Brosh McKenna

In May, The Academy began the video series “Academy Originals” focusing on the behind the scenes artists and the various creative processes that get a film from page to screen.

Since the launch, AMPAS has released 16 episodes that have covered everything from how Jurassic Park changed the VFX world to an episode about everyday people toiling away at screenplays in coffee shops.

With Oscar emcee Ellen DeGeneres and the re-election of AMPAS President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the Academy’s diversity abounds.

The videos below highlight women filmmakers and how their considerable contributions inspire young girls to become filmmakers.

“Movie watching is people watching.” Director Ava DuVernay, from the upcoming SELMA, relates how she writes and helms her films.

The independent artist finds that making a low-budget movie like MIDDLE OF NOWHERE comes from “being out in the world. It comes from observing people, asking questions – people want to talk.”

Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter

LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER and SELMA costume designer Ruth E. Carter relates how she is inspired by a film’s director. The two time Oscar nominee for MALCOLM X and AMISTAD says she, “tells the story through color.”

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna relates her step-by-step process of writing and how the word game Scrabble helps with her own procrastination.

Screenwriter and Director Tina Gordon Chism

DRUMLINE’s Screenwriter and Director Tina Gordon Chism says the stories she wants to tell are of real people characters and how their language can only be told when “experiencing it yourself, you add a layer of realness to the world that people respond to.”

Screenwriters Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith

Writers Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith (10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, LEGALLY BLONDE) show how they plot a scene and where watching movies is inspirational.

Costume Designer Betsy Heimann

“As filmmakers, we’re all there to tell a story, ” says PULP FICTION Costume Designer Betsy Heimann. In her research, Heimann relates how she is grabbed with the character’s voices by throwing herself into their world.

On a related note, if you’re in the Southern California area, The Academy will be presenting the multimedia exhibition Hollywood Costume, October 2, 2014 through March 2, 2015. The exhibition will bring together the world’s most iconic costumes from the Golden Age of cinema to the present. Details HERE.

Academy Originals are drawn on the expertise of the organization’s more than 6,000 members, its vast collection of archival material and its position within film conversation.

You can catch new videos every Monday on: YouTube.com/AcademyOriginals.

Win A Pass To The Advance Screening Of LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER In St. Louis

LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER is set against the tumultuous political backdrop of 20th century America. Academy Award® nominated director Lee Daniels’ (PRECIOUS) epic drama tells the story of fictional White House butler Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who serves during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986. The film is inspired by Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post article “A Butler Well Served by This Election” which chronicled the real life of former White House butler Eugene Allen. The film begins in 1926 and follows a young Cecil as he escapes the tyranny of the fiercely segregated South in search of a better life.

Along his arduous journey to manhood Cecil learns invaluable skills that ultimately lead to an opportunity of a lifetime: a job as a butler at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There, Cecil becomes a firsthand witness to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office as the civil rights movement unfolds. At home, his loving wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) raises their two sons, and the family benefits from a comfortable middle-class existence enabled by Cecil’s White House position.

But Cecil’s commitment to his “First Family” fosters tensions at home, alienating Gloria and creating conflict with his anti-establishment son (David Oyelowo). Through the eyes and emotions of the Gaines family, Daniels’ film follows the changing tides of American politics and race relations; from the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, to the Freedom Riders and Black Panther movements, to the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal, Cecil experiences the effects of these events as both an insider and a family man.

With an incredible supporting cast that includes Yaya Alafia, Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Elijah Kelley, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber and Robin Williams, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER is a story about the resilience of one man, the growth of a nation, and the power of family.

The film will be in theaters August 16.

The Weinstein Company and WAMG invite you to enter for your chance to receive a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER on August 13th at 7PM in St. Louis.

Answer the following:

Forest Whitaker won a Best Actor Oscar for which 2006 movie? Plus name the person he portrayed.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. ENTER YOUR NAME AND ANSWER IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

3. YOU MUST SUBMIT THE CORRECT ANSWER TO OUR QUESTION ABOVE TO WIN. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

This film has been rated PG-13.

Website – http://leedanielsthebutlermovie.com
Facebook – https://facebook.com/leedanielsthebutler
Twitter – http://twitter.com/weinsteinfilms

Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker & David Oyelowo To Narrate THE BUTLER: A Witness to History Audiobook

Simon & Schuster Audio, in association with The Weinstein Company, has announced the August 2013 publication of THE BUTLER: A Witness to History. This audiobook companion to the major motion picture is read by the stars who play the family at the center of the film: the title character, his wife, and his son– Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo.

Commented director Lee Daniels: “The story THE BUTLER tells is one not only of epic historical significance, but a universal one about the importance of family. To have it come to life on screen and with this audiobook, through the tremendous talents of Forest, Oprah, and David, is a dream come true.”

Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker narrates the story of Eugene Allen, a butler who served no less than seven presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Allen was witness to history during his years at the White House, serving tea and supervising buffets as influential decisions about the moon landing, Vietnam War, Civil Rights legislation, and more took place around him.

THE BUTLER audiobook also includes author Wil Haygood’s exploration of the history of black images on celluloid and in Hollywood, read by Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo.

Lee Daniels, the Academy Award nominated director of PRECIOUS, reads the forward he penned.

37 INK, a new imprint of Atria Books, will publish hardcover and ebook editions of THE BUTLER on Tuesday, July 30.

The film, which opens on August 16, is set against the tumultuous political backdrop of 20th century America.

The historical epic Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER tells the story of fictional White House butler Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who serves during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986. Inspired by Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post article “A Butler Well Served by This Election” about the real life of former butler Eugene Allen, the film begins in 1926 with a young Cecil living in the fiercely segregated South and facing the tyranny of the region’s prejudices. After years spent working in a hotel, Cecil is discovered by a White House employee, which leads to the opportunity of a lifetime: a job as a server at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There, Cecil becomes a firsthand witness to history and the inner workings of the Oval Office as the civil rights movement unfolds.

At the same time, he and his volatile but loving wife (Oprah Winfrey) must grapple with the rebellious spirit of their son Louis (David Oyelowo) whose tenacious hunger for activism and equal rights often puts him in dangerous situations – and at perpetual odds with his father. While Cecil remains fiercely committed to his duties at the White House and to providing for his family, his determination leads to increasing tensions between him and his anti-establishment son.

Through the eyes and emotions of the Gaines family, Daniels’ film follows the changing tides of American politics and race relations; from the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., to the Freedom Riders and Black Panther movements, to the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal, Cecil experiences the effects of these events as both an insider and a family man.

With an incredible supporting cast that includes John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber and Robin Williams, Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER is a story about the resilience of one man, the growth of a nation, and the power of family.

Website – http://leedanielsthebutlermovie.com
Facebook – https://facebook.com/leedanielsthebutler
Twitter – http://twitter.com/weinsteinfilms

LENNY KRAVITZ in Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER.

DAVID OYELOWO in Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER.

FOREST WHITAKER and CUBA GOODING JR. Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER.

Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna

Screenwriter and Director Tina Gordon Chism

Screenwriters Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith

Costume Designer Betsy Heimann

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