Boston, MA – The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts, has invited a star-filled line-up of cinephiles to celebrate the work of Oscar-winning film producer Jeremy Thomas. Thomas will be the recipient of the fifth annual Coolidge Award, honoring a selected film artist whose work advances the spirit of original and challenging filmmaking. Thomas, who won an Oscar for his collaboration with director Bernardo Bertolucci on The Last Emperor, is scheduled to arrive in Boston to accept the honor at a special ceremony on Wednesday, April 16 at 8:00 pm. Confirmed guests for the gala celebration will include actress Debra Winger (who starred in the Thomas-produced The Sheltering Sky), actor Tim Roth (Don’t Come Knocking, The Hit), and directors Julien Temple (The Great Rock and Roll Swindle) and Nicolas Roeg (Insignificance, Eureka) . Other highlights of the Gala Award Ceremony will include selected film clips from Thomas’ body of work and live musical performances. The ceremony will culminate with Massachusetts Film Office Executive Director Nicholas Paleologos presenting of the award to Thomas.
While in Boston, Thomas and others will participate in related festivities. On Thursday, April 17 at 2:00 pm, the Coolidge has programmed An Afternoon With Jeremy Thomas, giving audience-members the opportunity to interact with Thomas as he shares his insights into the producing process. Later that evening at 8:00 pm the Coolidge hosts a Panel Discussion in which the celebrated Award recipient is joined by his colleagues to answer audience questions and engage on the multi-faceted process of bringing a film from an idea to the big screen.
Moviegoers can still indulge in some select screenings from Thomas’ filmography, which the Coolidge has programmed over the past several weeks. On Monday, April 7 the Coolidge brings to the big screen Sexy Beast. On Tuesday, April 9 both Bad Timing and The Great Rock and Roll Swindle will screen in the small theater. And, on Monday, April 14 Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is shown, on the big screen. Tickets to the big screen showings of Sexy Beast and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence are $9.75/general admission, $6.75/Coolidge members. Tickets to Bad Timing and The Great Rock and Roll Swindle are $6.75 and Coolidge Members can bring a guest for FREE. A special incentive is being offered to moviegoers — bring your ticket stub from any of the above screenings to the box office when purchasing tickets to any Coolidge Award event April 16-17 and receive the Coolidge Member discount.
All programs are open to the public and tickets are now on sale at the Coolidge box office or online at www.coolidge.org. Tickets to the Award Ceremony on April 16 are $35/general admission, $30/Coolidge Members. Tickets to An Afternoon With Jeremy Thomas are $9.75/general admission, $7.75/Coolidge Members. Tickets to the Panel Discussion are $20/general admission, $17/Coolidge Members. The complete line-up of events, selected advance screenings and ticket information for the Coolidge Award Ceremony honoring Jeremy Thomas is posted with updates on the Theatre’s website, www.coolidge.org.
In addition to his many film credits, Thomas is widely respected and revered in the international film community. He served as Chairman of the British Film Institute from 1992 until 1997 and is the recipient of many awards throughout the world, including the Michael Balcon British Academy Achievement and the European Achievement in World Cinema, Prix Screen International, European Film Awards 2006. He has served as President of the jury at Tokyo, San Sebastian, Berlin Film Festivals and Cannes (Un Certain Regard) in addition to participating on the main jury at Cannes. He was made a Life Fellow of the British Film Institute in 2000.
The annual Coolidge Award, recognizing a selected film artist whose work advances the spirit of original and challenging cinema, was launched in 2004. Previous honorees are film editor Thelma Schoonmaker in 2007 (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed), actress Meryl Streep in 2006 (Sophie’s Choice, Silkwood, The Devil Wears Prada), Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro in 2005 (Apocalypse Now, The Conformist, Reds) and Chinese director Zhang Yimou in 2004 (Hero, The House of Flying Daggers, Raise the Red Lantern).
The Coolidge Corner Theatre is one of the nation’s most prominent independently operated movie theaters, run by the not-for-profit Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation. Over the past several years, the theater has won numerous awards and recognitions for creative and innovative programming. In 2008 the Coolidge was among select distinguished cultural organizations to be awarded significant funding from the Cultural Facilities Fund, a program administered by MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Over the past five years the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation completed a successful 2.5 million dollar capital campaign supporting upgrades, renovations and a stunning restoration to the theater’s original Art Deco detail. The annual Coolidge Award represents a continued commitment to celebrate bold contributions to cinema and a recognition of the theater’s role in building audiences for this important work.
The Coolidge Award 2008 is made possible by the generous support of the Patricia Larsen Foundation, Scott Rosenberg, Susan and Robert Stoller, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Elizabeth Driehaus, LEF New England, Chobee Hoy Associates Real Estate, Inc., and Massachusetts Cultural Council. Additional support continues to grow from numerous individuals, sponsors and community-based businesses. More details about the Coolidge Award festivities will be announced in the coming weeks. The Coolidge Corner Theatre is located at 290 Harvard Street in the heart of Coolidge Corner, Brookline, Massachusetts. For information on programming, call 617-734-2500, or visit the website at www.coolidge.org.