Sydney Pollack to Be Feted by Cinematography Society

Sydney Pollack to Be Feted by Cinematography Society

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Sydney Pollack will receive the 2006 American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Board of Governors Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant and enduring contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. He will be feted here during the 20th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony on February 26, 2006, at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Pollack's films have earned 46 Oscar(R) nominations. He received Oscars for both directing and producing OUT OF AFRICA, and other nominations for directing TOOTSIE and THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY? Pollack also earned an Emmy(R) Award and two other nominations for directing television plays at the beginning of his career.

"Sydney Pollack is a consummate artist, who brings innate talent and total dedication to everything he does," says Owen Roizman, ASC. Roizman lensed five films directed by Pollack, beginning with THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR in 1975. They both earned Oscar nominations for TOOTSIE in 1982. Their other joint ventures were THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN, ABSENCE OF MALICE and HAVANA.

Previous recipients of the ASC Board of Governors Award include Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Jodie Foster, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, Warren Beatty, Irwin Winkler and Gilbert Cates, among others.

Pollack earned his first feature credit as a director in 1965 for THE SLENDER THREAD. He has subsequently taken some 20 turns at the helm, including such memorable features as JEREMIAH JOHNSON, OUT OF AFRICA, TOOTSIE, THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?, THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN, ABSENCE OF MALICE, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, THE FIRM, SABRINA and THE INTERPRETER.

In 1975, Pollack produced in addition to directing THE YAKUZA. He has earned more than 40 credits as a producer. An abbreviated list includes HONEYSUCKLE ROSE, WHITE PALACE, PRESUMED INNOCENT, SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, THE QUIET AMERICAN, COLD MOUNTAIN, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY and the upcoming BREAKING AND ENTERING. The last three of those films were directed by Anthony Minghella who joined him as a partner at Mirage Productions in 2000. Pollack founded Mirage Productions in partnership with Mark Rosenberg who died in 1992.

The versatile Pollack has also compiled about a dozen credits as an actor. He explains that in 1982, Dustin Hoffman convinced him to play his agent in TOOTSIE. Pollack has subsequently portrayed characters in THE PLAYER, DEATH BECOMES HER, A CIVIL ACTION, CHANGING LANES, EYES WIDE SHUT, HUSBANDS AND WIVES, and the television series MAD ABOUT YOU and WILL AND GRACE.

For more information, visit www.theasc.com, or call 323-969-4333.

Source: American Society of Cinematographers

CONTACT: Lisa Muldowney, lisam@ccspr.com, or Sally Christgau,
sallyc@ccspr.com, both of CCS PR, Inc., +1-760-438-5250, or fax
+1-760-438-5230, for American Society of Cinematographers

Web site: http://www.theasc.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: A headshot of Sydney Pollack is available by request.

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