PRESENTERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE AWARD EVENT

It won’t be long now until the American Cinematheque bestows its 32nd annual Award on four-time Academy Award-nominee Bradley Cooper. A glittering cast of famous friends are lined up to toast and roast the A Star Is Born filmmaker. Patricia Clarkson, Sam Elliott, Zach Galifianakis , Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Lady Gaga, Brian Klugman, Sienna Miller, Sean Penn, David O. Russell, and Vince Vaughn will appear in person to fete Cooper at the Cinematheque’s annual benefit gala. Culminating the evening, Sean Penn will present the 32nd American Cinematheque Award Sponsored by GRoW @ Annenberg to Cooper, on stage at The Beverly Hilton (9876 Wilshire Blvd.) on Thursday, November 29, 2018. The award presentation will be held in The Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom in Beverly Hills, CA. The Title Sponsor is GRoW @ Annenberg.

At the top of the award show, the American Cinematheque will honor Dolby Laboratories as the recipient of the 4th Annual Sid Grauman Award, presented to Doug Darrow. This award is presented by Hill Valley.


Funds raised at the event will benefit the year-round film programs at the American Cinematheque’s Aero and Egyptian Theatres in Santa Monica and Hollywood.

Tickets to the Cinematheque Tribute, an elegant black-tie dinner followed by a multi-media award presentation, start at $600. Call Mann Productions for tickets and further information: 323.314.7000 or click here.

Benefit Co-Chairs include: Ben Affleck, Dave Bugliari, Dave Chappelle, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Megan Ellison, Toby Emmerich, Lady Gaga, Zach Galifianakis, Jennifer Garner, Jim Gianopulos, Wyck Godfrey, Alan Horn, Kevin Huvane, Sue Kroll, Donna Langley, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeffrey Lurie, Ron Meyer, Sienna Miller, Éric Nebot, Rick Nicita, Sean Penn, Todd Phillips, Brad Pitt, Blair Rich, Julia Roberts, Tom Rothman, Charles Roven, David O. Russell, Ted Sarandos, Steven Spielberg, Emma Stone, Kevin Tsujihara, Paula Wagner, Emma Watts and Regina & Gregory Annenberg Weingarten.

“The American Cinematheque is grateful to Gregory Annenberg Weingarten whose generous support through his philanthropic initiative GRoW @ Annenberg will help fund educational programs at the Cinematheque throughout the year,” said Rick Nicita.

GRoW @ Annenberg is the philanthropic initiative led by Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, a Vice President and Director of the Annenberg Foundation. GRoW @ Annenberg is dedicated to supporting humanitarian efforts across the globe as well as innovative projects in health, education, the arts and civic & cultural life.

“The American Cinematheque helps foster an appreciation of filmmaking through their dynamic programming and historic theatre preservation,” said Weingarten. “I am pleased to support their educational programming, as well as their efforts to utilize the power of cinema to entertain and inspire Angelenos through this treasured art form.”

ABOUT BRADLEY COOPER

Four-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper recently made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Warner Bros. film A Star Is Born, which he also co-wrote and produced. Additional film credits include the Oscar-nominated films American Sniper, American Hustle, and Silver Linings Playbook; Derek Cianfrance’s acclaimed The Place Beyond the Pines; The Hangover trilogy; Limitless; Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; War Dogs; David O. Russell's Joy; Burnt; Wedding Crashers and Wet Hot American Summer. Television credits include Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Alias, Nip/Tuck, Kitchen Confidential, Jack & Bobby, and Sex and the City.

Photo by Albert Ortega

In 2015, Cooper garnered critical acclaim and a Tony nomination for his portrayal of John Merrick in the five-time Tony nominated revival of The Elephant Man at the Booth Theater on Broadway, directed by Scott Ellis. He also performed this role during a limited run of the play in London at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2015 and originally, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2012 (also directed by Ellis). Other theater credits include: Joe Mantello’s production of Three Days of Rain (2006, Broadway Debut) and the critically-acclaimed Theresa Rebeck play The Understudy (2008, Williamstown Theatre Festival).

Born in Philadelphia, Cooper graduated with honors in the English program at Georgetown University. After moving to New York City, he obtained his Masters in the Fine Arts program at the Actors Studio Drama School.

Cooper has also been working to make a difference in the lives of patients with cancer through his foundation. When Cooper’s father was diagnosed with lung cancer, he was in the fortunate position to be able to put everything on hold and completely focus on caring for his father. While doing so, he saw so many other patients who did not have access to the same supports that he had. Through launching patient navigator programs, working to shift perceptions, and exploring innovations in the field, the Foundation is aiming to improve patients’ experience with cancer throughout their treatment. Cooper has been a long time partner to Stand Up to Cancer and numerous veterans organizations throughout his career.

GRoW @ Annenberg is the Title Sponsor.

Dolby Laboratories is the Diamond Sponsor.

Platinum Sponsors include Encore Event Technologies, Hill Valley,
Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Gold Sponsors include Comcast NBCUniversal, Creative Artists Agency, Hennessy X.O, The Hollywood Reporter, Live Nation Productions, Morgan Creek Productions, Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Variety, The Walt Disney Studios.

Silver Sponsors include Atlas Entertainment/Thomas Spiegel Family Foundation,
Fandango, Netflix.

Silver Patrons include Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, GooglePlay/YouTube, Piper-Heidsieck, Todd Phillips, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Patrons include Brenden Mann Foundation, CinemaCon, Grace Ford Salvatori Foundation, Kempinsky Law Ltd., Rick Nicita, PwC, Heather & James Rosenfield/Jackie & John Bucksbaum and Paula Wagner.

Since 1986, the organization has annually honored an extraordinary filmmaker in the entertainment industry, who is fully engaged in his or her work and is committed to making a significant contribution to the art of the motion picture. Funds raised benefit the year-round programming of the non-profit cultural organization, the American Cinematheque.

The executive producer of the show is Paul Flattery. Irene Crinita is the producer. Corrinne Mann is the event producer. Presenters of the event will be announced as they are confirmed.

Previous American Cinematheque Award honorees include: Eddie Murphy (1986); Bette Midler (1987); Robin Williams (1988); Steven Spielberg (1989); Ron Howard (1990); Martin Scorsese (1991); Sean Connery (1992); Michael Douglas (1993); Rob Reiner (1994); Mel Gibson (1995); Tom Cruise (1996); John Travolta (1997); Arnold Schwarzenegger (1998); Jodie Foster (1999); Bruce Willis (2000); Nicolas Cage (2001); Denzel Washington (2002); Nicole Kidman (2003); Steve Martin (2004); Al Pacino (2005) George Clooney (2006), Julia Roberts (2007);Samuel L. Jackson (2008); Matt Damon (2010); Robert Downey Jr. (2011), Ben Stiller (2012), Jerry Bruckheimer (2013), Matthew McConaughey (2014), Reese Witherspoon (2015), Ridley Scott (2016), and Amy Adams (2017). Please note that this event was formerly known as the Moving Picture Ball.

Hundreds of entertainment industry notables are expected to attend the Tribute. This annual event is the American Cinematheque’s most important benefit, providing funds for the non-profit film exhibition organization’s programs throughout the year and operation of the historic landmark Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard as well as the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica on Montana Avenue.


Established in 1981 as a year-round haven for film lovers, the American Cinematheque is a non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. In its quest to provide once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences, the organization screens rare titles, archival prints, restorations and special formats - often combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work. At the historic Egyptian and Aero Theatres, the American Cinematheque preserves the big screen movie-going experience. Programming ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films, the best of new world cinema, pop culture gems and more, in all genres. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on December 4, 1998) the landmark 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre, the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the Westside with the January 5th opening of the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.