Lifetime Achievement in Producing Award 2019 ALBERT S. RUDDY
Legendary producer Al Ruddy has produced some of the most iconic motion pictures and TV shows of all time, including The Godfather, Million Dollar Baby, Cannonball Run, and The Longest Yard.
At the 45th Annual Academy Awards (1973), Al Ruddy won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the legendary film THE GODFATHER, which was presented to him by Clint Eastwood. Thirty two years later they jointly accepted another Best Picture Oscar for MILLION DOLLAR BABY. In a testament to Al’s belief in taking on challenging material, MILLION DOLLAR BABY grossed over 200 million dollars worldwide and validated that with great material, you can have success both commercially and critically.
Ruddy’s amazing follow up to THE GODFATHER was changing genres completely, and producing THE LONGEST YARD which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture in 1974.
In 1981 Ruddy produced THE CANNONBALL RUN which was the sixth highest grossing film of the year, and huge commercial success.
His success was not limited to the film side. Mr. Ruddy was the co- creator of HOGAN’S HEROES that ran for 168 episodes and is set for a comeback. He also was the creator and executive producer on the iconic action series WALKER, TEXAS RANGER which aired for eight full seasons.
Alfred S. Ruddy’s long history of success in Hollywood continues to shine as he explores different ways to approach our ever changing industry. He is the epitome of a risk taker, and an inspiration to us all.
Hollywood eagerly waits for what this legend will continue to bring to audiences throughout the world.
Career Achievement in Directing Award 2019 JOE BERLINGER
Academy Award and seven-time Emmy nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger’s films include Brother’s Keeper, the Paradise Lost Trilogy, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Crude and Under African Skies.
Berlinger’s most recent film, Intent to Destroy pulls back the curtain on mass murder censorship in Hollywood due to U.S. government pressure to appease a strategic ally by embedding with a historic feature film production as a springboard to explore the violent history of the Armenian Genocide and legacy of Turkish suppression and denial over the past century. In the summer of 2016,
Netflix released Berlinger’s Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru, a vérité film that goes behind the scenes of the mega once-a-year seminar “Date With Destiny”. Killing Richard Glossip, Berlinger’s series for Investigation Discovery that premiered in April of 2017, tells the haunting story of a former motel manager sentenced to die for orchestrating a murder that he swears he had nothing to do with.
Berlinger’s eight-part docuseries for Spike TV premiered last summer: Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio focuses on the deaths and disappearances of six young women in southern Ohio – a tragic saga shrouded in a mystery that includes a dark underbelly of a struggling Midwest region plagued by drug and sex trafficking, and a system that seems to have failed to protect these women.
Berlinger’s four-part true crime documentary series Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders, a reexamination of the crime chronicled in Truman Capote’s landmark book and Oscar-nominated film, premiered on Sundance TV in November of 2017.
Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers, an investigative look into the brutal murder of a Mississippi teenager, which Berlinger directed and executive-produced, premiered as Oxygen’s highest-rated series since their true crime rebrand. Berlinger’s two Ted Bundy-focused projects, the docu-series.
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes and narrative feature film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, premiered days apart in late January to critical acclaim. The film was bought by Netflix, which produced the docu-series as well, after a strong showing at the 2019 Sundance film festival.
Icon Award 2019 SALLY KIRKLAND
Sally Kirkland, BEST Actress Oscar Nominee, Golden Globe winner, Independent Spirit Award winner, LA Film Critics Circle Award winner and veteran of over 200 films. Feisty, hard-working, famously liberal, with the trademark blonde hair, actress Sally Kirkland has certainly made an indelible mark on Hollywood history. Born in New York City, her mother was the fashion editor at Vogue and LIFE magazine. Sally began her career on the off-Broadway circuit and trained under ‘Lee Strasberg’.
Sally Kirkland is a film, TV, and theater veteran since the 1960’s and is probably best known for the film “Anna,” for which she garnered the Best Actress Oscar nomination and won the Best Actress Golden Globe, the Independent Spirit Award, and the LA Film Critic’s Circle Award. Sally’s first director in 1964 was Andy Warhol in “13 Most Beautiful Women.” In 1968 she became the first nude actress in American history, “Sweet Eros” by Terrence McNally.
Her 220 films also include: “The Sting,” “The Way We Were,” “Coming Apart,” “Cold Feet,” “Best of the Best,” “Revenge,” “JFK,” “ED TV,” “Bruce Almighty”, “Coffee Date” and “Archaeology of a Woman”. In the past couple of years she has starred in “Buddy Solitaire”, “Gnaw” and “The Most Hated Woman in America” co-starring with Melissa Leo and Peter Fonda. And coming out soon, she has starred in “Sarah Q”, “Cuck”, “Invincible” and “The Talking Tree”. She was nominated for Best Actress in a TV movie by the Hollywood Foreign Press for “The Haunted- A True Story.”
Her television credits include: guest starring on “Criminal Minds,” recurring on “Head Case” and “the Simple Life.” She guest starred on “Resurrection Blvd,” and in the TV movie, “Another Woman’s Husband.” Sally had a recurring role on “Felicity”. She starred on the NBC movie, “Brave New World.” She starred in the TV movie, “Song of Songs” and was a series regular on the TV show “Valley of the Dolls.” She also starred in the TV movie, “The Woman Who Loved Elvis.” She had a recurring role as Barbara Healy in the original “Roseanne” series. She starred in the TV movie, “Heatwave” and recurred as Tracy on “Days of Our Lives.”
Sally is also an exhibited painter, poet, renowned acting coach and ordained minister in the Church of The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA). She is currently filming “Sallywood”, in which she plays the lead.
Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 ERIC ROBERTS
Eric Roberts is a Georgia native whose first professional acting job was on ANOTHER WORLD at age 19 in New York. He went on to star in KING OF THE GYPSIES at 21 and earned multiple Golden Globe nominations and an Oscar nomination for RUNAWAY TRAIN.
His IMDB page is filled to the brim, and the music videos he’s appeared in can be found in a search as well. He’s had the honor to work on all types of projects with actors and creators he feels unimaginably grateful to know.
As with many artists, Eric’s proudest professional moments are transcended by journeys and triumphs from real life. What Eric is most passionate about sharing are the endeavors of his kids – actress, Emma Roberts, recording artist, Keaton Simons, chef & baker, Morgan Simons.
Eric hopes to be known as the guy who turned the world on to The Natural Child Project, Pi BakeShop, Keaton Simons’ music and Vegan living.
Eric has been married since 1992 to Eliza Roberts, from ANIMAL HOUSE.
Armin Theophil Wegner Arpa Humanitarian Award 2019 THE STATELESS DIPLOMAT
Arpa International Film Festival Award Winner
2019
Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award
Docu-Animation
THE STATELESS DIPLOMAT
by Mimi Malayan & Arthur Muradyan (USA, 2018)
79 min, documentary animation
“The Stateless Diplomat” tells the story of Diana Agabeg Apcar, who worked on behalf of Armenia and genocide survivors her entire life. She committed her passion and idealism to their case, by writing books and articles,appealing to peace societies, academics, missionaries, and politicians.. Her efforts were in vain. The Armenian Genocide of 1915 surpassed her worst predictions. One and a half million people were killed; hundreds of thousands survivors fled in all directions.
Her lifetime coincided with several major events,including the continued annihilation of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and also the creation of the Republic of Armenia and its subsequent dissolution, and finally the creation of the Soviet Union.”
In 1917, Japan had no refugee policy. Through her, the Armenian Genocide survivors were provided access to Japan even though they had no passports or proper documents. Hundreds, even thousands of lives were saved through the efforts of Apcar. For her efforts she received the nickname “Little Mother of a Nation.”
Between 1918-1920, Apcar was tapped to be Armenia’s ambassador to Japan. Diana continued her work, just as she had before her appointment. An author, businesswoman, activist, humanitarian and diplomat, Diana’s mission was the survival of her people. Both she and the refugees she served shared a vision—no matter how unrealistic—they would overcome their obstacles. With hard work, perseverance, and a little human compassion, they would succeed. Their battles were for their own survival, and that of a people and their culture.