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THE DALLAS FILM SOCIETY to PRESENT THE ART OF FILM, HONORING FILM & THEATRE LEGEND JOHN LITHGOW
DALLAS, OCT. 13, 2011: The DALLAS Film Society, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that celebrates films and their impact on society, has announced it will honor screen and theatre legend, John Lithgow at their annual fall fundraising event The Art of Film on November 18, 2011, at the Hall of State, Fair Park.
Two-time Academy Award nominee and winner of two Golden Globe Awards, five Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, John Lithgow will be presented with the DALLAS Star Award during an evening that will celebrate the vast achievements of his career. The following day, November 19, the DALLAS Film Society will screen a retrospective of two of Lithgow’s most famous films. The Art of Film is a rare opportunity for 350 film lovers to gather at an elegant dinner and be a part of an intimate conversation with Lithgow and renowned film critic, Elvis Mitchell.
“The DALLAS Film Society created The Art of Film to be a celebration of an extraordinary career,” said James Faust, Artistic Director of the DALLAS Film Society. “2012 will mark John Lithgow’s 40th year on stage and screen and one can only marvel at his achievements of the past four decades. He is a rare breed – he acts, sings, dances, writes and in all of these skill sets he consistently delivers a standard that others can only try to emulate. John Lithgow is a true star and I am humbled and honored that we will have the opportunity to pay homage to him and put his accomplishments on a pedestal.”
The DALLAS Film Society honors individuals who have made important contributions to modern cinema and the advancement of the art of film. Lithgow joins a list of luminaries who have received the stunning Steuben Crystal DALLAS Star Award, courtesy of Neiman Marcus. Previous recipients have included, amongst others, Frank Darabont, Adrien Brody, Lauren Bacall, Sydney Pollack, Charlize Theron, John Lee Hancock, Kathryn Bigelow, Francis Ford Coppola, Helen Hunt, Marvin Hamlisch, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Towne and 2010 The Art of Film Honoree, Robert Duvall.
Lithgow’s interests and talents span all areas of the entertainment industry: theatre, film, television and even author of eight NY Times best-selling children’s picture books. At heart, Lithgow is a theatre actor. In 1973, he won a Tony Award only three weeks after his Broadway debut in David Storey’s THE CHANGING ROOM. Since then, he has appeared on Broadway 19 times, earning another Tony for SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, three Tony Award nominations and four Drama Desk Awards, as well as being inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. He is one of only a very few American actors ever invited to join The Royal Shakespeare Company.
On screen, Lithgow began to make a major mark in the early 1980’s. At that time, he was nominated for Academy Awards in back-to-back years for THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP (1982) and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983). In the years before and after, he has appeared in over thirty films. Notable among them have been ALL THAT JAZZ (1979), BLOW OUT (1981), TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983), FOOTLOOSE (1984), HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS (1987), MEMPHIS BELLE (1990), RAISING CAIN (1992), SHREK (2001), KINSEY (2004) and a flashy cameo in DREAMGIRLS (2006). Currently, he can be seen in theatres in Rupert Wyatt’s RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011).
For television, Lithgow has been nominated for eleven Emmy Awards. Three of the five Emmy Awards he has won are perhaps for his most celebrated creation as Dick Solomon on the hit NBC comedy series 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN. Following the show’s six year-run, Lithgow earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has recently found new success in television drama with Showtime’s DEXTER.
Honorary Chair of The Art of Film, Faye C. Briggs and Chairs, Ann Swisher and Michael F. McGehee are working with the DALLAS Film Society to organize the event, which will help raise funds to support the DALLAS Film Society’s year-round education and community outreach programs.
“Education is the cornerstone of the DALLAS Film Society’s mission,” said Tanya Foster, President and CEO of the Dallas Film Society. “ThroughThe Art of Film, we can raise money and awareness to support this mission and help educate the next generation of filmmakers. Honoring John Lithgow also serves to motivate anyone interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. He has not only done it all, he has done it with style and class and that to me, is inspirational.”
Individual tickets from $250 are available for purchase, and underwriting opportunities are available from $2,500-$35,000. Tickets for the screenings the next day are free for The Art of Film guests and members of the Dallas Film Society. Contact Katie Layton at klayton@dallasfilm.org or call214.720.0555 for more information.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
