‘Jaws,’ ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and More In Academy Museum Fall Programming- Film News in Brief
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has announced its line-up of programs for the fall season. The upcoming catalog of events includes screenings, exhibits and celebrity appearances that celebrate cinema as art and culture.
Highlights include film series “The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer,” which offers screenings showcasing the celebrated work of the eponymous production designer-set decorator duo. The series begins on Sep. 3 and runs through Nov. 28, inspired by the Museum’s “Barbie to Anna Karenina: The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer” exhibit which runs through Oct. 25, 2026.
Another series is “Born with Cinema: Gaumont at 130,” which will celebrate the French studio’s 130th anniversary with screenings from its illustrious filmography. Each screening will represent a different decade of Gaumont’s long and ongoing history as the oldest operating film studio in the world. The series kicks off on Sep. 11 with a screening of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Weekend” and runs through Oct. 11.
Additional screenings include 30th and 50th anniversary screenings of “Toy Story” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” respectively, on Sep. 21 and 23. There will be 4K restoration screenings of “Mysterious Skin” and “Heat” on Sep. 19 and 21, respectively, a celebratory screening of cult-classic “Born in East L.A.” on Sep. 20 and a 35mm nitrate screening of “Meet Me In St. Louis” on Nov. 1. On Sep. 14, a “Jaws” screening will introduce the museum’s new “Jaws: The Exhibition:” the largest exhibition of its kind focused on Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster classic. The exhibition opens Sep. 26. Guests for these screenings include Pete Docter, Bonnie Arnold, Michael Mann, Tim Curry, Lou Adler, Cheech Martin, Gregg Araki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Sean Baker among others.
Other programs include “Gallery Spotlight: The Terrordome and Afrofuturism with Ngozi Onwurah,” “The Man Who Made Creatures: Special Effects Wizard Carlo Rambaldi” film series, “Hollywoodland: Significant Oscar Wins” film series, and numerous other standalone screenings. The Museum will also host is Monster Mash day on Oct. 25, including monster movie screenings, special effects makeup demonstrations, and appearances by Frankenstein’s monster and his Bride from the classic Universal horror films.
The Museum will also have a Free Day on Sep. 28, where all general admissions and matinee screenings are free. Advanced ticket reservations are encouraged, but standby entry will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Wednesday, August 6
Alliance of Women Directors Announces Rising Director Fellowship Mentors
The Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) has unveiled the mentors for the 2025 class of its Rising Director Fellowship.
This year’s class of mentors will include Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen (“Hunger,” “12 Years a Slave”), Emmy and DGA Award-winner Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “I Think We’re Alone Now”), Academy Award-nominee Mike Mills (“20th Century Women,” “Beginners”), BAFTA and DGA Award-winner Niki Caro (“Whale Rider,” “Mulan”), DGA Award-winner Amber Sealey (“Out of My Mind,” “No Man of God”), Independent Spirit Award-winner Susan Johnson (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “Carrie Pilby”), and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-nominee Erica Tremblay (“Reservation Dogs,” “Dark Winds.”)
“We are honored to welcome such an accomplished group of directors as mentors to the 2025 Rising Director Fellowship,” said Kylie Eaton, the Interim Executive Director of AWD. “Having these luminaries guide our Fellows is a powerful vote of confidence in the 2025 cohort, and a testament to AWD’s mission to create meaningful industry access and long-term career momentum for women and gender-expansive directors.”
The AWD Rising Director Fellowship supports five to seven directors each year with a curated program of mentorship, education, industry access, and the production of a proof of concept for an original narrative film. The 2025 program will include exclusive industry screening, spotlighting the Fellows’ work for agents, executives, and producers.
Monday, August 4
Goldcrest Post Adds New Colorists and Senior VP To Finishing Team
Leading post-production company Goldcrest Post has added three new senior members to its growing picture finishing team. The new hires are senior colorists Andrew Geary and Anthony Raffaele and senior Vice President J. Eric Camp.
Geary comes to Goldcrest from Company 3, where he worked in post on series such as HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones” and “The Staircase,” Netflix’s “Tires” and Amazon Prime’s “Harlem.” He also worked on the films “Relay” and “Imaginary.” At Goldcrest, he will serve as senior colorist as well as creative director.
Raffaele’s resume includes post-production roles at Harbor and Deluxe and work on titles such as Apple TV+’s “See,” Hulu’s “Life and Beth” and HBO Max’s “Warrior.”
Finally, Camp joins Goldcrest from his previous role as vice president at rival post-production company Light Iron. Before entering the business side of post-production, he worked on-set as a DIT. As senior VP at Goldcrest, he will oversee picture operations, business development and client solutions.
Goldcrest managing director Domenic Rom comments that the new hires mark “a defining moment for Goldcrest,” adding that “Drew, Anthony and Eric share a commitment to high-end work and deep relationships across the industry. Their addition takes our picture finishing capabilities to the next level.”
Tuesday, August 5
5&2 Studios Partners With Slingshot Productions On Animated Film, ‘David’
5&2 Studios, Dallas Jenkins’ production company and the studio behind “The Chosen,” has partnered with Slingshot Productions to release the animated Biblical film, “David.”
Based off the story of David versus Goliath and what comes after for the titular hero, “David” is an animated musical adventure film directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Bawes. The story was developed at Slingshot and the animation was done at Sunrise Animation Studios. Phil Wickham provides the voice of David and the film is produced by Rita Mbanga, Steve Pegram and Tim Keller.
“David” is Singshot’s first feature, and 5&2 Studios joins to oversee all global distribution and licensing agreements for the film. 5&2 will also take care of marketing the film with the aim of securing a theatrical distributor. Both companies strive for “David” to attain worldwide distribution in 2025.
Jenkins comments, “I didn’t expect to love this movie as much as I did, and when my wife read the script and had no notes, I knew we were onto something.” He adds, “We’ve found a great biblical storyteller in Phil (Cunningham), and I’m confident this is the first of multiple projects we’ll do together.”
Monday, August 4
Kevin Costner to Receive Eva Monley Award at 12th Annual LGMI Awards
Actor Kevin Costner will be honored with the Eva Monley Award from the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) at the 12th Annual LMGI Awards gala. The gala will take place on Aug. 23 at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage.
With performances in projects such as “Dances with Wolves,” “The Bodyguard,” “Field of Dreams,” “Yellowstone,” and most recently, “Horizon: An American Saga,” Costner has been recognized with various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
“Kevin Costner has long understood that locations are more than scenery—they are storytelling tools that shape the emotional and visual language of a film. His commitment to authenticity and his deep respect for the craft makes him a perfect recipient of the Eva Monley Award. We’re honored to celebrate his legacy and his ongoing contributions to the art of filmmaking,” announced John Rakich, the president of LMGI.
The Eva Monley Award is given to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the art and craft of filmmaking through their commitment to the use of real locations. Past recipients include Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson and Danny Boyle for their work and utilization of shooting on location.
Location ManagerIlt Joneswill also receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in blockbusters such as “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Inception” and “Iron Man 3.”
The LGMI Awards will be presented in the following categories: Contemporary Film, Period Film, Contemporary TV, Period TV, Television Anthology/MOW/Limited Series, Commercials, and Film Commissions. Honorary accolades for the Gala include the Humanitarian, Lifetime Achievement, Trailblazer, and Eva Monley Awards.
