Renowned producer Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. to speak at Gallaudet's WORLDEAF Cinema Festival

Speakers Set For WORLDEAF Cinema Festival

Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., an Emmy winner and Academy Award-nominated producer whose acclaimed films have launched the careers of some of the most famous figures in the industry and inspired generations of movie patrons, will speak at Gallaudet University’s WORLDEAF Cinema Festival on the morning of November 6 in the University’s Kellogg Conference Hotel.

The WORLDEAF Cinema Festival, taking place in Washington, D.C., November 4 to 7, is an international celebration of deaf filmmaking hosted by Gallaudet that will be a truly significant milestone in the history of the art. The festival will also provide a unique opportunity to network with deaf filmmakers, as well as hearing filmmakers who produce films with or about deaf or hard of hearing people.

Goldwyn, the son of the legendary producer Samuel Goldwyn and actress Frances Howard, holds the titles of chairman and chief executive officer at The Samuel Goldwyn Company, which develops, produces, and distributes feature films and documentaries. Recent titles include: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Super Size Me, The Squid and the Whale, and the upcoming Mao’s Last Dancer, directed by Academy Award nominee Bruce Beresford. Goldwyn is a long-standing member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also serves as president of The Samuel Goldwyn Foundation, a non-profit organization with a primary interest in health, education, and child services. The foundation sponsors a yearly writing competition for the 10-campus University of California system, which has a proven track record of launching the careers of talented young screenwriters. (Read more about Goldwyn’s accomplishments at www2.tft.ucla.edu/goldwyn/sgjr.cfm.)

“Mr. Goldwyn’s experience and leadership in the entertainment industry brings significant insights to the WORLDEAF Cinema Festival,” said Gallaudet Provost Stephen Weiner. “We are delighted that he will be sharing his vast knowledge with the festival’s audience.”

Film festival producer and director Jane Norman, who is also a professor in Gallaudet’s Department of Communication Studies, stated, “Mr. Goldwyn’s presence and support of deaf filmmakers serves as a significant model for diversity in the industry.”

Goldwyn will be joined by Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actor and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, who has been named honorary chair of the festival.

Read more about the WORLDEAF Cinema Festival on the festival website.