 |
 |
| |
Gary Ross |
A four-time Academy Award nominee for his screenplays of Big,
Dave and Seabiscuit, as well as for producing the latter
film, a Best Picture nominee, Gary Ross is a filmmaker who delves
into America’s favorite pastimes and lauded institutions to
create films with a unique and distinctive voice. Ross’ career
includes directing and producing, in addition to his first calling
as a screenwriter. His first produced screenplay, Big, starring
Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall, was a blockbuster comedy
that resulted not only in a nomination for his writing with Anne Spielberg,
but an acting nomination for Hanks as well. He drew on his knowledge
and love of the American political process for his screenplay of the
Capra-esque comedy hit Dave, starring Kevin Kline and directed
by Ivan Reitman, which resulted in his second nomination.
In 1998, Ross decided it was time to direct one of his scripts
and the result was the social comedy Pleasantville, a tale
of two teens transported into the black-and-white world of a fictional
1950s town. His second directorial effort was 2003’s popular
and critical hit, Seabiscuit.
Outside the film industry, Ross has remained socially active in
a variety of philanthropic and political activities. During his
tenure as president of the Los Angeles Library, he established mentoring
programs for inner city youth and expanded teenage and youth-at-risk
services throughout the Los Angeles library system. His father,
Arthur Ross, is also an Academy-Award nominated screenwriter for
his work on Brubaker.
The Marvin Borowsky Lecture on Screenwriting provides an opportunity
for established film writers to share their experiences, and to
discuss the challenges and delights of writing for the screen. The
lecture is named in memory of the screenwriter, novelist and teacher.
Past lecturers have included Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, Robert
Towne, Lawrence Kasdan, Richard Brooks, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo
Mandel, Jay Presson Allen, Waldo Salt, Philip Dunne, John Sayles,
Bo Goldman, Nora Ephron, Ron Bass, Kevin Smith and Paul Schrader.
|
