“Forgotten Hollywood”- To Sidney With Love…

Posted on January 25, 2021 by raideoman1 | No Comments

Manny P. here…

“`The Southwest is now the site of a career milestone for a legendary actor and filmmaker — Arizona State University has named its new film school: The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, which was unveiled at a virtual ceremony.  In 1963, Poitier made a movie in Arizona, Lilies of the Field. His fine performance led to a major milestone. He became the first Black winner of a lead-actor Oscar.

“`The university, which is expanding its existing film program into its own school, says it has invested millions of dollars in technology to develop what is intended to be one of the largest, most accessible and most diverse film schools. The ASU film production programs now enroll seven hundred students,  but that number is expected to double over three to five years. By expanding both its physical resources and flexible learning options like online study, it hopes to enroll thousands more students, teaching skills that go beyond traditional moviemaking.

“`The decision to name the school after Poitier is about much more than his achievements and legacy. Per the actor’s wishes, their cinema school will measure success not by exclusivity, but by their inclusivity. They will move in Fall of 2022 to a new facility in downtown Mesa, Arizona, seven miles from the university’s Tempe Campus. They will also occupy the university’s newest center in Los Angeles.

“`The school naming was revealed during a celebration video, featuring remarks by people in the ASU community, film industry icons and three of Poitier’s six daughters. Appearing with a congratulatory message at the virtual unveiling was Poitier’s longtime friend, Harry Belafonte, who called Poitier a dear human being and a wonderful American citizen.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2021 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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