Academy Award Winning Director and Producer Lee Daniels Delivers Remarks During Commencement Ceremony at Savannah College of Art and Design
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Academy Award winning director and producer, Lee Daniels delivered remarks during the commencement ceremony for Savannah College of Art and Design on Saturday, November 23, 2013. The filmmaker also received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters in honor of his distinguished work in film.
The first film from Daniels' production company was 2001's "Monster's Ball," which marked Daniels as the first sole African-American producer of an Academy Award-nominated and –winning film. He also produced "The Woodsman," which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Daniels' directorial debut "Shadowboxer" was released soon after in 2006. Following the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Daniels was nominated for the New Directors Award at the 2006 San Sebastian Film Festival.
Daniels' project, "Precious," featured at the 2009 Savannah Film Festival and based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, won two Academy Awards in 2010 for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. The film received a total of six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing, with Daniels nominated as Best Director.
Released in August, his latest project "The Butler," follows the life of a White House butler who serves eight U.S. presidents during his three-decade tenure. The film stars Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr., among others. Generating both critical and festival praise, Daniels' films continues to spark the acclaim and buzz reserved for the top echelon of Hollywood artists.
Photo credit: Savannah College of Art and Design
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