IVAN REITMAN (Producer/Director) has been responsible for many of the most popular comedic films in motion picture history and, in the process, has shaped America's perception of contemporary comedy.
The talented director was responsible for the phenomenally successful "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters II," the comedies "Meatballs" and "Stripes," which launched Bill Murray's career; and the romantic adventure "Legal Eagles." He also produced and directed the 1988 smash hit "Twins," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, which not only grossed $200 million worldwide, but also served to establish Schwarzenegger as a cross-over comedic actor in an entirely different genre of film. Reitman and Schwarzenegger teamed again on the hit comedy-thriller "Kindergarten Cop."
Reitman has directed the greatest consecutive number of box-office hits of any director during the last 10 years: to date, his films have generated in excess of two billion dollars.
He was honored as Director of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners in 1984 and was presented with a Special Achievement Award at the Canadian Genie Awards in 1985.
As producer, Reitman was responsible for "National Lampoon's Animal House" and "Heavy Metal," and was the executive producer of "Casual Sex?" and "Beethoven."
Reitman was four years old when his family fled their native country of Czechoslovakia and relocated to Canada. After winning a music prize in a national student competition for the Canadian Centennial, the aspiring filmmaker produced and directed several shorts in college which were aired on Canadian television. He next produced a live television variety show called "Greed," with
Dan Aykroyd as its announcer. Reitman continued his producing career with "Spellbound" for the Toronto stage, which evolved into the long-running Broadway hit "The Magic Show," starring Doug Henning.
After "The Magic Show," Reitman produced the Off-Broadway hit, "The National Lampoon Show," and its year-long tour. This success led to the top-grossing film "National Lampoon's Animal House." Reitman later returned to the Broadway stage to earn a Tony nomination for directing the musical show "Merlin," which he also produced. Currently, Reitman heads Northern Lights Entertainment, a film and television company. His television credits include the Emmy-nominated children's show "The Real Ghostbusters." His company's current project is "Beethoven's 2nd," which he again executive produces.
LAUREN SHULER-DONNER's (Producer) filmmaking knowledge and determination to produce quality motion pictures of a consistently high standard has earned her respect throughout the Hollywood community.
After associate producing both television and feature films, including "Thank God It's Friday," Shuler-Donner began her producing career with the acclaimed NBC television movie "Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill," written and directed by Joel Schumacher.
Shuler-Donner debuted as a film producer with the 1983 smash-hit comedy "Mr. Mom," the ninth-largest grossing film of that year, followed by the medieval adventure-romance epic "Ladyhawke." She then produced the popular "St. Elmo's Fire" for director Joel Schumacher and the box-office hit "Pretty in Pink." In 1989 Shuler-Donner produced "Three Fugitives," and "Radio Flyer," directed by Richard Donner.
Next for the producer was the Warner Bros. summer release "Free Willy," a family adventure directed by Simon Wincer. Shuler-Donner will soon begin work on "The Witching Hour," based on Anne Rice's best-selling novel, to be directed by Richard Donner.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Shuler-Donner was recognized by her alma mater, Boston University, with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1987. The following year she returned to Cleveland to be initiated into the Shaker Heights High School Hall of Fame.
# # #
JOE MEDJUCK, (Executive Producer) continues his long association with Ivan Reitman, having worked with him as associate producer on the Broadway musical "Merlin," directed by Reitman, and on the Reitman films "Stripes" and "Ghostbusters." He was the executive producer on "Kindergarten Cop," "Twins," "Ghostbusters II" and "Legal Eagles" and produced, with Michael C. Gross, the features "Beethoven," "Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot" and "Big Shots." He also served, with Gross, as executive producer of the Emmy-nominated children's show "The Real Ghostbusters." Before moving to Los Angeles, Medjuck taught for twelve years at the University of Toronto.
# # #
MICHAEL C. GROSS (Executive Producer) started his association with Ivan Reitman when he served as associate producer/production designer on the animated film "Heavy Metal," which Reitman produced. He went on to become associate producer of "Ghostbusters" and executive producer of "Kindergarten Cop," "Ghostbusters II" and "Legal Eagles." With Joe Medjuck, he produced the features "Beethoven," "Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot" and "Big Shots." Also with Medjuck, he was executive producer of the Emmy-nominated animated TV series "The Real Ghostbusters."
Gross gathered his professional art and design experience at such publications as National Lampoon and Esquire. He designed the now-famous "No Ghost" logo for the two "Ghostbuster" films. He also received Emmy nominations for his work on the "SCTV" comedy series and "The Real Ghostbusters."
# # #
Academy Award nominee
GARY ROSS, a second-generation screenwriter born in Los Angeles, grew up in a home where literature and politics were the "religion" of the household. As a result, he became politically active at an early age and envisioned a career in the governmental arena.
Ross worked as an intern on Capitol Hill during high school and simultaneously began to write, producing two plays and a novella. He entered college during the post-Watergate era and, feeling disillusioned with politics, chose to pursue writing full-time at the University of Pennsylvania.
After three years, Ross left school and worked on a fishing boat in South Carolina ("the obvious choice for an aspiring novelist"). Upon his return to California, Ross wrote two more novels and a pair of screenplays on studio assignment.
The original idea for "Big" came to Ross over lunch one day with a friend. It was written on spec with Ann Spielberg and garnered an Academy Award nomination and a Writers Guild Award nomination for the two.
Throughout his writing career, Ross has remained active in politics. He was a delegate for Ted Kennedy at the 1980 Democratic Convention and wrote sound bites and speeches for Michael Dukakis in 1988. He says he "always seems to be involved in one campaign or another."
Ross is now about to make the transition to directing, having signed a deal to write and direct the film "a couple of points..." to be produced by Sydney Pollack.
Oscar nominee
J. MICHAEL RIVA's (Production Designer) impressive list of credits that include "A Few Good Men," "Radio Flyer," "Lethal Weapon" 1 and 2, "The Goonies," "The Color Purple," for which he received an Academy Award nomination, "The Golden Child," "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension,” “Brubaker,” “Stranger’s Kiss,” “The Slugger’s Wife” and “Bad Boys.”
Academy Award nominee
ADAM GREENBERG (Director of Photography) is a Polish native who was raised in Israel. Greenberg’s film credits include “Toys,” “Sister Act,” “Terminator,” “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” “Three Men and a Baby,” “Three Men and a Little Lady,” “Ghost,” “Turner and Hooch,” “Worth Winning,” “La Bamba,” “Alien Nation,” “Near Dark,” “Once Bitten,” “Iron Eagle,” “Wisdom” and “The Big Red One.”
In addition to his Academy Award nomination for “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” Greenberg served as director of photography on four films that received Best Foreign Film nominations: “Operation Thunderbolt,” “I Love You Rosa,” “The House on Chelouche Street” and “Lemon Popsycle.” He received A.S.C. Award nominations for “Ghost” and “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.”
Greenberg’s television credits include “Mary and Joseph” and Ingrid Bergman’s last film, “A Woman Called Golda.”
# # #
SHELDON KAHN (Editor) won the British Academy Award for co-editing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and earned Academy Award nominations for his co-editing of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Out of Africa." He was the associate producer on the Ivan Reitman films "Kindergarten Cop," "Ghostbusters," "Ghostbusters II," "Twins" and "Legal Eagles," and associate produced "Beethoven" and co-produced "Casual Sex?," both of which Reitman executive produced.
Among Kahn's numerous feature film credits as editor are "The Electric Horseman," "Absence of Malice," "Private Benjamin," "Same Time Next Year," "Blume in Love," "Cinderella Liberty" and "Bloodbrothers." He was also co-editor of "La Bamba."
Costume designer
ANN ROTH has spun her creations for film, theater and television and has been recognized by each with numerous awards and award nominations.
Roth received the British Academy Award (BAFTA) for "The Day of the Locust," an Academy Award nomination for "Places in the Heart" and an Emmy nomination for the American Playhouse presentation of "Roanoak." She is also a three-time Tony nominee for "The House of Blue Leaves," "The Crucifer of Blood" and "The Royal Family."
A long-time associate of director Mike Nichols, with whom she first worked on the Broadway production of "The Odd Couple," Roth has designed costumes for all of his films since "Silkwood."
Roth's other films include "Dennis The Menace," "Consenting Adults," "Bonfire of the Vanities," "Pacific Heights," "Funny Farm," "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," "Sweet Dreams," "Places in the Heart," "Nine to Five," "The World According to Garp," "Dressed To Kill," "Hair," "Coming Home," "The Goodbye Girl," "Klute" and "Midnight Cowboy."
Her Broadway credits include "Purlie," "The Women," "Play It Again, Sam" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."
# # #
Oscar-nominated costume designer
RICHARD HORNUNG's credits include "This Boy's Life," "Hero," "Light Sleeper," "Barton Fink," for which he earned an Academy Award nomination, "Doc Hollywood," "Sleeping With the Enemy," "The Grifters," "Miller's Crossing," "Young Guns," "Patty Hearst," "Less Than Zero," "China Girl" and "Raising Arizona."
His stage work includes "The News" and "Candida" on Broadway and "The Workroom," "Susanna Andler" and "Seamarks" Off-Broadway. Homung's costume painting can be seen in the repertory of the American Ballet Theater, the New York City Ballet, the Paul Taylor Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.
# # #
Composer
JAMES NEWTON HOWARD received an Academy Award nomination for his score of "Prince of Tides" and additionally lists among his motion-picture credits "Falling Down," "8 Million Ways to Die," "Five Corners," "Everybody's All-American," "Major League," "The Package," "Pretty Woman," "Flatliners," "Guilty By Suspicion," "Dying Young," "My Girl," "Grand Canyon," "Glengarry Glenn Ross," "Night and the City," "Alive" and the upcoming Warner Bros. release "The Saint of Fort Washington."
