The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures

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MILOS FORMAN TO RECEIVE

2004 BILLY WILDER AWARD

JAN A.P. KACZMAREK TO RECEIVE

2004OUTSTANDING FILM MUSIC

COMPOSITION AWARD

New York, NY – December 7, 2004 – The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures will present director Milos Forman and composer Jan A. P. Kaczmarek with special awards at the annual gala on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 in New York City.

Renowned director Milos Forman will receive the Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Direction.   The Czechoslovakian-born director came to America in the early 1970's after studying film at The University of Prague's Film Institute and making several acclaimed films including Loves of a Blonde (1965) and Fireman's Ball (1967), both of which were nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.   Forman has also been nominated for three directing Academy Awards, winning the Oscar for the classics One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Amadeus (1984). His additional works include the film version of the long-running musical Hair (1979) as well as Ragtime (1981), which brought legendary actor James Cagney of out retirement. In 1996, The National Board of Review honored Foreman with its Freedom of Expression award for The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Jan A. P. Kaczmarek will receive the Outstanding Film Music Composition Award for his work on this year's Finding Neverland . A musician of international acclaim, Kaczmarek had completed eighteen major tours in Europe with his creation "The Orchestra of the Eighth Day," before he immigrated to the U.S. in 1989. Here, he expanded his interests and started composing for theater (winning an Obie and a Drama Desk Award) as well as film (other credits include Unfaithful and Washington Square ).   Inspired by the life of J.M. Barrie, Finding Neverland tells the story of how the famous writer derived the idea for his legendary play, Peter Pan . Kaczmarek's lushly symphonic score perfectly captures the imagination of a child and transports the audience into a magical world of fairies, pirates, and endless possibilities.

Previously announced on Wednesday, December 1, 2004, Finding Neverland was named Best Picture of the Year by the National Board of Review.    Jamie Foxx won Best Actor for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray , and Annette Bening won Best Actress for her leading role in Being Julia . The full list can be found at www.nbrmp.org . The National Board of Review, with no commercial ties to the industry, was founded in 1909 to support excellence and free expression in film. The group screens over 300 films per year and honors the very best in a variety of categories of film, direction and performance.   In addition, the NBR works to endow scholarships for film students and to underwrite educational film programs.

 

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