FANDANGO FAN CHOICE AWARD
TO BE PRESENTED TO “AMERICAN SNIPER”
WASHINGTON D.C. (March 16, 2015) – “The Legend of Cinema Luncheon: A Salute to Clint Eastwood,” will take place on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), will be held April 20 – 23, 2015, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
This year’s lunch will feature a salute to Clint Eastwood, complete with a one-on-one discussion on his filmmaking process and passion for the moviegoing experience, moderated by Stephen Galloway, Executive Features Editor of The Hollywood Reporter. Eastwood will also be presented with this year’s “Fandango Fan Choice Award”—an industry and CinemaCon tradition for nearly a decade—for his top-grossing 2014 film, “American Sniper.” Nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, Eastwood’s 34th film as a director is the year’s overwhelming fan favorite, as voted by the majority of moviegoers on Fandango. The award will be presented to Eastwood at the luncheon by Fandango President Paul Yanover.
“CinemaCon is deeply honored to host this luncheon to recognize a true legend, Mr. Clint Eastwood, for all he has done for the motion picture industry worldwide throughout his unprecedented career. To hear his thoughts on filmmaking and what the theatrical experience means to him is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and is what CinemaCon is all about,” Neuhauser states.
Since its inception, Wednesdays at CinemaCon have been geared toward the filmmaking experience—being able to hear from incredible filmmakers on their passion for cinema has always been imperative to the convention. Past filmmakers who have been on hand for this annual CinemaCon event include Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Oliver Stone, Christopher Nolan, Sam Raimi, Guillermo del Toro, Jeffrey Katzenberg and George Lucas.
“Every year for CinemaCon, we survey our Fandango film fans, asking them to select their favorite movie of the year, and this year’s choice was undeniably ‘American Sniper,’” a very special film that has been incredibly popular on Fandango and we’re sure will be a favorite of film fans for many years to come,” says Fandango President Paul Yanover. “We are excited to present the award to Mr. Eastwood.”
Over the course of his illustrious career, Eastwood has received many lifetime achievement honors and has been acclaimed for his work as a director, producer and actor, including four Oscar wins for his work as a director and producer on the Best Picture winners “Million Dollar Baby” and “Unforgiven.” His most recent film, “American Sniper,” is the top-grossing film of 2014 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide.
About CinemaCon
CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry –from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office.
CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry’s greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies.
About NATO
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 32,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 81 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too.
Additional information on CinemaCon can be found at www.cinemacon.com.
About Fandango
Fandango, the nation’s leading moviegoer destination, sells tickets to more than 25,000 screens nationwide. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary, celebrity interviews and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. For many theaters, fans can print their tickets at home or receive them as a paperless Mobile Ticket on their smartphones. Fandango’s top-ranking movie ticketing apps, with 46 million downloads, are available on the iPhone and iPad, Android, and many other platforms. Fandango is enjoyed by more than 30 million online and mobile visitors each month, according to comScore. Film fans also find Fandango on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fandango and on Twitter@Fandango.