Houston Film Critics Society Best of 2009 Film Awards
Houston Film Critics Society’s Best of 2009 Film Awards to be Presented at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Saturday, December 19
G. W. Bailey to Receive Humanitarian Award; Attend Event
Houston—The Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) will announce their Best of 2009 Film Awards in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Brown Auditorium Theater at
4 p.m. on Saturday, December 19. The event showcases the winners of the major acting and production awards selected by the members of the HFCS and will be highlighted by numerous film clips and guest appearances, including G.W. Bailey. Members of the organization will announce the awards in 15 categories. The event is free and open to the public, followed by a reception in the museum galleries.
“2009 was a wonderful year for cinema, and as the year comes to a close, it is timely to assess which films will leave a mark on history. As Houston’s film critics unveil their selection, audiences can re-live their favorite theatrical moments and perhaps make some new cinematic discoveries as well,” said MFAH film and video curator Marian Luntz . “MFAH Films is delighted to host the HFCS Film Awards once more.”
“The Houston Film Critics Society is once again excited to have a public platform for our awards presentation. We hope that the film community and fans of cinema will come out and enjoy our celebration as we recognize the best performances of 2009,” said HFCS president Nick Nicholson. “In addition to the film awards, the HFCS will be presenting a few very special awards including a lifetime achievement award to Patrick Swayze and a humanitarian award to actor G.W. Bailey for his work with the Sunshine Kids Foundation.”
Texas-born actor G. W. Bailey will be in attendance to receive the Humanitarian Award, recognizing his work with the Sunshine Kids Foundation, a group dedicated to providing activities, trips, and events for young cancer patients. G.W. Bailey is a regular on cable TV’s The Closer with Kyra Sedgwick, and many people remember him from the Police Academy movies of the ’80s. Since his goddaughter was diagnosed with leukemia, Bailey has volunteered for the Sunshine Kids Foundation, to which he was named executive director in 2001.
The 2009 ceremony is co-sponsored by the Houston Film Commission, Women in Film and Television/Houston, Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP), the Houston Cinema Arts Society, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, WorldFest Houston, Cullen’s restaurant, and Fancy Flowers florist. The Chocolate Bar and Hungry’s Café and Catering will contribute special treats for audiences to enjoy during the reception.
The Houston Film Critics Society
The Houston Film Critics Society was founded in 2007 with the purpose of increasing public awareness and appreciation of cinematic excellence in Houston and surrounding areas. The HFCS is a not-for-profit organization made up of print, broadcast, and internet film critics, established to recognize extraordinary accomplishments through the selection of year-end awards, and to encourage the publication and/or broadcast of substantive critical commentary on film. Almost 20 local and regional film critics belong to the organization. For more information, please visit houstonfilmcritics.com/.
MFAH Film Calendar
The MFAH’s January-February 2010 film calendar is available at the MFAH and at locations throughout Houston. A copy can be requested by emailing Film@mfah.org.
MFAH Parking
The museum’s parking garage is in the MFAH Visitors Center, located at 5600 Fannin Street at Binz Street (entrance on Binz). Free parking is available in two lots on Main Street, at Bissonnet and at Oakdale.
Cafe Express at the MFAH
Cafe Express, located on the lower level of the Audrey Jones Beck Building, is now serving dinner and lighter fare for evening moviegoers. Each MFAH Film theater ticket purchased at the Brown Auditorium Box Office includes a discount coupon for the cafe. Cafe Express hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Cafe Express is closed on Monday. New breakfast hours are 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
Film Buffs and MFAH Films Sponsorship
Movie lovers can join the MFAH Film Buffs and receive free admission to MFAH films, plus invitations to sneak previews, special events with visiting filmmakers, and lectures by film scholars. For more information, please call 713-639-7531.
The MFAH Film Department receives generous funding from Petrobras America, Inc.; Tenaris; Ternium; Consul General of Brazil; The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Consul General of France; Ilex Foundation; Symbol Cars, Inc.; The Interfin Companies L.P.; Istituto Italiano Di Cultura; James R.; Crane Foundation; Ms. Melanie Gray and Mr. Mark Wawro; Italian Trade Commission; Ms. Regina J. Rogers; and Mr. and Mrs. Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr.
MFAH Films
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s film program is the largest of its kind in the southwestern United States. MFAH first began screening films in the 1930s, and the Brown Auditorium, located in the Caroline Wiess Law Building and designed by Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, opened in 1973. The auditorium immediately distinguished itself by having stadium seating 20 years before such design became the standard for American movie theaters, and because the Caroline Wiess Law Building is one of only two museums designed by this major twentieth-century architect. Marian Luntz, the film program director and curator of film and video at MFAH since 1990, continues the program’s tradition of showcasing a broad range of classic and contemporary Hollywood films, foreign language films, and premieres of independent films—many by local artists. Often, critics, scholars, and filmmakers come to the showings as visiting speakers to give audiences a deeper understanding of movies and moviemaking. In 2005 and 2006, MFAH Films was named “The Best Place to See Vintage Flicks” by the Houston Press. In 2008, the Houston Film Critics Society honored the department with an award for “Outstanding Achievement in Film Programming.”
General Film Information: 713-639-7515, or www.mfah.org.
Media Information: Mary Haus, Dana Mattice, and Megan Whitenton;
713-639-7554 or mwhitenton@mfah.org
G. W. Bailey to Receive Humanitarian Award; Attend Event
Houston—The Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) will announce their Best of 2009 Film Awards in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Brown Auditorium Theater at
4 p.m. on Saturday, December 19. The event showcases the winners of the major acting and production awards selected by the members of the HFCS and will be highlighted by numerous film clips and guest appearances, including G.W. Bailey. Members of the organization will announce the awards in 15 categories. The event is free and open to the public, followed by a reception in the museum galleries.
“2009 was a wonderful year for cinema, and as the year comes to a close, it is timely to assess which films will leave a mark on history. As Houston’s film critics unveil their selection, audiences can re-live their favorite theatrical moments and perhaps make some new cinematic discoveries as well,” said MFAH film and video curator Marian Luntz . “MFAH Films is delighted to host the HFCS Film Awards once more.”
“The Houston Film Critics Society is once again excited to have a public platform for our awards presentation. We hope that the film community and fans of cinema will come out and enjoy our celebration as we recognize the best performances of 2009,” said HFCS president Nick Nicholson. “In addition to the film awards, the HFCS will be presenting a few very special awards including a lifetime achievement award to Patrick Swayze and a humanitarian award to actor G.W. Bailey for his work with the Sunshine Kids Foundation.”
Texas-born actor G. W. Bailey will be in attendance to receive the Humanitarian Award, recognizing his work with the Sunshine Kids Foundation, a group dedicated to providing activities, trips, and events for young cancer patients. G.W. Bailey is a regular on cable TV’s The Closer with Kyra Sedgwick, and many people remember him from the Police Academy movies of the ’80s. Since his goddaughter was diagnosed with leukemia, Bailey has volunteered for the Sunshine Kids Foundation, to which he was named executive director in 2001.
The 2009 ceremony is co-sponsored by the Houston Film Commission, Women in Film and Television/Houston, Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP), the Houston Cinema Arts Society, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, WorldFest Houston, Cullen’s restaurant, and Fancy Flowers florist. The Chocolate Bar and Hungry’s Café and Catering will contribute special treats for audiences to enjoy during the reception.
The Houston Film Critics Society
The Houston Film Critics Society was founded in 2007 with the purpose of increasing public awareness and appreciation of cinematic excellence in Houston and surrounding areas. The HFCS is a not-for-profit organization made up of print, broadcast, and internet film critics, established to recognize extraordinary accomplishments through the selection of year-end awards, and to encourage the publication and/or broadcast of substantive critical commentary on film. Almost 20 local and regional film critics belong to the organization. For more information, please visit houstonfilmcritics.com/.
MFAH Film Calendar
The MFAH’s January-February 2010 film calendar is available at the MFAH and at locations throughout Houston. A copy can be requested by emailing Film@mfah.org.
MFAH Parking
The museum’s parking garage is in the MFAH Visitors Center, located at 5600 Fannin Street at Binz Street (entrance on Binz). Free parking is available in two lots on Main Street, at Bissonnet and at Oakdale.
Cafe Express at the MFAH
Cafe Express, located on the lower level of the Audrey Jones Beck Building, is now serving dinner and lighter fare for evening moviegoers. Each MFAH Film theater ticket purchased at the Brown Auditorium Box Office includes a discount coupon for the cafe. Cafe Express hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Cafe Express is closed on Monday. New breakfast hours are 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
Film Buffs and MFAH Films Sponsorship
Movie lovers can join the MFAH Film Buffs and receive free admission to MFAH films, plus invitations to sneak previews, special events with visiting filmmakers, and lectures by film scholars. For more information, please call 713-639-7531.
The MFAH Film Department receives generous funding from Petrobras America, Inc.; Tenaris; Ternium; Consul General of Brazil; The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Consul General of France; Ilex Foundation; Symbol Cars, Inc.; The Interfin Companies L.P.; Istituto Italiano Di Cultura; James R.; Crane Foundation; Ms. Melanie Gray and Mr. Mark Wawro; Italian Trade Commission; Ms. Regina J. Rogers; and Mr. and Mrs. Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr.
MFAH Films
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s film program is the largest of its kind in the southwestern United States. MFAH first began screening films in the 1930s, and the Brown Auditorium, located in the Caroline Wiess Law Building and designed by Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, opened in 1973. The auditorium immediately distinguished itself by having stadium seating 20 years before such design became the standard for American movie theaters, and because the Caroline Wiess Law Building is one of only two museums designed by this major twentieth-century architect. Marian Luntz, the film program director and curator of film and video at MFAH since 1990, continues the program’s tradition of showcasing a broad range of classic and contemporary Hollywood films, foreign language films, and premieres of independent films—many by local artists. Often, critics, scholars, and filmmakers come to the showings as visiting speakers to give audiences a deeper understanding of movies and moviemaking. In 2005 and 2006, MFAH Films was named “The Best Place to See Vintage Flicks” by the Houston Press. In 2008, the Houston Film Critics Society honored the department with an award for “Outstanding Achievement in Film Programming.”
General Film Information: 713-639-7515, or www.mfah.org.
Media Information: Mary Haus, Dana Mattice, and Megan Whitenton;
713-639-7554 or mwhitenton@mfah.org
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