Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is proud to announce its Film and Community Celebration, slated for September 18, 2023. All proceeds will benefit the JBFC’s film, education, and artist programs, which ignite passion for cinema, foster creative growth, and enrich lives through innovative programming.
Highlights of the evening will be the presentation of the Vision Award to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund); the David Swope Leadership Award to Joseph P. Carlucci, JBFC Founding Board Member; a special tribute to Janet Maslin, JBFC Founding Board Member and President; and performances from the cast of the new Broadway musical, How to Dance in Ohio.
The Entertainment Community Fund is receiving the Vision Award in recognition of its unparalleled role in supporting a life in the arts. The Fund, a national human services organization, addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing.
Previous recipients of the Vision Award include Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Julie Taymor, Dori Berinstein, Colin Callender, James Schamus, and Gary Knell.
“Our decision to honor The Fund goes well beyond its mission, given our longstanding collaboration. Since 2017, the JBFC has presented our Life on the Stage series in partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund,” said Mary Jo Ziesel, JBFC Executive Director. “We are especially grateful to The Fund’s President and CEO, Joe Benincasa, for being such a strong advocate for the JBFC. We look forward to celebrating on September 18 with supporters of the JBFC and The Fund.”
A founding board member, Joe Carlucci has served the JBFC tirelessly and passionately over the years. A partner at Cuddy & Feder, Joe’s community involvement spans numerous nonprofit organizations, including Mercy College and Westchester Community College.
“It is so fitting that Joe Carlucci will receive the David Swope Leadership Award, named after one of our founding leaders. Joe and David met through the Burns in 2000, and together, they helped to turn a fabulous dream into a vibrant reality,” said Lynn Sobel, JBFC Board Chair.
The evening will also include a special tribute to Janet Maslin, a JBFC Founding Board Member and President. Since 2001, Janet has welcomed hundreds of icons from the worlds of film, music, and literature to the JBFC. The tribute will underscore Janet’s profound impact on fostering connections between the JBFC and some of the most influential and dynamic figures in the entertainment world.
The cast of How to Dance in Ohio will perform two numbers from the musical, which begins preview performances on Broadway on November 15. Based on the award-winning HBO documentary, the show is about seven autistic young adults preparing for a spring formal dance at a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohio—on the cusp of the next phase of their lives, facing their hopes and fears, ready to make a very big first move…and dance.
Ron Howard, filmmaker and JBFC Board Member, shared: “Community is at the center of everything we do at the JBFC. Our honorees reflect the JBFC’s commitment to building community through the arts. For more than 140 years, the Entertainment Community Fund has supported a life in the arts, across all disciplines, with no geographic restrictions. Joe and Janet understood the need for a nonprofit cultural arts center in Westchester County inspired by the power of film, and joined the JBFC board nearly two years before we opened our doors to the public in 2001.”
“We are proud to stand side by side with our partner, the Jacob Burns Film Center, and we are honored to receive the distinguished Vison Award,” said Annette Bening, Entertainment Community Fund Board Chair. “From celebrating life on the stage to supporting a life in the arts, we share a commitment to elevate those who entertain, inspire, and change us.”
For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities, and to purchase tickets, please visit the JBFC website.
