Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara to Deliver Commencement Speech at 2018 USC School of Cinematic Arts Graduation Ceremony
(March 29, 2018 – Los Angeles, CA) – Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara will deliver the USC School of Cinematic Arts 2018 commencement address. Screenwriter and producer Amanda Silver (“Jurassic World,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) will receive the Mary Pickford Alumni Award at the graduation ceremony held on Friday, May 11 at the Shrine Auditorium, it was announced by Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
States Daley: “We are delighted that Kevin Tsujihara, one of the most respected and visionary studio executives in the industry, will address our graduating class this year and we’re excited to honor Amanda Silver, a truly unique and inspired screenwriter, with the Mary Pickford Alumni Award. Both are exemplary role models for our students and it’s such an honor to have them join us at this year’s commencement ceremony.”
As Commencement Speaker, Tsujihara joins a recent list of celebrated entertainment figures including Ron Meyer, Paul Feig, Jay Roach, Jim Gianopulos, Stacey Sher, Barry Meyer, Sumner Redstone, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Laura Ziskin.
Created in 1995, in partnership with the Mary Pickford Foundation, the Mary Pickford Alumni Award pays tribute to women and men of USC whose extraordinary achievements bring special distinction to the School and to the industry. Past recipients include: Kevin Feige, William Fraker, Brian Grazer, Conrad L. Hall, Ray Harryhausen, Alan Ladd Jr., Jon Laudau, Michelle Manning, Walter Murch, Shonda Rhimes, Jay Roach, Gary Rydstrom, Stacey Sher, John Singleton, Lee Unkrich, Matthew Weiner, David L. Wolper, Robert Zemeckis, Laura Ziskin, Melissa Rosenberg, Susan Downey, and last year’s recipients Jennifer and Suzanne Todd.
As Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros., Kevin Tsujihara oversees worldwide operations, including the production, marketing and distribution of film, television and videogames, for one of the most innovative and successful entertainment companies in the world. Combining a strong entrepreneurial spirit with the resources of a storied Hollywood studio, Tsujihara is focused on making Warner Bros. - a global leader in every type of entertainment across all current and emerging media and platforms - technologically innovative, astute and nimble in a rapidly evolving marketplace, while honoring its almost-100-year history. Reflecting the Studio’s global perspective, Tsujihara has also made diversity and inclusion a companywide business imperative, working to create a workforce and a roster of film, TV and digital content that reflect the diverse global audience Warner Bros. serves.
Tsujihara has been at the Studio for 24 years. Prior to serving as CEO, he was President of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, which included home video, digital distribution, video games, anti-piracy and emerging technology operations, a post he assumed at WBHE’s founding in October 2005. Tsujihara managed talent, assets and growth through acquisitions to create Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the only studio-based videogame company in the industry, which is now top-ranked and has revenues exceeding $1 billion annually.
Amanda Silver is a veteran screenwriter whose past credits include “Jurassic World,” the fourth-highest grossing film in history, and the Oscar nominated hit “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” In 2014 Silver and her husband and writing partner Rick Jaffa co-wrote and produced the sequel, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” and the third installment, “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Silver co-wrote the screenplays for the highly-anticipated “Avatar” sequels “Avatar 2” and “Avatar 3” with James Cameron. Both films are currently in production. In addition, Silver’s script for the live action version of the Disney animated film “Mulan” is in pre-production with Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”) directing.
About The USC School of Cinematic Arts:
The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts is one of the leading media schools in the world. Founded in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1929 over 85 years ago, the USC School of Cinematic Arts has fueled and mirrored the growth of entertainment as an industry and an art form. The School offers comprehensive programs in directing, producing, writing, cinema and media studies, animation and digital arts, production, interactive media and games, all backed by a broad liberal arts education and taught by leading practitioners in each field. Its more than 13,000 alumni are among the world’s most distinguished animators, scholars, teachers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound experts, video game designers and industry executives. Since 1973 not a year has passed without an alumnus or alumna being nominated for an Academy Award or an Emmy. https://cinema.usc.edu/
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