Media Contact: Micki Leventhal 312-344-7383
For Immediate Release
September 13, 2004
CHICAGO, IL - The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored three Columbia College Chicago alumni for their outstanding work in the creative arts categories. Ceremonies for the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles last night.
Jeff Jur, A.S.C, who graduated from the arts and communications school in 1976, picked up an award for Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series for his work on the "Pick A Number" episode of HBO's acclaimed Carnivale series. Jur, who is a native of Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood and loved the "hands on filmmaking experience" at Columbia, is currently at work on the much-anticipated next season of Carnivale.
Fred Pienkos, who graduated from Columbia in 1996 and whose EdenFX company received three nominations last year, picked up his first Emmy this year in the Special Visual Effects for a Series category. His work on the "Countdown" episode of Star Trek: Enterprise (UPN) did the trick this year. Pienkos, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs, started out in Columbia's photography department. He "really enjoyed the creative environment at Columbia" and soon discovered animation and multi-media, going on to apply his creative efforts to digital imaging and 3D animation.
Genndy Tartakovsky, one of Variety's "50 to Watch" as a future leader in the entertainment industry, walked away with two Emmys for his animation wizardry. The 1990 Columbia alumni was honored for his skills as Executive Producer/Producer/Writer/Director in the Animated Program (less than one hour) "The Birth of Evil" on Cartoon Network's Samuri Jack and as Producer/Director/Story/Animation Director in the Animated Program (one hour or more) category for his work on Cartoon Network's Star War: Clone Wars.
Three other Columbia alums received nominations in the creative categories this year. Cece Destefano (1994) for Art Direction (single-camera series) of the "Taken" episode of Alias (ABC/Touchstone) and Beth Morgan (2002) as Assistant Costume Designer for the "Mr. Wu" segment of Deadwood (Red Board Productions and Parmount Television in association with HBO Original Programming). Len Amato (1975) is president of Spring Creek Productions, the company that produced Iron Jawed Angels in association with HBO. Creative nominations included Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special; Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie; and Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. The outcome of Spring Creek's nominations in association with Iron Jawed Angels -- for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Anjelica Huston as Carrie Chapman Catt) and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Dramatic Special -- will be known on September 19. These ceremonies will be telecast on ABC.
The six nominees from Columbia College Chicago were feted at a pre-awards party on September 11 at the Encino home of Gary and Shelly Belz. Gary Belz is a Columbia trustee and president of the House of Blues Studios. In attendance were Warrick L. Carter, president of Columbia; Doreen Bartoni, dean of Columbia's School of Media Arts; Jon Katzman, director of the college's Semester in L.A. program; Columbia trustee Debra Martin Chase, whose production company is known for the hits Princess Diaries, Princess Diaries II and Lifetime's series Missing; award winning producer and Columbia alumni (1959) Peter Schlesinger; Grammy-award winning musician John Fogerty; Los Angeles Councilmember and mayoral hopeful Tom LaBonge; and about 90 other guests from the arts and entertainment industries.
Columbia College Chicago, an urban institution committed to open access, opportunity and excellence in higher education, provides innovative degree programs in the visual, performing, media and communication arts to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded in 1890 as a communications school for women, Columbia College Chicago was revisioned in 1963 as a liberal arts college with a "hands-on minds-on" approach to arts and media education and a progressive social agenda. Under the current leadership of President Warrick L. Carter, Ph.D. Columbia is aggressively pursuing this mission. Through the diversity of its students and graduates, the school brings a rich vision and multiplicity of voices to American culture. For further information visit www.colum.edu.