Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, producer Stanley Mark Brooks, actor and director Danny DeVito, actor and director Bill Duke, actor and director Clint Eastwood, producer and entertainment executive Joe Hartwick, entertainment industry labor leader Michael Miller, producer Albert Ruddy, entertainment executive Keith Weaver and producer Tom Werner to the California Film Commission.
“From the small to silver screen, in front of the camera and behind the scenes, Alan, Stanley, Danny, Bill, Clint, Joe, Michael, Albert, Keith and Tom have the expertise needed to promote quality film production in California,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “I am pleased this team of renowned, award-winning professionals is serving the state of California to find innovative ways to encourage film production and the vital role it plays in our state.”
Autry has served as Mayor of Fresno since 2001. He has spent more than two decades in the film and television industry, appearing in TV shows such as “In the Heat of the Night,” “Grace Under Fire,” “The A-Team,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and “Cheers.” His film credits include “Amazing Grace and Chuck,” “Brewster’s Millions,” and “Popeye.” He also owns the Fresno-based production company, Autry Entertainment Group. From 1975 to 1979, Autry was quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Autry is a Republican.
Brooks, of Los Angeles, is the founder, president and executive producer of Once Upon A Time Films, a film and television production company. Since 1997, he has also served as a senior lecturer at the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film Studies. He is the recipient of the 2004 and 2006 Prism Award’s for Outstanding Television Movie from the Entertainment Industries Council and received a Media Access Award in 1999 for his many films that accurately portrayed and employed the physically and mentally challenged. Brooks is the founder and president of the Hollywood Indies Little League Foundation and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Brooks is a Democrat.
DeVito, of Beverly Hills, has been acting, producing and directing since the early 1970s. He has served on the Film Commission since 2004. As an actor, DeVito has starred in many films including “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Terms of Endearment,” both of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His other credits as an actor include “Big Fish,” “Get Shorty,” L.A. Confidential,” “Batman Returns,” “Twins,” and “Junior.” DeVito is also the co-founder of the production company Jersey Films which has produced more than 20 films, including the academy award nominated films “Erin Brockovich,” “Man on the Moon,” and “Pulp Fiction.” He has also directed seven films including “Throw Momma from the Train,” “Hoffa,” “The War of the Roses” and “Matilda.” DeVito is a Democrat.
Duke’s career spans more than 30 years as an actor, director and producer in theater, film and television. He has served on the Film Commission since 2004. Duke is the founder and CEO of Duke Media and recently held the Time Warner Endowed Chair position in the Department of Radio, Television and Film atHoward University. His credits as a director include the feature films “Sister Act 2” and “Hoodlum,” the PBS film “Raisin in the Sun” and the television programs “Robbery Homicide” and “Hill Street Blues.” As an actor he has appeared in such films as “Red Dragon,” “Payback,” and “Predator.” Duke, of Hollywood, is a former member of the National Endowment of Humanities and is on the Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute. Duke is a Democrat.
Eastwood, of Carmel, is an award-winning actor, director and producer who has appeared in more than 50 feature films throughout his career. He has served on the Film Commission since 2004. After appearing on the long-running television show “Rawhide,” Eastwood’s film career as a leading man began in 1964 with the Sergio Leone western “A Fistful of Dollars.” He founded Malpaso Productions and directed his first feature film “Play Misty for Me” in 1971. Eastwood has since produced and directed more than 20 films. He won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director in 2005 for “Million Dollar Baby,” Best Picture and Best Director in 1992 for “Unforgiven,” and was nominated in the same categories in 2004 for “MysticRiver.” In 2003, he received the Screen Actor’s Guild Life Achievement Award. Eastwood was the Mayor of Carmel from 1986 to 1988 and is a former member of the National Council for the Arts. Eastwood is a Republican.
Hartwick, of Los Angeles, is president of physical production for 20th Century Fox, where he has worked since 1997. He has served on the Film Commission since 2004. Each year, he manages more than thirty films for all divisions of Fox Filmed Entertainment. His film credits include “Something About Mary,” “X-Men,” “Fantastic Four” and “Walk the Line.” From 1996 to 1997, Hartwick served as senior vice president of production at Turner Pictures. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America. Hartwick is a Democrat.
Miller, of Burbank, is the eleventh international vice president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ (IATSE) General Executive Board and has been a member of the executive board since 2004. He began his career in IATSE in 1990 when he was initiated into IATSE Stagehands Local 27 inCleveland, OH, and joined the IATSE West Coast Office in 2001 as an international representative. Miller also serves as a labor trustee on the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans and is a member of IATSE Studio Mechanics, Local 209 and IATSE Grips Local 80. Miller is a Democrat.
Ruddy has produced more than thirty feature films and numerous television productions. He received Academy Awards for Best Picture for both “Million Dollar Baby” and “The Godfather”. Other notable achievements include two Golden Globe Awards and the Chicago, Miami and Shanghai Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Awards. Ruddy, a resident of Beverly Hills, is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ruddy is a Republican.
Weaver, of Porter Ranch, currently serves as senior vice president of government affairs for Sony Pictures Entertainment. From 1998 to 2001, Weaver was regional manager of community and government relations for Kaiser Permanente. He also served as a field representative for former State Senator Herschel Rosenthal from 1996 to 1998. Weaver serves on the board of Coro Los Angeles, the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs and is a former vice chair of the City of Los Angeles Board of Neighborhood Commissioners. Weaver is a Democrat.
Werner, of Pacific Palisades, is an award-winning television producer of shows spanning two decades including “The Cosby Show,” “A Different World,” “Roseanne” and “That 70s Show.” He has served on the Film Commission since 2004. Werner is a partner in Werner-Gold-Miller, an independent production partnership. He has been inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, the Broadcasting and Cable Magazine Hall of Fame and has received an Emmy award, Golden Globe award, the George Foster Peabody award and the NAACP Image award. Werner is also the chairman of the Boston Red Sox’s. Werner is registered decline-to-state.
The California Film Commission (CFC) enhances California’s position as the premier location for all motion picture and television production. The CFC is a one-stop shop for filmmakers, issuing permits for filming on state-owned and operated property and offering filmmakers assistance in California. By working with production companies from start to finish, the CFC facilitates all aspects of the filmmaking process. The CFC works with communities and all levels of government to ease barriers that might discourage filming in California.
These positions do not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary.
