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Media Contact:
Sandy Moul
Director of Publicity
Anaheim International Film Festival
Tel: (714) 323-6385
E-mail: sandy@anaheimfilm.org
Anaheim International Film Festival to Honor Lawrence and Kristina Dodge with Lifetime Achievement Award- Orange County philanthropists to be recognized for their significant contributions to film and arts education -
ANAHEIM, Calif. – June 8, 2010 – The Anaheim International Film Festival (AIFF) will honor Lawrence and Kristina Dodge with the Lifetime Achievement Award during its inaugural presentation, October 13-17, 2010. As prominent leaders in the business and film communities, the Dodges will be recognized at the AIFF Awards Gala for their extraordinary cultural, philanthropic and humanitarian contributions to the arts and film education. The Dodges are supporters of numerous community organizations nationwide, and have made a strong impact locally with their donation to Chapman University’s film school, which was renamed the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in their honor.
“We are thrilled to be the recipients of the AIFF Lifetime Achievement Award,” said the Dodges in a joint statement. “As lifelong film enthusiasts and supporters of the arts, we know how vital events like the Anaheim International Film Festival are to the community and the film industry at large. The AIFF will put a spotlight on untapped talent, providing emerging filmmakers with a platform to showcase their work. The AIFF is also providing the community with a great service via its youth education programs, which will promote media literacy and inspire student involvement in the arts. We commend the founders of AIFF for dedicating their time and energy to such a worthy cause, and are proud to participate in their inaugural event.”
Lawrence Dodge is the founding chairman, CEO, director and majority stockholder of American Sterling Corporation and its subsidiaries, overseeing a dynamic group of companies insurance, retail finance, computer imaging software development technology, venture capital investments and international media, TV and feature film production. Presently, its production company, American Sterling Productions (ASP) has films and documentaries in development. ASP is proud to have produced two award-winning independent feature films, The Dark Matter and The Annihilation of Fish.
Kristina Dodge is co-founder of American Sterling Productions, Ltd., a motion picture production company, and the producer of The Annihilation of Fish, a critically acclaimed film starring Lynn Redgrave, James Earl Jones and Margot Kidder that received numerous international film festival awards. American Sterling Productions was proud to partner with the Chapman University School of Film and Television in establishing “The Next Generation of Filmmakers,” a program to develop high quality short and feature-length student scripts and films. This partnership marked the beginning of Kristina’s passionate involvement with Chapman and led to the donation by her and her husband to establish Chapman’s new school of film and media arts. Kristina’s involvement in the film school has led to a new passion—getting in front of the camera as an interviewer on the Orange County, California, public television program, “Dialogue with Doti and Dodge,” co-hosted by Chapman President James Doti and Kristina on KOCE-TV. In addition to supporting Chapman, Kristina was the director of the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation for 10 years.
“We are honored to present Larry and Kristina Dodge with the AIFF Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions to film and the arts,” said Sinan Kanatsiz, Chairman, Anaheim International Film Festival. “The Dodges have tirelessly committed their time, resources and expertise to numerous philanthropic causes nationwide, and as residents of Orange County, their contributions to the local community are immeasurable. As a graduate of Chapman University myself, I have seen firsthand what a positive impact the Dodges have had, creating a world-class film school that has produced a new generation of highly talented filmmakers. We are fortunate to have their participation in AIFF.”
A third generation native Californian, born and raised on a citrus farm in Redlands, California, Larry joined the U.S. Marine Corps following high school, serving as an aviator with the 1st Marine Air Wing. Continuing his education while in the service, Larry earned a degree in Business from the University of Maryland. In the late 1960’s, a strong desire to form his own business gave him the impetus to embark on his own with the acquisition of a national insurance group. At 27 years of age, this made him the youngest CEO of a national insurance group, a benchmark that still exists to this day. In 1971, he acquired a controlling interest in a national bank and became the youngest national bank chairman, another benchmark that still survives today. All of this led to the creation of the American Sterling Group.
Larry and his wife Kristina, along with sons Todd and Randy and daughter, Lauren, reside in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
The inaugural Anaheim International Film Festival runs Oct. 13-17, 2010 at the Anaheim GardenWalk. Thousands of attendees are expected to visit the five-day festival and participate in film screenings, master classes and workshops taught by industry professionals, and star-studded gala events.
Tickets will be available to the general public beginning September 15, 2010. For more information, please call (714) 991-9110 visit www.anaheimfilm.org.
About AIFF
The inaugural Anaheim International Film Festival is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. The 2010 AIFF marks the addition of a world-class cultural event to the city of Anaheim, Orange County and the international film festival circuit. AIFF’s mission is to create an environment that inspires, nurtures and showcases the work of emerging independent film talent and pay tribute to accomplished film artists. For more information, visit www.anaheimfilm.org.
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