James L. Brooks in Conversation: The SF Sketchfest Comedy Writing Award February 1, 2011

SF Sketchfest is thrilled to present its third annual Comedy Writing Award to James L. Brooks. Brooks is a three-time Academy Award-winner and nineteen-time Emmy Award-winner. He began his television career as a writer who then later produced such television hits as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Lou Grant, Room 222, The Tracy Ullman Show and The Simpsons. Brooks began working in film in 1979 when he wrote and co-produced Starting Over. He wrote, produced and directed Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News, directed I’ll Do Anything, co-wrote, produced and directed As Good As It Gets, and wrote and directed Spanglish and How Do You Know. He co-wrote and produced The Simpsons Movie and has produced or executive-produced such films as Say Anything, War of the Roses, Big, Bottle Rocket, Jerry Maguire and Riding in Cars with Boys.

James L. Brooks will sit down for an in-depth conversation about his remarkable work and introduce his classic 1987 comedy/drama BROADCAST NEWS. The multi-award winning, brilliant film follows Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), a talented television news producer who tries to conceal how important it is for her to be found sexually attractive by a handsome man who epitomizes everything about television news that appalls her. Jane's best friend and frequent collaborator, Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks, in an Academy-Award Nominated performance), is a gifted writer and reporter ambitious for on-camera exposure, who is secretly in love with Jane, and embittered by her rejection of him. Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a local news anchorman who was up until recently a sports anchorman, is charismatic and telegenic but denied self-respect due to his intellectual limitations, of which he is all too aware. The film also stars Joan Cusack, Robert Prosky, Lois Chiles and Jack Nicholson.

Past recipients of the SF Sketchfest Comedy Writing Award include Robert Smigel and John Hodgman.

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The 10th annual SF Sketchfest runs January 13 - February 5 at various venues in the city. Visit http://sfsketchfest.com/schedule/ to see the whole amazing line-up.

Official Website: http://sfsketchfest.com