Sundance Institute and Mahindra announced the winners of the 2012 Sundance Institute/ Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world at a private ceremony on January 24 at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
The winners:
Etienne Kallos for Free State (Vrystaat) from South Africa. This Greek/ South African filmmaker with an Mfa in film directing from Nyu has screened his work at festivals worldwide. His film Eersgeborene was the first Afrikaans-language film to be awarded a Lion for Best Short Film at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. Vrystaat was developed at the Cannes Cinefondation Residence program in Paris.
Set during the annual corn harvest in the Free State, Vrystaat explores the rites of passage into manhood for a new generation as they navigate identity and sexuality within the fractured realm of post-Colonial Africa.
Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia): In an undisclosed commune cut-off from the outside world, a guarded criminal named Gregori controls a group of women and children who not only assist him on the farm but also carry out dangerous assassinations in the neighboring towns. His authority is undisputed until one child, Alexander, decides to quietly undermine his plans.
Ariel Kleiman last appeared at Sundance with his short film Deeper than Yesterday, which received the Jury Prize in International Filmmaking. The year prior, his student film Young Love received Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking.
Dominga Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile): In an isolated community far from the city, three women face a forest fire that threatens their sense of belonging and their lives. Dominga, born in Santiago de Chile in 1985 finisher her Direction studies at the Universidad Catolica de Chile and recevied a scholarship for her Masters in Film Direction at the Escac, Barcelona. Her first feature, De Jueves a Domingo (Thursday to Sunday) was part of the Cannes Cinefondation and was supported by the Hubert Bals Fund and shows at Rotterdam Film Festival this February. Tarde Para Morir Joven is her second feature, developed at Binger Filmlab and the Jerusalem International Film Lab.
Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India): She falls repeatedly in love, yearns to have sex and wants to be a Bollywood songwriter. Laila. A brilliant mind trapped in a disobedient body. Shonali received her Ma in Political Science at Columbia University followed by an Mfa in Directing from the UCLA School of theater, Film and Televisionn where she won a number of awards inncludin the Ely Award for Best Documetary, Wasserman Award, Jack Sauter Award, Hollywood Radio and Television Society International Broadcasting Award, Motion Picture Association of America Award. After graduating she taught at Nyfa, Universal Studios for a year before starting to write her debut feature film.
Each of the four winning filmmakers receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, and participation in one of the Sundance Institute Labs.
The Sundance Institute/ Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted agreement that exemplifies the commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest companies in India known throughout the world for its dedication to excellence and social responsibility, and the nonprofit Sundance Institute, one of the world’s leading cultural organizations.
The collaboration, which also includes the establishment of the Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India, extends over a three-year period. The Lab will provide an opportunity for eight screenwriters from India to develop their feature scripts under the guidance of accomplished international screenwriters and filmmakers in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Sin Nombre, Martha Marcy May Marlene,, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
About Mahindra
Mahindra embarked on its journey in 1945 by assembling the Willys Jeep in India and is now a Us $14.4 billion Indian multinational. It employs over 1,44,000 people across the globe and enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, tractors and information technology, with a significant and growing presence in financial services, tourism, infrastructure development, trade logistics and, recently, the entertainment industry.
Its media and entertainment company, Mumbai Mantra Media Ltd, presented Indian National Award-winning Best Feature Film, ‘Antaheen’ in 2009, and has recently co-produced ‘The Tempest’ directed by Julie Taymor . It is evaluating various opportunities in the media and entertainment space in India as well as internationally.
The Mahindra Group has a long standing commitment to the arts and humanities. The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (Meta) were created to encourage both emerging and established theatre and celebrated its Sixth Anniversary in 2011. The Group’s encouragement and support to world music will be at its fore at the second annual Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai in February 2012 – the largest festival of its kind in Asia, showcasing the best international Blues artists and providing a common platform for emerging Indian Blues bands.
Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the Mahindra Group, recently gave an endowment of $10 million to the Humanities Centre at the Harvard University, his alma mater.
To encourage and support the ‘young and the unknown’ and to give back to the communities it operates in, has been the core of the Mahindra Group’s involvement in art and culture.
www.mahindra.com www.mumbaimantra.com.
# # #
Emily Davis
B|W|RPublic Relations
9100 Wilshire Blvd.
5th Floor, West Tower
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
( 310-248-6100 |2 310-550-1701
* edavis@bwr-la.com...
The winners:
Etienne Kallos for Free State (Vrystaat) from South Africa. This Greek/ South African filmmaker with an Mfa in film directing from Nyu has screened his work at festivals worldwide. His film Eersgeborene was the first Afrikaans-language film to be awarded a Lion for Best Short Film at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. Vrystaat was developed at the Cannes Cinefondation Residence program in Paris.
Set during the annual corn harvest in the Free State, Vrystaat explores the rites of passage into manhood for a new generation as they navigate identity and sexuality within the fractured realm of post-Colonial Africa.
Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia): In an undisclosed commune cut-off from the outside world, a guarded criminal named Gregori controls a group of women and children who not only assist him on the farm but also carry out dangerous assassinations in the neighboring towns. His authority is undisputed until one child, Alexander, decides to quietly undermine his plans.
Ariel Kleiman last appeared at Sundance with his short film Deeper than Yesterday, which received the Jury Prize in International Filmmaking. The year prior, his student film Young Love received Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking.
Dominga Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile): In an isolated community far from the city, three women face a forest fire that threatens their sense of belonging and their lives. Dominga, born in Santiago de Chile in 1985 finisher her Direction studies at the Universidad Catolica de Chile and recevied a scholarship for her Masters in Film Direction at the Escac, Barcelona. Her first feature, De Jueves a Domingo (Thursday to Sunday) was part of the Cannes Cinefondation and was supported by the Hubert Bals Fund and shows at Rotterdam Film Festival this February. Tarde Para Morir Joven is her second feature, developed at Binger Filmlab and the Jerusalem International Film Lab.
Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India): She falls repeatedly in love, yearns to have sex and wants to be a Bollywood songwriter. Laila. A brilliant mind trapped in a disobedient body. Shonali received her Ma in Political Science at Columbia University followed by an Mfa in Directing from the UCLA School of theater, Film and Televisionn where she won a number of awards inncludin the Ely Award for Best Documetary, Wasserman Award, Jack Sauter Award, Hollywood Radio and Television Society International Broadcasting Award, Motion Picture Association of America Award. After graduating she taught at Nyfa, Universal Studios for a year before starting to write her debut feature film.
Each of the four winning filmmakers receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, and participation in one of the Sundance Institute Labs.
The Sundance Institute/ Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted agreement that exemplifies the commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest companies in India known throughout the world for its dedication to excellence and social responsibility, and the nonprofit Sundance Institute, one of the world’s leading cultural organizations.
The collaboration, which also includes the establishment of the Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India, extends over a three-year period. The Lab will provide an opportunity for eight screenwriters from India to develop their feature scripts under the guidance of accomplished international screenwriters and filmmakers in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Sin Nombre, Martha Marcy May Marlene,, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
About Mahindra
Mahindra embarked on its journey in 1945 by assembling the Willys Jeep in India and is now a Us $14.4 billion Indian multinational. It employs over 1,44,000 people across the globe and enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, tractors and information technology, with a significant and growing presence in financial services, tourism, infrastructure development, trade logistics and, recently, the entertainment industry.
Its media and entertainment company, Mumbai Mantra Media Ltd, presented Indian National Award-winning Best Feature Film, ‘Antaheen’ in 2009, and has recently co-produced ‘The Tempest’ directed by Julie Taymor . It is evaluating various opportunities in the media and entertainment space in India as well as internationally.
The Mahindra Group has a long standing commitment to the arts and humanities. The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (Meta) were created to encourage both emerging and established theatre and celebrated its Sixth Anniversary in 2011. The Group’s encouragement and support to world music will be at its fore at the second annual Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai in February 2012 – the largest festival of its kind in Asia, showcasing the best international Blues artists and providing a common platform for emerging Indian Blues bands.
Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the Mahindra Group, recently gave an endowment of $10 million to the Humanities Centre at the Harvard University, his alma mater.
To encourage and support the ‘young and the unknown’ and to give back to the communities it operates in, has been the core of the Mahindra Group’s involvement in art and culture.
www.mahindra.com www.mumbaimantra.com.
# # #
Emily Davis
B|W|RPublic Relations
9100 Wilshire Blvd.
5th Floor, West Tower
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
( 310-248-6100 |2 310-550-1701
* edavis@bwr-la.com...
- 1/25/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Update: A fifth person has died as a result of the stage collapse, the AP reports:
"The Marion County Coroner's office identifies the victims as 23-year-old Alina Bigjohny of Fort Wayne, 29-year-old Christina Santiago of Chicago, and three Indianapolis residents: 42-year-old Tammy Vandam, 49-year-old Glenn Goodrich and 51-year-old Nathan Byrd. It was Byrd who died overnight."
Indianapolis (AP) -- A stage collapsed during a powerful storm at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, sending steel scaffolding into the terrified crowd below and killing at least four people among fans awaiting a performance by the country band Sugarland.
The collapse came moments after an announcer warned of the advancing storm and gave instructions on what to do in event of an evacuation. Witnesses said a wall of dirt, dust and rain blew up quickly as a gust of high wind toppled the rigging. People ran amid screams and shouts, desperate to get out of the way.
"The Marion County Coroner's office identifies the victims as 23-year-old Alina Bigjohny of Fort Wayne, 29-year-old Christina Santiago of Chicago, and three Indianapolis residents: 42-year-old Tammy Vandam, 49-year-old Glenn Goodrich and 51-year-old Nathan Byrd. It was Byrd who died overnight."
Indianapolis (AP) -- A stage collapsed during a powerful storm at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, sending steel scaffolding into the terrified crowd below and killing at least four people among fans awaiting a performance by the country band Sugarland.
The collapse came moments after an announcer warned of the advancing storm and gave instructions on what to do in event of an evacuation. Witnesses said a wall of dirt, dust and rain blew up quickly as a gust of high wind toppled the rigging. People ran amid screams and shouts, desperate to get out of the way.
- 8/14/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Screen legend Dennis Hopper has died at the age of 74.
The Easy Rider star revealed his fight with prostate cancer in October after being hospitalised for "severe flu-like symptoms", admitting he was first diagnosed with the disease in 2002.
Hopper underwent regular treatment sessions at the University of Southern California, but reports surfaced in early January suggesting he was facing his final days after learning the deadly disease had spread to his bones.
He passed away on Saturday morning at his home in Venice, California with his family and friends at his bedside.
Hopper's manager Sam Maydew confirmed the sad news in a statement to the Afp.
The statement reads, "Dennis Hopper died this morning at 8:15 am (15:15 pm GMT) from complications of metastasized prostate cancer. He died at home in Venice surrounded by family and friends."
Tributes to the actor have been pouring in, with Hopper's Easy Rider co-star Peter Fonda among the first to pay his respects.
He tells TMZ.com, "Dennis introduced me to the world of Pop Art and 'lost' films. We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood. I was blessed by his passion and friendship."
A number of stars have taken to Twitter.com to honour Hopper including rocker Slash, who writes, "You take the great ones for granted until they're gone. Rip Dennis Hopper," while British actor Simon Pegg, adds, "Just heard we lost Dennis Hopper at 74. Great actor, sad loss. 'Sometimes he goes too far. He's the first one to admit it. ' Apocalypse Now."
Born in Kansas in 1936, Hopper enjoyed a career as an artist, actor and director spanning 55 years. His family relocated to California when he was a child and, after developing an interest in acting, Hopper made his TV debut with a small role in U.S. series Medic in 1955.
He went on to land two roles alongside his idol James Dean - in 1950s releases Rebel Without a Cause and Giant - but Hopper was left devastated when the movie star was killed in a car accident in 1955, aged just 24.
After moving to the East Coast and completing a training course at New York's famous Actors Studio, Hopper's career began to pick up pace and he became a TV regular on U.S. shows such as The Defenders, Bonanza, The Legend of Jesse James and Combat!
Hopper made brief appearances in Paul Newman's Cool Hand Luke and alongside John Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and True Grit (1969), while his more recognised roles include Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Out of the Blue (1980) and Rumble Fish (1983).
But Hopper will perhaps be best remembered for pulling double duty on 1969's Easy Rider, which he directed and starred in alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.
The movie earned Hopper critical acclaim, but his screen success was marred by trouble in his personal life - the star's eight-year marriage to first wife Brooke Hayward crumbled and he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
A year later, in 1970, Hopper rushed to wed Michelle Phillips - the disastrous union lasted just one week amid allegations of cocaine addiction and spousal abuse.
His private life hit the headlines again in the early 1980s when Hopper had a brush with death in an incident involving 17 sticks of dynamite near Houston, Texas, and it was only after finding himself stranded in a Mexican desert while drunk and on drugs that he checked himself into rehab in 1983.
Hopper kicked his addictions and marked his Hollywood comeback with critically acclaimed performances in 1986's Blue Velvet, with director David Lynch, Hoosiers, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and 1988's Colors.
He returned to TV on numerous occasions and in 2002 appeared in Kiefer Sutherland's hit show 24, as well as government drama E-Ring in 2005, and Crash in 2008 to 2009, a series based on the Oscar-winning movie of the same name.
Hopper went down in movie history when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March, but his health had deteriorated so rapidly he was in a wheelchair for his red carpet appearance.
His marriage to fifth wife Victoria Duffy, who he wed in 1996, also deteriorated in his final months - the actor filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences. He obtained a restraining order against her after his doctor claimed she was "hampering his cancer care" and Hopper's personal assistant, Emily Davis, went on to accuse Duffy of "trying to kill" the ailing star - although no further details were released.
The estranged couple was subsequently ordered to resolve their differences for the sake of their daughter Galen, who was born in 2003, and in April Hopper was forced to pay Duffy $12,000 (£7,500)-a-month in spousal and child support.
Hopper is also survived by his three other children from previous marriages. The actor fathered Marin with first wife Hayward in 1962; Ruthanna with Daria Halprin in the early 1970s, and son Henry, born in 1990, with Katherine Lanasa.
The Easy Rider star revealed his fight with prostate cancer in October after being hospitalised for "severe flu-like symptoms", admitting he was first diagnosed with the disease in 2002.
Hopper underwent regular treatment sessions at the University of Southern California, but reports surfaced in early January suggesting he was facing his final days after learning the deadly disease had spread to his bones.
He passed away on Saturday morning at his home in Venice, California with his family and friends at his bedside.
Hopper's manager Sam Maydew confirmed the sad news in a statement to the Afp.
The statement reads, "Dennis Hopper died this morning at 8:15 am (15:15 pm GMT) from complications of metastasized prostate cancer. He died at home in Venice surrounded by family and friends."
Tributes to the actor have been pouring in, with Hopper's Easy Rider co-star Peter Fonda among the first to pay his respects.
He tells TMZ.com, "Dennis introduced me to the world of Pop Art and 'lost' films. We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood. I was blessed by his passion and friendship."
A number of stars have taken to Twitter.com to honour Hopper including rocker Slash, who writes, "You take the great ones for granted until they're gone. Rip Dennis Hopper," while British actor Simon Pegg, adds, "Just heard we lost Dennis Hopper at 74. Great actor, sad loss. 'Sometimes he goes too far. He's the first one to admit it. ' Apocalypse Now."
Born in Kansas in 1936, Hopper enjoyed a career as an artist, actor and director spanning 55 years. His family relocated to California when he was a child and, after developing an interest in acting, Hopper made his TV debut with a small role in U.S. series Medic in 1955.
He went on to land two roles alongside his idol James Dean - in 1950s releases Rebel Without a Cause and Giant - but Hopper was left devastated when the movie star was killed in a car accident in 1955, aged just 24.
After moving to the East Coast and completing a training course at New York's famous Actors Studio, Hopper's career began to pick up pace and he became a TV regular on U.S. shows such as The Defenders, Bonanza, The Legend of Jesse James and Combat!
Hopper made brief appearances in Paul Newman's Cool Hand Luke and alongside John Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and True Grit (1969), while his more recognised roles include Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Out of the Blue (1980) and Rumble Fish (1983).
But Hopper will perhaps be best remembered for pulling double duty on 1969's Easy Rider, which he directed and starred in alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.
The movie earned Hopper critical acclaim, but his screen success was marred by trouble in his personal life - the star's eight-year marriage to first wife Brooke Hayward crumbled and he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
A year later, in 1970, Hopper rushed to wed Michelle Phillips - the disastrous union lasted just one week amid allegations of cocaine addiction and spousal abuse.
His private life hit the headlines again in the early 1980s when Hopper had a brush with death in an incident involving 17 sticks of dynamite near Houston, Texas, and it was only after finding himself stranded in a Mexican desert while drunk and on drugs that he checked himself into rehab in 1983.
Hopper kicked his addictions and marked his Hollywood comeback with critically acclaimed performances in 1986's Blue Velvet, with director David Lynch, Hoosiers, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and 1988's Colors.
He returned to TV on numerous occasions and in 2002 appeared in Kiefer Sutherland's hit show 24, as well as government drama E-Ring in 2005, and Crash in 2008 to 2009, a series based on the Oscar-winning movie of the same name.
Hopper went down in movie history when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March, but his health had deteriorated so rapidly he was in a wheelchair for his red carpet appearance.
His marriage to fifth wife Victoria Duffy, who he wed in 1996, also deteriorated in his final months - the actor filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences. He obtained a restraining order against her after his doctor claimed she was "hampering his cancer care" and Hopper's personal assistant, Emily Davis, went on to accuse Duffy of "trying to kill" the ailing star - although no further details were released.
The estranged couple was subsequently ordered to resolve their differences for the sake of their daughter Galen, who was born in 2003, and in April Hopper was forced to pay Duffy $12,000 (£7,500)-a-month in spousal and child support.
Hopper is also survived by his three other children from previous marriages. The actor fathered Marin with first wife Hayward in 1962; Ruthanna with Daria Halprin in the early 1970s, and son Henry, born in 1990, with Katherine Lanasa.
- 5/30/2010
- WENN
Screen legend Dennis Hopper has died at the age of 74.
The Easy Rider star revealed his fight with prostate cancer in October after being hospitalised for "severe flu-like symptoms", admitting he was first diagnosed with the illness in 2002.
Hopper underwent regular treatment sessions at the University of Southern California, but reports surfaced in early January suggesting he was facing his final days after learning the deadly disease had spread to his bones.
He passed away on Saturday morning at his home in Venice, California with his family and friends at his bedside.
Hopper's manager Sam Maydew confirmed the sad news in a statement to the Afp.
The statement reads, "Dennis Hopper died this morning at 8:15 am (15:15 pm GMT) from complications of metastasized prostate cancer. He died at home in Venice surrounded by family and friends."
Tributes to the actor have been pouring in, with Hopper's Easy Rider co-star Peter Fonda among the first to pay his respects.
He tells TMZ.com, "Dennis introduced me to the world of Pop Art and 'lost' films. We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood. I was blessed by his passion and friendship."
A number of stars have taken to Twitter.com to honour Hopper including rocker Slash, who writes, "You take the great ones for granted until they're gone. Rip Dennis Hopper," while British actor Simon Pegg, adds, "Just heard we lost Dennis Hopper at 74. Great actor, sad loss. 'Sometimes he goes too far. He's the first one to admit it. ' Apocalypse Now."
Born in Kansas in 1936, Hopper enjoyed a career as an artist, actor and director spanning 55 years. His family relocated to California when he was a child and, after developing an interest in acting, Hopper made his TV debut with a small role in U.S. series Medic in 1955.
He went on to land two roles alongside his idol James Dean - in 1950s releases Rebel Without a Cause and Giant - but Hopper was left devastated when the movie star was killed in a car accident in 1955, aged just 24.
After moving to the East Coast and completing a training course at New York's famous Actors Studio, Hopper's career began to pick up pace and he became a TV regular on U.S. shows such as The Defenders, Bonanza, The Legend of Jesse James and Combat!
Hopper made brief appearances in Paul Newman's Cool Hand Luke and alongside John Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and True Grit (1969), while his more recognised roles include Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Out of the Blue (1980) and Rumble Fish (1983).
But Hopper will perhaps be best remembered for pulling double duty on 1969's Easy Rider, which he directed and starred in alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.
The movie earned Hopper critical acclaim, but his screen success was marred by trouble in his personal life - the star's eight-year marriage to first wife Brooke Hayward crumbled and he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
A year later, in 1970, Hopper rushed to wed Michelle Phillips - the disastrous union lasted just one week amid allegations of cocaine addiction and spousal abuse.
His private life hit the headlines again in the early 1980s when Hopper had a brush with death in an incident involving 17 sticks of dynamite near Houston, Texas, and it was only after finding himself stranded in a Mexican desert while drunk and on drugs that he checked himself into rehab in 1983.
Hopper kicked his addictions and marked his Hollywood comeback with critically acclaimed performances in 1986's Blue Velvet, with director David Lynch, Hoosiers, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and 1988's Colors.
He returned to TV on numerous occasions and in 2002 appeared in Kiefer Sutherland's hit show 24, as well as government drama E-Ring in 2005, and Crash in 2008 to 2009, a series based on the Oscar-winning movie of the same name.
Hopper went down in movie history when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March, but his health had deteriorated so rapidly he was in a wheelchair for his red carpet appearance.
His marriage to fifth wife Victoria Duffy, who he wed in 1996, also deteriorated in his final months - the actor filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences. He obtained a restraining order against her after his doctor claimed she was "hampering his cancer care" and Hopper's personal assistant, Emily Davis, went on to accuse Duffy of "trying to kill" the ailing star - although no further details were released.
The estranged couple was subsequently ordered to resolve their differences for the sake of their daughter Galen, who was born in 2003, and in April Hopper was forced to pay Duffy $12,000 (£7,500)-a-month in spousal and child support.
Hopper is also survived by his three other children from previous marriages. The actor fathered Marin with first wife Hayward in 1962; Ruthanna with Daria Halprin in the early 1970s, and son Henry, born in 1990, with Katherine Lanasa.
The Easy Rider star revealed his fight with prostate cancer in October after being hospitalised for "severe flu-like symptoms", admitting he was first diagnosed with the illness in 2002.
Hopper underwent regular treatment sessions at the University of Southern California, but reports surfaced in early January suggesting he was facing his final days after learning the deadly disease had spread to his bones.
He passed away on Saturday morning at his home in Venice, California with his family and friends at his bedside.
Hopper's manager Sam Maydew confirmed the sad news in a statement to the Afp.
The statement reads, "Dennis Hopper died this morning at 8:15 am (15:15 pm GMT) from complications of metastasized prostate cancer. He died at home in Venice surrounded by family and friends."
Tributes to the actor have been pouring in, with Hopper's Easy Rider co-star Peter Fonda among the first to pay his respects.
He tells TMZ.com, "Dennis introduced me to the world of Pop Art and 'lost' films. We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood. I was blessed by his passion and friendship."
A number of stars have taken to Twitter.com to honour Hopper including rocker Slash, who writes, "You take the great ones for granted until they're gone. Rip Dennis Hopper," while British actor Simon Pegg, adds, "Just heard we lost Dennis Hopper at 74. Great actor, sad loss. 'Sometimes he goes too far. He's the first one to admit it. ' Apocalypse Now."
Born in Kansas in 1936, Hopper enjoyed a career as an artist, actor and director spanning 55 years. His family relocated to California when he was a child and, after developing an interest in acting, Hopper made his TV debut with a small role in U.S. series Medic in 1955.
He went on to land two roles alongside his idol James Dean - in 1950s releases Rebel Without a Cause and Giant - but Hopper was left devastated when the movie star was killed in a car accident in 1955, aged just 24.
After moving to the East Coast and completing a training course at New York's famous Actors Studio, Hopper's career began to pick up pace and he became a TV regular on U.S. shows such as The Defenders, Bonanza, The Legend of Jesse James and Combat!
Hopper made brief appearances in Paul Newman's Cool Hand Luke and alongside John Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and True Grit (1969), while his more recognised roles include Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Out of the Blue (1980) and Rumble Fish (1983).
But Hopper will perhaps be best remembered for pulling double duty on 1969's Easy Rider, which he directed and starred in alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.
The movie earned Hopper critical acclaim, but his screen success was marred by trouble in his personal life - the star's eight-year marriage to first wife Brooke Hayward crumbled and he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
A year later, in 1970, Hopper rushed to wed Michelle Phillips - the disastrous union lasted just one week amid allegations of cocaine addiction and spousal abuse.
His private life hit the headlines again in the early 1980s when Hopper had a brush with death in an incident involving 17 sticks of dynamite near Houston, Texas, and it was only after finding himself stranded in a Mexican desert while drunk and on drugs that he checked himself into rehab in 1983.
Hopper kicked his addictions and marked his Hollywood comeback with critically acclaimed performances in 1986's Blue Velvet, with director David Lynch, Hoosiers, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and 1988's Colors.
He returned to TV on numerous occasions and in 2002 appeared in Kiefer Sutherland's hit show 24, as well as government drama E-Ring in 2005, and Crash in 2008 to 2009, a series based on the Oscar-winning movie of the same name.
Hopper went down in movie history when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March, but his health had deteriorated so rapidly he was in a wheelchair for his red carpet appearance.
His marriage to fifth wife Victoria Duffy, who he wed in 1996, also deteriorated in his final months - the actor filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences. He obtained a restraining order against her after his doctor claimed she was "hampering his cancer care" and Hopper's personal assistant, Emily Davis, went on to accuse Duffy of "trying to kill" the ailing star - although no further details were released.
The estranged couple was subsequently ordered to resolve their differences for the sake of their daughter Galen, who was born in 2003, and in April Hopper was forced to pay Duffy $12,000 (£7,500)-a-month in spousal and child support.
Hopper is also survived by his three other children from previous marriages. The actor fathered Marin with first wife Hayward in 1962; Ruthanna with Daria Halprin in the early 1970s, and son Henry, born in 1990, with Katherine Lanasa.
- 5/29/2010
- WENN
According to new court papers filed by Dennis Hopper's assistant and daughter, his estranged wife, Victoria, has been a threat to his life.
In statements given by Emily Davis, his personal assistant, and Marin Hopper, one of the star's daughters, which were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the two contradict much of Victoria's court declaration in the couple's bitter divorce proceedings and call her a danger.
"Dennis was sent to Beverly Hills Hotel, in a life or death situation, by Dr. Agus," Davis claimed in the papers of the cancer-stricken star. "After being in the hotel ...
Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
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In statements given by Emily Davis, his personal assistant, and Marin Hopper, one of the star's daughters, which were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the two contradict much of Victoria's court declaration in the couple's bitter divorce proceedings and call her a danger.
"Dennis was sent to Beverly Hills Hotel, in a life or death situation, by Dr. Agus," Davis claimed in the papers of the cancer-stricken star. "After being in the hotel ...
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- 4/2/2010
- by AccessHollywood.com Editorial Staff
- Access Hollywood
London, April 02- Dennis Hopper’s personal assistant has alleged that his ex-wife tried killing the actor.
The Easy Rider star, who is suffering from prostate cancer, is presently engaged in a bitter divorce battle with partner Victoria.
He filed a case to end their 13-year marriage in January.
According to TMZ , Hopper’s assistant Emily Davis has accused Victoria of attempting to murder her 73 year-old husband, in an official declaration filed in court.
Davis claims that Hopper lived “at the mercy of .
The Easy Rider star, who is suffering from prostate cancer, is presently engaged in a bitter divorce battle with partner Victoria.
He filed a case to end their 13-year marriage in January.
According to TMZ , Hopper’s assistant Emily Davis has accused Victoria of attempting to murder her 73 year-old husband, in an official declaration filed in court.
Davis claims that Hopper lived “at the mercy of .
- 4/2/2010
- by News
- RealBollywood.com
Did "Easy Rider" star Dennis Hopper's third wife try to do him in?
Dennis' assistant, Emily Davis, made the allegation in a declaration filed in her boss's divorce battle with his estranged wife.
In the docs, Davis claims she and everyone in the household were "at the mercy of [wife Victoria Duffy's] cruelty" when Hopper was taken to the hospital last December. She claims that his wife "was trying to kill him."
Hopper is terminally ill with cancer and appeared in good spirits, although frail and gaunt, at the recent Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony where he spoke to fans about his gratitude for his star.
Davis also claims Victoria "is a threat to all in the home and has already looted millions of [dollars in] property that is not hers."
Dennis' daughter from a prior marriage, Marin Hopper -- who's actually older than her stepmother -- called Victoria's behavior "frightening.
Oh, and...
Dennis' assistant, Emily Davis, made the allegation in a declaration filed in her boss's divorce battle with his estranged wife.
In the docs, Davis claims she and everyone in the household were "at the mercy of [wife Victoria Duffy's] cruelty" when Hopper was taken to the hospital last December. She claims that his wife "was trying to kill him."
Hopper is terminally ill with cancer and appeared in good spirits, although frail and gaunt, at the recent Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony where he spoke to fans about his gratitude for his star.
Davis also claims Victoria "is a threat to all in the home and has already looted millions of [dollars in] property that is not hers."
Dennis' daughter from a prior marriage, Marin Hopper -- who's actually older than her stepmother -- called Victoria's behavior "frightening.
Oh, and...
- 4/1/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
It's getting uglier by the day. In a shocking allegation, an assistant to the ailing Dennis Hopper is claiming the cancer-stricken star's estranged wife, Victoria, plotted to kill him. Per court documents obtained by E! News, employee Emily Davis says that when the 73-year-old Hopper checked into a hospital in December for treatment for his prostate cancer, she and the rest of the family were "at the mercy of [Victoria's] cruelty." In her declaration, the staffer also claims Victoria "was trying to kill him," though she skimps on the details. "[Victoria] is a threat to all in the home and has already looted millions of [dollars in] property that is...
- 4/1/2010
- E! Online
Someone tried to kill Dennis Hopper -- according to legal docs filed by the actor's assistant -- and the alleged culprit is Hopper's own wife. Dennis' assistant, Emily Davis, made the shocking allegation in a declaration filed in Hopper's epic divorce battle with wife Victoria. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Davis claims she and everyone else in the Hopper household were "at the mercy of [wife Victoria's] cruelty" when Hopper had to be taken to the...
- 4/1/2010
- TMZ
Dennis Hopper's personal assistant has accused the actor's estranged wife of trying to kill the cancer-stricken star, according to a new legal document.
The Easy Rider legend, who is fighting prostate cancer, is currently locked in a bitter divorce battle with partner Victoria after filing to end their 13-year marriage in January.
His assistant Emily Davis has added her support to Hopper's fight, making the shocking allegation against Victoria in an official declaration filed in court and obtained by TMZ.com.
Davis claims the 73 year old was "at the mercy of (Victoria's) cruelty" when he was rushed to hospital in December, before adding that Victoria was "trying to kill him".
Davis continues, "(Victoria) is a threat to all in the home and has already looted millions of (dollars in) property that is not hers."
The actor's eldest daughter Marin, from his former marriage to actress Brooke Hayward, also lashed out at Victoria in new legal papers, calling her actions "frightening" and blaming her for spreading "slanderous lies" to the press.
The Easy Rider legend, who is fighting prostate cancer, is currently locked in a bitter divorce battle with partner Victoria after filing to end their 13-year marriage in January.
His assistant Emily Davis has added her support to Hopper's fight, making the shocking allegation against Victoria in an official declaration filed in court and obtained by TMZ.com.
Davis claims the 73 year old was "at the mercy of (Victoria's) cruelty" when he was rushed to hospital in December, before adding that Victoria was "trying to kill him".
Davis continues, "(Victoria) is a threat to all in the home and has already looted millions of (dollars in) property that is not hers."
The actor's eldest daughter Marin, from his former marriage to actress Brooke Hayward, also lashed out at Victoria in new legal papers, calling her actions "frightening" and blaming her for spreading "slanderous lies" to the press.
- 4/1/2010
- WENN
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