Ivan Reitman will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s CinemaCon, it was announced by managing director Mitch Neuhauser. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners will be held March 24-27 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
"A creative force behind some of the most successful and memorable comedies of our time, Ivan Reitman has entertained audiences around the world with his unforgettable work on film,” said Neuhauser. "As a director and producer, Ivan Reitman has given the world such classics as Animal House, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Dave, Private Parts, I Love You Man and Up In The Air. A master of comedy for all ages, CinemaCon is simply thrilled to be honoring this cinematic legend with its 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award."
Reitman’s work can be seen this spring in Draft Day, which will be released by Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate company, on April 11. Draft Day is produced by Summit, OddLot Entertainment and the Montecito Picture Company. On the day of the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver (Kevin Costner) has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must quickly decide what he's willing to sacrifice in pursuit of perfection as the lines between his personal and professional life become blurred on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with dreams of playing in the NFL. Directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Rajiv Joseph & Scott Rothman, Draft Day also stars Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, Frank Langella, Sam Elliott, Sean Combs, Terry Crews, with Ellen Burstyn, and Chadwick Boseman.
Emigrating with his family from Czechoslovakia to Canada at the age of four, Reitman studied music at McMaster University before turning his talents to film and theater. Shortly after graduation Reitman produced a low budget horror comedy Cannibal Girls, followed by the live television show Greed, in which Dan Aykroyd served as its announcer. Reitman then moved to New York City and produced the Broadway hit The Magic Show, and continued to produce for the stage with the Off-Broadway hit The National Lampoon Show, where he brought together for the first time the then-unknown John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Joe Flaherty, before returning to Broadway to produce the musical Merlin.
Reitman then reapplied his talents to filmmaking when he joined forces with National Lampoon for Animal House. Following the success of that film Reitman continued his string of blockbusters with Meatballs, Stripes, the Ghostbusters series, Dave, Twins, Junior, and Kindergarten Cop. Reitman’s list of producing credits include Beethoven and Beethoven’s 2nd, The Late Shift, Private Parts, Space Jam, Road Trip, Old School, Hotel For Dogs, the Academy Award nominated film Up in the Air, and Hitchcock, among many others.
He currently heads The Montecito Picture Company with partner Tom Pollock.
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