That's entertainment

Chances are good that within the past several years, a U.Va. alum has made you laugh, cry, cheer, think or fall in love. These chances get even better if you have been to the movies.

From “Rain Man” to “Batman” to “A Few Good Men” … and from “10 Items or Less” to “Nine Lives” to “Three Kings,” ’Hoos are continuing to make some serious noise in the film industry. Each year it seems that another batch of talent and inspiration travels the 2,560.2 (give or take a 10th) miles that separate C-ville and H-wood, joining a growing list of alums earning acclaim for their work in front of and behind the cameras.

This ’Hoo-Hollywood connection is instrumental in bringing the stars, artists and films that draw thousands each year to The Virginia Film Festival, contributing to the event’s growing profile on the regional and national festival scenes. So allow us to roll the credits on a sample of our very own Hollywood stars … watch for them at a theater (or a DVD player) near you!

Marc Abraham (English ’71) – Producer – “Air Force One,” “The Family Man,” “Thirteen Days,” “For the Love of the Game.”

Wolfgang Bodison (Studio Art ’88) – Actor – “Akeelah and the Bee,” “Where’s Angelo?” “A Few Good Men.”

Janet Graham Borba (Echols ’79) – Programming Executive – Vice President of Production, HBO Films.

Lee Caplin (Law ’72) – Producer – “Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont,” “Ali,” “To Die For.”

Eric D’Arbeloff (English ’87) – Distributor (Co-President, Roadside Attractions) – “Super Size Me!,” “Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic!,” “Amazing Grace,” “Lovely & Amazing.”

Sarah Drew (Drama ’02) – Actress – In addition to her roles on Broadway (“Vincent in Brixton”) and on television (“Everwood”), she appeared in “Radio.”

Temple Fennell (Engineering ’85) – Producer (Co-President, ATO Films) – “Joshua.”

Tina Fey (Drama ’92) – Actress/Writer – The former “Saturday Night Live” head writer and Weekend Update favorite wrote and starred in “Mean Girls,” a double-duty role she is currently reprising in the NBC comedy “30 Rock.”

Samuel Goldwyn Jr. (College ’47) – Producer – “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Mystic Pizza,” “Cotton Comes to Harlem” and many others.

Sam Hamm (English ’76) – Writer – “Batman,” “Batman Returns.”

Mark Johnson (College ’71) – Producer – One of Hollywood’s leading producers, Johnson has a resume that’s dotted with some of the most popular films of the past two decades, including “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” “Rain Man” (winner of four Academy Awards), “Good Morning,Vietnam,” “The Natural,” “Tin Men,” “Toys,” “Avalon,” “Diner,” “Bugsy” (nominated for 10 Academy Awards and winner of a Golden Globe for Best Picture), “The Notebook” and many others.

David Koplan (Foreign Affairs ’93) – Producer – “Winter Passing” and “Chrystal.”

Marc Lieberman (McIntire ’97) – Producer, Cavalier Films – “Charlie’s Party,” “Disconnected” (inaugural Cavalier Films feature, currently in production).

Julie Lynn (Foreign Affairs ’88, Law ’92) – Producer – Founder of Mockingbird Pictures, recently named to a “Daily Variety” list of “10 Producers to Watch.” Kelly Thomas (Darden ’03) is Vice President of Development. “Nine Lives,” “10 Items or Less.”

Benjamin McKenzie (Foreign Affairs, Economics ’01) – Actor – After making a name for himself and gaining star/idol status on TV’s “The O.C.,” McKenzie made his feature film debut in the critically acclaimed 2005 film “Junebug.” He is currently working on a new thriller, “88 Minutes,” directed by Jon Avnet.

Perry Moore (English ’94) – Executive Producer – “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”;  Producer – “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”; Director, “Lake City.”

Catherine Olim (Rhetoric and Communication Studies ’75) – Publicist – A longtime veteran of entertainment publicity giant PMK, Olim has worked with an array of the biggest names in the business and currently handles publicity duties for Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Kate Winslet and many others.

Mark Pellington (Rhetoric and Communication Studies ’84) – Director – “The Mothman Prophecies,” “Arlington Road.”

Marshall Persinger (Rhetoric and Communication Studies ’81) – Producer – “Twin Falls Idaho.”

Robert Radnitz (College ’47) – Producer – “Sounder,” “Where the Lilies Bloom,” “My Side of the Mountain.”

Tom Shadyac (Government ’81) – Director – One of today’s premier comedy directors, Shadyac vaulted onto the national scene with his partnership with Jim Carrey in films such as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Liar Liar” and “Bruce Almighty,” which he recently presented at the Virginia Film Festival. Shadyac is currently in postproduction with the highly anticipated sequel “Evan Almighty,” filmed partly in the Charlottesville area.

Derek Sieg (English ’98) – Director – His first feature, “Swedish Auto,” premiered on opening night of this year’s Virginia Film Festival.

Sean Patrick Thomas (English ’92) – Actor – “Save the Last Dance,” “The Fountain,” “Barbershop,” “Barbershop 2: Back in Business.”

Richard Tuggle (Government and Foreign Affairs ’70) – Writer – “Escape From Alcatraz,” Director – “Tightrope.”

John Vanco (English ’93) – Exhibitor/Programmer – Vice President, IFC Center. Former head of Cowboy Pictures.

Dylan Walsh (English ’86) – Actor – Known to millions through his leading role in the hit F/X series “Nip/Tuck,” Walsh has been featured in a number of high-profile films including “The Lake House” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

Glenn Williamson (English ’85) – Producer – “Hollywoodland,” “The Omen,” “The Ice Harvest,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Stan Winston (College ’68) – Special Effects Artist/Makeup Artist – This Oscar winner has created some of the most iconic special effects of his generation, including the entire “Terminator” series, the entire “Jurassic Park” series, “Aliens” (which earned him the Oscar for Best Visual Effects), “Predator” and more. Winston’s work gets a comprehensive treatment in a new book from Titan Books, “The Winston Effect: The Art & History of Stan
Winston Studio” (November 2006).

Paul Junger Witt (Drama ’63) – Producer – Paul Junger Witt’s film credits include “Dead Poets Society,” “Insomnia,” “Three Kings,” “Mixed Nuts” and “Final Analysis.” As a TV producer, he is responsible for series including “The Partridge Family,” “The Golden Girls,” “Empty Nest,” “Benson,” “Soap” and “Blossom” and made-for-television movies including “Brian’s Song.”