Directors Spotlight: John Cassavetes John Cassavetes (1929 - 1989) was a Greek-American actor, director, screenwriter, and pioneer of independent cinema. He is seen by many as being among the most influential American directors of the 20th century. As an actor, he starred in various films, most notably ‘The Dirty Dozen’ (1976) and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968). Between the 1960s and 1980s he directed numerous independent features including ‘Faces’ (1968), ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ (1974), and ‘Love Streams’ (1984). He also starred in, and directed, several studio films during the same time period. Cassavetes was “actors-director” whose approach to filmmaking used an improvisational, cinéma vérité style. He would often shoot in long, uninterrupted takes meant to bring out authentic emotions in his actors. He was known to reject the traditional Hollywood approach and the idea of the director as the ‘singular visionary’, instead embracing his actors and their raw performance as the source of a film’s artistry. Cassavetes frequently collaborated with the same crew and actors, including his wife Gena Rowlands, as well as Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, and Seymour Cassel. Throughout his career, Cassavetes was nominated for three Academy Awards. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 1967 for his role in ‘The Dirty Dozen’. A year later, in 1968 he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for the film ‘Faces.’ In 1974 he was nominated for Best Director for his iconic film ‘A Woman Under the Influence.’ Do you have a favorite Cassavetes film? Let us know in the comments? #AcademyGold #DirectorSpotlight #johncassavetes #filmhistory