The American Cinematheque Sounds Off with the Choice of Dolby Laboratories
The American Cinematheque sounds off with the choice of sound giant Dolby Laboratories for the 2018 Sid Grauman Award recipient. Doug Darrow, on behalf of Dolby Laboratories, will receive the 2018 Sid Grauman Award Presented by Hill Valley. Dolby Laboratories will be honored for its achievements in the motion picture industry at the top of the American Cinematheque’s annual benefit award show where, this year, the non-profit organization will present its 32nd annual career achievement award, known as the American Cinematheque GRoW @ Annenberg Title and Educational Sponsor for the American Cinematheque, to four-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper. The presentation of both the Sid Grauman and American Cinematheque awards will take place Thursday, November 29, 2018 at The Beverly Hilton.
American Cinematheque Chairman Rick Nicita said, “The American Cinematheque is pleased to present this year’s annual Sid Grauman award to Dolby Laboratories for its outstanding contributions to theatrical exhibition. Dolby has revolutionized the moviegoing experience with its breakthrough innovations, including Dolby Cinema, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos immersive audio, using the full spectrum of storytelling capabilities to transform the way movies are made and presented. The Dolby brand has become the gold standard that assures audiences worldwide that they are hearing, seeing, and experiencing a movie in a way that truly delivers on the creative intent.”
The Sid Grauman award will be accepted on behalf of Dolby by Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema Business Group.“Hill Valley is extremely proud to be the presenter of the American Cinematheque’s fourth annual Sid Grauman Award to recipient Doug Darrow on behalf of Dolby Laboratories,” said founder and CEO Éric Nebot.
The American Cinematheque Board of Directors created this award in 2015 to honor an extraordinary individual who has made a significant contribution to the Hollywood film industry in the continuing advancement of theatrical exhibition. Previous recipients have included Richard Gelfond and Greg Foster on behalf of IMAX (2017); Sue Kroll (2016); and Jeffrey Katzenberg (2015).
Sid Grauman (1879 – 1950) was a master showman in the early days of film exhibition and a founder of the Egyptian Theatre (owned and operated by the American Cinematheque since 1998), where the first Hollywood “premiere” was held in 1922. He went on to be part of the world-famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre as well. He was a pioneer in the theatrical exhibition of movies and a founding member of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, from which he received an honorary Academy Award for his work. His legacy is carried on today through the big screen movie viewing experience provided by the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre.
Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema Business Group
As Senior Vice President, Cinema Business Group, Doug Darrow is responsible for leading Dolby’s Cinema businesses and aligning Dolby's technical expertise and close relationships with content creators, studios, and exhibitors to deliver artistic and business solutions via audio and video technologies. The Cinema Business Group comprises the businesses that support the theatrical entertainment industry, including Dolby Atmos products, Dolby Server products, audio processors, Dolby speaker and amplification products, the Dolby Cinema business, and Dolby’s Content Services and Industry Relations activities.
Doug also spent time as CEO of Laser Light Engines, a start-up company working on commercializing laser illumination technology for digital projection systems.
In 2012 Doug joined Dolby to oversee the cinema division, and again has worked to bring groundbreaking solutions to market. Under his leadership, Dolby has launched the award-winning and leading immersive audio solution Dolby Atmos, which has been deployed on more than 4000 of the highest-grossing screens in more than 60 countries, and been used on more than 1000 movies. He also oversaw the development of the Dolby Vision high dynamic range projection system that delivers breakthrough performance on the big screen and is the cornerstone of the Dolby Cinema business that he launched in 2015. Doug and his team at Dolby have the broadest set of solutions for the theatrical industry today and have received strong support from creatives, exhibitors and studios across the industry.
Doug has an undergraduate degree in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester and holds an MBA degree from the University of Dallas.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) is based in San Francisco with offices in over 20 countries around the globe. Dolby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences. Through innovative research and engineering, they create breakthrough experiences for billions of people worldwide through a collaborative ecosystem spanning artists, businesses, and consumers. The experiences people have – in Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, Dolby Voice, and Dolby Audio – revolutionize entertainment and communications at the cinema, on the go, in the home, and at work.
About Hill Valley
Hill Valley, the leading product placement agency founded by Éric Nebot, and based in Los Angeles and Paris, represents luxury brands such as Fairmont, Piper-Heidsieck champagne, Ladurée, Hennessy, world class wine Chateau Haut Brion, and many others.
Benefit Tickets:
Tickets to the Cinematheque Tribute, an elegant black-tie dinner followed by a multi-media award presentation, start at $600. Call Mann Productions for tickets and further information: 323.314.7000. Please note that this event was formerly known as the Moving Picture Ball.
More information about the award show can be found here.
About the American Cinematheque:
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on December 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman’s first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922.
In early 2005, the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the Westside with the January 5th opening of the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.
Both theatres play host to an array of industry guests who share their filmmaking experiences with our audiences.