The 67th Annual Awards Program Click Here
Transcription
The 67th Annual Awards Program Click Here
The The Christopher Prayer 67th Annual Christopher Awards Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. —attributed to St. Francis of Assisi The Christophers 5 Hanover Sq., 22nd Fl. New York, NY 10004 212-759-4050 Fax: 212-838-5073 www.christophers.org Thursday, May 19, 2016 “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” - Christopher motto - Celebrating films, TV programs & books that affirm the highest values of the human spirit. Christopher Awards The T he M AY 19 , 2 016 67t h Annual An nual 3 2 0 PARK AVEN UE N EW YORK C IT Y RECEPTION 6 p.m. AWARDS CEREMONY 7 p.m. WELCOME Father Jonathan Morris The Christophers MASTER OF CEREMONIES Tom Leopold Comedy Writer, (Bob Hope, “Cheers,” “Seinfeld”) CAT EG O R IES & PR ESENT ER S Books for Adults Books for Young People Feature Films TV & Cable Programs Tony Aiello Joan Bauer Joan Bauer Kathie Lee Gifford SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Kathie Lee Gifford Tony Aiello Christopher Spirit Award When Calls the Heart Life Achievement Award Ernie Anastos Please join us at the After-Party immediately following the Awards presentation! Photos: Paul Schneck Welcome 2016 by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications & Program Manager, The Christopher Awards “The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in,”said author and Faith Love Courage Teamwork English professor Dr. Harold Clarke Goddard. Well, the stories and storytellers we honor tonight have done their part in moving that destiny in a positive direction by highlighting the great things that can be accomplished when we choose to practice faith, love, courage, and teamwork. In the TV/Cable category, ABC News 20/20: Escaping ISIS follows 189 Iraqi Christians as they find safe haven from terrorists in a Catholic Church in Erbil, Iraq; in America ReFramed: If You Build It, two architectural designers move to North Carolina’s poorest county and use creative educational techniques to teach high school students how to transform their lives and community; Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors brings the entertainer’s classic song to life in a story that addresses working through grief, bullying, and the power of family; The Jim Gaffigan Show: My Friend the Priest finds the comedian feeling comically uncomfortable because his friendly parish priest tags along with him wherever he goes; and Tashi and the Monk takes us to the Himalayas where a Buddhist monk has created a home for abused, neglected and orphaned children. In the Feature Film category, Creed lands a knockout punch with its story of aspiring boxer Adonis Creed and his mentor Rocky Balboa as they pursue victory in the ring and in life; a South Korean pastor gives abandoned, disabled babies a loving home in The Drop Box; stranded on Mars because his fellow astronauts believe he’s dead, Mark Watney 2 uses science and determination to keep himself alive until he can be rescued in The Martian; and in Room, the powerful love between a mother and son sustain them through the years they’re held in captivity by a kidnapper and the hardships that arise after they return home. The Books for Adults category features Five Years in Heaven, in which John Schlimm chronicles his friendship with an 87-year-old nun whose kindness and wisdom led him to renewed hope, faith, and purpose in life; The Gift of Caring is a heartfelt memoir of a daughter supporting her aging parents through their medical problems—and an empowering handbook on navigating the perils of the healthcare system; New York City’s first African American police officer, Samuel Battle, maintains his dignity and principles in the face of racism in the biography One Righteous Man; U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, who lost all his limbs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, fights through a painful rehabilitation in Tough As They Come; Joseph Kim documents his journey from starvation and homelessness in North Korea to his new life in the United States in Under the Same Sky; and The Wind in the Reeds highlights the family values and community that inspired actor Wendell Pierce to help rebuild his New Orleans hometown after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. In the Books for Young People category, a community where neighbors don’t talk to each other undergoes a positive transformation after a child’s act of kindness in One Good Deed; a young woman opens her heart and home to a boy who’s never celebrated Christmas in the fact-based An Invisible Thread Christmas Story; Poet presents the inspiring biography of George Moses Horton, a slave who taught himself to read and became the first southern African American man to be published; a third-grader donates the 40-pound cabbage she grew in her backyard to a local soup kitchen, and launches a national youth movement to end hunger in the true story Katie’s Cabbage; Firefly Hollow presents a tale of friendship and courage about a lonely boy who befriends a firefly and cricket with seemingly-impossible dreams; a birthday card for a fellow Auschwitz inmate becomes an act of defiance and statement of hope for two Jewish young women in the novel Paper Hearts. In addition, our special Award winners – “When Calls the Heart” and Ernie Anastos – are profiled on separate pages of this program book. The one thing all these stories have in common is that they affirm the highest values of the human spirit. The Christophers are grateful for that because our world needs those values to guide us toward a better tomorrow. Photo: Tony Rossi of The Christophers with “Blue Bloods” star, Len Cariou 3 Books for Adults Our Presenters BOOKS FOR ADULTS Tom Leopold 2014 Christopher Spirit Award Winner, Comedy Writer (Bob Hope, “Cheers,” “Seinfeld”) Tony Aiello Reporter, WCBS-TV, New York Joan Bauer Author, Two-Time Christopher Award Winner (Books for Young People) 4 by John Schlimm The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare (Taylor Trade Publishing/Rowman & Littlefield) by Marcy Cottrell Houle, MS, and Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH (Beacon Press) by Arthur Browne Tough As They Come The Christophers Father James Keller, a Maryknoll priest who believed that every individual has the power and responsibility to change the world for the better, founded The Christophers in 1945. He created the Christopher Awards in 1949 because he understood that the arts, media, and popular culture had the power to influence millions of people. When we’re exposed to books, films and TV programs that shine a light on our struggles as well as virtues like faith, courage, hope and love, we’re subtly nudged toward becoming better people. (Image Books/Crown Publishing) Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York Rev. Jonathan Morris Co-Host of NBC-TV’s Today Show The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions One Righteous Man: “It’s Better to Light One Candle Than to Curse the Darkness” Kathie Lee Gifford Five Years in Heaven: (Convergent Books/Crown Publishing) by SSG Travis Mills with Marcus Brotherton Under the Same Sky: From Starvation in North Korea to Salvation in America (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Joseph Kim with Stephan Talty The Wind in the Reeds: A Storm, a Play, and the City That Would Not Be Broken (Riverhead Books/Penguin Random House) by Wendell Pierce 5 Preschool and Up One Good Deed (Kar-Ben Publishing) by Terri Fields, illustrated by Deborah Melmon Kindergarten and Up An Invisible Thread Christmas Story (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster) by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski, illustrated by Barry Root Ages 6 and Up Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton (Peachtree Publishers) by Don Tate Ages 8 and Up Katie’s Cabbage (Young Palmetto Books/University of South Carolina Press) by Katie Stagliano with Michelle H. Martin, illustrated by Karen Heid Ages 10 and Up Firefly Hollow (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster) by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Christopher Denise Young Adult Paper Hearts (Margaret K. McElderry Books/ Simon & Schuster) by Meg Wiviott 6 Christopher Spirit Award Books for Young People BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE When Calls the Heart by Tony Rossi, The Christophers “Radical” may not be a word that you’d associate with a TV series on the Hallmark Channel, yet it perfectly describes “When Calls the Heart.” The show’s radical nature doesn’t stem from its pushing the envelope on edgy content, however, but rather from its embrace of stories that an entire family can watch together—a rarity in this day and age. Created by executive producers Michael Landon Jr., Brian Bird, and Brad Krevoy—and supported by Hallmark Channel president and CEO Bill Abbott and Executive V.P. of Programming and Network Publicity, Michelle Vicary —“When Calls the Heart” was inspired by the Janette Oke novel of the same name, and stars Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing, Lori Loughlin, and Jack Wagner. It takes place in 1910, and tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Krakow), a young teacher who gets assigned to the frontier town Hope Valley, where residents are good-hearted people with a deep sense of community. Community is also at the heart of the show’s success: namely, the online fanbase known as “Hearties.” Their tweeting during each episode has set social media records for Hallmark Channel programming and continues to win the show more and more viewers. Why does “When Calls the Heart” resonate with so many people? Series star Krakow believes that it has to do with characters who are role models and the fact that there are lessons to be discussed and learned from each episode. Loughlin, who plays Abigail Stanton, notes, “As a mom, the need for family-friendly entertainment on television is paramount.” Executive producer Brian Bird sums it up, explaining, “The goal is to tell universal stories with themes like forgiveness, redemption, sacrifice, courage, and banding together to help one another. The characters on our show reflect those virtues and hopefully make a lasting impression on our viewers.” For appealing to the “better angels of our nature” and reflecting the ideal that “it’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness,” The Christophers are happy to honor “When Calls the Heart” with our 2016 Christopher Spirit Award. (Photos: Copyright 2016 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Eike Schroter) 7 Feature Films FEATURE FILMS Creed (Warner Bros., MGM, New Line) Director: Ryan Coogler Screenwriters: Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington Producers: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin KingTempleton, Sylvester Stallone Executive Producer: Nicolas Stern The Drop Box bâÜ f|ÇvxÜx g{tÇ~á The Christophers would like to thank all who aim to make a difference in our world, especially the winning directors, producers, writers, illustrators, photographers, distributors, publishers, publicists and the following people: Diamond Donors (Arbella Studios/Focus on the Family) Director: Brian Ivie Producers: Will Tober, Sarah Choi, Sam Jo, Dane Smith, Steve Kim Executive Producers: John Shepherd, David Segel, Tina Segel Francine O’Neill and Mark Jackson John O’Neill David and Caroline Rahill Reich Communications, Inc. The Martian Room (20th Century Fox) Director: Ridley Scott Screenwriter: Drew Goddard Producers: Mark Huffam, Simon Kinberg, Michael Schaefer, Ridley Scott, Aditya Sood Executive Producer: Drew Goddard (A24 Films) Director: Lenny Abrahamson Screenwriter: Emma Donoghue Producers: Ed Guiney p.g.a., David Gross Executive Producers: Andrew Lowe, Emma Donoghue, Jesse Shapira, Jeff Arkuss, David Kosse, Rose Garnett, Tessa Ross 8 And the following friends... Margaret & Dale Ames Joan & Evan Bauer John Blair Diana Bosch Margie Bresko Dorothy & John Bruno Children’s & Young Adult Librarians, Finkelstein Memorial Library Jim Collins Patricia and Kevin Conway Gerald J. Dunworth Lynn Girardi Arturo Guerrero Jennifer Guiliani Pam Hammond Sarah E. Holinski Janet E. Hunt William Lee Kinnally Annmarie Mauro Maryteresa McKenna Joanne McPortland Elizabeth Murphy Pamela J. Nelson Patty & Tom O’Connor Kate O’Hare 9 Robert V. Okulski Rita A. O’Neill Barbara Newington Tom O’Rourke Marianna Panetta Linda Porto Mary Ellen Robinson Tony Rossi Yaneza Santos Dave Sambora Nance Schick ...and all of our Donors, Friends and Advertisers TV & CABLE TV and Cable TV and Cable TV & CABLE ABC News 20/20: Escaping ISIS (ABC News) Producer: Denise Martinez-Ramundo Senior Producers: Muriel Pearson, Miguel Sancho, Terri Lichstein Anchor/Correspondent: Elizabeth Vargas Senior Executive Producer: David Sloan America ReFramed: If You Build It (World Channel) Director: Patrick Creadon Producers: Christine O’Malley, Neal Baer, M.D. Host: Natasha Del Toro Series Producer: Carmen L. Vicencio Series Executive Producers: Chris Hastings, Simon Kilmurry 10 Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (NBC) Director: Stephen Herek Writer: Pamela K. Long Producer: Hudson Hickman Executive Producers: Sam Haskell, Pamela K. Long, Dolly Parton The Jim Gaffigan Show: My Friend the Priest (TV Land) Director: Steven Tsuchida Writers: Jim Gaffigan, Jeannie Gaffigan Producer: David Bausch Executive Producers: Jim Gaffigan, Jeannie Gaffigan, Jeff Lowell, Alex Murray, Sandy Wernick, Tony Hernandez, Michael Wimer Tashi and the Monk (HBO) Directors: Andrew Hinton and Johnny Burke Producer: Andrew Hinton 11 Life Achievement Ernie Anastos by Tony Rossi,The Christophers At age 10, Ernie Anastos pretended to be a radio announcer in the basement of his family’s New Hampshire home. That childhood dream led him to become an award-winning television news anchor who is well-loved and respected by his peers and millions of fans. As such, The Christophers are happy to recognize Ernie with our 2016 Life Achievement Award. 1978 marked the beginning of Ernie’s career in New York, first at WABC-TV, then WCBS-TV, and most recently, FOX 5 News. He has interviewed everyone from Mickey Mantle to Mikhail Gorbachev. And with nearly four decades of work under his belt, his accolades are numerous. They include more than 30 Emmy Awards and nominations, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and a place in the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In an industry that often focuses on the negative, Ernie takes a different approach. He once told interviewer Bob Nesoff, “I look at issues and problems that I report on with a sense of finding solutions and a belief that we can make things better. It’s called ‘hope.’” Ernie’s willingness to help out charitable causes is second to none. Proceeds for his children’s book, “Ernie and the Big Newz,” for instance, were donated to The Make-A-Wish Foundation. Ernie also cites the importance of his faith, family, and Greek heritage. His grandfather was one of the first Greek Orthodox priests in the United States. The spiritual (and ecumenical) part of Ernie’s soul led him to develop close ties with the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, including organizations such as The Christophers and Catholic Charities. In addition, Ernie cherishes his longtime friendship with former Director of The Christophers Father John Catoir. If you get to know Ernie, it’s obvious that this devoted husband and father has his priorities straight—and they’re priorities from which we can all learn. As he once told interviewer Markos Papadatos, “I feel successful because I have a family that I love and people who respect my work, and a sense of purpose in my life. Most important is my faith in God. After that, everything else falls into place.” 12 Testimonials from Christopher Award winners “I love the Christopher Award slogan, ‘Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.’ I personally believe that with all my heart. I think the movie, ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ a true story from my childhood, really does throw a light on a lot of things like family, hope, love, kindness, understanding, and acceptance. It really spoke to the issue of bullying. I am very proud at how God works through me to shine a light, and to help heal a lot of hurt in a lot of people, and I am very proud of this award.” - Dolly Parton, executive producer of “Coat of Many Colors” “Receiving the Christopher Award for our first Here’s Hank book, ‘Bookmarks Are People Too,’ was such a meaningful acknowledgment of our commitment to getting reluctant readers to pick up a book and laugh their way through it. We believe laughter is the perfect light switch to illuminate a child’s path into literature. We were honored and grateful to have been chosen and will continue to support the belief that reading and education can lead us all from darkness to light.” - Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, co-authors of “Here’s Hank: Bookmarks Are People Too!” “Winning any award is humbling and amazing, but winning the Christopher Award just feels the best. That this show means so much to people, and that the message of hope and courage really comes through, is special for us.” - Andrew Kreisberg, Writer/Executive Producer of “The Flash: Pilot” “When I won a Christopher Award for my book ‘Wings for My Flight,’ my daughters were so young that my husband John couldn't go with me to New York for the awards ceremony. He stayed home and babysat. But I got to do something I never dreamed: I got to take my parents to NYC and to the 1992 Christopher Awards ceremony! It was one of the most meaningful nights in our lives, and I was so proud to be able to share it with my mom and dad! Well: fast forward. Now this Christopher Award is for a book, ‘The Gift of Caring,’ about those parents I loved. And this time, John and my daughters will be able to come and share the ceremony with me. (And I know my parents will be looking down and smiling from above!)” - Marcy Cottrell Houle, co-author of “The Gift of Caring” 13 2016 Christophers’ High School Poster Contest Winners We Congratulate Our Good Friend ERNIE ANASTOS 1st Place: Nicole Smith as he is presented with the Hebron Christian Academy Dacula, GA Mission trip to Ecuador 2nd Place: Tanner L. Dubois Hamshire Fannett High School Hamshire, TX High school baseball team visits nursing home 3rd Place: Sabrina Charman CHRISTOPHER LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD An Honor Well Deserved! JOHN & MARGO CATSIMATIDIS Academy for the Arts Myrtle Beach, SC Offering money and kindness to the poor Red Apple Group United Refining Company Gristedes Supermarkets 14 15 & i F REFLY FI FIR R Y HOLLOOW By Alison McG Ghee, Illustrated by Christopher Den nise Atheneu um m Books ffo or Yo oung Reade ders Magnolia Hill thanks the Christopher Awards for honoring ‘Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors’ Sincerely, Dolly Parton, Stephen Herek, Pamela Long, Hudson Hickman, & Sam Haskell AN INVISIBLLE THREADD CCHRISSTM TM TMA MAS SSTTORRRYY MAS By Laura u Schroff aand Allexx Trresnio ows w ki, Illustrated by Barry Root Littlee Simon PAAPE APER HEARTS By Meg Wiviott Margaret K. K McE Elderry Books McElderry 16 17 Annie O’Neill Summers Congratulates... # "5 . ) 5 < KK " (5 & & 5 . " 5 , . ) , 5 1# ((# (! 5 . " 5 h f g l 5 ", # . ) *" , 5 *# , # . 5 1 , 8 5 6 +HDUWLHV5 . " (% 5 3 ) /5 . ) 5 , . ) , 5 5 # ! 5 , # (5 # , 6 5 # " & 5 () (6 5 , 8 6 5 (5 , 5 , 0 ) 3 5 ; & & ' , % 5 " (( & 5 2 /. # 0 5 # & & 5 ) . . 5 (5 # " & & 5 # , 3 ̓ ) , 5 , # (! # (! 5 5 # . "5 5 *, ) ! , '5 . ) 5 ") ' 5 , ) /(5 . " 5 1) , & 8 ̓ Michael Landon, Jr., When Calls the Heart, Ernie Anastos and all of the winners on their 2016 Christopher Awards Thank you for using your creativity and inspiration to shine your light in our world! 18 19 “It’s Better to Light One Candle than to Curse the Darkness” For more info, please visit www.christophers.org 20 21 Rev.. Monsignor Peter G. Finn Congratulates When Calls the Heart and Ernie Anastos and all of the winners of the 2016 Christopher A Aw waards Thank you for usiing your Godd-givven talents to brighten the media with messssaagess that forttify the human sppirit! Proud to Support The Christophers Congratulations to the honorees! Edward G. O’Connor, Partner 212.286.2600 [email protected] www.pkfod.com K N O W G R E AT E R VA L U E FATHER JJOHN N CATOIR (F Forrmer Dir D rector ector of The Christoph Ch errs) C Congratulates s Er nie Anastos To o my dear friend Er nie Anasttos hear tfelt congratulations ffor he or a lifetime lifettime off cheerful self-giving to all of u us, both prrofessionally, to your TV audi dience, and peersonally to your ffamil amily and frriends. You have brightened b our lives with you ur kindness. With Grateful fu Afffection, fection, Fathe ther John Cat Catoir www.messengerofjoyy.com 22 23 TM 24 25 When you’ u re reeady ady to mak a e a differeennce, we’re readdy to help M Merrill Lynch L h iss pro rou ud to o supp po ort t ÈÇth the h Annual nu C Chrristop pher Award Reccipients e ts. Giving back to your community is impor tant to you — and to us. That’s why we’re committed to helping you make a difference. Kevin Halpin Vice President Senior Financial Advisor Merrill Lynch 717 5th Avenue New York , NY 10 022 212.415.76 43 w w w.fa.ml.com/ kevin _ halpin Life’s better when we’re connected® Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offfered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and Member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed a Mayy Lose V Value alue The Bull Symbol, Life’s bet ter when we’re connec ted and Merrill Lynch are tr ademark s of Bank of Americ a Corpor ation. © 2015 Bank of Americ a Corpor ation. All right s reser ved. | ARNXHH3W | AD - 04-15 - 0924 | 470945PM- 0315 | 04/2015 26 27 THE CHRISTOPHERS “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Over 70 Years of Making a Difference BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gerald M. Costello Rev. Msgr. Peter G. Finn John F. Flaherty Patrick McLaughlin Robert V. Okulski Mary Ellen Robinson Edward Dougherty, M.M. OFFICERS John F. Flaherty Chairman Robert V. Okulski President/Treasurer Christopher credo CHRISTOPHER AWARDS STAFF Tony Rossi Director of Communications, Program Manager Jennifer Guiliani Database Administrator Lynn Girardi On-Stage Presenter Sarah E. Holinski Powerpoint Presentation Youth Coordinator Greeters John Bruno, Jim Collins, Lynn Girardi, Sarah E. Holinski, Maryteresa McKenna Mary Ellen Robinson Vice President/COO/ Secretary ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Advertising Diana Bosch Design Lynn Girardi/ Art Director Event Photography Paul Schneck Piano Bob Egan Printing Cosmos Communications Bill Delaney Public Relations Reich Communications & Jeanne-Marie Byington Website James Narkiewicz Hope Yaneza Santos Assistant Secretary Finance Manager Special thanks to our host for the evening Mutual of America Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst. Hope opens doors where despair closes them. Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God and the basic goodness of human nature. Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities. Hope pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit. Hope “lights a candle” instead of “cursing the darkness.” The Christophers, a nonprofit organization founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, uses broadcast and print media to spotlight individuals working to change the world for the better. In addition to producing the weekly radio program,“Christopher Closeup,” The Christophers syndicate radio spots; publish inspirational News Notes; and distribute “Light One Candle,” a syndicated weekly newspaper column. They also sponsor a Youth Awards program and Leadership course. The Christophers 5 Hanover Square, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10004 By Father James Keller, M.M. Founder of The Christophers Tel 212 759 4050 Fax 212 838 5073 www.christophers.org 28