Actor Dustin Hoffman and Director François Girard to Speak at Fairfield
Academy Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman and Director François Girard ( The Red Violin ) will discuss their careers in film, television, and theatre and a new film they will be shooting at ¶¶Ňô»ĆƬapp in “An Award-Winning Conversation” at 7 p.m., Thursday, February 20, at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.
To celebrate the 375 th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Fairfield, the University will provide a limited number of free tickets to Fairfield residents through a random drawing. All remaining free tickets are reserved for University students, faculty, and staff.
In early March, Girard will begin filming several scenes from his new independent feature at the University. The new film, entitled “Boychoir,” is the story of a troubled and angry 11-year old boy from rural Texas who is admitted to a prestigious East Coast choir school. Completely out of his element, the chorister finds himself in a battle of wills with a demanding choir master (played by Hoffman), who recognizes a unique talent in this young boy and pushes him to find his creative self in music. Kathy Bates plays the school’s headmistress.
One of America’s most versatile and prolific actors, Hoffman has performed in television, theatre and, most notably, film, including star turns in The Graduate , Tootsie , Midnight Cowboy , Meet the Fockers , and Wag the Dog . He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and won two for Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man . He also earned six Golden Globes, the 1999 American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. In 2012, Hoffman directed the acclaimed film Quartet .
Girard is a director and screenwriter best known for his 1998 film The Red Violin , which he wrote and directed. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. In addition, he has directed and produced numerous works for the stage, including Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana and the Metropolitan Opera’s Parsifal .
