STUDIO CITY, California – Stars, producers, directors, writers, media reporters and fans will gather at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills on May 3rd, where ten-outstanding motion pictures will be honored with CAMIE awards for Character And Morality In Entertainment.
“To be eligible for awards, movies must be uplifting examples of positive social values, ennobling character traits, while being entertaining without inappropriate content,” explained CAMIE President Dr. R. Christopher Barden, a national expert in psychology and law.
Solid bronze CAMIE AWARD, cast at Baer Bronze from original sculpture by Raymond Gibby. Photo credit: Mike Snelson
This year, CAMIE awards will go to five-films created for theatrical release: Amazing Grace, Bridge to Terabithia, Miss Potter, Nancy Drew, and The Ultimate Gift.
In addition, five films that were made for television and home theater will be recognized. These include Crossroads , The Note , Saving Sarah Cain , Pictures of Hollis Woods , and Love's Unending Legacy.
This year's CAMIE awards event in Beverly Hills will be a spectacular evening of music, clips from CAMIE winning movies, comments by stars and industry winners, fun and entertainment. The CAMIES will again be hosted by former Miss America and television personality, Leanza Cornett, and her husband Mark Steines, the well-known host of the daily television show, “Entertainment Tonight.”
For each winning film, the studio, director, producer, writer and leading actors each will receive his own bronze CAMIE award. Hollywood stars who have been on-stage to receive their CAMIES include Jon Voight, Dakota Fanning, Josh Flitter, Barbara Billingsley, Monique Coleman, Shirley Jones, Kathryn Joosten, Jennie Garth, Dale Midkiff, Sarah Drew and many others.
“I am so proud of my two CAMIES,” said smiling Dakota Fanning at the 2007 CAMIES.
Photo credit: Eric McCandless
Other CAMIE winners have included Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, Jim Caviezel, Gary Sinise, Patty Duke, Dennis Quaid, Mary Tyler Moore, Anne Hathaway, Alfre Woodard, Kurt Russell, Michael Landon, Jr. and Denzel Washington.
This year's show will be filmed for delayed network broadcast, but Dr. Barden said several hundred fans will be able to see the CAMIE Awards live. Free gift tickets are available for couples, families and church groups as long as seats are available. Anyone who wants to attend should email their requests right away to camietickets@gmail.com.
The 2008 CAMIES have grown from a small event in 2001 into one that is now professionally produced by Joe Lake, Stefanie Cosman, Jeffery Goddard, TVA Productions and The Starfish Television Network. Joe Lake was the founder of Children's Miracle Network. He now heads CAMIE Awards Productions, a division of Starfish that works closely with CAMIE Awards, Inc. — which created the CAMIES and selects the CAMIE winning films.
The CAMIE awards began when Dr. Glen Griffin and other concerned parents wanted to encourage the production and support of outstanding films with positive instead of negative role models. So with the help of experts from across the country a non-profit organization was established that became CAMIE Awards, Inc.
The CAMIE advisory board includes John Schneider, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Shirley Jones, Alan Osmond, Father John Bonnici, Gerald Molen, Jon Voight, Marianne Jennings, Ed Bak, Dr. Freda Bush, Rodger Dean Duncan, Michael Medved, Debby Boone, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, and other notable people from different fields.
Jon Voight with Dr. R. Christopher Barden, President & Dr. Glen C. Griffin, Founder & Chairman of CAMIE AWARDS, Inc.
Photo Credit: Randy Peoples
"We don't want to just sit around and complain about bad films," said Professor Scott Woodfield, who has been involved with the CAMIES since the beginning. "We try to catch people doing something good by recognizing their uplifting productions.”
CAMIE awards are bronze castings made with the ancient lost-wax technique from an original sculpture of a young woman named CAMIE for Character And Morality In Entertainment. For more information check www.CAMIE.org and the free CAMIE movie recommendation site, www.moviepicks.org which tells about entertaining and decent movies in theaters and coming on TV.
“Some film-makers had already caught the vision, more are catching it,” said Dr. Griffin, the founder and chairman of CAMIE AWARDS. “Several CAMIE winners have promised they are going to make more wholesome movies, and that's exactly why we give these awards.”
To receive complimentary CAMIE tickets, send an email to camietickets@gmail.com, being sure to give your full name, address, phone number, and the number of tickets you will use for sure.
The CAMIES will be held Saturday, May 3, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and guests must be seated by 7:45. The black-tie optional event (women wear modest formal or dressy) will be held at the Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills (8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California).
