OUTFEST announced today that the recipients of its 2012 Visionary Award are the renowned producers Craig Zedan and Neil Meron, the duo responsible for bringing such Broadway classics as ‘Chicago’ and ‘Hairspray’ to the big-screen. OUTFEST is the preeminent organization dedicated to celebrating and preserving LGBT film contribution and imagery. The 8th Annual OUTFEST Legacy Awards coincide with the organization’s 30th Anniversary, and will be held in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater on October 13.
Craig Zedan and Neil Meron have garnered extensive acclaim and award recognition, including six Academy Awards and 11 Emmy Awards. In addition to their newest project — producing the 85th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony — Zedan and Meron are currently producing the upcoming NBC series ‘Smash’ with Steven Speilberg. Other notable works by the pair include television adaptations of ‘Annie,’ ‘The Music Man,’ and ‘Gypsy,’ and the Tony-winning Broadway production of ‘Promises, Promises.’
“Thanks to Craig and Neil’s exceptional work in movies, television and on stage, they have given a loud and clear voice to LGBT characters that reaches the widest possible audience,” says Kirsten Schaffer, Executive Director of Outfest.
The 2012 Legacy Awards ceremony will also feature a sneak preview of the recently restored 1919 silent film, ‘Different From the Others (Anders Als Die Andern),’ which is the oldest surviving film with LGBT individuals as its primary focus. Darren Criss, star of ‘Glee’ and Meron’s and Zedan’s recent production of ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,’ will host the Legacy Awards.
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