The life story of Miriam Makeba, who was among the most important voices in South Africas transformation from the oppression of apartheid to the democratic presidency of Nelson Mandela, is being brought to the screen by a team of film, television, music and Broadway producers, who are working in collaboration with the Miriam Makeba Estate, Miriam Makeba Foundation and Mama Africa Cultural & Social Trust.
They are led by Golden Globe® award-winning, Oscar®-nominated, and multiple Emmy® award-winning producer, Suzanne de Passe (Lady Sings the Blues), and her long time business partner, Madison Jones of de Passe Jones Entertainment. Joining them are Broadway producer Willette Klausner (The Trip to Bountiful revival); music producer David Franco (Ted Turner's Gettysburg soundtrack); and journalist Marc Le Chat, Makebas former long-time publicist and confidant.
Africas first Grammy® winner and a Top 10 Billboard artist, Miriam recorded and performed songs in English, Portuguese, Hebrew and Swahili, and worked with music greats, including Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, Nina Simone, Odetta, Hugh Masekela and Paul Simon.
Willette Klausner, is also producer of the long running audience favorite Three Mo Tenors and of two critically acclaimed Broadway plays, The Encounter " currently on Broadway with Simon McBurney, and Eclipsed, which starred Oscar® winner Lupita Nyong'o and was written by The Walking Deads, Danai Gurira.
David Franco is a former A&R executive of Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Records International Division. He has worked on over 150 Film/TV projects, including the Oscar and Golden Globes nominated film Into The Wild directed by Sean Penn, featuring songs by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder.
Marc Le Chat first met Miriam Makeba after attending and covering her performance with Paul Simon on his Graceland concert in Zimbabwe in the late 80s. With apartheid still in effect, the show could not perform in South Africa. After her return to the country in 1990, he became her publicist and confidant for the next 15 years. Makeba died in 2008 at the age of 76.
Martin Derek
De Passe Jones Entertainment
(310) 858-3715
Contact Martin via email
American Cinema Editors (ACE) Announces Eligibility Dates, Ceremony Venue And Voting Timeline For The 75th Annual ACE Eddie Awards
American Cinema Editors (ACE) have announced the ceremony date, venue and full voting timeline for the 75th Annual ACE Eddie Awards, recognizing outstanding editing in 13 categories of film and television. To be eligible to compete in the television categories, projects must have aired between January 1 - November 1, 2024. To be eligible to compete in the film categories, projects must have been released in theaters between January 1 - December 31, 2024. The ACE Eddie Awards, presented by American Cinema Editors, will be held Saturday, January 18, 2025 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles.
“We're thrilled to honor the year's finest editing and mark our 75th anniversary with the entire industry," said ACE Executive Director Jenni McCormick. “As the third oldest awards show in Hollywood history, right after the Oscars® and the Golden Globes®, we’ve been celebrating the best and brightest in our industry for 75 years. Our organization continues to grow and thrive, even while navigating challenges like the pandemic and strikes, because of the incredible community that our members have created. We’re looking forward to the future and the next 75.”
Three special honors will be handed out at the ACE Eddie Awards ceremony including two Career Achievement recipients, presented to film editors of outstanding merit, and the Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year honor, presented to a filmmaker who exemplifies distinguished achievement in the art and business of film. Honorary award recipients will be announced later this year. The winner of the Anne V. Coates Student Editing Competition will also be announced that evening.
Submissions for the ACE Eddie Awards open October 1 and close on November 1 at 5pm PT. ACE is thrilled to once again partner with