Shawn Levy to Receive Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award at TIFF
Montreal-born filmmaker Shawn Levy will be honored with the inaugural Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10th. The award, presented by The Budman Family, pays homage to Canadians in the film industry who have had a significant global impact. The ceremony will take place at the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala Fundraiser, hosted at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Beginning as an actor and studying at Yale University, Levy transitioned into directing, earning an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1994. His early endeavors included teen-focused dramas such as The Secret World of Alex Mack and Animorphs, and both directing and producing The Famous Jett Jackson and its accompanying movie in 2001 for Disney Channel. His shift into feature film comedy directing initiated in the early 2000s, notably delivering titles such as Big Fat Liar, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Steve Martin’s reboot of The Pink Panther.
Yet it was the Night at the Museum franchise with 20th Century Fox, featuring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, that catapulted Levy to blockbuster status. His directorial portfolio also includes Real Steel, Date Night, Netflix’s The Adam Project, and the pandemic-disrupted Free Guy, to name a few. Levy has in store for cinema-goers the eagerly awaited Deadpool 3, slated for release at the outset of Summer 2024. Moreover, his work extends to producing, where he earned an Oscar nomination in the Best Picture category for the sci-fi movie Arrival featuring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.
Twenty-one Laps, Levy’s production company, has an ongoing film and television deal with Netflix. The firm is focused on enabling storytellers from an array of genres. One of its recent highlights includes the production of Netflix’s Stranger Things series and the mini-series All the Light We Cannot See, based on Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The series will be showcased at this year’s TIFF. Another project on Levy's roster is the forthcoming Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple.
Levy’s multifaceted career in the film industry earns him respect and recognition from industry leaders such as TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. Levy will join Pedro Almodóvar and Spike Lee as the honorees of the 2023 TIFF Tribute Awards. Past awardees, like Joaquin Phoenix, Taika Waititi, and Chloé Zhao, have used the Tribute Awards as a stepping stone towards winning internationally recognized awards.
And now, the time has come to cast a critical, albeit friendly, eye on this story. Well, Mr. Levy, you've certainly been a busy beaver, haven't you? From Montreal to Hollywood, your creative journey speaks volumes. I've always found it interesting how you jumped ship from acting to directing, and it, quite frankly, tickles me.
Your taste for molding teen dramas into guilty pleasures for those who should probably know better is, let's face it, a gift. Your ability to keep a challenging genre like comedy flowing with hits is commendable. But your endeavors with Night at the Museum franchise? Well, that was as fun to watch as I imagine it was to create - a creative playground for all ages primed for box office success.
Accepting the prestigious Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award, well, it's about time! And on home ground too - talk about the boy done good. You've changed the game, your years of hard work are paying off, and boy, does it look good on you. So from all of us in Hollywood, to you in your rightful place within the industry's pantheon, bravo, Shawn. We look forward to your journey from here. After all, they say directing is the new acting. The sky is the limit, or maybe in your case, not even the sky can hold you back. Just remember, as Uncle Ben once said, "With great power comes great responsibility." No pressure, eh?
