May 25, 2012

Moviemaker of the Week: Thelma Schoonmaker

by MovieMaker Staff | Published April 16, 2007

She has been honored by Oscar, Eddie, BAFTA and Emmy. But 2007 marks the first time that Coolidge came calling for Thelma Schoonmaker, making it a banner year for this master editor, who was given an Oscar earlier this year for her work on The Departed.

The editor best-known as Martin Scorsese’s closest collaborator was on hand in Boston last week to receive the prestigious Coolidge Award at the historic Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA. Initiated in 2004, the Coolidge Award seeks to honor “a film artist whose body of work is consistently challenging and original, breaks the boundaries of the medium and, in doing so, transports us to ever higher ground,” according to executive director Joseph Zina.

Following in the footsteps of previous Coolidge Award recipientsâ€”director Zhang Yimou, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and actress Meryl Streepâ€”Schoonmaker spent two days in Boston to take part in film and panel discussions, teach a master class in film editing and, of course, be handed her statue. With all events open to the public, the Coolidge Award is one accolade that rewards the recipient and his or her fans alike.

For more information, visit www.coolidge.org/award.

Sound Off: Of the almost 20 features Thelma Schoonmaker has edited since 1980, only oneâ€”Allison Anders’ Grace of My Heart in 1996â€”was not directed by Martin Scorsese (though he did serve as an executive producer). Who are your favorite close-knit, moviemaking teams?

--Jennifer M. Wood