| “International Lifetime Achievement” presented to Melvin Van Peebles |
Melvin Van Peebles, writer, director, and producer received "ShoWest's 2004 International Lifetime Achievement
Award" in Las Vegas.
"Melvin took on the Hollywood machine on his own terms and changed the game." - Ossie Davis
The year was 1971...Despite the fact that initially only two theatres in the whole United States would play his film,
SWEETBACK became the top grossing independent hit of 1971 spawning a decade of similar studio fair SHAFT,
SUPERFLY and FOXY BROWN. Melvin had brought the hood to Hollywood.
Melvin Van Peebles stunned the world for the first time with his debut feature THE STORY OF A THREE-DAY PASS.
Filmed in France and selected as the French entry in the San Francisco Film Festival, Melvin's film was awarded the top
prize. Saying it was controversial would be an understatement. In 1968, for a black man to walk up to the podium and
accept the top festival award for a film he had to go abroad to make now that's how you make your mark.
After his comedy WATERMELON MAN, Melvin was determined to push the Hollywood boundaries with the
groundbreaking, and even more controversial, SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG. Turned down by every
major studio including Columbia, where he had a three-picture deal, Melvin was forced to basically self-finance. Risking
everything he had, Melvin delivered to the world the first Black Ghetto hero on the big screen, whether they were ready
or not!
From Sony Pictures website:
Film Credits as a director, producer and writer:
Director:
• Watermelon Man
• Bellyful
• Identity Crisis
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
• Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom
• The Story of a Three Day Pass
• Don't Play Us Cheap
• Sunlight
• Three Pickup Men For Herrick
Producer :
• Panther (1995) Producer
• Bellyful Co-Executive Producer
• Identity Crisis Producer
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song Producer
• Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom Producer
• Don't Play Us Cheap Producer
• Classified X
• Classified X Executive Producer
• Sunlight Producer
• Three Pickup Men For Herrick Producer
Screenwriter:
• Panther (1995)
• Bellyful
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
• Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom
• The Story of a Three Day Pass
• Don't Play Us Cheap
• Classified X
• Greased Lightning
• Sunlight
• Three Pickup Men For Herrick
Award" in Las Vegas.
"Melvin took on the Hollywood machine on his own terms and changed the game." - Ossie Davis
The year was 1971...Despite the fact that initially only two theatres in the whole United States would play his film,
SWEETBACK became the top grossing independent hit of 1971 spawning a decade of similar studio fair SHAFT,
SUPERFLY and FOXY BROWN. Melvin had brought the hood to Hollywood.
Melvin Van Peebles stunned the world for the first time with his debut feature THE STORY OF A THREE-DAY PASS.
Filmed in France and selected as the French entry in the San Francisco Film Festival, Melvin's film was awarded the top
prize. Saying it was controversial would be an understatement. In 1968, for a black man to walk up to the podium and
accept the top festival award for a film he had to go abroad to make now that's how you make your mark.
After his comedy WATERMELON MAN, Melvin was determined to push the Hollywood boundaries with the
groundbreaking, and even more controversial, SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG. Turned down by every
major studio including Columbia, where he had a three-picture deal, Melvin was forced to basically self-finance. Risking
everything he had, Melvin delivered to the world the first Black Ghetto hero on the big screen, whether they were ready
or not!
From Sony Pictures website:
Film Credits as a director, producer and writer:
Director:
• Watermelon Man
• Bellyful
• Identity Crisis
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
• Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom
• The Story of a Three Day Pass
• Don't Play Us Cheap
• Sunlight
• Three Pickup Men For Herrick
Producer :
• Panther (1995) Producer
• Bellyful Co-Executive Producer
• Identity Crisis Producer
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song Producer
• Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom Producer
• Don't Play Us Cheap Producer
• Classified X
• Classified X Executive Producer
• Sunlight Producer
• Three Pickup Men For Herrick Producer
Screenwriter:
• Panther (1995)
• Bellyful
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
• Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom
• The Story of a Three Day Pass
• Don't Play Us Cheap
• Classified X
• Greased Lightning
• Sunlight
• Three Pickup Men For Herrick
Vegas' Arts & Entertainment Corner
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