Toronto’s Hazelton Hotel will pay permanent tribute to Oscar-winning film director and producer Norman Jewison by changing the name of its screening room to honor the iconic Canadian filmmaker.
The Hazelton, located in upscale Yorkville, will rename its 25-seat auditorium as the Norman Jewison Cinema. Since launching in 2007, the hotel has been an uptown hub for the Toronto Film Festival as visiting celebrities, including those at work on local Hollywood movie and TV series shoots year round, stay there, well cloistered away from the local paparazzi and other distractions.
“I am pleased to have this beautiful cinema at the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto named in my honor. There is nothing better than watching a film on the big screen! I’d like to thank everyone at the Hazelton Hotel for this generous tribute,” Jewison said in a statement, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, of the recognition.
The Norman Jewison Cinema has digital projection, 35mm projection system and Dolby Surround sound.
Jewison, who is 97, put Canada on the map in Hollywood with movies like Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, Rollerball and In The Heat of the Night, which starred the late Sidney Poitier.
And he never left behind his Toronto roots by returning home in 1988 to launch the Canadian Film Centre in the city to develop local film, TV and eventually digital creators.
Jewison’s films have received in all 46 nominations and 12 Academy Awards for films like The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming; A Soldier’s Story; and The Thomas Crown Affair. He received the Irving Thalberg Award at the 71st Academy Awards and was honored by the Directors Guild of America with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
Other tributes are being introduced to Jewison. Prolific Canadian producer and director Shawn Levy is set to receive the inaugural Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards during the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.
The Norman Jewison Cinema will be officially unveiled on Sept. 11 during a private TIFF event at the Hazelton Hotel that will include longtime collaborators of the Canadian director in attendance, according to organizers.
“The Hazelton Hotel’s iconic cinema is an exquisite venue that offers an unparalleled experience which we firmly believe aligns with Norman Jewison’s legendary career. We are honored to dedicate this one-of-a-kind cinema to such a distinguished filmmaker,” added Gaurav Dutta, Hazelton Hotel general manager.
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