Timothy Bottoms

ACTOR - The Last Picture Show, Pound of Flesh
The oldest of four talented acting siblings, all born and raised in Santa Barbara, California -- Timothy Bottoms bloomed as a Youth Theater Production member that in 1967 toured Europe.  Following high school, Bottoms was spotted by Universal in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet and chosen -- with no prior film experience -- for a lead part in Director Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun (1971).  As Joe, a young American soldier who is shelled and left armless and legless on the last day of World War I, Bottoms received brilliant reviews and earned a Golden Globe nomination as “Most promising Newcomer.” The role of Texas boy Sonny in Peter Bogdanovich’s Oscar winner, The Last Picture Show (1971), propelled Tim into the big leagues.

Michael Madsen

ACTOR - Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs
Madsen first learned his craft at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he worked under John Malkovich, one of the theater's founders. His work received considerable notice after his knife-edged performance as deranged killer Vince Miller in Kill Me Again (1989) and then as Susan Sarandon's rough-edged boyfriend Jimmy in Thelma & Louise (1991). His big breakthrough, however, came as the sadistic jewel thief Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's low-budget hit Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Not to be typecast, Madsen surprised many with his performance as foster parent Glen Greenwood in the hit family movie Free Willy (1993) before returning to deliver edge-of-the-seat performances in Donnie Brasco (1997), Mulholland Falls (1996), and High Noon (2000, TV). In 2003 he teamed up again with Tarantino for both volumes of Tarantino's magnum martial arts/revenge opus Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004).

Joe Carnahan

DIRECTOR - The A-Team, Smokin' Aces, Narc
Before becoming a Hollywood heavy-hitter -- and even before his work freelancing for ESPN and Fox Sports -- Carnahan began his career as a community producer and intern at Access Sacramento, cutting his teeth on small direct-to-tape movie projects while honing his craft at Sac State. He also worked as an editor at Sacramento's Channel 31 while writing and directing his first feature, Blood Guts, Bullets and Octane that screened at the earlier incarnation of SFF, the Sacramento Festival of Cinema. SFF and Norcal Film would later co-sponsor the 2007 world premiere of Smokin' Aces. The star-studded event featured a performance by rapper Common and visits from the film's star Jeremy Piven and Sacramento's own Chris Holley.

John Daly

PRODUCER - Terminator, The Last Emperor, Platoon
Producer John Daly stood behind many big-budgeted independent films of the '80s and '90s and sustained a reputation as a successful risk-taker in a traditionally conservative Hollywood. Though considered a maverick by many moguls given his willingness to back films that the big studios wouldn't touch, Daly remained a savvy businessman with a sharp eye for moneymakers.

He demonstrated astonishing skill as a moviemaker and unveiled a predilection for standing behind directors in whom he believed - including Robert Altman (Images), Ken Russell (Tommy), Bernardo Bertolucci (Best Picture winner The Last Emperor) , James Cameron (Terminator), and Oliver Stone (Salvador and Best Picture winner Platoon).

Vicky Jenson

DIRECTOR - Shrek, Shark Tale
Starting out as a cel painter at Hanna Barbera for shows like The Flintstones and Smurfs, Jenson continued to hone her craft, designing backgrounds and storyboards for animated series He-Man, Taz-Mania, Batman, and Jem.

Jenson joined Dreamworks in 1996, where she served as a story artist on Chicken Run and later directed Shark Tale and Shrek. Jenson's talent isn't limited to animation, however. Her live-action short Family Tree premiered at Sundance and won a multitude of awards between 2003 and 2004.