From the time he was a child, Charles Farmer, played by Billy Bob Thornton, had only one goal: to be an astronaut. Earning his degree in aerospace engineering and joining the Air Force as a pilot, Farmer was a natural for NASA's astronaut training program and was well on his way when a family situation forced him to drop out and return home—effectively ending his career.

But Farmer was not a man to let anything stand in the way of a dream.

He spent the next decade and every cent he had building his own rocket in a barn on his ranch in Story, Texas, working toward the day when he could triumphantly launch it into space. By himself.

Warner Brothers Pictures presents a Spring Creek Pictures Production, a Polish Brothers Construction Production:

The Astronaut Farmer

starring
Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton (“Slingblade”),
Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”),
Academy Award nominee Bruce Dern (“Coming Home”) and
Independent Spirit Award nominee Tim Blake Nelson (“Eye of God”).

Directed by Michael Polish and written by Mark Polish & Michael Polish (“Twin Falls Idaho”), “The Astronaut Farmer” is produced by Mark Polish, Paula Weinstein (“Blood Diamond”), Len Amato (executive producer, “Blood Diamond”) and Michael Polish, with J. Geyer Kosinski (“Beyond Borders”) serving as executive producer. Joining the creative production team are director of photography M. David Mullen (“Shadowboxer”), production designer Clark Hunter (“Old School”) and editor James Haygood (“Panic Room”). Music is by Stuart Matthewman (“Twin Falls Idaho”).

“The Astronaut Farmer” will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. It is rated PG.

Sharing his vision are his wife Audie, played by Virginia Madsen, and their children—daughters Sunshine and Stanley, and 15-year-old son Shepard, already a budding engineer and eager to serve as “mission control” on the big day. Even Audie's father Hal, played by Bruce Dern, on hand to lend moral support, can see how his son-in-law's unwavering commitment has inspired the family with a common dream—something he himself, as a father, was never able to achieve.

On the eve of the long-anticipated launch, an unexpected problem arises. Farmer's efforts to secure 10,000 pounds of high-grade fuel catches the attention of the FBI…and subsequently the media, who encamp in droves outside his gate, speculating wildly about this “space cowboy” and his homemade rocket. Farmer finds himself depicted on TV screens worldwide as a renegade hero, inspiring an outpouring of popular support, while simultaneously drawing heavy fire from the FBI, CIA, FAA, NASA and the U.S. Military, all of whom see him as a threat and will do anything they can think of to shut him down.

But Farmer knows this is his only chance—not only to reach his goal of breaking through the Earth's atmosphere but to instill in his children the courage to pursue their own ideals and never give up…no matter the odds. He will not let himself be grounded again.

A Clear Line Between “Dreamer” and “Crazy”
“Charles Farmer is a little bit eccentric, but that's because he's doing what he wants to do,” says 'The Astronaut Farmer' director and co-writer Michael Polish. “Any time you contrast that with people who seem to have a normal life, who are likely not doing what they want to do, you're going to see someone who looks a little bit out on the edge.

“Everybody's allowed to dream,” Polish continues. “Hopefully, the dream isn't so big that the ride to achieve it will kill you. But anyone who is chasing something has to give something up. There's always a sacrifice involved. I think what holds people back from fulfilling their dreams is that sacrifice.”

Charles Farmer has already sacrificed plenty and is more than willing to go the distance, even after circumstances and expulsion from NASA seem to have closed that avenue to him forever. Billy Bob Thornton, who stars as Farmer, says, “Once you get something stuck in your craw, you gotta do it. What else can you do? Do you sacrifice everything to achieve that dream or do you crawl in a hole and give up? One way or another, the people who try are the ones we care about.”

Noted independent filmmakers, twin brothers Mark and Michael Polish, first earned critical attention in 1999 with their debut drama, “Twin Falls, Idaho,” which they wrote, directed and starred in. They followed with two equally unusual and well-received films, “Jackpot,” and “Northfork,” which premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. They understand the power of conviction and the value of pursuing a goal, as well as the compromises and losses that are often required along the way.

Personally inspired and fascinated by the 1960s space race that culminated in Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon, the Polish brothers chose to give their hero a similar passion. As Michael explains, “It came from our interest in space exploration, but beyond that it's about a need to dream of adventures, whether it's Lewis and Clark or Neil Armstrong. I think that, as a society, we've stopped dreaming about exploration. With space being the contemporary frontier, we got to thinking, how would a common person do this? What if you don't have the means or you're not in the military or the NASA program?”

But “The Astronaut Farmer” isn't necessarily about space travel, says producer Len Amato. “As a story about overcoming obstacles, it can apply to any accomplishment where there's always a certain amount of doubt and always a chorus of naysayers, people who call you crazy because they don't understand, and you have to push through with your own vision to make something where there was nothing before.

“It's also about taking calculated risks and overcoming your fear,” Amato continues. “What's great about this movie is that the fear is represented in a very tangible way. You have a guy basically sitting on top of a gigantic metal tube, filled with jet propulsion fuel that's either going to launch him into orbit or blow him to bits.”

Beyond Charles and his desire to orbit the Earth, “The Astronaut Farmer” is about family. Not only does the entire Farmer family support Charles' one-man rocket program, but he, in turn, uses it to teach his children valuable lessons they might not otherwise learn about determination, courage and integrity.

This, ultimately, is more important to Farmer than launching the rocket, notes Mark Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay and, with his brother, is a producer on the film. “He's setting an example for them. That's something we don't often see anymore; we look for role models outside the family rather than within it. Here, Charles' son Shepard is just as involved in the project as he is. He's inspired by his father and aspires to be like him. You see the same level of determination in both father and son.”

Casting: Because Every Astronaut Needs a Ground Team
Whether or not Charles Farmer is able to launch himself into space with his homemade rocket, it was his drive to reach that goal that resonated with Billy Bob Thornton, cast as the amateur astronaut and quintessential adventurer. “It's a dream he had since he was five years old, to go up into space. He wants to see what this place looks like from up there. That's what he set out to do and he decides he's going to do it…even though it's not particularly legal and it gets him into trouble with a lot of people, especially the FBI.”

It wasn't just the role and its message that appealed to Thornton, it was the tone and sensibility of the story itself, which is reminiscent of favorite films from our past. “It doesn't matter when you were born—at some point in your life you've seen movies from the 1940s and 50s, you know the emotions they evoke, and I feel this movie delivers in much the same way. I think the movie business was created to move people in some way, to take them out of the worlds they live in and put them into another world for awhile, and that's what happens here. It's a good old-fashioned movie, but in a modern setting.”

Says Mark Polish, “Thornton brings undeniable charisma to the role. He's truly one of the greats, a real star, but he also has that working-class quality of a guy you'd just naturally want to be around, like a buddy. He's strong, subtle, endlessly impressive—it's a rare blend.”

For the role of Farmer's wife, Audie, the filmmakers cast Virginia Madsen, whom Mark calls, simply, “soulful.” Adds Michael, “People always say that behind every successful man is a strong woman. It's a cliché but in this case it's completely appropriate. Audie is supportive but she's also an individual who has not lost herself in this marriage. She can still stand on her own and she has her own questions.”

Audie's commitment to the rocket project grows naturally out of her commitment to and love for her husband. As long as it's something he believes in and wants to do, she is right beside him. That rings true with Madsen, who drew inspiration for the role from her sister's nearly 30-year marriage. “In the story, Audie and Charles are real partners,” she says. “They have weathered the storms together and when you have a real partnership you can do just about anything and survive just about anything.”

But there comes a point when Audie has to wonder if he has crossed the line. “Maybe the difference between pursuing a dream and turning that dream into a dangerous obsession is when it starts to become destructive. This is Audie's dilemma. She realizes they may lose their house to foreclosure and Charles is truly putting his family at risk and she needs to take a stand.”

Audie's father, Hal, played by Bruce Dern, takes a positive approach to his son-in-law's lofty ideas as long as Audie is happy. In fact, he can't help seeing how much Charles' dream has united and inspired the entire family, which is more than he was able to do himself as a father. Says Dern, “Hal is a booster, he's with the program. He loves his daughter and his grandkids; he's learning to love his son-in-law and genuinely wants him to succeed, though he might have his private doubts. It's a fantasy, sure, but that doesn't make it impossible. When you think of it, it's not any crazier than some other things people do. People say goodbye to their families all over the world on the first week of May to go climb Everest—how crazy is that?”

Offering Farmer more than moral support is Charles Farmer's lawyer, Kevin Munchak, who defends his longtime friend and client against an increasingly hostile and vocal group of government agencies who want to put him out of the rocket business. Munchak is played by Tim Blake Nelson, who feels that “The Astronaut Farmer” defines and celebrates individualism—not only in the character of Charles Farmer, but in the supporting characters, including his own. “Munchak is a good lawyer, so the first thing you wonder is why is he here in this small town when he could easily be at a fancy law firm in New York City, making a lot more money? In talking with Mark and Michael we decided that he did exactly that, then grew tired of it and came back to a place where he could live without cynicism. He is part of Farmer's support system but he also has his own dreams, which you imagine could be equally rich.”

Max Thierot, a 2006 nominee for the Young Artist Award for his role in “The Pacifier,” is 15-year-old Shepard Farmer. Bright, analytical and mature beyond his years, Shepard (named in homage to Alan Shepard) idolizes his father and has developed, under his tutelage, not only an encyclopedic knowledge about the space program but an expertise in engineering and physics far beyond anything he could get in at Merriwether Lewis High School. For years he has been helping his father prepare for this launch and will be a vital participant when the big day comes.

Completing the Farmer family unit are Michael Polish's seven-year-old daughter, Jasper, as the Farmer's middle child, Stanley (named for Stanley Kubrick, another maverick and spiritual space traveler whom Charles Farmer would likely admire); and Mark Polish's four-year-old daughter, Logan, making her film debut as the youngest Farmer child, Sunshine.

Jon Gries, a 2005 Independent Spirit nominee for “Napoleon Dynamite,” who has appeared in all three of the Polish Brothers previous films, rejoins them here as the overly zealous and suspicious FBI Agent Kilbourne, assigned to monitor Farmer once his rocket project is made public. Gries and Mark Polish, who appears as his partner, agent Mathis, provide comic interplay as they attempt to determine whether Charles Farmer is really an astronaut, a terrorist, a media hound or just a nut.

Close to the Heart: Michael and Mark Polish Draw on Personal Experience for Portions of the Story
As much as family dynamics are a focus of “The Astronaut Farmer” onscreen, an integral sense of family is a significant part of the brothers' creative process, as well, providing support, inspiration and humor that threads through their work in myriad ways.

“Charles Farmer is based on our own father. We grew up watching him do and build anything he wanted,” says Michael Polish.

Adds Mark, “He never underestimated what we could do if we set our minds to it. When I started making movies he never said I couldn't. He wasn't in the movie business but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he never once said 'Hey, you can't do that,' or 'Don't try that.'”

In writing the screenplay for “The Astronaut Farmer,” the brothers honored the encouragement their father gave them by giving Charles Farmer a similar relationship with his young son, Shepard, who, at 15, is ready to take on the staggering responsibility of helping send his dad into space. Although it seems absurd to everyone, in particular the head of the FAA, that Farmer would trust his fate to a teenager, Farmer never expresses the slightest doubt in his son's abilities—abilities he himself has been nurturing for years. Consequently, Shepard rises to the challenge.

In another example of art imitating life, Mark Polish cites a scene from the film in which Audie Farmer goes to the bank and is stunned to find that her husband has wiped them out financially to fund his rocket project. Mark admits, “Something similar happened to my wife. I had withdrawn all the money because we were using it on a film and when she went to the bank there was no money in the account. Suddenly I got a phone call: 'What's going on?!'” He laughs, conceding that making an independent film can sometimes seem as farfetched as building a rocket in your barn. “It's a tough situation to be in, but it happens. My wife was like Audie in the sense that she understood the insanity I was going through at the time and supported me because she would rather have me be that way than have me not doing what I love.”

On Location in New Mexico: Building a Mercury Rocket to Near-Scale, and the Barn to Hold It
Principal photography began in September 2005, with locations just outside Santa Fe representing the Farmers home and prospective launchpad, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, depicting the Farmers' fictional hometown of Story, Texas.

On their previous films, the Polish Brothers supervised production design themselves. “The Astronaut Farmer” marks their first-ever collaboration with a production designer—Clark Hunter, whose credits include four films with Billy Bob Thornton, beginning with Thornton's striking 1996 directorial debut, “Sling Blade.”

Working with Michael and Mark Polish proved to be one of the designer's most energizing professional experiences, which he attributes to their level of involvement. “It's a joy to work with them because they're not only creative but they really understand where you're coming from, artistically, when you're trying to shape environments for these characters.”

A barn big enough to accommodate a 50-foot rocket, with roof panels that could be folded open in preparation for launch.

For the Farmer homestead, Hunter returned to The Hughes Ranch, a spacious and beautiful site just outside Santa Fe. He and Thornton used the ranch for “All the Pretty Horses,” and it has been featured in a number of films over the years because of its perfect combination of easy accessibility and middle-of-nowhere atmosphere. There was a farmhouse and barn already on the property, but both, says Hunter, “were empty hulls, built for another movie but only as exteriors. It was pretty much a wreck when we got there; nothing inside.” He created all the interiors for the house and raised a brand new barn big enough to accommodate a 50-foot rocket, with roof panels that could be folded open in preparation for launch.
 
It was imperative that the rocket be built as nearly to scale as possible, “based,” says Hunter, “on research and drawings of the Mercury Atlas rockets and capsules, which are still very recognizable images to many people. For the skin, we used a company that makes skins for 747s. We built it in sections, then stacked them up and fastened them together.”

The companion piece to the rocket and barn was Farmer's so-called Mission Control, the room containing all the computer and technical apparatus that his son Shepard would use to help launch and then monitor the craft's orbit. “It was an old Air Stream trailer,” says Hunter. “Inside we packed in a lot of vintage gadgetry and 1960's technology intermixed with modern computer equipment in a kind of Rube Goldberg design, which is what it might realistically look like if he had collected and integrated everything in bits and pieces over the years.”

“For Farmer, this is more than a fantasy. It's a reality for him. He goes to great lengths to build a replica, based on the Atlas-Mercury model,” offers Michael, noting that Farmer is dedicated to, quite literally, the nuts-and-bolts of his dream. Given his engineering skill and assuming the availability of key parts, it seems…well, almost possible.

“When I first saw the rocket in the barn, finished and assembled, I was very impressed,” says Thornton. Asked if he would consider taking a trip into space himself, given the opportunity, he does not hesitate. “Absolutely. I'd love to go up in a rocket.”

ABOUT THE CAST
BILLY BOB THORNTON (Charles Farmer) is an Academy Award-winning writer, actor, director and musician, with an extensive career spanning film, television and theater.

Thornton recently starred in the comedy “School for Scoundrels,” as well as “The Bad News Bears” and “Friday Night Lights.” In 2003, he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role in the hit “Bad Santa,” and, in 2004, received rave reviews for his portrayal of legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett in “The Alamo.”

In 2001, Thornton received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his starring role in Barry Levinson's caper comedy “Bandits," with Bruce Willis and Cate Blanchett; and for Best Actor in a Drama, as well as an AFI nomination for his role in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir “The Man Who Wasn't There”; and starred with Halle Berry and Heath Ledger in the drama “Monster's Ball.” The acclaim he garnered for these three performances resulted in his being named Best Actor of 2001 by the National Board of Review.

It was Thornton's 1996 release of the critically acclaimed and phenomenally popular “Sling Blade,” which he starred in and directed from his own original script, and which secured his status as a preeminent filmmaker. He was honored with both an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Prior to “Sling Blade,” Thornton already had an extensive motion picture credit list. He co-wrote and starred in the character drama “One False Move,” a success with audiences and critics. He was also featured in such films as “The Winner,” for director Alex Cox; “Indecent Proposal,” directed by Adrian Lyne; “Deadman,” for director Jim Jarmusch; and “Tombstone,” directed by George Cosmatos; as well as “On Deadly Ground,” “Bound By Honor,” “For The Boys” and “The Stars Fell on Henrietta.”

Thornton co-starred in the blockbuster “Armageddon,” with Bruce Willis, for producer Jerry Bruckheimer; opposite Sean Penn and Nick Nolte in “U-Turn,” directed by Oliver Stone; and in “Primary Colors,” opposite John Travolta and Emma Thompson for director Mike Nichols. He also top-lined the dark comedy “Pushing Tin,” opposite John Cusack.

He received an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his celebrated work in the tightly woven drama “A Simple Plan” for director Sam Raimi, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Screen Actors Guild.

For his second and third directorial outings, Thornton chose the comedy “Daddy And Them,” which he wrote and starred in, and the epic “All The Pretty Horses,” starring Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz. Thornton also co-wrote “The Gift.” His additional film credits include “Waking Up In Reno,” “Levity,” “Intolerable Cruelty” and “Love, Actually.”

VIRGINIA MADSEN (Audie Farmer) received rave reviews for her Academy Award and Golden Globe—nominated performance in Alexander Payne's hit film “Sideways,” a role for which she also earned an Independent Spirit Award.

Earlier this year, Madsen starred in director Robert Altman's “A Prairie Home Companion,” with Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly; and opposite Harrison Ford in the action thriller “Firewall.”

She will next be seen in the mystery thriller “The Number 23,” with Jim Carrey, for director Joel Schumacher.

Among Madsen's numerous and diverse credits are roles in such films as Francis Ford Coppola's “The Rainmaker,” with Matt Damon; Rob Reiner's “Ghosts Of Mississippi,” with Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg and James Woods; the cult classic “Candyman,” with Kasi Lemmons; “Hot Spot,” directed by Dennis Hopper; HBO's first feature, “Long Gone”; and David Lynch's “Dune.”

She also starred in the independent features “Almost Salinas,” opposite John Mahoney, and “American Gun,” opposite James Coburn.

BRUCE DERN (Hal) is known for his critically acclaimed and award winning performances throughout four decades. Among his recent appearances are “Monster,” with Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, “Masked and Anonymous,” “Madison,” “Milwaukee, Minnesota,” and the Hallmark Channel telefilm “Hard Ground,” opposite Burt Reynolds.

After studying at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio in New York he began winning roles on Broadway. In 1960, Dern was cast in Elia Kazan's “Wild River.” Relocating to Hollywood, Dern went on to create more than a hundred television and movie character portraits, receiving his first Best Supporting Actor award from the National Film Critics Association for his role in Jack Nicholson's “Drive, He Said.” His work has received numerous honors since then, including an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for “Coming Home,” Genie Award nominations for his work in “Middle Age Crazy” and “Harry Tracy, Desperado,” and the Best Actor Award at the Berlin Film Festival for “That Championship Season.”

Dern's starring credits include leading roles in such films as “The Great Gatsby,” “Family Plot,” “Black Sunday,” “Smile,” “The Driver,” “The King of Marvin Gardens,” “They Shoot Horses, Don't They?” “Tattoo,” “Space” and “Toughlove.” More recently, he was seen in “Down Periscope,” “Mulholland Falls,” “Last Man Standing,” “The Haunting,” “All The Pretty Horses” and “The Glass House.”

Dern received rave reviews for his performances in Showtime's “Mrs. Munck” with Diane Ladd, and TNT's “Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight.”

He will next be seen starring in the drama “The Cake Eaters,” directed by Mary Stuart Masterson and scheduled for a 2007 release.

TIM BLAKE NELSON (Kevin Munchak) has appeared in more than 30 feature films, including “Meet the Fockers,” “The Good Girl,” “Wonderland,” “Holes,” “Minority Report,” and the Coen Brothers' “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” He was also in HBO's “Warm Springs” and recently in the Academy Award-nominated drama, “Syriana.” Among his more recent projects are “The Moguls,” “The Big White,” “Come Early Morning,” “Fido,” and “Hoot.”

Nelson's New York theatre credits include “Beard of Avon,” portraying William Shakespeare, at the NYTW; Caryl Churchill's “Mad Forest,” at NYTW and MTC; “Oedipus,” at CSC, with Frances McDormand and Billy Crudup; “Troilus and Cressida” and “Richard III,” at NYSF; “The Innocents' Crusade,” at MTC; “An Imaginary Life,” at Playwrights Horizon; and “Mac Wellman's Dracula,” at SoHo Rep.

As a playwright, his produced plays include the award-winning “The Grey Zone,” “Eye of God” and “Anadarko.”

Nelson wrote and directed a film version of “The Grey Zone,” starring Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Mira Sorvino and David Arquette and The National Board of Review honored it with its prestigious Freedom of Expression award in 2002. Nelson also directed “O,” a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's “Othello,” starring Martin Sheen, Julia Stiles, Josh Hartnett, and Mekhi Phifer, which premiered at the 2001 Seattle Film Festival and earned him the Best Director award.

His first film, “Eye of God,” which he wrote and directed, appeared in competition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the American Independent Award at the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Bronze Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
MICHAEL POLISH (Director/Producer/Writer) and MARK POLISH (Producer/Writer/ FBI Agent Mathis), identical twins known professionally as the Polish Brothers, have previously written, produced, and directed three feature films: “Twin Falls Idaho,” “Jackpot” and “Northfork.”

After the premiere of their first film at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999, Janet Maslin of The New York Times declared, “'Twin Falls Idaho' has style, gravity and originality to spare.” The Polish Brothers' second film, “Jackpot,” was named winner of the 2001 Independent Spirit Award's John Cassavetes Best Independent Film Award as well as the 2001 Seattle International Film Festival's New American Cinema Award. “Northfork,” starring James Woods, Daryl Hannah and Nick Nolte, was an official selection of the 2003 Sundance Film Festival that garnered rave reviews, among them Roger Ebert's, who hailed it “a masterpiece.”

The Polish Brothers' balance of artistic integrity and popular appeal have also attracted the attention of the advertising and music industries: they were chosen to direct the music video for the hit single “Sunrise” from Duran Duran's latest album, as well as create five original short films that will be seen on the legendary pop band's upcoming DVD. Mark and Michael Polish were also commissioned to create two TV spots for international insurance giant Aegon.

Recounting their artistic rite of passage for aspiring movie makers everywhere, Mark and Michael Polish have written The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking, a practical guide to writing, shooting, editing, scoring, promoting, and distributing short and feature films, which was recently published by Harcourt.

PAULA WEINSTEIN (Producer) is a prolific producer, whose career has spanned more than 20 years and includes both film and television projects. Overseeing Spring Creek Productions, Weinstein most recently produced the action drama “Blood Diamond,” directed by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou.

Raised in Europe, Weinstein began her career as an assistant film editor in New York City. She then joined the office of Mayor John Lindsay as the Special Events Director. Moving to Los Angeles in 1973, Weinstein signed on as a talent agent, first for what would later be ICM and then at William Morris.

In 1976, Weinstein became Vice President of Production at Warner Bros. She later moved to Twentieth Century Fox, where she held the post of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Production. During her tenure, she worked on such films as the hit comedy “Nine to Five,” starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton; and the prison drama “Brubaker,” starring Robert Redford.

In 1979, Weinstein joined the Ladd Company, where she collaborated on such films as Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut, “Body Heat.” Two years later, Weinstein was named President of the Motion Picture Division of United Artists, where she oversaw such diverse hits as “WarGames” and “Yentl,” to name only a few.

In 1984, Weinstein and Gareth Wigan partnered to form WW Productions. In 1997, she assumed the title of Executive Consultant for MGM's Worldwide Division, while continuing to produce such independent film projects as “A Dry White Season” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys.”

Weinstein and Mark Rosenberg formed Spring Creek Productions in 1990. Their first feature was Peter Weir's “Fearless,” starring Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance. Weinstein subsequently served as a producer on the films “Flesh and Bone,” Lasse Hallström's “Something to Talk About,” Wolfgang Petersen's “The Perfect Storm,” starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; the comedy smash “Analyze This,” which paired Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal; and Barry Levinson's “Liberty Heights” and “Bandits.” Weinstein's more recent film credits include “Monster-In-Law,” starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez, and “Rumor Has It…,” with Jennifer Aniston and Shirley MacLaine.

Under the Spring Creek banner, Weinstein has also produced several award-winning projects for the small screen, including HBO's “Iron Jawed Angels,” starring Hilary Swank; “Truman,” starring Gary Sinise, for which Weinstein won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie; and “Citizen Cohn,” starring James Woods, which won four Emmy Awards.

LEN AMATO (Producer) is President of Spring Creek Productions, where he continues a longstanding relationship with Paula Weinstein. Under the Spring Creek banner, he recently served as a producer on Edward Zwick's action drama “Blood Diamond,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou.

Amato began his career as a story analyst for various independent producers and studios. He went on to become a story editor for Robert De Niro's then-newly formed Tribeca Productions, working with co-founder Jane Rosenthal on Michael Apted's “Thunderheart” and Irwin Winkler's “Night and the City.”

Amato began his association with Spring Creek Productions in the mid 1990s as Vice President of Development, running the company's New York office for co-founders Mark Rosenberg and Paula Weinstein. In 1997, he made his producing debut with HBO's “First Time Felon,” directed by Charles Dutton. The following year, he moved to Los Angeles to serve as Executive Vice President when Weinstein partnered with Barry Levinson to create Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures.

In 1999, Amato served as co-producer on the hit comedy “Analyze This,” directed by Harold Ramis and starring Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, and, in 2002, executive produced its sequel, “Analyze That.” He then executive produced Neil LaBute's “Possession,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart, and produced “Deliver Us From Eva.” Amato more recently served as an executive producer on the award-winning HBO drama “Iron Jawed Angels,” starring Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston, and the romantic comedy feature “Rumor Has It…,” directed by Rob Reiner and starring Jennifer Aniston, Shirley MacLaine, Kevin Costner and Mark Ruffalo.