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CAUCUS CHAIR DENNIS DOTY CONNECTS
UPDATE - In the two weeks since I wrote my below remarks for the Newsletter the Caucus lost another of our fellow members, Gil Cates. This loss is a very personal one for me. Gil was one of my very closest
friends for over thirty years and my partner in Cates/Doty for twenty one years.
Gil was not only an extraordinary filmmaker he was a force across our industry. From film, television, theater, education, and the DGA and more his strong yet gentle hand leaves its mark and we are all better off for it.
Gil was fun, wise and all class. So he is fondly remembered along with our other fine colleagues we have lost this past year -Hilly Elkins, Leonard Stern, Roger Gimbel, Sam Denoff and Jackie Cooper. We remember them fondly and will
miss them all but for me Gil is my wonderful pal whose memories I will cherish forever. Lionel Chetwynd wrote a lovely tribute here in this edition which is an eloquent tribute to remember Gil by.
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It's almost hard to believe but we are now off and running in a new TV season - and here we are already looking at the year's end only a couple of months away.
On December 4th we have the Caucus of Producers, Writers & Directors 29th Annual Awards Dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. This year the Caucus honors Kevin Beggs of Lionsgate
(Executive of the Year), Producer Kevin Bright (Chair's Award), Syd Vinnedge (Distinguished Service), Tanya & Philip Hart (Diversity Award). A Caucus Lifetime Achievement Award will also
be presented. The Caucus Honors Awards to an outstanding Producer, Writer and Director will be announced that evening.
It is also nearing the end of my final term as Chair of the Caucus and this is the last Caucus Connection newsletter edition to be published while I am Chair.
For me it has been four fast and wonderful years having the honor to lead this terrific organization these past two terms. As they say, any group is only as good as those who make
it up and I have had the pleasure of working with a great team. I want to thank the entire Steering Committee and our officers over these last years, Vin, DiBona, Herman Rush, John Moffitt,
Bill Blinn, Greg Strangis and Lionel Chetwynd as well as all the members, committees and people who organize our events, panels and special projects. A special nod to the Editors of this very
newsletter, Lee Miller and Norman Powell for their fine hand in transforming our former published Caucus Journal into this new on-line Caucus Connection Newsletter. Also, my thanks to both
Ed Blau, our council and both Dale Olsen and now John Blanchette for our public relations. I must note my special, deep gratitude to Penny Rieger our Caucus Administrator for her great never
ending work.
Mostly I want to thank Chuck Fries. He has served the Caucus in almost every post from nearly the beginning of the Caucus some 37 years ago in 1974 and has now been the Executive Secretary
these past years. I don't think we could make this organization run without Chuck's fine hand, wisdom and passion. I have learned much and had great fun working with him. We always say
Chuck is the guy who keeps the trains running on time. All of us are most thankful to Chuck for everything he does for both the Caucus as well as the Caucus Foundation of which he is President.
One of the many things we have done this past year is restructure the make-up of our Steering Committee to broaden representation for even more of our membership. Now represented on the Steering
Committee is the New Media branch with Drew Baldwin as Chair and committee member Serita Stevens as well as our Associates branch with Chair Dan Lux and committee member Scott Carrey.
One of our last accomplishments was to update and further strengthen our Caucus Aims & Objectives and the Mission Statement which highlights what the Caucus is all about at its heart. So I can't
think a more fitting way to end my Chair's comments but with the updated Mission Statement.
Thanks to everyone again,
Dennis Doty, Chair
The Caucus of Producers, Writers and Directors
Mission Statement
The Caucus strives to elevate program quality in Television and New Media by promoting and protecting the artistic, intellectual and economic rights of Producers, Writers & Directors.
To achieve our Mission we strongly advocate:
- Restoring program ownership to creators to retain development, production and distribution in the hands of the independent production community.
- Protecting a neutral, open internet available to all.
- Communicating the creative and economic issues facing the Entertainment Industry and New Media to the community.
- Promoting open dialogue among professional creatives and those who distribute their work in the interest of promoting diverse quality independent programming content.
- Raising the awareness of diversity, women and minorities in our Entertainment Industry.
- Supporting freedom of expression standing against any form of discrimination.
- Encouraging new Producers, Writers & Directors through the Caucus Foundation Student Grants.
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