“Celebrating Laughter: The Life and Films of Colin Higgins” will screen as the 12th installment for “Kat Kramer‘s Films That Change The World” on Saturday May 25th at the historic NuArt Theater, sponsored by the Colin Higgins Foundation.
The event will feature a red carpet reception, Special Surprise Live Performance by Ty Taylor, lead singer of the band Vintage Trouble, followed by the screening, and Q and A with panel, moderated by Kat Kramer. Higgins was a French born Australian-American filmmaker known for such classics as 9 To 5, Harold and Maude, Silver Streak, Foul Play, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Out On A Limb- the mini-series. Higgins, an openly gay man in less accepting times, was the first mainstream director to die of AIDS.
“Celebrating Laughter” was written and directed by award winning director/editor/producer Nicholas Eliopoulos, who incorporates a career spanning over three decades in the entertainment industry. Mr. Eliopuolos won an Emmy Award for the CBS mini-series “Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story”. He’s worked as a film and sound editor on numerous feature films including Best Picture Oscar winner “Out Of Africa”, “The Runner Stumbles” starring Dick Van Dyke which was Stanley Kramer‘s last film, and most of Colin Higgin’s films. Nicholas was the Animation Supervisor for the Lily Tomlin (as “Violet”) fantasy sequences that have become legendary in 9 To 5 that starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman. “Celebrating Laughter” is the 4th documentary from Eliopoulos, who is also known for the popular documentary “Mary Pickford:The Muse of the Movies” about legendary film pioneer, Mary Pickford, which Ms. Kramer will present as part of the line-up during the up-coming #SHEroesForChange Festival later this year.
Kat Kramer says, ” I’m honored to be presenting “Celebrating Laughter, The Life and Films of Colin Higgins ” for the 12th installment of my cinema series.Nicholas Eliopoulos has made an impactful documentary that appeals to everyone. James Cass Rogers is the writer/producer of “Celebrating Laughter.” Colin Higgins was a visionary, humanitarian and self-declared feminist. Colin produced and co-wrote “Out On A Limb” as his final project. Shirley MacLaine was always his favorite movie star. Shirley’s book “Out On A Limb” changed my life as a child, and so did the mini-series. Shirley has always been my role model as a performer, author and for her metaphysical beliefs. Colin co-wrote the screenplay for 9 To 5 along with Patricia Resnick, and directed the social issue comedy classic, which is an inspiration for my #SHEroesForChange Festival. Lily Tomlin is my performing idol. – she’s also an Ambassador for “Kat Kramer’s Films That Change The World”. I will present the acclaimed new documentary “Still Working 9 To 5 ” for #SHEroes. It just so happens that “Celebrating Laughter” is a sister documentary feature, worthy of a stand alone premiere. We will raise awareness of the Colin Higgins Foundation, and kick-off a theatrical run for awards season.
Dolly Parton is the Honorary Executive Producer of “Celebrating Laughter.” She made two films for Higgins, Dolly’s debut in 9 To 5, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and claims that Colin was her “first and favorite director.” The screening will feature a recorded segment by Parton. To date, “Celebrating Laughter” has won awards at film festivals around the country, including Best Documentary at HRIFF 2024. The event’s Host Committee includes Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, Kat Kramer, Nicholas Eliopoulos, James Cass Rogers, and Cybill Shepherd, who narrates the film.
Higgins co-wrote and adapted “Out On A Limb” with Shirley MacLaine, based on her best selling book, and also co-produced the acclaimed mini-series. He directed the mini series which was nominated for an Emmy, and made major influence around the globe. MacLaine remained a close friend of until his untimely death in 1988. Another Higgins film, “Foul Play” starring Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, and the late Dudley Moore is a comedy classic, which filmed a sequence at The NuArt. Higgins loved to watch his own movies at this historical venue, which is featured in “Celebrating Laughter”- he went to see a double feature of “Harold and Maude” and “Foul Play” at the NuArt in 1978. Higgins was a UCLA graduate and “Harold and Maude” was his master thesis. The Colin Higgins Papers 1960-1988 are archived at UCLA Digital Collections. “Harold and Maude” was released in 1971, which Higgin’s wrote, and Hal Ashby directed. Cat Stevens music was heavily featured on the soundtrack. It was adapted for the stage in French by Jean Claude-Carriere. Colin adapted it as a play for Broadway, and there were productions around the world in multiple languages..
A few years prior to his death, he established the Colin Higgins Foundation in 1986 to further his humanitarian goals. The Colin Higgins Foundation has given grants to a wide variety of institutions, groups and individuals. In 2022, the Foundation introduced the “Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grants”, and the grants are now permanently with the Frameline LGBTQ Film Festival in San Fransisco, the largest and oldest such festival in the US. They advocate for LGBTQ Youth For Courage in the face of Bigotry and Discrimination.
Kat Kramer established “Kat Kramer‘s Films That Change The World” as a “unique cinema series highlighting socially relevant films” in 2009. Kramer is Festival-focused in 2024, besides this 12th installment stand-alone screening event, she’s launching the official #SHEroesForChange Festival and Podcast, followed by the Palm Springs International Comedy Festival 2024 (PSICF) Ms. Kramer is a Founding Board Member and co-established the Stanley Kramer “MAD WORLD” Award For Best Comedy Ensemble Film, along with Karen Sharpe-Kramer. Concluding with the 2nd Atomic Age CinemaFest Hollywood, which she’s co-presenting with the International Uranium Film Festival later this year. As well as developing film, streaming and theatre projects.
There is a pre-screening reception at 1:30pm with the introductions special Live performance, and screening starting at 2:30pm, followed by the Q and A. The Landmark NuArt Theater is located at 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025.
A limited number of seats have been set aside for film students, LGBTQ+ and Trans youth.
