CINE’s mission is to support emerging and established producers of film, television and digital media through its film competitions, educational panels, screenings and networking opportunities. CINE is a 501(c)(3) corporation.
A Brief History of CINE and the Golden Eagle Competition
1957: The year Sputnik and Elvis Presley ascended to the stratosphere, Dr. Seuss brought us The Cat in the Hat, TV lit up homes with Leave it to Beaver and American Bandstand… and CINE began what would become more than a half-century of Giving Filmmakers Wings.™
Launched 55 years ago with the mission of selecting American films for international film festivals, the founders of CINE chose its name, the Council on International Nontheatrical Events, to create the acronym CINE. From its earliest days, CINE utilized (and still utilizes) a jury system to choose the best among the many films submitted, honoring them with the CINE Golden Eagle Award. While filmmakers no longer need a third party to get their films submitted to festivals around the world, CINE’s peer recognition of excellence that a prestigious CINE Golden Eagle confers still opens doors. In an interview with CINE, Master filmmaker Ken Burns, recalled his winning the Golden Eagle for his first film, Brooklyn Bridge, in 1981, as like “being admitted to the club.” .
In the more than half century since its first competition, CINE alumni whose films have made the world laugh, cry, think, argue and change, include Mr. Burns, Mel Brooks, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Spike Lee, Stanley Nelson, Mira Nair, Robert Zemeckis, Pixar Animation Studios, Quincy Jones and Mike Nichols. And that’s just a partial list.
Some things stand the test of time, and CINE’s knack for picking winners is one of them. The opportunity for emerging filmmakers to join this prestigious group continues. Recently, several of the winning films in our student division have gone on to win gold or silver medals at the Student Academy Awards, have shown their films at major festivals, and are working in the industry at places such as Walt Disney Animation Studios. For a list of CINE Rising Stars, click here.
The competition has kept pace with the industry, with new divisions and categories, providing new opportunities for media producers. CINE has recently added a film scoring competition to the mix, in recognition of the critical role of music in film, television and digital media.
For an explanation of the CINE Golden Eagle Competition, including eligibility and how to enter, click here. For info on the Film Scoring Competition, please read the rules and regulations.
Panels & Screenings
CINE workshops and panels, from Brainstorm to Broadcast with the History Channel to Sports Programming: Beyond the Game with filmmaker Steve James and ESPN Films, bring informative programming to our film making constituency, while our periodic screenings of CINE student films are a great opportunity for exposure for filmmakers.
For an overview of some prior CINE panels and screenings, click here.
CINE’s Annual Awards Gala—A Networking Opportunity Extraordinaire
CINE’s Annual Awards Gala is the festive event at which CINE Masters Award winners are presented their trophies, and winners of the Golden Eagle and Special Jury Awards are recognized. This is also the night CINE recognizes industry luminaries with honorary awards.
In 2012, CINE created the CINE Legends Award, and the inaugural presentation of this award was made to the truly legendary Marvin Hamlisch, shortly before his untimely passing.
The Gala provides a wonderful opportunity for attendees to catch up with friends and colleagues, and to meet new ones. More information about CINE’s Annual Awards Gala, including past honorees and pictures from previous events, can be found here.