Barbara De Fina (born 1946)[2] is an American film producer and was producer of many of Martin Scorsese's films.[1]

Barbara De Fina
Born1946
OccupationFilm producer
Spouse
(m. 1985; div. 1991)
[1]

Biography

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Barbara De Fina started working as a production assistant in the entertainment industry and eventually became a production coordinator on films like An Unmarried Woman, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Woody Allen's Interiors.[3]

She worked as a unit manager with Jay Presson Allen on Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City.[4] She was also a unit manager on the film The Chosen.[5]

Her grandfather was from Sicily and her grandmother from Hungary, and she grew up in an immigrant community.[6] She got started in low-budget filmmaking and she became associated with filmmaker Sean Cunningham, working as a producer on Spring Break.[7] Barbara met Martin Scorsese on King of Comedy where she worked as a post production supervisor,[8] before meeting with Martin Scorsese again during the making of After Hours.[1] The two were married on February 8, 1985.[1] She then produced The Color of Money with Irving Axelrad.[9]

Among her films are [1] Goodfellas, The Age of Innocence,[10], the Life Lessons segment of New York Stories,[11] Casino, The Last Temptation of Christ[1] Cape Fear, Kundun, Bringing Out The Dead,[12] as well as the documentary My Voyage To Italy,[13] and Dangerous Edge, a documentary about Graham Green,[14] and The Grifters.

Barbara executive produced Scorsese's films Goodfellas[15] and Hugo.[16] She worked with the director Stephen Frears, executive producing The Grifters,[17] and producing The Hi Lo Country.[18] She produced Kicked in the Head with Matthew Harrison directing,[19] and You Can Count on Me with Kenneth Lonergan directing[20] as well as The Mesmerist with Gil Cates Jr. directing,[21] Brides with Pantelis Voulgaris directing,[22] and Lymelife with Derick Martini directing.[23] In 2001 she and the production team of the film You Can Count on Me were presented the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

She developed Me the Mob and the Music based on the book of the same title by Tommy James and Martin Fitzpatrick,[24] and Cassino in Ischia directed by Frank Ciota and written by Joe Ciota.[25]

Barbara De Fina also produced Michael Jackson's music video "Bad" with Martin Scorsese.[26]

De Fina and Scorsese divorced in 1991, but continued working together on projects for decades after that.[1]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title Result
1992 Academy Awards Best Actor Cape Fear Nominated
1992 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Cape Fear Nominated
1992 Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Cape Fear Nominated
1992 Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Cape Fear Nominated
1994 Academy Awards Best Costume Design The Age of Innocence Won
1994 Academy Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Age of Innocence Nominated
1994 Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay The Age of Innocence Nominated
1994 Academy Awards Best Music Original Score The Age of Innocence Nominated
1994 Academy Awards Best Art Direction Set Decoration The Age of Innocence Nominated
1996 Academy Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Casino Nominated
1996 Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Casino Won
1996 Golden Globe Awards Best Director Motion Picture Casino Nominated
1998 Australian Film Institute Awards Best Foreign Film Kundun Nominated
1998 Academy Awards Best Art Direction Set Decoration Kundun Nominated
1998 Academy Awards Best Cinematography Kundun Nominated
1998 Academy Awards Best Costume Design Kundun Nominated
1998 Academy Awards Best Music Original Dramatic Score Kundun Nominated
1999 Western Heritage Award Bronze Wrangler The Hi-Lo Country Won
2000 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress You Can Count on Me Nominated
2001 Satellite Awards Best Original Screenplay You Can Count on Me Won
2001 Independent Spirit Award Best First Feature You Can Count on Me Won
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Picture Hugo Nominated
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Director Hugo Nominated
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Hugo Nominated
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Film Editing Hugo Nominated
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Music Score Hugo Nominated
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Costume Design Hugo Nominated
2011 69th Golden Globe Awards Best Picture Drama Hugo Nominated
2011 69th Golden Globe Awards Best Original Score Hugo Nominated
2011 BAFTA 2012: British Academy of Film and TV Awards Best Cinematographer Hugo Nominated
2011 BAFTA 2012: British Academy of Film and TV Awards Best Make Up & Hair Hugo Nominated
2011 16th Satellite Awards Cinematography Hugo Nominated
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Cinematography Hugo Won
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Production Design Hugo Won
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Sound Mixing Hugo Won
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Sound Editing Hugo Won
2011 84th Academy Awards Best Visual Effects Hugo Won
2016 Awards Circuit Community Awards Best Motion Picture Silence Nominated
2017 Gold Derby Awards Motion Picture Silence Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g LoBrutto, Vincent (2008). Martin Scorsese: A Biography. Westport, Conn: Praeger. pp. 362–363. ISBN 9780313050619. OCLC 191849523 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Milestones: Feb. 25, 1985". Time. February 25, 1985. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "Highlighting Barbara DeFina, Kathleen Carroll Award Recipient". www.adirondackfilm.org. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  4. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Viale, Valerio (May 29, 2017). "Spotlight on Film Producer Barbara De Fina: Reconnecting to Her Italian Heritage". L'Italo Americano. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Spring Break". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  8. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  9. ^ Variety Staff (January 1, 1986). "The Color of Money". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  10. ^ Merkin, Diane (1997). Dreaming of Hitler: Passions & Provocations. New York: Crown Publishers. pp. 162, 167. ISBN 9780517706268. OCLC 36648645 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "DVD Savant Blu-ray Review: New York Stories". www.dvdtalk.com. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  12. ^ Davis, Clayton (May 22, 2023). "Ranking All 26 Martin Scorsese Movies: From 'Who's That Knocking at My Door' to 'Killers of the Flower Moon'". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  13. ^ Young, Deborah (May 26, 2001). "My Voyage To Italy". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  14. ^ Heffernan, James. "Professor steps into unfamiliar roles with latest film". www.jmu.edu. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  15. ^ "GoodFellas". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  16. ^ "Hugo". TVGuide.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  17. ^ "DVD Savant Review: The Grifters Collector's Series". www.dvdtalk.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  18. ^ McCarthy, Todd (December 24, 1998). "The Hi-Lo Country". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  19. ^ Kicked in the Head (1997) - Matthew Harrison | Cast and Crew | AllMovie, retrieved December 20, 2023
  20. ^ "'Count on Me' Adds Up to Impressive Debut". Los Angeles Times. November 10, 2000. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  21. ^ Leydon, Joe (April 12, 2002). "The Mesmerist". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  22. ^ Neiiendam2004-10-12T00:00:00+01:00, Jacob. "Brides (Nyfes)". Screen. Retrieved December 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Indiewire (January 7, 2009). "Derick Martini, "Lymelife": Artistic Honesty, Perfection, and Success". IndieWire. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  24. ^ McNary, Dave (July 18, 2019). "Tommy James Biopic 'Me, the Mob and the Music' in Development (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  25. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (June 29, 2023). "Dominic Purcell Replaces Late Ray Stevenson In 'Cassino In Ischia' Movie From Republic Pictures & Paramount Global". Deadline. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  26. ^ "Tommy James and The Shondells with The Box Tops - St. George Theatre - Official Website". August 17, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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