Director Rob Cohen To Present Keynote At 2009 NAB Show

Rob Cohen, director and producer of numerous blockbuster hits including The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, XXX and The Fast and the Furious, will be a keynote speaker at the 2009 NAB Show in Las Vegas.
In a morning session on Tuesday, April 21, Cohen will look at the role of action in motion pictures, how it represents the heart of the medium, encourages technical innovation, and deserves critical recognition that matches its audience appeal.
Cohen said: "From Battleship Potemkin to The Wild Bunch, the way action is realised on the screen is what separates motion pictures from other forms of visual storytelling. I'm excited to participate in the NAB Show, to share my thoughts about cinematic language and about what makes creating and watching films freeing and fun."
With nearly three decades of motion picture experience, Cohen's films tell kinetic, edge-of-your-seat stories inspired by history and culture. His summer chart-topper, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was the first major studio release filmed entirely in China. The film grossed more than $400 million worldwide, opening at No. 1 in 90 percent of its territories.
Chris Brown, NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations, said: "We are pleased to bring Rob and his unique industry perspective to this year's show. His accomplishments and expertise will provide our audience with an in-depth look at the imaginative and technical talent necessary to develop groundbreaking action films."
Cohen's credits also include: The Fast and the Furious and XXX, which together generated a $1 billion in box office receipt and Dragonheart, the first major motion picture to feature a character totally rendered in computer graphics. Dragonheart was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual and won a Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film of 1996.
Cohen has also worked in television, directing The Rat Pack, a critically acclaimed HBO television film starring Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna and Don Cheadle. The Rat Pack garnered 11 Emmy Award nominations and three wins and earned Cohen a nomination from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Direction of a Television Film.
NAB 2009 will take place between April 18 - 23 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 20). Further information is available at: www.nabshow.com.
(KMcA/BMcC)