In Memoriam

William Friedkin – Friedkin shook up the horror genre—and unsuspecting moviegoers—with The Exorcist in 1973, and for some filmmakers that would be a career-defining moment. It was for Friedkin too, but he was so talented and versatile that his career also enfolded many other notable movies, including neo-noir thriller The French Connection, which won five Oscars (including Best Director for Friedkin, and Best Picture), as well as Sorcerer, Cruising, and To Live and Die in LA. He also directed documentaries, TV episodes and movies, and operas, and penned an acclaimed memoir, The Friedkin Connection.

Shawna Trpcic – Costume designer Trpcic became an integral part of the Star Wars universe she herself was a huge fan of by bringing her talents to multiple Disney+ series. Her contributions can be seen on The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.

Robert Butler – You may not know the name Robert Butler but his work has been more influential to pop culture and cinema today than one could possibly imagine. Butler passed away this year at the age of 95 but spent his career directing television shows, including The Twilight Zone, Mission Impossible, and Hogan’s Heroes. But Butler is best known for directing the pilots, and several subsequent episodes of, the original Batman and Star Trek TV shows. Two shows whose look and feel, in large part established by Butler, endures and remains beloved to this very day. He even kept the DC tradition alive some decades later, doing the pilot for Lois and Clark.