Lydia Dean Pilcher is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

film and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

producer and director and founder of Cine Mosaic, a production company based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. A two time Emmy Award winner, Pilcher was nominated for an Academy Award in 2014 for '' Cutie & The Boxer'', directed by Zachary Heinzerling (winner of 2013 Sundance Directing Award); and Sony Pictures Classics released the Cine Mosaic production of ''

The Lunchbox ''The Lunchbox'' is a 2013 drama film written and directed by Ritesh Batra. Produced by Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap and Arun Rangachari, ''The Lunchbox'' is an international co-production of studios in India, the US, Germany and France. It s ...

'', directed by Ritesh Batra (winner of 2013 Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at Cannes Film Festival). In 2013, ''

The Reluctant Fundamentalist ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' is a "metafictional"Madiou, Mohamed Salah Eddine. "Mohsin Hamid Engages the World in The Reluctant Fundamentalist: 'An Island on an Island,’ Worlds in Miniature and 'Fiction' in the Making". Arab Studies Quart ...

'' was released by IFC Films, based on the highly acclaimed novel by Mohsin Hamid, starring

Riz Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed (; born ) is a British actor and rapper. He has received several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award with nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2017, he was name ...

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Born to singer Bill Hudson (singer), Bill Hudson and actress Goldie Hawn, Hudson made her film debut in the 1998 drama ''Desert Blue'', which was followed by supporting ...

Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...

Liev Schreiber Isaac Liev Schreiber ( ; born October 4, 1967) is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award as well as nominations for nine Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. Schreiber's early film roles incl ...

, and directed by

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company is Mirabai Films. Among her films are '' Mississippi Masala'', '' The Namesake'', the Golden Lion–winning '' Monsoon Wedding'', ...

. Pilcher has produced over 35 films including ''

The Darjeeling Limited ''The Darjeeling Limited'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, which he co-produced with Scott Rudin, Roman Coppola, and Lydia Dean Pilcher, and co-wrote with Coppola and Jason Schwartzman. The film stars Owen Wilso ...

'', directed by Wes Anderson; ''Jesus' Son'', directed by Alison Maclean, and eleven films with director Mira Nair including '' The Namesake'', '' Vanity Fair'', '' Amelia'', '' Mississippi Masala'' and most recently

Queen of Katwe ''Queen of Katwe'' is a 2016 American biographical sports drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by William Wheeler. Starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, and Madina Nalwanga, the film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a girl livi ...

for

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

; and

HBO Films HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non-f ...

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' (2010) is a non-fiction book by American author Rebecca Skloot. It was the 2011 winner of the National Academies Communication Award for best creative work that helps the public understanding of topics ...

, based on the NY Times best selling book by

Rebecca Skloot Rebecca L. Skloot (born September 19, 1972) is an American science writer who specializes in science and medicine.Jessica Teisch, "Floyd Skloot & Rebecca Skloot", in '' Bookmarks'', May/June 2010. Her first book, '' The Immortal Life of Henrie ...

, starring

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

and

Rose Byrne Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994) , and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She gained her first leading film role in ...

, directed by

George C. Wolfe George Costello Wolfe (born September 23, 1954) is an American playwright and director. His accolades include two Tony Awards for directing the play '' Angels in America: Millennium Approaches'' and the musical '' Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'd ...

. In 2018, Pilcher made her solo directing bow with the feature, ''

A Call to Spy ''A Call to Spy'' (also known as ''Liberté: A Call to Spy'') is a 2019 American spy drama film written and produced by Sarah Megan Thomas and directed by Lydia Dean Pilcher. The title is a stylistic variant of . It stars Sarah Megan Thomas, ...

'', a thriller based on the true stories of women who worked spies during the French Resistance of WWII. Before this in 2017, Pilcher co-directed the feature film, ''Radium Girls,'' starring Joey King and Abby Quinn with Executive Producer Lily Tomlin, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Pilcher previously directed the HBO documentary "Reno Finds her Mom" and has directed the second unit of many of the films she produces, most recently ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack,'' for HBO Films. Most recently she was Executive Producer for the six hour mini-series "A Suitable Boy" with Mira Nair streaming on Netflix Worldwide & AcornTV in US. Projects in development include ''Fela: Music is the Weapon'', based on the life of Nigerian musician and political activist,

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...

, with director Melina Matsoukas for Focus Features.

Film producer

After receiving a BA in Political Science and Communications at Antioch College (Yellow Springs, OH) and a MFA at New York University Graduate Institute of Film and Television in 1983, Pilcher began her career making documentaries and working in the production department of feature films including ''After Hours'' (dir: Martin Scorsese); ''F/X'' (dir: Robert Mandel); ''Round Midnight'' (dir:

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (; 25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, ...

); ''Planes, Trains, and Automobiles'' (dir: John Hughes); ''Mississippi Burning'' (dir: Alan Parker); and ''Quiz Show'' (dir: Robert Redford). In 2002, Pilcher founded Cine Mosaic, a production company based in New York City. Pilcher has produced numerous award-winning independent feature films, specializing in international co-production, and film finance based on studio and independent models. In 2010, Pilcher was nominated for

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

, and

PGA Awards The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to ...

for producing HBO Films' ''You Don't Know Jack'', directed by Barry Levinson. The film, starring

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

, follows

Jack Kevorkian Murad Jacob Kevorkian (May 26, 1928 – June 3, 2011) was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent. He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in his quote, "Dying is not a crime" ...

's battle to legalize

assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...

. Prior to that, Pilcher produced ''Jesus' Son'', starring Billy Crudup, directed by Alison Maclean; ''The Darjeeling Limited'', directed by Wes Anderson; and eleven movies with director Mira Nair including ''Amelia'', starring

Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (19 ...

as the famous aviator, and ''The Namesake'', based on the novel by

Jhumpa Lahiri Nilanjana Sudeshna "Jhumpa" LahiriMinzesheimer, Bob, ''USA Today'', August 19, 2003. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. (born July 11, 1967) is a British-American author known for her short stories, novels, and essays in English and, more recently, in I ...

, released by

Fox Searchlight Searchlight Pictures, Inc., formerly known as Fox Searchlight Pictures, is an American arthouse film production and distribution company, which since 2019 is owned by Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Disney Entertainment segment of the ...

. Pilcher was nominated in 2005 for a Golden Globe Award for the HBO feature film, ''

Iron Jawed Angels ''Iron Jawed Angels'' is a 2004 American historical drama film directed by Katja von Garnier. The film stars Hilary Swank as suffragist leader Alice Paul, Frances O'Connor as activist Lucy Burns, Julia Ormond as Inez Milholland, and Anjelic ...

'' directed by

Katja von Garnier Katja von Garnier (born 15 December 1966) is a German film director. Biography von Garnier was born in Wiesbaden. From 1989 to 1994, she studied at the University of Television and Film Munich. Her 1993 practice film ''Making Up!'' was shown in t ...

and starring Hilary Swank and

Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress, director and model. She is best known for playing Morticia Addams in the ''The Addams Family'' and '' The Addams Family Values'', as well as often portraying eccentric and distincti ...

. She was nominated in 2004 for an Emmy Award, Golden Globe and Producer's Guild Award as the Executive Producer of ''Normal'' with writer/director Jane Anderson and starring

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

and

Tom Wilkinson Thomas Geoffrey Wilkinson (5 February 1948 – 30 December 2023) was an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award as well ...

Sustainability and environmental work

Pilcher is a Founder and Chair of PGA Green, an active initiative of the

Producers Guild of America The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing the interests Television producer, television producers, Film producer, film producers and emerging media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership inclu ...

since 2006, dedicated to supporting sustainability in the entertainment industry, and winner of the 2011 EMA Green Production Award. With seed funding and support provided by Disney, DreamWorks Studios,

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

NBC Universal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that is a subsidiary of Comcast and headquartered at 30 ...

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

and

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, the Green Production Guide was created by PGA Green to provide a new resource for film, television and commercial professionals looking to increase the sustainability of their productions. The website and mobile app includes a carbon calculator, the PGA Green Unified Best Practices Guide, and a substantial vendor guide of companies that provide sustainable and energy saving products and services for the entertainment industry. Pilcher is a member of The Climate Reality Project, founded and chaired by

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

, and has been a speaker and panelist at many public and film events including

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

Woodstock Film Festival The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival launched in 2000 by filmmakers Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The festival takes place each fall in the towns of Woodstock, Rosendale and Saug ...

, and PGA's Produced by Conference. Pilcher is a recipient of the City of New York's Made in New York Award, which recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the growth of NYC's media and entertainment industries.

Boards and organizations

* Vice President of Motion Pictures, Producers Guild of America, 2014–2018 * Co-Founder and Chair of PGA Women's Impact Network, 2013–2018 * Producer's Council Board of Delegates of the Producers Guild of America, 2013–2014. * Member of the National Board of Directors of the Producers Guild of America, 2008-13. * Vice Chair of Producers Guild of America East, 2004-08. * Co-Founder and Chair of PGA Green, 2006–present. * Board Member, Maisha Film Lab, based in East Africa, 2004–present. * Board Member, The New York Production Alliance, 2005-08. *

Women's eNews ''Women's eNews'' is a nonprofit online news service based in New York City. It was founded by the late Rita Jensen. Lori Sokol, became the organization's executive director in July 2016. ''Women's eNews'' publishes international news articles spe ...

, named one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century in 2005. * Member: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Producers Guild of America,

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. A 501(c)(6) non-profit or ...

, New York Women in Film, Directors Guild of America, Independent Feature Project, The Climate Reality Project.

Personal life

She is married to production designer Mark Friedberg; they have two children.

Filmography

Producer

* '' The Kill–Off'' (1988) * ''

Longtime Companion ''Longtime Companion'' is a 1989 American romantic drama film directed by Norman René and starring Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AID ...

'' (1989) * '' Mississippi Masala'' (1991) * '' The Perez Family'' (1995) * '' Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love'' (1996) * ''

Chinese Box ''Chinese Box'' is a 1997 romantic drama film directed by Wayne Wang and starring Jeremy Irons, Gong Li, Maggie Cheung, and Michael Hui. It is set and was made at the time of Hong Kong's handover to the People's Republic of China on June 30, 19 ...

'' (1997) * ''

Cradle Will Rock ''Cradle Will Rock'' is a 1999 American historical drama film written, produced and directed by Tim Robbins. The story fictionalizes the true events that surrounded the development of the 1937 musical ''The Cradle Will Rock'' by Marc Blitzstein; ...

'' (1999) * '' Jesus' Son'' (1999) * ''

The Talented Mr. Ripley ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. The novel introduced the character of con man Tom Ripley, whom Highsmith wrote about in four subsequent books. Its numerous film and television adaptation ...

'' (1999) * '' Disappearing Acts'' (2000) * ''

Hysterical Blindness Conversion disorder (CD) was a formerly diagnosed psychiatric disorder characterized by abnormal sensory experiences and movement problems during periods of high psychological stress. Individuals diagnosed with CD presented with highly distressin ...

'' (2002) * '' 11'09"01 September 11'' (2002) – segment: India * '' Normal'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * ''Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling'' (2004) * '' Vanity Fair'' (2004) * '' The Namesake'' (2006) * ''

'' (2007) * '' Amelia'' (2009) * '' You Don't Know Jack'' (2010) * ''

'' (2013) * '' Cutie & The Boxer'' (2013) – Nominated:

Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Academy Honorary Award, Special Awards to ''Kukan'' and ''Target for Tonight''. The ...

* ''

'' (2014) * '' The Sisterhood of Night'' (2015) * ''

'' (2016) * ''

'' (2017) * ''

A Suitable Boy ''A Suitable Boy'' is a novel by Vikram Seth, published in 1993. With 1,349 pages (1,488 pages in paperback), the English-language book is one of the longest novels published in a single volume. ''A Suitable Boy'' is set in a newly post-indepe ...

'' (2020) (Television

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

)

Director

* ''Reno Finds Her Mom'' (1998) – director, producer * ''

Radium Girls The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting radium dials – watch dials and hands with radioluminescence, self-luminous paint. The incidents occurred at three factories in the United States: one ...

'' (2018) – director only * ''

'' (2019) – director, producer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pilcher, Lydia Dean Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people American film producers American documentary film producers American television producers American women television producers American women documentary filmmakers Antioch College alumni Pace Academy alumni Tisch School of the Arts alumni