John Cassavetes, arguably America's first independent filmmaker, was born to Greek immigrants Nicholas and Katherine Cassavetes on December 9, 1929, in New York City.

In his first film, SHADOWS (1959), the actors improvised with only loosely defined parameters, and the story evolved as the filming progressed. It became a groundbreaking achievement, receiving the Critics Award at the Venice Film Festival. Unwilling to have his vision compromised by a studio, Cassavetes opted to work as an actor in order to help fund his own films, appearing in such films as ROSEMARY’S BABY (Polanski, 1967) and THE DIRTY DOZEN (Aldrich, 1967), for which he was nominated for an Oscar®.

In 1968, Cassavetes returned to directing with FACES, an edgy drama shot in the cinéma-vérité style. The picture would mark the first of ten to star his wife, actress Gena Rowlands. FACES became a tremendous success, both financially and critically, garnering a pair of Oscar® nominations as well as winning awards at the Venice Film Festival. In the 1970s, Cassavetes made such films as MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ, OPENING NIGHT, THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE, and A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, which earned Rowlands an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Cassavetes died on February 3, 1989. He is survived by his wife Gena Rowlands, and their three children, Nicholas, Alexandra, and Xan.

Gena Rowlands, born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands on June 19, 1930, began her film and television career in the 1950s. She guest-starred in several anthology television seriesand starred in the well-received television series 87th PRECINCT, and in PEYTON PLACE.

Teaming with her husband, writer and director John Cassavetes, Rowlands delivered some of her finest performances, in such films as A CHILD IS WAITING (1963), FACES (1968), MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ (1971), OPENING NIGHT (1977), LOVE STREAMS (1984), as well as A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974), and GLORIA (1980) for which she received Academy Award® nominations.

In more recent years, Rowlands has appeared in such films as HOPE FLOATS (1998), PAULIE (1998) and in Mira Nair’s HBO movie HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS (2002), for which she won her third Emmy Award®. In 2004 Rowlands starred in THE NOTEBOOK, directed by her son, Nick Cassavetes, and in the same year, won her first Daytime Emmy Award® for her starring role in THE INCREDIBLE MRS. RITCHIE.

In 2006 Rowlands teamed up with her longtime friend and Cassavetes collaborator Ben Gazzara (SOMETHING LIKE THAT), delivering an unforgettable performance in PARIS, JE T’AIME. She also appeared in BROKEN ENGLISH (2007), written and directed by her daughter, Zoe Cassavetes, and, most recently, was nominated for her second Screen Actors Guild Award® for the Lifetime movie WHAT IF GOD WERE THE SUN?

Veteran character actor, nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the hippie swinger ‘Chet’ in John Cassavetes’ FACES (1968), Seymour Cassel made his movie debut in Cassavetes’ first film, SHADOWS (1959), on which he also served as associate producer. In the 1960s, Cassel worked extensively in television, frequently being typecast in beatnik or hippy roles. He appeared in the Cassavetes-directed episode A PAIR OF BOOTS (1962) for THE LLOYD BRIDGES SHOW as well as in such popular programs as TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH, COMBAT! and THE F.B.I..

In addition to his long list of studio film credits, Cassel has remained prominent in the American independent film community. He co-starred with Steve Buscemi in the black comedy IN THE SOUP (1992), and contributed a cameo appearance to his directorial debut TREES LOUNGE (1996). He has also appeared in three Wes Anderson films: RUSHMORE (1998), THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS(2001) and THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004). He recently returned to television in the NBC series HEIST.

Al Ruban was introduced to the film business by John Cassavetes, having met at a baseball game organized by a team made up primarily of actors. He worked as the assistant camera on SHADOWS (1959), and from then on successfully assumed different roles, among them producer, director of photography, editor, production manager and distributor.

Ruban re-teamed with Cassavetes for the production of FACES. Abandoning his native New York City and moving his family to the West Coast, he served as cinematographer, editor and as one of the film’s producers. The next Cassavetes-Ruban collaborations were HUSBANDS (1970), MINNIE & MOSKOWITZ (1971), and THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (1976), all produced by Ruban. Ruban served both as producer and cinematographer on OPENING NIGHT (1977) and LOVE STREAMS (1984). In the mid-seventies, Ruban went on to establish Faces Distribution, which released Cassavetes’ A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974), THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (1976) and OPENING NIGHT (1977).

Some of Ruban’s other credits in various positions include DAVID (1979), SWAMP THING (1982), HAPPY NEW YEAR (1987), MR. NORTH (1988), and Peter Bogdanovich’s TEXASVILLE (1990).

Bo Harwood started his career as a lead singer/guitarist in a California rock band in 1966. He scored his first feature film, THE BEACH TRAIN, in 1969. He worked closely with John Cassavetes between 1970 and 1986, scoring, sound editing and mixing six of his films, including A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974). For his theater work in music and sound design, he won several awards including two Drama-Logue and one Lawee (La Weekly) award; Harwood was nominated for three and won one Genie Award for Best Original Song in UPS AND DOWNS (1984). He was nominated for two and won one Emmy Award for Best Sound Mixing in PEE WEE’S PLAYHOUSE (1991). He also received recognition by the Cinema Audio Society for his work on the HBO® drama series SIX FEET UNDER®. Recently, Harwood formed a music group, TRIO, with Larry Paul and David Musser.

Peter Bogdanovich’ accomplishments and reputation have never been guided by the dictates of any industry but by the force of his own creative and intellectual curiosity. He has worked as director, author, critic, screenwriter, documentarian, actor, and historian. His Oscar®-winning films include THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971), PAPER MOON (1973), and MASK (1985). Audiences also know him for his recurring role on THE SOPRANOS, a television series for which he also acted as an episode director.

Bogdanovich began his career directing plays Off-Broadway while also writing a series of monographs for the Museum of Modern Art, including volumes on Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, and Alfred Hitchcock. Bogdanovich wrote definitive essays on Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart, Jerry Lewis, and John Ford for Esquire. In 1968, he directed his first film, the Corman-financed cult classic, TARGETS.

Most recently, Bogdanovich revised his 1971 documentary DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD, which explores the life and work of the great American filmmaker. On the heels of RUNNIN’ DOWN A DREAM: TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS (2007), Bogdanovich returned to feature film directing with KILLER JOE based on the successful play by Tracy Letts. He also plans a return to the theater, his first love, to direct a Broadway production of Tennessee Williams’s last play, IN MASKS OUTRAGEOUS AND AUSTERE, which is co-presented by Gore Vidal.