Weinstein Brothers Honored by Producers Guild with 2013 Milestone Award

The Producers Guild sent out a press release praising Harvey and Bob Weinstein and announced that, on January 26, 2013, they will honor the brothers with the 2013 Milestone Award. The award is for the lifetime of work the brothers have accomplished, first at Miramax and later at their own Weinstein Company. The brothers helped popularize independent cinema and brought it to the mainstream attention, their movies picking up numerous Oscars along the way.

“Beginning in the late 1970s with Miramax Films and continuing through today with The Weinstein Company, Bob and Harvey consistently seek out, nurture and help bring audiences the stories that others are often afraid to tell,” Producers Guild National Board member and Awards Chair Michael De Luca said in the press release.

“Pulp Fiction”

The Weinstein brothers helped many of today’s beloved filmmakers break into the mainstream with Miramax Films. They produced two independent films in the early ’90s in “Clerks” and “Reservoir Dogs” that not only gave Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino a chance but gave them the keys to drive their own vehicles for the rest of their careers. Then they helped Tarantino make “Pulp Fiction,” one of cinema’s most groundbreaking films, in 1994.

The movie won an Oscar for Best Screenplay and picked up nominations for Best Picture and Best Director as well.

“Scream”

While Harvey Weinstein was always looking for the next independent sensation to promote, his brother Bob was building Dimension Films, their horror house. The company had some solid hits in cult favorite “The Crow” as well as the Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez film, “From Dusk Till Dawn.” However, in 1996, Dimension hit the big time when they helped Wes Craven get a second lease on life with his “Scream” franchise.

The movie helped reinvigorate the slumping horror genre and created a new subgenre with self referential horror films.

“Shakespeare in Love”

In 1998, the brothers finally had their biggest critical hit with “Shakespeare in Love,” with Harvey picking up his only Oscar for Best Picture. While many of their films have won awards, this was the only one that a Weinstein brother actually won for themselves.

“The Artist”

The brothers left Miramax, the company they helped build, in 2005. It was not a nice divorce as the brothers lost the name rights to the company, named after their own parents, Max and Miriam. The brothers began their own company, The Weinstein Company, and began raising capital. The company got off to a slow start but recently found themselves on top of the world again, thanks again to Harvey’s keen eye for independents.

Other than keeping Tarantino and Smith in their ranks, they also won back-to-back Oscars for “The King’s Speech” in 2011 and “The Artist” in 2012. Despite all the obstacles put in front of them, the Weinstein brothers have overcome them all and remain two of the most powerful producers in Hollywood.