Welcome to the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ 71st Annual Golden Reel Awards! On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for being here tonight to celebrate the most Outstanding Achievements in Sound Editing of 2023.
I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees this evening. Receiving a nomination in and of itself is a fantastic achievement. I hope you’ve relished the well-deserved accolades you’ve undoubtedly received over the past few months from family members, friends, and colleagues.
First and foremost, a special acknowledgment of my immediate predecessor, Mark Lanza, is in order. When Mark took the reins of the organization in March 2020, he could never have fathomed that the world would literally shut down within weeks of his taking office. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all had to pivot on a dime to rethink our professional and personal lives.
Thankfully, those times are behind us, but I can still recall those first few virtual board meetings where we faced an unknown future. Since those nervous early days, we’ve hosted dozens of virtual Sound Advice events, launched the MPSE store, solidified our relationship with IngleDodd Media, launched one of the top audio post publications in the business with our quarterly Wavelength Magazine, reestablished the annual MPSE Picnic, hosted two virtual Awards shows, and came back in person with an epic, 70th Annual Golden Reel Awards show last year. While today is the final day of Mark’s Presidency, his impact on the MPSE will be felt for years to come.
Mark will be the first to tell you he didn’t do it alone. He had our incredible Board of Directors and the incomparable Tracie Costabile by his side every step of the way. These are the people that convert ideas into actions. Board elections occur every Fall, and if you’d like to be a part of the future of the MPSE, please consider running! We’d love to have you.
The Motion Picture Sound Editors is thrilled to honor Dane A. Davis MPSE with the Career Achievement Award and Michael Dinner with the Honorary Filmmaker Award. These two luminaries have entertained and inspired generations with their artistry, and we are proud to have them with us tonight. Congratulations to you both!
Please enjoy this evening of celebration. Have a wonderful time, and take advantage of the fact that you are here mingling with legends of the past, present, and future. Tonight is your night, and I congratulate you all on the outstanding and inspirational artistry you gave the world in 2023.
Sincerely,
David Barber MPSE President, Motion Picture Sound Editors
Supervising Sound Editor/Re-recording Mixer at Juniper Post
Letter from the President