Sp78E Fortunato Film School: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Zoom; OLLI @ ASU)
Zoom | Available (Membership Required)
Join us for “Fortunato Film School” where ASU film professor Joe Fortunato will screen, discuss, and provide live commentary on the Steven Spielberg classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It is often cited as the one of the most beloved films of all time! We will begin with a brief introduction on the background and making of the film. Then, we will screen the film together with live commentary provided, giving you insights into the filmmaking process, fun facts, and some guidance on how to “read” a film creatively. After the film, we will discuss what we’ve learned and debate if it lives up to its “great film” reputation (and even discuss what that designation means in the subjective world of creative art).
A native of Akron, Ohio, Joe Fortunato began his entertainment career as a research assistant on NBC’s TODAY show. After graduating from Yale University, he came to Los Angeles and spent the next five years developing movies for television, starting at NBC and then with Steve Krantz Productions. From there, Joe joined Shukovsky English Entertainment (SEE) to help develop primetime series for the company. At SEE, he was involved with such comedies as The Louie Show, Ink, Murphy Brown and the CBS pilot Lawyers. Joe then pursued writing and spent a season as a Staff Writer for the FOX comedy Living in Captivity under the tutelage of Murphy Brown creator Diane English. From there, he co- wrote several TV pilots and a feature film, Nowhere Man, which was developed at Disney. Joe transitioned away from Hollywood to pursue another passion – higher education. Taking his hard-won knowledge and expertise from the entertainment industry, he received his Masters in Education at Loyola Marymount, and has been a full time faculty member at Arizona State University for the past 14 years, teaching various film, television and screenwriting classes at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School.