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Richard Chew

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Richard Chew
Photo by Liv Torgerson
Born
Richard Franklin Chew

(1940-06-28) June 28, 1940 (age 84)
OccupationFilm editor
Years active1967–present
SpouseLiv Torgerson
AwardsBest Film Editing
1977 Star Wars
Saturn Award for Outstanding Editing
1977 Star Wars

Richard Franklin Chew (born June 28, 1940) is an American film editor, best known for his Academy Award-winning work on Star Wars (1977),[1] alongside Paul Hirsch and Marcia Lucas. Other notable films include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Risky Business (1983), Waiting to Exhale (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), and I Am Sam (2001). His career over a variety of films spans more than four decades.

Early life and career

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Born of Chinese immigrant parents in Los Angeles, Chew attended its inner-city schools, served in the U.S. Navy, and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Philosophy. After a stint at Harvard Law School, Chew, inspired by the independent cinema of the 1960s, left school to pursue a film career.[2]

Starting with camera and editing work on documentaries, such as The Redwoods, an Oscar winner for Best Short Documentary in 1967, he eventually transitioned to editing feature films as co-editor on Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, Miloš Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and George Lucas's Star Wars.

During his varied career, he has edited films for actor-directors such as Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, and Forest Whitaker. Other writer-directors with whom Chew has worked include: Cameron Crowe, Paul Brickman, Bruce Joel Rubin, and Emilio Estevez.[2]

Chew was Oscar-nominated for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He also won British Oscars (BAFTA) as co-editor on both The Conversation and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. His work on Shanghai Noon was nominated for Best Feature Comedy by American Cinema Editors.[3]

At various times throughout his editing career, Chew has taught and lectured with the goal of enhancing audience appreciation for the cinema arts. For over thirty years, he has appeared at art schools and colleges, churches, and community groups.

On January 27, 2011, he was honored at the Detroit Institute of Arts with “An Evening with Richard Chew,” a program featuring clips of some of his extensive work plus an interview conducted by DIA film curator Elliot Wilhelm.[4] Additionally, Chew was named Allessee Visiting Professor of Media at Wayne State University for the 2011 Spring semester.[5] In September 2013, Chew was selected as a Duncan Littlefair Great Speaker in the Creation Talks Series (http://www.creationtalks.org/about-us/duncan-littlefair-great-speakers/), joining the ranks of renowned speakers from the worlds of politics and arts. He spoke about the power of music in film at the legendary Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [1]. In November, 2016, Chew received the Third Annual Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award from Friday Harbor Film Festival (Washington).

For his body of work, American Cinema Editors, an honorary society of film editors, presented to Chew the ACE Career Achievement Award during its annual Eddies Award show in March, 2022.[6][7] In closing his acceptance speech, Chew said, “I’m thinking maybe we (filmmakers) could make movies to entertain and send a message. Maybe we could use movies to encourage the better angels of our nature.”[8]

He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Motion Picture Editors Guild, and American Cinema Editors.

Selected filmography

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Editor
Year Film Director Award Notes
1974 The Conversation Francis Ford Coppola BAFTA Film Award - Best Film Editing
1977 Star Wars George Lucas Academy Award for Best Film Editing
Saturn Award for Outstanding Editing
Nominated - BAFTA Film Award for Best Film Editing
Nominated - Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film
1978 Goin' South Jack Nicholson
1979 When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Milton Katselas
1982 My Favorite Year Richard Benjamin
1983 Risky Business Paul Brickman First collaboration with Paul Brickman
1985 Real Genius Martha Coolidge First collaboration with Martha Coolidge
Creator Ivan Passer
1986 Where the River Runs Black Christopher Cain
Streets of Gold Joe Roth First collaboration with Joe Roth
1987 Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise Second collaboration with Joe Roth
1988 Clean and Sober Glenn Gordon Caron
1990 Men Don't Leave Paul Brickman Second collaboration with Paul Brickman
1991 Late for Dinner W. D. Richter
1992 Singles Cameron Crowe
1993 Mi Vida Loca Allison Anders
My Life Bruce Joel Rubin
1995 Tall Tale Jeremiah S. Chechik
Waiting to Exhale Forest Whitaker First collaboration with Forest Whitaker
1996 That Thing You Do! Tom Hanks
1998 Hope Floats Forest Whitaker Second collaboration with Forest Whitaker
2000 Shanghai Noon Tom Dey Nominated - Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film - Comedy or Musical
2001 I Am Sam Jessie Nelson
2004 First Daughter Forest Whitaker Third collaboration with Forest Whitaker
2005 The New World Terrence Malick
2006 Bobby Emilio Estevez First collaboration with Emilio Estevez
2010 The Runaways Floria Sigismondi
Louis Daniel Pritzker
The Way Emilio Estevez Second collaboration with Emilio Estevez
2018 The Public Third collaboration with Emilio Estevez
2019 I'll Find You Martha Coolidge Second collaboration with Martha Coolidge
Editorial department
Year Film Director Award Role
1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Miloš Forman BAFTA Film Award - Best Film Editing
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Film Editing
Nominated - Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film
Supervising film editor
2003 Shanghai Knights David Dobkin Additional editor
2013 Sugar Rotimi Rainwater Consulting editor
Additional crew
Year Film Director Role
1992 Singles Cameron Crowe Title supervisor
Producer
Year Film Director Credit
1987 Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise Joe Roth Associate producer
1992 Singles Cameron Crowe Co-producer
Second unit director or assistant director
Year Film Director Role
1992 Singles Cameron Crowe Second unit director
Sound department
Year Film Director Role
1975 Smile Michael Ritchie Sound editor
Thanks
Year Film Director Role
2001 Monkeybone Henry Selick The producers wish to thank
2009 The Red Machine
  • Stephanie Argy
  • Alec Boehm
Special thanks
Documentaries
Editor
Year Film Director Award
1967 The Redwoods Trevor Greenwood Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)
1968 Have You Heard of the San Francisco Mime Troupe?
  • Don Lenzer
  • Fred Wardenburg
1969 The Medium Is the Massage, You Know Trevor Greenwood
1970 Imogen Cunningham, Photographer John Korty
Camera and electrical department
Year Film Director Role
1970 Woodstock Michael Wadleigh Additional photographer
1974 Janis Howard Alk Additional photography
Cinematographer
Year Film Director
1967 The Redwoods Trevor Greenwood
1969 The Medium Is the Massage, You Know
Shorts
Editorial department
Year Film Director Role
2012 Lil Tokyo Reporter Jeffrey Gee Chin Editing consultant
Thanks
Year Film Director Role
2011 Pass the Salt, Please Tatjana Najdanovic Very special thanks
TV movies
Editorial department
Year Film Director Role
1972 The People John Korty Associate film editor
Thanks
Year Film Director Role
1984 The Ratings Game Danny DeVito Special thanks
TV series
Editorial department
Year Title Role Notes
1982 American Playhouse Editorial consultant 1 episode
TV shorts
Editor
Year Film Director
1974 The Music School John Korty
1976 The Other Side of Victory Bill Jersey
TV specials
Thanks
Year Film Director Role
1976 TVTV Looks at the Academy Awards Wendy Apple Thanks

References

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  1. ^ King, Susan (April 20, 2007). "Long ago and far away: 'Star Wars' vets reminisce". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Kunkes, Michael. "Cutting with a Conscience: Richard Chew is an Ambassador for the Under-represented". Editors Guild Magazine. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  3. ^ "Awards for Shangai Noon (2000)". IMDB. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  4. ^ "Film Editing, The Invisible Art: An Evening With Richard Chew". Detroit Institute of Arts. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  5. ^ "News and Announcements: Richard Chew presents four DFT Double Features in June". Wayne State University CFPCA. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  6. ^ Beatrice Verhoven, [article_link "American Cinema Editors to Give Career Achievement Awards to…"], "The Hollywood Reporter, January 25, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  7. ^ Carolyn Giardina, [article_link "ACE Eddies Lifetime Achievement Honoree Richard Chew: ‘We Are Essential…"], "The Hollywood Reporter, March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  8. ^ Denise Petski, Fred Topel, [article_link "ACE Eddie Awards… Full Winners List"],"The Hollywood Reporter, publication date. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
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