ACTOR - The Last Picture Show, Pound of Flesh
The oldest of four talented acting siblings, all born and raised in Santa Barbara, California -- Timothy Bottoms bloomed as a Youth Theater Production member that in 1967 toured Europe.  Following high school, Bottoms was spotted by Universal in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet and chosen -- with no prior film experience -- for a lead part in Director Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun (1971).  As Joe, a young American soldier who is shelled and left armless and legless on the last day of World War I, Bottoms received brilliant reviews and earned a Golden Globe nomination as “Most promising Newcomer.” The role of Texas boy Sonny in Peter Bogdanovich’s Oscar winner, The Last Picture Show (1971), propelled Tim into the big leagues.

ACTOR - Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs
Madsen first learned his craft at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he worked under John Malkovich, one of the theater's founders. His work received considerable notice after his knife-edged performance as deranged killer Vince Miller in Kill Me Again (1989) and then as Susan Sarandon's rough-edged boyfriend Jimmy in Thelma & Louise (1991). His big breakthrough, however, came as the sadistic jewel thief Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's low-budget hit Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Not to be typecast, Madsen surprised many with his performance as foster parent Glen Greenwood in the hit family movie Free Willy (1993) before returning to deliver edge-of-the-seat performances in Donnie Brasco (1997), Mulholland Falls (1996), and High Noon (2000, TV). In 2003 he teamed up again with Tarantino for both volumes of Tarantino's magnum martial arts/revenge opus Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004).

DIRECTOR - The A-Team, Smokin' Aces, Narc
Before becoming a Hollywood heavy-hitter -- and even before his work freelancing for ESPN and Fox Sports -- Carnahan began his career as a community producer and intern at Access Sacramento, cutting his teeth on small direct-to-tape movie projects while honing his craft at Sac State. He also worked as an editor at Sacramento's Channel 31 while writing and directing his first feature, Blood Guts, Bullets and Octane that screened at the earlier incarnation of SFF, the Sacramento Festival of Cinema. SFF and Norcal Film would later co-sponsor the 2007 world premiere of Smokin' Aces. The star-studded event featured a performance by rapper Common and visits from the film's star Jeremy Piven and Sacramento's own Chris Holley.

PRODUCER - Terminator, The Last Emperor, Platoon
Producer John Daly stood behind many big-budgeted independent films of the '80s and '90s and sustained a reputation as a successful risk-taker in a traditionally conservative Hollywood. Though considered a maverick by many moguls given his willingness to back films that the big studios wouldn't touch, Daly remained a savvy businessman with a sharp eye for moneymakers.

He demonstrated astonishing skill as a moviemaker and unveiled a predilection for standing behind directors in whom he believed - including Robert Altman (Images), Ken Russell (Tommy), Bernardo Bertolucci (Best Picture winner The Last Emperor) , James Cameron (Terminator), and Oliver Stone (Salvador and Best Picture winner Platoon).

DIRECTOR - Shrek, Shark Tale
Starting out as a cel painter at Hanna Barbera for shows like The Flintstones and Smurfs, Jenson continued to hone her craft, designing backgrounds and storyboards for animated series He-Man, Taz-Mania, Batman, and Jem.

Jenson joined Dreamworks in 1996, where she served as a story artist on Chicken Run and later directed Shark Tale and Shrek. Jenson's talent isn't limited to animation, however. Her live-action short Family Tree premiered at Sundance and won a multitude of awards between 2003 and 2004.

EDITOR/COMPOSER - The Usual Suspects, X-Men 2, Superman Returns
As an editor and composer for The Usual Suspects, Ottman gained immediate acclaim when he was nominated by the American Cinema Editors and won the British Academy Awards editing as well as a Saturn Award for his score to the film. Ottman has enjoyed continued success through his hard work, pulling double duty as both editor and composer for Apt Pupil, Urban Legends: Final Cut, X-Men 2, Superman Returns, and Valkyrie. Over the course of his career, he has scored over 40 films, including Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Fantastic Four, Invasion, and Orphan.

DIRECTOR - Eragon
In addition to supervising and contributing the visual effects for ILM's films Saving Private Ryan, Master and Commander, The Bourne Identity, and The Perfect Storm, Fengmeier made his directing debut with Fox's multi-million dollar smash hit Eragon (2006). Working with actors like Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich and directing a huge production spanning several countries has surely contributed to Fengmeier's positive attitude and continued success.

WRITER/PRODUCER - Night Tales, The Hustle
With two reality shows currently in the works and two theatrical releases scheduled, writer and producer Deon Taylor is considered one of the industry's hottest new talents. He is one of the duo behind Hooks and Taylor Entertainment, a self-contained production company transforming low budget films into multi-million dollar ventures. His feature film 7eventy5ive, starring Rutger Hauer, made its premiere at the Sacramento International Film Festival . In 2008, SFF also premiered Taylor's latest feature, The Hustle, a comedy starring Charlie Murphy that was filmed entirely in Sacramento. Taylor's talents are not limited to the big screen, however. The television series Night Tales stars Flavor Flav as an urban version of the Crypt Keeper and features Sacramento's Diana Irwin as screenwriter.