The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
(A non-profit organization founded in 1972)
(Annually presenting the prestigious Saturn Awards)
Spllced together with a dash of creativity, imagination, and a touch of magic.......
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films began under the leadership of Doctor Donald A. Reed, a noted film historian, who pioneered the idea of honoring and recognizing what we endearingly refer to as "genre entertainment". To understand the significance of his lifelong devotion to the arts and sciences, you need look no further than the 60 years he worked in honoring the artists who made the movies and their body of work. From Fritz Lang ("Metropolis") to James Cameron ("Aliens", "Avatar"), they all were a part of our organization which officially was born in 1972. From those early years to his passing in 2001, Dr. Reed, the leadership of the organiztion continued the tradition of recognizing filmmakers and television artistry who produced and directed some of the best entertainment in the world.
The organization honored Kurt Vonnegut with the first award in 1972. Since that first honor, there have been 45 awards ceremonies over the years. In 2022, the organization will have the distinction of reaching it's GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY at the half-century mark - 50 years.
Over this period, the academy has worked in building a membership which consists of screening and promoting films (in the Southern California). Over the years the group has participated in discussions with filmmakers, and bestowing awards of outstanding achievement with the Saturn Award trophy and Golden Scroll certificates.
Our list of awards show guests is plentiful. That list of participating guests and dignitaries include: Ray Bradbury, Gene Roddenberry, Fritz Lang, Gloria Swanson, Nichelle Nichols, Bryan Cranston, J.J. Abrams, Christopher Nolan, Ryan Coogler, John Barrowman, Jeff Ross, James Cameron, David Lynch, Billy Wilder, Christopher Lee, Guillermo del Toro, Burgess Meredith, William Shatner, John Williams, George Burns, Dean Devlin, Gale Anne Hurd, William Katt, Richard Donner, Michael Biehn, Dino DeLaurentiis, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Bryan Fuller, Yvette Nichole Brown, Vincent Price, Elsa Lanchester, Peter Jackson, Dario Argento, Jeff Bridges, Patrick Stewart, Bruce Campbell, KJ Apa, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Hamill, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Timothee Chalamet, Andrew Lincoln, Kirsten Dunst, Mel Brooks, Billy Dee Williams, David Hedison, and Leonard Nimoy (and we've barely touched the surface of our guests who have attended our events over the years).
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the graciousness of enertainment enthusiasts who enjoy and appreciate the films, filmmakers, and television creators to keep our mission statement in focus: honoring and supporting the arts and sciences of genre entertainment. We have been serving the enterainment industry for half a century.
Our Founder, Dr. Reed passed away in 2001. We will always celebrate his life and dedication to genre entertainment. His dedicated staff and leadership will continue his dream of honoring the most popular genres in film and television.
Past Honorees include:
(EARLY YEARS/LEGENDARY TALENTS):
Ann Robinson (star of War of the Worlds)
Bud Abbott (popular comedian who performed with Lou Costello)
Burgess Meredith (actor known for playing Batman's The Penguin)
Carl Laemmle (one of the early leaders in the film industry)
Dan Curtis (producer/director-The Night Stalker and Dark Shadows)
Darren McGavin (actor who starred in The Night Stalker)
Elsa Lanchester (actress known for being the Bride of Frankenstein)
Francis Lederer (genre actor with popular roles in the 60s)
Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek)
George Clayton Johnson (writer/author)
Gloria Swanson (screen star known for the film Sunset Boulevard.)
Helen Gahagen Douglas (actress known for the film She)
Herman Cohen (producer of classic horror films of the 50s)
Jack Arnold (director of classic horror films of the 50s & 60s)
John Agar (popular actor of the 50s & 60s)
Lon Chaney Jr. (actor known for his role as The Wolfman & The Mummy)
Ray Bradbury (one of the greatest storytellers of the century)
Ray Harryhausen (one of the greatest visionaries in film history)
Reginald Le Borg (director of notable films of the 50s & 60s)
Richard Matheson (legendary author of our century)
Rod Serling (creator/producer/writer of the classic series The Twilight Zone)
Rock Hudson (actor of the 50s, 60s, & 70s)
Robert Wise (legendary director of great classics films)
Roger Corman (producer/director of independent films in the 60s)
Rouben Mamoulian (legendary director of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde)
Robert Bloch (classic author)
Vincent Price (one of our genre's best actors)
Christopher Lee (Count Dracula himself)
Cubby Broccoli (iconic producer of films including the James Bond Series)
Dino De Laurentiis (producer of classic genre films such as Barbarella, King Kong)
Stan Lee (guiding force/editor of Marvel Comic books of the 60s)
(MORE RECENT YEARS):
Mel Brooks (the classic writer/director/comedian, actor)
Steven Spielberg (director/producer/writer and inspiration to all filmmakers)
Guillermo del Toro (Academy Award winner) (director, producer, and visionary)
J.J. Abrams (director and producer of film and television)
James Cameron (Academy Award winner) (film director and producer) Ryan Coogler (Film director and producer)
Jason Blum ("Blumhouse" - film producer)
Jordan Peele (actor/filmmaker)
Vince Gilligan (writer/producer/director of classic genre teleivsion series)
Wes Craven (director of film and television)
William Friedkin (director of The Exorcist and many other classic films)
Kevin Feige (the mastermind behind Marvel Films)
Bryan Fuller (writer/producer/creator of innovative series such as Hannibal)
Dean Devlin (producer/director/writer of films: Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla)
Drew Struzan (graphic artist well known for his poster art work)
Dustin Lance Black (Academy Award winner (Milk) who is a writer/producer and close friend to our Founder)
Frank Darabont (director/producer of film and television)
Gale Anne Hurd (producer of genre film and television series)
Gregory Nicotero (make-up effects artist and director/producer)
Jonathan Frakes (actor/director of television and film)
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)
Lance Henriksen (actor in film and television)
Lee Majors (the Six Million Dollar Man)
Malcolm McDowell (classic actor in film and television)
Mark Altman (author, producer, and film director)
Sherry Lansing (former Studio Leader and actress)
Stan Lee (guiding force/editor of Marvel Comic books of the 60s)
Tim and Donna Lucas (author and developers of visionary book on Mario Bava)
Sarah Schechter (television producer)
Mike Flanagan (writer/director/producer)
(And this is only a fraction of the notable guests we have recognized in the last 40 years)
Between 1972 - 2020, the Saturn Awards has focused on films which had a science fiction, fantasy and horror background. We expanded this reach to include other genres such as suspense, thriller, action, dark drama, and even comedy. Good examples of this blending of genres are Alien, the James Bond film series, Ghostbusters, Jurrasic Park, Indiana Jones, Jason Bourne, Back to the Future, Jumanji, and Silence of the Lambs. We also honor international and animated film releases.
We also began considering other areas of award recognization and added television as part of our nomination inclusion. This proved popular with the membership and we again expanded by adding home entertainment ( dvd, blu-ray and 4K). We certainly do not want to leave out local live stage presentation (stage plays). With the global crisis of 2020, we have had to consider the idea of expanding our nomination policy by including New Media categories such as VOD (video on Demand), and streaming, which has now become the status quo. It has yet to be determined if this will become an ongoing policy in opening up these new areas for nominations which would be blended in with the original awards rules and regulations.
In determining how to define genre entertainment we have utilized the terms "Enchanced Reality" and "Exaggerated Reality" to express our view. We have updated the awards process since the conceptual years of just science fiction, fantasy, and horror entertainment.
Our most infamous moment took place in 1978 when our fifth awards show, The Sci Fi Film Awards, was televised and aired in syndication around the country. The co-host of this awards show was actor William Shatner (who co-hosted with actress Karen Black). On the show, Elton John's writing partner Bernie Taupin introduced a song which William Shatner sang on the show. The song, Rocket Man, was made famous by Elton John. This performance was an eye opener. You can watch it on YouTube.
We have had a great assortment of emcees to host our annual event over the years. The list of hosts for the Saturn Awards include Dr. Donald A. Reed, Jay Jay Stone, Bruce Campbell, Larry Cohen, Bobbie Bresee, Byron Allen, Richard Hatch, Mark Hamill, Karen Black, William Shatner, William "Blacula" Marshall, Corey Feldman, Harry Blackstone, Jr., Adam West, Graham Chapman, Warwick Davis, Lance Reddick, John Barrowman, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sean Gunn, Jonah Ray and comedian and roast host Jeff Ross.
The purpose behind the Saturn Awards Organization is to recognize the fine talent who work in the most imaginative and creative fields of entertainment. These are the genres which spark the imagination and wow us with incredible visual grandeur. At the core of any and all awards shows, this recognition is a humble "thank you" to the hard work and innovation which is created in the arts and sciences of film production and televison entertainment.
The popular San Diego Comic Con is a beacon for popular culture. The films which keep the studios flush with defining entertaiment are the genre films. The Saturn Awards are in the mix in honoring the most successful film and television programming on a year to year basis and our goal is to continue recongizing the quality of these enjoyable genres which become a part of genre history. Please join and support our group. The membership/donation page can be found here:
http://www.saturnawards.org/Saturn-Awards-Membership.php
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films is
proud to annually present THE SATURN AWARDS.
