Raging Bull

Michael Westmore is a scion of the famed Westmore makeup dynasty, which dates back to Hollywood’s golden age. Starting in 1917, virtually every major studio’s makeup department was supervised by a member of the Westmore family. Michael has been the recipient of a record forty-two Emmy nominations, and has been presented with nine statuettes. The Motion Picture Academy has honored him with four nominations, and he won an Oscar® in 1986 for Mask. While supervising makeup on Star Trek, he turned his attention to writing articles and books on cosmetics and their application. His impact has not been limited to the US film industry.  Dasavathaaram (dir. K.S. Ravikumar, India, 2008), starred actor Kamal Haasan in ten different roles, each requiring protheses.  Michael’s work on this film was celebrated for its highly degree of technical difficulty. Michael is now writing his autobiography, which includes an account of the wonderful years he spent working with the faces of Elizabeth Taylor, Robert DeNiro, Bette Davis and Sylvester Stallone.

After studying psychology, theatre, and film, Anna Brusutti worked at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles and has taught cultural studies and film at various institutions. She curates two annual film events and collaborates with cultural organizations. She has welcomed the opportunity to teach in the Film and Media Studies department and has done so for a number of years, teaching courses in Italian cinema, film noir, and children’s media.