Emmy Rossum Hosts 2015 Costume Designers Guild Awards Tonight

The star-studded 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards with Presenting Sponsor LACOSTE will take place tonight, February 17, 2015 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Actress Emmy Rossum will host the Awards Gala. Acclaimed producer, director and screenwriter Richard Linklater, Costume Designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers, and scholar Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis will receive honorary awards throughout the evening.

Emmy Rossum has captivated audiences with her diverse, extraordinary talents for over a decade. Born in New York City in 1986, Rossum earned her high-school degree through Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) and Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development (CTD). She began her theatrical career at the age of seven when she sang at the Metropolitan Opera at LINCOLN Center.

Rossum's acting performance in "Songcatcher," at the age of 13, earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the category of "Best Debut Performance." In 2004, her starring performance as "Christine" in "The Phantom of the Opera" earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination, as well as the National Board of Review's "Best Female Breakthrough Performance" Award. Rossum currently stars in Showtime's dark comedy series "Shameless," which is based on the long-running British series of the same title. Her previous television credits include guest-starring appearances on "Law and Order" and "The Practice." Her other recent work includes "You're Not You" alongside Josh Duhamel and Hilary Swank, Shawn Christensen's "Before I Disappear" and "Comet" opposite Justin Long. Other film credits include Warner Bros.' "Beautiful Creatures," "DARE" alongside Zach Gilford, "Dragonball," "Poseidon," "The Day After Tomorrow" with Jake Gyllenhaal, and the Clint Eastwood-directed drama "Mystic River."

This year, Richard Linklater will receive the Distinguished Collaborator Award in recognition of his support of Costume Design and creative partnerships with Costume Designers. Most recently, Linklater wrote, produced and directed the Golden-Globe winning film "Boyhood," which depicts the life of a young boy named Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane. Linklater collaborated with Costume Designer Kari Perkins on the epic 12-years-in-the-making film, which also stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents, and Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha. "Boyhood" charts the rocky terrain of childhood, parenting and growing up.

On Sunday, "Boyhood" won three Golden Globes; for best motion picture drama and best director honors for Linklater, while Patricia Arquette received the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in the film.

Linklater's list of film credits include "Slacker," "Dazed and Confused," "Before Sunrise," "Waking Life," "Tape," "School of Rock," "Before Sunset" (which earned him an Academy Award® nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay), "A Scanner Darkly," "Bernie," and "Before Midnight" (which earned him a second Academy Award® nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay). Linklater also serves as the Artistic Director for the Austin Film Society, which he founded in 1985.

Aggie Guerard Rodgers is this year's recipient of the Career Achievement Award, an honor that recognizes her body of work in film. Rodgers made her film debut with "American Graffiti" in 1973. Having graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1970 with a Master's degree in theatre costume design, Rodgers had no experience in film costuming when she was hired as the Costume Designer for George Lucas' groundbreaking film, "American Graffiti." Due to her experience growing up in Fresno, Calif., her understanding of the script and the vision Lucas had for the film, she got the job. It was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who hired her again the following year for "The Conversation." Her next film was "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" which was produced by Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas.

When asked about her favorite film experience, Rodgers always credits "The Color Purple," for which she received an Oscar nomination. Two of her other favorite films were produced in the 1980's: "Beetlejuice" and "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension." Rodgers has continued to design for film and over the last decade worked on "Rent," "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," "Holes," "Life or Something Like It," and "Fruitvale Station."

Esteemed award-winning actor Harrison Ford will present the award to Rodgers. The two have worked together on numerous films, spanning over 40 years, including "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi," "The Fugitive," "American Graffiti," "The Conversation," and "More American Graffiti."

The 2015 Edith Head Award for the Advancement and Education of the Art of Costume Design will be presented to Costume Designer and scholar Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis, a CDG member, a two-term past-president and a costume design activist for nearly 40 years. Dr. Landis received an M.F.A. in Costume Design from UCLA and a PhD in the History of Design from the Royal College of Art, London. She is the Founding Director and Chair of the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Deborah Nadoolman Landis's distinguished motion picture career includes "Coming to America," for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, "An American Werewolf in London," the iconic Indiana Jones and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Animal House" and the music video "Michael Jackson's Thriller." Dr. Landis is the author of many books including "Screencraft/Costume Design," "Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design," "Filmcraft/Costume Design," "Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century of Costume Illustration" and "Hollywood Costume," the award winning catalogue of the landmark EXHIBITION that she curated at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

With the support of presenting sponsor LACOSTE, the red carpet, black-tie awards gala celebrates outstanding Costume Design in film, television and commercials. The CDGA has become a marquee event of the Hollywood awards season, notable for its lively, fun, warm and engaging celebration of Costume Designers and their essential contribution to film and television. The awards presentation will honor the work of Costume Designers in seven categories, including contemporary, period and fantasy film.

The 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards will be produced by JumpLine, with Executive Producer JL Pomeroy, Supervising Producer Sarah Cowperthwaite, and Producer Demetra Stavrakas.

For more information about the awards, visit www.jumpline-group.com/tix. Call (310) 491-1401 for ticket inquiries or (310) 207-4410 for sponsorship/advertising/congratulatory messages.

For more information on the Beverly Hilton, visit www.beverlyhilton.com.

For updates and live tweeting during the show, follow @CostumeAwards - #CDGA17

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