Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen to discuss action filmmaking at NAB con in Vegas

Rob Cohen, director and producer of numerous blockbuster films including The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, XXX and The Fast and the Furious, will be a keynote speaker at the 2009 NAB Show in Las Vegas. In a morning session on Tuesday, April 21, Cohen will look at the role of action in motion pictures, how it represents the heart of the medium, encourages technical innovation, and deserves critical recognition that matches its audience appeal.

“From Battleship Potemkin to The Wild Bunch, the way action is realized on the screen is what separates motion pictures from other forms of visual storytelling,” said Cohen. “I’m excited to participate in the NAB Show, to share my thoughts about cinematic language and about what makes creating and watching films freeing and fun.”

The director’s latest project, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, was the first major studio release filmed entirely in China. The film grossed more than $400 million worldwide, opening at No. 1 in 90 percent of its territories.

Cohen’s credits also include Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, The Fast and the Furious and XXX and Dragonheart, the first major motion picture to feature a character totally rendered in computer graphics. Dragonheart was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and won a Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film of 1996.

Cohen has also worked in television, directing The Rat Pack, a critically acclaimed HBO television film starring Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna and Don Cheadle, which garnered 11 Emmy Award nominations and three wins. The tele-film also earned Cohen a nomination from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Direction of a Television Film.

The NAB Show will take place April 18 – 23, 2009 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 20). It is the world’s largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.