If you hear the name “Gil Cates” and think it sounds familiar, it’s probably because Gil Cates, Sr. has produced the Academy Awards umpteen times over the last couple of decades. He was also the dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television from 1990 to 1997, and is the Artistic Director of UCLA’s Geffen Playhouse. He’s the uncle of actress Phoebe Cates… and he’s the father of director Gil Cates, Jr.

Cates, Jr. has been producing and directing his own films for nearly a decade now, and his latest film—Deal, set in the world of high-stakes televised poker and co-starring Hollywood legends Burt Reynolds and Charles Durning—was just released on DVD this week after a disappointing limited release in theaters earlier this year.

Past the Popcorn Managing Editor Greg Wright talks with Cates about studios, critics, and the “narcotic” effect of filmmaking.

By: Andy. This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm and is filed under Film. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.