John Fishel

2009 IFF Humanitarian Award

John R. Fishel assumed the position of president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in 1992, after serving as the top professional executive at the Allied Jewish Community Services (the local Jewish federation) in Montreal, Canada since 1985.

Mr. Fishel joined Montreal’s Allied Jewish Community Services in 1982 as director of planning. Previously, he had served as executive director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and the Council Migration Services in Philadelphia; as planning associate at the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia; and as a resource developer for the Ohio State Department of Health.

Mr. Fishel was graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in anthropology and a Master’s of social welfare administration and policy from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Karen, have one child, Jessica, a college student.

Diane Warren

2009 IFF Visionary Award

Diane Warren is one of the most prolific songwriters of all time. Her songs have been featured in more than 100 motion pictures resulting in 6 Academy Award nominations. She has been nominated for 9 Grammys, 4 Golden Globes and has been named ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year 6 times. Warren has written hit songs for such artists as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Cher, Jennifer Hudson, Elton John, Faith Hill and Aerosmith, among many others. Warren also owns her publishing company, Realsongs, the most successful female-owned and operated business in the music industry. As an avid supporter of Israel, she recently wrote an anthem performed at the Tel Aviv Opera House in honor of The Peres Center for Peace.

Branko Lustig

2009 IFF Lifetime Achievement Award

Born in 1932 to a Croatian-Jewish family, Lustig was imprisoned for three years in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen during WWII. He began his film career in 1955 working on films like Fiddler on the Roof and The Tin Drum before landing a job on Meryl Streep’s unforgettable Sophie’s Choice. He received his first Oscar for Best Picture in 1993 for Schindler's List and his second for Gladiator in 2000. Lustig’s films include The Peacemaker, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, and American Gangster. He recently received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zagreb and teaches film production at the Academy of Dramatic Art.

Robert Lantos

2009 IFF Lifetime Visionary Award

Born in Budapest, raised in Montevideo and educated in Montreal, Robert Lantos has produced some 35 films including “Eastern Promises,” “Being Julia,” “Sunshine,” and “The Sweet Hereafter,” which have garnered Academy Award nominations, won Golden Globes, and the Grand Prix in Cannes. Mr. Lantos' most recently released film is the Cannes Award Winner “Adoration," and his next film is “Barney’s Version” starring Paul Giamatti, based on Mordecai Richler’s novel. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Letters from McGill University, is a Director of Entertainment One, Indigo Books, the Jewish Television Network, and is a member of the Order of Canada. He was the founder, Chairman & CEO of Alliance Communications, the Canadian media empire, which he sold in 1998.