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Thousands of kids are about to get a major dose of emotion. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday, is treating 4,000 underprivileged fifth and sixth grade students to a screening of the acclaimed Pixar film Inside Out, followed by a Q&A with one of the filmmakers. Not only does Sbiff provide free transportation for the students, but it also offers key necessities for watching a movie - refreshments and popcorn. It's all part of the festival's growing community outreach initiatives. "It makes everything fulfilling," Sbiff director Roger Durling tells People exclusively. "That's the reason why we do what we do.

Thousands of kids are about to get a major dose of emotion. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday, is treating 4,000 underprivileged fifth and sixth grade students to a screening of the acclaimed Pixar film Inside Out, followed by a Q&A with one of the filmmakers. Not only does Sbiff provide free transportation for the students, but it also offers key necessities for watching a movie - refreshments and popcorn. It's all part of the festival's growing community outreach initiatives. "It makes everything fulfilling," Sbiff director Roger Durling tells People exclusively. "That's the reason why we do what we do.

By Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

It’s easy to become cynical and jaded over the course of the long and combative Oscar season, but not even the biggest grouch could have done anything but smile on Wednesday as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival hosted nearly 5,000 local elementary school students — many from underprivileged communities — at two screenings of The Lego Movie, both of which were followed by Q&As with the popular animated film’s directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

The program that made this all possible has taken place for each of the last 11 years, but has been known as “Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies” for the last three years, ever since Mike deGruy, a Santa Barbara resident and good friend of the festival — and its director Roger Durling — who had always championed outreach and educational initiatives at Sbiff, died in a helicopter crash while shooting a film in Australia.

You would think James Cameron would want to rest. The 59-year old behind the two highest-grossing movies of all time—Avatar and Titanic, in addition to all the technology required to make those films a reality—has earned himself the right to a leisurely retirement. But there’s no rest for his curiosity.

Cameron’s latest endeavor, Deepsea Challenge 3D, is indication that he will never stop exploring. “I’m just a very curious person, I guess,” Cameron said in a recent interview on EW Radio. “It’s what attracts me to science, to engineering. I like to build things and see if they work.

The family of one of the two filmmakers who died in a helicopter crash in February 2012 has slapped James Cameron's production company Lightstorm Entertainment with a wrongful death lawsuit. The estate of Michael DeGruy is suing Lightstorm, Cameron Pace Group and Earthship Productions alleging wrongful death and survival claims against the defendants, who the suit says "owned, operated, designed, manufactured, sold, tested, maintained, selected an/or entrusted the subject helicopter and subject pilot." In a suit filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the plaintiffs seek punitive damages and pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages to be determined during the

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In this roundup from the Encore and Mumbrella Annual, we look back at the year in film.

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With George Miller’s Happy Feet Two opening on Boxing Day, Mumbles the penguin and his friends are still doing a roaring trade at the box office throughout January, taking $11.08m in total.

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Hollywood director James Cameron opens an Australian office of his company Cameron Pace Group in mid-January to be run by managing director Andrew Wight, producer of Sanctum. Wight sadly dies in a helicopter crash in early February with ocean cinematographer Mike deGruy.

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The Australian Film Institute launches the new-look Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards with Red Dog winning best film. Justin Kurzel picks up a gong for best direction for Snowtown. Legendary cinematographer Don McAlpine receives the Raymond Longford award for lifetime achievement.

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Director Alex Proyas’s Paradise Lost, due to shoot at Fox Studios, is scrapped due to a budgetary dispute.

Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron announced today that he will attempt to reach the world's deepest point, the Mariana Trench, nearly 7 miles (11.2 km) beneath the ocean's surface, in the coming weeks. Cameron's dive in his specially designed submersible marks the launch of DeepSea Challenge, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.

Cameron's historic DeepSea Challenge expedition will be the first extensive scientific exploration by a manned vehicle to the Mariana Trench's lowest point, the "Challenger Deep." Cameron plans to spend six hours at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean trench, some 200 miles (322 km) southwest of Guam, to collect samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics.

Relying on advanced engineering and technologies created by Cameron and his team,...

Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic

Explorer and filmmaker James Cameron emerges from the hatch of Deepsea Challenger during testing of the submersible in Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, Australia. In the coming weeks the vessel will travel to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and is the centerpiece of Deepsea Challenge, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research

Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron announced today that he will attempt to reach the world’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench, nearly 7 miles (11.2 km) beneath the ocean’s surface, in the coming weeks. Cameron’s dive in his specially designed submersible marks the launch of Deepsea Challenge, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.

As reported by al.com, documentary filmmakers Andrew Wight and Mike deGruy were killed this past weekend in Australia when a helicopter malfunctioned during take-off.

A excerpt from a Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival newsletter puts the measure of grief into better words than we can. Scroll to the bottom for ways to honor the memory of Mike deGruy.

We grow closer in times of shared sadness, and this week the international documentary film community grieves the devastating loss of two well-loved and deeply respected colleagues. Andrew Wight, known to his ...

Award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia, their employer National Geographic said Sunday.

Police said two people - an Australian pilot and an American passenger - died Saturday when their helicopter crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles (156 kilometers) south of Sydney, but did not immediately release the victims' identities. Australia's ABC News reported that Wight was piloting the helicopter when it crashed.

National Geographic and Titanic director James Cameron confirmed the victims' identities in a joint statement that said "the deep-sea community lost two of its finest" with the deaths of the two underwater documentary specialists.

David Bennett, president of Australia's South Coast Recreational Flying Club, said the pair had set off to film a documentary when they crashed.

Los Angeles (AP) — Mike deGruy, an award-winning cinematographer who spent three decades making documentary films about the ocean, was killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia. He was 60. His employer, National Geographic, said Sunday that deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight died Saturday. Their helicopter crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney, police said. Australia's ABC News reported that Wight was piloting the copter when it crashed. DeGruy won multiple Emmy and British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, awards for cinematography. An accomplished diver and submersible pilot,...

Sadly after just unveiling that he was to be Managing Director of James Cameron's newly established Australian based office, Cameron Pace - which specialises in 3D technologies - it was reported that Andrew Wight, and cinematographer Mike deGruy, died in a helicopter crash on Saturday in Nowra.   A long time friend and collaborator of Cameron, the 51-year-old Wight has worked with the famed director on a number of films including the underwater documentaries Ghosts Of The Abyss and Aliens Of The Deep which utilised and refined groundbreaking technology.

Australian filmmaker Andrew Wight was killed over the weekend in a tragic helicopter crash. He was 52.

Best known for producing and co-writing last year.s 3D feature film Sanctum, Wight and American cinematographer Mike deGruy, who also died in the crash,.were flying around Nsw.s south coast when the chopper crashed.

A Nsw police media report said emergency services were called to the scene at about 3.55pm on Saturday at an airstrip in Jaspers Brush, near Nowra. Nsw Police and other emergency services attended and found the helicopter . a Robinson R-44 . well alight.

The pair were working together on a new National Geographic project when the accident happened.

National Geographic Society president Tim Kelly paid tribute to the pair, saying both Andrew and Mike were part of the society.s extended family.

.Our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to their loved ones. They accomplished so much, but were taken too early,...

Australian filmmaker Andrew Wight was killed over the weekend in a tragic helicopter crash. He was 52. Best known for producing and co-writing last year.s 3D feature film Sanctum, Wight and American cinematographer Mike deGruy, who also died in the crash,.were flying around Nsw.s south coast when the chopper crashed. A Nsw police media report said emergency services were called to the scene at about 3.55pm on Saturday at an airstrip in Jaspers Brush, near Nowra. Nsw Police and other emergency services attended and found the helicopter . a Robinson R-44 . well alight. The pair were working together on a new National Geographic project when the accident happened. National Geographic Society president Tim Kelly paid tribute to the pair, saying both...

Australian filmmaker Andrew Wight was killed over the weekend in a tragic helicopter crash. He was 52. Best known for producing and co-writing last year.s 3D feature film Sanctum, Wight and American cinematographer Mike deGruy were flying around Nsw.s south coast when the chopper crashed, apparently just after taking off. A Nsw police media report said emergency services were called to the scene at about 3.55pm on Saturday at an airstrip in Jaspers Brush, near Nowra. Nsw Police and other emergency services attended and found the helicopter . a Robinson R-44 . well alight. It is believed that the pair was working together on a new National Geographic project when the accident happened. National Geographic Society president Tim Kelly paid tribute to...

Australian filmmaker Andrew Wight was killed over the weekend in a tragic helicopter crash. He was 52. The writer/director, best known for co-producing and co-writing last year.s 3D feature film Sanctum, and American cinematographer Mike deGruy were flying around Nsw.s south coast when the chopper crashed, apparently just after taking off. A Nsw police media report said emergency services were called to the scene at about 3.55pm on Saturday at an airstrip in Jaspers Brush, near Nowra. Nsw Police and other emergency services attended and found the helicopter . a Robinson R-44 . well alight. It is believed that the pair was working together on a new National Geographic project when the accident happened. National Geographic Society president Tim Kelly...

Moviemaker James Cameron has paid tribute to two top film executives who died in a helicopter crash in Australia on Saturday, revealing he has worked with both.

Cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian film producer Andrew Wight were working on a documentary when the helicopter they were passengers in burst into flames shortly after take-off near Sydney.

A statement Cameron gave to The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday reads, "Mike and Andrew were like family to me. They were my deep-sea brothers, and both were true explorers, who did extraordinary things and went places no human being has been.

"They died doing exactly what they loved most, heading out to sea on a new and personally challenging expedition, having fun in the way they defined it for themselves, which was hardship and toil to achieve something never done before. They were passionate storytellers who lived by the explorer’s code of humor, empathy, optimism, and courage. Their deaths are a tremendous loss for the world of underwater exploration, conservation, and filmmaking."

Both men had worked closely with Cameron - Emmy Award winner DeGruy specialised in underwater cinematography, while Wight wrote and produced acclaimed 2011 3D film Sanctum, which was produced by Cameron.

The Avatar director adds, "Andrew was kind and loyal, full of life and a sense of fun, and above all, a careful planner who stressed safety to everyone on his team every single day. It is cruelly ironic that he died flying a helicopter, which was second nature to him like driving a car would be to most people.”...

Andrew Wight and Mike deGruy, two filmmakers known for their collaborations with director James Cameron, have died in a helicopter crash. Wight, a 51-year-old Australian film and television writer and producer, and deGruy, a 60-year-old American cinematographer, crashed just minutes after takeoff on the south coast of New South Wales yesterday. Wight worked often with James Cameron, and wrote the 2011 film Sanctum, which Cameron co-produced. The Australian-made film earned $$100m internationally at the box office, and was inspired by Wight's near-death experience diving in an underwater cavern. He was also the manager of Cameron's 3D production (more)...

Cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia, their employer National Geographic said Sunday. Police said two people -- an Australian pilot and an American passenger -- died Saturday when their helicopter crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney, but did not immediately release the victims' identities.  Also read: "Sanctum" Looks Great But Sinks When They Open Their Mouth National Geographic and "Titanic" director James Cameron confirmed the victims' identities in a joint statement that said...

Oscar-winning director James Cameron is reacting to the death of two filmmakers whose helicopter crashed Saturday on the south coast of Australia. Mike deGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, and Andrew Wight, 51, of Victoria, Australia, both of whom had worked closely with Cameron, were reportedly scouting locations for a documentary. DeGruy was a multiple BAFTA- and Emmy-award winner, and specialized in underwater cinematography. Wight wrote and produced last year's 3D film Sanctum, which was produced by Cameron and earned more than $100 million worldwide. According to local reports, a shared love of diving led to the friendship between Wight

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With the Us and Israel insisting that "all options remain open, including military action, if Iran continues with its uranium enrichment program" and Iran snapping back that it'll stage "a reciprocal attack" if provoked, as the AP reports today, a little speed-bump in the Oscar race looks pretty damn trivial. Nonetheless, in today's Observer, Saeed Kamali Dehghan reports that "Masoud Ferasati, an Iranian writer whose views are close to those of the Islamic regime, said [recently on state-run television]: 'The image of our society that A Separation depicts is the dirty picture westerners are wishing for.' Ferasati added that political motivations were behind the many awards for Iranian films in the past two decades, and said an Oscar for A Separation should not be welcomed by Iranians." According to Dehghan, though, many "ordinary Iranians," have indeed welcomed the slew of awards Asghar Farhadi's film has garnered, beginning with the Golden and...

Titanic director James Cameron pays tribute to his deep-sea brothers who had accomplished 'extraordinary things'

The American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have been killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia.

Police said two people – a pilot and a passenger – died on Saturday when their aircraft crashed soon after takeoff near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney, but did not immediately release the victims' identities. ABC News reported that Wight had been piloting the helicopter.

The pair's employers, National Geographic and the Titanic director, James Cameron, confirmed the victims' identities, adding that "the deep-sea community had lost two of its finest" with the deaths of the underwater documentary specialists.

David Bennett, president of Australia's South Coast Recreational Flying Club, said the men had set off to film a documentary when they crashed.

DeGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, California, had won multiple Emmy and Bafta awards for cinematography.

Sydney — Award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia, their employer National Geographic said Sunday.

Police said two people – an Australian pilot and an American passenger – died Saturday when their helicopter crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles (156 kilometers) north of Sydney, but did not immediately release the victims' identities. Australia's ABC News reported that Wight was piloting the helicopter when it crashed.

National Geographic and "Titanic" director James Cameron confirmed the victims' identities in a joint statement that said "the deep-sea community lost two of its finest" with the deaths of the two underwater documentary specialists.

David Bennett, president of Australia's South Coast Recreational Flying Club, said the pair had set off to film a documentary when they crashed.

DeGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, California, won multiple Emmy and British Academy of Film and Television Arts,...

Two top film executives have died in a helicopter crash in Australia on Saturday.

Award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian producer Andrew Wight died at the scene when the chopper crashed soon after take off in Nowra, outside of Sydney.

A spokesperson at the National Geographic channel, for which the pair were working on a documentary, has confirmed the tragedy.

DeGruy had won several Emmys and BAFTA awards for his work, while Wright was the writer/producer of 3D movie Sanctum, Australia's biggest box office hit in 2010.

An Australian writer-producer who worked with James Cameron and an American cinematographer have died in a helicopter crash, reports Australia's NewsComAu. The victims of the crash were Mike deGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, and Andrew Wight,  51, of Victoria, Australia. The men's helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff Saturday afternoon on the south coast of Australia. The filmmakers were reportedly scouting locations for a documentary. DeGruy was a multiple BAFTA- and Emmy-award winner, and specialized in underwater cinematography. Wight earned acclaim for his role in writing and producing last year's 3D film Sanctum, which earned more than $100

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Producer Andrew Wight (right), best known for his collaboration with James Cameron on Sanctum, and cinematographer Mike deGruy, among whose credits is the documentary Deep Blue, have died earlier today as their helicopter crashed while taking off from an airstrip south of Berry in New South Wales, Australia. Wight, from the Australian state of Victoria, was 51; deGruy, from Santa Barbara, California, was 60. According to the Melbourne Herald Sun, they were scouting locations for a a documentary at Jervis Bay, Nsw. Avatar and Titanic's James Cameron was reportedly involved in the project as well. In addition to various Adventures of the Quest programs for Australian television and other TV fare (e.g., Last Mysteries of the Titanic), Andrew Wight produced a couple of features: the aforementioned Sanctum, for which James Cameron received credit as co-producer, and Aliens of the Deep, a 2005 documentary co-directed by Cameron and Steven Quale. Purportedly based...

A 51-year-old Australian film/TV writer-producer and a 60-year-old American cinematographer died in a helicopter crash shortly after takeoff on the New South Wales south coast today. Oz news reports describe Andrew Wight as James Cameron’s ‘right-hand man’ in Melbourne and was piloting the craft with Santa Barbara-based Mike deGruy aboard. Wight was writer-producer of the most successful Australian movie of 2011, the 3D film Sanctum executive produced by Cameron, as well as general manager of Cameron’s first 3D production company outside the U.S., the Melbourne-based Cameron Pace. DeGruy specialized in underwater cinematography and had won multiple BAFTA and Emmy awards for his camera artistry. Wight was a diver/explorer whose Sanctum screenplay took in $100M worldwide at the box office and was based on his own near-death experience in an underwater cave. The pair were believed scouting locations for an upcoming project together said to be a documentary about Papua,...

Cameron (left) and Wight

Sanctum co-creator Andrew Wight has been killed in a helicopter accident near Nowra in New South Wales, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Wight was the producer of the James Cameron-backed Sanctum, which was Australia’s first live 3D feature. He also produced a string of TV documentaries as well as James Cameron’s Titanic doco Ghosts of the Abyss.

A few days ago, Wight opened an office in Melbourne for Cameron Pace Group. It was the first international office for Cameron’s 3D company. In the announcement Wight spoke of his pride at bringing the office to Australia.

Also killed in the helicopter crash was ocean cinematographer Mike deGruy.

In 2010, deGruy gave a talk to Ted in which he described his filming experiences in Australia:...