- A Conversation with Film Editor Tom ROlf, A.C.E.
We welcome film editor Tom Rolf, A.C.E. to the SuperMeet. We will post complete details shortly. There will be time for questions.

About Tom Rolf
Jernst (Tom) Rolf, A.C.E. was born in Stockholm, Sweden on a New Year’s Eve, as he says, “long, long ago.” Both his parents were established entertainers (mother an actress, father an actor, singer, producer), so when Tom immigrated to America, it was probably predestined that he would end up in the entertainment field. After stints working as a ski patrolman, a seaman for the Norwegian Merchant Marine, and a three-year hitch in the U.S. Marines, he asked his stepfather, then a successful director at M-G-M, how he could get started on a similar career. The advice was to get into the cutting room: "You will learn everything about directing by being a film editor first."

Rolf became a member of the Editor’s Guild in the mid-fifties and spent the then-required eight years working as an apprentice and assistant editor, both in Europe and America before getting a chance to co-edit his first film, THE GLORY GUYS, for United Artists.

These beginnings lead to better assignments like UNDERGROUND, THE McKENZIE BREAK and THE HUNTING PARTY. Rolf was also involved in television at this time and was responsible for editing numerous segments of “Burke’s Law” and “The Big Valley,” plus a TV pilot entitled "The Savages". While associated with “The Big Valley,” Mr. Rolf served three years as Editorial Coordinator.

The turning point in Rolf’s career was Martin Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER (for which he received a British Film Academy nomination) and John Frankenheimer’s FRENCH CONNECTION II back-to-back – an experience that he attributes to “very good luck.” While he considers his work on Philip Kaufman’s THE RIGHT STUFF the most important (the film was awarded the Best Film Editing Oscar), his favorite editing assignment was JACOB'S LADDER, directed by Adrian Lyne. In addition to ACE Eddie nominations for THE HORSE WHISPERER and THE RIGHT STUFF, Rolf also received the ACE Eddie Award in 1984 for his work on WARGAMES and a Career Achievement Award from ACE.

Rolf’s other feature film credits include, among others, BLACK SUNDAY, BLUE COLLAR, 9 1/2 WEEKS, STAKEOUT, BLACK RAIN, SNEAKERS, THE PELICAN BRIEF, DANGEROUS MINDS, HEAT, THE DEVIL'S OWN and EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING for director Paul Schrader.

He is a past, two term, President of American Cinema Editors (ACE), and was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 15 years (5 terms).

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STAY TUNED FOR COMPLETE AGENDA

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