Greater Cleveland Film Commission held its annual Behind the Camera Fundraiser on Saturday, November 9th.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) hosted its annual Behind the Camera Fundraiser, with all proceeds benefitting our “Reel Education, Real Jobs, For All” workforce development programs.
GCFC’s annual Behind the Camera shone the spotlight on the organization’s impact, bringing investment into the region, creating jobs, and training the next generation of local film industry professionals. Funds raised from this event help the GCFC to connect locals to industry careers and drive out-of-state investment to Northeast Ohio.
This year’s event featured a heartwarming and humorous documentary screening, followed by a Q&A with Dr. Tucker, Guinness World Record “Oldest Practicing Doctor”, and his grandson Austin Tucker, the film’s producer who captured his amazing life story. The post-screening Q&A was moderated by attorney, professional actor, and former elected official Peter Lawson Jones.
Dr. Tucker taught neurology and treated patients at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, part of the Sisters of Charity Health System. At 102, he currently teaches medical and law students at Case Western Reserve University. In addition to practicing medicine for 75 years, Dr. Tucker is one of the oldest individuals ever to receive a law degree and pass the Ohio Bar Exam.
SPONSORS
Thank you to our generous sponsors for helping make this event possible!
ABOUT DR. TUCKER
Dr. Howard J. Tucker, MD, JD
Dr. Howard Tucker is a neurologist from Cleveland, Ohio who celebrated his 102nd birthday in July 2024. Recently named the “Oldest Practicing Doctor” by Guinness World Records, Dr. Tucker was teaching medical residents and treating patients throughout the pandemic at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. Dr. Tucker currently teaches medical and law students at Case Western Reserve University.
Prior to Case Western Reserve and St. Vincent, Dr. Tucker practiced neurology for many decades at University Hospitals and served as Chief of Neurology at Hillcrest Hospital. He began his career at Mount Sinai Hospital in Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic in the late 1940s. Additionally, Dr. Tucker practiced neurology at the Neurological Institute of Columbia in New York during the 1950s. Dr. Tucker is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, previously served as President of the Northern Ohio Neurological Society, and was a member of the Association for Research in Nervous & Mental Disease, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Society of Clinical Neurologists, and the Cleveland Academy of Medicine.
In addition to practicing medicine for over 75 years, Dr. Tucker attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and was one of the oldest individuals to receive a law degree and pass the Ohio Bar Exam in his late 60s. Having served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, Dr. Tucker would later serve as Chief of Neurology for the Atlantic Fleet during the Korean War. Dr. Tucker attended The Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies, where he was named Phi Beta Kappa, and received his M.D. from The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
In 2022, Dr. Tucker became a viral internet sensation, amassing over 70 million views and 100K followers across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. His story sparked widespread conversation online about aging, retirement, and pursuing one’s passion at any age. Additionally, Dr. Tucker has been featured on numerous outlets and shows including Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNN, People Magazine, The New York Times, and CNBC.
When not working, Dr. Tucker enjoys spending time with his wife of 67 years, Sue – a 91-year-old psychoanalyst – his four children and ten grandchildren, snowshoeing, exercising, and watching Cleveland sports.
ABOUT AUSTIN TUCKER
Austin Tucker currently works in Business Development & Operations at Paramount. Additionally, he is the lead singer and keyboardist for the Brooklyn-based rock band, Sweet Sienna, signed to Cleopatra Records.
As a musician, Austin has supported, performed, and recorded with numerous national acts such as George Lynch, Sebastian Bach, Warrant, Jack Russell, and others. He recently supported Ace Frehley at his New Haven performance.
A graduate of NYU Stern School of Business, Austin is the Executive Producer of Heirloom (2022) starring Isabella Rossellini and volunteers his time as Director of Business Development at the National Organization of Italian Americans in Film & Television (NOIAFT). He has also worked on many short film projects and previously worked at Universal Music Group, NBCUniversal, Warner Music Group, and AEG Presents.
ABOUT PETER LAWSON JONES
Peter Lawson Jones is an attorney, business consultant, professional actor, acting coach, dramatist, master of ceremonies and former elected official.
From February 2002, through December 2010, Jones, a graduate of Harvard College (magna cum laude in Government) and Harvard Law School, was a member of the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, and its president for three of those years. He previously served two and one-half terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he was the ranking member of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee and second vice president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. Jones was formerly the Vice Mayor and a Councilman in the City of Shaker Heights, Ohio. He presently serves, pursuant to a gubernatorial appointment, as a member of the Ohio Arts Council. For the fall term, commencing September, 2023, he served as a grand jury foreman with the General Division of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
Jones is the executive producer of Fatherhood 101 a documentary on the critical importance of responsible fatherhood. While a state legislator, he authored the legislation that created the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood and for serveral years served as its president. While a county commissioner, he founded the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative. In addition to the area of fatherhood programming, he is a consultant in government relations, community engagement and event planning as well as fundraising for arts organizations.
Jones, a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actor’s Equity, has appeared in well over twenty films (A Man Called Otto, White Boy Rick, Alex Cross, The Assassin’s Code, Starve), on network television (NBC’s Chicago Fire and ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7), and on stages throughout Northeast Ohio. He received the 2016 Indie Gathering International Film Festival Best Ohio Supporting Actor Award for his work in How to Change the World. Jones’s drama, The Family Line, has been successfully produced at Karamu House, Harvard University and Ohio University. His second play, The Bloodless Jungle, has enjoyed two full productions at Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Land of Cleve, an arts and culture blog, ranked the second production as one of the best in Northeast Ohio in 2017. The play has enjoyed staged readings at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Dallas Convention Center, the National Black Theatre Festival, Duquesne University and in Harlem. His most recent work, The Phoenix Society, enjoyed a successful premiere at Playwrights Local in Cleveland in 2022. The drama was commissioned by the Life Exchange Center, a Cleveland nonprofit that assists those in recovery from mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Amongst his numerous honors and awards, Jones was enshrined into the Karamu House Hall of Fame (2004) and the Shaker Heights Alumni Association Hall of Fame (1987). He has also been inducted into The HistoryMakers (2023).
Jones and his spouse Lisa are the proud parents of three children: Ryan Charles, Leah Danielle and Evan Cooke. With the birth of Jordan Peter Jones on September 6, 2024, they have just become grandparents.
EVENT PHOTOS
