Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back
Close out the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival with a very special Star Wars Day screening and conversation with actor Anthony Daniels and Lucasfilm veteran and SFFILM Board Vice President Howard Roffman.
Highlights
Star Wars™: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back
This special event will be presented at the newly renovated Castro Theatre in collaboration with storied Bay Area entertainment leaders Lucasfilm and Another Planet Entertainment.
C-3PO Himself!
Actor Anthony Daniels who has portrayed the legendary golden droid C-3PO in every film of the Star Wars Saga will be in attendance for an onstage conversation with Lucasfilm veteran and SFFILM Board Vice President Howard Roffman.
Description
After the destruction of the Death Star, Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion’s defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin.
IN COLLABORATION WITH
Trailer
Biographies
Anthony was lucky enough to have been born with a vocation to be an actor. After acting school and winning a BBC Radio Award, he joined the National Theatre of Great Britain at The Young Vic. Whilst playing in Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1976), he got the call to meet George Lucas about a sci-fi movie. Given the difficulties of the proposed costume, Lucas was interested in Anthony’s acting and mime skills. It was Ralph McQuarrie‘s concept painting of the character that really grabbed his interest and, having read the script, he was thrilled to be given the role.
The success of A New Hope (1977) led to the sequels. Anthony found himself happily filming The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983). His participation in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) was as an off-camera voice, so he took over the arduous puppetry of the ‘naked’ C-3PO for Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). Fully gold and shining in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Anthony is the only actor to work on all eleven Star Wars films as C-3PO and, briefly, as Tak in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). He shone briefly again, but significantly, in Star Wars: Ahsoka (2023).
In 2019 he published his memoirs of his film experiences in “I AM C-3PO – The Inside Story”.
For the vast majority of Howard Roffman’s 37-year career with Lucasfilm, he worked side-by-side with filmmaker George Lucas overseeing the Star Wars franchise in his capacity as President of Lucas Licensing. Roffman joined Lucasfilm in 1980 as legal counsel and soon after was promoted to General Counsel. In 1984-1985, Roffman also served as acting Chief Operating Officer. He was asked to oversee Lucas Licensing in 1986, a role that continued until 2012 and which vested Roffman with the responsibility for the licensing and marketing of all Lucasfilm properties, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones. In 2012, following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Co., he transitioned to the role of Executive Vice President, Franchise Management, overseeing all activities related to the Star Wars brand. Roffman retired from Lucasfilm in 2017.
In recognition of his outstanding work with the Star Wars franchise, Roffman was selected as Entertainment Marketer of the Year in 1997 by Brandweek magazine, and again in 1999 by the Entertainment and Promotional Marketing Association. In 2012, Roffman was inducted into the Licensing Hall of Fame by the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA).
Prior to joining Lucasfilm, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Bryan Simpson on the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1977-1978. Thereafter, he worked as an associate at the Washington DC. law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius from 1978 through 1980. Roffman received a B. in History from the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He obtained his JD from the University of Florida College of Law. He is an inactive member of the California and Washington, D.C., Bar Associations.
Since 2005, Roffman has served on the Board of Directors of SFFILM. He also serves as the Board’s Vice President.
