Sandra Piccolo Trailblazer Recipients
Kimberly Jimenez - 2024 Trailblazer
Senior Vice President Post Production Services, Sony Pictures
Kimberly Jimenez is Vice President of Post Production Services at Sony Pictures, where she leads the studio’s sound editorial and mixing departments. Since joining in 2018, she has overseen sound production for major films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Woman King, and Bullet Train, as well as hit TV shows like The Afterparty and The Blacklist. A Southern California native, Jimenez brings a rich legacy in entertainment sound, following in the footsteps of her father, Vince Gutierrez. Her career includes roles at Larson Sound, Soundelux, and NBCUniversal, with a focus on innovation and collaboration in sound production.
Mark Lanza - 2023 Trailblazer
Sound Supervisor, President of MPSE
Mark Lanza has been crafting sound for top movies and television for years. His first job in the industry was working for Oliver Stone. Some of his credits include Independence Day, True Lies, Natural Born Killers, JFK (for which he won a BAFTA), Homeland, Empire, and Electric Dreams. He has over 30 Golden Reel nominations to his name. Mark is currently working at Sony Pictures where he creates sound for TV’s top network and streaming shows. He is a past Vice-President of the Motion Picture Sound Editors.
Frank Morrone - 2022 Trailblazer
Emmy-Winning Sound Mixer
Frank Morrone is a two-time Emmy-winning Hollywood audio professional who has mixed sound for high profile television shows and movies including The Strain, LOST, Sleepy Hollow, The Kennedys, Copper, Boss, Ransom and Oscar winning When We Were Kings. He has worked with leading directors and producers including JJ Abrams, Guillermo del Toro, Gus Van Sant, Ron Howard, and Tim Burton.
Bernard Weiser - 2020/2021 Trailblazer
Supervising Sound Editor, President of EIPMA
Bernard Weiser has worked in motion pictures sound editing for the last 30 years on over 100 feature films. He is president of the Entertainment Industry Professionals Mentoring Alliance (EIPMA), a not-for-profit organization that offers specialized counselling and support to young people aiming to one day have a successful career in the industry. His work as a sound editor has earned him high praise and he has received Primetime Emmy nominations for True Detective, Deadwood, and Ted Lasso.
Alessandra Piccolo • 1961-2018
Executive Director, VFF
The Trailblazer Award is named in honour of Sandra Piccolo, a remarkable individual whose unwavering dedication and passion were integral to the foundation of the Vaughan International Film Festival. Sandra, who has sadly passed away, left an undeniable mark on the festival and everyone she worked with.
In her work for VFF, Sandra consistently placed her own well-being behind the needs of the festival. Every seemingly impossible obstacle that she faced became a simple challenge in need of a solution. Nothing stopped her; she faced the issues and found solutions while considering the comfort of everyone involved. She knew how to direct us all, not only for the continuing success of this film festival, but more importantly, for a vision of collaboration in a global community of filmmakers.
Naming this award after Sandra is a heartfelt tribute to her legacy, ensuring her spirit of resilience, collaboration, and vision continues to inspire the filmmaking community for generations to come.
Tom McCarthy - 2018 Trailblazer
Oscar Winner, Past President of MPSE
Tom McCarthy is a sound editor. At the 65th Academy Awards he won Best Sound Editing for Bram Stoker's Dracula. His Oscar was shared with David Stone. His current position is Executive Vice President of Post-Production Facilities at Sony Pictures Studios. In 2016 he was elected as the new President for the Motion Picture Sound Editors.