Hotel Rwanda

Terry George (born December 20, 1952) is an Northern Irish screenwriter and director. Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, much of his film work (e.g. The Boxer, Some Mother’s Son, and In the Name of the Father) involves “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

He was nominated for two Oscars: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (1993; In the Name of the Father), and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (2004; Hotel Rwanda). On 26 February 2012, he received an Oscar in the live action short film category for The Shore.

George was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1971 he was arrested for suspicion of involvement with the terrorist Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). He later became involved with the Irish Republican Socialist Party. He was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison and was released in 1978 for good behavior. In 1981, he moved to New York City. He faced deportation proceedings but was allowed to remain in the United States following a lobbying campaign by Irish-American supporters and was granted an “O” visa.

In 1985, he made his debut as playwright of The Tunnel, a stage drama based on a prison escape from Long Kesh prison camp.In 1986 he researched the non-fiction book The Pizza Connection with American journalist Shana Alexander. In 1993, he made his debut as screenwriter and assistant director with In the Name of the Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, and directed and co-written by Jim Sheridan. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including best adapted screenplay for George and Sheridan. He directed and scripted the film Some Mother’s Son, starring Helen Mirren and Fionnula Flanagan, for which he was named Young European Director of the Year, in 1996.

From 2000-04, he served as executive producer and co-creator of the CBS fall drama The District with Craig T. Nelson, David O’Hara and Lynne Thigpen. He and Billy Ray received screenplay credits for the World War II drama Hart’s War in 2002. He earned his second Academy Award nomination in 2004 for directing, producing and co-writing Hotel Rwanda, which starred Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo. The film received three Academy award nominations, including best original screenplay for George and his stepdaughter, Oorlagh George, whom he later adopted. George and his wife, Rita, have a son.

Along with fellow film writer, William Monahan, and famed musician, Van Morrison, George was honored at the 2nd Annual Oscar Wilde Honoring Irish Writing in Film ceremony, held at the Ebell Wilshire in Los Angeles, California on February 22, 2007. Later that year, he directed Reservation Road. —Wikipedia