Brian Grazer and Ron Howard To Be Honored With National Mental Health Awareness Campaign 'Awareness' Awards for Their Film, 'A Beautiful Mind'; Inaugural Awards Recognize Individuals Who Have Helped Destigmatize Mental Illness and Broaden Awareness and Understanding.

WASHINGTON -- The National Mental Health Awareness Campaign (NMHAC) will bestow its first annual Awareness Awards on Producer Brian Grazer and Director Ron Howard for their work on the film "A Beautiful Mind," NMHAC chair Gail Kamer Lieberfarb announced today.

The Universal Pictures-DreamWorks Pictures-Imagine Entertainment production, starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly, was inspired by the life of John Forbes Nash, Jr., the mathematical genius who battled schizophrenia and eventually went on to win the Nobel Prize. Akiva Goldsman based his screenplay in part on the biography "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar.

"NMHAC is pleased to recognize Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for their sensitivity and understanding of the fine line between fantasy and reality faced by individuals living with an illness of the brain," said Ms. Kamer Lieberfarb. "The Campaign honors the filmmakers' innovation and creativity in creating a motion picture that promotes greater awareness of mental health issues and helps people view mental illness as a treatable disease rather than a character flaw."

Tipper Gore, Honorary Chair, added: "The stigma associated with mental illness has kept so many people from seeking the help they need. As we begin to better understand the science of the brain, and as new and more effective treatments for a variety of mental illnesses emerge, messages like those found in this film can help even more people overcome stigma and seek treatment."

Both Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will receive their awards at an event hosted by Jack Valenti, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, in Washington, D.C., on January 30th. Tipper Gore and members of NMHAC's Board of Directors, including Dr. Howard Goldman, executive editor of the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Illness, and Dr. Lew Judd, former director of the National ...