please welcome benh zeitlin. thank you for coming on. >> absolutely. >> stephen: what a whierlwind for you. >> absolutely. it's been katia putted. >> stephen: you really have. you are a filmmaker, composer, am nateor, something called click 14 a collective. what does that mean snrvelings a group of artists of all different kinds that come together to make the films, boat builders, sculptures, everybody gets together. >> stephen: did they work ton this film? >> they did stoonchts you are director and cowriter of "beasts of the southern wild." this is your first feature, as i said, nominated for four oscars. what is that like? [laughter] >> everybody wants to know. it's surreal. i don't know. you know, it's -- we never really imagined any of this happening. i've never been to los angeles before this happened. >> stephen: oh, you're going to love it. >> it's a bizarre experience we never expected any of this. >> stephen: it takes place at the very absolute bottom of the mississippi delta a place called the bathtub.

all of the people, benh zeitlin, everybody, they used to get doughnuts, and they used to put fliers athe bakery. "if anybody wants to appear in an upcoming feature film, poll the number and give us a call." 1 dick armey in the producer, were sitting in the bakery, so i decided to pull the number and go over there and cast. i went over there are, and he gave me a script. he gave the actress a script. we went back and forth with the actress, and we did it well, and i said, "see you later." i went back to the bakery. and then, michael called me back for another reading, and he said, "mr. zeitlin loved the reading." so i went back and did another reading, and i again said, "see you later." i never thought i was going to get it. i was, basically, it "see you later, michael." during that time, i had moved to my bakery to a bigger location, and they were looking for me to give me the part, but nobody knew where i've is back. -- where i was at. there is nobody who knew where mr. henry was at. tavis: the next time you move, let me know where you are going to be. if he cannot find you, there are

>> rose: welcome to the program, we begin this evening with benh zeitlin, the oscar nominated writer and director of the much talked about movie "beasts of the southern wild" >> you know, it's a film that's about how to survive loss. noonted just physically survive loss but emotionally, you know, survive loss with your joy intact. and that was the connection between the two things. you know, there was this story that i was interested in about these communities in south louisiana that were losing their land. but when you go there and you meet the people there isn't this sort of sorrow, there isn't this, you know, there isn't people feeling sorry for themselves, there is a real pride in staying and a joy in the culture that remains. and then that was sort of a parallel to the story of this little girl who has to survive the loss of a parent. and the connections between the loss of a parent and the loss of a place were what really resonated to me and that is something that i didn't necessarily understand when i started making the film. but which i saw was true. and i think that's sort o

from "beasts of the southern wild," oscar-nominated director, benh zeitlin, and oscar-nomina

i am being join by my first guest, benh zeitlin, how old are you, 20? >> i actually just turned 30. promise. >> if you whip, you will be the youngest ever director to win an oscar. >> that true? >> apparently. >> you know about that incredible to be here my first time, getting to meet people i grew up watching, an incredible feeling. >> i think the youngest director of a feature film, what they are telling me, pretty extraordinary. >> i didn't know that. >> you didn't know that? >> un-unh. no. i didn't know. it is a crazy experience what happened to us this year, we were troubling through the swal blow our friends last year thinking we would be back making another movie by now just on our own and now, here we are. >> how do you feel to be up against people like steven spielberg, people of that magnitude this kind of thing? >> it is an unbelievable honor. i have so much respect for the work of the other directors in the category and, you know, you know, for me, it's -- i feel good to be here representing, you know, a very, very independent form of independent film >> you know, so hop

benh zeitlin, "beasts of the southern wild." ang lee, "life of pi." steven spielberg, "lincoln.". russell, "silver linings playbook", -- >> and the oscar goes to ang lee. [ applause ] >> including this nomination for best picture for "life of pi," this is the second academy award nomination for ang lee and his second oscar win. >> thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you so much. thank you, movie god. [ laughter ] i really need to share this with all 3,000, everybody work with me in "life of pi." i want to thank you for -- i really want to thank you for believing this story and sharing this incredible journey with me. i need to thank yann martel for writing this incredibly inspiring book and everyone at fox, thank you for taking the leap with me, jim and elizabeth gabeler. my producers, gil netter, david womark, david lee. wonderful cast, where are you, you're a miracle. the young pi carrying the movie. every one of you in the cast, i cannot waste this time talking about them. you hold a golden statue in my heart. i cannot make this movie without the help of taiwan, out there

from "beasts of the southern wild," oscar-nominated director, benh zeitlin, and oscar-nominated actress, quvenzhane wallis. the music of lisa loeb. and "battle of the jaywalk all-stars." and now, jay leno! [ cheers and applause ] captions paid for by nbc-universal television captions by vitac www.vitac.com ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jay: thank you very much! welcome to "the tonight show." thank you! thank you very much! [ cheers and applause ] thank you! thank you! you all -- you -- [ cheers and applause ] you sound like you're all ready for the super bowl sunday, yeah? [ cheers ] here's some silly super bowl trivia for you. you know to burn the calories in six bottles of beer you would have to do the wave 4200 times. [ light laughter ] of course, the other hand, if you're doing the wave 4200 times you probably drank a a lot more than six bottles of beer. [ laughter ] do you all know where you're gonna watch the game on sunday? [ cheers ] dan marino said he's not sure where he's gonna be to watch

benh zeitlin, "beasts of the southern wild." ang lee, "life of pi." steven spielberg, "lincoln.". russell, "silver linings playbook", -- >> and the oscar goes to ang lee. [ applause ] >> including this nomination for best picture for "life of pi," this is the second academy award nomination for ang lee and his second oscar win. >> thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you so much. thank you, movie god. [ laughter ] i really need to share this with all 3,000, everybody work with me in "life of pi." i want to thank you for -- i really want to thank you for believing this story and sharing this incredible journey with me. i need to thank yann martel for writing this incredibly inspiring book and everyone at fox, thank you for taking the leap with me, jim and elizabeth gabeler. my producers, gil netter, david womark, david lee. wonderful cast, where are you, you're a miracle. the young pi carrying the movie. every one of you in the cast, i cannot waste this time talking about them. you hold a golden statue in my heart. i cannot make this movie without the help of taiwan, out there

. >> rose: benh zeitlin and allen pizzey when we continue. >> funding for charlie rose was provided by the following: additional funding provided by these funders captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> rose: benh zeitlin is here. when he made his direct orial debut "beast of the southern wild" last year it became a movie everybody is talking b the story of hush puppie a 9-year-old girl faced with the illness of her father. it became the runnaway hit of lastier's film festival skirt winning awards at sundance and at cannes and now nominated for four academy awards including best director and best picture. here is the trailer of beasts of the southern wild. >> the whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. if one piece busts, even the smallest piece, the entire universe -- >> this here is an auroch, a fierce creature. >> the storm's coming. >> the you all better learn how to survive. >> it is pie job to take care of you, okay? >> all was quiet goes hine my eyes, i see everything that made made me. >>

. >> reporter: here with her film's director benh zeitlin. >> everything fitting together. >> reportercheon. a great time for everyone to get acquainted. >> it's not a competition. no one's winning today. you can say hello. you might be surprised by who you see. so, it's good. >> reporter: for best actor nominee, hugh jackman, things might be even better. we're right by the pool. >> we should be in the pool. pina colada. have one of those. in australia, it would be in the pool. >> reporter: "silver linings playbook" best actress nominee, jennifer lawrence, has been coming out of her shell. >> i'm becoming friends with sally field, which i'm proud of. >> reporter: what did you talk to sally field about? >> we should start car pooling. all of the actresses should show up in a giant van. i have an suv. it's a hybrid. i thought, it pick up all the girls. they'll cram in. >> reporter: like you're a softball team or something. >> i know. we're all going to the same place. we really should. >> reporter: here and elsewhere, they're still feeling the love for their films. like best actor nomine