Catalina Film Festival (CFF) today announced their lineup of 87 films that will screen when the Fest takes over famed Catalina Island Sept. 24 – 28. Just one of the highlights includes several Hollywood celebrities and movie stars including Academy Award™ nominee, William H. Macy, who will be honored with the Stanley Kramer “Social Artist” award, Saturday, Sept. 27, following the premiere of his directorial debut “Rudderless.” The award honors a film professional whose work embodies Stanley Kramer’s qualities of social consciousness while taking risks to create and influence a social transformation. Producer, writer, and Academy Award nominee, Roman Coppola, will also be honored on Saturday, receiving the Vanguard award. Andy Garcia, also a recipient of an Academy nod, will be feted with the Fest’s Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Award on Saturday, Sept. 27, and Emmy™ nominee Jason Ritter will receive the Catalina Crest award on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Additional scheduled celebrities to attend with their films include Jordin Sparks (Left Behind, Sparkle, American Idol); Cassi Thomson (Left Behind, Big Love); Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Rudy); Kristoff St. John (Young & the Restless, A Man Called God); Danielle Fishel (Boiling Pot, Boy Meets World) and more. Plus, live musical performances including Tamyra Gray (American Idol, RENT).
New to CFF this year, the Master of Horror himself, Wes Craven will select the first-ever Craven Award winner, for excellence in horror filmmaking.“I’m thrilled to be a part of the Catalina Film Festival. I’ve been to Catalina many times, with just a short boat ride on Catalina Express and love the island and its rich Hollywood history,” said Craven. “I’m excited to choose the winner of the Best Horror film category and I’ll be looking for films that I feel will scare audiences and push the limits of horror genre.”CFF is a competitive festival and film market where guests experience the West Coast’s only resort island while enjoying film premieres, nightly parties, networking. Recent CFF honorees include Sharon Stone, Kate Bosworth, Jon Favreau, Patricia Arquette, Casey Wilson, Stan Lee, and more. CFF will screen 27 world, U.S. and West Coast premieres.
Highlights include:
- West Coast premiere of Rudderless, directed by William H. Macy, starring Jamie Chung, Billy Crudup, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne and Felicity Huffman
- Opening Night: Left Behind, starring Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, Nicky Whelan, Jordin Sparks, Lea Thompson, and more
- Closing Night: Men, Women & Children, directed by Jason Reitman, starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner and Ansel Elgort
- North American Premiere of White Rabbit, starring Sam Trammell and Britt Robertson
- West Coast Premiere of The Dramatics, starring Kat Foster, Scott Rodgers, Pablo Schreiber, Riki Lindome, and Sean Astin
The star-studded event also includes some of the year’s best networking and events, including the annual Catalina Film & TV Summit Sept. 24-26 and Horseshoe Bend Catalina Wine Mixer, Friday, Sept. 26.
EMMY ROSSUM accepted the Avalon Award, ANDY GARCIA was honored with the Fest’s Ronald Reagan Great Communicator award, and producer, writer, ROMAN COPPOLA, received the Vanguard award. Also appearing on the red carpet: Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World, Boy Meets World); Kristoff St. John (The Young and the Restless, Pandora’s Box); Nick Krause (White Rabbit, Parenthood); Mika Boreem (Awake, Blue Crush). (Photo Credit Jerod Harris/Catalina Film Festival )
For the full listing of films, special events and upcoming announcements on confirmed talent attending, visit www.CatalinaFilm.org.
Sponsors include Mercedes Benz, Stella Artois, Sony, Freixnet , The Cafaro Group, Horseshoe Bend Vineyards and Hint Water. CFF is supported by Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce.
About Catalina Film Festival
Catalina Film Festival, an annual celebration of film on the only West Coast resort island, features more than 75 films, nightly events, and entertainment. From Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe, celebrities and filmmakers have flocked to Catalina for inspiration. Clear blue water and coastal breezes provide the perfect backdrop for unparalleled premieres, yacht and mansion parties, industry networking, and discovering everything that the island has to offer, just 26 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. CFF’s beneficiary is the Catalina Island Conservatory.
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