Actress/Writer/Director Heather Graham to be Honored at the 30th Edition of the San Luis Obispo Int’l Film Festival

Josh Brolin leads the Narrative Feature Jury of the Festival’s George Sidney Independent Film Competition

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 2024 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) has announced that actress/writer/director Heather Graham is this year’s King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking honoree. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the festival takes place in the beautiful Central Coast city of San Luis Obispo, situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, from April 25 through April 30.

Graham will receive the King Vidor Award at an official ceremony on Saturday, April 27 at the Hotel San Luis Obispo. A noon reception starts the festivities, followed by a “Conversation with Heather Graham.” A screening of her film, Chosen Family, which she wrote, directed and stars in, is scheduled for 5pm at the historic Fremont Theatre. Written and directed by Graham, "Chosen Family," made its world debut at the 2024 Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Heather Graham discovered her passion for acting at an early age and caught the attention of filmmakers with her breakout role in Gus Van Sant's "Drugstore Cowboy," for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. She went on to land unforgettable roles in the 1997 classic "Boogie Nights," for which she received the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, in 1999's "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and in 2009’s "The Hangover" alongside Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis.

Graham has expanded into writing, directing, and producing, proving herself to be a leading multi-hyphenate talent. The critically acclaimed, "Half Magic," a film she wrote and directed, was released in theaters and on VOD in February 2018.

Past recipients of the King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking include Lawrence Kasdan, Pam Grier, Josh Brolin, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Bridges, Ann-Margret, Morgan Freeman, Eva Marie Saint, and Robert Wise, among many others.

Josh Brolin will lead the Narrative Feature Jury of the festival’s George Sidney Independent Film Competition. Brolin has long had ties to the area and grew up on a ranch in nearby Paso Robles. He was the honoree of the Festival’s King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking in 2017.

Brolin recently reprised his role as Gurney Halleck in Denis Villeneuve’s "Dune: Part Two", the sequel to the six-time Academy Award-winning film "Dune," Villeneuve’s relaunch of one of the most celebrated science fiction properties of all time.

In 2009, Brolin was nominated for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and received awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review for his portrayal of ‘Dan White’ in Gus Van Sant’s acclaimed biopic, "Milk." His additional ‘Best Picture’ Oscar-nominated films include Denis Villeneuve’s "Dune;" the Coen Brothers’ "True Grit," which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2011; and 2007’s "No Country For Old Men," also from the Coen Brothers, which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Other highly acclaimed performances include his portrayal of George W. Bush in Oliver Stone’s biopic, "W."; Ridley Scott’s blockbuster, "American Gangster," for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble; and Denis Villeneuve’s "Sicario," which was nominated for three Academy Awards.

With a slate of over 125 narrative features, short films, documentary features and shorts, music videos, and festival favorites from the last 30 years, the festival has a broad spectrum of content on offer for serious cinephiles, devoted film buffs, and casual movie fans both locally and across the region. The festival runs from Thursday, April 25 through Tuesday, April 30, with an encore presentation in Paso Robles, and virtually, from May 1 – 5.

Over 57 films, in the categories of Narrative Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Student Film, Music Video and Animated Film, will be participating in the George Sidney Independent Film Competition. Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase Films are eligible in the same categories. George Sidney and Central Coast films will also be eligible for The Audience Awards in five categories.

More information on the film festival and tickets can be purchased at https://slofilmfest.org. All-Access passholders may attend the King Vidor event with an RSVP in advance. A limited number of tickets will also be available for purchase.

THE KING VIDOR AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILMMAKING
King Vidor, a long-time resident of San Luis Obispo County, holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest career as a film director: beginning in 1913 with Hurricane in Galveston and ending in 1980 with a documentary called The Metaphor. In the course of his career, he directed sixty-four films, including War and Peace, The Fountainhead, and second-unit work on The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. He made the transition from silent to sound and from black-and-white to color film, and he was nominated for five Academy Awards. King Vidor lives on through this noble namesake presentation, bestowed each year on the industry’s most deserving honorees.

ABOUT SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is a six-day annual event, showcasing creative, diverse, and impactful works from around the world in a wide variety of venues, from the city’s classic art deco Fremont Theatre, to the vintage Palm Theatre. The 2024 festival will run from April 25-30, Encore, taking place in Paso Robles, is held from May 2-5. Tickets and festival passes can be purchased here.

Located half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo with laid-back vibe and serene natural beauty is the perfect setting for this highly regarded annual film celebration. Filmmakers rave about the warmth and attentiveness that is so much a part of the SLO Int’l Film Festival experience, as do the industry pros and film critics who are fast discovering the fest’s thoughtful audiences and unique programming sensibility.

Ann Flower
Ann Flower Communications
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2024 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Program Highlights