During the annual Newport Beach Film Festival last October, the Festival brought back its Festival Honors program along with and Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch.”
Held at the Balboa Bay Resort, the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival HONORS celebrated outstanding achievement in film and television.
“With a significant amount of guild and Academy voters attending, the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors event has become a must-stop for the awards campaign season,” Festival CEO Gregg Schwenk told Variety prior to the festival. “The annual celebration hosts industry legends side-by-side with rising stars from Variety‘s 10 Actors to Watch.”
The program has become so popular and renowned that PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations, in partnership with the Newport Beach Film Festival, are set to premiere a 30-minute special on the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival HONORS this month.
Hosted by Variety’s Deputy Awards and Features Editor Jenelle Riley, the show includes interviews with Oscar winners Ron Howard and Eddie Redmayne, plus actors Jonathan Majors, Patton Oswalt, Keke Palmer, Aubrey Plaza, Colson Baker and writer/producer Paul Feig.
This year’s honorees include Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (“Thirteen Lives,” “Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind”) who received the Variety Legend and Groundbreaker Award for his creative leadership and impactful artistic achievements. Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse,” “The Danish Girl,” “The Theory of Everything”) was honored with the Icon Award, presented to an actor or actress widely admired for their contribution and iconic role(s) in the industry.
DGA-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Paul Feig received the Career Achievement Award for his work, which includes directing hit films such as “Bridesmaids” and “A Simple Favor.” Feig is also the director, producer and co-writer of “The School for Good and Evil,” which stars Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington.
Four honorees – Aubrey Plaza (“Emily the Criminal”), Jonathan Majors (“Devotion”), Keke Palmer (“Nope”) and Patton Oswalt (“I Love My Dad”) –received Artist of Distinction Awards, presented to individuals known for their contribution to the arts, philanthropic endeavors, and an overriding commitment to their craft to tell unique and bold stories.
Colson Baker (“Taurus”) and Anna Diop (“Nanny”) received Spotlight Awards, Cooper Raiff (“Cha Cha Real Smooth”) received the Maverick Award, and Aimee Carrero (“The Menu”) received the Breakout Award.
Also highlighted from Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch: Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Thuso Mbedu (“The Woman King”), Zen McGrath (“The Son”), Amber Midthunder (“Prey”) and Joseph Quinn (fan favorite Eddie Munson in Season 4 of “Stranger Things”).
The Newport Beach Film Festival HONORS special will premiere locally in Southern California on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 4:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal with encores on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on KCET and Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal. It will also be available free on the PBS App and to stream at https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/newport-beach-film-festival-honors.
Recognized as one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival brings an international curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the beautiful Southern California coast. Committed to championing the work of original storytellers from around the globe, the festival celebrates contemporary screen culture, cinematic excellence and engages the community in compelling conversations with filmmakers and artists. For more information visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs.
KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California.
For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit www.kcet.org and www.pbssocal.org.
