The

San Diego International Film Festival The San Diego International Film Festival (SDIFF) is an independent film festival in San Diego, California produced by the non-profit San Diego Film Foundation. The main event has traditionally been held annually in the autumn at venues in the ...

is an independent

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...

held annually in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

. The festival's top honorary award is the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence that has been presented at the festival by the family of Gregory Peck since 2014. The festival also presents the Chris Brinker Award to first time directors. Those and other honorary and competitive awards presented by and at the festival are here organized by year and by award.

Film Competition Award Winners By Year

SDiFF2022

Oct 19-23, 2022 * Artistic Director's Award: ''American Murderer'' (dir. Matthew Gentile) * Best Gala Film: ''The Banshees of Inisherin'' * Best Feature Film: ''Freedom's Path'' * Best Documentary: ''With This Breath I Fly'' * Best International Feature: ''The Woman In the White Car'' * Best Drama Feature: ''What We Do Next'' * Best Comedy Feature: ''Róise & Frank'' * Best Women's Film Series: ''The Moon & Back'' * Best Ensemble Cast: ''Bleecker'' * Best Short Doc: ''For the Bees'' * Best Short Narrative: ''Shower Boys'' * Best International Short Film: ''The Red Suitcase'' * Best Animation: ''Tehura'' * Kumeyaay Award: ''

The Wind & the Reckoning ''The Wind & the Reckoning'' is an American Hawaiian Western historical drama film produced and directed by David L. Cunningham. The film is "a story inspired by real-life events" that are known as the Koolau Rebellion in Hawaii, particularly ...

'' * Best Local Film: ''Don't Do It'' * Best Student Film: ''Black Whole'' *Valor Award: ''Mending the Line'' (dir. John Waller) Audience Choice Awards: * Audience Choice Feature: ''

'' * Audience Choice Doc: ''Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter'' * Audience Choice Short: ''Moon'' * Audience Choice Gala: ''

The Banshees of Inisherin ''The Banshees of Inisherin'' is a 2022 black tragicomedy film written and directed by Martin McDonagh. The film follows two lifelong friends (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their re ...

SDiFF2021

Oct 14-24, 2021 * Best Feature Film: '' Queen of Glory'' (dir. Nana Mensah) * Best Documentary Feature: ''Holy Frit'' (dir. Justin Monroe) * Best International Feature: ''

Petite Maman ''Petite Maman'' is a 2021 French fantasy drama film, written and directed by Céline Sciamma. Starring Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Stéphane Varupenne, Nina Meurisse and Margo Abascal, the film follows a young girl coping with the death ...

(dir.

Céline Sciamma Céline Sciamma (; born 12 November 1978) is a French screenwriter and film director. She is especially known for her films ''Girlhood'' (2014), '' My Life as a Courgette'' (2016), and '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019), winning many nomina ...

)'' * Best Thriller Feature: ''The Boathouse'' (dir.

Hannah Cheesman Hannah Cheesman is a Canadian actress and filmmaker. As a performer, Cheesman is known for portraying Lieutenant Commander Airiam in the second season of the CBS television series '' Star Trek: Discovery''. As a filmmaker, Cheesman has written an ...

) * Best Drama Feature: ''

The Beta Test ''The Beta Test'' is a 2021 dark comedy thriller film written and directed by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe. It follows a talent agent whose life is turned upside-down after taking part in a secret sex pact; Cummings and McCabe star alongside Virgin ...

'' (dir. Jim Cummings) * Best Comedy Feature: ''They/Them/Us'' (dir. Jon Sherman) * Best Ensemble Cast: ''

Voodoo Macbeth The Voodoo ''Macbeth'' is a common nickname for the Federal Theatre Project's 1936 New York production of William Shakespeare's ''Macbeth''. Orson Welles adapted and directed the production, moved the play's setting from Scotland to a fictional ...

'' * Best Short Doc: ''The Bitter Root'' * Best International Short: ''Good Morning, Ignacio'' (dir. Alan Jonsson Gavica & Leticia Fabián) * Best Animation: ''Freebird'' * Kumeyaay Award: ''Pictures of My People'' (dir. Mark Ruberg) * Military Award: ''Do Not Hesitate'' * Best Local Film: ''Cheyenne'' * Best Student (College): ''Cheyenne'' * Best Student (High School): ''Mazel Tov'' * Chris Brinker Award: '' Women is Losers'' (dir. Lissette Feliciano)\ Audience Choice Awards: * Audience Choice Feature: ''Somos Ecos'' * Audience Choice Doc: ''The Disruptors'' (dir.

Stephanie Soechtig Stephanie Soechtig is an American director and filmmaker who is known for documentaries such as '' Tapped'' (2009), '' Fed Up'' (2014), ''Under the Gun'' (2016) and '' The Devil We Know'' (2018). Education Soechtig earned her BA in Broadcast Jo ...

) * Audience Choice Short: ''Munkie'' (dir. Steven Chow) * Audience Choice Gala: ''

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

'' (dir.

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

)

SDiFF2020

Oct 15-18, 2020 * Best Narrative Feature: ''

Drunk Bus ''Drunk Bus'' is a 2020 American comedy-drama film directed by John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke and starring Charlie Tahan and Kara Hayward. It is Carlucci and LaGanke's directorial debut. The film was released on May 20, 2021, and received posit ...

'' (dir. John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke) * Best Documentary: ''

MLK/FBI ''MLK/FBI'' is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Sam Pollard (known for co-directing the 1987 Oscar-nominated '' Eyes on the Prize''), from a screenplay by Benjamin Hedin and Laura Tomaselli. It follows Martin Luther King Jr. as he is i ...

'' (dir. Sam Pollard) * Best International Feature: ''150 Million Magical Sparrows'' (dirs. Brahmanand S. Singh, Tanvi Jain) * Best Thriller Feature: ''Through the Glass Darkly'' (dir. Lauren Fash) * Best Drama Feature: ''Farewell Amor'' (dir. Ekwa Msangi) * Best Comedy Feature: ''Eat Wheaties!'' (dir. Scott Abramovitch) * Best Ensemble Cast: ''Before/During/After'' (dir. Stephen Kunken, Jack Lewars) * Best Short Documentary: ''Panthoot'' (dir. Richard Reens) * Best Short Narrative: ''Last Queen on Earth'' (dir. Michael Shumway) * Best International Short Film: ''Chen Chen'' (dir. Kargo Chen) * Best Animation: ''To: Gerard'' (dir. Taylor Meacham) *Kumeyaay Award: ''Invasion: The Unist'ot'en's Fight for Sovereignty (''dirs. Michael Toledano, Sam Vinal) *Best Local Film: ''Anna'' (dir. Rich Underwood) * Chris Brinker Award: ''

The MisEducation of Bindu ''The MisEducation of Bindu'' is a 2019 American independent comedy film directed by Prarthana Mohan and starring David Arquette, Megan Suri and Priyanka Bose. Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass served as executive producers. Cast * Megan Suri as Bi ...

'' (dir. Prarthana Mohan) *Artistic Director's Award: ''You Asked for the Facts: Bobby Kennedy at the Univ of Mississippi'' Audience Choice Awards: * Audience Choice Documentary: ''The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses'' * Audience Choice Short: ''Feeling Through'' (dir. Doug Roland) * Audience Choice Gala: ''

Nomadland ''Nomadland'' is a 2020 American drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Chloé Zhao. Based on the 2017 nonfiction book '' Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century'' by Jessica Bruder, it stars Frances McDormand ...

'' * Audience Choice Feature: ''

SDiFF2019

Oct 15-20, 2019 * Best Narrative Feature : ''

The Steed ''The Steed'' is a 2019 Mongolian drama film directed by Erdenebileg Ganbold. It was selected as the Mongolian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. It won the Best Feature Film awa ...

'' (dir. Erdenebileg Ganbold) *Best Documentary: ''Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching Wa''r (dir. Kerry David) *Best Short Film: ''Long Time Listener, First Time Caller'' (dir. Nora Kirkpatrick) * Best International Short Film: ''Portraitist'' (dir. Cyrus Neshvad) * Best Animation: ''Riptide'' * Best Global Cinema: ''Philophobia'' (dir. Guy Davies) * Kumeyaay Award: ''Angelique's Isle'' (dir.

Marie-Hélène Cousineau Marie-Hélène Cousineau is a Canadians, Canadian film director and producer.Randall Batinkoff Randall Matthew Batinkoff (born October 16, 1968) is an American actor, known for his roles in the films '' For Keeps'', '' School Ties'', and ''Higher Learning''. Early life and education Batinkoff was born in Monticello, New York, the son of Ba ...

) *Best Original Screenplay: ''Love in Kilnerry'' (dir. Daniel Keith) * Best World Premiere: '' 100 Days to Live'' (dir. Ravin Gandhi) * Best Student Film: ''Sonora'' * Best Local Film: ''Flourish'' (dir. Christopher Allan Francis, Nicole Franco) * Best Comedy Film: ''Babysplitters'' (dir. Sam Friedlander) * Best Thriller: ''Safe Inside'' (dir. Renata Gabryjelska) *

Litecoin Litecoin ( Abbreviation: LTC; sign: Ł) is a decentralized peer-to-peer cryptocurrency and open-source software project released under the MIT/X11 license. Inspired by Bitcoin, Litecoin was among the earliest altcoins, starting in October 201 ...

Filmmaker Award: ''Philophobia'' * Artistic Director's Award: ''Safe Spaces'' (dir.

Daniel Schechter Daniel S. Schechter (born 1962 in Miami, Florida) is an American psychiatrist known for his clinical work and research on intergenerational transmission or "communication" of violent trauma and related psychopathology involving parents and very ...

) Audience Choice Awards: * Studio Film: ''

Marriage Story ''Marriage Story'' is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach, who also produced the film with David Heyman. It stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as a warring couple going through a coast-to-coast divorce. Laura Dern, ...

'' (dir.

Noah Baumbach Noah Baumbach () (born September 3, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter. He is known for making witty and intellectual comedies set in New York City and has often been compared to writer-directors such as Woody Allen and Whit Sti ...

) * Feature Film: ''Carol of the Bells'' (dir.

Joey Travolta Joseph Allen Travolta (born October 14, 1950) is an American actor, singer, producer, director and screenwriter. He is the older brother of actor John Travolta. Early life Travolta was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, a nearby suburb o ...

) * Documentary: ''Breaking Their Silence, Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War'' (dir. Kerry David) * Short Film: ''Men of Vision'' (dir. Frank Todaro)

SDiFF2018

Oct 10-14, 2018 , Jury Awards: * Best Animation: ''The Driver is Red'' (dir. Randall Christopher) * Best Student Film: ''Learning to Swim'' * Best Global Cinema: ''My Name is "Batlir", Not Butler'' (dir. Stare Yildirim) * Kumeyaay Award: ''

Indian Horse ''Indian Horse'' () is a novel by Canadian writer Richard Wagamese, published by Douglas & McIntyre in 2012."Indian Horse is a dark ride". '' Calgary Herald'', February 28, 2012. The novel centres on Saul Indian Horse, a First Nations boy from Ont ...

'' *Most Inspirational Film: ''The Push'' (dir. Grant Korgan, Brian Niles) *Best World Premiere: ''Electric Love'' (dir. Aaron Fradkin) *Best Local Film: Daisy ''Belle'' (dir. William Wall) *Best Local Breakout: ''Romance is Dead'' (dir. Todd Jackson) *Best Short Film: ''Akeda'' (dir. Dan Bronfield) *Best Short Comedy Film: ''Hero'' (dir. Drew and Nate Garcia) *Best Documentary: '' Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War'' *Best Thriller: ''

Rust Creek ''Rust Creek'' is a 2018 American crime thriller film directed by Jen McGowan and written by Julie Lipson. It is based on an original story by Julie Lipson and Stu Pollard. Hermione Corfield stars as a college student who becomes lost while on a ...

'' *Best Breakout Feature: ''I May Regret'' (dir. Graham Streeter) *Best Feature Film: ''

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

'' *Artistic Directors' Award: ''Soufra'' (dir. Thomas A. Morgan) Audience Choice Awards: * Best Documentary: ''

Soufra Soufra (also known as Soufra Kitchen) is a non-governmental catering company founded by Mariam Shaar in the refugee camp in Bourj el Barajneh in Beirut, Lebanon. It employs women in the camp where they attempt to revive traditional Palestinian dish ...

'' * Best Feature: ''I May Regret'' * Best Short: ''Your Call Is Important To Us'' * Best Studio: ''

Boy Erased ''Boy Erased'' is a 2018 American biographical drama film based on Garrard Conley's 2016 memoir of the same name. It is written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who also produced with Kerry Kohansky Roberts and Steve Golin. The film stars Lu ...

SDiFF2017

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

''Oct 4-8, 2017'' , Jury Awards: * Best Narrative Feature:

The Bachelors The Bachelors were a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland, but primarily based in the United Kingdom. They had several international hits during the 1960s, including eight top-ten singles in the UK between 1963 and 1966. Car ...

(dir. Kurt Voelker) *Best Documentary: '' The Last Animals'' *Best Short Film: ''

The Foster Portfolio ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' *Best Foreign Short: ''Ostoja Will Move Your Piano'' * Best Animated Short: ''Green Light'' (dir. Seong-Min Kim) * Best Global Cinema: ''

The Divine Order ''The Divine Order'' (german: Die göttliche Ordnung) is a 2017 Swiss comedy-drama film directed by Petra Volpe. It was selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. The fil ...

'' * Kumeyayy Eagle Award: ''Waabooz'' (dir. Molly Katagiri) * Best Military Film: ''Apache Warrior'' (dir. David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud) * Best Ensemble Film: ''Butterfly Caught'' (dir. Manny Rodriguez Jr.) * Best World Premiere: '' Dismissed'' (dir. Benjamin Arfmann) * Best Comedy Feature: ''The Lonely Italian'' (dir. Lee Farber) * Best Breakthrough Feature: '' Selling Isobel'' * Chairman's Award: Dog Years (dir. Adam Rifkin) Audience Choice Awards: * Best Documentary: ''Resistance is Life (''dir. Apo W. Bazidi) * Best Feature: ''Life Hack'' * Best Short: ''The Dog With the Woman'' (dir. Phoebe Arnstein, Stephen Ledger-Lomas) * Best Studio: '' Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri''

SDiFF2016

''Sept 28-Oct 2, 2016'' , Jury Awards: * Best Narrative Short: ''Bon Voyage'' (dir. Marc Raymond Wilkin) * Best Comedy: ''

The Late Bloomer ''The Late Bloomer'' is a 2016 American comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Pollak and written by Gary Rosen, Joe Nussbaum, Paul A. Kaplan & Mark Torgove, and Kyle Cooper & Austyn Jeffs. The film stars Johnny Simmons, Maria Bello, Brittany Sno ...

'' (dir.

Kevin Pollak Kevin Elliot Pollak (born October 30, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and podcast host. He has appeared in over 80 films; his roles include Sam Weinberg in Rob Reiner's legal film ''A Few Good Men'', Jacob Goldman in '' Grump ...

) * Best Military Film: ''Railway Spine'' (dir. Samuel Gonzalez, Jr.) * Kumeyayy Eagle Award: ''Te Ata'' (dir. Nathan Frankowski) * Best Documentary: ''Political Animals'' * Best International Film: ''Julieta'' (dir.

Pedro Almodovar Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...

) * Breakthrough Feature: '' Po'' * Chairman's Award: ''Citizen Soldier'' (dir. David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud) * Best Narrative Feature: '' So B. It'' * Breakthrough Documentary: ''In Utero'' Audience Choice Awards: * Best Documentary: '' Seed: The Untold Story'' * Best International Film: '' The Cliff (Acantilado)'' * Best Narrative Feature: ''Dead Draw'' (dir. Brian Klemesrud) * Best Narrative Short: ''Mine'' (dir. Simon Berry)

SDFF2015

''Sep 30-Oct 4, 2015'' , Jury Awards: * Best Narrative Feature – ''Diablo'' * Best Documentary – ''

India's Daughter ''India's Daughter'' is a documentary film directed by Leslee Udwin and is part of the BBC's ongoing Storyville series. The film is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of 23-year-old "Nirbhaya", who was a physiotherapy student. The doc ...

'' * Best International Film – ''

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

'' * Best Narrative Short – ''SubRosa'' (dir. Thora Hilmarsdottir) * Best Animated Film – ''SOAR'' (dir. Alyce Tzue) * Best Military Film – ''No Greater Love'' (dir. Justin Roberts) * Kumeyaay Award – ''For Blood'' (dir. Chadwick Pelletier, John T. Connor) * Chairman's Award – '' Kidnap Capital'' Audience Choice: * Best Feature – '' Moments of Clarity'' * Best Documentary – '' Return to Dak To'' * Best Short – ''The Gunfighter'' (dir. Eric Kissack) * Best Gala – ''

He Named Me Malala ''He Named Me Malala'' is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim. The film presents the young Pakistani female activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who has spoken out for the rights of girls, especiall ...

SDFF2014

''Sep 24-28, 201''4 , Jury Awards: * Best Narrative Feature: ''Where the Road Runs Out'' (dir.

Rudolf Buitendach Rudolf Buitendach (or Rudolf B.) is a South African born film director and editor. Works His short ''Indoor Fireworks'' produced by Sleevemonkey Films was the world's first fully uncompressed film shot on the legendary Viper filmstream camera an ...

) * Best Documentary: ''Waiting for Mamu'' * Best International: ''Schimbarev'' (dir. Álex Sampayo) * Best Narrative Short: ''The Bravest, The Boldest'' (dir. Moon Molson) * Best Animated Film: ''The'' ''Dam Keeper'' * Kumeyaay Award: ''Sycuan:'' ''Our People. Our Culture. Our History.'' * U-T San Diego Award: ''Where the Road Runs Out'' * Chairman's Award: ''

The Hornet's Nest ''The Hornet's Nest'' is a 2014 American documentary film about the Afghanistan war, directed by David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud. The film follows two journalists, Mike Boettcher and Carlos Boettcher (a father and son), embedded with a gro ...

'' Audience Choice: * Best Gala Film: ''

The Imitation Game ''The Imitation Game'' is a 2014 American historical drama film directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Graham Moore, based on the 1983 biography '' Alan Turing: The Enigma'' by Andrew Hodges. The film's title quotes the name of the game c ...

'' * Best Feature: ''Cas & Dylan'' * Best Documentary: ''Waiting for Mamu'' * Best Short: ''Sure Thing'' * Best International: ''

Noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

SDFF2013

Oct 2-6, 2013 , Jury Awards: * Best Narrative Feature: '' Autumn Blood'' * Best Latin Feature: '' Dirty Hearts''

SDFF2011

Best Narrative Feature - '' East Fifth Bliss'' (dir. Michael Knowles) * Best Documentary - Semper Fi: Always Faithful (dir. Tony Hardmon & Rachel Libert) * Best Short Film - ''It Takes Balls (''dir. Benoit Lach) * Best San Diego Film - ''Repeat After Me (''dir. Bryan Bangerter) * Best Screenplay - James Westby (''Rid of Me)'' * Best Actor -

John Turturro John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...

, (''Somewhere Tonight'') * Best Actress -

Rachel Boston Rachel Elizabeth Boston (born May 9, 1982) is an American actress and producer. Boston has had leading roles in a number of independent films, and was a regular cast member in several television series. She starred in the NBC drama series, ''Amer ...

( ''The Pill'') Audience Choice: * Best Feature - '' Like Crazy'' (dir.

Drake Doremus Drake Doremus (born March 29, 1983) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer best known for directing the films ''Like Crazy'' (2011), which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, '' Douchebag'' (2010) which ...

) * Best Documentary - ''The Highest Pass'', dir. Jon Fitzgerald

SDFF2010

* Best Narrative Feature - ''

A Little Help ''A Little Help'' is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Michael J. Weithorn. It follows the experiences of a dental hygienist following her unfaithful husband's sudden death. It debuted on May 21, 2010 at the Seattle Interna ...

'' * Best Documentary - ''Waiting for Superman'' * Best Short Film - ''Touch'' * Best San Diego Film - ''This is Charlotte King'', dir. Jeffrey Durkin * Best Actor -

Drew Fuller Andrew Alan "Drew" Fuller (born May 19, 1980) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his portrayal of Chris Halliwell in the television series ''Charmed'' and for playing soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime's ''Army Wives' ...

(''The Kane Files: Life in Trial'') * Best Actress -

Emily VanCamp Emily Irene VanCamp (; born May 12, 1986) is a Canadian actress. She first came to prominence for her work with producer Greg Berlanti, who cast her as a series regular on The WB drama ''Everwood'' (2002–2006) and the ABC drama '' Brothers & ...

( ''Norman'') Audience Choice: * Best Feature - ''

Nowhere Boy ''Nowhere Boy'' is a 2009 British biographical drama film, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood in her directorial debut. Written by Matt Greenhalgh, it is based on Julia Baird's biography of her half-brother, the musician John Lennon. ''Nowhere Boy'' ...

'' * Best Documentary - '' Waiting for Superman'' MiraSorvino face

SDFF2009

* Best Narrative Feature - ''Formosa Betrayed'' (dir. Adam Kane) * Best Documentary - ''

American Harmony ''American Harmony'' is a 2009 documentary film directed and produced by Aengus James, produced by Colin Miller, and edited by Kate Amend. ''American Harmony'', the documentary, was initially screened at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2008 ...

'' * Best Short Film - ''True Beauty This Night'' * Best Music Video - Reilly's "Sunlight" (Dir. David Altrogge) * Best San Diego Film - ''Wyland Earth Day'' (Dir. Chris Marrow) * Best Screenplay - Shem Bitterman ( ''The Job'') * Best Actor -

James Van Der Beek James William Van Der Beek (; born March 8, 1977) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in the WB series ''Dawson's Creek'' and Johnny "Mox" Moxon in '' Varsity Blues'' (1999). He played a fictionalized version of hi ...

''( Formosa Betrayed'') * Best Actress -

Mira Sorvino Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995). She also starred in the films ...

(''

Like Dandelion Dust ''Like Dandelion Dust'' is a 2009 drama film directed by Jon Gunn and based on the novel by the same name by Karen Kingsbury. The film won 26 awards at 23 film festivals. Plot Two police officers knock on the door of a home and a drunk man answ ...

'') Audience Choice: * Best Feature - '' Reach for Me'' (dir.

LeVar Burton Levar Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host, best known for playing Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994). He also played Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''R ...

) * Best Documentary - ''Jesse's Story'' (dir. Mark S. Jacobs)

SDFF2008

* Best Feature - ''Summerhood'' (dir. Jacob Medjuck) * Best Actress -

Sasha Alexander Sasha Alexander (born Suzana Drobnjakovic on May 17, 1973), is an American actress and TV director. She played Gretchen Witter in ''Dawson's Creek'' and has acted in films including '' Yes Man'' (2008) and ''He's Just Not That Into You'' (20 ...

- ''

The Last Lullaby ''The Last Lullaby'' is 2008 drama/noir film starring Tom Sizemore, and Sasha Alexander. Filming took place in Shreveport, Louisiana. The film won the Best Actress (Sasha Alexander) and Audience Award at the San Diego Film Festival in 2008. Pl ...

'' * Best Actor - Michael Tassoni - ''The Appearance of a Man'' (dir. Daniel Pace) * Heineken Red Star Award - ''The Appearance of a Man'' * Physical Graffiti Best Action Sports Story - ''Against the Grain'' * Best Short - ''In the Name of the Son'' * Best Documentary - ''Uncounted'' (dir. David Earnhardt) * Best Music Video -

Greg Laswell Greg Laswell (born April 26, 1974) is an American musician, recording engineer, and record producer from San Diego, California. He attended high school at Valley Christian High School in Cerritos, California. He has released 7 studio albums: '' ...

- ''How the Day Sounds'' * Best San Diego Short - ''Residue'' Audience Choice: * Best Feature - ''

'' * Best Documentary - ''Speed & Angels'' (dir. Peyton Wilson)

SDFF2007

Sept 27-30, 2007 * Best Feature Film: ''Intervention'' (dir.

Mary McGuckian Mary McGuckian (born 27 May 1963) is a film director, producer and screenwriter from Northern Ireland. Early life Born and brought up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, McGuckian completed her formal education in the Republic of Ireland ...

) * Best Documentary - '' Kurt Cobain: About A Son'' * Best Short - Rory Kindersley, “''Slingers''” * Best Director -

Alfredo De Villa Alfredo De Villa is a Mexican director. He is best known for directing award winning films such as '' Adrift in Manhattan'', which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, and '' Washington Heights'', which w ...

, Adrift in Manhattan * Best Screenplay - The Walker, written by

Paul Schrader Paul Joseph Schrader (; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first received widespread recognition through his screenplay for Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). He later continued his collabo ...

* Best Cinematography - ''The Northern Kingdom'', Mark Schwartzbard * Best Actor - Brian Petersen, ''Coyote'' * Best Actress -

Dominique Swain Dominique Swain (born August 12, 1980) is an American actress and producer. She came to prominence playing the title character in Adrian Lyne's 1997 film adaptation of ''Lolita'', alongside her supporting role as Jamie Archer in John Woo's ''Fac ...

, ''The Pacific & Eddy'' , Best Actress -

Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American–Canadian actress and poker player. Known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two MTV Movie Awards and three Sa ...

(''Intervention'') * Best Female Filmmaker - Annie Sunderberg, ''

The Devil Came on Horseback ''The Devil Came on Horseback'' is a documentary film by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg illustrating the continuing Darfur Conflict in Sudan. Based on the book by former U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as t ...

'' * Best San Diego Filmmaker - Greg Durbin, “Passing Through” * Best Music Video - "Paramount" by Deadarm, Cleopatra, Kb. Directed by Carlos Florez * Heineken Red Star Award - '' Killing Zelda Sparks''

SDFF2006

Sept. 27 – Oct. 1, 2006 * Best Feature Film - '' Danika'' * Best Director - Jordan Albertsen, ''The Standard'' * Best Screenplay - Tim Boughn, ''

Neo Ned ''Neo Ned'' is a 2005 film starring Jeremy Renner, Gabrielle Union, Sally Kirkland, Cary Elwes, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Ethan Suplee. It was written by Tim Boughn and directed by Van Fischer. Synopsis The film stars Jeremy Renner as Ned Nelso ...

'' * Best Documentary --'' Chasing the Horizon'' * Best Short - ''"Olyver Brody"'' * Best Female Filmmaker - Heather MacAllister, ''The Narrow Gate'' * Best Actor -

Ryan Donowho Ryan Wayne Donowho (born September 20, 1980) is an American actor and musician. Early life Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Donowho appeared as an uncredited extra in "Varsity Blues (film)", a film shot in his home state of Texas. Donowho mov ...

, ''The Favor'' * Best Actress -

Regina Hall Regina Lee Hall (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Brenda Meeks in the comedy horror ''Scary Movie'' film series (2000–2006). She has since appeared in the television series '' Ally McBeal ...

, ''Danika'' * San Diego Filmmaker - ''"Nothing To Do With Amy"'' FelicityHuffmanHWoFMar2012

* Best Music Video - ''"Just Go",'' Misdirection * Best Music Video Director—Fernando Apodaca, ''"

Life Wasted "Life Wasted" is a song by the American rock music, rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Life Wasted" was released on August 28, 2006 as the second single from the ba ...

",''

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

Audience Choice: * Best Feature - ''

'' * Best Documentary - ''The Creek Runs Red''

SDFF2005

Sept 21-25, 2005 * Best Feature Film - " ''Innocent Voices''," (dir.

Luis Mandoki Luis Mandoki (born August 17, 1954) is a Mexican film director working in Mexico and Hollywood. Luis Mandoki studied Fine Arts in Mexico and at the San Francisco Art Institute, the London College of Printing, and the London International Film S ...

) * Best Documentary - " ''Earthlings''," (dir.

Shaun Monson Shaun Monson is an American film director and producer and activist for animal rights and environmentalism. He wrote, directed, and produced the 2005 documentary '' Earthlings'', which covers animal rights issues within industries such as pets, ...

) * Best Short Film - "''Apartment 206''," (dir. Gregory Zymet) * Best Screenplay - "

When Do We Eat When Do We Eat? may refer to: * When Do We Eat? (1918 film), ''When Do We Eat?'' (1918 film), a silent comedy directed by Fred Niblo * When Do We Eat? (2006 film), ''When Do We Eat?'' (2005 film), an American comedy starring Michael Lerner {{disam ...

," (dir. Nina Davidovich & Salvador Litvak) * Best Actor - Carlos Padilla Lenero, " ''Innocent Voices''" * Best Actress - Felicity Huffman, " ''Transamerica''" * Best Director - Christopher Jaymes, "''

In Memory of My Father In Memory of My Father is a 2005 film directed, written, and produced by Chris Jaymes starring Jeremy Sisto, Judy Greer, Christine Lakin, Matt Keeslar, Pat Healy, and Chris Jaymes. The film had its world premiere at the Cinevegas Film Festival ...

''" * San Diego Feature Film - "Everyone Their Grain of Sand", (dir. Elizabeth Bird) * San Diego Filmmaker - Canaan Brumley, " ''Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click''." * Crystal Vision - Gable-Cook-Schmid Public Relations Audience Choice: * Soleilmoonfrye

Best Feature - "''

The Matador ''The Matador'' is a 2005 black comedy crime film written and directed by Richard Shepard and starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. The film was released on DVD on July 4, 2006 and on HD DVD on December 19, 2006. Brosnan was nominated for ...

''," (dir.

Richard Shepard Richard Shepard (born 1965) is an American film director, film and television director and screenwriter. Biography Shepard was born in New York City, New York (state), New York. Shepard's father was from an Austro-Hungarian-Hungarian Jews, Jewi ...

) * Best Documentary - " Little Man," (dir.

Nicole Conn Nicole Conn (born October 29, 1959) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter most famous for her debut feature, the lesbian love story '' Claire of the Moon'' (1992). Her screenplay for ''Claire of the Moon'' was also released a ...

)

SDFF2004

Sept 29 - Oct 4, 2004 * Best Feature - ''

Around the Bend ''Around the Bend'' is a 2004 road movie written and directed by Jordan Roberts and starring Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, and Jonah Bobo. The film is inspired by the relationship between Roberts and the absente ...

'', dir. Jordan Roberts * Best Documentary - ''Sonny Boy'',

Soleil Moon Frye Soleil Moon Frye (; born August 6, 1976) is an American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. She began her career as a child actress at the age of two. When she was seven, Frye won the role of Penelope "Punky" Brewster in the NBC sitco ...

* Best Short - ''American Made'', dir.

Sharat Raju Sharat Raju is an American director and writer, known for making documentaries and films about the lives of immigrants in American society. Raju has also directed episodes of major American television series, including ''How to Get Away with Murde ...

* Best Director - '' Black Cloud'', Rick Shroeder * Best Screenplay - Celeste Davis ('' Purgatory House'') * SD Screenwriting Contest Winner - "''Whitefish''", George Olson * Best Actor -

James Russo James Vincent Russo (born April 23, 1953) is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 150 films in three decades. Early life Russo was born in New York City, New York, to an Italian father and German mother. A graduate of t ...

( ''The Box'') * Best Actress - Sally Andrews ('' Her Majesty'') * Best San Diego Feature Film - ''Never Been Done,'' (dir.

Matthew Power Matthew "Matt" Power (October 22, 1974 – March 10, 2014) was an American journalist. Early life and education Power was born October 22, 1974, in Middlebury, Vermont and grew up in nearby Cornwall. His mother was Jane Steele. His father was Jo ...

s) * Best San Diego Filmmaker - Devin Scott

Night of the Stars Honorees

SDiFF2022

Oct 20, 2022 , The

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, also known as The Conrad, is a concert hall located in La Jolla, California. It was opened in April 2019 and serves as the permanent residence of the La Jolla Music Society. History Since 1986, the ...

in La Jolla *

Gregory Peck Award The Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence is an award given at the San Diego International Film Festival, San Diego International Film Festival (SDIFF) to honor the career achievement of a film actor, producer or director. It is named in memo ...

Andy Garcia Andy may refer to: People *Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds *Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...

* Cinema Vanguard:

* Fairbanks:

Tony Hale Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series '' Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until ...

* Virtuoso Award: Lisa Ann Walker * Humanitarian Award: Dr. Brook Parker-Bello * Spotlight Award:

Colson Baker Colson Baker (born April 22, 1990), known professionally as Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is noted for his genre duality across alternative rock with Hip hop music, hip hop. Machine Gun Ke ...

Confirmed Festival Guests:

Jung Ryeo-won Jung Ryeo-won (born January 21, 1981) is a South Korean-born Korean Australian actress. She began her entertainment career as a singer in the now-defunct girl group Chakra, and first rose to fame in the hit television series '' My Name Is Kim S ...

, Summer Stephan

SDiFF2021

Oct 14-24, 2021 No awards banquet was held in 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols about social distancing.

SDiFF2020

No awards banquet was held in 2020 due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

protocols about

social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...

SDiFF2019

Oct 18, 2019 , Pendry Hotel San Diego Host:

Scott Mantz Scott Alan Mantz, born 1968, is an American film critic, writer, producer and event moderator. In 2014, Mantz was the recipient of the Press Award (honoring Outstanding Entertainment Journalism) from the ICG Publicists Guild. From October 2000 ...

Gregory Peck Award:

Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. He is a three time Emmy Award and Tony Award winning actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative charact ...

*Humanitarian Award:

Lindsay Wagner Lindsay Jean Wagner (born June 22, 1949) is an American film and television actress, model, author, singer, and acting coach. Wagner is best known for her leading role in the American science-fiction television series '' The Bionic Woman'' (197 ...

* Cinema Vanguard:

Jared Harris Jared Francis Harris (born 24 August 1961) is a British actor. His roles include Lane Pryce in the AMC television drama series ''Mad Men'', for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seri ...

*Music Icon Award:

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

(not present) * Fairbanks Award:

Jillian Bell Jillian Leigh Bell (born April 25, 1984) is an American actress, comedian and screenwriter. She stars in the 2019 film ''Brittany Runs a Marathon'' and 2022's ''I'm Totally Fine''. She starred as Jillian Belk on ''Workaholics'', voiced the role o ...

*Rising Star Award:

Camila Morrone Camila Rebeca Morrone Polak (; born June 16, 1997) is an American actress and model. She is the daughter of actors Maximo Morrone and Lucila Polak; and was also raised in part by actor Al Pacino (who served as a parental figure during his long ...

*Chris Brinker Award: Ravin Gandhi Confirmed Festival Guests:

Stephen Gyllenhaal Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal (; born October 4, 1949) is an American film director and poet. He is the father of actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Personal life Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Virginia Lowrie (née Childs) and ...

Cindy Marten Cynthia Minette Marten is an American educator and government official who has served as the 11th United States Deputy Secretary of Education, United States deputy secretary of education since May 18, 2021. Marten previously served as the Superin ...

SDiFF2018

''Oct 11, 2018'' , Pendry Hotel San Diego Host:

*Gregory Peck Award:

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...

* Music Icon Award:

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...

*Cinema Vanguard Award:

Topher Grace Christopher John Grace ( ; born July 12, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Eric Forman in the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'', Eddie Brock / Venom in Sam Raimi's film ''Spider-Man 3'', Pete Monash in '' Win a Date with Tad H ...

*Fairbanks Award:

Kathryn Hahn Kathryn Marie Hahn (born July 23, 1973) is an American actress and comedian. She began her career on television, starring as grief counselor Lily Lebowski in the NBC crime drama series ''Crossing Jordan'' (2001–2007). Hahn gained prominence ap ...

*Nemeth Humanitarian Award:

Zachary Levi Zachary Levi Pugh ( ; born September 29, 1980) is an American actor. He received critical acclaim for starring as Chuck Bartowski in the series '' Chuck'', and as the title character in '' Shazam!'' and its 2023 sequel, as a part of the DC Ex ...

*Spotlight Award:

John Cho John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the '' Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series. Early in his career, Cho also starred in the Asian A ...

*Auteur Award:

Alex Wolff Alexander Draper Wolff (born November 1, 1997) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for starring alongside his older brother Nat in the Nickelodeon musical comedy series '' The Naked Brothers Band'' (2007–09), which ...

* Rising Star Award: Christian Navarro *Chris Brinker Award: Stare Yildirim Confirmed Festival Guests:

Hal Linden Hal Linden (born Harold Lipshitz, March 20, 1931) is an American stage and screen actor, television director and musician. Linden began his career as a big band musician and singer in the 1950s. After a stint in the United States Army, he began ...

Nat Wolff Nathaniel Marvin Wolff (born December 17, 1994) is an American actor and musician. He gained recognition for composing the music for ''The Naked Brothers Band (TV series), The Naked Brothers Band'' (2007–2009), a Nickelodeon television serie ...

Jassa Ahluwalia Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (born 12 September 1990) is a British actor, director and radio presenter. He acted in the BBC television series ''Some Girls'', the film ''The Whale'' and presented the Disney Junior TV show ''Art Attack''. Early life ...

SDiFF2017

''Oct 5, 2017'' , Pendry Hotel San Diego Host: Jeffrey Lyons Co-hosts:

Ben Lyons Ben Lyons (born October 8, 1981) is an American entertainment reporter and sportscaster. He is the co-host of Bonjour Sports Talk on Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk. Early life Lyons is the son of entertainment reporter Jeffrey Lyons and the g ...

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actor ...

* Auteur Award:

Kumail Nanjiani Kumail Ali Nanjiani (; ur, کمیل علی ننجیانی, ; born May 2, 1978) is a Pakistani-American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Dinesh in the HBO comedy series ''Silicon Valley'' (2014–2019) and for co-wr ...

* Virtuoso Award:

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy '' License to Drive'' (1988), followed by the critically acclaime ...

* Visionary Filmmaker Award:

Taran Killam Taran Hourie Killam (born April 1, 1982) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his television work on ''The Amanda Show'', ''How I Met Your Mother'', ''MADtv'', ''New Girl'', ''Saturday Night Live'', and ''Single Parents''. ...

* Rising Star Award:

Blake Jenner Blake Alexander Jenner (born August 27, 1992) is an American actor. Jenner won the second season of Oxygen's ''The Glee Project'' and, as a result, portrayed Ryder Lynn on the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. He has since had starring a ...

*Chris Brinker Award: ''Manny Rodriguez'' Confirmed Festival Guests:

Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film '' Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...

Nick Eversman Nicholas Eversman (born February 15, 1986) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Michael Winstone on the ABC mystery drama '' Missing'' and Liam Jones II on the ABC fantasy adventure drama ''Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a ...

(presenter)

SDiFF2016

''Sept 29th, 2016'' ,

Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art (often abbreviated to MCA, MoCA or MOCA) may refer to: Africa * Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier), Morocco, officially le Galerie d'Art Contemporain Mohamed Drissi Asia East Asia * Museum of Contemporary Art Shangha ...

Host: Jeffrey Lyons Co-hosts:

Annette Bening Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominat ...

* Auteur Award:

Simon Helberg Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Howard Wolowitz in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), for which he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Sup ...

* Cinema Vanguard Award:

Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...

* Rising Star Award:

Jason Mitchell Jason Mitchell (born January 5, 1987) is an American actor. Mitchell started his career acting in minor roles in films such as the action-thriller '' Contraband'' (2012), and the neo-noir ''Broken City'' (2013). He is best known for portraying ...

* Chris Brinker Award: Anne Hamilton Confirmed Festival Guests:

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

Josie Totah Josie Totah (born August 5, 2001), formerly known as J. J. Totah, is an American actress. She is known for her recurring role on the Disney Channel series '' Jessie'' and supporting role on the 2013 ABC comedy series '' Back in the Game''. T ...

(as JJ Totah),

Sean Patrick Flanery Sean Patrick Flanery (born October 11, 1965) is an American actor, author, and martial artist. He is known for playing Connor MacManus in ''The Boondock Saints'' (1999) and its sequel ''The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day'' (2009), Greg Still ...

, Kweku Mandela Geena Davis 2013 (cropped)

SDFF2015

''Oct 1, 2015'' -

Host: Jeffrey Lyons * Reframed Humanitarian Award:

Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

* Cinema Vanguard Award:

Adrien Brody Adrien Nicholas Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an American actor. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring as Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's '' The Pianist'' (2002), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Acto ...

* Auteur Award: Brit Marling * Rising Star Award:

John Boyega John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega (born 17 March 1992), known professionally as John Boyega, is a British actor and producer. He first rose to prominence in his native Britain for his role as Moses in the sci-fi comedy film ''Attack the Block' ...

* Chris Brinker Award:

Jack Robbins Jack William Robbins (January 23, 1916 – January 1983) was an American football halfback who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Cardinals. Robbins also played quarterback during his two years in the ...

Confirmed Festival Guest: Mika Haka,

Leslee Udwin Leslee may refer to * Leslee Feldman, studio head of casting * Leslee Silverman, Canadian theater director * Leslee Smith, British Virgin Islands basketball player * Leslee Udwin, British filmmaker * Leslee Unruh, Activist * Leslee Milam Post, Amer ...

Roger Ross Williams Roger Ross Williams (born September 16, 1962) is an American director, producer and writer and the first African American director to win an Academy Award (Oscar), with his short film '' Music by Prudence''; this film won the Academy Award for Be ...

, Dawn Porter Saginaw Grant 2015

SDFF2014

''Sept 25, 2014'' ,

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

*Cinema Vanguard Award:

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was a ...

*Excellence In Acting: Michele Monaghan *Visionary Filmmaker Award:

Eli Roth Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, having directed the films '' Cabin Fever'' (2003) and ''Hoste ...

*Virtuoso Award:

Alison Pill Alison Pill (born November 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress. A former child actress, Pill began her career at age 12, appearing in numerous films and television series. She transitioned to adult roles and her breakthrough came with the television ...

*American Legacy Award:

Saginaw Grant Saginaw Morgan Grant (July 20, 1936 – July 27, 2021) was a Native American character actor. He appeared in '' The Lone Ranger'', '' The World's Fastest Indian'', ''Community'', and ''Breaking Bad'' and was a musician, pow wow dancer, motivatio ...

*Chris Brinker Award: John Hill Confirmed Festival Guests:

Tom Berenger Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing Jake ...

Josh Duhamel Joshua David Duhamel (; born November 14, 1972) is an American actor and former fashion model. After various modeling work, he made his acting debut as Leo du Pres on the ABC daytime soap opera '' All My Children'' and later starred as Danny M ...

Dennis Haysbert Dennis Dexter Haysbert (born June 2, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the '' Major League'' film trilogy, Secret Service agent Tim Collin in the political thriller film '' Absolute Power'' ...

, Stelio Savante

SDFF2013

''Oct 3, 2013'' ,

* Humanitarian Award:

Mariel Hemingway Mariel Hadley Hemingway (born November 22, 1961) is an American actress. She began acting at age 14 with a Golden Globe-nominated breakout role in ''Lipstick'' (1976), and she received Academy and BAFTA Award nominations for her performance in ...

* Visionary Filmmaker Award:

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...

*Emerging Producer Award: Justin Nappi Confirmed Festival Guests:

Michael B. Jordan Michael Bakari Jordan (; born February 9, 1987) is an American actor. He is known for his film roles as shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama ''Fruitvale Station'' (2013), boxer Adonis Creed in ''Creed'' (2015), and Erik Killmonger in ''Bl ...

Troy Duffy Troy Duffy is an American filmmaker and musician. He has directed two films, ''The Boondock Saints'' and its sequel '' The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day''. Duffy was the subject of the 2003 documentary film '' Overnight''. Film career Duf ...

SDFF2012

''Sept 27, 2012'' ,

* Visionary Filmmaker Award: Gus Van Sant Confirmed Guests:

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...

Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...

, Anne Heche, Pennie Lane,

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh (; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director. Born and brought up in London, he is the son of Irish parents. He is known as one of the most acclaimed modern playwrights whose ...

, Mark Christopher Lawrence

SDFF2011

Sep 28-Oct 2 Confirmed Guests: Will Reiser,

Tom Sizemore Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. (; born November 29, 1961) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his supporting roles in films such as ''Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), ''Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'' (1991), ''Passenger 5 ...

Lee Hirsch Lee Hirsch (born 1972) is an American documentary filmmaker. Hirsch is a graduate of The Putney School in Vermont and Hampshire College, in Amherst, Massachusetts. He wrote and directed the documentary '' Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Har ...

SDFF2010

Sept 20, 2010 Confirmed Guests:

Jenna Fischer Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer (born March 7, 1974) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...

Kim Coates Kim F. Coates (born February 21, 1958) is a Canadian–American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' and in the lead ...

Leland Orser Leland Jones Orser (born August 6, 1960) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous film and television roles, notably as Lucien Dubenko in the television series '' ER'' (2004–2009) and Sam Gilroy in the '' Taken'' film series (2008–20 ...

Davis Guggenheim Philip Davis Guggenheim (born November 3, 1963) is an American writer, director and producer. His credits include ''NYPD Blue'', '' ER'', '' 24'', ''Alias'', ''The Shield'', '' Deadwood'', and the documentaries ''An Inconvenient Truth'', ''It ...

Jason Ritter Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Kevin Girardi in the television series ''Joan of Arcadia'', Ethan Haas in '' The Class'', Sean Walker in the NBC series '' The Event'', ...

and Elliott Gould.

SDFF2009

* Indie Icon Award -

Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel (January 22, 1935 – April 7, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies and television shows, and had a career that spanned over 50 years. Cassel first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering in ...

Confirmed Guests:

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

Richard Dreyfuss Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (; born Dreyfus; October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including ''American Graffiti'' (1973), ''Jaws'' (1975), ''Close Encounters of the T ...

, James Cromwell

SDFF2005

Joan Collins in Stephane Rolland (1) cropped

Sept 24, 2005 * Lifetime Achievement Award:

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...

* Humanitarian Award:

Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (; né Bottom; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for playing dark and unconventional characters in independent films. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academ ...

* David Angell Humanitarian Award: John Walsh * Soaring Star Award:

Colin Hanks Colin Lewes Hanks (born November 24, 1977) is an American actor. He has starred in films including '' Orange County'', ''King Kong'', '' The House Bunny'', '' The Great Buck Howard'', and the ''Jumanji'' film series. His television credits includ ...

* Discover Screenwriter Award:

Paul Haggis Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners '' Million Dollar Baby'' (2004) and ...

Confirmed Guests: Melissa Joan Hart,

Bryan Greenberg Bryan Greenberg (born May 24, 1978) is an American actor and singer, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series ''How to Make It in America'' as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the WB series '' One Tree ...

Ben Younger Ben Younger (born October 7, 1972) is an American screenwriter and film director. Biography Early life and career Younger was born in Brooklyn, and raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish household in Eltingville, Staten Island and in Fair Lawn, New ...

SDFF2004

*Lifetime Achievement Award -

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film '' PT 109'', and won the 196 ...

* Governor's Award -

Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and e ...

SDFF2002

Achievement in Acting Award:

James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off-Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in '' The Trial of the ...

Confirmed Festival Guests:

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...

Jeff Anderson Jeffrey Allan Anderson (born April 21, 1970) is an American film and television actor, director, and screenwriter best known for starring as Randal Graves in ''Clerks,'' ''Clerks II,'' and ''Clerks III''. In between, he has appeared in other Kevi ...

Rod Lurie Rod Lurie ( he, רוד לוריא; born May 15, 1962) is an Israeli-American director, screenwriter, and former film critic. Early life and career The son of internationally syndicated cartoonist Ranan Lurie, he was born in Israel but moved to ...

, Tatum O’Neal,

Joey Lauren Adams Joey Lauren Adams (born January 9, 1968) is an American actress and director. Adams starred in ''Chasing Amy'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and played smaller role ...

and

Scott Baio Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on ...

By award

Golden Eagles

Best Narrative Feature

* 2022: ''Freedom's Path'' * 2021: '' Queen of Glory'' (dir. Nana Mensah) * 2020: ''

'' (dir. John Carlucci and Brandon LaGanke) * 2019: ''

'' (dir. Erdenebileg Ganbold) * 2018: ''Tiger'' (dir. Alisteir Grierson) * 2017: ''The Bachelors'' (dir. Kurt Voelker) * 2016: ''So B. It'' (dir.

) * 2015: '' Diablo'' (dir. Lawrence Roeck) * 2014: ''Where the Road Runs Out'' (dir.

)

Best Documentary

* 2022: ''With This Breath I Fly'' * 2021: ''

(dir.

)'' * 2020: ''

'' * 2019: ''Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching Wa''r (dir. Kerry David) * 2018: '' Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War'' (dir. Susan Scott) * 2017: '' The Last Animals'' (dir. Kate Brooks) * 2016: ''Political Animals'' (dirs. Tracy Wares, Jonah Markowitz) * 2015: ''

'' (dir. Leslee Udwin) * 2014: ''Waiting for Mamu'' (dir. Thomas A. Morgan)

Best Animation

* 2022: ''Tehura'' * 2021: ''Freebird'' * 2020: ''To: Gerard'' (dir. Taylor Meacham) * 2019: ''Riptide'' * 2018: ''The Driver is Red'' (dir. Randall Christopher) * 2017: ''Green Light'' (dir. Seong-Min Kim) * 2015: ''SOAR'' (dir. Alyce Tzue) * 2014: ''The'' ''Dam Keeper'' (dir. Robert Kondo)

Kumeyaay Eagle Award

for Best Native American Film * 2022: ''

'' (dir. David L. Cunningham) * 2021: ''Pictures of My People'' (dir. Mark Ruberg) * 2020: ''Invasion: The Unist'ot'en's Fight for Sovereignty (''dirs. Michael Toledano, Sam Vinal) * 2019: ''Angelique's Isle'' (dir.

Marie-Hélène Cousineau Marie-Hélène Cousineau is a Canadians, Canadian film director and producer.Indian Horse ''Indian Horse'' () is a novel by Canadian writer Richard Wagamese, published by Douglas & McIntyre in 2012."Indian Horse is a dark ride". '' Calgary Herald'', February 28, 2012. The novel centres on Saul Indian Horse, a First Nations boy from Ont ...

'' (dir.

Stephen Campanelli Stephen Campanelli is a movie cameraman and film director. He has been a long-term member of Clint Eastwood's film production crew. Campanelli can speak English, Italian and French. Early life Stephen Campanelli's mother Carmela emigrated from It ...

) * 2017: ''Waabooz'' (dir. Molly Katagiri) * 2016: ''Te Ata'' (dir. Nathan Frankowski) * 2015: ''For Blood'' (dir. Chadwick Pelletier, J.T. Connor) * 2014: ''Sycuan:'' ''Our People. Our Culture. Our History.''

Audience Awards

Best Documentary

* 2022: ''Holy Frit'' (dir. Justin Monroe) * 2021: ''The Disruptors'' (dir.

) * 2020: ''The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses'' * 2019: ''Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching Wa''r (dir. Kerry David) * 2018: ''Soufra'' (dir. Thomas A. Morgan) * 2017: ''Resistance is Life (''dir. Apo W. Bazidi) * 2016: '' Seed: The Untold Story'' (dir. Taggart Siegel) * 2015: '' Moments of Clarity'' (dir. Stev Elam) * 2014: ''Waiting for Mamu'' * 2011: ''The Highest Pass (''dir. Jon Fitzgerald) * 2010: '' Waiting for Superman'' (dir.

) * 2009: ''Jesse's Story'' (dir. Mark S. Jacobs) * 2008: ''Speed & Angels'' (dir. Peyton Wilson) * 2006: ''The Creek Runs Red'' (dirs. B. Beesley, J. Brannum) * 2005: " Little Man," (dir.

)

Best Narrative Feature

* 2022: ''

'' * 2021: ''Somos Ecos'' (dir. Julian Diaz Velosa) * 2020: ''

'' * 2019: ''Carol of the Bells'' (dir.

) * 2018: ''I May Regret'' * 2017: ''Life Hack'' * 2016: ''Dead Draw'' (dir. Brian Klemesrud) * 2015: '' Moments of Clarity'' (dir. Stev Elam) * 2014: ''Cas & Dylan'' (dir.

Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...

) * 2013: '' Autumn Blood'' (dir. Markus Blunder) * 2011: '' Like Crazy'' (dir.

) * 2010: ''

'' (dir. Sam Taylor-Johnston) * 2009: '' Reach for Me'' (dir.

) * 2008: ''

'' (dir. Jeffrey Goodman) * 2006: ''

(dir. Van Fischer)'' * 2005: ''

'' (dir.

)

Best Narrative Short

* 2022: ''Moon'' * 2021: ''Munkie'' (dir. Steven Chow) * 2020: ''Feeling Through'' (dir. Doug Roland) * 2019: ''Men of Vision'' * 2018: ''Your Call Is Important To Us'' * 2017: ''The Dog With the Woman'' (dir. P., S. Ledger-Lomas) * 2016: ''Mine'' (dir. Simon Berry) * 2015:''The Gunfighter'' (dir. Eric Kissack) * 2014: ''Sure Thing'' Shinzō Abe and Malala Yousafzai (1) Cropped

Shinzō Abe and Malala Yousafzai (1) Cropped

Best Studio/Gala Film

* 2022: ''

(dir.

)'' * 2021: ''

'' (dir.

) * 2020: ''

'' (dir.

Chloe Zhao Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...

) * 2019: ''

'' (dir.

) * 2018: ''

'' (dir. Joel Edgerton) * 2017: '' Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' (dir.

) * 2015: ''

'' (dir.

) * 2014: ''

'' (dir.

Morten Tyldum Morten Tyldum (; born 19 May 1967) is a Norwegian film director. He is best known in his native Norway for directing the thriller film '' Headhunters'' (2011), based on the novel by Jo Nesbø, and internationally for directing the historical drama ...

)

Gregory Peck Award

* See Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence

Chris Brinker Award

For best first time director. * 2020: Prarthana Mohan * 2019: Ravin Gandhi * 2018: Stare Yildirim * 2017: Manny Rodriguez * 2016: Anne Hamilton * 2015:

* 2014: John Hill

Cinema Vanguard Award

2022:

* 2019:

* 2018:

* 2016:

* 2015:

* 2014:

Humanitarian Award

* 2022: Dr. Brook Parker-Bello * 2019:

* 2018:

* 2015:

Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

* 2013: Muriel Hemingway * 2005:

Fairbanks Award

* 2022:

* 2019:

* 2018:

Virtuoso Award

* 2022: Lisa Ann-Walter * 2017:

* 2014:

Auteur Award

* 2018:

* 2017:

* 2016:

* 2015: Brit Marling

Music Icon Award

* 2019:

* 2018:

Spotlight Award

* 2022:

* 2018:

Rising Star Award

* 2019:

* 2018: Christian Navarro * 2017:

* 2016:

* 2015:

* 2005:

(Soaring Star)

References

External Links

Official Site
{{Gregory Peck Award Lists of films by award Film festivals in San Diego International film awards

Film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...