NEON's Tom Quinn to receive Honorary Trailblazer Award at this year's Woodstock Film Festival

The Woodstock Film Festival announced today that pioneering film distributor Tom Quinn, CEO and Founder of NEON, will be the recipient of the 2020 Honorary Trailblazer Award. Quinn was chosen for his commitment towards taking bold, creative risks through acquiring and distributing films that exist outside of cookie-cutter Hollywood conventions, like Bong Joon Ho's PARASITE, which made history last Sunday with four Academy Awards®, becoming the first non-English-language film to claim best picture.

The Woodstock Film Festival's Honorary Trailblazer Award is given to a leader in the film and media arts industry who has carved innovative paths in the business, establishing independent vision, affecting social change, and creating strong and widespread appreciation of quality, substantive filmmaking. The Honorary Trailblazer Award will be presented to Quinn on Saturday October 3rd at the Woodstock Film Festival's Maverick Awards Ceremony.

Quinn co-founded NEON with Tim League in 2017. In just three years, NEON has grossed over 100 million at the box office with films such as: Todd Douglas Miller's APOLLO 11, the highest grossing documentary in the world at $16M; Tim Wardle's THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS, winner of the Sundance Special Jury Award for Storytelling which surpassed $13M at the box office; and Craig Gillespie's I, TONYA, which garnered multiple Academy Award® nominations, one win for Allison Janney and amassed over $30M in box office in North America.

NEON has amassed an eclectic mix of films, featuring documentaries, international, elevated horror, commercial and awards fare, while maintaining a strong presence on the festival circuit. Other releases include: Celine Sciamma's critically acclaimed Cannes hit PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE which was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes® and Independent Spirit Awards; Matt Spicer's darkly funny INGRID GOES WEST starring Aubrey Plaza; Alejandro Landes' cinematic thriller MONOS; Julius Onah's LUCE starring Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer; Tamara Kotevska and Ljubo Stefanov's HONEYLAND, which is the first non-fiction feature to land Academy Award® nominations for Best Documentary and Best International Feature Film in the same year; and the electrifying documentary about Aretha Franklin, AMAZING GRACE.

"It's a privilege to present our Honorary Trailblazer Award to Tom Quinn,"says Meira Blaustein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Woodstock Film Festival. "His innovative approach to film and distribution, his unwavering championship of the best of cinema, and his clear leadership, as demonstrated consistently throughout his remarkable career, is truly inspiring, making him the epitome of a Trailblazer."

"There is no place like Woodstock," says Award recipient, Tom Quinn. "It's a singularly vibrant mecca of artists, activists, filmmakers and some of the most fiercely passionate film lovers you'll find anywhere. I'm overwhelmed and humbled to be receiving this award, especially one that upholds the indie spirit, the power of cinema and the unwavering commitment to an artist's vision - values we at NEON always strive towards. I'm immensely grateful to the Woodstock Film Festival and Meira Blaustein for the recognition and look forward to celebrating at this year's edition."

The Honorary Trailblazer Award has previously been bestowed upon such film industry principals as David Linde (CEO, Participant Media), Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer, Netflix), James Schamus (former President of Focus Features), Bob Berney (former Head of Marketing & Distribution, Amazon Studios), Jonathan Sehring (former President, IFC Films), John Sloss (Founder, Cinetic Media), Robin Bronk (CEO, The Creative Coalition), and Abigail Disney (President & CEO, Fork Films) and more.

"Tom Quinn has the kind of chip on his shoulder that is so often a necessary component of greatness. Bless that chip. We are all better off for it."

- John Sloss, Founder, Cinetic Media, WFF Honorary Trailblazer Award Recipient, 2006.

"When someone tells me something can't be done in the theatrical distribution world, I tell them it is because Tom Quinn hasn't tried to do it yet. When someone tells me that a certain type of film can't perform at a high level, I tell them it is because Tom Quinn hasn't distributed it yet. Tom doesn't just distribute films, he changes the way our business and culture thinks."

- Ted Hope, Head of Motion Picture Development, Production & Acquisitions at Amazon Studios, WFF's honorary Trailblazer Award recipient, 2009.

"He's an innovator who takes entertainment to the next level to move and motivate audiences. His vision is what engages us."

- Robin Bronk, CEO, The Creative Coalition, WFF Honorary Trailblazer Award recipient, 2011.

"Tom Quinn does not hesitate to step up to the plate and swing hard, which is why filmmakers love him. And time and again he hits it out of the park. Really thrilled for him in receiving this much-deserved award."

- Participant CEO David Linde, WFF Honorary Trailblazer Award recipient, 2016.

"I am grateful to Tom Quinn for forcing me to keep my hope alive. It's not just that Parasite was an astounding film, and original, and profound, but Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and I Tonya were also fierce and bold movies. These are brave choices, smart choices, and the kind of choices that force us all to keep pushing a little harder, a little farther, to find the truly creative, and to force ourselves never to slouch into the comforts of the derivative and the familiar. Bravo!"

- Abigail Disney, CEO & Co-Founder, Fork Films, WFF Honorary Trailblazer Award Recipient, 2019.



Quinn is credited with having created a new distribution paradigm for such groundbreaking films as SNOWPIERCER, IT FOLLOWS and BACHELORETTE, while simultaneously championing a traditional distribution model for back-to-back Oscar winners 20 FEET FROM STARDOM and CITIZENFOUR. Having acquired, produced and distributed over 250 films spanning a 20-year career, Quinn is responsible for launching two distribution labels: the boutique label RADiUS and the groundbreaking genre label Magnet for Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner. He also played a key role in pioneering the use of VOD platforms as the Senior Vice President at Magnolia Pictures, and served as Vice President of Acquisitions at Samuel Goldwyn where he was responsible for securing the hit 2004 fast food documentary SUPER SIZE ME.

Other Honorary Award Recipients to be announced. Juried awards will also be given to filmmakers in various competition categories.

The Woodstock Film Festival, now celebrating its 21st year, is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity. Founded in 2000 as a grassroots arts organization driven by a sheer love for film and community, Woodstock has quickly become one of the premiere independent film festivals in the US.

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