Sir Patrick Stewart Honored Tonight at San Diego International Film Festival

The San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF), produced by the San Diego Film Foundation, will honor iconic stage and screen actor Sir Patrick Stewart with the Gregory Peck Award for Excellence in Cinema.

The awards will be presented tonight, October 5th, at The VARIETY Night of the Stars Tribute at the Pendry Hotel San Diego in Downtown San Diego, CA.

Additionally, the festival announced its full line up of films, including Spotlight, Competition and Short Film sections. Now in its 16th year, the San Diego International Film Festival will run from October 4th through October 8th in San Diego, CA. The most up to date festival information is available at www.sdfilmfest.com.

Patrick Stewart is one of the most acclaimed and beloved performers working today, with numerous and varied roles on both stage and screen, earning Golden Globe, SAG, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations. Earlier this year, Stewart starred as 'Professor Charles Xavier' in the latest X-Men epic "Logan," reprising a role he originated in the first installment of the franchise in 2000 and earning some of the best reviews of his career. Though he is perhaps best known from his years on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Stewart's impressive list of credits spans more than 40 years and countless memorable roles, including recent acclaimed performances in "Green Room," "Match," and the starz COMEDY "Blunt Talk." Stewart is a three-time Olivier Award winner and an Honorary Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2001, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth conferred on Stewart the order of the Officer of the British EMPIRE (O.B.E.), and in 2010, he received a knighthood for his services to Drama. His philanthropic efforts include his longtime support of Amnesty International and his role as a Patron of both Refuge and Combat Stress in the UK.

"Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences for years with spectacular performances, from Star Trek to his career defining performance in Logan earlier this year, as well as his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated performance as Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, a role which Mr. Peck made famous more than 40 years earlier. We couldn't be more excited to honor him this year with the Gregory Peck Award," said Tonya Mantooth, Executive and Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival.

Created in honor of famed actor and San Diego area native Gregory Peck, with the support of his family, this award is given to an individual whose work has made a profound impact on THE ART OF cinema. Launched in 2014, the first recipient of the award was Alan Arkin, with Annette Bening receiving the award last year.

Leading the program at this year's festival are the Spotlight Films screenings, which include 10 titles altogether of various genres.

In addition, SDiFF is proud to screen narrative, documentary and short films, both in and out of competition, vying for top award honors. THE LINEUP below includes 117 films total, 10 Narrative Spotlight Competition films, 18 Narrative Competition films, 12 Documentary Competition films, 5 Documentary Spotlight Competition films, and 72 Short films.

Screenings will be held in the newly renovated historic Balboa Theater and Regal Theaters in Downtown San Diego, and ArcLight Cinemas in La Jolla. The complete list of 2017 San Diego Film Festival titles including descriptions will soon be available at www.sdfilmfest.com.

Passes are currently on sale to VIP members and the general public. In addition to screenings and events, passes provide access to the official festival lounge and parties where pass holders interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community. Individual tickets will go on sale beginning August 30th.

For more information regarding passes/tickets, press accreditation, industry passes, or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.sdfilmfest.com.

More additions will be added to the program and announced soon.

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2017 SAN DIEGO INT'L FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP:

Narrative Spotlight Films (10)

· The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Dir. Jared Moshe, USA, West Coast Premiere

· Breathe, Dir. Andy Serkis, USA, West Coast Premiere

· Thelma, Dir. Joachim Trier, Norway, United States Premiere

· Dismissed, Dir. Benjamin Arfmann, USA, World Premiere

· Dog Years, Dir. Adam Rifkin, USA, West Coast Premiere

· The Divine Order, Dir. Petra Volpe, Switzerland, Southern California Premiere

· Juvenile, Dir. Bradley Buecker, USA, West Coast Premiere

· The Bachelors, Dir. Kurt Voelker, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Thumper, Dir. Jordan Ross, USA, California Premiere

· My Friend Dahmer, Dir. Marc Meyers, USA, San Diego Premiere

Narrative Competition (18)

· Selling Isobel, Dir. Rudolf Buitendach, Sweden/USA, World Premiere

· Butterfly Caught, Dir. Manny Rodriguez Jr., USA, World Premiere

· The Lonely Italian, Dir. Lee Farber, USA, World Premiere

· Juggernaut, Dir. Daniel DiMarco, Canada, North American Premiere

· Otherlife, Dir. Ben C. Lucas, Australia, North American Premiere

· Storm Letters of Fire, Dir. Dennis Bots, Netherlands, North American Premiere

· Room for Rent, Dir. Matt Atkinson, Canada, United States Premiere

· Under the Rose, Dir. Josue Ramos, Spain, United States Premiere

· A Prominent Patient, Dir. Julius Sevcik, Czech Republic, Slovakia, United States Premiere

· Life Hack, Dir. Sloan Copeland, USA, West Coast Premiere

· Heart, Baby!, Dir. Angela Shelton, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Hard Surfaces, Dir. Zach Brown, USA, San Diego Premiere

· The Price, Dir. Anthony Onah, USA, West Coast Premiere

· Scent of Rain and Lightening, Dir. Blake Robbins, USA, California Premiere

· GUN, Dir. Sam Upton, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Entanglement, Dir. Jason James, Canada, San Diego Premiere

· And Then There Was Eve, Dir. Savannah Bloch, USA, San Diego Premiere

· 20 Weeks, Dir. Leena Pendharkar, USA, San Diego Premiere

Spotlight Documentary Films (5)

· The Last Animals, Dir. Kate Brooks, UK/USA, California Premiere

· Apache Warrior, Dir. David Salzberg & Christian Tureaud, USA, World Premiere

· WASTED! Story of Food Waste, Dir. Anna Chia & Nari Kye, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Behind the Curtain: TODRICK Hall, Dir. Katherine Fairfax Wright, USA, Southern California

Premiere

· Resistance is Life, Dir. Apo W. Bazidi, USA/Turkey, San Diego Premiere

Documentary Competition (12)

· Becoming Who I Was, Dir. Moon Chang-Yong & Jeon Jin, South Korea, California Premiere

· 42 Grams, Dir. Jack C. Newell, USA, California Premiere

· Herd, Dir. Stefan Morel, Canada, California Premiere

· Blind Spot; Moments Unseen, Dir. Stefan Morel, Canada, California Premiere

· Down the Fence, Dir. MJ Isakson, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Spirit of Discovery, Dir. Eliana Alvarez Martinez, USA, World Premiere
· RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet?, Dir. David McIlvride & Roger Williams, Canada, San Diego Premiere

· Poisoning Paradise, Dir. Keely Shaye Brosnan & Teresa Tico, USA, San Diego Premiere
· Legion of Brothers, Dir. Greg Barker, USA, California Premiere

· Mankiller, Dir. Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, USA, San Diego Premiere

· The Lavender Scare, Dir. Josh Howard, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and Rise of Isis, Dir. Sebastian Junger & Nick Quested, USA, San Diego Premiere

Shorts Competition (72)

Shorts in front of feature films:

· Lucky Me, Dir. Thomas Morgan, USA, World Premiere

· The Horse Whisperer, Dir. Richard Mullane, UK, United States Premiere

· The Velvet Abstract, Dir. James Hughes, UK, San Diego Premiere

Shorts: American Indian Stories:

· Waabooz, Dir. Molly Katagiri, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Five Dollars, Dir. Ty Coughenour, USA, San Diego Premiere

· In the Beginning was Water and Sky, Dir. Ryan Ward, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Lost Face, Dir. Sean Meehan, Australia/Canada, San Diego Premiere

· Neemkomok', Dir. Douglas Cushnie, USA, San Diego Premiere

· The Gift, Joel Edgerton, USA/Australia, California Premiere

Shorts: For Shorts & Giggles:

· The Bouquet, Dir. Julien Segard & Romain Carciofo, France, San Diego Premiere

· Ostoja Will Move Your Piano, Dir. Sandra Mitrovic, Serbia, West Coast Premiere

· Annie Waits, Dir. Marnie Paxton-Harris, UK, San Diego Premiere

· A Ghost Named George, Dir. Harrison Macks, USA, World Premiere

· Dollar King, Dir. Drew Pollins, USA, Southern California Premiere

· The Heist, Dir. Luke Harris, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Love me Madly, Dir. Emre Okten, USA, World Premiere

Shorts: A Stranger in Stranger Land:

· Picture Wheel, Dir. David O'Donnell, USA/Australia, San Diego Premiere

· Wyrm, Dir. Christopher Winterbauer, USA, North American Premiere

· Albedo Absolute, Dir. Vlad Marsavin, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Time Flies When I am Having Fun, Dir. Johan Tappert, Sweden, West Coast Premiere

· Cautionary Tales, Dir.Christopher Barrett & Luke Taylor, UK, North American Premiere

· See You Yesterday, Dir. Stefon Bristol, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Fairy TALES Anonymous, Dir. Jacob Lundgaard Andersen, USA, San Diego Premier

Shorts: Illusion:

· Gridlock, Dir. Ian Hunt Duffy, Ireland, Southern California Premiere

· Cul-de-sac, Dir. Damon Russell, USA, San Diego Premiere

· The Obituary, Dir. Jonathan Thompson, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Standby, Dir. Daumoun Khakpour & Travis Pulchinski, Canada, United States Premiere

· The Peculiar Abilities of Mr. Mahler, Dir. Paul Philipp, Germany, California Premiere

· Frederick, Dir. Ty Coughenour, USA, San Diego Premiere

Shorts: Independent Animation:

· The Wall, Dir.Nick Baker & TriStan Klein, Australia, West Coast Premiere

· Green Light, Dir. Seongmin Kim, South Korea, Southern California Premiere

· Tanguito Argentino, Dir. Joaquin Braga, Argentina,Southern California Premiere

· Wishing Box, Dir. Wenli Zhang & Nan Li, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Hope, Dir. Michael Scherrer, Switzerland, Southern California Premiere

· First Bloom, Dir. Tingting Liu, China, San Diego Premiere

· Revelation: City of Haze, Dir. Mao Qichao, China, San Diego Premiere

· Karma, Dir. Zhaoyu Zhou, USA, World Premiere

Shorts: Heart of a Soldier:

· Orion, Dir. Spencer Currie, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Corpsman, Dir. Amanda Larsh, USA, World Premiere

· One Halloween, Dir. Rebecca Murga, USA, World Premiere

· Tango on the Balcony, Dir. Minos Papas, USA/Cyprus, Southern California Premiere

· Wandering Soul, Dir. Josh Tanner, Australia, San Diego Premiere

Shorts: Twisted Humor:

· The Dog with the Woman, Dir. Phoebe Arnstein & Stephen Ledger-Lomas, UK, World Premiere

· A Done Deal, Dir. Pierre-Marc Drouin and Simon Lamarre-Ledoux, Canada, West Coast Premiere

· Eat and Drink, Dir. Jaime Figueroa, Spain, North American Premiere

· Nicole's Cage, Dir. Josef Brandl, Germany, Southern California Premiere

· Unleaved Bread, Dir. Wilfried Méance, France, Southern California Premiere

Shorts: On Pins and Needles:

· Will Wilson, Dir. David C. Herman, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Morning Has Broken, Dir. Olga Chajdas, Poland, United States Premiere

· Icarus, Dir. Tom Teller, USA, Southern California Premiere

· Warm Springs, Dir. Sean Wang, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Game, Dir. Joy Webster, Canada, United States Premiere

· Standby, Dir. Daumoun Khakpour & Travis Pulchinski, Canada, United States Premiere

Shorts: When Worlds Collide:

· Lost Dogs, Dir. Cullan Bruce, USA, San Diego Premiere

· The Foster Portfolio, Dir. Danielle Katvan, USA, San Diego Premiere

· The Transfer, Dir. Michael Grudsky, Germany/Israel, San Diego Premiere

· Pickle, Dir. Grant Moore, USA, San Diego Premiere

· Brainstorm, Dir. Christophe Clin, Belgium, San Diego Premiere

· Temporary, Dir. Milena Govich, USA, San Diego Premiere

Shorts: Global Consciousness:

· Shine, Dir. Barrett Lewis, Daniel Andreani & Austin Bousley, USA, World Premiere

· Witnesses, Dir. David Koch, France, California Premiere
· All of Us, Dir. Katja Benrath, Germany/ Kenya, United States Premiere

· Ravage, Dir. Leon Lee, Canada, West Coast Premiere

· Citizen, Dir. Robert Bracker, USA, West Coast Premiere

· The Fare, Dir. Santiago Paladines, Equador/USA, San Diego Premiere

Shorts: Student Track:

· I Have to Kill my Professor, Dir. Jonathan Pickett, USA, World Premiere
· Dated, Dir. Daniel Lachman, USA, California Premiere

· Uncle Tommy, Dir. Tan Shi Ying, Singapore, World Premiere

· Hurt People, Dir. Gabriel Gaurano, Jayden Gillespie & Navin Bose, USA, World Premiere

· Dibashram, Dir. Weilee Yap, Singapore, World Premiere

· Head Above Water, Dir. Eric Shahinian, USA, West Coast Premiere

· Chicken Beauty Pageant, Dir. Nurul Amirah, Singapore, World Premiere

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The San Diego International Film Festival is the region's premier film event and one of the leading stops on the independent festival circuit. SDiFF offers a totally unique film experience; including world premieres, never before seen studio releases, the best in independent filmmaking and a full schedule of glamorous parties and intimate events with filmmakers. Learn moreat www.sdfilmfest.com.

The San Diego Film Foundation (SDFF) is a 501(c)3 dedicated to making a difference through film. We believe that film can be transformative and we are bound together through human connection. Our mission is to use film to explore issues of global impact, to create dialog, to encourage self-reflection, and ultimately to develop empathy and understanding in an increasingly diverse and complex world.

The San Diego Film Foundation brings the finest independent cinematic storytelling from around the world to San Diego each year. We present films that make a difference through a robust variety of events and programs including:

· The San Diego International Film Festival (Oct. 4-8, 2017)

· FOCUS on Impact Film Tour for highschool students (Spring 2017)

· FOCUS on Impact Artist Residencies for highschool students (Fall 2017)

· Film Insider Screenings (Feb-July, 2017)

· Industry Insider Series (Patrons Only)

· And The Award Goes To...Oscar Awards Viewing Party Annual Gala