NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (January 4, 2023) – As one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival and Visit Newport Beach brought an international curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the beautiful Southern California coast in October 2022. The festival attracted nearly 60,000 attendees to Newport Beach, California showcasing the best US and international films, nightly parties, events featuring more than 60 culinary partners and more. Through a partnership with PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations, a 30-minute special was produced of the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors which highlighted outstanding achievement in film and television. Hosted by Variety’s Deputy Awards and Features Editor Jenelle Riley, the special features interviews with Oscar® winners Ron Howard and Eddie Redmayne, actors Jonathan Majors, Patton Oswalt, Keke Palmer, Aubrey Plaza, Colson Baker and writer/producer Paul Feig. The 30-minute special will premiere locally in Southern California on the following channels and dates:
PBS SoCal
- 1/8 at 4:30pm
- 1/12 at 5:30pm & 7:30pm
- 1/13 at 1:30am & 11:30pm
- 1/23 at 5:30 pm
KCET
- 1/11 at 7:30pm
**The special will also be available for free on the PBS App and via streaming, here.
This year’s honorees include Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (Thirteen Lives, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) who will receive 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) will also be 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 will receive the Career Achievement Award for his work, which includes directing hit films including 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) – will receive 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) will receive Spotlight Awards, Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth) will receive the Maverick Award, and Aimee Carrero (The Menu) will receive the Breakout Award.
The program will also highlight 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”
- Joseph Quinn– fan favorite Eddie Munson in Season 4 of “Stranger Things.”
Photo courtesy of PBS SoCal
About Newport Beach & Company/Visit Newport Beach
Founded in January 2013, Newport Beach & Company is a non-profit organization established to serve as the official marketing agency for the city of Newport Beach. The agency brings together all of the marketing entities connected to the Newport Beach brand and is designed to oversee separate business units that include Visit Newport Beach, Celebrate Newport Beach, Enterprise Newport Beach and Newport Beach TV. For more information, please go to VisitNewportBeach.com.
About the Newport Beach Film Festival
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 NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
About PBS SOCAL and KCET
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 including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region’s diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Johns
Communications Manager, Visit Newport Beach
megan@newportbeachandco.com | (949) 706-5309