PBS SoCal and KCET are partnering with the Newport Beach Film Festival for a broadcast premiere of the “Newport Beach Film Festival Honours,” scheduled to air Sunday.
The 30-minute special will be hosted by Jenelle Riley, Variety’s deputy awards and features editor, and includes interviews with honourees from the event such as Ron Howard, Eddie Redmayne, Jonathan Majors, Patton Oswalt, Keke Palmer, Aubrey Plaza, Colson Baker and Paul Feig, along with several of Variety‘s 10 Actors to Watch.
“Newport is very proud to play an expanded role in the awards and FYC season,” Gregg Schwenk, co-founder and CEO of the Newport Beach Film Festival, told Variety. “Our amazing film programming along with unique opportunities to engage with the industry create a powerful opportunity to boost a film or specific talent.”
Howard, the Oscar-winning director behind films like “Apollo 13,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Thirteen Lives,” was previously awarded with the Variety Legend and Groundbreaker Award during the Oct. 16 festival and will participate in a live interview for the special. Likewise, performers Stephanie Hsu, Thuso Mbedu, Zen McGrath, Amber Midthunder and Joseph Quinn from Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch list will make on-screen appearances for the televised event. The list has been presented since 1998 and has included over 35 Oscar winners and nominees including Mahershala Ali, Adam Driver, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Lupita Nyong’o.
Plaza, Majors, Palmer and Oswalt are all included in the program as recipients of this past year’s Artist of Distinction Awards. Baker and Anna Diop were previously awarded Spotlight Awards, Cooper Raiff received the Maverick Award and Aimee Carrero was recognized with the Breakout Award. Redmayne and Feig were honoured with the Icon Award and Career Achievement Award, respectively.
The Newport Beach Film Festival Honors airs on PBS SoCal at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. Encores will broadcast on KCET at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 and on PBS SoCal at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12. The program will also be available for complimentary streaming on the PBS App and the PBS SoCal website. (Variety)
