Honored guests

Will Arnett

Luminary Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Is This Thing On?

Will Arnett has built an impressive career that spans television, movies, podcasts, commercials, and more. He is the co-host of the immensely popular podcast SmartLess with close friends Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, and can be seen in SmartLess: On the Road, a documentary that follows the trio on their North American tour. Arnett burst onto the scene portraying "Gob" on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Arrested Development, which earned him his first Emmy nomination in 2006. He also famously guest-starred on NBC's beloved 30 Rock, receiving four additional Emmy nominations. His other TV credits include BoJack Horseman, Flaked, The Millers, Up All Night, Running Wilde, Riviera, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Snake Oil, Murderville, Lego Masters, and Twisted Metal.

Arnett has starred in dozens of hit live-action and animated movies, including The Lego Movie, Lego Batman, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ratatouille, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, Monsters vs. Aliens, Rumble, and many more. In collaboration with Bradley Cooper, Arnett is co-starring, writing, and producing the feature film Is This Thing On? A mainstay in the advertising world, he has most notably been the voice of GMC Trucks for more than 20 years and has done spots for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Bank of America. In 2014, Arnett launched his production company, Electric Avenue, which develops and produces content across all platforms, including TV shows like Flaked, The Gong Show, and Hot Date.

Hannah Beachler

Variety Creative Impact in Production Design Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening Sinners.

Hannah Beachler is a renowned and prolific production designer with an affinity for evocative designs and visuals in the unique emotional landscapes she creates. Beachler made history as the first African American to be nominated for and win an Academy Award for her work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Black Panther, directed by frequent collaborator Ryan Coogler. She returned for its highly anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, overseeing multimillion dollar art budgets and crews of several hundred people on each of the films, which collectively grossed more than $2 billion. Beachler previously collaborated with Coogler on Creed and Fruitvale Station, the director's feature film debut and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award and Audience Award winner. They reteamed for Coogler's latest film, the critically acclaimed box-office smash Sinners.

Beachler's other film credits include the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight, No Sudden Move, Dark Waters, and The Collaboration — designing sets for both the film and the stage show the film is based on at London's Young Vic theater. She most recently completed production on Children of Blood and Bone, shot on location in South Africa. Multihyphenate global icon Beyonce also called on Beachler to be the production designer on the visuals for her musical film Black Is King, her mega successful On The Run II Tour, and her stunning visual concept album Lemonade. Beachler received two Art Directors Guild Awards and an Emmy Award nomination working with the superstar.

Craig Brewer

Spotlight Director Award

This award will be presented as part of the Centerpiece Gala Screening Song Sung Blue.

Craig Brewer is renowned for his gritty and music-driven storytelling — beginning with his breakout hit Hustle & Flow, which was produced and financed by his late mentor John Singleton. Brewer's film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and earned an Academy Award for Three 6 Mafia's "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," making them the first hip-hop group to win an Oscar in that category. Brewer followed Hustle & Flow with the Southern blues fable Black Snake Moan and a remake of Footloose. He returned to the director's chair in 2019 with Dolemite Is My Name, which marked the return of megastar Eddie Murphy. The film won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy and earned Murphy a Golden Globe Award nomination.

Brewer and Murphy continued their collaboration with the long-anticipated sequel Coming 2 America in 2021. On TV, Brewer has directed episodes of The Shield, Terriers, Empire, and Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, which he also executive produced. Brewer's next film, Song Sung Blue, about two down-on-their-luck performers who form a Neil Diamond tribute band, is scheduled to open on Christmas Day.

Rose Byrne

Luminary Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.

Rose Byrne is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated actress who continues to captivate audiences with her tremendously diverse body of work. Byrne earned two Golden Globe nominations and one Emmy nomination for her work on the drama series Damages. She is also well known for her role in Paul Feig's Bridesmaids, which earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations. Her other film credits include Tow, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Spirited, Seriously Red, Instant Family, Peter Rabbit, Insidious, X-Men: Apocalypse, Neighbors, Spy, Annie, This Is Where I Leave You, The Internship, The Place Beyond the Pines, X-Men: First Class, Get Him to the Greek, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine, Marie Antoinette, Wicker Park, Troy, and Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones.

Byrne most recently starred in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, receiving the Silver Bear for Best Lead Performance at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. On TV, she has appeared in Platonic, Physical, and the upcoming limited series The Good Daughter — all of which she also executive produced — as well as Mrs. America and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. On Broadway and in her native Australia, Byrne has starred in stage performances of Medea, earning nominations for a Drama League Award and a Drama Desk Award, as well as Speed-the-Plow, La Dispute, Three Sisters, and You Can't Take It With You.

Miles Caton

Rising Star Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening Sinners.

With his blend of artistic versatility, actor and musician Miles Caton has emerged as one of the most exciting and promising new voices in entertainment. Caton gained global recognition for his breakout role in Ryan Coogler's blockbuster hit Sinners for Warner Bros, starring alongside an all-star cast in his acting debut. The 20-year-old Brooklyn native first garnered national attention in 2017 after performing Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" in a viral video, leading to appearances on NBC's Little Big Shots, The View, and Jay-Z's short film 4:44. In 2022, he toured with Grammy Award winner H.E.R. as a background vocalist, during which the artist encouraged Caton to audition for Sinners. Despite having no prior acting experience, he landed the role and learned how to play guitar for it in two months. In addition to acting, Caton continues to build his music career. He released his debut single "This Ain't It" in 2023 and co-wrote the original song "Last Time (I Seen the Sun)" for Sinners alongside singer-songwriter Alice Smith and Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson.

Park Chan-wook

International Auteur Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening No Other Choice.

South Korean film director, screenwriter, and producer Park Chan-wook is among the most acclaimed auteurs in the world. Chan-wook is perhaps best known for his Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy — winner of the Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix — and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. His other films include the Cannes Jury Prize winner Thirst, Stoker, The Handmaiden, and the Cannes Best Director winner Decision to Leave. His most recent film, No Other Choice, won the coveted International People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. On TV, Chan-wook directed and executive produced the BAFTA-winning limited series The Little Drummer Girl, adapting the John le Carré novel for the BBC and AMC. He also served as co-showrunner for HBO's The Sympathizer, an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Chan-wook produced the internationally acclaimed Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon-ho, and served as executive producer for the recently concluded TV series. He also produced and co-wrote the critically acclaimed Netflix film Uprising.

Jon M. Chu

Vanguard Director Award

This award will be presented as part of the event In Conversation: 'Wicked: For Good' with Director Jon M. Chu

Director Jon M. Chu is known for his visually stunning blockbuster films as well as his kinetic work across various genres, from groundbreaking series to commercials and more. His unique storytelling ability has earned him recognition on lists like The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 and Variety's New Hollywood Leaders. Chu most recently directed Universal Pictures' critically acclaimed Wicked, starring Academy Award-nominated actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The film, which released in November 2024 and quickly became the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation in box office history, also garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Chu is currently in post-production on the sequel, Wicked: For Good, which will release in November 2025.

Chu also directed the musical adaptation In the Heights and the worldwide phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians, which earned Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe Award, and Producers Guild of America Award nominations. His other credits include G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Now You See Me 2, and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Chu will next direct adaptations of Britney Spears' memoir The Woman in Me and Dr. Seuss' classic Oh, The Places You'll Go! In 2024, Chu also released his memoir, Viewfinder, which chronicles his journey from growing up in Silicon Valley to transitioning to Hollywood and helming major studio projects.

Zoey Deutch

Breakthrough Performance Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Nouvelle Vague.

Zoey Deutch has steadily and boldly built her body of work with dynamic roles as both an actor and producer. Deutch can currently be seen in Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague, the critically acclaimed look at the making of French film classic Breathless, and the romantic comedy The Threesome, which she also produced. Her film credits include Juror #2, Not Okay, Something from Tiffany's, The Outfit, Buffaloed, Zombieland: Double Tap, Set It Up, Flower, The Year of Spectacular Men, Rebel in the Rye, Before I Fall, Everybody Wants Some!!, Why Him?, Dirty Grandpa, and Beautiful Creatures. On TV, she also starred in Ryan Murphy's Golden Globe Award-nominated Netflix series The Politician alongside Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Deutch made her Broadway debut as Emily Webb in the Tony Award-nominated production of Our Town in fall 2024. She also won Favorite Featured Actress in a Play for the role at the 2025 Audience Choice Awards. Deutch will next star in Jan Komasa's thriller Anniversary alongside Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler. She is currently in production on Netflix's Voicemails for Isabelle alongside Nick Robinson and recently wrapped production on David Wain's Celebrity Hall Pass, where she executive produced the film and starred opposite Jon Hamm and John Slattery.

Joel Edgerton

Vanguard Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Train Dreams.

Joel Edgerton is an acclaimed Australian actor, writer, and filmmaker. Born in New South Wales and an alum of the Nepean Drama School, Edgerton first drew international attention as Owen Lars in Star Wars: Episode II and Episode III. Since then, he has built a versatile career across film, television, and stage. Edgerton has collaborated with directors like Ridley Scott, Ron Howard, David Lowery, and Jeff Nichols, maintaining a dynamic presence across global cinema while remaining deeply connected to Australian storytelling. His film credits include The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty, Warrior, Black Mass, Loving — which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination — The Boys in the Boat, and The Gift, his directorial debut. He also co-wrote Netflix's The King and continues to work actively as both an actor and filmmaker. Edgerton also produced the documentary Daughters, which won a Peabody Award and the 2024 Sundance Film Festival's Audience Award. Most recently, Edgerton starred in the Apple TV+ series Dark Matter and Charlie Polinger's film The Plague, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He will next star opposite Felicity Jones in Clint Bentley's adaptation of Train Dreams and in Netflix's limited series Boy Swallows Universe.

Dakota Fanning

Outstanding Achievement in Television Award

This award will be presented as part of the TV Sidebar screening All Her Fault.

Dakota Fanning garnered her first Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics' Choice Awards nomination for her magnetic performance in Steven Zaillian's critically acclaimed adaptation of Ripley for Netflix. Fanning's extensive film credits include The Cat in the Hat, Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, Uptown Girls, Dreamer, Charlotte's Web, The Secret Life of Bees, The Last of Robin Hood, Coraline, The Twilight Saga, Brimstone, Night Moves, Please Stand By, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Watchers, and The Equalizer 3. Fanning was the youngest actor to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, earning it for her performance in 2001's I Am Sam.

On TV, Fanning has appeared in The First Lady, The Alienist, gen:LOCK, and The Perfect Couple. She most recently starred in the Paramount+ series Vicious and will next star in Peacock's highly anticipated thriller miniseries All Her Fault alongside Sarah Snook. In 2018, she made her directorial debut with the short film Hello Apartment starring Eve Hewson, part of fashion house Miu Miu's Women's Tales anthology. In 2020, Fanning and her sister Elle formed Lewellen Pictures to develop feature film and television projects as well as other forms of media, including podcasts. Through Lewellen, the sisters produced the Emmy Award-nominated documentary Mastermind, Hulu's award-winning series The Great, and the limited series The Girl from Plainville. They have multiple projects in development across film, TV, and podcasts, including an adaptation of socialite Paris Hilton's bestselling memoir.

Brendan Fraser

Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Rental Family.

Brendan Fraser is an Academy Award winner whose nuanced performances and compelling role choices have earned widespread acclaim. Fraser won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale, also earning a Critics' Choice Movie Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an AACTA International Award, and a Satellite Award for the performance. Fraser is best known for his role in Universal's billion-dollar The Mummy franchise, starring as Rick O'Connell in a trilogy of films based on the 1932 horror classic. Since his breakout in 1992's Encino Man, Fraser has starred in the films Brothers, Killers of the Flower Moon, No Sudden Move, Line of Descent, The Nut Job, Gimme Shelter, Escape from Planet Earth, Extraordinary Measures, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Air I Breathe, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Crash, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, The Quiet American, Bedazzled, Gods and Monsters, George of the Jungle, Airheads, With Honors, and School Ties.

On TV, Fraser has starred in Doom Patrol, Trust, Condor, The Affair, Texas Rising, and Scrubs. In 2010, Fraser made his Broadway debut in the comedy Elling, based on the Norwegian novels by Ingvar Ambjørnsen. His other theater credits include the West End production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and his role in John Patrick Shanley's Four Dogs and a Bone at the Geffen Playhouse. Fraser will next star in the films Rental Family and Pressure, where he will portray Dwight D. Eisenhower, and will lend his voice to the upcoming animated series Breaking Bear.

Regina Hall

Gold Derby Spotlight Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening One Battle After Another.

Award-winning actor Regina Hall began her career in New York City while earning a master's degree in journalism from New York University. With numerous film and television credits to her name, Hall is one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors and producers. Well-known for her early roles in the Scary Movie franchise, Hall currently stars in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another and was most recently seen in the original rock opera O'Dessa. Her other film and TV credits include Nine Perfect Strangers, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Black Monday, Girls Trip, Breaking News in Yuba County, Shaft, The Hate U Give, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Think Like a Man Too, About Last Night, Law Abiding Citizen, Paid in Full, Love & Basketball, Disappearing Acts, Insecure, Black-ish, Law & Order: LA, and Ally McBeal.

In 2017, Hall became the first African American actress to win a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her role in Support the Girls. Hall founded her production company Rh Negative in 2022, quickly establishing herself as a producer to watch by producing and starring in two of the Sundance Film Festival's headlining features that year: Master and Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul. Hall will next appear in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants — her first animated film — Judgment Day, The Five-Star Weekend, and Scary Movie 6.

Mark Hamill

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening The Life of Chuck.

Mark Hamill is a BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning actor whose face and voice have graced screens for over 40 years. Hamill is best known for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movies, a role he has reprised in the film sequels and the TV series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. He has also appeared in the films Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Machine, and Brigsby Bear. Hamill's extensive voice acting work includes the Academy Award-nominated The Wild Robot, the Oscar-winning The Boy and the Heron, and a longstanding role as the Joker across Batman media — a role that commenced with Batman: The Animated Series and earned him a BAFTA Games Award for his voice role in Batman: Arkham City.

On the small screen, Hamill recently appeared in Sandman, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, What We Do in the Shadows, and Mike Flanagan's House of Usher. Hamill has also appeared in several Broadway productions, receiving a nomination for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical in 1985 for his role in Harrigan 'N Hart. Hamill was most recently seen in two film adaptations of Stephen King works: The Long Walk and The Life of Chuck, reteaming with Flanagan for the latter film. His upcoming projects include The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, where he will voice The Flying Dutchman.

Oscar Isaac

Icon Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Frankenstein.

Oscar Isaac is a Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated actor, producer, and musician whose enthralling performances have earned him a devoted fan base and critical acclaim. His film credits include Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent Year, Ex Machina, the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Promise, Operation Finale, Triple Frontier, At Eternity's Gate, The Card Counter, Dune, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. His TV recent projects include Moon Knight and the HBO limited series Scenes from a Marriage and Show Me a Hero, the latter of which earned him a Golden Globe.

In 2019, Isaac created his production banner Mad Gene Media alongside writer and director Elvira Lind. Their first project, the short film The Letter Room, received a Best Live Action Short nomination at the 2021 Academy Awards. In addition to film and TV, Isaac has a prolific history on stage. In 2023, he starred alongside Rachel Brosnahan in the revival of Lorraine Hanberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window. His other theater credits include productions of We Live Here, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Grace, and Spinning into Butter. Isaac will next star in Guillermo del Toro's highly anticipated adaptation of Frankenstein. His upcoming projects include the second series of Netflix's acclaimed Beef, the new series Stowaway, and the film In the Hand of Dante.

Rian Johnson

Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award

This award will be presented as part of the Closing Night Gala Screening Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Rian Johnson is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker known for Knives Out, Glass Onion, Looper, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. A graduate of University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, Johnson directed four short films and contributed to film projects like Omaha and May before making his feature directorial debut with Brick, starring frequent collaborator Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Johnson has also directed the film The Brothers Bloom and episodes of Terriers and Breaking Bad, winning a DGA Award for his work on the latter series. Johnson has received Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay for Knives Out and its sequel Glass Onion. Through his company T-Street, Johnson has co-created the hit series Poker Face for Peacock and executive produced the series 3 Body Problem as well as the films Fair Play and the Oscar-winning American Fiction. Wake Up Dead Man, the third part of his Knives Out trilogy, is his latest film.

Cassandra Kulukundis

Outstanding Achievement in Casting Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening One Battle After Another.

Cassandra Kulukundis is an esteemed casting director and partner in Unison Films. She has worked extensively with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, most recently on his acclaimed One Battle After Another starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. Her previous work with Anderson includes the films Licorice Pizza, Phantom Thread, The Master, There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love, Magnolia, and Boogie Nights. In 2015, she received the Film Independent Spirit Awards' Robert Altman Award for her work casting Anderson's Inherent Vice. Kulukundis has also cast such lauded films as Brady Corbet's The Brutalist and Vox Lux, Spike Jonze's Her, David Mamet's Spartan, Terry Zwigoff's Art School Confidential and Ghost World, Danny Leiner's Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Billy Ray's Breach and Shattered Glass, and more. In addition to casting, she has also produced several films, among them Vox Lux, Ned Benson's The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby trilogy and The Greatest Hits, Ryan Eggold's Literally, Right Before Aaron, as well as A Late Quartet, The Elephant King, Jailbait, and more.

Spike Lee

Legend of Cinema Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening Highest 2 Lowest.

Academy Award winner Spike Lee's iconic body of storytelling has made an indelible mark on film and TV. Lee's career spans over 30 years and includes She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers, He Got Game, Summer of Sam, Bamboozled, 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Inside Man, Miracle at St. Anna, Red Hook Summer, Old Boy, Chi-Raq, Da 5 Bloods, and Highest 2 Lowest. A five-time Oscar nominee, he won Best Adapted Screenplay for his 2018 film BlacKkKlansman and received an Academy Honorary Award in 2015 for his contributions to film. His outstanding documentary work includes the Emmy Award-winning If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, the Peabody Award-winning A Huey P. Newton Story, the Oscar-nominated 4 Little Girls, the four-part HBO documentary NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½, and his concert film American Utopia with David Byrne. Lee also created the Netflix series She's Gotta Have It, a modern update of his classic film.

Lee is also well-known for his legendary Air Jordan TV commercials and marketing campaigns with Michael Jordan for Nike. He recently directed new additions to the Capital One national campaigns featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Charles Barkley, and himself. In addition to his films, TV series, and commercials, Lee has directed a number of music videos and shorts. A professor of film and artistic director at his alma mater, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Lee's production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is based nearby in Da Republic of Brooklyn, New York.

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas

Discovery Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Sentimental Value.

Hailing from Norway, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas has established herself as a globally renowned artist with a captivating talent and a dynamic body of work. Lilleaas was nominated for the Amanda Award for Best Actress for her film debut in 2015's Women in Oversized Men's Shirts. She also starred in the award-winning TV series Young and Promising. Her other film and TV credits include Rekyl, Sjit Happens, and the Netflix film A Beautiful Life, which earned the No. 1 spot on Netflix's top films for the week of its 2023 release. Lilleaas will next star in Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value alongside Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning. Lilleaas' performance in the film, which won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, was lauded by IndieWire, Variety, Screen Daily, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other publications. A resident of Oslo, Lilleaas speaks three languages: English, Norwegian, and Portuguese.

Dylan O'Brien

Lumiere Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening Twinless.

Dylan O'Brien is one of the brightest talents of his generation, with a body of work that speaks to his proclivity for championing unique and personal storytelling. Discovered via YouTube comedic shorts he directed, produced, and starred in, O'Brien first came to attention on the hit MTV television series Teen Wolf. Best known to audiences for his star turn in the popular Maze Runner franchise, his additional film and TV credits include Maximum Truth, Not Okay, The Outfit, Infinite, Love and Monsters, Flashback, Bumblebee, American Assassin, Deepwater Horizon, The Internship, The First Time, High Road, The Other Two, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Amazing Stories, Weird City, and New Girl. He also co-starred with Sadie Sink in Taylor Swift's short film version of her iconic song All Too Well.

In 2024, O'Brien received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a young Dan Aykroyd in Jason Reitman's Saturday Night and for his role in the groundbreaking Ponyboi, which won the Grand Jury Award at NewFest. Concurrently, he appeared in the Peabody Award-winning series Fantasmas and starred in Caddo Lake, earning a Gotham Television Award for Outstanding Performance in an Original Film nomination. O'Brien most recently starred in Twinless, which he also executive produced. The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and O'Brien won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting. He will next appear in the Apple TV+ series Being Heumann and the films Send Help and Anniversary.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Honored Guest

Randolph will join honoree Miles Teller as part of the Opening Night Gala Screening Eternity.

Academy Award-winning actor and Tony Award nominee Da'Vine Joy Randolph captured audiences with her breakout role opposite Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name. Randolph has continued to shine on stage and screen, showcasing her talents across dramas, comedies, and musicals. For her starring role in the acclaimed film The Holdovers, Randolph earned prestigious accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and a BAFTA. Her diverse career spans roles in Netflix's Rustin, HBO's The Idol, and Paramount Players' On the Come Up. She most recently appeared in the films Bride Hard, Shadow Force, and Eternity, as well as the fifth season of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building.

Benny Safdie

Maverick Director Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening The Smashing Machine.

Benny Safdie is a New York-based director, writer, and actor whose projects include the recent The Smashing Machine, which earned him the Silver Lion at the 2025 Venice Film Festival; Showtime and A24's The Curse, which he co-created with Nathan Fielder, earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for acting and a WGA Award nomination for writing; and Uncut Gems, which he co-wrote and co-directed with brother Josh Safdie, winning three Independent Spirit Awards. As an actor, he has appeared in Good Time — earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the film, which he also co-directed — Licorice Pizza; Stars at Noon; Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.; Oppenheimer; and Happy Gilmore 2. He has also directed the films Daddy Longlegs, Lenny Cooke, and Heaven Knows What and served as executive producer for Telemarketers, Thank You Very Much, and the Emmy Award-winning Pee-wee as Himself. He recently wrapped production on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey for Universal.

Amanda Seyfried

Vanguard Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening The Testament of Ann Lee.

Pennsylvania native Amanda Seyfried started her career as a model before turning to acting, garnering early roles in As the World Turns, All My Children, Mean Girls, Nine Lives, Alpha Dog, and Big Love. Seyfried first captured the attention of audiences and critics alike in her breakthrough performance in Mamma Mia! Since then, she has starred in Chloe, Jennifer's Body, Dear John, Letters to Juliet, In Time, Les Misérables, Epic, Lovelace, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Ted 2, While We're Young, First Reformed, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Things Heard & Seen, A Mouthful of Air, and Seven Veils. In 2021, she received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her role in David Fincher's critically acclaimed Mank.

On TV, Seyfried won an Emmy Award, Golden Globe, and Critics' Choice Award for her portrayal of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu's The Dropout. She followed with starring roles in limited series The Crowded Room and Long Bright River, the latter of which she executive produced. In 2015, Seyfried made her off-Broadway stage debut in a production of The Way We Get By. She will next star in The Housemaid, an adaptation of Freida McFadden's bestselling novel, and in The Testament of Ann Lee, a historical drama musical directed by Mona Fastvold. Seyfried is currently a global ambassador for Lancôme and is an avid supporter of the Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit home to the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the U.S.

Kristen Stewart

Rising Star Director Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening The Chronology of Water.

Kristen Stewart is an Academy Award-nominated actor for her portrayal of Princess Diana in the Pablo Larraín-directed Spencer. Stewart won 22 critic awards for her performance and earned additional nominations from the Critics' Choice Award and the Golden Globe Awards. In 2015, she became the first American actress to be awarded a Cesar Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria. In 2002, Stewart was introduced to audiences worldwide with her gripping performance alongside Jodie Foster in Panic Room. She broke through to stardom with her portrayal of Bella Swan in the hit Twilight franchise, which has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.

Stewart's other film credits include Adventureland, Into the Wild, On the Road, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Cake Eaters, in The Land of Women, The Messengers, Zathura, Cold Creek Manor, Camp X-Ray, Still Alice, American Ultra, Lizzie, Personal Shopper, Café Society, Certain Women, Charlie's Angels, Seberg, Happiest Season, Crimes of the Future, Love Lies Bleeding, and Love Me. Stewart made her directorial debut with the short film Come Swim, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. She has also directed a short film for the supergroup boygenius, which tied together three music videos Stewart had previously directed for the band. The Chronology of Water, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, is her feature directorial debut.

Sydney Sweeney

Spotlight Award

This award will be presented as part of the Gala Screening Christy.

Two-time Emmy Award-nominated actor and producer Sydney Sweeney has become one of the most sought-after talents of her generation, captivating global audiences with her many buzzworthy and critically acclaimed iconic roles. Sweeney received her Emmy Award nominations for her starring roles in the hit HBO series Euphoria and The White Lotus. She has also received a Critics' Choice Award nomination for her portrayal of whistleblower Reality Winner in the Peabody Award-winning film Reality. Her other film and TV credits include Echo Valley, Immaculate, Anyone But You, Madame Web, Americana, Eden, The Voyeurs, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Nocturne, The Handmaid's Tale, Sharp Objects, and Under the Silver Lake.

Sweeney will next appear in Paul Feig's adaptation of the bestselling novel The Housemaid and the biopic Christy, which she co-produced through her company Fifty-Fifty Films. Sweeney founded her production company with Jonathan Davino in 2019, seeking to reclaim professional autonomy by identifying and giving wind to projects she finds interesting, challenging, and relevant. Her upcoming films include Barbarella, based on Jean-Claude Forest's French comic book series and its cult 1968 adaptation, as well as Scandalous! and I Pretended to Be a Missing Girl, both of which she will also produce. With Fifty-Fifty, she also has The Registration, based on Madison Lawson's novel of the same name, and The Caretaker in development as starring vehicles.

Miles Teller

Distinguished Performance Award

This award will be presented as part of the Opening Night Gala Screening Eternity.

With a steadily successful career that continues to expand with each role, Miles Teller has established himself as a leading man in Hollywood. Teller first garnered critical attention with James Ponsoldt's The Spectacular Now, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and earned him the Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting. He soon followed with a breakthrough role in the Academy Award-nominated Whiplash opposite J.K. Simmons. He recently starred in The Gorge, Apple TV+'s biggest film debut to date, and Top Gun: Maverick, which eclipsed $1.4 billion at the global box office. His other film credits include Spiderhead, Thank You for Your Service, Only the Brave, War Dogs, Bleed for This, Rabbit Hole, That Awkward Moment, Divergent, Project X, Footloose, and 21 & Over.

Teller made his TV debut in Amazon's 2019 limited series Too Old to Die Young, directed by Drive's Nicolas Winding Refn. In 2022, Teller starred in the critically acclaimed limited series The Offer for Paramount+, playing legendary The Godfather producer Al Ruddy. His performance earned widespread praise and added to the series' strong reception. Teller will next be seen in A24's film Eternity, starring alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner. He recently wrapped production on James Gray's Paper Tiger, co-starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

Tessa Thompson

Distinguished Performance Award

This award will be presented as part of the Signature Screening Hedda.

Tessa Thompson is a critically acclaimed actor who is also making her mark on film and TV as a producer. Thompson's career took off at 18 following her professional debut in the Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans 1836 theater performance, for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination. She made her feature film debut in When a Stranger Calls and appeared in several more films and TV shows before breakout roles in Selma and Dear White People, earning a Gotham Award for the latter film. She followed these with blockbuster roles as Bianca in the Creed trilogy and as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder. Her other film roles include Annihilation, Sorry to Bother You, Little Woods, Men in Black: International, Lady and the Tramp, Passing, The Listener, and Hedda.

On TV, Thompson is best known for her role in the Emmy Award-nominated hit HBO series Westworld. In 2020, she starred in and executive produced the Amazon film Sylvie's Love, which earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie. Her TV credits include Veronica Mars, Heroes, Copper, Cold Case, and Grey's Anatomy, among others. Thompson is currently in postproduction on Netflix's psychological thriller series His & Hers, in which she will star and executive produce. Thompson launched her production company Viva Maude in 2020 and teamed with Kishori Rajan the following year to further expand Viva Maude's portfolio in production and development. The company currently has more than 20 feature films and television projects in various genres in development.

Julia Butters

Breaking Big Honoree

Julia Butters has been making her mark on film and TV since she was nine years old, when she went head-to-head with Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. From there, she manifested her next role to be in Steven Spielberg film, playing a character inspired by his very own sister in The Fablemans. Butters has dabbled in action under the direction of the Russo Brothers in The Gray Man, bringing deep emotion to an adrenaline-packed movie opposite Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Billy Bob Thornton. She most recently co-starred alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as the new generation of Coleman women in Disney's highly anticipated Freakier Friday, where she flexed both her comedic and heart-melting acting skills.

Tati Gabrielle

Breaking Big Honoree

A multitalented actor and advocate from California's Bay Area, Tati Gabrielle has captivated audiences with standout roles in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The 100, and You. Her other film credits include Uncharted, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, Kaleidoscope, The Owl House, Freakish, and KC Undercover. Gabrielle most recently starred in the second season of HBO's hit The Last of Us, her second appearance in an adaptation of a video game by studio Naughty Dog. Gabrielle will next appear in Naughty Dog's highly anticipated game INTERGALACTIC: The Heretic Prophet and the sequel film to 2021's Mortal Kombat. Gabrielle was previously named to Forbes' Hollywood 30 Under 30 list and is a recipient of CAPE's Cindy Y. Huang Rising Star Award. Outside of acting, Gabrielle is a passionate advocate for sustainability in fashion and on-set, working to promote eco-friendly practices like waste reduction and repurposing in the fashion industry.

Tonatiuh

Breaking Big Honoree

Tonatiuh is an accomplished actor, singer, and performer who most recently starred in Bill Condon's Kiss of the Spider Woman opposite Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna. His performance as Molina in this new adaptation garnered critical acclaim from Deadline, USA Today, and others after its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. A Los Angeles native, Tonatiuh is a graduate of the University of Southern California and a veteran of several prominent theater companies in the region, including IAMA Theatre Company and ECHO Theatre Company, where a standout performance in Fixed led to his casting in the GLAAD Media Award-winning series Vida. His other film and TV credits include the hit Netflix thriller Carry-On, Promised Land, Angelyne, The Loud House, Jane the Virgin, Chicago Med, Famous in Love, Stargate: Origins, Drunk Bus, and Shoplifters of the World. Tonatiuh was most recently seen in a stage performance of Spirit of the People and will next appear in the first installment of Ryan Murphy's American Love Story.

Grace Van Patten

Breaking Big Honoree

Grace Van Patten is a rising star known for her powerful performances across film, television, and stage. Van Patten currently stars as Amanda Knox in Hulu's critically acclaimed limited drama series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, which tells the story of how the 20-year-old college student was wrongfully convicted of murder in 2008. Van Patten will next reprise her starring role as Lucy Albright in Hulu's hit series Tell Me Lies, which wrapped production on the third season ahead of a 2026 release. Her past screen credits include Nine Perfect Strangers, Mayday, The Meyerowitz Stories, Tramps, Good Posture, A Violent Heart, Under the Silver Lake, Maniac, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: SVU, and The Wilde Wedding. A graduate of New York's LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Van Patten has also starred onstage in Mother of the Maid opposite Glenn Close, as well as in Whirligig and This Is Our Youth.

Tyriq Withers

Breaking Big Honoree

Tyriq Withers is an up-and-coming powerhouse across film and television, with an undeniable talent and an impressive trajectory. Withers is best known for his breakout role in the Emmy Award-winning Atlanta, starring in an acclaimed standalone episode written and directed by series creator Donald Glover. In 2025, Withers appeared in Sony's newest installment of the cult slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer, starring in a cast of emerging all-star actors that included Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Jonah Hauer-King, and Sarah Pidgeon. Withers followed with a starring role in Justin Tipping's highly anticipated horror film Him from Universal and Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, co-starring with Marlon Wayans. A native of Jacksonville, Withers played college football at Florida State University before turning to acting. He recently wrapped production on Reminders of Him, the feature film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel, and will next star in the thriller Family Secrets.