Directors Bong Joon Ho and James Mangold, actors Renee Zellweger, Antonio Banderas and Al Pacino were among those honored Sunday night (11/2) at the 23rd annual Hollywood Film Awards in Beverly Hills. Bong took the Hollywood Filmmaker Award for Parasite while Mangold earned Best Director distinction for Ford v. Ferrari.
Zellweger won the Hollywood Actress Award for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy. Banderas earned the Hollywood Actor Award for Pain and Glory. And Pacino was recipient of the Hollywood Best Supporting Actor Award for his role as Jimmy Hoffa in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.
Scorsese was on hand to present the Hollywood Producer Award to Emma Tillinger Koskoff for The Irishman.
In a touching moment between Hollywood Career Achievement Award presenter Nicole Kidman and this year’s honoree Charlize Theron, Kidman remarked that “we don’t get to choose our heroes, but through this journey, I got to work with one of mine!”
Viola Davis presented Cynthia Erivo with the Hollywood Breakout Actress Award for Harriet, calling her “fearlessness personified” as she took on the role of Harriet Tubman. Ray Romano brought the laughs as he showered praise upon Hollywood Breakout Actor honoree Taron Egerton for Rocketman, pointing out how unfair it is that Egerton is not only endlessly talented, but funny as well.
Robert Downey Jr. was on hand to laud Honey Boy actor and screenwriter Shia LeBeouf with the Hollywood Breakthrough Screenwriter Award. Former co-stars Jennifer Garner and Olivia Wilde celebrated Wilde’s Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award for Booksmart, each sharing humorous tales of their adventures together on set.
Kevin Feige and Victoria Alonso joined together to accept the Hollywood Blockbuster Award for Avengers: Endgame, thanking their amazing writers, directors, and awe-inspiring cast, including presenter Mark Ruffalo. Alicia Keys began her tribute to Hollywood Song Award honoree Pharrell Williams by recognizing all of the love in the room, before Williams delivered a powerful speech focusing on the unparalleled contributions made by The Black Godfather subject of Letter To My Godfather, Clarence Avant. He said that he has opened doors when others would glue them shut and has consistently demanded equality throughout his career.
After an earnest tribute from Jon Hamm, Hollywood Screenwriter Award honoree Anthony McCarten joked about finding success when he strayed from his teacher’s advice to write what he knows. He advised others to write what they want to know, that curiosity is what drove him to The Two Popes. Willem Dafoe presented his friend and colleague Laura Dern with the Hollywood Supporting Actress Award for Marriage Story, praising the inspiring way in which she connects to audiences through her compassion.
Here’s a rundown of Hollywood Film Award winners:
Hollywood Career Achievement Award
Charlize Theron, presented by Nicole Kidman
Hollywood Actor Award
Antonio Banderas for Pain and Glory, presented by Dakota Johnson
Hollywood Actress Award
Renée Zellweger for Judy, presented by Finn Wittrock & Jessie Buckley
Hollywood Supporting Actor Award
Al Pacino for The Irishman, presented by Francis Ford Coppola
Hollywood Supporting Actress Award
Laura Dern for Marriage Story, presented by Willem Dafoe
Hollywood Producer Award
Emma Tillinger Koskoff for The Irishman, presented by Martin Scorsese
Hollywood Director Award
James Mangold for Ford v Ferrari, presented by Christian Bale & Matt Damon
Hollywood Filmmaker Award
Bong Joon Ho for Parasite, presented by Sienna Miller
Hollywood Screenwriter Award
Anthony McCarten for The Two Popes, presented by Jon Hamm
Hollywood Blockbuster Award
Avengers: Endgame, presented by Mark Ruffalo
Hollywood Song Award
Pharrell Williams for Letter To My Godfather, presented by Alicia Keys
Hollywood Breakout Actor Award
Taron Egerton for Rocketman, presented by Ray Romano
Hollywood Breakout Actress Award
Cynthia Erivo for Harriet, presented by Viola Davis
Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award
Olivia Wilde for Booksmart, presented by Jennifer Garner
Hollywood Breakthrough Screenwriter Award
Shia LaBeouf for Honey Boy, presented by Robert Downey Jr.
Hollywood Animation Award
Toy Story 4
Hollywood Cinematography Award
Mihai Malaimare Jr. for Jojo Rabbit
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More