Oscar nominee Emma Stone. Nicole Kidman. Ewan McGregor. Annette Bening. Gael Garcia Bernal. Julie Dash. James Franco. Edward James Olmos.
If you’re keeping score, that’s a whole lot of star power.
As Paul Liberatore of the Marin Independent Journal writes, “The 39th Mill Valley Film Festival boasts one of the most glamorous lineups in years.”
No kidding.
MVFF 39 opens in less than a month, and as in past years, a dual billing will kick the festivities off. Arrival and La La Land are both receiving glowing reviews, not to mention early Oscar buzz, will screen on MVFF opening night October 6. The festival runs for 11 days through October 16, 2016, closing with historical drama Loving.
Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut, The Others, To Die For, Moulin Rouge) will receive a special “tribute” from MVFF — which will include a screening of her film Lion (watch trailer above), and typically includes an on-stage conversation with festival programming director Zoe Elton. It’s then expected she will be given an MVFF Award “in recognition of a career that exemplifies the art of great acting.”
Spotlight honors this year will go to Ewan McGregor (who is making his directorial debut with American Pastoral), Annette Bening (in 20th Century Women), Aaron Eckhart (Bleed for This), Mozart in the Jungle’s Gael Garcia Bernal (Neruda), and Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dust).
More Indie Film Coverage on Stark Insider
- Stark Insider Best of Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF Video Roundup)
- ‘La La Land’ and ‘Arrival’ to open Mill Valley Film Festival
- Indie Film: ‘The Neon Demon’ a surreal perfume commercial with blood, electronica, geometry
- Need filmmaking inspiration? Read ‘Rebel Without A Crew’ asap
- Finding inspiration in ‘9 1/2 Weeks’ for making short films
Stark Insider will be on location throughout for MVFF 39. Watch for upcoming reviews, news, and videos. Be sure to subscribe to the Stark Insider YouTube channel to receive email notifications when new videos are posted. Meanwhile, here’s a quick look at the Best of Mill Valley Film Festival since we began covering it in 2010: