2017

Marshall​ kicks off the Festival with the cast –  ​​including Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, Josh Gad, and Marina Squerciati – alongside director Reginald Hudlin and producer Paula Wagner in attendance. Honors are presented to Vanessa Redgrave, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Alfre Woodard. Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird screens as the Centerpiece presentation with actor Tracy Letts in attendance. Actor, motion-capture artist, and choreographer Terry Notary attends with Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s The Square. Actor Michael Shannon is presented with an Artistic Achievement Award and is on hand to introduce the Closing Night film, Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape Of Water​,​ ​​with co-star Michael Stuhlbarg, who also starred in one of the year’s most lauded films, Call Me By Your Name. Luminaries Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, and Jane Fonda are all celebrated in stand-alone Gala events that honor their immense contributions to the art and industry of cinema.