Mike Medavoy Honored With Legends Award at Beverly Hills Film Festival

Minoru Nitta

Past recipients of the honor include cinematographer Haskell Wexler, actor Jon Voight, actress Ann Archer, producer Frank Yablans and photographer Phil Stern.

Hollywood film veteran and producer Mike Medavoy was honored with the Legends Award during the 19th annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival on Monday night.

The producer’s credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, Apocalypse Now, Raging Bull,Sleepless in Seattle, The Terminator, Platoon, Black Swan, Zodiac, Miss Potter and Shutter Island.Medavoy’s career has spanned more than five decades, and he has been involved with more than 300 feature films. Seven of his films went on to win the best picture Oscar.

Festival president and founder Nino Simone presented the award to the night’s honoree.

“I’ve made about 325 movies, of which about a third of them are really great, a third of them are in the middle, and a third, someone should have shot me before I made them,” Medavoy said during his acceptance speech.

Medavoy also discussed the moviemaking business, which he referred to as a dream. “It was a dream that all came true, and that’s what movies are about,” he said. “They’re about dreams.”

Each year the Legends Award is given to an inspirational pioneer who has positively impacted the entertainment industry. Past recipients of the BHFF Legends Award include cinematographer Haskell Wexler, actor Jon Voight, actress Ann Archer, producer Frank Yablans and photographer Phil Stern.

Director Peter Medak was also honored during the gala ceremony with the Golden Palm award.

A complete list of the 2019 BHFF winners follows.

2019 Beverly Hills Film Festival Awards

BHFF Legends Award: producer Mike Medavoy

The Golden Palm Award (best film in all categories): director Peter Medak for The Ghost of Peter Sellers

Best director: Eli Hershko of Fairy Tale, an unscripted feature

Best actor: Tito Oses of We Are All Oscar (Costa Rica)

Best actress: Verity East of Fairy Tale

Best producer: In God I Trust from Maja Zdanowski

Best cinematography: It’s a Mess from Frank Prinzi, starring Vincent D’Onofrio

Best editing: Groomed from Angelo Reyes, about domestic human trafficking

Best foreign film: When Love Blossoms (China), directed by Tian Ye

Best animation: God I Need a Girlfriend from Stefan Janoski

Best short documentary: Where the Rainbow Ends, a documentary about Stanley Kubrick, from William Bonifati

Best student film: Golden Girl (Germany), directed by Chiara Fleischhacker

Special Jury Awards

Best Jury feature film: Leeches (Serbia) from Dragan Marinkovic

Best Jury documentary: The Ghost of Peter Sellers from Peter Medak

Best Jury short film: Bertie from Garry Crystal

Audience Choice Awards

Best Audience Choice feature film: In God I Trust from Maja Zdanowski

Best Audience Choice documentary: Sacheen: Breaking the Silence from Peter Spirer

Best Audience Choice short film: Chasing You from first-time filmmaker and 19-year old student Olivia Layhee

Golden Palm Screenplay Competition

The Golden Palm screenplay competition award: Yosemite from Daniel Talbott

The first runner-up award: Nora from Shepherd Ahlers

The second runner-up award: Back on Water from Owen Palmiotti

Meryl Streep to Receive Toronto Festival Tribute

The Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress will be honored as she helps launch her latest film, Steven Soderbergh’s ‘The Laundromat.’

Meryl Streep will be honored at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival, where she will receive the inaugural Tribute Actor Award.

The Oscar and Emmy-award winner will be feted Sept. 9 at TIFF’s Tribute Gala, a festival fundraiser. Streep will also be in Toronto to tout her latest film, Steven Soderbergh’s The Laundromat, the Panama papers thriller set to receive a North American premiere at the festival.

“Meryl Streep is undoubtedly one of the most talented and versatile actors of her generation. Her tremendous contribution to cinema, television and the stage spans five decades; from her early roles in The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice to later films including The Devil Wears Prada, The Iron Lady and The Post, she has portrayed characters that are as compelling as they are timeless,” Joana Vicente, TIFF co-head, said in a statement.

Streep is a three-time Oscar winner for The Iron Lady, Sophie’s Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer. She previously scored an Emmy win for her leading role in HBO’s miniseries adaptation of Angels in America.

Big Little Lies is her latest big TV role. Toronto fest organizers earlier announced that Jeff Skoll and David Linde’s production banner Participant Media will receive the TIFF Impact Award at the annual TIFF Tribute Gala.

The 44th Toronto International Film Festival is set to run Sept. 5-15.

11:53 AM PDT 4/9/2019 by Katherine Schaffstall