Writer-director Alexander Payne and producer Harvey Weinstein will be honored during the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Film Festival next month.
Payne, a 1990 alum of UCLA’s MFA program, will be presented with the Filmmaker of the Year Award, given to filmmakers “who tell stories with a voice and vision that impact the way people look at the human condition and demonstrate the spirit and message of the independent filmmaker,” according to festival organizers.
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Weinstein will be honored with the Champion Spirit Award, which was chosen by a student vote and recognizes an individual in the entertainment industry for his or her courage, integrity, insight, inspiration and dedication to the fostering of new talent.
The festival runs from June 8 – June 14. Both honorees will receive their awards on the festival’s final night during the Directors Showcase, held at the Directors Guild and hosted by Emmy-winner Todd Holland.
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Payne’s films The Descendants and Sideways both won Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay. Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, has been nominated for 303 Academy Awards and won 75 times, including for this year’s Best Picture winner The Artist.
