I don’t do award shows. I get bored watching the Oscars, the Emmys or the Grammys. I’m completely uninterested in red carpets and the whole “who are you wearing” entertainment, to say nothing of the awards, which seem totally inconsequential. So even I paused when I got excited over the tributes that the Maui Film Festival was handing out.
Was I getting star struck? I mean, the Maui Film Festival is honoring Jessica Biel—one of the “Sexiest Women Alive,” according to Esquire—with the Shining Star Award. I am sure Film Festival founder and organizer Barry Rivers would assure me that her sexy status is not the reason that she is a recognized “Luminary,” a film artist whose talents transcend celebrity, whose radiance generates as much light as heat.
She’s not so much hot as she is illuminating, and if you’re not sure, check out Saturday’s Celestial Cinema feature film The Illusionist. Biel stars as a doomed Duchess in love with an artist but promised to a heartless prince. Just before they show her film, Biel will be there in person to get her award.
I was also really excited to see John C. Reilly among the film artists recognized at the festival. He will be honored at the Grand Wailea on June 17 with the Navigator Award after the filmmaker’s panels.
Reilly has done some awesome work. You might recall him in Boogie Nights as an earnest porn star, or the cuckolded husband in The Good Girl. In 2003 Reilly was in Chicago, The Gangs of New York and The Hours. More recently he is in the current films A Prairie Home Companion with Meryl Streep and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Will Ferrell.
Then there’s Joan Allen. Allen will be accepting the festival’s 2006 Galaxy Award, recognizing her for her ongoing contributions to film artistry and excellence. Allen stars in Bonneville and Good Sharma, which are in post-production, and is working on The Bourne Ultimatum scheduled for next year. Her past film work includes The Upside of Anger with Kevin Costner, The Contender, Pleasantville, Face-Off, Nixon and Searching for Bobby Fisher.
You can also catch Patricia Clarkson receiving the 2006 Pathfinder Award and Michele Yeoh accepting the 2006 Rainmaker Award on June 16 at the Four Seasons Resort. These tributes will be preceded by a Bombay Sapphire Mauitini reception at 4 p.m. MTW
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