Maui Film Fest
Silversword Award
will go to Hopkins"Silence of the Lambs" brought
the versatile actor an Oscar in '91
"Hannibal" is coming to Maui. Academy award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins is the winner of the fourth annual Maui Film Festival Silversword Award, to be presented at 5 p.m. June 13 at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa as part of the 2003 Maui Film Festival, taking place June 11 to 15.
The Silversword tribute honors a film artist for contributions to the art and commitment to affect positive change internationally. Clint Eastwood was the recipient last year; other past recipients were director Tim Burton and the Earth Communications Office.
"There are precious few actors walking the earth today who have more creatively explored the breadth and depth of the human experience or consistently brought to their work such a high level of artistry," said festival director Barry Rivers.
Hopkins received an Academy Award for his role in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) and was nominated in the same category for his performances in "The Remains of the Day" (1993) and "Nixon" (1995). He was also given the Best Actor Award by the British Academy of Film & Television Arts for "The Remains of the Day." In 1998 he was nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Amistad."
Hopkins appeared in the 2001 "The Silence of the Lambs" sequel "Hannibal," directed by Ridley Scott. The film grossed more than $100 million domestically.
Hopkins' other major credits include "Meet Joe Black," "Howard's End," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Legends of the Fall," "Red Dragon," and he did the narration for "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
ALSO PICKING UP an award at 5 p.m. June 12 will be Rob Reiner, whose new Warner Bros. film "Alex & Emma," starring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson, will premiere at the fest's Opening Night outdoor Celestial Cinema. He will receive the inaugural "Lights Camera Passion" Award recognizing a director whose career reflects "a heartfelt commitment to make films that matter and whose personal life has embodied a long-standing commitment to work for social justice and the triumph of the human spirit."
Another new award, the "Stella" -- named after Rivers' wife -- will be presented annually to a woman in the film industry who "has distinguished herself and advances the stature of women in film during the past year." That recipient has not yet been chosen.
The festival's just-announced screenings -- there will be a record 50 -- include five Miramax films: "Jet Lag," a romantic comedy starring Juliette Binoche and Jena Reno; "Only the Strong Survive," a documentary about American soul music; "Shaolin Soccer," a top-grossing Hong Kong comedy; "Step Into Liquid," a new surfing documentary shot at Jaws, Mavericks, Rapa Nui and other exotic locales starring Maui surfers Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama; and "Thirteen," winner of the 2003 Sundance Jury Prize for Directing, and starring Holly Hunter.
Other films to be screened are Fox Searchlight's "Whale Rider," about female empowerment and the rebirth of New Zealand's indigenous culture; "Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion," a documentary on Tibet's history featuring appearances by the Dalai Lama; and "Together," from director Chen Kaige ("Farewell, My Concubine").
The complete festival film schedule and summaries will be released May 21. For film festival information, call 808-579-9244 or visit the Maui Film Festival Web site at www.mauifilmfestival.com.
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