Ruth Bader Ginsburg biographical drama On the Basis of Sex, directed by Mimi Leder will be presented with the third annual SF Honors award from SFFILM, along with a public screening event Saturday, November 10, 6:30 pm at the Castro Theatre. Lead actors Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer and screenwriter (and nephew of Ruth Bader Ginsburg) Daniel Stiepleman will attend in person and participate in a special pre-screening award presentation followed by an in-depth post-screening conversation about their work.
“Nothing could represent Bay Area values better than the remarkable early career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and how she and her husband collaborated to remove gender bias from the laws of our country,” said SFFILM’s Executive Director Noah Cowan. “Mimi Leder has told this story beautifully with a magnificent lift from two of our finest young actors, Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer, and we are proud to name it this year’s SF Honors recipient. This award, a major event in the San Francisco cultural season, would not be possible without the support of Todd Traina and Diane B. Wilsey, significant long-time supporters of the cultural infrastructure of the Bay Area and of SFFILM.”
On the Basis of Sex tells an inspiring and spirited true story that follows young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the US Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination. The feature will premiere later this year, in line with Justice Ginsburg’s 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court.
Now in its third edition, SF Honors adds a Bay Area voice to the end-of-year awards conversation with an annual award and tribute designed to bring particular attention to innovation and audacity in current cinema, featuring a screening and onstage conversation with the creators and cast of one of the best films of the year.
The inaugural SF Honors award was presented in 2016 to Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, with a public screening event and onstage conversation featuring writer/director Damien Chazelle, stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and composer Justin Hurwitz at the Castro Theatre. In 2017, SFFILM honored Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, with Wright, lead actor (and eventual Academy Award winner) Gary Oldman, co-star Ben Mendelsohn, writer/producer Anthony McCarten, and supervising sound editor Craig Berkey taking the stage to discuss their critical and popular hit film. SF Honors is made possible by a $1 million, ten-year gift from SFFILM’s Board Vice President Todd Traina and philanthropist Diane B. Wilsey.