Actors Eric Roberts and Alfre Woodard along with Andy Stefanovich will be honored at this year’s 2019 Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) with the festival’s most prestigious awards. Eric Roberts will receive the Legacy Award, Andy Stefanovich will receive the Pioneer Award, and Alfre Woodard will receive the Founders Awards. The 2019 Richmond International Film Festival kicks off Tuesday, April 23rd and concludes Sunday, April 28th.

THE LEGACY AWARD

The 2019 Legacy Award honors an industry leader who has displayed an outstanding contribution to the arts.The recipient of this award is distinguished by the dedication to their craft and to the industry, and the legacy they have built throughout the span of their career and continue to build

ERIC ROBERTS

Eric Roberts burst onto the movie scene in 1978 with a strong central role in “King of the Gypsies”, a break-through performance that brought him his first Golden Globe nomination. Starring roles continued throughout the 80s with “The Pope of Greenwich Village”, “Star 80” (his second Golden Globe nomination) and “RaggedyMan” opposite Sissy Spacek. He received an Oscar nomination and a third Golden Globe nod for his turn as anescaped convict hiding out with Jon Voight aboard an out-of-control train in the box office hit “Runaway Train.”

Soon Broadway beckoned and he made his debut replacing John Malkovich in Lanford Wilson’s Tony Award-winning “Burn This”, which won him a1988 Theatre World Award. No stranger to television, Eric was perfectly cast as the murderous Perry Smith in the Emmy-nominated TV adaptation of Truman Capote’s true-crime thriller “In Cold Blood.” He was a regular on the long-running ABC hit “Less Than Perfect” and has guest-starred on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”,“The King of Queens”, “The L Word” and “Heroes.” Eric is the father of “Scream 4”, “American Horror Story” and “Scream Queens” star Emma Roberts.

THE PIONEER AWARD

The 2019 Pioneer Award for Excellence in Public Service & Leadership is given to a filmmaker, musician, creative, or business professional, locally or nationally, who is leveraging their talent and expertise to en-courage thoughtful, unique solutions and opportunities that create meaningful engagement. They are the leaders amongst us paving a path that helps good communities become thriving communities.

ANDY STEFANOVICH

Andy Stefanovich has earned a reputation as one of the most disruptive and effective advisors in business. An entrepreneur at his core, Andy founded the creative consultancy, Play, in 1990 and merged with Prophet in 2008. Now, as an advisor and strategist for executives and their leadership teams of companies such as Gap, Disney, GE, Capital One, Fidelity Investments, Penske, Hilton and more, it’s about creating this type of passion, panic and purpose with teams who hold the highest leverage.

Andy’s first book, Look at More: A Proven Approach to Innovation, Growth and Change, was a bestseller and planning for the next series of books is underway. Andy is also a keynote speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau. At the core, Andy and his team believe in inspiring, not only their clients, but also the community in which they live. Andy has been the curator of TEDxRVA, and continues to invest in and support other projects that drive change in his adopted hometown of Richmond, Virginia, such as VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art and The Richmond Portal. Having brought events and projects like TedxRVA and the Richmond Portalto their community, Andy and team will continue to infuse the Richmond region with globally recognized projects to inspire all.

THE FOUNDERS AWARD

The 2019 Founders Award is given to the individual or film and filmmaker that captures the heart and spirit of the festival in which stories are depicted that reveal truths often untold or overlooked. The award honors those artists on the front lines of creating necessary yet artful thought and dialogue in their work.

ALFRE WOODARD

Alfre Woodard’s work as an actor has earned her an Oscar nomination, four Emmy Awards and 17 Emmy nominations, three SAG Awards and a Golden Globe. Woodard’s illustrious body of work includes her Oscar nominated performance in Martin Ritt’s CROSS CREEK; HBO’s MANDELA, where she was honored with an ACE award for her portrayal of Winnie Mandela; GRAND CANYON; PASSION FISH; MISS EVERS’ BOYS, for which she won an Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe Awards; Spike Lee’s CROOKLYN; LOVE AND BASKETBALL; and many other notable projects. Most recently, she appeared in the critically acclaimed 12 YEARS A SLAVE, directed by Steve McQueen, in Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, New Line’s ANNABELLE and JUANITA, shot inVirginia.

In addition to her acting career, Woodard is a longtime activist. She co-founded Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit working to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and further the cause of democracy and human rights in South Africa. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed her to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.