SFFILM has selected Three Daughters, written and directed by Azazel Jacobs as the winner of the 2024 SF Honors Award. The film stars Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, and Jovan Adepo and tells the story of three estranged sisters reuniting in a cramped New York City apartment to watch over their ailing father during his final days.
From writer-director Azazel Jacobs (French Exit, The Lovers) comes the bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his final days. Katie (Carrie Coon) is a controlling Brooklyn mother dealing with a wayward teenage daughter; free-spirited Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is a different kind of mom, separated from her offspring for the first time; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is a sports-betting stoner who has never left her father’s apartment—much to the chagrin of her stepsisters, who share a different mother and worldview. Continuing his astute exploration of family dynamics in close-knit spaces, Jacobs follows the siblings over the course of three volatile days, as death looms, grievances erupt, and love seeps through the cracks of a fractured home.
“We are thrilled to present another stunning film from Azazel Jacobs (Terri, 2021 Festival), one that reminds us of his unique ability to weave unexpected and thrilling stories. Jacobs’ singular script and direction, complete with tour de force performances and a tactile sense of place, are the perfect match for our annual SF Honors,” said Jessie Fairbanks, SFFILM’s Director of Programming. “His collaboration with Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon as the three sisters grappling with shame and grief will leave audiences in awe of the talent both before and behind the camera. We are so proud to celebrate His Three Daughters with Azazel, Elizabeth, and a scene stealing Jovan Adepo in person next month.”
The SF Honors event will culminate in a special pre-release public screening of the film on Wednesday, September 18 at 7:30 pm at the Premier Theater at One Letterman. Director Azazel Jacobs, and actors Elizabeth Olsen and Jovan Adepo are expected to attend in person for the pre-screening award presentation and an in-depth post-screening conversation about their work.
Netflix will release His Three Daughters in select theaters on September 6 before debuting on Netflix globally on September 20.
Since 2016, SFFILM has presented the SF Honors Award. “SF Honors celebrates the audacity of a singular vision in current cinema, something SFFILM’s audiences deeply appreciate and enjoy,” SFFILM’s Executive Director Anne Lai shared. “It’s exhilarating to kick off the fall season by presenting this film and award, and welcoming such notable talent and our Netflix partners to San Francisco. This would not be possible without the support of SFFILM Board President Todd Traina and Diane B. Wilsey.”
The inaugural SF Honors award was presented in 2016 to La La Land, with a public screening event and onstage conversation featuring writer/director Damien Chazelle, actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and composer Justin Hurwitz. Subsequent SF Honors awardees include Darkest Hour (2017), with director Joe Wright and actors Gary Oldman and Ben Mendelsohn; On the Basis of Sex (2018) with screenwriter Daniel Stiepleman and actors Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer; CODA (2021) with director Siân Heder; Cyrano (2021) with writer/director Joe Wright, screenwriter Erica Schmidt, and actors Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr.; and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022).