Filmmakers Denis Villeneuve, Malcolm Washington and Jason Reitman along with actress Demi Moore will be honored at this year’s annual 2024 SFFILM Awards Night.

The event honors exemplary achievement in film craft and is a fundraiser with proceeds from the event supporting the organization’s mission to discover, nurture, and showcase the next generation of film artists. SFFILM Awards Night will take place on Monday, December 9, 2024 at San Francisco’s Gateway Pavilion at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.

Denis Villeneuve will receive Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction, Demi Moore will receive Maria Manetti Shrem Award for Acting, Malcolm Washington will receive George Gund III for Virtuosity, and Jason Reitman will receive Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman Award for Storytelling.

“For 67 years, SFFILM has provided a gateway for bold voices in film to thrive and reach discerning audiences who embrace the experience of going out to the movies,” said SFFILM’s Executive Director, Anne Lai. “SFFILM Awards Night is not only a celebration of the year’s most trailblazing artists, but also an opportunity to honor distinctive talent who inspire the next generation of filmmakers who will enrich our lives and communities in the years to come.”

“We are so proud to honor this group of individuals as we close out 2024. Their craft and artistry elevates the cinematic experience and reminds us why we collectively love the power of film,” said SFFILM Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks. “Denis, Demi, Malcolm, and Jason are all intrepid, tenacious, and imaginative creatives. We look forward to honoring their work at SFFILM’s annual fundraiser.”

Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction: Denis Villeneuve

The Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction is presented each year to one of the masters of world cinema and is given in memory of the founder of the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1957.

Denis Villeneuve is an Academy Award®-nominated French-Canadian filmmaker whose remarkable worldbuilding, astute attention to detail and storytelling prowess have established him as one of the premier directors working today. Villeneuve has masterfully adapted Frank Herbert’s classic, first with 2021’s Dune and now with Dune: Part Two, the monumental continuation of the first film and conclusion of the legendary novel. Through creating a visually stunning and narratively complex conclusion to this tale, Villeneuve has captivated everyone from critics to audiences to devoted fans.

Villeneuve’s additional directing credits include Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners, Enemy and Incendies.

Past recipients include Greta Gerwig (2023), Ryan Coogler (2022), Jane Campion (2021), Chloé Zhao (2020), Marielle Heller (2019), Steve MᶜQueen (2018), Kathryn Bigelow (2017), Mira Nair (2016), Guillermo del Toro (2015), Richard Linklater (2014) Philip Kaufman (2013), Kenneth Branagh (2012), Oliver Stone (2011), Walter Salles (2010), Francis Ford Coppola (2009), Mike Leigh (2008), Spike Lee (2007), and Werner Herzog (2006), among others.

Maria Manetti Shrem Award for Acting: Demi Moore

The Maria Manetti Shrem Award for Acting has been awarded since 1996 and honors a performer whose work in film exemplifies brilliance, independence, and integrity.

Actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author Demi Moore can currently be seen starring in Coralie Fargeat’s critically acclaimed body horror feature, The Substance, alongside Margaret Qualley. She most recently starred in the second season of “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” and can soon be seen in Paramount+’s upcoming drama “Landman” from Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, in which she stars alongside Jon Hamm and Billy Bob Thornton. It was also recently announced that Moore will star in Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters alongside Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield and Naomi Ackie.

Past recipients include Nicolas Cage (2023), Margot Robbie (2022), Oscar Isaac (2021), Glenn Close (2020), Adam Driver (2019), Amy Adams (2018), Kate Winslet (2017), Ellen Burstyn (2016), Richard Gere (2015), Jeremy Irons (2014), Harrison Ford (2013), Judy Davis (2012), Terence Stamp (2011), Robert Duvall (2010), and Robin Williams (2007), among others.

George Gund III for Virtuosity: Malcolm Washington

The George Gund III Award is presented each year to one of world cinema’s outstanding visionaries, regardless of their craft. As a result of activist, arts advocate, and philanthropist Agnes Gund’s generous support, this honor calls attention to an artist who exemplifies excellence, integrity, and promise—all qualities exemplified by the award’s titular figure.

Malcolm Washington is a filmmaker from Los Angeles who is making his feature film directorial debut with The Piano Lesson for Netflix. Washington is also co-writer on this adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork.

Past honorees celebrated for their singular and virtuous work are actor Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once, 2022) and writer/director Cord Jefferson (American Fiction, 2023).

Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman Award for Storytelling: Jason Reitman

The Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman Award for Storytelling acknowledges the critical importance that storytelling plays in the creation of outstanding films and is presented annually to a filmmaker whose work exemplifies brilliance, ambition, independence, and integrity.

Jason Reitman is an Academy Award® nominated filmmaker who most recently directed SATURDAY NIGHT, a film he co-wrote with Gil Kenan and is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live.

Past recipients include Roger Ross Williams (2023) Sarah Polley (2022), Maggie Gyllenhaal (2021), Aaron Sorkin (2020), Lulu Wang (2019), Boots Riley (2018), Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (2017), Tom McCarthy (2016), Paul Schrader (2015), Stephen Gaghan (2014), Eric Roth (2013), David Webb Peoples (2012), Frank Pierson (2011), and James Schamus (2010), among others.