By Daily Press staff
Academy Award nominated Dennis Hopper will receive a life achievement award tonight as part of the Santa Monica Film Festival.
Hopper will be receiving the lifetime achievement award for persistence of vision for his work as a director, actor and writer.
The lifetime achievement award was created to pay tribute to filmmakers who have proven their diverse creative talents over the years. Tonight, there will be an encore performance of his controversial film, “The Last Movie” at 6 p.m., followed by an after party at Gotham Hall with a live performance by Grammy winners Ozomatli at 8 p.m., where the award presentation will take place.
Hopper’s most well known films include “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Rumble Fish,” “Blue Velvet,” River’s Edge,” “Out of the Blue,” “Hot Spot,” “Giant,” “Colors,” “Easy Rider” and “Hoosiers,” for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In addition to acting and directing, Hopper is a noted photographer and painter with exhibitions in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Festival director Michael Cain has always listed Hopper as one of his favorite filmmakers.
“The opportunity to give Mr. Hopper an award is an overwhelming experience for me. With hundreds of critically acclaimed movies under his belt since the 1950’s, he truly deserves this award,” Cain said. “His filmography is thought-provoking, diverse and has left an indelible mark on moviegoers and filmmakers alike.”
The Santa Monica Film Festival, which is being held Feb. 13-16, has a pro-gramming line up that takes place at the Laemmle Theatre, with additional short film programming at The Yard.
The festival will showcase over 40 short and feature films at the Laemmle Theatre including “Anne B Reel” (an urban feature film directed by Lisa France), “Briar Patch” (a dark love story starring Dominique Swain and Henry Thomas,) “Stevie” (a documentary by “Hoops Dreams” director Steve James) and “Lost Junction” (starring Neve Campbell). For a complete film guide and schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.smff.com.
The Santa Monica Film Festival is produced by DEFMAN (Deep Ellum Film, Music, Art and Noise.) DEFMAN is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the independent arts in Dallas and Santa Monica, while raising money for families affected by cancer.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 15, 2003. Read the original PDF.