Last weekend we attended the 12th Annual Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards ceremony at Back Stage Productions in Kingston, NY hosted by Brendon Small.
This year’s honorees included Mark Ruffalo, who was the recipient of the first Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award. Ruffalo was awarded for his activism involving hydro-fracking in Upstate New York. He has traveled to Albany and Washington, D.C. to speak to government officials about legislation to protect clean water.
“In all honesty, I do not see myself as an activist as much as a citizen that feels a responsibility to the greater good and well-being of future generations” Ruffalo said.
Vincent D’Onofrio was also on hand to present Ellen Barkin with the Excellence in Acting Award. During his presentation to Ellen, Vincent said, “I can remember sitting in the audience and watching you in [Tender Mercies]. Ellen and I are from the same generation but Ellen started working before I did and I remember watching that film, and I remember the scene like it was yesterday, where your father, Robert Duvall, was singing to you… and your performance while that song is going, I was awe struck. I thought this is what I want to do, this is the kind of actor I want to be, like Ellen. And I never got to thank you for that performance. And in Diner you reminded me of every female cousin that I had growing up in Brooklyn. Anyway, you certainly deserve this, I don’t get out much, but I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
Ellen briefly discussed her past experiences in and around Woodstock including the time she spent in Ellenville when she had her two front teeth knocked out, and later experiences in the late ’60s when she “had other parts of me knocked out.”
Timothy Hutton was also there to present the Lee Marvin Award for Best Narrative Film to On the Ice. While year’s Best Documentary Film was awarded to Semper Fi: Always Faithful.
To close out the night, the Maverick Award was presented to director Tony Kaye by Tim Blake Nelson. Tony kept his acceptance speech short and instead chose to serenade the audience with his song Love Beats Death.
Each year a limited number of tickets are made available for the awards ceremony, which includes entry into a cocktail party before the ceremony, and a buffet dinner. It’s a unique opportunity for movie fans to mingle with celebrities and filmmakers for as little as $75.
Next year’s event will be held in October, visit Woodstockfilmfestival.com for more information.
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