Maui Film Festival set to honor Yara Shahidi and Annie Gonzalez | News, Sports, Jobs

Yara Shahidi will receive the Shining Star Award. ALLY GREEN photo

Yara Shahidi, the breakout star of the award-winning series “black-ish,” and Annie Gonzalez, the lead female role in Eva Longoria’s feature film directorial debut, will be honored at the Maui Film Festival, organizers announced Wednesday.

The 23rd annual event will take place from June 28 to July 2 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului, with a slate of 11 feature film premieres in an open-air cinema experience.

“We’re so excited for this year’s Maui Film Festival, celebrating exceptional filmmaking in the service of compassionate and transformative storytelling and recognizing our honorees who have made extraordinary contributions to cinema,” said Barry Rivers, founder and director of the Maui Film Festival. “Our slate is filled with compelling, entertaining, and magical stories that will inspire our Maui community — all to be enjoyed at our magnificent Stardust Cinema under the sun, lit by the moon and powered by the sun.”

Shahidi, who can currently be seen starring as Tinker Bell in Disney’s live action film “Peter Pan and Wendy,” will receive the Shining Star Award, “which recognizes a film artist who dares to dream big and delivers brilliantly charismatic and revelatory performances every time that opportunity knocks,” according to a festival news release.

Annie Gonzalez will receive the Rising Star Award. NALANI HERNANDEZ-MELO photo

An award-winning actress, producer and the breakout star of ABC’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series “black-ish,” Shahidi currently serves as executive producer and lead of Freeform’s “black-ish” spinoff series, “grown-ish.” She also executive produces and stars in Meta’s new interview show, “Yara Shahidi’s Day Off,” where she offers a glimpse into the lives and interests of her celebrity peers outside of their fame.

Next, Shahidi will executive produce and star in Amazon Studios’ upcoming romantic-comedy “Sitting in Bars with Cake,” and will also appear in the upcoming action-thriller Ballerina Overdrive, alongside Lana Condor and Lena Headey.

Off-screen, Shahidi is a champion for inclusive media programming and an advocate for equity, receiving numerous accolades for her work outside of entertainment. Inspired by her extensive work with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, Shahidi founded Eighteen x 18, now called WeVoteNext, to shine a light on Gen Z and BIPOC inclusion in the political process.

In May, Shahidi graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies and African American Studies with a concentration in Black Political Thought Under a Neocolonial Landscape.

Gonzalez will be presented with the Rising Star Award, “which recognizes an actor or actress for abundant creativity to support honest and life-changing art.” She can currently be seen starring in the lead female role of Judy Montanez in Eva Longoria’s feature film directorial debut, “Flamin’ Hot,” for Searchlight Pictures. The film follows the inspirational life story of Richard Montanez, the Frito-Lay janitor who used his Mexican-American heritage to develop Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and created a pop culture phenomenon that disrupted the food industry. It received the “Audience Choice” award at this year’s SXSW and is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Gonzalez will also star in the upcoming highly anticipated biopic of Jenni Rivera, where she will play the role of the award-winning Mexican-American singer-singwriter and women’s rights activist who died in a plane crash in 2012. She will also appear in the upcoming independent thriller “Body Language” and an untitled Ethan Coen project.

The outspoken advocate for civil rights and Latinx culture currently resides in East Los Angeles.

To purchase tickets and view the schedule for the Stardust Cinema, visit MauiFilmFestival.com.

More than 50 short and feature films will also be available to stream through the Maui Film Festival Speed-of-Light Virtual Cinema from July 3-30. Passes are available now for a limited time at MauiFilmFestival.com/2023VirtualCinema.

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