2016 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JASON MITCHELL AS THE RISING STAR AWARD RECIPIENT

– Festival to kick off this year from September 28th to October 2nd –  

 SAN DIEGO, CA (August 19, 2016) – The San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF), produced by the San Diego Film Foundation, announced today that actor Jason Mitchell will be the recipient of The Rising Star Award for 2016. The award will be presented Sept 29th at The Night of the Stars Tribute at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, CA. Now in its 15th year, the San Diego International Film Festival will run from September 28th through October 2nd in San Diego, CA. The most up to date festival information is available at www.sdiff.com.

The Rising Star Award recognizes an actor whose early work exhibits significant promise and critical acclaim while taking on challenging film roles. Jason Mitchell has steadily been building a reputation as an actor on the rise and has achieved critical acclaim for his role portraying the iconic “Eazy E” in Universal’s 2015 N.W.A. biopic, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, directed by F. Gary Gray. He won the African American Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as sharing nominations with his fellow cast mates for Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards. His performance in the film also landed him on New York Times Magazine’s  “Top Ten Performers of the Year” list in 2015.

Mitchell just wrapped a lead role in MUDBOUND opposite Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund with Dee Rees directing, and can next be seen starring in a co-lead role in SKULL ISLAND for Warner Bros and Legendary opposite Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larsen, Sam Jackson, John C. Reilly and John Goodman.

“It’s an honor to have a young actor with Jason’s stature as our newest recipient of The Rising Star Award. With his upcoming roles in SKULL ISLAND and MUDBOUND even more diverse audiences will get to see how talented he is,” said Tonya Mantooth, Executive and Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival.

SDiFF is proud to screen a diverse range of narrative, documentary, spotlight and short films. Screenings will be held in the newly renovated historic Balboa Theater and Regal Theaters in Downtown San Diego, and ArcLight Cinemas in La Jolla. The complete list of 2016 San Diego Film Festival titles including descriptions will soon be available at sdiff.com.

Passes are currently on sale to VIP members and the general public. In addition to screenings and events, passes provide access to the official festival lounge and parties where pass holders interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community. Individual tickets to The Night of the Stars Tribute will go on sale August 25.

For more information regarding passes/tickets, press accreditation, industry passes, or sponsorship opportunities, please visit SDiFF.com.  San Diego International Film Festival is produced by the nonprofit, San Diego Film Foundation.

More additions will be added to the program and announced soon.

About the San Diego International Film Festival
Founded in 2001, the San Diego International Film Festival, currently produced by the San Diego Film Foundation, is the region’s premier showcase for outstanding U.S. and international independent filmmaking. The five-day event is an entertaining, enlightening and educational gathering that embraces the region’s diverse cultural landscape, enhances the arts community and expands the economic vitality of San Diego. Learn more about the San Diego Film Festival at www.sdiff.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.

About the San Diego Film Foundation

The San Diego Film Foundation is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces the annual San Diego International Film Festival. Its mission is to support the art of independent filmmaking through producing an annual film festival, developing stimulating film-related events throughout the year, supporting and nurturing student filmmaking programs in local schools, supporting the development of the local filmmaking industry, and enhancing the economic growth of San Diego.

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