‘Fruitvale Station,’ ‘Her,’ ‘Nebraska’ Get Tributes as SF Film Society Launches Awards Event

SFFS’s attempt to participate in awards season will also salute documentary “The Square”

The San Francisco Film Society is the latest group to want a piece of awards season, announcing on Tuesday the creation of a Fall Celebration program that will honor contenders “Fruitvale Station,” “Her,” “Nebraska” and the documentary “The Square.”

The fundraising gala will take place on Thursday, Nov. 14, which coincides with the closing night of the AFI Fest and falls two days before the Academy’s Governors Awards. “Fruitvale” director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan, “Her” director Spike Jonze, “Nebraska” director Alexander Payne and co-star June Squibb and “The Square” director Jehane Noujaim will attend.

Also read: ‘Nebraska’ Review: Bruce Dern, Alexander Payne Deliver Nuanced Portrait of Small-Town Life

The event will be hosted by director Chris Columbus and producer and former Academy president Sid Ganis, and co-chaired by filmmakers and SFFS board members Victoria Raiser and Todd Traina.

In a release announcing the event, SFFS said the Fall Celebration will be different from the many other awards-related event on the fall and winter calendar by representing the core values of the society and the Bay Area.

“The San Francisco Bay Area has a unique perspective on film, with different values than any other city,” said SFFS executive director Ted Hope, who announced two weeks ago that he is leaving the organization after about a year on the job. ” … This is such a vibrant and diverse community, where creativity and innovation are valued more than any other place in the world.”

With companies like Pixar and Industrial Light and Magic based in the Bay Area, the area has long has an Academy presence. Along with Los Angeles, New York and London, it is one of the four cities where AMPAS holds official members’ screenings, and one of three that participated in last May’s all-members Academy meeting.

The event will take place at a new private club in San Francisco, the Battery.

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