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EXCLUSIVE: The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today that its inaugural Gotham Week Honors, spotlighting outstanding contributions to the independent film and media landscape, will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, in Brooklyn, as part of the 45th annual Gotham Week.
Among the honorees is Gina Duncan, President of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, who will receive the first-ever Gotham Week Cultural Impact Honor, in celebration of her remarkable journey in cinema and media, from her work at the Jacob Burns Film Center, through her tenure at Sundance, to her current role leading one of the world’s most renowned cultural institutions.
Said The Gotham’s Executive Director, Jeffrey Sharp, “Gina Duncan’s career exemplifies the spirit of this recognition. Her significant contributions to New York’s cultural landscape and ongoing commitment to fostering diverse voices in film and media reflect our core mission. This award celebrates Duncan’s powerful impact on the city’s arts and culture, as well as her invaluable support of The Gotham’s growth and vision.”
Others to be feted include filmmakers RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys) and Sean Wang (Dìdi), who will each receive an inaugural Gotham Week Alumni Honor of Distinction Award. This award pays tribute to outstanding alumni of The Gotham programs who serve as beacons of the independent filmmaking community.
The Gotham will also recognize emerging filmmakers in the categories of US Shorts to Features, US Features in Development, Spotlight on Documentaries, and Global Producer of the Year. The full list of honorees will be announced following the ceremony on October 2nd.
Additionally, Gotham Week is set to host a previously unannounced screening of His Three Daughters followed by a Q&A with director Azazel Jacobs on Tuesday, October 1 at BAM Rose Cinemas. An additional screening will feature a showcase of the shorts to features participating in the The Gotham Week Project Market taking place at Nitehawk Cinemas.
Said Kia Brooks, Deputy Director of The Gotham, “Gotham Week Honors represents a pivotal moment for our organization. It allows us to celebrate both established figures who have shaped our industry and emerging talents who represent its future. We’re excited to bring together our community to recognize these outstanding individuals.”
Continued Brooks, “Now in our third year, The Gotham Week Expo continues to evolve and provide tangible solutions for film & media creators to determine the best pathway for their work and career within the industry. We also couldn’t be more excited to bring our community early looks at such films as His Three Daughters.”
The Gotham’s Gotham Week Cultural Impact Honoree, Duncan, was appointed as BAM’s president in February of 2022. The appointment marked a return to BAM for Duncan, who previously served as its first vice president of film and strategic programming. Under her tenure, the film program flourished, and a revolutionary approach to repertory programming which centered underrepresented voices in cinema was recognized as a “vital” part of the New York film landscape by The New York Times.
Prior to the BAM presidency, Duncan was at the Sundance Institute, where she served as Producing Director. During her tenure, she was responsible for producing the Sundance Film Festival online and in-person, as well as managing the Institute’s year-round operations. As Producing Director, she was an integral part of fiscal and artistic planning and oversight for the Institute.
The Gotham has followed Ross’s career since he brought Hale County This Morning, This Evening to the Documentary Lab and Gotham Week Project Market in 2016. Following its festival run, the film went on to an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature, and this year, Ross returns with his narrative film debut Nickel Boys, an Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios film, based on the novel by Colson Whitehad, which premiered at Telluride and opens in theaters on October 25th. Ross will be in attendance for a special screening and Q&A at Gotham Week on October 3rd.
Wang’s relationship with The Gotham began when he brought Dìdi to the Gotham Week Project Market in 2022. The film’s success story includes triumphant festival runs at Sundance, SXSW, and Beijing, culminating in its acquisition by Focus Features. In its Sundance premiere, Dìdi won both the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast. The acclaimed coming-of-age film hit theaters on July 26.
