San Luis Obispo Film Fest to honour James Cromwell

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) announced today that actor James Cromwell will be in attendance to accept the annual King Vidor Award for career achievement in acting during its 2007 festival, to be held March 1-11.

Cromwell has a long record of achievement in both film and television, dating back to his appearance as Archie Bunker’s buddy in TV’s “All in the Family” in the early 1970s. During his career he has appeared on camera with a wide variety of Hollywood’s most notable stars and has worked with many of the industry’s leading producers and directors.

His television appearances include guest spots on many of TV’s leading shows, including the “Star Trek” genre’s “Deep Space Nine” and “The Next Generation”, the long-running “ER”, and, more recently, “The West Wing” and “Six Feet Under.”

Cromwell’s extensive film credits include the 2005 edition of “The Longest Yard” and 1999’s “The Green Mile”, in which he played prison wardens, “Babe” (1995), “LA Confidential” (1997), and 2002’s “The Sum of All Fears”, in which he worked with SLOIFF Board of Directors member and San Luis Obispo area resident Neil Travis, who edited the film.

In making the announcement, SLOIFF Festival Director Wendy Eidson commented that “Our Board of Directors is absolutely thrilled that James Cromwell will be our King Vidor Award recipient this year. His long and deep body of work in television and film speaks for itself, and he will be a terrific addition to our festival.” Travis noted that “James is a consummate professional and an honor to work with, and he is a complete gentleman in his personal life as well.” Eidson said Cromwell has confirmed his attendance and has expressed a great interest in interacting with students and young filmmakers during his visit. “Mr. Cromwell’s appearance continues our festival’s commitment to bringing the best in film and filmmaking talent to the central coast area as we further our efforts to make the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival one of the most desirable on the international festival circuit.”

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Manhattan by theater veteran parents, Cromwell studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon and attended the prestigious Hill School in Pennsylvania, the alma mater of film industry notables Harry Hamlin and Oliver Stone. His early television and film appearances caught the eye of industry producers, and he was soon noticed by leading casting directors.

His work on screen has not escaped the attention of the critics or the major awards institutions.
Cromwell was nominated for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s Best Supporting
Actor for his performance as Farmer Arthur Hoggett in “Babe”, for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award’s Favorite Supporting Actor for 1999’s “The General’s Daughter”, and for numerous Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards. Cromwell’s acceptance of the 2007 King Vidor Award follows last year’s acceptance by Morgan Freeman, who wowed the sold-out Fremont Theatre crowd with a moving tribute ceremony and acceptance speech. SLOIFF organizers expect another enthusiastic response by central coast residents, and are already gearing up for the big evening.

Cromwell has garnered attention this year for his performance in the current major feature “The Queen” in his role as Prince Phillip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth. In her role as the Queen, noted British actress Helen Mirren has already received several nominations and awards and is considered to be a leading candidate for the Academy’s 2007 best leading actress award. Cromwell has three major motion pictures scheduled for release this year, including “Spider Man 3”, in which he portrays Captain George Story. Interestingly, both Mirren and Cromwell will grace the stages of central coast film festivals to accept major awards within a month of each other, as Mirren this past week appeared at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to accept that festival’s “Outstanding Performance Award”.

The 2007 edition of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival will kick off on Thursday, March 1 and conclude on Sunday, March 11. Eidson notes that the festival will announce its slate of films shortly, and also expects to report the attendance of several other notable film personalities. Further information and updates can be obtained at the festival’s website www.slofilmfest.org or by calling (805)546-3456.