Oscar winner and Bahamian resident Nicolas Cage will receive a Career Achievement Award when he is honoured by the third-annual Bahamas International Film Festival, it was announced yesterday.
Leslie Vanderpool, the festival’s founder and executive director, said the BIFF Chopard Award will be presented to Cage at a gala event during the festival at the Atlantis Theatre at the Atlantis resort from December 7 to 10.
Over the four-day festival, BIFF will screen a selection of Nicolas Cage’s films including: Face Off, Adaptation and Wild at Heart.
There also will be a conversation with the actor, moderated by a well known personality, during which additional highlights of Mr Cage’s career will be presented.
“To have the pleasure of presenting a tribute to Mr Cage, a respected actor and respected person throughout the world is an honour,” said Leslie; Vanderpool. “We are thrilled to welcome him to ‘Cinema In Paradise’ in the nation’s capital, Nassau, Bahamas and celebrate his career achievements. He is a gentleman who marches to the beat of his own drum and continues to challenge himself and the industry.
“I am proud that he has also chosen the Bahamas to call his home as he encourages the local community by example with his experience, class and filmmaking talents throughout the Bahamas and the world at large. A special thank you for having Mr Cage embrace the 3rd annual Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) in his local community in the Bahamas,” she said.
Nicolas Cage first came to the public’s attention with his role as a punk from the wrong side of the hills in Valley Girl, although his first brief film role was (as Nicolas Coppola) in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
He has won an Academy Award for Leaving Las Vegas, received an Oscar nomination for Adaptation, appeared in over 55 films and received numerous accolades.
Said BIFF in a statement: “With his unique ability, Cage is as adept in actionadventure (The Rock, Con Air, National Treasure) as he is in romantic screwball comedies (Moonstruck, Raising Arizona, Honeymoon in Vegas) and sophisticated intelligent dramas (Matchstick Men, Birdy, City of Angels, The Weather Man).
“In 2002, Cage expanded his artistic talents to include producing (Shadow of the Vampire, The Life of David Gale, Lord of War) as well as directing (Sonny).”
BIFF gets underway December 7 at Atlantis and Galleria 6 on JFK and will screen more than 50 films during the event.
The festival has four juried competition categories, the “Spirit of Freedom”, both narrative and documentary sections, presented by Chopard, and the “New Visions” award going to the filmmaker in the narrative section presented by Hard Rock Cafe.
Other film programmes include “World Cinema,” “Special Screenings,” “Family Films,” “Caribbean Focus,” and a new sidebar added this year, “East Meets West,” which will present films from Eastern Europe, India, East Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world.
In addition to offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas, BIFF said it will provide a unique cultural experience, educational programmes, and forums for exploring the future of cinema.
Source: The Tribune
