Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis will receive the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence Tuesday evening as the 25th annual San Diego International Film Festival opens with its Night of the Stars Tribute in La Jolla.
Davis will be presented with the award by Cecilia Peck, daughter of the late actor Gregory Peck, during the event beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., according to organizers.
The festival, which runs through Sunday, will feature film screenings and special events.
Davis won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for reprising her role in the 2016 film adaptation of August Wilson’s “Fences.” She has also received Oscar nominations for “Doubt,” “The Help,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
In 2015, Davis won the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for portraying lawyer Annalise Keating in ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.”
“Viola Davis is one of the most extraordinary artists of our time. Her performances bring power, vulnerability, and truth to every role, while her work beyond the screen has helped create opportunities for others,” said Tonya Mantooth, CEO and artistic director of the San Diego International Film Festival, when the award was announced in September. “The Gregory Peck Award celebrates an enduring contribution to cinema, and Viola Davis embodies that legacy. We are honored to celebrate her remarkable artistry and impact.”
The Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence recognizes actors whose work has made a significant contribution to film, according to festival organizers.
Previous recipients include Mark Hamill, Penelope Ann Miller, Andy Garcia, Laurence Fishburne, Keith Carradine, Patrick Stewart and Annette Bening.
“It has always been our dream that Viola Davis would receive this award,” Cecilia Peck said in September. “Her talent, courage and humanity are unmatched. My father admired her work and would have respected her enormously as an artist and a human being. It means so much to me and to the San Diego Film Festival that we are honoring her with this award.”
The festival’s opening-night film will be “The Debut,” written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.
The film follows Mona Friedman, a shy housewife cast in a small role at a community theater who becomes a dedicated method actor willing to go to extremes to protect the artistic integrity of her performance.
Produced by Emma Stone, the film stars Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Cara Buono, Craig Bierko, Eldar Isgandarov and Bernadette Peters.
The San Diego International Film Festival continues through Oct. 18. Tickets, passes and additional information are available at sdfilmfest.com.