Honorees

SVFF honors the industry’s best and brightest 

2025

honorees

The SVFF pays tribute to industry icons whose contributions to the art of cinema have changed the industry for the better.

2025 vision award honoreeS

The Vision Award pays tribute to an individual who has provided the keen insight, influence and initiative to fulfill a creative vision. 

Photo credit: Netflix

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-born American actor, former professional bodybuilder, and politician who became one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars joins us for an intimate conversation. Rising to fame as a seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, he transitioned seamlessly into film with iconic roles in The Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, and True Lies, becoming one of the highest-paid actors of the 1980s and 90s. His larger-than-life persona and memorable one-liners made him a cultural icon. Beyond entertainment, he served as California’s 38th Governor from 2003 to 2011. He and his family own a home in Sun Valley and have maintained deep ties to the area.

Photo credit: Patrick Pendergast

GUS VAN SANT

Gus Van Sant was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His many features include the Festival Official Selections Drugstore Cowboy (89), My Own Private Idaho (91), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (93), To Die For (95), Gerry(02), Elephant (03), Paranoid Park (07), and Restless (11) as well as Good Will Hunting (97), which was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards. Dead Man’s Wire (25) is his latest feature.

2025 DISRUPTOR award honoreeS

The Disruptor Award presented by Deadline, recognizing creative talent who are shaping the industry with innovative and impactful work.

Clint Bentley

Academy Award nominee Clint Bentley is a writer-director-producer whose debut directorial feature, JOCKEY (Song Pictures Classics), premiered In Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where Clifton Collins Jr. was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Best Actor for his role. Bentley and his long-time collaborator Greg Kwedar co-wrote and produced the film which went on to enjoy further global festival success with screenings at TIFF, AFI and over 30 festivals worldwide, winning the Audience Award at the AFI Film Festival. JOCKEY also received awards recognition, including two Independent Spirit Award nominations, plus The National Board of Review named it one of the Top 10 Independent Films of 2021.
 
Bentley and his producing partner Kwedar recently launched their production company ETHOS to develop their own original, individual and joint projects, and to champion artists under the innovative and equitable financing model that they pioneered on JOCKEY and further developed with SING SING (A24). Bentley co-wrote and produced SING SING with Kwedar, which earned them an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. SING SING received a further two Academy Awards nominations with one for lead actor Colman Domingo, as well as numerous Golden Globe, Independent Spirt Award, BAFTA and Critics Choice Awards nominations. Both AFI and the National Board of Review named SING SING in their top films of the year lists.
 
Bentley’s previous work includes co-writing and producing TRANSPECOS, which won the Audience Award at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival, while Moviemaker Magazine named Bentley (and Kwedar) on their ‘Screenwriters to Watch’ list. Most recently, Bentley directed TRAIN DREAMS (Netflix), an adaptation of Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize finalist novella of the same name. Co-written by Bentley and Kwedar, the film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon.

In addition to his film work, Bentley received a 2026 Pushcart Prize for his short story “Cairn” that first appeared in The Iowa Review. His fiction has also appeared in The Baltimore Review.

Greg Kwedar

His sophomore film, SING SING, was over eight years in the making. He both directed and co-wrote the film, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and won the 2024 SXSW Festival Audience Award.  Acquired and theatrically released by A24, the critical darling garnered three Academy Award nominations (including Best Adapted Screenplay), three BAFTA nominations, and five Critics Choice Award nominations, including Best Picture. It was also nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and was named one of the AFI and National Board of Review Top 10 Films of the Year. The film won the National Board of Review Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Gotham Awards for Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance.

Kwedar made his feature directorial debut with TRANSPECOS, which premiered in competition at the 2016 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL, winning the Audience Award. He co-wrote and produced JOCKEY, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition where it won the Special Jury Award for Best Actor (Clifton Collins Jr.). JOCKEY also won the Audience Award at the AFI Film Festival and was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for theatrical release. The film was later nominated for an Indie Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and the John Cassavetes Award, and was one of the National Board of Review Top 10 Independent Film of 2021. Kwedar also produced RISING FROM ASHES, RUNNING WITH BETO (Winner: SXSW Audience Award 2019), and was co-producer on GHOST FLEET (Telluride & TIFF, 2018).  

Greg served as co-writer and executive producer on Clint Bentley’s sophomore feature TRAIN DREAMS, adapted from the Pulitzer Prize finalist novella Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. The film debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by Netflix.

Greg is next set to direct the feature film SATURN RETURN for Netflix with Plan B producing, starring Rachel Brosnahan, Charles Melton, and Will Poulter. The script was written by Gaelyn Golde, with recent revisions made by Greg and Clint Bentley, and was previously featured on the 2024 Black List. Principal photography is set to commence later this Fall in Chicago.

Greg is also currently in development on FilmNation’s fantastical comedy, POSSUM SONG, written by Isaac Adamson with Miles Teller attached to star and Greg directing. Greg and Clint will produce through their company ETHOS.

Greg has spoken to thousands of students across the country and sat on panels about his work at SXSW, Sundance, UNESCO, the United Nations, and more. 

2025 RISING award honoree

The Rising Star Award recognizes a promising talent whose work on screen is quickly gaining industry attention.

PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER

Actor Patrick Schwarzenegger will be honored with the Rising Star Award on Saturday, December 6 recognizing a promising talent whose work on screen is quickly gaining industry attention. Patrick Schwarzenegger most recently starred in season 3 of Mike White’s critically acclaimed HBO seriesWhite Lotus and Ryan Murphy’s new FX limited-series, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez. Previous credits include the Amazon series Gen V, HBO’s critically acclaimed series The Staircase, The Terminal List, Amy Poehler’s film Moxie for Netflix, Echo Boomers, and the independent film Daniel Isn’t Real, which premiered to great reviews at the SXSW Film Festival. Up next, he will star opposite Margaret Qualley in Love of Your Life for Amazon MGM. Previous recipients include the cast of Outer Banks, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Winston Duke, Sophie Thatcher, and Allison Williams.

2025 IMPACT award honoree

An honor recognizing a filmmaker whose work illuminate the resilience of the human spirit

ONDI TIMOneR

Ondi Timoner (born 1972, Miami) is a two-time Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary filmmaker, the only director to achieve this feat. Her breakthrough DIG! (2004) chronicled the explosive rivalry between The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, while We Live in Public (2009) presciently examined internet pioneer Josh Harris and the loss of privacy online. Founder of Interloper Films, Timoner’s fearless work includes Join Us (2007) on a controlling cult, Cool It (2010) with climate contrarian Bjørn Lomborg, the narrative feature Mapplethorpe (2018), and deeply personal films Last Flight Home (2022) about her father’s right-to-die choice and Coming Clean (2020) on America’s opioid crisis. Recent projects explore GameStop and January 6 (The New Americans, 2023) and end-of-life care for the unhoused (The Inn Between, 2024). An Academy member and Emmy nominee, she is celebrated for raw, immersive portraits of visionaries and outsiders

2025 Harriman award honoreeS

The Harriman Award honors individuals whose contributions to the Sun Valley community embody the pioneering and philanthropic spirit of Sun Valley’s founder, Averell Harriman.

Photo: Kirsten Shultz

CAROL AND SCOTT GLENN

Scott and Carol Glenn have called the Wood River Valley home for more than four decades, first arriving when Carol attended a summer pottery workshop. Carol’s career has taken her across the globe, earning recognition among galleries and collectors worldwide. She is represented by Ochi Gallery and continues to create from her studio in the valley.
 

Scott’s distinguished career spans both film and television. His feature work includes classics such as Urban Cowboy and The Right Stuff, while his television roles have shaped some of the most compelling series of the past decade, including The Leftovers, Daredevil, and his recent iconic performance in The White Lotus, which earned him his first Emmy nomination.

 

 

Beyond their professional achievements, the Glenns have long served their community in the Wood River Valley, with Carol’s years of commitment to the Jewish Auxiliary and Scott’s service as a reserve sheriff in Camas County.

At the festival I can tell people love filmmaking in every aspect – writing, acting, cinematography, and producing. So I’m really excited to be here and meet people who are just as excited about the process as I am.

Yahya Adbul Mateen II

Sun Valley’s intimate size snuffs egos and allows personalities, connections, and the zeal for filmmaking to flourish everywhere from get-togethers in cozy cafe’s to the lofty lifts of Bald Mountain.

Flaunt magazine

It’s wonderfully intimate and remains very high end in both the quality of films presented and the festival itself. Sun Valley has kept its integrity…the magic dust.

kate bosworth

There is an incredible creative energy at SVFF that I look forward to every year! The films, festivities, and people are amazing. I can’t wait to be there!

Austin von Johnson

Gallery

Previous
Honorees

Best Narrative Film

winner

Linoleum, Directed by Colin West

Best documentary feature Film

winner

Mama Bears, Directed by Daresha Kyi

Audience Award

winner

We Feed People, Directed by Ron Howard

The gem state award

The best short film made in Idaho. The films in the Idaho Shorts program are eligible for this award.

winner

Meridian, Directed by  Aidan Brezonick

one in a million - narrative award

winner

Karmalink, Directed by Jake Wachtel

one in a million - documentary award

winner

Sirens, Directed by Rita Baghdadi

The svshorty award

The best short film across all categories. All shorts are eligible for this award.

winner

Meridian, Directed by  Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck & Robert Machoian

hot shot award

The Future Filmmakers Forum (FFF) showcases student-made films and encourages students in their craft, storytelling, and self-expression. The Future Filmmakers Forum is made possible by the Nordstrom Brothers and an annual generous gift from the Steen Family Foundation.

winner

The First 280 Words of My Life, Directed by Ella JAnes