The Bahamas International Film Festival, in its fourth year is now in full swing in New Providence until the 13th. One of the festival's major events is the Career Achievement Tribute. Last year the recipient was Nicholas Cage, and this year the prestigious award went to Daryl Hannah.
The Bahamas Weekly was on the red carpet on December 8th at the Atlantis Theatre when Daryl Hannah was accompanied into the packed theatre by Sir Sean Connery, who later awarded her on stage with her career achievement trophy.
Chopard Bahamas president and CEO Wayne Chee-a-Tow, left, and Sir
Sean Connery present the Career Achievement tribute to film star
Daryl Hannah at the 4th Annual Bahamas International Film Festival
awards night on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at the Atlantis Theatre.
Hannah's hits include Blade Runner, Steel Magnolias and Splash in
which many of the scenes were filmed in the Bahamas. (Photo- Tim Aylen)
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The event was sponsored by wealth management company Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch, BIFF’s Career Achievement Tribute honors an actor or actress whose work has had a major impact and has advanced the frontiers of cinematic artistry around the world.
The evening began with opening remarks by BIFF founder, Leslie Vanderpool. Then a representative from Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch gave comment. Sir Connery, as witty as ever, came to the stage to award Daryl Hannah with a beautiful trophy. Hannah graciously accepted her award and spoke about her delight to be back in The Bahamas, a country where she once lived for a short while as a child.
The audience was treated to a short film
commemorating and summarizing Hannah's twenty year film career. Hannah later returned to the stage to be interviewed by film expert, Ben Lyons of E-Online.com and the audience participated in a question and answer session with the star.
Miss Vanderpool returned to the stage to give a heartfelt thank you to Sir Sean Connery for his patronage of the festival, and surprised him with a beautiful wood carved sculpture from Bahamian artist, Antonius Roberts.
Daryl Hannah’s career has spanned a 20 year period with appearances in over 40 feature films. From her early start as a teenager in Chicago in Brian De Palma’s “The Fury” starring Kirk Douglas, she set a pattern of working with some of the most talented and accomplished actors and directors of our time. Some of those include her turn as a gymnastic punk android in Ridley’s Scott’s cult classic “Blade Runner” starring Harrison Ford, to playing the innocent mermaid in Ron Howard’s “Splash” co-starring Tom Hanks and John Candy (and filmed in the Bahamas). Hannah has also worked with Woody Allen, Neil Jordan, Oliver Stone, Robert Altman and John Sayles to name a few.
Some of her most memorable films, which have stood the test of time, include “Roxanne” with Steve Martin, “Steel Magnolias” with Shirley MacLlaine and Julia Roberts, “The Pope of Greenwich Village” with Mickey Rourke, “Grumpy Old Men” and “Grumpier Old Men” with the beloved Walter Mattheau and the great Jack Lemmon.
BIFF Founder Leslie Vanderpool with Sir Sean Connery as he carries his Festival Patron appreciation gift off stage at the Atlantis Theatre on December 8, 2007. The sculpture was made by Bahamian artist, Antonius Roberts. (Photo by Tim Aylen)
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As well as the big studio films, Daryl has become a strong supporter and advocate of independent cinema, not only with her acting, but also by producing many films. Her website can be viewed HERE. She played a sad comic stripper in the fully improvised “Dancing at the Blue Iguana” directed by Michael Radford, a hermaphrodite angel in the Polish Brother’s “Northfolk” co-starring Nick Nolte and James Woods and a women struggling with adoption in John Sayles “Casa de los babies”.
Hannah can be seen in Quinton Tarantino’s highly successful “KILL BILL” Vol. 1 & Vol. II, in which she played the one eyed samurai assassin “Elle Driver.” She recently completed John Sayles’ political satire “Silver City” co-starring Richard Dreyfuss and Chris Cooper.
In 2001, Hannah made her stage debut in George Axelrod’s “Seven Year Itch,” directed by Michael Radford at the Queens Theatre in London’s famed West End. Hannah wrote, directed, and produced a 12-minute short, entitled “The Last Supper,” which received the Berlin International Film Festival’s Jury Award for Best Short. Hannah also directed, produced and shot the documentary “Strip Notes” which was inspired while researching her role for “Dancing At The Blue Iguana” that was shown on HBO and UK’s Channel 4.
(Photos by Tim Aylen)
About the Bahamas International Film Festival:
The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing the local community and International festival goers with a diverse presentation of films from The Bahamas and around the world. In addition to showcasing films that might not otherwise be released theatrically, BIFF provides unique cultural experiences, educational programs, and forums for exploring the past, present & future of cinema. BIFF aims to raise the level of filmmaking, participation and education throughout The Bahamas and the world.
The full BIFF program is now available in print or online at
www.bintlfilmfest.com
Booking for the Bahamas International Film Festival 2007 is now open. Tickets can be booked online, over the telephone, or in person at BIFF box offices. Every year the Festival offers advance ticket deals from the date of Box opening to the first day of the Festival.
