Brendan Fraser to receive Mill Valley Film Festival Award for Acting for ‘The Whale’

Another step in his comeback trail, Brendan Fraser will receive a tribute from the 45th Mill Valley Film Festival on October 13, 2022. Fraser will be on hand for this special onstage conversation, presentation of the MVFF Award for Acting and the West Coast premiere of A24’s highly anticipated release The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky.

In The Whale, Fraser portrays a reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption. The film is directed by Academy Award nominee Darren Aronofsky, written by Samuel D. Hunter (based on his play) and also stars Hong Chau, Sadie Sink and Samantha Morton.

Seamlessly transitioning from smart, independent films to action-packed blockbusters, Brendan Fraser continues to garner widespread critical acclaim for his versatile, inspired performances and a keen eye for selecting thought-provoking material. With several exciting projects on the horizon, 2022 and beyond promise to be big years for Fraser. Upcoming this year for Brendan includes starring as the lead in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale and in Legendary Pictures’ Brothers alongside Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Peter Dinklage. He’s also a supporting role in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Killers Of The Flower Moon. Fraser has been in a string of some of the most successful studio and independent films of the past decades, including 1999’s The Mummy, 2005’s Academy Award-winning Best Picture Crash, directed by Paul Haggis; Phillip Noyce’s The Quiet American, based on Graham Greene’s 1955 thriller of the same name; and Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters, opposite Sir Ian McKellen and Lynn Redgrave.

The Whale is set for release by A24 on December 9.

Presented by the California Film Institute, the 45th Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 6-16, 2022. MVFF is an acclaimed eleven-day cinema event celebrating the best in American independent and world cinema. Located just north of San Francisco, the Festival is known as a filmmakers’ festival and the West Coast launch pad for many Academy Award-winning films. MVFF has earned a reputation for launching new films and creating awards season buzz. The festival welcomes more than 200 filmmakers representing more than 50 countries annually.