Ewan McGregor to receive 39th Mill Valley Film Festival Spotlight

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SPOTLIGHT ON EWAN MCGREGOR
Live On-Stage Conversation Followed by Screening of American Pastoral

SAN RAFAEL, CA (September 15, 2016) – The Mill Valley Film Festival (October 6 – 16, 2016), presented by the California Film Institute, is pleased to present a special Spotlight program with acclaimed actor Ewan McGregor. McGregor will be on hand for the Bay Area premiere of his directorial debut American Pastoral on Sunday, October 9 at 7:00 PM at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael.

SPOTLIGHT | Ewan McGregor  
Launching to independent film star status in the mid-1990s with impressive back-to-back performances in two landmark Danny Boyle films (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting), Ewan McGregor later propelled to superstardom as young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005), while steadily building an exceptional career across stage, television, and screen (Moulin Rouge!, Big Fish, Black Hawk Down, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen). American Pastoral marks McGregor’s directorial debut.

The program will feature an onstage conversation with Ewan McGregor, a screening of AMERICAN PASTORAL, and the presentation of the MVFF Award in recognition of his auspicious directorial debut. After the program the Festival will host a celebratory reception at Il Fornaio in Corte Madera.

Lakeshore Entertainment and Lionsgate will release American Pastoral on October 28th.

About the Mill Valley Film Festival
For nearly four decades, the world-renowned Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) has maintained its position as a vital showcase of the global film community, attracting iconic red-carpet talent, burgeoning filmmakers, passionate audiences, and astutely curated premieres. An in-demand destination for film lovers, drawn by unmatched locale and a diverse program of mainstream studio features and new visions from independent voices from around the world, MVFF also hosts an exciting array of filmmaker and industry conversations, panels, parties, and live music performances, featuring the most acclaimed emerging and veteran actors, filmmakers, and musicians of our time. A destination event for cinephiles everywhere, and known for launching new films and creating awards season buzz, MVFF has earned a deserved reputation as a “filmmaker’s festival” by celebrating the best in American, independent, and world cinema alongside high profile and prestigious award contenders. Presented by the California Film Institute, this year’s Festival runs October 6 – 16, 2016. Opening Night Gala will be held at Marin Country Mart and Closing Night Party will be held at Cavallo Point. Delta Airlines is the official MVFF39 airline.

Screening locations include: CinéArts@Sequoia and The Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley), Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael), Cinemark Century Larkspur Landing and Lark Theatre (Larkspur), and Cinemark Century Cinema Corte Madera (Corte Madera).

About the California Film Institute
The non-profit California Film Institute celebrates and promotes film as art and education through year-round programming at the non-profit independent theatre, Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, presentation of the acclaimed Mill Valley Film Festival and cultivation of the next generation of filmmakers and audiences through CFI Education programs. For more information, visit http://www.cafilm.org or call (415) 383-5256.

Supporters
As a nonprofit arts organization, CFI relies on the generosity of its community to sustain not only the Festival, but also the year-round programs of the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center and CFI Education. The invaluable support of our sponsors, foundations, and individual donors ensures our continued success as we celebrate our 39th year.

CFI is once again proud to acknowledge the leadership support of Christopher B. and Jeannie Meg Smith and Jennifer Coslett MacCready, and the continued major support of Ken and Jackie Broad Family Fund, Drusie and Jim Davis – Drusie Davis Family Fund, The Bernard Osher Foundation, The Gruber Family Foundation, Michael and Susan Schwartz Fund, Marin Community Foundation and The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. We are also fortunate to have the contributions of the following Signature and Major Sponsors of the Mill Valley Film Festival: Wells Fargo, Jackson Square Partners, Lucasfilm, Ltd., Maroevich, O’Shea & Coghlan Insurance Services, Zaentz Media Center/A Wareham and Development, Bellam Self Storage and Boxes, Delta Airlines and San Francisco Chronicle and Government Support from the National Endowment for the Arts.