MVFF38 to Honor Actress Brie Larson, Screen Her Latest Film ‘Room’

Seventeen years into an acting career that began at age 9, Brie Larson is ready for the spotlight – a Spotlight event, that is, at the 38th Mill Valley Film Festival. Larson will be honored with the MVFF Award at this year’s festival, set for Oct. 8–18, after a screening of the new film Room, director Kenny Abrahamson’s take on author Emma Donoghue’s adaptation of her own bestselling novel about a mother and son held captive and “the incomparable bond between mother and child.”

The Spotlight honor comes on the heels of Larson’s roles in hits like Trainwreck featuring Amy Schumer and The Gambler with Mark Wahlberg, and in advance of her role in the Martin Scorsese-executive produced ‘70s crime thriller, Free Fire, opposite Sharlto Copley, Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer.

In addition, Larson drew acclaim for her performance in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12 as Grace, earning her Best Actress wins at the Locarno Film Festival and Gotham Awards, and a Best Actress nomination at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Larson, widely recognized for her role in The United States of Tara as Toni Colette’s sarcastic and rebellious daughter, is also a writer and director. Her short film, The Arm won the prize for Best Comedic Storytelling at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. The other, Weighting, was in competition at this year’s SXSW film festival.

A native of Sacramento, Larson started studying drama at the early age of 6, as the youngest student ever to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. 

Since 2008, the Mill Valley Film Festival has presented the MVFF Award, an elegant bronze statue created by Mill Valley artist Alice Corning, given in recognition of exceptional work in film at our Tribute and Spotlight programs.

The 38th Mill Valley Film Festival is set for October 8-18. More info.

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