2026 Honorees
Honorary Chair
Originally from Connecticut, Jason is a founder, award-winning producer and studio executive who has helped define the modern era of prestige television and global content production. Serving as the Head of Production at Disney+,Paramount, AMC Networks, and First Look Media, Jason has led production on iconic series including The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Loki and The Mandalorian. Now, as the founder and CEO of StageRunner, Jason leads a fast-growing global soundstage marketplace and media company serving the production community and connecting 850+ studios across six continents. StageRunner is a growing media platform covering production and stage news, and the latest virtual production and AI technologies transforming how content gets made.
Legends Behind the Lens Award
MR. WILLIAM “DUSTY” KLATT
Our Legends Behind the Lens Award recipient, Dusty Klatt, is a second-generation IATSE Local 52 member since 1973, Dusty began in Properties before transitioning to the Electric Department as a Best Boy. After serving on the Benefit Board and as Recording Secretary, he was elected President in 2022. Currently in his third year, he had the honor of presiding over our 100th Anniversary of the local, celebrating the growth from 219 founding members in 1924 to over 5000 today. Now, as President of IATSE Local 52, he oversees film and television production crews across five states, representing departments from electric to medics. His mission is to maintain the union’s leadership position in the motion picture industry while developing a skilled workforce for the next century. Congratulations Dusty!
Independent Spirit Award
Ron Perlman
Golden Globe winning actor Ron Perlman can currently be heard in the Academy Award nominated film PINOCCHIO directed by Guillermo del Toro and seen in POKER FACE for Peacock. Prior to that, he was in NIGHTMARE ALLEY opposite Bradley Cooper & Cate Blanchett and Adam McKay’s DON’T LOOK UP opposite Leonardo DiCaprio & Jennifer Lawrence.
Next, he is set to star in the latest iteration of the Transformers franchise TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS for Paramount and the reboot of MR. AND MRS. SMITH for Amazon studios.
Prior to this, Ron can be seen in Paul WS Anderson’s MONSTER HUTER for Screen Gems as well as the incredibly popular film FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM for Heydey and Warner Bros, written by JK Rowling, and based in the Harry Potter world.
Ron is a classically trained actor whose career spans over 30 years, having worked with George RR Martin on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and Nicolas Winding Refn in the hit film, DRIVE, opposite Ryan Gosling, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, and Michelle Williams. Ron was famously the lead of Guillermo del Toro’s hit HELLBOY franchise for Columbia Pictures and also starred in Guillermo’s highly-successful film PACIFIC RIM for Warner Bros, which grossed over $400mm worldwide. In addition to his studio film success, Ron has also starred in acclaimed independent features including STONEWALL for Roland Emmerich, a Jon Robin Baitz scripted pic about the 1969 police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village that became the flashpoint for gay rights.
On the TV front, Ron has worked on many successful projects, including the hit BBC One spy thriller, THE CAPTURE, and Kurt Sutter’s hit show for FX, SONS OF ANARCHY, which ran for 7 seasons. Ron was also a series regular on Sony Crackle’s STARTUP opposite Adam Brody and Martin Freeman. His performances always bring a fresh and unique take on his role and his passion for film is why he continues to be one of the most sought-after actors in the business. Ron has an incredible ability to transition from playing a superhero to common man, allowing audiences to not only enjoy his performances but immerse themselves in his films.
lifetime achievement Award
Robert Davi is an award-winning actor, producer, director, and jazz vocalist whose unforgettable screen presence spans cult classics, blockbusters, and television hits. He broke through in “The Goonies” as the opera-singing tough and cemented his status as one of James Bond’s most memorable villains in “License to Kill.” He also starred in “Die Hard” as FBI Agent Big Johnson and joined major ensembles in “Showgirls,” “Profiler,” “Stargate: Atlantis,” and “Expendables 3.”
Raised in Astoria, Queens, Davi studied at Hofstra University on a drama scholarship before training under legendary coaches Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. An early role opposite Frank Sinatra in “Contract on Cherry Street” launched his prolific career, now topping 140 film and TV credits.
Davi’s talents extend behind the camera—he wrote, directed, and starred in “The Dukes,” a doo-wop comedy that won nine awards, including Best First-Time Director at the Monte Carlo Festival of Comedy. As a jazz vocalist, he’s performed Sinatra classics to sold-out crowds at venues like The Venetian in Las Vegas and topped Billboard’s Jazz Charts with his debut album, Davi Sings Sinatra: On the Road to Romance.
We proudly honor Robert Davi with the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award for Acting in celebration of his remarkable contributions to film and his deep New York roots.
Be sure to see Robert’s film in the festival, Bardejov Sunday, March 30, 2:30 – 5:15 PM. Based on a true story, Bardejov reveals the daring plan devised by Rafuel Lowy (played by Robert Davi), a successful wine-maker and community leader, to save the young women of Bardejov from being included in the first official Jewish transport to Auschwitz.
SPIRIT OF NEW JERSEY
Kenny Vance
Singer, songwriter, music producer, actor, film director– Kenny Vance’s multi-faceted career started when he was a teenager in the 1950s, as an original founding member of the iconic rock group Jay and the Americans. The group released fifteen albums, with many singles hitting the top 10. They also opened for the Beatles at their first American show at the Washington Coliseum, as well as the Rolling Stones, at Carnegie Hall, in their first American tour. Kenny’s work spans music supervision of films, solo album projects and TV, where he was Music Supervisor for Saturday Night Live and brought legendary talent including James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Prince onto the show. His music supervision in film includes, among others, Animal House, Hairspray, the breakthrough film, The Warriors, credited as the first rock & roll full-length feature soundtrack, as well as Eddie & the Cruisers, a New Jersey classic. His collaboration with the young Walter Becker and Donald Fagen is considered foundational to their emergence as the group Steely Dan.
Kenny’s recordings and live performances with his group, Kenny Vance and The Planotones, express the heart and soul of Doo-Wop, and Heart & Soul: a Love Story, his debut as a film director, continues his mission to illuminate the makers and the magic of the midcentury bedrock of rock & roll.
Don’t miss Kenny Vance’s film, “Heart & Soul: a Love Story”, about the legendary artists and impact of mid-century Doo-Wop music screening on Saturday at Asbury Lanes! Congratulations Kenny! You are certainly the Spirt of New Jersey!
Exceptional Women in Film & Television
Kat Delaney was born and raised in Summit New Jersey. She spent her formative years at the Jersey Shore and in movie theaters. Kat is a proud DGA Location Manager who loves working in the Film and Television Industry.
MVP
Rising Star Award
RUBY WYLDER RIVERA MODINE
This year’s Rising Star Award goes to …Ruby Wylder Rivera Modine. Ruby is a multifaceted American talent, recognized for her contributions as an actress, singer/songwriter, and music producer. Born into the world of entertainment as the daughter of veteran actor Matthew Modine, Ruby has seamlessly woven herself into the fabric of the industry.
Her acting portfolio showcases a remarkable versatility, spanning across various genres including drama, comedy, action, and romance. Notable projects in her repertoire include impactful performances in acclaimed shows like “Shameless,” where she displayed her dramatic prowess, and “Fear,” where she immersed herself in intense and gripping narratives. Ruby also demonstrated her diverse acting skills in projects like “The Survivalist” and “Happy Death Day 2U,” showcasing her ability to navigate through different storytelling styles with ease. Congratulations Ruby!
Educator of the Year
TIMOTHY BYRNE
The Garden State Film Festival is proud to present Timothy Byrne, principal of Wilson School in Sayreville, New Jersey, as this year’s Educator of the Year. It is an honor that recognizes educators who go above and beyond to inspire the next generation of storytellers, filmmakers, and creative thinkers.
The prestigious award highlights Byrne’s outstanding dedication to education and his commitment to fostering creativity, critical thinking, and artistic expression among his students. Through an innovative approach to integrating film and media arts into the classroom, Byrne has made a lasting impact on young learners and the school community.
Byrne has also been recognized for using film as a universal language to bring together students who speak different languages, demonstrating the power of visual storytelling to transcend barriers and build meaningful connections.
BROADER VISION AWARD
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY'S IMMERSIVE LEARNING THROUGH SCIENCE STORYTELLING LAB
We proudly recognize a deserving organization with the Broader Vision Award for Film Making Dedicated to the Greater Good. This year we are proud to present this award to Rutgers University’s Immersive Learning through Science Storytelling Lab whose good work builds professional science storytellers dedicated to producing films that accurately communicate critically important science through compelling and exciting documentary film narratives.Rutgers’ Immersive Learning through Science Storytelling Lab fosters trusting partnerships between student storytellers and university scientists and provides a welcoming environment for young people to engage with science and feel part of a science team. This interdisciplinary lab is building science film leaders whose stories increase environmental awareness and trust in science.Current film stories in development, co-created by Rutgers students, feature scientists responding to the impacts of climate change to develop resilient food crops, fight insect borne diseases, measure New Jersey’s changing estuaries and fisheries and study life in extreme, deep-sea environments. This year we will be presenting two film stories produced in this lab including “Biting Back: The Life Saving Potential of Catnip” and the trailer “Mysteries of 9° North”.
Beacon Award
Gail Barringer
Gail Barringer is a television producer who began her career in production accounting. She produced over 175 episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit” and seasons 2-4 of “Person of Interest” before jumping into the Marvel world with “The Punisher” and “Luke Cage.” Barringer then went on to produce Netflix’s revival of “Tales of the City,” Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” and most recently season 1 of “Emergence” for ABC.
Screenplay Winners
Feature Screenplay Winner
Fragments of Solace by Fatou Faye
Our feature length screenplay winner this year is Fatou Faye is a first-generation Senegalese-American writer and ceramic artist based in New Jersey. Their work explores themes of identity, culture, sexuality, and religion through screenplays and ceramic sculptures. A BFA graduate in Screenwriting from the University of the Arts, Fatou has received recognition including the Francis C. Tucker Screenwriting Award and had their short film “Live Locked” screened at the People Power Media Fest. Their ceramic work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, including shows at the University of the Arts and Philadelphia City Hall. Fatou continues to create narratives that amplify underrepresented voices through multiple artistic mediums. Learn more at www.fatoufaye.com.
Short Screenplay Winner
Purgatorio by Hakan Unal
Hakan Ünal is a film director and screenwriter from Antalya, Turkey. After studying English Literature, he obtained his MA in Screenwriting at the University of Toronto. He is a Reykjavik Talents 2018 alumna.
He began his career by writing short stories. His first feature screenplay METAMORPHOSIS was shortlisted at Toronto IFF Talent Development in 2019. His short scripts THE SHELL won First Prize for Best International Screenplay and PURGATORIO won Grand Prize for Best International Screenplay at Flickers Rhode Island IFF (Oscar and BAFTA Qualifier) in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
Teleplay Screenplay Winner
Sinatra by Richard Muti
Richard Muti, a New Jersey native and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Harvard Business School, and Rutgers Law School, served as a Navy pilot before entering land development. At 40, he changed careers to become a trial prosecutor, maintaining a 99% success rate over 19 years. He has taught at three New Jersey universities and authored six books, three screenplays, and numerous articles. Now retired, Richard lives in Delaware with his wife Lorraine, focusing on screenwriting.
