New York, NY (November 8, 2022) – The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today that Focus Features’ Chairman, Peter Kujawski and Vice Chairman, Jason Cassidy will receive the Industry Tribute during the 32nd annual Gotham Awards Ceremony taking place live and in person on Monday, November 28, 2022 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Nominations for the Gotham Awards were recently announced and the complete list is available here. 

Peter Kujawski is the Chairman and Jason Cassidy is the Vice Chairman of Focus Features, a leading specialty film studio currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. Films produced or distributed by Focus Features include BLACKKKLANSMAN (2018) BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005), ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004), LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003), MILK (2008) PHANTOM THREAD (2017), PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020), MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012) and DOWNTON ABBEY (2019). Kujawski joined Focus when it was formed and became its Chairman in 2016. Cassidy joined Focus as Marketing President in 2016 and was elevated to Vice Chairman of the company in 2019.

“Focus Features and its unparalleled slate of remarkable films, has been an essential part of the Gotham Awards for twenty years, truly representing the pinnacle of independent film.  We salute Peter and Jason for continuing to make Focus Features a welcoming home for filmmakers while embracing innovative new ways to extend the studio’s stellar legacy,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “Furthermore, Peter and Jason have been essential partners in supporting The Gotham’s emerging filmmaker initiatives such as the Focus Features Jet Blue Student Short Film Program which has awarded financial support and recognition to twenty graduate film school students over the past four years.”

Focus Features current and upcoming slate includes TÁR from director Todd Field and starring Cate Blanchett; James Gray’s ARMAGEDDON TIME, starring Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong, and Anne Hathaway, and SPOILER ALERT, from Michael Showalter starring Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge and Sally Field. In 2023, the studio will release Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, Alexander Payne’s THE HOLDOVERS, an untitled comedy from Ethan Cohen; A.V. Rockwell’s A THOUSAND AND ONE; Nida Manzoor’s POLITE SOCIETY; Zelda Williams’ LISA FRANKENSTEIN; Bill Holderman’s BOOK CLUB II: THE NEXT CHAPTER; MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 from Nia Vardalos; Goran Stolevski OF AN AGE; Vasilis Katsoupis’s INSIDE and Bobby Farrelly’s CHAMPIONS, among others.

Additionally, the winners of the fourth annual Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase will be revealed during the ceremony on November 28, after receiving submissions from more than 20 graduate film programs across the country. Each winner will receive a $10,000 grant and have their films shown for twelve months on JetBlue’s seatback entertainment systems under the “Gotham Selects” movie category and on Focus Features digital streaming platforms. 

The Gotham Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday, November 28, 2022 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. As the first major awards ceremony of the fall season, the Gotham Awards provide critical early recognition and media attention to worthy independent films and series and their writers, directors, producers, and actors with twelve competitive awards categories. The awards are also unique for their ability to assist in catapulting award recipients prominently into national awards season attention. The Official Automotive Sponsor of the 2022 Gotham Awards is Cadillac and the Official Water Sponsor is FIJI Water.

About The Gotham Film & Media Institute
The Gotham champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Awards, and Gotham EDU.

About The Gotham Awards
The Gotham Awards, one of the leading honors for independent film and television, provides early acknowledgement to groundbreaking independent films and television series. Selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, the Gotham Awards are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that The Gotham Film & Media Institute does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.
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