U.S. producer Stacey Sher — whose credits include Quentin Tarantino‘s “Pulp Fiction,” “Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight” as well as Steven Soderbergh’s “Erin Brockovich,” “Out of Sight” and “Contagion” — will be honored by the Locarno Film Festival with its Raimondo Rezzonico Prize, which celebrates a producer who epitomizes the indie ethos.
“Few producers can claim that their films not only drastically altered the landscape of American independent filmmaking, but also seemed to define the tenor of an entire decade,” the prominent Swiss fest dedicated to international indie cinema said in a statement. It noted that Sher – with her producing partners Danny DeVito and Michael Shamberg – shepherded “such paradigmatic films of the 1990s” as “Pulp Fiction” (1994); “Get Shorty” (1995); “Matilda” (1996); “Gattaca” (1997); and “Out of Sight” (1998).
“Meanwhile her credits this century are no less impressive,” the statement added, “given that they include an expansion and deepening of her collaborations with Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh, as well as other artistic pairings with Oliver Stone, Cate Blanchett, Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Chris Pine and so many other names from the upper echelon of the industry.”
Sher’s producing activities are not limited to the film world. She’s also produced successful TV shows such as “Reno 911!” and the Emmy award-winning “Mrs. America” (2020). And Sher was in charge, in tandem with Soderbergh, of producing the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony in 2021.
More recently, Sher has produced upcoming A24 thriller “Heretic,” starring Hugh Grant, and Chris Pine’s directorial debut, “Poolman” (2023), starring Pine, Danny DeVito and Annette Bening.
Commented Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro: “Celebrating Stacey Sher’s significant achievements at the Locarno Film Festival and awarding her with the coveted Raimondo Rezzonico Award is an honor and joy for us as well as a gift for film lovers all over the world.”
Sher will receive the Raimondo Rezzonico Award during a ceremony on Locarno’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande on Aug. 8.
The Locarno tribute will include screenings of “Erin Brockovich” and “Django Unchained” and an onstage conversation on Aug. 9.
The 77th Locarno Film Festival will run Aug. 7-17.
Source Agencies
