Johnny Depp to Receive BIFF's Career Achievement Award
December 2, 2009 (film guide) – The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) announced today that three-time Academy Award® nominee Johnny Depp will be honored with the prestigious Career Achievement Award at this year’s Film Festival, taking place December 10-17 in Nassau. The announcement was made by BIFF Founder and Executive Director Leslie Vanderpool.
Depp will be on hand for the special tribute and presentation at the Balmoral Club in Nassau. Legendary leading man Sir Sean Connery will again be lending his full support at BIFF, serving as Festival Patron and presenting Depp with the Career Achievement Award.
“There is no actor better suited to receive BIFF’s highest honor, the Career Achievement Award,” said Leslie Vanderpool. “Johnny Depp is one of the finest actors of our generation and is, simply put, an icon. We’re all tremendously excited to bestow him with this honor and celebrate his incomparable career. What makes this tribute to Johnny even more special is that he has a home in the Bahamas and possesses a true love and appreciation for the region and culture. This will be an amazing and magical event for everyone involved.”
The Career Achievement Tribute honors an actor or actress whose work has had a major impact and advanced the frontiers of cinematic artistry around the world. Past recipients include Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage, Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne and acclaimed actress Daryl Hannah. The Career Achievement Award evening is once again sponsored by Lombard Odier.
"We at Lombard Odier, are proud to be sponsoring the Career Achievement Tribute for the 5th year in a row. We are excited by Mr. Depp's presence and hope the evening of the Career Achievement Tribute will become a fond memory for Mr. Depp," said Laurent Colli, Head of Private Clients at Lombard.
The Bahamas Minister of Tourism, Minister Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, commented, “It gives us great pleasure to welcome Johnny Depp, an esteemed resident of the Bahamas, to the Bahamas International Film Festival. We are proud of all his remarkable achievements and the great contributions he has made in all walks of life. We are glad this prestigious award and tribute is going to almost one of our own.”
An internationally acclaimed actor with over fifty films to his credit, Depp has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters and earned critics’ praise for his commanding performances. He has garnered three Academy Award® Best Actor nominations -- for his memorable performances as a singing barber in Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd”; as Sir James Matthew Barrie in Marc Forster’s family drama “Finding Neverland;” and for his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.”
He has received both critical and popular acclaim from his unique work in a variety of memorable films but when he was cast as Captain Jack Sparrow in “The Pirates of Caribbean” trilogy, his characterization of the plundering pirate captivated international moviegoers, made box office history, and catapulted Depp to an all new level of international stardom.
Depp’s screen credits include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Libertine,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” “Blow,” “Chocolat,” ‘Sleepy Hollow,” “Ed Wood,” “Donnie Brasco,” “Don Juan Demarco,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Ninth Gate,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “From Hell,” “Before Night Falls,” “Secret Window,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Benny and Joon” and “Platoon,” to name a few.
Most recently, Depp portrayed famed Chicago bank robber, John Dillinger, in Michael Mann’s period heist, “Public Enemies” and is one of three actors selected by filmmaker Terry Gilliam to substitute in the starring role left behind by the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger in “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”.
Depp will next be seen starring in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Rum Diary.”
Entering just its sixth year, the Bahamas International Film Festival has established itself as a marquee international Festival in the Caribbean region, discovering and promoting independent voices and talent from around the world and showcasing a diverse array of international films.
Biff Film Guide
Dec 8: Seeing the Light, photography by Tanya Maycock, 7-9pm, Ladder Gallery
Dec 10: Junior Junkanoo Parade, 6:00pm. to 12pm, Rawson's Square, Bay St.
Dec 10-17: Bahamas International Film Festival
Dec 11: Jingle Bells, concert by St.Mathew's Sunrise Choir, Rain Forest Theatre
Dec 11: BIFF Children of God Opening Film and BIFF Gala at Atantis
Dec 11: BIFF FILMS Guerrilla Midwife, 12pm; Morenita, 2pm; The Rapture of Fe, 2pm; Le Grand Depart, 2pm; Skin, 4pm; The Good Soldier, 4pm; Adopt a Sailor, 4pm; Cumbia Callera 6pm; Rise Up, 6pm; We Must Kill the Bandits, 6pm
Dec 11, 12, 13: BIFF Filmmakers Residency Program, 10am start, NAGB
Dec 12: BIFF FILMS Free Swim, 11:30am; The End of the Line, 12pm; Baghdad Texas, 1pm; Gaining Ground, 1:30pm; Nature of Existence, 2pm; Sweet Crude, 2pm; Bottleworld, 4pm; La Soga, 4pm; House of Numbers, 4pm; In/Significant Others, 6pm; Man of Soil, 6pm; The Back Nine, 6:30pm; Passenger Side, 6:30pm; Morenita, 7:30pm (at La Hipica) ; At World's End 8pm; Clubbed, 8:30pm; Girlfriend Experience, 8:30pm; Le Grand Depart, 10pm
Dec 12: Julien's "Believe" Album Release Party, White Acres
Dec 12: BIFF Art of Collaboration, National Performing Arts Center, 12pm
Dec 12: BIFF Film Financing, NAGB, 12pm
Dec 12: BIFF Filming in the Caribbean, 12pm
Dec 12: BIFF Filmmaker Reception, 7pm La Hipica
Dec 12, 13: BIFF Youth Film Workshops, 10am start, NAGB
Dec 13: BIFF FILMS Founding Fathers, 11am; Easier with Practice, 1pm; Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, 1pm; Peter & Vandy 1pm; Kalandia, 3pm; Sin Nombre, 3pm; Man of Soil, 3:30pm; Rise Up, 3:30pm; We Must Kill the Bandits, 6pm; Lakay, 6pm; Clubbed, 6:30pm; Wonderful World, 6:30pm; Sweet Crude, 8pm; Cumbia Callera 8pm; Mas Man, 8:30pm
Dec 13: Poker Run 2K9, 1pm Tunerz Auto Salon, end Green Parrot
Dec 13: BIFF Screenwriting, NAGB, 12pm
Dec 13: BIFF Music and Film , NAGB, 1:30pm
Dec 13: BIFF Awards Ceremony/Career Achievement to Johnny Depp, Balmoral, 5pm
Dec 13: BIFF FILMS Ana's Playground, 11am
Dec 14: BIFF FILMS At World's End, 3:30pm; The Back Nine, 3:30pm; Tapped, 4:30pm; Bishop the Scientist/Miracle Water, 4:30pm; Girlfriend Experience, 5:30pm; Ana's Playground, 5:30pm; La Soga, 6pm; Lakay, 7pm; Witness to a Dream, 7:30pm; Skin, 7:30pm; Bottleworld, 9pm
Dec 15: BIFF FILMS Witness to a Dream, 3pm ; Kalandia, 3:30pm; Mas Man, 5:30pm; Tapped, 7pm; Free Swim, 7pm; Bishop the Scientist/Miracle Water, 7pm; Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, 7pm; Founding Fathers, 7:30pm; The Rapture of Fe, 9pm; Sin Nombre, 9pm; The End of the Line, 9:30pm
Dec 15: BIFF Tribute to Gavin McKinney, 7pm, College of the Bahamas
Dec 16: BIFF FILMS Baghdad Texas, 1pm; Sweet Crude, 3pm; Easier with Practice, 3pm; Guerrilla Midwife, 8pm; House of Numbers, 5:30pm; The Good Soldier, 9pm; Wonderful World, 9:30pm; Children of God, 10pm
Dec 16: BIFF Rising Star Tribute, 7pm, Balmoral
Dec 16-18: Georgette Rolle Junior Golf Mentoring Camp, Baillou Hills Sports Complex
Dec 17: BIFF FILMS Nature of Existence, 1pm; Passenger Side, 2pm; In/Significant Others, 3pm; Children of God, 3pm; Skin, 5pm; Adopt a Sailor, 5:30pm;
Dec 17: BIFF Closing Film, Precious, 7:30pm, JFK Cinemas
Dec 17: BIFF Closing Gala, TBA
Dec 19: Tanya Stephen's Album Release Party, Marley Resort
Dec 19: Rotate, Collins House, 7pm until...
