Viola Davis to receive Gregory Peck Award at San Diego festival
Viola Davis will receive the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence at the 2026 San Diego International Film Festival, Variety reported on Sept. 15. The prize will be presented at the Night of the Stars Tribute on Oct. 13. That tribute is the festival's evening event for recipients of the Gregory Peck award.
Cecilia Peck will present the award. The festival runs Oct. 13-18 in San Diego, California. It is the 25th annual edition, according to listings on the San Diego International Film Festival site. The dates cover six days in October, with the tribute opening the run.
The Oct. 13 tribute is scheduled for the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla. Jesse Eisenberg's film 'The Debut' will serve as the opening night film. An opening night film is the first feature screened to launch a festival programme. The choice puts the tribute and the opening screening on the same date.
Independent Films & Studio Premieres will screen on Oct. 15-18 at AMC UTC 14 at Westfield UTC. The Fest Lounge will operate in the same complex on Oct. 16-18. The overlap means screenings and lounge hours run side by side on Oct. 16, 17 and 18. That keeps much of the second half of the festival in one complex.
Two late-festival events complete the published schedule. The '25 Years After Dark' anniversary party will be held on Oct. 17 at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Culinary Cinema will be held on Oct. 18 at AMC 14 at Westfield UTC in La Jolla. One is billed as a party, the other as a cinema event, and both close the festival week.
In a separate listing, a 4K restoration of 'Princess Mononoke' will play in theatres from Sept. 26 to Sept. 30 as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2026, Variety reported. A 4K restoration is a new high-resolution copy rebuilt to show clearly on modern screens. The run covers five days in late September. The 2026 season is presented by GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment.
For fans, this means two distinct invitations close together. One is a formal tribute and a week of screenings in San Diego. The other is a short, five-day return to cinemas for a catalogue animation title. Both depend on the same thing. People buying tickets.
