The San Diego Film Festival will honor comedian and filmmaker Iliza Shlesinger and Oscar winner Mira Sorvino at its Night of the Stars tribute on October 13. The event, which takes place at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, will open the festival’s 25th anniversary edition, running through October 18. Shlesinger will receive the Trailblazer Award, while Sorvino will be presented with the Virtuoso Award.
The two awards recognize different aspects of achievement. The Virtuoso Award honors an actor whose recent performances demonstrate exceptional skill, nuance and range. The Trailblazer Award recognizes a visionary whose groundbreaking work has challenged convention, opened doors and helped shape the industry’s future. Festival CEO and artistic director Tonya Mantooth said both women reflect the “extraordinary range of talent and artistry” the festival celebrates. She praised Sorvino’s performances for their depth, intelligence and versatility, while noting that Shlesinger has developed a distinctive voice that has expanded the possibilities of comedy and storytelling. Local coverage of the tribute has also reported that Viola Davis, the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner, will be honored that evening.
Shlesinger became the first woman and the youngest person to win NBC’s Last Comic Standing when she claimed the title in 2008. She went on to release six stand-up specials on Netflix, including War Paint, Elder Millennial and Hot Forever, and created The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show for the streamer. She also wrote and starred in the Netflix comedy Good on Paper and has appeared in Spenser Confidential, Pieces of a Woman, Instant Family and The Righteous Gemstones. She is also the author of two books. According to The Hollywood Reporter, her next special, A Different Animal, will arrive on Prime Video next March.
Shlesinger’s festival recognition coincides with a screening of her latest film. She wrote and stars in Chasing Summer, a romantic comedy-drama directed by Josephine Decker that premiered at Sundance on January 26. The cast includes Tom Welling, Lola Tung, Garrett Wareing, Cassidy Freeman and Megan Mullally. The festival will screen the film on October 15 and 18, giving audiences an opportunity to see Shlesinger’s work alongside the tribute.
Sorvino won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award for her performance in Mighty Aphrodite. Her other credits include Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Summer of Sam, Mimic, Quiz Show, Beautiful Girls, Sound of Freedom, Shining Vale and American Crime Story: Impeachment. She recently appeared at D23 alongside Lisa Kudrow to promote Romy and Michele 2, a return to one of her best-known roles. Records of her awards also include an earlier win at the San Diego International Film Festival.
The announcement comes as the festival adds three films to its 2026 lineup: Shlesinger’s Chasing Summer, Simon Stone’s Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott, and La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. Elsinore opened the BFI London Film Festival and is scheduled for a limited US release on November 20. Meanwhile, La Bola Negra recently won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Both films arrive at the San Diego festival following notable festival appearances.
The San Diego International Film Festival is an independent event produced by the nonprofit San Diego Film Foundation. Founded in 2001 by event planner Robin Laatz and her filmmaker husband, Karl Kozak, the festival added “International” to its name in 2016 and moved its center to La Jolla in 2025. Its programming also includes educational initiatives with San Diego-area high schools and an annual winter Oscar watch party.
The 25th anniversary edition will bring together career tributes, Shlesinger’s Sundance title and a lineup featuring films that have attracted attention on the festival circuit. The October 13 Night of the Stars event will serve as the opening celebration for this year’s programme.
