Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning English filmmaker best known for 1996’s Trainspotting and 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, will be celebrated with the Maverick Director Award at the upcoming SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the largest university-run film festival in the world.
Boyle will be presented with the honor at the Lucas Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 12:45 p.m., right before a gala screening of his latest film, Ink, which centers on the media-changing relationship between Australian businessman Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) and English newspaperman Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell).
At the conclusion of the film, Boyle will return to the stage and join yours truly for an hourlong career-retrospective conversation that will be recorded for subsequent airing on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast.
Christina Routhier, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival’s executive director, tells THR: “Danny Boyle is a true force in modern cinema, and Ink is yet another striking testament to his singular vision, making him the absolute definition of a Maverick Director. We’re excited to join forces with The Hollywood Reporter and Scott Feinberg for Awards Chatter, which is always a highlight for us, giving our SCAD students and audiences a behind-the-scenes look into the mind of a master storyteller.”
Boyle, who will turn 70 five days before the festivities, has been one of the most innovative and admired filmmakers in the world for more than 30 years. He made his name with a couple of indies, 1994’s Shallow Grave and 1996’s Trainspotting, before venturing into more mainstream territory with 2000’s The Beach and 2002’s 28 Days Later. Then came awards-friendly fare: 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, 2010’s 127 Hours, 2015’s Steve Jobs and now Ink, which Boyle, O’Connell and writer James Graham discussed with THR following its North American premiere at the Telluride Film Festival.
Awards Chatter recently turned 11 years old and is nearing its 700th episode. Past guests have included Martin Scorsese, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, Harrison Ford, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Seinfeld, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Lawrence, Sean Penn, Snoop Dogg, Julia Roberts, Michael B. Jordan, Norman Lear, Sophia Loren, George Clooney, Will Smith, Carol Burnett, Robert De Niro, Dwayne Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Hart, Margot Robbie, Lorne Michaels, Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, David Letterman, Lady Gaga, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bono, Dolly Parton, Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Spike Lee, Audra McDonald, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Denzel Washington, Ariana Grande, Kevin Costner, Jane Fonda, Tom Hanks, Olivia Rodrigo, Quincy Jones, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet, Tina Fey, Adam Sandler, Ken Burns, Malala Yousafzai, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Kobe Bryant, Gloria Steinem and Buzz Aldrin.
The 29th SCAD Savannah Film Festival will take place Oct. 24-31, and will also honor a host of other notables including Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Gemma Chan and Jordan Firstman.
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