The distinguished recipient of this year's Mel Novikoff Award—Roger Ebert—is the man whose infectious passion for cinema has enhanced the public's knowledge and appreciation of world cinema for more than 40 years through voluminous writing, several television shows, his Web site and film festival. Ebert will be joined by prominent colleagues including filmmakers Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff, Henry and June), Errol Morris (The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Juno) and Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World, Crumb) for a celebration of his long career, followed by a screening of his chosen film, Julia, for SFIFF53, which is, touted by Ebert as one of the finest films released in 2009. Erick Zonca’s character-driven thriller, starring the fearless Tilda Swinton, barrels straight into the sleazy wasteland of an abrasive alcoholic kidnapper who is in way over her head.

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