See actor Heather Graham accept King Vidor award at SLO International Film Festival

Owen Lavine
·2 min read
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Actor Heather Graham was awarded the King Vidor award at the 30th annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in front of a packed audience Saturday night.

The star — who has had roles in “Boogie Nights,” the Hangover series, “License to Drive” and more hit movies — attended a panel, awards ceremony and a screening of her directorial debut, “Chosen Family,” at Hotel San Luis Obispo downtown Saturday.

Prior to the screening, Graham walked the red carpet and fielded questions on a panel with Hollywood Reporter senior writer Chris Gardner who presented her with the King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking.

“I feel so honored,” Graham said while accepting the award. “It just means so much as an actor to feel that your work means something to people.”

During the panel, Gardner asked Graham about her trials and tribulations in the film industry, her transition from acting to directing and the #MeToo movement.

“I just felt like its fun for me to watch women’s stories and female storytelling, and I was missing that as an audience member and as an actor,” Graham said of her motivation to shift into directing and writing.

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s King Vidor recipient was actress and director Heather Graham. The event was held at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, downtown, on April 27, 2024, followed by an intimate conversation with the actress and director. Graham thanks the SLOIFF and the audience for choosing her.
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s King Vidor recipient was actress and director Heather Graham. The event was held at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, downtown, on April 27, 2024, followed by an intimate conversation with the actress and director. Graham thanks the SLOIFF and the audience for choosing her.

“Chosen Family” follows the story of a yoga teacher named Ann who struggles to find sanctity while navigating her crazy family, balancing a bad dating life and an inability to say “no,” according to Graham. The movie is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

During the panel, Graham also described her journey moving from the Midwest to Los Angeles as a teenager to pursue acting, as well as some of the oddities from the biggest names in show business she has encountered on set.

“It’s fun going to all these cool sets in different locations, and just having this whole fantasy world made real,” she said. “There’s a lot of really amazing things. Getting to travel to places you’d never get to go to, meet people you’d never get to meet and learn all these special skills — it’s pretty incredible.”

Graham, whose first time it was in San Luis Obispo, praised the Central Coast, calling it a “gorgeous place.”

“I’ve never stayed here before,” she told The Tribune from the red carpet. “I’ve driven through it and always thought, ‘I should go there someday.’”

The Film Festival will host two more days of the festival before closing Tuesday with an awards ceremony. For more information, visit slofilmfest.org.

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s King Vidor recipient was actress and director Heather Graham. The event was held at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, downtown, on April 27, 2024, followed by an intimate conversation with the actress and director.
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s King Vidor recipient was actress and director Heather Graham. The event was held at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, downtown, on April 27, 2024, followed by an intimate conversation with the actress and director.
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s King Vidor recipient was actress and director Heather Graham. The event was held at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, downtown, on April 27, 2024, followed by an intimate conversation with the actress and director. Graham is on the red carpet with Ella Grace Helton, 11, who was cast as a mischievous child in Graham’s movie “Chosen Family.”
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s King Vidor recipient was actress and director Heather Graham. The event was held at the Hotel San Luis Obispo, downtown, on April 27, 2024, followed by an intimate conversation with the actress and director. Graham is on the red carpet with The Hollywood Reporter senior writer Chris Gardner who conducted a panel with her.