Hollywood of Tomorrow
The Hollywood of Tomorrow is a celebration of the future of film in our community, funding the programs and cinemas of True West Film Center. Each year, we nominate, review, and vet professional and budding new filmmakers, as well as members of our local community, who embody, represent, and reflect our core values to the wider world.
The best party in town!
An after-dinner affair
7pm: Walk the red carpet and step into Studio Barndiva for signature cocktails, distinctive local wines, and small bites. Enjoy live music from the band FeatherWeight Champs while sipping, mingling, and reserving your slots at our famous film experience buy-ins.
8pm: The brief program begins, honoring our award recipients and highlighting the critical work of True West Film Center. A paddle raise will follow.
9pm: Celebrate the massive fundraising success of the evening with another drink and a final set from the FeatherWeight Champs.
Suggested Attire: Hollywood Glam.
2024 Award Recipients
Impact Award Winner: Steve Zahn
Steve Zahn is an American actor who, for decades, has chosen projects for their humor and joy. His insight into the human spirit is reflected in his commitment to the local community in Kentucky where he lives with his family. Steve uses his position in the industry to bring in production work, creating economic opportunity and vitality for his friends and neighbors. With an Independent Spirit Award, and nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, Steve's talent, heart, and sense of humor make him one of the most sought-after character actors in Hollywood.
Steve has turned in memorable performances and received critical praise for his work on both stage and screen.
He will next be seen in the AppleTV+ series “Silo” opposite Rebecca Ferguston and is currently in production on the Hulu series “Chad Powers” opposite Glenn Powell and Eli Manning.
Alongside his Macaroni Art production company partner actor/director Rick Gomez, the duo have completed production on the independent film “She Dances,” which stars Steve and his daughter Audrey Zahn. The company premiered their three-episode short series “An Uncandid Portrait” at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.
Recently Zahn earned an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the first season of HBO’s critically acclaimed series “The White Lotus,” starred in the Showtime limited series "George and Tammy" opposite Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon and Season 3 of the HBO Original Series “The Righteous Gemstones.” independent father/daughter comedy film "Gringa."
Zahn’s feature film credits include Netflix’s feature film “Your Place or Mine” opposite Reese Witherspoon, “Cowboys” (for which he won Best Actor at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival), “Uncle Frank” opposite Paul Bettany, "Dallas Buyers Club,” “War for the Planet of the Apes”, “Where'd You Go, Bernadette”, “Rescue Dawn” (nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male), “Captain Fantastic,” opposite Kathryn Hahn, “Happy Texas” (winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and winner of the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize), “SubUrbia,” directed by Richard Linklatter and “That Thing You Do!,” directed by Tom Hanks. Additional television credits include Showtime’s acclaimed series "The Good Lord Bird,” the National Geographic Docudrama ”Valley of the Boom,” with Bradley Whitford, four seasons of the hit HBO Drama series “Treme,” ABC's "Mind Games," opposite Christian Slater, the CBS Mini-series “Comanche Moon” alongside Val Kilmer and Rachel Griffiths, ABC’s “Modern Family,” and ABC’s “The Crossing.”
On stage, Zahn starred as ‘Buff’ in the original New York production of Eric Bogosian’s “Suburbia” (and then later reprised his role in the feature film) and as ‘Hugo Peabody’ in the 1991/1992 National tour of “Bye Bye Birdie” where he met his wife, Robyn. They reside in Kentucky with their children.
Student Filmmaker Award & Scholarship Winner: India Mitchell
India Mitchell discovered her love of storytelling through filmmaking in middle school when her school in California changed to an online format for one year. At that time, India used an old cellphone to shoot footage about her dramatically changing world. India's first student film, "Capes," was honored at film festivals in California in 2022. Her second student film, "The Innocent," received many recognitions and was shown at film festivals around the world in 2023. In her third student film, "Guiding Light," released in 2024, India highlights a case involving a teen of the same age from her town that rocked the nation thirty years earlier. Guiding Light won the overall film award at the 2024 True West Student Film Festival.
Jackie Hoffner Heart & Hope Award: Jen "Jendala" Utsch
Jen "Jendala" Utsch is a passionate child advocate, artist, and cancer survivor. With a background as a former sheriff's deputy and firefighter, she founded the nonprofit Heartizens, dedicated to fostering spaces for people of all ages to connect, create, and grow through art and community engagement. Her work as an artist focuses on inspiring the creative process, using metal art made from recycled materials to ignite curiosity and expression in others. Jen is also the author of two children’s books, sharing messages of kindness, self-love, and curiosity. Her mission is to inspire hope, positivity, and connection through her art, writing, and nonprofit. Ultimately, Jen aspires to create a global platform where leaders can collaborate on solutions for world peace, fostering a brighter, more compassionate future. Her shared optimism through
Thank you to the Heart & Hope committee: Founding Board members Jenness Brewer and Renay Fanelli and journalist Matt Villano.
Make it a Steve Zahn Weekend!
On Sunday, November 17, honoree Steve Zahn will participate in two events to introduce him to the Sonoma County community.
1:00pm: A screening of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, followed by a brief Q&A with Steve Zahn. Purchase tickets here for $15 ($5 for students).
6:00pm: “A Conversation with Steve Zahn,” co-hosted by Executive Director Kathryn Philip and Sundance Film Festival Director Emeritus John Cooper, who serves on the True West Board of Directors, will dive deep into Zahn’s career, inspirations and upcoming work. Purchase tickets here for $25 ($10 for students).
Both events will take place in the Windsor High School Theatre.
BONUS: Get ready for Steve Zahn’s visit to True West Film Center with our staff-curated Zahn-a-Thon – a list of our favorite Steve Zahn films culminating in a special screening of COWBOYS on Tuesday, November 12, at True West Film Center. Purchase tickets here for $15.
HOT (a.k.a. Hollywood of Tomorrow) Hosts
Anonymous
Renu Agrawal & David Weber
Carol Beattie
Susan Campbell & John McKinney
Carmen Llamas Callinan & Sean Callinan
Colibri Vineyard
Michiko Conklin
C. Frederick & Dinna V. Eisenhart
Kerry Francis & John Jimerson
Jenny & Rick Gomez
Barbara Grasseschi & Tony Crabb
Alex & Leah Harris
Stu Harrison & Dave Ring
Marc & Jeannie Kahn
Hillary & Michael Kambour
Ariel & Tim Kelley
Alan Kick & Stephen Sellick
Barbara Lannin
David Levine
Kim & John Lloyd
Ingrid Maltrud
Kevin & Rosemary McNeeley
Michelle Mercer & Bruce Golden
Winky & David Merrill
Wendy Mogel & Michael Tolkin
Care Morgenstern
Isis Moussa & Jeffrey Schlesinger
Sharon & Jim Olson
Alan & Susan Preston
Lisa & Michael Rhodes
Renn Rhodes & Marty Roberts
Randy Schai & Sarah Miller
Yvonne Schell & Steve Miller
Bob Scott & Tim McDonald
Jan & Brent Stanley
Tricia Tanoury
Dianne & Mark Vernon
We will celebrate three extraordinary people with the following recognition:
Impact Award
Honors a luminary in the film and media industry who exhibits exemplary professional grit and personal integrity.
Student Filmmaker Award & Scholarship
Recognizes a True West Film Center student, nominated by their instructors, who demonstrates our core values.
Jackie Hoffner Heart & Hope Award
Celebrates a community member who reflects these key attributes: Heart, Passion, Social or Community Impact, and Optimism.
Nominations for the Jackie Hoffner Heart & Hope Award are open now through September 16th! To make a nomination, click here.
The 2023 Hollywood of Tomorrow was a smashing success!
On Monday, November 13, 2023, at Little Saint in Healdsburg, CA, we broke our single event fundraising record. We celebrated three extraordinary people – 2023 Impact Award: Marcia Lucas; 2023 Student Filmmaker Award & Scholarship: Ryn Hare; and 2023 Jackie Hoffner Heart & Hope Award: Nikko Kimzin
Below, get a sneak peak of the event in pictures. For the full gallery of pictures, please visit our Facebook page.