Scottsdale International Film Festival Selects Bennett Recognition Award

The 2011 recipient of this prestigious recognition award was the renowned independent film director, screenwriter, and author John Sayles. Sayles has written and directed a number of iconic independent films, including Return of the Secaucus 7, Wild Thing, Eight Men Out, City of Hope, Lone Star, Sunshine State, and, most recently, Amigo. The Bennett achievement award was presented to Sayles on October 1, 2011, at a special screening and discussion of Amigo at the Scottsdale International Film Festival.

The unique Bennett recognition awards design "Envision" was used for this achievement award. This sculpture award was mounted on a black marble base that featured customized engravings of the film festival logo, recipient name, award name and purpose, and year of presentation. The personalized engravings were done in silver-fill to match the finish of the recognition award.

The Scottsdale International Film Festival’s mission is to be the undisputed Arizona leader in the use of film to foster a meaningful understanding of the world’s cultures, lifestyles, religions, and ethnicities. This mission has grown more vital with each passing year. The Festival has offered to its audience of 55,000+ attendees more than 281 films from an impressive 62 nations around the globe and from countries as diverse as Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Slovenia, and Tanzania. Film selection exemplifies how serious the Festival is about exposing its audience to other ways of life and rarely seen images. The vast majority of the international works screened at the Festival champion stories of people who stand their ground to make a difference and who seek change for the better. One of the objectives in programming the Festival is for the audience to leave the theatre feeling enriched and inspired to become agents of change. In addition to exposing new audiences to foreign films from around the globe the Festival has sought out high value, artistically important releases in the art and Independent (Indie) film world. The Festival believes that its programming serves as a bridge uniting those who make films with those who enjoy film by providing access to works they may otherwise miss.