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Miles Teller will receive the Artist of Distinction Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, which will present the honor at its annual ceremony on Oct. 18. Festival CEO and executive director Gregg Schwenk said Teller “brings extraordinary dedication to every role he takes on.” He praised the actor’s range across major blockbusters and character-driven independent films.
The tribute coincides with Teller’s next release. On the same day, the festival screens James Gray’s crime thriller “Paper Tiger,” in which Teller stars opposite Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as one of two brothers drawn into a dangerous criminal underworld. The screening is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Teller took over his part after Jeremy Strong left the project, and Johansson replaced Anne Hathaway, with both exits attributed to scheduling conflicts.
“Paper Tiger” arrives with momentum. It premiered at Cannes in May to strong notices, then opened the New York Film Festival. Distributor Neon plans a full awards campaign, The Hollywood Reporter reported, with Teller pushed for best actor, Driver for supporting actor and Johansson for supporting actress. The outlet described it as the first serious awards effort behind a Gray film. Gray, whose films often draw on his own life, is also set to collect directing honors at several fall festivals.
Teller joins a roster of honorees that includes KJ Apa, Sosie Bacon, Gemma Chan, Jonás Cuarón, casting director Sarah Finn, Mckenna Grace, Justin Hartley, Taraji P. Henson and Jack O’Connell.
The 27th edition of the festival runs Oct. 15 to 22 and presents more than 100 features and 250 shorts from 21 countries. It bills itself as the largest international cinema event on the Southern California coast and draws more than 50,000 attendees each year. Its centerpiece slate pairs “Paper Tiger” with Danny Boyle’s “Ink,” starring O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, and Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine,” with John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi. The festival has become a regular Southern California stop for awards hopefuls.
