Founder’s Directing Award
This award is given each year to one of the masters of world cinema. The 2009 award will go to Francis Ford Coppola.
Peter J. Owens Award
Named for the longtime San Francisco benefactor of arts and charitable organizations Peter J. Owens (1936–91), this award honors an actor whose work exemplifies brilliance, independence and integrity. Robert Redford is this year's recipient.
Kanbar Award
The Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting acknowledges the crucial role that strong screenwriting plays in the creation of great films. This year's recipient is James Toback.
Mel Novikoff Award
Named in honor of legendary San Francisco film exhibitor Mel Novikoff (1922–87), this award is given to an individual or organization notable for making significant contributions to the Bay Area's richly diverse film community. This year's recipient is Bruce Goldstein.
Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award
The POV Award honors the lifetime achievement of a filmmaker whose work is crafting documentaries, short films, animation or work for television. This year's recipient is Lourdes Portillo.
Midnight Awards
The Film Festival's Midnight Awards have been created to honor a dynamic young American actor and actress who have made outstanding contributions to independent and Hollywood cinema, and who bring striking intelligence, talent and depth of character to their roles. This year's recipients are Evan Rachel Wood and Elijah Wood. Given in memory of Charles Barile.
New Directors Prize
This $15,000 cash award supports innovative thinking by independent filmmakers and shines the spotlight on an emerging director. Films in this juried competition must be the director's first narrative feature, exhibit a unique artistic sensibility or vision and deserve to be seen by as wide an audience as possible.
Golden Gate Awards
The GGAs recognize and promote excellence in documentaries, animation, shorts, experimental film and video, youth works and work for television. Three juries will bestow awards on films in 14 categories.
FIPRESCI Prize
Selected by the International Federation of Film Critics, this award aims to promote film art, to encourage new and young cinema and to help films get better distribution and win greater public attention.
State of Cinema Address
Each year, the Festival invites a leader in the world of cinema to address the issues facing the film world today. Past speakers include Kevin Kelly, Peter Sellars, Tilda Swinton, Brad Bird, B. Ruby Rich, Michel Ciment and Kevin Kelly. This year's address will be presented by Mary Ellen Mark.