2023 SPECIAL GUESTS

SEP 26: JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL EVENING WITH TOM SCHULMAN, WRITER & DIRECTOR OF THE OPENING NIGHT FILM, DOUBLE DOWN SOUTH.

Special Guests: Tom Schulman, Kim Coates (pending), and Rick Wallace.

Short Synopsis: In the dangerous high-stakes world of illegal keno pool gambling, Diana (Lili Simmons), a smart, tough newcomer, charms keno-veteran Nick (Kim Coates) into taking her under his wing. They prepare to risk it all to defeat the world champion, but soon find themselves in much more danger than they ever imagined.

Directly following the premiere, Tom Schulman will be honored the 2023 RIFF Legacy Award for his significant contributions in film and his dedication to fellow creatives and industry.

“Growing up Jewish in the South, I know what it’s like to be an outsider, and I am drawn to outsiders trying to break into, survive and even thrive in a world that isn’t designed for them to succeed. This was the genesis of the script. I became passionate about directing Double Down South because much of our country is either in denial about or even embracing both the casual and blatant racism and misogyny that still exist. I hope that the journeys of the characters in this movie, struggling against oppressive forces, can in some way inspire audiences and encourage a long overdue national conversation about race, misogyny, and hate.” Tom Schulman Reserve Tickets Here

2023 LEGACY AWARD, TOM SCHULMAN

Tom Schulman won an Academy Award for his screenplay Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams, and the film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director (Peter Weir). His feature directorial debut was the dark comedy 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag, starring Joe Pesci as a gangster attempting to transport a bag of severed heads across the United States. Schulman also wrote or co-wrote Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Second Sight, What About Bob? Welcome to Mooseport, Holy Man, which stars Eddie Murphy and the Sean Connery drama Medicine Man. He was an executive producer on Indecent Proposal and Me, Myself & Irene. He co-wrote and co-produced the HBO pilot The Anatomy of Hope with Rafael Yglesias and J.J. Abrams, and recently collaborated with Callie Khouri, Trae Crowder, and T Bone Burnett on the writing of Amazon pilot The Useful Idiots.

Tom served on the board of directors and then as vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West. Tom was the president of the Writers Guild Foundation and serves on its board. He serves on the advisory board of the Science and Entertainment Exchange.