Yara Shahidi and ‘Flamin’ Hot’ Star Annie Gonzalez to Be Honored at Maui Film Festival
Yara Shahidi, the “Black-ish” star who recently starred as Tinker Bell in Disney’s live-action film “Peter Pan & Wendy,” will be honored with the Shining Star award at the 2023 Maui Film Festival.
The festival has revealed its full honoree and film slate for this year’s event, which is set to take place from June 28 to July 2 in Kahului.
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Shahidi is known for starring as Zoey in ABC’s beloved “Black-ish” and is now the executive producer of Freeform’s spinoff series, “Grown-ish.” She soon will star in Amazon’s upcoming rom-com “Sitting in Bars With Cake,” for which she will also serve as EP, along with the upcoming action thriller “Ballerina Overdrive.”
Off-screen, Shahidi holds a long list of accomplishments, most recently a B.A. in Social Studies and African American Studies from Harvard University. She continues to work with her foundation, WeVoteNext, which helps amplify the voices of younger generations of color in political conversations.
Also being honored this year is actor Annie Gonzalez, who will receive the Rising Star award following her recent role in Eva Longoria’s “Flamin’ Hot.”
“We’re so excited for this year’s Maui Film Festival, celebrating exceptional filmmaking in the service of compassionate and transformative storytelling and recognizing our honorees who have made extraordinary contributions to cinema,” said Barry Rivers, founder and director of MFF. “Our slate is filled with compelling, entertaining, and magical stories that will inspire our Maui community.”
Eleven feature films will make up the 2023 MFF slate, including documentaries “Humanity Stoked” and “Common Ground,” narrative features “Sweet Adventure” and “Savage Waters” and a secret dramedy from an Academy Award-winning director. The films will be screened at the open-air Stardust Cinema.
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