Taraji P. Henson and Jack O’Connell were among the honorees at the 27th annual Newport Beach Film Festival Honors brunch, held October 18 at the Balboa Bay Resort alongside Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch event.
The Honors brunch has become one of the fall’s key industry gatherings, pairing established honorees with the next generation of talent. Staging it alongside Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch — a list with a strong track record of identifying future stars — gives the event a dual role: celebrating achievement while anointing the names to watch in the year ahead.
The honorees
Henson, an Oscar nominee, received the Artist of Distinction Award for ‘Tis So Sweet and urged artists to “knock down” walls, speaking about art’s capacity to defend dignity and create possibility. O’Connell, the BAFTA Rising Star winner, took the Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award for Ink, Danny Boyle’s film about the rise of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, in which he stars as Larry Lamb opposite Guy Pearce, per Gazettely.
Henson’s remarks gave the brunch its emotional center. The Oscar-nominated actress has long used awards platforms to speak about representation and creative courage, and her call for artists to “knock down” walls framed the honors as more than a photo opportunity. O’Connell’s award, meanwhile, continues a breakthrough run that has made him one of Britain’s most closely watched leading men.
Rising stars recognized
Mckenna Grace, who plays Maysilee Donner in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, received the Spotlight Award, while Sosie Bacon won the Breakout Award for Family Movie. Casting director Sarah Finn took the Casting Visionary Award for Wild Horse Nine. KJ Apa also received a Spotlight Award at a Saturday screening of Jimmy, and Justin Hartley collects an Artist of Distinction Award Monday at a Sunset Series event, according to MUSE TV.
The breadth of the honors — from Grace’s franchise work to Finn’s behind-the-camera craft recognition — reflects the festival’s industry-wide lens. Honoring a casting director alongside on-screen talent is a pointed acknowledgment of the collaborators who shape ensembles, and Finn’s Marvel-era track record made her a fitting choice.
10 Actors to Watch
Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch class includes Jaafar Jackson (Michael), Inde Navarrette (Obsession), Ray Nicholson (The Mosquito Bowl), Esmé Creed-Miles (Sense and Sensibility) and Joseph Zada (Sunrise on the Reaping). The 27th edition of the festival runs October 15-22, spotlighting more than 100 feature films.
The list’s inclusion of Jaafar Jackson is notable: with Michael having crossed $1 billion worldwide, his presence among the anointed newcomers bridges the gap between the brunch’s established honorees and its future-facing mission. The festival’s eight-day run, featuring more than 100 features, continues to position Newport Beach as a substantive fall showcase rather than merely a social stop.
