Nathan Lane will receive the Visionary Award at the Virginia Film Festival next month, an honor recognizing the Tony and Emmy-winning actor for a culture-defining body of work and contributions the festival says have changed the course of modern cinema.
The festival, a program of the University of Virginia and the Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for the Arts, runs Oct. 21-25 in Charlottesville, Virginia. As part of the celebration, organizers will hold a 30th anniversary screening of "The Birdcage," followed by a conversation between Lane and Turner Classic Movies primetime host Ben Mankiewicz.
"Nathan Lane has that rare and magical ability to make audiences laugh while also touching their hearts," said VAFF Artistic Director Ilya Tovbis. "'The Birdcage' is an iconic film of courage, warmth and comic brilliance as well as a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ cinema. We are proud to celebrate this anniversary and recognize his enduring impact with the Virginia Film Festival Visionary Award."
Tovbis added: "Nathan Lane is a true visionary: an artist whose wit, emotional depth and fearless originality have made him one of the defining performers of his generation. Thirty years after 'The Birdcage,' his performance as Albert remains as hilarious, moving and culturally significant as ever."
Directed by Mike Nichols and written by Elaine May, "The Birdcage" stars Robin Williams and Lane as Armand and Albert, a couple who own a Miami drag club. The film's plot centers on their attempt to hide their relationship when Armand's son invites his fiancée's father, the ultra-conservative Sen. Keeley, played by Gene Hackman, to dinner.
Beyond "The Birdcage," Lane's filmography of more than 35 movies includes "The Lion King," "The Producers," "Stuart Little," "Beau Is Afraid" and "Spellbound."
Photo: Ralph Daily, CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
