Sundance Institute announced that Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino will receive the International Icon Award at Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance presented by IMDbPro on January 19 in Park City. Guadagnino will join previously announced honorees of the evening, Ryan Coogler, W. Kamau Bell, and Nikyatu Jusu. 

The Award recognizes an international auteur who creates distinctive cinematic universes and has made a lasting impact on filmmaking, most notably through a commitment to storytelling and an unwavering creative vision. Guadagnino is the writer, director, and producer of several celebrated films who most recently directed Bones and All. He has strong roots in the Sundance community going back over a decade. He made his Sundance debut at the 2010 Festival with his film I Am Love, which he wrote, directed, and produced. In 2017, Guadagnino made his return to the Festival with the premiere of his Academy Award-winning film, Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet. Guadagnino also produced the documentary The Truffle Hunters, which played at the Festival in 2020. He has won and been nominated for several awards, including Venice Film Festival, Golden Lion BAFTA Award for Best Direction, and Nastro d’Argento for Best Director.

"Luca Guadagnino is a true visionary of cinema and we are thrilled to honor him with this special award," said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. "Whether it’s with writing, directing, or producing, he has had an undeniable impact, not only on the Sundance Film Festival community, but the film industry as a whole with his unique storytelling abilities."

"Sundance has always felt like home for me; I have been to the festival four times," said Luca Guadagnino. "I particularly remember how warmly the festival received Call Me By Your Name and how that changed my life. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be honored to be receiving this award."

Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance presented by IMDbPro will kick off the 2023 Sundance Film Festival by honoring inspiring and breakout storytellers whose journeys have been connected to Sundance throughout the years while raising funds and awareness for the Institute. Proceeds raised will be used to support the Institute’s year-round work uplifting global independent voices, both new and established, through artist programs, granting, and other initiatives.

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