Van Sant To Be Honored at Gotham Awards

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By Hillary Frey

September 10, 2008 | 6:08 p.m

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The 18^th annual Gotham Awards, to be held December 2^nd at downtown Cipriani, will honor Gus Van Sant with a tribute, Variety reports. The director's forthcoming film Milk (which we're mildly obsessed with) opens November 26^th. Spanish stunner Penelope Cruz will also be feted. More details below:

The IFP will fete the indie film stalwart alongside previously announced honoree Penelope Cruz on Dec. 2 at the Wall Street Cipriani. Van Sant's latest, "Milk," a biopic of slain San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, a pioneering openly gay politico, unspools Nov. 26.

"Gus is that rare director who has achieved a steady balance between his independent roots and mainstream filmmaking," said IFP exec director Michelle Byrd.

In honor of Van Sant, IFP has also announced an initiative to encourage young lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual filmmakers. In cooperation with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which houses New York's Harvey Milk High School, IFP will donate 24 video cameras to the school and plans to announce training and mentoring sessions with partner org NewFest. Young filmmakers from HMI and Harvey Milk High will be invited to screen their work at the Gotham-based LGBT-themed festival, which runs June 4-14. Harvey Milk High students and administrators will also take part in a Q&A at the MoMA Intl. Festival of Film Preservation on Nov. 6, when Oscar-winning doc "The Life and Times of Harvey Milk" will be screened.