Written by Darden Livesay. Link to the original article.
Iconoclastic, multi-awarded actress Olympia Dukakis will receive recognition for her lifelong achievements during the 16th annual San Francisco Greek Film Festival running October 20-26.
Dukakis has earned the festival’s Honorary Astron Award — an audience choice award that recognizes individuals who have made a “significant lifelong artistic contribution” in the film industry.
The festival’s organizers do not give the award annually — but instead only when they deem someone to be deserving.
“Olympia,” Dukakis’ namesake documentary feature (see trailer below), kicked off the festival with a screening on Sunday, October 20 at the Castro Theater — a San Francisco Historic Landmark since 1976.
The Massachusetts native has received numerous awards for her decades of stage, film & television work, including an Oscar for her role as Cher’s mother in the 1988 film “Moonstruck.”
The first Greek-American to win an Oscar, Dukakis has appeared in more than 60 feature and short films including “The Infiltrator,” “7 Chinese Brothers,” “Cloudburst,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Mighty Aphrodite,” and many others.
She has starred in television shows such as “Tales of the City,” (Emmy nominee), “Sinatra” (Golden Globe nominee), “Sex & Violence,” “Joan of Arc,” and more. She has also performed in more than 130 productions Off-Broadway and regionally.
Dukakis’ connection to San Francisco includes many performances in ACT productions, where she has served on the Board of Trustees. She was also was named a Grand Marshal in the 2011 San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade (as seen in the documentary), celebrating her support of the LGBTQ community.