PRESS RELEASES › SFFILM Presents 2026 SF Honors Award to Luca Guadagnino’s ARTIFICIAL
SFFILM Presents 2026 SF Honors Award to Luca Guadagnino’s ARTIFICIAL
Guadagnino and stars Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, and Monica Barbaro to attend the Bay Area Premiere, award presentation, and in-depth conversation
San Francisco, CA—October 28, 2026—Today, SFFILM announced that SF Honors, its annual celebration of bold and innovative filmmaking, will continue for another five years with the ongoing support of Todd Traina and Diane B. Wilsey. Marking the program’s eleventh year, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial will receive the 2026 SF Honors Award at the film’s Bay Area Premiere on Tuesday, November 17, at 7 pm in the Kanbar Hall theater at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF). Guadagnino and stars Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, and Monica Barbaro, all Academy Award® nominees, will attend the exclusive pre-release screening in person to accept the award and join an in-depth conversation after the film.
“When SF Honors launched in 2016, the goal was to give Bay Area audiences a front-row seat to the boldest filmmaking of the year,” said SFFILM Board President Todd Traina. “A decade later, I’m thrilled that SF Honors will continue for another five years, and there’s no better film to celebrate that commitment than Artificial. This is a story San Francisco is living through in real time, and Luca Guadagnino’s unique vision and style, together with his impeccable cast, give hometown audiences a new way to see it.”
“Ten years ago, SF Honors set out to celebrate innovation and audacity in cinema, and it has delivered on that promise every year,” said SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai. “From La La Land to Artificial, our honorees have won both audience and critical acclaim, earning 25 Academy Award® nominations and 12 wins, including Best Picture for Siân Heder’s CODA and Best Animated Feature for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. None of that happens without the vision and generosity of Todd Traina and Diane B. Wilsey, and we’re deeply grateful for their continued commitment to this program.”
A darkly funny and incisive commentary, Artificial follows Silicon Valley’s race towards generative artificial intelligence. Spanning two decades in the rise of Sam Altman and OpenAI, the film chronicles the power that comes with a technological theory becoming a humanity-altering reality. Distributed by NEON, Artificial stars Garfield alongside fellow Academy Award® nominees Yura Borisov and Monica Barbaro, with Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Ike Barinholtz, and Academy Award® winner Mark Rylance. Artificial opens in select theaters Christmas Day and everywhere January 8.
“We’re thrilled to bring audiences an early look at one of the year’s most provocative films,” said SFFILM Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks. “Luca Guadagnino brings his singular cinematic sensibility to the rise of OpenAI, exploring the volatile intersection of technological ambition and human ego. With standout performances from Andrew Garfield and Yura Borisov, Artificial is a darkly comic drama that offers a revealing look at the personalities and power struggles behind the advent of artificial intelligence.”
SUPPORTERS + SPONSORS
Support for SFFILM’s year-round programming is made possible by our Board of Directors, whose leadership and generosity empower artists, audiences, and the future of independent film.
SF Honors is made possible by support from SFFILM Board President Todd Traina and philanthropist Diane B. Wilsey.
TICKETS + MEMBER BENEFITS
Tickets will go on sale for SFFILM Members on Wednesday, October 28 at 10 am at sffilm.org. The online box office will open to the general public on Friday, October 30 at 10 am. Ticket prices for General Admission are $50, and $45 for SFFILM Members. Senior, student, and ADA are $48. All paid tickets are subject to a $1.50 service fee.
VENUE
SFFILM Presents the SF Honors Award to Artificial takes place on Tuesday, November 17, at 7 pm at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF), located at 3200 California St in San Francisco.
To learn more about their accessibility resources, parking, and transit, go to https://sffilm.org/venue/Jewish-Community-Center-of-san-Francisco
ACCESSIBILITY
SFFILM is committed to providing accessible experiences at all events, whether in-person or online. Event pages will be updated with accessibility information as it becomes available, which may be after tickets go on sale. sffilm.org/accessibility
This film will be presented with closed captions and audio description available. The JCCSF is equipped with ten closed captioning, audio description, and assisted listening devices. To request ADA accommodations, including ASL interpretation, please contact ada@sffilm.org.
For more information about accessibility at specific venues or programs, please visit sffilm.org/accessibility or contact ada@sffilm.org.
ABOUT SF HONORS
SF Honors is an annual award and showcase that brings extraordinary cinema to San Francisco audiences by celebrating the fearless and bold talent behind one of the year’s most compelling films.
The inaugural SF Honors award was presented in 2016 to La La Land, with a public screening event and onstage conversation featuring writer/director Damien Chazelle, actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and composer Justin Hurwitz. Subsequent SF Honors awardees include Darkest Hour (2017), with director Joe Wright and actors Gary Oldman and Ben Mendelsohn; On the Basis of Sex (2018) with screenwriter Daniel Stiepleman and actors Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer; CODA (2021) with director Siân Heder; Cyrano (2021) with writer/director Joe Wright, screenwriter Erica Schmidt, and actors Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr.; Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) with writer/director Guillermo del Toro; Azazel Jacobs’ His Three Daughters (2024) with writer/director Azazel Jacobs, executive producer and actor Elizabeth Olsen, and actor Jovan Adepo; Steve McQueen’s Blitz (2024) with writer/director Steve McQueen; and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? (2025) with actor and co-writer Will Arnett and actor Laura Dern.
ABOUT SFFILM
For nearly 70 years, SFFILM has been transforming the world through the creativity and inspiration of film. As the Bay Area’s premier film institution since 1957, SFFILM cultivates an enduring and vibrant film culture, expertly connecting singular storytellers with passionate audiences. Our annual public film festivals include the San Francisco International Film Festival and Doc Stories. The SFFILM Presents series and Family programming give Bay Area audiences early, exclusive access to film events all year. SFFILM’s youth Education program empowers over 20,000 local students and educators with learning opportunities that foster media literacy, global citizenship, and a lifelong love of movies. And, SFFILM propels the careers of independent filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond through vital grants, residencies, and diverse creative development services in our Artist Development initiative.
For more information visit sffilm.org
This press release is available online at https://sffilm.org/press-releases/
Follow SFFILM
###
For further information and press inquiries, please contact Jessie Cohen PR & Consulting
Jessie Cohen
+1 415 623 0150
Nate Rynaski
+1 402 547 7204