MVFF44: Mind the Gap Award - Nina Yang Bongiovi for 'Passing' - Independent Producer Award

The 44th Mill Valley Film Festival (October 7-17, 2021) presents the Mind the Gap Award as Independent Producer of the Year to Nina Yang Bongiovi.

Nina Yang Bongiovi‘s stellar reputation as a visionary producer is well-founded. With a consistent commitment to projects by innovative, visionary filmmakers and to works that give voice to those who have been underrepresented in mainstream media, her work also suggests a commitment to the true practice of inclusivity. It’s evident in all she does, both in films she and producing partner Forest Whitaker have championed through their company, Significant Productions, and in the multicultural film fund she launched in 2020, the AUM Group.

Her current production, 'Passing', exemplifies those commitments: it’s actor Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, based on Nella Larsen’s renowned, groundbreaking novel set in the Harlem Renaissance.

Yang Bongiovi is known as a discoverer of talent and opener of doors, as she did for then-newcomer Ryan Coogler, whose striking debut, Fruitvale Station, she produced. That auspicious debut opened the door to a career that led Coogler to the iconic Marvel film Black Panther. In addition, her understanding of both creative and physical producing makes her an excellent match for auteur filmmakers like Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Chloé Zhao (Songs My Brothers Taught Me), Michael Larnell (Roxanne Roxanne), and Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You), whose critically acclaimed films she produced.

She is that producer who puts her estimable talents behind what she believes in: She walks the walk, talks the talk, supports and launches works that help change the world. The Mind the Gap team is honored to celebrate her great work! —Zoë Elton

The California Film Institute invites you to experience the best in US and world cinema at the 44th Mill Valley Film Festival (October 7-17, 2021). Join us for a carefully curated program of the year’s most highly anticipated films, in-theater and online.

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