SONOMA, Calif. (M&C)  – The Sonoma Valley Film Festival, which will host a special tribute to two-time Academy Award®-winning director John Lasseter, was pleased to announce March 12,  that the special tribute will be hosted by actor John Ratzenberger, who has voiced characters in every one of Mr. Lasseter’s animated features.

The tribute will honor Mr. Lasseter’s illustrious career at the upcoming 10th Anniversary Sonoma Valley Film Festival, which takes place April 11 – 15, 2007 in the heart of California wine country. 
 
Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub and Cheech Marin will also be present at the star-studded special event, which will feature a look back at Mr. Lasseter’s groundbreaking career, from visionary independent to entertainment industry powerhouse as one of the world’s most beloved storytellers.
 
“It is our tremendous honor to pay tribute to John Lasseter, the world’s premier storyteller,” said Marc Lhormer, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Film Festival. “A long-time Sonoma Valley resident and a supporter and friend of the festival over our ten years of incredible growth, John is a legendary creative force inspiring a whole generation of filmmakers.  We are proud to welcome John, his friends and his colleagues to the 10th Anniversary Sonoma Valley Film Festival to pay tribute to his unparalleled contributions.”
 
Mr. Lasseter's love of both storytelling and the art of animation have made his films some of the most popular and well loved by a global audience of all ages. The one-of-a-kind Tribute will be complemented at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival with a special theatrical screening of ‘Toy Story,’ a screening of rare and classic Pixar shorts, and a “Storytellers’ Panel” featuring top Pixar story artists, Mark Andrews, Jim Capobianco, Ronnie Del Carmen and Jason Katz.

Mr. Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor, Walt Disney Imagineering, directed the innovative and critically acclaimed box office sensations ‘Toy Story,’ ‘A Bug’s Life’ and ‘Toy Story 2.’

Additionally, he executive produced ‘Monsters, Inc.,’ ‘Finding Nemo,’ and ‘The Incredibles.’  Mr. Lasseter returned to the director’s chair in 2006 with the release of the Disney•Pixar film, ‘Cars.’

Under his supervision, Pixar’s animated feature and short films have received a multitude of critical accolades and film industry honors. Mr. Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar® in 1995 for his inspired leadership of the Toy Story team.  His work on ‘Toy Story’ also resulted in an Academy Award® nomination for “Best Original Screenplay,” the first time an animated feature had been recognized in that category.  Finding Nemo, released spring 2003, became the highest grossing animated feature of all time, and won the Oscar® for “Best Animated Feature Film.”

Mr. Lasseter has also written, directed and animated a number of highly renowned short films and television commercials for Pixar, including Luxo Jr. (1986 Academy Award® nominee); Red’s Dream (1987); Tin Toy (1988 Academy Award® winner); and Knickknack (1989), which was produced as a 3D stereoscopic film.  Pixar’s Tin Toy became the first computer animated film to win an Oscar® when it received the 1988 Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film.
 
About Sonoma Valley Film Festival
 
2007 marks the 10th anniversary of the Sonoma Valley Film Festival. Set amidst the unparalleled beauty of the Sonoma Valley wine country, this unique festival will welcome filmmakers and film lovers to an intimate and luxurious extended weekend from April 11 – 15, 2007, pairing great food, fine wine and over 75 new independent films from around the world, including feature length narratives, documentaries, shorts, and student films.