The Philadelphia Film Festival/Philadelphia CineFest is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Artistic Achievement Award for Acting: Jeff Daniels; the Fade to Black Quest Award to Alfre Woodard; and the Vision Award presented by the University of the Arts and Philadelphia Film Festival and CineFest 09 to the Quay Brothers. Each recipient will receive their award at separate events during this year’s Philadelphia Film Festival/ CineFest 09 which will run March 26th – April 6th.

The Artistic Achievement Award for Acting will be presented to Jeff Daniels on Monday March 30th prior to the screening of The Answer Man (title changed from Arlen Faber) at 8:30 p.m. at the Prince Music Theater. Daniels first caught the attention of audiences in The Purple Rose of Cairo. His rare ability to change acting techniques to better serve the style of a film has allowed him to star in a plethora of roles spanning different genres. Beginning his career almost 30 years ago, Daniels has transformed from "father goose" in Fly Away Home to Harry in Dumb and Dumber to Bernard Berkman in The Squid and the Whale.

Alfre Woodard has been awarded the Fade to Black Quest Award for her vision, tenacity and contributions of cultural diversity to the cinematic landscape. Woodard will receive the award on Saturday April 4th prior to the screening of American Violet at 6:30 p.m. at The Prince. With multiple Emmy wins and an Oscar nomination, Woodard has been a powerful force in films and TV, often playing troubled women with broken pasts in films like Crooklyn and Down in the Delta. Her major breakthrough came when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her film Cross Creek. Having conquered the big screen, Woodard moved to TV where she had a two year stint on “L.A. Law” and most recently joined Wisteria Lane as Betty Applewhite on ABC’s smash hit “Desperate Housewives.”

Stephen and Timothy Quay, known as the Quay Brothers, are the recipients of the 2009 Vision Award presented by the University of Arts in cooperation with the Philadelphia Film Festival/ CineFest 09. The brothers will receive their award Friday April 3rd prior to the screening of Institute Benjamenta at 9:15 p.m. at The Prince. The Norristown natives and University of the Arts alumni have amassed a worldwide cult following for their dark and moody stop-action animated films. Presently based in London, the Quay Brothers have made two feature length films, Institute Benjamenta or This Dream People Call Human Life and The Piano Turner of Earthquakes and numerous short films, which will play in a matinee program titled “A Quay Brothers Sampler” on Saturday April 4th at 2:00pm at The Prince. Their film Street of Crocodiles was selected by Terry Gilliam as one of the 10 best animated films of all time and film critic Jonathan Romney included it on his list of one of the 10 best films from any medium. The Quays will also be in Philadelphia to premiere their first North American exhibit, “DORMITORIUM: Film ‘Décors’ by the Quay Bros” in their alma mater’s Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery beginning on February 27th.