ERIC TREMBLAY TO RECEIVE THE 7TH DIRECTOR’S SPOTLIGHT AWARD AT OIFF 2027

At OIFF, the Director’s Spotlight Award honors a filmmaker whose work is shaping the grooves of cinema in our time. Past recipients have included Jim Cummings (Thunder Road), Hannah Peterson (The Graduates), and the writing-directing team of Jay Duplass and Michael Strassner (The Baltimorons). This year, OIFF is proud to honor Erica Tremblay in recognition of her unique voice within contemporary cinema.  

Erica Tremblay is a Native American filmmaker from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. Her first feature film, Fancy Dance, starring Academy Award Nominee Lily Gladstone, premiered in competition at Sundance in 2023 and was acquired by Apple Original Films. Tremblay is currently a co-executive producer and director on AMC’s acclaimed series Dark Winds. She has previously written and directed for FX's Reservation Dogs and directed for Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie. Tremblay lives on Cayuga Lake in upstate New York, where she studies her Indigenous language. 

“Erica’s extraordinary work as a writer and director speaks for itself,” says Jake Abell, festival co-director. “Erica also brings a reputation for being an outstanding mentor to other filmmakers. She embodies the talent, integrity, vision, and collaborative spirit that the Director’s Spotlight Award was created to celebrate. We can’t wait for our audiences to experience Erica’s work at the historic Wright Opera House!” 

Festival attendees will have the chance to view Tremblay’s film Fancy Dance followed by a Q&A with the director on June 20th (Saturday). Limited passes remain on sale at ourayfilmfestival.com.