Danny McBride Wins Rome Film Fest's Flannery O'Connor Award
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- Danny McBride will receive the 2026 Flannery O'Connor Award at the Rome International Film Festival's 23rd edition, running November 5–8 in Floyd County, Georgia
- McBride is the sixth recipient and the first Georgia-born filmmaker honored; past recipients include Billy Bob Thornton, Ethan Hawke, Maya Hawke, Tim Blake Nelson, and 2025 honoree Jerusha Hess, who nominated him
- Created in memory of Savannah-born writer Flannery O'Connor, the award recognizes artists whose work embodies "the bold, distinctive and enduring spirit" of Southern storytelling, per RIFF Executive Creative Director Seth Ingram
- During the festival, McBride will participate in a career retrospective and a live "In Conversation" masterclass offering audiences a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process
- McBride's Rough House Pictures credits span co-creating HBO's Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, and The Righteous Gemstones, alongside films including Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, and Alien: Covenant
- The Statesboro native is riding a career surge: his recently released book Thrilling Tales of Modern Men debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list, and he has been tapped to write the next G.I. Joe movie at Paramount
Why it matters: McBride becomes the first Georgia-born filmmaker to receive the Flannery O'Connor Award in its six-year history, a homecoming nod for a Statesboro native whose Southern-rooted comedy has shaped HBO's slate for over a decade. The honor coincides with a peak stretch — a NYT bestseller debut and a Paramount G.I. Joe writing assignment — extending his reach beyond television.
