The Palm Springs International Film Society will honor film producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard with its first Harold Matzner Distinguished Achievement Award this month.
The Harold Matzner Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes, according to a release from the film society, individuals whose careers have profoundly influenced the global film industry through artistic excellence, visionary leadership, and philanthropic impact. Grazer and Howard, who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1985, have collaborated on and released film and TV projects such as "Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind," "Parenthood," "Arrested Development" and more.
Most recently, Howard directed the documentary "Avedon," which premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival
and arrives on Netflix later this year, as well as the upcoming film "Alone At Dawn." Grazer produced the upcoming "Whalefall," "The Mosquito Bowl," and "How To Rob Bank," and the pair executive produced "Marty, Life Is Short," now streaming on Netflix.
Also, Karina Lomelin Ripper, director of the short film "Silver Blankets," will receive the Harold Matzner Impact Award, a $25,000 annual grant created to support emerging filmmakers whose work demonstrates the power of storytelling to inspire change, challenge perspectives, and drive meaningful impact in their communities. Lomelin Ripper is a Mexican-American writer and director who was selected for AFI's Directing Workshop for Women+ as part of the class of 2025, and her short "There's a Devil Inside of Me" won Best U.S. Latina Director at the 2025 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
“Brian Grazer and Ron Howard have had an extraordinary impact on our industry through decades of collaboration and storytelling, and they have also demonstrated a strong commitment to philanthropy and giving back to their communities. Karina Lomelin Ripper represents the kind of emerging voice Harold was passionate about supporting. We are proud to celebrate all three through these awards in honor of Harold’s legacy and his belief in the lasting power of cinema, the people who make it, and the difference they can make in the world," said Nachhattar Singh Chandi, chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Society in a statement.
All recipients will attend and be recognized at the Palm Springs Honors event on Oct. 19 at Soho House West Hollywood in Los Angeles. They will also receive recognition at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Jan. 7, 2027.
Who was Harold Matzner?
Matzner was nicknamed "Mr. Palm Springs" for his larger-than-life presence as a philanthropist, businessman and arts administrator. He died Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Palm Springs at the age of 88.
Matzner's family obituary states that he donated more than $85 million to local nonprofits over nearly four decades. In addition to his extensive philanthropic efforts, he ran a national marketing and print advertising business in New Jersey while living in a hillside mansion overlooking Palm Springs. He also founded Spencer's Restaurant in the Palm Springs Tennis Club, turning it into one of the most popular restaurants in the desert, and sustained the popular Carousel Catering after buying it from longtime owner Bill Jones.
Additionally, he was an arts administrator who brought glamour back to the desert as concurrent chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival and McCallum Theatre during a tumultuous decade following the deaths of many of the desert's biggest stars of the 20th century. Matzner joined the board of the film festival in 1997 and became chairman of the McCallum in 2007. He retired from both in 2023.
Matzner also served as executive vice chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum until 2021, and as chairman of the Palm Springs Tennis Club Members Association; a trustee on the Eisenhower Health Board of Trustees; and a director on the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Board of Directors.
Previous reporting from Desert Sun reporter Ema Sasic was used for this story.
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to receive new Harold Matzner award
