Bryce Dallas Howard will receive the “CinemaCon Award for Excellence in Acting,” it was announced today by Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) will be held April 11-14, 2016 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Howard will be presented with this special honor at the “CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards” ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday, April 14, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, hosted by the Coca-Cola Company, the official presenting sponsor of CinemaCon.

 “A talented and versatile actress, Bryce Dallas Howard has entertained audiences around the globe with stellar performances in such films as “The Village,” “The Help”, “50/50” and of course 2015’s monster box-office juggernaut “Jurassic World,” noted Neuhauser. “CinemaCon is thrilled to have this opportunity to honor such a talented actress at this year’s final night Big Screen Achievement Award Ceremony.”

Releasing on August 12, 2016, Walt Disney Pictures’ “Pete’s Dragon” is a reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film which follows the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just happens to be a dragon. For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Howard) who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales, until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.

Beginning her career on the New York stage, Howard left the Tisch School of the Arts program at New York University and went on to star in theatre productions including “Tartuffe,” “As You Like It,” “House/Garden,” and “Our Town” before making her feature film debut in M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village.” She has gone on to star in countless other films including “Jurassic World,” “HereAfter,” “50/50,” “The Help,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” “Terminator Salvation,” “Spider-Man 3,” “The Lady in the Water,” and “Manderlay.” Howard recently completed production on Netflix’s new series “Black Mirror” in an episode directed by Joe Wright, and can also be seen later this fall in Stephen Gaghan’s “Gold” alongside Matthew McConaughey for The Weinstein Company.

In addition to her roles onscreen, Howard has worked behind the lens creating content for multiple campaigns such as Canon’s “Project Imagination”; MoroccanOil’s “Inspired”; Vanity Fair’s “Decade Series” with Radical Media; and Glamour magazine’s “Reel Moments.”  Howard has also directed content for MTV’s “Supervideo: M83’s Claudia Lewis”; Sony and Lifetime’s “Five More: Call Me Crazy”; and, most recently, “solemates,” in conjunction with Canon’s “Project Imagination: The Trailer.” Howard has directed over a dozen short films and received numerous accolades for her work, including being shortlisted for an Oscar in 2012 for her half-hour film “when you find me.”  She also produced the Sony Classics film “Restless.”

About CinemaCon
CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry –from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry’s greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies.

About NATO
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 32,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and additional cinemas in 81 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world and hundreds of independent theatre owners, too.

Additional information on CinemaCon can be found at www.cinemacon.com.