Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon announced today that Nate Parker, who makes his feature film directorial debut with Fox Searchlight’s “The Birth of a Nation,” will receive the “CinemaCon Breakthrough Director of the Year Award”. 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. Parker 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.

“Following its Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2016 Sundance film festival, Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” will surely bring movie-going audiences to their feet when it is released October 7th,” noted Neuhauser. “A pure labor of love and a film that shows the true passion necessary to craft it, we are honored to present such an outstanding filmmaker with this years ‘CinemaCon Breakthrough Director of the Year Award.”

Written, directed and produced by the film’s star Nate Parker “The Birth of a Nation,” will be released October 7th by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Set against the antebellum South, the film follows Nat Turner (Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

Parker first received critical attention in 2007 for his role in “The Great Debaters” receiving an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He followed that up with such critically acclaimed films as “The Secret Life of Bees,” for which he received a Best Supporting Actor NAACP Image Award nomination, “Red Tails,” “Arbitrage,” and “Red Hook Summer.” He has also appeared in “Pride,” “Dirty,” “Felon,” “1968 Tunnel Rats,” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” among many others. Most recently Parker received his third NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance in “Beyond the Lights.” In addition to his feature film credits Parker has written and directed multiple shorts including “#AmeriCan,” which won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Short and has appeared onstage in “American Voices” at the Broad Street Theater.

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.