Prince George’s Film Festival Closes on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at the MGM National Harbor with Richard Lawson and Tina Knowles Lawson
Veteran Actor, Director, WACO Theater Center Founders, and Philanthropists to host in-depth discussion on revolutionary characters and moments in film with Tressa Smallwood and Russ Parr
September 14, 2022––Largo, MD––Prince George’s Film Festival (PGFF), is pleased to announce that veteran actor and director Richard Lawson and philanthropist and renaissance woman, Tina Knowles Lawson will headline its closing festival event. PGFF is September 22–25 and will convene local and national filmmakers, film lovers, actors, producers, animators, writers, digital creators, and County stakeholders for a four-day celebration of cinematic arts. PGFF is purposed to highlight Prince George’s County as a blossoming filmmaking destination, bolster the local filmmaker community and provide a platform to showcase their films and network with industry powerhouses, creatives, and film enthusiasts.
“We’re honored to have industry powerhouses Richard Lawson and Tina Knowles Lawson to close this year’s festival and are equally as thrilled to have the dynamic Russ Parr and filmmaker Tressa Smallwood to join in on this rich discussion.” says Donna Foster, Prince George’s Film Office General Manager. “Mr. Lawson is a veteran in the film industry having been featured in over 120 films and television shows throughout his career. Mrs. Tina Knowles-Lawson has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years working behind the scenes spearheading the images and careers of iconic and legendary superstars. They both continue to influence countless artists all over the world. We are excited and know this is going to be an extraordinary closing event for our inaugural festival.”
Richard Lawson has had a long and distinguished career as an actor and master teacher that spans six decades. Some of his selected films include Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist, Walter Hill’s Streets of Fire, Stick with Burt Reynolds, The Main Event with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, Coming Home with Jane Fonda and Jon Voight, Audrey Rose with Anthony Hopkins and Marsha Mason, Wag the Dog starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, How Stella Got Her Groove Back starring Whoopi Goldberg and Angela Bassett, Guess Who starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher, For Colored Girls starring Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, and a host of others. A few well-noted indie projects include Blue Hill Avenue, The Last Stand, and Love for Sale. He was a series regular on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Dynasty, and Chicago Story. He has also guest-starred on popular series such as MacGyver (recurring character spun off to a pilot called The Coltons), Wiseguy, Amen, The Parent ‘Hood, St. Elsewhere, Picket Fences, Judging Amy, The Division, NYPD Blue, All of Us, Numb3rs, and Real Husbands of Hollywood, The Royal Feast and The Royal Family Christmas and Saints and Sinners to name a few.
Tina Knowles Lawson is a fashion designer who has been featured in a slew of publications including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, L’official, InStyle, and Sports Illustrated. Tina was a designer and stylist for the superstar group, Destiny’s Child, designing original garments for the group’s tours, magazine shoots, and television appearances, including the Video Music Awards (VMAs), BET Awards, and the Grammys. She has also designed for Beyoncé’s tours and television performances, including The Academy Awards.
Tina designed costumes for several hit movies including Dreamgirls, Pink Panther, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Obsessed, and Cadillac Records.
The Prince George’s Film Festival is the premier event for new film works from up-and-coming and established independent filmmakers with diverse voices. PGFF venues include the MGM National Harbor, Sunset Room at the National Harbor, and Bowie State University. Learn more at www.pgfilmfestival.com.
View the full event schedule here.
Festival Passes and Information
Festival Passes are on sale now. Pass options include:
VIP - Unlimited access to all features of the festival including the festival opening and closing ceremonies as well as screenings, and workshops for $125.
Unlimited Workshops and Panels - Get unlimited access to workshops and panels and mixers during the festival for $50.
Unlimited Screenings - Excludes panels, workshops, and opening and closing ceremonies for $40.
Single Film Ticket - Access to just ONE film for $15 each.
Passes can be purchased online at https://pgff2022.eventive.org/passes/buy.
Founding Festival Partners
The Prince George’s Film Festival is founded and generously supported by the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, Experience Prince George’s, and Bowie State University.
About Prince George’s Film Office
Prince George's County is steadily becoming a prominent destination for both local and national filmmakers. Whether in digital media, television, commercial or corporate video productions, the film office is here to facilitate production requirements. In 2015, the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council established the Film Office to assist filmmakers with telling stories through film. Their mission is to streamline the path to completing film projects in Prince George’s County by helping filmmakers navigate state and county permits, production protocols, and resources hassle free and expeditiously.
About PGAHC
As the legislated local arts agency for Prince George’s County, PGAHC fosters and expands art opportunities for all County citizens and visitors to create a world-class cultural environment where high-quality arts and humanities programs are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. PGAHC leverages its partnerships to support and provide various arts and cultural programming opportunities, art-centered economic development programs, grants as well as advocacy initiatives for legislative support of the arts on the County and State levels.
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