Danny McBride to Receive 2026 Flannery O'Connor Award

We are so excited to share the news about our first special guest for 2026, Danny McBride! Please read more about it below, and keep your eyes open for more programming announcements coming soon!

‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Creator Becomes First Georgia-Born Recipient of Award With Permission From the Mary Flannery O’Connor Charitable Trust

ROME, Ga. – July 14, 2026 – The Rome International Film Festival (RIFF) today announced that acclaimed actor, writer, producer and Georgia native Danny McBride will receive the 2026 Flannery O'Connor Award during the festival's 23rd annual event, taking place Nov. 5-8, 2026, in historic downtown Rome.

Presented annually by RIFF, the Flannery O’Connor Award name is used with permission from the Mary Flannery O’Connor Charitable Trust. The award recognizes artists whose work embodies the bold, distinctive and enduring spirit of Southern storytelling. McBride becomes the sixth recipient of the honor and the first Georgia-born filmmaker to receive the award.

Previous honorees include Billy Bob Thornton, Ethan Hawke, Maya Hawke, Tim Blake Nelson and 2025 recipient Jerusha Hess.

McBride was nominated by filmmaker and 2025 Flannery O'Connor Award recipient Jerusha Hess, with support from RIFF leadership, including Executive Creative Director Seth Ingram. The Flannery O'Connor Award name is used with permission from the Mary Flannery O'Connor Charitable Trust. Elizabeth Coffman, who has worked extensively to preserve and promote Flannery O'Connor's legacy, praised RIFF's selection of McBride for this year's honor.

Best known as the co-creator, writer, executive producer and star of HBO's "Eastbound & Down," "Vice Principals" and "The Righteous Gemstones," McBride has become one of the most influential creative voices working in film and television today. Through his production company, Rough House Pictures, he has helped build a body of work that blends sharp comedy, social commentary and characters while reaching audiences around the world. McBride is also the author of the newly released book, "Thrilling Tales of Modern Men," which debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list in its first week of publication. 

A native of Statesboro, Georgia, McBride has consistently drawn upon the culture, contradictions and eccentricities of the American South in creating stories that are both deeply regional and universally resonant. His film credits include "Pineapple Express," "Tropic Thunder," "Up in the Air," "Alien: Covenant," and "This Is the End." Rough House Pictures also produced the acclaimed "Halloween" trilogy that revitalized one of cinema's most iconic horror franchises.

"Few contemporary storytellers have shaped the cultural conversation around the South as powerfully and fearlessly as Danny McBride," said Ingram. "His work is hilarious, provocative and deeply human. Like Flannery O'Connor, Danny understands that the South is a place filled with contradictions, larger-than-life personalities, humor, heartbreak and unexpected grace. Both artists challenge audiences to look beyond stereotypes and confront deeper truths about family, faith, ambition and identity. It is especially meaningful that the first Georgia-born recipient of this award is a storyteller whose work reflects the humor, moral complexity, and unexpected truths that make Flannery O’Connor’s legacy so enduring. Coffman said McBride's work reflects many of the qualities that have made O'Connor one of the most celebrated literary voices in American history.

"Flannery O'Connor's stories remain powerful because she embraced complexity and refused easy answers," Coffman said. "She explored the tensions between faith and doubt, pride and redemption, comedy and tragedy, often through characters who were deeply flawed yet profoundly memorable. Danny McBride's work demonstrates a similar commitment to exploring the human condition through humor, originality and a distinctly Southern lens. The Mary Flannery O’Connor Charitable Trust is proud to be a part of RIFF’s recognition of an artist whose work continues to contribute to the evolving tradition of storytelling." The Flannery O’Connor Award for Storytelling recognizes artists whose work explores the complexity of human nature with originality, moral insight, humor, and an eye for the unexpected.

Hess, who received the award during RIFF 2025, praised McBride's influence on contemporary film and television.

"Danny McBride is a gift. His singular comedic voice keeps us coming back for more. He's one of the funniest people to ever roam the Earth, and he shines a light on cultures and characters that might otherwise go unsung. We watch a show he's created and wish we'd thought of it ourselves. His big, gorgeous brain is enviable," Hess said.

McBride said receiving an award associated with one of Georgia's most celebrated literary figures carries special significance.

"Growing up in the South shaped my perspective as a storyteller in ways I'm still discovering," McBride said. "Flannery O'Connor's voice is one of the most important and distinctive in Southern literature, so being connected to her legacy through this award is incredibly meaningful. I’m grateful to Jerusha Hess, Elizabeth Coffman, and the Mary Flannery O’Connor Charitable Trust, along with Seth Ingram and the Rome International Film Festival, for this honor. I'm looking forward to coming to Georgia, celebrating independent film and spending time with audiences and filmmakers in Rome."

Now entering its 23rd year, the Rome International Film Festival has established itself as one of the Southeast's premier showcases for independent cinema. The festival attracts filmmakers, artists and audiences from around the world while maintaining a strong commitment to diverse regional voices, emerging talent and meaningful cultural conversations.

The Flannery O'Connor Award has become one of the festival's signature honors, celebrating artists whose work demonstrates creative excellence while advancing the rich tradition of Southern storytelling. 

RIFF also bestows honors for the categories narrative feature, narrative short, international (non-USA, non-Canada) short, documentary feature, animated, and “horror-messed-up-after-dark-schlock-something completely different.” The festival also presents the Shay Bentley Griffin Award for best acting performance and special jury awards.

Festival passes, VIP packages, sponsorship opportunities and additional programming announcements for RIFF 2026 will be released in the coming months. More information is available at RIFFGA.com.