JESSICA CHASTAIN TO RECEIVE “CINEMACON® FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR AWARD”

FOCUS FEATURES TO RELEASE “THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE” ON MARCH 31, 2017

WASHINGTON D.C.  (February 8, 2017) – Two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain will receive the “CinemaCon® Female Star of the Year Award,” it was announced today by CinemaCon Managing Director, Mitch Neuhauser. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) will be held March 27-30, 2017 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Chastain will be presented with this special honor at the “CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards” ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday, March 30, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, hosted by the Coca-Cola Company, the official presenting sponsor of CinemaCon.

“With powerful performances in films such as ‘Miss Sloane,’ ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ ‘The Help,’ and ‘A Most Violent Year,’ Chastain has given us some of the most versatile and memorable performances on film today,” noted Neuhauser. “The global exhibition community couldn’t be more delighted to honor her at CinemaCon next month and truly looks forward to her upcoming films ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife” from Focus Features and ‘Molly’s Game’ from STX Entertainment.”

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” tells the real-life story of one working wife and mother who became a hero to hundreds during World War II. In 1939 Poland, Antonina Żabińska (Chastain) and her husband, Dr. Jan Żabińska (Johan Heldenbergh), have the Warsaw Zoo flourishing under his stewardship and her care. When their country is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and Antonina are stunned – and forced to report to the Reich’s new appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl). To fight back on their own terms, Antonina and Jan covertly begin working with the Resistance – and put into action plans to save lives out of what has become the Warsaw Ghetto, with Antonina putting herself and even her children at great risk.

Since her breakout role in “The Debt” Chastain has gone on to star in such films as “Tree of Life,” “The Help, “Zero Dark Thirty,” “MAMA,” “Interstellar,” “A Most Violent Year,” “The Martian,” “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” and most recently “Miss Sloane,” to name just a few. She has received numerous nominations and accolades for her work from the LA Film Critics, British Academy of Film and TV, Broadcast Film Critics, HFPA, National Board of Review, Screen Actors Guild, Film Independent and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences among many others. She is currently in production on the period drama “Woman Walks Ahead,” where she will portray Catherine Weldon, a 19th-century Brooklyn artist and activist who moved to the Standing Rock Reservation. Chastain has recently wrapped production for “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan” and will also be seen in the film adaption of Molly Bloom’s memoir “Molly’s Game.” In addition to her acting career Chastain recently launched Freckle Films, a new production venture, and inked a first look overhead deal with Maven Pictures.

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.

Media Contacts:

Heather Lewandoski
Rogers & Cowan
615.519.1747
hlewandoski@rogersandcowan.com

Maureen O’Connor
Rogers & Cowan
310.854.8116
moconnor@rogersandcowan.com