VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL TO RECOGNIZE STORIED PRODUCER TODD BLACK WITH INAUGURAL CAREER PRODUCER HONOR
39th Annual Virginia Film Festival to Feature Black in Conversation with Aaron Sorkin Following a Special Screening of THE SOCIAL RECKONING
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – August 26, 2026 – The Virginia Film Festival (VAFF), a program of the University of Virginia, announced today that acclaimed producer Todd Black will receive its inaugural Career Producer Honor, in recognition of his storied career as one of Hollywood’s leading film producers, at the 39th annual Virginia Film Festival, taking place October 21-25, 2026 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The new Virginia Film Festival Career Producer Honor celebrates the career and artistic impact of a significant producer and is supported by a new endowment established by Virginia Film Festival Advisory Board Member and producer Julie Lynn and her sister, Amy Quinn.
In accepting the honor, Black will participate in exciting screenings and programs at the 2026 Virginia Film Festival. The events will highlight his upcoming film releases, celebrated career and collaborations, featuring a special screening of The Social Reckoning, followed by an in person conversation with Black and Academy Award-winner filmmaker Aaron Sorkin.
The Social Reckoning is the companion piece to the hit film The Social Network. Sorkin’s original screenplay is based on the events that gave rise to the Wall Street Journal’s shocking exposé The Facebook Files. The film is inspired by the true story of how Frances Haugen, a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets. Produced by Todd Black, p.g.a., Peter Rice, p.g.a., Stuart Besser, p.g.a., and Aaron Sorkin, p.g.a., The Social Reckoning is written and directed by Sorkin and stars Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, and Jeremy Strong.
Black is the producer of Madden, the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios film inspired by the life of a beloved American icon. Madden chronicles John Madden’s incredible journey alongside best friend and true original Al Davis – from a Super Bowl-winning partnership with the Raiders, to becoming football’s most recognizable voice, to building the worldwide Madden NFL video game. Madden is the celebration of a brilliant mind whose once in a century spirit and personality, partnership with his daring wife Virginia, lifelong friendships, and infectious love of people and football transcended the world of sports. Madden is directed by David O. Russell, produced by Todd Black, p.g.a., Jason Blumenthal, p.g.a., Steve Tisch, Jonathan Shukat, David O. Russell, Matthew Budman, p.g.a., and Colin Wilson, written by David O. Russell and Cambron Clark, and stars Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale, Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, and John Mulaney, with Shane Gillis.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate the legendary work and new films from producer Todd Black with our first Career Producer Honor,” said VAFF Executive Director Jody Kielbasa. “Over the course of his prolific career, Todd has brought top notch entertainment to audiences around the world, working alongside some of the most talented performers and filmmakers of our time. We are delighted to welcome Todd to Charlottesville and to give our community the opportunity to hear directly from him the stories and creative partnerships behind his extraordinary body of work,” said VAFF Artistic Director Ilya Tovbis.
One of Hollywood’s most accomplished and respected producers, Black has spent decades bringing acclaimed films to the screen, working with top talent both in front of and behind the camera. His long-running collaboration with Academy Award-winning filmmaker and actor Denzel Washington has spanned numerous projects, with Black producing Washington-directed films including Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters, both recipients of the Producers Guild’s Stanley Kramer Award; Fences, which earned Black an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture; A Journal for Jordan; and The Piano Lesson. Black has also produced films starring Washington including Roman J. Israel, Esq., The Taking of Pelham 123, The Equalizer franchise, and The Magnificent Seven. The pair also partnered as producers on the five-time Oscar-nominated Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Black’s additional producing credits include The Pursuit of Happyness, The Upside, Hope Springs, Southpaw, Seven Pounds, Cassandro, and Emancipation, as well as Being the Ricardos, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. In 1995 Black became President of Production at Mandalay Entertainment where he oversaw Donnie Brasco, Seven Years in Tibet, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, among others. Black began his career as a casting associate after attending USC’s School of Theater, later serving as President of Motion Picture Production at Mandalay Entertainment before forming Black & Blu Productions with Jason Blumenthal and, in 2000, Escape Artists with Blumenthal and Steve Tisch. Escape Artists’ films have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. In television, Black has produced Perpetual Grace, Ltd., Servant for Apple TV+, Dr. Death for Peacock, Untamed for Netflix, and DTF St. Louis for HBO, which garnered 13 Emmy nominations.
“My sister Amy and I created this endowment to celebrate the remarkable creative contributions producers make to the films we love,” said VAFF Advisory Board Member and producer Julie Lynn. “Producers are there from the earliest stages of a project through its journey to the audience, and we felt it was important to create an honor that recognizes that complex work and its lasting impact. Todd Black’s role in bringing so many memorable films to the screen, paired with his commitment to artists and great storytelling, makes him an ideal first recipient of this honor. We are delighted to recognize him at the Virginia Film Festival this year.”
Lynn formed Mockingbird Pictures in 1999, with Bonnie Curtis joining in 2011. Mockingbird’s films include Heart of Stone, My Father’s Dragon, Raymond & Ray, Albert Nobbs, Wakefield, To the Bone, Mother and Child, Last Days in the Desert, Terminator: Dark Fate, The Face of Love, Life, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Nine Lives. Mockingbird Pictures’ films have played at festivals including Toronto, Sundance, Telluride, AFI, SXSW, Tribeca, Deauville, San Sebastian, and Locarno, and have been nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards and Academy Awards. Lynn started in Hollywood as a Creative Executive for producer Mark Johnson and, before moving to Los Angeles, practiced law at the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression in Charlottesville, Virginia. She received her JD from the University of Virginia’s law school and a BA from its college. Lynn also serves as a story consultant for Pixar Animation Studios, sits on the LA Advisory Committee for Americares, and is active in both Producers United and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Virginia Film Festival is a program of the University of Virginia and the Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for the Arts. The 2026 Virginia Film Festival is presented by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.
Press materials and images are available at virginiafilmfestival.org/news-press/media-inquiries.
About The Virginia Film Festival
The Virginia Film Festival, now in its 39th year, is a program of the University of Virginia. Widely recognized as one of the leading regional film festivals in America, the VAFF is known for its commitment to taking audiences beyond the screen to explore some of the most important issues of our time. The five-day festival annually delivers more than 100 films from around the world, combining special previews of some of the hottest titles of the festival season with an array of fascinating documentaries, exciting new voices on the independent film scene, the best of the international film scene and more.
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PRESS CONTACTS:
National Publicity:
Virginia Film Festival Team at The Lede Company
virginiafilmfestival@ledecompany.com
Charlottesville Publicity:
John Kelly