Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Vidiots, Los Angeles
**Producer**: Shirley Clarke Join Vidiots and the Cinema Eye Honors in celebrating the tremendous legacy of filmmaker Shirley Clarke with a screening of her groundbreaking documentary *Portrait of Jason!* On December 2, 1966, director Shirley Clarke and a miniscule film crew gathered in her apartment at the Hotel Chelsea. Bestowed for twelve hours with the one-and-only Jason Holliday, Clarke confronted the iconic performer about his good times and bad behavior as a gay hustler, on-and-off houseboy and aspiring cabaret performer. As the cameras rolled and Holliday spun tales, sang songs and donned costumes through the night, a mesmerizing portrait formed of a remarkable man. Ingmar Bergman called it “the most extraordinary film I’ve seen in my life,” but audiences may know it better as PORTRAIT OF JASON, a funny, stinging and painful meditation on pride and prejudice through the eyes of a legendary figure. At the 2026 [Cinema Eye Honors](https://cinemaeyehonors.com/about/), Shirley Clarke’s *Portrait of Jason *was recognized with the Legacy Award, which recognizes films that embodies the Cinema Eye mission statement of recognizing and honoring exemplary craft and innovation in nonfiction film as well as being a film that has inspired a new generation of filmmakers to create art in the nonfiction realm. Cinema Eye was founded in 2007 on three ideals: creating events to support and build community amongst those who make documentary films; recognizing the entire creative team of craftspersons that create these films; and recognizing excellence, innovation and boldness in the artistry of nonfiction filmmaking. Cinema Eye was the first and remains the only international nonfiction award to recognize the whole creative team, presenting annual craft awards in directing, editing, producing, cinematography, original score, visual design and sound design. Cinema Eye presents and produces the annual Cinema Eye Week and Honors Awards Ceremony. The Cinema Eye Honors recognize feature and short-length films and series with an emphasis on nonfiction work that is designed for public distribution, whether primarily theatrical, festival, broadcast or streaming. Cinema Eye seeks to encourage audiences to engage with nonfiction work that crosses all genres, whether observational, journalistic, activist, essayistic, light-hearted or provocative as well as those exciting works that blur the lines between nonfiction and fiction. Since its founding, Cinema Eye has sought to change the conversation that film critics, festivals and awards bodies have surrounding documentary film, shifting the emphasis from importance of topic to artistic craft. Cinema Eye is led by a core team of filmmakers and programmers who are committed to the organization’s mission.