Amber Heard Reacts to her Shining Star Award at Maui Film Festival

Actress Amber Heard not only loves Maui, she has family that lives here, as you’ll hear in our video above. She’s been honored with the 2018 Maui Film Festival Shining Star Award, as the event celebrates its 19th year.

Heard will next star as “Mera” in James Wan’s Aquaman, opposite Jason Momoa. The character first appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which was released by Warner Bros in November 2017 and grossed over $655 million worldwide. Aquaman will be released on December 21, 2018, and is already capturing national headlines: Heard and her castmates are gracing the cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly.

She received the Shining Star Award under the star-filled night sky in Wailea, at the Celestial Cinema on Friday, June 15. It honors a film artist who dares to dream big dreams and delivers brilliantly charismatic and revelatory performances every time that opportunity knocks.  Previous recipients include Adam Driver, Zac Efron, Andrew Garfield, Jake Gyllenhaal, Freida Pinto, Emma Roberts and Olivia Wilde.

“We are thrilled to add Amber Heard to this year’s collection of highlights as the recipient of the Maui Film Festival’s Shining Star award for her ever-evolving, revelatory and ascending film career,” says Barry Rivers, founder and director of the Festival.

Heard recently wrapped production on Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell, opposite Elisabeth Moss, and Nabil Elderkin’s Gully, opposite Charlie Plummer. She also starred in Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl, opposite Eddie Redmayne. The film premiered to rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival and was released by Focus Features in January 2016. In 2015, Heard had two films premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, The Adderall Diaries, opposite James Franco, and When I Live My Life Over Again, opposite Christopher Walken.

Heard has also been seen starring opposite Channing Tatum in Magic Mike XXL; McG’s Three Days to Kill, opposite Kevin Costner; Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills; Robert Luketic’s Paranoia opposite Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman; and Bruce Robinson’s The Rum Diary, opposite Johnny Depp.

Her other film credits include John Carpenter’s The Ward, And Soon The Darkness; All the Boys Love Mandy Lane; Zombieland; The Stepfather, Pineapple Express; North Country; Syrup; Drive Angry 3D; The Joneses; Never Back Down; Alpha Dog; and Friday Night Lights.

Originally from Texas and currently residing in Los Angeles, Heard is an outspoken advocate for women’s, children’s and LGBTQ rights. She is actively involved with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Syrian American Medical Society, Amnesty International and the Art of Elysium, an organization empowering artists and needy communities to thrive through art.

Heard was recently named as L’Oréal’s newest global celebrity spokesperson.

The festival also honors an up-and-comer with its Rising Star Award, given to Nick Robinson this year.  See our interview with him here.  Maui Film Festival features a solid schedule of films and dining events through Sunday, June 17.