MARTIN KOVE

CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL HONORS ACTOR MARTIN KOVE WITH CAREER TRIBUTE AWARD

Catalina Film Festival rolled out a Drive-Thru Red Carpet for the 10th Anniversary and Carpool Cinema event honoring Cobra Kai actor Martin Kove, Saturday, September 26th at the Scottish Rite Event Center in Long Beach. Riding in style, Kove arrived in an SUV provided by The Cots Group Car service to the world's first-ever, film festival drive-thru red carpet. Upon arrival, CFF Founder and Executive Director Ron Truppa kept social-distancing protocols in place, as noted by their 6 ft. kick session on the carpet, prior to presenting Catalina Film's Career Tribute Award, handed off to Kove by CFF Tech Director Michael David Smith wearing a hazmat suit.

“This trophy looks like so many things in one’s career, “ said Kove upon receiving his Tribute Award. “You think something will be monumental and have a great effect on the public and it might go straight to DVD, and then there are projects like Cobra Kai or VFW that rise to the occasion. There’s chemistry there, like in The Karate Kid, nobody ever thought that was going to be the gift that keeps on giving.”

Martin Kove is best known for his role as evil karate sensei, John Kreese, from The Karate Kid films and Netflix series Cobra Kai, and has over 100 films under his belt, including Rambo II opposite Stallone, six seasons on Emmy-Award winning TV show, Cagney and Lacey, and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Tarantino, a long-time fan of Kove, hand selected the veteran to appear in the film. Kove also stars in CFF 2020 Official Selection short film, The Roommates, alongside Barry Bostwick and Bruce Davison, written & directed by recent NYU grad Cameron Penn. The Roommates was featured in the LA Social Club block of shorts that kicked off Saturday's Carpool Cinema presentation.

Guests and VIPs literally drove-thru CFF’s red carpet prior to parking-and-watching the Carpool Cinema features each night. Friday, Sept 25th celebrated the annual

Wes Craven’s Horror/Thriller block featuring short films all in competition for the coveted Craven Award. CFF is the only competitive Festival in the world to have an award sanctioned by the king of horror himself. Taking home the trophy was Need Anything, written and directed by Buz Wallick, starring his wife and producing partner, Mary O’Neil, pictured with their Director of Photography Jonathan

Louis Lewis.

Other notable attendees included (below) actor Maximilian Acevado (Netflix's hit, The Babysitter: Killer Queen); actor Gregory Zarian, (Westworld, Days of Our Lives, Bones); TV personality Vanessa Decker, host: Bloody Disgusting and Haus of Horror for Dread Central; Lindsay Hearts, founder and designer for FOXBLOOD, a readyto-wear fashion line, headquartered in downtown LA.

Missed the Fest? Watch the Industry Panels, Carpool Cinema & Drive-Thru Red Carpet Arrivals on Catalina Film's YouTube. Watch LIVE Tuesday, September 29th for the full list of 2020 Best of Fest Winners at 10am PST/ 1pm EST on YouTube or Facebook.