Aspen Filmfest will honor Harrison Ford with its annual Independent by Nature Award at this year’s 28th fall festival in recognition of the tremendous contribution Ford has made to modern cinema. The evening tribute will take place Saturday, September 30 at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and will be followed by a dinner at The Little Nell.

Aspen Filmfest executive director, Laura Thielen, observes, "As a performer and producer who has worked on an amazing array of projects, Harrison Ford has created extraordinary characters who have become memorable touchstones in film culture. He's a real trailblazer who makes going to the movies a great adventure!"

An Oscar and multiple Golden Globe nominee, Ford has proven over decades of work (including 39 feature films) that he is the action hero, the tentative romantic, the deeply committed cop and so much more. Some of his standout performances include films like Blade Runner, The Devil’s Own, Sabrina, The Fugitive, Frantic, Working Girl, Witness, The Mosquito Coast, and of course, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies. In addition, Ford has worked with some of the greatest American directors: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Weir, Mike Nichols and Ridley Scott just to name a few.

The Independent by Nature Award recognizes a film artist, whose body of work has redefined the movie experience. Past recipients of the award include Anjelica Huston, Sydney Pollack, William H. Macy, Bob Rafelson, Michael Douglas and Rob Reiner.

Aspen Filmfest runs September 26 – October 1 in Aspen, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The complete program will be available at www.aspenfilm.org by September 8. Tickets go on sale to the general public September 19.