Napa Valley StreamFest: Mariska Hargitay Set for Icon Award, Live Awards Chatter Podcast Taping
Mariska Hargitay, the Emmy-winning Law & Order: SVU actress who is back in Emmy contention for My Mom Jayne, the acclaimed HBO documentary that she directed about her late mother Jayne Mansfield, will be honored with the Napa Valley StreamFest’s Icon Award, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively report. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m….
Mariska Hargitay, the Emmy-winning Law & Order: SVU actress who is back in Emmy contention for My Mom Jayne, the acclaimed HBO documentary that she directed about her late mother Jayne Mansfield, will be honored with the Napa Valley StreamFest’s Icon Award, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively report.
The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 24, at the Uptown Theatre in Downtown Napa, when Hargitay will sit down with yours truly for an hourlong career-retrospective conversation that will be recorded for subsequent airing on THR’s Awards Chatter podcast.
Immediately after, the fest will present Hargitay with her award, which is an acknowledgement of both her career (her 27 years and counting as Olivia Benson on SVU makes her the longest-running female lead of a drama in primetime TV history, and she just won the best documentary Producers Guild Award for My Mom Jayne)and her activism (her Joyful Heart Foundation helps survivors of sexual assault to “reclaim their lives”).
“We are so excited to celebrate Mariska Hargitay’s unparalleled ability to bring both fierce strength and profound vulnerability to her work, which has made her an industry legend and the definitive choice for this year’s Icon Award,” festival co-founder Fearon DeWeese said in a statement.
The fest, which will run April 23-26, also announced its full lineup of programming, which includes a daily slate of screenings, panel discussions and special events designed for industry tastemakers and streaming aficionados alike.
DeWeese emphasized, “The industry doesn’t need another festival where high-level networking is sacrificed to logistical chaos. We’ve rejected the traditional model of scattered venues and endless waitlists and centered the entire program on one curated stage. When you aren’t sprinting between screenings, you’re actually engaged — fostering connections, making deals and being truly present.”
Added festival co-founderJuliana Folk, “StreamFest is about more than screenings — it’s about community. As an actress and writer myself, I know how vital it is to feel supported and seen by the festivals you attend. With an artist-first lens and constant commitment to our non-profit mission, we’ve curated a slate that focuses on visionary female storytellers.”
A full list of festival programming follows.
INDUSTRY CONVERSATIONS
- The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg will return — a year after sitting down at the fest with Shrinking co-creator and star Jason Segel— for a live podcast recording with ICON Award recipient Mariska Hargitay
- The Breakthrough Artist Panel will feature a conversation with award recipients Thora Birch (The Chronology of Water), Jesse Garcia (Flamin’ Hot), Adam Rose (actor/director), Luke Tennie (Shrinking, The Pitt). Moderated by Rochelle Rose, and presented by SAG-AFTRA Foundation
- SABU Wellness Experience, a mid-day movement and dance party from Dr. Jenelle Kim, alongside a panel featuring Chrisspy, Katherine Castro,Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Lauren Progner
- Mark S. Allen moderates Conversations with Creators throughout the weekend, featuring actress and influencer Amanda McCants and comedian and internet personality Becky Robinson
- Welcome Brunch and Next Gen Marketing panel with festival founders, comedian Mamrie Hart, influencer Adam Rose, SVP of Strategy and Influencer Marketing at QYOU, Morgan Barclay, moderated by Cecilia Navarro (invite only)
FILM, TV AND SHORTS
- World Premiere of Warner Bros.’ Casa Grande from director Juan Pablo Arias Munoz and Ali Afshar’s ESX Entertainment
- Cast: John Pyper-Ferguson, Madison Lawlor, Christina Moore, Javier Bolaños
- EP: Lauren Swickard
- World Premiere of TV series Sandwiched from creator, writer and star Tiffany Chandon and director Megan Swertlow
- Cast: DaJuan Johnson, Kimleigh Smith, Barbara Deutsch, Tyler Fonseca
- EP: Tiffany Chandon
- Screening of documentary feature If These Walls Could Rock from directors Tyler Measom and Craig Williams, with a special appearance from Heart’s Nancy Wilson & The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson
- Cast: Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Slash, Nancy Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton
- EPs: Robert Friedman, Rick Krim, Mark Rosenthal, Alexis Thurston, David Thurston
- West Coast Premiere of new series Too Romantic from Bachelor nation’s Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, Madhouse Films and director Talia Light Rake’s Heavy Shovel Productions
- Cast: Rivkah Reyes, Sam Vartholomeos, Ashley Ganger, Olivia Puckett
- EPs: Gillian Cooper, Larry Furlong, Jared Haibon, Tara Kuhnert Hotchkis, Ashley Iaconetti, Becky Korman, Lily Korman, Shai Korman
- Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) presents “Females in Focus” shorts block
- Debbie Walks Her Duck (World Premiere, Director: Nikki Braendlin)
- I F*ing Hate You (Director: Gabriela Paciel)
- The Second Life of Freddie Nole (World Premiere, Director: Dana Nachman)
- The Spanish Lesson (Director: Simone Stadler)
- StreamFest introduces the new Micro Shorts Block (under 2 minutes) featuring:
- Muted (Director: Jenna Reilly)
- RECHARGED (Director: Andy Duong)
- TACoCUNR (Director: Erin Brown Thomas, StreamFest Alumni)
- Drama Shorts Showcase featuring:
- Life is (a) Short (Director: Brooke Dooley)
- Monday Morning (Director: Christopher Guerrero)
- Public Freak Out (Director: Julia Bales)
- Turbulence (Director: Justin Feinman)
- WAIT (Director: Paige Morrow Kimble)
- StreamFest presents their “In the Works” pitch competition, showcasing proof-of-concept projects followed by live pitches from the filmmakers themselves.
- 33 Days (Director: Tony Gapastione)
- Anything but ADHD (Director: Jessi Sorensen)
- Rise of Mr. Chow (Director: Hymnson Chan)
2026 HONOREES
- Icon Award: Presented to Mariska Hargitay for her distinguished career and activism
- Social Impact Award: Television personality and author Jonathan Scott (Property Brothers)
- Breakthrough Artist Awards: Celebrating those having their breakthrough moment, including Luke Tennie (Shrinking, The Pitt), Adam Rose (actor/director), Jesse Garcia (Flamin’ Hot) and Thora Birch (The Chronology of Water)
- Make’m Laugh Award: presented to comedian and actress Becky Robinson (‘Untitled Housewife’)
SIGNATURE STREAMFEST EVENTS
- “Push Play” Party with special guest Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kapa Vodka at the exclusive Napa Valley Car Club
- The Legacy Dinner is the hottest ticket in the valley which follows the StreamFest Tribute Awards. An experience for Elite Pass holders to dine with honored guests and enjoy the finest Napa Valley culinary, wine and hospitality
- “Hit Pause” Farewell Party, a premier culinary event set against a magnificent Valley view featuring world-class wines, culinary delights, and one final opportunity to connect and “hit pause” on the incredible weekend before heading home. Hosted by Shadybrook Estate Winery
