Dan Hedaya Honored with Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award on Syrian Night of the 23rd NYSJFF

The 23rd New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival's Syrian Night featured Part II of The Syrian Jewish Community: Coming to America (1900-1919) from Executive Producer Joseph J. Sitt (who was in attendance) and in partnership with the Sephardic Heritage Museum. The evening began Motz'e Shabbat with the honoring of Dan Hedaya, a member of the Syrian Sephardic community, with the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award for Actors.
Hedaya has appeared in some sixty feature films, including BLOOD SIMPLE, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB, CLUELESS, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, HURRICANE, ADAMS FAMILY VALUES, and DICK, in which he portrayed Richard Nixon. On TV he guest starred numerous times on Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue (for which he received an Emmy nomination), Family Ties, and Law & Order. His most notable character was the eccentric Nick Tortelli in Cheers. His stage work includes appearing with Al Pacino in THE BASIC TRAINING OF PAVLO HUMMEL on Broadway, as well as numerous Off-Broadway productions, including many at the New York Shakespeare Festival. Dan also derives immense pleasure from painting. The Pomegranate Award is sculpted by the internationally acclaimed, Baghdad-born artist Oded Halahmy, who assisted with ASF Board Member Jamil Ezra, ASF NYSJFF Artistic Director Sara Nodjoumi, and ASF Executive Director Jason Guberman in presenting the award.