RAYD8 Film Festival to honor Kat Kramer with lifetime award

By AI, Created 4:28 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The inaugural RAYD8 Film Festival will give Katharine “Kat” Kramer its Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 18-19, 2026, in Marina Del Rey, California. The honor spotlights her film career and advocacy work as the festival positions itself as a launchpad for independent creators and distribution through RAYD8 TV.

Why it matters: - The award puts a longtime advocate for independent film and social-issue storytelling at the center of RAYD8’s first festival. - RAYD8 is using the honor to signal its focus on creators whose work reaches beyond entertainment and into advocacy, inclusion and audience impact.

What happened: - The inaugural RAYD8 Film Festival will honor Katharine “Kat” Kramer with its Lifetime Achievement Award. - The festival is set for Sept. 18-19, 2026, in Marina Del Rey, California. - Festival organizers said the award recognizes Kramer’s career and her continued influence in entertainment and advocacy.

The details: - Kramer is an actress, producer, humanitarian and advocate. - She is the founder of Kat Kramer’s Films That Change The World, an international cinema series focused on films and documentaries tied to social issues. - She also created the #SHEroesForChange initiative, an upcoming podcast and festival platform centered on female-driven films, music and intergenerational stories. - Her advocacy spans independent cinema, accessibility, inclusion, human rights, animal welfare and purposeful storytelling. - Kramer is the daughter of filmmaker Stanley Kramer and actress-producer Karen Sharpe-Kramer, and the godchild and namesake of Katharine Hepburn. - Her credits include stage honors for The Miracle Worker and The Diary of Anne Frank, and film appearances in Little Fockers, What Just Happened and independent features. - She won Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 LOVE International Film Festival for TURNOVER. - Kramer also received international recognition for Rings of the Unpromised, appeared in the Netflix documentary Call Me Kate, and got a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Luxury Oscar Gala. - RAYD8 says the festival will celebrate and elevate the next generation of filmmakers, actors and storytellers. - RAYD8 also says select filmmakers will get direct distribution opportunities through RAYD8 TV. - Filmmakers can submit feature films, short films, documentaries, podcasts, animation and other creative projects for consideration. - Submission information is available through the festival’s website.

Between the lines: - The Kramer honor helps frame RAYD8 as a festival that wants prestige, purpose and industry relevance from day one. - The distribution pitch through RAYD8 TV suggests the festival is aiming to be more than a showcase and more of a pipeline.

What’s next: - RAYD8 will move toward its September debut and review submissions from filmmakers worldwide. - The festival is expected to use Kramer’s recognition as an early signature moment for its launch.

The bottom line: - RAYD8 is opening with a tribute to a well-known advocate for meaningful independent storytelling, while trying to position itself as a festival with both cultural mission and career opportunity.