The Paso Digital Film Festival, planned for November 20th through November 25th,
will honor highly regarded film-editor Joel Cox with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The virtuoso piano performances of Ignace Paderewski (1860--1941), were once known world wide. Also the Prime Minister of Poland, he was the first soloist to perform on the opening night of Carnegie Hall in 1891. This Statesman was known for his brilliant, sensitive playing, tossing his long hair as he pounded on the piano keys. In 1913, when his career was about to end because his hands would no longer play due to neuritis, a friend suggested he go to Paso Robles, California, to heal his hands in the natural hot springs there, with their healing minerals and unique water-qualities. Over the years he visited Paso many times, and bought land as well. In the early 1920s, he planted Petite Sirah and Zinfandel wine-grapes on his Rancho San Ignacio vineyard, and brought much attention to the area as a wine region. He is said to have traveled by private rail car along with his piano to practice, and was known to have been a Paso Robles resident for at least eight years, enjoying the fabulous Old World elegance of the once-glorious Paso Robles Inn of that era.

Paso Robles has celebrated it's own Paderewski Festival for about ten years. The choice to create an award named for Paderewski, is based in part on the festival's theme of 'Music In Film', and also honors the city's history. Academy-Award-winning film-editor Joel Cox will be the first recipient of the 'Ignace Paderewski Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to the World of Music and Movies'. Adding to this special tribute, along with the great list of folks from Clint Eastwood's Malpaso Music Machine, the festival is honored to give this award to Joel Cox.

Joel Cox (Editor) has worked with actor and film-maker Clint Eastwood for more than 30 years, on films that include "Bird," "Eastwood After Hours: Live at Carnegie Hall," Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends," and co-edited Clint Eastwood's "Piano Blues." Joel has been editor on movies like "Flags of Our Fathers," "Million Dollar Baby," "Mystic River," "Blood Work," "Space Cowboys," "True Crime," "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Absolute Power," "The Bridges of Madison County," "A Perfect World," and "Unforgiven," for which he won an Academy Award for Best Editor in 1992.

Cox has spent his entire career at Warner Bros. starting in 1961, most notably on Eastwood's films. The relationship began in 1975 when Cox worked as an assistant editor on "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Since then, he has cut 30 more films that have, in some combination, either starred, been produced or directed by Clint Eastwood. "Sudden Impact" was Cox's first film as editor, a title he has held ever since on such films as "Tightrope," "Pale Rider," "Heartbreak Ridge," "The Dead Pool," "Pink Cadillac," "White Hunter, Black Heart," and "The Rookie." Joel has been working in film since appearing as a baby in "Random Harvest" (1942). His first film as an assistant editor was on the 1969 film "The Wild Bunch" directed by Sam Peckinpah. He just finished the soon-to-be-released Eastwood film "Changeling," and presently is working on "Gran Torino", staring and directed by Eastwood. Adding to this tribute to Joel Cox, other Malpaso company attendees will include Rob Lorenz, Bruce Ricker, Judie Hoyt, Joe Hyams, Gary Roach, Blu Murray, Deana Lou, Jessica Meier, and others. More on Joel Cox at PRDFF.com.