The Universe Multicultural Film Festival ( UMFF) started its honoree program from 2017 edition.  The program is opening for worldwide general public to nominate their favorite film makers via on line form that listed on its web site.

This year, the winners for the 2018 UMFF honorees are :

1. 

Lifetime Achievement Award: Gene Warren Jr, 
Gene Warren Jr. is an accomplished Oscar winner cinematographer, model maker, sculptor and stop motion animator. His experience in motion pictures, television and commercials began in 1962 at 21 years of age. Gene's profession is breaking down scripts and planning the visual effects for movies and television. In the early days, Gene worked on almost every feature and television show produced on the lot at Columbia Pictures. Some of the movies included: Walk Don’t Run, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, Murderers Row, Enter Laughing, Three On A Couch, Trouble With Angels, Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round and some of the television shows included: The Monkeys, Bewitched, I dream of Jeannie and the Flying Nun. Gene has won numerous awards for his work in Hollywood. Among them are an Emmy for visual effects in Winds of War and he won his Oscar in 1991 for Terminator II starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Gene spends his time these days writing novels and he also teaches visual effects at USC.

2. 

Trailblazer Award: Vida Ghaffari
Vida Ghaffari has been active on the Tinsel town scene as an award-winning actress and voiceover artist. This comedic powerhouse is best known for her appearances on the television comedies, Mind of Mencia on Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC and The Mindy Project formerly on FOX. These projects cap off a number of successes for the versatile starlet. She just wrapped a supporting role in Nation's Fire, which will be distributed by Universal opposite two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern, Emmy winner Gil Bellows, Laurene Landon and UFC Champion Chuck Liddell. Her other film, the much buzzed about Holy Terror opposite Mel Novak (Bruce Lee's Game of Death, Black Belt Jones) and Kristine DeBell (Meatballs, The Big Brawl). Holy Terror is climbing up the charts and is #11 on Amazon Prime UK. She's gotten local, national and international press from this project and was billed as the Persian Linda Blair from her work in this role. 
Vida also just shot Hybristophilia with Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock). She will also be voicing a lead role in the 3 time Peabody award nominated Suspense Show on XM satellite radio. 
Vida has been bestowed awards by The City of Los Angeles, The West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the World Networks Entrepreneur Award, the Los Angeles Nollywood Film Association, The Wind International Film Festival and the Lucky Strike Film Festival.