Laura Dern and Will Arnett Attend The 2025 SFFILM Honors for Bradley Cooper’s 'Is This Thing On?'

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — SFFILM brought together filmmakers, artists and cinephiles at the Premier Theater at One Letterman to honor Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?,” drawing stars Laura Dern and Will Arnett for a night that felt as intimate as the film itself.

The film embodies the signature, artist-driven storytelling that has defined the SF Honors program since its inception in 2016, according to the organization.

“'Is This Thing On?' represents the kind of fresh, distinctive filmmaking that SF Honors celebrates,” said Todd Traina, SFFILM Board President. “Bradley Cooper’s unique vision and style, and the stellar acting by the skilled cast, all lend itself to the special magic of this film.”

Cooper’s new dramedy frames the aftermath of divorce with a mix of humor and quiet heartbreak. At its center is Alex Novak, played by Will Arnett, a middle-aged man unmoored by separation who drifts into New York’s stand-up scene almost by chance.

Opposite Arnett, Laura Dern plays Tess, his estranged wife, whose long-buried sacrifices and frustrations rise to the surface as the two navigate co-parenting and the shifting terms of their relationship. The film moves between laughter and melancholy, tracing Alex’s slow rediscovery of self through performance.

Scroll down for highlights from the 2025 SF Honors.

This year’s SF Honors event arrived just days after SFFILM’s Awards Night 2025, held on December 12 at the Gateway Pavilion at Pier 2. That gala celebrated a separate slate of honorees, including Kristen Stewart, Benicio del Toro, Wunmi Mosaku, and Scott Cooper, and drew a mix of Hollywood guests, local artists, and civic leaders.

Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?” joins previous SF Honors recipients, including Oscar-winning films such as Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” Siân Heder’s “CODA,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio,” and Joe Wright’s “Darkest Hour.”

Together, Awards Night and SF Honors created a week-long celebration of cinema in San Francisco, underscoring the city’s role as a vibrant cultural hub during the height of awards season. For many attendees, the back-to-back events offered a festive reminder of the Bay Area’s enduring connection to film and the artists who bring these stories to life.

2025 SF Honors Award Presentation

Laura Dern

Will Arnett

(L-R) Anne Lai, Laura Dern, Will Arnett, Todd Traina and Jessie Fairbanks