When Patricia Clarkson—fellow New Orleanian and our newly crowned NOFS Celluloid Hero 2025—stepped onto the red carpet for the New Orleans premiere of her latest film LILLY, it already felt like a history-making hometown moment. Then CBS Sunday Morning devoted an entire eight-minute feature to Patti’s remarkable career, her New Orleans roots, and the women’s-rights drama at the heart of LILLY—and capped it with footage from NOFS’ very own screening.
That national spotlight showed exactly why we rushed to bring LILLY home first: it’s a fierce, timely story led by an actor who embodies the spirit of New Orleans—bold, resilient, and unafraid to speak truth on-screen and off. Hosting the early screening before the film hits theaters allowed our audience to experience the conversation-starting power of LILLY alongside the artist who brought Lilly Ledbetter’s story to life.
Stay tuned—this is just the beginning of our 2025 celebration of Patricia Clarkson and the transformative stories NOFS champions every day.