Ron Howard Award for Best Director), "Cinderella Man", "The Da Vinci Code", "Angels & Demons", "Rush", "In the Heart of the Sea" and "Inferno". Howard showcased the world premiere of his film "Frost/Nixon" at the 2008 London Film Festival in October 2008. Howard was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival's 2009 Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award. Michael Keaton presented him with the Award. Howard took over directing duties on "", a film featuring "Star Wars" character Han Solo in his younger years. The film was released on May 23, 2018. Howard officially replaced directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on June
Robot & Frank while critical of what he saw as a film "more concerned with telling a story and moving an audience than challenging anyone," recommended it overall as "sturdily crafted" and well-acted. The film won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, tying with the Kashmiri film "Valley of Saints". Robot & Frank Robot & Frank is a 2012 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford. Set in the near future, it focuses on Frank Weld, an aging jewel thief played by Frank Langella, whose son buys him a domestic robot.