FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It’s a milestone year for the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary by honoring a comedy legend who has spent five decades making audiences laugh.
Chevy Chase was in Fort Lauderdale to receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. But the night wasn’t just about looking back at his career -- it also highlighted a new personal project.
The festival hosted the premiere of “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” a documentary that examines what it calls the “genius and self-destruction” behind the actor’s trademark smirk.
The film takes an unfiltered look at Chase’s rise, his impact on comedy and the personal struggles that shaped his career.
Director Marina Zenovich said the goal was to present a full portrait of the man behind the fame.
“He was kind enough to give me the time and I’m not really sure why he did it, but I think he wants to understand himself more,” Zenovich said. “So even though he pushed back, I feel like he gave me as much as he was willing to, which was the lie.”
Chase’s family was on hand for the celebration, including his daughter, Sydney, and his wife, Jayni, who joined him for the red carpet event.
“The laughter that he brings to me from my family,” said Sydney Chase. “And I mean, at the moment he wakes up, he’s saying funny things. He’s not even trying.”
“It’s wonderful to see, you know, to see him on screen and get all those clips from his work and understand and hear our friends and people talk about him on camera and my daughters,” said Jayni Chase.
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