Less than a month ago, Stephen Colbert took his final bow as host of the CBS show. Late show. Last Wednesday night, it was his wife, Effie Colbert, who was in the spotlight, receiving the inaugural Evelyn McGee Colbert Visionary Award from Montclair Film, the New Jersey-based nonprofit behind the Montclair Film Festival, for which Effie Colbert until recently served as board president. In addition to receiving the now annual award, which will be named after the Effie, Effie and Stephen Colbert have established the Evelyn McGee-Colbert Visionary Fund to provide Montclair Film with the resources needed to highlight visionary industry leaders and create community through storytelling.
Evie Colbert recently moved into the position of Chair Emeritus of the Montclair Film Board, stepping down after nearly a decade of day-to-day involvement.
Although she will continue to remain closely involved in the organization (“it’s not going anywhere,” she insisted), the shift has provided an opportunity to recognize how far Montclair Film has come over its 15 years of existence and pay tribute to all the ways Evie Colbert has contributed to that growth.
And that’s exactly what the Colbert family, the Montclair Film Company leadership, and some famous faces did at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan amid shows like Joe McGinty and The Loser’s Lounge.
As new Board President Mary Ann Vaughn said when presenting her award to Effie Colbert, “16 years ago, Montclair Film began as the spark of an idea. Founder Bob Feinberg invited Effie to coffee, and together they imagined a modest film festival. From that simple meeting, Montclair Film evolved into something extraordinary today. Montclair Film is much more than a film festival. Our nonprofit is a vibrant, year-round organization featuring robust educational programs and two cinemas Thriving and of course thriving is the 10-day film festival that started it all, and through the support of everyone in this room tonight, we have built a cultural cornerstone for our community and for the film industry.
As Evie Colbert herself said: “We’re not just a little nonprofit anymore, with a four-day festival and a bunch of board members who go to parties and play shows frequently,” recalling how she and others involved with the festival used to put together red carpet backdrops in the festival’s early days.
“We are a $6.5 million organization,” she added. “I think we have 23 full-time employees. Our educational programs reach over 5,000 students each year, and we operate two independent art film screening halls.”
During her speech, Evie Colbert reflected on how she and her husband were navigating career changes and revealed how many of the same principles Stephen Colbert kept in mind during his time on Late Night influenced her work with Montclair Film.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about transitions lately,” she said. “The Colbert family has been through quite a few of these problems. Last week, we moved Stephen out of his office in… Late ShowHe showed me a small scrap of paper that I had never seen before. It’s taped to the edge of his desk. Only five words written on it: Loyalty, Respect, Trust, Honesty and Love. He kept it there for over 21 years as a reminder of the kind of show he wanted to lead. Well, over the past 15 years, it’s been an incredible honor to work with all of you to build something we love, we do it with trust, honesty and respect, and you’ve all done it with me.
Evie Colbert also offered her personal thanks to her husband as she expressed her deep gratitude to the many individuals who were instrumental in the creation and growth of Montclair Films. Evie Colbert recalled Stephen Colbert saying when she first got involved with Montclair Film: “That sounds like a really fun idea. Why don’t you do it and let me help you?”
“And after 20,000 interviews, she helped us,” she added, mocking the number of Hollywood stars he has group chatted with at Montclair events over the years.
Now the Colberts continue to help Montclair Film into the future through their Vision Fund.
“I love living in this world we’ve built. It’s a world that celebrates how storytelling deepens our connections and acknowledges our shared humanity. That environment is sometimes hard to find these days, which is why Stephen and I decided to create this dream fund. We wanted to create a reserve fund that would provide annual support to bring filmmakers and industry leaders to Montclair. So they can share their work, stories and experiences with our community,” said Evie Colbert, thanking those who have contributed to the fund. “With your help, we have ensured that Montclair Film will continue to grow into a leading destination for film artists.”
Stephen Colbert, who took the stage after Effie Colbert, said he was “so proud” to be her husband.
“I’m so happy that she’s getting this honor here tonight,” he added. “For the last 15 years, I’ve said, ‘I don’t understand why you’re doing this.’ Nobody’s chanting your name and your name’s not on the front of the building!” I know she’s been incredibly moved by what everyone has said here tonight, and I know how uncomfortable she is with this level of spotlight. She has dedicated her life to nonprofits, the arts, and serving others, and it runs in her family’s blood. Building the community we grew up in has been so important to Patti and Peter McGee, and I know more than anyone else in the universe that your mom and dad look up to you and are so proud of you.
A number of Colbert’s famous friends also sent video messages expressing their support for Effie and her work with Montclair Film — or at least that’s what they were supposed to say.
Steve Carell wished her a happy birthday and began singing before his wife, Nancy, corrected him that she was “stepping down as creative director of Montclair Film.” “Congratulations,” Carell resumed, to the tune of “Happy Birthday.”
Conan O’Brien joked that he traveled to Morocco to honor him and spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” just on his hat. John Oliver poked fun at his personal film history, joking that he was a “certified movie star”, citing his roles in… Love teacher and Smurfs The films, which he joked, “currently have 14 percent on Rotten Tomatoes out of a 15 percent max, I suppose. I’m pretty sure that’s how the numbers work.” Central Jersey native Jon Stewart joked that he’s not “jealous in any way” of the Montclair Film Festival.
But arguably the strongest criticism came from Jimmy Fallon, who quipped, referring to the way CBS has replaced CBS. Late Show With Byron Allen Comics unleashed“I don’t know how we’re going to get Byron Allen out to Montclair, New Jersey.”
