Morgan Freeman to be honored at 21st Palm Springs International Film Festival

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on November 11, 2009 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon stars in Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood

The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Morgan Freeman with the Career Achievement Award for Acting. The Festival runs January 5-18.

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What Recession? Revenue and Attendance Up for the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF)

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on January 23, 2009 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), which ran from January 6-19, 2009, showcased 208 films from 73 countries and set new records in both box office and attendance. The Festival announced today that box office ticket sales reached $1,126,900 and attendance rose to 129,677 attendees up 3% from last year. The star-studded Awards Gala, presented by Cartier, grossed ticket sales of $1,037,000 with 1,600 people attending. All Festival passes also sold out including the Festival’s “6-pack,” Benefactor Pass, Concierge Pass and Platinum Pass.

Frank Langella, Ron Howard at Palm Springs International Film Festival

Festival Chairman Harold Matzner described the record-breaking revenue performance at the Festival Awards Gala and box office as, “Amazing in this economic environment and a reflection of the outstanding product brought to the public by our Executive Director Darryl Macdonald, our film programming department and our Awards Gala staff.”

20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Winners

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on January 20, 2009 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival announced this year’s award winners. The Festival, held from January 6-19, 2009, screened 208 films from 73 countries, including 50 of the 67 foreign entries for this year’s Academy Awards®.

AWARDS

This year’s Festival attendees selected “Departures” (Japan) directed by Yojiro Takita, as the Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. A failed cellist connects with his inner undertaker, his rural hometown and his newly deceased father in this tonally eccentric, lushly scored, moving drama. The film is on the Academy Awards® shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film nominations.

Other audience narrative favorites include: Patrik, Age 1.5, Like Dandelion Dust, The Necessities of Life, Captain Abu Raed, Tear This Heart Out, $5 a Day, Marcello Marcello, The Little Traitor, We Can Do That, Everlasting Moments, Every Child is Special, Stone of Destiny, Moscow Belgium, The Black Balloon, American Primitive, Cherry Blossoms, Baby Love and Passchendaele.

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman (USA), directed by Eric Bricker, received the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, the film tells the story of California-based Julius Shulman, who became the world’s preeminent architecture photographer and the man who defined the way we view modernism.

Other audience documentary favorites include: Valentino: The Last Emperor, The English Surgeon, Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh, Herb and Dorothy, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi Li, Trip to Asia: The Quest for Harmony, Forgotten Transports: To Estonia, Creative Nature, An Unlikely Weapon, Prodigal Sons and Maynard Dixon: Art and Spirit.

A special jury of international film critics reviewed the official Best Foreign Language submissions to the Academy Awards® screened at this year’s Festival to award the FIPRESCI Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. The jury selected Revanche, the submission from Austria directed by Götz Spielmann. Commenting on the film, juror Lisa Nesselson from Screen International said, “Revanche from Austria is the suspenseful story of a heist whose unexpected repercussions radiate out with satisfying moral complexity.” The film is on the Academy Awards® shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film nominations.

Natar Ungalaaq received the FIPRESCI Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Necessities of Life (Canada) directed by Benoît Pilon, and Martina Gusman received the FIPRESCI Award for Best Actress for her performance in Lion’s Den (Argentina) directed by Pablo Trapero.

The New Voices/New Visions category features films from twelve new international directors whose first or second films have been selected by the Festival’s programming team to represent the best work of previously unheralded talents emerging in the narrative film making field with a particularly high standard of accomplishment and innovative technique. The jury selected Hooked (Romania/France) directed by Adrian Sitaru. A Special Jury Mention went to Rain (Bahamas), directed by Maria Govan.

Other films screened for this award were Among the Clouds (Iran), Ciao Bella (Sweden), Eugene (USA), Grown Ups (France/Sweden), Machan (Sri Lanka/Italy/Germany), The Seven Days (Israel), The Shaft (China), Small Crime (Cyprus), Unspoken (Belgium) and The Wedding Song

Amin Matalqa received the John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature (Narrative or Documentary) for the film Captain Abu Raed (Jordon/USA). This honor, selected by the Festival programming team, acknowledges the work of a first-time filmmaker whose narrative or documentary feature represents particular distinction and the promise of a major filmmaking career.

Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film winner Waltz with Bashir (Israel), directed by Ari Folman, received the Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders to the film that is the most successful in bringing the people of our world closer together.

Founded in 1990 by then-Mayor Sonny Bono, the Palm Springs International Film Festival has evolved into one of the largest film festivals in North America. (Tunisia/France).

Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn, Gus Van Sant and Alexandre Desplat to be Honored at the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on December 26, 2008 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Academy Award® winner Dustin Hoffman with the Chairman’s Award, Academy Award® nominee Gus Van Sant with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award and Academy Award® nominee Alexandre Desplat with the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing.

Dustin Hoffman will receive the Chairman’s Award.  The past recipient of the award is Nicole Kidman.  Hoffman currently stars in “Last Chance Harvey” (pictured), which will open the Festival on January 8, 2009.  The film is a love story set in London, written and directed by Joel Hopkins, and co-starring Emma Thompson.

Gus Van Sant will receive the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, named after the founder of the Festival.  Past recipients include David Cronenberg, Todd Field, Baz Lurhmann, M. Night Shyamalan and Kevin Spacey.  Van Sant’s acclaimed current film, “Milk,” tells the story of Harvey Milk, who in 1977 was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America.  His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum.  From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. The Focus Features film stars Academy Award winner Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna and James Franco.

Alexandre Desplat will receive the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing. Previous participants of the award include James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, Phillip Glass, Howard Shore and Randy Newman.  Desplat provides the score for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, adapted by Eric Roth, from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. [via]

Sean Penn will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for acting. Penn will receive the award at the film festival gala on Jan. 6 for his performance in “Milk,” as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to serve as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was assassinated in 1978. [via]

2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival Announces Line-up of 210 Films

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on December 17, 2008 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival has announced a roster of 210 films, culled from 73 countries for the 2009 Festival.  The selection of films for screening includes a total of 77 premieres (14 World, 48 U.S. and 16 North American).  Also, 50 of the 67 films submitted for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Academy Awards will be screened at this year’s Festival, held from January 8-19, 2009.  (Complete list of this year’s films)

“Over the course of its first 19 years, this Festival has always celebrated creative expression and embraced a diversity of visions and viewpoints,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald.  “Happily, we are reaching our 20th anniversary milestone at a time when a new generation of filmmaking talent is
making its debut on the world stage, with about one-third of this year’s film selections by first or second-time directors.  Just as this year’s line-up brings the promise of new voices to infuse the cinema with a renewal of its creative energy, the Festival itself is undergoing a reincarnation of sorts, with new staff, a fresh sense of purpose where the industry is concerned, and a clear eye to the future of the art form.”

Director of Programming Helen du Toit, who was appointed to the position earlier this year, commented, “This year’s PSIFF lineup reflects a new direction for us.  It’s a leaner, more focused selection of international gems, with more space devoted to independent American productions, documentaries and new film and talent discoveries from around the globe.”

GALA SCREENINGS

The Festival will open on Thursday, January 8 with the screening of “Last Chance Harvey” (USA) (pictured) at the Palm Springs High School, followed by a reception at the Palm Springs Art Museum.  Directed by Joel Hopkins, the film tells the story of a struggling New York jingle writer and a lonely British bureaucrat who meet in London and transform one another’s lives.  “Last Chance Harvey” stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson who each received a Golden Globe nomination (for Best Actor and Best Actress in the Music or Comedy category) for their performances in the film.

In addition to the Opening Night Gala, the Festival will hold four international galas, a series of special screenings celebrating Festival programming showcases including:

• 20^th Anniversary Gala:  $5 a Day (USA)-Marking its U.S. premiere, the film is a tale of a son forced to reunite with his con-artist father during a cross-country odyssey.  Directed by Nigel Cole, the film stars Christopher Walken, Allesandro Nivolo, Amanda Peet and Sharon Stone.
• Gala:  Alien Trespass (USA) - A world premiere, directed by R.W. Goodwin and starring Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird, Dan Lauria and Robert Patrick.  Set in 1957, a fiery object from space hurtles into a California desert mountaintop.  A murderous creature - the Ghota, bent on destroying all life forms on the planet - escapes from the flying saucer.  A benevolent alien, Urp, inhabits the body of Ted Lewis (Eric McCormack), a local astronomer, and with the help of Tammy, a waitress from the local diner, sets out to save mankind.
• The Gay!La:  Chef’s Special (Spain) - Directed by Nacho Velilla, a cook ditches dreams of Michelin stardom to manage a small barrio eatery.  Javier Cámara, Lola Dueñas, Fernando Terjero and Benjamin Vicuña star.
• Closing Night Film: The Burning Plain (USA)- A U.S. premiere and directorial debut of award-winning screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros), is the layered story of a self-destructive woman and two intertwined families.  The film stars Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence and Joaquim de Almeida.

PREMIERES

The Festival will offer a selection of 77 premieres of highly anticipated films showcasing the diversity of international cinema.

World Premieres include:  (untitled) (USA), Alien Trespass (USA), American Primitive (USA), Baghdad, Texas (USA), Bedford: The Town They Left Behind (USA), Dark and Stormy Night (USA), Eugene (USA), Frank the Rat (USA), Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner (USA), The Inheritance of War (USA), The Least Among You (USA), Like Dandelion Dust (USA), ShowGirls, Provincetown, MA (USA), Tales from the Script (USA).

North American Premieres include: Egon & Dönci (Hungary), Flowers of the Sky (Sri Lanka/India), The Green Dumpster Mystery (Israel), Hope Eternal (UK/Zambia/Congo/ Zimbabwe/South Africa), Kandisha (Morocco), The Karamazovs (Czech Republic/Poland), Marcello Marcello (Switzerland), Opium War (Afghanistan/Japan/Korea/France), Painted Skin (Hong Kong/Singapore/China), Ploning (Philippines), Robert Zimmermann is Tangled Up in Love (Germany), The Seven Days (Israel), Small Crime (Greece), Tahaan - A Boy with a Grenade (India), The Witch of the West Is Dead (Japan), Zrubavel (Israel).

U.S. Premieres include:  Addicted to Plastic! The Rise and Demise of a Modern Miracle (Canada), Among the Clouds (Iran), As Slow as Possible (Canada/Germany), Baby Love (France), Blind Loves (Slovakia), Blue Gold: World Water Wars (USA), The Burning Plain (USA), Ciao Bella (Sweden), Dean Spanley (New Zealand/UK), Forgotten Transports: To Estonia (Czech Republic), The Girl From Monaco (France), Goodbye Solo (USA), Grown Ups (France/Sweden), Hooked (Romania/France), The Hurt Locker (USA), Il Divo (Italy/France), In Your Absence (Spain), It’s Not me, I Swear! (Canada), Kanchivaram (India), The Kautokeino Rebellion (Norway), Last Stop 174 (Brazil), Love and Other Crimes (Serbia/Germany/Austria/Slovenia), Machan (Italy/Sri Lanka/Germany), The Market - A Tale of Trade (Germany/UK/Turkey/Kazakhstan), Melodrama HabibiModern Life (France), The Necessities of Life (Canada), A Pain in the Ass (France), Pandora’s BoxPasschendaele (Canada), Pedro (USA), A Police Romance (France), Public Enemy Number One (Part 1 & 2) (France/Canada), Rain (Bahamas), Salt of This Sea (Palestine), The Sea Wall (France/Cambodia/Belgium), The Seed of Discord (Italy), The Shaft (China), The Tour (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina), Unspoken (Belgium), Václav (Czech Republic), The Wedding Song (Tunisia/France), We Can Do That (Italy), The Window (Argentina/Spain), When a Man Comes Home (Denmark/Sweden), Woman’s Hearts (Italy/Morocco), The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi Li (Canada). (France), (Turkey/France/Germany/Belgium),

AWARDS BUZZ

As part of the Awards Buzz program, the Festival will screen 50 of the 67 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Foreign Language Film.  A special jury of international film critics will review these films to award the FIPRESCI Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Actor and Best Actress.  The 2008 FIPRESCI jury members will include Peter Keough (USA), Lisa Nesselson (France) and Roger Clarke (UK).

NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS

The New Voices/New Visions Award will honor one of 12 features from new international talents making their first or second films.  The films will be judged by Orly Ravid, V.P. of U.S. Acquisitions and Distribution Senator Entertainment; Kattie Evans, National Geographic Films, V.P. Acquisitions; and Michael Kananack, V.P. Sales and Acquisitions, Neoclassics Films Ltd.  Films selected for this year include:

• Among the Clouds (Iran) - In southwest Iran, near the border with Iraq, a resourceful 16-year-old baggage porter becomes smitten with a slightly older Iraqi girl who’s not what she seems in this bittersweet drama.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Rouhollah Hejazi.
• Ciao Bella (Sweden) - When Iranian-born Swede Mustafa is transformed into Latin lover Massimo, his suave manners and sense of style attract working-class beauty Linnea. This sassily humorous love story manages to address serious issues, including national stereotyping, racism and an increasingly sexualized youth environment.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Mani Maserrat-Agha.
• Eugene (USA)- Marking its world premiere, Jake Barsha’s feature debut is a brilliantly disturbing psychological thriller about a lonely bachelor who befriends a young hustler and his girlfriend, with disastrous results for all involved. Strong performances - Stuart Bennett in the lead role is particularly fine - support Eugene’s taut script and beautiful camerawork.
• Grown Ups (France/Sweden) - This U.S. premiere tells the story of a single French father and his shy teen daughter discover romance and deal with a shift in their own relationship during a Swedish summer holiday.  Debuting director Anna Novion proves an astute observer of human interactions in this wistfully charming comic drama.
• Hooked (Romania/France) - A day in the country becomes a crisis of conscience for two lovers after they hit a prostitute with their car.  Presumed dead, she suddenly wakes up, and the couple lies to her about the accident.  Hooked’s naturalistic, handheld visual style complements the psychological complexity of the screenplay.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Adrian Sitaru.
• Machan (Italy/Sri Lanka/Germany) - Based on a real-life event, Machan tells the story of a group of slum dwellers on the margins of society who find an invitation to a handball tournament in Bavaria, and band together to form the unlikely Sri Lanka National Handball Team.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Uberto Pasolini.
• Rain (Bahamas) - Teenager Rain (Renel Naomi Brown) embarks on a quest to find her mother, whom she has never met, and is devastated by what she finds.  Director Maria Govan’s powerful debut feature, marking its U.S. premiere, exposes viewers to a side of life in the Bahamas rarely seen by outsiders.
• The Seven Days (Israel) - When a large clan (a who’s who of Israel’s finest performers) gathers for the funeral and shiva of a loved one, bitterness and family feuds soon take precedence over mourning.  A North American premiere, directed by Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz.
• The Shaft (China) - Set amid the imposing mountains of western China, the dreams and disappointments of a family of coalmine workers poignantly reflect the plight of a vast number of ordinary laborers unable to climb the ladder of the country’s post-Communist economy.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Zhang Chi.
• South Desert (Chile) - Young Sofia finds a letter her mother had written before her recent death. Returned because the addressee was unknown, the letter leads Sofia on an adventure from Spain to the far south of Chile looking for answers.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Shawn Garry.
• Unspoken (Belgium) - When something truly heartbreaking happens in a family, the deepest response is often unspoken. A middle-aged Belgian couple struggle with the loss of their daughter five years on.  A U.S. premiere, directed by Fien Troch.
• The Wedding Song (Tunisia/France) - This U.S. premiere is Karin Albou’s (Little Jerusalem) sophomore feature and confirms her status as a rising star in the art-film firmament.  The story of a Muslim girl and a Jewish girl who bond intensely during the Nazi occupation of Tunis is taboo breaking, sensual and political, all at the same time.

MODERN MASTERS

Ten films have been selected as part of Modern Masters program highlighting the latest work of established directors at the forefront of contemporary international cinema.

• Adam Resurrected (USA/Israel/Germany) - Paul Schrader’s brilliant new work tells the story of Adam Stein, who grapples with a paralytic case of survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of the Holocaust. An extraordinary performance by Jeff Goldblum captures the essence of the complex central character, a man who survived while those around him perished.  The film also stars Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer and Moritz Bleibtreu.
• Cherry Blossoms (Germany) - This profoundly moving story of marital love, directed by Doris Dörrie, won the Most Popular Film Award at the Seattle Film Festival.  Trudi discovers that Rudi is suffering from a terminal disease, but decides to keep it from him.  Instead she plans to take a long-planned trip together to Japan to visit their son.
• Everlasting Moments (Sweden/Denmark) - Veteran Swedish director Jan Troell (best known for The Emigrants, his classic from 1971) returns with this elegant, perfectly realized period family drama starring the luminous Maria Heiskanen as Maria Larsson, a pioneer of Swedish photography - and the mother of seven - at the turn of the 20th century. Troell at his exemplary best.
• Four Nights with Anna (Poland/France) - This beautifully-acted, gracefully told oddball story marks the welcome return of cinematic master Jerzy Skolimowski, after a self-imposed sabbatical.  His exquisite new film centers on sad sack Leon (Artur Steranko), who becomes romantically obsessed with nurse Anna (Kinga Preis) whose brutal rape he witnessed - or may have committed.
• The Hurt Locker (USA) - The Hurt Locker is a masterwork thriller that plunges us into the world of highly trained men who defuse bombs for the Army.  Based on real experiences, director Kathryn Bigelow keeps the tension amped up from the first scene to create a suspense film that rightly joins the pantheon of great American war films.  This U.S. premiere stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes.
• Kabei (Japan) - Set in 1940 Tokyo, veteran Yoji Yamada’s 80th feature is a deeply affecting drama centering on mother and wife Kayo (Sayuri Yoshinaga), who struggles to get along with her two daughters after her professor husband is jailed for his progressive views.  A film that mixes poignancy and humor in equal measure.
• Modern Life (France) - The third in a series of films centering on the lives of French paysans. Director Raymond Depardon’s remarkable documentary follows several families who live off the land in rural Haut-Garonne.  Told from the farmer’s point of view, Modern Life is a deeply personal look at the complexities of “the simple life.”span>
• Mommy is at the Hairdresser’s (Canada) - School’s out for the summer of 1966, but for Élise, the abrupt departure of her long-suffering mother means she’ll have to care for her father and two brothers.  Director L&ea Pool uses the perfect blend of sweet aesthetics and sorrowful subject matter to tell this poignant coming-of-age story.
• Of Time and the City (UK) - A cinematic ode to Liverpool, England, the film tracks director Terence Davies’ love/hate relationship with his birthplace over the course of his life. Showing the elusive glamour and the ever-present drudgery of daily life, Davies lays bare his inner longing and occasional loathing for the city that formed him.
• White Night Wedding (Iceland) - An irreverent uprooting and updating of Anton Chekhov’s play Ivanov, directed by Baltasar Kormákur.  A middle-aged professor about to get married for the second time to a woman half his age - despite the opposition of his future parents-in-law - starts to get cold feet.

FESTIVAL AWARDS

The John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature or Documentary acknowledges the work of a first-time filmmaker whose film is presented in any program at the Festival.  Audience Awards will also be presented for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature.  Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema without Borders will be presented to an international film that extols the universality of the human experience, bridging the borders between nations and promoting international understanding.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMS

World Cinema Now will feature 93 films in a wide-ranging overview of contemporary international cinema.  True Stories highlights 39 of the best new films in contemporary non-fiction cinema.  Archival Treasures will feature the three films Midnight Cowboy (USA), Love One Another (Germany) and The Jester

AWARDS GALA

The Festival’s annual Awards Gala, on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, presented by Cartier and hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Mary Hart, will honor Clint Eastwood with the Career Achievement Award, Ron Howard with the Director’s Lifetime Achievement Award, (Poland).Revolutionary Road with the Ensemble Performance Award, Anne Hathaway with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for Acting, Amy Adams with the Spotlight Award and Dakota Fanning with the Rising Star Award.

Kate Winslet to be honored at Santa Barbara and Palm Springs Fests

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on December 11, 2008 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) will welcome back five-time Academy Award nominee Kate Winslet by honoring her with the Montecito Award. Having previously received the Performance of the Year Award in 2005, Winslet returns to Arlington Theatre on Friday, January 23, becoming the festival’s first two-time honoree. [via]

Kate Winslet and the cast of “Revolutionary Road,” including Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kathy Bates, will also receive the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Ensemble Performance Award Jan. 6 at the festival’s Awards Gala. [via]

Clint Eastwood to receive Career Achievement Award at 2009 Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on December 10, 2008 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Clint Eastwood with the Career Achievement Award.   The festival earlier announced that it will also honor Amy Adams with the Spotlight Award for her performance in Doubt from Miramax Films, and in honor of his many contributions to the entertainment industry, will present Academy Award winner Ron Howard with its Director’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, Anne Hathaway will receive the prestigious acting honor, the Desert Palm Achievement Award.

Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will kick-off the 2009 Awards Season on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at the Palm Springs Convention Center and will be hosted by “Entertainment Tonight’s” Mary Hart.  The Festival runs January 6-19, 2009.

[via]

ANNE HATHAWAY TO RECEIVE DESERT PALM ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for BEST ACTRESS at 20th ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS GALA

Posted by editor@vimooz.com on November 5, 2008 under Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) | Be the First to Comment

The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Anne Hathaway with its prestigious acting honor, the Desert Palm Achievement Award. Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will kick-off the 2009 Awards Season on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at the Palm Springs Convention Center and will be hosted by “Entertainment Tonight’s” Mary Hart.  The Festival runs January 6-19, 2009.

Festival chairman Harold Matzner said, “Anne Hathaway has grown into one of this generation’s finest actresses.  The Palm Springs International Film Festival is delighted to bestow the Desert Palm Achievement Award for acting for her standout performance in Rachel Getting Married.” Past actresses that have received this award include Oscar® winners Charlize Theron and Halle Berry as well as Kate Winslet, Laura Linney and Naomi Watts.

Anne Hathaway shot to stardom playing opposite Meryl Streep in the sleeper hit The Devil Wears Prada in 2006. 2008 was a busy year: in addition to her appearance in the challenging role of Kym in Sony Pictures Classics’ Rachel Getting Married, directed by Jonathan Demme, Hathaway was seen this summer in the action-comedy Get Smart, starring alongside Steve Carell, and she starred in the drama Passengers for Sony Pictures with co-star Patrick Wilson, directed by Rodrigo Garcia, currently in theatres.  In 2007, Hathaway played the title role in the Jane Austen biopic Becoming Jane, starring opposite Maggie Smith and James McAvoy.

Hathaway also was recently seen in Ang Lee’s drama, Brokeback Mountain, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams.  Hathaway and the rest of the cast were nominated for Best Ensemble Cast at the 2005 ifp/Gotham Awards, as well as a 2006 SAG Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In addition, the film, its director and cast garnered numerous additional accolades, including seven Golden Globe nominations and eight Academy Award® nominations, including a win for Ang Lee for Best Director — the most received by any film that year.

In recent years, Hathaway starred in Garry Marshall’s anticipated sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement. Starring opposite Julie Andrews, Hathaway reprised her role as Princess Mia Thermopolis. She received a 2002 Teen Choice Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy for the original The Princess Diaries.  Other credits include the independent drama, Havoc, directed by Barbara Kopple; the title role in Miramax’s Ella Enchanted, based on Gail Carson Levine’s celebrated novel and directed by Tommy O’Haver; Nicholas Nickleby, based on the novel by Charles Dickens; and The Other Side of Heaven directed by Mitch Davis.  Hathaway will next be seen in the romantic comedy Bride Wars with Kate Hudson, directed by Gary Winick in January 2009.  She is currently filming Alice in Wonderland along with Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton.

via press release