Palm Springs International Film Festival 2014 - Announcement

 

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Palm Springs International Film Festival 2014 - Announcement

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

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VARIETY TO HONOR JOHN LEE HANCOCK, JONAH HILL AND
“10 DIRECTORS TO WATCH” AT 2014 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

John Lee Hancock Film Director

John Lee Hancock to Receive the Variety Creative Impact in Directing Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz.
 

Jonah Hill Actor

Jonah Hill to receive the Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz.

   Variety will present director John Lee Hancock with the Creative Impact in Directing Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz, which celebrates the filmmaker for his outstanding contributions to the art and business of cinema, notably his work in directing the upcoming “Saving Mr. Banks.”  Additionally, Variety will honor Jonah Hill with the Creative Impact in Acting Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz for his scope of work ranging from his comedic performances and more dramatic fare such as his Academy Award^® nominated role in “Moneyball” to the upcoming highly-anticipated Scorsese film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The event will take place on Sunday, January 5 during the Palm Springs International Film Festival on the Palm Court at the Parker Palm Springs.

“2013 will be remembered as one of American cinema’s most exciting years and contributing tremendously to that excitement are the contributions of “Saving Mr. Banks” director John Lee Hancock and “The Wolf of Wall Street” actor Jonah Hill.  In addition to their successes this year, both Hancock and Hill have rich bodies of work to celebrate and both exemplify the continuing creative vitality and artistic risk-taking of American film at its best,” said Steve Gaydos, Executive Editor at Variety. 

 Previous recipients have included David O. Russell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg.

  “10 Directors to Watch”

 “10 Directors to Watch” debuted in 1996 and the annual event moved to the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2011.  “10 Directors to Watch” was the first of Variety’s “10 to Watch” series spotlighting the most exciting new talents in the fields of directing, writing, producing, acting, cinematography and comedy.  This year’s “10 Directors to Watch” include: Amma Asante (“Belle”), Clio Barnard (“The Selfish Giant”), Anthony Chen (“Ilo, Ilo), Paul Duane (“Very Extremely Dangerous”), Ben Falcone (“Tammy”), Maya Forbes (“Infinitely Polar Bear”), Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly (“Beneath the Harvest Sky”), Dome Karukoski (“Heart of a Lion”), Justin Simien (“Dear White People”), Gren Wells (“The Road Within”).  

     Past “10 Directors to Watch” honorees have included Ben Affleck (“Gone Baby Gone”), Wes Anderson (“Bottle Rocket”), Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”), Marc Webb (“500 Days of Summer”), Christopher Nolan (“Memento”), Sam Taylor Wood (“Nowhere Boy”) and Benh Zeitlin (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”), among others.

    Palm Springs International Film Festival Director Darryl Macdonald stated, “Ten striking new talents with exceptional storytelling gifts, one consummately gifted established director with an adroit ability to evoke superb performances from his actors, and that rare thing: a fast-rising actor who's as adept at doing comedy as he is at handling drama.  This is a heady combination, and one that I hope reflects the mix of emerging talent and masters of their craft that the Palm Springs Festival itself has come to represent.  We're delighted to again be hosting Variety's ‘10 Directors to Watch’ event at the Festival, and congratulate all of the winners on being selected for these prestigious honors.”

 

 “We are thrilled to be kicking off our 25^th Anniversary with Variety's ‘10 Directors to Watch’ event at the Parker on our opening weekend,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen Du Toit. “And we are doubly delighted by the synergy of our shared commitment to celebrating the best of international cinema and spotlighting exciting new talent from around the globe.”

 The event will be presented by Mercedes-Benz with venue partner the Parker Palm Springs.

© 2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM 

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