Variety to Honor Will Smith, Charlie Kaufman at Palm Springs Film Festival
Variety will recognize Will Smith, Charlie Kaufman and this year’s 10 Directors to Watch at the 2016 Palm Springs Film Festival.
In commemoration of the scope of his acting, which ranges from standout comedic roles to dramatic Golden Globe-nominated performances like that of Dr. Bennet Omalu in “Concussion,” Smith will be awarded with the Creative Impact in Acting Award.
“Will Smith’s status as one of the world’s biggest box office stars has never obscured his strengths as one of American cinema’s finest actors,” said Variety VP and executive editor Steven Gaydos. “His penchant for taking on tough thesping assignments won’t surprise those who’ve paid attention to Smith’s range, which was vividly on display from the beginning of his career.”
Previous recipients of the acting achievement include Steve Carell, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Mark Wahlberg.
Variety will also present Kaufman with the Creative Impact in Directing Award. The award celebrates his portfolio of work as a director, particularly highlighting his contribution to the Golden Globe-nominated animated feature film “Anomalisa.”
“[Kaufman’s] three Oscar nominations, including a win for ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,’ more than validated our prediction of success, but more importantly Kaufman has only increased his capacity for startling us with original works,” said Gaydos.
Also being acknowledged are Variety‘s 2015 selection of 10 Directors to Watch, which include Don Cheadle, Deniz Gamze Erguven, Alex Garland, Ciro Guerra, Slavek Horak, Duke Johnson, Peter Landesman, Laszlo Nemes, Matt Ross and Elizabeth Wood.
Past 10 Directors to Watch honorees include Ben Affleck, Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan and Benh Zeitlin.
“Variety’s garden brunch at the beautiful Parker Hotel in celebration of their “10 Directors to Watch” has become a perennial favorite event at the festival,” said PSIFF artistic director Helen Du Toit. “And we are doubly delighted at the success already unspooling for the directors they have selected this year.”
The PSIFF runs from Jan. 1- 11. The event will be presented by Mercedes-Benz.
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