Oscar campaign for Javier Bardem begins with Palm Springs fest

 

While Colin Firth is already the early favorite for this year's lead actor award, there are still four other slots to fill in the category, and Roadside Attractions is beginning its push with Javier Bardem and his starring role in Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu's "Biutiful."

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is doing its part, announcing Wednesday that it has crowned Bardem with the International Star Award for its 22nd annual event. The confab, which runs from Jan. 6 to Jan. 17, has recently been a solid predictor when it comes to Oscar nominees. Last year the fest honored Anna Kendrick, who received an Oscar nom for "Up in the Air," and Jeff Bridges, who went on to win last year's lead actor award for "Crazy Heart."

Bardem will join already announced honorees  Jennifer Lawrence for "Winter's Bone" and last year's Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan ("Never Let Me Go", two likely noms in the lead actress race.

"Biutiful's" Cannes debut earlier this year made quite an impression on the crowd, with Bardem nabbing the acting award for his portrayal of an underground businessman and father working the streets of Barcelona in  Irritu's gritty drama. The Spanish actor is a constant on the awards circuit, already having earned an Oscar for 2007's "No Country for Old Men," and a nomination for his role in Julian Schnabel's 2001 drama "Before Night Falls." Focus Features will open the film for a limited Oscar qualifying run on Dec. 29.

The festival will present the award to Bardem on Jan. 8.

-- Nicole Sperling

Photo: Javier Bardem in "Biutiful." Credit: Jose Haro / Roadside Attractions

 

Wednesday Roundup: Oscar foreign film shortlist; PaleyFest 2010 lineup

From an original list of 65, nine films remain in the derby for the foreign language film Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards. The short list:

"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Argentina)

"Samson and Delilah" (Australia)

"The World is Big and Salvation is Right Around the Corner" (Bulgaria)

"Un Prophete (A Prophet)" (France)

"The White Ribbon" (Germany)

"Ajami" (Israel)

"Kelin" (Kazahkstan)

"Winter in Wartime" (The Netherlands)

"The Milk of Sorrow" (Peru)

Missing from this list are such critical and popular favorites as Romania's "Police, Adjective," Sweden's "Involuntary," Canada's "I Killed My Mother" (the latter two both recent winners at the Palm Springs International Film Festival), the U.K. documentary "Afghan Star," "Mother" from Korea's Bong Joon-ho, and recent Golden Globe nominee "Baaria" from Italy. With "White Ribbon" director Michael Haneke pulling somewhat into the lead with his Golden Globe win on Sunday, the race seems to be his to win, but there remains competition from Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet" and Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani's "Ajami," both of which, like "Ribbon," took honors at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, among many other awards.

From here, the list will be pared to five nominees by committees in New York and Los Angeles. They'll spend Jan. 29-31 (nice work if you can get it) screening the films on the short list and then picking the official nominees. Their decision, along with the rest of this year's nominees, will be announced Feb. 2, with the ceremony itself taking place March 7. Place your bets now.

Meanwhile, in the Land of Television, the Paley Center for Media has announced its lineup for the 27th PaleyFest, which presents panel discussions with the cast and creators of some of the most popular and critically acclaimed current series, including recent Golden Globe winner "Glee" as well as such hits as "Modern Family," "NCIS," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Cougar Town" and "Dexter." Audiences get to see highlights or episodes from the shows and then engage in a Q&A with the attending talent. This year's roster, which takes place from Feb. 26 to March 14:

Feb. 26: "Modern Family"

Feb. 27: "Lost"

March 1: "NCIS"

March 3: "Community"

March 4: "Dexter"

March 5: "Cougar Town" 

March 6: "The Vampire Diaries"

March 9: An evening with Seth Macfarlane and friends

March 10: "Breaking Bad"

March 11: "Flashforward"

March 12: "Men of a Certain Age"

March 13: "Glee"

March 14: "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

In addition, recorded discussions with panels from the past 27 PaleyFests will screen from Feb. 24 through March 14. Got a burning question for the folks from "Lost?" Dying to find out what the cast of "True Blood" said last year? Here's your place to find that satisfaction.

-- Paul Gaita

Top photo: Image from "The White Ribbon." Credit: Sony Pictures Classics. 

Bottom photo: Seth Macfarlane. Credit: Getty Images.

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The 21st Annual Palm Springs Film Festival ended its star-studded run by announcing the award winners in five categories, including narrative film, first feature or documentary, and foreign language film.

The Swedish/Danish German neo-noir thriller "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," adapted from the bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson, took top honors in the Mercedez-Benz Audience Award for best narrative feature, while the stateside doc "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," about the Vietnam-era whistle-blower, captured best documentary.

A jury of international critics screened the submissions for the best foreign film Oscar to hand out FIPRESCI Awards for best foreign film, as well as actor and actress. Sweden again rose to the occasion with "Involuntary," a fragmented drama about the effect of group think on various individuals, while juvenile non-pro Tedo Bekhauri was named best actor for the Georgian/Kazhakstan war film "The Other Bank." Anne Dorval won best actress for the harrowing Canadian film "I Killed My Mother."

South Korea's "A Brand New Life" was selected for the New Visions/New Voices category, which honors first-time directors on the international scene, while "Eyes Wide Open," from Israel, earned the John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature (Narrative or Documentary). And to complete the Scandinavian hat trick, Finland's "Letters to Father Jacob" was presented the Bridging the Borders Award, which pays tribute to films that bring the global community closer. The Palm Springs Film Festival ends today.

And so it's on to another film festival -- namely, Sundance, which kicks off Jan. 21 and runs until the Jan. 31. For many, this year's edition will be their latest of many trips to Park City, but there are still some who have yet to experience Sundance in all its wall-to-wall glory. For them, Larry Richman at ProNetworks has provided a handy survival guide to the ins and outs of the fest. This week's tip: how to see a movie at Sundance. One would think that a primer would not be necessary for such a thing -- it is, after all, a film festival, but apparently, the rules and regs are as elaborate and ornate as joining the Friars Club. Best and most useful tip? Use the restroom before the lights go down. That should be a given for all walks of life.

-- Paul Gaita

Photo: Image from "Involuntary." Credit: Palm Springs International Film Festival. 

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Tuesday Roundup: LA critics vote Lynch's 'Mulholland' best of decade; Dreyfuss, Danner at PSIFF; 'Baader Meinhof Complex'

David Lynch's 2001 feature "Mulholland Drive" was named the best film of the decade by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. (LAFCA). It's the third prestigious honor the picture has received in recent weeks; Film Comment placed it atop their list of the 150 best films of the decade, as well as an Indiewire survey, which polled 100 film critics and bloggers. The complete list of LAFCA's top films of the decade are as follows:

1. "Mulholland Drive"

2. "There Will Be Blood"

3. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

4. "Brokeback Mountain"

5. "No Country for Old Men"

6. "Yi Yi"

7. "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (tie)

8. "Spirited Away"

9. "United 93"

10. "Sideways"

How does your best of the decade film list read?

And because we haven't featured any news about the 21st Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) in, oh, a day or so, here's the latest: Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss and Oscar nominee Blythe Danner will be in attendance for the screening of their latest picture, "The Lightkeepers," which closes the festival on Jan. 17. The period romance, which also stars Mamie Gummer, was directed by Daniel Adams, who will also be present. 

Speaking of Oscar nominees, the American Cinematheque will host a three-day screening of Uli Edel's harrowing "The Baader Meinhof Complex." The 2008 film, which tells the story of the militant West German group RAF that carried out lethal terrorist attacks against the German government from 1970 to 1998, was the official German selection for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009, and received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations that year. If you missed the last showing in 2009 (and chances are, you did, because they were sold out), here's what the Cinematheque is calling the "positively last chance" to see it at the Egyptian from Jan. 14 through 16.
 

-- Paul Gaita

Photo: David Lynch. Credit: Getty Images 

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Friday roundup: More stars for Golden Globes; the future of the Emmys; Sundance Selects; Jason Reitman; Mariah Carey

Apparently, the folks at the Golden Globes read our item about the A-list presenters at the Screen Actors Guild awards, because they've just ramped up the glitz factor for their event. A slew of major players have been tapped to present at the 67th annual festivities on Jan. 17, including Golden Globe winners Kate Winslet, Jennifer Garner, Kiefer Sutherland and Cher, who''ll appear with her "Burlesque" co-star Christina Aguilera. These latest additions come on the heels of previous announced mega-stars such as Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston, Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Matthew Fox, Nicole Kidman, Mickey Rourke and Sophia Loren. Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio will present Martin Scorsese with this year's Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contribution to the entertainment field. When -- and where -- will this game of celebrity one-upmanship end? Keep reading this blog for updates.

Meanwhile, the Emmys face an entirely different predicament: disappearing from broadcast TV. ABC News reports that the Primetime Emmys are in their final year of contracts with the major networks with this year's event, which with air on NBC on Aug. 29. After that, its fate is undecided. Low ratings for the last few Emmy broadcasts -- due in part to consistent wins by series with small but loyal audiences like "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" -- have made the event's high licensing fees somewhat less attractive to the Big Four networks. And that's unfortunate, as said fees are a key source of income for the Television Academy. For now, there are no plans to move the Emmys to basic cable (like the Screen Actors Guild). Instead academy chief John Shaffner promises more year-in-review segments as a means of keeping the show fresh and relevant. More hosts like Neil Patrick Harris, whose stint in 2009 was the highest-rated broadcast in years, might be a more effective move.

And the Sundance Film Festival finds yet another way to get its message of independent film to audiences unable to attend the yearly event in Park City, Utah. Hot on the heels of its Sundance Film Festival USA program, which brings festival films and directors to art houses around the country, Sundance will use its video-on-demand channel, Sundance Selects, to offer three features debuting at the festival: Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitehouse's political documentary "The Shock Doctrine," based on the book by journalist Naomi Klein, on Jan. 28; the Safdie brothers' comedy "Daddy Longlegs" on Jan. 22; and the thriller "7 Days," about a surgeon who seeks revenge after the murder of his daughter, also on Jan. 22. Each of the films will on Sundance Selects concurrently with their Sundance screenings, and will be available on the VOD channel for 30 days. Future Sundance Selects screenings include Dominic Murphy's "White Lightnin'," (Jan. 27) which played at the 2009 festival, and Don Argott's documentary "The Art of the Steal."

Promotion, in the form of interviews, is one of the main tools of an awards campaign, and "Up in the Air" director Jason Reitman has released this short to illustrate the flurry of activity and faces (and microphones and questions) that are a part of every contender's day to day. No doubt, you'll recognize a few faces in there (like Roger Ebert), and you might experience a pang for either a drink from Starbucks or your old vinyl copy of "The Clash" after viewing. 

Oh, and because I know you're wondering: The reasons behind Mariah Carey's, um, exuberant acceptance speech at the Palm Springs International Film Festival's awards gala? Too much giggle juice, not enough to eat, and hey, she's got a sense of humor too, people. As my wife would say: REALLY? Really.

-- Paul Gaita

Photo: Jennifer Garner. Credit: Getty Images

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Wednesday Roundup: SAG's A-list presenters; Chinese films withdraw from PSIFF; Sundance news

Not to be outdone by the star-studded lineup at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards have landed some formidable celebs to present at the ceremony on Jan. 23. George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin have each been added to the list of presenters; all three are also SAG nominees for "Up in the Air," "Julie & Julia," and "30 Rock," respectively. They join Sandra Bullock -- also a SAG nominee for "The Blind Side" -- who will present the guild's Lifetime Achievement Award to her "Proposal" co-star Betty White as well as Stanley Tucci, Anna Paquin, Chris O'Donnell, Michelle Monaghan and Jane Lynch.

They don't call it the Palm Springs International Film Festival for nothing: Global politics have come to the 21st edition of the desert fest in the form of two films pulled from the lineup by the Chinese government. The pair -- "Quick, Quick Slow" and "City of Life and Death" -- were yanked in response to the inclusion of the documentary "The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom" on the festival docket. The film, about the Dalai Lama's attempts to secure freedom for his country in 2008, is slated for screenings on Jan. 10 and 12; the Jan. 8 and 10 showings of "City of Life and Death" have been replaced by the Austrian/French drama "For a Moment Freedom" and the Canadian/French/Spanish crime comedy "Sticky Fingers," respectively. No replacement has been announced for "Quick, Quick, Slow" as of yet.

And it appears that someone is coming to the Sundance Film Festival with money in hand. CNN reports that Hannover House, the entertainment arm of real estate giant Target Development Group, will be part of an elite group of film buyers at the upcoming edition of the fest. Hannover is looking for up to four titles to acquire for distribution, and they've got the funds to compete with studios for top-shelf projects. Hannover has been in the business since 1993 and is among the leading independent distributors of DVDs and books. 

-- Paul Gaita 

Photo: George Clooney. Credit: Getty Images

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Wednesday roundup: Online Film Critics Society winners; SXSW Film Fest; Cormac McCarthy; Mariah at PSIFF

"The Hurt Locker" continued its winning ways in this award season by capturing four of the top honors from the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS).

Kathryn Bigelow's war drama was named best picture, with star Jeremy Renner and Bigelow taking the best actor and best director laurels; editors Chris Innis and Bob Murawski were also named best in their category.

Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" also earned four from the society; Tarantino took home the best original screenplay, while on-screen antagonists Melanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz walked off with best actress and best supporting actor. "Basterds" cinematographer completed the WWII meta-actioner's quartet. Few surprises were found in the remaining awards; Mo'Nique was the expected winner of the best supporting actress race, while "Up" and Michael Haneke's Palm d'Or-winning "White Ribbon" swept the animation and foreign film (or as the OFCS calls it, "Best Film Not in the English Language") categories. Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach's script for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" won best adapted screenplay, while the underdogs of "Anvil!" got one more affirmation by landing best documentary. For the full list of winners and nominees, visit the OFCS blog.

Though the official lineup announcement won't be revealed until February, Cinematical has word on additional titles for the 2010 SXSW Film Festival. Among the more highly anticipated screenings is "Kick-Ass," the live-action adaptation of the Marvel Comics series by "Layer Cake" director Matthew Vaughn. The comedy, which stars Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, will serve as the fest's opening night feature. Also on the docket: "Lemmy," a documentary about Motorhead's indestructible frontman, Lemmy Kilmister, and "Saturday Night," a documentary by actor James Franco that takes a look behind the scenes on "Saturday Night Live," as well as Sebastian Gutierrez's "Electra Luxx" and Steve James' "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson," as reported on Monday. The 2010 edition of SXSW takes place in Austin, Texas, from March 12 to 21. 

Elsewhere, the Guardian has an amusing essay from playwright Joe Penhall, who wrote the screenplay for "The Road," on meeting author Cormac McCarthy, who penned the Pulitzer Prize-winning source material. Penhall met the notoriously private writer for the purpose of getting his notes on the film. Over burgers and a nice Shiraz, McCarthy ended up giving him a whole lot more. It's a lovely and charmingly off-kilter story, and a rare glimpse into McCarthy's inner circle. 

And lastly, whatever Mariah Carey was having shortly before accepting her Breakthrough Artist Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival, I'd like a few cases of it too.

-- Paul Gaita

Photo: From "The Hurt Locker." Credit: Summit Entertainment. 

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Monday Roundup: First titles announced for SXSW 2010; USC Scripter Awards; Palm Springs Film Fest gains Houston Plaza

 SXSW aficionados, take note: The first few titles to screen at the 2010 edition of the Austin, Texas, fest were announced -- via snail mail, no less -- this weekend. The freshman batch includes "Electra Luxx," director Sebastian Gutierrez's sequel to his 2009 indie comedy "Women in Trouble," with his significant other/muse Carla Gugino back in the lead, and Timothy Olyphant, Alicia Silverstone and Justin ("Weeds") Kirk among the cast. Also on the docket: "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson," a documentary from director Steve James (the Oscar-nominated, Peabody Award-winning "Hoop Dreams") about the Philadelphia 76ers star and his involvement in a 1993 fight between black and white teens that landed him in jail and fractured the city of Hampton, Va. The doc was originally produced for ESPN's lauded "30 for 30" series. The fest will also screen the Imax feature "Hubble 3-D" at the Bob Bullock Imax Theatre in Austin. SXSW 2010 takes place from March 12-21.

FOR THE RECORD: A previous version of this post said Lynn Barber is the author of "A Single Man." Christopher Isherwood is the author. The post also misidentified "Up in the Air" writer Walter Kirn as Walter Kim.

Meanwhile, Awards Daily has an interesting post about the USC Scripter Awards, which are given each year to the best film adaptation of a book or novella, with the prize going to both the screenwriter and the author of the source material. The nominations for this year's awards will be announced tomorrow (and the winner selected on February 6, 2010), but Awards Daily scribe Sasha Stone gives some solid predictions for which titles will be under consideration, with "Up in the Air" (based on the novel by Walter Kirn), "A Single Man" (novel by Christopher Isherwood), "Precious" (book by Sapphire) and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (by Roald Dahl, of course) among the top picks. 

Stone also includes a handy chart that tracks which films that won Scripter Awards also took the Oscar and WGA trophy; as an indicator of which way those derbies will run, the Scripter is somewhat handicapped (only three of their choices -- "Slumdog Millionaire," "No Country for Old Men" and "A Beautiful Mind" -- have cleaned up with Oscar and the WGA since 1998). But they've made intriguing selections every time, including "Children of Men" over "The Departed" in 2006, "Capote" over "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005 and a tie between "Mystic River" and "Seabiscut" instead of "Return of the King" in 2003. 

And lastly, attendees for the 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which kicks off tomorrow and runs until Jan. 18, will be among the first to enjoy the Jackie Lee Houston Plaza, which opens today. The 1.5-acre plaza, named for the vice chairman of the fest and chairman of its Awards Gala, is situated at the gateway to the Palm Springs Convention Center, where the fest takes place, offers a sustainable garden, views of the mountain vistas and art sculptures donated by the Houston family. It also sounds like a good place to catch one's breath between the avalanche of major stars receiving awards at this year's fest, like Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren, among many others. 

-- Paul Gaita 

Photo: Steve James (center) and "No Crossover" crew. Credit: Courtesy ESPN.

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New Year's Roundup: 'Moon,' Sir Peter Jackson and Nicolas Cage Colorforms

You Heard It on Twitter Department: There's a flurry of news on the film blogs today about "Moon" director Duncan Jones' Twitter posts (sorry, tweets) regarding U.S. distributor Sony's reluctance to send out screeners of his quirky indie to Academy screeners, which would hobble the pic's chances with voters. According to Jones, Sony balked because the film is not currently available on DVD in the U.S. and the company would be required to send out watermarked copies to combat piracy. As Slashfilm smartly notes, it's a specious argument because "Moon" is already available on disc in Jones' native Britain and pirates... well, they're not exactly going to wait until the Region 1 disc shows up to start cranking out copies. Regardless, it doesn't seem like Sony plans to change its mind any time soon, and alternate plans, like Academy screenings in New York and Los Angeles (as suggested by writer Neil Gaiman) have fallen on deaf ears. 

What's a "Moon" fan to do? Well, aside from passing the word as Jones and others have done, not much at this time. Which is unfortunate, as the film, and in particular Sam Rockwell's (largely) solo performance, are worth being seen by a broader audience. I guess you'll have to wait until the January 12, 2010 release date of the pic on DVD and Blu-ray in the States.

Just when you thought that the Palm Springs International Film Festival  had finished announcing its extraordinary lineup for the 21st edition, the organizers offer up another round of major buzzworthy names and titles. The latest addition is the "Talking Pictures: The Contenders" series, which will present films and interviews with the filmmakers who are in the lead for Oscar nominations. The series kicks off on Jan. 6 with Rob Marshall, who will speak after a screening of "Nine"; that same day, Lee Daniels will present and discuss "Precious." And Lone Scherfig will be on hand for a Jan. 16 showing of "An Education." 

There will also be a panel discussion with five of the leading candidates for the best foreign film Oscar on Jan. 10; the participating filmmakers are Ursula Meier ("Home"), Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti (the Ophir-winning "Ajami"), Warwick Thornton ("Samson and Delilah," which claimed the Camera d'Or at Cannes) and Felix van Groeningen ("The Misfortunates"). The Talking Pictures series is just one of several film programs featured at the PSIFF; a tribute to Australian film, as well as the FIPRESCI and John Schlesinger Awards (for best foreign film and outstanding first feature and documentary, respectively), were previously announced.

That's Sir Peter Jackson to you: The "Lovely Bones" director has been made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in his native country. Jackson received the honor for his services to New Zealand and to the film community at large; among his contributions are the establishment of the special effects company Weta Studios, his production company Wingnut Films and, more recently, Park Road Post Production, which provides post-production services. He's also a major contributor to educational organizations in New Zealand as well as film festivals there. When asked about his reaction to his knighthood, Jackson said he "thought nothing would surpass the 2004 Academy Awards, but I was wrong." For those who've forgotten, Jackson claimed 11 Oscars for "The Return of the King," the final film in his blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, at that ceremony.  

Oh, and though Christmas 2009 is over, there's still time for you to find that perfect gift for the cineaste in your life. For those whose tastes in motion pictures run toward the completely outre, may I suggest the Nicolas Cage Adventure Set? The brainchild of artist Brandon Bird, the Colorforms-style play-set offers reusable vinyl stickers of the Oscar-winning actor in three distinct poses (two appear to be from "Adaptation" and the "National Treasure" series; the third is unidentifiable, but it's a distinctly befuddled look that Cage has trotted out on numerous occasions) that can be applied to two scenarios (tropical island and haunted castle) and outfitted with a series of accoutrements, including a skateboard, a space helmet and an ice cream cone (there's also a ghost to heighten the drama of the castle situation). At $12, this is a gift destined to make a loved one in your life ... well, I don't know about smile, but it'll get a reaction of some kind. Why not find out what it'll be today?

And on that note, adios to 2009, and bring on 2010!

-- Paul Gaita

Photo: Sam Rockwell in "Moon." Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Tuesday Roundup: Stars come out for People's Choice Awards 2010; Tarantino, Cotillard are latest Palm Springs Film Fest honorees

Star-Studded Department: The place to eyeball celebs en masse will most definitely be the People's Choice Awards 2010. This year's ceremony, which will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre on Jan. 6, will feature a cross-section of talent from every medium, including Hugh Jackman, Sandra Bullock, "New Moon" star Taylor Lautner (hold those screams, please), Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Ellen DeGeneres, Jackie Chan, Hugh Laurie, Ashton Kutcher and whoever else isn't committed to another event that evening. The show also promises an opening number by host Queen Latifah and "surprise guests" as well as a performance by Mary J. Blige.

As in previous years, the People's Choice winners are determined by viewer votes, and the tally received so far is a record-breaking 60 million (!). You can still weigh in with your own two cents in two categories -- Favorite New TV Comedy and Favorite New TV Drama -- until show night by visiting the People's Choice website.

Meanwhile, the notable and quotable continue to multiply at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF). This year's edition -- the 21st in the fest's history -- will present "Inglourious Basterds" writer-director Quentin Tarantino with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, while "Nine" star Marion Cotillard will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award. Both are previous Oscar winners -- Tarantino for his screenplay for "Pulp Fiction" (with Roger Avary) and Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose." They join an already impressive list of fellow honorees at the Jan. 5 Awards Gala, including Morgan Freeman, Jeff Bridges, Helen Mirren, Anna Kendrick and others.

The PSIFF has established itself as a fairly accurate predictor of the Oscars, so how might these awards affect QT and Marion's chances? Well, previous recipients of the Bono Award include academy nominees Gus Van Sant, Todd Field and M. Night Shyamalan, while the Desert Palm Actress Award can claim Oscar winners Halle Berry, Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron, as well as Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway. If you were a betting person, your money might be on Marion -- mightn't it?

-- Paul Gaita

Photo: Quentin Tarantino. Credit: The Weinstein Co./Palm Springs International Film Festival. 

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