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Movie stars awarded at Palm Springs film festival

Xinhua, January 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) rolled out the red carpet on Saturday for movies stars and filmmakers with great fanfare at the Convention Center here in California.

The red carpet fanfare, usually the most glamorous part of the annual film event, lasted over an hour, with hundreds of movie fans lining up to cheer for the arrival of their favorite stars before the black-tie gala that saw a dozen of actors and actresses get awarded.

The awards gala is "the first stop on the campaign trail for the major Academy Award contenders," said Harold Matzner, chairman of the PSIFF.

At the starry ceremony, Cate Blanchett and Johnny Depp received the Desert Palm Achievement Award for actress and actor respectively for their respective performance in Carol, a romantic drama film, and crime drama Black Mass.

Matt Damon was awarded the Chairman's Award for his role in science fiction blockbuster The Martian.

As to the other awards, the Rising Star Award went to Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl), the Sonny Bono Visionary Award went to Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), and the Breakthrough Performance Award went to Brie Larson (Room).

The Spotlight Award for actress went to Rooney Mara (Carol), and for actor, Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), while the International Star Award for actor went to Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), and for actress, Saoirse Roman (Brooklyn).

The presenter lineup included Helen Mirren, Michael Keaton, Kate Winslet, Paul Dano, Scott Cooper, and Ridley Scott.

The PSIFF has been known for its selection of international films and this year, said Helen du Toit, artistic director of the film gathering.

Mountains May Depart by Jia Zhangke from China, Utopians by Hong Kong director Scud, and The Assassin by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien were among them.

The 10-day festival is expected to screen more than 170 films from over 60 countries. As the one the largest film festivals in North American, it draws more than 130,000 people each year. Endit