Saoirse Ronan to Receive International Star Award

Palm Springs, CA (November 13, 2015) - The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Saoirse Ronan with the International Star Award at its annual Awards Gala.  The International Star Award recognizes an actor or actress who has achieved both critical and commercial recognition across the globe throughout their body of work. The Gala will also present an award to previously announced honoree Cate Blanchett. The Awards Gala will be hosted by Mary Hart with presenting sponsor Entertainment Tonight on Saturday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.  The Festival runs January 1-11.

"From her unforgettable roles in Atonement, The Lovely Bones, Hanna and The Grand Budapest Hotel, we have seen Saoirse Ronan grow from a young girl to the accomplished actress she is today," said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. "In John Crowley's new film Brooklyn, Ronan gives a mesmerizing performance as a young woman from Ireland who is offered the chance of a new life in New York.  In this role, Ronan embodies the grace and depth of a classic Hollywood screen star. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2016 International Star Award to Saoirse Ronan."

Past International Star Award honorees include BAFTA and Academy Award winning actors Javier Bardem and Helen Mirren.

Brooklyn tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother's home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within. The film is directed by John Crowley from a screenplay by Nick Hornby based on the novel by Colm Tóibín and stars Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson and Emory Cohen, with Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters.

Ronan is best known for her starring role in the feature film Atonement, directed by Joe Wright, for which she received an Oscar nomination as well as Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for her critically acclaimed performance.  Other film credits include Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, Joe Wright's Hanna, Peter Weir's The Way Back, Neil Jordan's Byzantium, and Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones.  She recently completed production on the film adaption of Anton Chekov's The Seagull, directed by Michael Mayer and co-starring Annette Bening. In 2016 she will make her Broadway stage debut as Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" alongside Ben Wishaw, Sophie Okonedo and Tavi Gevinson.

About The Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming more than 135,000 attendees each year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries.  The Festival presents a majority of the films submitted for consideration in the Best Foreign Language category for the Academy Awards, as well as a large number of American independent and international features and documentaries marking their world, North American or U.S. premieres.  Also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala honoring the best achievements of the filmic year, celebrated talents in recent years include Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Richard Linklater, Matthew McConaughey, Julianna Moore, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, JK Simmons, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon.

The Awards Gala of the 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Entertainment Tonight. The City of Palm Springs is the Title Sponsor of the Film Festival. Presenting Sponsors as of the date of this release are The Desert Sun and Spencer's. Major sponsors include the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Wessman Development, Bank of America, Wintec, Regal Entertainment Group, Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, Windermere Real Estate, Guthy-Renker,VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com, Chihuly and Telefilm Canada. 

 For more information, call 760-778-8979 or 800-898-7256 or visit www.psfilmfest.org.

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