Palm Springs, CA (November 16, 2023) – The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Emma Stone is the recipient of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress, for Searchlight Pictures’ Poor Things. The Film Awards will take place on January 4, 2024 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running through January 15, 2024. The event will be sponsored by Entertainment Tonight and IHG Hotels & Resorts.

“Emma Stone continues to exert influence as one of the most important actresses of this generation, whose performances are always exceptional no matter the role. In her latest film Poor Things, Emma delivers a burning intensity and character bound for liberation,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “There is no one better suited for this role, and it is our honor to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress, to Emma Stone.”

Emma Stone was previously honored at the festival with the Vanguard Award (2016) alongside co-star Ryan Gosling and director Damien Chazelle for La La Land. Past winners of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress include last year’s recipient Cate Blanchett who went on to receive a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for Tár, along with Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Jessica Chastain, Olivia Colman, Marion Cotillard, Viola Davis, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Renée Zellweger.

From director Yorgos Lanthimos comes Poor Things, starring Emma Stone as BellaBaxter, a tale of the fantastical evolution of a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn and hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, running off on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. The film also features Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Suzy Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley, and Hanna Schygulla. Searchlight Pictures will release Poor Things on December 8th, 2023.

Emma Stone is an Academy Award-winning actress renowned for her versatility and captivating performances in some of the past decade's most notable films. In 2018, Stone received critical acclaim for her role in The Favourite which earned her numerous award nominations, including nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and British Academy of Film and Television Award. In 2016, Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land.

She was also recognized with the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Golden Globe for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and was honored along with co-star Ryan Gosling and director Chazelle at the Palm Springs International Film Festival with the Vanguard Award. In 2015, Stone
received an Academy Award nomination for her work in the Academy Award-winning
film Birdman.

Stone’s additional film and television credits include Battle of the Sexes, Cruella, Easy A, The Help, The Amazing Spiderman franchise, Gangster Squad, Crazy Stupid Love, Superbad, the Zombieland franchise, Maniac, and most recently Showtime and A24’s The Curse. Stone’s influence extends beyond acting, as she launched the production company Fruit Tree, with Dave McCary and Ali Herting, in 2020. Under Fruit
Tree, Stone has produced such titles as The Curse, When You Finish Saving the World, and Problemista among others.

About the Palm Springs International Film Society

The Palm Springs International Film Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness. The Film Society produces the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) and Film Awards every January and Palm Springs ShortFest in June. In addition to curating the best in international cinema, PSIFF’s Film Awards has come to be known as the first stop on the campaign trail for the Academy Awards®, and our Oscar®-qualifying ShortFest is the largest short film festival and market in North America. Our festivals, year-round member screenings and educational programs manifest our organization’s mission by nurturing and encouraging new filmmaking talent, honoring the great masters of world cinema, and expanding
audience horizons.

Press Contacts:

Scenario Communications
PSIFF@scenariopr.com

Daniel Mansour
Marketing Manager, Palm Springs International Film Society
daniel@psfilmfest.org