Melissa McCarthy To Receive The Palm Springs International Film Festival Spotlight Award
Hollywoodreporter.com: Melissa McCarthy, the Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actress best known for her work in comedy, has been tapped by the Palm Springs International Film Festival to receive the fest's Spotlight Award in recognition of her acclaimed portrayal of the troubled author Lee Israel in Marielle Heller's dramedy Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which Fox Searchlight began rolling out on Oct. 19.
The 30th edition of PSIFF is set to run Jan. 3-14. McCarthy will collect her hardware at the fest's annual Awards Gala on Jan. 3.
Previous recipients of the Spotlight Award include Allison Janney, Rooney Mara, Julia Roberts, Jessica Chastain, Amy Adams, and Helen Hunt, all of whom received Oscar nominations in the year they were feted at the festival, with Janney winning a best-supporting-actress Oscar.
"Melissa McCarthy delivers a heartbreaking performance as author Lee Israel, perfectly portraying Israel’s loneliness as she struggles with her own relevance in society," fest chair Harold Matzner said Monday in a statement. "McCarthy's dramatic turn is truly captivating and deserving of awards recognition. It is our honor to present this year’s Spotlight Award to her."
PSIFF previously announced several other honors to be presented at its Awards Gala: Glenn Close (The Wife) will receive the Icon Award and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) will receive the Breakthrough Performance Award. Additional honorees will be announced in the coming days.
