Bradley Cooper will be presented with the Director of the Year Award for directing this year’s “A Star Is Born” at the 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, the festival announced Wednesday.
Cooper will receive the award at the festival’s Film Awards Gala hosted by Mary Hart and “Entertainment Tonight” on Thursday, Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
Cooper joins Glenn Close, Alfonso Cuarón, Rami Malek, Melissa McCarthy and “Green Book” director Peter Farrelly and stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali as other honorees at this year’s festival.
Past recipients of the Director of the Year Award include Stephen Daldry, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Steve McQueen, Alexander Payne, Sean Penn, Jason Reitman, David O. Russell and Robert Zemeckis. Cooper received the festival’s Desert Palm Achievement Award in 2013 for “Silver Linings Playbook” and the Ensemble Cast Award in 2014 for “American Hustle.”
“Bradley Cooper makes a stunning directorial debut with ‘A Star Is Born,’” said Festival chairman Harold Matzner in a statement. “Cooper captures authentic performances in this moving film that has emotionally resonated with audiences everywhere and is sure to be celebrated as one of the best pictures of the year. It is our honor to present the Director of the Year Award to Bradley Cooper.”
Cooper directs and stars opposite Lady Gaga in “A Star Is Born,” the fourth telling of the classic stardom love story. Cooper plays an alcoholic country musician who meets and falls in love with Gaga’s character Ally, an aspiring singer who rises to fame as his star begins to fall.
The film also stars Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle and comes from Warner Bros. Pictures, Live Nation Productions and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs Jan. 3-14.