If you think “Barbie” is done receiving Ken-ough awards this season, think again. Director Greta Gerwig has been selected to receive the Director of the Year Award from the Palm Springs International Film Awards, positioning the first woman to direct a billion-dollar-grossing film to even greater stature.
Recent recipients of this awards include Oscar winners Sarah Polley (“Women Talking”), Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”) and Chloe Zhao (“Nomadland”). Gerwig was last nominated in the Best Director category at the Oscars for her 2017 film “Lady Bird,” which also netted her a Best Original Screenplay nomination. She remains one of only seven women to ever receive a nomination for Best Director.
“Director Greta Gerwig has brought us the cinematic experience of the year with “Barbie,” the perfect blend of comedy, emotion and adventure that has both entertained and resonated with audiences, becoming a cultural touchstone around the world,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “Gerwig is a masterful filmmaker, and her vision is brought to life so vividly by both the script she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach, and by her clear and singular collaboration with her extraordinary crafts teams, whose visuals are matched only by the outstanding performances delivered by Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and the entire cast. It is our honor to present the Director of the Year Award to Greta Gerwig.”
“The Holdovers” star Da’Vine Joy Randolph has also been selected for the ceremony to receive the Breakthrough Performance Award, with “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” leads Cillian Murphy and Emma Stone to accept the Actor and Actress Achievement Awards, respectively.
The Film Awards will take place on January 4, 2024, at the
Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running through January 15, 2024. For more information, visit psfilmfest.org.
