Palm Springs

Palm Springs, CA - The 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Olivia Colman with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress for The Favourite at its annual Film Awards Gala. The award will be presented by her co-star in the film Emma Stone. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart and Entertainment Tonight, and presented by American Express, will be held on Thursday, January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 3-14.

“In The Favourite Olivia Colman steals the show as a frail and aloof Queen Anne, whose attention is being sought by two scheming cousins” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For this superb performance, that has received much critical acclaim and awards recognition, it is our honor to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress to Olivia Colman.”

She joins previously announced honorees Glenn Close, Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuarón, Regina King, Spike Lee, Rami Malek, Melissa McCarthy and the film Green Book. Past recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress include Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Marion Cotillard, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Saoirse Ronan and Charlize Theron.

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way. The Fox Searchlight Pictures film is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

For her role in the film, Colman has garnered Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actors in a Leading Role, and two Critics’ Choice Award nominations in the categories of Best Actress and Best Actress in a Comedy. She also received Best Ensemble Performance from the Gotham Awards alongside Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz as well as the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival and a Best Actress Award from the British Independent Film Award and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Colman’s film credits include Tyrannosaur for which she won a World Cinema Special Jury Prize for breakout performance at Sundance, and Best Actress awards at the British Independent Film Awards and Evening Standard British Film Awards. For her role in The Lobster, Colman won Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards. Her other film credits include Murder on the Orient Express, The Iron Lady ,London Road, Hyde Park on Hudson, Locke, Cuban Fury and Hot Fuzz. In Television, she won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a mini-series for The Night Manager, and won a Television BAFTA for Leading Actress for Broadchurch. Her other television credits include Rev, Accused, Flowers, Fleabag, The Thirteenth Tale, Twenty Twelve, Mr. Sloane, The Secrets, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher II, Peep Show, Exileand Greenwing. Next, she will portray Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth seasons of the critically acclaimed original Netflix series The Crown.

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 135,000 attendees last year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Film Awards Gala, a glamorous, black-tie event attended by 2,500, presented this year by American Express and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight. The Film Awards Gala honors the year’s best achievements in cinema in front of and behind the camera. The celebrated list of talents who have been honored in recent years includes Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Mary J. Blige, Sandra Bullock, Jessica Chastain, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Gal Gadot, Tom Hanks, Holly Hunter, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon. Call 760-969-7533 for Gala tickets or tables, 760-778-8979 or 800-898-7256 for Film Festival information or visit www.psfilmfest.org.