The casts of ‘American Hustle,’ ‘Argo,’ ‘The Social Network’ and ‘Babel’ were previously accorded this honor

The cast of The Weinstein Co.’s The Imitation Game — Benedict Cumberbatch, KeiraKnightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear,Allen Leech, Matthew Beard,Charles Dance and Mark Strong — will receive this year’s Ensemble Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 26th annual PSIFF Awards Gala on Jan. 3. The fest will run Jan. 2-12.

Previous recipients of PSIFF’s Ensemble Performance Award include best picture Oscar winner Argo (2012) and best picture Oscar nominees American Hustle(2013), The Social Network (2010) and Babel (2006).

“The Imitation Game is one of the very best ensembles to grace the screen this season,” PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “Benedict Cumberbatch and KeiraKnightley lead an outstanding cast.”

PSIFF previously announced that Boyhood‘s writer-director Richard Linklater will receive this year’s Visionary Award, Wild‘s lead actress Reese Witherspoon will receive this year’s Chairman’s Award, The Theory of Everything‘s lead actor Eddie Redmayneand Still Alice‘s lead actress Julianne Moore will receive this year’s Desert Palm Achievement awards, that Whiplash‘s supporting actor J.K. Simmons will receive this year’s Spotlight Award and that Rosamund Pike will be honored with its Breakthrough Performance Award.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

he film ‘The Imitation Game’ will be presented with the Ensemble Performance Award at the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.

The award will honor the film’s cast, which includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance and Mark Strong.

“The Imitation Game is one of the very best ensembles to grace the screen this season,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley lead an outstanding cast in The Imitation Game, a film about Alan Turing as he attempts to crack Germany’s Enigma machine. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present the entire cast of The Imitation Game with the Ensemble Performance Award.”

According to the film festival’s release, past recipients of the Ensemble Performance Award include Academy Award^® winner for Best Picture Argo as well as past Best Picture nominees American Hustle,Babel and The Social Network.

Organizers described The Imitation Game in Friday’s release. During the winter of 1952, British authorities entered the home of mathematician, cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to investigate a reported burglary. They instead ended up arresting Turing himself on charges of ‘gross indecency’, an accusation that would lead to his devastating conviction for the criminal offense of homosexuality – little did officials know, they were actually incriminating the pioneer of modern-day computing. Famously leading a motley group of scholars, linguists, chess champions and intelligence officers, he was credited with cracking the so-called unbreakable codes of Germany’s World War II Enigma machine.

An intense and haunting portrayal of a brilliant, complicated man, The Imitation Game follows a genius who under nail-biting pressure helped to shorten the war and, in turn, save thousands of lives. The Weinstein Company film is directed by Morten Tyldum with a screenplay by Graham Moore.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs from January 2-12. The Awards Gala takes place on Saturday, January 3.

Source: KESQ.com

Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode and company are receiving the Ensemble Performance Award at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival. The cast will join previously announced recipients Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”), Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl”), Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”), and Reese Witherspoon (“Wild”).

Here’s the complete press release:

Palm Springs, CA December 5, 2014) – The 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present its Ensemble Performance Award to the film The Imitation Game. The award will honor the film’s cast, which includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance and Mark Strong. The Gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees Julianne Moore, Rosamund Pike, Eddie Redmayne and J.K. Simmons. Presented by Cartier and hosted by Mary Hart, the Awards Gala will be held Saturday, January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

“The Imitation Game is one of the very best ensembles to grace the screen this season,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley lead an outstanding cast in The Imitation Game, a film about Alan Turing as he attempts to crack Germany’s Enigma machine. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present the entire cast of The Imitation Game with the Ensemble Performance Award.”

Past recipients of the Ensemble Performance Award include Academy Award® winner for Best Picture Argo as well as past Best Picture nominees American Hustle, Babel and The Social Network.

During the winter of 1952, British authorities entered the home of mathematician, cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to investigate a reported burglary. They instead ended up arresting Turing himself on charges of ‘gross indecency’, an accusation that would lead to his devastating conviction for the criminal offense of homosexuality – little did officials know, they were actually incriminating the pioneer of modern-day computing. Famously leading a motley group of scholars, linguists, chess champions and intelligence officers, he was credited with cracking the so-called unbreakable codes of Germany’s World War II Enigma machine. An intense and haunting portrayal of a brilliant, complicated man, The Imitation Game follows a genius who under nail-biting pressure helped to shorten the war and, in turn, save thousands of lives. The Weinstein Company film is directed by Morten Tyldum with a screenplay by Graham Moore.

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 Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Matthew McConaughey, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, Meryl Streep, and Kate Winslet.

The Awards Gala of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival is presented by Cartier and sponsored by Mercedes Benz and Entertainment Tonight. The City of Palm Springs is the Title Sponsor of the Film Festival. Presenting Sponsors are Wells Fargo, The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major sponsors are Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Wessman Development, Bank of America, Wintec, Regal Entertainment Group, Ignition Creative, Desert Regional Medical Center, Windermere Real Estate, Eisenhower Medical Center, Guthy-Renker, Integrated Wealth Management, VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com, Ocean Properties, Chihuly and Telefilm Canada.

Source: KMIR News

After acting in films for more than 12 years, Rosamund Pike is in the spotlight and turning heads for her performance in “Gone Girl.”

The Palm Springs International Film Festival has announced that the actress will be honored with its Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress at its Awards Gala in January.

Pike and Ben Affleck star as a wife who goes missing and a husband who falls under suspicion in the film based on a bestseller book by Gillian Flynn. The story is full of twists and turns, and plays on the idea that looks can be deceiving.

The 35-year-old actress made her film debut in 2002 in the James Bond film “Die Another Day” and has appeared in films such as “Doom,” “Jack Reacher” and “Wrath of the Titans.”

“Rosamund Pike perfectly taps into Gillian Flynn’s complex character from the novel ‘Gone Girl,’ bringing to life the privileged, manipulative and calculating Amy Dunne. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role,” film festival Chairman Harold Matzner said in a news release. “For this outstanding performance it is an honor to present her with the 2015 Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress.”

The Breakthrough Performance Award has previously been given out to actors such as Lupita Nyong’o, Carey Mulligan, Jennifer Hudson and Jeremy Renner.

Pike joins the already announced Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne as honorees at the festival’s awards gala on Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

For more information, visit the festival’s website: psfilmfest.org.

Source: The Press Enterprise

Rosamund Pike is being honored with the Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress at its annual Awards Gala during the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.

The Awards Gala takes place January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center and the festival runs from January 2-12.

“Rosamund Pike perfectly taps into Gillian Flynn’s complex character from the novel “Gone Girl” bringing to life the privileged, manipulative and calculating Amy Dunne.  It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For this outstanding performance it is an honor to present her with the 2015 Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress.”

Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Marion Cotillard, Lupita Nyong’o, Carey Mulligan, Felicity Huffman, Jennifer Hudson and Jeremy Renner.  In the years they were honored, Cotillard, Hudson and Nyong’o went on to receive Academy Awards®, while Huffman and Renner received nominations.

Film festival organizers described the film and her role in a release Friday morning.

From the tour de force thriller that became a bestselling must-read comes David Fincher’s screen version of Gone Girl, a wild ride through our modern media culture and down into the deep, dark fault lines of an American marriage – in all its unreliable promises, inescapable deceits and pitch-black comedy.  The screenplay is by Gillian Flynn based upon her novel.  The Twentieth Century Fox film stars Ben Affleck with Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry.

Rosamund Pike was nominated for a 2011 London Critics’ Circle Award for “British Actress in a Supporting Role” for her role in Made in Dagenham. For Barney’s Version Pike earned a 2011 London Critics’ Circle Award for “British Actress of the Year” and a Genie Award nomination for best actress. Pike’s other film credits include An Education, The World’s End, Jack Reacher, Wrath of the Titans, Johnny English Reborn, The Big Year, Women in Love, The Libertine, Pride and Prejudice, Fracture, Fugitive Pieces, Surrogates, Burning Palms, What We Did on Our Holiday, Hector and the Search for Happiness, A Long Way Down and Die Another Day, according to the release.

The gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Mooreand J.K. Simmons.

Sources: KESQ.com

“Rosamund Pike perfectly taps into Gillian Flynn’s complex character from the novel Gone Girl, bringing to life the privileged, manipulative and calculating Amy Dunne,” said film festival chairman Harold Matzner. “It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.”

Pike’s credits include An Education, The World’s End, JackReacher, Wrath Of The Titans, Johnny English Reborn andHector And The Search For Happiness, among others.

Prior recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Marion Cotillard, Lupita Nyong’o, Carey Mulligan, Felicity Huffman, Jennifer Hudson and Jeremy Renner.

The festival is scheduled to run from January 2-12.

Source: ScreenDaily

“The Imitation Game,” an award-winning film about a man who is only now being recognized as the father of modern computing, will receive the Ensemble Performance Award Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.

The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech and Matthew Beard. Cumberbatch and Knightley are expected to attend the sold-out event at the Palm Springs Convention Center, along with other cast members.

Director Morten Tyldum is expected to present the award. Also scheduled to attend are writer Graham Moore and producers Teddy Schwarzman, Nora Grossman and Ido Ostrowsky.

Festival board chairman Harold Matzner called the film, “one of the very best ensembles to grace the screen this season.

“Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley lead an outstanding cast in ‘The Imitation Game,’” Matzner said, “a film about Alan Turing as he attempts to crack Germany’s Enigma machine.”

Cumberbatch portrays Turing, a mathematician and cryptanalyst who is arrested for “gross indecency” in 1952 after British authorities enter his home to investigate a reported burglary. He is convicted of the criminal offense of homosexuality by officials who don’t realize he is a war hero who saved thousands of lives by cracking a heretofore unbreakable Nazi code.

The film has been nominated for four British Independent Film Awards and it won awards at festivals in Toronto, Chicago, Mill Valley, Hawaii and San Diego, to name just a few.

Cumberbatch, who stars in the BBC series, “Sherlock,” also has appeared in such recently acclaimed films as “12 Years A Slave,” “August: Osage County” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” Knightly received an Oscar nomination in 2006 for her lead role in “Pride & Prejudice.”

Past recipients of the Ensemble Performance Award include the Oscar winner for Best Picture, “Argo,” and past Best Picture nominees “American Hustle,” “Babel” and “The Social Network.”

The Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, also will feature awards presented to previously announced honorees Julianne Moore, Rosamund Pike, Eddie Redmayne, J.K. Simmons and Reese Witherspoon.

The festival runs Jan. 2-12. Information: (760) 322-2930 or psfilmfest.org.

Source: The Desert Sun

Palm Springs: The place to be during Oscar season. The California town’s annual film festival is a hotbed of potential nominees, actors and actresses wrangled for speciality honors that amplify existing buzz. Currently receiving accolades from Palm Springs International Film Festival: Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”), and J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”). Time for another name: Rosamund Pike.

She costarred in “Die Another Day,” “Pride & Prejudice,” The Rock’s “Doom,” “An Education,” “Jack Reacher,” and “The World’s End,” but it took “Gone Girl” to finally come into her own. At least according to the PSIFF, who will honor the Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress at its annual Awards Gala.

“Rosamund Pike perfectly taps into Gillian Flynn’s complex character from the novel ‘Gone Girl’bringing to life the privileged, manipulative and calculating Amy Dunne. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner in a statement. “For this outstanding performance it is an honor to present her with the 2015 Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress.”

Previous winners of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Marion Cotillard, Lupita Nyong’o, Carey Mulligan, Felicity Huffman, Jennifer Hudson and Jeremy Renner. In the years they were honored, Cotillard, Hudson and Nyong’o went on to receive Academy Awards, while Huffman and Renner received nominations.

Rosamund Pike has yet to set another major project in the wake of her “Gone Girl” success. But none of her feature work matters because next up, the actress will lend her voice to Weta Workshop’s new take on the marionette action series “Thunderbirds,” where her character will likely breakthrough gravity.

The PSIFF Awards Gala will be held Saturday, Jan. 3.

Source: HitFix

Rosamund Pike, the British blonde beauty whose performance in David Fincher‘s Gone Girl has blown away critics and moviegoers alike, will receive this year’s Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 26th annual PSIFF Awards Gala on Jan. 3. The fest will run Jan. 2-12.

The 35-year-old is also known for her work in Die Another Day (2002), Pride & Prejudice (2005), An Education (2009) and Made in Dagenham (2010).

Previous recipients of PSIFF’s Breakthrough Performance Award include Lupita Nyong’o (2014, for 12 Years a Slave), Carey Mulligan (2010, for An Education), Marion Cotillard (2008, for La Vie En Rose), Jennifer Hudson (2007, for Dreamgirls) and Felicity Huffman (2006, for Transamerica). All of the aforementioned went on to receive Oscar noms for those same performances — and Nyong’o, Cotillard and Hudson won.

See more Hollywood’s 100 Favorite Films               

“Rosamund Pike perfectly taps into Gillian Flynn’s complex character from the novelGone Girl, bringing to life the privileged, manipulative and calculating Amy Dunne,” PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.”

PSIFF previously announced that The Theory of Everything’s lead actor Eddie Redmayne and Still Alice’s lead actress Julianne Moore will receive this year’s Desert Palm Achievement awards and that Whiplash’s supporting actor J.K. Simmons will receive this year’s Spotlight Award.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

En route to a seemingly inevitable Best Actress Oscar nod for Gone Girl, Rosamund Pike will pick up the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 26th annual Breakthrough Performance Award.

“Rosamund Pike perfectly taps into Gillian Flynn’s complex character from the novel Gone Girl, bringing to life the privileged, manipulative and calculating Amy Dunne,” remarked PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner. “It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.”

Pike will be honored on January 3. The festival will run January 2-12.

Previous recipients for the Breakthrough Performance Award are Marion Cotillard, Lupita Nyong’o, Carey Mulligan, Felicity Huffman, and Jennifer Hudson.

Source: Indiewire