PALM SPRINGS, USA - The International Palm Springs Film Festival is to honour David O. Russell with the Director of the year award.
The 22nd Annual Palm Springs Film Festival which will start on January 8th 2011 with a black tie event will take place at the Palm Springs convention Center, with Mary Hart from 'Entertainment Tonight' hosting the evening.
Previous honourees of the award include Natalie Portman, Robert Duvall, Caret Mulligan and many more.
David O. Russell, famous for his outing with George Clooney in Three Kings has been a controversial figure behind the scenes for aggravating his actors, and according to a George Clooney, was the 'only person I've ever had a fist fight with.'
Despite that fact, the director has earned critical acclaim on a more serious note from the WGA and the Boston FIlm Critics society. 'Spanking the Monkey', his first feature, premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, winning an audience award, Best Screenplay and Best First Feature. 'Three Kings' was released in 1999 starring Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and rapper Ice Cube.
The Palm Springs Film Festival
The PSIFF is the first major film festival of the year in North America, and will welcome 130,000 attendees from the film industry.
The Black Tie Awards Gala is its most prestigious event held at the festival, with celebrities attending from all corners of the industry including in past years, Sean Penn and Clint Eastwood.
The 2011 film festival will run from From the 6th - 17th January
