Palm Springs Film Festival Honors ‘La La Land’ With Vanguard Award
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will present the film “La La Land” with the Vanguard Award at its annual awards gala on Jan. 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
The award is presented to the film’s cast and director recognizing its outstanding creative ensemble. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who play the leads, and director/writer Damien Chazelle are expected to attend.
“Director and writer Damien Chazelle delivers a resonant cinematic masterpiece with ‘La La Land,'” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “This visually stunning film pays tribute to classic Hollywood musicals with a contemporary love story driven by pitch-perfect performances by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. It is our honor to present the Vanguard Award to ‘La La Land.'”
Chazelle directed from his own script about an aspiring actress and a dedicated jazz musician, both struggling to make ends meet in modern-day Los Angeles. “La La Land” premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31 and will be released Dec. 9 in the U.S. by Lionsgate.
It has also opened the Denver and Chicago Film Festivals, along with screenings at Telluride, Toronto, and the AFI Fest in Hollywood. Stone and Gosling will be honored on Feb. 3 by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for its 2017 outstanding performers of the year award for their work in “La La Land.”
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