Academy Award-Nominated Michelle Williams to be Honored With The "Hollywood Actress Award" at The Hollywood Film Awards Gala

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 15th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards, presented by Starz Entertainment, are pleased to announce that Academy Award-nominated actress Michelle Williams will be honored with the "Hollywood Actress Award," at the festival's Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony, which will take place October 24, 2011, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.  

The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival. "It is a privilege to honor Michelle Williams for her excellent talent and remarkable career," said Mr. de Abreu.  

The Hollywood Film Awards Gala launches the awards season. In the past eight years a total of 73 Oscar nominations and 27 Oscars were given to the honorees of the Hollywood Awards.  

The 2011 Hollywood Film Festival has also announced that they will honor Academy Award-nominated actor Christopher Plummer with the "Hollywood Supporting Actor Award" for "Beginners," actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Actor Award" for "50/50," actress Jessica Chastain with the "Hollywood  Breakthrough Actress Award" for "The Tree of  Life," "Coriolanus," "The Debt," "The Help," and "Take Shelter," and actress Felicity Jones with the "New Hollywood Award" for "Crazy Love." Other honorees include the cast of "The Help" (Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O'Reilly, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Cicely Tyson and Mike Vogel), Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, Editor Stephen Mirrione, Production Designer James Murakami, and Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar at their annual Awards Gala. In addition, Gore Verbinski's  "Rango" will be honored at the Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony, along with additional honorees to be announced in the coming weeks.  

MICHELLE WILLIAMS

Michelle Williams' performances have established her as one of Hollywood's most sought-after and respected actors earning her two Academy Award® nominations.  

Williams was last seen in Derek Cianfrance's BLUE VALENTINE opposite Ryan Gosling. Williams' captivating performance earned her an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress as well as Golden Globe and Broadcast Film Critics  Association nominations and her fourth Independent Spirit Award nomination.  

This fall, Williams takes on the iconic Marilyn Monroe in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN opposite Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench. The film will be released by The Weinstein Company on November 4, 2011. She will star opposite Seth Rogan in Sarah Polley's TAKE THIS WALTZ, which made its world premiere at  the 2011 Toronto Film Festival.  

Williams is currently in production on Sam  Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, opposite James Franco, where she stars as Glinda the Good Witch.  

Williams' performance in Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, released in 2005, earned her a  Broadcast Film Critics Association Award as well as an Independent Spirit Award, SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award® nomination for "Best Supporting Actress." Following, Williams was nominated for a 2007 Independent Spirit Award for "Best Actress" for her performance in Wim Wenders' LAND OF PLENTY. In her first  collaboration with Kelly Reichardt on her critically acclaimed independent film WENDY AND LUCY, Williams' moving and evocative performance as "Wendy" garnered a Toronto Film Critics Award for "Best Actress" in 2009 and her third Independent Spirit Award Nomination.  

In 2004, Williams shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with her fellow actors for Thomas McCarthy's THE STATION AGENT for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion  Picture." In 2005, Williams was honored by the Motion Picture Club as "Female Star of Tomorrow."  

Williams' other film credits include her second collaboration with director Kelly Reichardt's MEEK'S CUTOFF, Martin Scorcese's SHUTTER ISLAND, Sharon Maguire's INCENDIARY, Charlie Kaufman's  SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK, Todd Haynes' I'M NOT THERE, Ethan Hawke's THE HOTTEST STATE, Sandra Goldbacher's ME WITHOUT YOU, and Andrew Fleming's DICK.  

On television, Williams starred opposite Chloe Sevigny in Martha Coolidge's HBO movie IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 2. She also had a six-year run as "Jen Lindley" on the WB's hit television series DAWSON'S CREEK. The series premiered in 1998 and remained one of the WB's top-rated shows throughout its run.  

On stage, Williams received glowing reviews for her portrayal of Varya in Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She also achieved critical acclaim for her run in Mike Leigh's SMELLING A RAT at the Samuel Beckett Theatre and her off-Broadway debut in KILLER JOE.  

The festival and awards will mark their return on October 20 for a week long series of screenings, competitions and awards. The Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 24, 2011.  

ABOUT STARZ ENTERTAINMENT, LLC:

The festival and awards presenter is Starz Entertainment, LLC, a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® brands with approximately 19  million and 32.9 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz  Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in  providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz,  LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group (NASDAQ: LSTZA).  

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SOURCE Hollywood Film Festival