Tarantino to receive Director of the Year honor at Palm Springs International Film Festival

Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino will receive the Director of the Year Award at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival for his work in ``Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,'' organizers announced today.

Quentin Tarantino captures the essence of 1969 Hollywood in his latest cinematic masterpiece `Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood,' bringing to the screen award caliber performances from his two lead actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt,'' said festival Chairman Harold Matzner.We are delighted to honor Quentin Tarantino once again for the excellent quality of his work, this time with the Director of the Year Award!''

The 56-year-old American filmmaker, known for the cult classics Reservoir Dogs,''Pulp Fiction'' and ``Kill Bill,'' to name a few, was previously honored by the festival with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award in 2010.

The comedy-drama ``Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,'' follows an actor struggling to find meaningful work, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his best friend and stunt double, played by Brad Pitt, who navigate the final days of Hollywood's golden age in the late '60s.

Tarantino wrote and directed his feature length debut Reservoir Dogs,'' released in 1992, which featured his single brand of nonlinear story telling coupled with violent crime. Two years later, he releasedPulp Fiction,'' which won the Academy Award for best original screenplay. Eight years later, Tarantino won the same award for his work in ``Django Unchained'' in 2013.

Tarantino, along with previously announced honorees Jamie Foxx, Adam Driver, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Lopez, Laura Dern, Martin Scorsese, Joaquin Phoenix, Zack Gottsagen, Renee Zellweger and Charlize Theron, will be recognized at the festival's Jan. 2 awards gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

The festival runs from Jan. 2 to Jan. 13.