Variety to honor British director Steve McQueen at Palm Springs Film Festival

Variety will honor British director Steve McQueen for "Small Axe," a collection of films he created for Amazon Studios, during a virtual event hosted by the organizers of the Palm Springs International Film Festival next month, it was announced today.

McQueen, 51, will be presented with the Creative Impact in Directing Award on Feb. 26 at the 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards event, which will happen virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic forced the cancellation of all the film festival's in-person activities, including the awards gala. McQueen, who's best known for directing "12 Years a Slave,'' the best picture Oscar winner in 2014, is slated to participate in a Q&A at the event.

"After the creative and commercial triumph of '12 Years a Slave,' filmmaker Steve McQueen took his place in the international pantheon of great directors,'' said Steven Gaydos, Variety's executive vice president of global content. "With the arrival of his new `Small Axe' series, McQueen is again at the center of the conversations about both film as art and the path to a better world."

"Small Axe" comprises five films that tell the stories of West Indian immigrants living in London between the 1960s and 1980s.

Festival organizers previously announced director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland'') and actors Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal''), Gary Oldman (Mank'') and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman'') as 2021 honorees.

According to the film society, "Entertainment Tonight'' is scheduled to air a tribute on Feb. 11 and Feb. 25 recognizing the festival's honorees.
More information can be found at www.psfilmfest.org.