Jennifer Lawrence To Receive ‘Rising Star Award’ At Palm Springs Film Festival

Actress Jennifer Lawrence will receive the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2011 awards gala, festival organizers announced today.

Lawrence will be honored for her role in “Winter’s Bone,” the story of a teenager from a rural area in the Ozark Mountains who tries to track down her father after he puts up the family’s house as collateral for his bail.

“Call it a gift for us all when a young performer comes along, demonstrating such natural theatrical instinct,” said Harold Matzner, the festival’s chairman. “Jennifer Lawrence has delivered an Oscar quality performance in her latest role.”

Lawrence will accept the award at a Jan. 8 ceremony at the Palm Springs Convention Center, which will be hosted by Mary Hart of “Entertainment Tonight,” according to the film festival.

The 20-year-old actress won the Best Actress Award at the Seattle International Film Festival, the Blue Angel Award for Best Female Performance at the Bratislava Film Festival and a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Actor.

The film was awarded the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

Lawrence has also appeared in the 2008 films “The Burning Plain,” “The Poker House” and “Garden Party.”

She has upcoming roles in “The Beaver,” “X-Men: First Class,” “Like Crazy” and “House at the End of the Street.”

Past recipients of the award include Jessica Biel, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Bryce Dallas Howard, Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick and Scarlett Johansson.