Jamie Foxx to be honored at 31st Palm Springs International Film Festival
Jamie Foxx will be the next recipient of the Palm Springs International Film Festival's Spotlight Award, Actor, for his performance in Just Mercy.
The announcement comes just a week before the festival's annual Film Awards Gala.
"In Just Mercy, Jamie Foxx gives a moving and truly remarkable performance as Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death for a murder, for which he was wrongly convicted," said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner via news release. "This is an inspiring drama that brings an important story about how our justice system can fail to the big screen. It is a story that audiences should see. It is our honor to present the Spotlight Award, Actor to Jamie Foxx."
Past recipients of the honor include Bryan Cranston, Sam Rockwell, and Timothée Chalamet.
PSIFF's description of Just Mercy:
Powerful and thought-provoking, Just Mercy is based on the true story of lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.
Foxx joins a star-studded list of already-named honorees, including Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Scorcese, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, and Robert De Niro.
The Film Awards Gala will be held on January 2nd at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival runs from the 2nd through the 13th.
