This year\u2019s awards season kicked off with the Palm Springs Film Festival over the weekend. On Saturday (January 3) numerous Oscar hopefuls attended the gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center. \u201cThe Imitation Game\u201d cast members including Benedict Cumberbatch, Allen Leech, Alex Lawther and Matthew Beard were present alongside director Morten Tyldum. Other stars such as Robert Downey Jr., Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Rosamund Pike, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon and David Oyelowo were also in attendance. \nPike was honored with a Breakthrough Performance by an Actress award for her performance in \u201cGone Girl\u201d that night and was introduced by her co-stars Carrie Coon and Kim Dickens. Pitt, meanwhile, showed up onstage to introduce Oyelowo who won a Breakthrough Performance by an Actor award for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in \u201cSelma\u201d.
\nAngelina Jolie\u2019s husband additionally led audience to a sing-along on how to pronounce the actor\u2019s name. \u201cHow the hell do you pronounce his name? It\u2019s OK. It\u2019s all right. I\u2019ve been there. I\u2019m here to help,\u201d he joked. In response to the chant, Oyelowo said in his speech, \u201cYou know you have really broken through when Brad Pitt sings your name!\u201d
\nAccording to L.A. Times, the event continued with J.K. Simmons receiving the Spotlight Award for \u201cWhiplash\u201d. Next, Robert Downey Jr. presented the Icon Award to Robert Duvall who is also his co-star in \u201cThe Judge\u201d. \u201cRobert Duvall can do anything and he\u2019s far from done,\u201d the Iron Man depicter said, before adding, \u201cThis is generally where people stand up,\u201d prompting audience to give a standing ovation.
\nNext, Steve Carell appeared onstage and presented the Desert Palm Achievement Award to Moore who showed impressive performance in Alzheimer\u2019s drama \u201cStill Alice\u201d. \u201cBoyhood\u201d director Richard Linklater was honored with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, presented by Shirley MacLaine.
\nLater, Moore took the stage again to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award to the newly-married Redmayne for his performance as Stephen Hawking in \u201cThe Theory of Everything\u201d. The British star, who exchanged vows with Hannah Bagshawe on December 15, thanked \u201cmy life partner and, as of two weeks ago, my wife. It\u2019s kind of weird saying that – but it\u2019s a good weird.\u201d
\nKeaton was also one of the presenters that night, introducing \u201cBirdman\u201d helmer Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu who received Director Award. Director Morten Tyldum then presented his \u201cImitation Game\u201d cast with Ensemble Award.
\nCumberbatch, who brought his fiancee Sophie Hunter to the event, spoke on behalf of the cast and joked that \u201cKeira Knightley thought this takes place in Palm Beach\u201d before delivering his speech about playing war hero and gay icon Alan Turing.
\nThe event concluded with Witherspoon receiving the Chairman\u2019s Award for her role in \u201cWild\u201d, presented by her co-star Laura Dern. \u201cI want to be part of any party Reese Witherspoon is throwing,\u201d Dern quipped. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"