Actress Gal Gadot, of “Wonder Woman,” will be presented with the Rising Star Award at the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival for her performance as the iconic comic book hero.
Gadot is the first award winner announced for the annual film festival, set for Jan. 2-Jan. 15. Gadot will receive the award at the festival’s Jan. 2 awards gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
Festival Chairman Harold Matzner praised Gadot’s performance in the blockbuster, which set several records this summer, including being the highest grossing live-action film directed by a woman.
“Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman showed us a strong, capable, poised, curious and compassionate character, and her performance has been universally praised, resonating with audiences everywhere,” Matzner said. “Gal plays the immortal warrior so well, and the film’s themes are especially apt for today, empowering all types of people — women and men, young and old — the world over.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present Gal Gadot with this year’s Rising Star Award – Actress.”
Gadot will reprise her role as Wonder Woman in Justice League,” out in theaters Nov. 17 as well as a Wonder Woman sequel set for release sometime in 2019.
Past winners of the Rising Star Award include Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Terrence Howard and Dakota Fanning.
–City News Service