Greta Gerwig Earns 'Director Of Year' At Palm Springs Film Festival

PALM SPRINGS, CA —The Palm Springs International Film Festival announced Monday that Greta Gerwig will receive the Director of the Year Award for "Barbie" at its film awards next year.

The award will be presented Jan. 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, according to festival officials.

"Director Greta Gerwig has brought us the cinematic experience of the year with `Barbie,' the perfect blend of comedy, emotion and adventure that has both entertained and resonated with audiences, becoming a cultural touchstone around the world," Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement.

"Gerwig is a masterful filmmaker, and her vision is brought to life so vividly by both the script she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach, and by her clear and singular collaboration with her extraordinary crafts teams, whose visuals are matched only by the outstanding performances delivered by Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and the entire cast," he continued.

The Director of the Year Award has previously been awarded to Jane Champion, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Steve McQueen, Alexander Payne, Sarah Polley, Jason Reitman, and Quentin Tarantino, among others.

Gerwig's previous film was "Little Women," which was nominated for six Academy Awards, five BAFTA awards and Producers Guild and Writers Guild honors. Her debut film, "Lady Bird," received five Academy Award nominations, including for best director and original screenplay for Gerwig.