Jennifer Lawrence is named Palm Springs Festival’s Rising Star

Jennifer Lawrence has been quietly accumulating an array of¬†festival honors for her strong performance as Ree Dolly in Winter’s Bone.¬†Now she is¬†tapped¬†to receive the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 2011 awards gala.¬†Last year this¬†award went to Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air.

“Call it a gift for us all when a young performer comes along, demonstrating such natural theatrical instinct,” said Harold Matzner, chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Society board. “Jennifer Lawrence has delivered an Oscar-quality performance in her latest role, in the jarring, critically-acclaimed ‘Winter’s Bone.’”

Prior to this latest honor, Lawrence¬†received kudos as Best Actress¬†at the Seattle International Film Festival,¬†as well as the¬†New Hollywood Award from the Hollywood Film Fest and a nomination for Best Breakthrough¬†Actor from the Gotham Awards.¬†Meanwhile, Winter’s Bone has racked up an impressive list of its own: Sundance Grand Jury, Screenwriting and Humanitas Prizes, CICAE and Readers’ Prizes at the Berlinale, Jury Prize at Deauville, a Best Director win for Debra Granik in Seattle and two additional Gotham nominations, for Best Feature and Best Ensemble, among others… and the season is still young!