12 Years a Slave star Lupita Nyong’o has been chosen by the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) to receive their Breakthrough Performance Award for her work in the critically acclaimed dramatic film. Nyong’o, who made her American film debut with 12 Years a Slave, joins a list of previous Breakthrough winners that includes Mariah Carey, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Felicity Huffman, Carey Mulligan, and Jeremy Renner.
“Lupita Nyong’o is outstanding as the exploited slave whose beauty attracts the attention of Michael Fassbender’s vicious slave master. She delivers a raw and deeply moving performance that serves as the fulcrum for the film’s message of the inhumanity of slavery,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For her American film debut in 12 Years a Slave, it is a great honor for the Palm Springs International Film Festival to present her with the 2014 Breakthrough Performance Award.”
In addition, PSIFF announced that Thomas Newman will be awarded the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing for Saving Mr. Banks at the January 4, 2014 awards gala to be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
“Thomas Newman is a master at creating memorable film scores. In Saving Mr. Banks, he pays tribute to Mary Poppins composers Richard and Robert Sherman through an indelible original score,” explained Matzner. The Festival is delighted to once again present Thomas Newman with the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing.”
The Plot of 12 Years a Slave:
12 Years a Slave is based on a true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender) as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) forever alters his life.
